Love, Maddy

Making their way home...

2012-01-11T13:35:00.011-06:00

In past entries I talked a little about the different kinds of booklets and bags passed between pen pals and swappers. I also wrote about one such booklet (a deco) that I'd received back. It seems January has been my lucky month. I received not 1 but 2 items back!

The first was a small stamp bag I'd made, for a swap via Swap-bot. I sent it to Skron11 about a year ago (Jan 2011) along with some other stamp bags. Last week I received it back from Joyce in Texas. Who knows how many hands it's passed through before it came back to me... There are 5 signers, but a number of others could have passed. Well, I'm happy it's back home :-D

A couple weeks ago, I received an e-mail from Martin, in Germany. He said he had a full deco that belonged to me, and needed my address. I've sent out many decos since I started a making them a couple years ago. But I had a feeling it was probably one of the first decos I made. Because I didn't put my address in them, when I made them. Today, I received Martin's package. And sure enough, here is my "Dark" deco. Originally sent out in July 2010, to Dee in Australia.

Here are all the pages signed by different participants

Christmas goodies

2012-01-04T21:17:00.007-06:00

It's been awhile since my last post. I hope everyone had a very nice Christmas and New Year! The Christmas decorations have been put away. Only our tree stands. All its ornaments are gone and packed away. We put out the tree tomorrow, for the trash collectors on Friday. I feel a bit sad that the Christmas season is over. It came and went so quickly. But there's always the memories. On Christmas I opened up some swaps that I had been saving.

Such as the Vintage Christmas stocking I received from Michele at Nook and Cranny. I love all the goodies she included!

Here are undies I received from AmaranthSpirit for the "Lacies, Frillies, Stingies" swap. The girl I was to send to, Pinkfootballs, ended up being a FLAKE. So I sent to her partner instead.

Here are some Christmas presents from my family. I'm generally not a picture frame kinda gal, but I do like this one. It was a Secret Santa gift from my dad. Came complete with my little ones' picture.

Here are a couple tags I received last week.

Postcards from Onyx, for a Creative Correspondence group tag

A Yule spirit doll from MichelleK. I wanted it for Maddy, since her birthday is this month. So it's perfect for Winter!

Here she is, in her new home, on Maddy's shelf. The frame in the background is actually a mispelling of Maddy's name. It seems the traditional spelling "Medeleiene" is no longer in style :-p

New Years Day

2012-01-01T18:19:00.002-06:00

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

Another Christmas swap

2011-12-15T16:58:00.005-06:00

This is the lovely swap I received from countrys at SB. I just love the wooden ornaments, the Hansel and Gretel card, and paper dresden! She also sent Stroopwafels, which are so yummy! Unfortunately the licorice she sent, did not make it (either fell out of the package, or she forgot to send). This is still a very wonderful swap though! Thank you Isabell!

Stupid mistakes

2011-12-15T16:33:00.003-06:00

Have you ever done something so stupid (and easily preventable), that you've regretted? I guess we all have. About a month ago, I bought a bunch of great craft stuff at Tuesday Morning. I was especially thrilled to find the Prima Flowers and Tim Holtz tape. I don't own anything Tim Holtz, and the only Prima flowers I have are ones I've received in swaps. I see them all the time at Michaels, but they are just too expensive (upwards of $4.99). For a 1.99 each I thought I struck gold!

Anyways, when I got home I didn't unload my bag and put the stuff away. I just took out what I needed: the baby outfit and toy for my friend's son, and the Christmas note cards. On Monday this week, I was writing a pen pal letter. I had reached the last page in my memo pad, so I went to grab one of the new letter pads I'd bought at T.M.

I looked for the bag in my craft room (which is a big mess and disorganized). But I couldn't find it. After searching all the places it could be (which aren't a lot). I came to the realization I must have thrown the bag out! I went out to the trash can, tipped it on it's side, and started rummaging through it. Couldn't find the bag! I went back inside and started looking around again. After many futile attempts to try and locate the darned bag. I never did find it! My only guess is I must have thrown the damn thing out. But I don't remember throwing it out.

I remember last seeing it Wed or Thurs last week. I remember picking it up (the bottles had clanked around), and putting it to the side of the bookshelf (because my husband needed me to make room for his stuff). I guess I must have mistaken it for another plastic bag of trash and thrown it out. Unfortunately the trash was collected that Friday. So it's long gone :-(

It upsets me to think about (especially in the beginning). But I'm slowly getting over it. The lesson to be learned here, is always double check what you are throwing away. AND remember to put your items away when you bring them home.

Oh BTW, I did go back to the store to TRY and recover what I lost. Sadly majority of the items were gone. I did manage to buy a couple of the notepads and they key ornament (last one!).

More Christmas fun

2011-12-07T21:59:00.009-06:00

I forgot in my previous post to show the very beautiful stocking I received from my partner, Michele at Nook and Cranny for the Vintage stocking swap. I actually haven't opened it yet, because I really want to wait till Christmas. It just gives me something special to look forward to!

We bought our Christmas tree this weekend. It was so cold when we went to pick it up! It rained all weekend long - freezing cold rain! Don't get me wrong, I loved it! Any time it's cold or raining, I'm in heaven. The Christmas trees were housed inside a big tent. It smelled wonderful in there! We were surrounded by a big forest of Christmas trees.

This little reindeer I received from Sproet, for the handmade felt ornament swap.

Here is the ornament I received from Toni2weeks for the Day of the Dead ornament swap

My husband's co-worker gave us an Advent calendar. Tony told her how we were wanting to buy the littles an Advent Calendar for awhile now (but all the wooden ones are so overpriced). Nicole said that her mom used make them like this when she was little. She made this one from decorated gift bags, there are 25 bags. Inside are chocolates and toys. We have the girls take turns each day opening a bag. Rhiannon of course doesn't understand what's going on (she just likes eating the candy ;-)).

Nicole also brought us back an adorable smoking man and beautiful wooden pyramid from her trip to Germany a couple months ago. Tony told her I loved mushrooms, so I was tickled when I saw him!

Lastly, I bought a lot of vintage ornaments on Ebay recently. The little reindeer won me over! <3

Christmas swaps

2011-12-05T18:25:00.015-06:00

Image heavy
Last week I received a couple packages in the mail. One was a small swap I did with my pen pal in Denmark. We were to send each other Christmas themed packages valued around $15.00/83 DKK. I sent my friend chocolates, cookies, and a handmade ornament. This was her package to me:

Handmade paper Julehjerter

Cute kravlenisser

Yummy tea, cookies (klejner), and an Advent candle

Last month I participated in a Vintage Christmas stocking swap on Cerri's 'Little Pink Studio' blog. It was the first time I'd swapped on a site outside of Flickr, LJ, or swap-bot. We were to send our partner a vintage themed Christmas stocking filled with all kinds of goodies. I really wanted to make my stocking. I had some pretty fabric with roses on it, that I'd found at a thrift store. I thought the dark green would go nicely with the Christmas theme. I used a Christmas stocking I already had, for the template, and lined the inside of the stocking with vintage upcycled fabric.

vintage fabric lining

Contents of the stocking (little letter box not shown). I sent sparkly vintage lace, apron sewing pattern, postcards, a piece of embroidered linen and handkerchief, and vintage circus ornaments

Close up of the lovely hand embroidered fabric. The little dog won my heart!

Vintage popcorn bag I had for awhile. I saw the circus ornaments at the antique shop, and thought they'd be perfect as fillers for the popcorn bag

Letter box filled with notions

Contents of box: vintage lace, millinery flowers, ribbons, cameos, buttons, and altered stickpins

Forest in a box

2011-11-21T11:44:00.010-06:00

About a month ago, I did a swap with NorthernBorder on Swap-Bot. She was offering nature items from her walks in the forest, in exchange for destashed/things you had an excess of. I really love anything woodland themed. Be it useful items like stationery, ribbons and fabric, to actual stuff found in nature. Since I live in the city, the nearest "woods" or similar place, would be the park. We've got Fall leaves, pine cones, and plenty of acorns, but no birch trees.

In our original swap agreement, I was to send her a 6x9 inch envie filled with kawaii loose memo sheets. In exchange for a small flat rate box of nature items (including birch bark). I had asked her how many memos she would like, but she didn't specify. So I took one of each design, from each memo pad I had.

Not long after I sent my swap; I received hers. I was so surprised so to find a large flat rate box. I immediately knew that my little envie was no where equal to what she sent. Even if I was sending storebought items, as opposed to something 'free' in the woods. I felt bad that it wasn't a fair swap, so I decided to make it up by sending something extra to compensate for the inequality in our swaps. Not long ago, I was lucky enough to go to a yard sale near my parents' house.

The lady was selling really beautiful vintage linens: napkins, pillowcases, dish towels, tablecloths... I selected all the colorful hand embroidered ones. I purchased about 8 different pieces for $10.00! Quite a deal if you ask me! NorthernBorder, stated in her profile, she liked items with African designs. One of the vintage pieces I bought had a Carribean/plantation image. with a sunny sky, fishing boats on the water, and farmers working the feilds. She was kind enough to accept my offer to re-send, and I am very glad to say she loved the table runner I sent.

Sadly, natural found materials don't preserve very well. The leaves got brittle (though I managed to press some), and the beautiful moss died and turned yellow (despite my boiling it in glycerin and adding green dye). Oh well...

Happy Birthday!

2011-11-04T13:42:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to wish my little girl, Rhiannon (Maddy's baby sister), a Happy 1st Birthday!!!

Etsy sale!

2011-11-03T14:06:00.005-05:00

I've been holding a sale in my Etsy shop this week. The sale ends tomorrow (November 4). All regular priced items are on sale 15% off! I've also started listing some of my new kawaii cabochons.

www.lovemaddy.etsy.com

Happy All Souls Day!

2011-11-02T12:49:00.012-05:00

First off, just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a Happy All Souls Day!

Halloween was a very hectic night for me. I rushed to get the little ones in their costumes (Maddy was a ladybug, Rhiannon was a bear). Then we had to wait for my DH to get home from work (lots of traffic!), Maddy was scared at first and didn't want to go trick or treating, Rhiannon's costume chafed her.... What a night! In the end, I think it turned out well. Maddy had lots of fun, and got a bunch of candy.

Yesterday was the Feast of All Saints, we went to Mass in the evening. I hosted an All Saints Day swap on swap-bot a few weeks ago. Here is what I sent and received.

Sent to GirlFriday

I sent lots of prayer cards, a rosary, brown scapular, fabric, and some other things.

Received from Reading100

She sent a very lovely print, which I'll be hanging up in my bedroom.

Day of the Dead Christmas ornament swap sent to 2planetearth

I like working with felt best, because it can be sewn or glued, and it doesn't break.

This is the ornament and some extras I received from from tonie2weeks

I'd better go now, the kiddos are getting restless. More to come later! Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween and Feliz Dia de los Muertos!

New appliques, trim, and flowers!

2011-10-13T17:56:00.005-05:00

I haven't posted any new items from my shop (though I have listed new things, since my last post). I've already ordered new kawaii cabochons, and they've arrived! I'll post a sneak peak in a couple days. But for now, here are some new sewing notions: lace appliques, ribbon and trim, and vintage millinery flowers I've listed in my shop. If you're interested, please check them out :-D

Swaps sent and received

2011-09-23T14:17:00.011-05:00

I used to upload most of my swap pictures onto Flickr. But since I have a free account, there are only so many photos I can have up at one time. Before I eventually have to delete them.

Since my blog has more storage. I'm going to post my swaps, crafts, and mail related things here. I feel a bit weird posting personal swap related things on here though, considering I originally started this blog to promote my Etsy shop. But I doubt many people actually visit this blog, even though I've posted the link in my Etsy profile. That said, I'll be adding a few new items to my Shop. I've got a few ribbons and lots of millinery flowers and (non kawaii) appliques to list. It's just it's such a pain have to figure out prices for everything. I need to make a profit, but I also need to price them so they are affordable for what they are. Combine that with watching two children under the age of 3 yrs, makes it doubly hard.

I'll figure something out... On to the mail!

This package I received from Desiree1962 from the Netherlands. For the "Inspire me" swap. We were to send at least 10 different things that inspire us. Examples of stuff to send: magazine pages, postcards, brochures, fabric swatches, etc.

Back of package I love how she decorated the outside!

Swap contents Such great stuff she sent! We have similar likes, so it made the swap all the more fun to receive.

Decorated mail art envelopes from candycore These were for a public forum's tag game. I tagged her for hand drawn envelopes featuring her artwork. I gave her the themes I was interested in (dark fairytales, day of the dead, and something risque')

Front of envelopes

Hand drawn Day of the Dead ATCs I made for a swap

ATCs I received for swaps. The Calavera and Red Riding Hood were done by PinkZombie. And the Mermaid I received in a private swap from omgz

Completed Deco returned home!

