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.

Not So Fast ...

Hey bloggers...it's the crafty guy again. You know--the one with Attention Deficit Disorder.

Just to keep you REALLY updated, I've decided to cool my jets on the Stampin' Up career (for now anyhow). My wife (bless her heart -- love you honey!) reminded me that I have about 1,452 things going right now and adding any more might put me (or her) over the edge. And...nobody likes the 'over-the-edge' thing. So. I'm going to behave and deal with what's currently on my overflowing plate.

A HUGE thank you goes out to Mike and Mary (SU! demonstrators) for their kindness in answering so many of my questions. If YOU are looking to get involved with Stampin' Up, I highly recommend you get in touch with them. They are THE BEST and although I've only known them for a very short time, I can tell that they are wonderful people and would do just about anything to help you along in your Stampin' Up adventure. And...even if you're not looking to become a SU! consultant, check out there websites for some of the most creative card-making you'll find on the web. Truly amazing. And...make sure you check out Mary's craft space (there's a link on her blog). OMG...it's so great. A beautiful place to create. I'm jealous. :-)

So where do I go from here? Well...I'm going into purge mode. I really MUST get rid of some stuff. I don't really want to give it all away...so I'm going to try to dedicate maybe one night a week where I can list some items on eBay and try to make a buck or two. Hey: let me know if you're in the market for a cover stitch machine. I just happen to have an almost brand new one from Janome. It's only been used about fifteen (15) minutes. I bought it thinking I just HAD to have one (wrong). So...my loss will be someone's gain. If I remember correctly, I paid almost $300.00 for it. Yikes! But it's just taking up space in my craft corner...so it's time for it to find a new home. Let me know if you're interested.

Enough of the ranting already. I'll leave you with some photos (click on them for a better view) I took a few weeks ago as we were closing up the park model. I've never seen Canada Geese on the lake...but they must have decided to take a break and wow...there were tons of them on the water.

Early Autumn at the lake

More geese...and beautiful Autumn colors.

An empty campground.

Have a great day!

Switching Gears

Hey bloggers! Trying to keep my blog alive..thought I'd better get another post in this month.

I've been in a craft funk for the past several weeks. And...I'm seriously thinking of changing things up a bit lot by changing craft medium. Seriously.

Not sure what happened, but I think I've been bitten by the card-making bug. Several years ago I attended a Stampin' Up! event and had a great time. I bought several stamp sets, ink pads, fancy scissors, glue dots..the whole nine yards. Making cards became an obsession. My SU! demonstrator was just getting started and as she was doing her demo, I kept thinking to myself (shamefully?), "Hmmm, I could do this with so much more enthusiasm than she has...it would be really fun to teach people how to make things." Then I snapped back to reality and glued my orange strip of cardstock on the front of the Halloween card and moved along with the group.

Some of you know that I am somewhat ADD when it comes to crafting. My wife calls it the 'flavor-of-the-month' syndrome. And she's right...I am a lot like that. I've got so many craft supplies, our basement looks like a craft store warehouse. Oh well. I have fun and I think that's what counts. Crafting is sort of like therapy for me (although a trip to the psychiatrist might be cheaper than buying all this craft stuff!).

Anyhow...fast-forward a bit. My oldest son is a freshman in high school this year and my wife is (smart lady) starting to pull photos together so she can make a scrapbook of his school years so she'll have a wonderful memory book for his senior year and graduation. She's been talking about it and worrying about it for a long time and she's recently decided to really get moving. She bought some scrapbook albums, a bunch of 12 x 12 paper, several packs of stickers, etc., etc. So...now she's getting ready to find a semi-permanent place to put her stuff so she can get started.

LIGHT BULB COMES ON! So...the ADD Crafty Dad decides that (ahem) maybe it's time to put all that fabric-related stuff in storage (or give some to Goodwill, or sell some on eBay, or SOMETHING). That would give my wife some dedicated craft space for her project(s). Cool. And...since she's going to be playing with paper and scissors, perhaps this would be a good time for me to dust off my card-making supplies and play along with her. Besides, we really need some 'together time' and this might be just the ticket.

