mommyhood crafting

MAKING || MODERN HOLIDAY DIY ROUNDUPS!

Fern Living Christmas Tree Blanket
 fernliving christmas tree blanket
CHRISTMAS IS MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR.

I love being able to feel like a little kid and let all that special excitement fill our home! I feed off the kids joy and I just go for it! The first few years my hubby and I had xmas together we didn't have a lot of money for decorations and I made 90% of our ornaments (thank you martha stewart). Well not all of them have survived the last 6 years or so but some have and I treasure them. So this year I vowed to make a few new ones for our tree and do some annual Christmas crafting & decor for our home.

Life has been crazy busy over here and I got knocked over by a nasty flu bug. I like quick and fulfilling unless it's truly worth it :) So instead of doing 3-4 roundups like I usually do each year this time I decided to put them in one AWESOME roundup of what are my 5 fave choices for the year to possibly make in our home. Not everything will get done, heck I might not even get one done (I'm not a machine...lol) but I love making a good roundup for me to go back to for inspiration and more in one easy place.

<<<---------------------DIY WREATHS--------------------->>>
DIY Wreath Roundup || Very Shannon
geometric wreath tutorial \\ marshmallow wreath \\ snowflake wreath \\ duct tape wreath \\ pom pom wreath
First let's start off with one of my favorites - the wreath! Who doesn't love a wreath right? 
Such a statement piece that can so easily reflect your whole Christmas style in one piece! I have tried a few different wreaths but fell head over heels for this one which remains up on our wall all year round. So this year I thought I may add to our arsenal of wreaths. It's about time I think. Above are my faves for this year.


<<<-------------------DIY SNOWFLAKES------------------->>>
DIY Snowflakes Roundup || Very Shannon
paper snowflakes \\ star wars snowflakes \\ printable snowflakes \\ coffee filter snowflakes \\ fuse bead snowflakes

Next the snowflakes. We have a big crush on snowflakes in our house.
Each year since the girls have been babies we make a boat load of snowflakes and adorn the apartment with them. So fun! This year we decided to look into doing some "fancy" snowflakes instead of our usual winging it ones (though those are equally as fun). Above are some of my faves for the year:

<<<-------------------DIY HOLIDAY DECOR------------------>>>
DIY Home Decor Roundup || Very Shannon
wall art diy \\ honeycomb chandelier \\ honeycomb tree \\ paper party ball \\ ornament balloons
And ohhhh...the home decor! Lovely little jewels of diy to adorn your home with!
I have a thing for pine cones. I spread them all over the house year round. I think my hubs thinks I'm nuts but I still do it..lol. This year I thought to myself though "branch out a bit Shannon, try something new"...so I'm going to give it a shot. Above are some of my faves for the year.

<<<--------------------DIY ORNAMENTS-------------------->>>
DIY Ornaments Roundup || Very Shannon
diamond ornament \\ let it snow \\ felt ornaments \\ himmeli ornament \\ felt tree ornaments
Now - the ornaments. We can't leave out the ornaments! These can be the most fun to make!
Those first few years I made only my own ornaments were sure fun! I bought rolls of some awesome silver shiny wrapping paper and saved up for a month all of our used cardboard and set out to cut out ornament shapes from templates and then the same sizes from the wrapping paper. I painstakingly glued them to each piece of cardboard. Then for some special ones I would print out pics of us and the girls and glue them to the wrapping paper. Hole punch and hang with spare thread. Voila! Well last year I was too darn tired to make them. So store bought ornaments finally made their way to our house and we loved them too! So this year I'm going for a happy mix! A few handmade each year to add to our collection. I don't need to go nuts and do the whole tree if I just can't swing it. I think that's the trick with xmas - don't add too much too your plate. Just do what makes you happy. If it's stressful - skip it. It is afterall a happy time of year :) Above are some of my faves for the year.

<<<---------------CHRISTMAS TREE SKIRTS----------------->>>
DIY Christmas Tree Skirt Roundup || Very Shannon
bright & colorful \\ very bari tree skirt \\ chevron tree skirt \\ snowflake tree skirt \\ pom pom skirt
And last but not least the tree skirts - we can't forget those! Who wants a nude tree! Not me!
I admit for about 5 years I used an old white receiving blanket/sheet for a tree skirt...hangs head in shame and finally whipped one up last year. I loved it then and love it still. I waited all that time until I had the skills to make one I would really love. Above are some of our favorites for the year (ours included).

