Merry Christmas to Everyone.

A very Merry Christmas!
May all your homes have many blessings.
I guess I will write about what Christmas is, yes it about the birth of our Savior but is also about the wonderful things he did apon this earth and the one thing that really stands for me is the charity he had for all.
So I guess my Christmas wish this year is for more charity for everyone.
I mean chairty does have to be something done thats giantic but instead, something little or small.
I will give some examples of what I mean.....
Walk in the store smiling at all you meet
Ask someone how are they?
Wish someone a Merry Christmas
Donate food to a food bank
Make a treat for your neighbor
Pick a child's name off the Christmas tree in your bank, store etc and buy that child a gift.
Let someone go ahead of you in the line at the store
Wish the clerk in the store a Merry Christmas
Donate a bag of cat food or dog food to animals in a shelter, after all they need lots of love and chairty.
Open the door for someone
Have patienice standing in a long line, visit with the person in front or behinde you
Tell a family member how special they are, or a friend
Most of remember charity in your own home with family

Charity is just little things, but imagine how different things would be if all of us would just do these little things....
Imagine how just that little amount of charity might mean to someone else....
I know when we have true charity in hearts, we will be blessed in so many ways. And with this I say may your home be filled with all kinds of blessings, again....

My Rag Rugs

One of my favorite things to create are my Rag rugs or Braided rugs. My Aunt also taught me this fun way of making rugs. I like to use a 3/4 crochet hook the best, it make working with the fabric a little easier.

I usually look for sheets, cotton sheets mostly and I find these sheets in secondhand stores. What's nice about this its cost is little, and you can find a variety of designs in sheets. I usually look for king or queen size sheets, this makes a fair sized rag rug. But sometimes I will buy twin so to mix up the coloring of the rug. Some of the other nice things about using sheets is they are easy to spilt apart and tear into strips. I love to tear 2 inch strips if possbile, this makes a nice heavy rug.

I will tear the strips and knot them all together then roll the fabric into a ball just like yarn for easier handling.

Sometimes I will tear smaller strips when using heavier fabrics, such as wools, flannels, in the case of the rug I am now working on, I used larger strips with the purple flannel.

It will take me between 2-3 days working on one rug to complete it, the larger the rug the more time it will take to make it.

Oh yes, sometimes I will find secondhand fabric or buy discounted fabric and sometimes I cannot tear strips but have to cut the strips this is a little more time consuming but I often will get a neat contrast in the rugs.

I just use a basic crochet stitch to make each rug and each rug never comes out the same. I do not use patterns I just use my thinking cap when designing each rug. I like that each rug never comes out the same because thats what makes them so orignial. You can find all my rag rugs in http://www.franklyitskuteproductions.com

This is my store and the rugs are under crochet rag rugs.

Thank you!

Today is the first day I am able to be online! You all may know the Oregon coast and South west Washington was hit by wind, and flooding. The storm was quite amazing, I have not seen one like it since I have been living here on the coast for more than twenty years. There is still many without power and trying to clean up. But today is the day I wanted to say thank you too so many.
Thank you just does not seem enough... but THANK YOU!
First to our radio station who was the communication when all the cell phones and phones were not working! They still are keeping us updated and informed! They worked many long hours, thank you!
Thank you to that are police, fire departments, who helped so much! I have just heard stories of people being trapped by down trees and fire departments going in and cutting out people. Saving horses when barns have totally blown down, and working hard these past days, thank you! so much for all you have done!
THANK YOU Pacific Power, all those who traveled from different states and locally to help put power on for all of us! I know how hard you have worked, the endless hours,and are still working to help us it has been truly amazing. Thank you!!
Thank you goes out to all those who have helped each other! how amazing that is
Thank you to those who fed us and gave us somewhere warm to go!
Right now the work is still going on..
I thought so hard the past few days on to thank everyone and let everyone know and thus I though of this blog....
During the storm I was just amazed at how the winds could make this home seem like you were riding on a bumpy train ride. I have heard that some of the gusts were 120 miles an hour during the storm and it was hurricane wind for hours. I have heard so many amazing stories...
But for now I thinks its most important just to say THANK YOU to all those who have and are still working so very hard..
THANK YOU!

