Happy Blogoversary to me!

Thanks Teena in Toronto for reminding me that today is the anniversary of when I started this blog. I started it 2 years ago today! I honestly cannot believe it's been that long!

As a thank you to all of my friends and customers and all those that frequent this blog I'm going to lower the prices for my Flowers Extravaganza Class projects. So check out that post to see the updated prices!

Flower Extravaganza Class

updated 10/15/09: I've lowered the prices for these projects as a thank you for my Blogoversary! Thank you for coming to my blog! Thank you to all those that come to my classes! Thank you to all my friends and family & for all the support you give me! The prices you see now have been updated from the orginal prices and are now the current prices.

Join me for a fun

~Flower Extravaganza Class~

Friday, October 30th at 6:30 pm at my home

You can make flower clips for you, your daughter, granddaughter's, niece'e, your friend's daughter's, or your friend! I made the one's pictured here for my girls and they love them!

These would make wonderful birthday or Christmas gifts!

I will have a variety of colors and sizes for you to choose from.

Large Flower Clips are $6 each

Medium Flower Clips are $4 each

Small Flower Clips are $2 each

You can also choose to make a Flower Clips Frame to hold your flower clips! We keep ours in the bathroom so the girls can easily choose which one they want to wear when they are doing their hair in the morning!

For an 8x10 frame, like this one, the cost is $6. This frame holds all of the clips you see above plus a few more (but you can't see the cute polka-dot ribbon when it's as full as ours is). So if you'd like to bring your own frame that is larger, then the cost is $3 to make this frame. You could find really fun vintage ones at a thrift store and spray paint them! It's just an idea but I recently saw a really nice vintage frame that someone found at a thrift store, and they spray painted it & it turned out really beautiful!

Email or call me (480) 421-8048 to sign up for this class!

The deadline to sign up for this class is Wednesday Oct. 28th but you can continue to purchase ready made ones until further notice!

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Do you love these but don't want to make them yourselves?

Purchase them already made:

Large Flower Clip $8 each

Medium Flower Clip $6 each

Small Flower Clip $4 each

Flower Clip Frame $ 10 each (for the 8x10 black frame)

If you'd like a larger frame the cost will be more depending on what size frame you'd like.

Just email me to place your order.

At the time you order please indicate the quantity, the size and colors you'd like.

tote bags

These are some tote bags I made for my sister's two youngest boys last month! She wanted something they could take their books and colored pencils to church in. Do you see the little skinny pockets on the outside for the pencils? There's also snap closures on the inside (sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the inside).

hello baby

These are some cards that we made at my Stamp Club tonight!

Ok, I was asked how I did this background! I'm sorry, I should have included that before! This is the Marble Technique. I didn't see a tutuorial on Splitcoast, so here's my quick attempt at a tutorial.

You need:

a clear stamp box

(you can use one that has stamps in it if you don't have an empty one,

just take the stamps out, then you can wash it out after you're done)

flat marbles (8-10)

reinkers (1 or 2 coordinating colors)

glossy cardstock (cut to the size you want to place on your card)

adhesive

1. Place the marbles in the clear stamp box and drop 4 or 5 drops of re-inkers on top of them.

If you are using more than 1 color, drop 2 or 3 of each color in.

2. Put a small amount of adhesive on the back side of your glossy cardstock

(don't use a gooey glue, use a tape runner or something similar).

3. Stick the cardstock to the inside of the lid of the box.

4. Close the box and turn it upside down, then shake it around. If you don't want much ink on the cardstock only shake it a little, if you want more then shake it a few more times.

I also forgot to tell you that I chalked the buggy.

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment or email me.

Nursing cover

This is a nursing cover I made for my good friend, Melissa as well. She wanted it to coordinate with the diaper bag that I made for her. You can't see it in this picture, but it has a neck strap that velcro's on one end to take it off and put it on easily. There's plenty of room at the top to be able to peek down in to see your baby.

If you'd like to order a nursing cover, they are $10. Please specify a color/pattern you'd like.

To order email me at: chelscraps (@) yahoo (.) com.

