Butterfly Release

It's time to release the butterflies. It's been so much fun watching them grow from caterpillar to chrysalis then transform into butterflies. The kids were so excited to take them outside to release them into the outdoors where they can lay their eggs and start the cycle over. We walked across the street to the cemetery behind the school where there is more vegetation and flowers so the butterflies have plenty of food and plants to lay their eggs.

Here we are walking toward the cemetery to release our butterflies.

Here are the butterflies in their temporary habitat waiting to be released.

Yummy oranges!

I think the butterflies liked the oranges and didn't want to leave them behind.

The kids were so excited to watch them and it was wonderful that the butterflies didn't fly away immediately. They just hung around for the kids to enjoy and experience.

This is the littlest of the butterflies that we had in our classroom. The kids were so afraid she wouldn't make it. The other butterflies were nearly twice as big as this one.

I loved the pictures I got when one of them landed on the branch of a bush. I took more pictures than I can share and I can't show any of the kids faces. I know you'll understand the importance of privacy and I hope you enjoy the pictures

Candy Wrappers

Here's a FUN way to give a "thank you" to anyone who loves CHOCOLATE!

I made these up quickly last night to give to some of the parents who have helped in the classroom this school year. It's fun and simple to make your own candy wrapper. I used what I had in my craft/sewing room so be creative and make some today.

Then go and EAT some CHOCOLATE to celebrate the end of a great school year!

Here's what you'll need to make your own wrappers:

• Scrapbook paper of any kind (I cut my paper 6 3/4" x 8" it fits the large Symphony bar in milk chocolate or toffee).
• Matching Bazzill Paper (available here and here).
  
• Flower Paper Punch (found here).
  
• Clear Acrylic Letter Stamps to form the word "thank you" (like these and these, there are lots of options out there and make sure to look here).
  
• Buttons (or use anything to decorate your candy wrapper).
• I used one of my "Stampin Up" stamps for the dotted flower center.
• Glue Dots to attach flowers to wrapper.
• Double sided tape to tape on the candy wrapper.
  

Click on picture above to go to a site that sells Bazzill paper. Click on the picture below to go to a site that sells this flower punch.

Teacher Gift-Market Bag #2

I was finally able to finish this bag for my daughters teacher and we gave it to her today. I'm so glad that she loved it and I showed her how it would also hold her laptop and other books and things. She was so excited and impressed with my sewing abilities. I told her that my daughter Kenna (10 years) helped me sew some of it together. She thought that was so cool.

If you look closely I machine quilted the fabric and it took me several hours to do the front and back panels along with the pocket. It was fun to do and I was able to brush up on my much neglected machine quilting skills. I just didn't get much of my other sewing done. That's how I spent most of my day off on Monday. Just in case you were wondering what I did on Memorial day.




Click on the picture above and you can see the machine quilting I did. It's kinda sloppy but it looks pretty good. I tried not to care too much because I know I can be self critical when it comes to machine quilting but it's okay. Here's the first Market Bag I made for the teacher I work with.

20th Anniversary BOM Block

This year in our Alpine Quilt Group we're celebrating our 20th year of quilting together at the Red Church in Alpine, Utah. We have upwards of 50+ ladies that come each month to learn and share. We have lots of show & tells, trunk shows and special guest speakers even some local fabric designers. We do lots of block exchanges. Right now we are doing a four-patch, bullseye, and nine-patch exchange. Each year you can also participate in the yearly quilt project. This year we are doing a special quilt for our 20th anniversary.

The Snowflake block is my contribution to the quilt. I think there are over 20 ladies that were asked to present a 9" finished block for the quilt. We started with 20 ladies but our leader decided to add more so everyone could pick and choose the blocks they wanted to use based on their sewing experience. The applique blocks can be intimidating for the beginner quilters.

I picked this Snowflake Block to represent the SNOW that we get here in Utah. The block also represents the colors that I wanted to use to make the quilt. I'm a bit behind right now which is nothing new! It's on my summer list of things to get caught up on.




