It's a Birthday!

from the end-of-June photoshoot, blogged HERE



We rolled up the invitation in a plastic envelope and stuck it in the center of the cupcake. We are planning a "Birthday Mystery" party that'll be part Amazing Race, part Solve the riddle. Even the information came in the form of a clue:

Get a Clue!
Join us for a
Birthday Mystery Party!
Here’s your first clue:
Meet at the ad from the 1800’s, near the Sunburst.
Lost? Look for the
purple balloons.

She's 15, and excited to be older.
In a way, I am too. I'm excited for the future of our friendship. I'm excited for the experiences she's going to have. It's going to be quite a ride!

OH!~ Since I'm pretty sure the invitees to this party DON'T read my blog, here's where we are meeting:

Marshmallow recipe

I was reading through the Handmade Holiday on Sew, Mama, Sew, and found a recipe for HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS! I'm totally going to try these!

and ANOTHER ONE here!

Oh yeah, smore's boxes on the way!

Let the Handmade Christmas begin!

It's DECEMBER! Time for the Handmade Christmas ideas! Yay!

First--if you haven't been following the Sew, Mama, Sew Handmade Holidays III--go NOW and check it out! (then come back for more ideas and links) Click on their blog for the list of goodies. You won't be disappointed!

Second good thing about today: Tim Holtz is starting his "12 Tags of Christmas" (double yay!) This is the third year he has done this (archives on his blog) and if you craft, if you've thought about crafting, if you're curious, if you want to see how to use cool products you never thought existed but now absolutely MUST have, if you're breathing today--go and check it out!

My last Homemade Christmas suggestion comes to you by way of a wedding planner blog. LOVED this idea, and thought it could easily be adapted as giveaways this holiday season. I have a friend who makes her own marshmallow--that would be a super addition to this goodie. Even if you go "old school" and buy your marshmallows, it's still a great idea. You could even experiment with microwave directions! Go HERE to see what all the fuss is about!

What are YOU making for the holidays? Leave a comment and share with us! Also, it's my goal to have some GIVEAWAYS this month--to enter the giveaways, you need to comment! I have card sets, paper sets, creativity kits--all kinds of good yummy things to share with my blog readers. Pass it on!

I'm Thankful for Future Opportunities

Try a little Tenderness

This Boy.

This boy is six years old.

This boy can be so EXASPERATING!

This boy can make me absolutly CRAZY with his whines and wants and fits. (I see the other mothers of six-year-olds nodding their heads in understanding.)

This boy can also be incredibly tender. Case in point: While crafting for the Bazaar, I inadvertently cut the side of the bottom knuckly of my thumb. Not wanting to bleed on what I was making (people don't really appreciate that), I asked him to get me a bandaid. I turned around to take it from him, and he said, "Here, Mom, let me do that." and proceeded to oh-so-carfully put the bandaid on the cut while pulling the little tabs off to the side so that it stayed sterile, just like I do for him. When he'd finished, he said, "There, that'll do it!" and gave me a little pat. My heart just melted into lovey goo.

Oh, this boy...

Photo Cards

I did something fun for myself and for the Bazaar. I took some set of my pictures to a local printer and had cards made. I boxed them all up this morning in clear boxes and they look great! It's hard not to feel a small thrill of pride in myself. If they don't sell, I know my Mom will like them!

Been Shooting (and Christmas Bazaar)

Pictures that is! I have done 5 senior picture photoshoots so far this year, with 3 of them last week! You can see them at My Photostream on Flickr. All but one or two shots are SOOC or "straight out of camera," meaning no post-processing involved. I have one more shoot to do before time runs out for these seniors, but it's been rainy and she's been sick.

In crafty news, I'm in charge of our local school bazaar this year. I've been a vendor the last four years, so it's interesting being on the other side of things. I'll have some pictures later of what I'm making....it's fun! Hopefully I'll inspire some of your Christmas crafts! My main goal is to make all of my stuff without buying anything! (okay, I'll confess, I bought some clear boxes for my Krafty Card sets...but so far, that's all!) I used the green, orange, and bright blue cards to make sets of six. Love those Tim Holtz Stamps!

My head is also full of ideas for blog posts--look for more as the holidays get closer!

It's Eerie! (by Basic Grey) Card Class for Stampin'Cat Studio

Martha Stewart spiderweb border punch, sparkly orange paper (I think it's Die Cuts with a View.)

The spiderweb and spider are stamped on separate pieces of acetate so it looks like the spider is floating on the web.

Just a tri-fold Card. Basic Grey stamps.

I found this fold on Splitcoast Stampers. I think it's the "Joy Fold Card."

Martha Stewart's "Around the Page" punches in the Spiderweb design. Stamp by Tim Holtz.

I used a glue pen to draw over the black bats printed on the paper and then I flocked 'em with black Doodlebug flocking. Any black flocking will do.

For the crow, I used clear embossing powder on the Versafine Ink (you have to be fast!) and then used Tim Holtz's inking tool to smudge the Dusty Concord Distress Inks all over the image.
Spider punch by Martha Stewart. I punched it twice, once from patterned paper, once from black. I popped it up with a piece of foam adhesive so it would look shadowed.

Supplies: Eerie paper collection from Basic Grey, Clear stamps from Basic Grey (also from the Eerie collection) Clear stamps from Cosmo Cricket's Haunted line, Tim Holtz stamps, inks were Tim Holtz Distress Inks (spiced marmalade and dusty concord), as well as Tsukineko's Versafine in black.

The class is THIS Saturday, October 17 at 1:00pm at Stampin'Cat Studio. Sign up by Thursday to attend!

I REALLY need to update this blog

But I must admit, I'm a bit stumped for inspiration right now. Any thoughts/requests on what to blog about? Leave me a comment with your two cents worth!

Happy Birthday!

gratuitous birthday picture...

Today is the birthday of one of my Korean students--Christine--so I just wanted to take a minute and wish her a SUPER TERRIFIC birthday!

Does anyone you know need some good wishes in their lives today? Go bless someone's life!