It's beginning to look a lot like...

...Well, no, no it isn't. But, in efforts to not be doing my typical Christmas calisthenics when I'm ROTUND with baby, I can report to you that my cards are made, written, addressed, and sealed. I'm not posting a picture because why ruin the surprise for those of you lucky enough to receive them? LOL

I'm also almost done my Christmas shopping and wrapping. I'm a basketball. Soon, I will be a whale. It has to all get done. LOL

Mini-Albums

I've been thinking about making the jump to digital albums and I've been trying to come up with ways to use up a lot of my paper. I need to desperately scale down my crafting area before the baby comes, so I thought about using paper for more items for the holiday craft sale... hence, these mini chipboard albums.

BT: 12 weeks

This isn't a crafting post, but it's still awesome:

Baby Thompson (BT) at 12 weeks:



I'm at 17 weeks now and we'll have another ultrasound just three weeks from now! Then, we should know if BT is BBT or BGT.

Mama and Baby

This is a really horrible picture - I love this so much more in real life... I've been making a bunch more in different colors and sizes and also started making pregnant mommies!

More to come!

Angel Wings

Baby Thompson

Well, I've just entered the second trimester (whoot) and Baby Thompson has been much on my mind as a creative inspiration. I've abandoned all other pottery projects to create mother and baby statues and I'm loving the way they're coming out. I need to take some photos soon... I promise.

Also, I got some adorable charms out of the kiln last night. They are angel wings and they came out better than I thought they would. I need to take pics of those, too.

I am so behind!

Oh well. I'm pregnant. Leave me alone. I've been busy sleeping. And eating.

Stamping Royalty

Well, I've been stamping my little heart out. I've made six cards that I plan to submit to the contest. I can't show pictures here (they can't have been published anywhere), but I'm really happy with them.

Send good thoughts!

Stamping Royalty

Each year, Paper Crafts magazine hosts a contest to identify the "royalty" of stamping. I've entered the past 2 years, unsuccessfully, but I'm working very hard this year!! I WANT THAT CROWN!

Do you have what it takes to be crowned royalty? Each year since 2004, we’ve inducted the crème de la crème of stampers into a posh society known as Stamping Royalty. This could be your year to reign supreme in your sparkling tiara. Winners will be royally honored with a prize package containing the latest stamping products from some of the hottest manufacturers. The retail value of each prize package totals over $200! Winners will also have the opportunity to be published in the November 2008 issue of Paper Crafts magazine and be put on the Paper Crafts magazine designer list to receive our exclusive call for submissions.

Send creative thoughts my way!

Swarovski Love

I was inspired to bust out the needle nose pliers to make a necklace for myself because I have a tricky pendant that doesn't hang right on any chains. I'm pleased that I have succeeded! But, feel badly that I forgot to take a picture of it. :(

However, I had such a neat time, that I decided to play with some other things... and I *do* have pictures of those:





Pendants: $20 each
Sets: $26 each

Teaching!

I'm very excited that I have signed up to teach some work shops at the University City Arts League to teach kids how to make those pendants down there...

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YAY!

I hope people sign up... I've signed up to teach workshops before and didn't have enough people sign up to be able to teach them. I'm crossing my fingers!

Paper Collector

More pendants! Using my stash of paper! So, I'm not just a collector and a hoarder, I am a USER.

Of paper. Not narcotics.





Cost: $10 each

Summer can't come soon enough...

...I mean, look how pale I am?? How ridiculously white I am under harsh lights. It's not nice.

Oh... and here are some of those pendants at long last! :-)







More to come... some funky pendants are baking in the kiln as we speak, and I've also been working on using up scraps of my favorite paper with chipboard to create other pendants...


Cost: $20 each

Porcelain Pendants

Lately, I've been very interested in wearing unique pendants on chokers and I've started making a line of pendants out of porcelain clay at the pottery studio. The first of these have been completed using molds that I press the clay into. I've also started experimenting with some stamps to make unique designs... I've just ordered some leather cords and I can't wait to see them all put together...

I hope they are as cool in person as they are in my head... pics coming when I have them!

Cows on Parade

I just love these!

These fun little cows will eventually be magnets... once I get to the craft store or hardware store to buy some magnet pieces! But, I thought I'd go ahead and show them to you because I love how they came out.

Mooo.

Goodbye to February

Just wanted to give another shout out to my friend, Jennifer, over at Jericas Designs for her inspirational challenge about crafting every day for the month of February!

It was a very good month for me of getting things done and I really enjoyed participating in the challenge.

Whoo hoo!

Writing

I'm sorry that I don't have any photos to show you. Perhaps, I can get one of me typing. I've been busy writing: mostly in my book, but a little for From the Q (see link somewhere on this page - I'm too lazy to track it down right now).

The book is going well. It's not going super fast (I'm at about 45 pages), but I'm happy with the progress and pieces are starting to make themselves clear to me, which is a real treat. I can't wait for it to be done so I can read it from start to finish, but at the same time, I'm not in a rush. I feel like if I try to hurry through it, I will miss something important.

But, it's going really well.

