stuff on my cat...

ok, not to be too whinny, but those snow days really threw me off my schedule. 

and then i got sick.

{i know, whine whine whine...}

anyway, you thought i was bored? husband resorted to piling stuff on the cat:

but don't worry, i've spent my time curled up on the couch and away from the computer well, as evidenced by my crafting/scrap/trash jar. it's crafty strata!

i promise to start sharing the projects tomorrow when i'm fully recovered from all my time off {yes, it's true. like when you need a vacation from a vacation...}
 also, i'm putting together something special for next week!

sneak peek

for whatever reason this has been a crazy week for me. not necessarily busy, but crazy. most of this craziness has been craft-induced and i've got so many craft projects to show you! but first i need to settle down and take some photos. 

so until then, here's a couple sneak peeks:

i also just added some new things to my shop and i would love it if you took a look! it still needs a lot of work {especially the photos} but little by little i'm getting there.

laugher is the best medicine

i've been stressed, which is no secret. but one of the main stresses is my mom's recent breast cancer diagnosis {which is all i'll say about that}

so, true to my family's form, i dealt with the news with craft therapy and humor.

and then sent my mom a little package with this "tasteful and classy scarf", as i referred to it in the accompanying card.

a boobie scarf!
{knit by me}

she laughed so hard she cried. and it arrived just in time to relieve a little stress. and while it's been really hard to be so far away from her right now, i feel like i'm finally there, in spirit if not in body. 
we all need a boobie scarf now and then :)

craft therapy

my number one way to relieve stress. {also my number one way to have fun}

nothing fancy, just a couple small projects i've done this week.

somewhat out of character, hubby let me snap this photo of him in the new shirt i made him.

{i felt that as masters student in english, he really needed this}

 i used a plain shirt from target. he loves the really soft ones.

i also made a few trinkets for me. like earrings. since my hair is so short i realized that i need more post earrings. 

{large fabric covered buttons with green string, and wooden discs painted red with geometric doodles}

{large and small fabric covered buttons} 

the orange circles are a little wonky, but still pretty cool.

last day of school cupcakes

today was the last day of school. we had so much fun! and one of the things i did with my kids was give out "awards" {you know, stuff like best laugh, mr. nice guy, miss congeniality, ect} so to go along with the little certificates i made up, i gave out these "award ribbon" cupcakes.

{fruit roll-up ribbons and white chocolate and sprinkle letters}

don't they look cool all together?

and if you're wondering how i carry all these cupcakes around, it's in this awesome carrier my mom gave me a few years ago. 3 stack-able tiers that fit inside a carrier with handles. very awesome. {and for me, a must-have}

t

they were a hit! and a lot of fun to think up. definitely not perfect, but then again, i wasn't really going for perfection :)

crafty guest posting

come see me on joanne's craft blog today. 

especially if you want to make one of these:

{the terrarium that is}

stamping wishlist

i don't do a lot of stamping {i just dabble} but when i run across stuff like this, it makes me want to take it up as a serious hobby. 

camera rubber stamp

 turning the mount into a camera? way too cool.

i

wooden deco line

 i can see making some adorable cards with matching envelopes with these. i can't even pick a favorite.

f

vintage office rubber stamp kit

to send some adorable packages. among other things.

p

love stamp set

possibly my favorite of the bunch. and hubby always like handmade cards :)

anyway, i just couldn't resist sharing part of my wishlist.

and tomorrow, i'm gonna show you how my chair project is going. i'm excited!

the (possibly too ambitious) chair project

this is it. the chair. the chair that has worn corners, and permanent cat hair {the only cat-hair-covered item we own} the chair that husband loves to read it, and i try to pretend is not there.

and since i'm so honest, and have no shame, this is what it really looks like:

::shudder::

 but did i mention that husband loves it?

so my plan {for over a year now} has been to cover it. but fabric is expensive, and i've never done anything like this before so i keep putting it off. but last weekend when i was home i found this twin comforter my big sister gave my mom, and the colors are perfect! and it's awesome! and i was lamenting the fact it wasn't big enough for our bed. 

