The basic overview above.
An okay picture of the tree. My DH bought lighthouse lights the other day and couldn't find a spot he like for them so they ended up on my "snowman" tree. Next year they will have to find another home.
A close up of the right side.
My 2007 snowman gift. Isn't he cute? With the ice and snow we've had in the Chicago area I imagine the snowmen here definitely need their overcoats.
book as soon as possible, so we took off for the bookstore late Friday, July 20th. I have not seen a bookstore so crowded since I went to a John Mellencamp signing in Bloomington, IN. It was really quite the experience and my 6 year old loved how everyone was dressed up. She also dressed up (I made this hat for her last Halloween) and is seen here getting a "tattoo" of a cat. We didn't stay to buy our book at the bookstore but instead went to the K-Mart in the same parking lot where the line was much shorter. I bet the last person at the bookstore was there until 2 a.m. by the looks of the parking lot when we left. It was just amazing!
trolley from the Pier to the Magnificient Mile along Michigan Avenue where we visited the famous American Girl Store (luckily daughter didn't take much interest), the Hershey Chocolate store and had an awesome chocolate cupcake, and a few other places. Our only regret in our trip was the Children's Museum. If you want to go to a really nice children's museum for the money go the the Indianapolis Children's Museum or Wonderlab in Bloomington, IN.
Yesterday in the mail I received my items from a contest I won over at Mom Is Teaching. Just look at these goodies. The main items are 2 books by J.H. Sweet in her Fairy Chronicles series: Marigold and the Feather of Hope, the Journey Begins and Dragonfly and the Web of Dreams. Summer of Mom Is Teaching also included some garden items, stickers, seeds and a very pretty wind chime.
Then I found my last purchases of the day. A 2 yard piece of this sweet vintage fabric and a handkerchief in great shape. It was a great day and I could have spent a lot more money without trying too hard. 
As my interest in the craft/hobby has grown I have even done a book review, Scrapbook Styles: Fabric and Florals
, for Craft Critique that put scrapbooking with some of my favorite things involving fabric. At that time I did my first 12" x 12" page using a cute cat fabric and an assortment of photos of my first cat. Although it turned out nicely, it just wasn't quite finished. Since I had not been doing scrapbooking very long I really didn't have the embellishments to give it the finishing touch. The weeks following my original creation I went on several hunts to find just the right items but it seems like I would find something and then it wouldn't be the right color or size. Eventually I picked up enough things to sit down and embellish the page. As you can see in the photo, I didn't really add too much more but I feel like I accomplished a good page.
A couple of weeks ago we received tickets to go to a professional lacrosse game. Yes, Chicago has it all when it comes to professional sports. So, we got to spend a little recreational time together as a family watching the Chicago Shamrocks. Luckily we spend quite a bit of time together but rarely do we get to go out. Since moving to the big city finances have been a little tight so when we get a chance for discounted or free tickets to an event we take full advantage.
involved when the fan cam was announced. She jumped and hollered and did her best to try to get on the jumbotron. You can see her photo here cheering shortly after consuming a blue raspberry snowcone. One of her favorite parts was the dance team which I could have lived without and not because I am against dancing but the kind of dancing and the lack of costumes. Although this is supposed to be a family event the dances were definitely aimed toward the male species of the crowd.
Philadelphia team although I can't remember the score. It was fan appreciation night. I caught one of the LaCrosse balls that my daughter can be seen in the photo getting signed by Mike Kirk when we were allowed on the field to meet the players and dance team after the game. The players and dance team were great about getting to all the autographs and pictures for the kids. Overall it was a great family night even if I didn't get to do any crafting. Now that I have been exposed to the scrapbooking craze I have all the makings of a great page or two.I have become the family cake creator which lets me get to try out different things without having a cake left over at home. For the first time I decided to try some fondant 
decorations especially since my daughter wanted to help. Since we were short on time because of the 2 1/2 hour trip to my in-laws I purchased Wilton's Ready-To-Use Rolled Fondant (Neon Colors Multi Pack)
with lighting the candles. Believe me they were very well supervised and they were very careful and did an excellent job although I think they only did just a couple of candles a piece. They were a little slow since they were being so careful. I did do closeups of the cake but it was warm in the house and the road trip made it droop a little so I am showing only a closeup of one of the flowers. I will probably try to do the fondant again because it is so quick and kids can help cut out the shapes but definitely will try to make my own. Not very many people ate the flowers including me. This was not one of my better decorating jobs but the inside was really yummy. I did a top tier of carrot cake and a bottom tier of French vanilla.
Just wanted to show eveyone the heart I made for the heart exchange in my hand embroidery group. I sent it out the beginning of this month but didn't want to post it until the recipient received it. Luckily she received it shortly after BUT I got a little busy with other things, of course, and am just now getting it on the blog. I really enjoy doing redwork. It is relaxing to do and the outcome is so bright and cheery. I adapted this design from an old Leisure Arts transfer book so that it would fit the heart theme better.
cut and just tried to figure out what I wanted my layout to be. It is so much fun when you can sit and play around until it feels right.
