every little thing

Berry Picking

It's been ages since I did a post!  I'm so ashamed!  It's been pretty quiet around here, catching up on housework (yuck) and making some cookies, visiting with the fam.  Finally saw Pan's Labyrinth,  sobbed through the whole thing with my little sis (but we cry at almost every movie, so this was no shocker.)  I would highly recommend it.  Great on so many levels.    I did manage to get something in the shop today.  I have been working on these little sachets, and I'm very happy with how they turned out.  I even mixed the lavender potpourri myself (not that that was very difficult, but still.)  They come in pints (6) and half pints (3). 

These little strawberries are a bit gaudy, colorful, fun and mis-matched.  I like that about them.  They have a southern-country ish feel to them that suits me just fine.  And they smell as good as all get out too,  I'll tell ya what. 

I have many (too many) half finished projects still on the table.  I also seem to have a little problem  getting my iron-on adhesive to work properly.  Anyone out there have any tips, info, stories...I'd appreciate it!   And, I bought a ruffler foot attachment from the thrift store last week, and I have YET to make it ruffle properly.  Anyone with knowledge about those little suckers..please help!  I assumed I would attach it to the machine, and it would simply spit out yards of perfect ruffles...is that so much to ask?  Sorry for the lazy post today,  and I still need to catch up on my blog reading as well! 

Good-bye for now!

First There is a Mountain

How can you tell when you've been listening to Donovan a little too much?

Hope everyone is having a mellow Thursday.

Hold me back...

So, in my craft business research, I came across this pearl of wisdom, "Remember: You are in the business to MAKE money, not SPEND money."  I have tried to make this my personal mantra, because I find it very hard not to put put every cent I make right back into craft stuff.  I've got a decent supply stash, and I'm very thrifty when shopping for fabric and what  not.  Where I want to go crazy is the PACKAGING SUPPLIES!!!  I want coordinating tissues and papers and ribbons and fancy business cards and personalized stickers and buttons...and so on.  I just can't help it!  The sane part of me knows that to offer decent prices, I have to go easy in that area...but there is just so much stuff out there!  I see a ten pound box of paper shred and I'm like, "Oh yeah!"  So, I thought I'd share a little "wish list" of neat things I want, and maybe you guys can you these resources too!

First, I found this great deal for plain business cards on one of the etsy forums.  (Just follow the instructions at the top of the page.)   It's an office depot coupon for 250 plain, customized cards for $1.05 (shipping included!)  Yeah, they're black and white (there are several fonts to choose from though), but I'm sure us creative ladies can spruce 'em up!  I ordered two sets, one to just use for price tags.  What a great bargain, eh?

KC Sore Fixtures has the cutest wrapping papers and tissues!  Check it out.

FETPAC seems to have great deals on cello bags, organza pouches, jewelry boxes, stationary boxes and such.

This other place,

I don't really have a need for organza pouches....but that's not really the point, now is it?

I have not ordered from either of these places yet, but they seem to have pretty good deals.  Does anyone else have good supply resources they'd like to share?  I'd love to find more! 

Also.....I found out that Sue Ellen may have a few friends that are looking for good homes, and maybe a decent job.  I was wondering if others out there would be interested in owning a Sue of your own....would you want to choose her hair/skin  color or style?  Or would you rather choose from already painted styles?  Just curious!

Hearts+Pretty Ladies

 

Valentine Mosaic Hearts and some pretty patterns on the etsy shop today.  Weekend thrifting and more WIP updates to follow shortly!   I joined a Valentine swap too! It's over here, and I think there are a few spots left!  This means I'm guaranteed to get TEN Valentines this year!  Woo Hoo!  (I feel loved already....)

