One Star Away

Getting Ready for the Show!

2011-12-07T13:05:00.002-05:00

My Annual Holiday Gift Show is this weekend and I have been trying hard to get things done. I have a hard time focusing on one thing at a time and have been known to start a whole new project (or two) while in the middle of working on something else. It happens a lot. A lot.

Anyway, here is a sneak peek of a couple things I am going to be selling at my show! My booth will have a lot less than it did last year, but last year I wasn't chasing around Piper, either :)

So, Zoey loves felt boards. We were at a yard sale last summer and some lady talked her into asking me for one. She cried because she needed to have it so bad, so I spent the $5 and bought it for her. Little did I know that I would be rewarded with hours of quiet time while she plays with that thing! She was playing a few months ago and was pretty upset that there was no felt doll that looked like her, and asked me if I would make her one. My kids think I can make anything and Daddy can fix anything. We often disappoint. I made her a doll of herself and then she kept asking for more things and more things. Then, I decided to make a whole travel set to sell at my Holiday Show! Everything is drawn on the computer by me and then my awesome friend Reena and I machine embroidered and then cut them out.

Here is the girl doll and her accessories. She has 3 hair styles/colors and a couple outfits including some ballet gear. There are a couple things still missing from this photo because they still need cut out.

There is a kitty and puppy in each set!

Here is the boy set. Obviously we are in Pittsburgh. I guess I should have made some without the Steeler logo, but since it's for a local show, I made them all the same.

Go Steelers! He has some more hair and clothes waiting to be cut out, too.

Here is the travel board opened up. There is a vinyl pocket to keep all the felt pieces in on one side and a velcro closure on the other. There is plastic in between the felt layer and the outer fabric to make it easier to work on.

When you are all done playing, you fold over the vinyl pocket,

fold it over once,

attach the velcro closure and go!

Here is the whole set (minus about 6 more things).

This is the back that shows the outer fabric. So cute.

Also, I am making these cute Owl Pillows. They are hand and machine stitched and have little pockets on the front. They turned out way better than I thought they would. I still have 2 more to stitch up and stuff, but I have a couple days, right?? I am going to put candy canes in the little pockets :)

I also made some sun catchers like last year, a couple necklaces and a couple random things here and there. I will be sure to post about the show after we are done so you can see all the wonderful artists that participate! If I have things left after the show, I might put them on my Etsy site. I'll update here next week.

Make a Halloween House...

2011-10-14T13:12:00.000-04:00

My kids LOVE our Halloween village. We have 2 houses. It's a small village...

For a fun afternoon craft, I made this little house for them. I have a design background as well as a drafting background, so these came together pretty easily for me. We cut them out, glued them together and painted them all to be spooky. Here's a quick tutorial if you want to make your own with your kids!

The houses are about 10" tall and about 7" wide when assembled. For smaller kids, you may want to use copy paper and a glue stick or tape. For bigger kids {and adults} you may want to use card stock and a glue gun. The card stock houses will definitely hold up better than the copy paper ones.

Step 1: Color or the house with crayons, markers or colored pencils. You could paint the house, but the paint may make the paper wavy when it dries. I used watercolors to paint mine when it was all done.

Step 2: Cut out the parts of the house. You will cut ALL the lines that are SOLID BLACK that are not windows or doors.

Step 3: Fold ALL the lines that are GRAY DASHED. It is best to fold all the tabs to the back of the printed part. The stairs will have an accordion fold. Start by folding them to the front.

Step 4: Begin assembling your house, gluing on the tabs marked with an ‘x’.

First assemble the main body of the house, parts E, F, G and H. Glue the side tabs on E and put G & H on it. Finish by gluing the side tabs on F and attaching the rest of the house.

Glue the top tabs of E and F and add the Roof {M}, making sure the tabs for the chimney are in the back of the house. You may have to lay it on its side to press it into place. Glue the top tabs of G and H, also pressing into place.

Glue the side tabs {the ones that are circled} on the Tower L Side {C} to the Tower Front/R Side {A} making the tower box. Slide the tower into place on the main house and glue the tabs into place on the inside of the main house and roof.

Assemble the tower roof {P}. Glue the top tabs on the Tower and set the roof on top. Press from the inside of the tower into place.

Assemble the chimney {D}. Put glue on the roof tabs for the chimney. Slide it into place and press from the inside.

Assemble the front window {B} by gluing only the tabs WITHOUT the circles. When it is all assembled, then glue the tabs with the circled X’s and attach it to the front of the tower {A} where the gray box is located.

Glue the roof cap {J} onto the roof.

Glue the Roof top fence {K} and Front window fence {L} into place.

All done!! You can download the instructions and .pdf files of the house

HERE if you want to make your own! For Free!!

**SOME TIPS**

Cut out the windows and glue yellow tissue paper inside over the windows. You can put a small strand of Christmas lights inside to illuminate it.

Google ‘free Halloween clip art’ and cut and paste images to your house to make it spooky.

Print your house out on scrapbook paper that looks like wood or brick to make it more realistic.

Add glitter!

Make another one for Christmas!

We also made a school, that is painted very spooky.

And an equally spooky church. Our village is almost complete!!

Also, I added some bats to the wall and bent the wings out to make it look a little more realistic. Piper gets a big kick out of them on the wall!

If you have a Silhouette and want some bats of your own, you can download the .studio file HERE.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Almost Caught Up...

2011-09-26T15:10:00.000-04:00

So, I won't bore you about all my laundry, I know we all have plenty of it! Look how big these two are getting. We took them to Kennywood last month and they rode everything they were tall enough to get on! They loved it so much!

Here's some projects I did recently. Another nursing cover with the sweet momma and baby birdies. I hand embroidered the birdies on the pocket part of the cover.

This is a little Harry Potter softie for my HP junkie...

I made this on my embroidery machine.

Another project was this curio cabinet. I bought it on Craigslist for $60. It was in decent shape, but not really looking to add one more wood tone to my house, so I painted it. We also replaced the mirrored back with some left over bead board. I am going to replace the knobs as soon as I can make my way over to Anthropologie! Hopefully by tonight it will be finished.

As you can see, in this display cabinet we have TONS of dairy bottles. My husbands family owned the J.E.Harshbarger Dairy and we have acuired lots of things. This is where we are going to put everything. I think that I might get this sign printed out to put over the cabinet. It was the lid to a little ice cream container and I edited it in Photoshop.

Also, finally finished up the pillow from last year...

Lastly, we are starting to decorate for Halloween! I have some fun Halloween things I am working out, so check back soon!!

All My Dirty Laundry...

2011-09-25T21:53:00.000-04:00

9 Reasons Why I Am Not Blogging Today...

Cause I have a bit of laundry to do...

On a side note, here's a little sneak peek of a project I recently finished.

Cute little momma and baby birdies...

Stay tuned, I promise I'll get caught up on laundry soon!

Harry Potter Birthday Party

2011-09-03T18:08:00.000-04:00

The Harry Potter birthday party was a big success! We started out with the boys running through Platform 9 3/4. The Sorcerors Stone was playing inside until everyone got there.

After everyone arrived, they sat in a circle and each picked a cape out of a bag to determine which house they were going to be in. We decided on only 2 houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin so that when we played Quidditch, those would be the teams.

Then we went outside to make magic wands. They each got a wand to decorate and an Ollivander's box to keep it in.

We had a little potions class, that quite honestly didn't go THAT great...

Everyone enjoyed some pizza, chocolate cake, Butterbeer cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate frogs, Bertie Bott's jelly beans, popping balloons and turning each other into lizards with their magic wands!

At the end of our party was the big Quidditch match. We had hoops set up in the front and Uncle Kevin hid the Golden Snitch really well. Each of the boys got a Nimbus 2000 to 'fly' on for the match. I think they all enjoyed themselves, they looked like they were having a great time!

After about 20 minutes of playing, Jake was the one that found the Golden Snitch. Gryffindor wins!

Thank you to everyone {Mom, Brianna, Renee, Kevin, Reena, Ann, DaniJo & Scott} who helped me make such a fun party for Jake. He loved every minute of it and we couldn't have pulled it off without you!

Click HERE for a link to see all of the pictures from the party!!

Happy 6th Birthday, Jake!

Getting Ready for 6!

2011-08-18T15:19:00.000-04:00

We have a HUGE Harry Potter fan at our house. I know, jumping on the band wagon a bit late, but Jake just started taking interest. He has seen the first 2 movies and he can't get enough Legos. He is also turning 6 next week and asked for a Harry Potter birthday party. Now, if you know me you know that I LOVE to prepare for parties. I seriously missed my calling as a set designer or party planner or something. Here's a little sneak peek at the Harry Potter things happening at my house!

Freshly painted brick wall for Platform 9 3/4. This will cover the front doors and the kids will run through a slit cut up the middle.

9 3/4 Platform sign for Hogwarts Express. This will hang above the brick wall. My Silhouette came is super handy for this project!!

Honeyduke's Chocolate Frogs. These seriously took me about 6 hours to make. I found a rough design on the box and modified it to work better. Then I went to work searching the web to find pictures of the real ones to use on mine. Turned out pretty well, I think. Just don't look TOO close :)

I bought these frog molds on Ebay and I will put one in each box.

The Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans were the same way. I actually found an Ebay site that had each side blown up pretty large and just used those images to recreate the box in Photoshop. I was on my own for the bottom and to close it, but that wasn't very hard at all.

At the party, each kid is going to get a wand to decorate and keep in their own Ollivanders wand box. I have been saving pasta, cereal and other food boxes for something and this will be a good way to recycle them. Apparently Jake wants me to add "Hogwarts" to the wand label. They will be covered in silver gift wrap.

