Inspiration For Your Week

Put a Bird On It Roundup

I find real birds a little bit terrifying, but even I think that these bird crafts are pretty great! I've put together this roundup of my favorite bird-themed items. Enjoy!

(As always, click the photo to be taken to the source)

Wooden Bird Earrings from One Happy Leaf

Birds in Flight Headband from Jersey Maid

Birds on a Wire Pillow by Sweet C's Designs

Easter Birds by Craft & Creativity

Pink Flamingo Doormat by Life Is Art Is Life

Flamingo Scarf by OzlemDesign

Hummingbird Applique by Juicy Bits

Quails Alight by Pumml

Enchanted Leaves & Paper Gift Boxes

I love browsing Etsy to find new shops to follow. One of my absolute favorite shops is Enchanted Leaves. Find their Etsy shop here or view their website here. Since I had the opportunity to order a couple of gifts from them recently, I wanted to give them a little love by sharing my thoughts here!

The first thing that I found from Enchanted Leaves that I fell in love with is their Lord of the Rings "geekery." If you're looking for a gift idea for me, here it is! They have jewelry celebrating many different books, movies, and shows, including The Hunger Games, Arrested Development, and Harry Potter. If you're looking for a unique gift, this is a great place to start. Who doesn't want a Bluth banana necklace or Dirigible Plum earrings?

My absolute favorite: Hobbit Door Locket

Another favorite: Twilight Chess Piece Necklace

Of course, the geekery just reeled me in. I couldn't stop myself from exploring the rest of the site. They also have some beautiful items "inspired by the land, sky, and sea."

Cherry Blossom Necklace

Brass Owl Earrings

Saffron and Copper Acorn Necklace

I've been waiting for an reason to order something from Enchanted Leaves. The opportunity finally came and I was so excited to get gifts for my Mom and Grandma for Mother's Day (don't worry... they already got their necklaces, so I'm not spoiling their surprise).

My great-grandparents, then my grandparents, ran an orchard in eastern Utah. My Grandma grew up there and my Mom grew up there. I spent many weekends of my childhood and teenage years there, sorting apples and thinning peaches. So when I saw these beautiful apple necklaces, I knew it would be the perfect gift for my Mom and Grandma. 

My items arrived very quickly and they are beautiful and very well made! They came individually packed inside a tiny tarnish-proof plastic bag inside a larger tulle bag, along with instructions on how to care for the jewelry.

Since I wasn't able to deliver the necklaces personally (but had to send them with my brother), I decided to make some card stock boxes for each of them to keep them safe. I used a template I found on Easy Paper Crafts to make this 6-sided box. I used Stampin' Up card stock to make them pretty and feminine.

The flowers on top were made using a tutorial found on Whimsical World of Laura Bird.

{Linked on The DIY Dreamer, Funky Polkadot Giraffe, New Nostalgia, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Our Delightful Home, Ladybug Blessings}

Inspiration for Your Week

I'm spending this weekend watching LDS General Conference and hearing many inspirational messages. Here is one of my favorite quotes so far, in printable form.

Click picture for free 5x7 printable

Playing With Books

I know it's been nearly a month since Christmas, but I finally have some time to get back to blogging and wanted to share one of the best gifts I've ever gotten:

Playing With Books: The Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing, and Reimagining the Book
by Jason Thompson

My hubby got me this book all about fun things to do with books! I'll be honest... I'm a little bit tempted to created a dress for myself out of book pages, though it wouldn't be terribly practical. This book is filled with amazing ideas and instructions. Now I just need to go on the prowl for some good old books with sturdy covers so that I can get started.

Ready for Fall Round-Up

I don't think I have ever heard of anyone who dislikes fall. But I think I am one of the season's biggest fans. I anticipate it all year long. Unfortunately, Utah doesn't usually have the best autumn because you never know how long or short it's going to be. I would happily give up summer and winter if I could have 3/4 of the year be autumn.

But since that's not possible, I just have to anticipate it so that I can enjoy it to the fullest when it does arrive. Part of that this year is thinking of fall craft ideas I'd like to try, which is why I've put together this "Ready for Fall Round-Up." Enjoy!

Book Page Pumpkin by I Heart Nap Time

I love anything that uses book pages in creative ways and I think I might be making a pumpkin like this one this year! I love it!

Buckets with Burlap by Robb Restyle

I don't know about everyone else, but I am really liking all the metal projects I am seeing lately. And old buckets make me ridiculously nostalgic for my grandparents' apple orchard.

Hedgehog Craft Bag at Cut Out and Keep

Hedgehogs are cute! And this bag tutorial is a great way to add some cute but hip woodland creatures to your style. 

Scrappy Owl Pillow by The Eternal Thread

I know owls are everywhere, and I'm usually not a big fan of them (major fear of birds here). But I couldn't resist this scrappy owl pillows. Since I'm a fabric hoarder, I probably already have all I need to whip some of these up!

Autumn in a Jar by Fancy House Road

I want my house to smell like autumn all the time. I'm definitely going to try this craft idea out!

