Craft Hope Project 12 - Bracelets

I posted earlier about the current Craft Hope projects going on. I've got the blankets and bracelets all packed up and ready to mail. Now all I have to do is head to the post office and mail them. Which, apparently, is a lot harder than it sounds. I have a small pile of packages I've been hoarding since forever. Looks like a couple of people will be getting their Christmas presents a smidge late.

The bracelets were a fun, easy project. When Mom and Shannon were in town visiting, we had a little Craft Night and made bracelets with the cute plastic beads Shannon brought along and Ashley taught me how to make friendship bracelets. I've been making bracelets all week.

Juniper even got in on the fun! She made some plastic bracelets with her new beads. I love that she's starting to be more interested in creative activities. She likes to sit on my lap while I sew, and she's gone through  a whole 'paint with water' book. Hopefully as she gets older I can help her develop a passion for service and she can learn to use her talents for great things.

There are 25 bracelets in the package so far, but I KNOW there are a bunch more hiding around my house.  I will probably find them all as soon as I get home from the post office... That's how it works, right? I guess if I do find more, I can always send another package to Craft Hope. They are collecting bracelets until June 15th.

Craft Hope Project 13 - Quilts

Craft Hope is probably my favorite thing. It's so nice to be able to do something meaningful with my creative talents. Right now they have two projects going on. They are collecting bracelets for orphans in Russia and blankets for tornado survivors. We have been having a little too much fun around here making bracelets of all sorts to send along. (I'll share photos before we mail them.) And since making a quilt was on my Birthday List, I figured this was the perfect time to go for it!

The first one I made I think I got a little overzealous... I did a zigzag pattern with some fat quarter fabric I've had in my stash for ages. It took me forever to figure out the pattern and get it all sewn together. But it's my first quilt ever! I was so excited as it came together. You can't tell in the photos, but I used colorful thread for the quilting so it gave it some color on the back.

The second quilt went WAY faster. Probably because I kept it extremely simple. I found the robot fabric in the remnants bin at Walmart. I LOVE this quilt. It has so many mistakes in it... but I think some little boy somewhere is really going to like it.

Thanks honey for helping me take photos! I've learned that blankets are HARD to photograph!

Juniper really liked the blankets. I guess next I'll have to make some for her and Flynn!

Craft Hope

Sometimes I wonder if donating money to a specific charity really does as much good as you hope. Sometimes I just wish I could be more "hands on" with my charitable efforts. And today I found a fantastic cause that is just what I was looking for, without even knowing that I was looking for anything! (I love blog-hopping)

I found this site today and I really, really like the concept. They start up a project, and then people from all over the world help by donating their handmade goods to the cause. Right now they are collecting bean bags for the Liberia Orphan Education Project (LOEP). So head on over to the website to learn more. If you can sew, maybe you can help out too.