I made something!

This isn't terribly exciting, but it's something, right?
It's a baby blanket made for a friend. Two pieces of flannel bound with wide quilt binding. I think it's my new favorite way to make nice, thick receiving blankets.I LOVE these fabrics. I didn't want to part with them! The binding is all machine sewn because of time constraints. I don't crochet. Therefore I can't make those cute crocheted edge blankets.
Okay, actually I know how to crochet; I just won't crochet. I don't have enough patience. Kind of like my hand sewing issues.
I'll hopefully get a picture of the one I made for Elsie taken so I can post it. Oh, and her crib set, too.I'm also working on Elsie's birth announcements. Hopefully they will go out before she's 1.

A real post, depending on your definition

What?
This is a craft blog?

Really?

Seriously?

Well, okay then.
I'll post something crafty.

Here's the purse I finally finished for my sister. I'm not going to tell you how long I've been working on this. I just don't want to talk about it.
I also don't want to talk about how I forgot to put interior pockets in it. And didn't realize it until after I sewed the lining in. It's just too hard to think about.This is the second purse I've completed made from a pattern I developed all by my lonesome using a way too large Target bag as an example. The purse is roomy without being HUGE and has outside pockets. Guess that counts for something. I'm pretty happy with these straps. I put batting in them to try and make them more comfy.
If this is satisfactory (Dani? Whatcha think?), it will be in the mail soon. I just need to get to work on mine!
Hmm, something else crafty.
Oh, yes. Our advent calendar.Paper mache boxes that I Modge-Podged. I am the queen of Modge-Podge now. I did 24, because I wanted to. Actually, I did 24 because I wanted to put their Christmas jammies in the last one and we open those on Christmas Eve, a terribly special tradition that seems to be shared by about half the Christmas-celebrating world.This is #24. It's nice and big and there's glitter and gold paint involved. Could anything be better?
The others are small and there are candies in each one.Some have a little scroll telling the boys to decorate the tree or make brownies to share with friends. It would also be good to put in scriptures or tell them to read a Christmas book, I just didn't do that this time. My sister-in-law made some too. She did the 12 days of Christmas and I believe she needs to post hers on her blog (amazingly subtle hint).
The boys are so excited about Christmas, they've been making things to decorate. This is a cookie and milk Benson made for Santa. They wrote a note to Santa on the back because they are REALLY ready for Christmas Eve! Little J told me I had to take a picture, so I complied.
Because I'm good that way.
And just so you know? Our star tree topper is having problems.And yes, we're aware of it.

Yesterday and today

Couldn't post yesterday, but that doesn't mean I didn't scrapbook!
These are not exciting pages, and there's actually a third 2 page layout from the same photo shoot, but I just couldn't scan anymore. Plus, they don't scan very nicely. The background on that patterned paper is supposed to be white, for your information. Sure doesn't look it ...
May have to rig something with my digital camera to get better shots of my pages.

I'm on a roll

Another two-page layout done! It's not terribly exciting but I'm in 'get pages done' mode, which means each one doesn't have to be a work of art (although some of them can be, if I feel so inclined). I don't want them to be ugly, I just don't feel the need to spend all day on a single page.
I have a goal this week: to get two pages done every day (I usually do two pages per "event," so I'd be getting about an event a day done).
We'll see if this actually happens. I have to study ethics and literature at the same time. What exciting subjects. Woohoo.
I've also noticed the lack of journaling on my pages, so I'd better work on that as well.
Jack is stomping around upstairs because I told him if he's going to be home from school because he's sick, he can't run around and play. Apparently my logic is only clear to me, not to five year olds.

I told you so

Behold.
Crafty stuff:



I'm finally getting to the end of Christmas 2005. Which for some reason has been terribly hard.
Christmas Day! Just need to do that.
Be proud, Dani. I'm finally scrapbooking again!
I finished these today in about an hour and a half.
So hopefully I'll be motivated to keep going. Because 2006 is looming large.

Know what time it is?

Time to show you what I've been working on! Complete with crappy pictures! Now with Spam!
Big deal, another layout, right?
Wrong!
I am another layout closer to being done with Christmas 2006! Another layout closer to being done with 2006 altogether! I think I've been scrapbooking 2006 since 2006!
I've been in a paper crafting slump, so this bodes well for my scrapbooks. Except I think I need to buy a new album. I've been using binders from Provo Craft, and there's this part of me that really wants all my albums to be exactly the same with labels on the spine. Which means that in order to not risk going completely bonkers, I must either continue buying the binders from Roberts or I need to replace all the ones I have. ALL 14 OF THEM.
Hmm. Did I mention that I'm cheap?

Wedding album

I going to a wedding shower for my cousin's fiancee today. It's a theme shower, 'it takes a village to raise a bride,' and I am the village photographer.
And since there was no way I was buying them a new camera, I decided to go for things that hold pictures. I bought two frames at Target (which are already wrapped, or I'd show them to you) and made a small album for them to put pictures in later. I am struggling taking pictures with my digital camera. Even on the macro setting, it has a hard time doing closeups. I end up getting things like the nasty wheels to my barbecue in focus while whatever I want in focus is blurry.
Anyway, on to the album.Here's the cover. There's a leather strip with a charm and elastic on the back that goes around it to keep it together (does it look familiar? It's the same album from the giveaway — when I like something I tend to buy several), but I forgot to put it on before I took the photo. The album is a 6x6 accordion album from All My Memories and the patterned paper I used on the pages is from Chatterbox. I have a rather large stash of Chatterbox paper, a lot of it with flowers (um, duh Jenn, when are you going to use floral paper with two boys?!?), so it's nice to get a chance to use some.Anyway, I just put some blank green paper in the front because I don't have a photo of the happy couple. I wrote the cropp sizes on the mats so all she has to do is cut and paste photos on. I'm considering adding a photo album to the gift, but this might be enough. We'll see how ambitious I get today. My youngest is sick and so I might not be making it out of the house — the visit to the shower might end up being a short stop to drop off the gift.