Making Straw Hearts

Hello, today I have a fun craft that can be made with paper, straw, grass or drinking straws. This video will show you how to make a little heart out of two drinking straws and then how to make it into a necklace. This is a great craft for 10 to 14 year old girls, for a party, and for a sleep over. The little hearts also look real nice as pins or glued to the front of cards. I hope you enjoy it and have fun.

Pillowcase Dresses

Hello, I'm back into blog land. I'm sorry I've been away for a while. Various health, house, and computer issues have kept me at bay; but I'm back now. Pillowcase dresses are adorable, easy, and also inexpensive to make. This past week I helped a young friend with a community service project for school. We made pillowcase dresses for young girls in Africa. She will be sending them to an organization called Little Dresses for Africa. LDFA is a non-profit christian organization whose mission is to provide relief to children in Central Africa. I was able to buy several pillowcases for mere pennies at the thrift store and had elastic and double bias tape just laying around my home to finish the dresses. There are simple directions on how to make pillowcase dresses on their website; just click on the link above. Whether your making them for your own special little girl or for someone else's special little girl far far away have fun!

Gingerbread Cookies

There is something so incredibly peaceful about baking gingerbread at the crack of dawn. I don't mean those brown sugary cookies with a slight hint of ginger that you can buy at the store, but real soft and savory gingerbread.

There is something so incredibly joyous about the sound of the neighborhood children decorating said cookies. Such clever little fingers. Such happy little smiles. They made so many fun characters on these blank cookie canvases.

I hope this will become a new tradition for us. It hasn't felt quite like Christmas up until now; and it was nice to put aside everything to just have a bit of fun. Have a blessed and bright Christmas.

Tribute to Wooden Toys

There is something extra special about wooden toys. There is a softness, beauty, warmth, feel, and connection with nature to them. Bear and I have been filling our home with these beautiful treasures for the neighborhood children and hopefully our future child. Children seem natural drawn to them as they help promote imaginative play.We thought it would be nice to share some of our favorites with you. This is part of our kitchen. We found it on Craigslist but I have seen some similar to it on sale on Amazon. This is by far my nieces favorite toy when she visits. There are three other little girls in the neighborhood who are especially drawn to it. This is our vintage farm. The wood has a deep golden color that can only come with age and love. Bear and I are working to put wooden animals similar to this into Apple Crate Toys soon. These toy boats can be described only as 'The Worlds Greatest Bathboats' and that they are. They are so bright and cheery. The boat with the fish believe it or not is from 1985 and yet it still looks like new. I attached a link to the photo. Click on it and it will take you to their store. They even do custom name orders. A nice thought with Christmas on the way. These little boats will last a life time and then some. Bear and I will only be getting one more boat for this collection. It will be a custom order when our wee one arrives.This adorable house was purchased off of Craigslist. I added some furniture to it, but there were several pieces already in it. It came from a wonderful mother and daughter who are planning to move to another country and could not take it with. It is the newest toy in our collection and has been used and loved the most so far. I would have loved a house like this as a child. The woman we purchased it from said she bought it in Spain, but it bears a striking resemblance to Melissa and Doug doll houses if you are interested in finding one for your wee one. I first saw this little family on Waldorf Mama's blog. They were so beautiful but I could not find a justification to get them till Bear and his father surprised me this year for my birthday with the money to get them. The best part is watching children pick them up for the first time and seeing slow smiles of sheer delight spread across their faces. Bear and his father could have given me no greater gift. They are beautifully hand carved and painted by a company called Buntspechte. You can buy them at The Puppenstube.
Carved, sanded and painted with love. Wood toys will last a life time. They are a gift to pass down from generation to generation. Lets hope the tradition never ends. Have a blessed day.

Pumpkin Carving Alternative

For a pumpkin carving alternative we decided to put our pumpkins into costumes this year. This way we can still use the pumpkins for cooking later. It's a small craft, but worth sharing.

I carved my first pumpkin when I was 26. No joke! Since meeting Bear, the annual pumpkin hunt has been a much favored activity.

So there had to be one casualty.. The rest will make it into the ovens ;)
Have a blessed Autumn wherever you may be and have fun.

Fall Wreath

Just a quick post today. Bear and I have been so busy, but this weekend I made the time to make my annual fall wreath. I've had this wreath for a while and have been holding on to it just waiting for the right project. The mini corns I picked up at a garage sale for ten cents apiece and the mini pumpkins I needle felted and scented with cloves and cinnamon. There is such a yummy smell that wafts through the air as you open the door. I used a corn husk doll with a swaddled baby for the centerpiece. There are several corn husk dolls nestled around my home. I don't really remember where this one came from but I'm willing to bet it was a garage sale or a thrift store. Bear is rather fond of this year's wreath. It will stay up till the end of November and then it will be time for me to make a new Winter wreath. I wonder what I will do this year. I think I used a star shaped wreath with jingle bells last year. Take care and have a blessed week and Have Fun!

Ehlers Danlos Ring Splint Review

As some of you know I have a condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or EDS. EDS is a genetic mutation that effects the production of collagen and makes it easy for me to hyperextend and sublux all of my joints among other symptoms. For years I have been wanting Silver Ring Splints. They are incredible splints designed to hold your finger DIP and PIP joints in place preventing you from hyperextending and subluxing your finger joints. The problem is they can cost anywhere from $80. to $200. apiece thus rendering them out of even my hyperextended reach.

Recently I discovered Rebecca of EDS Jewelry Creations on Etsy. It is her goal to make functional rings splints at affordable prices. She was kind enough to send a large lot of her ring splints in various styles and metals for me to try out. Here is what I've found.. The rings that have oval or flat beads on the ends are comfortable but can catch and rub on things and other fingers. They are rather pretty and could see them for a night out, but for everyday use I would recommend a different style. The rings that have round beads on the ends are somewhat uncomfortable but not as much as I thought they would be. The lower ball is virtually undetectable but the upper one I found myself rubbing and catching on everything. The rings that have flat spirals on the ends are my favorites by far. They lay flat against the fingers and are the most comfortable for me. They do not rub on other fingers or catch on things, and they are also easily adjusted. It is easy to forget they are on. Out of all the metals (copper, brass, and stainless steel) stainless steel worked best for me. The copper is functional but slightly soft and the brass tended to bend out of shape (that could also be because of a smaller gauge). I have also ordered a sterling silver ring and am happily waiting for it's arrival. Rebecca is now offering rings with different sizes and in sterling silver. I would recommend finding what ring size fits for you before ordering.

After sewing and crafting with them for a few days I must say that these are incredible. If this is your first experience with ring splints you may only want to wear them for a short while at first as you get used to them. Though it is tempting to never take them off. These are an amazing alternative to the more expensive and harder to obtain silver ring splints. I would definitely recommend them to anyone with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Take care.