CHINESE TEA EGGS

While searching for how to dye eggs with onion peels, I came across this technique for "Chinese Tea Eggs". This is a snack in China that is actually made by soaking cracked eggs in tea . . but for Easter it was more fun to use colored dye. Instructions can be found here!

AMY BUTLER BAGS

I had an odd car problem which resulting in these fun bags -- sometimes it doesn't want to start. . . mostly when I have to run a quick errand and need to restart it within a few minutes of last turning it off. A couple weeks ago, I stopped at The Beatnik to drop off more of the bobby pins I make and sell there. Not thinking that I would be in-and-out, I shut everything off, ran in and came back to a car that still needed a few minutes.

Luckily, there is a very nice quilt shop across the street! Most of the time I will go to JoAnn's for my fabric since I get their coupons in the mail . . or even WalMart if I find something great. But this little shop is so nice and cozy and ORGANIZED!! I tried to limit myself to $10, but ended up spending $20. I bought 4 half yards of some amazing Amy Butler fabric to make these bags for my friends Kelly and Holly. Obviously it's the same pattern in different colors. And I have some of the fabric left over for another project when the right one comes along.

This is the same pattern as a previous bag I made from Bend the Rules Sewing. I LOVE IT!

BABY SHOWER THANK YOU'S

Have you ever needed something for a baby or bridal shower, but the mothers and brides to be insist that they really don't need anything (or they do and you don't want to shell out a bunch of cash)?? I think a perfect gift is thank you cards. It's not something that everyone always has on their mind after such an event. This way they are on-hand for them to use and is one less thing for them to worry about during a busy time.

I just attended a baby shower and brought these. The baby is unknown, but I found out the nursery is yellow and green. Each set that I made contains 10 cards and envelopes. I packaged them in clear vinyl boxes (from U-line) that I use when I make card sets to sell and tied ribbon around to keep the package together.

Another great idea is to make a couple extra for yourself to keep in your ready to go collection!

GREAT HANDBAG

This is a project from a new book I bought - Bend the Rules Sewing. It is called the "Charming Handbag" and was very easy to make! Outside fabric is printed corduroy, inside fabric is something I found leftover from another project. Everything I need to have in my purse fits perfectly. The pattern for the handle would be easy to change, next time I may buy an actual handle -- or make the bag bigger to use as a tote.

2 NEW APRONS

Ruffle Apron:
- Fabric from new Heidi Grace collection at JoAnn's
- 3 tiered, with brown ribbon on bottom edges and waistline



Reversible Apron:
- Fabric from Heidi Grace
- First side with red grosgrain ribbon and thin cream ribbon
- Second side with red ribbon and side pocket

I LOVE THIS BATHROOM

This is the only "finished" room in my house - the guest bathroom. It all started with this tin/neon flamingo clock. I bought it for my dorm room on the way to college somewhere between Alaska and Montana. The colors from it inspired the pink and aqua theme with a vintage sort of feel. When the pink neon light is on, the bathroom lights clashed, so I replaced them with "blush" lights that give everything a softer feel.

A few items were bought and put in "as is":

-- Rugs, towels and soap dispenser from Target
-- Candles from Cost Plus World Market
-- Silk flowers from Michaels
-- Trash can from Bed, Bath & Beyond

Projects I did:

-- Magazine rack from Ross was originally green, I repainted pink
-- Tray from Michaels, painted aqua and mod-podged paper to bottom
-- Picture frames from Michaels ($1/piece, in the kids section!), painted and put in pink patterned paper
-- Butterflies above the magazine rack are various papers I had, created a template and cut them all out (idea from Ali Edwards, she used a punch from Martha Stewart Crafts)
-- Clothespins are covered in paper and hold postcards from Perspectives and cards I've received

WELCOME CHARLIE

The family I nanny for just had their third child. His name is Charlie. As a baby gift, I made a small album for his parents to document little moments of his first year month by month. This is a DCWV 5x7 mini album. The inside paper and letter "C" on the album cover came from K & Company's Addison Collection. Each page has space for journaling the little things he learns that month.

Another Album Idea:

I did a previous album for another friend, but forgot to take pictures of the album. It was an 8x8 album with 20 pages. The beginning pages were space for immediate birth details, a page for his mom, dad and sister, 12 pages for each month, and the last page left blank for mom and dad to write a note on his first birthday.

FELTED NEEDLE HOLDER

Bought this as a kit from a local quilt shop, however it would be very easy to make on your own. The kit included the felted pieces, patterns for cut out shapes and a button for the closure. I used thread that I already had. You can cut as many inside pieces as you like, then sew through the center. It's very nice to have a place to keep my needles that aren't thrown in with quiting pins. This holder is about 4x3 when closed and has 3 inside panels (to make 6 "pages").

REVERISBLE APRON

Last Christmas I received an apron and The Apron Book by EllynAnne Geisel from my mom. I shopped for fabric immediately, but had other projects to finish before starting a new one. One set of fabric I got ended up as a bag rather than an apron. The other set of fabric sat for months and finally got used for my first apron!

I loosely used the instructions for the first apron in the book, but had my own design in mind. The side with the solid pieces of fabric with the ribbon and button embellishment is what I always had in mind and is the side I like the best. I wasn't very thoughtful in designing the reverse side, which ended up as a crazy quilt idea. The buttons were used with pieces of ribbon behind as "flowers" to cover places that didn't sew together very nicely. As the back piece didn't cover as much space as the first side, I added the pink border. After sewing the 2 sides together, I sewed the green ribbon around the edges, then added the waist band and ties.