valentine mobile

We have a big problem around here.  There are piles and piles of pictures created by little hands and too beautiful to discard (but many do make it to the trash after much internal struggle and finally self reprimand that I just - can't - keep - everything!)  Actually I keep everything in a pile and about 3 or 4 times a year I go through the pile keeping only those that I really love or know that they really loved.  It's easier to get rid of things when they've been sitting there for so long.

Using inspiration from this post by Alisa Burke, I thought why not use some of their paintings.  They had no problem cutting into them which I sort of was surprised at.  First we made a heart template and traced onto their paintings.  We could fold them in a way that we ended up getting 6 hearts, all cut at the same time, out of one painting.   We used embroidery floss to lay between the hearts and glued with a glue stick.

Next we grabbed the strip basket and picked out some appropriate strips to wrap around just the center of an embroidery hoop.  The fabric can be removed later when I need to use my hoop again.  The only glue I added was to secure the final end.

I used 4 lengths of yarn to tie around the hoop then brought them all together and knotted to create a way to hang it.

 

We ended up making 9 string sets of 4 - 5 hearts and tied to the hoop.  The photo below only shows 4 of the sets.  We were waiting for big sister to get home from school to make more. 

One more way to reuse and enjoy some precious paintings!

veggie painting

I struggle most days with finding things to do with both of my kids.  I struggle with patience.  I wish that playing with them came naturally, like it seems to do with my husband.  I find that now more than ever I want my house picked up and at least the floors somewhat clean.  It's a constant battle as anyone with kids knows.  I spent the morning and afternoon today at the Stitch Lounge struggling with a dress that someone commissioned me to do.  I was feeling just ok about it after 5 hours so far until I tried it on the mannequin and discovered there is a very small hole in the fabric, right on the boob!  Ughhhh....I could still cry...just knowing how much time I've already put into it and not really enjoying it.  Of course, it's not an easy fix at all.  I pretty much have to disassemble the whole thing.   I will work on it again Wednesday and see if I can't fix it somehow.  That coupled with the kids arguing all day about the dumbest things I decided we all needed a little something different when we got home.   So out came the veggies.

I saw this in a magazine awhile back and thought it looked fun.  They showed a celery bunch cut at the base and used as a flower but it was fun to see what else we could find in the fridge.  Funny those simple things we just don't ever seem to think of on our own. 

What a great way to make some wrapping paper!

 

I'm thinking fabric and fabric paints too.  How neat would this be incorporated in a bag!?

 

 I've got a pile of dishes, laundry to wash and fold, animals to feed, dinner to make, orders to sew, bills to pay....oh, and I'm the last to get this cold that's been going through our family.  

Our veggie painting did seem to get us all feeling a little better.  The girls are finally playing together - politely.  And my glass of wine is hitting the spot....