Saturday, October 30, 2010

New Soda Tab Items & Prize


Here is my finished Halloween soda tab medical alert bracelet.
I also finished making 3 other soda tab bracelets yesterday.
Only 2 are shown here (unfinished).


Today I made this soda tab necklace for myself.


Last month I entered my video tutorial of this vhs tape Halloween wreath in a contest at Henthorne Handmade, and I won 2nd place.


My prize arrived yesterday, handmade by Ankh.


Just in time for Halloween.  The lining has skulls on it.
I used it last night to hold my video camera and microphone in (for filming a talk on homesteading).
Thank you Ankh!


P.S. I am very close to having 100 followers!  Wow!  Thank you everyone who follows my blog.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Soda Tab Bracelets


All week I have been making soda tab bracelets to sell at the Middlesex Community College's 16th Annual Arts & Crafts Fair on November 20th.  I've been trying out a new clasp, and it is working out great.  I think that I want to make a few necklaces as well, but we'll see if that happens.


Last night I arranged them according to size: small, medium, and large.  This way I know what sizes I need more of.  I also need to make one or two more of these pvc pipe displays.   Last night I finished my Halloween medical alert bracelet.  I'll post pictures later.  I'm thinking that I should make a few medical alert bracelets to sell.  Its not always easy to find fun ones.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Bracelet & Snapshot


Today I have been making a Halloween soda tab medical alert bracelet for myself.
The problem?  The ribbon is to large for the jewelry attachments.
The solution?  I am going to use a thin orange ribbon at the ends to attach them.


It was a gorgeous Fall day out today.  I am participating in a new link party where we take a snapshot of our life at a specific time.  Today's time was 5 p.m.  This was taken about 20 minutes before... before my son had a meltdown and we had to go inside.  


So instead my snapshot is of me watching a recording of The Biggest Loser while eating a Morning Star fake chicken patty.  My cat came up to get some love.



Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Tuesday's Tot Craft Time: Apple Crown


My family and I love to go apple picking in the Fall.  


A few weeks ago the library offered an apple craft project for the kids.


I put off posting this project for a while so that I could post Halloween ones instead.


They had several pre-cut apples in red, green, and yellow available to choose from.
Then we took two brown strips, some markers, and a stapler.


Since my son's favorite color is blue, he wanted some blue apples for his hat.


When your child is finished coloring his/her apples, staple the two brown strips around their head.


Then staple the apples onto it.


Voila!  A cute apple crown.

To make this apple crown more eco-friendly, you can use the back of some scrap paper or food boxes.  Paint them red, yellow, and/or green, and cut them into apple shapes.  Another option is to do some apple prints and then cut those out.  Scrap fabric or scrap card stock would be good for the brown band, or maybe rolled up newspaper that is painted brown.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Heart Quilt Block


I have neglected to make my 2nd box exchange block until the last minute.  My quilt guild meeting is tonight.  At least I finished the blocks for the paper piecing box exchange last month.  Well here is the block that I chose (and made) for my box.  I am participating in two box exchanges this year.  One is a pieced block and the other is a paper pieced block.  Tonight I will place my blocks and instructions into two boxes, then someone will number my two boxes.  At the end of the meeting I will pick up my assigned boxes (which contain other people's blocks) and someone else will take mine home.  No one knows who has whose boxes or whose box they have.  Its a mystery.  Every month we swap out the boxes (we are assigned certain boxes each month so that there is no confusion).  In May we hang up all of the blocks that were made and the original owners take home their blocks that several people made for them.  The box exchange is a fun way to make a scrappy quilt and learn new patterns every month.  Here are some of the box exchange blocks from last year.

If you haven't noticed, I'm going with a Valentine's / heart theme with both of the blocks that I chose for the two box exchanges this year and with the one that I did last year.  All of the blocks will go into the same quilt.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Halloween Round Up




Here is my Halloween mantel.
I like to buy my decorations after the holiday when they are on sale.




My 3 year old's creeky coffin and the table runner that I made last year 
(which is on the mantel right now).




Felt Mice, bats, and spider.


Kids' Crafts: Foam Haunted House & Plaster Tea Light Candle Holder






VHS Tape Wreaths: Simple one & Bottle Cap one


Bottle Cap Wreath & Skeleton Wreath


Plastic Bottle Ring Mini Wreath Ornament




Tree House of Horror Magnets


Kids' Craft: Spider


Halloween Sock Monkeys


Halloween Juice Pouch Purse


Jack-O-Lantern Bottle Cap Pincushion


Rat Infested Pumpkin




Pumpkin Log (that I saw at a craft fair)


Pumpkin picking is fun for the whole family.


Jack-O-Lanterns (from last Halloween)




Punk Soda Tab Bracelet (for a 2 year old)


My kids in their homemade costumes last year: Punk & Sheet Ghost.


Since moving to Massachusetts, we like to go to Salem for Halloween.
This was an Invisible Man costume that someone was wearing there.
I'm looking forward to seeing the great costumes there this year.


I got a lot of great spider web and spider pictures this year in my own yard.


Don't forget to take pictures of the beautiful Fall leaves.