Here are the instructions to make this block. Just click on the picture below and you should be able to print your computer screen.

Our Little Pond

At the bottom of the hill when you come into our neighborhood you will find a very little pond (it can't be more than 6 feet by 10 feet). Well, for a few years now we've had these two ducks that like to come and visit. It's like their very own little resort. It's been fun watching them. So, this year we've seen them together and then separate. It made you start thinking that something was up. My husband even commented that maybe they were taking turns sitting on eggs.

Well,

Our suspicions were confirmed yesterday when we drove by and saw FOUR little ducklings swimming with their mama. It was so sweet and I made my husband turn around and get my camera so I could catch the moment. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Thank You Teachers!

Well, it's that time of year when we pay tribute to teacher's.

Having worked full-time in the classroom this year I've had an in-depth view of what it's like to take care of our kids and teach them all they need to know.

Our kid's can be very sweet but very noisy! I think it's the noise that gets to me. By Friday, we are both ready for the weekend. We've had sooo much fun learning, reading, singing, and creating!!! All in all, I have to say we've had a great year. A memorable year. I will miss the kids but, will look forward to a new group of kids next year. I might even be able to follow them on to 3rd grade. I won't know my new assignment until school starts in August.

I'm sure you each know that Teacher's really deserve all the thanks and gratitude we can give them for a job well done!!! I can think of many teacher's I've had that have touched my life and given me a wonderful education. My 8th Grade Home Economics teacher actually lives in my neighborhood and I first learned to sew in her class. I will be forever grateful for what she gave me. I remember when we first moved here and I recognized her. It was great to be able to say THANK YOU. What's fun is our son's have been best friends for many years now.

What are you making this year for your kid's teachers? Here's what I'm doing. . .



I had fun personalizing the bag with the teacher's name and then I signed it too.




This is the first bag I'm making for the teacher I work with and I have a second one to make for my daughter's teacher. It makes a great bag to carry their books, computers, lunches or just about anything you could think of.

The pattern is from Sandi Henderson of Portabellopixie.

The great fabric is from Lila Tueller's newest line of fabric called Soiree. You can get it HERE.

The Winner Is. . .

Thank you to everyone who left a comment.

It appears that everyone loves the pink with red polka dot fabric so I thought I'd put together a little prize with Four fat 1/8th's of some of the pinks and reds along with some Strawberry Banana Bubblegum for you to enjoy while you're sewing.

Since, my question was a bit vague I thought I'd pick two winners. One winner for the right answer and one winner for the kinda right answer. All of you had very good guesses so, I threw the rest of the kinda right answers into the pot and drew a name for the second prize.

The first winner that had the right idea even if she didn't realize it, is FREE INDEED. I highlighted her thinking in red.

free indeed said...

You've got pairs for each color family: blue, green, yellow, red. Although the pile of blue polka dot looks a little thin. But there are no pairs of pinks.

Free Indeed had the right idea. The BLUE HST pile is definitely missing part of their HST's (half square triangles). There should be 24 HST's in each pile.

The second winner that I picked from the rest of your comments is . . .

Nicole said... I only see 8 prints, where are we going to see the other 5?? Binding, backing and applique? I can't wait to see it finished.

Congrats to Free Indeed and Nicole.

Please send me your snail mail address via my email and I will send each of you your little prize.

Bubblegum Basics Giveaway

I'm making progress on my Bubblegum Basics Quilt.

The colors are just sooo yummy!!!

I LOVE bubble gum!
(You didn't know that about me, did you?)

You can find the best bubblegum at one of our local shops here in town called Dear Lizzie's they sell Apple, Lime, Cherry, Banana, Peach and lots of other bubblegum flavors too!

Mmmm Good!

Here's what I've done so far. . .

I've made 192 Half Square Triangle Blocks. . .

. . . and I've trimmed off all of the bunny ears.

Oh look . . .

. . . There's something missing?

. . . Any guesses?

If you can figure it out . . .