Making the wands for the kids to decorate out of construction paper. 4 done, 8 more to go...

Jake wants me to make a hooded robe for each of the boys. I think I might have time, but we will see.

Happy Birthday, little man. I sure love you. I will be sure to post more pictures after the party!

Let's Get Caught Up!

2011-07-30T12:25:00.004-04:00

Well, let's see....we last left off at February. WHAT a slacker I have been. Well, not really, I have actually been pretty super busy. Here's a brief look at what's been going on since then. Maybe not a lot of crafting, but definitely a lot. Some travelling, some camping and lots of playing.

In February I did start back to work {very} part-time. I went back to be a Design Assistant at my old job at Drew Designs, Ltd. It's an Interior Design office and I really enjoy getting out of the house a couple hours here and there and getting back into the design scene. Once the kids are back at school I will have more of a consistent schedule, so for now I just squeeze in work when I can.

Otherwise, I honestly can't remember what happened in March, April or half of May, we will start with the end of May. We travelled to Maryland to visit family for Memorial Day. Beautiful weather and lots of fun! I love that Zoey is giving herself bunny ears here...in the front.

This little one is into EVERYTHING. Just give her 2 minutes and she will find something to get into. This picture was just cute, so I added it.

In June I helped Renee with 15 dozen cupcakes to sell at our annual Bryant Street Festival. They looked amazing and when the day was done, she sold all but about 1 dozen {melted} cupcakes! It was a HOT day. Check it out HERE on her blog, Createur Designs!

We also had Zoey's big dance recital. She has been taking classes all year doing ballet and tap. She did a tap routine to "The Green Grass Grows All Around". Super cute and they all had fun.

After the recital we headed off to Virginia Beach to visit with more family. The kids didn't really remember being at the beach before and they really loved it! We had fantastic weather and other than a REALLY long ride home, it was a great vacation!

I bet she's getting ready to put a handful of sand in her mouth... or else she found a bug.

Apparently, both taste yummy :)

Then, we had a lovely visit with my best friend and my momma and look all the little ones to the Children's Museum. Fun day :)

Then, this little lady turned 4 years old. She wanted a "Pajama Tea Party". This was the best little 4 year old party ever!! My mom & sister and niece came to help out with the party, and thank goodness. I would not have been able to do it all without their help!

The table all set under the tent.

Paper Lanterns hung around the yard.

Everything was pink & purple. And little.

Tea hats for the girls to pick and keep.

Party favors to take home.

Cardboard purses {idea from here} to paint and decorate. Super special thanks to my mom and Renee for assembling those for me. You guys rock!

Mini cotton candy cupcakes.

Super-duper special helpers, Renee and Nicole.

The girls eating. We had chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese in little nut cups and PB&J sandwiches cut in quarters.

Decorating purses.

Having tons of fun!

In her thank you cards, we added "Tea Time Trading Cards" which looked like baseball cards and had a picture of each girl at the party. They were so fun for me to make and Zoey {and her friends} have fun cards to play with. She really loved everything about her party!

July 4th brought some bike decorating and a parade around the neighborhood fountain for all the HP kids.

No fireworks this year, they are too late for the kids. {and the parents}

Insert a LegoFest, a couple camping trips, some summer camps {dancing princess, gaga for gaudi and summer dreamers academy} and a VERY busy 18mo. old, and that's what we have been up to since February!

On the crafty side, I have been working on a blanket for a new baby on the block! Baby Asha was born a couple days before Zoey's birthday to my sweet, sweet {tired} friend! We love that family so much and I wish I wasn't such a slacker getting that blanket made. I am going to try to finish it up this weekend, but here is a sneak peek {Reena, divert your eyes!}

It was a mixture of this and this. I loved them both and couldn't decide which one i wanted to make. I will say that after all three sides of the bunched up frame were done, I ran out of fabric and had to tear it all apart (thanks, mom) and do it over in different fabric. Too bad I bought a discontinued fabric the first time. I bet I called every Joann store in the Pittsburgh AND Akron/Canton area to find more of that fabric and no one had any. Oh well... it's almost done with new fabric! I am going to {try} to quilt it like the inspiration blanket. Try.

Also, made these really easy dresses for the girls.

I kind of went by a picture of The Reverse Knot Dress but Kissing Kumquats but made it up as i went along. I definitely used their technique for the straps but made my own pattern for the top and a skirt is well...just a skirt. Anyone can make one of those! I used ribbon for the straps and added a cute pocket. Seriously, the dress cost me about $1.00 to make. I bought 1/8 yard of the leopard print and my grandma gave me the wrinkly tan print, I have about 3 yards of it. Here's Piper's.

She's napping or else I would have put it on to take pictures. When I was sewing it, my serger went a little nuts and cut the trim, so to hide it I embroidered this little birdie in a nest and put it over the tear.

Around the house, we have been doing a little work on the 3rd floor. We made an art desk in my room for the kids to keep all their arts & crafts supplies. We painted over the mural I painted a few years ago and put up a shelf for the kids books and computer games.

We also worked on the bathroom a little bit, but still not done.

And this weekend's big project is moving ALL the toys from the downstairs to the closet on the 3rd floor. We took out all the random things that were in there and added bead board and textured wallpaper and then painted the whole thing. We are adding some TROFAST storage from Ikea and hopefully finishing up today. I have big plans of making the closet look like a toy store, but that part will not get done today, I am sure.

That's about all I can remember for now. I am sure there are small things here and there that I forgot about!

Is It Almost Spring?

2011-02-23T12:30:00.000-05:00

Last I checked it was Halloween time. On my blog, anyway! I am re-capping all the fun and (sometimes) creative things I have done since October. There is a lot of randomness, so beware :)

Let's start with Halloween! Every year my brother has a big Halloween party. He picks a theme and goes ALL OUT. For real, he transforms the whole front yard to match the theme. This past Halloween was 'Evil Carnival'. My brothers made carnival tents and games for the trick-or-treaters to play in.

I made the light up sign and my costume (evil cotton candy).

Iron Man, twice as tough!

Tinkerbell can't keep from jumping, twirling & dancing...all. the. time.

Renee as Evil Popcorn and Kyle made his Beetlejuice costume!

That is my mom as the Grim Reaper in the background...

After Halloween, I made this nursing cover for a friend of my sister:

I think it turned out cute!

We had our first 'My Own Haircut' experience. He had actually just meant to fix a few hairs that were sticking up. In his defense, I did tell him to go upstairs and 'take care of it'. Scissors were his solution.

I made this apron for my sweetie pie niece who loves orange, yellow & elephants!

Stained glass angels for a sweet friend to give as a gift!

Preparations for the Holiday Gift Show were well underway in October and November. The show was the first weekend in December and it went very well. We had a great turn out of people and my mom, my sister and my niece all came to help out. It was a great fun time and I can't wait to host the next one.

Check out the pictures and the booths from the amazing artists that joined me:

Mermaid dolls by me

Stained Glass Suncatchers by me

More suncatchers by me

My Booth

Reena and Sarah, necklaces & crayon rolls

Silk Scarves by Susan Lee

Jewelry by Morgan Kraybill

Fiber Jewelry by Annika O'Malley

Ceramics by Jeff Guerrero

Aromatherapy pillows and prints from original watercolors by Mavis Logan

Candles and sweets by Linda Rorabaugh

Yummy snacks and hot coffee!

Thank you to everyone who participated in, attended, and helped out to make the gift show a big success this year.

Moving on, we had a wonderful Christmas and New Years spent with our families!

Then...our baby turned ONE! How is it possible that a year flew by so fast?

Love this amazing little girl so much!

Moving on to February brought a BIG side job that took lots of time, but turned out really well. When I have photos of the finished project, I will share them!

Valentine's Day pins for teachers and pins for the girls' hair....

Cupcake pincushion for my sister...

Custom order Mardi Gras Dragonfly...

Peacock embroidery just because...

Eerie sky...just because

Well, for now this is all I have to post. The baby is up from her nap & I have to get some laundry done. As I look around, there are a bunch of crafty things I need to photograph, finish, start, etc... but for now, I am going to cuddle with a crazy little one year old as long as she'll let me!

Since June...

2010-10-18T13:59:00.001-04:00

Oh my goodness...it has been so long. What a blog slacker I have been. My apologies. Anyway, I have a short amount of nap time to get this post in, so it will be mostly pictures! These are some of the projects I have made since my last post.

Freezer Paper Stenciling:

Darth Vader for Jake

Spongebob for Zoey

Butterfly Headband

(on my new embroidery machine!)

Hat from an old tee shirt

Silk Screen project that I will be working on until I am 40...

Donna Downey Inspiration Wednesday challenge

Ongoing fabric organization

Wedding embroidery

Birdie close-up

Cupcake gift card holder for the same wedding. The top comes off and holds a gift card! I put mine on a wooden disk and then glued a glass candlestick to the bottom so it looked like it was on a mini cake stand.

(found the tutorial on You Tube, by Fabulously Artsy)

(more inspiration and step by step instructions at the My Paper Art blog)

My dress before and after.

There was a run in the V-neck part of the dress so I had not worn it for years, so I made some quick flowers to cover it up.

Zoey's bedroom, I made her bed skirt tutu and the tree recently.

Tutu bed skirt.

I looked up a bunch of tutorial for how to do this, but I decided they were all too time consuming and I did it my own way. It turned out exactly how I wanted and was WAY easier than all the tutorials I found.