ANOTHER Treasury

I can't believe I got another treasury!! Luck is on my side over at Etsy. :-)

This one is a buy and replace and I stocked it full of my favorite sellers:

BNR Beauties!!

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

I want to wish a very happy birthday to my friend, Rachel, who was celebrating over the weekend!! Wishing you lots of health, happiness, and fun over the next year and always!!

Rachel's birthday gave me an opportunity to try some additional techniques at Color Me Mine - stamping with a light color over a dark one. I was so glad to hear from Rachel that she liked the way it turned out!!



Happy Birthday, Rach!!

Guest Crafter: It runs in the family...

Today, I want to share some crafting with you that isn't even mine! It's my dad's!!



Dad has a tendency to embrace his hobbies like a choking victim claws the floor. Meaning, he goes WHOLE HOG or he goes home. It's been a long parade: corvettes, scuba equipment and boat, ham radio, golf, Harleys. Now, he's all about cowboys and shooting enthusiast stuff.

A little while ago, he decided to start working on his own leather projects. These ambitions started small and recently have developed into massive undertakings that I am AMAZED he made himself. He dyes the leather, cuts it, sews it, and most incredibly does every bit of the stamped embossing. And no - he does not have a big flower stamp that he presses into the leather. At Christmas, he showed us the flower design in a book of templates. He then pressed into the leather to match it, using etching tools.



This project is his new gun belt or as he says "his new rig." He decided to make something similar to the Roy Rogers version he wore when he was 10. Sadly, that one doesn't fit anymore.

I think that Dad should start making leather purses and then I can market them and together we can put Coach out of business and then I won't have to go work every day. But, in lieu of that master plan, we should at the very least make him an Etsy page.

Finally, a Treasury!

I have been trying to get a Treasury on Etsy for eons!! Finally! I am a curator:
Tattoo Life.

Here's a sampling of some of the items in the treasury...

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!

Happy Anniversary to my parents, who are celebrating an amazing 36 years of marriage!!

My parents live in a little cabin in the woods:



To commemorate their anniversary, I made them this:



In retrospect, I should have added context around the cabin so that it doesn't look so odd that the right side is different (but that's how it is in real life)... oh, well, nothing is perfect I guess.

I hope that they enjoy it!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! xoxoxoxo

February Creative Challenge

Whoo hoo - Creative Challenge Month!

I will keep updating this post with all my goings-on.

February 1: Today, I listed three items in my Etsy shop and wrote 4 pages in my book.

February 2: 7.50am. This was an early time for creativity... I have to leave shortly for a full day of sorority events, but I got up early enough to have a tiny bit of writing time... just a page today, but every page is one more I won't be writing later.

February 3: 10.51am. Another page. We'll see if I do more later or if I decide to work on some other stuff... but I'm exhausted and feeling the need to rest today. So, I'll be happy with my page.

February 4: 5.04pm. It's Monday and I had dental things today (which were encouraging), but I did manage to think creatively very briefly and wrote an itty bitty amount. I may also make some valentines tonight for Etsy. An idea came to me last night in which I can use my new stamps. :-)

February 5: 11.18am. I am happy to report that last night, I made 5 cards (2 valentine for etsy, 2 st patty's for etsy, 1 st patty's for my aunt) and that this morning, I posted the 4 for sale on my etsy page. Also, happy anniversary, Mom & Dad!

February 6: 1.56pm. Last night, I made some new items for my Etsy shop, which I listed this morning. Also, I contributed an entry to a new blog on movies: From the Q. Tonight, I am going to pottery class... I have an idea for some four leaf clover things and hopefully, I will have cows to glaze.

February 7: 5.51pm. Alas, there were no cows to glaze last night, but I did do some handbuilding, which was fun. Today, I was a major stressball at work, but did manage to write about 2.5 pages for the book... so, that's a little something on a bad day.

February 8: 9.55am. Yesterday, I had a rough day followed by a fun happy hour, but in between managed to write 2.5 pages. Whew! Oh - and the night before, I made valentines and candles to take over to Vix today. I need to stop by the hardware store in a bit to pick up the felt circles to finish off some coaster sets to take over, too!

February 10: 7.42am. I had a very nice, relaxing weekend (much needed). I went to happy hour, saw a play, went to the gym, watched a movie, watched TV, finished a good book! I did get in a little creative time (although not much to be honest). On Saturday, I picked up the necessary felt circles to complete another set of coasters and then walked over to Vix to drop off 4 sets of coasters, 4 valentines, and 3 candles. When I got there, Emily told me that all my stuff (except for 1 coaster set and 1 candle) had sold! Yesterday, after I watched a movie on DVD, I did some creative writing with a blog post on From the Q about it. As I said, just a little this weekend. But, it was a nice weekend, so I'm not complaining.

February 12: 10.50am. Yesterday, was out of hand. I had an all day meeting and I didn't get home until almost 7pm. I had a conference call that went from 9pm - 10.10pm. I was utterly un-crafty feeling last night. If it weren't for the freakin' challenge, I would have just slept the sleep of the righteous without having to break out glue. But, since it was the challenge, I did craft a little: altering another of those journals. Ironically, I ended up really liking it a lot and wouldn't have made it if I didn't have to do so. Maybe I'll post a picture of it later....