Corrections to the Fudge recipe and the angel free project.

There were some mistakes made in the recipe for the fudge but I have now corrected it. I have also added a little more detail in the information for the free angel project.
Thats sometimes how it goes when one gets in to big of a hurry! Shame on me...
Today I finished up some more little Christmas ornaments and there will be a set of 3 in my store for sale with instructions to make your own!
I am working on a new fabric bowl that will have some cute farm animals added to the fabric bowl! These little farm animals are just round as round...
My sale in the store ends tomorrow! It is the last day to get 20% off on all my handcrafted items. So just stop by for a peek.

Paper and Foam Angel Free Craft Project

This is a simple project...
What you will need:
Pink craft foam
light weight card board, one small board will do.
wiggle eyes
wire ribbon
cotton floss the color can be your choice
crafting paper, scrape book paper
stain ribbon
crafting wire
candy cane, or some little thing to put in the angels hand
glue
hot glue gun
hole punch
First cut out a small shape for the angels body on the cardboard like the picture below..


Next trace this design onto the paper you have chosen and also cut out one wing from the cardboard. One wing will be stiffer than the other when you glue the paper onto the cardboard.



Now cut the arms, legs and head from craft foam... you can do this either freehand or design how you want the hands legs to look on a scrape of paper.


Glue the body to the cardboard, glue eyes, arms legs hair, to make the hair tie serveral strands together and trim the ends. Use a hot glue gun to glue.


So that it now looks like this BE SURE to glue the wings, legs behind the angel. Cut a small piece of paper to cover part of the arm and make it look like part of the dress.
Punch 2 holes....
With your hole punch in the back wing and at the back of the dress like this..

Now you are almost finished, just use some Christmas wire ribbon and stain ribbon and tie bows around the wire with the wire ribbon, and hot glue the stain bow under the chin of the angel so it looks like this when you are all finished.


It will make a cute addition to any Christmas tree and I am planing on having some sets of these in my store.

Christmas Sugar Rush White Fudge

Now things get busy...
and I have come up with a yummy sugar rush fudge for those days you might just find yourself drained.
In a sauce pan on medium/low heat,(correction) 1/2 cup not 3/4 cup melt butter or margin and 2 1/2 cups of sugar, mix until butter and sugar are melted add one large jar of Jet Puff Marshmallow creme, the 13 .oz jar. Now add one small bag of white chocolate chips, 2 cups of whole walnuts, 2 cups of coconut, mix again, until all is well blended, pour and spread in a 9x14 greased baking dish. Let cool and slice into small squares.
This recipe makes a whole lot of fudge, to keep or give to friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has many blessings this wonderful Thanksgiving. We will be busying traveling to famlies. My family first, then my husbands, thus this year we will be getting two wonderful meals, time with family and friends, a time to give and share.

I hope too that everyone's journeys are safe.

I just ended another Contest in my store and someone has won a stuffed plush animal, Blueberry a dog. They also get the pattern for it too. So a BIG CONGRAT to Tisha who was the winner.

Right now there is also a sale going at my store you can get 20% off on all items! until Nov 30th so take a peek http://www.franklyitskuteproductions.com

I finished a very cute 14 inch bear.

The bear is filled with fiber fill and his eyes are small black beads, the nose is brown cotton floss and he has a lovely cotton fabric bow tied around his neck. The bear is my own design, starting from a simple circle and enhancing the circle. There is a pattern for this darling bear so that you can also whip him up. I plan on making a few more of these sweet little bears for the holidays. This one would be better for an older child because of the bead eyes.
Have a wonderful Turkey day...

Creating Critters by freehand

In crafting my plush stuffed animals I will just brainstorm and idea onto fabric. That is I don't use any patterns I just start cutting fabric free hand. Yup that's right free hand, I think its easier than you can believe. If you remember to keep it simple, that means if you can cut a circle you can free hand make something. Take Sweet Tooth he was made by cutting circles.

