...the HECK was THIS?

Spotted in my kitchen when I got up to make coffee this morning:

It was not there at 1 a.m. when I went to bed.

So, am I sleepcrafting now?

82 Clothespins!

6 dozen plus 10. That's how many wooden clothespins I painted, beribboned, doodled, and decoupaged Sunday night while watching the first few episodes of Lark Rise to Candleford. Aren't they cool? Now I want to go back to the Dollar Store and buy bunches more. I'm thinking the next time, I'll put words and phrases on them, magnetic strips on the back, and use them like poetry magnets!

Where's my fairy godmother? Crafty Chica Cruise 2012!

Six years. That's how long the Crafty Chica Art Cruises have been happening, and that's how long I've wanted to go on one. What's not to yearn for? Eight days...beautiful weather...every yummy, pampery thing provided...off-the-page crazy, creative fun around the clock...and crafting flippin' ROYALTY!

Le siiiiiiiiigh. El suspiro. One more year to dream, dream, dream.

I met Kathy Cano-Murillo back when she was launching her Crafty Chica line at a Michael's in San Jose, CA. She and her hubby were just setting up when I got there, so I got to "pretend I was helping" and also chat with two of the nicest people on the planet. My jeans even got a mention on her blog! No, really! (My brush with greatness.) I've been a fan for years, and just wish some magical sparkles would drip off Kathy's left pinky onto me--maybe some creativity would stick.

So...the cruise. Oh, yes...when I win the lottery which I don't enter /publish my bestseller which I haven't written yet/inherit a million from a relative I don't know. That's when I get to lay down 900 smackers to abandon my DH on his birthday, cart my ageing tushy to a fancy ship to play with wild color and sip Margaritas and be waited on by cute little guys in cute little uniforms, and forget I have a cell phone and a pacemaker and grandkids and tenants whose toilets sprung a leak in the night.

And little piggies fly.

We all require fantasies; we can't live without them. This is one of mine. I am so happy for anyone out there who can take this dream vacay--and I hope you're one of them! If your ship came in (bad punsRus) then by all means, GO on this marvelous cruise! Have a blast and come back with glitter in your hair--and be sure to bring me back some extra fun stuffs, okay?

Life's little lessons: Obey them.

Or you might find the day you devoted to de-Christmassing the habitat, and also finishing up the embellished clothespins project, your head poppin' full of a hectazillion ideas--taken up instead by running through your home like a coocoohead because you left the water running full blast in the sink and flooded your kitchen. And you're still wiping it up at 11 p.m.

Some days are like that.

Book & Calendar New Year's Banner Display

Made a banner after dinner tonight. I used this template from the wonderful Lovely Design blog which I found doing a generic search, then fell in love with immediately. I used my old 2011 calendar pages with some highlight family photos from the year, plus the words FAST AWAY THE OLD YEAR PASSES printed in Castorgate-Distort font. Hung it all on a shiny ribbon I had on hand, rigbht above my desk opposite the Messy Crafty Corner.

After that, I got the idea to use a blank journal to represent the New Year. Printed out WELCOME, 2012! and YOU'RE A BLANK PAGE in Andalus font,, adhered with a glue stick, and wrapped a large brown elastic headband around the binding to hang it with.

Happiness and peace be yours in 2012! What will you write in the book of your life this year?

Rolled magazine pages starburst wreath

Still haven't found out how to spin straw into gold, but I sure did a lot with magazines this holiday season!

Here's the last-minute wreath I did for Christmas Eve. Just rolled pages hot glued to a paper plate, with foam half-balls, glitter, and ribbon. So easy, and much better than consigning old Family Circles to the recycle bin.

Backtrack: Christmas card

I didn't design a Christmas card this year, (although I get half points for doing one for my daughter's birthday on the 18th)...I am the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad person who finally slapped a few store-bought ones into the mail and called it a season. Or maybe I've lived long enough to know I can't do everything all the time; and if I really want a handmade one it's gonna have to start in, like, July.

So for those of you who just met me, which is pretty much anyone reading this except BBB (she knows who she is) here is one I did a few years ago and still like a lot. In fact, I think I'll just make the same one every year from now on and pretend it's a new idea...think it'll work?



Materials/tools I used: White card stock, printed image and text, crown punch, gold foil, bubble wrap, gold acrylic paint, vintage button, star stickers, torn paper, glitter, recycled coffee holder, glue stick, Mod Podge.

Merry Christmas from the Shannons!