Creative Dawn

Christmas came early this year for part of my family.  We celebrated this past weekend and this is what I gave my nephew.  He is a huge fan of the Minnesota Wild so I thought it was appropriate to paint a chair for him.  He is almost seventeen so being able to give him a gift instead of a gift card is always a challenge.  Wish I would have taken a picture of his face when he saw it!  My nephew is a great kid and he makes me proud so it is great to give him something like this.  

My nieces birthday is coming up and she requested that I make something for her.  She did this last year too.  It's great because then I don't need to think about what to get her and it's what she wants.  Last year she wanted a small drawing of Audrey Hepburn for her dorm room this year the request was for a container that was colorful and fun to keep stuff in.  For the past few weeks I have been looking for a container like this to paint or decorate.  Yesterday, finally, there was the perfect one at the Goodwill.  It's wood so painting it would work out great, the hardware on it is really cool, but, the main design on it wasn't painted on, it was paper that was adhered to it.  It should have been easy to remove but it took over two hours, UGH!!!  As mentioned yesterday there was a delay in the planned post and that is why.  In the end it was worth it because it turned out great.  I just hope she likes it.  Happy Birthday to my ...

It seem like I have become a bit accessory obsessed lately.  Part of it may be a time issue because these things are easy to make in a few hours.  Tomorrow I don't have to work, it is supposed to be REALLY hot so my plan is to paint a few things.  Hopefully that will mix up the types of posts.  This post is about a bracelet that is made with felt, buttons and a few beads.  It is just two strips of felt sewn together with an assortment of colorful buttons and some beads for accent.  The 'clasp' is a piece of Velcro.  While making it I was thinking about a friend that cannot normally wear much for jewelry due to an allergy with metal.  This would be a perfect gift for her except it is really small because it is fit for me and I am a small person.  Oh gee, guess I might have to make another one for her!  

What is the longest running animated show on TV?  It is my husbands favorite show and it's something that everyone can quote some sort of line from.  Who doesn't love the Simpsons!?  I have often blogged about considering the likes and preferences of friends and family for gift giving ideas.  Here is one that I decided to give my husband.  I got a photo collage frame and grabbed some of the Simpson books that we have and started to draw small pictures that would fit in this frame.  I picked some classic poses and favorite episodes for inspiration.  It hangs in our office/computer/junk room.  You gotta laugh sometimes when you look at it and recall a line that a character said or a crazy plot that involves Homer.  We have spent many hours when there is nothing on TV watching our DVD seasons.  D'OH!  That's the end of today's blog!

One of my cousins is pregnant and the baby shower is in a week.  I debated what to do for her and finally decided on a Teddy Bear.  I posted about this pattern previously but this time, my fabric selection is a bit different.  From my favorite, the Goodwill, I got a denim curtain panel for 1.49.  The fabric is really soft and was plenty to make two bears, one for another friend due later this year.  Instead of just using the obvious 'front' of the fabric, I reversed some of it.  It has a great two-toned effect.  For an extra bit of interest I added a few patches on the bear.  My cousin is waiting to find out if she is having a boy or girl, so with the denim it work for either.  I still need to add a ribbon around the neck, but haven't found anything I like yet.  Most likely it will be red or blue.  Hope she likes it!

 This is the bag inside out  This is a last minute addition to my gift list.  I had made these for gifts two years ago, but was asked to make another one for my husbands grandmother.  The bag is made with cotton batting and fabric.  I kind of eyeball the size, when it is finished it measures about 8 1/2 x 10.  Then I add the instructions tucked inside the bag.  My mom, mother in law and sister in law all use their bags quite often.  It is an economical gift and if you sew at all, is very quick to put together.  The fabric can be chosen according to the recipient so that it goes with their decor.  Here is the finished bag and the microwave directions. BAKED POTATO BAG This simple bag creates a “just right” baked potato in your microwave.  The inside is well done, yet moist, and the skin remains tender. The bag will cook one to four medium sized potatoes at once. Simply wash & dry your potatoes. DO NOT PRICK! Wrap the potatoes in a...

This is a frame that I bought at the Goodwill for a few dollars.  It was never used and is very sturdy and made for a 4 x 6 picture.  Brand new, someone probably paid ten to fifteen dollars for it.  I got it a while ago and it has been sitting in my stack of projects waiting for an idea.  Finally something came to me.  With the arch of the frame, I thought a butterfly would look nice and then added the saying to the bottom.  It was a really quick project and now I can check another gift off of my Christmas list.  Present like this are always great, they are never the wrong size and everyone can use a little inspiration in their lives. 

My husband is a huge Vikings fan.  He a lot of different shirts and memorabilia and an awesome chair.  It was a Goodwill find once again.  I love wooden chairs, there is so many things that you can do with them.  Sanding the chair was the first order of business.  Once that was done, I painted it in white, purple and gold.  My husband is also an AP so, I put that on the chair too.  It is something that could be done with any sport or team and it is a great personalized gift.  

Here is my 3rd calender page.  The song inspiration is American Pie, a great song.  I have almost all of my song titles figured out, I just need to come up with ideas to draw.  And I also have a few more pages done also and will post them soon.  I just cannot believe how fast the holiday season is approaching.  I need to work even harder on my projects for gifts.  Hoping I can inspire others to create special presents for their families and friends also.

This is a great way to relax and still do something creative.  I love to embroider and watch TV especially on a rainy or snowy day.  Flour sack dishtowels are practical and make great gifts.  Everyone can use more towels!  This set is going to my husbands grandma for their family cabin, hence the cabin theme.  The iron on templates are at most craft and fabric stores for a few dollars.  You can use them multiple times and even if they wear out, you could still use them with fabric tracing paper.  I use a basic back stitch and keep it simple since the towels will be used a lot I don't want to get to fancy.  To the left is my recent findings at the Goodwill and to the right is the amount I spent.  It was half off all blue ticket items and the table was marked at .99.  I got 10% off the table for carrying it out myself.  What a deal!  Look for these bargain finds in upcoming posts.

Oops, I am a bit late today, but work ran long.  So, today, is the beginning of my annual calender.  It started in 2005 when I was extra tight on money.  I wanted to give everyone something, but what?  I decided to make my own calendar.  The end cost was whatever Kinko's charged per copy.  I could give everyone a gift that was hand made.  Now I do this every year, well, except 2009 when I didn't have any ideas.  No big deal, I made other gifts right!  Well, my family was all disappointed that they didn't get them that year.  I didn't know they liked them that much, but they did.  So, now I HAVE to make them.  It starts with the basics, I draw out an outline for the days and dates and then photocopy them.  It gets too tedious to draw out 12 calendar blocks.  Next I fill in the months, dates and holidays.  Step one done!  This is my 2011 start.  As I finish the illustrations for the months, I will ...