February 13: 4.58pm. Yesterday and today, I am pleased to report that I wrote a bit in my book and that I am up to 41 pages.

February 16: 6.23pm. Busy, busy with all the fabulous Valentine's celebrating!! On V-day itself, I created an Etsy treasury and that was about all I had time for: I worked non stop and then Ed and I went out... On Friday, we went out again for a FABulous dinner at Waterworks, but I did manage to get a small amount of writing done. Got a bit done just now, too. I love the character I just introduced. Most of the characters don't spend a lot of time with the heroine, but I want them to stand out and this one definitely did.

February 19: 10.23am. Sunday, I had another busy day, but I started it off with some writing, which was very cool. Yesterday, I worked on scrapbook pages for the alumnae chapter scrapbook. Last night, I actually got an idea for another book (I know, I know - I need to finish this one first!). So, this morning, I wrote out an outline for it, so I wouldn't lose anything. It will be called "Waiting for Michelle." I still need a title for the one I'm working on now. None of the ones I come up with seem to fit.

February 22: 8.52am. Good morning!! Let's see... on Wednesday, I went to pottery where I made some tiles and glazed some tiles. Last night, I did 4 scrapbook pages!

February 23: 11.17am. Snow day yesterday, so I left work early! Yay!! No desire to craft, though. I made myself alter a journal so that I wouldn't slack off, though. :-). Today, I wrote a page and a half in my book and a new blog entry for From the Q.

February 25: 2.40pm. Wrote a bit yesterday, wrote a bit today... I'd like to have more time to devote to writing. I need a laptop.

March 3: 3.39pm. For the last few days of February: did some writing on the 27 and 28 and made a card for Lucinda on the 29th.

Crafting for a Cause

Lately, I've been working my little fingers to the bone on a series of scrapbooks that I am donating to 5 upcoming auction events that benefit the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. These are pre-decorated albums with spots for photos and journaling. The winning bidder just has to add her own!


Find more photos like this on Indiepublic

Jennifer's Meditation - a Challenge

My friend, Jennifer, over at Jericas Designs has issued a fabulous challenge for the month of February. I encourage you to check it out here: Meditation on Crafting, but the long and short of it is a challenge to do something creative every single day in the month of February. This could be as simple as sketching out ideas for something or writing in your journal, or could be as involved and complicated as you want.

These are my creative goals for the month:

1) Work on my book
2) Catch up on my personal scrapbooking
3) Work on my historian project for the alumnae chapter
4) Make cards or other small paper crafts
5) Make or list items for my Etsy shop
6) Attend pottery class

Won't you play, too?

DIY Revolution

I don't feel like blogging.

Here.

Go read some stuff.

BBC News Article on Online Craftiness

Paper Hoarder

I love patterned paper. I am the only person I know who requires a rack to keep paper organized by color and it's still over flowing and not organized. My name is Heather and I am a paper hoarder.

So, I decided to work on some new objects for my near-empty little Etsy shop that would allow me to play with patterned paper and miscellaneous embellishments from my stash... you know, the extras in a package left over after I used specific items for a scrapbook page or something.

I got some blank journals and started decorating my little heart out...









As a result of all my busy-ness, I have received a complaint: My husband believes that there are tiny scraps of paper that are invisible to the naked eye on his side of the bed and they attack him in the night. That's the price of art, though. What can you do?

Have your cake and craft it, too

So, last Saturday, I was feeling very lazy and didn't really feel like taking off my PJs, so I spent a couple of hours chilling with my Pooh blanket and Saturday morning TV. Of course, there is no more Scooby Doo and the gang and much of the programming for children is weird (ie. the cartoon "Horseland" which made no sense at all).

However, I was very taken by the show, "Cake" with its show-within-a-show format. Here's the short of it: Cake is a girl with some friends and her own TV show (I'm assuming a cable access thing like "Wayne's World") called "CakeTV" and on this show, she makes crafts.

Crafts.
She's like Martha Stewart for girls with hot pink cell phones. I couldn't look away.

CakeTV

I haven't really been crafting lately...

...but I've been thinking about it.

I recently agreed to make a series of custom-designed scrapbooks to donate as auction items at upcoming events for the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation. So, I started looking around to see what's new in the world as I shopped for some albums... and I stumbled across these:



Are these the coolest things you've ever seen or what?? I can totally picture one of the albums as this super hip rock girl album that I will be fighting with myself over because I'll desperately want to keep it.

Not exactly a recap on holiday crafts

Happy New Year!!

Regretfully, I can't really offer you an update on any of the holiday crafting sales I was involved with. My car accident on 12/13 prevented me from being involved with the end of the UCAL sale or from attending the holiday shopping party held by Vix.

However, I thought it was really cool to note that www.buyhandmade.org had 11,227 people who pledged to "buy handmade" this holiday season. Since the news was saying that retail sales were down this year, maybe that means those pledges meant something.

In any case, wishing you all a very happy 2008!