Minecraft Costume for Carter

Carter wanted to be Steve from Minecraft really badly. I had the boxes from our move, but every costume an essential part was the head. I really don't think it's practical for Carter to walk around with a box he can barely see out of on his head, so I talked him down to a Minecraft Squid.  (I know, I was rolling my eyes too, but it was easier than Steve, so there you go.)  Turned out well.  The side is the "good" side"  I did some sketching, graph paper, math and measuring on the front and side, the other side is a big mash up of left over paper in rectangles and the back is just black because it's midnight and I have to take the two little kids on Valerie's pumpkin patch trip tomorrow with her preschool so I gotta get to bed.  The box had to be resized to stay on his shoulders and the shoulders are padded with packing foam so they don't cut into him. The tenticles are cut up garbage bags and I put everything on with a coating of packaging tape also left from the move as it's been raining fairly regularly and I don't want any meltdowns from rectangles falling off or getting wet.  Here's what it is and what it's supposed to be.  Closer to Halloween I'll post pics of him wearing it. Luckily the other kids are easier!

Recent cards

I promise I'll post what we've been up to soon, but while you are waiting...

Northridge Publishing recently cleared out their warehouse of back issues of Cards magazine, which is normally $19.99 an issue, I got a huge box (media mail!) of back issues for $1 each and I LOVE them. I've been using up a CTMH paper pack using the magazines for inspiration and doing some playing with the CTMH Cricut packages... below are scans of the magazine inspiration and my take on them...

 

Reorganization of craft room

My scrap/craft space wasn't working the way I'd unpacked it, so I did a reorganization last weekend.

This tower of Michael's cubes is right on a small strip of wall next to the door, in front of the closet, which doesn't seem to make sense.  In front of the closet?  Oh, yeah.  Top is ribbon, open shelf has a bin with all my Glimmer Mists and glue bottles and my silicone mat rolled up.  The drawer is Stickers, which are in folders by themes (finally ditched the binder I don't use stickers much these days).  Chipboard alphas are next.  It's divided into cubes and I had enough alphas missing letters that I organized them from a suggestion here into cubes by letter rather than font, so look for some mismatched titles from my scrapbooking!  I mostly use them and cover them with embossing powder, ink, paper, etc. so that the colors match my layout anyways, so I think this will work better for me.  Then is a drawer of Jute, Sew Easy stuff, baker's twine...thin stuff.  Then a drawer of paper ribbons like CM, etc.  Last bin ahs drawers of:  Bling, Brads that don't fit in my brad organizer, Adhesives like Tacky Tape, Envelopes, etc. and Misc which is leftover pieces from scrapbook kits, etc. that are fun to look through when I need some inspiration.

The right side of the closet stays open while scrapping (the left has altering and projects for "someday" as well as extra office supplies)
Bottom shelves have books-inspiration, instruction manuals, etc.  Then lower left above books has my wishblade and my laminator. The baskets contain left: Cuttlebug and embossing plates Right: Misc stuff too big to go elsewhere-grungeboard, silk flowers, wood panels, etc.  Top two have unopened colored cardstock, a bin of Washi tape, Boxes have rubber gloves for stamping, Tag maker and metal  outsides, crepe paper, quotes & journal spots.  Top has envelopes and in progress scrapbooking, very top is sewing stuff.

This is my stamping/cardmaking station (I could scrapbook here, but arranged items accordingly and this sturdy desk from the basement of my old, old house can handle stamping better than the lightweight one I'm using for scrapbooking.  This huge cassette tape holder was from a thrift store or library-got it at REstore for about $45, it's solid oak and heavy, it's about 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide.  In my old space it sat on a foundation ledge, but here I was scared to attach it hanging to the wall and it would be too tall for me to reach items at the top. I put lesser used items under the table and right in front of my stamp area are:
Top: Glues, paints, etc. too tall for the shelves
Top left to right:Brads in clear containers with little inserts that look like tic tac containers-Oriental Trading company bead holders
Paint
Flock and specialty glitters, distress paint and reinkers
Stickles
Paint supplies
Glitter
More paint supplies
Embossing powders and supplies
misc finishes, sticky stuff, pens
small inks across the way
large wood stamps
Above this table is a pendant lamp from IKEAto help eliminate shadows when working. Underneath is CTMH blocks and Power cord attached to light since this particular light has no on/off switch.

