Easter Swap Project Inspiration #3: Homemade Bouncy Balls

Couldn't you just see a handful of these in spring colors brightening up your little one's Easter basket? Or simply bouncing through your house on a rainy day? What fun!

Disclaimer - I haven't had a chance to test this "recipe." So, I make no promises for how it works or how difficult it may be...but the ingredients are pretty common and relatively inexpensive. And the directions seem really easy...you do mold the ball by hand, but I'm guessing that if there were imperfections then they would just contribute to the fun of bouncing it:)

Definitely seems like it's worth a shot...and a great no-sew inspiration for our fun Easter swap! Have fun bouncing!

Easter Swap Project Inspiration #2: Do you crochet?

For my crochet friends out there...I found this adorable little pattern via, can you guess? Yep, PINTEREST! Seriously, what did I do before I could "pin" things?

Pop on over to Easy Makes Me Happy...what a great blog title! Doesn't easy make you happy? It sure makes me grin:) Check out the Easter egg pattern and then browse around for a while. She has such cute crochet patterns available in her Etsy shop too!

Easter Swap Project Inspiration #1: Tips for Softie Construction

Have you heard? There is a handmade Easter toy swap in the works! What a great way to fill your little one's Easter basket with gorgeous handmade gifts without having to persoanlly master 16 different crafts! Want to join us? GREAT! Check out the rules and sign up here...sign ups are open until January 31.

Now on to the inspiration...

Over the next few months, I will be sharing tons of great ideas for making toys for your little snuggler. You'll find some projects of my own design, but lots of love for other artisans and their handmade wares, as well. Fall in love with something? I'll always be sure to include links so you can find your way back to purchase them.

For our first inspiration, I'm sticking with a topic that I know well...but, I promise to branch out in the coming weeks:)

These super sweet teeny tiny little bunnies have been lingering in my Etsy favorites since last year. I just adore them! Don't you? Hop on over to arixystix and grab a few...you may even want to pick up a chick along the way:) What a great little addition to any Easter gift!

Or if you're thinking of creating softies for your contribution to our little Easter swap, then skip ahead and check out my top tips for fabulous softie construction.


Simple Soft Toy Construction Tips:

1. Stitch length is or paramount importance! You want those stitches nice and tiny. The seams of a soft toy are under constant duress simply from the stuffing, but add a pair of tiny hands, lots of hugs, and possibly a round or two of tug-o-war and things get dicey:) A short stitch length will help ensure that the stuffing stays where it is intended...on the inside!

2. Stuff your toy until it is fully stuffed...then go back and stuff it again! Seriously, the more stuffing you put in it the smoother the seams, the firmer the squeze, and the longer the life of the toy. Think back to the days of cheap quilted comforters...remember how all that stuffing would shift over time and suddenly only your feet were warm??? Same idea! So when you think you've stuffed enough, go back and add at least two more handfuls, maybe more.

3. CURVES! - When you are designing your toy keep those curves subtle! Any sharp curve will pucker and bow when you turn it...the result isn't pretty! Trust the one who has created hundreds of doll prototypes trying to perfect a graceful doll neck:)

4. Curves again - Where there is a curve there is a pucker. You can reduce the appearance of these puckers by carefully clipping the seam allowance while the toy is still inside out. On an inward curve, you will clip tiny little triangles of fabric out of the seam allowance...similar to what a pair of pinking shears will create (bonus tip - yep, you CAN use pining shears to accomplish this!). On outward curves, you want to trim as much of the seam allowance as is possible and still maintain a sound seam. Be sure you don't clip through your stitches.

5. Embellish first - If you're planning to add any details, appliques, or embroidery to the outside of your toy, do it before you put it together...trust me again. I've had more than one toy that I just wanted to see come to life, so I waited to add the face...and each time I kicked (and pricked) myself!

6. Find inspiration in the world around you and from other artists, but make the toy your own. Not only is this just good crafty manners, but it makes the toy that much more lovable if you can feel a piece of the artist in the design. PS - outside the realm of the swap, but still...if you are planning to sell anything you have made that was heavily inspired by another artist...check first! Most people are super open to sharing their creative products so long as you get permission and give credit:)

7. HAVE FUN! It's a toy, for goodness sake! It should bring a smile to your face as well as the face of the recipient:)

Now, if you haven't already...go sign up for the swap. And remember, lots of projects coming to inspire you, most of which require absolutely NO sewing, so don't be shy:)

An Easy Handmade Easter Swap...Who Wants to Play?