Tree filled with birds and fairies. I had envisioned using a real tree brach draped with beads and feathers and butterflies and birds and fairies. They had one at a Levin Furniture store as a display once and I loved it instantly. I will do it when I find the perfect branch. I am always looking out for one ;)

Here's the pictures I took of the room display when I was at Levin of what I really want to make...someday

OMG...I love that so much.

Stocking cap with organza flower

(tutorial for flower found at Calamity Kim's)

Mermaiden Doll

(tutorial for doll from Wee Wonderfuls)

Close up of Mermaiden

Dora the Explorer Embroidery for a pillow

Dora close up

Front of a journal/crayon holder

Inside of journal/crayon holder

Pea Pod Necklace

(so, so cute!)

Flower wrist cuff

Mermaid doll.

My own pattern!!!

Jellyfish

My Mermaid and her Jellyfish

Well, that is about all I have right now. There are still some projects that I haven't gotten to photograph, eventually I will. Most of my time since my last post has been spent at soccer games, at dance class, wiping boogers, wiping butts, cleaning up spit up, watching my 9 month old stand and cruise all over, sending my oldest off to kindergarten and my middle one to pre-school, trying to keep our house clean, keeping up on laundry, visiting with family, organizing my 2nd Annual Holiday Gift Show (SO excited about that!!) and loving on my kids as much as I can, cause MAN are they growing up fast...

til next time, have a great day!

In The Shop!

2010-06-13T08:23:00.001-04:00

Just loaded everything left from the show into my Etsy shop!

Check it out HERE!

Time For A Show!

2010-06-06T09:22:00.000-04:00

Been busy getting ready for today's Bryant Street Festival! Come on out if you are local, 12pm-6pm.

There will also be a tent selling hot dogs, chips and a drink for $3 with all proceeds going to HaitiH2O.

Here's what I've been up to since my last post.

Flower Pens

Stained Glass Birdies

Dragonfly Suncatchers

Handmade Aprons

Fabric Covered Journals

Handmade Totes

Here's hoping the rain hold off for a good day! I would hate a repeat of the last Bryant Street Festival I had a booth at...

Felt Rose Tutorial

2010-04-14T13:52:00.001-04:00

This post has LOTS of pictures, but they are pretty!! This is a tutorial on how to make and dye felt roses to be used for whatever you want! I am using them on the covers of some journals I am going to be selling. I needed some shades of flowers that I don't have in my felt stash and I am kind of on a craft-spending freeze right now, so I had to be creative with what I have.

I found this patten at The Purl Bee and printed it, cut it out and cut out my felt. I used her template for the smaller size roses. After I did the first few, I didn't need the pattern anymore and just eyeballed similar shapes for the larger roses.

You can assemble the flower just like she has in her {rose barrette template} the directions are pretty easy to follow. I just didn't attach them to a barrette. I'll put simple instructions up, though, since I took pictures :)

Roll it up & secure with needle & thread. Add the smaller petals, secure with stitches.

It will look like this:

So pretty! Add the larger petals & stitch.

This is what the back looks like all done:

Now, get out your fabric dye, watercolors, markers or food dye or whatever you have on hand to dye the felt! I was even thinking that I would pick up some egg dying kits, since they are all 75% off right now!

It seemed like the color went on & flowed better if the flowers were wet first.

Then I just added some color to the tips & set it upside down (so the color wouldn't run)

on paper towels (to soak up extra dye) in a glass pan (so it wouldn't dye my countertops)!

That was with bright yellow felt and pink dye. Here's some pictures with white felt:

Dipped the bottom only in yellow.

Pretty! This one, I did the bottom in yellow and the top in pink!

I let them dry overnight, upside down.

Today, they were all dry so I attached them to the journals.

This is one of my favorites!

The kids wanted to make some so we used a hot glue gun, markers and a spray bottle. The turned out cute, but didn't lay as flat with the glue. They did dry a lot faster, since we just spitzed them with febreeze to get the colors to run & to smell good.

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In other news, I have all of my craft room painted except one wall, I am going to do that today. We are waiting on the rest of the wallpaper to arrive (tomorrow) to finish up the ceiling.

The paint color is the same color I have in the living room, it's going to be a bright & cheery space. I can't WAIT until I move all my things back in & start creating for the upcoming show I am doing. Hopefully this week and this weekend we can be pretty productive up there & start moving things back into place soon...

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Studio Update & Other Randomness...

2010-04-01T11:05:00.000-04:00

The living room doesn't look any different with all my stuff...except for the gate to keep the kids out!

Over in the craft room, things are starting to take shape. I have a ceiling, and it should be ready to wallpaper soon, at least by next weekend. Yes, I said wallpaper. I am a fan of wallpapered ceilings :) Here's a few examples of wallpaper in our home!

Kitchen Backsplash

Bathroom Ceiling

I managed to start on some journal covers for a craft show in June that I am doing. I am going to hand embroider on them, too.

I did not get the girls easter dresses made, so unless by some crazy miracle that happens today, I'll have to find something for them in their closets :) If I can get back into the back of the room and get my serger and other sewing machine out, I would have a better shot at getting those dresses made...but probably not...

Loving these vintage sheets! I love the Goodwill for finding new fabric :)

and lastly, just cause she's cute...

Have a Happy Easter weekend!!

Studio Ceiling Re-do, Part. 2

2010-03-20T17:36:00.004-04:00

Well, all my stuff is moved out (into the adjoining family room) and Scott and his tools are all moved in. With help from some friends, he's moving along and I should be able to paint sometime this week, hopefully!
(Man, I have a lot of stuff...)

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When I found out I was pregnant with each of my kids, I started a journal for each one of them. I made cute covers for Jake's and Zoey's last year. I started a journal for Piper almost a year ago, but didn't have a cover until now, so here's her journal cover I managed to make on the dining room table last night ;)

Have a great weekend!!

Taking A Couple Weeks Off...

2010-03-15T14:09:00.000-04:00

Because my desk looks like this:

And my craft room looks like this:

And this:

(I already miss my sewing machines...)

And this:

All because of this:

Yep, my craft room ceiling is falling down. I must remove ALL my things so that I can have a new ceiling built. Not looking forward to this. But, my husband isn't either, he is the one who has to fix it!

Love you, honey. Be quick. ;)

More Embroidery...

2010-03-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of my three babies, just cause they are cute!

So, before Christmas I made the stockings for only the kids because I only had 3 matching stocking hangers. Well, when my mom came out after Christmas, she found 2 more that matched, so I made stockings for Scott & I, too! Here they are:

I won't lie, this one was meant to be Scott's, but I liked it better than mine, so I switched them!

Scott's Stocking

Family Stockings

This is some embroidery I have been working on for a pillow that will go

in Piper's room. I saw the idea HERE (at Bloom) and wanted to make one.

That pillow is SO stinking cute!

Have a great Tuesday!!

A Little More Sewing...

2010-02-24T16:39:00.000-05:00

Just a couple more things that I have been making the past couple days!

A purse for me.

With a cute little bird.

A dress for Zoey from one of Scott's old tee shirts.

Another dress adapted from this PATTERN at Indietutes.

This one is the same pattern, but made with an A-Line skirt.

This is for Zoey's best friend, Arathena!

Time for me to figure out something for dinner.

{ugh...I hate this time of day...}

Hope you have a great day!

What I've Been Making...

2010-02-16T15:29:00.000-05:00

I am still here!! I have been busy (kind of) since I last blogged.

Here's just some of the things I have made since I last logged on...

An Ariel dress for Zoey. I used a pattern (Simplicity #4253) for the top and I made up the bottom from some examples I found doing an Etsy search.

She loves the big pink flower & I added ties because I made the 4T size (she's in a 3T right now) and it fits better with ties. Now she can wear it next year, too!

This pattern looked pretty simple when I found it online, but it didn't quite work out like it was supposed to. The liner ended up being bigger than the outer part which made a pulling effect in the center (totally my fault, I messed up the outer part). Still cute, since the fabric is so darn adorable! You can try your own since there is a free pattern HERE (My Spare Time).

This is a little Plush Tree that I made for Zoey after I made the stockings. I was on quite an embroidery kick during the last month of pregnancy! I bought this tutorial HERE (Posh Makes). More embroidery stuff is on the way, too- I just love it!!

AND...

Most importantly, I made this!!

Piper Emily was born 1/15/2010

She is an amazing little girl that we all love SO much!!

I re-covered the old car-seat that Jake and Zoey both used. No pattern, I just cut the old one apart and traced it for the pattern, hoping like heck I would figure out how to put it all back together before she was born!

Piper was baptized this past Sunday, my father who is a Deacon preformed the ceremony and my whole family came. This is the dress I made for her. The pattern I ~~agonized over~~ used is Simplicity #4557. I really stressed myself out about this dress, but it turned out nice. Not perfect, but nice. Special thanks to Beth for letting me used her Bernina embroidery machine to add the 'P' and flowers to the top, it really made the dress! Thanks again, Beth and to my awesome friend Reena for also helping me out with this one!

Here is Piper's room, this corner is still not finished. I have some small detail painting left to do on a couple flowers, but it is probably (hopefully) only visible to me! Inspiration was from some fabric I bought at Joann's a few years ago. I intended to use it for Zoey's bedroom when she was born but changed my mind. I still had it and still liked it, so I used it to make Piper's bumper and a pillow for her crib. I have enough left over to make her a fabric banner like the other kids have with her name on it, too!

Since Zoey had to give up the crib for a big girl bed, I am making her a mermaid quilt. I haven't started it yet, but I have sketches, ideas and fabric set aside.

Before this room was the spare bedroom and it was painted light blue and had a big tree painted on the corner, but I love the look of the beadboard wallpaper and trim. Still lots to work on in here, but it's a start!

