My random creative moments

Me, learning to sew?

2012-01-18T12:24:00.000-08:00

When asked, I used to tell people that I didn't sew. Sure, I knew how to sew by hand and did it when I had to but I had no clue how to use a sewing machine. Yeah, I've made several mixed media projects that involved some sewing. I didn't really think of myself as someone who sewed because I didn't know how to use a machine. I remember talking to a lady at the CREATE Mixed Media Art retreat in Chicago in 2010 over breakfast one day about sewing and mentioning that not only did I not sew but but I didn't know how to use a sewing machine. She seemed surprised. She was one of many who made art quilts and whatnot who were at the retreat. I'd always considered myself more of a paper gal who also liked to knit, crochet and make jewelry. For quite a while, I figured that I had enough things that I could do, so why add one more? You know what I mean.

Anyway, I'm not sure when I decided I want to learn to sew but I did. I asked others for sewing machine recommendations. I looked at tons of reviews and articles on what to look for in a machine. I knew I wanted something that wasn't too cheap or too expensive. I wanted something that could do basic sewing but also something that would allow me to do art quilting type work, if I wanted to (so something that would allow me to lower the feed dogs or come with a plate to cover the feed dogs). I even asked my mom if she had my grandma's machine but she gave it away. I got overwhelmed with the amount of information and ended up putting my search on the back burner for a while. Randomly several months later, I ended up asking some mom friends for recommendations and one of them recommended the Brother XL2600i The price was good, the machine had generally good reviews, it comes with a darning plate to cover the feed dogs and Christmas was coming. Haha! It was a wonderful present to open up on Christmas.


view from above...setting things up according to the manual


wound my 1st bobbin!

threading the needle

Do you sew? If you do, what's your first memory of learning to sew or learning to use a machine? If you don't, is there something you want to learn to do or make?

Getting things started...again :-)

2012-01-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

Hey! What's up?

I've obviously been a bit absent around these parts for a while now. I'm back now with plans to get things rolling around here again. With any luck, I'll have an actual post about something later today or maybe tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to sharing about: 1) learning how to use my new sewing machine (yay!)...actually learning to sew with a machine, 2) random creations and happenings from bookclub (aka the "Outside the book" club), 3) creative projects I'm working on, 4) something food related, maybe from scratch since that always seems to amuse me and 5) picture of the week (POTW).

Welcome to the next step! I hope you'll say "hi."

CREATE with Cloth Paper Scissors Mixed Media Art Retreat Costa Mesa

2011-09-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

This year I had the opportunity to attend the fabulous CREATE with Cloth Paper Scissors Mixed Media Art Retreat in Costa Mesa in May. It was an amazing, fabulous experience! So much fun!

One of the workshops I attended was called "Creatures and Critters" with instructors Ty and Marcia Shultz. Though initially, it was anxiety provoking, I really enjoyed this workshop. We worked with wire, aluminum foil, masking tape, fabric and Paverpol (a fabric hardener). We started by creating an armature then ended with fabric and funky eyes. I finished my critter with acrylic paint at the end of the day in my hotel room. The pictures that follow show my creation, Dottie, from armature to critter:

Hello again!

2011-08-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's me! I really am here. I've been thinking about my little blog often & have come to the realization that it's time to make some changes here. While I really enjoy all of the things I post about, I've decided it's time to make the focus of this blog my "random creative moments" rather than the cool things going into The Whimsical Muse. So, I'm starting a new blog for The Whimsical Muse, aptly titled The Whimsical Muse. I will post my first welcome over there in the morning & have some fun things planed over there.

I also have all kinds of fun things to share here. I went to Cloth Paper Scissors CREATE Art Retreat in May in Costa Mesa. I've been making some "critters" inspired by an article in Cloth Paper Scissors by...Diana Trout, I believe. I'm continuing to participate in the Outside the Box book club & do related projects. And more!

Anyway, I will be back soon & look forward to having blogs for both my shop & my mixed media creations. Please join me here, if you're interested and/or my other blog.

Pam

Packaging kits at The Whimsical Muse!

2011-05-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

I've just added a packaging kit & new set of stickers to The Whimsical Muse on Etsy! The kit is a set of 10 pink glassine lined bags, kraft paper heart stickers, recycled white starburst stickers & 10 yards of black & white baker's twine. I love the color combination!

You can check them out at http://www.etsy.com/listing/73953930/pretty-pink-packaging-kit-from-the

Random update

2011-05-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

After a month long spring break, the kid returned to school today. I would have enjoyed another day or two or five with her. She was raring to return to her teacher, her friends and...math. The nut. I'd say she fell from her dad's side of the family since grandpa is a math nerd (taught university level math, retired but does math for fun) but my dad was an accountant & his sister taught junior high school math. I can't blame it on the "other side." The kid knows full well homework will start after school today but was chomping at the bit to get out of the house this morning.

Spring break: made cake pops with the kid, went to the library almost weekly, helped her finish sewing her felt elephant (it's so cute!), had her help me more with dinner prep (she absolutely loved that), spent some time painting with watercolors several times (she wants an art journal, yay!), went to the park several times, enjoyed a birthday party for one of her best friends, drove to L.A. to visit grandma (my mom), had a visit from the Easter bunny, went to a week of art camp (day camp) & more!

I've got some more new items "coming soon" to this blog & to The Whimsical Muse! I will be posting new things here as I list the items on Etsy.

I'm absolutely thrilled to be heading to the CREATE Mixed Media Art retreat in Costa Mesa later this month! I've not been as obsessive about gathering my supplies as I was for CREATE in Chicago last year. Time to get moving! It will be so nice to just throw everything in the back of my car rather than worrying about packing everything for the airplane & drive up there. At this point, I'm thinking that I will probably keep my shop open & simply mail everything when I get back home. I do plan on being able to return convos (messages) daily but probably not until the end of each day.

How's that for a random update?

New to The Whimsical Muse!

2011-04-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

Some new items are making their way onto the "shelves" at The Whimsical Muse on Etsy this week!
I'm offering them in sets of 36 and 120. They are cute & tiny at .75" tall by .75" across at the widest point. They are great for envelope seals for invitations for special occasions, such as weddings, showers & anniversaries. They are also fun for notes to your sweetie or lunch notes to your kid.
36 kraft heart stickers
120 kraft heart stickers

ICE Resin

2011-03-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a while! What's new?

Last month as our "kit" for our Out of the Box book club (formerly, Scrapbook club) we were given:
ICE Resin (Created by Susan Lenart Kazmer)
the book Explore, Create, Resinate: Mixed Media Techniques using ICE Resin by Jen Cushman
a bezel
a little cup
& a stir stick

I was thrilled! I had been wanting to try resin but was a bit intimidated with having to measure exact amounts & stir everything exactly perfectly, not to mention my concerns about toxicity. It was enough to put me off of trying it before now. Anyway, the book is gorgeous! So many creative people contributed so many lovely pieces to it. It also has great ideas on how to use the ICE Resin. I loved that the resin came in a containers where I could press the plunger & the correct amount of both the resin & the hardener would come out.

