More Craft Fair Goodies

It's official--I'll have a booth at St. Timothy's School's Craft Fair in Chantilly, VA on Nov. 22. Come visit! (I'll give you a lollipop! ;-) ) So, I've been busy making lots o' things to sell. Here are a few I've completed this week:

This is an altered binder clip that had some kind of medical co. advertising on the white part. These are so cute to use as photo holders. I used rub-ons on the purple binder part. Then, I stamped on black cardstock in white craft ink & used Heat & Stick Powder to adhere blue glitter to the flowers (the flash muted the glitter). Then I spread Crystal Effects over the whole surface to give it a cohesive tile look. I did the same on the other side so if you wanted to use it as a paper clip, you'd have the decoration facing you too. Finally, I added just a dab of blue Stickles to the middle of the rub-on & added ribbon.
These are plastic jars from Oriental Trading. I used more rub-ons on these. The felt flowers on the lids are either from SU!'s "Flower Fusion" (the olive green) or I cut them using SU!'s Basket & Blooms Sizzix die (white & black) & secured with a brad. Inside are Hershey's chocolate nuggets wrapped in stamped address labels. While these weren't hard to make, the rub-ons actually took a bit of time because you have to cut out the images & create your design, often with more than one color. I made 16 of them & each one is unique.

I was really happy with how these little plastic purses turned out! I found the blank purse favors on clearance & got them without knowing what I'd do with them. I decided to make all ten the same with a straight Christmas theme (using up all my Silver Hodgepodge Designer Label holders in the process). I also used our new Holiday Treasures DSP & Baja Breeze 1" Grosgrain ribbon. I stamped the nuggest labels with the new "Snow-Swirled" stamp set.

One tip--to make the holes for the brads, I found it easier to secure the ribbon onto the paper first, place the whole thing onto the cushion in our Mat Pack & poke a hole with the paper piercer through both (instead of using the 1/16th" hole punch). You can then poke the brad through while it's still on the cushion & flip the whole thing over--the brads will stay put & then you can spread the prongs. This way, you don't bend the paper while trying to punch the brads through.

Whew. All I can say is, I've probably spent as much energy keeping these things out of my kids' hands as I have making them! My oldest (6 yrs.) is so cute--he keeps asking how much they are because he wants to save his money to buy them.

More Craft Fair Goodies

Life Is Good--Decor Elements

Here's a dilemma--I love SU!'s new interior decor line but how do you "demonstrate" vinyl wall decorations? Answer: frame one & make it mobile! Actually, I really wanted this "Life is Good" saying for our new screen porch (still in process since what seems like forever!) & it works better framed for that anyway. I don't think you can put rub-ons on a screen. Anyway, now I can take it to workshops, etc. to show people how cool they look in person.

I really had fun decorating this float frame. The vinyl rub-on is on the top of the glass & the paper (the Bella Rose designer paper coming out in the new catalog--the colors are the new in-colors Kiwi Kiss & Riding Hood Red) is between the two glass panes. Then, I also used some of the "Anchored" rub-ons. So, just in case you were wondering if you can put a regular rub-on on the wall rub-ons--there you go!

Oh, & the best thing? I found a "conversation set" of a love seat, two chairs & coffee table on clearance for the porch (whenever it's finished) & the cushions match this frame! Yeah, I decorate around Stampin' Up! colors. You know you're an addict when....

Life Is Good--Decor Elements

What Makes Us Happy

Ran across this article on www.msn.com this morning, "The Things That Make Us Happy"--#8 stuck out to me: "Well-spent leisure time can lead to great leaps in happiness: Activities that combine socializing and physical activity and require some moderate skills are the best (think salsa!)." When I first started stamping, it wasn't for the social aspects but now it's become probably the thing I enjoy most about it. Having a fun girls' night out creating is like a modern-day quilting bee :) (Sigh, I do miss going out dancing though--but I live vicariously through "So You Think You Can Dance?")

And for good measure, here's a pretty, pretty card my technique club made this spring. I wanted to show all the fun ways we can use rub-ons: on dies-cuts (used one from "Die-Cut Blooms"), ribbon, combining different colored ones. The "Pretty Petals" background would be pretty all by itself for a card (that's on the dormant list so you won't see it in the new catty but you can still order it). The other set "Friendship Blooms" & coordinating rub-ons were earned free from Sale-A-Bration (don't miss out next year!). The pretty brad in the middle of the die-cut is from the Silver Hodgepodge --which I think stands a pretty good chance of being in the new catalog coming out Aug. 11.

What Makes Us Happy