Well, I am off for now. Jake hasn't had school since Feb. 3rd and is going a little stir crazy! Zoey has Fifth's Disease, 2 weeks after Jake and Scott both came down with it. Piper has had a cold since last Wednesday and I am the only one who hasn't been sick yet, but man- I am tired :)

Next up is something I am planning on making with the charm packs I got from Natalie at Piece N Quilt. I won a $20 gift certificate from her over the holidays & bought these from her shop.

Have a great Tuesday!! Lisa

Same old, same old...

2010-01-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

Still no baby...

Still not finished with the Jesse Tree...

Same old, same old.

Happy 2010!

What I've Been Up To...

2009-12-07T13:48:00.002-05:00

Other than growing the baby, I have been doing a lot of embroidery! I love that it's something I can throw in a bag & take downstairs and spend time with my family while doing. Most of the other things I do, I have to be in my room with all the appropriate tools and away from everyone. But not this! I have been busy making stockings for the kids, and a Jesse Tree.

When I was little, my grandma had a Jesse Tree she made, and still has up to this day. When I was a little older, my mom made one with us, and so I really wanted to have one for my kids.

I am not finished yet, I still have about 8 more symbols to do, then each one needs the bible verse and name that it symbolizes added to it. I tried to get it done for Dec. 1st, but maybe I'll get it done before Christmas {or before this baby is born!}.

And before I was even done with the Jesse Tree, I decided the kids needed new stockings for the mantle. Here are some of the pictures of those. The baby's doesn't have a name yet, cause we don't want to give it away ;) well, that and we haven't decided 100% yet what it's going to be!

Well, I am due in 4 weeks and lets hope I can get all the stuff I want to get done finished up before my sleepless nights set in...otherwise, most of the stuff I am working on won't get finished until summer!!

Since Everyone Else Is Doing It...

2009-10-26T17:26:00.002-04:00

I thought I would give a try to the 'Family Rules' that seem to be floating all around blog land! I saw a post awhile back on The Pleated Poppy and thought it was a cute idea, and now it seems like everyone is making one, so I have given in to peer pressure! Since I have limited (if you can believe it) supplies for scrapbooking things, I did mine digitally (in PhotoShop). I decided that if I liked it enough, I would have it printed on 24"x30" canvas and hang it up. Turns out I like it pretty well!

If you can't read it, here is a list of what I deemed our Family Rules, but I will admit I stole most of them:

* Have Fun, Be Kind
* Always Tell The Truth
* Be Creative At All Times
* Husband- Hug Your Wife Daily
* Wife- Always Be On His Side
* Never Leave Angry
* Clean Up After Yourself
* Forgiveness Is Mandatory
* Encourage Your Brothers And Sisters (positive encouragement only, please)
* Keep Your Promises
* Share Everything Except Bad Ideas
* Sing Silly, Dance Crazy, Hug Often, Smile
* Keep Your Promises, Do Your Best (I know...already on there, I am fixing that before I print it)
* Use Your Manners, Practice Forgiveness
* Always Say I Love You

Hope you are having a great Monday!

Trick-or-Treat Totes!

2009-10-07T15:47:00.001-04:00

Man, it was like mass production over here this morning with these cute Trick-or-Treat Totes!

I made 5 of them for Halloween. They aren't super huge {I don't want them to hold TOO much candy!} they measure about 9" wide and 11" to the top of the bag with the handles being another 3".

They are lined to be sure no candy falls out!

I am selling them for $10.00 and that includes the personalized name.

E-mail me if you are interested at lisa@onestaraway.com

I will ship orders for an additional $4.00

{Fabrics may vary due to supply at the

fabric store, but all will be equally as cute!}

I Just Can't Stop Myself!

2009-10-05T12:10:00.000-04:00

I have made 5 purses/totes in the past 6 days! I just can't stop. I so love my sewing machine and the poor thing has had collected dust all summer, but I am now making up for it. I just finished up this 'Raggy Quilt Purse' yesterday and I am loving how it turned out. I think I will use this as a diaper bag for awhile.

I found the free pattern at Up the Rainbow Creek. She has a great blog, check it out if you want to make raggy quilt anything! Her directions were very easy to follow, too, they have to be for me to finish.

Also, I think that with all the purses being made, Jake is feeling left out. He asked me to make him a bag for his books and toys, so while reading my normal blogs this morning, I saw this free pattern on Cluck Cluck Sew. Love her blog, read it all the time!

So, now I think I need to make some Trick-or-Treat bags like she did! I do need to take a break from purses soon, I am going to tackle a crib bumper for the new baby's room next!

Have a great Monday!

The Buttercup Bags!

2009-10-02T10:52:00.002-04:00

I found this super easy sewing pattern online the other day & made these too cute purses for Zoey and her friend! The purse would be a bit too small for all the crap I carry, but perfect for the girls to throw their stuff into and carry around!

The directions are really simple and to make 2 purses it only took me a little over an hour {and I have never made a purse before}. The best part is, the are lined and each one only uses one fat quarter, and the pattern is FREE!

This is the purse I made first to practice. It was made with upholstry fabric, so it was a little more difficult to work with than the cotton, but still turned out cute!

Here's the link to her blog if you want to try your own!

Made by Rae

Fabric Banners

2009-09-28T16:42:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend, my parents visited and my mom helped me make some fabric banners. There were 2 that were gifts for her friend, and then a couple Halloween banners as well.

We managed to have enough materials laying around to come up with 6 Halloween banners, but only got 2 made. I have the materials set aside for 2 more large banners and 2 smaller banners that I will finish up and list on ETSY this week.

I love making custom things, so if you or someone you know would like a custom banner, please email me!

Each pennant on the larger banners measures 12" long and 10-1/2" wide at the top. The smaller pennants each measure 9" long and 8" wide at the top. Length, of course, depends on how many letters you want!

Here are some banners that I have made in the past, thought I would re-post them here!

This is in Zoey's room across her windows. It's her great and great-great grandmothers as Fairies and Princesses.

This is the one that spans across Jake's windows. Now, if we could just decide on a name, I could make another one for the nursery!

Coffin Pendants

2009-09-23T12:33:00.008-04:00

These did turn out much better than last years try. I decided to solder {lead-free, of course!} them after I cut out the domino. Then I used a resin spray over top, but it didn't get as "covered" as I thought it would, so I topped it off with some Ranger 'Glossy Accents'. Now it's nice and shiny and the print is protected. Each pendant measures 2" tall with the jump ring, about 2-1/4" and is 1" at it's widest point. They are amost 1/2" thick cut from old wooden dominos. Listing them on ETSY today!

Spooky Spider!

2009-09-23T12:24:00.003-04:00

This little spider was just listed on ETSY. Hopefully she finds a new home for Halloween! Her body is orange stained glass, she has black & irridescent beads for legs and a pretty vintage bauble for some extra decoration!

BOO Banner!

2009-09-17T11:23:00.004-04:00

Here's a little Halloween banner I just finished up. It is made from crinkled paper, tulle, glitter letters and some ribbon to hang. The word & tulle measures about 28" and overall the ribbon to hang is just over 48". Adding this to my ETSY store today!

Now I am working on perfecting those Coffin Pendants that didn't make the cut last year!!

New ETSY Items!!

2009-09-15T11:10:00.006-04:00

Well, we have had some major changes around the home front & it's now time to start listing some things on ETSY again! I am trying very hard to get back into the creative mode, really I am. It's just not coming so easy. Now school is back in {one less child, three days a week}, I am well into my 2nd trimester {and feeling much better} and am ready to force some creative juices to flow whether they want to or not.

I made these stone pendants and am pretty pleased at how they turned out. They are beautiful natural stones I bought a few years back on one of my annual Yankee Peddler trips. Can't remember the vendor I bought them from. They are wrapped in copper foil and soldered in lead free solder. They range in size from the smallest being 1-1/4"x1-1/2" to the largest being 1-3/4"x3", so they are pretty good size! It's not a whole lot, but definitely a start, right?!?

Thanks for looking & I am off to add these to the shop :) Stop over & see HERE! Have a great Tuesday~

Hey....Look! I posted on my blog...

2009-07-20T15:43:00.006-04:00

I actually had to look up my user name to sign into Blogger, it's been so long since I have even looked at this blog. But I have a few extra minutes right now, so I'm checking in to say 'hi'. I am sure that my family will be happy that I am updating this, but I am almost certain I have been wiped out of all the other readers 'bookmarks'. That's OK, this is really just for me, anyway.

So, when I started out loving art, I was in grade school. I would draw and paint all the time. I remember my mom went through a phase where she would collect old pieces of slate and paint and decoupage on them. I love that memory of helping her do that. She has always encouraged me to be creative, and I try to do that with my kids, too- no matter the mess {and let me tell you, sometimes we have HUGE messes!} Growing up, my bedroom had paintings on every wall and the door {my dad LOVED that!} I was frequently asked to paint things for church, friends, etc... Eventually, I got older and started expanding my mediums. I eventually found glass and have been playing with that for the past 5 or 6 years.

So, I have in the past couple months gotten out a bunch of my old art work and framed it and hung it up in my studio. It's not perfect, but art doesn't have to be. Some of it is from 20+ years ago and I love looking at it. I started painting again, there is a mural in the kids play area that I started {their dad LOVES that!} and I am just about finished with it. I love the 3D leaves made out of clay, still have to make a bunch more of those. Tinkerbell is waiting for her wand to be done, too!

