Craft Hope book winner

I got a thrill from all these comments! Your favorite crafts include old standbys like sewing (my personal fave) and scrapbooking, but also reach to the borderline-exotic (Addie, your organic dog treats take the cake, and Amy B., yes, sidewalk chalk definitely counts!).

Thanks, everyone, for entering the giveaway. Nancy, congrats! Please email your address to me at yeebird[at]gmail[dot]com.

Sewing Smiles

continues to help

around the

For this project, Craft Hope partnered with the Liberia Orphan Education Project to provide educational beanbags (alphabet, number and shape sets) for these children:

To make the beanbags (I think they would be excellent birthday gifts, too):

1. Cut 52 4"X4" inch squares from felt or fleece. I did half of my squares green, half red, alternating colors with every other letter.
2. Invite an incredibly artsy

over to draw and cut out 26 letters. This is my pal, Lara. Thanks for your help, Lara! (Didn't she do well?)

3. Sew each letter to a square.
4. Place the square on top of another the same color and sew around 3 sides.

Here, you see Lara

learning to

!!! She did great!

5. Fill with 1/3 c. beans, popcorn kernels, etc.

6. Sew remaining side closed.

Variations: shapes, numbers, animals--embellish away!

From Lara and Rebekah, to Liberia with love--we hope these bring a

to the faces of some special kiddos in West Africa.

Happy weekend, everyone.

Meeting Mona: A Wildlife Photo Essay

We first saw Mona hiding among the trees.

She wasn't sure about us, so we cautiously approached.

When Mona realized she could trust us, she came in for a closer look.

And when Nathan asked if he could take her picture, well, you can see she was flattered, if not a bit self-conscious.

Mona wanted to be sure we captured her good side.

Suddenly, the sock monkey's natural instincts began to emerge, and Mona couldn't get enough of mugging for the camera.

Oh, Mona. Now you're just showing off!

I think she'll be just perfect for a child burn victim at this camp who needs a special friend, don't you? I'll be sending Mona on her way tomorrow.

Have you checked out Craft Hope lately to see how you can help a child?

Check out this site for a helpful sock monkey pattern.

Because Hope is Worth it

You've gotta do this.
Seriously. If you've ever sewn a stitch in your life, please do this.
Scroll to Project 4 and read. Then, start to work on a sock monkey for these tiniest of burn victims, right here in the U.S. of A.

Because HOPE really is worth it, and being a part of the awesomeness that is Craft Hope is just completely amazing and bigger than yourself.

Ms. Jade Sims, Craft Hope creator and Queen, as I call her, has become my friend this year. She is about to have a sweet baby, all in the midst of finishing up her book details (way to go, Barnes & Noble, for publishing a Craft Hope book).

I had to send her some baby goodies to match her nursery:

And make a coordinating card, too. This one followed a sketch from Triple the Sketch.

Blessings to you, Craft Hope Queen, to your sweet baby, and to all you girls out there getting your craft on for this great organization!

Blankets and Beanies

Have you heard of Craft Hope? Jade and her team are doing an amazing job improving the lives of many, many children around the world. Right now they are collecting baby blankets, beanies, and booties for newborn babies in three different villages of India.

When Ian and Lilly got to bed tonight, I started to work. I used two old maternity t-shirts (won't be needing those ever again) to make four newborn beanies. Download Amanda Soule's pattern for turning t-shirts into beanies here. SUPER easy.

Then, I made a quick quilt, sewing three long strips of different fabrics together for one side, then attaching it to the soft minky fleece goodness for the backside.

My box is ready to send. It feels good to help a sweet, new baby stay warm. Check out Craft Hope for yourself and make another baby warm! Thanks!!

Now, a Father's Day idea . . .

I made this tie cake for Nathan's first Father's Day (2005). It's easy to do and your children can help you decorate. Since Ian was only 2.5 mos. old at the time, I was on my own.

Buy a ready-made pound cake. Use a mega serrated knife to cut angles on the sides (you can chow these--won't need 'em). Also cut two triangles to make the bottom of the tie. Attach these two triangles to the top with toothpicks to make the knot of the tie. Ice cake. Use Fruit by the Foot and icing gel for stripes.

Place in a box resembling a tie box.
(any ideas on how to make a flip-flops cake? my man's more flip-flops than tie guy now)

One last, totally unrelated, severely creepy thing . . .
Check out what Nathan found on our driveway tonight. Not sure if I'll get much sleep tonight!!!
(is it weird that we wanted to capture it?)