simplesparrow

little of this, little of that

Two sweet  friends sent me little surprises I was not expecting. Blair made me this adorable flower pin as a thank you for joining her in the "no computer day" and Eireann gave me some gorgeous, vintage kimono fabric for my button endeavors. The buttons I made with it here are jumbo sized! and I love to hold them and gaze at their beauty, they feel like little jewels in my hands. They will be available in my Etsy shop along with some smaller ones from the same fabric. Thank you so much girls!

This stack of new cottons is making me happy. Filling me with all kinds of creative thoughts; (sorry, the photo is a bit over-exposed) none of which has panned out yet. I do love to stare at them and feel them and smell them (they've just been washed) and all of that nonsense helps my creative process :)

I'm also excited about this pile of thrifted wool and a stripey sweater. What wonders can come of this?

Here is a list of crafty thoughts rolling around in my mind:
(not necessarily relating to the above photo)

*tea cozies
*summer totes
*a number pillow for Noah
*cute applique snails
*stuffies...kitties,bunnies,turtles,frogs
*collage
*hand drawn, initial note-cards (I've actually made 2 of these so far, but don't want to post pics. yet ...surprises you know)
*summer skirts
*crocheted totes with spring posies

Hannah brought my attention to one of our rose bushes this morning and how the dew drops formed along the edges. She said, "Look Mom, Christmas lights!".  Well said dearie. Now this fills me with inspiration too!

A comment about comments

I have a little bit of a sad message here, to those who comment and to those who lurk and may comment one day :) , that the time has come when I cannot respond individually to each one of you. Oh how I like to! And oh how I love to get a little note from others when I comment on their blog. The reality is that it is just not possible for me any longer. Please know that I enjoy each and every little happy note you send me, I appreciate you taking the time to say "hello",to share your thoughts and encouragement. Your time is valuable too! I will absolutely respond when I have the time to, just know if you don't hear from me it's not because I don't like you!! I'm just a busy mom who can fit only so much into one tiny day. Thank you for understanding!! xox.

I'm going for another computer free day tomorrow (Wed.) Wish me success!

Grow

I have wanted to try collage for so long, but it has been one of those creative things I just kept putting on the back burner. Then I found Jackie . Her collages are so pretty and so fresh. I have been very inspired by them and I finally sat my rear down to try one. The "Grow" idea has been swimming in my head for months and I had planned on turning it into another drawing. But, that idea and trying my first collage came together last night. I'm pretty happy...although I feel like I'm just testing the waters, and I don't even have a real feel for this type of artwork at all. I'm so green at this!!! I thought this would be sweet for a nursery or a childs room. I would like to do a series maybe with two more, one would be "Rest" and the other "Play" . 3 things all children MUST do!!

slowly but surely

First of all, my computer free day was great. Very needed. It really helped knowing Blair and Molly  were doing it too. That accountability thing, you know :) At this point I plan to have every Friday be computer free and this week I'm going to add Wednesday too. Brave, I know.

Slowly but surely I'm trying to get some of my things ready so I can reopen my Etsy shop. This is a starter for getting my fabric buttons packaged. I'm happy with the overall idea, but definitely want to tweek with it some more. The whiteness of the tags is a bit glaring, and I'm not crazy about my printing for instance. I think a more delicate pen would be nice. I had fun naming the sets, pictured here are: Neopolitan, Grandma's Kitchen and Springtime babies. I'm a little sad because I'm just about out of all the button kits I found at the thrift store. I'll have to search out where to buy them now, and I can kiss goodbye the sweet deal they gave me at the thrift! (Vicki, I will try the link you gave me)

Yesterday I picked up from the printer copies of this and this . I have 10 prints of each and they'll be in the shop too. I'm so slow at this. My life is full, full, full! and some most of the time my crafting endeavors must take a back seat. So, I inch along and that's O.K. I'm in the season of raising a busy houseful of kids, and I want to savor every moment :)

(edited to add: after looking at these again, I definitely want to revamp those cards somehow. They are just too...too...??? Not what I want exactly.)

