Summer Crafting Spree

I think this needs to be turned into a t-shirt gocco! Let's see if I get around to it amid the forty or more projects I've started since summer vacation began almost two weeks ago. I find myself starting a dozen new projects before finishing any one of the endless ideas I've started. I'm not short on ideas-just short on focus! Ultimately, I do usually come back around to finishing earlier projects but not always in the same summer...or decade for that matter! Current state of crafting affairs: gocco sketches to be printed, a series of bottle drawings and collages need backgrounds, glass pendants need backing paper, pin badges to reproduce and new ones to print up and make, a pile of new brooches underway, need pile of new woven flowers, found my scrabble tiles for pendants and my upholstery buttons for embroidered brooches, just glued more images to glass for new brooches, printing off new deer stationary sets, I think I'm creating this list right now just to divert myself from having to focus...I'd better get to it!

A teeny step is better than none at all to get to your goal

I posted about my weight loss but never mentioned how I did it! So here's my little promotion for weight watchers. It worked for me- so if you're like I was and you don't think it will work listen up:

1) I started at 255 lbs size 22/24, at least that's my last recorded weight before my pregnancy weight gain and I am down to 153lbs size 8.

2) I lost about 40 lbs at first by just switching to slimfast for breakfast with yogurt or fruit and a slimfast for lunch with a yogurt or other small extra. This got old after a while and I started to think about how easy it would be to gain it all back if I stopped drinking Slimfast. I didn't want to be stuck drinking this sludge forever. I wanted to learn how to eat so I quit drinking it and started to try to just eat better. I struggled with portion control and didn't know where to start-I needed convenience foods that were good for me-is that even possible?

3) My beautiful and lovely friend, Kelsey, had been mentioning how she wanted an accomplice at her weight watchers meetings. I would smile and nod and say maybe,but I had decided long ago that Weight Watchers was something to be ashamed of being part of because the world would know that you couldn't figure out how to eat for yourself. It seemed all too embarrassing that I simply couldn't figure out something as fundamental as eating right.

4) I realize now that it's more than just having the knowledge to choose a carrot over a cookie. It's having in the forefront of my mind at all times when emotions get the best of me that my body, my health, my family, and my Self are worth the effort.

5) Now, I find myself training for a 5K race, walking instead of driving, and keeping a green happy kitchen that puts the environment and whole foods over waste and convenience! Baby steps really help.

Good Things--When your toddler can craft too!

Now that Izzie is 3 years old she's able to follow some basic directions on gluing and cutting and, with a little guidance on the location of things, assembled this adorable piggie bank! She's very much into counting her pennies and finding change here and there as we go for walks which she claims are from the Tooth Fairy! She's saving up for a Charlie and Lola doll and a Crane for her train set. I walked to the craft supply store to buy Izzie more paints but instead spent the money on this issue of Good Things for Kids: Fun Stuff to Make with Simple

Supplies. We set Izzie up for painting and coloring daily but these sort of constructive, useful projects are right up my alley and get me more involved with Izzie! So today after the routine Sunday trips to the grocery store and library, we're coming home to make the sail boats out of straws, paper, and plastic yoghurt lids and perhaps we'll use some fabric glue to make some catnip and felt fish toys for the kitties! I'll be posting more pics as we make things from this issue! I've now got a partner in craft!

It All Adds Up, You Know!?

When I downloaded the digital photos I took of myself two years and two months ago I labeled the file, "Don't look at me!" (that's the old me in the middle!) It's been an empowering journey of weight loss! I've gone from 255 lbs (my last recorded weight before even my pregnancy weight gain) size 22/24 (2xl) to 158lbs size 8/10!! I'm working on whittling away the last 20 pounds this spring and summer. I suppose after I reach that final weight loss goal I'll have to move on to fitness goals--Mike's going to help me train for a half marathon in December. Gulp! I don't know if running is for me-I'd rather go hiking or speedwalk to get a cup of coffee! I'm up to running 2 miles in 23 minutes. Slow progress, but, one thing I've learned through this is that some progress is better than no progress and in the end it does add up. Tada!

Little Red

We had about two seconds of Izzie sitting still so I could clip "her" hair out of her eyes before she bolted out the door for her first night of trick or treating. She had this look of complete satisfaction with her hoard of candies.

Make Your Own Glitterboard Village! Here's My Green and Red Mansion

Glitterboard Mansion for Kelsey and Neilio., originally uploaded by icklebird.

Book title where you can find this template and a few others: Vintage Christmas Crafts by Sara Toliver. ISBN # 1-4027-2791-7.