{tan cotton heavy twill, corduroy stripes, and houndstooth/paisely wool}

see how well it matches our rug!?

and then i was struck by genius. i'm recovering our chair with it. 

 yup, that's right. i'm covering our chair with a blanket. 

and it's gonna be awesome! {if i don't totally screw it up}

  {matching pillow sham}

i've never attempted any project like this before, so i decided to attack it in steps:

step 1: go to the library and check out lots of books on how to do it.

step 2: look at the pictures {don't actually read anything} and feel confident that this project will be a breeze. {cause the pictures make it look so easy!}

step 3: drink some iced tea, and start tomorrow!

ok no, i've already started, but i'll let you know when {if} i finish. i fully expect this project to take me weeks cause i prefer to learn by trial-and-error. {which can be quite time consuming} but i'm excited! 

wish me luck?

busy little sewing bee

i've been at my sewing machine all day. 

ok, most of the day.

and last weekend. 

 just makin stuff. nothing too fancy, but here's a little peek anyway:

bestie birthday package

i love it so much, i hung it on my door.

my lovely package from my bestie.
{how to describe it? accordion folding envelopes full of goodies, complete with a collage on the back} 

yes, i have the best friend in the world. i honestly have no idea how she did this, and how she made it so perfect, but it is!

i am one lucky girl.

{and in case you didn't know, today is her birthday! so make sure you go send her some birthday love, too!}

my new favorite crafting supply

old library catalog cards.

i found them on a recent visit to the k-state library {with hubby} and they have them in stacks all over the place, to use as scrap paper. 

 a charming idea.

i just haven't been able to resist sticking them on anything and everything. so if you're getting something from me in the mail anytime soon, you'll be sure to see these babies making an appearance!

{and ps- my birthday is tomorrow {yay!} and i'm planning an april fool's day party for the kids at school and i'm super excited about it. i'll be sure to share all the details soon!}

crafty mail love

nothing puts a smile on my face like a nice letter. 

especially when it's cute and crafty.

these are some of the letters i've gotten recently.

handmade envelope from my bestie:

and wonderful handmade card:

complete with adorable drawing inside:

and my cousin sends me letters written on old pages of travel magazines.

way too cool.

she also sent me a list of old movies to watch, and a paint card with one of the colors from her sister's upcoming wedding.

anyone else want to send me something? or maybe you want a little something from me? email me! i love to spread the snail mail love <3

{angelinaladawn@gmail.com}

my messy spring break

it's spring break!

my plans? craft craft craft. {and some other stuff too, but it's not as important}

my first project? a birthday present for a certain special someone.

and me? i work better surrounded by all options. 

{see the little angie shaped hole there in the middle?}

yeah, something like that.

{i guess it might be redundant to say that it's a paper craft}

good thing hubby doesn't mind walking over a "mess" {but i know where every little thing is, so there's no mess in my eyes} i also like watching movies mid-craft, so i'm set up in front of the tv. 

i just finished the duchess. loved it!

anyone have any other movie recs? {foreign films are out since i can't read subtitles and craft at the same time}

and sadly, i can't reveal this project until said person has received her birthday present. but i'll have some other things to show off later {altered violin case anyone?}

my knick-knack keeper

so i have this little knick knack shelf {that's what i'm gonna call it} and it's been looking pretty shabby since i got it {several months ago}

so i figure i have two options to make it work for me aesthetically:

1) keep it minimal and bare {so it doesn't get kitschy}

2) go all out, embrace the kitschy, and load it up.

 

so i went with option 2:

it's something i plan on adding and subtracting from at will, so i filled it will lots of little vintage trinkets {pins, figurines, buckles, randoms} and other little bits of things i like but don't know what to do with {string, ribbon, chipboard pieces, and more randoms}

it's kind of my inspiration board. so i put it with my crafty stuff.
and i think i like it.

who couldn't use more kitsch?

ye old sewing machine

i've been spending so much time with my sewing machine lately that i thought it was time i shared the story of its purchase with you.

many years ago, just before i went to off to college my mom bought me this oldish, but working, sewing machine at a garage sale. and it was great. i didn't use it a lot in those early college years, but i was comforted knowing that it was there, in the back of my dorm room closet. 

fast forward a few more years and i'm a newlywed. using my sewing machine a lot more (since i have my own little apartment now) and it stops working. so my wonderful new hubby says the first thing we're going to do is buy me a new machine for our first christmas together. yay! until then, i'll just borrowed my mother-in-laws.

so right after thanksgiving i go to the best sewing machine store in town, tell them what i'm looking for and lo and behold! they have the perfect machine for me, with all the features i want, and since it's refurbished, it's half price and has a 2 year warranty including any repairs it might need.

needless to say, i'm over-the-moon extatic and sad i have to wait until christmas to use it! {still just borrowing mother-in-laws}

so, sometime in january there's a problem and i take it in to get it repaired {which is pretty inconvenient because the shop is about 20 miles away}. i get it back a couple weeks later and it's fine. then a month later, the same problem: take it to get fixed, pick it up. and then it happens a third time. boo!

