something new... something BOO!

after much deliberation, I am going to try something new

it is small, simple and sweet. 

nothing huge

but something fun.

I will be offering a small class,

a get together

at my home,

in my little embrace your bliss studio

for a tiny group of crafters.

if you are interested,

shoot me an email. 

the gist:

Grab a friend or two and spend the day with us Saturday October 30th in Oceanside at a private class at my own little slice of heaven, the embrace your bliss studio where we will be creating the perfect Halloween memento. I only have a few spots available that are open to the public for this exclusive class. You will not be able to find it anywhere else and it will only be taught once.

In our class we will make a five page (10 back and front) chipboard book jammed packed with goodness and featuring your little Halloween witches, ghosts, ghouls and goblins at their Halloween best.

A delicious lunch will be served, techniques will be taught, and lasting friendships will be made.

All supplies for this one of a kind kit will be given to you at the class, you only need your basic tool kit and pop-dots (I have some to share if you need them :O)

Optional items: if you like a distressed look, bring a sanding block or dremmel
(I use a dremmel... love my dremmel!)

Agenda:
10:00-10:15 guests arrival, mingling and “finding your seat”
10:15-12:00 class and loads of fun
12:00-12:30 yummy little lunch (served by me)
12:30-3:00 second half of class and more fun
 This workshop is for adults 18 and older.


The cost is $35 and payment for classes are to be made through paypal. If you send me an email, I can send you an invoice.

Once you sign up, I will send you the class address and if you have any dietary concerns, we can address those then, I want you to be happy and comfortable.

** I do have a couple of kits or completed books for sale too, they are $28.50 each.

Email me with questions or for additional photos.
Thanks!

~hugs

1,000 paper cranes

What would you do

if you found one of these?

Recently, I was contacted by this creative soul Sandy who has masterminded a wonderfully fun and positive idea.

After reading the true story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Elanor Coerr, Sandy was inspired.  She is attempting to make 1000 paper cranes, putting a different positive word on each of them, and then placing them all in different locations out and about in our world. She has included her blog address so that people can go there and write to her about where they found it and maybe share about how finding it affected them.  A picture of each crane with its word are on her blog daily in addition to a picture of the crane in its location.  Most of her cranes are in New Jersey, but I think it would be cool to contact her and see about sending them all over the states and further. 

What a sweet, peaceful idea.  I love stuff like this, reaching out to random others with happy messages of care, love and peace. 

Have a happy peaceful day, full of love!

~hugs

September already??!!

Two years ago I posted that I was starting to branch out and sell a few paper crafting kits here and there. Well, my start kind of stalled.  I only ever made one. Don't get me wrong, they were great kits and sold out quickly but then I got busy with other things. Since the kids went back to school, I have had some time to created another. Based on one of my favorite holidays, these little Halloween monsters chipboard books are more of a treat than a trick. (giggle, giggle)

The kit is stuffed with goodness and just about everything you need to complete a project minus your basic tool kit and pop-dots. In addition to sending you the kit, I will email you instructions and full color photos of the completed project.

Here is a peek at the book:

You can see more photos and buy yours here. 
I have only made 10 kits and sold one already!   

Also, if you can believe it… (I still cannot)

we have adopted a little puppy.

Meet Charlie.

Charlie chews,
Charlie runs,
Charlie “teedles” (as my friend Holly would say) wherever Charlie likes…
Charlie is a baby.

Goodness. I forgot how hard babies are.

He is half boxer, half lab.

The person we got him from said he is called a boxador
back in the day we called a dog like that a mutt.

We just call him Charlie
and with all the chewing,
wild running,
more chewing,
and occasional teedle…
we love him
(and it is probably because he is just so darn cute.)

Please remind me of this when he goes after my anthropologie boots!

remain calm...

TODAY,

while shopping for some art goodies,

i happened upon a copy

of the newest somerset

Holidays and Celebrations edition.

(i think it is supposed to hit shelves sep 1st.)

I flipped through it and

GUESS WHAT???

My work is right there,

taking up all of page 17!!!

EEEEKKKKKK!!!

Those poor ladies in the shop looked over to find

me jumping up and down,  

hair falling out of the clip it was so carefully put in,

squealing to my 10 year old...