Want to keep track of all the other lovelies I will add during December? Follow my "Holiday Love" Pinterest Board to keep track of all the fun things I love during the holiday seasons!
HOLIDAY LOVE PINTEREST BOARD

What are your fave diy's of the year? What did you make for the holidays? Any fun ones you'd like to link up to or share? Happy making!!!

MAKING || HANDMADE WINTER eBOOK RELEASE & GIVEAWAY!!!!

Handmade Winter eBook || A Creative Mamas Collaboration
EBOOK ||  BUY NOW
I'm so excited to tell you all about Handmade Winter - a very special project that I was so lucky to be involved in!

Handmade Winter: A Season to Gather, Make & Share eBook by the Creative Mamas Collaboration is here! I've been drooling over my copy ever since I got to see it! Such an amazing and wonderful collaboration of talented ladies and I feel so honored to be included! This gorgeous eBook just shines with the love and passion for home, family, handmade and inspiration. Every page just begs you to turn to the next one. The cover alone makes me want to curl up on the couch with my fave quilt with the fireplace on and a cup of tea in hand, to sit and reflect and read this special eBook.

Handmade Winter eBook || A Creative Mamas Collaboration

The talented women who worked to bring Handmade Winter to all of you are some of the most inspiring, loving and generous women I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with. It was so fun to see what everyone brought to the table and what ideas sparked from all of our conversations. The end result was above and beyond what I could have imagined and I'm just blown away by the sheer awesomeness of these gals! The words gather, make & share truly resonate with all of us creative mamas on a daily basis and we're so excited to share this book filled with recipes, crafts, sewing, jewelry, essays, poetry and more with all of you!!!!

Would you like to see more of the inside of Handmade Winter? Yay! Keep reading to see some sneak peeks of the eBook below!

Handmade Winter eBook || A Creative Mamas Collaboration
The eBook is easily broken down into 3 sections.

Under Gather you can find...

DRINK 
This was one of my favorite sections of the book! I seriously am trying every one of these bevvies! Each one is more delicious than the last! I think I squealed with delight when I saw these. I'm always on the lookout for a new "adult" bevvie during the holidays.
EAT
From soup, salad, veggies, chicken & more you cannot go wrong with any of these recipes!
SAVOR
Cookies, masala chai, and did I say cookies? LOL! This section is just delish!
HOST
Learn how to host a favorite things party as well as a winter cookie exchange.

Handmade Winter eBook || A Creative Mamas Collaboration
 Handmade Winter eBook || A Creative Mamas Collaboration

Then we come to MAKE...

There are so many fun crafts and goodies to make. Walnut fairies, leather jewelry, chalkboard blocks whimsical winter decorations and more!

And under SHARE...

You've got my super fun quilted coasters (4 different patterns), cushions, felted tablet cover, child's maxi skirt...and the list goes on!
Handmade Winter eBook || A Creative Mamas Collaboration
That's not it though! In between the projects and recipes there is gorgeous photography, essays, and poetry. It truly is a gorgeous eBook.


http://www.e-junkie.com/264210/product/493389.php
HOW MUCH IS IT & WHAT'S INSIDE?
For just $15.00 you can get the Handmade Winter eBook filled with 50+ patterns, tutorials, recipes, crafts and more!!! So much good stuff to keep you making all through the winter season. To see the entire Handmade Winter Table of Contents for all projects included, click here. 

WHO ARE THE CONTRIBUTORS?
21 talented and creative women came together to form Handmade Winter (including myself)...



|| HOW TO ENTER ||
Simply leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite thing to make/bake/cook during the winter season.

|| RULES ||
You must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified. Giveaway is open until Sunday, December 15th, 2013, midnight PST.

I hope you all enjoy a Handmade Winter as much as we did putting it together. It's such a special collaboration and I'm so excited for you all to see it!!! Find out more details and purchase your own copy of Handmade Winter here for just $15! Enjoy!!!

