Fort Kit

SO..... last night, I was going through Neve's back pack and found an invitation for a birthday party. For TODAY!! For a BOY!!! NOw what's a mama to make for that in a flash?

Ta-da-da-da!

It just so happened that I picked up a few sheets and a back pack on Friday with this very thing in mind. To have on hand, you know, in case I got a last minute party gift to make.

The tutorial comes from  Meg and Andy. It's an awesome gift.

 I made a little notebook. Stamped some canvas and sewed it on the front. I also drilled a hole at the top of a twig pencil I had in my stash and sewed it in the middle seam of the book.

 I sewed my tag on the sheet. :} Then, instead of sewing ties to the corners, I sewed elastic. I thought I was being really clever to sew the elastic on. I thought you could slip a chair or table leg through it.

Then I thought some more and realized that a 6 year old probably can't lift a table. I now think that ties would be better. Next time.

 Next time, I will also make some wrist bands and make a felt or fleece mask.  This flashlight is LED and really good, sturdy.

 I think it's important to have good clips. These seem to be. I got them all for $3.00. The rope was also a bit of a splurge.

 Here is the whole kit. I went out and got another bag today. More like a Diego bag than a nap sack. You know, to have ready for the next ambush party invite! 

 In other Pedro news, We got a new wood stove. I'm sitting in front of it as I type. It's in the dining room. I've lost seating for 14, but I figure, if there are that many people, we can have a kid's table in the kitchen. It is so toasty. Just waiting for our wood delivery this week.

 And in the back yard, at the end of the driveway, Henry is building a shed. Now we can put the bikes, shovels, and other such things in there to clear out the workshop a bit more.

Have a good one!

Amanda

gnome friends

I did a little updating on my gnome friends. Here's what they used to look like.

 I'm now using boiled wool suiting for the leaves and stitching with my machine. I'm using a straight stitch, but on a stretch stitch setting. It makes 3 stitches instead of one and makes it stand out more.

 Instead of making the hat from felt, I'm making it from leftover sweater bits. 

 I love the ribbing and how it tips at the top.

 Oh look, they have a new home. I actually bought the toadstool last year at the farmer's market here. It lived in Toronto with us a for a while, now it's back home. 

 The gnomes can sleep in the bags, use it as a rug and it can be worn around the neck.

 Good night little gnomes!

Have a good one,

Amanda

heat pack

With the cooler weather this past weekend, I made a few heat sacks with rice inside. The kids claimed them. Instead of making another with rice, I did a little looking on the net to see what else you could put in them. Then I went to the garden centre to see what I could find. We don't have a bulk barn here.

I have Flax seed, winter rye/wheat, seed oats, yellow split peas, white rice, large oat flakes and some barley malt that DH uses to make his beer.

 I made 3.5 x 4 inch cotton bags and put 1/4 cup of each in the packs.

 I put them all in the microwave for about 1 minute, 30 seconds. The large magic bags, I put in for a t least 2 minutes.

Here's my finding:

Split yellow peas were very hot to touch. Too hot. And smelled like pea soup. Not something I would want wrapped around my neck. :}

Barley malt: did not get any heat at all. DH says that the husk is too fragile to reheat all the time.

Seed oats got a nice heat.

Flax seed: I read that it takes a little longer to heat, but holds the heat longer than rice. So I put it on by itself for an extra 20 seconds. It did have a nice heat. It felt so smooth and soft also. DH liked that one the best.

Winter rye/wheat.. I don't remember.

Large oat flakes: didn't take much heat and would probably turn into flour like substance after much use.

Rice: held heat the longest. I did this whole experiment because I wanted something to hold the heat longer and of all the things I tried it was rice. 

I did like the flax also. 

I think I will try it again with only rice and flax and use a larger amount of flax to see if it holds heat longer.

This is the one I made for Rafael.

 And the orange one is for Neve. I used this awesome tutorial from Wise Craft and put some lavender in the orange one. it smells divine.

So tell me, do you have any experience or advice on heat packs and what to put inside of them?

