It's all about the bag!

This year was all about the bag... or in my case the Santa sack.  I had so much fun with these sacks.  I even made my son's first Santa sack.  A few years ago I started making small flannel sacks instead of wrapping our presents.  My family just loved them, each year I find new fun fabrics and create new bags for each member of my family.  I had thought that I would get them back the following year.  This has not happened.  My sister in law confided in me that she gives them as gifts to her friends, she loves them so much.  So I guess I will continue making these bags next year.  In fact I will feature all of these bags in my shop next year.  Take a peak at all of the custom orders from this year!  Be sure to order yours next year!

 From all of mine to you and yours. Merry Christmas!

My Memories Suite Giveaway!

Everyone knows I love making things for my family and that I also love taking pictures of everything. 

However, I hate srapbooking.  I've tried, my son's baby book is currently in a box, incomplete, he's 15 months old.  I love the idea of scrapbooking.  I go to the store, I buy a book and fun paper, I print out all of the super cute pictures.  Then nothing.  All I end up accomplishing is making a huge mess and having to clean up so I can make dinner.

Well, I have found the answer to my scrapbooking nightmares.  No mess, no clean up, and no need to stress out.  I can create and walk away! I also have great news for one lucky reader!

Award winning scrapbook software creators My Memories have offered one lucky reader a FREE   My Memories Suite Package!  My Memories Suite is rated #1 by amazon and TopTen Reviews for digital scrapbooking software and a $40 value.  Also as janiegirlcrafts followers you have your very own Share the Memories code that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!  Just enter STMMS4155 (case sensitive) at checkout!

I wanted to take a minute and share the little album I started for my family.  This year we are having a "Homemade Christmas", this album will fit in perfectly.  I also plan to create our Holiday Card with this software, so keep an eye out.

I was amazed at how easy this software is to operate.  It uses the same shortcut commands as other software, such as Microsoft Word.  For example I am accustomed to using [CTRL Z] to undo the last action.  Guess what, I didn't have to retrain my brain, everything was second nature.  This software even offers autocorrect for those sloppy typers, like myself.

Check out one of their video tutorials for Free!

Now down to business:
In order to enter the giveaway you must first follow this blog: janiegirlcrafts

Then go ahead and check out My Memories Website and choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, then comment on my blog telling you which ones you love.
For extra entries to the contest feel free to comment, like, tweet, or follow any of the My Memories links below.

Post a comment on this blog for each additional entry.

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/

Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593

Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite
 
Contest winner will be selected
December 16, 2011

Good Luck!

Starting a new Tradition!

 

The week or so before Thanksgiving I was asked to make a custom Christmas Bag for a little girl. Her mother had seen my Reversible Santa Sack on Etsy, and wanted to make something special for her little one. After discussing fabric styles and sharing a few examples we decided on a style and I started sewing. I finished up yesterday and loved it so much, and have enough fabric leftover, that I have decided to add them to my shop selection this year. If you are interested in this or a similar item, check out the info on this Christmas Bag!


I think I will make Max his very own bag as well, one bag filled with all of his toys.  I think these are great addition to our family's  Holiday traditions.  Oh and as a bonus to me, I won't have to pick up a bunch or wrapping paper this year.
Maybe I'll make one for Charlie as well?

A cute little girl in cute little skirts!

I just had to share these pictures! What a cutie!  This past week I traveled home for the holidays.  I think the highlight of my trip was chasing my niece Lizzy around with a camera.  She was a perfect model for some of the Christmas skirts now available at janiegirlcrafts.  Speaking of Skirts... make sure you check back on December 6 a special treat on this years skirt selections.

What ever happened to Thanksgiving?

I am usually that person who is first to comment on the Arrival of Seasonal Christmas items before Halloween.  Well I am not that bad; I did however skip Thanksgiving!

I have been hit with inspiration, funny how it happens.  Maybe it was all the mid day viewings of The Nightmare Before Christmas while sewing Halloween Costumes.

I am so excited to announce Christmas Items are now available in my shop.

I think the items I am most excited about feature this Candy Cane Fabric.   So, Monday I ran out of fleece after making some new hats, so I ran out to the store and found the striped candy cane fabric and I had the idea to make a twirly skirt.  I've never really made skirts before, since I have a boy.  I guess I tried to make a tutu skirt for my niece Lila, it isn't so much a tutu as a ballet wrap.  I didn't even think about gathering last time.  I'm not sure why these skirts became so important.  I guess I was ready to learn something new, and run with it.  I had the idea of little girls going out to sing Christmas Carols or Sit on Santa's lap. 

I love the movie All I Want for Christmas. For anyone not familiar with the movie is stars a little Thora Birch, she is such a lady, I envision this as she walks to Macy's to see Santa in her Patton leather shoes.  Well,  I absolutely love this selection.  That paired with Santa's Little Helper Costume, with Matching Santa Sack.

I love using our Santa Sack.  We travel from Connecticut to Maine to Iowa every Christmas and I always end up misplacing a present.  A few years ago I discovered a ripstop Santa sack for a dollar.  It was great!  It didn't last very long.  So I had the idea, so last year as I wrapped presents I threw them into the appropriate Families sack and no need to remember so I forgot about them.  When it was time to leave, we threw the sack in the backseat and drove away.  It's going to be fun this year, now that the kids in the family are a bit older, having the Santa Sack Magically appear under the tree on Christmas Morning.  Just like Santa left it for them.

So, I started with a drop waist Red Tutu, that turned into a Santa Costume.  Then I had the urge to make an Elf Costume.  So I made this reversible green with White polka dot wrap skirt, with Tulle/ Cotton.  

 I still have a few ideas, but it's time to move onto filling some orders.  I have a lot of knitting ahead of me this season.  Let's just say I'm getting behind.  Oh well, I love these projects and I'm pretty sure my nieces will be getting one or two skirts for Christmas this year. 

Don't worry about Max, he'll have plenty of presents, however the urge to throw a skirt on him to take pictures on a live body is huge.  Well, I'll see my nieces in the next few weeks so updated photos coming soon!

Check Back!

So Much to Catch up with

Now that Christmas is over I'm safe to finally share all of the wonderful things I made! I had such good fun this year. I am enjoying taking this time at home with Max; he is such an inspiration to me. This year for Christmas I made everyone a little something homemade. My Mother In Law calls them Happy Hands at Home. Here is just a taste of what I made: Knitting Projects will have posts to come including patterns:

Knitting Fun:

Make a Place...Mat:

Fun With Names:

Use of Scraps:

I just can't resist any longer!

I'm in the middle of finishing my projects for Christmas. Somehow this week my list doubled. I'm just full of ideas this year, it is very refreshing. Well, I've now finished 6 out of 9 presents and the rest are in different states of completeness. But I can't share any of them; because someone who is getting a present might be kind enough to actually read this silly blog. But now I can share this: I have made bags this year, only using one roll of wrapping paper
for Specific Gifts. My grandmother has used bags for presents for as long as I can remember. I think it's a great way to reduce, reuse and recycle. Hooray!