Round needlecase done

I have 3 hours before the clock strikes 12:00, and then begins my first computer free day. No internet, no checking mail, nothing. Can I do it?  I think I can, I think I can , I think I can....(you've read "The Little Engine That Could" haven't you?) Anyway, really quick before I sign off until Saturday; I finished my round needle-case and it will be going to someone who is so very kind....you'll have to wait to find out just who. Happy Friday all!

The best cupcakes I could muster (well, kind of)

My grand plans for making the most beautiful cupcake ever sort of went "poof!" into thin air. Beauty takes t-i-m-e, even with a cupcake, and I didn't allow for enough. I didn't even get to use my pastry bag and decorating tips I bought especially just for this! I wanted to do tiny, pale pink rosettes on top of the chocolate icing. I even bought special icing tint. But whoa!! A little goes a long way, I'm talking a loooooong way! I kind of already knew that, but even the tiny bit that I used to color the white icing turned it into a hideous, fluorescent, electric, spastic pink!! It was so gross. There was no way I was going to use that bowl of monster icing. Toss on some sprinkles (which I so love anyway!) and call it good. I was quite happy  with the heart stickers I stuck on a toothpick and poked on top. I can't say they were THE yummiest, but pretty tasty.

Did you notice my new note in the sidebar? I'm going to try (emphasis on try) to have a no computer day once a week at least, maybe two. It's not that I don't completely enjoy visiting with all of you, its that I enjoy it too much! I still work hard trying to juggle my offline life and my online life and keep a happy balance. I feel that a day or two of not getting on the computer at all will benefit me (and my family!) as a mom, a wife, a friend (oh ya, I do have friends in real life!) and in my crafting. I could use all my spare moments reading other blogs and then find I don't have any time left to work on my own projects! My new friend Blair came up with the idea and I asked if I could join her. I know it will help me knowing someone else is doing it too. I invite any of you to join in if you feel the need.

Here is a cute picture of one of my older sons soaking in the warm rays, and Noah wanting to be just like his big brother. Mark and I were cracking up at how stiff Noah looks. He stayed there with Micah for about 20 min.! I finally told him to come in, or that little white bod of his was going to get sunburned..haha.

yours truly...lily sophia.

Here she is, my very first stuffie ever that was not just one piece. And actually, putting her body together was not as difficult as I thought. She is a very simple design though, and that helps. This whole world of stuffed creations  was  a stretch  for  my  "crafty-comfort  zone".  If I hadn't started blogging I probably would not have tried something like this. See! blogging is good for growing in your abilities!! There are just so many wonderful soft toys out there, I couldn't stand it any longer. I had to try. Lily is my own design, sketched out first in my notebook; then Noah's butcher block paper came out for me to draw up a pattern. I'm not that happy with the shape of her head. I was going for something much rounder. Next time I'll work on that. Her smock dress had me back-tracking too a couple of times, but all in all I am happy with her. What I really love is the color combinations for her outfit. I've never been a "red" person, but I'm really loving it with the blue-green. I want to put a cute little something in her pocket..maybe a stuffed fish or mouse??

About her name....Lily was the name we wanted if Noah was going to be a girl and Sophia was one of a handful of middle names we where considering. Also, Vicki has the cutest white kitty named Lily that I love. No baby girl, but how about a stuffed cat? OK, I'll take it ;)

I'm on a mission today to make the prettiest, yummiest, Valentine cupcakes I can muster. I'll let you know how they turn out. I even bought a couple of special cake decorating tools just for this purpose, I'm dead serious about the "pretty" part !!  HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Buttons, needle-books and some random chatting

Before I get to the buttons and such, here is the random chatty part:
First, a conversation I had last night with Noah~

Noah: "I've made up my mind" (spoken soberly as he marches through the living-room)
Me: "Oh really, what do you mean?" (my curiosity peeks because he remains silent, deep in thought)
Me again: "What are you thinking?"
Noah: "I've made up my mind, I'm going to sell stickers."
Me: "Really?" "How much are you charging?"
Noah: "Seven bucks....each." (said quite firmly, and very matter-of-fact)
Me: "Wow, that's kind of high!"
Noah: "Yep, seven bucks." (I didn't want to haggle with him, I could tell he meant business.)

In other chatty news, I bought the first issue of Amy's new Mail Order crafty-club thingy. I'm so excited to find it in my mailbox. I especially like that the first issue will include a birthday calendar to make...always wanted something like that.

