Celebrate...

Well I started on my celebrate banner today for my swap partner Wanda. Here's a sneak peek:

Just a few more finishing touches and in the mail it goes.

I hope she likes it!

Every once in a while...

Every once and a while you need a day for you. Today so far has been my day for me. I went to bed early - well relatively midnight - had the whole bed to myself since my dh Bill was out with his buddy Ryan. When I woke up this morning - I could tell it had been a late night / early morning for him. So I got myself together, wrote a note and headed out the door to my favorite hunting spots: antique stores and thrift stores.

I found some cool finds and managed to finally get into an antique store that has been alluding me for a while - very limited hours from 11-3 Saturdays only! But it was worth it - here's my score from there: all for $10. The reams of blanket binding was only 10 cents a piece! I fell in love with the baby photo - her name is Lois Jean Fry and apparently was 7 1/2 weeks old in the photo. I really like when you get vintage items that can tell a little bit of a story to you. Unlike the photo of the guy hold the rabbit - I just thought it was interesting. Make for a cool card later - perhaps a "hare" raising experience...haha- I have had WAY too much of Sheetz mocha today.

Then off to my next spot - the antique store with the bargain basement. My kind of place! Here's my score from there: I loved the frame , the green inset in it is velvety. The Christmas book underneath has some great images that I will be sharing down the road. I found the postcards at the last minute when I was at the check out - I found it funny what people had written on the back - a couple of them are post marked 1916.

And last but not least - between the two thrifts that I stopped out I found this little collection of goodies: Velveteen ribbon, cute little jello molds, a new glass jar to hold crafty things, paper mache box, a little tub and Easter eggs. To my pleasant surprise everything with an orange sticker was 1/2 off - guess what everything I had - had an orange sticker - gotta love spending $2.49 for everything.

So far my day's been fun - minus the coffee / adrenaline headache I have now. Hope you have fun today!

Bits and pieces...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. I love the fact that I'm 30 and my mom still made me an Easter basket filled with tasty goodies. Needless to say we've been on a sugar rush since Sunday.

I got my partner for the Celebrate Banner Swap. Very cool - I'm excited to get to work on Wanda's banner and to see what kind of surprise I get in the mail.

Speaking of surprises in the mail - I got an awesome deal on Ebay last week. I got the flower nesting and heart nesting Quickutz dies with shipping for $15! Whooo hoo....more for the collection!

Hope you had a good Wednesday - only 2 more work days left - YIPEE! I'll post some sneaks of the swap soon.

Hear comes Peter Cotton Tail...

Happy Easter! I was feeling crafty tonight and I'll always loved seeing what others have done with peat pots. Here's two little cuties I made up using some scraps, vintage sheet music, crepe paper, buttons, glitter and pipe cleaners.

Here's they are again with all the fixin's. I think Mom & Grandma will like these. What's not to like about cuteness and chocolate!?!




I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Happy freakin' Monday...

So don't you just love when this and this happens to you 3 blocks from home at 7:15AM Monday morning!?! My poor little ant car - 8 years and never an accident and then BOOM three blocks from home. Grrrr.....apparently being Irish hasn't helped with my luck today. I've actually had a day filled with Murphy's Law! I never like a day when I've cried more than I've laughed.

Fuzzy pink bunny...

I love that after a day of crafting and gabbing with a wonderful group of friends and dragging my purse, 4 Quickutz binders, wheeled craft tote (you get the idea) up to my second story walk up apartment and moving my car around the block - I turn the corner to something that brings the biggest smile to my face of the day.

Although I didn't take a picture - imagine a adult size bright pink fuzzy smiling bunny with a basket handing out candy to kids! Thus, I have an old school little chocolate shoppe next door to my apartment. Fuzzy pinkness yelled out "Happy Easter" to me and I yelled back "Happy Easter to you - the sight of you makes me very happy".

On the way back around the corner carrying my second load of craft stuff and back up the stairs, I thought - you know I have a great group of friends, a loving family and even though the money is tight and there are struggles - I really love my life and little things like this just make my day complete.

What little thing makes you smile?

The year was 1941...

My Dad's 67th birthday is tomorrow. So what do you get the guy that has everything? Nothing! You make him something! So I made him this quick Maya Road chipboard book. It's all about 1941 the year he was born. I hope he likes it! More after tomorrow.

PS: Don't forget to spring your clocks ahead tonight!

Robin = Spring...

I was driving to work the other morning and saw my very first Robin of the year. I love Robins they always make me think of Spring. So to celebrate the Robin here's some Robin inspired ephemera. Enjoy!

Recycling the world one toilet paper roll at a time...

So yes I guess I have nervous energy today, because my mind has been in overdrive...at least in the craft department.


I thought about this little favor / candy cracker when I was changing the toilet paper roll...because apparently they only like to be changed by me.

I used Chatterbox paper because it is double sided and thinner, some glue strips and ribbon - done. I had the thought after I had them together that using decorative scissors on the ends would have been cute. I added a Quickutz die as accent, but I think they are cute without too. Gotta keep this idea in mind for Christmas.

For this one recycled some plastic packaging that stamps came in. I stamped my images on the plastic with Staz-On.

For the birthday card; I stamped the cupcake on plastic, punched a circle in the patterned paper and then glued my plastic to the back. I used a scrap to make a pocket on in the back to add my star glitter to make a shaker box.

So the Laugh out Loud card; I stamped on the plastic with the text and a flower. I also stamped the same images on the paper in pink ink. I cut out the flower and text strip and stamped them to the card for a carefree feel.

Too fun to make and it felt good to salvage some garbage. See what you can salvage. Have fun!

These are a few of my favorite things....

So I realized that I hadn't posted any recent pics of my create-a-space aka the crafty wench's room. (As I was just referred to by a work mate!) So this is it - crammed mess and all.

I love, love, love my new cookie jar. I picked this bad girl up at the Thrift store for $2.99. It holds all of my buttons and it's so pretty. I store my extra special and vintage buttons in little glass jars that are nestled amongst all the buttony goodness.

This cute little bucket (look familiar BD?) Hold all of my vintage trims - I recently found them at the Thrift Store also - I LOVE THAT PLACE!

This is my board of enlightenment - I need a bigger board! I keep special photos, tags and cards that I've gotten from friends.

This is high up on my top shelf. I keep all of my floral picks and flowers for altering. Oh and also my Rex - I love this dino guy!

I have so much ribbon and it certainly doesn't all fit on here, but it's just fun to look at. I bought a pants hanger at Target for a few bucks and grouped some like colors together. Does this pink and brown group make you think of any one you know?

And last but not least some sweet treasures from friends. Thanks MM & BD!

O Winter.....

So I completely skipped out on my blog for the entire month of February. Opps! I've been having fun doing crafty things. That's the one sad thing about Winter ending - even though I'm totally looking for Spring - I'll have less time for crafty things because I'll want to be out enjoying the sunshine. O well! So I've been a busy little bee this weekend - here's a peek.

This is a gift for my husband's grandma. Her birthday is in April - his mom asked me to make her something for her birthday this past October. Needless to say with wedding and holidays - I just now got to it. The photos are of her and her brother - the color one is from this past summer. I'm lovin' the paper lace that I received a as a sweet treat recently - Thanks MM!

And this one - well it's for me. I lifted the idea from a layout a friend (you know who you are) sent me over a year ago. Turned out cute. Plus it gives me something to laugh about at work!

PS: Dig the crazy wall paper?!? Gotta love it - my apartment is ancient and apparently so is this wallpaper. :P