These are heading out the door today... I'm terrible at keeping secrets and I just couldn't wait to show you these paper dolls for a swap. I will show you just these two images though and will catch you up on the details later.
Meanwhile, Thursday afternoon we had a ball decorating the cupcakes. (Please don't study the messy kitchen in the background! We had other priorities that day) Have you seen this stuff? It's perfect for the frosting-challenged like me. We just squeezed little puffs all over the cupcakes and threw sprinkles on them. And did you know that they make "cupcake mix" that just makes 12 cupcakes? Just our size batch.
We're still working on these turkeys... Maybe it's just me but with their googly eyes these turkeys look really worried. "Is that an axe in your hand?!" this one seems to be saying.
If ever a day you'll want to visit the Powers' household, it's today...
We're making cupcakes (with sprinkles) and homemade playdough (scented and dyed with kool-aid) and we're crafting like crazy.
Don't you want to come over?
Alfredo's feeling so much better and we are celebrating that with lots of fun. He's napping now but we whipped up the cupcakes before he went down (with promises of frosting fun and taste-testing when he wakes up!)
While he's napping, I'm working on a swap project and having so much fun with wallpaper Karla gifted me at Silver Bella and angelina fibers (which you can get here). The style of the swap is vintage so I decided to sew an antique lace overlay over the shimmery angelina fibers. These photos don't do them justice...I love how it turned out.
And when we're done with the cupcakes and playdough fun, we're going to make these into turkeys! I'll show you when we're done. Don't they look like fun already? If you want to play along, it's just as easy as it looks. Trace your little one's hand and cut that shape out of patterned scrapbook paper...then grab a handful of googly eyes, little orange triangles and little red ovals and meet us back here.
I'm back from Silver Bella...what a party it was! It was so much fun meeting new people and reuniting with old friends.
Want to see what I made in my classes?
First up, Rosary-inspired necklace with Kaari Meng. I cannot believe that I really made this necklace. I mean, just look at how beautiful...
Next, I made this adorable little snowman in Jennifer Murphy's class...
Then I snipped feathers like crazy to fashion this bird in Denise Sharp's class...
The next day, bright and early, I learned how to make this fun mobile in Charlotte Lyon's class...
And, after a great lunch & presentation by Jo Packham, I made this sweet little birdy in another Jennifer Murphy's class.
I have so much more to show and tell but Alfredo is a bit under the weather and needs extra loving today.
Speaking of the little guy, while I was snapping these photos he said "I have a problem!" Alarmed but amused by his choice of words I said "What's going on?!" He replied "My hippo keeps eating my other animals and I don't know how to make him stop!" "Maybe he needs a time-out" I suggested. "No, he's just really hungry" said Alfredo. "Give him a bowl of candy!"
I'm packing like crazy for Silver Bella. (I'm heading out tomorrow morning) I can't wait to see all my friends and make new ones.
Before I go, I wanted to tell you about the new product just added to my Open Sky shop. I'm so excited about it!
Remember this bird? Well, I made the fabric with this fabulous crafting material.
They are called Angelina Fibers and I can't stop thinking about it, playing with it, and talking about it. I'm going to work on making a video to show you how cool it is but that will have to wait until I get back. Until then, here's a little information to get you excited too.
You can make a fabulous gossamer-like fabric and it is so easy you won't believe it. You just place a bit of the fabric on a piece of parchment paper, cover it with another piece and quickly (like 2 or 3 seconds) run your iron over it. The fibers bond with each other (and only each other!) But the most exciting part and the part that is so hard to photograph is how vibrant and sparkly these fibers are. It's like glitter fabric!
What are you going to do with it? I'm thinking it makes the most fabulous angel wings.
There's a challenge at OpenSky to create a quick introduction for others involved in the project. I thought you might like to see too.
That bump bump bump you hear in the middle is Alfredo running through the house to find me. When he did, he stood there listening quietly and at the end said "Who are you talking to, Amy?"
Alfredo's family (whom we really consider our own) arrived on Wednesday morning after flying all night. I had assumed that Wednesday would be a quiet day for them, resting and visiting.
I couldn't have been more wrong. Even though nobody was able to sleep on the plane through the night, not even 3 year old Joel, they were ready to hit the town the very moment they arrived.
If I gave you a play-by-play of the week, you'd be exhausted just reading it. Trust me. We stayed plenty busy. It's hard to believe it was just 3 days...we packed so much in there. In between all the touristy things we did, we prepared feasts of meals and talked about all sorts of things.
