Crochet Stash Basket

A few weeks ago when I told you about our trip to Ottawa I mentioned that I had almost finished a small crochet project.

Well, I made this stash basket and it now sits on my kitchen counter.

It holds all of the receipts, mail, and notes that used to float all over the counter and get in my way.  I love that everything is now neatly contained in this basket.  Organization is bliss! 

I also love having a handmade basket on my counter; it just says ‘home’ and ‘comfort’ to me.

The pattern for the basket is from Lily Cotton (click here for basket pattern).

I used a 4.0mm hook for this basket which worked very well.  The basket is stiff enough to stand upright on its own, even with very little inside it.  A few years ago I made the same basket using a 6.0mm hook and it turned out rather floppy - the only way it stands up is when it is stuffed right full of stuff.  Bottom line: Hook size is important when making this basket, and a smaller hook will make for tighter stitches and a sturdier basket.

The yarn that I used is also from Lily Cotton – Lotus Blossom.  I love using variegated yarn for projects like this.

What handmade projects have you made to help organize your home?

Card of the Week: When You've Finished a Scrapbook Layout, Make a Card

One way that I use the paper pieces leftover from a scrapbook layout is to make a card with them right away.

Since I already have all the patterned paper and coordinating cardstock on my craft table, these cards come together rather quickly. 

I recently finished this layout:

Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup; Cardstock: Bazzill; Die Cuts: Jillibean Soup; Flowers: Prima; Border Punch: Fiskars; Buttons: my craft stash; Brads: Making Memories; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

And made this card using the small pieces of coordinating papers that were leftover:

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup; Cardstock: Bazzill; Flower: Prima; Border & Circle Punches: Fiskars; Button: my craft stash; Sentiment Font: Emma Sophia; Doodle Pen: Inkssentials; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

One layout done. Another birthday card to add to my stash, and fewer scraps to organize and store.  

I encourage you to give this a try after you have completed your next scrapbook layout.  You'll easily make another card to have on hand, and have fewer scraps to sort and store away.  Win, win if you ask me.

How I Get My Crafts Done

Before I had my girls I had very few demands on my time and could work uninterrupted for hours on my crafts.  I am sure all mothers can remember that time before we had babies and young children to care for and had oh so much time to ourselves.   

Things have changed and as a result I have had to alter my approach to crafting.  Instead of long, uninterrupted afternoons, I now work in tidbits - half an hour here, ten minutes there – little time segments that add up to a whole bunch of creativity.  

It took me a while to get used to this new approach, but now I love it.  I always feel fresh when I am working, and it constantly surprises me how the little tidbits of time add up to me getting a lot of crafting done.   

These are some of the things I do to make it possible for me to work in tidbits throughout my day and get my crafts done: 

My craft table is in the corner of the playroom and I always have one or two projects on the go there.  I can work on these projects while my girls are playing and be right there if they need me.

I involve my girls in my crafts.  This is especially true of scrapbooking.  They both love to cut and paste paper together, add pictures and stickers and then write or scribble the corresponding story on the page.  And it just fills my heart with joy to see what they have gleaned from watching me.  Their pages are really good.

I sometimes work on a project on the kitchen counter.  Here I was pinning a sewing project while dinner was simmering on the stove.

I always have a crochet project in a little basket or bag, ready to be picked up during the spare moments of my day.  

Finally, I save all the complex craft projects that require my full attention and concentration for when the girls are sleeping.  I figure there is no sense in getting frustrated by trying to spray paint something and then be interrupted by someone needing a snack or bathroom break.  

Now all this being said, I would definitely sign up for a full day of uninterrupted crafting.  But until then, my tidbit approach allows me to get my crafts done.  And that makes me very happy!

What do you do to allow yourself time to craft while caring for your children? Please share any tips you have.  We could all use new tips and advice for getting things done, am I right?  

Card of the Week: When in Doubt, Make a Birthday Card

Whenever I am in doubt as to what type of card to make, I make a birthday card.

Birthday cards are the cards I give most often so I always try to keep a good stash of them on hand.

