Iron Craft #8- Love your mother...earth

My "something else" for this challenge is an odd pillowcase that I was ready to put in the Goodwill bag. Then I remembered I had seen an idea earlier on Martha Stewart's website for a pillowcase shoulder bag and thought it would be perfect for this challenge.

I started with pillowcase and cut off 1/2 inch on the closed end.

Cut on diagonal and hem all four edges.


Insert one of the halves inside the other and sew where they overlap.

Turn inside out and stitch and trim across bottom.


Tie ends and you have a bag!

Iron Craft #6- Peeps

I Love Peeps! Easter and Peeps go together!



I know they have Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine Peeps, but they are not the same as Easter Peeps! I have been real good this year and passed up all the displays--have actually picked up a box and put it back! HOWEVER, Mom and Thing 2 always remember my love for Peeps, and I seem to get some every year. I love them dried out, so the first thing I do is break open the pack and let them air dry. YUM!

For the challenge this year, I made bag tops for the grandchildren's Peeps which will go in their Easter boxes.



And as I still have clay from one of last year's projects, I took an idea from Thing 1 and sculpted necklaces for the twins. Found the chains when looking for the dollar store challenge--think they turned out cute--hope they like them.



We are looking forward to a visit from Thing 1 next week--first time he has come alone--a teen-ager now! We have lots planned--Busch Gardens, the Dali Museum, an air boat ride, and a visit to Winter, the dolphin with the prosthetic tail, from the movie The Dolphin Tale. Winter is at the Clearwater Marina.

Hope Grandma and Grandpa can stand the pace! Happy Easter to all!

Iron Craft #5- Hey buddy, Can You Spare a Dollar?

Grandma B has discovered Subway Art--I love it!



Now how can I use it for my dollar store challenge? First of all, I wanted to use the art monthly in some way. The best idea I could come up with was to get a frame and change the art each month--sort of a permanent display. So off to the Dollar General where I found a picture frame. The result is shown here for St.Patrick's Day.

 

Now, speaking of St. Patrick's Day--I entertain friends every year for a corned beef and cabbage dinner and try to have a little favor to add to my table decor. How can the dollar store and subway art come together again? At Michael's I searched the dollar bins, and found photo clips and also some rubber bracelets. The clips were a real bargain--66 cents each! The following pictures show how I used them.

  

 


 So from a German-Swede Grandma--Erin Go Braugh!!

Iron Craft # 3- Warm Up

This week the theme for Iron Craft was Warm Up.  I decided to make something for the new dog in the family--Djoser--Thing 1 and Thing 2's dog.



I searched the web for an idea and came upon the domestikgoddess.com who had directions for dog boots which I had been thinking about as a project. I had the supplies on hand--polar fleece, some non-slip material (I used the rubber like material you put under throw rugs to keep them from slipping), velcro and elastic.



 They were easy to sew and turned out, I think, quite well.

Now for the test! I mailed them to my daughter Jenny, from A Mom and 2 Things and the rest is up to her and Djoser. Do they fit? Will he wear them? I will let her finish this blog as to what happened!

Well, I guess it is my (Jenny's) turn to tell what happened...the first time I tried putting them on Djoser was not a good experience. No photos to show because as fast as I could put one on, he would take it off. He is a puppy after all. Tonight I decided a 3 prong approach- hubby with the camera, me with the booties and Thing 1 with a rawhide. We were able to get them on him and he even walked around (pranced as our old dog use to do with hers). He actually left them on for awhile.

I am not sure what he would do if I were to have left them on- they might have been chewed up. I think eventually he would get use to them. I only wish we had some real snow to try them outside. Djoser does thank grandma for the great gift though.

And for those wondering his full name is King Djoser of Saqqara -he is named after King Djoser (pronounced Zoser) from the 3rd Dynasty Egypt who is buried in the Step Pyramid.  With all of my husband's travels in the Middle East we could not name him something like Bud now could we?

Iron Craft #2- Hearts and Flowers

As usual--a little old and something new!

For the old-and still in use today--


A front door welcome, stuffed Valentine angel, a Valentine pin and stuff from Sophie and Lucas.

Now for the NEW--while putting out my "old" decorations, I decided I would like a mat to put under some candles on a chest in my dining room. A perfect project for Challenge 2! So off to check my "stash" where I had a lot of Valentine fabric from past years. I also had a quilt heart square pattern among my "stuff". I used the square pattern

and then multiplied it by 4

and I had my mat.

 I quilted it with different size hearts.

Unfortunately, I used white thread and it doesn't show up to well, so I have drawn out the pattern I made up.



 All in all, I am pleased with my project!

Iron Craft 2012 #1- Paper

Happy New Year 2012

2012 brings us another year of crafting. Hopefully, with the new format-every other week-I will be able to keep up! Last year, I think I ran out of ideas about Halloween! Paper is our first challenge.

I was trying to think of an idea while cutting out letters for a bulletin board. When--duh--I was doing a paper craft! I volunteer at church and the job of the bulletin board fell to me. I guess as an ex-elementary school teacher, they felt it was right up my alley.I have enjoyed the challenge!

 This is the board I did for the Christmas season.


This is the latest one I put up this week.


However, for the first challenge I wanted to do something else. I decided to do these simple little note pads using sticky notes. Measure and cut out of heavy stock paper, a cover. Be sure to allow for the fold-over top. Using good glue, attach the paper to the back and top of the sticky pad.



Decorate the front anyway you wish.



These will make great little gifts. I intend to tuck them into birthday cards for friends. The "Mom" of a Mom and 2 Things has already requested several for herself.

Iron Craft #41 BOO!

I am not at home this week--off to enjoy the company of my brother and sister in Tennessee and Kentucky. Knowing I wouldn't be here to do the next challenge, I tried to come up with an easy Halloween idea. I decided to show several crafts I have done in the past.

And then for your enjoyment, I am sharing a delicious pumpkin recipe in keeping with the season. 

Crock-pot Pumpkin Bread Pudding 


16 slices of day old French bread, cubed This should fill your crock-pot
2 cups milk
4 eggs
Beat together the milk and eggs

 Stir in the following ingredients.

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 can pumpkin pie filling--not just plain pumpkin
1/4tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Can also add 1/4 cup raisins iif desired
Mix thoroughly so no streaks show

Pour over bread and stir. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
Reduce heat to low, cook 3 to 4 hours or until temperature is 160 degrees. Turn off heat and keep warm until served.

Serve with vanilla sauce.

 Vanilla Sauce

2 Tbls. butter, melted
2 Tbls. flour
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

 Make sauce just before pudding is done. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add water, sugar and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour sauce over hot bread pudding.

 Yummy!