think fast

vote for eloise

I've never entered any kind of photo contest before, but when I saw that local photographer Kendra Jean is offering up a free session to the winner, I thought "why not?"

So, here's Eloise on the first day of school.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned I had Eloise tested for speech delay. She has never really vocalized like her sibling did at the same age. She doesn't have any kind of physical problem (thank goodness), but needs a little boost in general. I'm pretty sure that being the baby in the house has something to do with it. She's only ever had to point and her every wish is fullfilled <grin>.

In any case, she goes to a little preschool for two hours, four days a week. She LOVES it! She plays, and reads, and paints, and has a ball.

Head on over to Facebook and click on Kendra's page ("like" her if you haven't already), then all you have to do is "like" Ello's picture. Easy-peezie. Thanks for helping out! And, if you are local, why not enter your own photo? The contest doesn't end for another week.

Be back tomorrow with my last Not Bummer Summer blog post!
Later.

card making 101 blog hop

Hello paper crafting peeps (and all other peeps). I'm participating with the other Go-to Gals in a Card Making 101 Blog Hop. I think you will enjoy it, and maybe even learn a new tip or two. Courtney is kicking off "school" right over on the Paper Crafts Connection.

So, now I will don my Professor Kesti hat and give you a few tips on paper piecing.

I think a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Well, first off - the Go-to Gals are all using Bo Bunny Press products today. My card features their amazing Garden Girl collection. I often use a collection of paper when piecing embellishments together; it makes sense that having paper that matches together makes life easier.

Here are some other tips for success when paper piecing:

• Use punches (like the 1/2" and 1" circle punch I used for this guy's eyes)
• Use common shapes (like triangles for his beak and belly)
• Stick with simple shapes (I cut a modified oval for my owl, then just trimmed a bit of a curve for his head)
• Take advantage of patterned paper to add depth (love his wings)
• Unify your pieces by inking around all the cut edges (I used Dark Moss Chalk Ink)
• Use foam adhesive squares for extra dimension (like his beak)

Overall, paper piecing can seem intimidating, but if you break down the concept to simple shapes and keep it "fun and cute", you will have a blast piecing on your next card.

Be sure to check the other Go-to Gals for extra schooling. Hee.

Later.

my childhood

So...we are planning a long vacation next summer. After putting together a budget, we decided that our plans to buy a trailer in five or so years just got bumped into the "now". The Kesti's are having a family reunion next summer around the fourth of July, then our church will enjoy Summer Services in Brainerd, MN. Then, of course, we'll want to visit friends in and around Minneapolis, too.

Presenting...a piece of my childhood.

This is no exaggeration. My family used to own a trailer virtually identical to this one. It was brand new in 1974. I'm putting it in the "retro" category.

It's actually in pretty darn good shape, all things considered. The woodwork is all in really good condition (just needs a good scrubbing). The stove is just fine - it will gleam in all its Harvest Gold glory after cleaning it.

I adore the color of the refrigerator and the seals all seem to be in working order. We'll fire it up and make sure it stays cold (crossing my fingers). I want to pull more of this color out for the new upholstery.

Jessica's first question was "is it avocado green and orange?" to which I replied, "of course not - it's brown and harvest gold". Hee, hee. This checked upholstery is not the worst thing under the sun, but I will be changing it - maybe to a solid robin's egg blue? Opinions?

This is a tiny shot of the bathroom, my least favorite part (although the toilet is brand new). I kind of think this wallpaper is cute, but it will have to be replaced. Too bad it's not in better shape. We'll probably just do a basic waterproof wall material.

So, what do you think? Pretty cute, eh? We have all winter to fix it up. Then, hopefully it be our home away from home for a few weeks next summer. If we keep it past that, I have all sorts of visions for curtains, awnings, cute chairs, new counter tops, etc. We'll have to see.

Later.

staycation

You've probably noticed a lack of vacation photos from me this summer. We've been sticking around home, doing lots of crafts and having swim dates at Grandma's. It's all good. We have a big trip planned for next summer (more on that tomorrow).

As part of Pebbles "What I Did This Summer" blog week, I'm sharing a layout I created with photos from our play dough adventure. I'm so glad to have these photos already scrapped and in the album. I'm seriously behind on my scrapping, but I don't feel the need to go in any kind of chronological order (do you?). I say, "scrap what makes you happy."

Here's a little sneak peek of that layout.

In other "staycation" news, I've just started this book.

I'm thoroughly enjoying it (thanks, Lauri).

Have you read any good books this summer? Please share.

Later.

montrous fun

Hey there! Posting today over at the Paper Crafts Connection for another "Not Bummer Summer" blog post. In fact, I had such a Monstrous Good Time putting the post together that I thought I would do a little add on right here.

