Showing posts with label Cross Stitch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cross Stitch. Show all posts

Monday, December 26, 2011

Play Spools

We had a great Christmas.  I hope you did too.  So many highlights and so much fun.  The kids were really into it this year {last year I had to bribe Mags with candy just to open presents}.  And my husband treated me like a princess, just like he always does.  You know how on Modern Family Claire is a horrible gift giver to her husband and he's the best ever?  Yeah, that's us.  I think I made up for it this year though with electronics and sports gear.

I made several gifts for the kids and I'll gradually get to posting what I've made.  Today I'll show you the simplest gift I made.

Play Spools



Maggie is obsessed with my craft supplies.  My craft room is a disaster because really what 3 year old can resist bin after bin filled with ribbon and jars of buttons just waiting to be tossed in the rain to rain down on their head?  One of her favorites is to take my spools of thread, hold onto the string and drag the spools around the house.  It makes me nuts.  She needs some craft supplies of her own.

I like to reuse everything so I've been saving empty spools of thread.  I hot glued different kinds of yarn around each one and left about a foot of yard free at the end that way she can wrap it herself or pretend to sew.  It just took a few minutes to make each spool.

When she opened it she shouted "YES!" then promptly ran upstairs to place the spools onto my sewing machine and pretend to sew.  We eventually had to bring her back down so the family could finish opening presents!  I think it was a hit.

Take a look around the craft bins and see if there is some re-purposing you can do too!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Vintage Handmade Stocking and A Great Big Merry Christmas!

Well, the stockings are all hung {or laid nicely on the couch} with care in the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there!  I surely can't sleep knowing that Christmas is tomorrow so I wanted to show you the beautifully, hand stitched stocking my Grandma Rosie {aka Nonie} made me when I was born.  Each member of my family has one with a different scene and each is just as elaborate and gorgeous as the last.  I hate to call it vintage because it's exactly as old as me but let's face it - it's getting there.






I've had a difficult time making stockings for my own family.  Nothing I can do will ever match what Nonie did.  What a wonderful, talented woman!  I miss you Nonie!

______________


I hope each of you have a wonderful Holiday Season filled with joy, happiness, family, creativity and lots and lots of love!


Merry Christmas from The Cutts Family!


And if you're wondering... yes... this is the best family photo we got this year.
Sigh...
I long for the day when we have beautiful family photo but for now I'm just happy with what I've got.  
Crazy kids, a great husband and lots and lots of love.

Seasons Greetings to All!!!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Antique Week: Crafting

Continuing on with Antique Week, I had to include some antique craft supplies!  I know that there are so many more little treasures in my mom's house but after rummaging for just a short while I found all of these little beauties.



Hand cross stitched table cloth.  Maybe done by my grandma???


What's more swoon worthy than an antique jar filled with antique buttons?  The lid is to die for.


Tiny ivory crochet hooks perfect for making doilie after doilie.



A very heavy little iron.  This is how it used to be done folks.  You know, when women actually ironed clothes instead of shoving them in the dryer 15 minutes before leaving the house.



A tiny leather knife box lined in blue velvet, a gorgeous, ornate brass lantern to light up your craft room and {gasp!} a wooden thread carousel with wooden spools of antique thread.  And what's that on top?  Why it's a tiny little bowl to hold even more little treasures like these gorgeous lion crest embossed buttons.



I wonder how it will go over when I tell my husband that I now need two craft rooms?  My functional modern one and my display craft room to show off little gems just like these. 

Yep.  Definitely need two craft rooms.  Sorry babe.






Sunday, August 7, 2011

So Grateful Sunday: Reno Temple Cross Stitch from Alicia

I need to introduce you to my dearest and oldest friend, Alicia.  No, not me, Alicia.  A-lish-a.  I'm
A-leash-a.  Clear as mud?  That's okay.  We're used to the name confusion.

Alicia and I met my Freshman year of High School (her Sophomore) and we've been besties ever since.  We've been through some good times her and I.  Like tagging random stupid stuff on the walls next to gangster and tag artist's street names.  Yeah we know we're cool.  {Don't worry it was a designated place in Reno for this kind of thing.  No need to call the authorities.}  Do you like how I took a picture of a picture?  I told you she was my oldest friend, we didn't even have digital cameras back then.

Here's a picture of Alicia with her adorable family.  I love that her kids hate pictures just like mine do.
(photo stolen from facebook.  sue me.)

Alicia is amazing.  She is the friend that everyone should have.  She is so generous.  She is always doing things for others and is always thinking about what she can do to help out.  She's a talented photographer and will take any ones pictures for free.  Anytime.  You don't find a lot of people who will do that.  She also takes the time to put on wonderful showers for people (she did my bridal shower!) and they always turn out so fabulous.  I also love that she is so funny.  Seriously, I don't even know if she means to be but everything she says is so thoughtful and hilarious.  She's so stinkin' smart it kills me.  In High School she pretended to play the trumpet because the band was going to Hawaii that year and she really wanted to go.  She was terrible!  But she got to go to Hawaii!  Ha ha.  I wish I could list all of her "best of" moments but this post would be forever.

The thing I love most about Alicia is that she's honest.  Not just the kind of honest where people will return a lost wallet honest.  I mean honest honest.  She will always tell you the truth about anything.  She's not going to sugar coat something just because.  She'll always tell you if your breath stinks or if there's spinach in your teeth.  Everyone needs a friend like that.  One that will tell things to you straight because they care about you.  More people on American Idol need friends like Alicia.  I love that I know that Alicia is always being genuine and true to herself.  And when I get compliments from her they mean so much more to me than anything else because I know that she really means what she says.

Another thing that I think is cool about Alicia is that she's always trying new things and when she makes a goal she follows through.  You don't find many adults that decide that they want to learn to play piano and then go out and do it.  She's gotten quite good too.  So if you're nervous about learning something new or following a dream you should just do it.  Alicia did and it's made her very happy. 

As expected she was at my wedding and she had her camera in hand.  I don't know if she would pick this as her favorite of the roll but I really love it. 

In addition to pictures and a slide show she also gave us this beautiful cross stitch of the Reno Nevada Temple where John and I were married.  It's quite large and very detailed.  Even the tulips in the front are the exact color.  This must have taken her forever to do.  I've cross stitched before I know know the time it takes.  This just blows my mind.

I apologize for the bad pictures it was the best I could get with my skills and lighting issues.  I hope you can get a glimpse though of this gorgeous piece of art.  It has hung on my wall every day and will continue to hang there forever.

I'm so grateful to have Alicia in my life.  It would be so dull without her!  Thanks Alicia for being there for me all these years.  I couldn't have asked for a better friend!




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