I probably won't update the blog all the time, but every once in a while. I can't seem to find a lot of time between a 4 year old, a 2 year old and being 16 weeks pregnant again. Maybe when I get my groove back, I'll update more. We'll see. I don't have any current plans on adding to my Etsy shop, either- or maybe I will, who knows... I think I might do more local, face-to-face, shows and festivals. I like talking to the people who are buying my things. People are always nice & will buy from pregnant people!!

Thanks for reading {especially if you aren't related to me} and I hope you enjoy the pictures. I know there are also a couple people {Juliet, for sure} that I owe artwork to and I haven't forgotten! It will just be a nice surprise when it shows up :) Hang on, it's coming!

Later, Lisa

Loving this!

2009-04-02T08:50:00.001-04:00

Got Felt?

2009-03-26T16:31:00.005-04:00

It's always good to have a bunch of felt laying around for when your 2yr. old decided she wants to be SuperGirl! What a beautiful super hero :)

I Love Air Mail...

2009-03-09T15:13:00.009-04:00

I received this package in the mail the other day. I about peed my pants at this mailing label. So. Cute.

I barely could wait to grab my camera and take pictures before I tore it all open! Juliet {Little Miss Crafty} and I did a swap that I was already supposed to have in the mail, but I am running behind. I'll get it finished up and in the mail very soon. The premise is to fill a 5x3 box with whatever we wanted and to decorate the box, too.

How adorable are these tiny little creations?! She is an amazing artist and such a sweet blog friend.

Her stuff is amazing, right?? Check out her Etsy shop, filled with colorful fun things!! Thank you so much, Juliet, I love everything!!

And the Bird House goes to...

2009-03-04T14:02:00.004-05:00

Reena! And for the other 2, I will send something anyway! I mean, there were only 3 people so why not make a little something for you each!! :) Give me about a week and I'll get a little 'spring something' in the mail to you! Thanks again!

On a side note, I love hyacinths. I went to a craft show over the weekend with my mom and sisters and I bought 3 candles, all floral, all remind me of my grandmas. Lilac, Hyacinth and Lily of the Valley....ahhh...spring- I think it's coming soon!

Sure, I'll Do A Give-Way!

2009-02-25T14:19:00.007-05:00

Well, it was a year anniversary of this blog last week {2/19/2008} and I am going to celebrate with a give-a-way! This little glass bird house needs a new home, you see- I'm not that into birds! But, I happen to have a few laying around and with the weather being so spring-like today, I thought it would be a nice this to pass along!

She has a little tarnished crown with some rhinestones on it, and she is all nestled into her flower nest. Overall, it is 4" square and 6" tall. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post and I will pick a winner Sunday night {3/1/2009}. BTW: If you decide to leave a comment, you have a VERY good chance to win, not many people read this blog!

International people are welcome to join in, too, what the heck! Have a great weekend, I'm heading home to see my family!! Lisa

A Mess? Or a Creative Process...?

2009-02-22T13:48:00.007-05:00

Well, my year anniversay of blogging came and went! I am proud that (other than the past few months) I have faithfully kept up this little online journal. I had every intention on doing a give-a-way at the one year mark, but first of all, I forgot. And, secondly- I just don't have anything to give away!! I will get around to it soon, though- I promise. Cute handwarmers, huh? They keep my hands toasty warm & were SO easy to make!

Here's a project I did last week, this pretty soldered bottle. I have seen them all over, but I honestly just cannot bring myself to spend $50-$60 on something that I can make if I just tried. Sometimes it's nice to splurge and buy it, but not this time. It will go on a shelf in Zoey's room. The digi artwork if from here.

Also, I am trying to talk myself into doing a HUGE show this fall. It would be the largest one I have ever done {YIKES!}. A three day festival on the beach....ahhhh...sounds fun! Since it's a juried show, I am starting to get my things in order to apply. I hope I get accepted, if not I guess I will have new stock for that empty Etsy shop...finally! I am going to concentrate on all my beach-y things, since I love them and they have always sold well. Lots of mermaids, dolphins, sea horses and some new things, too!

So, onto my mess....I mean, my creative process....I'll keep you posted!

Have a great weekend, Lisa

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T22:53:00.008-05:00

Just a quick post to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. This is a necklace pendant I made awhile ago from stained glass and polymer clay. The inspiration came from this website: www.parrishrelics.com/catalog.html Very cool things!

Also, I had to show this picture of the treats I made for Jake's school party just so my sister could laugh at me (although she will be doing the same thing when she has kids)!

By the way, I am aware that Valentine's has an apostrophe, it just doesn't in the font that I used (Renee). Cute digital graphics from here!

This is a little charm that I made for our February Craft Group.

Have a great weekend!!

Is It Just Me...

2009-02-09T13:56:00.002-05:00

...or can NO ONE get out of Target without spending $100???

YIKES!!!

Getting bored with this blog design....working on a new one!
Happy Monday!

A Crappy Theme?

2009-02-06T16:11:00.008-05:00

Well, I certainly have gone missing for the past 6 weeks! Actually, I have just had nothing to say. I haven't made anything, so no pretty pictures to show. I haven't gone anywhere, it's been too cold. I have kind if been in a crappy mood since Christmas, so I haven't even felt like getting creative.

Sometimes crappy things happen for no reason. I had something crappy happen over the holiday season. This crappy thing has taken me a awhile to get over, we'll say it was very unexpected. But, I am OK and now it's time to move forward. Time to get back to 'normal', whatever normal is. I have felt very disconnected creatively, not really sure why, but I do know I have to do something to turn that around, it makes me cranky when I don't escape to make something. I have a bunch of things I want to do/make I just don't have that 'something' that makes me go and do it. Maybe my muse is on vacation...

This crazy quilt I started for my dad for Christmas (before the crappiness started). He is an ordained Deacon and this is the Deacon cross. It was meant as a wall hanging for him to put in the office he doesn't have. :) It took me awhile to finish it and I kind of like how it turned out. I would have loved to hand embroider more embellishments on it, but I didn't have time. I love the whole quilting thing, and I am definitely going to make something else, someday...I think.

If you are stopping back, I appreciate that you haven't given up on me & are still checking in. I am going to try to get back into the groove and blog and create more, really it's on my 'To Do' list. Maybe I'll even re-stock that silly little online shop, someday...I think.

Thanks for listening to me ramble about crappiness if you've made it this far! I promise the next post will be before the next 6 weeks is up and WILL be on a more uplifting and creative note! Maybe I will even make something to show you!

~Lisa

Blog....or Sleep?

2008-12-19T16:58:00.004-05:00

Seriously....that's what it has come down to! Unfortunately, extra activities of mine are at an all time low, which means this blog {if I have ANY readers left} is what has suffered the most. Well, this & my Etsy shop, but that is a whole other story!

I wanted to do a post of all the wonderful ornaments I received in the ornament swap I did, but I haven't even taken pictures of them yet! Here are some links to the other players sites if you would like to check them out. Thank you so much to all the others, I love the ornaments and they are all on my studio tree looking beautiful!

http://maigirlz.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/christmas-all-around-me.html
http://lifeonthisgoodday.blogspot.com/2008/12/little-christmas-cheer.html
http://jeanneszewczyk.blogspot.com/2008/12/ornament-swap.html
http://fairbanksfancygoods.com/2008/12/12/nearly-christmas-now/
http://kandeland.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/christmas-ornament-swap.html
http://scrappyjessi.blogspot.com/2008/12/swap-gift-palooza.html
http://vintagelily.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/ornament-swap.html

Thanks for posting those great pics! It was a fun swap. If I ever make it back up in my studio, I'll post some pics of the hostess gift I made Heather.

Well, that is a long enough post with no pretty pictures! Until next time....

Have a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! ~Lisa

I'm Still Here...

2008-12-04T14:36:00.006-05:00

Just really far behind and not feeling great. 'Tis the Season, I guess! I had an order for 50 Angel Ornaments for Christmas gifts. That was quite the assembly line! I had parts for 80 Angels, most for the special order, then the rest for the Holiday Gift Show I am hosting on Sunday. Yes, THIS Sunday. Am I all ready? NO. The house has finally started to be decorated, the tree is in the house {not decorated} and I bought all the desserts rather than make them. Time crunch. Here are some pictures of my mass angel production:

Cut out & grind glass, count marbles, wings & lead...

Clean it all up & solder together...

Attach heads....

With wings, halos and all bagged up! I guess that has taken up a bit of the past few weeks! Thanks to everyone who helped me with those!!

That cute little cupcake up at the top of the post is a result of a new book by Betz White, Warm Fuzzies. Cute book, and adorable felt projects. I made this cupcake in about 10 minutes out of an old sweater! Check out her website if you have time! http://www.betzwhite.com/

Well, back to creating, I only have about 48 hours til I need to be done making things!

Have a great Thursday, Lisa

Christmas On My Mind...

2008-11-12T23:26:00.005-05:00

It's been tooooo long since I have posted, and that makes me sad!! Just makes me realize that I have to make time for the things I really want to do. I have a hard time doing that with 'life' happening. It doesn't seem to slow down, so I guess I can't, either!!

I have been working on finishing up an ornament swap, it's not due for another couple weeks, but i am done EARLY!!! Just finishing up a sweet hostess gift and these will be in the mail!

I have a few BIG projects coming up, I am very excited about them all! One, I can tell you is a Holiday Gift Show that I am organizing in my home in December. There will be me and 5 other local artists selling their wares at the open house. I can't wait to decorate, I want it to look like a store all decked out for the Holidays in here!!

These little angel ornaments are finding their way to my mom's house this weekend. Mom, I hope you like them! I will be making more, they are fun.

Well, I have to get to sleep, 7am comes too fast!