Seconds Studio has unique tools to emboss metal and add them to your scrapbooking, cardmaking or as shown in the picture, wonderful little art quilts. You can find the supplies at alteredstyle.com. I picked up some of their rub-ons because they stick to fabric (used for art pieces not to be laundered). I will let you know when I get a chance to try them out.
was going to write all of the terms of endearment for him around the sides. The quick cake become a longer adventure just by baking another layer to allow the space for writing. I made the usual buttercream icing but I didn't have enough to add some extra elements like I had planned and I was running behind. My daughter had picked out Jelly Belly jelly beans to put on the cake. We had thought of spelling out Happy Birthday with them but it just wasn't going to work. She came up with the idea of placing them around the cake for a border. Pretty clever for a six year old I think. She wanted to help by putting polka dots with the blue icing but she still doesn't quite have the pressure correct on the decorating bag. We are going to have to make a practice cake for her in the future. Anyway, it wasn't quite what I had imagined and it took waaay longer than it should have but everyone loved it especially when it came to the eating part.
Krispies. Wrong! Now what do we do with them. The box was really big. My husband had wanted to take something else to his sister's who was holding this years celebration including the aforementioned birthday but with the cake I didn't want anything too involved. I have various cake pans and I have always wanted to try doing the Rice Krispie treat thing in one of them so voila we made a Rice Krispie Easter egg with my Wilton Egg Cake Pan
. Unfortunately a plain brown egg looks like a big brown blob. So we make a stop on the way to her house for some ready made icing tubes and did a quick egg decorating for a yummy treat for all the kids (except for mine - she doesn't like Rice Krispie treats either).
As you may have read in my earlier post about the Smorgasbord, I was most hoping to take the felting make-it-and-take-it demo. I'm happy to say I got into the class. For a $10 kit fee we received a Needle Felting Starter Kit by Fiber Trends, wool roving and a Styrofoam egg shape to make a pincushion. Usually, you would felt an entire egg from the roving but because of time constraints our instructor had us cover the Styrofoam. 
pieced with mementos from my Internet stitching friends. I have to confess I am running a little behind doing mine for the exchange and you won't see it here until a few days after it has been mailed. I don't want to ruin the suprise just in case she stops by.
I have been inspired by my 6 year old daughter. This past weekend in a church class, she made a little decoupage candle holder with a small glass globe, tissue paper and glue. It was so pretty. I have not done decoupage since middle school art class but I wanted to do it too. So today we worked together to do one.
the portraits to the frames and then to a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" piece of The Paper Studio Christmas paper. I embossed the year on a piece of cardstock then layered it on another piece of cardstock to glue to the center. To finish it off I tied a bow and glued it to one of the corners just to make it interesting.
something a little more fashionable. The problem is that fashionable shirts can cost more than I want to spend. I found an alternative. I purchase gently used shirts at thrift stores and jazz them up like the one in the photo.
(similar to the Bedazzler
) to set some colored rhinestones around the applique.
pieced together in person. Since I am just starting these paper projects and I have limited tools and trims I wanted to do something simple but I think would still be sophisticated. I simply took two coordinating papers - one striped and one with messages. After cutting a piece of card stock and using my score blade so I could fold it I cut the striped paper and glued it to the front of the blank card. I cut out the words I wanted from the other paper, arranged them and glued them down. This was my husband's Valentine's card and he loves it. He thought it was one of those fancy Hallmark cards at first.
still wanted simplicity but I also wanted some pizazz. After seeing projects done with the Crop-a-Dile I decided adding an eyelet would be an excellent idea but I didn't have that snazzy tool but I did have a Dritz(R) Eyelet Plier Kit
in my fabric tools. So I added an eyelet on the front and back and bought some ribbon. The ribbon is attached by making a knot in the middle of the length of ribbon to secure it when threaded through both eyelets. After threading it through the card simply tie it in a bow. I'm definitely going to make more of these for birthday and thank you cards.
purchased a 100% corn fiber (yes corn like you eat) called aMaizing by the South West Trading Company. Now I just have to make something. I am a new knitter but have been crocheting since I was 5 so I will probably choose crochet over knit for now. I want to do a felting project with the wool and I'll have to see with the corn. I'll share with you what I discover with both of these. Corn! I still am aMaized.
Wow! It feels so good to actually finish a project. 
I love to start projects. I love to learn new techniques and will take an interesting class whenever I am able to. But most of the time I start a project or finish a class it usually gets so far then ends up unfinished because I find a new project or new technique I just have to try. Of course, I have finished many projects over the years but compared to all the projects I have started the list is quite short. Lately I have been trying to start items that can be easily finished and this tote bag is one example.
through a very quick but very cute craft. It is basically some paper glued to a heavy cardstock and adorned with a few simple trims including our initial and then attached to one of those huge paperclips. She brought her cute little Cuttlebug along to cut out the flower shape and letters. These bookmarks would make great gifts for teachers, classmates or any book lover and they are so easy you could keep a few for yourself.
over at Craft Critique about die cutting systems. Although today's feature is regarding The Big Shot, Colleen Schaan does a great comparison with the Cuttlebug. You can read the Cuttlebug review while your there. 
in your cupboard. Maybe you can't throw it away. I know I can't. I'm one of those people who can't throw anything away especially if it isn't broke. Occasionally I may have a garage sale but not many people buy orphaned cups unless it has some special sentimental or aesthetic value to them. It may then end up going to a charity thrift shop. Then one day as I was walking through the aisles of Michael's , as I tend to do to entertain myself, I found these paints by Pebeo. I got an idea.