So, about that Pinterest obsession...well, this time it has tipped off a fantastic little idea. I found a group of moms who hosted an Easter toy/goodie swap at a playdate. Each mom contributed multiples of fun little things to fill Easter baskets and everyone went home with a wonderful variety of exciting handmade things for their little ones.
That led me to the very obvious conclusion that I should host a similar swap right here on the blog! Don't you think it's a GREAT idea? I thought you would:)

So here are the rules...
1.Leave a comment here that you want to play along. Also note the number of children you are swapping for and their ages. Be sure to include your email address if you are a No-reply commenter.
2. All items must be handmade, but that doesn't mean you have to sew...over the next several weeks I will be sharing links to all sorts of projects that you might want to try.
3. Spread the word...the more variety the better!
4. Should the number of participants get way out of hand then I will divide everyone into circles so that you don't end up making 4,652 bunny baskets:)
5. Create one small gift for every child in the swap and mail them so that they reach the recipient at least one week before Easter.
6. Have patience with the swap mama...this is the first time I have hosted a swap. I will forget things, get confused, and make mistakes, but we will work through those as they happen.

I will close sign ups on January 31. After that I will send everyone an email asking for your shipping info an then another with the swap details. I would so greatly appreciate it if you would let me know after the second email, what you plan to make. That way I can prevent any duplications before they occur.

Does that cover it? Come on y'all...play along, ok?

Now a little Etsy love... I am drooling over that little play set up there and I know Bee would flip for it too! Interested...you can find it here

Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest

Have you caved to the addiction? I held out for quite some time, but finally gave in a few months ago. I can honestly say that I am much LESS productive since.

But then, I find things like this from ohdeedoh. It's so easy, doesn't take any additional time out of my morning, but it makes my girls positively giddy! And especially on a day where everyone is under the weather and just a bit on the grumpy side (or in Bee's case, a LOT on the grumpy side), a little pick me up can make a real difference.

So, I'm hooked. And I can admit it, embrace it even. I will continue to pin a million more things that I will ever be able to do. And that's ok with me:)

And in case you're wondering...I very rarely use a pre-made pancake mix. I've pretty much memorized the basic mix that we make because we eat a lot of pancakes, and I do mean, A LOT. But the snowman shown above was made with Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake Mix. And that's a strip of bacon, a few blueberries that we froze earlier this year when they were in season, and some vanilla yogurt. I opted for blueberries and yogurt instead of the marshmallows and chocolate chips from the original post. I wish I could say I did this for health reasons, but in all honesty...it's just what I happened to have close at hand. And no breakfast is complete in our house without yogurt.

Cookies for Santa and Holiday Wishes for You

We've wrapped and hung and baked and sung. The tree sparkles, the presents shimmer, and the cookies smell delightful. And now we wait...for Christmas, for Santa, and for the birth of our Lord.

Tonight, I send to you my warmest wishes for a very happy Christmas! I hope you find yourself surrounded by loved ones, filled with the spirit, and blessed by the Savior. And an abundance of cookies never hurt anyone:)

And in case you need a last minute gift, these little cookies are sure to delight a child in your life. My present to you...a quick almost-tutorial. Directions only, but pretty simple to follow. And you have just enough time to whip up two or three as you sit by the fire and enjoy the glow of you tree (and the cleanliness of your family room - cuz that won't last long tomorrow!).

You will need:

some felt scraps (red, white, green, brown, tan, cream, yellow, etc.)

a tiny bit of stuffing

embroidery thread

cookie cutters

1. Select a cookie cutter for the outline of your cookie.

2. Trace the cookie cutter onto the felt color of your choice TWO times for each cookie. Example - to make 1 chocolate chip cookie you would trace two circles onto tan felt. Cut out your cookies.

3. Draw and cut out embellishments for the top of your cookie. Example - to make one chocolate chip cookie cut out approximately 9 small circles of dark brown felt.

