The Menagerie of Craftiness

Wool Eater Update

2012-02-15T11:48:00.001-08:00

Just thought I’d drop a quick update on the wool eater that is certainly getting much larger [scroll down to see it in progress before now]. About 4 more rounds [I think!] and it will be complete!

Next pics will be when it is complete…each round is taking more and more time,,,so it still might be a few weeks!

A Baker I Am Not

2012-02-11T21:44:00.001-08:00

I had tossed the idea of making cake pops for my daughter’s school around and around and around…Just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Those things are a TON of work! But seeing how this is her first Valentine’s Day in “real” school, I wanted to do something…especially since the ~~crazy~~ food rules being adopted in so many schools have not impacted us yet! So, instead of cake pops, I made marshmallow pops! 52 marshmallow pops…one for each student in the school [and NO, that’s not just in her class!].

Getting the pops ready…sticking the sticks in with some white chocolate “glue”

Dipping one in the pink chocolate…it’s a slow process. You have to let the excess chocolate drip off, all the while keeping things smooth. Then you have to let them set up a bit before decorating.

Close-up of one of the pops…I think it’s a little RETRO!

View of all the completed pops! So pretty and LOVEly!

And individually packed!

I sure hope she loves them! And I sure hope she remembers all these crazy things I do for her!

Baby Blanket

2012-02-11T21:29:00.001-08:00

I love the way this turned out…made lots of modification to the pattern. It’s quite large, much larger than a traditional baby blanket. This one will go well into childhood! I also was determined to get the stitch ratio right so that I could add the border using the star stitch. I just LOVE that one!

Now that this one is complete, I am back to working on the “wool eater.” It’s getting quite larger now. I will take photos soon and post an update.

Oh – And the ideas I have for my next afghan. I need extra hours in the day for all the things I would like to do!

More Little Cuties

2012-02-11T21:23:00.001-08:00

This amigurimi thing is a little addictive…it’s like instant gratification. When I need a break from a larger project [say the “wool eater”], I can whip up one of these in about a day depending on the amount of body parts.

Here’s Slimey – he’s a little slow, so be patient!

And here’s Stinker – he has been quite well behaved so far and hasn’t run us out of the room with his potential stench!

I am currently working on a bunny for Easter…I haven’t named her yet and she’s quite a bit larger than these two little friends [they are only about 4-5 inches tall]. I had to put her aside to finish up some of those larger projects and a cocoon for a photographer in Texas. Photos coming soon!

The Wool Eater

2012-01-21T18:46:00.001-08:00

I am also working on a “Wool Eater” blanket…this project will be ongoing for some time I am sure and will require A LOT of yarn. It is slowly getting bigger…I will try to post pictures as it grows.

Note to self: Don’t use photos taken with phone!!! But, as you can see, it’s started but has a long way to go!

Give a Hoot!

2012-01-21T18:35:00.001-08:00

Just a peek at something cute…a diversion…I worked on this week. I can’t take credit for the pattern. I snagged it on Ravelry – have you ever checked it out?? I could spend hours browsing the patterns and photos…so delicious!

Cute huh! I took it with me when I picked up my daughter from school. She was in love…so I spent last night making her one since this one is part of a weekend auction.

Here is her owl…

If you are a crocheter – here is the pattern. Hoot! Hoot!

Something New Challenge

2012-01-16T10:27:00.001-08:00

So…I am at it again. I have a little more free time on my hands lately due to unforeseen circumstances. And I have been getting my “crafty” on! I am entering the “Something New” challenge over at the Boutique Challenge Group. And, I will need votes to WIN!!! I attempted two new stitch patterns…some would classify them as difficult…but I think the extra work is worth it since the stitch patterns are so beautiful!

Here is the Broomstick Lace Hat & Scarf set:

And here is the Hairpin Lace Shawl…I am super proud of this one!!!

What do you think??? Both pieces will go to auction and eventually be listed on my Etsy site.

Happy 4th “Seussical” Birthday

2011-09-26T19:58:00.001-07:00

Finally….I am getting around to post the long awaited the 4th Birthday Party!

This year’s theme was “long” in the planning…down to every detail! I was determined not to be caught at the last minute with a 1000 things to do…so I started early! Very early! And, it was so worth it…at times, it felt like the end of July would never get here, but I was definitely ready!

And a very special thanks goes out to everyone that made this day possible! Thanks “Grannie Jo” for letting us use and abuse your house as we turned it upside down into a virtual “Seuss-land” and fill it with tons of little “Whos” and their parents! Also, a big thanks goes out to her husband Manuel for helping with the party day set-up! Thanks to Tommie for saving the day with the bags after the Oriental Trading flop! Thanks to Luciane & Janek for hosting Amelia for 24 hours the week before the party so that I could construct the cake that all the bakers told me was impossible. Thanks to Haydee Caskee Photography for photographing the day…I would have NO photos without her! I literally took no pictures…there was no time for me to pick up my camera! Here’s a link to her facebook page as well!!! Thanks to Cookies and Cream Party Rentals for making sure that the Cat in the Hat himself was a special guest at the party! A special thanks goes out to Little Darlings…a home-based children’s boutique, for providing us with Amelia’s adorable outfit! I literally had tears the day this precious little number arrived on our doorstep!! The generosity of strangers is truly amazing and Little Darlings proved that there are still good people in this world! More thanks go out to Cassie at Goldilocks Creations for the Thing 1 & Thing 2 shirts, to Christie of CJD-Custom Jewelry Designs for Amelia’s bracelet, to Marcella for lending me all her baking supplies because LORD knows I do not own those things myself, and to PurplePossom on Etsy for the CD Labels we used as part of the goody bag. And of course, I can’t leave out google! Without google, the brainstorming would have been so much slower…there are a wealth of ideas out there if you look. A lot of these ideas came from things already done by others…some of them where inspired by things I saw on other’s blogs…and some are truly my own…but I certainly can’t take credit for it all alone!! A huge thanks to Chris for enduring the months of prep that took over our tiny condo, for his endless work with the box cutter, for his late night runs to JoAnn’s for cake ingredients and various cake dyes and other supplies, and for his equal passion for the themed parties. I am forever grateful to every single one [and I am sure I missed someone…I’m sorry] of you for your love & support when you thought I was crazy, for your help when I really needed it, and for the generosity of everyone involved!

So here goes…

The morning of July 30th, Chris, Grandmomela, and I were out the door early to get Grannie Jo’s house turned into Seuss-land. Chris sat in the back of the Pilot with the very important task of “Cake Protector!” We made it to Grannie Jo’s house without any cake mishaps…and began the decorating make-over!

There were characters in the front yard….characters in the house…characters in the backyard! Chris and Manuel staked character after character and Truffula Tree after Truffula Tree into the ground. I hung banners and other décor, while Grandmomela set up the food tables, folded hats and covered boxes!

I went home, showered, changed into party wear [yes, we had special party wear] and headed back to Grannie Jo’s to finish last minute decorations and get the food set up! A huge thanks goes out to my friend Robyn for coming along with me to help. And, boy oh boy was she a huge help! Even after the party officially started, she kept the food platters full and the area nice and tidy! The guests started arriving right on time…Bring on Seuss!

The hat stand complete with props for the photo booth, Cat in the Hat hat with one of many books, hand-crafted centerpieces featuring characters from the many books by Dr. Seuss

Hats for everyone!

We had a pinwheel craft for the little “Whos” to make when they first arrived! This was Amelia’s choice…she really wanted pinwheels, so we ordered pinwheel kits from Oriental Trading!

Then, once everyone arrived, it was game time! We started with a relay race. The little “Whos” were split into two groups for the race [and lots of parent help made this game possible!!]. Each member of each team had to carry one of Horton’s clovers on a spoon to one end of the yard and back completely dressed in Cat in the Hat costumes. Once back at the starting point, the costume was shed by one “Who” and the next “Who” got dressed…repeat…repeat…repeat! It was a hoot…super adorable…and the kids had a blast!