2011-09-12T13:24:00.006-05:00

I cannot express how surprised and thrilled I was to receive this in the mail! A month ago, I had received a signed and completed Deco made for me by my pen pal Donna. It was such a suprise and a treat! She made it in a Hello Kitty theme, and everyone who "signed" decorated it in that theme. It was really neat and gave me hope that someday one of the many Decos I made for myself and sent out in the swapping world would be returned home to me.

Recently, when I received her envelope, I thought it was strange as it was a bit stiff and heavy. I wasn't sure what she could be sending. So imagine my suprise and excitement when I opened it and saw it was a Deco book! And not just any Deco, but one I'd made for myself a long time ago (Jan. 2011). I actually made it as an after thought. I made it in a rush and tossed it in with a bunch of other Decos I needed to pass on to a swapper.

One thing I love about Decos is you get to see how each swapper signed (decorated) each page. You see their own creativity and what pictures and techniques they used. Some people put in more effort than others and it's so inspiring. This further gives me motivation to keep making and signing Decos and passing them on and returning full ones home.

The cover I decorated of my Tattoos and Piercings deco

Subsequent pages decorated by various swappers

Pen Pal letters and swaps!

2011-09-12T12:51:00.004-05:00

In the past few days I have received some really great mail! Every now and then I get "good mail" which are swaps or pen pal letters. But lately, I haven't been receiving anything that made my heart jump and get all excited. This week though, I've been blessed with some great mail, that I wanted to share.

Pen Pal letters from Donna, Rosie, and Lene (Donna also included a full deco for me!), swaps from Bruge and moonkitten

Lithuanian postcards and USSR postcards from Bruge for our private swap

Day of the Dead ATCs from Wingy

Red Riding Hood ATC from moonkitten. She was so sweet to include the pretty handstitched notecard AND a version of Red Riding Hood she wrote herself!

Pen pal letter, loose memos, and FBs from Nicole

A lovely angeled swap from cherrybombgirl. She angeled the Sexy, Kinky, Erotic ATC swap that user8592 flaked on

News about me

2011-09-12T12:41:00.003-05:00

A little over a week ago, I had surgery to correct my deviated septum. It was supposed to be a minor procedure, not invasive at all. And I would be able to go home that day, instead of staying at the hospital. Well, I was nervous because I'd never had any kind of surgery done. But in the end it went well (despite my feeling swollen, sore, bleeding, and could only breathe from my mouth).

I was recovering well enough. Then 5 days after the surgery, I had unexpected bleeding and blood clots from my nose and throat. It was horrible! and so scary because I couldn't get the bleeding to stop and the clotting was obstructing my breathing. I ended up going to the hospital, so I could be sedated (my doctor thought by getting my blood pressure lowered, it would help the bleeding to slow down/ stop). I stayed at the hospital for two days recovering.

Now I am back home. Slowly getting caught up on my swaps. Not that I was late on them to begin with (most of them are due at the end of the month). But I still like to send pretty early on, if I can.

But I just wanted to give a quick post on my health and the whole fiasco that had occurred in the past two weeks. I sure hope to never go through that again (if it can be avoided)

Little Red Calavera

2011-08-26T14:02:00.006-05:00

Look who arrived to me today! Little Red Riding Hood in Dia de los Muertos style. I received her from MandyMo for the "Day of the Dead matchbox shrine swap". She's definitely more untraditional than most Day of the Dead calaveras (skeletons), but I remember reading in a book that that's the beauty of folk art. There's no right or wrong way to create/depict it. And it's the intention and personal meaning behind the creation, that's what matters.
On a symbolic note, Day of the Dead skeletons were created to satirize and make fun of death. They convey the message; death is nothing to fear. 'We are not afraid of it, and neither should you'.

Mail sent and received

2011-08-25T16:37:00.006-05:00

Here are some pictures of mail I've sent and received. They're mostly pen pal related.

Some decos and slams I received from my swap pal Dee

Sticker bags I've received from LaurenK and leeler on swap-bot.

Variety 75 count sticker swap I received from Jess18877.

Some sticker bags I made and sent out.

Contents of one sticker bag I made, with a Halloween theme.

Crafts and supply hauls

2011-08-25T15:05:00.012-05:00

My original idea was to write a 'catch all' blog post about all the different crafty and mail related stuff I've been working on/receiving. But I decided to separate it into two posts. This one will focus on crafts I've been working on and some cool purchases. The second post will cover mail related stuff.

First off, not long ago I did a journal swap with juicydeets on LiveJournal. We were to keep our journals for a month, work on about 15 pages or so, and then exchange them. The theme we were focusing on was dark, gothic, and alternative; and we were to fill the journals with all kinds of thoughts, memories, day to day events, art, pictures, etc.

I decided to make my journal, rather than buy one. So I took some cardstock and folded it in half. I tucked in a bunch of different papers (recycled paper from husband's office, graph paper, vellum, printer paper, children's writing paper...). I sewed them into the book, collaged the front cover, and took fabric and sewed it onto the back. Here is are pictures of my journal and some of its pages:

Here are a couple pages from juicydeets' journal.

I just completed a Day of the Dead matchbox shrine swap, and this is what I sent to my partner, Kokonino. I cut open matchbox and unfolded it to make a trifold shrine. Note the little fingers holding it open for me

Some craft hauls... The pouch that looks like an envelope is really cool! It's upcycled from fused plastic bags.
Two momiji dolls. The ladybug doll was for Maddy, and the pink doll I bought for my friend's birthday

A bunch of craft supplies from Michael's. All from the dollar bin!!

fairy tale crafts

2011-07-12T14:31:00.007-05:00

Two envelope needle books with fairy tale themes. The blue (Snow White) needle book when to Mar1l1ze, and the red (Little Red Riding Hood) went to LavenderLizard. I also included copies of my "Scarlet Cloaks, Glass Shoes" minizine. Here is the link to the needle book tutorial. The last picture shows some hand carved stamps I made for id0be1ieve, for a Creative Correspondence tag game.

Random crafts

2011-06-21T15:11:00.013-05:00

I've been participating in quite a few swaps and tags in the past couple months. This past weekend, I mailed out a bunch of swaps, and a couple Etsy orders. Here are some of the things I've been working on (sadly many of the pictures came out too dark).

Fantasy deco - entry (sent to Jen via Dark Deco Queens)

Another Fantasy deco - entry

Ghosts deco - entry

Bats deco - entry

Suicide girls deco - entry

PAP Fantasy Artists deco - sent to Teresa via Dark Deco Queens on Yahoo!

Nightmares and Fairytales WTA. A postcard papercutting featuring little red riding hood and the wolf. Sent to KrisKringle (who ended up being a flaker and having multiple profiles)

Zines I received from Ren via LiveJournal

Ladybug and pea pod pendants. I bought them in a little shop in Carrollton. The ladybug is for Maddy, since she loves the Ladybug Girl books. And the peapod is for Rhiannon, since she's so darn little :-p

More new listings!

2011-06-09T13:47:00.003-05:00

I recently add a few more supplies to my shop. A couple vintage goods, a cameo set, and flower appliques. Please check them out :-)

Fancy cameos - 10 pcs. $1.25 USD

Cabbage rose appliques - 10 pcs. $1.20 USD

Vintage lace light green - 2 yards. $2.15

Vintage linens smurfs - 1 yard. $4.15

Resellers revisited (for the last time)

2011-05-16T13:43:00.005-05:00

I've been seeing a few more issues about resellers in the Etsy forums Here. Now maybe my understanding is incorrect. But I took "resellers" to mean anyone who did not sell handmade items. So I understood the term to refer to anyone who sold supplies or vintage items (which is allowable according to Etsy).

I don't agree with buyers/sellers on Etsy, who are against those of us who do not sell "handmade". Now, if these people are against resellers who mis-tag and mislabel their products, then I can understand their frustration.
Example: I buy a bunch of glass beads from a supplier, and then tag them as "hand made" on Etsy. As I mentioned in my previous post, those sellers are dishonest and misrepresenting themselves. And people should not assume that all resellers are liars; tagging their items as handmade.

That being said, if sellers and buyers are just upset that people like me (who buy our products commercially produced from a manufacturer) are selling them on Etsy (which is known as being a 'handmade community') then they are being judegmental and unfair. Commercially produced supplies are just as good as handmade crafts, and have every right to be in a crating community. How else will these crafter get their supplies to make their creations?

Anyways, I don't like to drone on over a topic such as this. Especially since it's obvious to stir up strong opinions. I just wanted to clarify my thoughts on the subject, in case I misunderstood or was misunderstood.

Happy Crafting to All!

Heart cabochons

2011-05-14T21:50:00.006-05:00

New listings in my shop: Love Maddy . Please check 'em out!

Skulls on hearts cabochons 8 pieces for $1.25 USD. They come in a variety of colors.

Reselling... a debate

2011-05-13T21:39:00.011-05:00

I was in the Etsy forums yesterday, and came across this thread in the Business topics section: Original thread. I clicked on it, and what I read really struck me. Needless to say, I was more than a little offended. I was tempted greatly to reply to this person's post. But in the end decided against it. Mainly because I didn't want to cause any needless drama or ignite sparks from other Etsians (as it seemed all of who responded, agreed with her).

I figured no matter how politely I type my response/opinion. People are always going to find fault, get upset, or try and start something. So after seething a bit to myself. I "walked away". I can however post my response and opinions here on my blog.

Firstly, I can understand where this woman's (and others like her) anger comes from. I get the point that they find resellers (like myself) annoying and that we seem to be taking the handmade out of Etsy, or that Etsy isn't all about handmade items anymore. However I must remind them, Etsy is not just for handmade goodes (but includes supplies and vintage), and that we (sellers of commercial goods/supplies) have just as much right to be on Etsy as do handmade sellers.

I've done lots of searches on Etsy, and I don't feel that the handmade aspect of the community is suffering. I see just as many shops selling handmade as I do seeing sellers of supplies. Nor do I feel that Etsy is more well known for its supplies/reselling than its handcrafted goods.

When buyers type into the search field what they are looking for, it gives them options if they want "handmade", "supplies", "vintage" etc. So if you are looking for handmade earrings, you would search for it in the "handmade" category. If you want to find beads for earrings, you'd look for it in the "supply" category. No confusion there.

A couple of the people who commmented in the thread, made it seem that buyers will purchase something under the idea that it is handmade, when it in fact is a supply or commerically produced. Ok, I have never tagged my items (appliques, ribbons, etc.) as "handmade" because it is so obvious that they are commercially produced. If an Etsy seller does mis-tag their merchandise, than they are being dishonest. And that is one seller compared to many other resellers who do tag honestly and appropriately.

Supplies of arts/crafts go hand in hand with handmade items. Since Etsy is a market place for all things handmade, you will find both crafters/artisans and those who produce the materials needed to make those crafts. When you go to an arts faire, you are going to find those who sell handmade sweaters, blankets, gloves... and those who sell the wool, crochet hooks, and knitting needles needed to make those garments. It goes hand in hand.

So after this long ramble. Yes, I am one of those 'numbskull resellers'. Just because I sell or "resell" commercially produced items, doesn't mean I have any less of a right to sell on Etsy. Or that I am doing something wrong by not selling handmade.

Thrift store finds

2011-04-16T23:05:00.006-05:00

Today was a really nice day. In the morning I tidied up my livingroom, and cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. In the afternoon, I went to Half Price Books (a used bookstore here in north Texas; possibly elsewhere in the U.S.). And sold them 4 books I had. And guess what I got for them?? $2.00!! WOW!I can't even buy a cup of coffee for two dollars :-/ Afterwards, I went to a thrift store. At that time it was around 7:00 PM and I wasn't even sure it would still be open. But they were!

My DH (Dear Husband) had Rhiannon in tow, and he busied himself looking throw a bin of neck ties. Maddy followed me around as I searched through all the shelves looking for hidden treasures.

One of the first things that caught my eye, were these wooden clogs. I showed them to Tony and he scoffed. I'm guessing someone had gone to the Netherlands or knew someone who went; and they were given these as a souvenir. Anyways, the reason why I was so enchanted with them was because when I was 10 yrs old, my grandparents went on a big vacation to all these different countries (Italy, France, Israel, Germany, Russia...). From the Netherlands, they brought me back some wooden clogs like the ones I found. Mine of course were smaller (and prettier) with a blue and white windmill and green grass painted on it. Anyways, when I left Guam, I didn't take them with me (I left them at my aunt's house) and they inevitably got destroyed during a typhoon. It's only been in recent times that I thought about them, and wished I hadn't left them. I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy these, as the colors didn't seem so "traditional" (looked more like a Hawaiian vacation). So I put them down and decided to wait and see.

Looking around the store some more, I found this really pretty vintage floral bedsheet and table cloth (1.99 and 2.99 respectively) I thought they were good deals. I also found some more mushrooms! On this cute jar (like the ones I bought months ago) and a bag of lace and 2 embroidery hoops for 1.99. Again a really great find and deal. Before we left I did end up getting the wooden clogs. I figured, where am I going to find them again at a thrift store for such a great price (4.95). My house isn't filled with too many decorations/knick knacks, but I figured I'd put them in Maddy's room.

