Happy New Year!

Hey bloggers!

A new year and a new decade.  Can you believe it?

January's Freebie Friday is set for the 15th.  Not quite sure what the giveaway item(s) will be yet.  I think it would be appropriate to give away something(s) that had the "new", "clean" and "de-clutter" theme.  Stay tuned for more info.

Hey....Craft-News.com and the blog are up and running.  Check them out and let me know what you think.  I'm not giving up this blog (no way!).  I just wanted to create something new for the new year.  The goal:  a site that features artist and craftspeople interviews and the best craft-related info on the web.

Freebie Friday Winner Announced

Hey Bloggers!

Are you on the edge of your seat?  Waiting and wondering?  Who won the free book?

It's official.  The Freebie Friday book goes to:

Secret Cake

Secret Cake added her name to the mailing list and left a comment on the blog post to make her eligible. Her name was picked out of the hat over the weekend and voila, she's the winner.

I'll be in touch with her to get her mailing address and the book will be on its way.

Keep checking back...there will be another giveaway in January 2010.  Wow...2010.  That sounds different, doesn't it?  Time flies.  Make the most of it!

 

Freebie Friday! - and - New Tissue Holder in the Shop

Hey bloggers!

HAPPY FRIDAY! It's such a good feeling to know we've made it through another week. However....I guess that means that we're getting closer to the big day. Christmas is just a few days away. Are you ready? Is the tree trimmed? Do you have all your presents bought and wrapped? The Crafty Dad house is abuzz with activity these days. My wife (bless her heart) is the official gift-buyer and wrapper. Although I did help accompany her on a gift-buying trip a few weeks ago. It was a lot of fun. Always good to have some 'alone' time...even if it's spent at the mall.

We made a trip to Shipshewana a couple weekends ago and I found some really great fabric for tissue holders. I finally had a minute (after making a dozen bumble bee tissue holders -- thank you Kimberly for the great order!) to whip up a new design. I think it's going to be a big hit. Here's a sneak peek:

Let me know what you think. You can get a better view by visiting my shop.

Hey...it's Friday. And not just ANY Friday. It's Freebie Friday. It's the last day to sign up for the book giveaway I blogged about here.

Don't waste another minute: sign up now.

Best of luck to you.

It's the Bee's Knees

I've been working with an Etsy customer for the past several days on a special order of twelve (12) tissue holders. I shared the sample with her last night and she approved! Excited? Yes...I'm very excited to start on her order.

Here's what she ordered:

Twelve Tissue Holders Comin' Up!

Okay. Gotta run. Busy day ahead. Hey: don't forget to sign up for my Freebie Friday book giveaway.

Hope you have a great day,

December's "Freebie Friday" Announcement

Freebie Friday Coming Up!

The December "Freebie Friday" will be another book (yes...I like books...and I hope you do too). This is a brand new copy of Eduardo Xol's Home Sense -- simple solutions to enhance where and how you live. Photography by Doug Myers. The ISBN is 978-0-06-124976-1 for those of you that might be interested. Eduardo is the designer from ABC's hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Some photos of the inside of this beautifully-photographed book.
[Click on the image to get a better view.]

So...how do you enter? It's easy:

STEP 1. Make sure you're signed up by using the form over on the right-hand sidebar of my blog. I just need your name and your email address. That keeps you in the running for the Freebie Friday giveaways;

STEP 2. Leave a comment on this post.

The fine print:

The deadline for the drawing is midnight EST on Friday, December 18, 2009.

The winner will be drawn over the weekend of December 19 and 20.

The winner will be announced on Monday, December 21st.

Since it's the 'most wonderful time of the year' everyone is invited to join in the fun. Whether you live in the US, Canada or anywhere else in the world. Sign up. And Good Luck!

Speaking of books. What are you reading these days. I recently re-joined the Good Cook Club and got four books for $1.00 each. And..I bit the bullet and bought a fifth book for 1/2 price. ('Cuz I'm a sucker for a good deal.) Here's what has my attention:

Currently on my night stand.

