Dance to the music!

For those of you that don't know, Hubby plays bass. Yup, not only am I an incredibly creative mama, I'm a hot rock star's wife. Or a rock star's hot wife. Hmmm. Do you have to actually earn money playing to be considered a rock star?
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to highlight some musicians I like. Gotta keep it interesting!

For the first one, I'm choosing Rob Gundling. He's a great guy, plays local shows when he can, and is a great musician. He has a MySpace page that he just put new songs on (which is why I thought of this idea in the first place) and a website to keep you updated. You may recognize one of his songs as being the intro to my videos. He's just that good!
If you like his music, let him know! I'm sure he would be thrilled to get random emails from women. His wife on the other hand... I'm just kidding, she's a sweetheart, too.
Have any great bands you like that deserve the attention? Leave me a comment, and I'll check them out!

I had to share.

A friend had this on her MySpace, and I had to share. It made me pee, just a little.

Grab some popcorn and dim the lights...

This is the last video in the food-based dye series. I'll warn you, it's a doozy. Hopefully you won't get too bored ;)


Crafty! Video #3- Assembling the Bag from Crafty Mama on Vimeo.

Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly (day after)Friday!

It's kind of Friday! So that means...

Violet Nights Shrug

This week I'm featuring Dassk, who's another Swanky Mama friend. We've got quite a few members, ya know. She's combined the first inital of each of her five kids' names to get her shop name. Yeah, you heard that right, five kids!
She learned to crochet from a friend whose whole family made items to sell. While visiting one day, her friend's mother offered to teach her how to crochet, and she taught herself how to knit from books. She finds most of her yarn time on the subway to and from work or while her youngest is sleeping.

Flora n Fauna Hat

She gets her inspiration from her children, and loves hearing them brag about her homemade goodies. She loves making things for them even though it means acting like a tightrope walker sometimes.

Knick Knack Pouch

Please check out her shop to see all of her handmade things, and spend some money while you're there, too!

Etsy Buy Handmade DASSK

All right, so here's the deal.

Hubby finished editing the last segment, and it's 28 minutes long! We decided to keep it together because who wants to jump from clip to clip to see how to assemble a bag? YouTube will only allow 10 minute videos. SO... we had to switch video hosters. Do that make sense?

I'm in the process of doing that as we speak, and then I'll be closing my YouTube account. Vimeo also allows hi-def videos, so one day when we get that new camera...

It's coming...

We have shot the next segment of the bag tutorial, but it's still being edited. It's a doozy, so I'm not sure if it will make it all on one clip or if I'll have part 1 and part 2.
My next video tutorial will be on assembling a eco-friendly shopping tote. I'll show you how to assemble my favorite one. It's not my pattern or process; I have to give full credit to queenofdiy on Craftster. She's shared it in pictures. I always "get" things easier after seeing someone do them, so I thought it would be helpful to someone else.






What makes this bag so great is that it folds inside of its own pocket, so you can keep a bunch stashed in the car for last minute shopping trips.
If you want to get a head start, let me warn you- use thin fabric! The thin cotton blends in the quilting department work best. While assembling, you end up with about 6 layers of fabric; it gets pretty bulky!

Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly Friday!

I know, I know, I'm way off! It's been a rough weekend, okay? Sheesh, cut a girl a break already...

Snoopy St. Patrick's Day Purse

This week I'm featuring Miss Bea of Bags Plus by Miss Bea. She's another Swanky friend of mine who got hooked on Etsy by her lovely daughter Pretty Bowtique.
Her crafting start came from her mother who was always crafting and passed her knowledge on to Miss Bea.

Lime Green Frogs Purse

She's a retired preschool teacher who loves spending her free time crafting. She has been known to make bibs, potholders, and blankets, but got started into bags after a gentle shove from her daughter. Her husband is very supportive as well.

Colorful, Colorful, and Colorful Purse

While she loves all her bags, her sports themed bags hold a special place in her heart. Check out her shop to see all her lovely bags.

