Sonya Nimri

Tinkering in the workshop with John Peterson, my favorite Mr. Crafty, (and the only person I know who can build literally  anything ), we came up with a fun use for aluminum strapping just in time for Valentine's day- a hand wrought heart.  Now, the making of the heart is super easy, but wrapping it with embroidery thread took me a long, long time.  I'm guessing about two-three hours.  Good movie watching activity. C for Christopher! Without the C Measure 1 yard, cut with metal cutters. Fold in half at mid-point. Bend metal straps into a heart shape and join together at bottoms. Clip into decorative point if desired. Using a clipped copper nail through the bottom hole, hammer until shaft expands into a disc. It's like magic when the nail head expands into a circle.   Make a letter with the same metal.  I got of easy with a "C". Wrap with thread.  Tie the letter to the heart with thread.  Wil...

Valentine's day is the perfect time to give daddy a gift he will adore forever.  Something sentimental that will encapsulate these fleeting days when the kids are little and their tiny little hands will fit into a  cute tin.  I got this little 8 inch tall tin at Rite Aid made by Mrs Fields for $6.00.  They had a variety of designs and sizes but I just loved the embossed flocking on this- so romantic.  I ate all the chocolates myself because Chris doesn't especially care for chocolates and they weren't half bad.  I think Daddy will really appreciate the thoughtfulness of this present and we'll be able to look back and see how little their tiny hands were Valentine's Day 2013... 1.  Mix plaster with a dot of pink craft paint and the same amount water. 2.  Pour glitter into a box and have your kids dip their hands in glitter. 3.  Immediately press palm into plaster lightly, making sure not to go all the way through to...

Every once in a while, James digs his fat little fingers in our old furniture and wreaks havock.  In this case, our poor old plaid armchair- passed down from generations bore the brunt of his destructive little fingers and got picked down to the bare wooden frame (during one sitting of Curious George I might add).  In order to repair this, I looked in the garage for some basic supplies- a patch (which is really half of a beaded coin purse), some hollowfill, and a needle and thread, and just like that, within a few minutes, that eyesore of a crater disappeared and something much nicer to look at and touch appeared. He has no idea what he's even doing... in his defense, there was already a tiny hole there. However, this chubby hand is no saintly paw. Hollowfill stuffed. Heart patch sewn on whip-stitch style.  Voila!