Lovin' these clothes pin flowers on a stick

These are made from this year's new Stampin Up In Colors. They are available 2011-2013

Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder

etsy listing

And these were the new colors last year. Available until 2012.

Blushing Bride, Concord Crush, Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait, Poppy Parade

etsy listing

Made this today

and I sewed it! Be afraid, be very afraid.

I've been seeing so many different designs of banners and bunting on etsy, that I decided to see what I could whip up on my own. It was just plain burlap with a matching "ribbon" along the top. But, then, typical of my love for all things paper related, I added the black, red and ivory scalloped circles along the top. I'm thinking it needs letters of some kind along the triangles, and of course, I was thinking "LOVE", but then thoughts I'd wait and see if anything else inspired me. And, now that I know I can actually do it, I might make a longer one that says something else - welcome, is another that is coming to mind.

Thoughts? 

Teacher Gifts - First Day of School

You may recall last year's post, Teacher Bribes, when I shared my cute teacher gifts for the first day of school. It's no secret that I want to give my kids every advantage and will even resort to bribing, if necessary.

I think I might have outdone myself this year. It's a combination of a few things I have seen here and there, plus a few projects I want to add to my shop, so without further ado. . .I present the 2011-2012 First Day of School Teacher Gifts

And, yes, I am missing one. . .but Mason's teacher is a man (yikes) and I'm just not sure I'm feelin' a crafty gift for him. Thoughts? 

Etsy Greetings Team - Challenge

Love this website - http://katieswish.blogspot.com/


She offers free digital downloads (my NEW favorite thing! who knew it was so easy?), and also has digital scrapbook paper for sale in her etsy shop. 


One of her designs was the winner of the etsy greetings team June challenge. We all have to create and submit an original card using this paper design. 


http://www.etsy.com/listing/74722723/buy-one-get-one-free-sale-the-lake


Here is the card I made 

And then I also made this cutie-pie mini bird house. {Apparently, bird houses are H-O-T right now because there are tons of them in ALL of the craft stores right now.} I had picked some up at Michael's months ago, not knowing what I was going to do with them, but something about this paper said "put me on a birdhouse." LOVE this cobalt blue color. 

Handmade Christmas Gift

This is probably my favorite handmade Christmas gift to date. Using my dad's 65+ year old recipe, we (all) made tomato soup when he was here recently. I just made and added a cute handmade tag and gave to the kids' teachers as Christmas gifts. 

Here is a little simpler gift for the cafeteria workers at their school. 

I cut vinyl with the cricut and gave these candles to the office staff at the school. 

Here is how they looked all wrapped up. Handmade tag using 2 Stampin Up punches. 

Mom's Tea Fundraiser

Every year my mom sponsors a table at her church fundraiser, a Christmas Tea, benefitting the Women's Ministry. These are little Christmas presents containing Hershey's Nuggets (3 per box) that will stack on a sleigh. Each "nugget box" was handmade from a pattern I got here - http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/project-instructions-f142/nugget-boxes-all-sizes-t190469.html (special  thanks to "compulsive geek" cdjkssss)

Possible Halloween treat

Me and Tillie are home alone so we decided to play around with some designs for Halloween candy. It's so great working with her because everything "is so cool, oh, so pretty." Great confidence boost (never mind she's 5).

I couldn't resist gluing on real googley eyes! 

Follow up note added 10/31/10: this was a project FAIL! The thing would not stay stuck together along the bottom seam, even though I used sticky strip! I also squeezed it in the vice for 5 minutes, crimping the bottom, but it still would not stay stuck! 

Teacher Bribes, er. . .Gifts

If you've followed me for a while, you will remember that I made some "First Day of School" gifts for the teachers last year. This year, I came across this adorable blog I have been following and copied the idea from there. Click to see the original.

I made this last night

The girls' had totally shredded the lampshade in their room - so I bought a plain white cheapie one at Target and made it into this.

They were super-excited. 

Love One Another

While I was in Ohio, I did my first "custom install" of wall words. A friend from High School saw one of my facebook pictures and asked me to make something similar for her new home.

This is the finished product.

This is the greatest picture I have ever taken, either. Of course I forgot my camera at my mom's and took this with my iPhone. I think you can get the idea, at least. 

Another Invite

Here's a custom made "Save the Date" Birthday Party Invitation. Really love the flip-flop!

Elmo Invite

Madox's Birthday Invite 

Printed text 4-up (2 sided) on 8 1/2 x 11 on Only Orange card stock; then used Sesame Street Cricut Cartridge to make Elmo and number 4. Added google eyes (so cute). 

