Rubber Stamp Storage

I've been de-stashing my studio and selling some miscellaneous craft stamps here.
I've still more to list along with other craft supplies. Some you may discover in my shop, some I may rak of here. So don't stray far from my blog or you may miss out on some FAB treasure!

In the photo's here, I wanted to share with you a great (inexpensive) idea for storing craft stamps. I have been using those collapsible containers from IKEA. You get 3 to a pack, in assorted colors and are easy to store when not in use. I take the little ones ( see the red one?) to crops for paper scraps or trash.

I also use pull out drawers with clear front for my themed stamps.

In this tote, I have all my tags and background stamps.

And in this one, I have words and sentiments.

Of course this is not all my stamps! I also use wall spice racks to hold every day stamps and both my Halloween and Christmas stamps have their own container! I will show more stamp storage another time. Thanks for stopping by!

Lunch

On those days where it's nearly time to go to the market I make do for Dyllan's lunch with this and that in the fridge.

I laid out an assortment of things for him to make his "own" lunch. A mini wheat bagel w/a little mayo. sliced apples and yogurt, cheese, chicken and lettuce. Everything was just his size and even more delicious when he got to create his own lunch!

Bon -appetite!

A Sweet Celebration

Here's Dyllan talking to Grandma Mary-Helen, (my Mom) about all the things he did on Easter.


...a fantastic egg hunt and a basket of goodies...

...treats for Daddy and some for us...

...a beautiful spring centerpiece from my Mom, and a new Star Wars lego ship to build...

...a yummy picnic/egg hunt at the park with friends!
In the above picture, Melody (on the left) from Iran made a delicious potato egg salad in the shape of a bunny! Priscilla on the right hosted the party, she's from Brazil. When we have picnic play dates with the two of them bringing food, I rarely have room for dinner! Our boys play together often and they are such nice friends to have.
I don't know if you noticed...I got my hair cut. 16 inches off! It was so long, and my hair grows so fast. I have not updated my blog profile photo yet cause I have not had time to take a acceptable picture.
I promise to, this weekend at a all day charity crop, complete with one of my new Tiara's!

Spring Song

...is the name of our new dishes! Don't they look they pretty? We got these as our anniversary gift for the home last March at Target. You can see the whole set here.
Our wedding plates were from crate and barrel. plain and white. boring.
We desperately needed new dishes and Brian said I could pick them out as long as they were dishwasher and microwave safe. They are.
They bring color into the kitchen and are so pretty with the little birds.
I'm still reorganizing the cupboards to make them safe as they came with 4 mugs, 4 dinner plates, 4 salad plates and 4 shallow bowls.

Everyone's a Winner!

Including Me!
Look at the scrumptious goodies I received from Dianne's Creative Place!
There was a lot of oohs....and ahhhs...and inspiration conjured.


Also please congratulate Debby on her blog for winning the recycled bird feeder!
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Now for you!
All through the month of May, I'm having daily drawings for....
"April showers bring May flowers!"

What started as 10

Soon became 65!
Last Sunday I hosted a crop at my house and showed the girls how to make some easy flowers using my new Big Shot.


We played around with more techniques and other materials and long after the crop was over, I was still going strong!
I would like to share these with you!
In May for the whole month, I'll be giving them away!
Every time I start a new post, I'll go back to the previous post and randomly select someone to receive 3 flowers! I'll do this through all of May.
During that time, I'll be throwing in new flowers to the give away bunch composed of interesting materials and beautifully embellished!
When you win...you can add them to scrapbook pages, Cards, crowns...anything!

WIN a recycled Bird feeder in honor of EARTH DAY!

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
~Native American Proverb
In Celebration of Earth Day,
I am giving away a Bird feeder that you can attach to any window and watch your feathered friends have a snack! Feeder will also come with 2 large suction cup/hooks. Bird seed not included.


For your chance to win, please post here with your e-mail address no later than Friday, April 24th- midnight.
Thanks!
and Happy Earth Day!

Please join our 4th Charm Swap!

Please join us for a spring charm swap!
This will the 4th swap I host and all have been a joy!
The theme this year, is "Thing with Wings"
Below, you can see a charm made by Sheri Leseberg, from one of our earlier swaps.