I added pool colored alcohol ink the first time. I poured a partial amount, filling maybe half of the bezel after the stirring & waiting process (2 minutes of stirring, 5 minutes sitting, stirred in the alcohol ink, then waited another 5 minutes for the bubbles to dissipate under my lamp). The day after, I added my butterfly (painted with acrylic paint) & filled it in with more resin, this time I left it clear. I love that it domed! I figured there would be a few bubbles but I can't see any. It looks like glass. The only things I didn't like were more of a user related issue in that I think it would have looked nicer if I had added Mod Podged paper to the bottom of the bezel in a light color to bring out the other items a bit more & if the contact paper I used had actually sealed my word properly. I made a few other things alongside this & will be back (hopefully) with a few pictures.

I love that you can use the amount you need & save the rest for later! Very user friendly. I'm looking forward to picking up some more bezels & making more pendants with what I have left.

Coupon code

2010-11-26T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here's that coupon code, as promised :)

The details
The code - THANKSGIVING2010
20% off your purchase
At The Whimsical Muse on Etsy only
How to? Select your items & enter the code at check out

Just a quickie

2010-11-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I didn't add anything new to my shop since my camera stopped working at the beginning of last week. My new camera has a bit more of a learning curve, so I'm working on it. Hopefully I will get to some more sticker seals posted by the end of the week.

**Stay tuned this week for a special coupon code to The Whimsical Muse on Etsy for my blog visitors :)**

New at The Whimsical Muse! 1-inch round envelope seals

2010-11-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

New in my shop today! 1-inch round glitter envelope seals!
Currently available in silver, gold, green, red, white & sky blue.
Next week I will be adding a few more colors :)

In use on some enclosure envelopes that measure about 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"

The envelope with the red seal reminds me of Rudolf! I could see this becoming part of some fun envelope art for doodlers :)

Here are the small glitter heart seals also available in my shop layered on top of the 1-inch round seals.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thewhimsicalmuse

Outside the Box

2010-10-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

Last night's Outside the Box was so much fun! I stayed way to long & so ended up staying up way too late (yes, I'm tired today). For now, I will leave you with this picture of the necklace I pieced together for my version of the make & take. It's simple but I like it :)

We are using the Fall 2010 edition of Somerset Memories for our book of the quarter (well, whatever it is now that we are using a book for 4 months of the year...a third sounds odd). It's really lovely and even includes our lovely leader, Elena Etcheverry, who initiated & was part of the Lucky 13: A Year to Remember Circle Journal. This edition of Somerset Memories magazine/idea book is very inspiring.

Chipboard bird collages

2010-10-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

before

after

I made these for a "bird swap" last month with my Scrapbook Club (now called Outside the Box). They were lots of fun to make. I started out with plain chipboard birds (from StudioCee on Etsy). I basically collaged them using what I learned in the Collage 101 workshop I took at CREATE. I added "Smooch Spritz" for the color & pearly sparkle, applied paint to the edge, adhered random inked words, added Diamond Dust to the wings & added some bling for the eyes. You can check out Kat's blog post for a much better look at these birdies: http://katstinkerings.blogspot.com/2010/09/out-of-box-at-urban-barn.html

As usual, since time flies, we have another meeting tonight where we will chat, show off what we've made in the past month & more. I'm looking forward to it, though I'm not sure what I will bring for "show & tell." Maybe the blue cowl that I knitted last week or maybe (doubtful, though) I will bring something from CREATE that I've finished.

Double rainbow and amazing sky!

2010-10-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

last night

the sky in front of my house last night

You can see more pictures on my Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomcreativemoments/

CREATE and Kindergarten

2010-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

Things have been fantastic! Busy yes, but fantastic. I closed both Etsy shops for about 2 weeks toward the end of August. I went to the Cloth, Paper, Scissors CREATE retreat in Chicago, IL. While I did my utmost to be ready with supplies in hand at the retreat, it seemed as though there were still a few more to buy when I arrived in Chicago and still a few I wished I had while in several workshops. It was five really full days. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to learn new things, meet new people and simply play. The instructors were full of techniques and ideas. While I would end each day utterly exhausted, I still found myself wanting to work on more of whatever I had done that day. My projects remain unfinished but at some point I will post pictures, finished or not, along with bits of info from the workshops I took, as well as some more about CREATE.

My little one started all-day Kindergarten yesterday, so we've been figuring out all of the details (like how to get her to school by 7:35 am...okay, before the tardy bell rings at 7:40 am...we're working on becoming early birds, what to bring for lunch and snack, remembering to prep as much as possible in advance since it really does...). We did what seems to be the requisite running around to pick up some back-to-school clothing, shoes, a lunch box and whatnot over the weekend. It wasn't crazy but it was things to get done. Since she's in school all week now, things are changing with my schedule. I'm not sure how things will look in a month but for now, it seems like I have a bit more time on my hands. The school is on a year-round plan so I will have a month here and there where being "mom" will be my main focus.

That's all for now :)
Pam

Art Journal Week at Balzer Designs

2010-08-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I really look forward reading almost daily is Balzer Designs. I love her anything goes style & how she applies it to art journaling, other mixed media & even scrapbooking! This week is Art Journal Week at Balzer Designs! Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is focusing on art journaling basics this week. If you've been curious or tempted, it looks like a great way to get your feet wet (or jump right in...).

fairy bottles, The Art Bar & more!

2010-08-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

I went to The Art Bar in Santa Ana on Saturday for a lesson from Miss Vicky on soldering & making fairy bottles with some gals from the Scrapbook Club (plus a few others). What fun! You just cannot go wrong with Miss Vicky. She's a hoot...and then some! The Art Bar is fantastic, too. For such a small space, they sure have a bit of everything for mixed media & more. The cool part, well, too me anyway, is that they have a "bar" where you can buys "shots" of paint & whatnot. How cool is that?

After The Art Bar, we went for lunch at The Filling Station in Orange. I got so lost on the way & have no clue how I ended up finding this place. No GPS, no map of the area, didn't call or get directions. I do have a pretty good sense of direction but know very little about getting around Orange County. I'll just call it my internal GPS :-)

After lunch, we wandered through wonderful little & big antique shops. So many fantastic things to see. So many temptations that I passed up. I gave in to the Red Velvet cupcake at The Perfect Circle Cupcakery. It was well worth giving in.

New at The Whimiscal Muse!

2010-07-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

1. A set of "funky buttons."
2. A set of "fancy buttons."
3. Walnut ink dyed crinkled seam binding (I have some white crinkled seam binding that will be listed later in the week).
4. Travel sized dominoes (dominos) approximately 1/2" wide by 1 1/4" high. Great for making domino pendants with ink, alcohol ink or even using the number sides in front! These are the exact kind I use for my mini sized alcohol ink domino pendants over at http://etsy.com/shop/HandmadebyPam

Is it snail mail or...

2010-06-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I got the cutest items in a package yesterday. I knew they would be cute when I ordered them but...they are just adorable, no?

I found these cuties at studioCee on Etsy. There are so many more adorable & fun chipboard items at studioCee that it's worth a look.

Mmmm!

