Flower Bows

For some reason, making bows is at the top of my 'Things I'm Obsessed With' list again.  My obsessions seem to go in cycles.  One month I'm totally obsessed with one thing, only to leave it by the wayside the next month for something else.  Sound familiar?  I hope I'm not the only one like this!!

Here's what I've been making lately....Layered Flower Bows.

This blue flower bow is my absolute favorite...

I used THIS TUTORIAL from Ten Cow Chick as a guide for my bows (she has some GREAT hair bow tutorials!).  To make the smaller flower in the middle, I followed Mariesa's instructions for the large flower, but cut my ribbon at 5".

Sew Cute Tuesday {4.26.11}

Happy Tuesday!!  There were so many great projects linked up last week...it made my job of picking a few to highlight really hard!!  Here's a few that caught my eye:

Jill from Made it on Monday shared her lovely Easter Dress!

How cute is this Sleeping Bag for Kids from Nap-Time Creations?!  

And I loved The Autocrat's Dirty Laundry Bag!! 

Feel free to grab a 'Featured' button....you can find a *new* one in my menu bar!!

Now let's get this linky party started!!

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Rules for linking:

**Link to a specific blog post, not blog home page!
**Link sewing projects only! (can be hand or machine sewn)
**I will delete any non-sewing links....don't make me be a meanie!
**Visit a few of the links and leave some comment love!
**Please link back to me in some form (post my button, or link to text in your blog post)

**Linky Tools will remain open until midnight on
Wednesday, April 27th.
**If you come back and don't see your link, read through the rules again and give it another try!

And the Winners Are...

First of all, thanks to all who entered this giveaway!  To choose the winners, I went to Random.org. 

Congratulations to:

#15: Mandy and

#31: Sue D!!

I'll be sending you both an email shortly!!

Chick Hair Clips

I fell in love with the chick hair clips that are all over blogland, and just HAD to make some for my youngest daughter.   

I used THIS TUTORIAL from Show, Tell, Share as a guide, but changed up the measurements a bit.  I cut my ribbon at the following measurements:

Body: 3", 4", & 5"
Face: 2.5"
Arms: 1.5"

Seriously...how cute are they? 

Polka Dot Bunny Cookies

We were in charge of treats for my girls' soccer team last week, so I decided to make them some special cookies.  My plan was to make them some cookies that looked like soccer balls.  That didn't happen.  I need LOTS more practice before that cookie will become a reality!!  So I went with something completely different.

Purple Polka Dot Bunny Cookies:

These cookies were much easier to decorate, and the team LOVED them!!  Maybe next year I'll be confident enough to make soccer ball cookies!!

Faber-Castell Product Review/Giveaway! (CLOSED)

***This giveaway is now CLOSED***

As many of you know, I adore paper crafting.  That's why I was SO excited when I was contacted by Faber-Castell to review some of their new Design Memory Craft Mix & Match products!       

Mix & Match from Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft makes designing with color simple.  Choose a color set that inspires you.  Choose a medium.  Mix & Match as you create.  Color coordinated palettes give you the freedom to design your project knowing the colors will work beautifully together.  Perfect for all your design, memory, and craft projects.

They sent me their Color Gelatos & Clear Stamp Set
                               
Color Gelatos are creamy sticks infused with brilliant color.  The color slides easily onto papers and can hen be dissolved with water to create watercolor effects, or left to dry for vibrant bursts of color.  Try stamping with the Color Gelatos, or apply a field of color and use a stamp to remove the color.  Color Gelatos work wonderfully on flocked papers and embellishments too!  Color Gelatos are acid-free and odorless.

As well as the Mixed Media Sampler
                                          
Mixed Media Sampler Sets in Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green encourage you to spread your creative wings and experiment with mixing mediums!  Each set includes a Stamper's Big Brush, Gelato Metallic Stick, Pastel Pencil and Art GRIP Aquarelle watercolor pencil.  Experiment with mixing colors and mediums or layer different mediums to create depth and details.  Or try using your rubber stamps with the different mediums to see which effects you like the most.

My 10 year-old daughter wanted to be a fellow 'Reviewer', so she tried the products out right along with me.  Here's what we came up with:

Using some stamps we already had on hand, we stamped an image on cardstock and then played with the different colors from the kits.  My daughter absolutely LOVED experimenting with the different products!  In fact, she pretty much took over the whole project!  Her favorite item was the Color Gelatos.  She liked how they were easy to use, and the colors were nice and vibrant.  I have to say, I agree!   

Now for the FUN part!!  Faber-Castell is giving away a Mixed Media Sampler AND Color Gelatos & Clear Stamp Kit to 2 lucky readers!!  Aren't they wonderful?!

I'm going to make this simple to enter.  You MUST be a follower of my blog to enter this giveaway.  Leave ONE COMMENT on this post with your email address included.  That's it!!

 This giveaway will remain open until MIDNIGHT on Sunday, April 24th.  I'll announce the 2 WINNERS on Monday, April 25th.  Good luck!! 

Sew Cute Tuesday {4.19.11}

Happy Tuesday!!  I'm still looking for more ideas for our 'summer sewing camp'.  If you've made something that would be easy for my girls (ages 11, 10, 8, & 4) to sew themselves, please share!

Here's a few projects that caught my eye from last week's linky party:

Suze from Time Well Spent shared the most adorable Pettiskirt!!

Emily from Em-agination shared her cute Pillow Animals! 

And I loved Misty's Easter Basket Tutorial at Makin' it imMACKulate!