Okay, so sorry for the ranty, long post, but I wanted to get you updated on what's happening. I've also met some wonderful Stampin' Up! people on the internet. They are some of the most creative people I've seen when it comes to card-making. And they have big hearts and have been super helpful in answering all my questions about the possibility of me joining the SU! family. Don't tell my wife yet, but I am thinking about becoming a SU! demonstrator. [You knew that was coming, didn't you? -- LOL!] But...if I'm going to dive into this new craft realm, I really need to make room for my new adventure. We'll see how it goes.

Any of you folks into card making? Any SU! people out there? I'd love to hear from you.

Stay in touch...I'll try my best to keep my blog fresh with new posts so you know what I've decided.

Take care,

Wait...what's this? A Finished Project? Yeppers!

It feels like months have gone by since I've actually 'made' something. So I was so excited to be able to start AND finish something this weekend. Nothing big...but hey: these days anything is good.

Little Guy is in YMCA Soccer again this fall and for those of you in the soccer circuit, you know how nasty those soccer shoes can be after practice or a game, right? With all the mud and grass, and .... half the soccer field in between those cleats. Yeah...Thought so. Well...rather than have Little Guy take them off and toss them in a plastic bag from the grocery store when he climbs in the car, I created a draw-string shoe bag. And he likes it. A lot. He smiled BIG TIME when I showed it to him. Ahhh, the little things.

I found a valance (you know, the curtain type) at the Thrift Shop awhile back. Not knowing what it might become, but too nice to pass up. That pretty much sums up my Thrift Shop mentality: never knowing what it might become, but too nice to pass up. I like that! [My wife thinks I'm nuts....]

So...here's the finished project. A simple un-lined bag. But it will more than serve the purpose I think. Don't you?

Soccer Shoe Bag

PS: Do you know how I can tell that it's back-to-school time? Because I have about ten (10) pairs of jeans/khaki pants to shorten. Yeah...the CraftyDad family is a bit on the 'less than tall' side of things. [Note to self: so thankful to have the machines to make quick work out of all this.]

Catching Up

Exciting things happening around the house and at the lake.
(click on the image for best results)

Hey bloggers! I wanted to share some of the beautiful blooms that are making my jaw drop. I had to catch these digitally and share them with you. I thought Spring would never ever get here. But...seems I was wrong (thank goodness).

And...some new projects popping up in the craft corner too. Coasters, Scrabble™ necklaces and some really cool aprons (up-cycled from kitchen towels).

I'm also planning a tutorial for anyone who's interested in making tote bags. I will start with the handles (I think they are most the fun part of the whole process) ☺

I really want to learn how to make You Tube videos. I know how to include them in a blog post, but ... I need to make a video and upload it to You Tube. We'll see how it goes.

Hope you had a great weekend.

Oh, by the way...we just dropped off Son No. 1 at school for his big Washington, D.C. trip. He'll be there all week, taking in the sites and sounds. I'm jealous since I've never been there. But I'm so glad he has the opportunity to go. Crafty Mama got a little teary-eyed as the bus pulled out of the parking lot. This is his first time away from home for more than a day. It's a new experience for all of us.

Take care,

Spring is in the Air (and in the Etsy shop too)

In the shop.

Green and Red Apple Travel Tissue Holders

All this Swine Flu talk has people pretty nervous. I guess the best we can do is common sense.

• Wash your hands
• Stay home if you're sick
• Keep away from congested areas (congested with people that is)
• If you need to cough or sneeze, do it into your upper arm/shoulder area
• Stay informed, but don't become glued to CNN and get all paranoid about this (okay?)
• Don't travel to Mexico
  

If putting germs on your sleeve seems a bit much, perhaps a facial tissue might be an alternative.

(You knew I was going to segue into that, didn't you?)

The Crafty Dad studio is cranking out travel tissue covers in all sorts of bright, sun-shiny, fun fabrics.

