Conkerr cancer pillowcases

http://www.conkerrcancer.org/files/hotdoginstructions.pdf


A few months ago my son had been asking for new pillowcases with his favorite characters on them. After seeing all sorts of great character fabric at the stores I decided to make him some and searched the internet for a good pillowcase pattern.  I came across this pattern on www.conkerrcancer.org.  After reading theough the website I knew i wanted to make some pillowcases for kids battling cancer.  This organization takes pillowcases people make for kids receiving cancer treatment at the hospital and delivers them across the world. The website is very informative and gives you a link to a very easy pillowcase pattern, FAQs, and drop off locations near you.  I was also able to contact my local coordinator and get additional information and patterns.  The kids in my area also use iv pole covers and teddy bears during their hospital stay.  If you take time to read through the website and want to help out I would suggest contacting your local coordinator to see what other areas you could contribute to.  I am hoping to post some pictures soon of the completed iv pole covers and pillowcases as an inspiration to others to help out this organization.

Beaded jewelry set

I created this turquoise jewelry set for a Christmas gift.  I got the idea for the bracelet from a tutorial on thedesperatecraftwives.blogspot.com.  Using memory wire and beads you can create beautiful and unique jewelry.  In the tutorial they used 6 beaded loops and braided them.  I decided to use 3 beaded loops and was happy with the result as well.  The earrings are made using a headpin and seed beads.

Polka dot bag and clutch

A purse and a clutch from the book, "modern bags".  I made this bag and clutch as a Christmas gift.  The flower was easy to make and along with the leather cording, made the bag unique.  This book is full of great bag patterns and is a great investment....I haven't made one from the book that I didn't like yet.

Mario time!

My oldest son celebrated his 4th birthday a few weeks ago and loved his mario themed birthday party.  I crocheted him a mario star and mushroom as a gift.  There are many mario crochet patterns free on the internet but most are more advanced so I decided to tackle the simpler designs.  My husband found a tutorial for a question mark pinata at joyfulwhimsey.wordpress.com.  It was time consuming but unique and fun for the kids to use at the party.  I made a mario hat for the birthday boy and everyone got a chance to wear it when it was their turn to punch the pinata.  Finally,  the mario cupcake cake...I wanted something different than a sheet cake and found this idea at cuteasafox.com. It took some time to create but we were happy with the results!

Jewelry organzier and dangle earrings

This gift was made for my mother-in-law's birthday.  The jewelry organizer was made from a pattern from the book, "One Yard Wonders".  The only change I made was adding a ring holder instead of the ribbon for earrings as suggested.  There are two zipper pockets for storage and the entire organizer rolls up into a compact travel case.  The earrings are simple to make using your beads of choice and some headpins.

Button magnets

A quick project with a practical result...button magnets.  These are incredibly easy to make with just a few supplies.  Simply purchase self cover buttons and round magnets to fit the back.  After covering the buttons with scrap material you have  in your scrap pile either cut off or flatten the metal loop on the back.  Attach the magnet to the back with hot glue and you have some great magnets to start putting to use right away~

Clutches

I recently received a new sewing book entitled, "Bags, the modern classics" by Sue Kim.  I stitched up these two clutches using the patterns from this book.  I am in love with the patterns in this book.  The styles, as stated, are modern...but also unique and easy to create.  I used home decor fabric in both clutches to provide the most stability.  If you enjoy sewing bags for yourself or as gifts this book is a great investment.

Happy 1st birthday!

My little guy recently celebrated his first birthday and I wanted to make the day really special so I searched the web for ideas and party planning tips.  I found a great tutorial for a mini coloring tote at lbg-studio.com.  I also came across the idea to fill a fun plastic cup with treats and curly straws.  Since I was using primary colors in my party theme I used these crayola cups and stuffed them with the crayon tote, rainbow twizzlers, curly straws, and some glow sticks.  I also used some to create a candy bar where the older kids could grab a colored bag and fill it with candy.  Both ideas are easy to create and tailor to fit your party and guests. 

Fall housewarming gifts

Our friends recently bought their first home and with it being the fall season I decided to create a fall housewarming gift.  I bought some festive fall fabric to make a pleated ruffle apron and some potholders.  I also found a simple pumpkin coaster pattern at crochetbymonet.blogspot.com and made a set of these unique coasters. 

Simple beaded earrings

About a year ago, a coworker gave me a handmade beaded bracelet that I love.  It is beautiful and unique.  So after all that time of admiring her work I decided to try some simple jewelry making for myself.  I decided to start with earrings and hope to expand my skills from there.  These are very simple designs using beads and a headpin.  This is a very rewarding and affordable project for anyone to try.  Check back for jewelry tutorials to come!