G'Night, Lisa

A Wedding Gift

2008-10-30T14:46:00.006-04:00

I did a post awhile ago about the Money Trees that I have made in the past. My mother-in-law is going to a wedding this weekend and asked if I would make one as a gift. The color of the wedding is Latte. I bought the flower pot for $4 and had the rest at home! I tied on $10 bills folded and rolled all over the tree, you can barely see them! It's one of my favorites so far!! How can anything the color of coffee turn out bad, though?!?!?

Finally, I couldn't help but make these cute little brownie treats for Jake's Halloween Party at school today! Have a great day, Lisa

On a Final Halloween Note...

2008-10-20T12:04:00.008-04:00

Before I start full swing into Christmas I just wanted to share some other Halloween adornments I made this year and last.

And then there's this:

What is this? When I asked I got a whole bunch of answers. I especially liked that it was so very necessary to cut the water cup into a million slices. Glad I bought those safety scissors. Good thing his dad isn't home during the day...

These were all creations for his friend Mario's birthday package. Lucky boy :)

Switching Gears...

2008-10-14T08:31:00.014-04:00

Well, Halloween is in full swing here at the house, but up in my studio I am getting ready to switch gears to Christmas. I don't know that I will be making a whole lot of things for my SHOP this Christmas season, I haven't been keeping it up very well. I would love to see that change, but we will see!

In the mean time, I have had this idea in my head for a few weeks to make these coffin shaped Halloween pendants. I got {swiped} a whole set of old wooden dominoes from my moms house and Scott let me play with his power tools & I made these.

They didn't turn out exactly how I wanted them, the embossing powder isn't as clear as I would have liked, but I tried Ranger's 'Glossy Accents' first, and it seemed like it had lots of bubbles. So, they aren't perfect, but still cute I guess. I will perfect them for next year for sure!

I made the pictures using digital scrap booking images and Photo Shop. I had a couple more ideas, too- but you know, Halloween shopping is about over & it's time to get Christmas things out! I still have all my other Halloween projects that I started, too- banners, glass spiders, another pendant...So next year, look out!!

I haven't decided if I am going to list them on Etsy or not- like I said, they aren't perfect- but I guess that's what home made is, huh? Maybe I'll price them low... I'll decide later today. Maybe. Let me know what you think!?!

Have a great Tuesday~ Lisa

A Little Halloween Goodness

2008-10-09T11:45:00.008-04:00

I have mentioned before that I host a craft group at my home every month. I had fun decorating the studio up a bit for our project, here is a little witch that got into too much candy corn! I like how she turned out; the feet are made from polymer clay and dowel rod legs with glittery green buckles.

I made these yummy truffles, too- they are {were, they are gone now} SO good! Thanks to Martha for that recipe! {I was going to link to the recipe, but the Martha Stewart website won't load today}

I haven't had much time to finish up all the Halloween projects I started and now it's almost too late! I have 2 more glass spiders started and a couple SPOOKY pendants along with a couple banners. Each project is almost done. Hopefully I can get them online by this weekend and if they don't sell, I will just save them for next year!!

CLICK HERE to see pictures of the Paper-Mache Pumpkins from our Craft Group!

Along Came A Spider

2008-09-21T12:55:00.002-04:00

I just finished up this little Halloween spider! Cute, isn't she? She'll be available in my SHOP today! Hopefully she will be joined by some more spooky Halloween things soon!

Have a great Sunday!

A Little Self-Indulgence Never Hurt Anyone...

2008-09-16T14:41:00.004-04:00

Right? After I stopped crying about turning 35, I quickly got over it and went shopping! I decided that since there is nothing that I collect, I should probably start! I am so in love with the Halloween Villages that are all over! I did a bunch of research on them {Ebay and Google totally qualify as tons of research} and decided that I love the Lemax Spooky Town Collection! I am all over it. Especially since they have it at Michaels and those pesky 40% off coupons come every week! Plus, they are much more economical than the Dept. 56 Villages. I bought these 2 to start my collection. My husband thinks I am nuts. Mainly because I will drive 10 extra minutes to a store that has a sale to save $5 or to use double coupons- but I thought nothing of spending money on these. BUT- that is what he thinks! They were on sale!! And I have wanted them for a long time. I just broke down and got them, finally. Also, on my way home from Michaels, I stopped and got this:

I just love my lattes...

I started some very cute {I mean, terribly spooky} Halloween spiders and ran out of black glass, so I have to head to the glass store in the next day or 2 so that I can finish these up & get them on Etsy in a timely Halloween manner!

Lastly, if there are any of you mothers who were wondering about this book, I bought it just so that I could trick my kids into eating vegetables! Mainly Jake, Zoey will eat anything I put in front of her {for now}. I wanted to make the Sweet Potato Pancakes, my kids love to eat waffles and pancakes for breakfast everyday. I ended up making about 5 dozen pancakes and freezing them. They love them, we all do! And I know they are getting some veggies, at least for breakfast. I haven't had too much time to make any of the other recipes, but there are tons and they are very kid friendly meals. Gotta love the retro/vintage look of the book. It reminds me of my moms old Betty Crocker books from when I was little!

That's all for now, hopefully my next post will be full of Halloween creations!!

Have a great Tuesday~ Lisa

35...really?

2008-09-10T08:09:00.007-04:00

I guess that turning 35 is bothering me a little. Maybe it's because I remember my mom at 35 and it seemed that she was so much more of a super-mom. She seemed to have a much better handle on it all with 5 of her 6 children born, and I haven't quite figured it out yet with just 2. So, that is what I am going to work on this year. Being a better mom, wife, friend, co-worker, sister, daughter and all the other things that I am. I am going to be better at playing with the kids, better at cleaning the house, better at my job, a better everything. I am going to try. Maybe I'll even find some 'me' time in there somewhere.... so, Happy Birthday to me.

In other news, I started working on a little autumn purse for my sister to tote around this fall. This will be the front panel of the purse. Since I have never made a purse, this might be interesting getting it from this to something assembled {and usable}. I do have some old patterns I bought on Ebay awhile ago. Maybe I'll drag those out, but I don't even know how to read a pattern!

Here is the purse I started for myself. I am always on the search for the perfect purse. Maybe I just need to try to make one. HA! I'll post some pictures if I ever figure it out! Cute little dragonfly! Maybe he needs some beads for eyes...I think so!!!

We had a little family craft night last night. I bought these little wooden masks at JoAnn's and got out the poster paints and had fun! Now that they are all dry, Jake will put them in our 'garden'. That's what he calls the flower bed out front. Here's Jake modeling them.

Jake's Franklin-stein {too much Noggin} and Spooky Cat:

Daddy's Skeleton:

My Witch:

Grammy's Bat:

Yes, he is in his underpants. I had to take his paint clothes to pre-school, so now he must paint in his underpants. He's ok with it, so I am too!

And, if you have read this far, thanks for listening to me ramble! Have a great Wednesday! ~Lisa

Just Finished!

2008-09-03T10:55:00.002-04:00

Well, last night I finished it. Turned out cute!! I like the little blue bird perched on the roof. He looks happy :)

Have a great Wednesday! ~Lisa

Little Things

2008-09-02T08:04:00.015-04:00

Finally, I can do a post about something I have been making. Just little things. We have had a busy home over the past few months. I guess summers will be like that now that the kids are a little more, um- active, I will say! I made this for my grandma on my 7th birthday, in 1980. She recently gave it back to me, because she wanted to be sure I had it to keep. For the past 28 years it had been hanging in her bedroom. This is the very first craft she ever taught me to do, was to embroidery. It is so special to me, and her too, and I am happy to have it hanging in my studio. Thank you Grandma!!!

So, I just got the latest catalog of 'Chasing Fireflies' and on page 23 there are the cutest little fairy tale handbags!! They are made of felt & hand embroidered. Naturally- the first thing that came to my mind is 'I can make that!' {Good thing, too- they are slightly out of my budget!} So, here is my attempt. I don't have the roof assembled yet, but I do have it started, and I am pretty pleased so far. We'll see how it looks all done. Here is the front with the un-assembled roof:

Front Door Detail:

One side:

Another side:

The back:

Some details:

This will look cute in Zoey's room. I like how it turned out so far. It's lined and everything! I am sure she will have fun filling it up & toting it around the house. I'll be sure to post final pics next time. I am going to try to finish it up today!

Next thing are these shelves in my dining room. I have decided that I am going to make them less cluttered- SOMEHOW!! So, I have painted all the picture frames the same color as the shelves and I antiqued them with some glaze. Then attached them all to the wall rather than on the shelves. I am going to put a minimal amount of decor on the shelves, all in one shade. Hopefully this will make them look more organized and less cluttered, we will see.

So now I need more aqua/teal/blue vases and 'stuff'. So, I made this little flower in a vase I had floating around. Turned out cute, I think. I might make some more to add to it if I have some time. It was pretty easy and only took about 15 minutes to make.

Lastly- My little man headed off to pre-school today! There were no tears, for me, anyway. My husband just called to see if his school wanted me to pick him up yet. Apparently there were tears for him. Hopefully he will still want to go on Thursday!

Have a great Tuesday!! ~Lisa

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

2008-08-26T07:52:00.003-04:00

My baby boy is 3 today. I really can't believe how time flies. He is the most wonderful, loving and caring little boy. He tells me everyday that he loves me "so, so much". He is my biggest fan, always interested in what I am making and doing. Always wanting to help- art, dishes, cleaning, all of it. He is a wonderful big brother- watching out for Zoey {most} all of the time. He starts pre-school a week from today. He is all ready to meet new friends and to learn new things.

I love you so much, my little peanut. I hope your birthday is as wonderful as you are.

Still Looking...