In between the stations....  CTMH stamps are in envelopes on the desk above the drawers in DVD holders from Container store.  SU! MArkers are between the CTMH stamps and the big shelves.  My PC tool turnaround is in front of the CTMH stamps.  In the drawers of the desk-top drawer is a divided drawer with stuff I use a lot but is too small for the turn around... adhesives, distressors, etc.  Middle drawer is portable straight trimmers, CM shape CCS, CM photo trimmer with blades in the drawer, bottom drawer has large foam stamp alphas, ATG and embossing tool, X adhesive and babywipes for clean up.
A cupholder/trashholder between the tables.  A cassette holder is attached to the wall for SU! inks.  The sideways wood magazine holder has chalks and pastels, etc. in it.  The CD holders from Container store are attached to the wall and contain SU! and misc stamps I've moved from their wood blocks and replaced with EZ foam to make them flat they are in empty CD holders from the office supply store.  On top of ink storage are two bins, one for circle stamps and one for some misc foam stamps.  On top of the big wood shelves are SU! Clear stamps in their DVD sized containers.
The table I'll use for scrapbooking.  I have a 12x24 grid mat that I leave out to help me place for 2 page layouts, pictures are in a basket, the pail has misc small stamps.  The big paper trimmer and Cricut are also over there.  Under the table are my Cricut cartridges and a big plastic container with drawers that holds punches. Predone layouts and borders are also under that table.  Cricut mats are between my rolling CM bag which holds extra albums and pages under the printer next to DH's desk for work, which has office supplies, etc. in it.  The cabinet doors on the wall hide the electrical panel.

Where Paul works

Futon for guests to have their own space when staying with us.  We put chair floor protectors on the wood floors for protection.  My MIL had some spongy stuff for under wood floors left over from their basement and I used them under the floor protectors to cushion the little spikes that are supposed to grab carpet.

Sorry to my grandpa, but I've commandeered the toy box he built the kids to hold paper in it because it's got wheels and is just the right size!  I can move it over to my area to work if I want and when guests stay, I can close the lid so they can put luggage on it.

It's right under my dry erase/magnet board of flowers (they were selling these tins at Staples full of office supplies for something like 25 cents)  There's also a CD player & speakers for tunes, the shelf for CDs was my grandmother's. I used it for Glimmer mist previously.  This is directly across from my stamp area.


That's the tour! 

Minecraft party

So this should have been posted back in April, been a little busy moving!  Anyways... At Carter's Minecraft birthday we did a few crafts. It was back to one of our famous at home do it yourself parties.  As the kids came in they made Creeper shirts.  I got black Fabric paint at the craft store and freezer paper at the super market.  I got t-shirts cheap at the craft store and got strawberry boxes from Costco. 

First I cut the bottoms out of the strawberry flats to slip inside the t-shirts so that the paint wouldn't go onto the back of the shirts.  I made Carter take the rest of the boxes out to the recycling bin...

 

then I used my Wishblade to cut simple squares out of freezer paper (you could also cut out your own squares.  I'm just terrible at cutting straight lines so I cheated). 

 

Then I ironed the freezer paper on to the t-shirt with the cardboard inside.  Freezer paper has a plastic surface on the back, so it will stick temporarily to the shirt making a great stencil. 

then the kids used fabric paint with foam brushes.  Try to paint from the outside in so that you don't push the paint under the stencil.

Wait the length of the party or 4 hours and peel off the stencil (I peeled it off right before guests left, then handed the slightly wet t-shirt (it takes 4 hours to completely dry) to the parent with the cardboard still inside).  Shirts should be washed inside out esp the first washing and first washing should be at least 24-48 hours after painting.

The boys seemed to really like the project!  I see several the boys wearing the finished shirts to school, so they must think they are pretty cool :)  This was Valerie's. The boys' were green...

 

We also had a Minecraft Cake.  For those that don't know... this is an exact replica.  Fondant, 2 8x8 pans of chocolate cake and a lot of chocolate frosting to hold the layers that did not want to come out of the pan properly together...

 

I also found a card game online that I printed cards off at Winkflash 4x6 size with 2 card on each picture (so 3 cents per card plus shipping).  The boys spent the rest of the time after opening presents trading cards and looking through them.  Pretty simple, the only hitch was getting enough of the right kind of those blasted cards printed and to us on time :)  Filled up the 2 hour party slot pretty well. We also had a UTube playlist of about 20 Minecraft parady songs for the boys to watch on the downstairs TV.  Some kids were disappointed about not actually playing Minecraft, but I think we had something like 14 kids and I didn't have the inclination or time to set up enough places to play it, plus this seemed to make for better interaction.

 

 

What to do while Valerie naps on school days

Craft of course! I've gone off my internet friend, Joan's blog and made two fun fold cards this week.