"Ohmygoodness, ohmygoodness, ohmygoodness!!"  was all I could say!

At Silver Bella 2 years ago, I hosted a swap full of amazing talent and one of the girls (thanks Kim!) submitted the entire work along with an article about the swap to somerset and they decided to put it in their magazine!!!

(You can find all of the work of these amazing ladies blogged about here)

"Ohmygoodness, ohmygoodness, ohmygoodness!!"

I know girls who have their work in these magazines and they are so cool about it. 

"yes, I have a few things in there"

and

"oh, that little thing?"

and

"oh, that really isn't anything"

Well, let me tell you...

I was not cool

AT ALL

Jumping up and down so very excited... I bought one. 

Now I am off to actually read it.

~hugs

It really was no miracle, what happened was just this...

The wind began to swish

The house, to pitch

And suddenly the hinges started to unhitch

Just then the Witch

To satisfy an itch 

Was flying on her broomstick, thumbing for a hitch.

and, oh, what happened then was rich.

~dorothy gale

I have done it! 

Finished my tags for the Wizard of Oz Swap

(hosted by the lovely Karla Nathan)

Getting them packaged up and mailing them monday...

Yippie!

Now on to other goodies...

gotta work on:

my journal

birdhouse (yes, I signed up and have not even started!)

and some little albums I will be selling on etsy

Although, when I get to create, it isn't really work at all.  It is more of a recharging of my batteries.

aaaahhhhhh...

~hugs

my honey bunches of stinkweed...

first, as promised...


the answers to yesterday's post.

here is the back of my alphabet card with the answers:

now on to the real reason for this post...


while shopping with Hope the other day


I found a ring


you know when you find something you like


you make the move to try it on


and when you do,


it fits


AND looks good?


well, it happened to me.


it was not a big deal, just a sterling ring...


but it had a heart in the center of it.


i don't want to buy a heart for myself.


i know it sounds weird


i feel like I am saying "i love you" to me


and as we should love ourselves...


i don't need to buy something to tell me that. 


well, i suppose no one needs to buy something for someone else to tell them that.


it is evident in how we treat each other,


right?


Well, I went home that day,


ring-less


and told my husband about it.


it was the same day I got my little animal


(fox? bear? cat?  we still don't know)


I digress


(i do that a lot!)


So today, he told me to go put my feet up, take a nap or just lie down for a bit. 


and after a ton of lollygagging


(it is what i do best,)


i finally made my way into my room and found this:

Upon first glance, it looked as if she had a cast on...


but no!


It was the ring!!!


and then came the note...


I won't share it, because it is personal,
and mushy...


but it was the sweetest note ever.


really,


you are just going to have to believe me on this.


He was supposed to be setting up his classroom yesterday
with our kids
while i was out with friends
and instead,
he spent over an hour on the road
and somehow the kids kept this a secret for a whole day!

(my favorite is the heart in the middle)

I love my honey bunches of stinkweed!

~hugs

staying true to my word...

one more thing to check off the list! 

Yippie!!

I completed my ABC book swap page.

(hosted by the ever so sweet and gracious Marian Ballog)

as you can probably guess

my letter

was Gg 

it started out in a whole other direction, but as I worked

my page morphed into something whimsical.

and i can sit back and say

"i am happy with it"

so, I think I will...

I am happy with it!

There, another thing checked off my list...
being kind to myself about what I create.

Wow, this evening is full of check offs.

Here are all TWENTY SEVEN in all of their glory...

criminey!

Can you guess all of the "g" words included on the page?

Hint,
there are seven!
get it?
G is the seventh letter of the alphabet!!

answers coming tomorrow...

On another note,
I got to hang out with Hope this week while she was in town!

What a treat that was!!!

Anna and I took her

to blick (oh the copics!)

antiquing (vignettes is amazing!!!)

met up with LeAnne,

had lunch on the beach

touched our toes in the COLD Pacific

ate bright green ice cream

(well, Anna and I did... everyone else had normal colors)

went to Out of the Blue, Solo and Leaping Lotus

Love this towel!

before having to take her back to her hubby.

I just could not resist bringing this little one home...

She was just so sweet that I could not leave her.

she has a home, now she needs a name...

any suggestions?

~hugs