What Seuss Party would be complete with “Pin the Heart on the Grinch”…because his heart grew three sizes that day!!! I forgot the blindfold…so we improvised and used the adult size hat and pulled it all the way down over the “Who’s” heads! It worked perfectly!

I had planned a third game, but decided to scrap it at the last minute. The “Whos” were having such a great time just playing, that we just decided to let them run and play! It was so much fun watching them!

Apparently Nick needed a feather boa to complete the look!

The food table was open during the entire party, but at about this time, I tried to get everyone to eat before our special guest arrived! In hindsight, I would have moved the food to a better location. I chose indoors due to the a/c, but it would have been easier to access outside on the bar.

All of the food was themed and named after some aspect of a Dr. Seuss book. Some were made up by us, while others came from ideas garnered from the months of stalking other Seuss Party ideas on the internet! Can’t take credit for everything! [wink]

After [ok, well during] the food hour, our special guest arrived! The Cat in the Hat himself was able to clear his calendar for a visit. We sent him and e-mail months in advance, but were not sure he would make it until the last minute [THANKS Aunt Candy!] He danced and entertained all the little “Whos”…gave out lots and lots of hugs! He even helped us sing Happy Birthday and cut the cake!

Amelia’s face when she first saw him, Dancing with the Cat, big hugs from the Cat

And now it’s time for cake! It only took 18 hours to make this cake and mere seconds to “kill” it!

Two layers gone…just like that! They layers of the cake were also dyed red and blue!

After cake, we gathered all the little “Whos” for the piñata…and for the 2nd year in a row, the darn thing would not break and one of the dad’s came to the rescue and ripped it open so the mayhem could begin!

Handing out the pull-strings, FAIL!, Elier to the rescue!

Before the Cat in the Hat had to leave, we gathered the little “Whos” one last time for a group photo with the Cat. It’s darn hard to get that many little “Whos” to all look at the camera and smile at the same time! So many outtakes…hilarious!

Somehow, there are “Whos” missing from this photo! Don’t know how that happened! But I do have to point out how much I love that Amelia and EJ are holding hands. That’s two years in row!!!

The Cat in the Hat has to leave shortly after this little photo shoot…we sent him with a huge plate of “cat” food, cold bottles of water, and some cake. We were certain he was hungry and very thirsty after all that dancing! Once he left, we handed out prizes for the remaining games that had been going on throughout the party, had one more craft, and handed out the goody bags the goody bags!

We had two candy estimation jars…see that adorable little book??? The very talented Karisa Hess of Left Circles Scrapbooking sent that to Amelia for her birthday! It is so stinkin’ cute inside and out!

The winners of the candy jars!

The winners of the “Wocket in my Pocket” game…about 200 little “Wockets” were hidden before the party inside and outside. The family who collected/found the most “Wockets” won a family prize.

I planned a photo booth complete with props and a backdrop! Everyone had a chance to get there photo taken. The photos were printed during the party so that the guests could use them to complete a frame craft! It was one of my favorite parts of the party!

Here are the photos that everyone used for their craft! You’ll have to click on the link to see the slideshow!!

Seuss Photo Booth

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

We had a great time…Everyone I spoke to after the party said they had a great time as well! And here’s the reason I love to plan these parties!!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl! I can’t believe you are already 4!!! We love you so very much!

Some More Seuss

2011-07-20T18:05:00.001-07:00

So, I have been obSeussed lately with all the party decorations and details. I am still crafting…but as of this coming Saturday, all crafting will be finished [done or not]…what doesn’t get done just won’t happen! Next week, the focus will change to the menu and making the cake and other treats!

Here’s a look at some of the other stuff I have been creating:

I must thank PurplePossom on Etsy for helping with the labels! I had them all designed in Photoshop, but I had no way to print them! She took my design, cleaned it up, and did the printing! I love them!

Here is the Mister…helping to paint Trufffula Tree trunks!

A close-up of the trunks after the details were added. We still have to add the tree tops, but that will be last…as soon as those are added, they will be too big to store easily, so that step will be waiting!

The beginning of the centerpieces. The little one got to help with this! She was very excited!

The pots after being painting in the color scheme of the party.

Finished centerpiece! I made 6 total!

And finally, as LUCK would have it, Target has been carrying a lot of Seuss stuff in the dollar spot…it has been hit or miss, and I have had to visit multiple locations often, but I have collected a fair amount of cool stuff. We have buttons, erasers, pens, tote bags, “silly bands”, stickers, cups, bowls, and boxes!

Here’s a look at my first score…the buttons!

The lovely Haydee from Haydee Caskey Photography has generously agreed to “shoot” the party! I won’t have to worry about hosting and being the photographer for the first time ever! The next post will be after the party, but I will be sure to share how it all turned out.

After the party, I will be back to crafting for others!!! I have an adorable twin set to complete for a friend and bags to create for a charity event. And finally, I have a blanket to finish for a newborn that is due any day!

Also, I am going back to work full time on August 1! Life is about to change and I am still wrapping my head around it! Some way or another, I will figure out how to balance it all!

What I’ve Been Up To

2011-06-06T11:49:00.001-07:00

among the many other daily “life” responsibility stuff!!! Geez, life sure does have a way of getting in the way of craftiness…LOL! But, with the “darling’s” 4th b-day right around the corner, I have been a party planning fool. This year’s them is Dr. Seuss, and since the Seuss Family remains pretty tight with the licensing issues, it’s darn hard to find ready-made commercial décor. So what’s a crafty momma to do? In my case that means make every one of my ideas a reality…lots of paint, hot glue, hunts for refrigerator boxes, begging the DH [ok…maybe I didn’t have to beg too much], sewing…blah blah blah! So, here’s a look at what I have been working on…I’ll post an update closer to the party date because there are many more projects planned!

Some of the characters…The [headless] Grinch hanging over Horton is for the Pin the Heart on the Grinch game I have planned. Behind Horton is Nick, Sally, The Cat in the Hat, the Barbaloots, and the Lorax.

Who knew that when you run paper streamers through the sewing machine it gathers them so perfectly! I then used the streamers to cover the hats [made from poster board] and the piñata [also made from poster board]. It really added some dimension!

The beginning of hat construction

One hat completely finished…there are 4 total!

The piñata….it was just about finished in this photo! And so much easier than the paper mache piñata that I made last year!!! Highly recommend this technique.

Here’s a link the video if you’d like to see how to do it:

It’s all in Spanish, but if you watch it a few times, you should get the idea [I do not speak Spanish]. Don’t really know if I followed the directions to the letter, but I took the idea and ran with it and it turned out pretty good!

The beginning of the birthday banner [I was not supposed to be making this – someone else was, but it turns out the the boutique that was going to do it was a SCAMMER!…so I added this back into my to-do list!]…should be able to finish it soon and check it off my long list of projects!

Enjoy! I’ll show you more once a few more weekends pass and I have more time to work on it…must build Truffula Trees soon!

Patterns in the House

2011-04-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

I just love it when JoAnn's has patterns on sale for $.99!!! I got a bunch of new ones...and I can't wait to give them a try! I even found one for a knot dress and ruffle pants! Can we say ecstatic!!!

This is What Happens

2011-04-08T20:43:00.001-07:00

when my computer dies because a hijacking virus fries the operating system!!! I sew!

I often hear things like this from the princess: “Mommy, can you make one of those for me?” OR “Mommy, I like that. Is it for me?” OR “Are you going to make my dress?”

And usually, the answer to those questions is NO! I never seem to get around to making stuff for her. But this time, I am pretty much caught up on orders and making things I want to make…so that translated into two dresses for the princess.

This was actually the first time I followed a commercial sewing pattern. Since it actually turned out pretty good, I attempted a more difficult pattern for the second dress.

The yoke of the second dress called for an inner lining…first time doing that for sure!

The princess is pretty happy with two new dresses…and now I am going to finish a baby blanket next week and then work on some other cute things!

Baby Blanket with Flowers & Butterfly

2011-03-14T20:34:00.001-07:00

So this is what has consumed my time for the past month or so…and I just love how it turned out! This one is spoken for and is OOAK…but I can make others…but no two are exactly alike!