Bekah's bag

I made this little Tinkerbell purse & crayon roll for my long time friend from High School, Kathy. It's actually for her little girl's birthday next month. I really like the fabric I found and I hope little Bekah will love it too.

I made this little crayon roll for her as well. These are great to take on a trip or to church/dr. office. It makes it easier for the kids to get to the color they want and you don't have to worry about them ripping the box apart every time they open it.

If you'd like to order one of these the crayon rolls are $5 and the colored pencil rolls are $7 (crayons & pencils not included). When ordering please specify how many slots you'd like, in other words how many crayons or pencils do you plan to put in them?

giveaway

Here's another fantastic giveaway from Fantabulously Frugal. Her birthday is coming up & she wants us to help her celebrate! Check out the link to see what's in store!

Happy Birthday FanFru! I hope it's a great day & year for you!

Pencil rolls

Just before we left on our vacation I made these little Pencil Rolls for my younger kids. I got the idea from Cindy over at Skip to My Lou. Her's are made for crayons, but I made mine for colored pencils, since my kids prefer them over crayons. They used them in the car on our trip & at church. This was so helpful for each of them to have their own so they didn't fight over the one box we used to use. These were very simple to make & the kids love them.

The longer one I made for my 11 yo girl, who is an artist & loves to draw. As you can see she has a lot more colored pencils & markers in there as well. She also has one of these for her paintbrushes (I didn't make that one).

Chel's tote

I made this bag for me & I LOVE it already! I used some material that I already had & some scraps from the Melissa bag. It's amazing what you can do with little pieces of leftover fabric. I wish I had a little more of the flowered print so I could have made the band at the bottom a little wider! I put an extra thick interfacing in every one of my bags to help them hold their shape and last longer. If you'd like a bag like this one, they are $45 and you can email me at: chelscraps (at) yahoo(.)com. This bag measures 16" wide x 13" tall (not including straps). The straps are 24" from end to end, so the bag is a total of 25" tall including the straps.

This is one side of the inside. I made a really large pocket for my camera to fit in & then a smaller one on the outside of the large one.

This is the other side of the inside. There's another medium sized pocket in the center & then I made a small pocket up at the top for my cell phone. Now I don't have to dig in the larger pockets to find my phone. I love it!

Melissa bag

I love how this bag turned out! I made this one as a diaper bag for my good friend who is just about to have her 5th baby. She thought she was done having kids a few years ago, but recently got a little surprise. This bag would make a great purse also. If you'd like a bag similar to this they are $40. Email me at chelscraps (at) yahoo (.) com to order. This bag is 17" wide & 12" tall (this is just the bag).

This is the inside. It has 6 pockets, 3 on each side. It also has a magnetic snap closure.

Kyla bag

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I was gone on vacation for 10 days. We went up to my sister's house in Taylor, AZ & then camping in the White Mountains for my family reunion. The weather was so beautiful & it was great to get a break from the horrible heat we've been having (for those that don't live here...it's 114 right now)!

Those that know me well know that I can't stand to sit & just do nothing, so while I was at my sister's house I got some projects done. I've been on a big "purse/bag" kick lately. I've been making patterns and sewing up a storm lately & I love the outcome! Since I'm making my own patterns I've decided to name them after my friends & family! It's been so much fun!

This first bag I made for my 9 y.o. girl, who had been bugging me to make her a bag ever since I made the older girls one a few months ago. I made this bag from the scraps I had leftover from my daughter's & her friends pj bottoms. You can see those here.

This one is a pretty small handbag. It's 11.5" wide at the bottom & 7.5" wide at the top and 8.5" tall (not including the strap). The strap is 18.5" from end to end. This is the perfect size for a young girl, or anyone who wants a small handbag. If you'd like me to make one for you they are $15. You can email me at chelscraps (at) yahoo (.) com to order one. They can be made with fabric of your choice!

This is the inside. There's one pocket. I can add another one on the opposite side, if you'd like, but it would take up a lot of the inside of the purse. It has a magnetic snap closure also.

