I hunted religiously for a changing basket I loved and found it with this one from Design Dua. It’s so beautiful! It came with a little muslin liner with a zipper over some foam and of course, Baby J was like “I want to get my bodily fluids all over that thing!” I washed the liner and attempted to put it back on when I realized that it’s not really a liner meant for constantly taking on and off. So, I started to think of liners that I could make myself. After an unsuccessful attempt to find some cute oil cloth patterns to create a custom changing basket cover, I knew we had to get creative. I did some homework and came across a product that essentially allows you to laminate fabric. You take any woven cotton fabric and some iron-on vinyl, add some heat, and you’ve got a wipeable, easily cleanable material! We made a liner to fit perfectly into the changing basket in Jasper’s room and it’s made such a difference! Using this material has gotten my wheels turning. This isn’t even a sponsored post, folks! I’m just genuinely stoked! I’m thinking about making custom placemats and a sweet zipper pouch next! Anyone else ever used this miracle worker?

Continue to see how we turned Fabric into vinyl! 

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We shamelessly chose Craft the Rainbow as this month’s book club book. How could we not?! It’s a pretty great book if you ask me. The cherry on top? Illustrator and artist extraordinaire, Lisa Congdon created the printable book art! It’s amazing, no? “The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most” by John Ruskin. Words to live by! Lisa Congdon is also quoted in the pink chapter of the book so you’ll have to check it out!

Since the virtual book tour has come to a close, the launch party is over, and you can now all get your hands on a copy, we wanted to talk about some of our favorite projects within the book. Each of these projects has a story behind its creation and some of them make for great stories though at the time I wasn’t laughing so much. Ha! Turns out, the making of a book, especially 40 full crafts and scenes, is a lot of work and a lot of logistical organization so there were a few hiccups along the way. Let’s check them out!

Check out the sneak peaks of the book and download this month’s artwork!

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During my visits to the midwife and subsequent hospital and doctor visits, one thing that has surprised me is how much concern has been shown about my mental health. I didn’t know I would be asked so often how I’m doing mentally as well as physically and it really got me thinking about all the intense feelings that are associated with all the drastic changes that come with motherhood, some we never get to talk about because we’re supposed to be so blissed out about the birth of our baby. And we are! But it can often be shrouded with a gloom that we don’t expect, want, or know how to handle. In this age of social media where hearing about postpartum depression is becoming much more normal than ever before, it’s been wonderful to know that we can talk about what a subject that used to be considered sensitive. In fact, 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression–quite high–so we need to address it and treat it.

A few weeks ago I was privileged to sit down with an expert from Intermountain Healthcare, to talk about mental health and awareness for new moms. May is Mental Health month so it was the perfect opportunity to do so. Prior to giving birth, I had talked with a number of close friends about their experiences with postpartum depression and baby blues so I felt like I knew that it very well could be a possibility, even though I don’t have a history of depression myself nor does it run in my family. And that’s just it! You don’t have to have a history of depression in order to get postpartum depression. There are a number of other factors that can lead to it.

The more I had been prepped to address potential depression post-baby, the more questions I had, so talking with an expert was a genuine treat for me. I couldn’t help but flood her with questions. I feel incredibly lucky that I haven’t experienced it (yet?), but there have definitely moments since giving birth to Jasper where I can see how certain elements, if sustained, could contribute to a more permanent low period. I wanted to share some of the information I received in hopes that you might learn them yourself and share these resources with your friends. Intermountain Healthcare has some wonderful tips and information beneficial for new moms, but also just women in general.

Download the Mother’s Day Gift Card above and hear more about what’s helping me adjust to motherhood!

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Time has literally FLOWN by these past few weeks and I can’t believe we made it through! With all the preparation for Craft the Rainbow, we’ve been pretty busy around these parts. But it was worth every second! Last Thursday we celebrated with a Craft the Rainbow Launch Party and it was so wonderful to see your excitement about the book! Because I know many of you were not able to attend (but totally should have flown out! ;), I wanted to share all the details from the special night. Indulge me for just a bit longer.

Take a look at all the colorful details of the party!

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We’re always looking for new ways to wrap presents. A gift is just that much more special when it is delivered in a pretty package, no? So when we received all these beautiful ribbons from Studio Carta, we were overwhelmed with the possibilities! If you’re not familiar with Studio Carta, you should check out their web store and browse all their beautiful ribbons and scissors. Studio Carta was the provider of the beautiful gold scissors we offered as pre-order gifts with our book! Anyways, back to the ribbon. The color options are incredible and we really wanted to highlight the lovely shades. We wrapped the packages in a muted rainbow of paper and then assigned each one a variety of similar colored ribbons. We created a simple weaving pattern on each one and the end result was so lovely! No bows necessary here!

If you like their ribbons as much as we do, Studio Carta is also doing a giveaway starting today. With a minimum purchase of $95+ you’ll receive a copy of Craft the Rainbow while supplies last! So pop on over to enter and find some beautiful things! Their ribbons and scissors make perfect gifts and gift wrapping. Ideal for Mother’s Day which is just around the corner! The offer is only valid starting today and ending Friday, May 4th at Midnight Eastern time.

Ribbon Weaving Gift Wrapping

Materials: 

• Ribbons in various colors and widths. We used the 1/4″ tight weave, the 5/8″ tight weave, and the 1/2″ loose weave.
• Tape
• Scissors
• Covered packages to wrap with the ribbon

Instructions: 

1. Decide which ribbons you want to go with each package. We chose anywhere from 3 to 7 different ribbons for each package.
2. You’ll need two lengths of each ribbon for your weaving, one to fit all the way around the box lengthwise and the other widthwise. Cut all your ribbons accordingly.
3. First, wrap all the ribbons around the box going one direction and tape in place on the bottom of the package.
4. Now you’ll move onto the ribbons going perpendicular to the previous set.
5. With the first ribbon, tape to the bottom of the box and wrap around.
6. When you come to the top, weave the ribbons under and over the ribbons you’ve already set. Just follow the pattern: over, under, over, etc..
7. Repeat this process with the next ribbon, but starting under instead of over: under, over, under, etc..
8. Once you’ve complete the weaving, tape the ribbon ends to the bottom of the package like the others.

Photography by Jane Merritt | Designs by Rebecca Hansen | Ribbons from Studio Carta