One thing we talked about was the idea that they would move here, to Virginia. The idea is still in the preliminary stages but it just makes so much sense to all of us. If it were to happen, Alfredo would have all of his family, including us, as part of his daily life. He'd have the structure of our daily life yet his father and family would be very much a part of his life.
There are all sorts of details and complications to work through. Unfortunately for us, if it doesn't work out, Alfredo will be bound for California in December. And we will wait as patiently as we can for the time when he would return to us in late spring. It breaks my heart to even think of it. Instead, I'm doing two things...I'm working hard to make this new plan work out, for everyone to be here. Secondly, I'm treasuring these moments with Alfredo, taking extra time to cuddle and read stories and play, and being grateful for the gift of this time with him.
Halloween night was wet and cold and our little Rhino loved trick or treating. After the 10th house, he declared that he had enough candy. We returned home and he happily shared his bounty with us as we watched television and, on occasion, handed out candy to sopping wet vampires and ghouls and Hannah Montanas.
Yesterday and today I have playing a bit with a new-to-me fabulous crafting material. I made the bird and nest in the piece pictured out of it and I'm already dreaming up new and fun ways to use it.
Best of all, I'm so excited to share it with you through my new OpenSky store, hopefully this week.
My guests are gone. My house is a wreck. And this is literally the first time I've rested in three days.
p.s. My washing machine broke at the worst time a washing machine could possibly break. Let's just say it involves poo-poo and a car seat cover and leave it at that.
Many months ago I was asked to be a part of something very exciting. It's taken lots of work and now I can finally make an announcement about it.
It all started as an idea of John Caplan. He had spent the day with his son discovering magic shops in NYC. These places were little gems of shops, sometimes hidden deep within secret buildings of the city. What struck John was the enthusiasm of these shopkeepers...the excitement of sharing their passion with others. John left thinking that his usual shopping experiences today significantly lacked that kind of connection. He immediately started dreaming of a way to re-create what he'd experienced that day.
What if he found other people who were as excited about their passions as those magic shopkeepers? And what if he asked those enthusiastic people to host a little shop in his project?
His team contacted me and asked if I would set up a shop that shared the craft supplies and other things that I love. I was immediately intrigued by this idea. I started making a wish list (that went on forever!) of all the things I love. That was so much fun! The team has been working hard to find as many of those as they could. It wasn't as easy as we'd hoped but we haven't given up. And we've discovered so many new things along the way to share.
We're steadily working to fill the shop with wonderful things so be sure to stop back by regularly. And we're going to add fun project ideas and other exciting stuff (including video!). Stay tuned.
In the meantime, enjoy FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING! today and tomorrow. Isn't that exciting?
I'm back from a wonderful crafting weekend at Charlotte's. We had such a wonderful time being spoiled with gourmet food prepared lovingly by her friend Suzanne and crafting elbow to elbow. It was perfect and we all agreed we'd come back again for the next event she plans. I hope you'll join us too... My house is definitely a work-in-progress. I love it so much though and can't wait to jump on it again. But alas, I have to wait...
I've shifted gears to getting the house ready for our important house guests. I'm so excited and nervous and eager. More than anything I want them to feel comfortable and welcome and loved. I have to remember that maybe a stack of junk on the counter isn't as important as me feeling relaxed, rested and calm.
So while I'm running around cleaning up, Alfredo is adding his own touches to the decor... Unfortunately, this little miss has a broken arm now. She's just not meant to be wrangling pigs... not at her age.
Although I was disappointed I couldn't be sore with him. I had after all placed her well within his reach and had even photographed what he'd arranged. So how could I scold him when he came to me with one of her arms in his little hand saying "Amy, your little girl doesn't work anymore so we have to throw her away!"
Oh dear.
I hope you're having a marvelous Monday, my friends.
We're having a lot of fun with face paint this afternoon.
Alfredo went to the doctor today and got his flu shot. When he woke up from his nap, he needed a treat and the face paint seemed like just the thing. Can you believe how realistic his roar is?
angels, frosting, and worried looking turkeys...
Have you seen this stuff? It's perfect for the frosting-challenged like me. We just squeezed little puffs all over the cupcakes and threw sprinkles on them. And did you know that they make "cupcake mix" that just makes 12 cupcakes? Just our size batch. 
Have you seen this stuff? It's perfect for the frosting-challenged like me. We just squeezed little puffs all over the cupcakes and threw sprinkles on them. And did you know that they make "cupcake mix" that just makes 12 cupcakes? Just our size batch. 
