Thursday 25 April 2013

May is for Mothers (with Potholders)

 

Aren’t moms the greatest?

I was flipping through some old pictures and came across this gem -- my mom and I decked out in matching Halloween face paint to go trick or treating one year. Pretty great, huh? That’s my mom! She is happy and brave, and lives life with so much enthusiasm that you kind of can't help but love her. I know I sure do!

Even though Mother’s Day is still a couple of weeks away, I couldn’t wait to get started on her gift. Last year, I made Capsters photo jewelry and a Stamp Art card, but this time I wanted to try something a little different. I gathered up some girls for a Mother’s Day craft session and we made some pretty Potholders. We made ones for moms who like bright neons and pretty pastels, a yummy salsa coloured creation for a foodie mom, and we even made a potholder eyepatch (for the pirate mom?) with our leftover scraps.



But that’s not all this boxy kit makes… We whipped up a purse, a picture frame, and even a Loopy Chicken. When proud mama Christie spotted that crazy knitted chicken, she just had to make one for her special baby, Maeby.

When Mother’s Day rolls around, I’m going to wrap my potholders up like a little bouquet. They’ll live one life as colourful cotton blooms, then maybe another as a pretty art piece or a sturdy kitchen rag, or they could, of course, hold pots. Whatever she chooses to do with them, I hope my mom thinks of me every time she spots her Potholders.

Happy (early) Mother’s Day to my momma and all the rest.

Friday 12 April 2013

Straight On to Summer (with Scoubidou)

This week we got our first glimpses of the warm weather we’ve been waiting for. Sure, it was short lived, but I soaked that little bit of sun right into my soul and now I'm filled with summer dreams of swimming in lakes, bunking at summer camp, and roasting marshmallows over a campfire. I'm choosing to ignore the warnings of hail(!) ahead and am hunkering down with some Klutz that was made for summer fun.

Whether you know it as gimp, lacing or boondoggle, Klutz give new life to this summer-camp fave with its original name, Scoubidou. (Fun fact: it was a fad in France in the 1950s!) Sure, there are instructions for the classic bracelets we all know and love, but it doesn’t stop there... Pretty ponytail holders, cool Celtic knots, flip flops, and more all get the scoubidou- treatment too! And with enough cord to make all 12 projects, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy till those sunny summer days actually arrive!