My Boy Stash

2011-01-11T18:15:00.001-08:00

OK…so I didn’t quite get around to completing the stocking cap for my own personal prop stash…but I did complete 3 hats before calling it quite sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 am!!

I’ll have to get the stocking cap ready for the next one…but I love the ones I had on hand today!“The Aviator” ROAR…Little Lion Tropical Breeze

I think they are YUMMY!

Baby Boy Hats

2011-01-10T11:12:00.001-08:00

I had two recent requests for newborn boy hats! I have made a few boy hats, but I certainly tend to make more hats for girls [A. I have a girl, B. I tend to photograph more girls, & C. I don’t get as many requests for boy hats] so I didn’t have any on hand. But I whipped up some cute ones!! And I actually have a newborn boy shoot tomorrow myself…so it’s time to build my own baby boy stash! Here are two of the recent hats….more coming after my shoot tomorrow.

Super cute Navy Newsboy with bright green buttons!!! And thanks to Josie for sharing the hat in action on this precious little man!!! Super long multi-colored stocking cap with primary button accents and extra large pompom! A big thanks to Yesenia for sharing this cute photo of the stocking cap in action!

Tomorrow…if all goes well, I will have my own stocking cap [for my stash] and present you with two new hats: an aviator and a cuddly lion.

Fan Appreciation Winner

2010-12-17T15:36:00.001-08:00

With only 25 entries…the chances were pretty good! Thanks to everyone who took the time to come over and enter…and a big thanks to those of you that promoted the give-away!!! I wish I could pick 25 winners…but of course I can’t. Using random.org we have a winner! Congrats to Katey Crooks…I will be making a custom scarf for you!Lucky Number 21! Keep watching the Menagerie…there are new plans for the new year…and more give-aways to come!

Fan Appreciation Game

2010-12-10T19:08:00.001-08:00

We reached 500! Woot! I put it out there for all the fans to help me decide what to give away!! Sadly, only 9 of 500 gave their input…fortunately their opinions count!!! It was pretty dead even between wanting an adult item or a baby/child item. So here is how this will work…

I am going to give the winner [who will be chosen by random.org] their choice.

Adult Item: a beautiful, soft scarf…my choice!

Baby/Child Item: girl – hat with flower OR boy – solid color [ your choice] hat.

Since Christmas is right around the corner, I am begging Santa to help me get this out before Christmas. But please understand that this is a busy time of year as I fulfill current orders…and it is possible that I will need to have some more time. I will be making the winning item once the winner is announced.

Here’s how to enter:

1. You get 1 entry for leaving a comment on this blog post. Leave your name, email address, and which item you are hoping to receive.

2. You get a 2nd entry for posting about this give-away on FB…in other words, you get an additional entry for sending people over to The Menagerie by Lindsay fan page on FB. Make sure they say who sent them when they come over. When I see the referral, I will add your name to the comments…you don’t have to come back and do anything else.

3. You get a 3rd entry by blogging about it…in other words, you get this additional entry for sending people over to The Menagerie by Lindsay blog. Remind them the follow. All you need to do is post the link to your post in the comments!

Deadline to enter is December 17 by 5PM EST…all comments after 5PM will not count. I will announce the winner right here sometime before 10PM EST!!! Good Luck!

Stippling!!!

2010-12-08T22:23:00.001-08:00

I am stippling! The first attempt was not pretty and I had to rip out all the stitches…took forever. The DH even helped after he noticed that I was still working on ripping stitches after more than an hour!!! But attempt #2 went a lot better. Not perfect…but certainly acceptable!!! I am stippling ladies and gentlemen…I am stippling. Not bad for someone who turned on a sewing machine for the first time back in late May.

A Turkey Day Outfit for the Princess

2010-12-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

A little late…I scrambled to get this outfit finished for the princess in time for Thanksgiving. I had been so busy with custom orders that her outfit kept getting put off! I finished it just in time to pack!

The skirt is completely patch worked on the front side…and reversible. The reversible side is one print…here is a photo that shows the reversible side [excuse the awful photo….white balance is off & I just did not feel like fixing it!]. And here she is wearing it in the backyard at my parent’s house on Thanksgiving Day!

More Hats

2010-12-07T20:14:00.001-08:00

So many hats…not enough time. And I still have so many design ideas that I don’t even have time to make right now. But here are a few from the last few weeks.

I call this one Caribbean Lemonade I love this one! The princess loves it too and wants me to make her one! This one sold fast…in my hands less than 2 days!This was a 24 hour custom order for a local photographer! I love how it turned out. Look at this amazing photo she captured using it!!!

This is probably my recent favorite. I created this one for a design challenge…theme was Nature! I call it “Pocket Full of Daisies.”

A Few New Hats

2010-11-21T06:28:00.001-08:00

I have been making hats…lots of hats…you would think I have a hat factory in my living room if you saw it. And, I have about 7 more to make. But here are a few new ones…

See! I have been busy!!! Remember, you can click on the individual photos to see them larger!

Adult Hat & Scarf Sets

2010-11-14T15:50:00.001-08:00

Yep…occasionally I make cute stuff for ~~big kids~~ adults too!!! Here are two sets that I finished this weekend for custom orders. I really need to find a new model and a better way to get pics. Standing in the bathroom…trying to balance the camera with one hand…while snapping a photo of myself just really isn’t working. But until I find a better solution, you have to look at me modeling these items…blurry or not! LOL! If you need something in time for Christmas, you need to order no later than Thanksgiving for guaranteed on-time delivery! Rushes might be possible…just depends on how my time-management goes with a three-year-old in the house!!!!

Some Recent Projects

2010-10-05T14:36:00.001-07:00

I have been busy with lots of projects!!! I had my first Etsy sale…a custom order that I am currently working on and trying to finish later tonight! And I have had several other custom orders through the FB page! Here’s a peek:

A fire truck hat for a special little 4-yr-old! The mom was awesome and let me just figure it out! Love it! Doesn’t my model just look thrilled to be photographed in yet another hat!!!!

This one is for a friend I used to work with in Tampa. Again, lots of design freedom! Bow is completely detachable and on an alligator clip. This allows the hat to be used and coordinated with for more color choices. Large bows and flowers can be clipped right onto it!

I needed a birthday party present for this past weekend for a little girl that has been part our life since shortly after my daughter was born. My DD and this little girl get along fabulously and love playing together….this is what I came up with the night before the party! Now my DD wants one too! I have also worked on a few adult designs… Need to find a new adult model…taking pics of myself in the mirror does not result in the best images!

There is a lot more coming once I catch up!!!

Thick-n-Thin Handspun Yarn Color Options

2010-10-05T14:22:00.001-07:00

Yep…they are yummy! And they make the cutest chunky beanies [can be made in any size]. They are also fabulous for cocoon/beanie sets and prop blankets for photographers.

Here is just one example of what can be made with this type of yarn. It’s quite delicious! Super yummy yarns…soft and bulky with the thick-n-thin texture! All yarns are available but must be ordered…I just can’t stock this much yarn at one time. If you are interested in anything made with these, please message me so that we can set up a custom invoice…and please allow 2-3 weeks for your order to be in your hands.

Little Pumpkin Dress

2010-09-15T07:17:00.001-07:00

FINALLY! I finished one…and my machine is giving so many problem…will be borrowing a machine from a friend late today! This is adorable and it is listed in my Etsy shop…grab it before Halloween.

Newborn Square Hat with Pom-Poms

2010-09-14T15:09:00.001-07:00

Whipped this one up while the little princess was sick yesterday. The sewing machine was too loud for her…even though I have dress in a large stack to be finished…so I got the crochet needles out and this yummy yarn. It’s alpaca, merino, and silk…SO SOFT!It’s listed in my Etsy shop if you are interested!!

And the WINNER is….