I created the body by cutting round circles, the ears are circles, legs and arms are a long ovals. The head was made by cutting out half circles and sewing them together. What I love most just free hand cutting and designing my plush animals is I never know just how one might turn out. I started first using second hand fabric to teach myself or drawing out first the idea I might want. Another little trick I do is to take took the finished circle and turned or faced it with the seam showing I thought it added a little extra something, although sometimes I will not face the seam to the front but to the sides for another look. Looks like I will have to now design a pattern for Sweet Tooth, I have already added him to my store.

In fact I have been busy again creating here are some of the latest creating that are in my store Frankly It's Kute Productions.


This is Frostbite, She is a very cool cat and another one of my free hand creations. I hope you all will stop in at my store and take a look a closer look at all my new creations this week.





An Angel and a cute mat to sit any where for a center piece. The mat has pieces of chalkboard fabric sewn into the felt. I painted on the chalkboard.

What's up This week

Well it has been one of the busiest weeks for me, I have been creating some wonderful handmade crafts. Of course these crafts can be only found in my wonderful store Frankly It's Kute Prodcutions.
One of the newest items is a set of 3 sisters. That are cloth dolls and are 14 inches. I made them from some cotton robe fabric and filled them with fiber fill. Of course their dresses are all cotton fabrics. They came out so sweet looking.......


The dolls took about one week to finish up then it was not long until I was at it again. This time I got busy painting, but what to paint on. So I found a small chalk board and painted some snow drifts on it and they are thinking SNOW...
I used acrylics to paint the cute little picture.


The drifts are thinking of a happy Christmas time! I also made the chalkboard look a bit ragged with the green acrylic paint so that it has an older look. I have done this by applying the paint and wiping away the paint several times.

The next new item in my store is a Holiday fabric bowl. This time I used a wonderful bright Christmas felt to make the bowl. The felt was simple to work with and it made the bowl stiffer that just using a cotton fabric. The felt is a bright red with sparkles in it. I used a cotton cording and just wrapped cut strips of felt around the cording. You have to have time to sew slow so that you control the fabric and cording. I used a zig-zag stitch and green quilting thread.


This week has been a fun one getting ready and creating some wonderful handmade crafts for the Holidays. I have also created a few more items but I wanted to talk about some of my personal favorites and so I have. I hope you all will come and visit my store and take a look and I keep busying coming up with some more ideas!

My way of Quilting

I love to quilt, but I love to quilt with color and tons of imagination! I wanted to talk a little about the way I quilt, my wonderful Aunt taught me this form of applique quilting. I also call folk art quilting with color.
When I plan out one of my quilts I will first draw out my idea first on paper. Then I will begin choosing the colors for the quilt, sometimes I think of quilting as painting with paints.
What I love so much about this form of quilting is one does not have to be exact just creative and imaginative.



In most of my quilts I try to create a story of some kind, just as the quilt above, its about a crisp fall day and time to start the harvest. There is a small cabin or home, cats, chickens running around, pumpkins but most of all it's a beautiful clear day. In each quilt I create I also try to put all forms of fabrics in it and sometimes I will use fabric from shirts, pants, coats and whatever else I can find.

Sometimes I will use a washable pencil or maker to draw onto the fabric the ideas,I want to cut out, example a dog, cloud, house. Or I will use free hand and just cut the fabric until I like the shape I have.
There are times I will use interfacing, fabric softeners or fabric stiffener just depends on what the fabric might require to firm it up . A lot of times I just use nothing because I like the ragged look the quilt might get.

I always use cotton muslin as the backing and layout for the story I am creating. Next I place the cut out fabrics onto the muslin to see what the story will look like. I will use a dab of stick glue and just a large loose running stitch through, so that I can remove the thread when everything is placed onto the muslin, and ready to sew.
Once every piece is in place I choose the backing and batting, then I pin it on for sewing. I sew with all kinds of thread too, I love the quilting thread the best, I think it brings out the quilt and design.

This is where I have fun with my sewing machine! So many ways to stitch on the quilt. This is the funniest form of quilting and I thankful my Aunt taught me about it, there are so many ideas to come up with and so many stories, most of all the color is unlimited. You can find more of my quilts in my store www.franklyitskuteproductions.com




The quilt is one of my largest quilts.