Issues with Blogger

I'm having issues with Blogger. For some reason my music won't play, my background & the text on the sidebar won't display. I'm trying to get help, so hopefully we'll be back to normal as usual very soon! Please be patient with me! I really hope I don't have to start a new blog. If anyone out there knows how to fix these issues, please share! You'll have to email me though, because the commentor isn't working sometimes either. chelscraps (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Hodgepodge of Cards

These are the cards we made at my Hodgepodge of Cards class a little over a week ago.

Supplies: On Your Birthday stamp set; Very Vanilla & Sage Shadow cardstock, Chocolate Chip Prints DSP; Ink: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow; Accessories: White flower (from the Pretties Kit), Aqua Painter (to paint the flower), button (from the Button Latte kit), corner rounder, Linen thread, glue dots.



supplies: Great Friend & Thank You Kindly stamp sets; Kiwi Kiss, Basic Black, Real Red & Whisper White cardstock; Rockabilly Specialty DSP; Real Red, Basick Black, Kiwi Kiss inks; Accessories: Stampin' Dimensionals.

supplies: Priceless stamp set; Kraft, Not Quite Navy & Baja Breeze cardstock; Accessories: White Organza ribbon, Curly Label punch, Stampin' Dimensionals. I did the Faux Shaving Cream Technique on this one.

Happy Birthday Nie Nie!

picture is from Conversations with a Cupcake!

Tomorrow is Stephanie Nielson's 28th birthday!

If you'd like to help her celebrate go to Conversations with a Cupcake!

I have been uplifted, blessed and inspired in so many way by Nie Nie! She is an amazing woman and has blessed the lives of so many people across the whole world.

For those that don't know, Stephanie & her husband, Christian were in a terrible plane crash that took the life of one of their friends, in St. Johns, AZ last August. This accident happened right across the street from my Aunt & Uncle's home. My uncle was able to run out and help Stephanie when this happened. If you haven't visited Stephanie's blog before, please take some time to do so, Nie Nie Dialogues! Take some time to read her past posts (pre-accident) and those since. She is a true inspiration to me & I'm sure she will change your life for the better as well.

Stephanie, I'm very grateful that you survived your biggest trial in life. I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow and many more to come after.

Ladybug pj bottoms

Here's the reveal from my little sneak peek yesterday...

I made these cute pj bottoms for my Cammi & her friend L. They wanted matching pj pants for girl's camp & they wanted to do camoflauge (to go with the Girl's Camp theme) but I talked them into doing this much cuter print instead. The camo fabric was twice as expensive (& no where near as cute)! I think the polka-dot cuff at the bottom makes them even cuter!

Here's the close-up again!

I made matching headbands for them too, but my pics didn't turn out good! So I'll retake that pic tomorrow!

a letter & a sneak peek

It's almost time for Girl's Camp (we leave later this week)! Those that have followed my blog for awhile have seen the projects that I did last year! If you are fairly new here, you can click here & here to see those fun projects. I made some 2 years ago, but I wasn't into blogging yet, so of course I didn't take pictures of those. For those that don't know, in our church we take the Young Women (girls ages 12-18) camping each summer & they work on certification (learning to tie knots, first-aid, survival skills, etc.) When I was a Young Woman, we would go for a whole week. Now they only get to go for 2-3 days. I think it's a shame, because I honestly loved being there the whole week. I have so many great memories from Girl's Camp. We actually aren't taking all of our girls this year, which I'm pretty sad about, because all of the girls 14 & older just went on the Pioneer Trek a few weeks ago. So I'm sad that my oldest daughter can't go, but excited to be with Cammi again!

Anyways, now as a leader I still get to have some fun! I am in charge of a craft this year (that'll come in a later post). I'm also making the beaded pens that I posted yesterday! I also get to take hundreds of pictures (there probably won't be hundreds this year since we'll only have half the girls that we normally would have)! Another fun part is our parent letters. They ask each of the parents to write a letter to the girls, expressing our love & bearing our testimonies to our girls & whatever else you want to write. They give them to the girls the last night at camp. This is something that the girls really look forward to, after a few days away from home they are usually a little homesick & welcome any part of home they can get. Well, I like to have a little fun with my letters, of course, being the creative person I am I can't just hand over a plain envelope! So the picture at the top is one side of the envelope/letter. I chose a paper that was a light color & faint print on one side, so I wrote the letter on that side & then just folded it & cut the edge cute to make it an envelope as well!

