A New Project! A Busy BLOCK for babies

It's been awhile since I've made anything. We have been really busy trying to buy a house! We close in three weeks and just about every day has been spent taking care of details that involve buying a house. The bank wants your entire life history documented on paper, it seems like, title work, surveys, repairs are being arranged, and many many trips are being made to furniture stores to comparison shop. We are going to have to paint a lot, but that's some of that fun stuff you look at and think about when you are going to buy a house. Because we have been living in a motorhome for three years, we don't have any furniture, we sold everything when we left Indiana to go full timing. So we need to furnish a house! Little by little.....

So....after spending a wonderful six days in Houston, and seeing my little grandson, I saw how much he loves fiddling with little things. His finger dexterity is excellent for an eleven month old child, and he loves tags and small pieces that he can pick up and look at.  He loves playing peekaboo, looking at board books and turning pages.

If there's a piece of beige lint on a beige carpet, he will find it and examine it! I saw this "busy block" pattern at JoAnn Fabric store and thought this would make a perfect car toy when his mommy is busy driving. The name of the McCall's pattern is "Ellie Mae Designs K137 Crinkle, rattle and squeak toys". I had a little sticker shock when I bought the pattern--12.00! Geez, I remember when patterns were .75! Couldn't use any kind of coupon on the pattern to save money. Oh, well...The block sure looks like a great toy for a curious baby. And, there's a really cute bug toy as well, for a baby to play with. 

In the diagram section, you can see what all is on the block....In addition to lots of tags, there is a little froggie that goes in and out of a tuck in pocket, a crinkly flower that is stuffed with cellophane so it will make lots of noise, teething rings, all in a compact size that a baby can hold. I think he will like it!

I'd better get going on this one, as he turns one in about a week. I'd like to have it done in time for his birthday!

Bracelets, Bracelets, Bracelets

I'm on a bracelet kick....After making a BUNCH of breast cancer people pins, I decided to make a bracelet. Not everybody is a pin fan, myself included. It's a simple bracelet, four strands of single chain crochet wire strings, braided together when done. I'm not sure how to finesse the closure a little better. I twisted and wrapped the four stands of wire and simply passed them through a little magnetic closure, then tucked the wire ends back into the crocheted lacy part of the bracelet end. 

I would love for someone to show me a better way of finishing the wire ends, but haven't run into any jewelry makers lately to get some advice!

I finished my tila bead bracelet from my class last week...Here's how it looks...I really like the colors together. It's kinda plain, but looks prettier on a wrist. The next bracelet which I've started is going to be quite different.

The bracelet I'm working on now is with black leather cord, and three different colors of the Miyuki tila beads....Matte silver, cream, and shiny black tiles. The tila beads are expensive! :-(   I picked a "steampunk" style shank button as the shiny black and silver metallic tiles spoke to me in that way....Sort of an industrial look, you'd say....

One thing about making the leather wrapped bracelets...It's not as easy as it looks! There are quite a few different ways of starting the wrapping, of how to do the closures, and what thread to use for your wrapping. So far I am trying to learn to work with longer lengths of Fireline, without having to tie in new strands before finishing the bracelet. I've ordered some C-lon beading thread and am going to try that next.

I see another collection of craft materials starting in my future....little bobbins of C-lon...They are like fabric! So pretty and colorful!

Guess I'd better get busy and get some more things done.....