• Alton Brown's Good Eats [ISBN: 978-1-58479-795-1]
• Diane Phillips: Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever [ISBN: 978-0-8118-6657-6]
• The Deen Brothers: Ya'll Come Eat [ISBN: 978-0-696-23397-5]
• Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten): Back to Basics Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients [ISBN: 978-1-4000-5435-0]
• Elizabeth Yarnell: Glorious One-Pot Meals [ISBN: 978-1-60751-581-4]
• The Ellie Krieger book, The Food You Crave [ISBN: 978-1-60085-021-9] was a gift from my wife. (Thanks Honey..I love it!) She bought it at the Cleveland Clinic when she was there a few weeks ago for a follow-up visit with the neurologist (for the horrible headaches and sharp pains in the right side of her head.)

In between the One-Pot Meal book and the Food Network magazine is Bon Appetit.

I also subscribe to Food Networks magazine. Mmm, mmm, good.

I guess you might say that food is on my mind these days (every day people, EVERY day!). But... honestly...my wife will be going back to her five-days-a-week work schedule after the Holidays. So...one of my New Year's resolutions is to help with dinner. It's tough for us to figure out what we're going to have for dinner some nights. I thought some fresh ideas might get me in the mood for helping out. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you have a good week. Remember: do something crafty!

P.S. Sorry about all the different photo formats. I was having fun with Picnik today.

Book Giveaway Winner

And the winner of the book giveaway is (drum-roll please.....)

HARBOR HON

Number three (3) was picked out of the hat. And number three (3) belongs to Harbor Hon.

Seasons at Seven Gates Farm

I'll be sending her an email message asking for her mailing address so I can get this great book on its way.

Thanks for playing.

There will be more giveaways in the weeks to come. Stay tuned.

Book Giveaway

I'll be drawing the winning name for the book giveaway later this weekend.

Was planning on doing it yesterday, but had to take my wife to the eye doctor to have a cyst removed.  Ouch!

She's doing okay, but the pirate eye patch makes it tough to do things.

I will keep you posted.

Have a good day.

Etsy Shop Update

Hey bloggers!

As promised, my shop has been updated with some new items.

Big Holiday sale going on now through the end of December on tissue holders. Regular price is $4.00; Sale price is just $3.00. I'm trying to keep the store stocked with good stuff so YOU can take advantage of great prices and I can move out some inventory.

Here's a sneak peek:

More updates later. Gotta get busy.

Have a great day.

P.S. Make sure you sign up for the book I'll be giving away this Friday. Just enter your name and email address in the sign-up form (over there in the right-hand column) and you're all set.

It's the Weekend!

Hey bloggers!

We made it through another week. Hope yours was a good one.

I recently changed my mailing list service here on the blog. If you signed up on the old one, I'll (hopefully) be able to add you to the new one. But....just to make super-sure you're on the list for giveaways and other cool stuff, please use the new form (over there in the right-hand column). You just need to enter your name (first and last please) and your e-mail address. It's that easy. You'll receive a confirmation e-mail. Follow the links and you're all set up.

As an incentive to add your name to the list, I'm hosting a book giveaway next Friday. It's only open to those of you that have signed up (US residents only). So...hurry over to the form and enter your info. It was a thrift-shop find so it's not new, nor is it in perfect condition. However, it is in VERY good condition (a couple small tears on the dust cover). Beautiful photos, and 223 pages. I think you will enjoy it! Here are some shots of the book.

Country Living
Seasons at Seven Gates Farm

Natural Crafts, Old-Fashioned Gardens, and Homespun Holidays

ISBN: 0-688-14466-7

Oh..and there's a 25% off sale going on over at my Etsy shop. Take advantage of some great prices now through the end of December 2009.

Have a great (crafty) weekend!

Friday Wrap Up

Oh, yeah...I'm still here. I swear: I tell myself that I'm going to do better at keeping the blog posts coming...and I fail. It's crazy.

