my creative space

pumpkin pie

Today my creative space is filled with food. It’s Thanksgiving in the United States and we’re spending it at home — just the three of us. I made stuffing and sweet potatoes earlier in the week. All that’s left to do is the turkey and the pumpkin pie.

Ever since we moved to Nebraska, I’ve made homemade pumpkin pie for the holiday. I’ve always wanted to make pie from an actual pumpkin, but could never find one at the grocery store. I figured if canned was good enough for Martha, it was good enough for me.

This year I saw a pie pumpkin in the produce department and knew I had to try it! It was easy to bake and puree, just like any other squash. I’m using the recipe that came with the pumpkin. I hope it turns out as good as Martha’s!

pumpkin pie

My daughter is super excited to have some pumpkin pie because she made one this week, too. Don’t you just love preschool crafts? It even has whipped cream!

For more yummy creative spaces, visit Kirsty’s blog. (I can’t guarantee that they’ll be as yummy as pie, but they are always beautiful!)

glue stick collages

I’m sure I’m not the only one who needs a little time alone with my knitting needles or sewing machine (or work!). I’m always trying to find non-TV related activities for my daughter so I can get a little bit of work done. The things that have kept her most occupied are crayons, paints and stickers. A lot of times she will sit and “read” books or get absorbed in her train engines.

Lately, it’s been hard to keep her occupied. She always wants to know what I’m doing—always wants to help out (which is sweet, but not always helpful). Today I got almost two hours of productive time. Want to know how? (OK, the title of this post gives it away.) My daughter has discovered the glue stick.

glue stick halloween collage

You know how I say nothing is safe if it fits under my presser foot? Well, not much is safe from my daughter if she can glue stick it to a piece of paper.

martha stewart living magazine

The images are from Martha Stewart’s Living, last year’s Halloween edition.

glue stick magazine on poster board

We have big plans for future collages. Thanksgiving and Christmas themes, animals, shapes, letters and numbers…the possibilities are endless.

magazine collage

Look, Mom! The owl and skeleton are holding hands!

I remember my friend Barbara telling me how she spent her evenings cutting up National Geographic magazines so her granddaughter could make collages. Such a brilliant and simple idea. I highly recommend it!

recycle: You will be amazed at what you can find in your recycle bin for this project. Don’t overlook catalogs and non-crafty magazines. Pay close attention to ads. Tip: for maximum productivity, cut the pictures out the night before.

easy backpack with bias tape straps

My daughter starts preschool next week and she needed a backpack. I asked her if she’d like me to make one for her and she said YES!

I let her choose fabric from my stash and helped her with coordinating the colors. I really like how it turned out and she loves it. My only problem is getting her to wear it. Right now, she just wants to carry it by the straps.

martha stewart easy beach bag

I used Martha’s Easy Beach Bag pattern with a few modifications:
• inside is canvas instead of nylon
• inside has two pockets
• used fabric instead of cord for the straps
• serged the raw edges inside

drawstring back pack with lining

Drawstring Strap How-to:
Feed strips of denim through a 1-inch bias tape maker, fold the tape in half and stitch it together. Once threaded through the loops, sew the ends together because they’ll be too thick to knot.

drawstring back pack with lining

stash: This is one of those occasions that I love having a stash of fabric. It’s so easy to dive right into a project when the motivation strikes! Plus, using a thrifty stash is so affordable. I’m guessing this cost less than $2 to make. Sweet!

whipup.net, crafty nation + christy nelson

Whip Up’s March theme was pattern design. I submitted an article about designing using recycled textiles and it was featured yesterday! You can find my article here. Below are the before and after shots. More pics are here.

upcycled shirt

upcycled shirt

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Thanks to everyone who voted for Christina’s bag in Crafty Nation’s Craft Off. It won second place!

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My friend Christy is having a super fab giveaway—Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Crafts! While you are there, check out the rest of her site. Have I mentioned that I designed her logo and website? I can’t remember. Anyway, go check it out and enter to win!