Craft Craze Monday!

This pillow has been transformed a couple of times - but I know I've got it right this time. It's on it's way to Michelle for coming second place in the Stout Fate contest I had on my blog a couple of weeks ago.

I started with a canvas type material and tacked down - with yarn - the crochet sun. It was really easy to make. I crochet a circle and used the picot stitch around the outside. I than hand-stitched "sunny day" below the sun. The rest was simply putting the patches together, sewing them, and than using the button hole stitch all around the outside.

I find that there is never a book or activity book that has everything you would want in it for your family. I've taken to making these books which I like to call "You and me anytime book". It serves two purposes: the girls and bring me the book at anytime and I will stop what I'm doing and read or work on an activity with them and it always me to put the stories and activities I want into the books I let my girls use.

I used a clear folder that clamps the papers in place, and purchased them clear so you could see through to the title and front page. I took stories from the Friend magazine and laminated them with the rolled laminated paper you can get in the kitchen section. I made sure to use front and back and aligned the pages accordingly. I took scrapbook paper with a printed title on the front and one for the back. I mixed activities and stories in one book to allow the girl's to pick a couple things to do with me while they have my attention.

One of the stories required me to cut out some figures of a girl and boy regarding what was appropriate attire for what occasion. I laminated the figures and used tiny pieces of Velcro to allow the girl's to take the figures and place them in the correct place.