As we were leaving, I accidentally dropped the bag holding the mushroom jar (smart) and the bottom bit broke a little. But oh well. All in all, I thought it was a really nice day. And despite Maddy crying as we left (cause she wanted to stay and play with the toys), I'm glad she had a good time.

old mail pictures

2011-03-17T18:12:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to post some pictures of mail I'd sent and received in the past few months. I've given up swapping for Lent, and so I've had a sad drainage of good mail.

"Russia" decos I received from Magda for a Sparkling Deco Divas swap

International postage stamps I received from HollyHox, for a mailart tag

Slams, Friendship books, and lyrix I received from Jenny via Facebook

Excess decos I received from Sui via Decolicious

Decos I received from Emika via swap-bot swap

Saturday

2011-02-22T22:03:00.004-06:00

I had a nice time this past Saturday. First we went back to Duncanville (where we used to live). I had to go to the fabric shop there, to see if they had any more of a certain ribbon. It was for a custom order I was working on. Unfortunately they ran out of the ribbon. I was completely perplexed as I had just been there 3 wks ago, and saw 2 spool fulls of it. The owner and sales lady tried to help me find it, but they couldn't either. "I guess someone got greedy and bought the whole thing" the owner said. I didn't want to leave empty handed. So I bought some floral ribbon that had a similar design, and some pretty silver ribbon.

Then we went to the antique mall in Ft. Worth. I had wanted to buy some more vintage postcards. Before I started looking, the 3 of us (Rhiannon was sleeping) had lunch in the tea room. I never realized it, but that place is huge! There are aisles upon aisles filled with all kinds of stuff. Since there weren't any shopping carts and we didn't bring a stroller. Maddy went crazy. She kept pointing to things and touching them. It drove me nuts! I was so afraid she'd break something. At one point she picked up this antique doll that was like $150. I tried to take it away, but she just hugged it to her tighter. I had to pry it out of her hands, so the dress wouldn't tear.

I did see lots of pretty vintage postcards and greeting cards. But they were around 3.00 for one postcard. I seriously did not want to pay that price, no matter how pretty the card. But I did find a pack of vintage Valentines for $2.00.

I am considering adding digital images to my shop. I know vintage images are used a lot in mixed media and altered art. I figure I could invest in some vintage postcards, scan the images, fix them up, and sell them as digital images. Tony thinks it's a good idea. I might wait a month or so before venturing into that. Since I just bought a whole bunch of new cabochons for my shop, and want to at least sell a good bit of it, before adding more things.
Here's a deco page I did for a "dark fantasy beauties" deco

Also, I finally used the stamp carving kit my DH got me for Christmas. I knew exactly which images I wanted to carve first. Decole's Otogicco (fairy tale) line. The original stamps cost about $20 and up. This is my homemade version :-p The mushrooms stamp, I copied an image on some canisters I have.

Mail art and personal ramblings

2011-02-16T14:17:00.005-06:00

While waiting for my student to show up, I thought I'd write a quick post. Valentine's day itself turned out to be Ok. Tony and I tried out this new recipe, cheeseburger roulades from Food Network's "Worse cooks in America" (not the most romantic recipe out there). The recipe called for goat cheese. I have come to realize I HATe goat cheese. That stuff is SO nasty. It just has this weird gamey/soury aftertaste. I can handle bleu cheese. But goat cheese, no thank you :-p I should have know I wouldn't like it, as I hate eating goat.

Any hoo, after Maddy and Rhiannon went to sleep. We exchanged valentine's cards, had some pretty nice desserts (angel food cake tarts with fresh whipped cream and blackberries and strawberries), and watched "Ghostly Lovers" on the Travel Channel. The show was pretty interesting. Well if you are interested in the paranormal anyways. Tony is a skeptic. Me, I figure there's a bunch of stuff out there that can't be explained. If there is a God, a devil, heaven, and helll; why can't there be spirits/ghosts and demons roaming the world. This program focused on spectrophilia. Where supposedly these women being interviewed had sexual relations with spirits. I had to raise my eyebrows at this topic, as it just seemed so far out there. But all in all, whether I believe it or not. The show was entertaining and informative.

On to some mail. This is a "things with wings" envie I altered for JaneEngland, for a swap-bot forum's mail art tag. I filled it with some "thing with wings" crafting goodies (stickers, paper, deco, appliques...) I hope she likes it :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T14:19:00.004-06:00

Hope everyone is having a super Valentine's Day!

For me, it seems I never have much luck on this day. I think I'm cursed. Why? Because ever since I got married, on and around this day, my husband and I always end up fighting. It happened the first year we were married and practically every year since. We've managed to tick each other off and ruffle some feathers. Last year, we had a particularly nasty fight. Though making up was pretty good :-p Thus resulting in our dear little Rhiannon. Oops! But anyways, this year did not fail me. Again, another spat on Feb 13. And it's always over stupid/petty stuff or misunderstandings. Ugh!

Anyways, I wish much luck and love to those of you with loved ones and significant others. May your day be filled with love and less heartache. Cheers!

Mail art

2011-02-04T14:39:00.008-06:00

I wanted to do a quick seperate post on all the neat swaps I'd been receiving and sending lately. First are some deco entries I finally did. The first two are for a couple kawaii decos, the third was a suicide girls deco, and the fourth is a tattoos and piercings deco I made.

Next are some awesome postage stamps I received from Barbara on Swap-Bot. She sent so many, over 100 stamps! The mushroom stamps I purchased on Etsy. Normally I wouldn't buy used postage stamps, unless they were really special, rare, or hard to come buy. I found this seller leafpeoplevintage and one other who sold mushroom postage stamps. The other seller charged more and for fewer stamps. Also postage was quite high being as she was overseas. I found these stamps that were a lot more and for a decent price. Normally I'm not an impulse buyer. But I couldn't be sure if she had more of these, so I decided to splurge and buy them.

Here are some sticker bags I received from tiggerkitn25 for a swap
Sticker bags I sent to nmterrier for the sticker bag swap

More sticker bags I received from jannieb for a Cheap Postage swap tag

Mail art I received from FarStarr for a ZMACS tag, sticker bag swap from tiggerkitn25, and a pen pal letter from my friend Donna

Stamp bags I received from leeler, Bastet, and Lorivintage55

Winter wonders

2011-02-04T13:52:00.008-06:00

This week has been so wonderful. To start off my hubby, two kiddos, and I spent the weekend in Arlington. My parents were going away for the weekend, and needed someone to watch their house and babysit my 7 yr old sister. It was nice to get away from Garland for a change. On Sunday we went to the "Zest Fest" a convention/festival of sorts where a bunch of different vendors and small businesses showcased their different salsas,sauces, chips, and other things. When Tony and I lived in El Paso, TX we had gone to a Gordita festival, where there was a bunch of food for eating. The ZestFest was a bit different, with little samplings. I was a bit disappointed, and in the end left feeing hungry. But oh well it was a different experience.

After the festival we went to our house to check on things. I came home to find a bunch of packages and envelopes waiting for me. Oh mail happiness! Sadly most of the swaps I received were a bit mediocre and disappointing. But I did get my Amazon.com order. Two crafting books and a set of Camilla D'Errico postcards.

On Tuesday we got major winter weather here in north Texas. Finally!!! This Fall and Winter have been so disappointingly warm. It snowed and iced on Tuesday (causing Tony and many others to miss work, and school was canceled for the day). It was really nice to have him home. Last night it snowed a ton, leaving our neighborhood blanketed in white.

Empty parking lot

Today Tony and I had dentist appointments at 8:00 AM. We bundled up the little girls and drove to our old city of Duncanville (45 min-1 hr away). Of course it took a little longer because of the snow. When we got to the dentist's office we discovered it was closed due to the weather! So we got breakfast and headed home again (this time taking the side streets). Well we got into a small accident (a fender bender). And aside from that this week has been so nice. I'm lovin the winter weather, and I didn't have to tutor too much. This Sunday is the Super Bowl. I don't watch it, but it's going to be held in Arlington at the new Stadium. I can just imagine how busy and crowded it will be. Good thing we're not house sitting this weekend.

Kiwi's Etsy Love Swap #1

2011-01-18T17:07:00.008-06:00

I recently participated in a swap on Swap-bot, where the goal was to help promote eachother's Etsy shops and blogs. Here are some of the shops of my partners. I hope you'll visit them and check out what they have to offer!

Shop #1: funkylindsay She sells all sorts of personalized items. From weddding invites, seating charts, and maps to paper dolls and fun typography prints. The neat thing is all her items are in PDF format, and sent electronically. So there's no waiting for it to arrive by snail mail! Here is one of the items I particularly liked: Personalized Paper Dolls . The dolls are custom drawn to fit your style, looks, and interests. These work as great gifts for a young couple, or maybe to give to your bf/gf or significant other.

Shop #2:
KittyDarknessDesigns She sells all sorts of cute kawaii supplies and handmade items; such as hand carved stamps, jewelry, stickers, pouches, and stuffies. Everything was so gosh darn cute, I had a hard time picking a favorite. But this little Thriller Night - Felt Brooch won my heart. It's the cutest rendition of Michael Jackson in his costume from the music video, Thriller. What I especially love, is he's in a dance position! Check him out, and other cute items just like him.

Shop #3:
Bandeau's shop
She's a talented artist who sells handmade goodies featuring her original designs, such as prints, bookmarks, dolls, and a complete Etsy shop package with customized banner, letterhead, logo etc. just for you! While there were so many great things to choose from, I really liked the Fantasy Coloring Books . Each book features a beautiful color image, and 20 pages of detailed black and white graphics for coloring. This is great for any lover of anime style graphic art.

Shop #4: Mad About Pink
She sells really sweet handmade purses, lip balms, and jewelry; like earrings, necklaces, and rings. One of my favorite earrings were these Earrings for Tea Lovers . This pair is the cutest! It features a silver teapot and tea sachet. It's such a whimsical little pair, that is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland.

Shop #5: Crafts n Cards
She sells patterned paper, handmade greeting cards, and tags. Everything in this shop is colorful, vibrant, and fun! I loved these Be Mine Scalloped Circle Tags . They're a pretty bright red, with a little flower bud, and sweet sentiment. Just perfect for personalizing Valentine's gifts and cards.

Ache n pains

2011-01-16T12:30:00.002-06:00

This week has been pretty crummy in terms of physical illnesses. Maddy still has her bronchitis (though it's getting better). I had a cold (probably caught it from Maddy), it's seemed to have relapsed. Poor Rhiannon, just as I feared caught the cold from Maddy/me. She has this horrible cough that developed on Thursday. Tony and I are taking her to the pedi on Monday. I don't know if they will be able to do much though. In the meantime we've been putting a little Vick's Vapor Rub on her chest, and giving her treatments with the nebulizer. There is an extra attachment that is a binky, to be used for babies.

If that stuff wasn't bad enough, on Friday I was on the Tredmill and Maddy somehow managed to get her hand caught underneath. It left her with a "burn" if you will. The skin on her middle and ring fingers was rubbed off pretty bad. So we're treating that with medication and bandages. It sucks though, because she hates when we change the bandages. She whimpers and says "No!". But I try and bribe her with chocolate, to make it easier.

Hopefully this coming week will be pain and drama-free.

Crafts and new shop listings

2011-01-13T23:08:00.005-06:00

I'm going to try and type this post as quickly and efficiently as I can, since I'm NAK (nursing at keyboard).

I working on a couple craft projects; a piece of mail art for a ZMACS group themed PIB tag. I sent to starrgazer. She liked mushrooms and birds (particularly owls). So I sent her a postcard I made from cardstock, wallpaper, fabric, and seed beads. I decorated the outside envie, since it's mailart afterall.

Decorated envie

mushroom postcard

I made this altered matchbox in an Asian theme for ButterBear, for a tag in the forums.

Today after tutoring, I took pictures of all the ribbons for my shop. I listed a few of them tonight. So please check em out ( <--- link in the side bar)

Blue embroidered ribbon $1.50

Red scalloped trim $0.40

Retro red ribbon $1.50

Dark blue floral embroidered ribbon $1.50

Mr Penguin

2011-01-12T13:59:00.003-06:00

My daughter Maddy caught a bad viral infection that developed into bronchitis. At her pediatrician's appointment on Monday, the doctor prescribed her a bunch of meds and gave us a nebulizer to help clear out Maddy's lungs. Well, of course they didn't give it to us. We had to buy it. Maddy hated the nebulizer at first. She cried whenever I turned the darn thing on. But thankfully after 3 or 4 treatments, she's gotten used to it. One thing I thought was kinda cute (and a good way to make it kid friendly), was they disguised it to look like a little penguin. And the case it goes in, is supposed to be the igloo :-p

On to some nice mail. I received some excess decos from Jen in Y! Decolicious group. I love the themes she sent. I hope to have a few of them signed by this Sat. so I can mail them out with my current deco swap.