2008-08-18T11:26:00.005-04:00

Like I mentioned before, I am having a bit of a creative lull. I have so many thoughts and ideas and things that I want to do, make, try, mess with, etc... but I have no spare time and no extra energy to do them. It is becoming frustrating because if you are a creative person, you really NEED to have that outlet. I need to get into my craft room and get some stuff made before I explode. Or before I drive my husband nuts with little projects around the house.

I got 'the talk' the other day. The one where I am banned from starting anymore little house projects until his big house projects are done. Ugh. Too bad, cause I still have some big plans for the living room. Maybe next year. Well, speaking of little house projects, here is the finished kitchen!! It turned out so nice, I am so happy with it. Thank you SO, SO much to my Dad for building and Scott for assembling and helping me turn my vision into reality. I love you both more than words.

You know you have your man trained when he comes home from a daily visit {yes, we visit daily} to the Home Depot with this:

That's right!! He found it along side the road, out for the trash & KNEW I would want it. He picked it up & then called to tell me how much more I will love him :)

It stands about 4' tall and has even another part that sits on top that makes it stand a little over 5' tall. It had all the broken pieces and parts in a drawer like someone had every intention to fix it, then ran out of time. It was all mildew-y and dirty and gross, but we wiped it all down and my sis and I polyurethaned it and it will be good as new (soon, as I think this might qualify as one of my little projects). It might get done sooner than expected because our basement is beginning to look like a used furniture store!! I have an old armoire and an old buffet down there, too- all waiting to be restored & updated. But, for now- I want to focus on Halloween & maybe some craft shows.

I started some banners. 'BOO' banners. They still need a bunch of work, but I like them so far. I have a LOT of ideas for some Halloween stuff right now. I just have to find that silly missing muse. OH, where has she gone... maybe to Jake, here's his current project:

He's always making something, that boy. Good for him. I am jealous...

Wedding Bells...

2008-08-07T23:44:00.010-04:00

I have been busy the past week or so working on some wedding programs for a friends wedding. It is this Saturday and I just finished up the programs today. I am pretty happy with how they turned out and she & her fiance liked them a lot!! I did my own wedding programs very similar, loved them, too!
So, after we received the invitation to the wedding, I immediately thought of this ETSY site! I have been admiring her work for a long time and was just waiting for an occasion to buy one! Well, I should have just ordered it then, because on Monday, this Monday, I remembered that I wanted to get them one. Oh, how I procrastinate. Again, working best under pressure & with a deadline- I made my own. Not as fancy as the ones at A Simple Impression, because those are vinyl letters. Mine are painted. I really am so please at the end result, and I hope they will be, too!

I decided to make this into a tutorial because I also host a monthly craft group & this very well may be out next months project!! So, here goes- my first tutorial. {At least I know my sister will proof read this for me & call right away with any errors. She'll be such a great teacher!!}

STEP 1:
Have your adorable husband cut a board to length and route the edges out nice and fancy {I can totally do this myself, but he doesn't like me playing with his tools} .

STEP 2:
Paint your base color in a fast drying acrylic paint. This is the color that will show through the cracks.

STEP 3:
Paint the top with a crackle medium. I use DecoArt Weathered Wood. Let it dry.

STEP 4:
Paint the top coat over the crackle medium. Use a lighter color than your base so that you have a nice contrast.

STEP 5:
Print out your template and trace the last name with an exacto knife on clear contact paper.

STEP 6:
Gently tear back the contact paper and center it onto your board. Use a brayer to make sure no paint bleeds through.

STEP 7:
Use another color paint that is darker than your top coat {I used a water-based walnut stain}and rub over the contact paper with a paper towel. If this coat is too dark, your other words over it will not show up well. This happened to me, and I watered down some ivory paint and brushed it over the whole thing to dull out the name.

STEP 8:
Lay down carbon paper and gently trace your wording.

STEP 9:
Using a very small brush, fill in your wording in a dark color.

STEP 10:
Mix a dark brown acrylic paint with some glaze {I use Behr Faux Glaze} and rub it over top of the whole board. I try to concentrate on the edges and corners more. If you get too much in the center, just wet a towel and gently rub it off.

STEP 11:
After it is all completely dry, use a spray polyurethane to protect your artwork.

STEP 12:
Sign your art!!! Be proud of what you created!!

That's all for today- heading to sleep now :)

No Juices Flowing... {EDITED}

2008-07-29T10:06:00.017-04:00

Creative juices, that is. Well, maybe a little. I haven't been up in my studio doing anything fun the past couple weeks, just normal work. Which is why I haven't posted in the past couple weeks. Sometimes I guess I just have nothing to say! I am sure everyone feels the same way at times, maybe everyone but my husband. I think he feels like I always have something to say!

I have a couple little projects that I wanted to share. Lately I have been very into the architectural details in my home. The ones I love and the ones that are lacking. When we moved into our house {it was a foreclosure} it was a big mess!! Here is a picture of what our living room looked like when we walked through our house.

The shelves are a nice feature, but to me- these definitely looked like they were just thrown up. I have always wanted them taken down, because I felt like they were clutter magnets. But, instead of taking them down I decided to make them fit more into the era of our home, to make them look more like built-in bookcases that would have been built long ago. Here's what Scott & I did to them last week.

Some paint, some arches, some wood appliques and I LOVE it!! I still have to paint the actual shelves, but I ran out of paint. I'll be sure to post the final pic when they are all filled with clutter again!!

Second home project of the week is this:

This is a rough drawing of what I had envisioned over the exposed brick in the kitchen.This is what my brick above my stove looked like when we first saw the house. Wow. Can you believe that people could let something get this bad??? We were amazed at some of the things that were in this place!

Here it is all cleaned up after we moved in.

My dad and I made a faux range hood last week and it is waiting to be assembled. Here is the inspiration picture. It was from an article in Home & Design Magazine, you can see it and the rest of this amazing home here!

Here are the pieces & parts. I can't wait to search TJ Maxx and Marshalls for the perfect iron panel to go on the top! SO FUN!! My wonderful husband would have had this all assembled and up on the brick by now, but I made him switch our family room and dining room instead. I love the switch. It works for me, right now.

I'll be sure to post the finish product soon!!!

Have a great Tuesday~ Lisa

{EDIT} Just to clarify, the beautiful finished kitchen in the picture is NOT my kitchen. It's the inspiration picture from a magazine. My sister called to let me know that since I had the descriptions below {instead of above} the pictures, that it looked like that was our finished project! I wish it were, but no. I am sorry for any confusion and have fixed the post!

Jewels of the Sea Pendant Swap!!

2008-07-16T12:30:00.006-04:00

I received my package from the lovely Heather at Speckled-Egg for the Jewels of the Sea pendant swap this morning!! I was SO excited to open it to find so many beautiful goodies! Swaps are fun! This was my first one, and a pretty good experience. I sure hope that the ladies that received my pendants love them as much as I love mine! Here are some pictures:

First, I was lucky enough to be one of the 6 gals that received one of Heather's beautiful pendants! This is SO pretty, the chandelier crystal makes it sparkle so nice!! Thank you, Heather!

This beauty is a small glass vial, corked & wax sealed with aqua glitter and small sea shells inside. Also attached is a mermaid tag all on my favorite sea inspired colors of yarn & ribbon! This pendant was made by Kim of Art Dogs Life. Thanks, Kim, SO, SO adorable!

This gorgeous pendant was made by Tiffany of Aleah's Treasures. It has sea glass, copper, glass and pearl beads and a metal stamped 'SEA' message. Very pretty! Thanks, Tiffany!

Here is a sweet little goose soldered to a sea shell with a pearl and the words "May be free in Soul'. Very pretty pendant with a beautiful tag, too!! Thanks to Kim of Running on Ink!

Next up is this beauty ~ it's an old pocket watch that was gutted out & replaced with a pretty lady and a sea shell. Just look at this presentation!!! Awesome! Thank you Stephanie of Doojies!

"The Queen of Beaches", man, I wish that was me! This pretty pendant was made by Connie {I don't think she has a blog to link to}, and it is so petite and pretty! Thank you, Connie!!

And lastly, here is the little gift from Heather for us participating. It was really a lot of fun and has inspired me to maybe join in another swap or 2 sometime. I haven't always heard very many good things about swaps, but this experience has made me a believer!! Thank you Heather, it was a blast!!

Sorry about the pictures all having a bad green over-cast, we left our camera battery charger in VA Beach and I had to use Jakes camera!! He was mad at me for using it, too. I had to delete my pictures as soon as I was done... Have a great Wednesday ~ Lisa

Ahhh...Vacation...

2008-07-09T21:55:00.005-04:00

Bronze Babes!! {well, not so much bronze...}

We got back from Virginia Beach on Sunday, we were visiting Scott's cousin Erin and her husband Wendell for the July 4th holiday. What a great vacation we had! The kids loved the beach and the pool!! Since I haven't made anything since I have gotten back, all I have are some vacation pictures to see!

Erin had a framed photo of the statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea in her home, and I fell in love with it. We went down to the boardwalk to see it, and I got some snapshots before the rain hit! This is such an amazing piece of art! It was so facinating to see, at 34 feet high!! You can get more info about it HERE. I can't wait to get some of these pictures printed out for my studio {it's going to be getting an overhaul soon!}. I just love that determined look on King Neptune's face...

All aboard!! He loved Erin & Wendell's boat! He wanted to help so badly so he was given the ever so important task of 'holding the rope'. He did a great job.

That's all for now. Seems I have to go deal with some identity theft issues... UGH.

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Pea!

2008-06-30T12:48:00.002-04:00

It's been a year already...

I can't believe my baby is one...

