Gingerbread

Today I'm baking gingerbread snowflakes. I can't wait to decorate them, but it will have to wait because this afternoon I'm crafting with Michael (woohoo!) and then my inlaws are coming out to watch Eliana so Leif and I can go on a date tonight for our anniversary! It's a very exciting day, I tell ya!

A moment of silence, please...

... for the passing of yet another craft drought. But the rains have come and guess what I did yesterday??

Yes, I CRAFTED!!! First time in a long time, too!

I didn't actually finish any projects, but the fact that I started working on two is HUGE!! And I'm excited to do more!

We had our DT meeting at KBD yesterday, and I went in with absolutely no ideas, no plans for teaching classes (because, well, it's hard to plan for classes when you have no ideas!), and not much of anything, really, since it has been so long since I've crafted! But there are some changes going on at the store, and I'm really excited about them, which means I've got a new direction to take my projects. And apparently that was all the motivation and inspiration I needed to try something new. So... I did!

When I finish, I'll have pictures, but for now I've just got a new technique (well, new to ME) that I'm playing with.

But for now let's just take a moment of silence. And then, let the crafting begin!

Believe it or not....

... I've been getting to craft lately. Hooray! I've been too busy to blog it, but not too busy to do it, and you'll just have to trust me on that.

Just today I made a diaper cake (or 90% of it... it still needs a few finishing touches) and invitations to a baby shower (or 90% of them... I still need a little more information before they're finished).

I've been working on mini albums galore. I've got 4 of them done. No pictures inside yet, but they're all ready for them.

I've been working on cards, too. I've got some card classes coming up and I've been making samples for those, as well as working on my own Christmas cards.

It's good to craft. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures of stuff sometime soon. I don't make nearly enough time for blogging now that I'm busy again.

Birthday Gifts....

It's birthday season again.

All of Eliana's little friends seem to have been born in the months of October, November, and December. Of course, she wasn't, so I don't usually think about it until the first birthday hits. And that's Zoe's birthday. This year I was determined to have a great gift and have it made (because I am a believer in homemade gifts!) in time for her birthday party. I started plotting and planning and working on it way back in July. Then the project got stalled and I didn't pick it up again until Sunday.... the day OF Zoe's party. Too late. I didn't get it done in time. *sigh* But I did get it done, and I even remembered to take pictures before I wrapped it to give to her! Hopefully she'll like it, but I thought it would be a great gift for a 3 year old. I sort of pictured it being good in the car (since chalk won't stain car seats or melt in the summer heat) but really it would be good anywhere, I think. It's a chalkboard lap desk with a couple storage pockets....

The pictures are bad because I had to crank up the ISO for low light pictures, but you get the idea. I love this fleece material! The pattern just makes me happy with the little frogs on pogo sticks, and I'm a big fan of the bright cheery colors. I have enough supplies (except for the batting) to make another, so I think I will. Maybe it will be another toddler birthday present. Maybe it will be for Ellie. We'll see. But I like how this one turned out, especially for a first draft of the idea in my head. I love it when that happens.

Scarf and Hat....

Well, now that it's been snowing for pretty much two days straight, I guess it's as good a time as any to post the scarf and hat I made while camping this summer. The yarn is SO SOFT (I think it's called "pajama" yarn) and I love the blue, especially paired with the brown coat I wear so much.

And before my mother has a heart attack at the beautiful white snowy background, this picture was taken a month or more ago, and that is not snow, but a backdrop. So you can breathe easy, Mom, that we don't have THAT much snow on the ground. Only an inch or so, and I'm sure it will all be melted by the time you arrive in a few weeks. =D

I need to craft. Desperately.

I desperately need to craft.

DESPERATELY.

It has been so long since I've been down in my craft room, and even longer since I've actually scrapped. My days have been filled with a 2 year old who doesn't nap any more, and my evenings filled with the household chores I didn't get done because Ellie needed me to play with her or help her or just be with her. Craft time? Zip. Zilch. Nada.

