Flip Book Fashion Show (Ft. The Marvelous Book of Magical Horses)

I had so much fun making my Star Wars Thumb Doodles comic book, that I had to give the idea another try. So, I dressed up some magically marvelous friends and we put together a little flip book fashion show!

May the Fourth Be With You! (Ft. Klutz: Stars Wars Thumb Doodles)

May is for Mothers (with Potholders)

 

Aren’t moms the greatest?

I was flipping through some old pictures and came across this gem -- my mom and I decked out in matching Halloween face paint to go trick or treating one year. Pretty great, huh? That’s my mom! She is happy and brave, and lives life with so much enthusiasm that you kind of can't help but love her. I know I sure do!

Even though Mother’s Day is still a couple of weeks away, I couldn’t wait to get started on her gift. Last year, I made Capsters photo jewelry and a Stamp Art card, but this time I wanted to try something a little different. I gathered up some girls for a Mother’s Day craft session and we made some pretty Potholders. We made ones for moms who like bright neons and pretty pastels, a yummy salsa coloured creation for a foodie mom, and we even made a potholder eyepatch (for the pirate mom?) with our leftover scraps.

But that’s not all this boxy kit makes… We whipped up a purse, a picture frame, and even a Loopy Chicken. When proud mama Christie spotted that crazy knitted chicken, she just had to make one for her special baby, Maeby.

When Mother’s Day rolls around, I’m going to wrap my potholders up like a little bouquet. They’ll live one life as colourful cotton blooms, then maybe another as a pretty art piece or a sturdy kitchen rag, or they could, of course, hold pots. Whatever she chooses to do with them, I hope my mom thinks of me every time she spots her Potholders.

Happy (early) Mother’s Day to my momma and all the rest.

Straight On to Summer (with Scoubidou)

This week we got our first glimpses of the warm weather we’ve been waiting for. Sure, it was short lived, but I soaked that little bit of sun right into my soul and now I'm filled with summer dreams of swimming in lakes, bunking at summer camp, and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. I'm choosing to ignore the warnings of hail(!) ahead and am hunkering down with some Klutz that was made for summer fun.

Whether you know it as gimp, lacing or boondoggle, Klutz give new life to this summer-camp fave with its original name, Scoubidou. (Fun fact: it was a fad in France in the 1950s!) Sure, there are instructions for the classic bracelets we all know and love, but it doesn’t stop there... Pretty ponytail holders, cool Celtic knots, flip flops, and more all get the scoubidou- treatment too! And with enough cord to make all 12 projects, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy till those sunny summer days actually arrive!

Now and Then (with It's all about US, especially me!)

If you’ve been around here before, you’ve probably heard about my bestie, Lea. All throughout school, we were as close as close can be! We shared clothes, crushed on the same boys and finished each others sentences. But, like most best friends, for all the ways we were alike, we were complete opposites too.

Lea is a sunny kind of gal. You can put her in a room with anyone and she’ll instantly make friends. I prefer to hang out in the background and observe. Whether we were making our way on the playground or finding our place at parties, I usually left it to her to represent our little twosome to the outside world. It’s not a stretch to say that back then, it was all about her. And that suited me just fine!

But now I’m older and more sure of myself, so I’m sucking up my courage and offering Lea a break. Sure, I’ll always be a wallflower at heart, but after years of hanging in the back, it’s time for me to shine! So, last week, when we met up to catch up over hamburgers, I brought It’s All About Us (Especially Me) to show her just how far I’d come.

Between gossip sessions, we passed this pretty-in-pink book back and forth, filling in questions and queries of “total randomosity,” and giggling wildly over all our crazy answers! I mean, how else would we have remembered cutting off my favourite doll’s hair or how fun it was to screech the Pepper Ann theme song at the top of our lungs?

And since the book includes three different coloured copies of each page, we have room for one more! I’m embracing my new outgoing role and am on the hunt to find us a friend to share these silly surveys with. Any takers? 

Charmed, I’m Sure! (with Clay Charms)

Klutz and I have been besties for almost two years now, so we’ve started to settle into a familiar rhythm. Whenever I'm free, I give Klutz a call and can always count on some good, crafty fun. But every once in a while in our steady relationship, Klutz does something that totally knocks my socks off and this, my friends, is one of the times.

May I present to you... Clay Charms!

I will try to keep the gushing to a minimum but, you guys, this book is the COOLEST! A pretty little bracelet base, nine brightly coloured bricks of clay, and endless combinations of clay charm cuteness!

It wasn’t hard to decide what my first bracelet would be about. I mean, the only thing I love more than crafting is food, so I stacked it up with some yummy snacks. Cinnamon buns, tacos, s’mores, and a crunchy carrot for good measure! Then it was into the oven for a bake, a quick layer of glaze, and my tasty treats were ready to rock!

After my first bracelet went so well, I just had to share. So I packed it in my bag for a weekend away and my friends and I all went Clay Charm crazy!

 

Now I’ve got a whole tree of clay charms to mix and match to my moods. But have no fear, I’m not done yet. These colourful little bricks of clay sure do go a long way! So if you wondering when my Clay Charm obsession will end…

Well, you know!

Three Cheers for March Break (with Fancy Friendship Bracelets)

Once the magic of Valentine's Day is gone, winter kind of gives me the blues. I’m not a skier or snowboarder, and I don’t like making snow angels or having snowball fights. Skating is fun, but only once or twice a season... Basically, to me, winter is a months-long excuse to hide under the covers and read. But then March rolls around and this wonderful thing called March Break comes along to give us a taste of the free spirit of spring.

My March Breaks were usually spent in daycare, along with the other poor saps whose parents weren’t crazy enough to brave the hordes of families descending upon Disney World. The six or eight of us extra kids would be stuck playing baby games with the preschoolers while our friends basked in the sun and ate turkey legs the size of their heads.

But it wasn’t all bad... Sometimes, after some theatrical sighing, my mom would pack a big-kid activity to keep me entertained. Finding that treat in my bag was like a one-day ticket to my very own Magic Kingdom. I would pick a special friend, set up camp in a corner (away from the babies), and go to town!

This year, when I found a copy of Fancy Friendship Bracelets in my bag, I tore into it with the enthusiasm of my younger, daycare-stranded self. These colourful bracelets are miles ahead of those embroidery floss, summer camp faves and totally updated with bright, spring-coloured cord, tons of tiny seed beads, and six cute charms to finish them off! 

If you’re looking for a fun, big-kid-approved way to spend your week of freedom, try out this cold weather craft with a ton of spring fling!