birthday banner

A few years ago I made this banner for Haven for her birthday tea party. We now get it out every June, and display it in honor of her birthday month. She is proud of it, and this year it hangs on her bent twig bed.

It was really very easy and fun to fashion, and a great project to use all those bits and pieces you have left over from other projects.

I simply cut triangles the size that I wanted out of heavy twill fabric, and then attached scraps of other fabrics by sewing around the edges. I left the edges raw, as I like that frayed look that it will get over time. I then glued on glittered letters I had in my scrap booking stash, but you could use any letters you might have, paint or stencil letters, or even embroider some if you have one of those fancy machines.

Then I simply embellished to my hearts content with buttons, and trim, lace, and hard chipboard do dads (like that bowl of cherries by the V), rickrack, charms, and I even found a cute ribbon bumble bee at the bottom of my sewing basket! You can see it on the very first triangle if you look closely.

The sky is the limit with this project, and it was really fun to try and capture Haven's girlie personality in the creation of it. There are also a few scraps used that were from some of her out grown garments, like that pink eyelet on the H, and that sweet blue bird fabric on the V.

I attached the triangles to a gingham ribbon with some colorful binder clips that I had on hand. It would also be cute to sew the triangles on a ribbon, or use biased tape over the top edge of the triangles leaving some surplus on each end for hanging.

How about making a banner to honor someone special in your home, and start a tradition of your own?

If you have never left a comment before, today would be a great day to do so, I would love to hear from some of you lurkers.

Have a great Wednesday!

you can find more trash to treasure here

and more home decor here

miniature slipcover

Have you ever slip covered a couch? Me either....until just a few days ago!

When I was a young girly girl like my sweet daughter Haven, My Daddy made me a doll house for Christmas. He wasn't Daddy then by the way, cuz I was born a Yankee, but now I'm an old southern gal, and he is Daddy now, at least in my mind. He is still Dad out loud though, not sure why. So back to the story at hand...He didn't make it from some prefab kit, in fact I don't even think he had any plans. I still remember that towel over the window to the garage around Christmas time, and the hoping that whatever was being made behind closed doors in Dad's workshop, was for me. Fast forward a couple gazillion years, and that same dollhouse made an appearance under our tree this year for someone who had been quite the good girl.

This keepsake had seen better days my friends, let me assure you. My Mom (she's Momma in my mind)had decorated it with loving care, and lots of very long lasting glue. I had to sand for an eternity! It is only by the grace of God that I still have the old relic, well, grace, and a very endearing husband who has lugged the thing from here to kingdom come through like a catrillion moves. I can't believe it's still in one piece, guess Dad used some strong glue too!

Any how, I sanded, and painted, and re-decorated, and it was a BIG surprise, very much enjoyed by our own little girlie girl, Miss Haven Dorothy.

We didn't fully furnish it cuz,....well, cuz that's the fun of it right? Well, Haven felt sure that I could make a couch , and when someone has total faith and confidence in you, how can you not try? so I strapped a bit of duck tape around a piece of packing foam, and then sewed a bit of cream corduroy, and called it a couch, all 4 inches of it!

Check out that Heather Bailey wall paper people. This "family" is livin large!

"glass" tiles in the Kitchen back splash, and original filo dough earthen ware dishes!

Not sure who that is playing the piano????

oops, updated to say I meant Amy Butler wallpaper....

No offense Heather, you are both equally wonderful designers!

check out other cool things people make at

make it for Monday at Cottage Instincts, and

make your Monday at Twice remembered, and

Finagling by Lumberjack boy

Lumberjack Kartwright has been working in the barn quit a bit lately, and this is what he came up with! He jumped in with both feet, and made this fantastical bench from an old Queen sized Head board and foot board. He is hoping to make a little money to stash a way for the future, with his new wood finagling business.

I think it's downright fabulous myself, but then I just might be a tad biased. What do you think? No, not about if I'm biased, I think that is very obvious. What do you think of this beautiful work of lumberjacking art?

I graciously offered to "store" it for him, free of charge of course, since he is family and all, in my entry way/foyer/dinning room. Funny how it goes perfectly with my decor and all. I wonder who finagled that? I plan to make a pretty cushion for it, not that I'm taking possession or anything, just want to show it off in the best light possible.

Lumberjack boy won't let anyone sit on it, so don't come over and try it out, or you may have bought a bed bench that you never knew you wanted! That is not to say that this bench is not sturdy enough to hold three well fed Lumberjacks comfortably, just that Kartwright is a tad "attached" shall we say, to his "baby".

Can you tell I'm proud of Lumberjack boy? I must show it from all angles, or you may miss the splendiferouseness of the entire project. Isn't splendiferouse a word, I thought it was, but spell check says NO? They say lumberjacking is not a word either, but we all know that they're wrong on that one! What do they know, they don't even recognise Lumberjack boys real name! Cute idnt he?? A bit pasty perhaps....oooh we miss that sunshine....but real cute just the same!

If you are at all interested in the purchase of this larger then life, gotta have it, bench wonderfulness, just give us a shout out through the ol' net. Or, better yet, if you have an old bed that you would like made into a bench, Lumberjack would love to hear from you! Or, even if you don't want, or need a bench, but you have some other lumberjacking project in mind, he is open for business as they say.

Just in case it is not entirely obvious I would like to point out that the name Lumberjack Boy is not to imply in any way that Kartwright possesses any skill whatsoever in the area of large tree excavation, but is only the pet name that came to a loving mothers mind when she beheld said boy clad in plaid flannel.

today I linked to FUNKY JUNK, and

check out the other projects

handmade fabric cupcakes

My Mom made these cutelisciouse cupcakes for ElizaJane for Christmas. Each one is different, and unique! She also gave her the cupcake stand. There has been a lot of pretend pupcake eating going on around here lately. That one on top, is made from the same fabric that she used to make me an apron, sooo cute. My Mom is the queen of handmade gifts, and this year she outdid herself!

My list is done!!!

Today I hit the floor drooping, cuz yesterday I hit the floor skipping, and now I am worn out! not really, actually the season has energized me, and my new personal assistant keeps me motivated!! LOOK, I finished the nightgowns!!!! yeah!!!

and the 12 days of Christmas ornaments we painted are up, yeah!!

The partridge is my personal favorite!

And, here I present to you, Molly and Marcy, the monkey sisters!!!

They were soooooo much fun to make,

and I am so excited to give them to the girls!!!!

Like those felted wool button shoes???



and a secret little heart on their bums.

I feel encouraged that all is done!!!! I hope to encourage my children to clean their rooms today. I know, I know, it's Christmas Eve, but it will be their Christmas present to me!!!!

Encourage someone today, and Merry CHRISTmas Eve!!!

Felted wool pomander

Handmade gift #2

Find awesome felt wonderment HERE and a tutorial for the whole adventure HERE. Betz White, is the bomb when it comes to Felted wool projects, and she has become my mentor, (unbeknown st to her by the way) in the felted odyssey that I am on of late!!!

This Pomander was sooooo easy, and I can't help the cozy feel it ignites in me! Lovin felt lately. lovin Betz White, lovin pomanders, lovin handmade gifts! I dare you to try it!!