After a manic match of mayhem on the roller derby track, it's nice to come home to some awesome pain and stress relief. As a gift, I made these therapeutic rice bags for my boyfriend's sister, Mistress Miter Saw, a sassy and spunky member of the Fox Cityz Foxz and reigning British World Champion of Pillow Fights. When she's not kicking butt, she's kicking back and using these punkified rice bags to relax those derby-inspired aches and pains away.

Using the same modified pattern I borrowed from Sew, Mama, Sew for the October 2nd, 2009 post Crafting for a Cause: Cool Rice Therapy Bags, I opted rocker chic fabric for this rocker chick and incorporated punk princess pink accents. (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Alert: Notice the scraps from the quilt I made last summer!) I also made a matching soothing eye mask using a soft pink fleece liner whip-stitched with pink embroidery floss. You can find a template pattern for such an eye mask here.

Whether you're recovering from a day of body slams and elbow jabs on the fierce derby track, or you're just struggling with the everyday aches and pains of a life on the go, these therapeutic rice bags offer soothing comfort and make a great gift for the roller derby princess in your life!

Check out the Women's Flat Track Derby Association on how you can locate, join, or support a local derby in your area!

A Gift for Grandma

To celebrate my Grandmother's blessed 80th Birthday, I embarked on a grand adventure, fraught with frustrations, perilous pin pokes, and broken sewing machine needles - but ultimately made of love and filled with joy and fond memories. I made my grandma a memory quilt - my very first attempt at quilt making EVER!You can see the charming results above. I collected baby pictures of her children and their spouses, grandchildren and their spouses, and great grand child. After scanning the photos into the computer, I chose to colorize all of the photos in a black and white scheme to compliment the fabrics I chose. White Pima Cotton and Black Cona Cotton accent the white-on-black & black-on-white Moda filigree fabrics bordering each of the family photos.

Over 50 years of my Grandmother's greatest treasures and accomplishments (her family!) are pictured on this memory quilt. And in memory of my late Grandfather, I hand-made appliques of baby red cardinals for family members I didn't have photos for. Crafted from felt, I hand stitched embroidery floss accents and outlines on each gentle birdy. To amplify the black, white, and red color scheme, I added a red satin border on the outer edge of the photograph panels to complement the cardinals.

After 4 months of sewing, ironing, and embroidering, the results may not have been sheer perfection, but sure joy was created in celebrating the wonderful life of my grandmother!

Get Lost!: In the City

Great architecture and classic design share a distinctly unique relationship. They can play off of each other, influence each other, and inspire each other much to our aesthetic pleasure. For the cost of a bus fare, metro ride, or parking meter, you too can enjoy the hidden beauty which lies in any urban setting. Grab your camera and capture your favorite shapes, patterns, architectural elements, and design motifs. Challenge yourself to be inspired by them for your next craft project. Or better yet, take some artsy photos, blow them up and have them framed. Give them away as housewarming gifts to new neighbors or present them to old friends that move away so that they may have a lasting memory to cherish and admire.

Check out some of the shots I collected on a recent trek into the urban jungle!

If You're Going to San Francisco...

We spent the weekend celebrating the nuptials of some very dear friends of mine. The ceremony was touching, the bride was beautiful, and reception was impeccable. And we finally had gorgeous summer weather! Yay!

To mark this exciting occasion for Mr. and Mrs. Love, I did what I do. I thought outside the box and came up with a creative wedding gift no one else was sure to copy. I bought the newlyweds a giftcard for their favorite restaurant, Chipotle. And knowing their honeymoon destination (San Francisco and Napa) ahead of time, I got the addresses to all the Chipotles in the San Francisco metropolitan area. How clever! They can share a honeymoon burrito on us!

As detailed oriented as I am, I also designed a San Francisco themed card to enclose the giftcard. Using ribbon, I made a layered tri-fold card, featuring some of the most recognizable sights and landmarks of the San Fran area. Alcatraz, trolley cars, steep hills, and the Golden Gate bridge almost seem to come to life on this one of a kind card.

Craft Quick Fix: Body Scrub Party Favors

At the end of last month my younger sister hosted a small gathering of friends to celebrate her 21st birthday. I am a wonderful big sister and I contributed homemade party favors for her guests to take home and enjoy. I used an idea I found on MarthaStewart.com to make a scented body scrub that any girl will go ga-ga over now that it is flip-flop season again. Epsom salt provides gentle exfoliation while grape seed oil or olive oil moisturizes your skin to a smooth, touchable finish. You can even choose your favorite essential oil for a personalized fragrance. My boyfriend has even requested I try making a scrub for him in his favorite scent, pine-balsam! Check out the recipe here.

Packaging these favors are simply a breeze now that Ball Mason Jars have taken on a fun, contemporary design. Their new line, "Collection Elite", provides the perfect storage for all types of things. I used the small 8 oz. size for these gifts, but Ball Mason Jars also come in a larger 16 oz. Pint size. Their wide-mouth design and platinum lids are a stunning update from the Ball Mason Jars your grandma uses!

This project would lend itself to a number of uses: bridal showers, girls-night-out souvenirs, teacher appreciation gifts, brithday presents, etc. Design your own gift labels to suit your needs. Be creative and have fun with it.

And don't forget to make a little extra for you to use yourself!