2010-09-12T14:21:00.001-07:00

Using Random.org it is comment #9…Bunnyz Bows and Clippeez 2 Envy. Congrats!!! I will be in touch through email to get your name and a shipping address. Let’s see if we can 500 fans so we can do another give-away! Keep referring your friends and THANK YOU for all of your support!

The Football Hat

2010-09-09T20:52:00.001-07:00

The Boutique Challenge Group…mentioned them earlier this week…hosted a football themed challenge two weeks ago. FYI: The challenge themes are posted, anyone interested in creating something for the theme has a specific time period to create their item/s and post pics and description/s to a private board. Then, the photos go live on the main board for about a week of voting. The winners of the voting round get a little free publicity through shout outs from the lovely ladies that maintain the BCG. Then, the items go up for auction for about a week. So each theme lasts about two-ish weeks…all the while the next them is being worked on. Make sense…clear as mud??
Anyway, the Football Challenge was the first one I entered. There were so many entries that the items were divided into 4 categories. Tooting my own horn here…I WON for my category. So I got lots of “Shout Outs” and publicity throughout the week. The auction ended tonight and the hat took a very respectable bid [lots of back and forth bidding and outbidding] of $16.00! Woot Woot!
Here is the hat I designed for the challenge…and my darling husband being such a good sport to model it for me!
I have since had three more orders for this hat. Even one order to make it orange & blue for the Florida Gators. I very gladly obliged that request! Go Gators!

Little Halter-Tie Dress

2010-09-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

I haven’t gotten around to making any of these for the Etsy shop yet…but just thought I’d share this adorable little model wearing the dress I sent her! I made 3 of these…all matching for the cousins! If I could get them all together in the same place to take a photo it would be priceless. Alas, that will not be possible! But I love the way it turned out and it looks darn right precious on her!

Cute…huh!

My First Give-Away

2010-09-08T06:18:00.001-07:00

We reached 200 fans over at The Menagerie by Lindsay fan page on facebook…and I promised a give-away/contest!

In celebration of FALL…my favorite season…I know, how does a girl in South Florida even know what fall is? But it’s true, I love fall and have dreams of someday being somewhere where I can embrace it each and every year.

Anyway, in celebration of fall, I will choose one fan randomly to receive one of my pumpkin hats ABSOLUTELY FREE!This adorable little pumpkin can be made for a boy or a girl. The hat will be custom made so that it fits perfectly!

Here is how to enter:

1. Follow this blog and leave a comment on this blog letting me know you are following. Also let me know if you want your hat made for a boy or girl, and what age your little pumpkin is. Please also leave your e-mail in the comment so that I can get in touch with you easier should you be the winner!

2. Fan the facebook page [link above] and leave a comment letting me know you are a fan. If you are already a fan, let me know in your comment.

3. For an extra 2 entries, blog about this give-away and link back to my blog.

All entries must be made by Sunday, September 12 by 5pm EST. I will close the contest at that time and announce the winner by 9pm EST on the facebook fan page. Good luck! And thanks to my awesome fans for making this possible!

Humpty Dumpty

2010-09-07T19:48:00.001-07:00

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,

All the king’s horses

and all the king’s men,

couldn’t put Humpty together again!

I have joined this awesome group, Boutique Challenge Group, on facebook that does design challenges twice a month! This week’s challenge is Mother Goose or Grimm’s Fairytales. I created Humpty Dumpty for this challenge…and super happy about how he turned out. He was A LOT MORE WORK than I initially anticipated…but the end result was worth it! I was the winner of the Football Challenge in the accessories category last week. Hoping Humpty can pull off another win! I have one more potential entry for this challenge if I can pull it off in time….we’ll have to wait and see how the week pans out for me and whether I get enough time to do it!

A Give-Away

2010-09-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sharing this with all of you...but I'll be honest...I am hoping I win! LOL!

Check out My Life Through Pink Colored Glasses....she has the cutest school spirit outfits and I need one for the princess! It's football season and time to wear some orange & blue. Or any other colors you might want to wear! Although orange & blue is the BEST!

A Featured Item

2010-08-31T19:04:00.001-07:00

on Etsy…how amazing is that! My “So Tweet” hat is one of the 16 featured items on the main page.

Here’s the screen shot…would post the link, but it won’t work forever and the pic will last!

See the little bird…bottom row…second from the left…That’s mine! And here’s the link to the listing: http://www.etsy.com/listing/55024132/so-tweet-little-bird-hat-for?ref=tre-4c7d9a1dd98e6d91bba37635-14

More Dresses

2010-08-05T20:51:00.001-07:00

My sewing machine is on fire…might need to give it a rest after I finish this next set of dresses…

Here is the coordinating dress for my niece to go with the one I made for Amelia [that is already posted].Color is way off…gotta love mobile uploads! But you can see that it coordinates with being an identical match!

And her is a close-up of the green ball edging! Love it!

And finally, the Pink Butterfly halter…I am making 3 of these…and this is the tiniest one!

Two more of these and I may actually give the machine rest and try my hand at catching up on my various scrapbooks!

The Birthday Party – How It All Came Together!

2010-08-04T10:37:00.001-07:00

So over the past few months, I have been making all the decorations for the birthday party…and over the past several weeks, I have been posting some of the goodies here.

So now, here’s a peek at how it all came together!

First set shows the basic decor of the room! What a transformation! If you only knew what this dilapidated room looked like before the Under the Sea transformation took place.

See the teeny tiny stars…those are hand made origami stars! Can you even believe that some folded all those. I ordered them from Little Gestures on Etsy! 120 of them for about $6…what a deal…and they were so cute! And perfect…

The pom poms hanging from the ceiling was one of my favorites! They were so easy to make and really added to the scene! We even salvaged 4 of them and hung them in the princess’s bedroom!

On to food:

Love these! They were so easy to make and I got the idea here…they are called Pearly Bites!

PB&J Starfish sandwiches for the kiddos!

And the classic octopus hotdog…super easy…All you need is a sharp knife and boiling water! It’s like magic!

Ocean Blue juice! Of course!

And the cake! I had the cake baked, iced and the mermaid done for me by Sugar Shack [a local bakery]. Once home, I decorated the cake with all the little fondant pieces that I got from Two Sugar Babies on Etsy and the little sugar creature I got from an online baking supply store. The tiny fondant shells, starfish and seahorses were amazing and tasty I highly recommend using her!A close-up of the fondant and sugar pieces! The cake really took on a life with the addition of all the decorations.

The mermaid piñata and the octopus stand-in were big hits. And the towel wraps were well received!

The pull strings didn’t exactly work as planned…her butt was too strong. Will have to make some modifications the next time I decide to make a piñata!

Everyone had a great time! Now…on to think about next year! Just kidding!

My Very First Dress

2010-08-04T09:41:00.001-07:00

I probably should have taken pictures along the way…but I just didn’t think to stop and take pictures while I was sewing.

So after making the towel wraps for the birthday party favors, a sewing demon has been created. I felt invincible…invincible enough to make a dress for the princess! It was a process…a learning process at times…but it is finished and I am VERY happy with it!

Picture quality not great…taken with my Droid…but you get the idea. And of course, today was not the day that the princess really wanted to play model for Mommy! But we got asked by lots of people while out today where we got the dress! Success!

Birthday Banner

2010-07-19T08:36:00.001-07:00

One of the smaller details…all the pieces for the birthday banner were cut out the other night. Using multiple Cricut cartridges and Design Studio, I designed all the pieces to make a banner to span the the clubhouse entrance. When it is all put together it will say: Welcome to Amelia’s Grotto. I still need to tie ribbons and put it all together, but here are the pieces.

The Finished Wrap – Part 2

2010-07-19T08:08:00.001-07:00

The plan for the boy’s wraps was to line the edge with orange ribbon [like seen on the girl’s wrap]…but I got some “weird” looks from moms of boys…so the brainstorming started.

I decided to skip the initial ribbon idea [even though I have 5 yards of beautiful grograin ribbon thanks to a friend] and create an appliqué to apply to the wrap.

Here’s the appliqué that I made by hand…

I cut the pieces from two layers of felt. Then hand stitched the eyes, mouth, and other details. [I apologize for photo quality…this one was taken on my phone].