Stay tuned for more updates.

A Busy Easter Weekend

It's early Sunday morning and it's already been a busy day. Crafty Mom supervised the traditional Easter egg hide (the Easter Bunny did all the work, you know). And then it was chop the vegetables (for our lunch guests, NOT the Easter Bunny). I love the smell of fresh cut celery. Something about it.....smells like home. It's a comfort smell (if there is such a thing).

Here's a sampling of what we've done so far.

{Click for a larger view}

The lamb cake turned out nice. This is the first time I've used the star tip to decorate a cake. I should have practiced before I frosted Lamby, but he turned out okay. His jelly bean eyes and nose almost makes him too cute to eat. You can see the two-piece cake mold filled to the rim (yes, it ran over in the oven and made a mess). [NOTE TO SELF: put a cookie sheet under the pan next year to avoid a house filled with burnt cake smoke.]

The boys colored eggs last night after we got back from church. It was a great service. Great music, great music and a good time to celebrate the whole reason there is an "Easter". Upper left-hand corner is a shot of some bunny and egg candies I made. I was going to make lollipops, but didn't have any Springy or Easter-y molds. These turned out just fine.

Enjoy your day!

A Little Bit of Inspiration

I found this on Stephanie's blog....and HAD to share it with you.

I hope it touches your heart the way it touched mine.

Wow.

Science Fair Project - For Son No. 1

 

The "Before" picture:  nice, healthy, green plants

The project?  Acid Rain and its effect on plants.  Start with five great-looking plants and water them each with a different combination of water and vinegar (to imitate acid rain).

 

What do you get?

This:

 

The "After" photo. Acid Rain is not a good thing.

Okay...we're off to get some photos printed and to make a trip to Shipshewana, IN.  One of our favorite places to go.  Amish country.  Northern Indiana (where we live).  We'll be stopping at E & S Sales (bulk foods, tons of flour varieties, herbs, spices, etc., etc.) and Yoder's Meat and Cheese Shoppe.

The weather has warmed up considerably.  It's now 12 ° F outside, which is WAY better than -16 ° F which we encountered yesterday morning.

Hopefully, I'll have some craft time later today.

Have a great day!

A Touch of Spring Color is Needed About Now

I think snow is wonderful. Really, I do. But...I'm a bit tired of it already. So I took it upon myself to spend some time in the studio today to 'think Spring'. I came up with some bibs that remind me of springtime -- green apples and flowers. They are in the finishing touch stage and will soon make their way to either Etsy or Art Fire. I haven't quite decided yet.

Springtime bib -- ready for the sewing machine.

[01.12.09: UPDATE: Bib is complete. I'll post photo tonight.]

Time To Get Busy

Need to make more of these:

Green and Red Apple Tissue Holders

Green and Red Apple Tissue Holders -cute aren't they?

Need to get off my duff and start cranking out some more crafty stuff for the Etsy shop. Perhaps tonite!

Latest Issue of Cotton Time

I found this on etsy.com today. I'm hoping to find some Japanese craft books (or Zakka books) in Indianapolis later on this weekend. We've had to delay our trip due to the rotten ICY weather we're having. There's a state of emergency keeping us hold-up on the house for now. So...it was tomato soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches for lunch and camping out by the TV and computer as ways to pass the time.

Here's the craft magazine I found on pomadour24's etsy site:

Hopefully, we'll be able to start our trip a little later this afternoon. Until then, it's back to surfing the web. Hey: it's better than spending the day at work!

Take care,

Wow! An Actual CRAFT Project

Yesterday was Hannah's 11th birthday party.

My latest craft project.
The Cricut and I had fun with this one!

Some scrapbook paper, cardstock, a few white buttons

and a little bit of pink thread turned into a fun project

And...(I didn't tell you, but last month, on the 22nd, was MY birthday) I used my new toy (cough, cough, I mean TOOL) to help me create a birthday card. Yep, I bought a Cricut and I LOVE it. What a fantastic little machine.

