Crafts, Crafts and more Crafts!

I LOVE crafts, it's possible I could spend an entire day and more than our monthly income in the craft store. At present I am working on a new long sleeved dress for K, some overalls for B, crocheting a blanket for B and K (just started B's...my goal was to finish one for each of them for Christmas but not sure if it will happen or not), and some photo blocks for Christmas gifts for grandparents!

 The photo blocks are easy to make and so fun to do! What you'll need is wooden blocks in various sizes (found at both Michaels and Hobby Lobby), a container of Mod Podge, paint brush, exacto knife, cutting board and a bunch of pictures (preferably matte finish but glossy works too, and 4*6 with room to cut) OR you can use a book...I will have pictures of this soon!

Paint a nice smear of Mod Podge on one side of the block

 Place your favorite picture ontop and press down, let it sit for a couple of minutes to adhere/dry.

Flip it over on the cutting board and trim off the edges with the exacto knife.

Flip the box back over and apply a few coats of Mod Podge to the picture, I like to brush down all across and then take the paintbrush and ever so lightly go back over vertically to give the look of a canvas.

Let dry for a good 15 mins and about a week before touching/stacking!

To use the other size of wood blocks do the same steps but place the picture on all four blocks together, (Place all the blocks together, then glue one side and put the picture on them to cover all blocks...I hope this makes sense I'm such a visual person and did not think to snap a picture when I made my first set...I will have full pictures of the book project I'm doing ((see below)) to show you on Tuesday if this is confusing) then use the exacto knife to separate the blocks and thus cutting though the picture. You will end up with four blocks each holding one part of a picture to make up 6 full pictures in total!                                                                     

What I am working on now for K's Christmas gift this year is using 6 blocks and a Dr. Sesus book that we have a duplicate of, I am cutting up words from our favorite for one side, another side will be colours, another side will be matching, yet another will have counting, and then two sides for pictures. I cannot wait and will post pictures as soon as I have it all done...which hopefully will be Tuesday as our activities have all been cancelled for the week due to the Thanksgiving holiday!

I recently finished some frames for a couple of friends. Old book, frame, scrapbook paper, paint, letter stencil and a hot glue gun...I have too much fun making these!


and an awesome Fall wreath for a small wall in the dining room....made from a newspaper, rope, hot glue and leaves/pine cones in the garden!

I love to craft and as often as I can when B is napping, K and I will pull out the glue and paint and whatever other fun things we can find and go to town, her on one end of the table me on the other, working together in our own little crafting world putting together our masterpieces.

Every payday I gather up my craft store coupons, Hobby Lobby puts 40% off in the paper every Sunday, Michaels hands out 40% in email a couple of times a month and JoAnn is hit or miss in the clearance aisle and search out as many fun crafts as I can get my hands on! I have a big ole bag of Christmas goodies I can't wait to start making.

My big plans this year are for K and I to make Christmas balls for the tree, an advent calendar and gingerbread houses! More artsy fartsy posts to come :)