"Marvelous Minis" by Country Quilts

Here are the ornaments I made last weekend.

All eight ornaments completed.

They had a fall-ish theme to them: cat, jack-o-lantern, glove, pineapple (???), sheep w/crow, pear w/crow, watermelon w/crow, and pig.

I used some really cute plaid fabric my mom gave me and cut 3 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles from it. There were only 7 different plaids, so for one I used tea-stained muslin.

I cut out each shape from plain old cheap felt based on the pattern, and used a little bit of basting glue to hold the different parts onto the fabric instead of pinning them (I hate pins). Then I hand stitched each piece using a running stitch in a matching color of DMC floss.

Once the design was stitched onto the fabric, I took the two pieces and with a running stitch around the edges, sealed 3 sides. I popped some stuffing in there (not too much, didn't want them to look TOO much like pillows), and closed it up.

So I'm pretty proud of these since I've never done anything like this before. I'm definitely going to do some for each season. I'm planning on putting them on my wreath I keep hung in the living room throughout the year. I haven't decorated it since last Christmas, so I think this is a cute way to keep it up-to-date. I'm planning on finding some Christmas ones (and maybe putting those on the tree!), and then make some (drawing out my own patterns instead of buying them!) for Valentines (hearts), St Patty's (shamrocks, pots of gold, and rainbows -- which would just be a cream colored arch with rainbow colored stitching, i'm thinking), Easter eggs, for summer I'll have up some red, white, and blue stars for all the many patriotic holidays that season.

That's it. I'm going to start on Art's dad's cake now (french vanilla!). I hope he likes it!

Quicky Update

So I'm updating because it's been a while since I "blogged".

I made my applique ornaments, and hopefully this weekend I'll have time to upload the pictures (it's so hard on our slow internet connection!).

Art was out of town for a week and a half, so I got busy with other things like cleaning and whatnot. Since he's been back I've been super busy at work so things have just been a mess.

After this weekend, things will be blogging back to normal with pictures of my craft project from last weekend (ornaments), Art's dad's birthday cake which I will be making this weekend, and the birthday card I will be making him as well.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

p.s. only 100 days until the wedding!

Eventually pictures, but now, more "blah"

Art left for Santa Clara for 9 days yesterday morning. I was fine until evening came around... about the time I normally make dinner. But then we talked on the phone and everything was cool.

This weekend I will be making some little applique ornaments (fall-themed) with mom (who is crafting with me all weekend), I'll be sure to take pics and put them up on here. I also found a cool beach bag idea in my new Martha Stewart Living magazine. If I make that, I'll put it in here (or save it for another post).

I've decided to do a lot of crafting for the holidays because I know money will be tight after the wedding. We decided on a budget for each other for presents, and I know what I'm going to be making for people. I won't write it in here because someone might be reading :D:D:D

I'm also going to work some more on my large Christmas-scene cross stitch project this week. I did a little bit last night, but my eyes were getting tired because there wasn't enough light. I think I'm going to bring a small lamp to the side table in the living room so I have enough light to stay motivated to work on it this week.

That's all. I'm at my boss' desk this week because she's on vacation, and although I have a little pile of work to be done, I get super bored because it's so quiet in here!!!!

Wilton Cake Decorating, Class 4

Tonight was our last cake decorating class for Course 1. We're probably not taking Course 2 unless we can find one that is on a Friday or Saturday night.

We did the Wilton Rose (tips 12 and 104) and learned leaves, a bow, and the sweet pea too.

Cake Details:
Spice Cake
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (3/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 butter)
The middle layer had a thin layer of frosting, and some Pampered Chef Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle
Shell border on bottom w/tip 21; dots with tip 3.

We finished the class finally! It was worth the practicing.... but the classes definitely moved too slow for us.Me and mom posing with our proof-of-skill :)

Camping

We're going camping today until Tuesday morning. OJ and Nikki are coming with us.

We're going to Paso Picacho in the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, which is where we always go, and we're so excited :D Or at least, yesterday I was really excited, I wanted to go RIGHT THEN. Not so much anymore, but I know that once we get on the road, I'll be excited again. Usually when we get there, it's evening and the sun is going down. This time, we'll be there at check in... 2pm. That will be PERFECT because then we can really see what areas are best for the tents and put them up without needing flashlights and lanterns. I can get the "Kitchen" all set up too .

We got a new tent. It's an Ozark Trail tent... blue, two room, 13x10, 6 feet high. It sleeps 6... but yeah, we'd never use it for that many people, I don't think. BUT we can put Chompers' kennel in there and our stuff. Normally we have to keep all of our stuff in the car, and last time we brought Chompers, he had to stay in the car too at night. So now we have space for everything and don't have to bend over in the tent because it's so tall. It fits in a small bag, only a little bigger than our two person tent.

We also got a propane lantern. Problem is, nobody sells long matches anymore. Well, at least the Wal Mart in Lakeside doesn't. But the man I was asking about it said that he couldn't find them anywhere.

We decided not to bring the BBQ this time because we're not really cooking much food that requires it, since we're cooking hot dogs on our marshmallow sticks, and we're going to eat Pork Chops, which can easily be cooked on a pan on the stove.

Chompers LOVES camping too... he behaves so much more on the leash there. He loves running around, smelling things, and pooping in nature :D

OK so I'm going to go put away dishes now so Art won't complain anymore (hahaha:) ) and then get the cold foods together so that when OJ and Nikki get here in like an hour, we can just put everything in the cooler and head out! :D

Wilton Cake Decorating, Class 3

For Class 3 we had to make a cake with yellow on the sides and white on top. We also learned step 2 of the Wilton rose (even though mom and I went on to practice the rest of it because we got bored of waiting for the lady to move on), shell borders, and dots.

I never follow color-related instructions. Why would I? So I made mine with blue on the sides and green on top. I had clowns that were teal. I wasn't going to do the clowns because I just thought they were stupid. BUT I did it anyways. Here is how it turned out:

(p.s. it took about 10 tries to get this stupid picture uploaded on here since I'm an internet pirate and steal wireless from my neighbors! lol)

CAKE DETAILS:
Strawberry Cake
Vanilla Buttercream Icing (3/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp butter flavoring)

I used Royal Blue coloring for the sides, and Kelly Green for the top (doesn't look too Kelly though, oh well).
The borders are teal, done with the leftover from the clowns.
Pink dots are same as the details on the clown.
The Clowns were done with tip 21, dots with tip 3.

I don't know how likely it is that I will use those clown head again, they're kind of creepy, but I'll hold on to them just in case someone wants a creepy clown cake again.

Mom's cake turned out cute... she put balloons on hers, with cute little clowns that reminded me of Julian and Gabi. One was green, the other Yellow.

I don't know if I will miss taking the class... I think mom and I are going to get together to learn Course 2 things so we can do it without having to pay or go on their schedule.

Quicky Update

Tomorrow I will have pics up of the Creepy Clown Cake. I'm cleaning right now, and have been pretty sick all week, so I haven't had time to update much this week. I've had a fever for like two days, and today is the first day that I've felt OK.

Got the camping supplies tonight, so I'm excited and ready to go for Sunday! Just have to get through tomorrow somehow without getting too stir crazy because I'm so excited to go camping! :D

I'm a nerd. Whatever.

But we're packing everything up tomorrow so that it's all done. We should probably put gas in the car tomorrow too. Art's at his gig and I haven't really done anything on my little to do list yet... so I'm gonna get cracking.

Have a good night (to all of you out there who aren't reading this right now... LOL)