2010-06-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

The kid & I went to the park today. While she was playing, I was thinking about Starbucks. It didn't help that there was a Starbucks across the street from the park, another coffee house caddy corner to the Starbucks & that one of the mom's had a yummy looking frozen drink in the stroller's cup holder. When we left, the kid dropped the hint, "I'm thinking about Starbucks." I said, "me, too, but we're not going there today." I'm trying to be good since it's such an addiction & really seems to add up. The kid said, "I know, we can have our own coffee house at home." The kid knows me well. When we got home, I did some searching on the internet to see if I could find a recipe for a frozen mocha. I looked at several. I nixed the ones with ice cream, yogurt and/or whipped cream since we don't have any at the moment. I found one that looked realistic & sounded yummy so I decided to try it. Mmm! It tastes an awful lot like the fancy mocha from the expensive place. I'm going to share the recipe (since there's no way that I'm sharing the mocha...it's all mine mine mine). I'll just warn you now, that if you don't wait for the coffee to cool off, it won't get quite as much of the slushy effect. Ask me how I figured that out :-) Also, it's pretty big for one so you could share...if you want.

frozen mocha for one
ingredients
3 ounces double strength coffee
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbl sugar
1 1/2 Tbl chocolate syrup
1 cup ice

directions
1. Make coffee
2. Chill coffee
3. Put all ingredients into blender. Give it a whirl on high speed until the ice is in teeny tiny pieces.
4. Pour into cup of your choice & enjoy!

New at The Whimsical Muse

2010-06-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

New in the shop, coffee dyed crinkled seam binding! It still has a coffee scent, as well as some lovely spots of darker brown where the coffee pooled a little more which gives it a slightly distressed look. You may find a tiny bit of sparkle here and there in this seam binding. It is wrapped with a bit of hand stamped muslin and an arms length of black and white baker's twine.

Crinkled seam binding is fun for both prim (primitive) & vintage style gift wrapping, crafting and decor. It would be lovely to use in wedding decorations and favors. I'm offering it in 5 yard increments but am happy to discuss custom lengths, as well.

I have some pretty new crinkled seam binding that I dyed blue with hints of indigo & purple. I will be listing it soon.

Jewelry mode

2010-06-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

I've been in jewelry making mode. It's new for me but I'm really enjoying making pretty necklaces & whatnot. Most recently, I made a bracelet & a necklace. This time, they are for me as it seems that most of what I make goes to someone else. I made them with antiqued copper & Swarovski "Elements" (crystals & pearls).

Can you keep a secret? part 2

2010-06-07T11:38:00.000-07:00

Following up on my last post Can you keep a Secret. I gave the boxed & wrapped necklace to my mom, she smiled, shook the box & said, "I think I know what this is..." A lovely "thank you" when she opened the box. She hadn't seen my post about it or the pictures thankfully. Haha! Lesson learned.

Can you keep a secret?

2010-05-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

Can you keep a secret? I've always thought of myself as fairly good at keeping a surprise but I almost blew it tonight. Crossing my fingers that I can share it here on the big ol' world wide web & hope it doesn't get back to the person I'm from whom I'm hiding the surprise.

Here's the surprise! Shhhh! I made this necklace with a really cute hummingbird charm & a few little crystals for someone who loves hummingbirds.

A beautiful day in San Diego

2010-04-07T19:04:00.001-07:00

It's been another lovely day in San Diego! It was about 80 degrees according to the thermometer in my car (haha!). The kid & I went to lovely touristy Seaport Village today. My ulterior motive was to hit up the Village Hat Shop & pick up a hat to wear outside while of course providing the kid with a fun day out. The kid loved the carousel aka merry-go-round (she calls it a "merry-go-around") even though she reported it was a bit "bumpy" when going up and down. I found myself a bucket hat in sort of a dusty denim at the hat shop (it will be so cute when I pin on a flower...maybe even the one from ThiliBlooms). We shared some popcorn. Several random birds including a duck seemed to think we were rude for not sharing more since they kept moving closer every time it looked like we were going to drop a bit of popcorn. The kid kept trying to "shoo bird" them away with only a little luck. We wandered around a few other stores including the kite shop before calling it a day.

It's a Fabulous Friday!

2010-03-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

I received a surprise in the mail a few days ago! A lovely bloom from ThiliBlooms on Etsy! It can be used as a hair pin or a brooch. Isn't it darling?

New at The Whimsical Muse!

2010-03-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

I'm just starting to add a few new things at The Whimsical Muse! "This is a muslin gift bag set. I love these little muslin bags. They are so nice for packaging & to store a few little treats when no longer used as a gift bag. I'm offering them as a small set with a hand cut gift tag & kraft heart envelope seal. There's a bit of the new burgundy baker's twine on the tag that I will be offering in my shop soon. Here's the link to the set in the picture: muslin love gift bag

Thrilled!

2010-03-03T13:17:00.001-08:00

The lovely(oh, hello friend) you are loved blog is doing a "lovely packaging" giveaway & there is, among many other things, a $10 gift certificate from The Whimsical Muse in the giveaway! The giveaway features many fantastic shops from Etsy that offer a beautiful array of items to dress up those lovely packages.

When life gives you lemons, make something

2010-02-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight's Scrapbook Club was rescheduled at the last minute. I didn't check the phone for messages & almost didn't check my email. I was annoyed at first, thinking 'what if I drove the more than 30 miles which takes at least an hour during rush hour and arrived to nothing?' Then I was disappointed. I sat. I moped. I checked out Facebook & stopped myself before getting sucked into surfing Etsy (& spending out of frustration). I wanted to make something new & different but felt glued to the chair until I got this idea while looking at the Martha Stewart website (I never thought I would reference her site here, but I really do like it). There was something on her site about embroidering & I though, 'that looks like fun, I could do that.' I didn't have any interfacing or a sewing machine but I did have plenty of embroidery floss, a drawing, tracing paper and a bunch of these cute little muslin bags. The tracing paper didn't work out quite as well as I would have liked so I ended up filling in the spots with pencil onto the muslin.
I'm not sure if this bag is quite done. I do like it the way it is but sometimes I just have to add a little something to make things even better. I'm happy I was able to take advantage of having some alone time to do something creative.

Hope all is well with everyone!
Pam

New at The Whimsical Muse!

2010-01-22T01:10:00.000-08:00

New at The Whimsical Muse on Etsy.com, glitter heart stickers - envelope seals in red, gold, pink, lavender (not shown here) & a set of all four colors. They are perfect for Valentines day, anniversaries, weddings & just to say "I love you." Great to seal an envelope, make a simple card, dress up a present, add to a mixed media project, embellish a scrapbook page...

A few days late but...

2010-01-03T01:39:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

Pam

holiday sale day 4

2009-12-12T01:44:00.000-08:00

Free 1st class shipping for purchases over $20 within the United States at The Whimsical Muse! For my fabulous international customers who purchase $20 worth of items from my shop, I am offering discounting shipping based on the discount my US customers receive. For example, if someone in the US would normally pay $3.00 for shipping the purchase you are making, I will subtract $3.00 from amount of your shipping. The $20 amount refers to the total purchase price of the items. Valid Saturday, December 12, 2009 only.

To take advantage of this deal, please "commit to buy" $20 worth of items from my shop then:
1) either go all the way through & pay using PayPal or 2) ask that I send you an invoice with the shipping modified.