Here's a picture of some of the ribbons I purchased for my shop. I need to find the time to take pictures of them individually, and then list them.

mail, shopping, and maddy

2011-01-08T23:21:00.009-06:00

We didn't do too much out of the ordinary today. The night before we all went out with my family for dinner. To celebrate my twin brothers' and Maddy's birthdays (as their birthdays are on the 7th and 8th respectively). When we got back to my parents' house, we sang Happy Birthday to them. Maddy got to blow out the candles. It was really fun to see her do it, since last year she wasn't able to.

Today we went to Ducanville (where our old apartment was). We had lunch at a small soda fountain. Normally we don't like giving Maddy soda. But Tony let her try this cherry sulphate that he ordered. I think she had a good time.

I also went a small fabric shop that sells a bunch of sewing accessories. I wanted to stock up on ribbon and trims for my Etsy shop. I bought yards and yards of different ribbons. I truely hope that they are popular among my customers and sell quickly. Some of the ribbon I'd sold before seemed to sell well. So it's my hope this time around will also be successful. I am still waiting on a shipment of cabochons from a supplier in Asia

When we got home, there was a small package waiting for me. My friend Anya who lives in Ukraine sent me a package of presents: A game for Maddy, coins for Tony, chocolates, a magnet, Christmas card and letter. I had sent her a package of spices and chocolate a few months ago, and she was finally able to mail her package.

Game for Maddy, часть и целое (part and the whole)

Gifts (note the little hand reaching for chocolate)

Happy Birthday!

2011-01-08T01:44:00.003-06:00

On a personal note, I just want to wish Happy Birthday! to my sweet baby Madeleine. She turned 2 years old today. It's been a rollercoaster year with lots of ups and downs. I only hope 2011 brings bigger, better, and brighter things for her.

Penpalling and Letters giveaway

2011-01-05T22:37:00.002-06:00

Penpalling and Letters is having a stationery Giveaway to celebrate its one year anniversary. Check it out!!!

Ornaments on sale!

2010-12-30T02:34:00.008-06:00

The day after Christmas I went to Pier 1 and Macy's and bought some Christmas ornaments. At Pier 1 they were on sale for 50% off and at Macy's they were 75% off. I went to Pier 1 in Arlington. There weren't too many ornaments left. But these ones caught my eye; an owl and pickle.

Then I went to Macy's at the Park's Mall. I was surprised at the selection they had. It was definitely slim pickins. I almost gave up. They had the little gnome ornaments that I'd seen before at the Macy's in Mesquite. But they didn't have anymore of the other ones that I'd liked. Then I saw this box set of Martha Stewart brand ornaments in Woodland theme. So I got those.

The last stop was the Macy's in Mesquite, close to where we live. They still had a nice selection of Christmas ornaments. I chose the mushroom (which I'd had my eye on for awhile), and I saw a cute hedgehog and walnut. While I was waiting in line to pay, the lady behind me asked where I got my purse. I told her Wal-mart, several years ago. And said she loved owls. I had recently switched my purse from the green A. Henry mushroom print purse (that I received in a swap) to my blue owl fabric purse that'd I'd purchased from Walmart 4 years ago.

Today I ordered some new cabochons for my Etsy shop, Love Maddy. I plan to order some more appliques, also. As they seem to be very popular among my customers. I do hope people will like my new inventory. I try to pick items I think will gain lots of interest and feedback.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T01:12:00.002-06:00

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

My weekend

2010-12-22T15:27:00.005-06:00

This past weekend was very busy. First Rhiannon's christening was on Saturday. We had it prviately (not during Mass). Not too many people showed up for the actual ceremony. But there were many who came for the reception afterwards.

On Sunday, we went to Mass at my parents' church. And stayed afterwards for the Christmas play. Rhiannon was going to play baby Jesus! They gave me a white blanket to swaddle her in. It was nice and thick, with her name embroidered on it. They also gave us a Christmas ornament with some more personalizations as a keepsake. Each year the play changes, but the orchestra and choir are always amazing and talanted. I held Rhiannon through most of the play, and then towards the end when the brought out Mary and Joseph, we handed her over to them. I was afraid she would cry at some point, but she didn't. She slept through the whole thing!

Tony's family had been visiting this weekend. It was nice to see them. Since leaving El Paso and living so far from my parents', I realize the importance of family/friends and having them close by. We went to Joann's that envening. I bought a Christmas decoration for our house; a standing santa figurine and a couple ornaments (mushroom and raccoon).

Mailed out a couple packages of excess decos last Friday. Here are some of entries I did (unfortunately they were a rushed job).

Elegant gothic deco entry

Bettie Boop deco entry

Dita Von Teese entry

Living Dead entry

Here are a couple Russia decos I sent to Kathi in Germany, for a Yahoo group swap:

Good mail and Christmas trees

2010-12-13T23:28:00.009-06:00

I'd been meaning to start decorating for Christmas since right after Thanksgiving. Unfortunatley I never got around to it. Last night Tony brought down our little 4 foot fake tree. I really wanted to get a real Christmas tree this year. But Tony didn't want to deal with the hassle of going to get one and setting it up.

As it is that we have a toddler roaming around with itchy fingers. I'm not putting up any of my breakable ornaments. I was a bit sad, as I bought some really cute forest themed ornaments last year at Tuesday Morning, after Christmas last year. So this year I won't be putting them up either :-(

My mother-in-law did give my a package of really pretty ornaments from Ikea. They're made of some kind of grass/straw material. So they won't break. I also bought some cute flat Santas (though they look like gnomes to me). And I added a couple cute Christmas ornaments that I received in a Harakuju Girls swap.

Sweet little sakura blossoms, I received from ambitiouslove. I love that there are TWO blossoms, because they remind me of Maddy and Rhiannon

A cute little penguin, I received from starrycat

Today was a Happy Mail Day. I haven't had many, since I stopped swapping and was late on my pen pal letters. But I received THREE packages in the mail! The first one, was my Janet Store order. I don't normally order/buy things for myself. Since we're trying to watch our savings. But a few weeks ago, I splurged and ordered some stationery items from Janet Store. The stuff cost about $11, and shipping was just as much at $10.00 *ouch*. But I guess it's a small price to pay...

The second package were some decos I received from Sui in Germany (one of my Yahoo group members). The decos were actually a month late. But I'm finally glad to receive them. I'm hoping to catch up on my deco-ing this month; and send out my excess in January.

The third package was a ribbon grabbie, I tagged Robje for in the SB forums.

Random stuff

2010-12-10T16:01:00.003-06:00

Just for the record. I hate coming up with titles/subject lines to blog posts and e-mails.

Here are some decos I received from Maren in one the DDQ's Yahoo group. The theme was Dark Fantasy Beauties.

Since Rhiannon was born, I've been a bit behind in my pen pal letters and deco-ing. I had also planned to order a bunch of new stuff for my Etsy shop, since October but I never got around to it. I had gone around to different suppliers and even contacted a couple. But I only heard back from one. And now as I'm waiting to get the price quote, their shop has closed for the holidays :-/

A quick review of November

2010-12-10T15:41:00.003-06:00

It's been such a long time since I last blogged (over a month!). November was quite a hectic month for me. So here's an update on what's happened.

My baby was born November 4 at 7:21 PM. She weighed 7 lbs 13.6 oz. It was actually quite a surprise, because I was sure she would come late like her sister. The day before she arrived, I actually had my last OB appt. I hadn't progressed much since the previous appt. So my doctor said if the baby didn't come by Saturday (her due date), I could come in that following Monday and she'd schedule me an induction.

The next day, I woke up around 7:00 AM to contractions. I figured they were Braxton Hicks (false contractions), and that they would go away in an hour or two. Well the morning went by and they never stopped. In fact they grew more frequent and painful. So I finally called Tony to come home. We went to the hospital and sure enough, I was dilated 4 cm! A big improvement from the day before.

Labor and delivery went well. I was able to get an epidural this time, so I avoided all that unnecessary pain of a natural birth (Thank God). It was only about an hour or so later in the post partum room, that things got pretty bad. I started hemorraging badly, because my uterus wasn't contracting. Things got hectic and scary pretty fast. To make a long story short, they had to "sweep" out my uterus of blood clots (which caused the bleeding). My doctor told me, that if they weren't able to get the bleeding under control, they would have to remove my uterus. Thankfully they were able to stop the bleeding. And I narrowly avoided a transufusion, considering the amount of blood loss.

I didn't get to see Rhiannon till the next day. She is such a sweet baby. And she has beautiful gray-blue eyes! She is about a month old now. Her temperament is quite fussy though (not laid back like how Maddy was). Tony and I call her a "Diva", considering she "complains" a lot. But I say that will all the affection and love I have.

Life has been hectic trying to balance two babies. Especially now that my darling Maddy is approaching 2 years, and is growing ever more into a little devil (unfortunately). Often times it takes all the patience I can muster (and then some) to deal with her. I sincerely hope this year goes by fast.

Halloween

2010-11-01T14:57:00.005-05:00

On Sunday we took Maddy out trick or treating in our neighborhood. Unfortunately, it wasn't a big success (IMO). Since the majority of people in our area are older folks (as in middle age and older). There weren't many out giving candy. It was dark, and there weren't too many trick or treaters. We even went to some of the surrounding neighborhoods, thinking we'd have more luck. But it was just as crappy.

I felt so bad for her. Though she didn't really understand what was going on. I think she still had a good time though (with what houses did give candy). But since Tony and I knew there were better neighborhoods out there filled with kids, costumes, and candy (like my parents' neighborhood). It made it all the more disappointing, bcause we didn't have Maddy experience that. Lesson learned though. We'll definitely go someplace else next year.

On to other news. I had a bunch of contractions all day on Sunday. I was thinking maybe we'd get lucky and Rhiannon would make her appearance on Halloween. But as it turns out, nope. Oh well, more contractions yesterday in the early morning and evening. I wonder if she'll arrive on her due date.

Just an update (38 wks along)

2010-10-25T21:05:00.008-05:00

We're slowly getting stuff done for baby girl's arrival. Tony finished vacuuming and shampooing the carpet downstairs. All that's left is the master bedroom and Maddy's current room. Last weekend we set up our baby registry at Babies R Us. I didn't have a baby shower this time. But we set up one just in case anyone asks.

At my 37 wk appointment last Thursday, I was surprised to learn my cervix was still firm and closed. But Rhiannon's head is low, so that's a good thing.

On Saturday it rained heavily the whole day! I loved it. Though it made grocery shopping a hassle. On Sunday after Mass we went to the church bazarre, where they were selling crafts, decorations, etc. I wasn't planning on buying anything. But then saw these two fairies. I thought of Maddy and Rhiannon, and figured they would look nice in their rooms. Esp. since Rhiannon's room will be pretty bare. Maddy also got a cute stuffed animal; a black cat holding a pumpkin.

It was interesting, because this weekend I got at least 4 comments from people asking if I was due any time soon. I told them in a couple weeks. I guess I really look like I'm ready to drop this little thing! Today I learned that a couple ladies in my Ovusoft pregnancy buddy group had their babies today. How exciting!

This week I will be ordering more cute cabochons and appliques for my Etsy shop. Business has been slowing down, so I realize I need to update my inventory. I've been really hesitant to buy a whole bunch of stuff. But it seems that some of the more successful shops have 100s of items as opposed to just 13.

Cute decos I received from my pen pal Donna

My entry in Donna's "Troll deco"

A cute Halloween decorated envie from Pandessa on Swap-bot

36 wk check up

2010-10-14T23:10:00.002-05:00

Had another OB appointment today. Unforunately both doctors were late, and so we were left waiting for an hour. I was curious to know how much weight I'd gained during this pregnancy, so I asked the nurse. So far 15 lbs! Not too bad. I think with Maddy I gained like 20-30 lbs.

The doctor checked my cervix; and it was firm with no dilation. This surprised me. I was sure I'd be dilated 1-2 cm. Probably because I've been feeling so uncomfortable lately. I did forget to ask about the results of my bloodwork and GBS test from last week. Hopefully I won't forget to ask next week.

More aches n pains

2010-10-13T13:35:00.009-05:00

I am so ready for this pregnancy to be over. Though I do feel a bit of sadness knowing it's almost over (simply because it'll be quite a few years before we try again for a 3rd baby). The whole uncomfortable aspect has really gotten to me. I'm just so tired of swollen feet, numb hands, RLS, sleepless nights, edema and vericose veins, back pain, sciatic pain... the list goes on.

Tomorrow is my 36 week appt. I often wonder if Rhiannon will come early. Because I just feel so much more uncomfortable this time around. Maybe it's just because with my 1st pregnancy, I ignored a lot of the aches and pains. Or perhaps I'm more aware of them this time... Who knows? Anyways, I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions since last month. Also, she moves around a lot. Almost as if she's getting so cramped in there; she's just ready to burst out.
36 week belly shot:
While I think it would be really neat if she were born on Oct 31. I know we still have a lot to accomplish in getting the house ready for her. We haven't even set up our baby registry yet! If she were overdue, that's fine with me. I don't mind being induced.

