Cute monster crochet hook holder

Since I've discovered Pinterest a few months ago (I know, I'm a late bloomer), I have been spending soooo much time fantasizing about all the things I would love to make.  But of course, having a full-time job and family doesn't allow me the luxury of time so I am starting with small projects.

I found an easy tutorial on making a crochet hook holder from here.
I followed the pattern mostly but added my personal touch.  I used black beads and different sized white buttons for the eyes.  I also wanted to try out a crocheting technique of making a curlycue.  So he ended up with curly hair.

He's a little full right now.

Monster's back view.

I think it turned out pretty cute.  What do you think?

DIY: Organizing Spellbinder dies

As my obsession for card making grows, so does my collection of Spellbinder dies.  I had to figure out a way to keep them organized so that I can get to them easily and not damage them.


Here's what I did:

I bought the following from our local Daiso store.  You can find something similar at the local dollar store too.

a couple of rolls of magnetic tape
thin plastic case (used for holding reports)


I already had the label maker.  You don't need one but my I wanted to keep track of the style numbers of the Spellbinder dies - my OCD tendencies are showing  ;)

Figure out how you want the Spellbinders to rest in the plastic case.  Then cut the magnetic tape to fit the area and tape it down.  Add the style numbers.

Place the spellbinders.

Voila!  you're done!

You could put another set of magnetic strips on the other side of the case.  Hmm, I think I need to buy the oval set of Spellbinders to put on the other side...

Happy Halloween!

It's been a while since I've posted.  My day job and life keeps getting in the way!

We are back from trick-or-treating and I thought I should share the fun things I made for this Halloween.  I love spending the time making something special for each of my family members and try to have some kind of family theme.  But as my kids get older, they want their own ideas put into place.  

My daughter wanted to be an angel, so I sewed the outfit (without a pattern!) and purchased the wings and the halo from Value Village.  We were originally going to make our own wings but loose feathers are very expensive!

It would've been funny to have her brother as the devil but he wanted to be a gorilla!  I was able to buy a mask on sale (70% off!) and sewed the suit (again with a pattern!  I'm living my life dangerously.)

The only family member left to participate in a family theme was my hubby!  I found this straight forward set of directions for making a brain.  So I made 2.  These were probably the least expensive halloween props I've ever made!

Hope your Halloween was as much fun as mine!

Quilts from my past

It's been almost a month since my first child left for university and the house is a little quieter and the fridge is a little fuller!  I came across one of my favourite quilts I had made for him and thought I'd share it with you.

I had ordered the pattern from a craft magazine years and years ago.  It required both machine quilting and hand quilting.  Here are a few close ups of some of my personalization of the quilt.

Our own little delivery truck!

Cam's Towing Co.

I have a second quilt with a slight variation still waiting to be put together for my second son - he's almost thirteen and probably won't appreciate now... maybe I'll save it for my future grandchildren?!

Here I go!

Now that I've sold my very first set of greeting cards, I figured it is a good time to start my blog.  Besides, my first of 3 kids have flown away to university so I guess this will be my replacement baby to nurture.

If you are curious as to where to get my greeting cards, check out Artrageous Pictures & Framing in Vancouver.  It's a cute little store with awesome owners, Bill & Pam.

My day job will take up most of my time but my passion for crafts will keep me blogging.  I'll be adding photos, how-to's, and other craft related stuff I find interesting.  Gotta run off to my daughter's soccer game now - will post more soon!