The Steam-a-Seam came in super handy again. I put it on the back of the starfish, ironed it to the towel….voila…no need for pins as I set out to accomplish my very first appliqué.

And this is how they turned out…not bad for the first time sewing virgin!

Now with the most ambitious birthday party project completely finished and cleaned up [It was a little sad to put the sewing machine away], it’s on to the other smaller details.

The Finished Wrap – Part 1

2010-07-14T14:49:00.001-07:00

OK…so sewing got tables for quite a while…was working on other projects…and I really didn’t have any sewing mojo! So, today I broke out the machine again [and broke my first needle – Does that make me a pro now?] and finished sewing the 5 wraps for the girls.

The green trim was definitely giving me problems…lots of problems. PSA - For a major novice sewer, tiny trim is a bitch!

So, I grabbed a towel and a piece of the trim and high-tailed it to Joann’s in hopes that the “sewing” lady was working. I needed help [sure, I could have just skipped the trim…but it was friggin’ adorable and the princess actually said, “Don’t give up Mommy, it’s so pretty!”]…and she was the only one I could think of that might have a solution. She suggested Steam-a-Seam…worked wonders [Chris might not like the appearance of his beloved iron, but it worked!].

After the trim, came the hand sewing of ribbon fish. A bow would have been much easier and faster [and I might be cursing myself later tonight as I work on the other 4] but the fish is so much cuter.

“Sew” what do you think:

Color is a little off in the last picture, but you at least get the idea how tiny that trim actually is!

The Octopus Stand-In

2010-07-04T14:34:00.001-07:00

Once it was determined that the princess party…which morphed into a Little Mermaid party…which then morphed into an “Under the Sea” party, I stalking internet sites for ideas. And I knew when I saw this, that we had to have it:

Then I saw the price!!!Holy Moly…this is one expensive piece of cardboard! Some sites had it for as much as $50…and even though I found it for as low as $29.99, I still was not going to pay for it!

So, a dishwasher box morphed into my version of the octopus stand-in late last night. I finished it today [how’s that for a 4th of July project!]. The final touch won’t be added until the morning of the party [the brown part at the bottom will be “hidden” with ocean bottom [crumpled tissue paper & hot glue].

Here are a few photos:Just getting started.

After adding the rest of the sea creatures.

After adding the seaweed and the bubbles. Isn’t my husband a sport?

The Mermaid – Part 2

2010-06-26T13:55:00.001-07:00

I left off with the tail drying…needless to say, the paper mache process continued until there were 4-5 layers! This left me with this:

Then, I started decorating her. I started with the tail. I used the same paper mache technique to complete the bottom of the tail with pink tissue paper. Then, I cut circles from three colors of tissue paper to use for the scales. They were glued on one by one until I had this!

Then I was onto the hair! Lots and lots of curly yellow hair…the princess requested curly [made my job a little harder].

And then the face…don’t absolutely love the face, but it is what it is!

The Mermaid – Part 1

2010-06-18T12:17:00.001-07:00

It almost seemed like finding the liquid starch was going to be impossible…but I finally came home and called the parent company to ask them if they could tell me a specific location in my area that had it…and off we went. It took 2 more stops, but we finally found it!

After coming back home, I started to mold the mermaid from balloons and newspaper. Amelia helped by handing me pieces of masking tape.

Here are a few of the beginning stages of the molding process:

Amelia showing off the tail…

And holding the entire mermaid after sculpting the upper body. A few more pieces of tape and we were almost ready to go!

Now for the Sta-Flo liquid starch…I could have used flour and water [which would have been much cheaper] but the humidity in S. Florida is way too high to get a really nice hard covering!

And one last shot after working on part of the lower body! It will take days [and many many layers] before this mermaid will be finished and ready to make beautiful!

Will post more pics of this process as we go along!

The Mermaid Piñata

2010-06-17T20:38:00.001-07:00

Oh Yeah…did I forget to mention that I will be making one of these. And I will be enlisting the help of the birthday girl for this craft! Am I freakin’ crazy or what!!!

Hopefully it look half as good as this one…

Mine won’t have a face like this one!! No way…the plastic face just looks too freaky for me! And her colors will be different! And the design will be different…just basically using this picture as a model. Will post mine when it is actually finished.

So Many Projects

2010-06-16T20:35:00.001-07:00

I am in over my head right now with crafty projects…all in preparation for my little princess’s 3rd birthday. In an effort to pull off an amazing party on a shoestring budget this year, I am making just about everything.

First, I had the brilliant idea to make pool wraps as the party favor…and I have to pull this one off on a budget of no more than $5-6 dollars per wrap! And even scarier, this means that I have to sew…I have never sewn. But, I got out the machine my grandmother gave me over a year ago and figure out how to thread the bobbin and then the machine! And I am well on my way to getting these things done! They aren’t perfect, but I can guarantee they will hold up. Here’s a teaser of one of the girlie colored ones…not completely finished, but you can at least get the idea. They still need to be embellished [I promise to post pics of the finished one eventually!].

And, after pricing cakes at all the local bakeries I have used in the past, I have decided to make the cake this year. Anyone who knows me well knows that I do NOT bake and I do as little as possible in the kitchen. I have enlisted the help of a dear friend who happens to be an excellent baker [actually does it for a living]…and the best part, I get to use her amazing kitchen! There is no way I could pull it off in my galley kitchen with virtually no counter top space! Here is the sketch I drew of the cake I have envisioned!

I ordered the fondant decorations from a designer on Etsy and a cake supply store on the internet. I will have to make the fondant octopus by myself. The frosting for the cake will be butter cream [homemade] and the mermaid will be a Barbie [still have to find the perfect one!

And because that isn’t enough, and I am so into photography, I am making an octopus stand in inspired by this one here so that I can take adorable photos of all the little ones on the big day. It will double for the bean bag toss game! Hopefully mine will look as good as this one:

I am sure there is something I am forgetting…but as you can see, I am busy crafting [but no time for the scrapbooks lately! – but I do have 16 Disney layouts to photograph and post – coming soon I promise].

National Scrapbook Day

2010-05-08T19:55:00.001-07:00

So this is it! We’ve all been celebrating Nat’l Scrapbook Day over the last few weekends…some may even be doing it next weekend. Kind of interesting that it isn’t on one specific day all around the world…instead, it’s one weekend around this time each year and each one depends on scheduling. We, today was ours! I had such high expectations [like usual] of getting so much done. But, alas, it never quite works out that way. In 8 hours, I got 5 pages completed…but I do have to say, they are all.the.way. DONE! No bringing home pages that still need a title or journaling…DONE!

Two Page Layout – “The Pit” and nope, I was too lazy to piece them together for you to view as one this time…

Used Cricut and the Cricut markers for the title. I even managed to use the Gypsy [without a reload feature] and make it work! Paper was from a stack [possibly Nana’s – don’t remember]. Flower embellishment is from the CM flowers and I bummed to rhinestone brad from my neighbor [Thanks Paula] since I forgot mine at home. Also, I used Blueprints [hands down one of my favorite go-to idea books].

“Gator Girl” – way outside my comfort zone. I don’t typically do layouts with ONLY one photo…just not my normal style [I prefer to cram way too many pics into one layout…no blank space allowed]. But here you go!

Title – Using the Gypsy Wanderings Font and the Cricut marker. Letters were slanted and welded [I hate gluing down individual letters so I weld as much as possible!!!]. Random solid papers from stacks. Alligator from the Animal Kingdom cartridge and pieced together. I also used the CM Large Circle [and smaller circles from the CCS as well a the Circle Maker.

“Watch Out – Here I Come” – Breaking records…another 1 photo layout! But I couldn’t pass on this pic and the rest of the pics from that day just were not good! But this one captured her attitude at this age perfectly!