My Cammi loves to read, so I found this little bookmark for her & distressed it & I'm adding this in the letter! I'm also going to add a little bag of plain m&m's in there too...shhh!

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This is a little sneak peek of something fun coming tomorrow! I did a little more sewing today! So check back tomorrow night (hopefully) to see what this is in whole! Isn't it cute even though you can't tell what it really is?

A Simple Book & some Beaded Pens

I made this book (& the yellow & turquoise pens) about 2 months ago, for my last Stamp Club group's last party. I love this paper, it's the Pink Flamingo DSP. There's actually Pink Flamingo's on some of the papers~I think they are so cute!

These are beaded pens. Click here to see the tutorial on how to make them. I used Designer Series Paper instead of stamping on labels. I also used Micro Beads, & Sticky Strip. They are quite simple & make a fun addition to a plain ball point pen! I used Alias ball point pens, that I bought in a 4 pack at Walmart. I made 12 of these brown pens for Girl's Camp next week to give to the girls with a journal that another leader is making for them!

The yellow & the turquoise papers are from the Pink Flamingo DSP (link is above). The brown paper is from the Bella Rose DSP (no longer available). I also used Whisper White & Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbons.

A Cute Basket Tutorial

supplies: Rose Red, Whisper White & Kiwi Kiss cardstock (no longer available), Raspberry Tart DSP, Regal Rose 5/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, Rose Red Stampin' Ink.

I found the idea for this cute basket at Elaine's Creations, she is a very talented fellow SU!demonstrator. So here's my tutorial on how to make this basket. When you click on the name of the product that is highlighted a different color, it will take you to the page in the online catalog, to see what that product looks like or to order it online if you'd like to!

Pic A

1. Start by cutting one 8.5 x 11 sheet of cardstock in half width-wise, so you'll have two 8.5 x 5.5 sheets of cardstock. With one 8.5 x 5.5 piece of cardstock cut out both basket pieces from the Baskets & Blooms Bigz XL Die. These are the 2 ends of the basket. The other piece you'll use for the sides & bottom of the basket (see below). Cut off the small scored piece on both basket pieces (see Pic A).

Pic B

(where I'm pointing in Pic B is where the 3/8" mark is~directly half way between the 1/4" mark & the 1/2" mark~see next step below)

2. Now with the 5.5" side at the top, using the 2nd 8.5 x 5.5 piece of cardstock score at 3/8". Then turn the sheet around & do the score on the opposite side.

Tip: I like to score with my Bone Folder. I've used the scoring blade for my cutter & most of the time it just cuts through my paper, so I have learned to love the bone folder & it's great to have one more use for this handy tool as well. It's a little awkward to get used to at first, but once you get used to it you may never want to go back.

Pic C

3. Next with the 8.5" side at the top, score 2-3/4" from the edge on the short side (see Pic C). Then turn your cardstock around & score the same on the opposite side.

Pic D

Your cardstock should now look like Pic D

Pic E

4. Now fold all the of scored lines in & make a nice crease.

Pic F

Pic G

5. Using Snips, on the short ends (see Pic F) snip the four corners into the score line so that you can fold the box easier (see Pic G).

Tip: I highly recommend Stampin' Up!'s Snips. They are so sharp, cut more precise & are small enough to get into tiny spaces. They are the best pair of paper scissors I've ever owned.

Pic H

6. Adhere Sticky Strip to the sides & bottom of each basket end piece as shown in Pic H.

Tip: It is very important to use something stronger than regualar Snail or Tombow Adhesive, like the Sticky Strip, to adhere the sides of this basket (or any basket or box). Regular tape adhesive will not hold together for long on a project like this.

Pic I

7. It's time to assemble the box. Start by only removing the red film off the Sticky Strip on the bottom. If you remove all of them you will no doubt end up sticking something where you don't want it to end up & this stuff is really sticky. You will tear your paper if you try to pull it apart & reapply it. So please believe me, I've made that mistake too many times.

Pic J

8. Now line up the side of your basket with the two bottom corners of the sides & bottom piece (see pic J). Once you have them lined up stick them together.

