Busy Weekend

Note:  Emily is posting up a storm and I am trying to keep up.  Isn't there any other new years resolution relating to blogging in the bunch?

I've been wanting to make a quiet book (sometimes called a busy book) for sometime now.  Originally I was looking on Pinterest for bag and backpack ideas for the Family Reunion this summer (don't worry, Emily asked for my help in that department... I'm not just taking it upon myself) but found all these really cute ideas for felt quiet books.

So after I finally got all the crocheting I needed done for a bit (can't blog about that until it reaches the recipients... well, after I send it), this weekend I wandered around Joanns and came back with an armful of random felt, fusing, snaps and clasps.

As soon as I got home I pulled out some tins,

the glue gun, paper, beads, buttons, magnet roll, and made these.

Little board games in tins!  I found this idea on a blog I found on Pinterest.  It's not like I have a couple tins or anything.

The bag from Joanns (a reusable one no less) still sits on my kitchen table.

Originally this middle one started out as just a checkers board but I remembered we used to play checkers with the pawns in a chess set so I made them look like pawns.

I wove strips of paper together and then glued it down with some old tacky glue around the edges.  (Note to self: don't use old gloopy glue and expect the tiny squares of magnet to be able to work very well through all the layers.)

Then I got all excited about making a castle (rook) and from there a full set.  Too bad the rest of them weren't quite as fun... except maybe the bishop.  This is the picture I sent to Aaron and Emily in case they had better ideas. See the cute castles?

Aaron helped a lot with the knight.  I'd try to take more close up pictures but there is no way my camera can focus that close.

Then I made a boring tic-tac-toe one.  You'd think I would have mixed it up with the paper color...

I found this tin and thought it looked just like the marble game Grandma used to have at her house.

Apparently it's called marble solitaire.  I couldn't think of any more boardgame ideas so I looked on line but by then my interest had wained.  So no Chinese checkers one... yet.  Truth be told I don't think I have a good tin for it as they are all rectangles or the sides are too deep.  I did think of using both the tin and the lid with the hinges in the middle of the board but thought that might be annoying.  Any other ideas or thoughts?  I've thought about doing more of the same (now that I know to just stick with checkers) and giving them away but I'm not sure I can part with my tins. :)

Then I cleaned up the mess Sunday evening, and started sewing... on a practice messenger bag.

The quiet book will come eventually, I just gotta strike when the irons hot.  What's the fun of creating unless your excited about it?  And right now I'm excited about bags/backpacks, i.e. the family reunion.   And the quiet book feels a little daunting.  Nothing like a little procrastination!