Crafty Souvenirs

'Member when I headed to Ireland with my family?

 We brought back many fond memories,

but something we didn't bring back was a lot of kitschy souvenirs.

However, we did have a big ole bag of maps and pamphlets.

What to do?

Well, one thing I always make is a Christmas ornament for my kids.

And so when I saw this Pin on Pinterest...

...I though, woo hoo!

I used the die cut at work,

cut poster board for the center,

and chose pamphlets from the places the kids loved best.

The Glendeer Petting Zoo was for The Girl...

... and the Coach House for The Boy.

But there was still A LOT of maps and pamphlets left.

Then I realized, they would make terrific pennants!

So I got out my rotary cutter and ruler...

... cut them into pennant shapes....

... and strung them up to decorate my new guest room.

I love it!

So much more meaningful than a "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" beer mug.

Yer A Wizard, Infant

Shameless self-promotion time!

I have three new Harry Potter Gryffindor quilts in my shop,

all about 36" x 45".

Quilt number one:

Quilt number two:

Quilt number three (the one on the right):

I've also made three strings of Gryffindor bunting!

Wouldn't these quilts and bunting be perfect for a little Gryffindor?

"Who's a cute widdle wizard?  Who is?"

'Puff Pride!

I've just added some awesome Hogwarts house banners to my Etsy shop!

Now, which one should you buy?

For those brave at heart, whose daring, nerve and chivalry set them apart, 

Gryffindor!

Roar, wild Gryffindor lions!

For those who value intelligence, creativity, learning, and wit,

Ravenclaw!

Fly high, fierce Ravenclaw eagles!

For those who believe Slytherin will help you on your way to greatness,

Slytherin!

Slither on, crafty Slytherin snakes!

For those who value hard work, patience, justice, and loyalty,

Hufflepuff!

Uh... dig ... stripey...Hufflepuff badgers?

Yes, I made a Hufflepuff banner, too,
even though Hufflepuff is the butt of just about every House joke on the the internets.

Oh, sure, you'll get an occasional Chin Up, Hufflepuff! message:

But they are vastly outnumbered by another take on the "Canada of Houses" posts:

Even pop culture joins in, as with this Halloween scene from Modern Family:

Et tu, Phil? 
 Et tu?

I mean, I'm not kidding myself.
I'm a Hufflepuff, and this rings painfully true:

But we 'Puffs can claim some pretty illustrious alumni!

This guy was in Hufflepuff, before he got all sparkly and stalker-y!

(Oh, Cedric Diggory, your death was in the top five of those that ruined me!*)

And THE QUEEN, J.K Rowling herself,
has some kind words for Hufflepuff:

So, yeah.  'Puff Pride!

And we should remember these wise words:

So hoist your Hufflepuff banner with pride!

**********************************


* For the record, the Harry Potter deaths, in order of tears shed are:

5. Nymphadora Tonks 
4. Cedric Diggory
3. Severus Snape
2. Fred Weasley
1. Dobby the House Elf **






** And also for the record,
it has been more than five years since I read about Dobby's burial 
( "Here Lies Dobby, A Free Elf"! Ron taking off his shoes and putting them on Dobby!), 
and I still can't talk about it without crying.

Sniff!!  RIP Dobby!

Get Yer Abbey On!

Did you watch this show?

Despite its PBS pedigree,

Downton Abbey is the soapiest of soaps, 

a category of TV I gave up more than thirty years ago

when I realized that no one would ever be allowed to be happy

for more than a season or two.

How soapy is it?

Well in season one, this elegant, (seemingly) reserved British lady...

... killed this pillow-lipped character...

IN HER BED.

It's true!

Lady Mary, she of the demure little hats,

slept with the naughty Ambassador Pamuk and somehow 

killed 

him 

dead.

Like I said, 

SOAP CITY.

BUT!

While I may roll my eyes at the often-unbelievable shenanigans

of these Brits and their servants,

I will always come back for the FASHIONS!

Just look at these ladies!

I swoon!

And what about these wedding dresses?

I love those veils!

(And btw, I think the much-maligned Lady Edith on the right

actually looks better than her Mean Girl sister Lady Mary on the left.)

But it wasn't only the wedding finery that caught my eye;

there were also a few shots of how the village had prepared for Lady Mary's wedding:

So simple, but so pretty, right?

Bunting is evidently an English thing 

that has happily become more and more popular across the pond.

I dig it, so I decided to make some for my Etsy shop!

I did an earlier tutorial  for how to do these yourself,

but if you're interested in skipping the sewing machine

 I have both a listing for a single string and a listing for three strings in my shop.

What do you think Lady Mary?

She's excited.  I can tell.