Lastly, Noah is going to be in Molly's  mini-swap with a new friend in the UK. He will flip with excitement to get his own special package :) I would have put her button on my sidebar, but typepad does make it easy to figure that out. I try, and if I don't get it quickly well, I just don't have time to sit there working on it. Ho-hum..there are worse things in life.

OK, I satisfied my need to chat. Thanks :)

Buttons!! I love fabric buttons...never really new I did until I started making some. I've just about used up my little kits I found at the thrift, and I must get more! I love all of them, but aren't the baby ones especially cute? Now, to just think of a way to package them cutely and off to my Etsy shop the will go.....

Here is my next needle-book from the same pink blazer I haven't quite finished yet. A round one! I love the circle shape. And before you think that I did those lovely roses on the front...I must tell you, nay, I did not. I swiped them from a thrifted sweater, and there are several more left for me to have fun with. I'm telling ya, if you don't already scrounge the thrift stores for sweaters and such to re-make into something else...you must start now!! Such a treasure trove for so little $$$.

I'll leave you now with a sneak peek at Lily Sophia. Hopefully I'll finish her this weekend.

Corners of my home #6

This is my windowsill over the kitchen sink. It looks out onto our patio and deck. In the summer I can watch Noah playing in the sand with his trucks or in his little turtle pool. Mark can be seen barbecuing and the other kids are generally hanging out somewhere too. It's a bit lonely out there now being winter, but the patio will be coming to life again soon...spring is just around the corner. I've added a couple of notes you can read if you click on the photo. More corners here.

How do you like my funny rooster on the shelf? I found him at the thrift and I guess he just "cock-a-doodle-dooed" his way into my heart :)

Coming tomorrow: (time permitting of course!) another needle-book and fabric buttons.

And oh! One more thing, please take a peek at Hannah's cards I put in a photo album in the sidebar. She sends a big Thank You!!

Books today

I wanted to show you some pics. of the fabric buttons I've been making, but no time today to take the photos in good lighting. So, here are some books I'm reading right now that I'm really lovin...



I was eying this one at the book store a couple of weeks ago when I was looking for books with cupcakes. The cover is so very beautiful, and the price tag was a pretty penny too. I didn't thumb through it because I didn't want to get attached. To my delight I found it at the library today just as I was on my way out. This is chock full of the most amazing recipes, some of which I will try for Valentines Day. (notice I said "some", that's because there is no way you could just choose one!) The book is such a treat to look at took, so incredibly photographed. The cover page to each chapter looks like a piece of wallpaper, all different, all major eye candy. This is a "wish list" book for sure.



This is one of the books I'm reading aloud to Noah right now, actually not to many words in this one. It tells the story with pictures. The cutest and funniest pictures of frogs flying around on lily-pads! We love frogs in this house. If you have a little one, go check your library for this one...I promise it will be worth it. The author is David Wiesner.

(I had a photo, but it was so horrible I couldn't take it any longer! )
And lastly, this book I picked up over the weekend from a library sale for a dollar, Plenty of Patches by Marilyn Ratner. It's a introduction to quilting. I love going to library sales when I can, the prices for most things are so cheap. Magazines .10 cents, most all books .25 cents, such a deal. I got there early and waited in line for just a few minutes before they opened. When they gave the o.k., everyone rushed off in a mad dash! It was like a horse race and they just flung open the gates! I made a b-line for the craft/hobby books, and let me tell you, I was not the only one, ohhhhh noooo. All those crafty grannies that look so sweet and gentle turn into HAWKS at a book sale!! Their fingers were running over mine as we all flipped the books like hot pancakes...I knew then and there this was no leisurely browse..If I was remotely interested in any book I had better snatch it before the talons of those grannies beat me to it!! Anyway, back to the book. This does not look like much from the cover, but for an inexperienced quilter as myself the projects are very simple, and many are rather cute! No photos, just clear pencil drawings. I'm positive that techniques have streamlined since this was written (it's almost 30 years old!!) But I think it will be easy enough to redo the steps that seem to time-consuming. You can get it for pennies on Amazon, and thus bypass all those hawks in granny clothing.. ;)