"...Your gonna need a bigger boat"

So some friends of mine wanted to learn how to make french memo boards. So we had a craft party so I could teach them how.  I didn't really need another board, but I had this really crazy idea for another one so I gathered my supplies.  One of my favorite movies of all time is JAWS.  I've been watching it since I was little, little.  So I decided to make a board to pay homage to it.  The party was last Saturday and we all came with different fabrics and such.  I was excited to see what everyone was going to bring.  Of course they were all different, and fit the maker perfectly. Well we got started but I was only able to get as far as getting the bating and fabric on.  I was having trouble... I decided that instead of ribbon I wanted to use fisherman's rope.  Yeah, ropes a bit harder to staple on then ribbon. So I just decided to save it for when I could really focus on a solution.  I think it actually worked out better because I could help anyone who needed it. The party was so much fun! Of course I didn't think to take pictures... Sorry ladies.  Everyone's turned out awesome anyway!

So, back to my dilemma... I just left it sitting my car until today.  I went to my parent's house, like every Tuesday and Wednesday. I got there and no one was home at the time.  So I decided to take another stab at getting that blasted rope to stay.  I think it must have been divine intervention!  The thought came to me to fray the rope at the points where it would be stapled.  Low and behold it was flat enough to staple!  YAY!  So I finish it.  This one was much more difficult than my first one, but I thought it turned out quite well considering.

As the embellishment over the crisscross points I was able to buy real fossilized shark teeth!

The rope is the fisherman's rope. Not expensive and looks exactly like I wanted it to.

The diamond patterns are not perfect but I think it looks like a well used fish net (magnified), so I think it actually adds to the over all look.  As for the fabric.  I wanted to find just the perfect design.  I LOVE this fabric.  I pretty much wasted the rest of the yard I bought because I wanted that dark spot right in the middle.  I think it looks very ominous and foreboding.  Who knows what lurking under there... (very JAWS-sque, I thought)

I was so happy to help everyone learn how to make them.  Super easy once you know how.  I was also glad to get mine how I wanted it to look, even though it was not on Saturday night.  JAWS is a wonderful movie, and this board inspired by it will be great to use as my summer time board. (Even though I've already got an invitation attached to it for a Christmas party... Shhh! Don't tell... :)

Hallowe...Christmas countdown blocks

So, I might be weird but I don't really like advent calendars (in regards to Christmas anyway).  I have tried to find a way of doing one that I liked that nothing was really working out.  I still wanted something to countdown to those exciting holidays.  I found something that I really liked (Pictured below)  and was going to make a set like it for Halloween.

When I went to Robert's to find the scrapbook paper for it, I couldn't find anything that I really liked. (They didn't have a very good selection of Halloween or even black and white for that matter.)  So, I decided to do a set for Christmas instead.  The plus, I decided, was that I could actually use them this year.  I didn't discover this project until October had already started. (In my brain that is just too late)  Can I just say that they are not hard to make once you have all the supplies. I tried to find somewhere to buy the blocks but was unsuccessful.  Luck was with me,  I guess, because my parent's fence post busted and they had to replace it.  The post they bought was almost a foot too tall so I was able to keep the part that was sawed off.  Then for the base my dad actually had a board that was the right size (2x6).

This is the end result.... 

I'm so excited to use them! I even watched Christmas movies while I made them.... I felt justified!  Houston says I can't use them until December 1st! He really tries to give every holiday it's due month. Since we've been married I have come be the same way.  I'm still planning on making Halloween ones, but I think this was a good start.