You can always keep track and join in with us and the other creative mamas on social media using hashtag #creativemamas and #handmadewinter on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook & more!

Handmade Winter eBook || A Creative Mamas Collaboration

creating - fill in the blanks with me and you


once a year i get a kick out of doing one these kinds of posts.  i kinda dig 'em.  i learn a lot about you guys and i find that fun since you guys know a lot about me :)  after all, one of the most fun things about blogging is you readers and the relationships we all form and i don't want to be some reader crazy blogging glutton who only wants you to know about me and not care about any of you talented gals either.  sooo....in the spirit of some of my fave posts/comments lately i thought it would be fun to switch the questions up a bit for this season's and keep in the topic of creating. fun right?

image source pink pink peony
you ready?  yay!  simply copy & paste the following questions into your own blog post and change the words i have " " and bolded to your own answer.  when your post is done come back and link up your blog post in the comments below and that way we can all learn about each other :)  here goes....

* i'm longing to make "a new quilt" right now.

* i want to try "knitting" with some "brooklyn tweed" yarn.

* i wish i could sew with "liberty" fabric.

* i dream of making "my whole wardrobe".

* i keep track of my ideas by "writing them in notebooks".

* i'm inspired by "everything around me".

* i would love to meet "all my bloggy friends" in person.

* my favorite fiber is "wool".

* i like to sew with "cotton".

* my favorite color is "turquoise".

* i rock at "topstitching".

* i would like to learn how to make "more clothing for myself".

* i like to listen to "music" while i "sew".

* i bring my "knitting" everywhere.

* my favorite thing to "sew" is "kids clothes".

* my favorite thing to "knit" are "cowls".

* my crafting space is "somewhat organized".

* if i had my own crafting room it would be "white but still warm and inviting".

* i sew with "a pfaff".

* i like to "draw" "new designs".

* i can never get enough "photos".

* i adore "photography".

* i also enjoy "drawing" and "painting".

* i like to fill my shelves with "fabric, yarn and books".

* i create the best when i'm "at home in my pj's".

* i am currently excited for "rashida coleman hale's new fabric line - tsuru".

* right now i am "working on a new dress pattern".

* i love to watch "downton abbey & reality tv" while creating.

* my guilty pleasure when it comes to creating is "notebooks/journals".

* my current favorite music crush to listen to while creating is "the xx's".

"life isn't about finding yourself. life is about creating yourself" 
~ george bernard shaw

have fun! i can't wait to read all of your answers.  feel free to add in your own questions too and if you want me to answer them let me know in the comments and i'll add them to mine.

makin'it in the mommyhood - we're getting close


we're busy crafting away over here today....stars for a mobile from some fun scrapbook paper...
(edited to add: here's the origami tute i used to make our stars - http://www.craftideas.info/html/tutorial_origami_star_b.html)


and i'm madly trying to finish hand sewing the binding on harper's quilt for xmas. i have to tell you i've been having a love/hate relationship with sewing the binding on.  i only have to do one side as an awesome pal of mine machine stitched (cut & sewed my binding too) the other side on.  what i've learned is that i am not a great hand sewer (no surprise to me there..lol) and that i really, really need a thimble.  any recommendations you guys? there are so many out there but i really want a good one for quilting with.  hopefully i'll have pics to show you soon of the quilt all washed, dried and crinkled up with love & quilty goodness.  i love that part :)

the back

 i could not resist trying out my machines alphabet sewing capabilities even though i didn't do a perfect job..it was my first time doing it after all, i love that her name is on it :)  warms my heart.


i've also got to get a hat and shawl blocked and get the hubs hat on the go.  what are you all up to?  are you starting to get a little panicky like i am that xmas is only like 10 days away??? oh my! anyone else finishing up some handmade pressies? 

p.s. christmas knitting 911 will be up on a diff day this week :) and i'm super thrilled to be mentioned in the "knit and crochet now" christmas gift guide newsletter yesterday! what a thrill to see the mallory cowl in there i tell ya!  thank you knit and crochet now! if you haven't seen their show start watching - it's awesome. i mean how can you go wrong with a show all about knitting & crocheting? LOVE it! :)