There just might be a prize involved!
(I'll tell you later, it's a surprise right now)

No hints, though!

I want to see how observant you are.

You can leave comments until Saturday.

Have FUN guessing!

If there is more than one correct answer I will draw a winner!

Good Luck Everyone!

My Daughter's Dream

This is what I made my DD Natalie for Mother's Day!
She LOVES orange, too!

Some of you may remember that my daughter is an aspiring author. She is very close to her dream. So close she can almost catch it in her hands. The thing that has kept her going is this thought by Thoreau,

"Go Confidently in the Direction of your Dreams."

It inspires her to keep going with all of the ups and downs during the querying process. Writing is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of time, courage, thick skin, patience, confidence in yourself, and a lot of diligence. She's been writing and drawing since she was in kindergarten and she has many magical worlds that exist in her head. It's been a privilege as her mother to read some of the stories that she's put down on paper. She wrote several books last year and is currently doing revisions on one of the hot ones.

I'm proud of Natalie and want her to know I'm in awe of her dedication to her craft. She will make it no matter how long it takes. She loves it that much. It reminds me of the time when she was five years old. I was doing a lot of tole painting at that time and she came up to me and asked,

"Mom, how come you can draw better than me?"

Her question took me off guard and I had to think about it.

I remember asking her, "How long do you think Mom has been drawing?"

She responded, "A long time?"

Yes, I've been drawing for a very long time, probably something like 20 years or more."

Then I asked her, "How long have you been drawing?"

She replied, "Just a few years."

So, I continued to explain that I'd been drawing for a really long time and so I should be better, because I'd been practicing for a VERY long time and that I loved to draw and create. I then encouraged her by saying "Natalie, if you want to be a great artist then you need to dedicate yourself to learning how to draw and then practice, practice, practice."

For many many years Natalie carried around a sketch book everywhere she went. She was rarely without one. Infact, she filled 12 books with over a 100 pages each. She was also the Studentbody Artist along with another Artist. They did all the artwork and posters for School Events throughout the year. She also did the sets for many of the plays they had over the years she was there.

Natalie, majored in English Language at BYU and worked part-time at Eagle's Eye Magazine for the entire time she was in college. She loved the creative process of putting together their magazine. She did writing, photography, layout, and served as Editor. She is greatly missed on their staff and is often asked back as a consultant.

I put this picture on the back of the frame as a memory.

Here you can see the detail on the decorative quilting.

Notice the decorative stitching sewn on the white paper.

Instructions to Make your Own Keepsake Frame:

• You will need an 8" X 10" Keepsake Frame that I bought at my local craft store (Roberts).
  
• Then I made a miniature quilt to showcase the pewter heart that I found at my local Hallmark Store (I was lucky to get the last one).
• The white center piece is cut at 4" x 5" (white sandcastle).
  
• I made the quilt using a variation of orange fabric. You will need 40 squares cut at 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" the squares will finish at 3/4" when sewn on all sides.
  
• Sew 6 squares together for each side.
  
• Sew the sewn squares to one side of the white center.
• Repeat for opposite side.
  
• Sew 14 squares together to make two rows of 7 squares for the top of the white center.
• Sew the two rows to the top of the white center.
• Repeat for the bottom section.
• Make the quilt sandwich with batting and fabric for the back of the quilt.
• Use decorative stitches to quilt your miniature quilt.
• Attach a narrow binding to the quilt. I cut the binding at 1 1/4" in width and did a single fold to keep it from being so thick.
• Center your finished quilt on a piece of paper that you trim down to 8" x 10"
• Trace a light pencil line around the quilt then put quilt aside.
  
• Sew a decorative stitch on a piece of white BAZZILL paper to frame the quilt (see pics).
  
• Using double stick tape I taped the sewn paper to the cardboard insert found in the frame.
  
• Using a long stitch sew in the ditch along the binding to attach the quilt to the paper and the cardboard insert.
• Position and sew the ribbon to the quilt and cardboard.
  