So this weekend (Thursday through Sunday) we headed to Yellowstone to camp, and I brought my knitting and crocheting along. I desperately needed to craft. Have I mentioned that yet? I more or less just yarncrafted (I don't think that's a word, but it's fitting and easier to say than "knitted or crocheted") while we were in the car driving (we live about 2 hours from the west entrance to Yellowstone) and I managed to complete a scarf and hat, the top portion of a shirt or dress (that I will finish with fabric), and I've got three more scarves in the works, one over halfway done and the others about a third done each. It was calming. It was relaxing. I need more crafting in my life. I always say it is my sanity, but until recently I didn't realize how much I really do NEED it.

So... I'll post pictures sometime of the projects I yarncrafted over the weekend. I'm gearing up for fall already. It's weird. But I'm oddly happy that I can sit and craft pretty, warm things and it doesn't require much space or cleanup and Ellie can't get into it too badly. But oh, how I miss my scrapbooking. I haven't even touch my last two Sweet Pea Scraps kits. Not even touched. As in, haven't even opened the bags to see what's inside. How sad is that?

But sooner or later I will get to craft again. Hopefully in September, when I am bringing Craft Night back after its untimely death with Michael's move to Austrailia. Even if it's just me and a friend or two, I'm bringing Craft Night back in September. I have to. I. Need. To. Craft.

Paperless crafting...

Yesterday I had a few free moments without Ellie to run into Garden of Beadin' (thank you, Leif!!) and pick up a few things for a project I've had in my head for a bit. I picked up a few beads and chain to make this necklace, inspired by Anilu.


It's been SO long since I've made any jewelry, and so much of my crafting lately has been scrapping or card related. So last night I took a break and made the above necklace and this set:



I've had the idea to make this necklace and earring set (and a bracelet that goes with it, but I'm only half done with that) since we went to Alaska with friends a few years ago. In fact, I got the shells while we were in Alaska, and I'm pretty sure I got the chain and hardware to make the set the last time I was in Garden of Beadin'. And... I'm pretty sure that was when I was pregnant with Ellie. Like I said, it's been a while. Here I am wearing the shell set - and of course I'm not smiling because I was tired of trying to get the picture to take well (I'm in front of a mirror), but it at least gives an idea of what they look like on.


Since I was on a roll with the jewelry last night, I also repurposed the beads from a necklace I didn't really like to make a bracelet that I really do like! It's simple, but it didn't cost me anything new since I already had the beads. Plus it will go with another set of jewelry that I wear a lot! Sort of win-win there....


So there you have it. My paperless crafting from last night.

I have been doing some other papercrafting, too, but I think I'm going to save it with a couple other things I'm planning to submit to a magazine this week. So you'll just have to wait on that! But in the event that it doesn't get picked up, I took pictures of the process and plan to share a little tutorial on it with you guys. So that will be coming sooner or later. (Later, I hope, because that means I'd actually achieve my goal of getting published this year!)

Stay tuned for the 5th week challenge tomorrow! There's a prize involved!

There's a storm brewing....

... A crafting storm, that is! I have been in the basement today creating, creating, creating! I've been working on getting my class samples finished, altering a mailbox as a valentine display for the open house, making baby shower invitations, and altering two frappuccino sets. And of course I've got all these projects going on at once because I can't possibly focus on one thing at a time. Oh - and that clean craft room I had going not too long ago? Uh-uh. Not any more. BIG MESS. But a big mess I had fun making! I should be able to clean it up again around the end of the month, when I've got all of my little projects finished. In the meantime, I'll be crafting up a storm!!

Fairy Wings!!