Sale is still on over at Random Creative Moments/HandmadebyPam.

Have a fantastic weekend!
Pam

holiday sale day ??? & something new in my shop!

2009-12-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

So we missed a day buttt...things are still on sale over at Random Creative Moments http://www.etsy.HandmadebyPam.com. Do take a moment to check things out over there. I will have a new category on sale tomorrow in one of both shops.

New to The Whimsical Muse...tinsel wire ribbon! It's so flipping cute & there are really so many things that you can do to use it in your crafting, gift wrapping & home decorating! It's great year round but super special for the winter holidays.

I think it would be great in place of ribbon on presents, to top ornaments, in place of string or other ribbon on gift tags, on mini (or regular) Christmas trees... It could be used to create a simple but lovely card holder for Christmas or birthdays. If you hung a length of it horizontally on a wall, you could attach some cute little clothespins or paper clips to it & hang Christmas (or birthday) cards from it.

Anyway, without further ado, here it is:

I offer it in 3 yard increments (it's about 1/2" thick) in gold, red & silver. I'm happy to cut additional amounts. I wrap a length of antique white ribbon adorned with a jingle bell around the tinsel wire ribbon. You can check out TheWhimsicalMuse on Etsy.com (check out the right side of my blog) & comment here or convo me on Etsy if you have any questions.

Back later with more sale stuff!
Pam

holiday sale day 3

2009-12-10T01:30:00.001-08:00

Hello!

The sale for the day is now on! Thursday, December 9th only if you purchase anything at Random Creative Moments at http://www.etsy.com/shop/handmadebypam you get 20% off. All day long on the price any & all items you purchase! Sale goes through midnight Pacific Standard Time on Thursday. I offer a lovely variety of items that I've created using alcohol ink in this shop. My items include pendants that I've made on dominoes, greeting cards and original abstract art. They are all one of a kind. My pendants have been referred to as "wearable art."

For this sale, all you need to do is go through the regular steps to purchase an item on Etsy, including paying with PayPal. I've already gone in & changed the prices. If you tell me you heard about it on my blog, I will include a little something special.

Have a great one!
Pam

holiday sale day 2

2009-12-09T00:44:00.000-08:00

Baker's twine is just fantastic, isn't it? Fantastic for putting the finishing touch on a package whether a wrapped present or some yummy cookies in a tin or bakery box, baker's twine can add a nice bit of simplicity and some nostalgia. Baker's twine is a lovely detail at weddings & in crafts. I offer baker's twine in: black & white; brown & white; red & white; blue & white; lime mint green & white; & light blue & white (the latest in my shop & really very nice). My current listings include baker's twine in 4 different increments: 5 yards, 20 yards, 50 yards & 100 yards. If you're interested in a different length please don't hesitate to contact me. I've set up many custom orders & am happy to do more. Please do understand that custom orders may take 2 days from payment for me to mail (rather than 1).

Anyway, time to get to the sale! Buy 3 get the 4th baker's twine FREE! Each listing must each be the same size but can be on any size listed (or custom). For example, you would purchase 3 of the 20 yard packs of baker's twine & then you get the 4th for free (whatever color you choose). Valid all day on Wednesday December 9th. Valid only at my shop, The Whimsical Muse on Etsy. If you don't see the size in a color you see I have, please let me know so I can list more :) This sale is happening Wednesday, December 9th only, through midnight PST.

Here's how to take advantage of this deal:
- "commit to buy 3 of the same size of baker's twine"
-let me know you would like the "buy 3 deal" & your color choice for the 4th pack in the "notes to seller" or by contacting me using the Etsy convo system
pay for your purchase using PayPal (you can use a credit card this way!)

If you have absolutely an questions, you can contact me by using the comment section here or by convo on Etsy. If you haven't yet made a purchase on Etsy.com, here are some FAQs that may help http://www.etsy.com/faq_buying.php?utm_source=etsy_success&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=etsy_success_090109

Pam :)

holiday sale day 1

2009-12-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

Today until midnight (or until I post the next sale), the holiday sale deal is:
25% off all paper goods including greeting cards, tags, stickers, & bookmarks in both of my shops
The Whimsical Muse and Random Creative Moments This doesn't apply to the shipping price. I am, however, happy to combine shipping on items purchased in each shop, so your shipping will probably end up being a little lower than listed.

There are two ways take advantage of this deal:
1) "commit to buy the item(s)," let me know you would like the "25% off paper goods deal" in the "notes to seller" or by contacting me using the Etsy convo system, pay for your purchase using PayPal (you can use a credit card this way!), I will refund the discount.
2) "commit to buy the item(s)," let me know you would like the "25% off paper goods deal" in the "notes to seller" or by contacting me by "convo" on Etsy. I will send you an invoice with the sale price.

If you have absolutely an questions, you can contact me by using the comment section here or by convo on Etsy.

Pam :)

Holiday sales this week!!!

2009-12-08T00:35:00.000-08:00

There will be some great shop deals advertised here this week for my Etsy shops!
Here's the deal:
1. Check in every daily for special sales. Tuesdays sale will be posted by late-morning Pacific time. There will be different types of items on sale each day for that day only. Mailing list members will be notified in advance (if interested in getting onto my list, let me know) & just may get extra bonuses :). If you have purchased from me in the past & haven't yet used your 20% off one item coupon (for The Whimsical Muse shop only), you can still use it if the item you want is one of the special items of the day! Pretty cool, huh?
2. I will give you instructions each day for that specific day. For example, if I'm offering a "buy 3, get the 4th free" special, I will ask that you purchase the 3 items you want & then mention in the "notes to seller" or by convo the code of the day & the color, style, type of item you want as your 4th item.
3. This applies to my shops on Etsy The Whimsical Muse & Random Creative Moments
4. There are all kinds of cool things available in my shops! So many yummy colors of baker's twine, carnival tickets, ric rac at The Whimsical Muse...plus some lovely pendants and artwork at Random Creative Moments (etsy.com/shop/HandmadebyPam)

I'm shipping all items within 24 hours of payment until just before Christmas in order to do my best to assure that packages get to their destinations in a timely fashion. If you are interested in a shipping upgrade to Priority or Express, please send me a convo on Etsy. If I confirm that I'm able to do this, I can either set up a special order for you to include the shipping upgrade or after purchase, I would simply send you an invoice to reflect the increase in shipping & then get your order to the post office ASAP.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask in the comment section or by Etsy convo.

Stay tuned!
Pam :)

Here it is...

2009-11-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

...some fabulous new light blue baker's twine (bakery twine)!!! It's a lovely sky blue. It will be listed in my Etsy shop very soon!

There are so many fun things that can be done with it! I made some pamphlet booklets in the shape of shipping tags.

New stuff soon!

2009-11-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

The UPS guy just dropped off a package of goodies tonight! More black & white baker's twine & some fantastic new baker's twine. Will be back soon with some pics in the next couple of days & then will be listing it at The Whimsical Muse on Etsy by next week, if not sooner.