In other news. Yesterday was a really nice mail day. I received a couple pen pal letters and a small tag item (yes, I slipped up a bit and tagged someone in SB).

OB appt. and deco pages

2010-10-08T12:28:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday I had my 35 week appt. I had the GBS test, some bloodwork drawn, and got the flu shot. In many ways I feel this pregnancy has gone by so fast. Maybe it's because it happened in the spring and summer; where the days are slower and not much is going on. While with my first pregnancy, it happened in the fall and winter; with all kinds of events happening (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years...).

Last night I actually got to work on some deco pages. Despite Maddy interrupting numerous times for me to get her things. At first I wasn't sure if I'd like deco-ing these themes. But in the end, I think they turned out ok. I esp. like the leprechaun page.
Enry for Sunset deco

Entry for Leprechaun deco

Entry for Destination: Ireland deco

My weekend and good mail day

2010-10-04T17:46:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we went to a Lebanese food festival in Lewisville. I saw an advertisement for it, in the North Texas Catholic (a monthly digest we receive). The weather was really nice and cool. A big departure for the heat we had on Saturday. When we got to the festival they had a raffle, silent auction (though we didn't bid on anything since it was all so expensive), there were folkloric dancers, a section with bounce houses and games for kids, and of course food.

While it was neat to go, as I'd never been to a Lebanese festival. The food selection was a bit limited, and though Maddy was intrigued by the bounce houses and kids games, she was too young to participate. And I knew she wouldn't want to go in the bounce house her herself without me or Tony. We tried a dessert called Namoura, and it was essentially a cake with cornbread consistancy soaked in honey. I wasn't that impressed. But Maddy loved it (she loves anything sweet). After awhile, we left, since we still had some things to do at home.

Today, I received some "good mail": a pen pal letter and decos from my new pal Donna in WV. And a small thank you reward from Nicole, whose deco I'd returned.

These are the two Suicide Girls decos I made for a group saw in Yahoo's Decolicious group. The first deco I made for Katjah in Sweden, and the 2nd deco I made for myself.

Nice day

2010-10-02T23:50:00.002-05:00

Today was a nice day. We went to Tony's company picnic at Grapevine Lake, in Grapevine. It's an annual picnic that his company throws each year. I commented to Tony, that this is our 3rd year going and my 2nd time going pregnant.

I had a good time, despite the fact that it was really warm (80 degrees, and lots of sun). Now let it be known that I really dislike Grapevine. I call it the twilight zone, because whenever we go we're always getting lost and everything thing seems so out of place. But the picnic is always held at that lake, and I go to show my support.

We invited my parents and sister, and they met us there. There was some good food, we hung out by the lake a bit, Maddy got a really cute caricature picture drawn. I wanted to get her face painted (since we missed it at the church picnic). But there was such a long line. And by the time we were ready to get it done, I was already very tired and ready to leave.

When we returned home, I wanted to start cleaning up our 3rd bedroom (which will be Maddy's room). But Tony was too tired to start the project. So that is my goal for tomorrow.

My weekend

2010-09-27T22:20:00.005-05:00

On Saturday we had planned to do a bunch of things: go to a library book sale, grocery shopping, go to Ikea, and back for mass at 5:30 and then the church picnic afterwards.

Well as it turns out, we slept in till around noon (missing the book sale). It was raining all morning, which normally I don't mind. But it seemed to slow things down. I checked the mail, as I was expecting a package of decos from Agi in my Yahoo group. The dumb mailman just left it there on the front stoop. So it was all soggy from the rain. Luckily, none of the booklets inside got wet.

I made oatmeal for breakfast/lunch cause Maddy and I had colds, so I am trying to limit our dairy intake. Afterwards, though I wanted to get a start on our day (considering we had so much to do). But Tony was being sluggish and just wanted to chill and watch tv. I admit, I was feeling under the weather. I felt really tired with no energy. I think the cold had something to do with it.

Finally at 2:00 we left to go grocery shopping. It took about an hour and half (since we go to two different stores). At 5:30 we went to church, and lo and behold the darned picnic is canceled cause of the rain. We still stayed for mass, and seemed to drag on forever. Maddy was being a real pain. She kept talking, babbling, and crying through out the entire service.

On Sunday we went to the picnic which was moved to noon. It was alright, not as big as the one at my parents' church. The food was ok; brisket, salad, tea, and cobbler (which didn't taste as good as my dad's). We wanted to get Maddy's face painted, but it looked like it was done by a bunch of kids (as opposed to an artist). So I decided nevermind. We went to Ikea and looked at dressers for our room and Maddy's. We bought new glasses, plastic cups and plates for Maddy, a mobile toy for Rhiannon, and a few other things. When we got home, I cleaned the kitchen and my hubby cleaned our closet. Such was my day...

Here are pics of the decos I received from Agi

Wednesday, and aches n pains

2010-09-22T23:39:00.005-05:00

Today was a "good" mail day, much to my surprise (as I wasn't expecting anything). I received some decos from a swap buddy Dee, in Australia. The decos she sent were awesome. I've already signed one of them (Tattoo theme), and should be sending it off soon to its owner.

Maddy unfortunately, was quite a pain in the butt. We had at least 2 meltdowns. To add to this pain. I'm currently 33 wks and 4 days pregnant. And I am really feeling it. Halfway through the day, I got a really bad pain in my back. It came about all of a sudden and never went away. To add to that, for the past few days I've had horrible pains in my left leg. I mostly get them when I'm sitting on the ground and trying to get up. It will start with an ache in my left hip, going down my thigh and explodes into this sharp pain in my ankle. I seriously cannot move and basically have to slowly work myself to a standing position. It's absoultely horrible!

I would always hear people say that each pregnancy is different. Sure, each pregnancy differs from woman to woman. But after dealing with this second one, I realize that each one a woman may have can be as different as night and day. With Maddy, it seemed like a walk in the park compared to this pregnancy with Rhiannon.

Here are a couple deco pages I finished. The first one is an entry in a Luis Royo deco (one of my fav. fantasy artists!). And the second is the entry I did in the tattoo deco I received today. The picture is of belly dancer, Rachel Brice. I like how they turned out.

Rainy day

2010-09-08T13:52:00.007-05:00

It's been raining a lot here in north Texas. It started yesterday morning. What a nice surprise to wake up to! It rained on and off through out the day. Then it started up again last night, and pretty much rained straight until 12:00 noon today.

I really love this cool, dark, rainy weather. This past Saturday, I sent off a couple envies filled with FBs, SBs, and decos to two swappers on swap-bot. They've already received them, so it's a sigh of relief for me. I'm just glad to be able to pass them on. I did keep 4 or 5 decos that I haven't finished decorating. I may send one off to the owner, as I got the last page.

Sunday afternoon, we went to Maddy's godsister's 3rd birthday party. It was really cool, as they decorated the house in an Indian theme. Solace's grandmother recently took a trip to India. So she brought back beautiful fabrics and saris to deocorate for the party. The cake was really pretty too! A family friend made it special to look like throw pillows stacked on top of each other, with a little fillegry dome on top.

On Monday we went to the Science museum in Dallas. It would have been a really good outing. There were more kid-friendly exhibits for Maddy to play in. But I was so exhausted. I had the feeling before we left, so I took my pre-natals hoping it would give me more energy. No luck. I was tired the whole time we were there. I'm just glad Tony was with us, to help watch Maddy.

Lastly, here are a few decos I did recently. The first two were for a Yahoo deco group. The theme was "dark deco beauties", and the 3rd is a fairy tale themed deco that I sent to one of the ladies I sent the envie of FBs to.

30 week appt.

2010-09-03T15:04:00.002-05:00

My 30 week obstetrician's apppintment was this past Wednesday. Before my appt. we went to the hospital to pre-register. It was actually a no fuss process and didn't take very long *thankfully*. At my appt. I mentioned to my doctor all the pains I'd been having for quite awhile: sciatic nerve pain, baby pushing up against my ribs, RLS, etc. Unfortunately there really isn't much that can be done.

I also mentioned how Rhiannon's movements have lessened this month, as opposed to last month. It just seems lately, her movements are more slow and legarthic. So they hooked me up to a monitor to measure her heartbeat and movements. I thought it would take only a few minutes, but it turned into half an hour. I was getting really bored after awhile. It turned out everything was fine. Dr. Ruiz suggested next time it seems like the baby isn't moving that much, to eat and drink something and then sit down for awhile and see if she starts moving again.

I also had an ultrasound to check the fluid level. We tried to get a peak at her face, but she had it covered with her hands. Oh well... At least it will be a nice surprise when we finally get to see her.

Friendship book

2010-09-03T14:46:00.005-05:00

I want to thank a reader, Andy for suggesting Friendship Books by his friend Silke Jauck. These Friendship Books are published books with questions and prompts, that children sign and pass among friends. There are various questions like basic friend information (name, age, and address) and fun questions such as "This that make me laugh...", "Things I don't like", and a list of Favorites. The Friendship Books come in diffrerent themes with colorful pages and cute illustrations. Kids can even personalize the books and pages with their own artwork and collages. Friendship Books serve as a great childhood keepsake to remember ones friends and special memories.

Day at the zoo

2010-08-30T13:37:00.005-05:00

Yesterday we went to the Dallas Zoo. I had wanted to go for awhile now. Because I figured it would be a great way for Maddy to experience something new and see all the different animals.

We got there around 2:00 in the afternoon, and found a great parking space near the entrance. As we entered the zoo, I began to think maybe this wasn't such a great idea. It was really hot, and I was wearing 3/4 inch sleeves and long jeans. Not to mention being 7 months pregnant...

But I was determined to make a good go of it, and not let it get me down. The first animals we saw were penguins. They were mostly crowded at the edge of the pool, but one came over and swam right in front of us. I'm not sure what Maddy thought if it, but she kept pointing to it. So at least she was amused.

After that we walked up an incline to see the zebras, giraffes, etc. It was really neat to see the giraffes, and I got a good picture of one right in front of Maddy. After that though, it kinda seemed to go downhill. I was already getting exhausted. We let Maddy out of her stroller and she kept wanting to help Tony push it (but she's too small and it was taking forever). So she got upset, started crying and throwing a tantrum. Tony was losing his patience, and I just wanted to get out of the sun and sit down.

While I did my best to keep up, it just grew increasingly difficult. Every chance I got, I'd sit down and let Tony and Maddy go see the animals (while I watched from afar). Maddy's meltdowns didn't stop at the giraffe spot either, she had quite a few more. I think her frustration combined with the energy-zapping heat made it all the more tiring for her.

All in all, though I'm glad we did get a chance to go. Among our latest outings and adventures I'd rate this one a "C". Memo to self, don't go to the zoo in the middle of the summer, with a toddler.

Nice night

2010-08-28T23:55:00.003-05:00

This evening I went with my mom, Natalie (my little sister), and Sonia (my mom's friend) to a Focolare fundraising dinner for their national retreat center. I had gone to a benefit dinner a couple years ago when I was pregnant with Maddy. I actually had a lot of fun. There was good food, skits and performances, AND door prizes and raffles.

When I first went to this dinner. Sonia won me a baby themed gift basket. I still have the handmade quilt, that we tacked to Maddy's bedroom wall. This year, we decided not to take Maddy. just in case she would get fussy or want to run around. So I had a nice baby-free evening. I thought it was also kind of ironic that I'm pregnant again. One of the Focalarina who attended 2 years ago, remembered me and my mom, so that was nice. There was another lady at the dinner this year who was pregnant also with a baby girl, but she was due in late October. And it was her first baby.

Though we didn't win any door prizes (sad for Natalie who wanted the little girl gift basket). Sonia's friend ended up winning the baby boy basket. But she didn't know anyone who was pregnant, and gave it to Sonia, who gave it to me.

Granted, I'm not having a little boy. But there was as bunch of stuff that we could still use: baby wipes, pacifiers (though we try to avoid using them), a pretty crochet blanket in blue, pink, and yellow. There was also a really cute sleeper with a patchwork tractor on the front. I think I will still let Rhiannon wear it, after all it's not like she'll know :-p

Deco entries

2010-08-26T17:22:00.006-05:00

A while ago I received a large envie full of excess decos, FBs, and SBs from a girl on swap-bot. It's been fun signing and decorating them.

Here's the cover of an archaeology deco. I just love how creative it is, and the little gold "coins" add a nice touch. I was a bit hesitant to decorate it though, as I didn't really have much that would fit the theme. And I threw away this really neat map of the middle east.

But I found some old foreign language text and paper scraps I had received in a swap, used some Egyptian stamps Tony bought me a long time ago (that I hadn't used before). And I still had this image of Athena, I'd printed a while ago for a Greek gods ATC swap. I'm not sure if I really love this page. But it was the best I could do for this theme.