Here are a few things that happned since my last post:

• The boys started school (Little Guy is a 4th Grader this year; Mr. Teenager is a Freshman in High School).
• The new dishwasher was installed and is working like a charm. It's not as quiet as I thought it would be, but that's not a big deal. It does a great job of cleaning and drying. Love it.
• Riley Roo is growing into his long, lanky legs. The puppy stage is still at 100%: chewing, etc., is still full-force. He is not fond of water at this point. The boys took him into the lake last weekend and he did the dog-paddle stroke like a pro!
• I decided to re-teach myself how to knit. Wish me luck on that one. I've been crocheting for many years and I find it very difficult to use two pointy sticks after using one hook for so long.
• I downloaded lots of Cast-On podcasts to my iPod. [If you're a knitter, you will soon become a fan of Brenda Dayne. Check out www.cast-on.com for more info. Brenda is a hoot and her podcasts are full of hooty stuff. [Not sure if "hooty" is a word, but let's go with it, okay?]
• Joined Ravelry (feel free to become my freind. My username = craftydad) Go figure!
• Joined the forum at KnitPicks.com (my username = craftydad) Go figure, again!
• I crocheted two wash cloths using 100% cotton yarn (Peaches and Cream brand). Photos? [Insert hearty laugh here] Hmmm, perhaps later.
• A nasty storm came through the area the other night....we needed the rain..but tornados were not on our wish list. We lucked out: no damage at all. The town west of South Bend (where I work) didn't fare so well. Big-time damage there. Why is it that bad weather happens when it's pitch black outside. [That's a rhetorical question....I don't need any scientific answer. Unless you really want to...then that's okay too.
• I got my new sewing/embroidery machine from Ken's Sewing Center. I have only had a few minutes to play with it. From what I can tell, it's a great machine. Does a lot of nice stitches. Has needle up/down setting (a very big 'plus'); has auto thread cutting feature (never had that before...I like it!)
• Lots of medium- to large-scale projects have launched at work (yes...I have a day-job like many of you). I dream of doing this full-time; but I don't think the salary is high enough to support my family and craft lifestyle. [Donations welcome :-) ]
• I've taken a few pictures.
• I sent off the photos Mr. Teenager took during his trip to Washington D.C. back in June.

Here's the Brother sewing/emboridery machine that I got:

So...what have you been up to?

Tonight is the first home football game at Mr. Teenager's high school. Mr. Teenager plays alto saxophone in the marching band and will be performing at half-time. Crafty Mom, Little Guy and I will be there cheering him (and the rest of the band) on. I'm praying for a nice, cool, breezy, DRY evening. You know: sweater weather.*

Oh...almost forgot: next week I'll have a Freebie Friday giveaway going on. I'm giving away a really nice book I found at the thrift shop. Of course I can't remember the title...it's on the nightstand at home. But...it's a nice, hardback book with the words "Seasons" and "Farms" (i think) in it. It's a Country Living book and I think the winner will be happy to have it.

Next week peeps!

Stay tuned for the second Freebie Friday




That's it for now. Have a great weekend.

*Edited to add: Oh, it was sweater weather alright. And rain poncho weather too. Just as the band was taking the field for the pre-game show (National Anthem and School Fight Song), the rain came down. Not hard, but nice a steady, get-you-all-wet kind of rain. Crafty Mom was smart (as always) and brought along sweatshirts, weather-proof blankets and umbrellas. Let's hope Mr. Teenager's saxophone pads aren't all stuck when he goes to play it on Monday (his horn is spending the weekend in its band locker). Oy!

And the Freebie Friday Award Goes To ...

Lisa !

The random number generator cranked out No. 9 and ... you were No. 9 on my list.

(Click on the image so you can actually read it.)

Congratulations Lisa! You are the first Freebie Friday winner. You'll be receiving an all-expense-paid trip to .... Whoops, wrong prize. Sorry Lisa.

You'll be receiving some of my new lemongrass-scented bath and body products:

• Glycerin soap bar
• Hand and body lotion (4.0 oz.)
• Shower/Bath Gel (4.0 oz.)

I will get your items all packed up and sent off to you as soon as I receive your mailing address. An email will be sent to you soon....please reply with your shipping address and we'll be all set!