Black and white baker's twine

2009-11-16T23:48:00.000-08:00

Baker's twine before (brand new):

Baker's twine "after" (tonight):

That almost says it all! The black and white baker's twine has been flying out the door. It looks as though it's almost gone. Thankfully. I've got some more black and white baker's twine coming in at the end of the week. I'm currently selling baker's twine in increments of 5, 20, 50 and 100 yards. I'm happy to cut custom lengths of twine. I have baker's twine in the following colors: green and white; blue and white; red and white; brown and white; and black and white. I should have a few more surprises in the shop by the end of the week or the beginning of the next week.

I'll be back in the next few days to share some fun things about Scrapbook Club last week! That's all for now!

Handbound book

2009-10-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

As soon as I saw this scrapbook paper at Cool Scrapbook Stuff in Poway maybe 3-4 weeks ago, I knew that I had to make a book with it. Interesting because I wouldn't necessarily consider it "my style " but something about it called to me. Anyway, I had gotten this idea of making a book using scrapbook paper, random art type papers, & chipboard. This is, I believe, a combination of a concertina with a pamphlet stitched book. The "back" of the book is an accordion. I hand stitched the three pamphlets into the back. I covered the chipboard with the scrapbook paper & then adhered the front and back parts of the concertina to the inside of the chipboard. I want to give either long stitch or coptic stitch a try soon.

Exploring!

2009-09-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Today the kid & I had a little adventure! We were tasked by her preschool teacher to go on a nature walk & collect leaves that had fallen to the ground to bring back to school on Thursday. As today my car's temperature gauge said it was 105 degrees, it was a tad toasty to go on a "real" nature walk. I was able to show her how to gently feel the leaves as she picked them up. I also showed her how the newly fallen leaves & the ones that have been on ground longer were so different. She probably would have kept on collecting leaves had it not been time to move on to another activitiy.

Our next stop continued our exploration mode. We hunted for buttons at our favorite button box (a bit of treasury box). She filled her tin & dumped it over & over. We talked with another lady as she was button hunting. We found some fabulous buttons, some of which might end up listed in my Etsy shop (TheWhimsicalMuse).

TheWhimsicalMuse on Etsy:
Newest additions:
1) A set of handstamped Christmas cards
2) baker's twine in 100 yard increments in black & white; red & white; brown & white; blue & white; and green & white

Items I've been cooking up for The Whimsical Muse
1) hand crafted items, including holiday tags
2) baker's twine offered in 50 yard increments (rather than it being a special order only item)

That's all for now :)
Pam

My life in a nutshell...keyword "busyness"

2009-09-04T00:56:00.001-07:00

Things have been really busy around these parts:

1) We had a fantastic extended weekend trip to Durango, Colorado. A really nice place. Fun to visit my sister & her boyfriend (along with their 50 lb puppy & two cats who hid most of the time we were around. Yummy yummy food. My sister's boyfriend smoked chicken & ribs. The ribs were TDF...probably the best ribs I have ever eaten. My kid & my sister made pizza one night. Pretty amusing but fun with tasty results. We got out to restaurants, the hot springs, the local playground, more restaurants & more. Thank goodness for having the laptop with us...

2)...because sales on Etsy at The Whimsical Muse have been really great! Especially while we were on vacation. I don't know if it's Murphy's Law (or what) but I had an inkling that I would have a bunch of sales while we were on vacation & I did. A number of requests for custom cuts of bakery twine, along with a number of in stock, "on the (Etsy) shelf" items. I was up late the night we got packing orders & getting things ready for the week. I have been amazed at how quickly orders have gone from the local post office to their destination. Two days to get from San Diego, CA to the east coast.

3) The kid is back in preschool, absolutely adores her new class & wakes up every day asking, "do I get to go to preschool today?"

4) I finished a million flowers (okay, 28) for the flower swap at Scrapbook Club. We had SB Club tonight. Fun fun! I think people focused more on their swap items than on creating new things. The flowers...wow! Every person's flower creations were so different than the others but oh so fun. I love love love the creativity in this group! I will try to get a pic or two up eventually with all of the flowers. Crazy but I didn't end up doing anything (yet) with the kit from the last SB Club meeting. I guess I was busy :)

5) I just started singing again with a choir group I used to sing with :)

I think that summarizes the (happy) busy-ness in my life. Of course, the mundane is still there.

Scrapbook Club

2009-08-10T17:43:00.001-07:00

Well, for the first time since starting back in January, I had to miss Scrapbook Club on Thursday night :( I knew about it well in advance but it was harder than I thought it would be. Anyway, I figured I would take the kid up to Pink Pineapple with me on Friday to get my class kit under the guise of her getting to play in the kids area at PP. Got my kit & it's full of yummy stuff for me to play with! Yay! I feel a little better now. When it came time to leave, it was harder to get my kid to go & I had to persuade her with a chocolate milk at Starbucks (cause that's "a mommy and me thing" as she says). Hehe... Quick stop at Michaels. Got a little something for my crafting (will tell in another post at another time) & a $1 coloring book for the kid.

Not the best pics but here is the kit:journaling pages & plastic gem things

Mixed Media Half Bracket Album from Fancy Pants
Fancy Pants paper

Maya Road Circles Translucent Sheet
Cute little chicky clip
I have no clue what I will do with my kit but I may be back with my results. I'm currently working on flowers for the class flower swap.

Wordle

2009-07-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

Wordle word clouds.

Bakery twine delivery!

2009-07-18T01:16:00.000-07:00

I got a yummy delivery of bakery twine tonight! Two huge spools of the goodness! One spool is wrapped with a pastel colored minty lime green & white twine and the other is wrapped in black & white. The green & white twine is very sweet & would be lovely with vintage style crafts & designs. The black has a very classic feel to me & would be nice in everything from vintage to modern designs. They are each now available in my Etsy shop The Whimsical Muse in 5 & 20 yard increments (in addition to red & white, blue & white and brown & white twine).

Baker's twine

2009-07-17T18:48:00.001-07:00

I just got a delivery of some new baker's twine. Oh my! Two rather yummy new colors! I'll be back with pictures.

And the winner is...

2009-07-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

balanced! I used a random number generator & came up with the number 4 then counted down http://www.random.org/integers/?num=1&min=1&max=7&col=1&base=10&format=html&rnd=new

I loved seeing the creative ideas that everyone came up with for the twine! How fun! Thanks to everyone for participating!

Austin's Gallery on Coronado & store update

2009-07-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

Fantastic to see contest entries! I will accept entries until midnight Pacific Standard time tonight.

Today the kid & I went to Coronado Island to get away from the 95 degree heat in our neighborhood. It's always a beautiful ride, albeit a little scary going over the bridge to Coronado. It was a rather nice, though still hot. Many people were out enjoying the sun. I was thrilled to come across Austin's Gallery. I had heard about it before seeing it but really didn't know what to expect. It's this fantastic little gallery/artist co-op. Fantastic needle felted items, beautiful photography (one picture was of a hummingbird mid-flight & you could actually see the wings!), jewelry, purses...focus on handmade craft items. It was smaller but much cuter than I thought it would be & the person working there was very welcoming. I recommend a trip to Austin's Gallery if you're local or visiting the area. It's just off of the main drag by about 1/2 a block & really close to the famous Hotel Del Coronado. Check it out: http://www.austinsgallery.com/

I have a few new items over at The Whimsical Muse. Today I listed some gorgeous ivory braided gimp trim & some sweet white eyelet pattern heart favor tins! I have a number of items that I'm working on getting listed, so I should have a lot of new items in the shop this week. I'm expecting to receive some baker's twine in a few new colors by the end of the week & will list them as soon as possible. http://thewhimsicalmuse.etsy.com

new computer and contest update

2009-07-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

We have a new computer! Yayyyy! The last computer was just sooo slow that it took forever to do much of anything. I feel like I've been set free from the slow motion that was my computer! Even doing listings on Etsy is a breeze.