Pic K

9. Next pull the red film off of one side piece & line it up with the side of the box & adhere (see pic K). Repeat on the other side.

Pic L

Pic M

10. Your box is assembled, Pic L & M is what it should look like.

Pic N

11. (I'm sorry I forgot to take a picture of this part). Punch out the Scallop Circle & apply adhesive around the outside edge of it. Adhere to the side right over the oval that is already punched out there. Tip: turn your punch over so you can see exactly what you're punching.

12. Next, using the 1-1/4" Circle Punch, turn your punch over so you can see the funny shaped oval inside the circle & punch it out (centering the oval in the circle). Add ribbon to one or both sides (as shown in Pic N).

Pic O (that flowere is from the Baskets & Blooms die cut that I cut the sides out with)

13. You can decorate this anyway you'd like, but this is what I did. Cut the side pieces. The inside piece (chocolate print) measures 3-3/4" x 2". I used the Bella Rose DSP for this inside piece.

The red layer measures 4" x 2-1/4". Next punch the corners using the Ticket Corner Punch. Then adhere each piece together.

I also used the Large Oval Punch, the Scallop Oval Punch, the Great Friend Stamp Set, Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Chocolate Chip & Pink Pirouette cardstock, Chocolate Chip & Riding Hood Red inks. If you have any questions about this tutorial or any products, please feel free to contact me at : chelstamps (at) yahoo (dot) com.

To order 24/7 click here!

FREE Photo Editing Class!

If you've been wanting to learn more about editing your photos, this is the class for you & best yet...it's FREE! Jessica Sprague is extremely talented in this area & I'm definatley going to be joining in. I thought I'd spread the word & share the wealth. If you'd like to know more, click on the link below.

FREE Photo Editing Class!

Thank You's

Here are a few cards that we'll be making tomorrow night at my Stamp Club. I have one more project coming...I'll post that one later.

I really love how this one turned out & I can't believe I don't even have ribbon on it! For those that don't know I am addicted to ribbon!!!!

I used the Rockabilly Specialty DSP (black stripes) for the first time.

Can you see the shiny stripes? Love that paper!

I also did the Faux Shaving Cream technique on the butterfly, although it's hard to see that.

Other supplies: Great Friend & Thank You Kindly stamp sets, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Real Red & Basic Black cardstocks & inks & Stampin' Dimensionals (another favorite of mine)!

Great Friend Stamp Set (above). All images copyrighted by Stampin' Up!

Thank You Kindly set (above). All images copyrighted by Stampin' Up!

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My host, & best friend Tabatha wanted me to make a thank you card that we could send to soldiers, since her daugther is serving our country in the Army right now. So I came up with this card...Supplies: The Free & The Brave & Thank You Kindly stamp sets. Riding Hood Red, Kraft & Night of Navy cardstock. Rockabilly Specialty DS Paper. Versamark & Night of Navy inks. Large star, small star & slot punches, Stampin' Dimensionals. Whisper White Organza ribbon.

The Free & the Brave stamp set. All images copyrighted by Stampin' Up!

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To shop online 24/7 click here

Daisy bag

This is not my first bag now, but it was my first experience making my own pattern. What do you think? I really like how it turned out. I'm planning to make more of these & put them on my Etsy shop.

There are 2 large interior pockets & a smaller one that I made specifically for my cell phone. The daisy material you see inside are the large pockets & the small cell phone pocket is solid black. I also put a magnetic snap in. I love this! I also made just one shoulder strap, which I saw on another person's bag so I thought I'd try it. I really like this, because I don't have one strap always falling off.

Birdie Sling tutorial

If you love this bag but don't want to make one yourself, please contact me for prices for a finished one.

Just to warn you this is a really long post. Please be patient with me, this is my very first sewing tutorial & there are a lot of steps here, so I hope I don't leave anything out or confuse you. Disclaimer: try not to get confused with the difference in patterns. I was actually making 3 bags at once (in an assembly line format). These bags are for my daughters to use as book bags next year, so I wanted them each to be a little different, but they are all using the same fabric.