 I snapped a pic of this symbolic leaf ...

 on the way to getting this picture. Neve has been reading up a storm. She brings her books into bed to read to me first thing in the morning. She is so excited to be reading chapter books. Presently, she is reading all about Poppelton and Mr Putter and Tabby by Cynthia Rylant. I'm happy about it too.

We have to go back to the library to find more from this author.

Off to stir my apple sauce from apples in the garden.

Have a good one,

Amanda

eh?

We spent the weekend with my parents. My sister and family and my cousin and 2nd cousin all joined for a turkey dinner. And they stayed around until much later, as there was no work to worry about the next day. Unfortunately, I put my head down with Neve for the night and didn't make it back out to join in the fun. :} Wuss.

So here's a little "what is it?" game.

 The bird feeder was empty for a few days.

 Some of the seed decided to grow.

 We headed home early yesterday so that we could attend another turkey dinner. I know, rough eh? I didn't cook either of them!

I was responsible for the kid's dessert. I failed.  

Going through my list of ingredients in the car, I decided to make some cake pops with my baby cakes maker.

As you can see, they fell flat. More like a space ship, flying saucer.

 Rather than make another 2 dozen of flat cake pops, I decided to make a mother cake pop. I divided the remaining mix into two bowls and baked them. I whipped up some cream to put in the middle and drizzled the top with home made icing ( not all the icing sugar went in, thus it was runnier. Just as I wanted it to be. Recipe is European Chocolate icing from the joy of cooking)

 With a text to remind me that dinner would be served shortly, I threw some raspberries on top and went out the door with a reply text of... I'm bringing a dessert fail.

It received a clap as it came in the door. No one cared. We dubbed it the saucers coming home to the mother ship. :} All it takes is a little imagination.

Have a good one,

Amanda

Where's the bee?

Joining  Soule Mama

  

{this moment} 

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Where's the bee? He's not in focus, that's for sure. :}

 Now he's really hiding.

Hey, do you read me regularly? Interested in what I say? Why not become a member? Down there.. on the right hand of my page. See it? It's easy to do! it's looking kinda lonely down there. Join me. 

My table will be at the market tomorrow.. Thanks Dorothy and Katie.

I'm off to make some twisty bread, but of the savoury kind. I think a new post on the savoury kind is in order... Shortly.

Have a good one,

Amanda

Wanna hang out?

Isn't this a friendly bunch!

 My husband had the saw out to make a custom toy shelf for the children's bedroom. I seized my opportunity to get a finger puppet stand made.

 The base and doweling came from the dollar store in town. It's a kind of plaque, I think? 

 He cut the doweling. Front ones are 3 inches and the back ones are 4 inches. I drill straight through the bottom to get more stability with the peg in a hole.

A bit of wood glue and one finger puppet stand made!

Have a good one!

Amanda

Pins

What a lovely morning. Isn't it great for your disposition when the sun shines after 3 days of rain!?

I worked on these last week and will make more. Pins. 

 Sweater pins.

 Pins made from sweater bits.

 And some crayon wallets with the most perfect fabric. I was also excited when I found the rainbow strapping in my stash. Yeah, I love me a good stash.

 I made up some finger puppets. While waiting for DH to make me a puppet stand, I used this wooden box. I tacked some twill on the top of the lid and the inside of the bottom to keep it from opening up all the way. Can you see it on the left?

 This is what it may have looked like at the market on Saturday. I didn't go. I wussed out. It was pouring out of the heavens. (soggy toys?) I was tired. My mommy was here.  So we stayed home and bought stuff at the market when the rain slowed down.  I really love the atmosphere at the market.

 This poor cardinal visited often during the rain. Guess he was hungry. I've seen 2 females and a male together. Think there's another male?

 This morning, we were greeted by the deer family again. They've walked by the back deck a few times now to get to the apple tree out front.

 I actually witnessed them eating the rose blossoms off of this trellis. Now I know why the thing wasn't bloomin'!

 Quick stop for breakfast.

 And this butterfly decided to stop for a munch too. Look on the hummingbird feeder.

That's it for me. Off to sew some puppets.

Have a good one,

Amanda