Title – wait for it….STICKERS! OMG! For those that know me, this will come as an absolute shock. I HATE STICKERS! But thanks to Cyn, I am really trying to use my stash. And way back in the day [a whopping 6ish years ago] when I got way into this art called Scrapbooking, I didn’t have a purchasing filter…hence gobs of stuff [including the dreaded stickers] that needs to be used. But on the upside, I haven’t bought anything [other than consumables] in a very long time! Go me! Again, the paper comes from a stack [The Green Stack]. The parenthesis was done by hand using a very old [no longer available – discontinued eons ago] CM bold marker [the paint pen type]. Like I said, using the stash!

“Bounce” – Last one of the day. Look carefully…more stickers. See those little dots! Those are the new epoxy stickers from CM. New you ask! Yep…was the gift that we gave to everyone today! Used them…no longer in my stash!

Title – by hand using the Orange CM marker [same set that the green one from above same from]…old!!! All the doodling was also done with the orange marker.

So there you go…5 pages in 8 hours!

Blog Candy...Check This Out!!!

2010-02-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

Fern's Creations has blog candy! Yep...and it's blog candy all of us could use! Go check it out! Hint: it has something to do with Ben Franklin!!!!

Cartridge Give-Away

2010-01-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

I have not posted one of these in a very long time! But, Cricut Creations is giving away cartridges...the three new winter cartridges! I would love to win them...but you can enter for a chance too!
Hop on over there and check it out! And, the bonus is that her blog is awesome...so many ideas for those of us the chirp!

Hand Print Crafts

2010-01-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

Like I said before, I have been really into these lately. I even made some as Christmas gifts. Take a look!

For my parents and my MIL, I made the grandchildrens' feet and hands into angels.

Grandmomela's were framed all together.

I chose to frame the one's for my parents as two separate pieces.

For my grandmother, I made a family tree using my handprint.

And because I could not find a t-shirt I liked this year for Christmas, we made Rudolph using a foot and both hands.

Holiday Ornament

2009-12-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

I have been very into handprint crafts lately...I am sure the moms in my playgroup are completely over it by now. Just this month, we have made t-shirts [with either Santas or reindeer] and today we made this adorable ornament!

More Flowers

2009-11-13T10:17:00.001-08:00

Large Gerbera Daisy

Red Daisy

Sunflower [there are more styles coming]

Light Blue Flower

Dark Blue Flower

Large Pink Flower (this one also comes in light purple & very bright yellow]

Silk Flower Clips

2009-11-12T18:59:00.001-08:00

So, I have been making a lot of bows...but I also do flowers to. They are attached to a lined single prong alligator clip. They can be attached to a crocheted hat or worn directly in the hair! Here are two that I finished today...still working on more. Stay tuned!

Single flower [poppies] clips all lined up.

Red Camillia

A Name Change

2009-11-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

My little blog that started out as a scrapbooking blog has somehow evolved. I have too many interests...too many things I like to do...go through phases...have crafting ADHD...but nonetheless, it has turned into a place I put all things creative. So, I changed the name. It seems a bit more appropriate! And, I added a search bar [look on the right hand side]! That way, you can find what you are looking for a bit more quickly. I feel some more changes coming...stay tuned!

Three More Bows

2009-11-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

Little Bugs

Turkey #1 [Yep, I am working on another turkey design]

Reindeer [Love this one!]

Hair Bow Mania

2009-11-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have been obsessed with making hair bows...partly due to the fact that I always want to figure out how people make things. So I have been trying to make bows. I have had a few orders, but nothing much to really speak of. Os now I have tons of ribbon, findings, resin, and button...and lots of bows! Now I just need to sell them. I don't think Amelia needs 4 or 5 of everything!

Dragonflies

Ladybug A & Lady Bug B

Christmas Tree #1 [a ton of work and royal PITA!]

Christmas Tree #2

Pink & Red Flower Pots

Bumblebees

Crocheted Flowers with Button Centers

Little Piggies

Double Layer Boutique Bow with Button Center

The Peacock Project

2009-10-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here is my latest project...hence why not much scrapping has gotten done! I take on these large visions in my head...but I am pretty darned proud of this one!

Vote for Amelia

2009-10-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

Gap Casting Call!

Please vote for Amelia...the event is co-sponsored by Disney so you will have to register in order to vote...but it is VERY EASY and painless!

You can vote once per day through November 17th.

Here's the link! Thanks for the votes!

Click Here to be directed to the submission and voting page!

The Ansley Hat

2009-10-13T21:30:00.001-07:00

Love this hat! And the best part...the flower is detachable. That means you can attach any flower or bow to the hat with a simple alligator clip!

And yes...I am still scrapping...finished 4 pages last night. Maybe I will take pics and post tomorrow!

Halloween Craft

2009-10-07T13:21:00.001-07:00

An easy to do Halloween craft...the kiddos will love it!

See how she is holding her hands out...she was telling me about how she used her hands and fingers to make the spider!

Directions: On paper or t-shirt, place handprints [without the thumb] to form a spider. Glue on eyes. For t-shirts, make sure to use an acrylic paint that will last and paint a "web" for the spider to hang from. For paper, tempera works great. You can add a web or cut the spider out and hang from a piece of yarn.

Just Shoot Me Now!

2009-09-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

Yep...12:01 am and I tuned in to HSN with MILLIONS of other scrapbookers and Cricut users for the Gypsy launch!

It took less than 30 minutes to convince me! And it will be here on October 5! Can't flippin' wait!

The Gypsy Debut!

2009-09-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about the Gypsy...don't know why because it certainly isn't in the budget of a stay at home mom, but a girl can dream! And dream I will do because Cutting Above is hosting a contest to win one! It's a new website full of the latest industry news! Go check it out!

I can't even imagine winning such an awesome thing! I can't even imagine how much I could do with this little gem! How many times I have been at an all day event and don't want to drag my Cricut along...I tell myself that I will cut the title and embellishments when I get home! Confession: there are many unfinished pages in my albums because I never cut the darn things...even weeks and months later!

So anyway, the debut of the Gypsy is going to take place on the HSN on September 24, 2009 at 12:01 am EST [and yes I am still awake at that hour...so I will be watching]. I will be drooling actually...a girl can dream!

First Hat Sale

2009-09-14T10:42:00.001-07:00

I sold a hat today...totally random, but a sale nonetheless! Now to make that hat!

Also, I am supposed to scrapbook tonight, but I have no mojo right now! I might just take the yarn and enjoy the company!

Working with Yarn - Pumpkins

2009-09-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

See why I am not scrapbooking!

I just can't seem to pour my creative energies into paper right now...so I am playing with yarn instead!

Amelia's hat is finished...Harper's itty bitty hat is finished. And to tell you the truth, Harper's turned out much better! Here are a few pics of the hats...and remember that you can click on the photos to see them larger.

And yes Kristin...stop whining...you are getting hats. But they won't be pumpkin hats...so get over it! You'll love the ones I designed for the girlies!

Do you crochet? If so...and if you want this pattern [it's free!]...click here! Crochet and More shared this pattern last year. Her's looks different than mine...I made some modification to make it my own, but the pattern is the same!

A Bow Holder

2009-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

OK...so it isn't exactly scrapbooking...but it is creative and crafty...so I thought I would post it here for all to see. What do you think...

I had had it with our bow organization system...we outgrew it a long time ago and it was just too darn hard to find the right bow at the right time.

The solution...a homemade bow holder! Here is my version...

Isn't that pretty. And all the bows (ok...most of them...because this does not include croc clips, snap clips, barrettes, or rubber bands) are so neatly organized and easy to find! Now...off to find the rest of the bows...and it looks like I might need to make another one soon! Oh My!

The Finished Centerpeice

2009-07-22T11:52:00.001-07:00

Here is what it looks like completely finished. I love them...but not sure all the work is worth the few pennies saved. Although, they are way cuter than the store bought pop-up centerpieces!

The containers are metal ice cream containers that I covered with paper. I painted the floral spikes for the characters and used hot glue to fix the sticks to the paper piecings. I used floral foam inside the container to stick the spike into. The A's and 2's are on floral wire so they bobble a little...the wire was wound around a pencil to give it the curly-q effect. Then, tissue paper was used to fill the space at the top of the containers and hide the ugly floral foam. Characters were cut with the Sesame Street Friends cartridge. The A's and 2's were cut using the Mickey Font cartridge.