Etsy Buy Handmade beanhank

My New and New-ish Pretties!

I realized that I haven't shared any pretties that I have adopted lately (or at all for that matter). I didn't take pictures of all of my purchases, but here's the ones I have taken pictures of. In order of their arrival at my house...

This lovely ring came from Jason's Jewelry. I also bought another one for a friend, but didn't take a picture of that one. It was packaged along with some jewelry supplies in this box from Craft Mom.

Please excuse my hand, my poor Florida skin can't handle arid weather. Yes, 75% humidity is arid!

This collection of lovely items came from Debty Beautiful Beads. She also sent a lovely hair pony from Whimsie Dots, but that was given away when I chopped my hair. I love the beads in the purple necklace, but it's a little long, so I've been wrapping it around my wrist. I honestly don't know how you jewelry people photograph your shiny things. They were giving me fits!

Here's a closeup on the purple beads. There are little gold threads running through them.

Agh! It's attack of the twin Elvises (Elvi?)!!! I'm shooting myself in the foot for this one, because one is for a friend. I'm hoping she is doing her homework like a good girl, and not surfing the web so she doesn't see her present before I give it to her. She doesn't even know I have one. This necklace is from Opalessence, by the way. It's the perfect length, gorgeous! Everyone should have a hot guy hanging around their neck. Somehow I don't think people would understand if I strung Brad Pitt around my neck, though... not a pendant with him on it, the actual Brad Pitt. Hey, if Angelina Jolie can hang a vial of Billy Bob's blood around her neck, I can hang a man around mine! Maybe someone shorter than me... Tom Cruise? Oh, no way! Nevermind. How tall is Leo DiCaprio? Johnny Depp?

Now, I don't want you to think that all I do is buy things for myself because I don't, but I just don't usually take pictures of the things I buy for other people. Except...I did take a picture of the anklet I bought my sister from Cindy's Creative Crochet, but it wasn't on my camera. I think my mom has it.

Ditto on the DSM Christmas swap stuff I bought from Cozy Moments. Well, I don't have a picture of that because I didn't take one. That was just laziness on my part.

Crafty! Video #2

Crafty! Video #2- Applying the Dye from Crafty Mama on Vimeo.
Apparently my camera man had too much coffee, sorry!

One World - One Heart Giveaway

UPDATE!!!- The drawing has been done, and the winners are...
Katie from Rustic Stains has won the olive green clutch. She posted the comment-

katie said...

I would love to be entered into your drawing. Please feel free to sign up for mine. I'm giving away a handmade blank book.

http://www.rusticstains.com/artblog/?p=373

February 10, 2008 10:40 PM

Freya from Art By Freya won the Skull Toy Tote. She posted the comment-

Freya said...

WOOHOOO!!!!

I LOVE the skull tote! Please count me in, and visit my blog to enter my giveaway, too!

Freya

http://artbyfreya.blogspot.com/2008/02/one-world-one-heart-givaway.html

February 13, 2008 12:47 PM

Thank you so much for entering my contest, and I can't wait until next year! If you've enjoyed the contest, please bookmark my blog for future visits and contests. I am always willing to swap blog links as well.

This olive green clutch is just the right size for holding necessities for an evening out.

It features an amber colored bejeweled button. The outside is an olive and gold stripe fabric. The inside is lined in a matching matching gold fabric.

A magnetic snap will keep everything where it belongs.

Approximate finished dimensions are 8 inches by 4 1/2 inches.

I've decided to join in the fun. This February blogs from around the world are joining together to give away free stuff. How great is that? I'm putting the clutch above up for grabs. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and on February 14th, I'll draw one winner. The winner will be named in a post that night.
For more details on the joint contest visit the One World - One Heart blog.