4. Use embroidery thread to stitch decorations to the top of your cookie. You can also embroider details like sprinkles at this time too.

5. Place the two pieces of your cookie right sides together and sew using 1/4" seam allowance. I did this on my sewing machine for speed and durability, but you could do this by hand if you would like. Leave a 1.5" opening for turning and stuffing.

6. Clip any corners and curves, then turn right side out.

7. Add a small amount of stuffing...don't overstuff these or they cease to look like a cookie and become more of a hockey puck.

8. Fold open edges in and whipstitch the opening closed using matching thread.

Merry Christmas!

The Set that Will Likely Never Be...

Did you create a holiday sewing list? I'm wondering if your vision for all the things you were going to make for the loved ones in your life was as unattainable as mine. I seriously overestimated how much I could accomplish! And even more than that, each day seemed to trigger a new idea for something else that would make someone in my life (mostly my girls) smile.

Meet Gingerbread Baby.

Are you familiar with Jan Brett's books? Each and every one is truly amazing! And many of them make a nice addition to your holiday/winter reading rotation. The Gingerbread Baby and Gingerbread Friends are two of our favorites! With gorgeous illustrations and a slightly new take on this classic story, they are highly engaging. [Insert former literacy teacher's comments on repetitive text, the value of following characters from one book to the next etc.]

And so, our Gingerbread Baby was born. After reading the books at bedtime one night, I thought to myself, "You know, Belle would really love to have a Gingerbread Baby to carry around. I think I'll make her one tonight." Was this a project on my previously established holiday sewing list? No, but it's just one quick little doll. And she'll really love it...

A few hours and a small stack of wool felt later, I snuck into Belle's room and tucked Gingie into her clothes for the next day. A fun little surprise!

If only the insanity had stopped there...

Because at this point, I realized that we were headed to the Nutcracker in a few days. And, the gingerbread cookies just happen to be one of my favorite parts. And this little gal really did look just like the costumes in the ballet. And Belle would really fall in love with ALL the characters. And, of course, I should just make her an entire Nutcracker play set...right???

Can you see how I get myself in trouble around here???

I sat for a few hours and sketched patterns for Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Nutcracker, and the Mouse King. Then I meticuously traced each of those patterns (why didn't I pull out the scanner here?), so that I could have a copy of each to save. Then I cut each tiny piece. And well, you can see where this is headed.

At this point, Gingerbread Baby remains a loner, though the skirt part of Clara's nightdress is finished. Of course, once we actually saw the ballet, Belle's favorite was the Sugar Plum Fairy and I haven't even cut those pieces out yet.

So, as the title suggests, this set will never be complete. Especially not before Christmas. But maybe over time I'll finish it up for next year. But then, who am I kidding? I will have thought of a million and one other projects to do between now and then.

So, am I the only one whose brain works faster than her hands? Do you all struggle to control zillions of creative thoughts that just can't feasibly be brought to fruition? Or am I the only one who gets herself into these kinds of situations?

A Very Special O-ccasion!

Once upon a time there was a very special little girl. And she loved to attend special "vacations." It only took about 300 attempts to teach her that they were special, "o-ccasions." And one day she will eventually leave out the exaggerated pause between the syllables when discussing these unique events. That will be a sad day for her Mommy!


This very special little girl had a fascination with all things girlie. Twirly dresses and ballerinas included. So, she was blessed with the opportunity to see the Nutcracker for the very first time...from the FRONT ROW!

And such a special "o-ccasion," called for a very special frock, indeed.


Red and white damask with touches of black corduroy. A fluffy black tulle tutu for volume and a party dress pattern. All the tiny details coming together for maximum twirlability and a very happy child.

Let's just say...She loved her dress. She loved the ballet. And we have watched many Sugar Plum Fairy performances since our very special o-ccasion. One holiday memory that we will never forget!

What holiday memories are you making this year?

What We've Been Up To...

So what have Belle, Bee and I been up to recently?

Well, we feasted with family. Our tummies have never been so full or so happy:)



But, we did save some room for dessert!


We've spread some sisterly love...and accidentally excluded all the pictures where the love wasn't so sweet!