This is an Amy Butler pattern so I can't share the actual pattern with you but if you do decide to purchase the pattern there may be some helpful hints here that aren't in the pattern instructions. I purchased my pattern from Henrietta's Handbags (great customer service-I had my pattern within 3 days of when I purchased it). There were a few things that were somewhat confusing for me, so I hope I can clear things up a little for you.

One tip before getting started...I used just regular iron-on interfacing on my first bag & then I went to the store & bought some nicer stuff (by the yard) which was a lot thicker & much more sturdy for making bags with. I would definately recommend the thicker interfacing for bags. It was only $1.97/yd. at Walmart.

Another tip: I found this material at Goodwill (a second hand store) in the form of king size sheets. I paid a total of $8 for both & made these three bags plus I have enough material for at least one possibly two more bags. My point here is to keep your options open, sometimes one persons trash is another's treasure. Sometimes you can find great deals in places you wouldn't expect.

Ok, here we go...
1. Cut out all pattern pieces from material & interfacing. Then iron-on all interfacing to pattern pieces.

2. Sew the pockets together with the right sides together (the interfacing should be on the outside so when you flip it it will be on the inside~as shown in Pic. A), leaving a 4 inch opening on one long end. Snip the corners off, being careful not to cut into your stitching (Pic B). Then turn the pocket right sides out.

hint: I use the end of my scissors (closed of course) to stick inside the pocket & poke into the corners to push the fabric out so it makes a nice corner.

Pic A

Pic B

3. Next, stitch your pocket to the lining 2-1/2 in. from the top of the lining & centering it. If it's a large pocket & you want it a little smaller you can stitch right down the center (Pic C) to make 2 pockets. This made the large pocket perfect for my wallet on one side & I put my sunglasses case on the other side with my keys. Make sure to back-stitch on both sides at the top of each pocket for extra reinforcement.

Pic C

Pic D

4. Make the pleats in the main exterior panel. Patterns always say to baste these down but I usually don't ever do this. I jsut keep them pinned & sew them down when it's time.
Pic E

5. Pin & sew the band to both main exterior panel & to both lining pieces.

Pic F

6. Press the seam allowance open.

Pic G

7. Stitch the main panels together, right sides together. Repeat with the lining. When stitching the lining, leave a 4" opening at the bottom (see pic I).

Pic H

Pic I

8. Clip out at the seam edge where the band & the main panel meet (also on the lining), making sure not to cut into your stitching. This may seem like a pointless step, but it's important for seams to lay right in the end.

Pic J

9. Ok, here's the tricky part. I hope I can explain this in a way that you can understand. Time to make the gussets. At each corner (in the main panel & the lining) lay the corners down flat into a triangle, matching the seams together (see Pic K). You can pin it, but I just hold it together & then turn the material right side out (while still holding the seams together) & check to make sure the seams are lined up (see Pic L). Then pin it 1-1/2 in. from the corner.

Pic K

Pic L

10. With the material still laying flat measure 4 in. up on both sides (Pic M) & make a little tick mark with a pen.

Pic M

Pic N

11. Now make a slightly rounded line connecting where the pin is to each tick mark (see Pic O).

Pic N

12. Now stitch along this line, making sure to backstitch at each end.

Repeat on the other corner of the purse.

Pic O

13. Cut excess corner off, leaving 1/2 " seam.

Pic P

14. Time to make the handle. Put both pieces right sides together, then stitch all the way up one side, back stitching at each end. Then stitch the other side leaving an 8" opening in the center, making sure to backstitch at each end. Then turn right side out pulling through that 8" opening (sorry I forgot to take a pic of this). Once you have this turned right side out, press & then edge stitch along each side, leaving the short ends open.

Pic Q

15. Turn the main exterior right side out. Then find the middle of the handle & pin it to the side (see Pic R) of the main exterior, matching the middle of the handle with the side seam.

Pic R

16. Repeat to attach handle to other side. Make sure you keep the handle straight & wrap it under the bag (see Pic S).

Pic S

17. Stuff the exterior panel inside the lining. Pin together, then stitch pieces together (pic T.1, T.2).

Pic T.1

Pic T.2

18. Through the opening at the bottom of the lining reach in & pull the main exterior panel through (see pic U & V) until the whole bag is through until it looks like pic W.

