Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts

Monday, April 25, 2011

TUTORIAL: Peep Jousting

Welcome to the post-Easter tradition of Peep Jousting.  Here's what you'll need:
  • Two Noble Knights: Leftover Peeps work perfectly
  • Jousting Lances: Toothpicks
  • Jousting Arena: Microwave, preferable with a rotating plate so you can better view the competition
  • Plate (I accept suggestions for a witty title)
Arm your Peep knights with toothpick lances.  Stick a toothpick in each Peep, then place the competitors on a plate facing each other.

Place your Peep knights in the microwave arena...

 ...and let the competition begin!  Brighton set the microwave at High for 30 seconds, which is more than ample time.  15 - 20 seconds will do the job.  But my boys like to watch the Peeps melt after they've proven themselves in competition.

Watch the Peep knights swell and try to impale each other.  The first Peep to be punctured loses.

Cheer for your favorite Peep.  Or cheer for the one that gets the fattest first.  Though be warned, the victor is not always the Peep who impales the other first.  Often one Peep swells up so big it impales itself on its opponent's lance.

If you look at Brighton's reflection, this match is a real nail biter.

It's hard to see in the photo, but we have a winner!  The Peep on the right had terrible aim.  Its lance is up in the air.  The Peep on the left scored a direct hit to the chest.

Don't you love the expression on Brighton's face?

Now we've moved from competition to spectator entertainment.  My boys like to see how big the Peeps will puff up before 1) collapsing back down, 2) exploding, or 3) the timer running out.  30 seconds is about right for our microwave.  The Peeps don't explode (ew - who wants to clean up that mess!?), yet they still puff up huge...

 ...then collapse back down.

Ha, ha!  Look at the melted Peeps!

Two noble Peep knights sacrificed to the cause of entertainment.

The winner is clear.  The Peep on the left impaled the Peep on the right.  The Peep on the right held his lance too high and completely missed its opponent.

Hope you had a happy Easter.  Happy Peep jousting!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Bunny Love

I never get tired of making gifts for baby girls.  This sweet bunny is for a little one whose mother loves all things vintage.

Look at those little floppy ears and arms - too cute!  The body is a combination of soft quilting cotton and snugly chenille.

With button eyes and a yarn ball tail, this bunny's not a crib toy.  It's more to play with while mom's around - or at least look welcoming sitting on a nursery shelf.


The pattern is FREE over at Sew4Home.com.  Gotta love free.  If you make one, I'd suggest machine sewing the feet and arms.  I'm not sure why the pattern says to hand stitch them.  No need.  Plus I feel safer being able to secure stitch as many pieces as possible on a child's toy.  (I know, after I added button eyes, right?)

Isn't that bushy tail adorable? Love it.

Hooray for new babies!  Wouldn't this make a great Easter gift, too?

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Happy Easter

What the kids and I have been doing this Easter season...


Making paper eggs...


...and hanging them around the house.


Tye dying eggs.


Racing with the eggs we didn't dye. (It was Ben's idea to do the egg race on the carpet. Thankfully there were no casualties.)


Picnicing and enjoying snacktime outside on the sunny days.


Making pom pom chicks.


Painting egg carton caterpillars.


Remembering the reason we celebrate. Photo of the empty Garden Tomb.

Happy Easter!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Baby Love Bunny


I brought out this fuzzy felt bunny to make an Easter card, but ended up making a card perfect for a baby girl. The ribbon even has "baby girl" printed on it in chocolate brown and soft pink.



TIP: I also wanted to share a tip for altering the size of your die cuts. I love my scalloped rectangle Nestabilities, but sometimes they don't fit the embellishment I want to use. Here's how I took my rectangle die and adjusted the shape to fit my felt bunny.


First, I used the die to cut my paper into a scalloped rectangle. Then I lined up my paper so that the scallops fit the grooves on the die AND the edge of the die was where I wanted to make a new edge for my paper. The photo above shows a view of the top...


...here's a view of the bottom.


Then I ran the die and paper through my die cut machine a second time. Here's what my die cut looked like coming out of the machine. (Hopefully you can make out the shape through my much-used cutting mat.) I simply tossed the paper remnant into my recycling bin, leaving a scalloped shape custom made for my little bunny. Easy peasy!

We're dying Easter eggs tonight. Hope you're doing something fun, too!

Supplies
Stamps: Stampin' Up! (Noteworthy).
Ink: Stampin' Up! (Chocolate Chip).
Paper: Stampin' Up! (Kraft, Whisper White), My Mind's Eye (Tiny Dancer "Chasse" Graceful Circles Paper, Tiny Dancer "Ballet" Dancing Circles Paper).
Felt Rabbit: Martha Stewart.
Ribbon: American Crafts.
Punch / Dies: Rectangle Nestabilities, Stampin' Up! (scallop border punch, corner rounder).
Other: white sewing thread.