Is This a Coincidence or What?

I'm a scrapbooker, and while I don't keep up with it as often as I should, I've been on a scrapbooking kick lately. Right after we got married, Creating Keepsakes Magazine had a call for wedding pages for a wedding idea book they were publishing (The Big Idea Book of Wedding Memories). I submitted a couple of pages, and one got picked for publication. I got a copy of the book, but hadn't pulled it out and looked at it in years. Tonight I got the urge to look at it, so I dug it out of the closet. While I was looking at the picture of my layout, I noticed something I'd never paid attention to before. My husband and I met on a blind date. Our first date was on July 28th. Exactly 5 years later, on July 28th, our first child was born. Pretty darn cool!

Help Save Handmade!

Do you remember all of the toy recalls that happened not too long ago because they contained high levels of lead? In response to those recalls, Congress passed a law last August called the CPSIA. The CPSIA is a law making it tougher to sell toys and other children's items that contain lead. The basic idea behind the law is a good thing. However, as a result of this law any crafter or stay-at-home artisan who makes items for kids under 12-- from clothing to toys to school supplies - must have their items tested to the tune of $400-$4000 per item. Since most crafters cannot afford those kinds of fees, this means tens of thousands of stay-at-home moms and small home-based businesses may be forced out of business come February 10, the official "mandatory compliance" date set by the law.

There have been some changes to the original law that are a step in the right direction and that help keep re-sale stores and crafters that use natural items in their original form in business. However, the law still needs more changes to clarify and further protect crafters and artisans.

Want to help? Visit the Handmade Toy Alliance to find a letter you can send to your Congressmen and Senators and more information about the original law, the changes that have been made, and the changes that still need to be made. Sign a petition to save handmade here. Visit the Etsy Forum for discussion between crafters regarding the law and compliance.

Look what's new in our Etsy store!

I made Megan a quilt and a diaper clutch out of this adorable fabric. I had some small pieces of fabric leftover from those two projects and it seemed like a shame to throw them out, so I created this little lovey with them! The front is pieced together, then I used a decorative stitch to top stitch where the blocks are joined together. The back is a red minky fabric and oh, so soft!

New Wipe Case Design

I've got a handful of new designs, and this one is one of my favorites. So much so, I made the first one for Megan! She's definately my little princess, so it's more than appropriate. Now, I've got to make a new diaper clutch for my purse to go with it. Want one of your own? Go check out my Etsy Store!

Little Ladybug

We went across town to visit some friends just before Christmas. It had been awhile since I'd been back to that side of town, so I decided that I'd make a visit to my favorite quilt store that was just down the road from our old house. I was sad to discover that they were going out of business. The good thing was that everything was 40% off! If you frequent quilt stores you'll know this is an unusual occurrence and a very enabling thing! When I found this fabric, I had to have it because it was so adorable! I love the fun daisies and the cute little ladybugs - plus the colors are just fantastic. I've had lots of fun creating things with this fabric! This diaper clutch and wipe case set is going into my Etsy store tonight. I've also made a quilt for Megan and a little security blanket with it. I'll post those soon!

Happy Feet!

When Taylor was about 6 weeks old I took her to a paint your own pottery place and created a plate that had her footprints on it. I love it so much that I kept going back and making more. It made for easy presents for my husband - he just had to give me a gift certificate and I was thrilled! Taylor's feet are getting too big to fit on the plates, so now we've moved on to her hands. Since Megan's feet still fit, I'm adding to her foot plate collection. I've got them displayed on a soffit in my dining room and I love seeing them all lined up. It's such a fun way to see how much the girls have grown and looking at them never fails to make me smile! I've officially run out of room here, but I'm not done with my feet plates yet! I've got a new row started in my bedroom. I just adore my rows of little feet!

My favorite Christmas Decorations from this year

This was my favorite part of my Christmas decorations this year. It was easily seen from my living room and was directly over the doorway to my den. It was a new decoration this year and I loved it! Two of the wreaths are candle rings, the other is a small wreath. They are hanging from 3M Command Hooks (one of the most wonderful inventions!). The words I made on my Cricut machine using brown Cricut vinyl. I know it's late for Christmas decorations, but I figured if I posted it here, I'd be able to find it to recreate it next year!

The Painted Garden

Not that long ago it was time to change the nursery to a big girl room for my youngest daughter. When the transition was complete, I was happy with the result, but one of the walls needed some pizazz. A store here had some flowers painted all over their walls, complete with rhinestones, and I thought the idea was fabulous. So, I adapted it a bit and painted a border on the wall. I used the little paint samples that they sell so you can test out a color before buying a gallon to paint the flowers. I did the flowers free-hand, but you could certainly use templates or stencils. I got rhinestones in several different colors and shapes and attached them with hot glue. Right now they are stuck fast to the wall, so hopefully, I won't need to remove them anytime soon!


It turned out really cute (though, I think I'm going to go back and add some more detail with a small pen) and Megan loves it! The wall is directly across from the window, so when the sun hits the wall just right, her room sparkles!