Hope you have a wonderful day, sweet baby girl!! I LOVE YOU!

Just Listed in My Shop!

2008-06-26T13:19:00.004-04:00

How adorable is this shiny, purple octopus!?! I just LOVE him! He is listed in the SHOP today!

Getting Some Things Done!

2008-06-24T11:02:00.009-04:00

Finally! I feel like I have gotten a few things done the past couple days. First- I want to wish my big sis a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Sunday was her '36' B-day and the kids and I went home to Akron to visit and had an awesome cookout with the family! It was a a lot of fun & Shel, I hope you had a wonderful day!

Then, my mom and brother came home with us, and after the kids went to bed, my mom helped me finish up my swap pendants for Heather's Jewels of the Sea swap. I love how they turned out! Love those colors so much. Happy to get those in the mail, finally!! Here are the ATC's I made to put the pendants on:

Here are the finished pendants. I didn't add too much more to them- mainly just the pearls.

And here is the final piece:

Renee thought I should try to make an octopus, like my mermaids and seahorses and my mom and I whipped this up last night, too. I LOVE it!! I am going to send this one to Heather for her hostess gift for the pendant swap, I hope she likes it!

I can't wait to make some more of these, hopefully tomorrow! They are so sparkly and pretty in the light. And they are pretty good size, too! About 9"x9", so lots of light shines through.

Lastly, at our craft group gathering this past weekend, we made framed collage art. I have been feeling pretty, let's say...challenged- as an 'artist' lately. Haven't had much time to do anything creative, but I haven't really felt like it, either. So, I made this collage. Very simple. Maybe it was just what I needed to get my creative juices flowing.

Well, that's all for now, it's time for bed! Have a great Wednesday!! ~Lisa

$46 and Thunderstorms...

2008-06-16T15:17:00.005-04:00

That's what I got at the craft show on Saturday, $46 and all this rain. It was beautiful weather in the morning, from about 8-11am and then around 11 it started raining & thundering. There was only an hour the whole afternoon I sat at the show that it didn't rain. I did skip out early, unfortunatly, my table cloth was soaking wet on the ends from the tent drippings and starting closing in on getting all my things wet. I managed to sell 4 things with practically no one in attendance but a bunch of kids running in the rain. There were about 20 tables that sat empty that no one even showed up for, too- so I am glad that I wasn't one of them.

I do have lots of stained glass flowers that I am going to list in the SHOP, and maybe some of the charms and the cake boxes. I am not listing the pendants for reasons that I explained HERE, but if there is family or friends that want one, just let me know, I have a picture I can email of them all so you can pick what you want. Here are some pictures of the flowers. I have to have Scott cut some wood for bases before I list them online, they are top heavy from the glass. He'll do it soon, I am sure. He's so good about helping me with things like that!

I'll leave you with pictures of what my studio looked like after this past week trying to prepare for the show I was only at for 3 hours to sell 4 things...

Even the FLOOR is overflowing with things that need a home!

Such randomness, I know...

This is the square foot of space I had open to do any type of work in for the past few weeks.

Good thing I have all that space on my sewing table to sew! Do you see my sewing machine, I promise, it's there somewhere!!

That's all for now- i MUST go retain some order in this room. ~Lisa

I Really Need To Focus...

2008-06-10T00:07:00.011-04:00

I was really hoping that I would have a bunch of craft updates and tons of great pictures to post, but...nope. I do have some things I have created in the past week, just a few. I haven't gotten any stained glass projects from my 'to do' list done yet for the craft show. For some reason, I can't get motivated to do them. Hopefully I get over that really soon. Scott is leaving in a few days and I will probably get some done then. I find that I would rather be downstairs in the living room hanging out with him after the kids go to bed, but if he is gone, I am usually in my studio til all hours of the night. So, here's hoping for that. The craft show I am doing is Saturday. YIKES! I kind of hope it rains. Is that bad?

So, Renee had a bridal shower to go to the other day for one of her dear childhood friends and decided that she was going to make a gift cake. She has made a few in the past that turned out so, so cute! You can see the one she made Maggie here. Very cute, indeed! I made some gift cakes in the past and searched high & low for some pictures {had to get out the old back-up hard drive!} and this was the only one I could find. It was for my very good friend, Dani Jo's baby shower a couple years ago. Each layer was filled with little gifts!! So fun to make & she loved it!

So, that got me thinking that I had a bunch of those little paper mache boxes laying around {because, who doesn't, right??} and that it would be a good use of table space to use up at the craft show to make little tiny cakes. I guess you could put gift cards or jewelry in them. They turned out ok.

I also made a money tree like my other ones with a Graduation theme. I figured maybe someone at the craft show might be on their way to a graduation party & may still need a gift! And again, looking to fill that table space!

Here are a bunch of alphabet charms waiting to be cut, foiled & soldered. I have 2x2 bevels that I am going to put them in. Hopefully I won't run out of unleaded solder, cause there isn't anywhere around that sells it and it's too late to order some now! Oh, Lisa...way to think ahead.

I did manage to squeeze in one stained glass flower. I don't really like it. I can't believe that I am putting it on my blog, because I usually don't show anyone the things I make that I don't like. I am definitely going to tear it apart & redo it. I have it all in my head how I want it to look & this is not what I was imagining. The next one I will love. Maybe I'll be motivated to do that...maybe tomorrow...maybe.

OH- and one last thing... a little sneak peek of my charms for the Jewels of the Sea swap!! At least I know that these will be ready on time! They aren't done, there are a bunch more things I want to add, but it appears I am running out of room. We'll see what else I can squeeze on there before it's a big gawdy mess!

That's all for now, hope you have a great Tuesday! ~Lisa

I Saw Red...

2008-06-04T16:16:00.006-04:00

Over at the lovely Sadie Olive's Blog, she is hosting an "I Saw Red" challenge. I was invited to join in the fun, so here goes! I am going to post all my pics today, here and on Flickr, rather than a few at a time, because if you have read this blog before, then you know I am a BS {blog slacker} and would probably miss the deadline if I just didn't do it all now!

As I was thinking about what to post here, I quickly realized that while I don't dislike the color red, there is a major lack of it in my house! Other than the kids toys, there isn't much red around. Except...for Jake's room. His room is decorated in all things firefighter, and most everything he inherited from his Pappy, Scott's dad. His Pappy passed away almost 2 years ago now and was a retired firefighter with the Altoona Fire Department. Along with being a loving grandfather, a fantastic father and father-in-law, a trinket master and an all around great guy & jack-of-all-trades, Jim was always very proud of his fire fighter service. Jake was just 10 months old when his Pappy passed away, but talks about him all the time like he lives next door! I think he understands that he can't see him anymore, but still talks about him and to him all the time. He told me the other day that he wanted to be a fireman when he grew up, like Pappy. I think that's sweet. So, here are some RED pictures, all fireman related, all in Jake's bedroom!

Here is a banner I made for his windows. Very cute, vintage feel fabric!

Now, what future firefighter can go without a firetruck bed?

And this is a big sticker from his friend Mario, they both love that curious little monkey!

This was Pappy's kite. He took it with us every year to our family vacation to the beach!

This is a painting that Jake did last year at the Children's Museum. He said it's a dinosaur.

This is a puppet {that looks kind of like Pappy} from Aunt Renee and a hose nozzle and fire helmet, courtesy of the Altoona Fire Department!

Here is a photo I made for Jake of him & his Pappy. He was so happy & proud to take us on a tour of the station! It reads "A Grandfather is someone with silver in his hair...and gold in his heart".

This is a very special wooden fire truck that Pappy's brother, Fred, made for Jake. It sits on this shelf along with boots, Pappy's Captain hat and an old fire alarm.

Well, that about wraps up the red I have in my home. But, I think that what we do have is very special and beautiful. Thanks for the opportunity to play in the challenge!

Blog Slacker

2008-06-03T10:15:00.005-04:00

Yep, that's me! I have been a blog slacker the past week, but with good reason {for me, a good reason}. I had a busy week with work last week and then I had my long honeymoon weekend trip to the Dominican Republic! It was actually the first vacation that Scott and I have taken just by ourselves. Crazy, huh? In his defense, we have been on a camping trip before we had kids, but he got sick & we headed home after one night. And while we have been on many family vacations, this one was alone! But, it was very nice, we had a wonderful relaxing weekend in Punta Cana. The weather was overcast, but still warm. The resort was just beautiful! We will go again. We will take the kids, because- I missed them terribly! It would be a pretty child friendly place to go, so a family vacation will be in the works in the future.

I have to get caught up on work this week and then concentrate on that craft show a little bit. I feel like I should have more done than I do. Scott is going on a fishing trip Father's Day weekend with his good friend, so I will have the kids during the craft show/festival...ugh. I am working on talking my mom & dad and brother into coming over that weekend to help out & have a cookout! We'll see. I also host a craft group for the neighborhood once a month and I went ahead and scheduled that for the same weekend. What is wrong with me? I wish I could back out of the craft show and re-schedule craft group and head home to my parents for that weekend, but I just can't do that! What would I do with all these resin necklace pendants if I didn't do this show!?!? Ok, that is enough rambling/complaining for now. I still have to go unpack!

Hopefully my next post will be filled with finished creations for the craft show and Etsy shop! OH- and I joined in my first swap! I am kind of nervous, but very excited for the challenge. It's Heather's {Speckled Egg} Summer Swap, Jewels of the Sea. Vintage, sea inspired necklace pendants. Right up my alley! Glad this has a deadline, that makes me get up & DO IT! I'll be sure to post updates.

That's all for now- I'll leave you with a few beautiful vacation pictures!