Sign up's start now and end when we reach 25 participants.
All charms need to be in my hands no later than June 20th.
To be included in this sought after swap, you must do the following:
Post here and then e-mail me your name, mailing info and birthdate (optional)
Check out the link provided for idea's and start creating!
I will update this post with a list of participants as they sign up
Please include $5 cash or a priority postage stamp.
(Local's don't have to pay for shipping)
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~ Each participant will receive 2 extra charms from me, if their charms arrive on time!
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Your charms can be all the same or different, it's up to you!
There is no size limit as many will not put these on a bracelet, but instead make wall art, necklaces, and other adornments!
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You can get idea's from my past swaps of what materials can be used~ shrink plastic, wire, bottle caps, glass, recycled, felt,soldered, fabric, even buttons!
The only requirement I have it to make something that you would like to receive.
Please take time with your charms, ensuring their quality.
Jump rings are not required...you may make your own ring, or even attach a lobster claw.
*(Be sure to include a tag or business card containing contact info with each charm you make)*
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Please check out the following links for past swap inspiration!
Spring Charm Swap 2007
Spring Charm Swap 2008
Fall and Halloween Charm Swap 2008
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and for some more fabulous inspiration, you must go here!
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Once I receive your info, I will respond with my mailing address.
International is welcome but must be on time on with the shipping please!
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Last but not least, do to such a "huge" response to my pin cushion rak, I chose 3 winners!
Congratulations to the following.... Connie, Claudean, & Sue.
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Things with Wings~ Charm swap

1. Michelle (that's me!)
2. Sheri Leseberg
3. Sue Kruse
4. Mahala Elliot
5. Melinda (WCC )
6. Anne Kenney ( WCC )
7. Cher Hilly
8. Pam Hoffman (Wcc& Fiskateer)
9. Valerie Myers (Fiskateer)
10. Bianca Gaspard (Fiskateer)
11. Jessica Mount
12. Wendy Robrecht
13. Wanda Clark
14. Janet Snyder
15. Stacy Cakes
16. Holly Johnson (Fiskateer)
17. Lisa Livingston (Fiskateer)
18. Michelle Salazar (Fiskateer)
19. Veronica Noechel
20. Laura Bray (Wcc & Fiskateer)
21. Sherry Edwards
22. Laura Casey (Fiskateer)
23. Ruth Aubertine (Fiskateer)
24. Tracy Webster
25. Britta Waag
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Charm swap is now "Closed" and in Creating mode!
Please check back at the end of June for results from this swap!

Would you like a Pin Cushion?

Here are some Pin Cushions I've been making (on and off- for the past few weeks) be added to my shop. They are unfinished and waiting for the fancy trim,and vintage goodies... which is the best part! Post here no later than the end Thursday, California time and I'll send one lucky person a handmade one of a kind Pin Cushion! Good Luck!

Easter Egg Atc's

It's been a super busy week for us and it's not even Easter yet! Saturday I'm going to my monthly retreat, a all day crop with lots of crafty friends. 9am-9pm. The hard part is what to bring! This time, I'm actually working on 12x12 Lay out's of my family! No mini-books, or gifts this time.
Here is some of my art work. It's a Easter "egg" ATC swap I did with my Fiskateer girls.
I found some clear vinyl in a sale bin at walmart and painted it with a assortment of alcohol inks. For the other part of the egg, I used thin card board that was white on one side and brown on the other. I used a music sheet stamp with brown ink on the white side. I attached the painted vinyl with clear glue dots, then added my ATC info to the back!
Below...you can see what I recieved in return!
In the kitchen, I used a mini-cupcake tiered holder to rest some decorative painted eggs, and other ornaments.

I hope you all have a nice Easter! We will be joining some friends for a egg hunt at a park followed by a potluck. I hope the weather holds up! I'm looking forward to share with you what the Easter Bunny brings Dyllan...It's going to fun!

Tomatoes

There is nothing more enjoyable than eating warm tomatoes, fresh from the vine.
( from recent visit to my Mom's in Borrego Springs, CA)

Where I store my ATC baggies...