Then we made some time to decorate this monstrous thing in our jammies. We even went back later and added a tree topper, but somehow it didn't make the "film."


We froze our cute little tushies off at the Raleigh Christmas parade on the ONE cold day we've had so far this fall. It has been seriously warm here and we are looking forward to a little chill tomorrow!

And even spotted our hometown hero along the route!

Can you guess who's driving these reindeer???

Someone knows who it is and she is being sure to show off her most winning (and innocent looking) smile.

But this one just doesn't seem to get it...no, Bee, you're supposed to be GOOD!

We've read a lot of books and worn more than our share of costumes.

We even sported some rocking Daddy-made "crowns," at bath time.

This has to be the best picture I've ever taken...I just love it!

But, "Wait," you say. What's missing here? Oh, yes. The craftiness.

Well, lest you believe that all projects have come to an end, here's the list of WIP and completed fun stuff over the last few weeks: felt Christmas cookies, a pile of holiday bookmarks/ornaments/gift tags, a good portion of a rather large Christmas quilt pieced, a GORGEOUS dress for Belle to wear to the Nutcracker, a super-fab embellished stocking for a dear local client, mountains of glittered holiday play dough, a wool felt gingerbread baby, a partially completed Clara doll, and a partridge in a pear tree (ok - that was just to see if you were paying attention).

Now, why on Earth aren't there any pictures of those goodies. Well, you see, when one is so busy living life and crafting on the side, one somehow runs out of time to edit the 600+ photos clogging up the SD card, preventing you from photographing all the crafty goodness. UNTIL TONIGHT! All 9,000,000,000 pics have been edited, saved, and organized (and shared) and there is finally room on that card for some pics of the fun projects we've been working on.

Just wait until you see the present Belle is making for Bee for Christmas...it's pretty darn amazing and I'm not the least bit biased.

So, I hope you've been just as busy living life as we have. And I'll be back soon with some of the fun holiday sewing that we've been up to:)

Are you hungry?

Looking for a holiday gift for little hands? This quick and easy tutorial that I found on One Inch World has Bee's stamp of approval.

I whipped up a batch of felt farfalle using just one sheet of cream colored felt during our drive to and from our fall family reunion. FIFTY-SIX little pastas later, we pulled into our driveway. When I poured the pile of butterflies into a wooden cooking pot, Bee was hooked. She played with these the entire evening.

Fill, pour, stir, spoon, and nibble (pretend nibbles, of course). While a bit tedious on the stitching end, it was well worth it to see how much pleasure it brought to my sweet Itty Bit. I'd highly recommend these for the toddlers and preschoolers on your holiday "shopping" list!

A Head Start:)

I'm notorious for waiting until the last minute to make holiday outfits and gifts. Remember the fish outfit I whipped up for Bee the night before her birthday??? Crazy, I know!

Well, thanks to Becky over at Owly Baby, I'm getting a head start on Christmas!


Becky asked for volunteers to test a couple of her new patterns, and I jumped on board in a hurry! The City Jumper pattern is super cute and it was a great excuse to get started on holiday dresses for the girls. I'm not sure when it will be available to the public, but I'll try to keep you posted so you can snap it up:)

For my version, I started with a black and white palette. The little punch of red piping adds just the right amount of flare without the dress screaming CHRISTMAS! That way, hopefully, we will get a bit more wear out of it. I just can't stand to make (or buy) dresses that we wear one time!



With the piping, and the pockets, and the adorable red zipper on the back (that I, of course, forgot to take a pic of...) it is just the sweetest little dress. Don't you think Bee will be the cutest little bit around?

Now to decide on a pattern for Belle...anyone else looking for a dress pattern reviewer in the next couple of weeks??? Apparently, I need a little push:)

Halloween Memories

Because Halloween 2011 is already just a memory. And I know that, in what seems like only moments, Halloween 2025 will be only a memory. We had a slew of 1-4 year olds running through our house this morning, and the squeals and giggles were priceless. Some of my favorite moments from this day and how I wish I could live it all over again...