Ellie is a fairy for Halloween this year. She's all pink and tulle with pink sparkly wings!! Thanks to some inspiration from Martha I made the little fairy wings you see above. I made mine a little differently than the ones Martha did, but they work pretty well, especially for Ellie! They are made from 18 gauge wire and an old pair of tights Ellie ripped the toe out of. I'm sure I could have fixed the toe, but this was way better! The best part is that the waistband of the tights is what secures the wings to Ellie's shoulders. No sewing or cutting involved! Add a little glitter paint design and *voila!* you have a cheap pair of fairy wings perfect for Halloween!

Ideas...

It's been weeks now since I've had a CJ to work on. I hope they didn't just get lost in the mail... I still have those same two LO done that I've had done for forever and no books yet to put them in. *sigh*

In the meantime, I've got an idea for a mini book I'd like to do for Ellie. I'd love to create an album for her of my favorite songs to sing to her. It'd be like a little lullaby songbook and scrapbook in one. I've got so many great pictures of her that remind me of songs (when you wish upon a star, you are my sunshine, twinkle twinkle little star, etc.) that I want to do this. I don't know what size to do it yet... still working on that.

I'd also like to do an "abc" album/storybook. Both of these are ones that I'd like to make "Ellie proof" so she can actually look at/ play with them. I don't know if it will happen, at least with the "abc" one, though. My ideas so far are not babyproof, LOL! =)

I got a mini album and a half finished in Texas, though, so that was good. And I did a LO today of Ellie with some pictures from way back when. (Can you say that about someone who hasn't even had her first birthday yet?) So at least I'm doing a little scrapbooking in my spare time. And just now, in the middle of posting this, I got distracted and did two more two-page layouts. I guess I'd better publish this post and get back to my craft room while the juices are flowing. Happy crafting!

CJ Entry **Love Is...**

**SPOILER ALERT**

I think this is my favorite LO so far for these CJs. I'm not sure I want to send it on. *sigh* But I will. This one goes to Jenna. I titled it "So this is Love..."

CJ Entry "Happiness is..."

**SPOILER ALERT**

**SPOILER ALERT**

My CJ this week is Sheila's "Happiness is..."


I love this picture of Leif and Eliana taken this summer. I titled the LO "This is happiness" and the journaling reads: "Happiness is watching him go from husband to father." I got to use a bunch of stuff from my stash, plus my Purple Onion swirlies. One of these days I will lay off the swirlies. Maybe.

First DT Meeting

Well, we had our first DT meeting at the LSS today. I met a bunch of new people, got some inspiration, and picked up materials for my upcoming projects. I'm very much looking forward to being part of a design team and hope I have something to contribute. I know I have something to learn from it. We get "paid" for the DT position in free product for our projects, plus being paid for the classes we teach.

I haven't been motivated to scrap lately. I think it's mostly been due to the mess I've made in my scraproom. I know that when I'm down there I ought to be cleaning up (Craft night here on Monday!! Eeek!) instead of playing. Now I've got new projects to work on, though, so we'll see if I manage to get everything cleaned up over the weekend or not.

And speaking of playing.... I got my Purple Onion stamps yesterday!!! They're all cut out and stickified now, too, so I'm ready to play with them! I got a ton of stuff, including some freebies! I love that they always send a couple little freebies. I also love that I got stuff on sale. I'm such a sucker for a sale.

And speaking of a sale.... Hambly's got a coupon for 10% off an internet order if you check out their blog. Look! Buy! Craft! I found more Hambly at the LSS today when I was browsing around. Mmmmm.... LOVE Hambly.

Okay. I've rambled. I'll try to post pictures and cards once I get them done and scanned. Happy crafting in 2007!

Etsy Shop

I've been looking to sell some of my crafty things lately, so I started an Etsy shop. For those of you who are not familiar with Etsy, it's an online shop where you can buy handcrafted items. I don't have much on there right now, but will be adding stuff as I have time to post it. I'm not sure if anyone will be interested in it, but I decided to take the plunge and go for it anyway.

Check it out - it's at elizabethwickland.etsy.com