This is the first one that is finished...3 more to go before the end of the day. All the pieces are cut out...now just time to assemble. I think, even after all the procrastination, I will get them done on time.

Here's The Answer

2009-07-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

I had a few guesses...they were not Pick-up-Sticks. But I could see that in the picture...so thanks for trying. Are you still wondering??

Well...here's the answer!

And here's a close-up of the characters...

I am working on centerpieces for Amelia's upcoming birthday party. They were floral spikes that I painted red, orange, yellow, blue, and green to match the theme. They were that ordinary floral green color...which I suppose I could have left them that way...but no, I have to create more work for myself! So I painted them.

More pics to come of the finished product tomorrow or Thursday. My goal is to have them finished by tomorrow...but Big Bird is a bitch!

What is this?

2009-07-18T21:33:00.001-07:00

More photos to come in the next few days...any ideas what it might be? Let's see if anyone can guess.

Who Likes Sketches?

2009-07-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

Yep...that's it! Raise your hands because I know it's true.

Lita...yep from SS...just posted her first sketch on her blog! And the best part...she is going to keep on pasting more! The best part for me is that the most recent sketch is for 2 photos. I am a photo heavy scrapper. I struggle with those layouts that need to be done, but only have 1 or 2 pictures for the event. And Lita predominantly does single photo layouts! Now I will have some ideas on how to get them done!

Go check it out!

My Current Project

2009-07-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

is my DD's 2nd Year Album. Here are the layouts I have completed so far, but was too lazy to post. The last 6 are the ones completed in the last two days...I'll point those out just to make sure.

Also, since I am trying to use my stash...I am very foggy on some of the paper. I have literally had some of them for years and years. Nothing new was purchased for this album.

Title Page:
I plan to place two pictures in the middle of the circle...one from the beginning of 1 and one from the end of 1. Circles were cut using the Curvy Cutter and letters cut with Cricut. I also added Stickles.

Graduation:
I used a sketch from the CTMH Idea book. Letters for title were cut with Cricut.

Walking - First Steps Layout
The paper is CM (can't remember the name of it). Letter for the title were cut with Cricut. The footsteps are hers...I used the MM paint and let her walk across the paper. Then I cut out each footstep.

Eating -
Have no idea wat paper this was, but I liked the pattern. I did cut around the pattern so that only what is showing was left. Word strips were from the same paper. Boy was she a mess!

Splash Pad -
Again, paper is unknown. However, the blue paper is CM. I used Grunge Board (bottom right and bottom left). To color the Grunge Board I used Cat's Eye Chalks. I also inkedthe edges of the yellow paper.

UF vs. UM -
I can't even blame this one a sketch! This one was all me...LOL! I stamped gators onto the orange paper and then embossed it with clear embossing powder. The bottom green part is from one of the Shortcuts packs...see, I am using my stash! This is pure Orange and Blue hell! Go Gators!

Scarf Diva -
One her favorite activities at the time. The more the better! Velum "Sassy" from one of the vellum packs. Diva cut with Cricut. I also used various ribbons to embellish. And just to prove I am useing my stash...check out that paper. That's purely vintage from a "stack" that I would never even consider buying today!

Ducks -
OK...you caught me in the lie. Those flowers are the new CM flowers (I had to make my order to stay active). Again, vellum from one of the vellum packs. Title cut with Cricut. All papers are CM.

Swimming Lessons -
Some of the paper is CM...not sure about the rest. Ribbon was used along the green paper. Used the Circle Maker to punch the circles..then they were cut in half. Title was cut with Cricut (I think that is Tear Drop).

St. Thomas Vacation -
I guess it warranted a DPS in her own album. Paper was from a Summer Glitter Stack by DCWV. Blue Paper is CM. Title cut with Cricut. Used Cat's Eye Chalk to ink the edges of the blue paper.

Road Trip to Orlando -
Paper and Title (stickers) is CTMH. Ribbon was used on the tags.

Tallahassee -
Patterned paper unknown. Solids are CM. Title cut with Cricut. Various ribbons used to embellish bottom circles.

Warning: The following layouts were completed this weekend. I absolutely refused to unearth the Cricut. I actually used stickers to spell out the titles...Hark! Seriously trying to use the stash! Cyn would be proud!

Hair Bow -
I don't do single photo layouts very often. This one is very simple and lots of unused space...which is very uncharacteristic of my style. CM flowers were used. Paper is Lily Kate (Wow! I remembered one). Letter for title are CM stickers. I also stamped the lines around the paper and used Glossy accents over the stamping.

Little Farm -
I bought this paper years ago just in case we ever went to a petting farm. So I finally got to use it. Title is CM stickers adhered to circle made with the CM Circle Maker.

Halloween -
No Cricut used...was absolutely determined! All the shapes along the left hand side were cut with the CM makers and the CCS. Of course...no idea on the patterned paper. Chipboard letter used for the H in Halloween.

Bubble Bath -
Solid paper is CTMH...patterned paper is from one of those "stacks" from way back! Bubbles and duck stickers used from a random and old sticker pack. I used Cat's Eye Chalks to ink to edges of the torn paper. Vellum was from a baby girl stack...don't remember which one.

So there you have it...The beginning of her 2nd year. Only November 2008 - July 2009 to do now! Lots to do!

Trying to Get into the Groove

2009-07-12T13:33:00.001-07:00

Are you sitting down?

I scrapped last night...and today. I complete 2 single page layouts and 2 double page layouts for a grand total of 6 pages. I know you want pictures, but I already put page protectors on them and I am too darn lazy to take them off again. I will try and shoot through the protector...but I am sure there will be glare. And talk about lazy...I was so lazy that I just could not bring myself to get out the Cricut. Instead, [gasp] I busted out the old CM alpha stickers...yep, you heard me right. And for those that know me well...that is a cardinal sin!!! LOL!

And you know what...I am scrapping tomorrow night too...with friends no less! I have to catch up. Maybe if I keep repeating this, I will eventually get there.

Caribbean Baby

2009-05-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

I have done several layouts this weekend...but here is one I finished tonight that I really like!

I used all CM papers. The flowers were created with the Life is a Beach cartridge. I also used Cat's Eye Liquid Chalks for accents. Title was created on Design Studio using Opposites Attract. Fiber used with the flowers is unknown...sorry, it came in a gift basket and I have no idea who makes it. I also used two CM makers to create the centers of the blue flowers. Adhesives were CM tape runner and Zig glue pen.

Full Layout:
Left Hand Side:
Right Hand Side:
Flower Detail:

Getting Something Done

2009-05-02T20:38:00.001-07:00

After quite a hiatus from scrapbooking, I forced myself to sit down and get some pages done today. Nothing elaborate...just slapping them down with some generic sketches...but nonetheless completing pages. It's about time.

Have You Heard????

2009-04-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

There's a Blog Party happening over at Feeling' Scrappy! In celebration of their birthday, they are giving away lots of goodies all week long! Head on over there are check it out...I will be visiting everyday and trying to win one of the great prizes...would love that bag charm designed by Stacey from Star Hitched Wagon. So, what are you waiting for???

A Giveaway!

2009-02-22T21:03:00.000-08:00

Check this out....I could have put this on my main blog only, but since it is private I figured I'd reach more people here. Go check it out...a great give away and a pretty cool blog.

Cricut Rewards

2009-02-13T20:16:00.000-08:00

what a crock! I have 200 reward points...but in order to get the darn t-shirt, it's $14.95 in shipping...and that's the cheap option! Are you kidding me?

Use Your Stash Challenge - January

2009-02-01T16:58:00.001-08:00

This month is over and I completed the Challenge! I did not spend a single penny on scrapbooking supplies. And here are my totals for the month!

