Artsy-Fartsy Mama Quiet Flip Book: Tutorial Featured

One of my very favorite blogs (and bloggers) is Lindsay over at Artsy-Fartsy Mama.  She is very talented and I enjoy spending time at her blog.  There is so much there to be inspired by!

Last summer, she introduced this fantastic little project she had just finished.  I fell in love completely and instantly!  I knew (with every ounce of my soul) that I wanted to make one too.  I e-mailed her and asked her if she would be willing to send me a copy of the pictures she used.  She is such a talented designer, I knew I wouldn't be able to find something else I loved as much.

She was kind enough to write me back and tell me she was working on a pattern.  YIPPEE!  So, I waited patiently for the pattern (which is now on sale for $10 on her blog) and bought it as soon as I could.

It is a great pattern.  I had absolutely no problem following it.

Here's my cover:

I love embroidery, so this project was perfect for me!  

Here is a sampling of some of my pages:

Fun, right?  

I followed her pattern pretty exactly without changing much.  I may have changed a color here and there, but then I got nervous and went back to the pattern.  =)

I have never tried the coloring technique before, but I think it turned out great!  Seriously, I loved this project.  

(Can you tell?)

So, head on over to Artsy-Fartsy Mama and enjoy the inspiration available!

Thanks, Lindsay!

Magnetic Activity Book

Ok.  I know, I know, I just posted a project.

But, seriously, I've been so excited to get these finished and show you that I'm just not going to wait.  =)

Here are my sheets of steel from Mindy Mae's Market all laid out and shiny.

Don't they just give you tingles?

Here is another project I used them for:

This is an idea that has been in my head for a long, long, long time. Really long.

I just couldn't quite figure out how I wanted to do it.  I'm still not sure if this is what I wanted, so there may be some tweaking later on, but for now, this is what we've got.

It's a book.

It looks pretty ordinary, right? 

Except you can't really tell that the green closure flap there, is magnetic.  woo!

Now, if you open it, this is your first glance...

Keep opening, though.  There's more.  (And this is where it gets really exciting!)

It is an activity book!

There is a big pocket to hold big things and, of course, the fancy magnetic page.

That's where the action would happen.

Then, of course, 4 smaller pockets to hold even more magnetic fun!

Here now, is where I need some advice.  I am trying to figure out what activities to fill those beautiful pockets with. 

I've already started working on some magnetic paper dolls (which are awesome, by the way...keep watching for that post!), but what else might a 3 (almost 4)-year-old and 2-year old enjoy? 

What would you do?

Thanks, friends!

P.S. This is also being linked up at Embracing Messy.

I'll be linking up with my normals as well!

Quiet Book: Make a Face

I saved my favorite page for last.

Here is the cover.

Ooooh!  Doesn't that just invite fun?

Open it up and this is inside:

Three pockets and a blank face.

The face has magnets sewn in where the eyes, nose, mouth, hair and ears would be.

There is a big pocket on the top of the pocket page for hair and other items...

...and the three smaller pockets are for eyes, noses, and mouths.

Here is what can be found in the pockets.

Put them together and all sorts of fun ensues!

Here is a sampling:

As with all of the others, this one is made to stand alone or it can be hooked up with all the others.  

And, yes, there is a space for ears that is yet to be utilized.  I'll get on that.  =)

I've got many more ideas for quiet book pages and I'm really excited to start making some more.  Do you have any ideas you are working on or that you might like to see me attempt?

Page 1: Dot to Dot

Page 2: Fabric Chain

Page 3: Matching

Page 4: Marble Maze

Linking up!

Quiet Book: Marble Maze

Page 4 of the quiet book is another simple one.

I was running out of time, so I threw together the most simple ones I had.  =)

It's a maze.

I sewed a marble in between the fabric and into a maze.

I kept the mazes very simple since my daughters are only 3 and 1.

And also because that was easier.

This one was going to be more complex, but the first time I did it I didn't measure right.

The poor marble got stuck.  So, this maze was bigger and much simpler.

But, I think this page has a lot of potential for fun and I will definitely be trying again.

Page 1: Dot to Dot

Page 2: Fabric Chains

Page 3: Matching

Linking up!

Quiet Book: Matching

Page 3 of the quiet book is a very simple page.

Easy peasy matching.

Each shape has a matching buddy...

Except that poor purple circle whose matching buddy was lost at the airport.  

Once again, everything connects with little tiny magnets.

(which I found at amazon.com, by the way)

The matching pieces are sewn to coordinating pieces of felt.

Simple.

This has by far been L's favorite page.  She is barely 22 months old, so it is right up her alley!

See page 1 here and page 2 here!

Linking up with these happy parties!

Quiet Book: Fabric Chain

Page 2 of the quiet book starts here.

Inside is a pocket and two permanent links.

They are sewn into place.

In the pocket are the strips for the chain.  Each end has Velcro on it.

The idea is to build a chain...

Pretty simple, really.  

This one took some time for my girls to figure out.  They were more interested in making the strips bracelets or using the Velcro to attach the strips together to form necklaces or headbands or crowns.  They figured out the chain thing on Sunday and it kept them happily occupied (together!) for a good 45 minutes.  Beautiful!

*To see page 1, click here.

Linking up with the usual parties!

Quiet Book: Dot-to-Dot or Let's Get Back to Crafting!

Don't forget to sign up for my birthday giveaway!  It ends tomorrow night!

I am on vacation.

I love vacation.

I am spending time with my family, hanging out in my parent's super perfect yard, letting my girls run barefoot in the grass, reading, crafting (or at least planning to), talking for hours with my mom (which explains why I've only planned my crafts), playing with my nieces and nephew, napping whenever I want to, not working.

It's wonderful.

But, I digress.


To get here, I flew.  Me and my two girls.  Alone.

I was a little nervous about the whole thing.  So, I decided that the best defense would be to be well prepared.  I knew right away that I wanted to make a quiet/activity book.

I have had so much fun making this!  Seriously, I'm addicted.  (And, between you and me, I've been playing with the idea of selling these pages...let me know what you think!)

I managed to finish 5 pages before we left, but I have many more ideas running around in my head (and on my Pinterest page).

So, enough talk.  Let me show you the first page.

I made each page so that it could stand alone.

It has the eyelets on the side so that I can tie them together with ribbon or using ring clips.
This way, I don't have fighting over the book.  *essential*

Here is what it looks like inside:

It is a dot-to-dot!

Each dot is a different color and the string has matching dots.  (I was going to sew numbers on the string of dots, but my girls are young and still learning to match colors.  Numbers are just not necessary at this point.)

The best part is, the dots are magnetic!  

There are teeny tiny (but super strong) magnets sewn into the dots on the page and the dots on the string.

I had so much fun making this page!  And, honestly, I have spent a lot of time playing with it.  It's kind of thrilling to put the string close and have the dots snap together...almost like magic!

Page 2, Fabric Chain

Page 3, Matching

Page 4, Marble Maze

Page 5, Make a Face  



(I'm linking this up with my usual linky parties!)