Tiny Craft Fair Update

I'll just say that "it didn't suck". I heard that saying somewhere and think it totally applies here. I covered the cost of my booth space and made a small profit (really small, as in $12). Hey, every little bit helps, right.

Craft Fair Set Up

Next Saturday, April 24, I am participating in my first craft fair as a vendor. I have been stressing and worrying about it for the last 2 months. Well, today, I finally got all of my stuff together and did a mock set up; a "dry run", if you will. I measured off my work table and set everything out just as I hope to for the actual event. Mark helped (of course) make some of the displays - my fave being the dowel rods and clothes pin card holders (in the clay pots).

Let me know what you think; please leave a comment with suggestions for improvements. I hope to hear from those of you that have done these kinds of events before. Thanks.

This is a wire "tree" and I just squeezed the cards into the holders. Got it at Hobby Lobby for half off. 

Easel on the right holding scrapbook pages. New "LOVE" paper mache home decor. 

This is a pretty awful shot because of all of my stuff in the background, but I am including it to show the height, especially in the back. 

Looking to the left. 

Looking to the right. 

Lingerie Shower

One our fave babysitters is now a grad student in South Carolina and is hosting a Lingerie Shower for her soon-to-be-married roommate. These are the note cards I designed for her to give her room mate. I used the Sweethearts Cricut cartridge and then layered some SU DSP behind the cutouts. The finished size is a 4 1/4 square. The envelopes are also completely hand made. What fun. I hope she enjoys them. 

100th Facebook Fan

Last week, I got super-excited when I got close to 100 Facebook fans so I decided to do a little give away to the 100th person to become a fan. That person was Reva Skie (don't know her) and this is the Monogrammed Note Card set chose.

Maybe I should do a giveaway for my blog followers, too? 

In other news, my parents were here for Spring Break. The weather was barely decent at best, although my mom did manage to find a way to sunburn herself. Kids are back at school today. We have all been passing  around a lovely stomach virus. . .3 of the kids have thrown up in my car in the past month, and the parents seem to suffer it in the entire digestive system. I'm ok as long as I don't eat, which being the 3rd or 4th day of this is starting to wear on me. 

I have about 10 journals in various stages of completion just waiting to be revealed; hope to post those later this week. Some really cute new papers! 

My Star

Star shaped mini scrapbook, altered chipboard album for a little boy.

Feeling Crafty & Optimistic

I went "stampin' & scrappin'" all day yesterday, which means I got to hang out with girls friends and make cards or other fun stuff all day long. I worked on a few etsy orders (yeah) and then did some journals. Anyway, since I packed 4 totes of supplies to take for yesterday, today is going to be a massive unloading and reorganizing event. While I was unloading my Cricut, I got inspired to make this. It's an old reed diffuser that I got in a 2-pack but didn't open so I decided to vinyl it. I discovered too that if you use the transfer paper, it's 100 times easier to get the vinyl off the backing and onto the glass. 

Who Knew?! 

Better Late Than Never

I finally finished a project! I started working on the "LOVE" letters way back in the beginning of January with the intention of having them listed on Etsy far in advance of the Valentine's Day rush. {Remember, one of my 2010 goals was to be better prepared for gift-giving holidays.}

However, after my Google Adwords debacle and my near bankrupt business after it, I pretty much lost all of my creative "mojo." I'd sit and try to make something, but nothing. I'd find tons of other junk to do so I didn't have time to create (I may have mentioned my recent complete reorganization of all of our paperwork). I even lamented to my mom who basically said "get over it."

Now, back to the letters. I'd try to work on them, then put them aside, work on them a little more and put them aside again. I totally wasn't "feeling" them at all. A few weeks ago, I even went so far as to put them away in a tote out of my sight to help alleviate my guilt that they were not getting listed.

I pulled them out today and something came to me. . .I was inspired by the vinyl wall art I finally applied yesterday. This is the finished project. It is permanently attached to my wall and therefore not going on etsy. Oh well.  At least I like it.

What do you think? 

Details for those that are crafty and/or interested: Letters are from Michael's and are covered with some SU designer series paper that retired last year. I didn't have enough paper to cover each one with it's own sheet of paper, so I patch worked it. Ribbon 5/8 inch grosgrain in Riding Hood Red (retired), Pink Pirouette (retired) and Chocolate Chip. I also inked the edges with a finger dauber using Riding Hood Red. Die cut letters are textured Chocolate Chip card stock (SU) using Cricut's Storybook and Plantin Schoolbook cartridges. 

Creative Women Creating

Where Women Create

Sounds like heaven - a magazine dedicated to showcasing the work spaces of creative women designers. Craft rooms and studios, filled wall to wall with the essential pieces of their trades, and a magazine that brings it all to me in full color! Yippee.