I was excited to give this to Kelsey and Neil yesterday for Christmas and Kelse said something very sweet-she said that she knows her son, Brooklyn, will spend lots of time gazing at it as he grows up and will have memories of it from his childhood-I think I will have to make more for them now! : ). I also hoped they didn't think I was a little bit coookooo since I went a little overboard on the crafting for gifts this year-weeeeeee! I also made a "Let it Snow" banner and gnome snowglobe for each of my closest friends!

Make Your Own Glitterboard Village!

Glitterboard Mansion for Cherise and Ricardo., originally uploaded by icklebird.

Here's the book where I found all the templates at the library: Vintage Christmas Crafts by Sara Toliver. ISBN #1-4027-2791-7.
(Priced at $14.95 on the cover)

There's three different styles and three different houses for each style. Templates are to be photocopied and enlarged. I wound up copying them at full size, cutting each piece of the pattern out and then enlarging them individually so I could make mine bigger. Seems like the most time-consuming factor was tracing the pattern and cutting it out but it would have helped to have had some extra X-Acto blades handy! I used the box we got our animated lawn doe in for extra sturdiness. Avoid using super fat cardboard because it buckles and separates. I found that the crystal clear glitter looks more like the traditional mica houses and lets the paint colors show through for more color variety. The little houses were painted and covered in matching colored glitter for a Liberace effect : ). I coiled up a white pipecleaner for the wreath and topped the roof, the ground and the tops of everything with fake sparkly snow paint! I think I'm going to have to get more templates ready-these are addicting! If you do make one from the book and remember me=email me a link to a picture! : )! Happy Glitterdays!

The Ostrich and the Carousel

The Ostrich and the Carousel, originally uploaded by icklebird.

Something to do in Vegas for the holidays! It's a rare find to have something to do with your family that feels 100% right. You know your money is going to a good cause here rather than promoting big industry gambling and tourism. Head over to Opportunity Village and their Magical Forest for an evening of lights, cocoa, and train rides. Izzy obsesses over the carousel. It's crazy how my life evolves around trying to find ways to make her go crazy like she did when she saw the carousel for that second visit. There was also maze, burlap bag "arctic" slides, and a meandering walk through a decorated forest. Strangely, as you get closer to each decorated tree, you realize it's decorated with plumbing parts or frisbees with logos because each tree or elaborate mini cottage with elves is an advertisement from some local sponsoring business. It reminds me of Bonnie Springs (see my flickr set-Old Nevada) in some respects--nothing is quite...right. The elves are old and dirty, the nativity is missing it's manger, the burgers are 75% cardboard : )-

Birdies in the Woods Tree Trimming

Birdies in the Woods Tree Trimming, originally uploaded by icklebird.

There's one reliable source for crafty ideas that I know I can turn to for inspiration and that's Martha Stewart's Holiday Gift Ideas Edition. I flagged about ten different projects to try. This one evolved from her vintage looking gift wrap embellishments (there were also pipecleaner stockings and twisted candy canes). I didn't realize how oversized my version was until I finished and realized bedecking it with a little bow wasn't going to cut it! So I pulled out my collection of random holiday miniatures and wallah! Super-Opulant Charm (remember opulant is my fancied up word for...gawdy!). I can see the potential for these to have a backing of felt and an elaborate holiday scene with snow and glitter in the donut hole opening! When I asked my husband what he thought of these, he said it was "pretty, but, is it a brooch?" with a concerned look on his face! The running joke in my family is that I am likely to turn anything into a brooch despite it's enormity or it's obvious gawdiness. Hmmmph! Truth be told, I never can tell if it's pretty or ugly! I just know that I like it.

Vintage Children's Books (from the "Bounty!")

Children's Books!--from the "Bounty!", originally uploaded by icklebird.

Dear Margaret,
I am forever indebted to you for you have tripled my vintage childrens book collection and added much better books than I've had the luck to find at thrift stores! Each one has somethings I can use in most everything I make! Pin badges, collages, brooches, plaques!
I'm in love most with Sugar Bear! The ones you specially marked off with ribbon that have Little Red Riding Hood imagery! And so many of them that have deer...drinking at a pond, frollicking in the grass, lost in the forest...all so lovely! I'll be posting more illustration photos in my flickr photostream soon! I'm a very lucky girl! Thank you forever.

Nolan and Louis (from Louisville!)

From the "Bounty!", originally uploaded by icklebird.

The Prettyville Pet Parade has come to Las Vegas today! A dream of partyhats and sweet happy melodies bubbles forever in my heart now that this duet has found me! I am in love. You will see them again in my pin badges and stationary! Margaret, Margaret, Margaret! My lovely cousin has put together a special "inspiration box" just for me! I'll be blogging more photos as they come!