Where I Live - Craft Lake City DIY Festival

I am a lucky lady. My hubby, Dave, is a graphic designer for Stampin' Up, which means that he is interested in going to events like Craft Lake City DIY Festival that happened this weekend in downtown Salt Lake. Once again, we were fortunate enough to be able to leave our kids for a couple of hours with my sister-in-law so that we could enjoy the sights without trying to navigate a leashed toddler through the crowded booths. (Original photography is by Dave and other photos are linked to their sources.)

(Craft Lake City Website)

As with last week's visit to the downtown Farmer's Market, Dave and I enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the festival, just taking in the sights and smells. Dave snapped photos while I picked up business cards so that we could remember our favorite vendors.

Engraved cutting boards by Alexis Maddox Designs.

Laser cut greeting cards, also by Alexis Maddox Designs.

Fantastic prints by NiftySwank.

Cute and colorful applique projects by The Vintage Fern.

Amazing jewelry from Steampunk Bijoux!

Adorable crochet hats at Sweet Kiwi Crochet.

Silent Sunday

Click the image to get the free printable!

Silent Sunday

For a free printable, click the image.

Matryoshka Craft Round-Up

Last year, I did a lot of reading focused on self-discovery, mental and emotional health, and life changes. One of my favorite books that I discovered during this time is Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor. In the book, Sue Monk Kidd discusses some of the symbolism of the matryoshka, or Russian nesting doll. I loved the idea so much that I gave both my grandmother and mother their own matryoshka for Christmas, along with a quote explaining the significance.

"Our mothers are the first word we know, the source of our lives and stories. They tie us to the great web of kin and generations....we're not only connected through blood, tissue, and female likeness, but through feminine heart, memory, and soul. Inseparable but separate - a mystery."

Ever since then, I have been in love with the matryoshka crafts I have seen around the blogosphere. I decided that it is high time I do a round-up of these great projects! Enjoy!

Russian Nesting Doll Card

This nesting doll card idea from Jessica at Zakka Life is perfect! She even provides a printable template so you can make your own.

Matryoshka Fabric Ornament

It's a bit early for me to be thinking about Christmas decor, but I plan to make one of these fabric ornaments using the tutorial on The Chipper Snipper.

Matryoshka Quote Poster

If you're looking for a wonderful gift for a little girl's room, ReStyle Shop on Etsy is the place to look!

Sewing Matryoshka

This matryoshka sewing kit from Vanessa at Tried & True is amazing! She provides a tutorial on how to turn a matryoshka doll into a pin cushion & tape measure holder. Fun and functional!

Tooth Fairy Pillow

I'm not completely sold on the idea of a tooth fairy pillow, but if I decide to embrace it before my kids start losing their teeth, this matryoshka pillow from Dragon & Phoenix is super cute! She even provides a PDF template for this project.

{Linked on My Girlish Whims, Sew Much Ado, Sugar and Dots, Lil' Luna, Mostly Homemade Mom, Content in the Meantime}

Silent Sunday

(For a free printable, click the image)

{Linked on Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, Funny PostPartum Lady, Uncommon Designs, Keeping It Simple, Call Me PMc}

A Girl Can Dream

We have lived in our townhome for six years. This is the second-longest I have ever lived anywhere (including my first 18 years of life). I get really antsy, though. When we bought our home, we intended to stay for five years before upgrading. Of course, then the economy tanked, so we're still here with no signs of that changing soon.

While we really do love our townhome, there are several things that we dream of someday having. So I decided to share some of the details of my dream home (to view the source, click the image):

Craftsman with a big front porch, front not dominated by a garage.

A bright front door with windows in it.

Bold interior colors and architectural detail.

A bright modern kitchen with a window. I also love the grey cabinets.

A dedicated master bathroom with dual sinks. Modern design would be a plus.

Useable outdoor space with trees.

A fenced back yard with space to plant and room for kids to play.

{Linked on DIY Home Sweet Home, Be Colorful, Serendipity & Spice, All Things Fee}

Hoop Art Round-Up

I have been seeing embroidery hoop art everywhere and I am loving it! I guess I need to dig out my embroidery hoop and get to work creating my own. In the meantime, here is a round-up of some of my favorite hoop art projects:

This piece made by Bev at Flamingo Toes is a classic and beautiful example of how to incorporate traditional embroidery with a more modern flair. I especially love the lace!

This one was made by Nicki at Il Magpie. I love this design and the vibrant colors she chose. I would love to do some free machine appliqué like Nicki did here. I'm just not sure I could do such a nice job of it!

Andrea at Knitty Bitties created this colorful hoop art (and several others). Click through to her post and check them out because they are all fantastic! I love how she pieced the various fabrics together and then incorporated the same fabrics into the bunting.

Bethany at Pitter & Glink provides a simple tutorial on how she made these lovely hoops. This might be a good starting point if you're new to embroidery. And sometimes simpler is better!

I love fabric flowers, so I had to include this beauty from Caroline over at Sew Caroline. I love the piecing, the lace, the flowers with button centers... and at the risk of making it too busy, I would venture to add a bit of lettering across the bottom section. This looks like a great use for some of my scrap stash!

And I think that Bronwyn at Queen B Creative Me wins by providing my absolute favorite hoop art collection! Of course, by including a matryoshka doll, she had pretty good chances of becoming my favorite. Now I want to whip up a similar collection for my daughter's walls.

So which one is your favorite?