Due to popular demand *winkwink* I'm going to extend the bakery twine contest for a week. The new deadline will be Tuesday, July 14th. What artsy craftsy, gifty, organizing, design, whatever cool things can YOU do with bakery twine? No pictures needed. Post 3-5 ideas here.

Little update & contest details!

2009-07-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

First things first...The Whimsical Muse. I've been finding fun craft supply items here & there & thought it would be fun to share on Etsy. I decided to start up a little supply shop with quirky bits of this & fun bits of that like bakery twine, ric rac & whatnot (well, sorry, no listing for "whatnot" as yet). I do sell a few handmade items but they do tend toward the "handmade supply" end of things. I do have more items in stock that I will be listing soon.

I've been putting together a list of things that can be done with bakery twine in addition to wrapping it around a cake box. Here is where the contest comes in...1) you share 3 or more ideas of what can be done with bakery twine, 2) a winner will be picked randomly & 3) the prize is...you guessed it, 20 yards of bakery twine, in the color(s) of your choice from http://thewhimsicalmuse.etsy.com/ The deadline for entry is Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

Dusting off the ol' blog

2009-06-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Time to dust off my blog! Boy, it's sure been a while! There are all kinds of things going on in the world of My Random Creative Moments, including the addition of a new Etsy shop (The Whimsical Muse). Over the course of the next few days (well, probably week or so), I will be updating on the new shop, recent projects, fun random things, and a contest. Yes, I did say contest :) Stay tuned & check back soon! :)

Carlsbad Flower Fields

2009-04-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

The kid & I got in the car & drove up to the Carlsbad Flower Fields today. We had fun. It was educational for her since she was 'I wonder what this smells like mode.' She stopped to smell the roses, carnations, sweet peas (what a beautiful scent!) and other flowers.

Ranunculus

Sweet Peas

They had some striking poinsettias in the green house. I'd never seen any like this before. They're called Flaming Spheres. Fitting, yes. Interesting name, yes.

Random end note about the Fields: The kid & I had a great time. The weather was nice. This close to the coast, it's good to have at least a light sweater. It's right next to the Carlsbad Outlet whatever place. We went there to grab some lunch at Ruby's Diner. There were numerous options for eating in the area. There were even picnic tables at the Flower Fields. The Fields gives entrance discounts for seniors, auto club members & military families. Kids under 3 are free. They have a nice outdoor play area. It wasn't super for the 3 year old set only because there were so many much bigger kids everywhere, even playing on the equipment meant for the 5 & under age group. They are open through May 10th. Their website is: http://www.theflowerfields.com/

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2009-03-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday!!! In honor of my day (March 15), everything is on sale in my Etsy shop! http://HandmadebyPam.etsy.com
Come on by & take a look.

International shipping

2009-03-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

I just had my first international sale via Etsy last week. I had been hoping that at some point this would happen & was thrilled when I saw that someone from across the globe had made a purchase from my shop. I'm not usually a worrier but I was a little concerned. Should I have packaged the item differently? Would the item make it in it's current condition? Would it end up stuck in customs? Would it arrive at all? I sent a note to my customer informing them when the item shipped & asking that they let me know when it arrives. I received a message from my customer today that the item had indeed arrived & was in perfect condition. Sigh of relief! Ahhh! Interestingly, I put the item in the mail on Thursday the 3rd of March & it arrived Wednesday the 11th. I've seen mail take several days to get to different parts of the county I live in, so for mail to move so quickly is quite surprising. The postal services of each country apparently worked mighty quickly & it must have sped through customs. It's so nice to have someone receive something I've sent & in this case, it was extra special since it was so far.

I have another parcel enroute to another country from a sale this week. The postal worker sorta smirked & smiled at the same time when I smoothed down the metered stamp/postage thing on the package. I laughed & explained that I hadn't sent much out of the country & was still just a little detail oriented about it. I have my fingers crossed that this new customer receives their item in it's original condition in a timely fashion. Will have to report back :-)

International shipping is not all that different from mailing an item in the U.S. There are a few things that helped me in the process of figuring things out. My advice: 1) make sure that you weigh the item, everything you will be packaging it in & the box/bubble mailer/envelope (each ounce when you ship to Canada is only .24 cents but to, say Australia goes up to .80 cents, not a huge amount of money but it sure can add up if one is less than careful), 2) like in the U.S., make sure you are clear in what category your item fits (envelope, small package, etc.), 3) check out the United Postal Services website on international shipping for pricing & information (see below), 4) package your item well, 5) fill out the customs form & afix it to the front of the package. Rumor has it that some postal workers will say that you don't need a customs form. The one who helped me last week seemed to think that it was a good idea & said that it would be less likely to be opened at customs since it said what it was on the form.

FYI, the USPS has information on each country & the types of items that are not accepted in each specific country.

USPS first class international mail: http://www.usps.com/prices/first-class-mail-international-prices.htm

If you have anything to add about international shipping & your experiences, I would love to hear them!

2009-02-11T22:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, so I thought I'd share one of my favorite items (a set in this case) of what I've made recently

The quick & dirty tutorial:

"Ingredients & tools" cardstock, glossy paper, something to cut tags, hearts & ribbon (scissors, punches, die cut machine, whatever works well for you), adhesive (glue runner, glue stick...), ribbon, metallic mixative & alcohol ink plus an alcohol ink applicator & some felt cut to size for the applicator. You may also want to use ink &/or chalk ink to give them a little punch. I did.

You will definitely want something to protect your working surface & maybe even an apron for yourself. Alcohol ink stains. Badly. Don't ask me how I know. If you are quick enough, you can remove it with alcohol or blending solution (depending on the surface, of course).

I made four tags, so my numbers below will reflect that

1) Cut out four of each of the following:

a) tags out of cardstock (I used white & then inked them but it would have saved me a little time to choose a coordinating color in the beginning).

b) tags from glossy paper a little smaller than the cardstock tags. I find that I prefer the cream colored glossy paper over the white.

c) hearts

d) ribbon &/or fiber for each tag

2) Here's where you need that protective surface! I use a 15"x18" non-stick craft sheet from Inksentials (Ranger Industries, I believe) & I love it. Grab your glossy tags, alcohol ink in the color(s) or your choice, your applicator & felt. Put your felt onto the applicator. Hold your applicator so that the felt side is facing up, carefully open up the alcohol ink & tilt it toward your applicator. When the two meet, squeeze the applicator gently for about 2 seconds. Do the same with the next alcohol ink, if using. Apply the inked applicator to your glossy tags. I find that "pouncing" works well for me. The alcohol ink dries fairly quickly. Set the tags aside.