Here are some more decos. The blue deco on the lower left is not filled, but I may just send it home. As the maker requested it be sent before Dec 2009. Yikes!

Here is a page I did for a above candy wrapper deco, shown above. The one with a camel is Kara Kum, a Russian candy. I also used part of the box of Mexican 'Abuelita' chocolate (the grandmother always gets me. She has this mischievous smirk on her face). And lined it with candy themed deco tape, I received from my friend Jeni. I really like how this deco turned out :-)

Lastly, here is an entry in a Halloween deco.

Sticker bags

2010-08-26T01:53:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd go ahead and post some pictures of sticker bags I've either made or received. I printed out a sticker bag template I found online (unfortunately I can't remember the site I found it at), added my own instructions and decorated it with stickers, ribbon, and punch outs. I made 2 for myself, and 1 for my pen pal Lene in Denmark.

Here's a pic of some pretty sticker bags I received from Misaki, a swapper in Japan. She sent a couple she made for herself, and one established SB.

Here are examples of very nicely made sticker bags, but they may have a hard time finding signers.
With the bag below, the directions say to take out 5 stickers and put in 10. But she only put in 5 to begin with, thereby not giving the receiver a chance to pick and choose. Additionally these stickers while cute, are very limited (smiley faces and cartoons). Many crafters/collectors myself included, do not use such stickers.

Such is the same with this sticker bag. While the maker put in a good amount of stickers, she only put one kind of stickers. I personally do not use boy/military themed stickers, so I had to pass on the bag.

Here is an established SB I received in a private trade. 'Established' means there are already some people who have signed the SB (or FB, deco, slam, etc.). As you can see there are already a good amount of stickers, all varied with different images.

Decos, slams, crams, lyrix, bags, etc.

2010-08-24T15:13:00.010-05:00

My previous post was on Friendship books, so now I'll write about their different variations and some other things. As I mentioned previously, I love making and signing decos.

Decorated Friendship Book (Deco) - Decos are a type of FB. In them you sign your info as in regular FBs, but in addition to writing your info. you also decorate a page in the book. Hence the name "deco". Decos contain pretty much the same info. (maker, owner, and signers) as FBs. Except the cover is always creatively and beautifully decorated, and when each person receives the deco, they decorate one page in it (as well as adding their info. to the page). Most decos usually have a theme (ex. a Hello Kitty theme, so all the people who sign it will decorate their page in HK). The theme is either shown on the cover and/or written somewhere in the deco.

Slam - Slams differ from FBs and decos in that they focus on questions. So instead of simply signing the booklet or decorating it. There will be questions (sometimes revolving around a theme) listed on each page, to which you answer. When you get the slam, you have a "sign in" page. This is where everyone writes on one page (usually in list format) their info (name, e-mail, addy, etc.) There's also a "sign out/shout out" page at the back, where you write the date, time, and country you're from. On my first slam I forgot to include a "shout out" page, but that's ok. Slams differ in questions, themes, etc.

Cram - While I'm not a fan of crams, I thought I'd still ago ahead and mention them. A Cram is a sheet of paper, where signers write their name and addy. They do not usually include any extra info. (likes, dislikes, currently seeking...). The point of the cram is to "cram" or squeeze in as many addresses as possible onto the paper.

Friendship sheets (FSS) - Again, not a big fan of them. They are pretty much just like Crams. Consisting of a sheet of paper (or can be a postcard, or memo pad sheet, etc.). Where signers write their info. I think on FSS, signers write more info. than just their addy. They may also decorate the sheet.

Lyrics/Lyrix - I've seen it spelled both ways. Lyrix are a type of FB that focuses on music and song lyrics. Lyrix, like decos may or may not have a theme listed. But on your page, you write your info. and then lyrics to a song. Example, you may receive a Lyrix booklet with a romance theme. So you'd write the lyrics to your fav. love song. Or a booklet with a certain singer/band as the theme. Then you'd write lyrics to a song by that person. You can decorate your lyrix page or not. There are also other versions of Lyrix called Quotz. It's basically the same idea, but with quotes instead of song lyrics.

Exchange slip (X-slip) - I haven't made/traded x-slips, but from what I understand they are similar to chain letters. You have signer #1 who writes their name and address (this could be the person who made the x-slip. Let's say you are the next signer (signer #2). You as signer #2 will then send something (this is listed in the x-slip directions) such as 3 FBs, 2 sticker sheets, or 1 pen to signer #1. After you send your item(s), then you pass the x-slip along to the next signer, #3. When they receive it, they will send you and signer #1 a certain number of items listed.

Bags - "Bags" are actually small envelopes with a certain amt. of items inside. You have different types of bags (label bags, sticker bags, stamp bags, goodie bags, etc.). With label bags, the person who makes the bag puts in a certain number of address labels, let's say 5. The next person who receives the bag (signer #1) will take out a certain number of address labels and add a certain number of their own address labels (according to the directions on the bag).

I've traded sticker bags before. I put a list of spaces on the front for people to sign and date (usually only enough for 4-5 signers). I start the bag off with 10 stickers, and state in the directions that each person takes out 5 stickers and adds 10 of their own to the bag. When the last person signs/receives the bag, then they mail it back to me. Essentially the owner of the bag receives more stickers than the signers, so not exactly fair. But it is a good way to trade stickers.

Helpful Links:
Friendship Books
Friendship book fun
Friendship Book types

Friendship books

2010-08-23T17:21:00.013-05:00

Ok, so I had my little gripe. Now I'm going to write about what I've been doing in my swap absence.

While I had to give up swapping for awhile. I didn't want to lose connection with friends I made online, or give up "good mail". So I took up pen palling again. I searched fervently online for different pen pal communities and sites. Finally finding success on Livejournal and Facebook. I now have 3 new pen pals, 2 of which I've already received letters from!

Since pen palling more, I've also discovered the fun of friendship books. Before I wasn't too keen on FBs. Probably because I only had 1 pen pal, and didn't know who else to send them to. So I'd sneak a FB in, here and there in a swap. While I'm still not too fond of FBs (mostly because I'm not really seeking any new pen pals at the moment). I do love decos.

If you're new to pen palling/swapping and all that lingo. You can easily get confused. I know I've had quite a time looking up "friendship book", "deco", or "slam" on Google. While there are some really great and informative sites like wikipedia or fbfun.com, I thought I'd go ahead and write my own take on FBs as I understand them.

Friendship book aka FB - Though they can vary in shape, size, and composition. They all serve a similar function: a way for people to meet new pen pals or swappers. In their simplest form, FBs are small pieces of paper stapled together with a front cover. On the cover is usually listed the person who made the FB and the receiver/owner of the FB. This may be listed on the book as "Made for... so and so" and "Made by...so and so". Or if one person made the book and is receiving it, than it will be listed as "Made for and by...".
In addition to these simpler FBs, you have fancier ones called Nice and Neat FBs. This is where the booklet is a little bigger and has a front and back cover. The front cover is usually nicely decorated with an image, stickers, glitter, scrapbooking paper, etc.

Though some FBs may have directions, most don't. But it is generally understood what to do, as this is part of the pen palling culture. When you receive a FB, you find a blank spot on one of the pages and "sign" it (write your info.). This can be name or screen name, mailing address, e-mail, a list of "likes", and/or a list of pen pals/swappers you are seeking. Normally in FBs I write my name, sometimes my e-mail addy, and either my lovemaddy blog or etsy shop URL. I also write SNNP (sorry no new pen pals), because I'm not currently looking for new pals.

After you "sign" the book, then you pass it on to another pen pal in your next letter. And then they sign the book and pass it on to another pen pal. So it goes until the book is "full" of entries, then it is mailed "home" to the owner of the book. Generally it's good etiquette to mail out the FB(s) as quickly as you can, so it can fill up faster and make it's way home. However some people can accumulate great numbers of FBs and end up holding onto them for months or years.

Here is a pic of simpler FBs (pieces of paper stapled together with a cover)

Here is a "nice and neat" FB (a small booklet with a collage image, stickers & sequins)

This is a longer post than I expected. So I'll write more about other types of FBs later.

Some gripes

2010-08-23T16:42:00.005-05:00

First off, I know no one is really reading my blog. I lost 2 of the 3 followers I did have. It's kind of sad, but understandable. As I didn't update it often. I originally started this blog as a way help promote my Etsy shop. But it didn't prove successful at all. I'm ok though, with not having any followers. I mean, having some would be great. But I know you have to continuously update with content people are gonna want to read; and I don't always have a way with words or such interesting stuff in my life. But I am going to continue to keep this blog, just as a way to chronicle interesting events in my life, and any crafts I do.

Secondly it is extremely frustrating when someone purchases something from my shop, and doesn't pay. I understand people might not always be able to pay right away. I've waited a few hours before submitting payment. And once on e-bay I think I paid a day or 2 later. BUT since being an Etsy seller for over a year now. There have been at least 3 instances where my customers didn't pay within the requested payment deadline, as specified in my shop Policies (pay within 3 days of purchase).

The first time, I waited 3-4 days before contacting the customer. I politely informed her I hadn't received payment, and as soon payment was submitted her order would be shipped. She responded and was pretty nice about the whole thing. Apologizing for her tardiness in paying.

Since that time, I put up a policy that payment was expected within 3 business days of purchase. Thereby giving my customers more time to pay. So if they bought the item on Friday, they didn't have to pay until Wednesday (as I am not counting Saturday and Sunday as business days).

Unforunately I have been experiencing problems with payment again recently. The two sales I got within the past 2 weeks, both customers didn't pay promptly. I ended up canceling one of the sales, and so far I am still awaing payment from the 2nd one. It's extremely annoying and discouraging when someone clicks "Buy" and doesn't pay.

Giveaway at PenPalling and Letters!

2010-08-21T18:30:00.005-05:00

Just a quick post to let you know PenPalling and Letters blog is having a stationery giveaway provided by lettersets.com, which sells a bunch of cute stationery. So go check em out, and leave a comment in the post :-)

Nice visit

2010-08-16T18:38:00.005-05:00

This past week was very nice. Tony took off from work. Though I do feel a good part of the week was wasted due to us having to clean the house, stupid doctor appts., Tony having to do his work for the dumb University of Phoenix, my being sick, etc.But it was still nice to have him home. We got to go the science museum and his family drove all the way from El Paso just to visit us. Unfortunately though they only stayed 3 days, because they had prior committments they needed to take care of.

Like most wives, there are moments when I get frustrated/annoyed by my in-laws. But I have to say I was looking forward to their visit. And really, I did have a good time while they were here. It was nice to see familiar faces and catch up. They brought a bunch of stuff from El Paso: tamales, Mexican candy, ceramic figurines from Juarez, a bunch of baby clothes for Rhiannon (our baby #2), even a hand-me-down quilt one of his aunts made (for the baby).

On Saturday we had a small party. Tony cooked fajitas and his family was here. We also invited my family, Maddy's godparents and godsiblings, Rhiannons (soon to be) godparents and their daughter and her bf. While I did have a good time, after awhile having so many people in our small-ish house started to take a toll. I got tired and it was so darned hot. I don't think I will be entertaining again for quite some time. But now I know our limit on how many people/families we can have comfortably in our home at one time.

I was sad to see tony's family leave. But I'm just thankful they decided to come and visit.

Ceramic figurines from Juarez

Day at the museum

2010-08-11T20:56:00.004-05:00

Yesterday Tony, Maddy, and I went to the Museum of Science and History in Ft. Worth. I'd been really wanting to go, so Maddy could get a chance to play with all the interactive exhibits.

We started off in the exhibits for children. Maddy got to see what it was like inside a kaleidoscope, see the different waves made when you pull guitar strings, and play with the water exhibits. Since she is still quite young, she doesn't understand or know what is going on. But I think it was still a good experience for her to see and play with different things that she normally wouldn't be exposed to.

One of the featured exhbits were carved wooden toys from Mexico. They were really neat and so artiistically made. They had some brightly painted furniture the kids could sit on, and little toys like dolls they could play with. Maddy loved this one little doll and kept hugging it, she didn't want to give it up! When we were going to leave, she tried to take the chair with us :-p

Model of first hangglider

Mexican toy exhibit

Mexican toy exhibit

Mexican toy exhibit

Dia de los Muertos skeletons

My Saturday

2010-08-08T00:05:00.004-05:00

Today was a pretty good day for the most part. I was very tired this morning (stayed up until 5-6 AM due to restless legs again :-(). But we took a small trip to the Farmer's Market. It was another really hot day, but we had a lot of fun. We bought lots of produce (peppers, cherry tomatos, scallions, grapes, strawberries, honey etc.). I think Maddy had a good time, as we got to sample a lot of the fruit. Unfortunately since it was so hot it made our experience very uncomfortable. I know I was exhausted within 20 min. We bought a couple agua frescas in pineapple and melon. They were really good!