Sharing a visit to the Talking Tombstones

One of my most favorite things to do during the Halloween time is go to the Talking Tombstones! The Astoria Historical society puts on the event and it is just wonderful! Its a great to learn about the past and the trials that people went through....
Its also a wonderful way to help preserve history and teach others. What happens is the Historical Society dress in costume and select an old grave site. Then they research certain people who have passed on. They find the history of the person, who they were, how they lived, why they came and more. The event is free and as I have said before its the most wonderful way to learn about the community, history, and about that person who brought about change or had something to do with what came to be...
In other words they become the voices of those that can no longer speak...
Here are some pictures of the day. The Judge telling us his tale...



This gentleman helped establish the church that is pictured in the back round. He also helped in the rights for women.

A very strong lady, and helped in establishing the church pictured above.


This wonderful lady traveled a great distance walking from Kentucky to Oregon and she even shot a 300 pound bear! with a shot gun.

This is a doctor being a doctor back then was way different than today, can you imagine waiting sometimes more than a year to be paid a $1.00 to be paid for services, or given a wheat, chickens, or whatever else people could give back then for treatment and services? This doctor did many things. There was so much to learn and find out and the Historical society and their helpers were so wonderful to put this on!

Happy Haunting Halloween

Happy Halloween! Just a few days till the big day!
So have a fun one but a safe one.....
I found a great site for ideas on decorating and here it is http://www.madhauscreative.com/Halloween%20projects.html There are some really cool ideas for Halloween.
Football comes to an end this weekend for us here on the coast, but the eigth grades boys are still undefeated, Hooray for them.

There is a SALE going on in my store http://www.franklyitskuteproductions.com/ Halloween items, 30% off and an extra 10% off when you check out! Or just get 10% off on all items, so its a great deal and it ends Monday!

It was a busy week with Homecoming, the dance, football games, and getting my yard in shape for the kids this Halloween! My daughter looked so pretty for the dance.

In crafting I am working on a wonderful set of dolls, 3 sisters and they are 18 inches, I have just finished the bodies, adding the hair and eyes. Now I am set on making their dresses. The bodies are from craft velour. I am also working on a wall hanging quilt that has some cute snowmen. But more is in the works.

Here is a Halloween treat idea!
Get some Keebler short bread cookies, the kind with the chocolate frosting, some chocolate frosting, and a orange decorative frosting tube, and some chocolate kisses.
Flip the short bread cookies over on the chocolate side add a bit of the frosting and place a kiss on. Now take the orange frosting and make a bow around the kiss.
You now have witch hats and this all comes from my wonderful Betty Cocker cookie recipe cook book!

The Butt Naked Doll

This is one of my most favorite creations, The Butt Naked doll you can find her at http://www.franklyitskuteproductions.com/

You can find the already made doll or purchase the pattern to created this doll yourself. I made her from flesh colored craft velour and added powdered blush for her checks. The dress is a plaid flannel. I love bright colors, bright colors say a whole lot, that's what I think. Her hair is an orange red and the eyes are green felt with white acrylic paint added. Her butt is a bit of soft sculpting ......

A sweet idea to add to those Batty Halloween treats

I did this one year for my kids and there Halloween parties at school, you can also use it for all those tricks and treats this Halloween.
What you will need: Either black card stock or black craft foam, glitter glue(blue), wiggle eyes, a small amount of red acrylic paint, a hole punch and some ribbon.

1: First draw out your bat, have fun designing a cute little bat. Cut out the bat and use the cut out to trace onto to craft foam. I personally like craft foam its more easy to work with.
2: Now with a hot glue gun, glue the wiggle eyes onto the black craft foam. If you are working with small children to do this project then use the tacky glue.
3: Now take some glitter glue and a sponge paint brush and apply the glitter glue all around the edges. Carefully brush the glitter glue towards the center. Add a dot of red acrylic paint to make nose
4: Once everything is dry then take the hole punch and punch 2 holes into the black craft foam. Finally glue a bow with ribbon under the chin of the bat and now add a small lollipop through the punched holes. Now you have a GREAT TREAT IDEA!