New Bird Painting

Meet my newest little bird painting....

This one is a Lilac-Breasted Roller, just in case you were wondering.  I've learned to recognize a few more birds since I started painting them.  Art can be educational after all!

And here's a few shots of the painting in progress....

See it in my Etsy shop too!

P.S.  I'm having a Christmas Sale soon ,so stop by my shop between from December 2-7 and enjoy 20% off everything! 

Crochet Washcloths

I think crochet dishcloths are my favorite kind.   They're pretty and durable.  I've been working on a few that may possibly end up as gifts... that is, if I can get myself to part with them! 

You can find the free pattern for these HERE at Petals to Picots.

Each one of these took me about an hour to make... ya, I know you're calculating as you read this. I spent A LOT of time on these babies.  I crochet in the evenings after my son goes to bed while my husband watches documentaries.  That way I can listen in, learn a few things, and get things made at the same time.  It works :)

Photos of the Week

Happy Thanksgiving Week! 

Even with the colder weather, we still get out when we can.  I always have a hard adjustment to winter and being indoors all the time.  So last week we endured all of 20 minutes outside at a park in 35 degree weather.  It's not much, but it kept me from going crazy.

Clothespin Wreath

Last week I spent a really fun few hours with friends from my church making one of these little beauties:

This is the funnest and brightest wreath I have ever made and.........I love it!  It's made with an 18 inch wire wreath frame and 72 painted clothespins.  The clothespins didn't even have to be glued to the frame, you just clip them on.  Cool!  It took me hours to paint all those clothespins, but it was worth it.

It's supposed to be a Thankful Wreath for Thanksgiving. You can clip pictures of things you are grateful onto the clothespins in the center of the wreath, but I kinda like it how it is... just colorful clothespins on my wall. It livens up my dining room for sure!

Watercolor and Washi Tape Thank You Note Cards

Sometimes I'm a little behind the craft trends.  Like this time.  I finally got my first Washi Tape just a few weeks ago.   I've always wanted some, but wasn't quite sure what I would use it for.  I've come across quite a few washi-tape-embellished items..... phones, jars, and yes...even shoes...ha!

I played it safe and used the pretty tape on mini- thank-you-note-cards to send to my lovely Etsy customers. I'm lovin' the watercolor/washi tape combination.  What do you think?

What's the strangest thing you've seen washi tape used on?  I'd love to know!

Photo of the Week

Only one photo this week, but I really like this one.  The birds have been out more this week or maybe it's just easier to spot them now that the leaves have all fallen off of the trees.

Last week was not an easy one, but I'm trying to stay positive and focus on the good stuff.  So here are a few of the good moments from my week:

1) Celebrating my little boy's 5th birthday, taking him to the park on a warm day and having an overall good day.

2) Spending time with the fun ladies in my ward on Saturday crafting, eating good food, and having fun conversations.

3) Snuggling up with my family on the couch watching the old 70's version of Escape to Witch Mountain and my son cracking up so hard at the part where the kids make a bag of flour fly out the window of the car!

Good things happen all the time.  I just have to remember them more often.

Free Crochet Pattern: Black Angry Birds Hat

So........ my son doesn't wear hats.  Except, of course, when it's an Angry Bird's Hat.  I knew that making a Black Bomb Angry Birds Crochet Hat for him was the only way I would keep his head covered this winter, so I spent an entire evening designing one. 

Keep in mind that this pattern is still in it's testing phase- I've only made one so far.  So please let me know how it goes for you if you try it out.  I'd appreciate the feedback :)

Black Bomb Angry Birds Hat Pattern:

Materials: 

Worsted Weight Yarn: Black, White, Light Orange, Dark Orange

Size H (8/5.00MM) hook

Yarn Needle

Abbreviations:

Ch= chain

Dc= double crochet

St= stitch

Sl st= slip stitch

Sc= single crochet

Hdc= half double crochet

Gauge: 4 rows and 8 dc= approx. 2 square inches

Notes:

Beginning Ch 2 of each round does not count as a dc.

Always begin each round in same stitch as ch 2

End each round in st before/next to beginning ch 2.

Join each round with sl st in top of dc, not ch 2.

Toddler Sized Cap:

Black Yarn:

Round 1: Ch 3, 12 dc in 3^rd ch from hook, sl st in 1^st dc (not ch). [12 dc]

Round 2: ch 2, 2 dc in each st around, join. [24 dc]

Round 3:  ch 2, *2 dc in 1^st st, dc in next. Repeat from * around, join.  [36 dc]

Round 4: ch 2, *2 dc in 1^st st, dc in next 2 sts.  Repeat from * around, join. [48 dc]

Round 5-10: Ch 2, dc in each st around, join. [48 dc]

Grey Yarn:

Rounds 11:  Switch to grey colored yarn, ch 2, dc in each st around, join. [48 dc]

Round 12 & 13: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. [48 sc]

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Child Sized Cap:

Black Yarn:

Round 1: Ch 3, 12 dc in 3^rd ch from hook, sl st in 1^st dc (not ch). [12 dc]

Round 2: ch 2, 2 dc in each st around, join. [24 dc]

Round 3:  ch 2, *2 dc in 1^st st, dc in next. Repeat from * around, join.  [36 dc]

Round 4: ch 2, *2 dc in 1^st st, dc in next 2 sts.  Repeat from * around, join. [48 dc]

Round 5:  ch 2, *2 dc in 1^st st, dc in next 11 sts.  Repeat from * around, join. [52 dc]

Rounds 6-11: Ch 2, dc in each st around, join. [52 dc]

Grey Yarn:

Rounds 12 &13:  Switch to grey colored yarn, ch 2, dc in each st around, join. [52 dc]

Rounds 14&15: Ch 1, sc in each st around, join. [52 sc]

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Eyes: 

Round 1:  With black yarn- ch 3, 9 hdc in 3^rd ch from hook.  Attach white yarn and join.[9 hdc]

Round 2:  With white yarn- ch 2, 2 hdc in each st around.  Attach grey yarn and join. [18 hdc]

Round 3: With grey yarn- ch 1,  *2 sc in 1^st st, sc in next. Repeat from * around, join. [26 sc]

Fasten off.  Leave long end tail for sewing the eye onto the hat. Weave in ends.

Eye Brows:

With dark orange yarn:  ch 11, sc in 2^nd ch from hook, sc in each st across.  Fasten Off.  Leave long end tail for attaching to cap.

Beak: 

Round 1: With light orange yarn: ch 3, 9 hdc in 3^rd ch from hook, join.

Round 2: Ch 2, *4 hdc in 1^st st, sc in next 2 sts.  Repeat from *around, join.

Top Feather:

With Black Yarn: ch 10

Row 1: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, sc in each st across, turn.

Row 2 & 3: ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.

Attach light orange yarn.

Row 4 &5: Ch 1, sc in each st across, turn.

Fasten off, fold in half- long ways.  Stitch top and open side closed.

Photos of the Week

Good morning and Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you've had some good weather like we had yesterday......

Global warming?  Very likely, but I'll take what I can get!  After our first snowstorm last week I'm already wishing I was on the other side of winter... the side where you are coming out of it rather than going into it.  Oh boy...... it's going to be a long winter!

Watercolor and Ink Flower Bookmarks

It's time for more watercolor bookmarks.......

This time I doodled with an ink pen along with the watercolors... such a fun combination! I love how the ink bled into the still wet paint in certain spots.

I really love making these.  They're so quick and it's a good way to use up all the watercolor paper scraps I accumulate.  I'm not one for throwing perfectly good paper away just because it's cut into small strips.

Fall Art Tutorial: Crayon and Watercolor Leaves

Watercolors and crayons are so fun to play with!  I'm always fascinated with the effect of the crayons resisting the paint.  It's awesome!  

Here's a Fall Art Project using this fun resist method that you can do with your kids:

(Too bad I can't take the credit for coming up with this cool idea.  The original idea comes from Elementary Art Fun.)

Materials:

White Card Stock or Watercolor Paper

Crayons

Watercolor Paints

Brushes

Step 1:  Draw leaf outlines on your paper with crayon.  You can look at a leaf or trace one to help you out. Then draw the veins inside each leaf.

Step 2:  With watercolors and a brush, paint the leaves with pretty fall looking colors.  Try to stay inside the lines for this one, but you don't have to worry about being perfect here.

Step 3:  Let the paint dry and you are done!

Photos of the Week

Some shots from a walk around my neighborhood....

Walks like this always help me clear my head.  They help me find some peace.  This week I got some sad news and I knew a walk was what I needed.  I won't go into details here, but I'll just say that it might be harder for me to have more children than I thought it would be.  I don't have an actual for sure diagnosis yet, so I'll keep on praying and hoping that it will work out somehow.

In the meantime, thanks for reading friends.... I'm so thankful for this little tiny corner of the internet where I know I always have friends :)  You guys are awesome!

Free Crochet Pattern: Two Layer Flower

Two Layer Flower

Flower

Use an H Hook

Ch 5, sl st to 1^st ch to form ring.

1^st Layer

Rnd 1:  Ch 7 (counts as dc, ch-4 sp), [ 2dc in ring, ch 4] 5 times, dc in ring, sl st in 3^rd ch of beg. Ch 7, do not turn -12dc.

Rnd 2:  [Sl st, sc, hdc, 4dc, hdc, sc, sl st] in each ch-sp around- 30dc.

2^nd Layer

Rnd 1:  ch 1, [sc around 1^st dc post from round 1, ch 3], repeat around 1st dc of remaining dc sets around, sl st in 1^st sc.   – 6 ch 3 spaces

Rnd 2: [sc, hdc, 3dc, hdc, sc] in each space. Sl st in 1^st sc. -18dc

Fasten off.  Weave in ends.