I made these two birthday cards using this adorable robot paper that I found on clearance at Michael's.  I don't usually buy robot paper - it is definitely boyish and not much use to me as the mom of two girls - but I did this time because I am trying to make a few more cards that are appropriate for boys.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Recollections; Cardstock: Recollections, Bazzill; Rub-Ons: American Crafts; Doodle Pen: American Crafts; Chipboard Star: my craft stash; Circle Punches: Fiskars; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Recollections; Cardstock: Recollections, Bazzill; Rub-Ons: American Crafts; Doodle Pen: American Crafts; Corrugated Cardboard: the garage; Arrow Punch: Fiskars; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

So cute!

What type of cards do you make and/or give most often?

Am I Scrapbooking Enough?

I sometimes wonder if I am scrapbooking enough?  

I scrap the big events in the life of my family - birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the first day of school, vacations - because these events are full of incredible memories that I want to keep.      

I also try and scrap some of the everyday stuff - our routines, the girls huddled together reading a book, my garden, a renovation - so that I can look back and remember what my daily life was like at a particular point.

But even with all of that, I wonder if I am scrapping enough?  Am I doing enough to truly document the life of my family in my scrapbooks?

I take so many photos, as many of us do with digital cameras, and so many of these photos are simply filed on the computer. What about those memories? What about the funny thing that happened right before a certain picture was taken? Will I remember it if I don't scrap the photo?  I am not sure.

I know that it is impossible to scrap every photo.  And that even though some pictures will never be surrounded by pretty paper and journaling, they are still precious memories that were captured. Yet,  I still sometimes get the feeling that I am missing some important moment that should be documented in my scrapbook.    

Truth be told, I sometimes get a little frantic about this.

It is then, when I feel like I am coming up short, that I need to remember how much I have done.

  
I have a lovely album of our wedding; it is truly a treasure.  

Both my girls have albums of their first years.  

Our trips are documented in travel albums.

I make a family scrapbook every year, and it always takes up at least two albums.  

So I take a deep breath and relax. I try not to stress. I am doing plenty. My family's life is being documented. The memories are there, to be treasured forever, never forgotten. And those photos I did not scrap are organized on the computer.  

What about you?  Do you ever feel like you are leaving something out of your scrapbooks?  That some precious memory will be forgotten?  

Or do you look at what you have done, take a deep breath and know that you are doing enough to capture the memories?

Card of the Week: Using One Paper Collection

This card was really quick to make.

Card Base: Recollections; Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper, Sentiments, Candles, Stars, Party Hat: Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker; Ink: Ranger Inks; Doodle Pen: Inkssentials; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Quickie Glue

Why?  Because all the elements came from the same collection of papers and embellishments, so all the coordinating was already done for me.

While I love pulling different patterns and colors of paper together, and rooting through my box of embellishments in search of the perfect one, sometimes it is nice to go with what has already been grouped together by the wonderful scrapbooking companies out there.

I find using one paper collection an incredible time saver when I need to get a card made rather quickly.  I don't have to think about 'what goes with what' and can just focus on the design.

What about you - do you always match papers and embellishments yourself or do you take advantage of collections?

Gone Fishing

For Claire's birthday, I made her a fishing game.

My inspiration for this project came from here but I made a few changes to this pattern to make it my own.  

The pattern that I used for my fish can be found here.  I used Bernat Handicrafter Cotton in Hot Green, Hot Pink, Hot Blue, Orange Chill, and Purple Power.  I made two fish from each color.

I made the worm as follows using a 3.5mm hook, and then made the fishing rod:

• ch 3, sl st in first ch to form a ring
• R1: 6 sc in ring
• R2: 1 sc in each sc around (6 sc)
• R3: repeat R2 until worm measures 3 inches long.  As soon as it fits, put a very strong magnet into the bottom of the worm.  Stuff your worm lightly with polyester stuffing as you go.  When your worm reaches its final length, fasten off and leave a long tail.
• To make the fishing rod:  Take a small dowel rod and drill a small hole about 1/2 inch from one end.  Take the long tail that you left when you finished your worm, poke it through the hole in your dowel rod and tie a few knots to hold it in place. 

I wanted something to hold the fish and that would work for Claire to fish out of so I made a basket.  The pattern is from Lily Cotton (click here for basket pattern) and is very simple. The yarn I used is cotton, but I do not know the brand or color; I bought a gigantic bag of it at a yarn sale a few years back.  
Claire loves fishing.  She especially likes to yell out which color fish she caught.  So cute! 

Are there any games that you have crocheted for your kids?  Please share.  I am always looking for cute crochet projects like this.