Advent Calendar

I swore I wouldn't be one of these people who starts a second blog, does well for a short time, and then drops the ball. Well, I guess life happens. I'm pregnant and in the midst of the second move in just a few months, not to mention the holidays, but I thought I'd give this little blog a second chance anyway. Hopefully it will pick up steam in the days ahead. A girl has to have a little creative work to relieve stress.

Elizabeth and I made this advent countdown calendar in about 3 hours, including the time it took to figure it out. Did I have the 3 hours? Not really. But E. wanted us to make it SO MUCH, and I knew those stolen hours would be the last ones available for a few weeks--certainly before December 1. Actually Elizabeth (who's 6) designed it, and I was tickled pink that she didn't get upset when it wasn't exactly (exactly, exactly, exactly!!!) what she envisioned. She was very happy with it overall, but not so happy that the numbers count down backward (24 down) rather than forward (1 up). I tried to explain that it was counting DOWN, but she insisted that the prototype she saw had the numbers counting forward. Ah, well. We used what we had in our hands, hence the non-traditional tree color. It's still quite Christmasy though.

The background, tree, trunk, snow, and pockets are all made of felt I had on hand. I glued most of it together which has worked fine for now. The dowel to which the ribbon is tied (can't see it, it's in the back) was one of the kids' broken arrows. The ribbon came on a package from someone else. I had the buttons. And the number squares are scrapbook paper which also came from my stash. The Santa counter (which will move each day, counting down till Christmas) was cut from an old Christmas card. I did buy some glitter to add a bit of sparkle to the snow, but you can't even see that in the picture.

This was a fun and easy project. Like cutting and pasting.

I'm Really Not AWOL!

Hello crafters, all 8 of you who regularly read this new little blog, according to my site meter! Just want you to know that I haven't forgotten Simple Craft, it's just been a crazy week. Oh, and my sewing machine must go in the shop. That has slowed my crafting down greatly. Back soon, hopefully with new projects to show!

My Little Craft Room

It's almost more of a "craft hall." The old-fashioned house we're renting has a tiny breakfast nook which I claimed as mine. It's not very messy because I wasn't crafting when I took the picture. It looks more used now...




I inherited this old chest of drawers when I married Billy, the bachelor with great furniture. It's been in his family for many years, and it's perfect for paper, yarn, and other supplies. (Yes, I share the breakfast nook with the refrigerator. Oh well. Beggars can't be choosers.)



This pie safe (also a family heirloom Billy had) is in the dining room. That's where I keep all my fabric, vintage quilts, and a basket of stationery. Oh, and children's books in the bottom. A wonderful piece.

Piggy Banks

I spent a few minutes yesterday making piggy banks for my littlest 2 (from old baking powder containers)...Not perfect, but a quick and easy project. They were tickled pink!

Embroidery Stitch Guide

Turkey Feathers now has an embroidery stitch guide up and running! Good for me, because my embroidery skills are rusty. Check it out!

(The embroidered pillowcase above is one I made years ago for my hopechest. It's getting a bit worn, but I still love it!)

The How and Why of Simple Craft

Why does the world need another craft blog? Well, it may not, but even in the craft blog world I saw a void of inspiration for simple, quick projects. I'm a busy wife and mom and crafting happens in small snatches, if at all. If I wait till the house is clean and the laundry is done before I craft, I never will (because those tasks are never completed). But I do need an outlet for my creativity, so when I can slip a moment in, I need projects that bring fast results. I've found that I have to apply a few other principles to my crafting...One is to use what I have on hand much of the time, another is not to overload myself with "stash" (the clutter is overwhelming), and a third--the most important--is not to fall prey to perfectionism. Bottom line, I don't have time for perfection, and I have to learn to be content with my best under the circumstances.

By the way, the whimsical dolls above were made by my sis...She freehanded a pattern and stitched them up. Simple craft at its best!

Quilt Top

On our last trip to visit Billy's parents, I came home with this lovely quilt top, probably pieced by one of his great-grandmothers. The backing is even attached--all I have to do is add batting (from my stash), baste, and quilt. A true treasure!

This is true simple craft--let someone else do the hard work and I do the rest!

Blog Roll

I've begun a blog roll with a few craft/artistic blogs, favorites old and new. Check them out! I'll be adding more along the way, so stay tuned.

Photo Tips, Anyone?

So many bloggers take such lovely photos. Obviously mine aren't that great...The one illustrating this post is one of my better ones. Does anyone care to offer any tips? I know light is important...Beyond that, I'm clueless!

Felt Flower Pins

Just right for a little girl!

Little Girl's Apron

A bit of fabric, a bit of ribbon--it's that simple!

Welcome to Simple Craft!

I'm a busy wife and mom with lots of ideas but not much time for crafting. Here I plan to post my simple, frugal craft projects. Other people's craft blogs have inspired me. I hope mine inspires you.