I bought this card board box at IKEA and the original colors were absolutely hideous!
So I cut and glued on a favorite floral paper that I've been holding on to forever because it was to pretty to use in a lay out...I'm sure you have some too!
Then I distressed the edges with vintage ink and distress stickles.

I put the black and white floral paper inside different size baggies and attached to the front of each bin so I knew where each one was at just a glance.

I do quite a few ATC swaps so this was a must. And the little baggies come in handy for the jewelry and glitter I make.
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Now before I forget...Congratulations to the winner of the craft book...Elizabeth!
Enjoy!

One more day to win!

Here's one more day to for a chance to win the book below!
Leave a comment below so I can keep track of them and be sure that your identity is not secret.
I'll draw a name late tonight.
I just got back from my Mom's in Borrego Springs yesterday.
Drove 3 hours straight to Scooters jungle here in Aliso Viejo and bounced away with Dyllan for 2.5 hours.
I'm still tired.
On top of that, we are meeting some friends at Disneyland in a few!
I was going to go to the beach tomorrow...but I might take the day off.
I'm looking forward to summer when I can spread stuff out for Dyllan and I to do and not cram everything into one Spring break week! lol!

Talk to you soon!

I'm giving away a Craft Book!

You can win this great book full of beautiful and easy gifts!
All I ask if for you to follow me here, Twitter, or add me to your blog roll so you don't miss out on future goodies!
Come back and let me know how you are following me
and I'll add your name to the drawing for each type of following!
Get 2 extra chances to win by posting about this give away on your blog!
I'll draw a winner Wed. April 8th- in the morning.
Thanks, and good luck!

Aprils Fool - Peas & Carrots

My Aprils fools joke on my family had good intentions but was a last minute idea and I really had no time to go from store to store looking for the right hue in candy.
I used jolly rancher green apple, and starburst orange.
You will want to heat up your candy for a few seconds in the microwave, a couple at a time.
Work with those, cutting up and shaping them before heating up the next.
Other wise they harden up pretty quick and constant re-heating will only toughen up the candy.

I could have made my peas smaller, and I'll keep a look out for darker orange candy, needs to be the soft chews.
Here are my finished peas and carrots.
Was very hard not to snack on them in the making!

And here they are on Dyllan's plate, next to the real deal.
Funny to watch him try to stab a carrot with his fork.
He liked them well enough and asked for them repeatedly during the meal!
I'm looking forward till next year and already have some new idea's on to what I'll create!

Thanks for visiting!

Our Grand Canyon Family Road Trip!

The book is done! It only took me about 3 all day crops to finish it. What started out as a "Bo Bunny" family album, turned into a amazing altered Grand Canyon book! I distressed, added extra pages, made pockets, used Tim Holtz and Heidi Swapp Masks, added some stickles, rub-ons and used clear sheets to protect the pages. If the book was not border line un-closable already, I might have added some more embelleshments like fibers,ribbons,fabric and bling.
So enjoy,...and let me know what you think!

Opening page...I used Heidi's letter mask for the title, and painted some chip board. I made a huge pocket on the inside to hold all the maps from our trip.

I'm a stickler about saving boxes and such for the "free" chipboard, and I have loyal friends that help me out as welll!

Here I used the polka dots and more letter mask from Heidi. I added journaling over the protected photo's with ZIG painty pens.
The photo of Dyllan is framed with Tim's mask using white chalk ink...
More painty pen journaling and rub-on fun.

Saying "Ice" ...is the new cheese. I learned it at a regional Fiskateer event. Try it. It works!


Once again, I just love working with painty pens...
Yes...I'm one of those people that take pictures of their food!

I think the best part of the trip was finding the fossil trail and visiting the Watchtower!
More mask action and a rub-ons

This is inside the Watchtower...


Dyllan wore the head phones so we did not have to listen to "Clone Wars" again and again.
The rub-ons were that last addition to the book, and all through the pages I kept on trying to use a rub on frame to no avail. Well here it is on the last page, last photo, and it's perfect!

In case you were wondering...this is generally how I scrap. Lots of color, techniques, and time.
I like it. It's me.
Thanks for visiting...let me know what you think!