Restless sleep

2010-08-06T18:35:00.002-05:00

I am feeling so exhausted right now. I did not get any sleep last night. Normally it would be due to the horrible summer heat or Maddy staying awake. But sadly no, it was my RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). I'm one of those who suffer from it, and it really sucks. But lately, since being pregnant. I've been having more experiences with it. It's really horrible, because I can't get any relief from the irritating tingling creepy/crawling sensation going up my legs.

As a result I stayed up all night. Maybe catching 15 min. of ZZZs at one point. I didn't finally get to sleep till around 7 or 8 AM. Even then I only slept for a couple hours. Now I'm paying for it. And constantly being up and about with a toddler doesn't help. Let's hope I can find some relief tonight.

Anniversary

2010-08-03T22:52:00.002-05:00

Yesterday (Aug 2) was Tony's and my marriage anniversary. So we've been married for 7 years now. For the past couple years we haven't really been celebrating it that much. I mean, how can we, when we're taking care of Maddy. So I was surprised when Tony came home with some roses and a card. It made me really happy. He even took Maddy and I out to dinner. All in all, I had a really nice time.

Swapping break

2010-07-05T01:13:00.002-05:00

Since my hubby and I are working to pay off our debts (mortage on house, student loans, etc). I have to take a break from swapping for awhile. Yes, I vowed to 'take a break' many times before. Yet I always ended up slipping. And one tag or small 1 postage stamp swap, led to more and more. It's an addiction!

I half thought to delete my Swap-Bot account. But decided against it, since I worked so hard to build my ratings. And it's not like I want to leave forever. Maybe once I can safely go a few months without swapping, and keep it that way; then I'll go back.

It has been very hard on my part not to want to check in. The few times I've done so, were to check for PMs, rate a partner, and monitor the swap I'm hosting.

In the meantime I hope to make some new friends in other communities and maybe a pen pal or two. I'm always happy to exchange letters/e-mails and build lasting friendships.

So here's to a new future w/o swaps :-P

It's a girl!

2010-06-21T12:24:00.004-05:00

Last Monay was my 19 wk OB appt. My doctor did a sonogram, and from the looks of it, seems this little one is going to be a girl. Since she couldn't identify anything that might hint to the baby being a boy. My NT scan on Thursday confirmed that it was a baby girl. While we were hoping for a boy this time around. I know this little girl we be just as awesome, and sweet, and mischievous as my Maddy. And twice the giggles, kisses, and hugs can't be all bad! :-)

Spring cleaning

2010-05-27T17:16:00.006-05:00

Since I'm home all day with Maddy, I thought I'd make myself useful and get to some much needed organizing and cleaning. I have all my craft supplies shoved into boxes and bags. All my fabric was packed in a big ol' box of diapers from Costco.

I started organizing my supplies on Monday; going through 3 plastic bins of general supplies: wooden stamps, thread, markers, misc. odds and ends. The fun and headache part came with all these bags of ribbon I have. Sure, I have several spool fulls neately organized in another med. size plastic bin. But I had so much loose ribbon I accumulated through Swap-bot.

I cut up an old cardboard box into smaller rectangles, and wound the ribbon/trim around them; color coding them. The peices that were too small (less than 10 inches) I put into a small baggie. I put fancy trims into another plastic bag, lace and embroidered ribbon in another. I need to find another bin to put them in, but at least they are more organized rather than in one big jumble.

Yesterday I tackled that big box of fabric. Most of my fabric I kept in individual bags or envelopes (pretty much what they came in when I got them from the store/online). I'd just take them out whenever I needed them. Maddy had a blast during this time, playing with all my stuff. She'd drape ribbons round her neck like necklaces, or make piles of fabric to lay on.

I cleared 3 shelves from my crafting bookcase. The top row was for full yards and soft Minky (originally purchased during my first pregnancy, to make baby bedding). The second shelf was for half yards, and some of my favorite fabric purchased online (European, Japanese, and designer). Next to it were my "fancy fabrics" as I call them (tulle, satin, organza, sequins). And the shelf below that are for all my fat quarters and fabric scraps.

I think to a non-crafter they'd say I have a lot of stuff. Heck, I would have agreed with them 4 years ago when I wasn't crafting. But whatever craft/art you dabble in, you're gonna need supplies and a stash of stuff to have on hand.

baby and birthday

2010-05-20T13:20:00.004-05:00

My 15 week OB appointment on Monday went well. I had to have a chlamydia test (yeah, not fun at all). But on the plus side I did get another ultrasound. Baby's looking good. His/her legs were crossed, so we could't see if it was a boy or girl. But I'm not disappointed at all. I would rather wait till the doctor is pretty certain, than guess right now.

My birthday was yesterday, on the 19th. I'm 27 now. In the past few years, I haven't really noticed my birthday too much. Before it was always a big deal (for me at least). Lately though, it just seems to creep up on me.

Baby news

2010-04-20T14:48:00.006-05:00

I got rid of my pregnancy blog, and will just be posting any baby news here. Last Friday was my latest OB appt. This time it was at a new office. My old OBGYN was in Arlington (which is an hour away). He recommended a friend of his from med school who worked in Rowlette (closer to where we live). Though I hated to switch doctors/clinics I knew it wasn't the smartest thing to be traveling an hour each way for my appts.

My new OB, Doctor Ruiz is very nice. Though she has a strong accent, which can be difficult to understand at times. Since I'm only 11 wks along, there isn't much they can do at the appointments during this time (just answer questions, write prescriptions, etc.). But the nice thing was I did get to have another ultrasound :-)The baby hasn't changed much since last time (still looked like a little peanut). But it was more active this time, I could see it's little arms and legs wiggling around.

This was taken at my 2nd to last appt.; I was about 8 wks along. The GA is incorrect on the sonogram. The baby is the lighter gray figure in the small black circle.

New shipment

2010-03-30T23:45:00.004-05:00

Today I received the shipment of appliques and cabachons I ordered for my shop. I will be taking pictures of them and listing them in the next week. I really hope I'll attract the attention of more customers.

Another update

2010-03-16T16:30:00.003-05:00

Last week was really bad for me. I was feeling so depressed. We spent Saturday at my parents' so that made me feel a little better. So far this week has been ok. I did manage to order some new things for my shop, cute cabachons and appliques. I really hope they'll draw in some more customers.

Big news: ups and downs

2010-03-08T14:12:00.007-06:00

Last week I just discovered (to my utter surprise) that I'm pregnant! This was completely unexpected as Dh and I were not trying AT ALL for another baby. Secondly, we had such a hard time conceiving our first, that I figured I wouldn't be able to get pregnant on my own without seeking medical help.

To be quite honest I was very upset about this. It was just not in our plans. I wanted to wait a few years before trying again. In the meantime we are paying off our debts (car, house, student loans...). I feel having another baby right now would just throw everything off balance. Also, I don't know how I can manage taking care of TWO children under the age of 3. I already have my hands full with one baby, I don't need another.

I am trying to work through my fears and worries. I have to remind myself that this is a blessing. And 5 years ago, I would have loved for a little "surprise" like this. But after having Maddy, I now know all the responsibility and committment that comes with having a child. And while it can be fun at times, it's a lot of hard work. I can only imagine what it will be like when she's a teenager! I have started a pregnancy blog to help me document this pregnancy and work through my concerns Sweet Peas and Peanuts

More cute fabrics!

2010-03-04T15:13:00.003-06:00

I just listed two more cute Japanese fabrics in my shop. Cosmo's Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, and Alice in Wonderland. They feature black silouettes with pretty gold detailing to give some extra sparkle. Priced at $4.30 USD (I also ship international).

More crafts

2010-03-02T21:46:00.004-06:00

A few weeks ago I participated in a Red Riding Hood themed matchbox swap on Swap-bot. While I did tell my hubby I would lay off the swapping for awhile, I loved the theme so much I couldn't resist!

I decorated the outside with red satin, and printed out a vintage children's book page. I added some red glitter to the cape. Though I wished I hadn't because I think it looks better without the glitter.

For the fillers I included lots of red seed and bugle beads, some stones, gems, organza ribbon, a couple fairy tale sticker flakes, and 2 felt images. I used an existing Decole image as inspiration for the wolf, and made up the red riding hood myself.

For an extra I used some of Japanese fairy tale fabric from my shop (it was an offcut remnant from another sale). One side shows little red and the other wolfie and Grannie's cottage. I was really pleased with how it turned out :-)

What's cooking?

2010-03-01T14:48:00.005-06:00

Last Sunday we made sushi for dinner. I never wanted to make it before (I thought it would be complicated, and the idea of working with vinegar and fish didn't appeal to me). But after watching a show on IonLife I decided to give it a shot. We bought some of the stuff at our local Vietnamese grocery store (nori, vermicelli, sesame seeds, and rolling mats). And several of the ingredients at walmart (cucumber, sprouts, krab, lox, etc). For the Japanese short grain rice, I used the free bag that came with my fabric order from a Japanese shop overseas (I ordered so much stuff, they threw it in as a freebie :-p) We made California rolls, Philadelphia rolls, and our own combination. Some beginner's mistakes we made were soaking the nori too long in the water (just leave it in water for a couple seconds, to make it pliable). And don't over fill the sushi when you roll it.

Cute fabrics

2010-01-14T13:33:00.004-06:00

I just listed a bunch of cute Japanese fabrics in my shop. Mostly fat quarters, priced between $3.14 to $4.78. Come check em out :-)

My favorite fabrics of 2009

2010-01-11T23:49:00.003-06:00

Kim Kight at True Up is having a Favorite Fabrics of 2009 Giveaway, and so I thought I'd try my luck and enter. It was really interesting reading others' favorites and discovering new blogs in the process. Here's my list of favs for 2009:

1. Favorite Quilting Weight Cotton Collection - Far Far Away by Heather Ross. There's such a dreamlike quality to the whole collection

2. Favorite Trend (Motifs) - Mushroom's and hearts from Windham Fabrics "Merry Mushrooms"

3. Favorite Trend (Colors) - I'm really loving red and aqua combinations

4. Favorite Overall Designer - Heather Ross, followed by Alexander Henry

5. Favorite Novelty Print - I'm really into whimsical woodland. Like Jay McCarroll's Woodland Wonderland collection or Michael Miller's Gnomeville

6. Favorite Floral Print - Jennifer Paganelli's "Pretty Please". I love how the damask and flowers blend together

7. Favorite Print from Japan - Lecien's Minny Muu. I just ordered some fabric with the little whales ;-)

8. Favorite Juvenile Print: Boys, Girls - Again, gotta love all those frogs, whales, and strawberries from Lecien's Minny Muu

9. Favorite Fabric Shop - Fabric Worm

10 Favorite New Fabric You Worked With in 2009 - Anything from Kokka

Update

2010-01-05T19:37:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone,

I know I haven't been updating my blog, or renewed stuff in my shop in awhile. Currently, I'm working on adding new items to my shop. I just got in a bunch of cute fabrics, I hope will appeal to more customers. Also, I plan on posting a tutorial or two (just need to find the time to work on them, and take pics).

Great finds

2009-12-05T22:59:00.006-06:00

We just moved into our new house a couple weeks ago. As a housewarming gift, my grandmother sent us a check to buy a new couch/sofa (currently we don't have one). So we went furniture shopping this weekend. Along the way, we stopped by a thrift store and I found these awesome super cute canister sets, with vintage looking mushrooms on the outside. I bought them for $6.00! The tops do have some cracks in them. So, I think I'll use them to store my craft supplies, instead of putting flour or sugar in them.

We stopped by Tuesday Morning (never been there before). And I saw this cute little Alice in Wonderland tea set. It was $25, and Tony was hesitant to buy it (even though he really likes the book). But I told him, what are the chances of us coming back again and finding it. So we bought it. I want to decorate Maddy's nursery with it. So, these were my latest awesome store finds.

We put up our Christmas tree last night. I really wanted to get a real tree this year. But Tony wanted to save on money and the hassle of a real tree. And so we are putting up our little 4 foot fake tree this year. But next year, we'll get a real one :-) So here is our humble little tree. Most of the ornaments were placed on the top, since little miss Maddy would pull them if they were at the bottom.

Update

2009-11-17T12:51:00.004-06:00

I haven't been online to blog in awhile. We're currently in the process of moving to our new house. We're hoping to be finished moving by Thanksgiving. Also, Maddy and I have recently come down with colds :-( It's horrible

But I recently discovered The Paper Place is having another big giveaway. So check 'em out and enter to win! :-D

More new listings

2009-10-24T22:16:00.002-05:00

Floral organza (1/2 yd) - $14.00

Cream colored lace (1/2 yd) - $5.00

Homemade bread

2009-10-22T15:14:00.005-05:00

My husband's been on a kick for making bread. He's tried making different kinds: sour dough, whole wheat, garlic and rosemary, and the latest was a sweet bread. Here are pictures of the making of it.

Here is the dough after it was left to rise (I think it was for 45 min.)

Rising some more (after 30 min.)