Hannah is a big, big fan on Hannah Montana and she was ECSTATIC when she tore the gift wrap off the Hanna Montana Back Stage Pass book from Disney. Wow...that girl was jumping up and down on the sofa like a kangaroo. She devoured every page.

Inside the book was a door hanger. I told my oldest son that I should have one like that for my cubicle at work. He rolled his eyes (he's 13, so that happens frequently these days) but he did assist me in the photo op. What do you think?






And a very yummy chocolate cake too:

Hannah's mom cut out a paper plate and decorated the top. Pretty nifty, huh?

I was good: only one piece of cake and one scoop of ice cream.

Hope you had a good weekend!

Saturday Sunrise

Sunrise on the way to work 11-1-08
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

This was the view I had as I exited the Toll Road this morning on my way to work. Yeah, working on Saturday. It's not so bad! I'm VERY thankful that I have a great job and that I get to work with some really cool people.

Speaking of "thankful", Thanksgiving is on the way, bloggers. So make sure you can find your roasting pans and the turkey baster!

Have a great weekend.

P.S. I'm headed to Michael's after work today -- scrapbook paper is 4 for $1.00! Sale ends today. I recently bought "The Enveloper" and I'm going to try it out this weekend.

Vintage Pillowcase Tote Bag

This is on its way to the shop tonight. Here's a sneak peek:



UPDATE: 06.24.08 @ 9:48 p.m. IT IS IN THE SHOP!

The Indiana Jones Bag

Shouldn't everybody have one of these? I whipped this up several weeks ago. Now Little Guy wears it all over the place. Now Son No. 1 wants one too. :-)

Rewind

I promised my oldest son that I would show you the backstitch pillow he made for Cousin Colin J. So...without further adieu -- the pillow:

Lightning McQueen -- A "Krafty Kid" Creation

Speaking of my krafty kid, go check out his new blog.

Colin J's Birthday Tote

My cousin's son turned 4 last weekend. And he's infatuated with the Disney Cars movie and Lightning McQueen. So...why not capitalize on that and make something, right? Right!

So...thanks for JCasa's tutorial, I whipped this up:

The pocket is a big larger than the tutorial calls for, but ... I wanted to get as much of the print on the front of the bag. Plus, it gives Colin more room for 'stuff'. And kids always have a lot of stuff.

ABOVE: A shot of the inside of the bag.

Yep: "I AM SPEED". Happy Birthday CJ.

Vacation Day!

Yes! A vacation day. A day sans work. I {heart} vacation days. Especially the kind where I get to spend the entire day with my boys! Woo Hoo....

The boys have a 4-day weekend (President's Day Recess) so I took today off to spend some quality time with them. We went to lunch (Chinese food at New York Buffet). In case you don't know, I'm all about quantity and (quality too ) when it comes to Chinese food. There were tons of choices but we stuck with the basics:

• Chicken and broccoli
• Egg drop soup
• Terriyaki chicken (a/k/a 'chicken on a stick')
• Black pepper chicken
• Steamed rice
• Mei fun
• Lo mein

It was all very good and we all three ate for about $15.00. Not bad.

This afternoon we're going to do some house cleaning and homework. That will make mama happy. And when mama's happy, everyone is happy. :-)

Early this morning I started making a tote bag out of re-purposed fabric. I found a Vera Wang pillowcase at the Thrift Shop this week. We'll see how it turns out. If I get my house chores done in time, I'll make a trip to the Craft Corner and work on it. Stay tuned.

Hey: have a great weekend.

Now...go make something!

Towel and Tote Bag for Kelsey

Towel and Tote Bag for Kelsey
Originally uploaded by crafty dad

Here' are two gifts I made for my cousin who is on the swim team. She wanted a hooded towel and a tote bag in her school colors.

I've made lots of hooded towels before, but this was my very first lined tote bag. It turned out really nice.

Is it just me, or does Christmas seem like it was several weeks ago? Where does time go?