3) Still on the protective surface, grab your hearts, the metallic mixative & whatever colors of alcohol ink you choose. I used the gold metallic mixative. I think I used the wild plum, cranberry & red pepper alcohol ink. Grab your alcohol ink applicator. At this point, I would toss the old felt & grab a new one but whatever works for you. Following the instructions, shake the bottle of metallic mixative until you hear the little ball in it rattle. Make sure the cap is on properly. If you have forgotten to do this, Dawn dishsoap works really well to remove the mixative from hand & jeans. Not sure about anything else, though. Anyway, apply a squirt or more of the mixative to the felt. Take the applicator & apply the mixative to your hearts. You can either coat the entire heart or leave chunks of space. Experiment to see what you like the best. I find that I like them both ways. Next, set this felt aside & grab a new one (or reuse the same old one). Apply alcohol ink to the applicator as in step 2. Pounce it around the heart until you feel like you are done. This should dry fairly quickly.

4) optional: ink your individual pieces if you like. Pigment ink wouldn't dry for me on the glossy paper until I used a heat tool.

5) Assemble your tags. Adhere the small tag to the larger one & then the heart on top of the glossy tag. Tie it with ribbon &/or fiber & you are all done!

I hope you liked this tutorial!

Scrapbook Club at Pink Pineapple

2009-01-15T01:16:00.000-08:00

I'd been wanting to take this "class" ever since I heard about it (maybe 1 1/2 years ago?). Scheduling had been a concern since I'm not that close to Vista & I'm responsible for a little kid until daddy gets home. I finally figured out that I could do it when I had another commitment on the same night of the month but then decided to hop in & go for it last week. The class is actually what's called a Scrapbook Club (formerly known as the Scrapbook Book club). It's up at Pink Pineapple Scrapbooks & is taught/led/coordinated by Elena Etcheverry of Scrapbook Royalty. The book this month is the hot-off-the-press Designing with the Divas by Danielle Forsgren & Rayme Sciaroni. Danielle was there & told us about the book & the cable radio show she does each week with Rayme. We each made some really cute little Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) as our make n' take (led by Danielle). Rayme stopped in & chatted with the group. At the end, Elena passed out a fabulous kit with the challenge to make a mini album & to distress it. A fun evening all around. I'm looking forward to playing with the challenge. This is what came in my kit! Fun things to play around with.

Links:

Pink Pineapple: http://www.pinkpineapplescrapbooks.com/

Scrapbook Royalty: website http://www.scrapbookroyalty.com/

and blog http://scrapbookroyalty.blogspot.com/

Diva Craft Lounge blog talk radio (Designing with the Divas):http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DivaCraftLounge/2008/11/12/Diva-Craft-Lounge

Some art with my kid

2008-12-17T10:20:00.001-08:00

Normally, my little girl & I get out every day. Monday I just wasn't in the mood to go out. Then it rained (not normally something that keeps us in) & we got a call asking if the guys from the restoration could come by to start some work (we had some flooding from our washing machine a weeks ago). Sure, what the heck. It was a reasonable enough excuse to stay home. So, among other things, my three year old & I decided to do some finger painting. Here are some pictures of some of my favorites.

Holiday Hit List pics

2008-12-11T23:37:00.001-08:00

Here's a quickie post with some pictures of my table from the craft fair where I sold on Sunday (North Park Craft Mafia's 2nd Annual Holiday Hit List).

Holiday EtsyFest

2008-11-26T19:13:00.001-08:00

holiday etsyfest graphic 3
Originally uploaded by heatherknitz

I'm taking part in the Holiday EtsyFest. Holiday EtsyFest is a conglomeration of sales in 200 Etsy shops. The dates are November 27th (Black Friday) through December 1st (Cyber Monday).

The heathknitz giveaway blog is nicely set up & is a great way to find sellers by category: http://heatherknitzgiveaways.blogspot.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sale in my shop is 25% off of everything. It starts now! See my shop announcement for details! http://HandmadebyPam.etsy.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is the list of participating stores!
http://heatherknitz.etsy.com
http://kikibirdjewelry.etsy.com
http://4sevenssake.etsy.com
http://idyllhands.etsy.com
http://woolyhands.etsy.com
http://diffraction.etsy.com
http://nathaperkins.etsy.com
http://greenfamilytree.etsy.com
http://liviasjewelry.etsy.com
http://anteris.etsy.com
http://silverriverstitches.etsy.com
http://lovealwaysxox.etsy.com
http://silverriverjewelry.etsy.com
http://tennekka.etsy.com
http://SexyGeekWithAttitude.etsy.com
http://MyDarlingBaby.etsy.com
http://LiDDesignsboutique.etsy.com
http://kikibirdjewelry.etsy.com
http://blondechicken.etsy.com
http://Knitsburgh.Etsy.com
http://tinybirdarts.etsy.com
http://MeaCulpaBodyandBath.etsy.com
http://hauttotes.etsy.com
http://paperwire.etsy.com
http://bycj.etsy.com
http://legeekestchic.etsy.com
http://TerriTaylorDesign.etsy.com
http://jmcguinness.etsy.com
http://novadesigns.etsy.com
http://glassmenagerie1.etsy.com
http://JustAddMemories.etsy.com
http://xabiajewels.etsy.com
http://kriskropmemories.etsy.com
http://lavendercollections.etsy.com
http://purpledaisyjewelry.etsy.com
http://BeadinBabe.etsy.com
http://whatsthatsmell.etsy.com
http://thewoodynook.etsy.com
http://alfcreations.etsy.com
http://mynewhomestead.etsy.com
http://charul.etsy.com
http://brooooke.etsy.com
http://prettywhimsical.etsy.com
http://SeasideStudio.etsy.com
http://Softpencil.etsy.com
http://StylinPupPillows.etsy.com
http://xxsnapdragon.etsy.com
http://MomNMiaQuilts.etsy.com
http://beautifulbridget.etsy.com
http://mynewhomestead.etsy.com
http://plumstars.etsy.com
http://beckandcallgirl.etsy.com
http://briaberger.etsy.com
http://twisteddesigns.etsy.com
http://wastenotwhimsy.etsy.com
http://jewelrybyallison.etsy.com
http://charul.etsy.com
http://TheBlueDaisy.etsy.com
http://amplifyme.etsy.com
http://craftsbycarer.etsy.com
http://ashleybug.etsy.com
http://happygrandma402905.etsy.com
http://glassismyname.etsy.com
http://SeasideStudio.etsy.com
http://kellyvanhook.etsy.com
http://spottedcowsoaps.etsy.com
http://nightskyproducts.etsy.com
http://lathermeup.etsy.com
http://gigglinggoldfish.etsy.com
http://vshfree.etsy.com
http://jetflair.etsy.com
http://elizabethjayne.etsy.com
http://ClawTreeDesign.etsy.com
http://modfineart.etsy.com
http://studio550.etsy.com
http://brownrose.etsy.com
http://squaresofflair.etsy.com
http://punkinhead.etsy.com
http://MyManyMoodz.Etsy.com
http://ellentheeye.blogspot.com
http://GaiaTroveChicago.etsy.com
http://michaelgrace.etsy.com
http://BouquetOfStitches.etsy.com
http://mistflowerstudio.etsy.com
http://sweetstickerexpress.etsy.com
http://imaginestudio.etsy.com
http://meegun.etsy.com
http://artisanclay.etsy.com
http://magnoliablossomart.etsy.com
http://shopdavinia.etsy.com
http://gifteddesigns.etsy.com
http://softpencil.etsy.com
http://gallerialindaloft.etsy.com
http://starless.etsy.com
http://whatshername.etsy.com
http://justaddcharm.etsy.com
http://earthcharms.etsy.com
http://wiretree.etsy.com
http://FairyDC2008.etsy.com
http://bluekatdesigns.etsy.com
http://anniebee.etsy.com
http://storybeader.etsy.com
http://molecularmuse.etsy.com
http://MagdaleneJewels.etsy.com
http://suenosdejmi.etsy.com
http://createdbyrisa.etsy.com
http://maddyandme.etsy.com
http://barrelofcrafts.etsy.com
http://dragonflyfinedesigns.etsy.com
http://cocobeans2008.etsy.com
http://MimisCrafts.Etsy.com
http://blackcatboutique.etsy.com
http://vigilantelabs.etsy.com
http://eanner.etsy.com
http://parallaxphoto.etsy.com
http://tscrapper.etsy.com
http://bluetricycle.etsy.com
http://Joycestolepainting.etsy.com
http://crochet18purple.etsy.com
http://lrichmond3.etsy.com
http://twilightknits.etsy.com
http://JoannasPhotography.etsy.com
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San Diego North Park Craft Mafia's 2nd Annual Holiday Hit List