And as a gift to my readers who also happen to feel that time is slipping through their hands faster than they really appreciate...I discovered an amazing new-to-me blog while browsing Pinterest (yes - I'm on there and one of these days I'll figure out how to do the whole Pinterest button on blog thing, but that will have to wait until another day). After reading several posts about photographing Halloween, I just knew that this was a must follow. So, if you're looking to preserve some of your memories, head over and visit Katie Evans Photography. And for your future photography tip needs, I've added a link to her blog on my sidebar.

She happens to be running a contest right now, and while my photography is amateur at best, it seems to be getting better every day, so I'll be sending my memories as entries...you should join in on the fun too! Directions for how to submit your entries can be found on the blog. And just a note - I've included the tips that inspired each shot just for your info:)

UPDATE: You can vote for my pics by liking them on Pinterest. They're the ones from belle-n-bee.blogspot.com (obviously:).

Entry 1: Moving beyond the traditional pose

Entry 2: Capturing the details

Entry 3: Getting behind them

Hold tight to those memories in whatever way you can! Happy Halloween:)

Trick or Treat

We'll be sporting brand new treat bags as we make our rounds this evening!

They were supposed to feature an applique monogram in the open space at the top. But, Belle can't seem to make up her mind which one she wants, so I figured this way we can trade as often as we need/want. Maybe next year I can add a pumpkin and a spider to jazz them up, but for now I quite like them as they are.

And have no fear...my sweet children will not have their long-term health sacrificed to the candy monsters! Oh no...the hubs and I will take care of eating most of that candy for them:) Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday, Bee!

Affectionately known as "Itty Bit," our little Bee turned TWO on Saturday! She's still roughly the size of a 15 month old, talks like a 2 year old, and races through the house like a 6 year old:) She's bubbly but demanding, adventurous but knows her own limits, sassy but sweet as sugar...basically a walking contradiction. And she's the pepper to her sister's salt. They are nothing alike, but the best of friends!


Bee has a sense of style all her own. Her favorite ensemble is her "white" dress (Snow White, that is), her flowered rain boots, and a pair of binoculars around her neck. But don't you dare come near her in a mask...she is NOT a fan!



Did I mention that she's a bit on the animated side? The facial expressions and comedic timing on this thing are unbelieveable!

And like every diva, a wardrobe change mid-event is always necessary:) I'm not sure if you recognized the dress in the pics above, but it came from none other than the famous Katy at No Big Dill, who just happened to give birth to her first little boy on my little Bee's birthday! Congrats to Katy and the entire Dill family:)

But we couldn't eat Carolina blue (is there any other color???) cupcakes in that dress. I mean, I ordered it before Bee was even ONE!

So, to complement the party theme, I whipped up this little fishie outfit the morning of the party...yep, nothing like waiting till the last minute:)

I'd say the cupcakes were a big hit, but I think that's pretty obvious:)

A while back, I confessed that Belle had a birthday party that was completely store-bought (except the cupcakes that my hubby baked). I had a lot of guilt, but she had a blast. And I learned a pretty important lesson...sometimes it's better to be the parent enjoying your child instead of the parent making things for your child.

This time around, I aimed for the middle ground. Thanks to a very busy tax season, I've had quite a bit of time on my hands in the evenings, so I used my free time to practice a new knitting technique...magic loop. Not complicated at all, but something new to me. And if I was going to be practicing, I might as well make something for the Bee's birthday while I was learning a new skill. So the "Birthday Baby" was born.

In a futile attempt to make Bee love her, I dressed her like Dora, but my goal with the doll is that it will grow with Bee. Right now she loves Dora, so a few basic accessories turn this simple doll into her much-loved friend. But with a quick clothing change she can be just about anything. I'm planning a Halloween dress next...maybe white with a ghost face on the front. Then a dress for a very special secret event coming up this winter...more on that later:)

Of course, even the totally yummy belly button couldn't make Bee interested in her doll. She quickly tossed it aside and moved on to much more exciting toys, but maybe one day she'll grow to love the doll. And if not...oh well. I learned a new technique and enjoyed the process.

So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEE! I love you more than the moon and the stars and could not imagine our little family without your spunky sweetness!

Something old...

