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ikick freezer paper stencil

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that my first freezer paper stencil was a prototype. Now that the recipient has received his gift, I can show you: iKick!

kids karate freezer stencil tshirt

I used two coats of paint this time and got much better coverage, but it seeped under the freezer paper in some places. Not a big deal for this shirt because I like the edginess it brings to the design. I wonder if I could get better coverage with a smoother edge by using fabric markers instead of paint. Hmm…

stencil art: Karate guy from clip art I had on my computer. Font is Myriad.

Did you happen to catch Apple in the headlines today? It bumped Google out of first for most valuable brand.

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mother’s tea

kids handmade mothers day gift

Last week, my daughter’s nature school class hosted a Mother’s Tea. It was a really sweet morning. The kids sang us a song, gave us presents they had been working on for a few weeks and then we all went on a hike to the Butterfly Garden to plant flowers.

preschool butterfly garden

If you are local and happen to be at the park, you should check out the garden. All of the flowers are planted by the preschoolers. They were so proud.

butterfly sculpture

The benches, sculpture and garden itself were donated by preschool parents over the past few years in memory of some of the mothers, teachers and children related to the program. It was a very touching morning.

handmade gift idea: The bracelets were so cute. They are beads on pipe cleaners chenille sticks. The poem was written by one of the teachers. The kids re-used old greeting cards to make new Mother’s Day cards. It’s a great project for little ones to do mostly on their own.

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silky eye pillow

A few nights ago I sat down in front of the tv and couldn’t find anything to watch. My daughter was already in bed and my husband was downstairs working out. I decided to flip through some of my craft books for an easy project. I was really tired so it had to be really easy.

silky eye pillow amanda soule handmade home

I found the perfect project in Handmade Home: a silky eye pillow scented with chamomile and lavender. I had it finished and ready for the stuffing in no time. The next day I bought the herbs, came home and made a few more.

silky eye pillow amanda soule handmade home

stash: I had everything I needed in my stash except for the herbs. A quick online search showed that most people used flax for the stuffing. I had a big bag of sushi rice in the pantry and the small round grains worked perfectly.

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thrifty find: fabric book panels

Remember all of those hours I spent thrifting without finding anything to wear? Well, I did find something cool on the way out of one store: a huge box of brand new quilting fabric. I couldn’t resist a little peek and what did I spy? Books!

fabric books

I don’t know why I haven’t thought of making fabric books before. My daughter had a few and loved them. She’d crumble them up, chew on them, drop them on the floor and after a run in the washing machine they’d be just like new.

thrifty second thoughts: Last week, I was proud of myself for not going overboard and buying the whole box. After doing a little online search, I wish I would have bought a few more.

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save paper: craft coupons on your phone

I was headed to the craft store this morning and realized I forgot to print my 40% off coupon. I really didn’t want to drive all the way home so I asked the cashier if she could just use it from my phone. “No problem!” she said. Awesome.

Think of how much paper we could save if everyone who had a smart phone gave up printing coupons!

I don’t like posting without a picture, so here’s the little frame I bought today. Isn’t it cute? Perfect for a little girl who likes pink and little purses.

pink purse picture frame

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spring fair

We managed to squeeze in a little fun time in between errands and chores this weekend. The church were Mirabella goes to preschool had a Spring Fair today.

red light green light

We only stayed for a short time, but she managed to play games, make crafts, get her face painted and have a cupcake. Add beautiful weather and we had all the ingredients for a fun spring morning.

face painting

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my creative space

fairy dress

In my creative space this week, I altered this cute dress to fit my daughter. She hasn’t been that interested in dress up clothes, but there were a few times at the children’s museum that wore a dress almost exactly like this.

I snagged this one at the thrift shop, even though it was a few sizes too big. I took in the shoulders and body, but left the skirt as is.

fairy dress

She was really excited when I brought it home and couldn’t wait until it fit. Now, of course, she doesn’t want to wear it. Maybe I should call it a Fancy Nancy dress instead. If that doesn’t work, it can always be transformed into a twirly skirt.

What’s happening in your creative space this week? Play along over at Kirsty’s.

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freezer paper stencil prototype

freezer stencil fabric painting

I have this idea for a really cool shirt, but it involves freezer paper stenciling. Can you believe I’ve never tried it? Well, until today, that is. Boy, is this technique awesome — and addicting!

freezer stencil fabric painting

When I applied the paint I was confident one coat would be enough, but after peeling off the stencil, I think two coats might be the way to go. Glad I made a prototype.

Have you used freezer paper stencils before?

pattern: The stencil is a freehand drawing of a flower from existing fabric. I’m going to make matching pajama bottoms for my daughter.

technique: You can find details and tutorials over at Amy’s blog and Craftster.

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heading back into the closet

wardrobe refashion linen skirts

The Thrifting Fairies must have been on Easter vacation last weekend. I did a lot of trying on and left with a lot of nothing. It made me think that refashioning what’s in my closet might be a better way to spend my time. So, on a trip up to Omaha, I grabbed two skirts and my seam ripper.

First to come out were the bulky pockets. Then I unpicked the waist and elastic casing. This week I’m going to take in the sides and insert a zipper (yikes!). Currently on the chopping block are these two linen skirts. Stay tuned!