packed

Remember when I said I wanted to outfit a crafting suitcase?

I chose this wooden case because, even though it was in pretty good shape, the outside had begun peeling a bit. 

I gutted the inside (which was actually pretty easy since the lining was a bit dry-rotted. 

I had this really fun fabric with desserts and the days of the week...love it so much! I thought it would make a great new covering for the case. I cut the squares out and individually mod-podged them on, patchwork-style. It was a lot easier than dealing with large sections of fabric that can easily get air bubbles trapped underneath. I still have some air bubbles but not as many as I would if I'd used bigger pieces. 

You can't really see it but I embroidered some of the squares and added embellishments. (I was going to use this fabric for another project that I ditched)

I lined the inside with pages from an old dictionary.

But before I put in the pages, I glued a cookie sheet to the back of the interior of the suitcase top. I glued super strong magnets to the backs of circle bead organizers...

And then filled them with all sorts of buttons and jewels and bits and bobs. (Oh, and I used red linen bookbinding tape to finish up the edges of the interior.)

The circle bead organizers came in these clear plastic boxes that made perfect trays for papers and stuff that was too big to fit in the circles. 

So here I am, all packed and ready for my trip to St. Louis!

hat making

When I was little, our school had an "Easter Parade" each year. Everyone made their own hat. The best was chosen, only one from all the grades in lower elementary, and the winner won free ice cream for a whole week! When you are 7 years old, that is like winning the lottery. At least it was in 1978. Maybe things have changed a bit.

Anyway, each year, I began planning my hat weeks in advance. My father would help me and together we would make the most incredible hats you've ever seen. I remember one in particular that started with a paper plate and finished up the most extravagant, beautiful hat you can imagine complete with a huge pink ostrich feather. It has always seemed like such an injustice that I never won the hat day prize. Not once.

So when I set about making a hat for Mary Engelbreit's birthday party this weekend, I tapped into my inner 7-year-old-self and created something of a masterpiece, worthy of a week of free ice cream for sure...

On Monday I'll have a Nutty Buddy...On Tuesday I'll have an Ice Cream Sandwich...On Wednesday I'll have an Orange Push-Up...

swap sign up closes today

Just wanted to remind you that the Birthday Treasury Shadowbox swap sign up closes today.

Sign up here.

I have one more swapper to match up whose style is "Rich, jewels, gypsy, velvet". Sound interesting to you? Sign up and I'll match you up.

p.s. All but one swapper has been matched up to a partner...if you haven't received a note from either me or your swapper, please let me know.

party shoes

Embellished Shoes
from The Happy Birthday Issue

I finished only one of these shoes as a project for the birthday issue so I think I'll work on the other one and take them with me to St. Louis for Mary's big birthday crafting workshops next weekend.

To make your own, simply take a pair of fresh espadrilles and draw your design on them with Sharpie markers (see right shoe in photo) Mirror the same design on the other shoe (otherwise it might look like you're wearing two different shoes). Next start stitching! Use a narrow but strong needle. And I like to use button/carpet thread for sewing on the beads and sequins because it's extra durable.

The plain white espadrilles I used for this project are from Old Navy but are only available now in limited quantities and red stripes.

Jill, you win!

Congratulations, Jill! 

You won the beautiful prize ribbon!