I picked up a pair of these vintage pillowcases at my local thrift store. I just loved the yellow print and the tatting on the edge was simply divine. As I was putting them away with the rest of my vintage stash (I keep the vintage fabrics, trims, etc. separate from the modern), I noticed the bag of hand-made doilies that my husband's grandmother had made over the years. We lost Grandma Ollie 10 years ago, but I know she is smiling down on Belle and is so proud of her sweet personality and sassy intelligence. So I didn't think she would mind if I put one of her doilies to use embellishing a skirt for little miss Belle.

Other than the fact that I had to repair a bit of the tatting, the skirt came together in literally 8 minutes. I chopped off the bottom of the pillowcase (where it opens) to the appropriate length for the skirt. A quick press of the elastic casing and two speedy seams and it was finished. Attaching the doilie, on the other hand, was a bit time consuming. My kids don't wear anything that I can't throw in the washing machine and dryer, so I wanted to make sure that the doilie would stand up to the abuse of a now FOUR YEAR OLD. So I stitched and stitched and stitched it to the front of the skirt.

Belle isn't old enough to understand the significance of this particular skirt, but she adores it. And it means a lot to the rest of us who do know the history of the doilie. And the super soft, light weight vintage fabric is perfect for the steamy NC springs/summers.

All Dressed Up...

I've been working on some accessories for the dolls, especially the boys. It just didn't seem fair that the girls got wear frilly little skirts, and even eye patches, and the boys were left without extras.

So now, a valiant, medieval knight can spend his days jousting with his friends.

And the resident super hero can save the day every now and then.

What do you think? Would your little boys appreciate the chance to accessorize??

Olivia

Olivia is a smart, sassy, and serious little bundle of knowledge. She can educate you on the classification of butterflies, enlighten you on the subject of color coordination, and broaden your understanding of the physics of a cartwheel. But, she won't hesitate to point out your misconceptions, so you had better be on your toes:)

Olivia can most often be found with her nose in a book, but she also spends considerable amounts of time studying the world around her. She carries a field journal with her on all of her adventures to keep a record of her discoveries.

I'm sure those of you who know me and my children personally, can probably see little bits of all of us in the characters I create...bet'cha can't guess who inspired this one:)

Happy Easter!

One of my favorite hymns from my childhood begins with, "Up from the grave he arose..." I love Easter because it is a time of such renewal, and spring in NC is an amazing thing to witness. It is a glorious day here to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior.

And regardless of your spiritual leanings, I hope that you are enjoying this fine spring day.

We've had a visit from the big bunny, visited family, and hunted more eggs. Sadly, we missed church due to a couple of unseasonable colds and some nasty little coughs:(

But, we still looked springingly cute in our new dresses:)

And just in case you're wondering...

Belle's dress was made with this tutorial from Freshly Picked. I added an underskirt, a sash, and some pretty little pleats just for fun. I also cut a slit in the back and added a button closure...the size of the heads on my little angels would amaze you! This is the first time I've used this pattern and I am in love! Assuming you leave out all the little extras that make it Easter-special, I think this would come together in less than an hour. And the inside is fully finished with no raw edges, zigzag stitches, or serged seams. It is a very professional-looking finished product and so sweet on.

Bee's outfit made use of the Sweet Pocket Pinafore pattern by Heidi and Finn. I followed the pattern directions to a tee, except that I added ric rac around all the edges. Once again, the pattern, as it is written, comes together very quickly and results in a very professional-looking finished product. Adding the ric rac makes the process a little more tedious, but it was just too cute to pass up. The bloomers are made with the Scientific Seamstress Easy Fit Pants pattern. I made a pair at shorts length, then stitched in a piece of elastic about 3/4" from the hemline on each leg. I've definitely gotten my $9.95 out of this pattern. It comes together with only two pieces and six seams and fits a WIDE range of sizes. It's also available for teens and adults and I'm seriously considering grabbing that one too. I know I've used the kids version at least 15 times already and my kids won't outgrow it for many years:)

One note about Bee's pinafore...that's a size 2T on my very tiny 19 month old. I think the pattern runs pretty short over the tummy, so I would recommend that if you want to be able to wear it with just bloomers that you make a size larger than you normally would.

Both outfits, are made with fabrics from the Flower Sugar line by Lecien. I don't normally splurge on imported fabric, but for this occasion I just couldn't resist.

So, Happy Easter and I hope you have a wonderful day!