Rose some more

Here is the bread with the filling. Made of ricotta (we didn't have cream cheese), and frozen berries (blueberries and raspberries). Then he braided the ends together.

Here is the bread after we took it out of the oven

Visit to the dentist

2009-10-21T19:03:00.005-05:00

While there are some truely wonderful and joyous times in life. There are also some real sucky times. Today was one of the those times. Hubby and I had a dentist appt. That in itself was enough to ruin my day. Why? well, I've always hated going to the dentist (all that scraping, drilling sounds, foul tasting cleaning agents, metal tools, etc) I hated it since I was little. So as an adult, I stopped going to those painful(but ever important) visits. BIG MISTAKE.

Since I hadn't been going to my bi yearly cleanings. I had a lot of built up plaque on my teeth that had hardened and calcified. Thus creating a bad breeding ground for bacteria and creating "pockets" in between my teeth and gums. Though they prefer the space between teeth and gums to be 3 mm. Mine were a little bigger. And I had a couple that were 6 mm. Yep, not cool!

So they did a thorough cleaning to scrape away all that calcified plaque. And now, I'm going to have to go back for more frequent cleanings. Probably every 3 months instead of every 6. So they can clean under those pockets.

The hygenist did say that the pockets tighten after awhile, thus creating smaller gaps. But considering I did have some bigger pockets. They might not shrink back down to 3 or 4 mm.

Other than the plaque stuff. The dentist said my teeth were pretty healthy. And I'm still cavity-free (finally good news!)Poor Tony did have some cavities and had to have those filled. But more bad news was to follow...

I have to have oral surgery done; to remove my wisdom teeth that never fully grew in. Sad to be me, huh? There was nothing I could do about the wisdom teeth though. That was just the way they grew. While I could very well, ignore it. I've learned my lesson about neglecting my dental health. So, hopefully sometime next year (sooner than later, I hope). I'll get them removed.

So yeah, that was my day. Moral of this story. Even though you hate the dentist, they're there for a reason...

New listings

2009-10-19T14:19:00.009-05:00

Newly listed items in my shop. Check em' out :-)

Assorted fabric budles:

Cotton Fabric $4.00

Indian inspired fabric $3.50

Eurpean and Japanese imported fabric $4.50

Designer wallpaper packs:

Asian inspired wallpaper $4.00

Country cottage inspired wallpaper $4.00

Love Marie

2009-10-01T14:51:00.005-05:00

Recently, I just completed a swap called the Marie Antoinette Tag swap. I originally wasn't going to join it. I am trying to limit my swapping (and hopefully quit for the time being. Until I can make more money through my shop or tutoring).

I had originally signed up for another swap, where we were to send our partners a 6x9 inch envelope filled with glittery, sparkly, and fancy crafting items. Unfortunately, I saw another swapper I did not like (the one who regifted 95% of what I'd sent her), was in that swap. So after some back and forth with my conscience. I withdrew from the swap. As much as I would have loved to be in it. I did not want to deal with being her partner, if we were potentially paired up. I am still very angry and sore over the whole ordeal (esp. since I never confronted her about it). Anyways, in need of something else to fill my glittery/fancy desires, I saw the M.A.T. swap, and decided to join. I figured I could get my fix in other ways, besides an envelope of crafting items.

Since Marie is the personification of all things beautiful, fancy, decendant, and extravagant I figured it would be perfect for me to use what items I had on hand (though I did end up buying a few things like trim and satin roses). When I have to make multiples of anything (like ATCs or tags etc.). I usually like to make each one diff.

So I printed off the images online, got together my feathers, paper scraps (many of which I received in swaps), ribbon, and gems. And assembled the tags. Two of the cardstock tags, I had received in blueskysunburn's blog giveaway (so they came in very handy!). The other tag, I made from a peice of cardboard packaging that once held batteries. It was a b**** to cut, but when I did I covered both sides with patterned paper. I really put my heart into making these. I even wrapped them in pink tissue paper (so it would be like a little gift waiting to be opened), and used my favorite pink stationary set (which I actually bought at the Dollar store :-p lol).

They were sent to: AmandaC, tinymatchboxstudio, and Snoopy

This tag, I received from Mishybelle. I love how the blue and pink color accents really stand out. Unfortunately, you can't really tell in the picture.

I am hoping to add similar tags/images to my Etsy shop. So please be on the lookout :-)

Hurray for mail!

2009-10-01T14:15:00.004-05:00

Early this week, I had a good mail day :-) I received these packages from several tags I was in, on swap-bot.

This is the random envie of fabric I tagged BEARSANDANNIES for, in the Fabric Fanatics group.

International used postage stamps sent as an RAK from Jazza. And a stickers grabbie angeled for me by 2boys2girls (after swtbrandy flaked on me).

Postcards from Switzerland, sent by ducky84 for Swap-bot forum's postcard tag. The one on the top is a city view of Zurich, and the one on the bottom is a view of the Schreckhorn mountain at Dawn.

Thank you so much to all my wonderful swapping buddies!!!

Secondhand finds

2009-09-26T21:18:00.005-05:00

Today we went to revisit the houses we were thinking about placing offers on (hubby and I are looking to buy a house). A couple of them were in Garland. We stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in the old downtown district. It was a really cute little area; with little restaurants and shops. I even saw an antique shop and a quilting shop. Yay! Anyways, we stopped by a consignment store, and there I saw these wonderful goodies: an old fabric sample booklet, some yarn, a baggie of mint green ribbon, and manilla tags. I did have to go digging around for them, but I'm glad I did. Dh pointed out that a year ago, I wouldn't have dared to enter a consignment/thrift store. While that's true (I was pretty snobby back then); after reading several blogs and things, I realize that there's a bunch of wonderful items to be had in such places. So I've learned my lesson ;-p

Stuff for RSC, and trades

2009-09-13T15:14:00.008-05:00

A couple months ago, I was contacted by Ilona over at Ready-Set-Create. A scrapbooking e-zine to see if I wanted to be a sponser. Of course I said yes, hoping it would be a way for me to gain some more exposure to my Etsy shop.

Here are some of the items I made:

Matryoshka tags

Seahorse and whale cards

More cute buttons
(Currently, not all of these items are in my shop. However if you would like a custom order, feel free to contact me :-)

I also participated in a trade with a fellow Etsy seller, www.yjja123.etsy.com (check her out) This is the beautiful necklace I received.

I especially love it, because it has my daughter's middle name (in English) engraved in the middle. It was by coincidence that the necklace said "hope", she has another one that says "joy" (also very pretty!)

It could happen to you...

2009-09-12T22:57:00.005-05:00

Last month, unbeknownst to me I had won a giveaway over at blueskysunburn's blog Trial and Error. Here's the story...

I was checking out my different groups on Flickr, and came across her post that she was having a giveaway contest at her blog. I was already several weeks late, but went to check it out anyways. The prize was awesome! a box of destashed goodies. I went ahead and signed up. At first I wasn't even going to enter, because I assumed I was too late for the drawing. But the prize looked so appealing I thought "What the heck? I'll try it anyways. If I'm too late, oh well.". I figured I wouldn't even win. Why? There were lots of participants and secondly, I hardly ever win . Maybe if I'm lucky a game at bingo.

A few weeks later, I was checking my blog and noticed a comment. A comment!! I thought "someone is actually reading my blog?!" It was Jennifer, notifying me I'd won her giveaway. I thought "what giveaway?" was it the Devil necklace over at the Sweet Galaxy blog? When I went to Trial and Error, I couldn't believe it. I had assumed someone else had already won it (because I hadn't received any e-mail or anything). I was actually a couple weeks late. So I was afraid it was too late to claim the prize, but I went ahead and contacted Jennifer. Lucky for me, I wasn't too late.

I guess what I'm trying to get at with this post is, don't give up hope. I thought there wasn't a snowball's chance in heck that I'd win such a wonderful prize. And while in general I don't usually win prizes, games, and giveaways. You never know, sometimes you may lose at one game, but something even better is bound to come along. Who knows, you may be surprised ;-)

Box of goodies

This is just a smattering of what was in the box

Fabric padded notebook tutorial

2009-09-02T16:49:00.016-05:00

Supplies:
notebook
quilt batting
fabric
scissors
glue gun

Step 1:
Cut out a rectangle of fabric, about the size of your notebook. I just laid the notebook on the fabric and cut around it.
* make sure to leave 2 inches of extra fabric along the perimeter

Step 2:
Cut out a square of batting about the size of your notebook's front and back covers.

Step 3:
Make 2 small slits along the middle (or spine) of your fabric. On the top and buttom of the fabric

Step 4:
Fold in the sides of the fabric (do not pull tightly), and glue them down with your glue gun
Repeat with other side
* Make sure to give your fabric about an inch or two of slack, before gluing down the sides. If you don't your notebook will have a hard time closing. I made this mistake, and you will see the correction.

Step 5:
If you want to cover the folds, take the first blank page of your notebook and glue it down over the folded fabric in the front. Do the same with the last page in your notebook, to the back side

Step 6:
(This is the correction)I cut up the spine of the book.

Taking a strip of fabric about 2.5 inches in width and about the length of the spine. I folded the edges down and hot glued it to both sides of the existing fabric.
* This is why the notebook has that satin border

Finished

Recent listings for Etsy shop

2009-08-30T16:30:00.003-05:00

Only $3.50

Only $3.50

Bottlecap pin cushion tutorial

2009-08-27T01:00:00.016-05:00

This tutorial is for a bottlecap pin cushion. This is the first tutorial I've done, so please bare with me. *Also anything written next to an asterisk is a note :-)

Tools/supplies you'll need:

* Felt
* fabric
* scissors
* hot glue gun
* needle
* thread or embroidery floss
* sequin trim
* stuffing (I used quilt batting)
* one ribbon spool (this is only to act as a template)
* AND one bottlecap! (the kind on plastic soda bottles)

Step 1:

Cut out a strip of felt that can comfortably wrap around the bottlecap with a tiny bit of overlap.
*Also be sure that the width of the felt is just slightly bigger than that of the bottlecap

Step 2: Cut out a circle of felt the size of the bottom of your bottlecap. (This is the bottom or "floor" of your pin cushion). Just trace around your bottlecap, and cut.

Step 3:

Take the ribbon spool and trace its shape onto your fabric. (You can also cut a 4x4" sqaure of fabric and round out the corners). After you have your circular pattern, cut around it.
*This will be the head of the pin cushion, so choose your fabric accordingly

Step 4:

Wrap the strip of felt around your bottlecap, and with your threaded needle sew the overlapped sides together. (I just use a simple straight stitch). This will act as the "wall" or sides of your pin cushion.
*If you want to your stitches to show. Use a different color than the felt

Step 5:

Stitch the "floor" to the "wall". Just go around in a circle and stitch.
*This is where the little extra bit of felt of the "wall" will come in handy.

Step 6:

Take your fabric circle and baste all around the perimeter
*basting is a very loose running stitch

Step 7:

Gather the ends of the thread and pull gently. When the fabric has gathered to create a small "bowl"; take some of your stuffing and roll it into a ball. Place it in the "bowl" and pull the thread firmly and gently
*Add a little more stuffing than you think will fit. Because you want your pin cushion's head to be taut.

Step 8:

Stitch the gathered fabric ends together to secure it.

Step 9:

Stitch the head of the pin cushion to the bottlecap body, going around in a circle. I used a blanket stitch, but you can use whatever stitch you'd like.

Step 10:

Time for embellishing! Take your trim or beads or whatever you'd like to decorate the sides with. And with your hot glue gun, glue it all around the base of the pin cushion.

Tah dah! You're done :-)

Just an update

2009-08-22T20:44:00.004-05:00

For anyone who reads this blog. I'm know it's been awhile since I posted. As an update. I hope to add new things to my Etsy shop in the next few days (more buttons and a few altered tags). Also, I've taken some pictures for two crafting tutorials (one of them being how to make a small pin cushion). I just need to find the time to assemble the pics and write out the steps. So please be on the look out for them. Thanks so much to all who read. I very much appreciate it.

Большое спасибо!

more ATCs

2009-08-10T16:56:00.007-05:00

These are some ATCs I made and received on Swap-bot.

Cupcake ATC I received from Junkolove

Gypsy ATCs I made for BrendaMarie. I used bright green fabric on the one on the left, and sewed coin embellishments to it. For the other card, on the bottom I glued gold scrapbooking paper from The Paper Company. And I sewed a tassel that I got on sale at Wal-mart. The pictures were images found online.

Indian ATCs sent to raven. For the ATC on the left, I painted the cardstock with a gold paint. After it dried I cut some embroidered Indian fabric to the size of the ATC and sewed it on. The images are of statues of Shiva and Parvati. For the card on the right, the image is a Mogul painting. I covered her skirt with glitter, sewed flower sequins onto the bottom of the card. The "tambourine" (in her hand) is a link from beaded bracelet I received from the aforementioned de-stashed swap.