My latest creations

Once upon a time, I started a blog with the purpose of tracking my progress as a crafter. Recently, this blog has become about everything BUT crafting it seems. Not that that's a bad thing. Crafting is a big part of my life, but it's obviously not the only thing of importance. I thought I would bring my original intention back to the surface this year, though, beginning with a post showcasing two of my latest gift creations.

My nieces are 2 and 4, the prime ages for beginning crafts. For Christmas, I wanted to give each of them a portable space of their own to draw, color, etc. I found these blank, plastic lap desks at Michaels and personalized them using stencils and paint markers. My sister-in-law pointed out that they are also handy for when the girls want to "picnic" in front of a movie.

My most recent gift creation is for a close friend of mine whose birthday is next week. Deciding to combine scrapbooking with home decor, I made her a memory clock. When I couldn't find a clock kit to alter, I braved the idea of putting a clock together myself. It was actually quite easy to do. After altering the wooden base, which already had a precut hole for the clock mechanism, I bought an all-in-one movements kit so that all I had to do was follow the simple directions on the back of the package to snap everything together. Insert a battery, and voila! I see a few more clocks in my future, maybe even one that I keep for my scrap studio.

Here's to a lot more crafting in 2009!