April Fool's Eve

I've always loved the month of April. It's my birthday month, it's the beginning of Spring, there's Easter to celebrate...and let's not forget, April Fools Day! My parents and siblings alike were full of pranks when I was growing up, a tradition I like to share with my kids. I mentioned this over on Twitter which resulted in a request for my favorite good-natured gags!

My boys are 8 and 10 years old and I have been reusing most of these ideas for a few years. Some of these pranks they've come to expect (and are bummed if I forget to do them!) but I always throw in a few new ones to keep them on their toes. You'll have to gauge the appropriateness of these for your victims, I mean, family members. I like to start right away in the morning when they're least expecting it and before they "get" me!

Undrinkable OJ:
Pour the morning's breakfast beverage the night before and put them carefully in the freezer. In the morning, top them off with just a tiny bit of unfrozen juice (or whatever you froze) to camouflage the top of the drink. Watch them try to drink it!

Alien Cereal:
Put a few drops of food coloring into the bottom of a cereal bowl. Pour dry cereal on top to disguise the drops. Serve, then watch the milk turn colored when the milk is poured on the cereal!

Big Foot:
Stuff wadded up newspaper into the toes of their shoes. When they can't fit their feet into them, casually comment on how much they've grown lately!

Customize:
Think about your child's (or family member's) day and their routines. It's fun to put a spin on something that you know they'll do without fail. For example, my oldest son complains at least once a week that he is out of clean pants or underwear. (I'm a little lax with the laundry) Last March 31st, after he was asleep, I sneaked into his room and removed ALL of his clothes out of his dresser drawers. On April Fool's morning when he tried to get dressed he yelled, "Mom! I don't have any underwear!...or pants!...or shirts?!...MOM!"

Lastly, I like to save one more prank for bedtime...just when they think the day is over and they are safe. Bwah ha ha! This one takes a little more planning but is still quite easy. It's a bit like short sheeting the bed...

Pajama jam:
Sew the hem of their pajama pants shut by setting your machine on the largest stitch. (Use a thread color that will be easy to see for ripping out later) Watch when they try to put them on and can't get their feet through the openings. My guys jumped up and down like they were in a sack race! They rolled on the floor laughing at themselves and each other.

Please keep in mind that each kid is different. I try to keep my silly tricks as good natured as possible. I think my boys get a kick out of it because they expect something to happen. Also, neither feels singled out because each gag is usually happening to both of them. Even better? Enlist them in setting up a gag for your spouse. Kids love to be part of a secret plan! (try the "big foot" trick on Dad!)

Have fun and let the hijinks ensue!

What do you do for April Fool's?

betz bitz: new studio stash shop!

As a result of all of my Spring Cleaning, I've decided to do a little stash-busting! I've opened a new surplus supply shop on etsy called "betz bitz"! Here you'll find all sorts of trims, fabrics, and other crafty leftovers from my years of sewing and making.

I've only just begun. For starters I've listed a few trimmings. Each week I hope to add to the collection of miscellany for your stash building pleasure. From my stash to yours!

I'll be adding a button/link to betz bitz in my side-bar (Blogger is being wonky today and I just can't seem to make it stick!) and also updating you on new listings here on the blog.

goodies (albeit oldies)

With just over a week until Easter, I thought I would revive a few ideas from the past. Hopefully this will remind regular readers and inform new friends of some of my sweet felty projects to make for the holiday!

Girls Spring Mini Tote Tutorial
Needle Felted Eggs
Cashmere Bunny Tutorial
Mini Easter Basket Tutorial
Nest Brooch PDF Pattern
Zippered Bird Pouch PDF Pattern

Have fun with them! Be sure to eat lots of chocolate eggs while you're at it to set the proper mood. :)

visualizing Vera

At the suggestion of a friend, I took down the heavy curtains I had hanging from my studio window.

And then there was light!

Wonderful airiness and space opened up. (I was reminded of a conversation with my husband early in our marriage about curtains. Something about the illogical nature of covering a window with curtains.) I'm not one to do much home decorating, but occasionally I get a wild hair to add a little something here and there. Especially when it comes to boring mini-blinded windows...

Pillowcase valance anyone? When I cleaned out my fabric closet this weekend, I rediscovered my pillow case stash. You know I love to repurpose pillow cases. And without any curtains the naked mini-blind window was just begging for a little sumthin sumthin. I started draping my favorite vintage pillow cases over the bare curtain rod, just to see. These two pillow cases are vintage Vera. Textile designer Vera Neumann had the most wonderfully prolific career and I am so drawn to her work. I even found a fabulous Flickr group dedicated to her prints!

For now... the pillow cases are just clothes pinned in place while I visualize my Vera valance. Hmm, feels like a breath of fresh air.

spring momentum

The word spring is full of implied movement and momentum. Things are happening. The flowers are blooming, the birds are busy, the world is waking up from winter. I spent the better part of the weekend spring cleaning my studio space. It felt so great to open the windows and let in the fresh spring air. Outside our daffodils have popped, the trees are budding and the park behind us was full of kids playing.