this time when i go to pick it up, they tell me that it's not a fixable problem, and they will credit me the money from that machine towards a different one. the only catch is that they don't have any similar machines in, so i either have to upgrade {a lot} or just wait indefinitely for one to come in. no refunds.

so hubby is pretty upset and he's explaining to the shop guy that we're newlyweds, and poor and this was my christmas gift, and 3 months later it's still not fixed properly. and we want our money back, which the guy says they can't do.

meanwhile, i start crying {you know, just tearing up a little} because i'm really really disappointed. {i hate crying in front of others, but i couldn't help it}

so they guy sees this, visibly feels bad, and basically says "ok! here, have a new machine!" 

so, i got myself a brand new, way more expensive machine. 

and all was right with the world <3

edit:  i'm not a big fan of pink, but somehow you have made me wish my machine was pink!
i guess the lighting in the photo is weird...standard white :(

i'm back!

i've been such a bad blogger this past week.

forgive me?

being under the weather early in the month put me way behind on sewing, so i've been busy trying to catch up.

the first step to making lots of new goodies?

replenishing my stock of tomato tags:

 

unfortunately, i didn't get any photos of my latest batch of bags, but i'll take some shoots of them in the store soon. and then {if they don't sell by the end of march} they'll be going to my etsy shop.

it feels good to be back! {and not be working like a maniac!} 

what have you been up to? i feel like i've missed so much 

valentine's swap

i'm back and all healthy again! {finally} thanks for all the warm wishes earlier this week <3

and now, as promised, my wonderful valentine's day swap cards:

breakfast at tiffany's card from micaela {who can no longer say she isn't crafty!}

 

from gayle {i just love the pattern combinations. so sweet}

from erin {with help from her boys} complete with a tea bag

 

from michelle {loving the grade-school nostalgia}

from caitlin {got a little squished in the mail, but i adore the feather and lace}

  

and one more, from my sweet mom, who also sent a little gift card so hubby and i can have a night out :)

i loved doing this swap! it always put a big smile on my face to receive a sweet handmade card. thanks to everyone who participated {and lets do another one soon, k?}

valentiny treat

oh valentine's day. not my favorite holiday {although i don't dislike it} but let me tell you what i do like: making things, receiving some snailmail, and sharing the love.

 so this valentine's day my bestie and i are hosting a card exchange!

i'm excited.

This swap requires you to dust off your best grade-school-art-class moves and get down and dirty making something sweet for 5 new friends. Nothing big and fancy, just a little snail-mail love. In return, you will receive 5 cards from fellow swappers.

If you want in on the bestie love, please e-mail sarah: helloauburnst@gmail.com by January 23rd. Leave your home address and your blog address, and whether you're willing to send a card internationally.

We'll e-mail you back with the names of the people who will be receiving your love notes that week. Then you'll have till the 14th to get them to everyone!

We hope you'll join us!

moms are the best

and crafty moms are even better!
this weekend i came home with tons of goodies. i raided my mom's crafty storage and anything i asked for was mine!
let me show you:

tons of buttons

piles of ribbon, piping, lace, bias tape and ric rak

zippers galore

gromets, studs, snaps, buckles and other various embelishments

and then it gets better!
my big sister left me tons of scrapbooking stuff.
tons.

specialty scissors, extra large shape punches, cutting blades, star flower and oval guides of all sizes, corner punches, acid free markers, paper cutters, boxes of double-stick tape refills and photo corners

packages of 12"by12" papers (double-sided) 12"by12" cardstock, tons of stickers, labels, velum, ect. and a satchel to hold them all in. seriously, this photo does no justice to the amount of goodies!

not pictured:
piles of fabric (mostly vintage), 2 dresses my mom made in college (read: vintage, homemade, awesome!)
many spools of thread and bobbins

and:
vintage necklaces, silk scarves and brooches from grandma

needless to say, christmas came early for this girl.

let the wild rumpus start!

max (probably up to no good, as usual)

flapper girls (birthday girl on the left)

coraline! (complete with alternate reality doll)

max and me!

photos from last night's halloween/birthday party
dinner at chili's followed by many rousing rounds of mafia! at said birthday girl's house
fun was had by all! (and my makeup held up pretty well, all things considered)

oh, and also josh let me tell his hair cut story. which is hilarious.
"i made a mistake didn't I?!?"
love it :)

i can't wait to see everyone else's costumes