Pic U
Pic V

Pic W

19. Once the bag is all the way through, top stitch the lining closed. Then push the lining inside the main exterior panel until it looks like the bag you want. Top stitch over the edge at the top of the band giving the bag a finished look (pic X).
Pic X

I hope this was helpful. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Last Chance Lists & New In Colors!

Here it is...Stampin' Up!'s Last Chance list. This is the time we wait for every year...out with the old, in with the new! For those that don't know Stampin' Up! retires several stamp sets, & accessories & this year there's an added list of Decor Elements that are retiring. Click on the links below to see what is going. This is an exciting time because this means that lots of new, exciting products are coming. The new catalog is coming out July 1st! If you join my Stamp Club you'll receive a catalog FREE when they come in. Otherwise if you preorder your catalog by June 20th you pay just $8 (that's a savings of $3.85).



Last Chance Stamp Set List

Last Chance Decor Elements List

Last Chance Accessories

So moving on to the new...here's a sneak peek of the new In Colors!

Watch very soon for my very short list of products I'm selling (from these lists). I don't have much but there will be great prices for the things that I do have!

Free blog goodies!!!

If you haven't already you should go over the Shabby Blogs blog & their website to see the beautiful blog backgrounds, buttons & blinkies, & some extras. I love their stuff!

Right now they are giving away a free customer header & matching grab button, so head on over & see what they have to offer & more about this giveaway!

Menu Plan Monday-June 1st-6th

On the menu this week is (click on the links to see the recipe~if there is no link that means I haven't posted that recipe yet):

Monday: Chicken Enchilada's, rice & veggies (sorry I don't have a picture yet, I'll try to remember to take one tomorrow night)

Tuesday: Ziti Pasta Casserole, homemade dinner rolls & veggies

Wednesday: Pizza melts (I haven't tried this recipe yet so I'll link it when I post it)

Thursday: Navajo taco's (one of my favorite's)

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Homemade Pizza (this is my #1 favorite)

My first purse

This last week I've gotten a sewing but & decided that I wanted to sew a purse, so here's the first one I've made. Yes, I plan to make a few more. My 3 older girls want me to make them one like this for them to use as a bookbag for school & it's the perfect size for that. So I'll show you those when I get them done (they're cut out, just need to be sewn)!

This is C, my second oldest posing with my bag!

There are 3 pockets inside, these 2 (one is perfect for my wallet & the other I use for my sunglass case & a pen. then there's a little bit larger one on the other side, perfect for all the little doo-dads (lotion, advil, etc.)

Ps. It looks like I have a request for a tutorial when I sew the next one, so I'll work on that!

1st year Bib giveaway

Over at Fabulously Fun Finds they are having yet another giveaway! She is featuring Espie May Crafts, who makes some really cute 1st birthday baby bib's & some other really cute stuff. I really like to support other crafters who make handmade items so take a few minutes to visit her blog & go visit Heather at Fabulously Fun Finds

Want some cupcakes?

Here's another great giveaway from Fantabulously Frugal. Go here to see today's Cupcake Giveaway from Layer Cake Shop. They have some really cute stuff for making cupcakes!

Another great giveaway

this one I found on I Heart Faces, click here to see the details! I just found this blog & it looks like a lot of fun...if you love photography like I do! Go check out their giveaway for a FREE canvas photo from allpopart.com, they have some really fun stuff!

Menu Plan Monday--May 17th - 23rd

This week's menu looks like this...

Tonight we have our Family Potluck & we're having Baked Potato Bar...yum!!!

Monday...Spaghetti Sauce Casserole, crescent rolls & veggies
Tuesday...Beef Stew (with carrots & potatoes) & homemade rolls
Wednesday...frozen pizza
Thursday...Yogurt chicken & funeral potatoes
Friday...Leftovers (this is our 16th Anniversary)
Saturday...hot dogs & french fries

I can't believe I haven't posted the recipe for my yogurt chicken yet. I will make sure to take pictures this week & add that to our sisters blog! This is the yummiest chicken I've ever had!