Update- Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you. If you have a blog, leave that too so I can swing by and say hey!
Also, I have had much more response than I thought, so since I have hit 50 comments, I will be adding another prize. It's a lovely canvas toy tote with a skull design (from http://skulladay.blogspot.com) that I've dyed using my natural food-based dye. For more details on the food-based dye, check out the video tutorials on my blog.

Sorry about the poor picture, I was rushed to get this put up.

Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly Friday!

It's Friday!!!

Green Apples Custom Boutique 6 piece outfit

This week I'm featuring Angie (yet another Swanky friend) from Ambrosia Delights and Rio Oso Designs. She chose Ambrosia Delights because it started with the letter "A" and coincided with Psalms 37:4, "Delight yourself also in the Lord..." Rio Oso Designs came from the nickname her Mother-in-law gave her husband.

OsoBaby Fluffy Chenille and Flannel Baby Blanket

She gets most of her inspiration from God, and also her desire to stay home with her son. She divides her time between family, church, making girly things (to balance out the testosterone in her household) for one shop, and coming up with digital designs for the other shop. She finds that keeping a list helps her keep on track.

Custom Family Heirloom Photo

She has always crafted, learning early from her mother, and enjoys using her God-given talents to earn money while doing something she loves.
She also spends time keeping her blogs updated, Rio Oso Designs and The Downtown Boutique.

Etsy Buy Handmade ambrosiadelights

Etsy Buy Handmade rioosodesigns

I've been tagged and trimmed!

First of all, Hubby's birthday was yesterday. Happy Birthday! He took the day off, and I got my hair cut. It now looks like it did in my avatar, again. I like this cut the best even though I have to "do" it every day.
Second, I got tagged by the Chocolate Canary, so here's the rules:


1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I'm the second of five kids- three girls and two boys (in that order)
2. I can pick my nose with my tongue, that's a big hit with the little boys!
3. I hate, hate, hate it when you squeeze the toothpaste from the middle. It's in the directions on the tube, people! I've even fixed it over at my mom and sister's house.
4. I'm a perfectionist messy. Why bother cleaning if it can't be done perfectly?
5. I picked my oldest son's name from the side of a moving van.
6. I'm an excellent cook. I read cook books like novels, but rarely use them while actually cooking.
7. I have a hearing impaired brother and deaf sister, so I know sign language.

Now for the seven people:
1. Able Mable
2. Cute & Sweet
3. Doodlesprouts
4. Made by Melissa
5. Nikki's Nacs
6. New England Quilter
7. Snuffy's Stuff

Crafty! Video #1

I've updated this post with a new video hosted by Vimeo, hopefully the quality will be better than the last.


Crafty! Video #1 from Sara Davis on Vimeo.

Added note: Please store your dye in the refrigerator. It will spoil at room temperature.

It's happening!

I just gave approval of my first ever craft video tutorial! My hair looks frizzy, my voice is still shot, but I'm still very proud of it. I love my Hubby!
Thanks Hubby!
Oh, and expect it on Monday.

Fabulously, Fantasmagorically Friendly Friday!

It's Friday, and you know what that means...

Ladybug Woven Headband

This week I'm featuring Angie (a fellow Swanky Mom) of Cute & Sweet. She decided on her shop name after spotting her one year-old sitting in her four year-old's lap reading. How very cute and sweet! Not only did her daughters inspire her shop name, but she gets crafting inspiration from them as well. While she enjoys making things for them, we all get to benefit from her shop full of pretties.

True Love Hair Bows

Although she got her crafting start from a scrapbook kit given to her by a friend, after learning to sew her focus turned toward ribbon.
Her family and household take first place, but her ribbons and crafts follow a close second. She takes any opportunity to craft throughout the day, and the bulk of her craft time takes place during naptime and after bed time.

Sunflower All-in-One Accessory Holder

Take a tour of her Cute & Sweet shop on Etsy, and you'll be sure to find pretty things for girls of all ages. She also has a blog to keep you updated on all things Cute & Sweet.

Etsy Buy Handmade cuteandsweet