Her main blog is: http://www.dailystampede.com/

Here's the first card: Her's: http://www.dailystampede.com/2012/08/10/fun-fold-friday/

My take on it with some paper I was trying to use up:

Today she posted a tutorial for another Fun fold card she did while back. The tutorial is here:  http://www.dailystampede.com/2012/09/09/fun-fold-tutorial/

the original post is here: http://www.dailystampede.com/2012/07/31/trending-tuesday-36-halloween-fun-fold-card/

Here is my take. I only used one sheet of 12x12 double sided printed paper (one side bolder print, other side more subtle) and one piece of 12x12 cardstock.

Nook Cover & Easel

I made my cover with an extra pocket for the easel. 

What you need for the cover:

3 sheets of felt 9 inches by 12 inches each-color does not matter (only need 2 if you are not making a pocket)
Fabric-3 pieces that are approx 24 inches by 9 inches plus a little extra for flap. (Note, if you are not making an extra pocket, you only need 4 pieces.
1 large button
1 pony tail holder or elastic banding
Thread, sewing machine, scissors
optional: little bit of ribbon

Take your 9x12 pieces of felt and fold them in half:

 

Cut along the folded edge so that you have 6 pieces that are 6 inches by 9 inches.  Set one of the pieces aside. 

Make your sides of your cover (you need 2 if not making a pocket, 3 if you make a pocket).

 

Lay out each piece and fold in half with the "good" side of the fabric on the inside.

 

 

Sew with allowances along the two long sides so that the pocket ends up  7 inches across. 

Turn the pocket inside out and stuff two of the felt pieces inside.  Do this 2 times for a cover,  if you want the extra pocket put only 1 piece of felt in that 3rd pocket and I suggest allowing  a little extra so that it's 7 1/2 or 7 1/4 inches across. Trim excess fabric beyond the allowances.

 

Then stack all three pieces with the open part of the pockets all at the bottom.  You now need to sew along all sides EXCEPT the folded edges opposite your open pocket ends .  It will be easiest if you sew as close to the edges as possible and your felt is centered in each pocket so that you are sewing only through the fabric and not the felt.  If you made the pocket a little bigger, it might be easier if you hand whipstitch the tops together an inch or so to get everything lined up properly. 

 

See where I used a hand whipstitch to line up my pockets?  Also note the very small seam allowance-as small as you can get it.

 

Then turn it all inside out.

 

Take a length of your fabric 8 inches long by 5 1/2 inches.  Fold it in half so it's 8 inches long by 2 3/4 inches wide and sew along the long, 8 inch side, then turn the tube inside out and iron it so that the seam goes down the middle of one side. 

 

 

Insert a piece of felt 5 inches x 2 inches cut from the last piece of felt that was not used inside the pockets.

 

Roll one end of the tube in 1/4 inch sections 3 times over and attach using V stitches by hand into the furthest outside pocket (I recommend sewing into the pocket with only one piece of felt in it) about 1/3 of a way down from the pocket openings.

 

 

Use  a heavy V stitch back and forth over the hair band/elastic and the other end rolled over 3 times 1/4 inch each roll.  If it looks ugly, so a straight stitch over a ribbon to cover it.

 

Fold over your closure flap and figure out where your button should be.  I used one that had the attachment on the back rather than a flat button, it's easier to get the band on, but  a little trickier to sew the button on.  Make a mark where the button should be (about 1/4-1/2 inch down from where the flap ends up when folded over) and sew the button on, making sure to attach it only to the outside pocket by hand with needle and thread.

 

That's it, you are done!

 

 

If you want to make an easel you need some acrylic thick enough to hold up the weight of the nook. I found a sheet of it for $10 at Home Depot in the window section. 

 

You'll also need 4 small hinges and 16 small paper brads as well as a little section of cork 3/4 inch by 6 inches (or another medium that will keep the nook from slipping).  2 skinny sections of ribbon 6 inches long each.

 

You will need a drill with very small and a little bigger bits.

 

This easel will work with the Nook vertical or horizontal.

 

 

 

Cut 3 sections using a plastic cutting tool and directions that come with it so you have 2 pieces  6 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches and one that's 1 inch by 6 1/2 inches.  I also cut a little hole into one of the 6 1/2 x 5 1/4 pieces where the speaker could sit and sound won't be drowned out.

 

Mark where the holes for your hinges will be and using the drill slowly make teeny tiny holes.  Attach the hinges with the paper fasteners, then make a little larger holes and attach your ribbon so that your knots are inside the triangle made by the easel, threading them in between the main part of the easel and the little shelve to put the Nook on to.

 

That's it!  Now you can lean your Nook up on your counter.  It folds up to go in the outside pocket of your Nook Cover. Then your Nook can go into the other side.