Great Pumpkin, Pretties for sale, and costume update

So it isn't even 7pm, and it is dark as midnight... when is Daylight Savings Time? But it makes the perfect ambiance for some Halloween movies, popcorn, and cuddle time on the couch. Of course, the Halloween movies will be G rated, and the scariest thing will be when Linus is spooked by Snoopy, but that is ok. I was going to make popcorn balls today, but I feel completely deflated after ruining two huge pans of pumpkin seeds yesterday :( It totally bummed me out. Trying to multi-task, I was carving pumpkins, keeping the twins away from sharp knives, baking seeds, looking for tea lights, chatting with my in-laws... the next thing I know, I smell smoke.

Many bad words were said. By me. My husband and his parents all ate handfuls, trying to convince me that the seeds weren't too burned... It was a sweet gesture, but by dinnertime, Steve's stomache was killing him, and I blamed the seeds.

I did manage to get some pretties listed on Etsy. My new favorite craft is altering and embellishing boxes. I had so much fun making the ones for my Halloween party, and I can't wait to make more! I also have a Halloween scrapbook layout up for grabs on eBay. It ends tonight, so you could get a deal!





I got the finishing touches for the twins' costumes today: pirate hat and hook, cowboy hat and badge. I also was delighted to find a little stick horse that Johnny can carry around (I know, I know - I will end up carrying it before the night is through, but it will be soooo darn cute!). I just need to cut Mikey's pants all jaggedy, and I think we are all set! Johnny insists he needs cowboy boots, but I think I have him talked into wearing his snow boots...

Don't forget tonight is the deadline to enter your cards for Pixie Cottage's first challenge! Woo hooo! I am having a blast seeing the cards made with my sketch.

Take care :) I am off to snuggle the munchkins (who are playing much too quietly... hmmmm...) and wait for the Great Pumpkin....

It is Sunday evening, and the kids are quietly playing... so I am stealing a moment to myself! I picked up this little cheesy Pirate Costume Kit, and Johnny is having a blast pretending to find treasure. He is wearing the eye patch, the hook hand thing, and growling "Arrrr!" at me each time I look at him. He cracks me up. Mikey is rearranging all of my wood mounted stamps. Apparently he thinks they belong with his dinosaurs next to my sewing machine...

So what have you got cooking tonight? I have a hankering (yes, I actually said hankering ) to make some Holiday Planners... I try to be organized, and tell myself if I have a pretty organizer, I will be more organized... Plus it gives me an excuse to play with paper. Then I want to list some goodies on eBay tonight, do some blog hopping... I had the boys home twice this week with wee coughs, and as a result I haven't had as much time to make the rounds like I like to :)

Hey, did you notice my new banner? I got it from Shabby Blogs (if you haven't been, you need to - her banners and backgrounds and buttons are darling and FREE!) and tinkered with some backgrounds I had from Shabby Miss Jen (whose designs are darling and very reasonably priced)... I felt the need for a more "autumnal look."

Ok, must go. I need to make sure Johnny doesn't decide that Mikey needs to walk the plank.

Not too shabby... chic :)

I have been doing the cards so much lately, that I feel like I have neglected my scrapbooking! After making the teapot card and playing with fabulous Graphic 45 papers, I decided to make a layout. I decided to go more shabby and chic, more like the layouts in my personal albums. I love black and white/off-white, and the shot of pink adds a touch of "Sex in the City" for me :)

One of my favorite little touches are tiny tags. Perfect for adding a name or a date, they are the just-right-bit-of-color near the photo mats...

My button obsession carries over, too, since the brads I used are tiny little button brads :)

This layout has no paper piecing, but instead lets the papers work their magic. Lots of distressing, lots of layering, and shabby edges galore! I am listing it on Sunday night on Ebay.

Ingredients
Papers: Graphic45, Cosmo Cricket, MyMindsEye, Bazzill Cardstock
Embellishments: Chipboard letters, little paper tags, brads
Techniques: Painting, inking, distressing

So many cards...and FREE SHIPPING offer :)

With all of the challenges I have been doing, in addition to just making cards for the fun of making cards... I have a ton of cards! Some of you know that I sell scrapbook pages and such on eBay and Etsy, so I decided to put some of my cards up in my shops :) Some are cards you may have seen here on my blog, and others are creations that no one has seen yet. I plan to stay up late tonight and stock up my shops! If you do buy from my eBay or Etsy store, just mention you found me through my blog and I will give you FREE SHIPPING! I have cards, altered tins, blog banners... Take a peek!

So long, Summer...

With summer winding down, I start to feel like I am "nesting." I want to organize the whole house, put the summer clothes to the back of the closet, and start looking for good soup recipes... Maybe because I am such a nerd, or because I was an English teacher, I love this time of year. Nothing makes me happier than a cup full of super sharp pencils and a stack of clean, white paper. I love school supplies! New notebooks and clean slates, a time for fresh starts and tidy backpacks. Ah... September is just around the corner, and with it the promising potential of fall, where fresh starts are like a shiny clean blackboard.


Sometimes I miss my blackboard.


Maybe I will work on some "Back to School" layouts this week. Sharpen my pencils and such.

I haven't totally dismissed summer, however. I just completed, and listed on eBay, two layouts. One is a wedding themed page, perfect for that "first page" in an album. I wanted to keep it simple, so that when photos are placed on the mats, they will be real showstoppers! I love making my little churches. For some reason, I like the brown shingles best...
The other is a sweet reminder of summer - fresh lemonade and sweet fruit, relaxing on those long hot days... Every once in a while, I get motivated to make a little fuzzy bear. My bears are a bit old fashioned, but they make me happy! :)

Well, I am off to find some fresh pencils and a clean, new notebook...

Teddy Bear Princess

I had made this cutie little bear a while ago, and couldn't figure out what to do with her... then I dressed her like a princess and gave her a castle.

I want someone to dress me like a princess and give me a castle...

Ah, but that is the fun of creating. In my non-princess life I get to make lush landscapes and fierce dragons, tranquil twilights and sleepy teddy bears. I get to create stories, not just with words, but with paper and ink, ribbon and fabric. Pretty neat when you really stop and think about it...

This little cutie is on a layout I have listed on eBay.