My new friend

I'd like everyone to meet my new pal, Sue Ellen.  (And "yes", she is named after the character from Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.)  My grandma was nice enough to give me this great, old Styrofoam head.  I painted it yesterday, but I'm thinking she may "dye" her hair blonde this weekend.  We shall see.  Anyway, I thought she could help model my new Butterfly Hair Clips that went on the etsy shop today.  What is that you said Sue Ellen?  They are cute, comfortable and stylish too?  Why thank you, how sweet of you to say.  That Sue is a sweet gal, (and she works for peanuts...FOAM peanuts!!!  Ha ha!)  Ugh....even Sue is gagging over that one.

These clips come in matching pairs, and are cutely packaged and so on.  I'm working on more color/fabric combos to have up later this weekend.  I'm also STILL sorting through all of the vintage patterns.  I feel I have to group them in bundles, it's just too many to list individually.  I have one set up there now, more will trickle on over the next few days.

And here is an odd little project I'm working on that I think is adorable, but it may just be too kooky.  I'm so in love with the corsage-box-presentation thing.  I wonder if I'll ever get sick of them.

I still haven't had my coffee, Claire.....(maybe that explains why I'm talking to a foam head.)

In which I attempt to embarrass my siblings

So last year my brother, sister and I found a wig and decided to try and duplicate the Amelie-cracking-creme brulee look.  I have shared the one of my brother before (and I decided it deserved a second showing) but I didn't show the ones of Kip and I. 

Frighteneing, isn't it?  Why my brother is in color, I don't know...why we even DID this, I'm not sure...but I miss our impromptu photo shoots. Look how pretty my sister is!

....even with her shaved eyebrow half-grown in.  Don't ask, the story isn't that interesting

Do I always make this face when my father is lecturing me?  (Sorry dad.)

I like this picture of my sis and me....not because we look all that great (hello, gums!) but it reminds me of that day.  We drove to the middle of nowhere to find a pumpkin patch that was SO LAME.  We ended up playing on a giant dirt pile instead.  It was sorta fun.  Max enjoyed it.

This is an old pic of my brother and sister pretending to be gargoyles.  I took it during my mandatory "high-school-photography-phase".  I think almost everyone goes through it. 

My brother is cute.  He looks a bit "social-anxiety-disorder" in this picture, though.  Maybe I'm reading to much into it.  Maybe that suit was just a little too snug...

Enough embarrassment for today.

We Need Haircuts

Me? Weird?

*Mike and I want to thank everyone so much for the sweet comments about miss Mengo.  Mike got her as a kitten when he was in college twelve years ago.  She was a big, sassy gal and we're really gonna miss her, but she had a good run. 

It was a nice surprise yesterday to see that I was tagged by the too-good-to-be-true Jenny Holiday for a little show and tell about myself.  I am supposed to list 6 Weired Things about ME.  It was actually really fun, and it helped take my mind off things.  I was so excited to be included, thanks Jenny, you're the sweetest! 

***The Rules:Each player of this game starts with "6 weird things about you". Each person who gets tagged needs to write a blog post of their own 6 weird things as well as clearly state this rule. After you state your 6 weird things, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you're tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog for information as to what it means.

Here I go:

Six Weird Things about "Me”.  (It was pretty hard to narrow it down…I have LISTS…..)

1.)  My brother, sister and I all had a freakishly, bizarre addiction to a how-to video that came with a Cuisinart food processor. We were young, mind you, but we were OBSESSED. I can’t even tell you how many times we watched it, over and over. It was just a simple instructional video, about an hour long. Although we haven’t watched it in a while, we still make jokes about it and say “don’t forget to scrape down the side of the work bowl” or “…that means, bring your own anchovies.” (We’ve tossed around the idea of getting a family tattoo related to it, but I just can’t put my mind around having a kitchen appliance inked on my body for all eternity.)

2.)  I really don’t like funnel cakes. I can’t stand the things. (I feel like that makes me so un-American.. I love everything ELSE about carnivals (see #6.)

3.)    When I’m really happy or surprised or joyful, I spontaneously clap. I’m sure other people do this, but it makes me feel like a toddler that can’t express her feelings properly.