Thanks to all of you for playing along. I had a lot of fun with this. My next giveaway includes a beautiful Country Living hardback book and who-knows-what-else.

And Lisa...I expect a product review from you. I really want to know what you think of the soap, gel and lotion.

Until next time, take care bloggers!



P.S. If you're interested in the lemongrass products (in all seriousness they are really, really nice), please visit my Etsy shop later this week and grab some before they're gone.

Freebie Friday!

Hey bloggers! Happy Friday....and welcome to the first Freebie Friday. I appreciate you guys so much that each month I'm going to pick one Friday to be Freebie Friday. I'll give away something to the lucky winner.




How do you play? It's easy. You need to sign up for my mailing list to be eligible. It's just that simple. Then...on the designated Friday I'll draw a random name out the 'hat' and that's the winner. There will also be a blog post explaining the Friday Freebie. I told you it was easy!

I'm a bit behind (so what else is new, right?) but I do have one picture of my lemongrass glycerin soap that is part of this week's giveaway. The winner will get one super-lathery bar of soap PLUS... 4 oz. of lemongrass hand/body lotion and 4 oz. of lemongrass shower gel. These are not store-bought: all three items are custom-made and packaged by me. You are gonna smell REALLY good...I promise.

Here's what the soap looks like:

Lemongrass Glycerin Soap with Real Lemongrass

The lotion and shower gel come in a 4 oz. squeeze bottle (technical term: 'tottle'). This is the type of bottle that stands on its cap so the lotion/gel is always ready for dispensing. I've been using the lotion and gel for a few weeks and have tested it out on some co-workers too. They LOVE it. And I think you will too.

So...this is your FINAL CHANCE to get in the drawing. If you haven't already, please use the mailing list sign-up form in the right hand column [ over there ----> ] and get registered. I'll be drawing a name over the weekend and will post the winner's name on Monday. Then...I'll contact the winner to get his/her mailing address.

Lemongrass is an uplifting, energizing scent. It's great all year 'round, but I especially like it as a summertime scent.

Okay...get busy. And Good Luck!

New Floor in the Park Model

I'll bet you didn't know that Crafty Mama and I were so talented, did you? Well...when we put our minds to it, we can do just about anything. [Note to self: hire someone to strip the ugly-ass wallpaper off the bedroom walls.]

During the cold, cold winter months the park model remains unheated. And we've never had any trouble with anything. We have it professional winterized each fall and we put little containers of moth balls around (to ward off any pesky mice). But we got an really unpleasant surprise when we opened up our unit this year.

The vinyl flooring in the kitchen and entryway was split in several places. It was like someone came in and took a utility knife to it. It was sliced in pie-shaped triangles from wall to wall. Ugg!

We got an estimate on having it replaced. After picking each other off the floor (the estimate was a tad bit too much to appreciate and we both about fainted!) we decided we could/would do it ourselves. So...Crafty Mama made a few trips to Lowe's and Menard's to pick out some nice square vinyl tiles. The kind that you peel and stick. I was a bit hesitant at first...not sure if the "stick-em" kind was going to be a good idea (as opposed to vinyl that comes off a roll). But, thankfully, the project moved along faster and better that I imagined. In fact, it would have been a huge PITA* to deal with a sheet of vinyl as there's not a great deal of space to work in, and there were TONS of places that had to be notched out.

IN case you didn't know, I carry my camera with me everywhere, but do you think I had it when we opened the park model? Nope. So...I don't have any good photos to show you of the 'before' shot. However, here are a few pics to show you how it ended up. Bottom line: it's nicer than the original floor. We love it.

Thanks Honey for all your hard work! Crafty Mama makes a great partner in these handy-man/woman projects.

Before

During

More "During"



"DONE!!!"


Smooth as a baby's butt!

*Pain in the a$$

Have a good one!





P.S. Oh, yeah...almost forgot. Please make sure you sign up for the Crafty Dad mailing list. Later this week I'll be drawing a name for some great giveaway items. It's going to be FREEBIE FRIDAY in honor of my Christmas in July celebration. The sign-up form is over on the right-hand column. Go there now and then watch for a special e-mail invitation. ;-)