So, click HERE to read about my kid-friendly craft, then come on back.

Last week, Harrison and I made two batches of homemade playdough. I originally got the recipe from this blog (via my pinterest board), but I tweaked it a little bit. Here's the basic ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cups of salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar

We combined all of the above in my non-stick skillet, then heated it on medium for about 3-4 minutes, stirrring constantly. You will notice right away when the dough starts firming up. Take it off the burner and divide the dough into three balls. (It cools pretty quickly, but don't burn yourself).

Then, we added some lovely food coloring.

This is our favorite (bought with my 40% off coupon at Michael's). It was fun to mix the colors into each ball of dough. We worked on a piece of wax paper. Tip: work the food coloring into the dough while it's still warm - it absorbs the color the best.

Here's our pretty dough. Clara came up with that teal color - so yummy.

And, speaking of "yummy" and "Clara" in the breath - check out what she made for our Monster Party!

These adorable cupcakes. How great are they? Once again, inspired by my pinboard, I was directed to Annie's Eats. Then, I remembered I had these silicone cupcake holders. Well, it WAS a good idea, until Clara and I got a little crazy with the frosting. Um, can you say top heavy? They are cleverly propped up with my Fiestaware for the photo. Ha!

This guy is my favorite. Awwww! He was quite tasty and delicious, too. If you like frosting, that is. Hee.

Hope you have enjoyed our monstrous amounts of fun. I'll be back tomorrow with more summer photo goodness.

Later.

 

winners

Announcing...the randomly selected winner for the Vintage Beachy Card Set: Lee! She was only my third commenter - so, you never know who is going to win! (I'll shoot you an e-mail, Lee).

And - let's all be winners and Help Stamp Out Cancer! The sweet gals at Skipping Stones Design are hosting their second annual "Blog for Boobies Auction and Fundraiser". Please click HERE to check out all the action. Our very own Renae from Paper Crafts Magazine created a beautiful card set that is part of the auction. Click HERE to check it out (and leave a bid, too).

Let's see - I guess I am a winner, too. Pebbles announced their new Design Team for the upcoming year and I'm very excited (and grateful) to be returning to the team! Yay! How can I not be excited to get my hands on this adorable collection?

(It's the new Fresh Goods Collection). Yumm-my!

 

freebie friday

I'm stealing that blog post title from Kelly at Paper Crafts Connection. I mean, why not? I AM posting over there today. AND, I have a special giveaway for you. Hey! It works for me.

So, click HERE to see my whole post - then check out my cards a little closer.

#1 - a sassy yellow bow brightens this one up.

#2 -an unusual mix of coral and navy on this one.

#3 - map paper mixed with a bright fish sticker = spunky

#4 - a strip of seismograph paper with that sentiment says it all.

So, which is your favorite? I'm giving away a set of all four cards to one lucky winner! Leave a comment and I'll enter you to WIN. (Comments will close Sunday night at 12 PST).

Thanks for stopping by. And, I hope you are having a Not Bummer Summer!
Later.

 

 

plant smiles

So, you guys know I love Paper Smooches, right? The images are straight up cute and the quality is awesome. So, I'm putting in my bid to be a Paper Smooches Guest Designer. Here is a card I made with Kim's Perky Plants set.

I paper pieced the plant - because it's just too fun not to. The patterned paper on the card is mosty Bella Blvd - it's like a match made in heaven.

Kim is a dear friend and I wish her every bit of success with her young company. I just heard that she is offering her stamps on a wholesale level now. That means you get them in your local store. Sweet. Just ask your store owner (and tell them I would be happy to make samples for them - ha!).

In any case, there is always tons of inspiration on her blog, too. Check it out HERE. Her design team rocks!

Later.

not to repeat myself

First, here's a quick little card I created.

(I love the concept of repetition - like this stamped background). But, I'm really posting about the amazing story of the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol Winner. Click HERE and read several posts to find out all about it.

I don't personally know Cristina or Jaclyn - but I think both of them are pretty AMAZING! Congrats to both of you!

Later.

 

pinterest

Do you have an interest in Pinterest? Hee.

It's a fairly new online bookmarking site. It's kind of hard to describe. But, it allows you to "pin" photos from all around the web into your own personal pin boards. Sort of like virtual cork board. The best part? It saves the location of your photo.

How many times have you admired something like this...

I have. Lots of times. But, do I admire it enough to create a permanent bookmark in my already overwhelmed bookmark folder? Not really. (Although that one zebra pillow makes this whole room).

Long story short, I've joined the Pinterest crowd. It's very liberating. I mean addicting. Yeah. Very addicting. So, if you join, don't say I didn't warn you. Heh.

Later.

p.s. You can follow my boards HERE.