Feel free to grab a 'Featured' button....you can find a *new* one in my menu bar!!

Now let's get this linky party started!!

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Rules for linking:

**Link to a specific blog post, not blog home page!
**Link sewing projects only! (can be hand or machine sewn)
**I will delete any non-sewing links....don't make me be a meanie!
**Visit a few of the links and leave some comment love!
**Please link back to me in some form (post my button, or link to text in your blog post)

**Linky Tools will remain open until midnight on
Wednesday, April 20th.
**If you come back and don't see your link, read through the rules again and give it another try!

Chick Cookies

These cookies were truly a labor of love.  They were made to sell at a bake sale that my girls' clogging group was doing (they get to perform at Disneyland this summer, and will be doing several bake sales to help them earn money to go).  Here's one of the cookies all packaged up and ready to go.

I made a total of 72 chick cookies.  What was I thinking?!  It was a lot of work, but they turned out adorable, and were one of the best sellers at their bake sale.

I learned a few things from this experience. 

#1:  Don't put the cookies in bags too soon!!  I waited only a few hours before I did, and they ended up sticking to the plastic some.  It's best to let them sit over night, or for several hours! 

#2:  Don't store cookies in the sun for long periods of time!  The little black eyes started running on most of the chicks, making them look like they were crying.  I don't know if this was because of the heat, or because I used glaze icing instead of royal icing.

#3:  It's always best to make MORE cookies than you plan on selling.  Some didn't turn out as 'pretty' as others, so we didn't use those ones for the bake sale.

There are more bake sales in our future, so if any of you have any experience with glaze vs. royal icing, please email me or leave a comment.  I'm wondering if the eyes ran because of the heat, or because of the icing I used.  Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated!!   





**For those that are looking for a great cookie recipe, I use THIS ONE from Bake at 350.  And my favorite icing recipe is THIS ONE from I Am Mommy.**

Linking to these fabulous parties:

It's Stinkin' Cute Craft Thursday @It's Sew Stinkin' Cute
Show Off Your Stuff Party @Fireflies & Jellybeans

Sew Cute Tuesday {4.12.11}

Happy Tuesday!!  I need a favor.  Summer will be here before we know it, and I really want to have a 'sewing camp' of sorts for my 4 girls (ages 11, 10, 8, and 4).  Instead of them being bored out of their minds like they were last year, I'm hoping to help them learn to sew.  What I need from you are IDEAS.  Ideas for *easy*, fun sewing projects that wouldn't be too overwhelming for my girls (or their Mother ;).  You can leave a comment with the link, or go ahead and link up ideas here.  Maybe I'll make a separate linky party for this.  We'll see.

Now let's get on with "Sew Cute Tuesday" and see what projects caught my eye from last week.   

Quilted Cupcake shared her Polka Dot Bunny Tutorial!  I'm thinking these would be a perfect addition to your kids' Easter baskets!

How clever is this Blanket to Backpack from Sun Scholars?  She'll be posting a tutorial soon...can't wait for that!

And I loved these adorable Baby Booties from The Young & the Rest of Us!

Feel free to grab a 'Featured' button....you can find a *new* one in my menu bar!!

Now let's get this linky party started!!

<center><a href="http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p461/stanmist/Creative%20Itch%20stuff%202011/th_BlueSCTButton11411.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a></center>

Rules for linking:

**Link to a specific blog post, not blog home page!
**Link sewing projects only! (can be hand or machine sewn)
**I will delete any non-sewing links....don't make me be a meanie!
**Visit a few of the links and leave some comment love!
**Please link back to me in some form (post my button, or link to text in your blog post)

**Linky Tools will remain open until midnight on
Wednesday, April 13th.
**If you come back and don't see your link, read through the rules again and give it another try!

Love Birds...

Today my husband and I are celebrating our 13th Wedding Anniversary!  Our children worked in secret to make us this very special anniversary treat.

Our very own 'Love Birds'!  Aren't they the best?! 

Easter Matchbook Treat Idea

Hopefully you aren't growing tired of my Matchbook treats!  When I find an idea that I LOVE, I end up using it A LOT!! 

My 8-year-old daughter helped me make these.  She loves using the stapler to attach the treats!

We used THESE FREE PRINTABLES from Catch My Party.   They were the perfect size for the front of our matchbooks.




I'm linking to these fabulous parties:

Wow Me Wednesday @Polka Dots On Parade

Sew Cute Tuesday {4.05.11}

Happy Tuesday!!  There were so many great projects linked up last week...it made my job of picking a few to highlight really hard!!  Here's a few that caught my eye:

Tina from Embellishments shared her ADORABLE Burlap Eggs!

How cute is this Mini Felt Rabbit from Craft, Interrupted?!

And I loved these Fabric Carrots from Creations By Kara!

Feel free to grab a 'Featured' button....you can find a *new* one in my menu bar!!

Now let's get this linky party started!!

<center><a href="http://thecreativeitchboutique.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p461/stanmist/Creative%20Itch%20stuff%202011/th_BlueSCTButton11411.png" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a></center>

Rules for linking:

**Link to a specific blog post, not blog home page!
**Link sewing projects only! (can be hand or machine sewn)
**I will delete any non-sewing links....don't make me be a meanie!
**Visit a few of the links and leave some comment love!
**Please link back to me in some form (post my button, or link to text in your blog post)

**Linky Tools will remain open until midnight on
Wednesday, April 6th.
**If you come back and don't see your link, read through the rules again and give it another try!