4.)    I dream A LOT, constantly and I remember almost everything. I can also “talk” to my dreaming self and try to control my dreams. It doesn't’t really work though. Example:

I enter dream-world as a lovely, Jane Austen-Esq lass. Mr. Darcy has just asked if I’d care to take a stroll on the grounds of Pemberly. I blush furiously and look away , “I couldn’t possibly, I am married and have a child….I must go!” I then run away, my bonnet strings flapping in the wind. My real, sleeping-self begins to scream, “Turn around you nut! That’s MR. DARCY!!!! It’s just a DREAM, GO WITH IT!!!”   Sigh....it never works...

5.)   The first time I saw the movie Weekend at Bernie's, I developed a VERY strong crush on Andrew McCarthy. I watched that movie waaaay too much. Even when he had that little come-back on the very odd, and short lived Kingdom Hospital, I was like, “Oh yeah!”

6.)  Carny-Games!!!! LOVE Carny-games! I have to be kept on a tight leash at festivals, theme parks and the like. I would lose everything we got on those silly games, if I had the chance. And the more stupid and ridiculously hard they are, the more I want to give ‘em my money! All for the glory of a crappy stuffed panda that cost .37 cents to buy. LOVE IT! It’s what life’s all about, makes the world go ‘round!

Whew, I’m feeling a bit exposed and embarrassed, but I tried to be honest, so there I am! As per the rules, I am to now "tag" six other bloggers to keep the fun rolling along.  I will send them a note to look to this post for the general idea/rules.  Here are my victims:

Claire     Cerri    Marilyn      Tiffany     Ellie     Mary

Good luck ladies!  I can't wait to see all the weirdness!

Goodbye, Mengo

Such a sad day.  Hit and run.  We love you and we'll miss you, big-girl.  (I bet you're munchin' on a big hunk of turkey in kitty-heaven right now.)

Lucky Duck

I must have the golden thrifting-touch these days, I swear.  I was JUST SAYING how I never find vintage sewing patterns, and everyone is doing such cute things with them (like this from Jane's Apron.)   Well....yesterday I hit the mother load.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, there are almost one hundred of them.  I was actually gasping and sputtering, mumbling to myself in the thrift store, "No WAY!!!  Oh....my goodness...ohmygosh!"  People were giving me the "raving loon" look.  But did I care?  The one down side:  Thrift USA had to go put a sticky price tag on the front of EVERY SINGLE ONE.  Right on the pictures.  They are very hard to peel off without tearing the paper, so it will take a good while to get them all off.   What do I plan on doing with them?  NO idea.  But I will be selling a few over on my etsy shop (should be up sometime tomorrow) and now.....(drum roll please...)

***GIVE AWAY TIME***

The first three people to email me their address will get two *surprise* vintage patterns each, for free!  No one is excluded, even past bird-ornament winners, so good luck!  (My email link is on the top left hand sidebar.)

They're all gone!  Thanks for playing!  I plan to do at least one give-away a month, so check back often!

Also, there are more of these on etsy now:

Same as before, just different paper cups.  I only have eight Spring Cupcake Kitsch Grab Bags left, then that's it until the "Summer" version.  Also, many of the best  miniatures (deer, bunnies...) are being discontinued, so get the cute stuff while you can! 

That's all folks!  Summer Cupcake Kitsch Grab Bags will debut around May!!!

All this vintage stuff has really slowed down my hand-crafted projects, but I am almost ready to list these little hair clips:

These are Garden Butterfly Hair Bits.  Made from wool-blend felt and mostly vintage fabric, a touch of hand embroidery,  only 2" across, they come in matching pairs and are named after actual butterflies.  (The tiny french clasp on back really makes them stay put.)   They will be packaged in the corsage box too, with green "grass" and such.  They just scream SPRING to me!  I'm also working on card sets for Mothers Day and Easter.  I didn't plan on making cards, but I found some great vintage books to cut up, so I'm giving it a try!

That's all for now!  More soon, I promise!