• Tie the pewter heart to the quilt and put it in the frame.
• You are now done with your quilted keepsake!

Mother's Day

Notice how,
I'm ready to MOP up the MESSES of the World!

I hope that all of the Mother's in Blogland have had a wonderful day with their children and grandchildren.

Today was a very special day for me and I enjoyed every moment. I'm not sure what was different this year, maybe it was my attitude, I've tried over the years to not think of myself and how much I miss my own mother but, to make it about others. I wanted my kids to enjoy today too!

The day started out early. I had to finish a quick project for my daughter who's a mother and while I did that my DS and DD made me breakfast while my husband made a lasagna for dinner. This afternoon we went to church and enjoyed a wonderful service. The Primary Kids sang to the mom's and after the first speaker a group of daughters and daughter-in-laws sang a medley of Mother's day songs. It was very special.

Many of you may have recieved the "2009 Mother of the Year Award" by email. It was a lot of fun to have a look at. But what was fun is that my youngest daughter made me her version of the award. It brought a sweet smile to my face and I got lots of hugs and kisses out of it. She also helped me lead the music during the closing song in Relief Society (at Church). We sang "Teach Me to Walk in the Light" and I couldn't even get through the first verse of the song without crying. It was very touching as a Mom to stand there with your sweet child singing an inspirational song. I will tuck that memory in my heart!!!

Enjoy the pictures of my "Mother of the Year Award"

BTW: Kenna took all of these pictures. She's going to make a great little photographer someday. I especially love the pictures she took of me. She also took some great ones of me and my husband too!

She found a rock in the backyard for the base of the award. Then took a pencil and put it inside the Rag Doll she made and duct taped it to the rock. Then she got a stick and yarn to make the mop. Isn't that creative? I'm really proud of her.

Kenna's Handmade Card
My favorite kind of Card!

Do you see the cute little face?

Here I am with my Special and Best Award EVER!!!

My Surprise!!

This is my Little BIG surprise!!!

So run on over to Moda Bake Shop and have a look at my little Bookkeeper.

Please leave a comment if you can.
I'd appreciate a bit of love.

I hope you LIKE it!

I want to send a special Thank You to my friend Jodi!
I appreciate all your help!

Mammo-Minder

Is it time for your yearly mammogram? Today was the day for me to get mine done. I promised myself that I would be more diligent in doing it every year especially since my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35. My paternal and maternal grandmother's were also diagnosed with breast cancer. So, you can see that I need to be cautious but not neurotic about it! You can't worry your life away. That's one thing I learned from my mother, You live your life to the fullest and help others along the way. She was an inspiration to me and I'm so grateful for her example.

I often think of my mother when I hear people talking about breast cancer because I was just 9 years old when she was diagnosed! I vividly remember my Dad gathering us kids around to tell us that my Mom had breast cancer. I also remember asking my dad, "Does that mean she's going to die?" I know my Dad reassured us the best he could. The year I turned 35 I remember thinking. . .WOW!. . .that's way too young. . .I wonder how I would be dealing with it? I know women of any age can get breast cancer and that's why it's so important to be pro-active in doing your monthly self-exams and yearly doctor exams along with yearly mammograms.


I don't mean to be preachy but, our family was reminded that cancer takes the lives of many and it affects families everywhere. My own sister-in-law, Lori died TWO years ago today, May 5, 2007 at the age of 46 leaving a husband and three boys without a mother. I can't believe it's been two years already. What makes it hit home too, is that she was my age and would have been 48 years old this past September. We will remember these wonderful women and pay tribute to their legacies! Year before last I was involved in "The Relay for Life" which is a yearly fund raiser for the American Cancer Society. It's held annually in many States and provides funds for the fight against Cancer. For more information you can go to the "American Cancer Society" or "The Susan G. Komen" website (breast cancer).

BTW: My surprise is almost ready. I took pictures today! I'm just working on the pattern and it should be ready to post tomorrow. . . I'm hoping!