April crafts and sewing projects!

This is the Easter door hanger I made via my favorite wood crafting store. I have more wood projects coming up. And even a wreath or two.


This is an apron I made in April. I love this fabric it is so much fun!



These are the skirts that I made for Emma and Ashleigh last month. They weren't very hard to make and only took about an hour start to finish.

It's May!!

Okay Friends, I have been crafting and I know I promised pictures but I have also been super wrapped up in our Operation Blanket Drop. Please head over to our family blog for more information. Under my blog list to the left click on Jess and Joleen or is it Joleen and Jess. I forget!! Anyway... I have been out of commission this last week as well but I do promise to get pictures up! Also please, Please, PLEASE help us spread the word for our Blanket Project! We would love, Love, LOVE all the help we can get. More details on the family blog :)!!

End of February!

Can you believe it? The end of February is here. Seriously, this might be my most favorite winter month :) ONLY because it is so SHORT!!!! That does mean less days for crafting fun as well but as long as winter is almost over- I am a happy camper. OK pictures are to come of my projects but if you didn't see on the family blog I have posted pics of the "Can-O-Dates"! Today I made "Dating Dice" which for those strengthening your marriages you can use these in many different ways. I also made a "Wild About You" tin and I am working on some spring crafts. I have found the cutest birthday crafts that I will begin working on next week. Also I have two aprons I am finishing up and I am getting ready to decorate the kids bedrooms.

My sweet husband and I are taking on a project for this year and if you'd like in on it check out my family blog. (click on Joleen on the side bar and it will take you to it) So I am thinking this will take up a ton of my crafting time this year but I am more than okay with it. I just finished reading The Maze Runner and I am waiting for my new book to come in the mail which is a book on strengthening marriages by an LDS author so in the mean time I am continuing to read "The Power" (the sequel to "The Secret")! I am going to see Harry Potter 7 part 1 tonight and my new flick I am dying to see is Red Riding Hood which is directed by one of the Twilight directors and is produced by Warner Brothers and looks AMAZING! March 11th is when it comes out. All this among working (which now I get to drive 45 minutes one way 4 times a week) and taking care of the kids. Oh... I will start posting some of our FHE ideas too and I was called to help teach Primary. Whew! We have CrAzY days mixed in with quiet and relaxing ones and we are anxiously awaiting Jess getting out of school.

New Ideas

January and February always seem to be my cabin fever months. I feel couped up and stuck inside; I go a little stir crazy sometimes just itching to get outside and longing for the day when we can run through the grass barefoot. My goal this year is to stay creative through these months and hopefully that will keep me from getting too "Blue"!
I love finding fresh, new ideas. I have found a few websites that are devoted to crafters. You can post your pictures of what you are doing and give tutorials. I don't have pictures yet of any that I am going to try but I'm going to tell you about a few of them.

Themed Chinese Take-Out boxes: Take a Chinese take out box (you can buy them at the craft store or party store like Zurchers in all different colors) place a floral foam ball or square in the bottom of the box. Then take tissue paper and cover up the foam making the tissue paper stick out of the top of the box. Next you'll need thin, small dowels cut to size (I like 12" to 18")and either 5 or 7 of them(odd numbers look more pleasing to the eye). You'll be inserting these into the foam so it will be easy to stagger them. Here is where the fun and the theme comes in. You will be glueing or taping items to the dowels or you can tie them on with curling ribbon. So here are a few themed ideas: birthday, the possiblities are endless; movie night (packet of microwavable popcorn, gift certificate to block buster, boxed movie candy- you can find at Walmart for $1 or go to the dollar store), baby gift (binkie, bottle, shoes, socks, ect...) Candy bar (super simple tie candy bars onto each one. This works great as a teacher gift.) Get creative with your themes.

Doily Jars- I just saw this on a website where a gal took mason jars and glued doilies to the outside. Then put burlap and ribbon around the top with buttons and jewels for embellishment. So simple! And you can put tea light candles in them and they give a beautiful glow. She suggested using real doilies and not paper ones because they work better. These are beautiful, I am going to try them out.

Burlap and Satin Stockings: Yes Christmas is over but our matching family stockings only go through three of the kids not four. So this year I am going to have to make new stockings for the family. I don't really know how to describe these just watch for the pictures.

and Pre-School in a can: this is very similar to the can-o-dates, but instead of date activities it's preschool activities for your little ones at home. I am also going to do a "Summer Time Tin" that has a bunch of activities for when my kids somehow get bored over summer vacation.

Check back for pictures of projects as I complete them. Happy January to All!!