Come with me to some of my wonderfully crafty friends shops!

        I have to buy a gift for someone special...let's see....

I could buy some soap from EcoChicSoaps she has 

wonderful soaps like  this Japanese Adzuki Goat's Milk soap. 

 Or this Pear Glace Goat's Milk soap (one of my favorites) 

 

I could also get my special someone something ceramic created with love by Irihana Arts like these beautiful wine charms  

This very cute owl bookmark should be considered too. 

I better not forget the card. I might get one from 

Janet Anderson Art ,  hand drawn with love and patience 

 Or I could get one from The Venus Collection...she has wonderful original painted art cards

 I guess I better make up my mind! Thanks for shopping with me!

Let's go shopping again soon! 

Will you help me Pay It Forward and share this post or pin your favorite items? Pretty please♥

My sister's bag...a creation's journey

My mom and dad raised 11 children, ELEVEN children. I know, I think it's crazy too.

These are my sisters. I have fought with, loved, cried and laughed with each one of them. I cherish each moment I spend with them because life doesn't always deal you the best hand.

My sister, Pam, is an angel. We all miss her VERY much.

My sister, Lisa, has M.S....I wish that meant that she has "Many Sisters" syndrome. Alas, it does not....although at times, I think having so many sisters really could be described as some medical ailment requiring therapy. Hmmmm, note to self for future blog.

Lisa's wonderful and super, super patient husband works for Apple.  He of course has all the latest gadgets and so naturally Lisa has an IPad. She called me and asked if I would make her a shoulder bag to carry it in because you see, this was the SECOND IPad.

She dropped the first one on the bathroom floor and it broke.                                       

Her ever so patient and understanding husband, got her another one. She did the math...I'm glad there is at least one of us that can do the math....and figured out that it would be a lot less expensive to have her sister make her a shoulder bag than to replace another IPad.


Well, of course, I said I could make a bag.

So this is what I came up with. I had to make it twice. The first one was not quite big enough. I hope this one works. I'm putting it into the mail for her today BUT....

Now I had this other really cute smaller bag staring at me from my table. Made from the same fabric, doesn't it just scream "COLOR ME!" It looks like a coloring book page.
                                                 
I loved to color as a kid, remember the   smell of a new box of crayons?

                                                                           
I got out my fabulous Tsukeniko fabric inks.

Some fabric glitter glue.

And some sparkly big rhinestones.

 I went to work, painting, glittering, gluing.....

That was so much fun! I really love how it came out.


Now my question is, what color should the strap be? Black? Pink? Purple?

What's your vote?

Cheaters never prosper...

ESPECIALLY if they sit next to Aidan.
   









On most days of the week, you can find me driving my grandkids  to school in the morning for my daughter who is usually well on her way to work as we pile into the car
trying to remember everything and usually forgetting something.



We always have great conversations about life and interesting things like Mario and baseball. This morning was no exception.

We somehow got onto the subject of cheating. Aidan began telling me that he had seen the kid sitting next to him looking at his test answers.    

 I asked him if he told his teacher about it.

"No" he said, "I just circled the wrong answer and then put a tiny little mark next to the right answer. When he turned his paper in, I erased the wrong circles and circled the right answer, then I turned my paper in"                                                                                                                       Geez, I love that kid! ♥

My Secret Valentine

Can I just say that I LOVE my husband?



That's all, I just love  him♥


Oh, I could carry on about how he has so much patience with me. Or about how he always fixes things that I break without a fuss.







I could remark about how gently he reminds me to put the b---- back in the box......when it's necessary.









I definitely could ramble on about how he smiles (ok, it's more of a chuckle) and says "that's cool"
when I show him my latest crafting great idea.

But I won't go on and on about him because he would be embarrassed so don't tell him I wrote this blog about him.

♥♥♥♥ I Love You, my husband ♥♥♥♥

I Really hate math

I belong to quite a few groups and teams of handmade crafters.
I have never been much of a joiner, but the teams on Etsy are so awesome!
                                               
Recently , I've been participating in a Twitter Tree (tweeting...who knew?).

One of my fellow tweeters (that's TWEETER, not TWEEKER) mentioned her blog and I had to check it out. So glad I did! Etsy is rolling out a new Direct Check Out system. I am certain there are many of us wondering which is more cost effective, PayPal or Direct Check Out.






I don't know about you but I hate math...no, I mean I really HATE math. Numbers really disturb me. So I was so happy to see that this wonderful Etsy blogger did the math for us, I just simply had to share it!
http://elunajewelry-nc.blogspot.com/2012/02/etsy-direct-checkout-versus-paypal-some.html

If you hate math as much as I do, I think you might want to follow her!

Border envy...

I am having so much fun surfing around and reading other bloggers blogs. I have seen everything from too much to too little and everything in between. I am amazed at the wonderful ideas and really well written blogs out there.

All of my blog surfing has created a slight "border envy" in me. Some of my fellow bloggers have such beautifully displayed photos. Borders and groupings that make their photos look so finished!

I found this fabulous photo display at Shers Creative Space     
(she has a great blog, very creative)


  I want my pictures to look like this!!!

 I take a pretty good photo.


My husband and I still have a darkroom in our garage. Black and white photography has been a hobby of ours for a long time.


We have made our way into the digital age slowly but surely and I am determined to learn how to manipulate my photos like this.
 
I use Photoshop to "develop" my pics now, I just don't know how to do much else.
So, I googled "how to put borders around your photos in Photoshop" (I love Google).



 I found this tutorial  http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/university/tutorials/ps_photoborers_as.shtml

So, I spent this morning following the tutorial and was finally able to place a border around my angel. I used almost ALL of my patience but I did it!


I love it!

 So as not to disappoint my readers, (some day I will have more than 3) here is my Photoshop disclaimer:

Please don't expect this same perfection on ALL of my future blog posts. I don't have that much patience left. 

Finding my computer savvy

Look at that! I figured out how to add "about me" and my "home" page link in the bar below my title. A true testament to the possibility that even an old dog like me can learn her way around the computer without help.

I feel empowered!!...Admittedly, it doesn't take much for me to feel this way. I am amazed everyday at the simple things in life and I try to enjoy them to their fullest.