More happenings to share: You may have noticed the button for The Creative Connection to the right in my sidebar. I'll be teaching at this exciting event this September in Minneapolis! This week I am the featured artist on The Creative Connection Blog. Skip on over there for a chance to win a signed copy of my book, Sewing Green! There are several ways to enter this give-away, so be sure to visit The Creative Connection Blog for all the details.

Happy Springtime to you!

Local Workshop Announced!

My little friends and I would like to invite you "locals" to join me Mother's Day weekend! I am doing a workshop in Alexandria, Virginia with Fibre Space! Join me Saturday, May 8th to learn how to make your very own Felted Birdhouse.

These sweet abodes are a brand new project from me (do you remember my subtle preview?) never shared before! And that's not the only thing special about this workshop. Danielle, the proprietress of Fibre Space, has arranged the most lovely day for us! The workshop will be held at the historic Columbia Firehouse restaurant, providing an amazing brunch spread served with mimosas, bloody marys, coffee and tea! Woo! Wish I could take the workshop, but I have to work that day. ;)

Ok, focusing back on the project again, ahem. In the class I'll teach you how to create your own little birdhouse to embellish as you desire. I'll be bringing my enviable stash of felted sweater scraps and other doodads to share with you. Please see the Fibre Space website for all of the details. Space will be limited, so please sign up soon!

Come celebrate Spring with me! Mothers, daughters, aunts and friends, all skill levels welcome. It'll be a delicious day of creating, visiting and sharing with each other.

Upcycled Water Bottle Sling

Head on over to the online magazine Petite Purls to check out their new Spring 2010 green issue! You'll find my Upcycled Water Bottle Sling project along with some fresh knitting and sewing projects, book reviews, an interview with Amanda Soule of Soulemama and more. You'll see lots of familiar names and faces in this issue. Brandy and Allegra, the heart and soul of Petite Purls, have outdone themselves.

My project, the Upcycled Water Bottle Sling, is easily made from an outgrown pair of cargo pants. I can't seem to part with these pants even after they have been long since outsized by growing legs! Besides, those pockets are too wonderful not to reuse.

Next nature hike this guy can tote his own water and have an extra pocket to stash tiny treasures. In fact, I found a special cherished pebble (from who-knows-when!) deep inside the pocket when I was making this project! For all of the How-To's, pop on over to Petite Purls!

more color

I'm playing with cashmere today. I dumped out my cashmere scrap bin that I've been contributing to for the last few years. After making scarves and bunnies and hats and throws, the delicious leftovers all get thrown in one big pot of cashmere stew. And I love all of the color.

What kinds of C O L O R are you drawn to? Warm pinky orangey colors? I love coral-pink.

Do you gravitate towards lush greens and cool blues? I love pretty much anything green...

When you were a kid did you line up all of your markers in a rainbow? I sure did. I also colored the toes of my black and white saddle shoes RED when I was 3 years old. They just needed a little pop.

Besides being immersed in heaps of scraps, I'm in the midst of projects galore. Lots of prototyping and planning. Hope to share some of it with you soon!

pussy willow rainbow

I've always loved pussy willow branches and think of them as a hopeful sign that spring is on its way. With the big snow piles finally melting, I went out to gather some sticks with the idea to make my own pussy willows. Colorful ones.

I gathered a dozen or so small branches, a bit thicker than a pencil and about 3 feet long. I trimmed away the little off-shoot branches, leaving just a nub. This is the perfect place to add felt balls as the pussy willow buds.

Using a glue gun, I glued 1cm felt balls every 4" or so along the branch on the little nubbins. I put just a dab of glue on the ball, then pressed it tight against the branch for a few seconds until it was secure. I buy felt balls from Ornamentea and also Woolly Fabulous. This was such a fun project and it couldn't have been easier!

I love how they brighten up a corner, just like fresh spring buds. Nice decor for Easter, too, don't you think?

Oh, Springtime, are you coming? This weekend was full of sunshine and promise. I'm hopeful.

*** I hope this inspires you to make your own! If you blog your creation, please link back to this original post. Thank you and enjoy!***

*happy*

The colorful result of my thrift store visit:

a stack of wool sweaters, ready to felt
a bowlful of sorbet cashmere sweaters
and that bowl
a sunshine-y pyrex bowl with daisies on it!

now that's happy!

what's your style

It's funny how we like what we like. I was flipping through a catalog this morning and was contemplating buying some new sneakers, like the slip on Converse low-tops. When I reviewed the color offering I realized that I already had all of them, in one form or another. Hunh. I looked in my closet. I certainly see a style trend. Do you?

Sneaks and Mary Janes. Of course I have other shoes, but these are the ones I wear most often.

Sometimes as an artist or a designer, we struggle to define the style of our work. It can be hard to put your finger on it. But if we keep creating and making and being true to own aesthetics, our personal style emerges. It's probably always been there, waiting to be noticed. Which doesn't mean we can't push the envelope and step outside of our typical range. That can be the fun part, the exploration that hopefully leads to an "aha" moment. (Like, hey, I'll wear boots today.)

What defines your personal style? Does it show in your work?