JANUARY TOTALS:
Username: edug8r97
TOTAL SPENT: $0
Pages: 9
Altered Items: 0
Cards: 0
Swap Sets: 0
Sketch? Yes - each and every page inspired by a sketch!

One girl did over 500 pages...Holy Moly Batman! I can't even imagine doing that many pages in one month! Virtually impossible with my scrapbooking style. But congrats to her!

All Day Event

2009-01-24T18:48:00.001-08:00

I attended an all day event today. I got a whopping 4 pages completed! Not so great...but considering that I MC'd the event and taught two classes, that's not really all that bad....is it?

St. Thomas Vacation Album: Part 5

2009-01-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

Feeding the Lorikeets -
This was one of the exhibits at Coral World. Amelia was extremely upset that she could not touch the birds. She just could not understand why reaching out for them could be slightly dangerous!

This layout was based on a sketch in Blueprints. The circles were cut with the Creative Memories CCS. I used sand paper to alter the edges of the mats. It took the green color off and left the white showing. I like the effect.

Coki Beach -
This beach was right next to Coral World. We expected the snorkeling to be excellent due to that fact. I think the tropical storm had an impact on that because it wasn't so good...OK...but not great! However, the beach was amazing. And since we had been stuck basically indoors for a few days, this was our first chance to be at the beach.

This layout was based on a sketch from the SS Sketch Challenge. I changed a few things due to the amount of pictures. Title still needs to be added once I get the Cricut out. The photo mats are inked. Click on the images for a larger view.

Turtle -
This was probably one of my favorite moments of the entire trip. It was my goal to swim with a sea turtle...not pay for an excursion where I might see one...but to really happen upon one while at the beach. We went to Sapphire Beach for this purpose since it is known for being a place the sea turtles like because of the turtle grass. After swimming quite a distance off shore, I finally spotted it! I swam with this turtle for at least an hour.

This layout is also a sketch from Blueprints...can you tell I love this book! I never seem to follow the sketches exactly how they are designed...I always change things a little. But I love getting my inspiration from these sketches. It seems to speed up the process for me.

Close-Up of the Paper Piecing -

I made this paper piecing quite a while ago in order to teach a paper piecing class. I have held onto it hoping I would someday have a reason for using it!

St. Thomas Vaction Album: Part 4

2009-01-17T17:32:00.000-08:00

Sharks - I used the Cricut to cut the title and used Sure Cuts A Lot to make the shark. The journaling was done with an old label maker.

Close-Up of Sharks Title - Shark was cut from CM paper.

Ooh! Prickly - Very basic layout. Paper is all CM.

Under the Sea - Another simple layout. I like the way the colors work with this one. In an effort to use my stash, I made an element with some stickers that I had. Those that know me know that I hate stickers...so this was stretch for me.

Under the Sea Element - CM papers and random stickers.

St. Thomas Vaction Album: Part 3

2009-01-17T17:20:00.001-08:00

Skyride to the Top - A pretty simple layout. I used the curvy cutter to achieve the circles.

Gov't Hill - This layout was inspired by a sketch I saw. I think it is from Blueprints.

The Passages - I guess you would call this color-blocking...I call it photo-blocking since it is mostly photos. But this is how I do most of my layout that have this many pictures. Paper is CM.

Coral World - I made a mesh border with my Cricut. I am still tweaking it because I don't like the sea creatures all that much. I tried using pearls and it didn't go how I wanted it to. But it is done for now until I have time to go back and fix it.

Dry as a Bone - Title cut with Cricut. I used MM Paint to go around the pictures. I used CM shape makes to make the circle cut outs.

St. Thomas Vaction Album: Part 2

2009-01-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

Coco Joe's - Our first night in St. Thomas was spent at one of the hotel restaurants. Nothing too exciting! I used ribbon on the bottom of the page.

Monsters - This one still needs a title. These iguanas were everywhere! I think this sketch was inspired by a layout in Blueprints.

Butterflies - This was the first "real" thing that we did in St. Thomas. This layout was inspired by my friend Monika! I used grungeboard for the first time on this layout. I love it!

Close-Up of Grungeboard title:

Close-Up of Grungeboard wings:

St. Thomas Vacation Album: Part 1

2009-01-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

My family went to St. Thomas, USVI in September 2008. I have been working on this album during the last two retreats...and it is still a work in progress. I am posting the pages that are complete and will continue to post as I finish pages. Here are the first few. Sorry about the glare from the page protectors...I forgot to take picture before they were on.

Map of St. Thomas - I used one of the maps that we were given of St. Thomas and Charlotte Amalie. I used floss and brads to highlight some of the places we visited.

Flight Over - I used a sketch for this one...sorry I can't remember what book it came from but I think it was one of the CTMH books.

Marriott Frenchman's Reef - These are views from the hotel that we stayed at. This layout is right out of my own head.

The Pueblo - this is one of the local grocery stores. We went there a few times during our stay. It was certainly very different than the stores we are used to on the mainland. The layout was inspired by a sketch in one of the CTMH books.

More to come...

My Stash

2009-01-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Excuse the mess and clutter that is in my scrap space. Those that know me, know that I scrap in what used to be my dining room and I share it with DH and the computer stuff. Further, DH constantly uses my table to set down anything and everything..so no matter how many times I clean it up, he always finds more things to clutter up my space with!

Here is the general space...

This is a chest with six drawers...all full of stuff. On top sits two Workshop Organizers full of paper, two clear organizers with drawers full of pens, adhesive, and miscellaneous supplies. On top of that is a large Power Sort Box full of pictures from my childhood through my 20's. And you can see all the other non-scrapbooking things DH has balanced on top...bike helmet, random gift bags of junk, envelopes! Argh!

Workspace - as you can see, it is not a very user-friendly work area. You can see some of the random things DH has placed there. Gotta love him!

Bookshelf where I store paper, Cricut cartridges, and idea books.

Here is my main paper tower. Every compartment is full. This does not include another secret paper stashing place or the plastic paper storage boxes that are currently full.

Here are the contents of the drawers...

Drawer 1: A light box, old CCS wavy tool, templates, and more photos

Drawer 2: Ribbon, various adhesives, general crafting and altering supplies, Cricut software box.

Drawer 3: Stamping and Embossing materials.

Drawer 4: Cricut Jukebox cords, Photo Mats (I think almost everyone that CM came out with), small scraps by color in empty photo mat boxes.

Drawer 5: Ribbon, various CM business stuff, photo sharing cards that I plan to use someday, as well as those old class materials for Power Pallette.

Drawer 6: Albums and various other materials.

Keep in mind that this is only the stuff that is out for use. There is more in closets and in our storage unit. So...can you see why I joined the "Use Your Stash!" Challenge?

FLSSY V or Bust!

2009-01-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

So here I sit on a Tuesday, contemplating how much stuff needs to be done before I leave on Friday morning for FLSSY V. I am so excited, but I sure is heck won't get much done if I don't start planning and packing. And I have a gazillion more titles to design before I can even think about packing. I have made a list...a very thorough list so I am sure I won't forget anything...but for whatever reason, I just can't bring myself to get moving. It will be Thursday...I know me...Thursday will be an incredibly busy day. We have a playdate in the morning, tutoring in the afternoon and the big Gator game in the evening...and there I will be, pulling my hair out because I waited until the last minute.

Use up Your Stash

2009-01-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the image Cyn created for this year's challenge. Thought I'd add it here to start things off right!

Use Your Stash Challenge

2009-01-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

I have decided to start yet another blog that will highlight my scrapbooking endeavors. My friend Cyndi started a challenge called "Use Your Stash." Basically, instead of buying all the cool new products out there this year, we must try to have restraint and use what we already have. Most of us have more stuff than we could possibly use in one year. Not to mention, with the economy the way it is, it can't hurt to save some money. Since I will be completing many pages this year using the rules for this challenge, I figured I would start a separate blog for posting my layouts and other scrapbooking related things! I certainly don't need to clutter up my other blog, and this way I can simply highlight the pages, techniques, and supplies, as well as the retreats I plan to attend this year. Here's to Scrappin' It My Way!