Go Vote!

Vote now for your favorite item made during January's Christy's Craft Challenge.

I'd love for you to vote for my project - but just go and vote - there are some cool projects that came from this month's challenge...

Go here to vote - what are you waiting for....

Christy's Craft Challenge - January

I can't believe January is already almost over.

It was almost 3 weeks ago when I got my envelope full of supplies from Christy for the Christy's Craft Challenge.

Oh the excitement of getting an envelope full of craft items to make something with and then to also have the possibility to win a prize or the next months craft challenge - sign me up!

The contents of the envelope included the following:
one sheet green paper
10"x 12" piece of fabric with the states and capitols
5 small brads
3 rubber bands
8 - 6" lengths of black embroidery floss

The instructions were:

1. Use as little or as much of each supply provided.
2. Make one craft project using all of the items; clever packaging may be included as part of the project.
3. Send Christy a picture or load it up to her flickr group.
4. Use any additional supplies as needed or desired.
5. 2 winners each month: 1) most comments on craft picture in flickr group, 2) blog about the experience

The first week I thought about what I could (and more importantly wanted) to make. Then my son got sick (croup) and I stayed home a couple days with him, but no inspiration as to the craft to make. Then we were gone visiting family for a weekend. Then my daughter got really sick (pneumonia) and I spent a week home with her (thankfully I have lots of sick days). Finally on the 3rd day of being home, I had an idea.

I decided to make a scrapbooking keepsake for both my kids on where they were born. The piece of fabric I had in my package had both the states of where the kids were born - perfect!

Instructions:

1. Trace child's hand on scrap paper. Bribe with candy and movies (if they are real young and won't stay still and try to grab the pen). Try taking pictures of child getting hand traced - not easy...
2. Cut out hand and trace on fabric over the birth state. (note my lack of pictures for the remaining steps do to a shall-remain-nameless-16 month old that wouldn't leave the camera alone and kept dropping it - thankfully it still works, but I stopped trying to take step by step pictures).
   
3. Cut out fabric hand.
4. Use fray check on edges of fabric to prevent unraveling of threads. Let dry.
5. Glue fabric hand to the green cardstock paper. Cut out leaving ~1/4" border.
6. Handstitch around fabric hand with 2 strands of black floss.
7. Place brad through fabric, cardstock, and rubber band about where city is located.
8. Cut rubber band just below bottome of brad (using rubber band as string to hang the hand by).
   
9. Using a complimentary cardstock color, document child's name, birthdate, and place of birth.
10. Attach with another brad above hand.
11. I then attached the hand to a photo of my child. Long term I plan to scrapbook this in the baby book, otherwise it could go in a shadow box or another picture frame along side a photo.

I made a "hand" for both kids; each "hand" was made the same the way, with the same materials.




I really liked how this turned out. I had fun participating and more importantly I made something that is a keepsake.

So what are you waiting for, the signup for Febraury's craft challenge is already happening. Don't miss out on some crafty challenge fun and friendly competition!