2008-11-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

I'm on the NPCM Holiday Hit List. It's a good thing. Really :-) I'll be one of the 60+ vendors. Anyway, from what I've heard it sounds like it will be a fun time & great opportunity to buy handmade for the holidays.

Christmas cards

2008-11-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

I hadn't considered myself the rubber stamping type. Then I saw cards made with A Muse stamps when I was at Papertales http://www.papertales.typepad.com/ . So flipping cute! Yet I kept denying the urge since I have so many other crafty things I enjoy making already. I gave in last week & picked up a few stamps (along with some really fun glimmery markers that I used to color the tree, star & ornaments). This was the outcome:

Matting art

2008-10-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

I can do it, there's nothing to it! Laugh at me if you like (especially if you know where the song comes from). I tend to make some things more complicated than they actually are in reality. It's really as simple as this, I went to Aaron Brothers, bought some Self-Adhesive Linen Hinging Tape, looked at the example on the box & copied it. I ended up with several pieces of my alcohol ink nicely hinged/matted. Easy peasy!

A yarn experiment

2008-10-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

I hadn't knit in quite a while but recently got the craving. I consider myself mostly a scarf & blanket knitter. I finished this today (note: it's not royal blue but a bit lighter):

I didn't stop there. I tossed in the washing machine with a pair of jeans on the hot cycle. After checking it every few minutes for just over one cycle...this is what happened:

It's currently drying. When completely dry, it will be a bowl for holding smallish items.

Craft fair

2008-10-01T18:17:00.001-07:00

I will be at Sunday, Crafty Sunday (North Park Craft Mafia)
on Sunday, October 5th
noon - 5 pm
@ Filter Coffee House
4096 30th Street (@ Polk Street)
San Diego, CA 92104
http://sandiegonorthparkcraftmafia.com/events.html
http://www.myspace.com/filtercoffeehouse
Come on down! I will be bringing some of the new items that I've been working on.

New creations (still in progress)

2008-09-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday crafting. Some of my own scrapbook pages & some other fun items. I had another chance to create some new pieces (still in progress) today.

These are 1"x1" tiles. I will probably make them into pendants.

These started out as miniature dominos. More pendants in progress.

I made another alcohol ink project that came out rather nicely but the colors in the photograph did not do it justice. I will see if I can get a better picture at some point.

Craft Fair

2008-09-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

The craft fair was nice. It was only two hours & time flew quickly. There were only two other people participating. Both gals were nice. One makes soaps & also sells Pampered Chef items. The other makes a wide array of jewelry, hair clips & also sells Stampin' Up.

Off to a craft fair!

2008-09-20T08:58:00.001-07:00

I'm doing a little craft fair this morning. Everything is ready to go out the door. Well, except for me :-) Last night, I put all my items on etsy on an innactive status since I'm bringing them with me to sell. Definitely don't want to sell something that's one of a kind (since most of mine are). Wish me luck!

Another random creative moment

2008-09-10T00:48:00.001-07:00

This notebook was fun to make. It's yet another project that started off fun & intuitive. Then I hit a few glitches. The rubon wings didn't quite cooperate. I got out the Mod Podge to seal them & that created a few lumps. Thankfully, everything worked out in the end. It doesn't look like much work but there are definitely little details here & there (for example: Glimmer Mist on the chipboard heart; Stickles, Liquid Pearls & Diamond Glaze on the ghost shaped heart). This notebook is currently in my etsy shop.

I have a little craft fair coming up on Saturday, September 20th from 10:30-12:30 at the Playhouse Cafe. Everything that remains in my etsy shop, as well as all my items that haven't yet made it to etsy & new items in the process of being made will be available at the craft fair. The Playhouse Cafe is a family friendly cafe with a great area for kids to play

http://www.playhousecafesd.com/home.htm

A little birdy told me...journal

2008-08-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

A little birdy told me "grow" with a twinkle in her eye. The blank book (journal, notebook, mini scrapbook) puts a smile on my face every time I look at it. I really enjoyed seeing it come together as I made it. It's available in my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14309629

Etsy For Charity

2008-08-10T01:39:00.000-07:00

I joined a "team" last month on Etsy called EtsyForCharity (EFC). This group selects a charity to donate to each month & runs a shop where members can donate items for sale with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity of the month. The charity this month is Doctors Without Borders http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/ A few days ago I donated this card (well, I still have it pending the purchase) to the EFC shop. It was also posted on the EFC blog challenge page http://efcmonthlychallenge.blogspot.com/ & can be found for sale on the EFC shop page http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14081324

2008-07-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

I've had a number of random & not so random creative moments in the last few weeks. I'll be posting pictures of some of the things that I've made, as well as some things that others have made.This is one of my new pieces. It's a scratch pad with the cover made using alcohol ink.

funky notebook

2008-07-15T00:51:00.000-07:00

I made these wire bound notebooks for a craft fair in May. I sold some of each at that time. The one remaining brown floral style had one oops that I tried to fix tonight but ended up making another mistake. This was the result:

I put it up for sale in my etsy shop. There are a few more photos showing a little bit more detail.

alcohol ink gift enclosure cards

2008-07-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

This was one of my projects last week. These are some some 2"x3" pieces of glossy paper that I decorated with alcohol ink. I find it fascinating how many color variations I can come up with given only 3 bottles of ink.

I used the inked paper to make some gift enclosure cards. Here are some examples. I love how they came out!

Welcome!

2008-07-14T00:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! I've started this blog to share my creative ideas & projects as I get or make them. I enjoy scrapbooking, making cards, varied paper crafts & many other crafts.