Surprise!!

Friday night my husband and I attended a surprise party for our good friend's daughter. She was turning 18! Having just returned from a trip to Italy I thought a mini book for her would be a perfect gift. I decided to try something different. Not new...but new for me. An Explosion Book or Squash Book it's sometimes called.

I have seen them done before but never tried it myself. So off to the internet I went to figure out how to make it. It really isn't difficult... just a little origami folding, some glue and you are good to go. :D

It was fun to put together. I had taken some photos off of Natalie's facebook page to add to the book. I did have to guess a little on which ones to use but figured if
she had put them on FB then they must be some of her favorites.

It came together pretty quickly. I added the embellishments and it was complete!

I didn't even go to Italy and I wanted to keep the book! haha I was so pleased with the way it turned out. I could hardly wait to give it to her.

The surprise party was a success and so was the mini book. Wahoo!! It was fun to learn a new technique and share it.

Simply Charming Class

Yesterday was the Simply Charming class! We had so much fun! Everyone did a great job! Each bracelet was unique. That was my favorite part...that everyone got to choose the things that they liked the best and only add what they wanted to their charm bracelet.

Of course lots of ideas came up to add other things to the bracelets later too. How fun is that! :)

I truly enjoy having people in my home and combining it with a craft only makes it better! Thanks to all the girls that came yesterday!

I just love what I do!! It is so much fun! Feeling very blessed! :D

Cooper

This week brought totally unexpected heartbreak! On Tuesday we lost our family dog Cooper. He was a very special dog! A rescue pup that came covered in tar, ticks & mange, but our family fell in love with him in an instant! He just had that special something. And talk about dispelling the myth of pitbulls...wow! This guy was a sweetheart!

He loved everyone and everyone loved him. Good natured, very well behaved and just always ready to play or give you some love. He was a character. It is hard to explain but he was that one dog in a lifetime that attached to your heart and pulled you in. I am so grateful that we were all with him at the end. Tearfully saying our goodbyes along with his vet that hugged, cried and grieved with us. We know that he will always hold that special place in our hearts. We love you Coop!

Happy St Patrick's Day

  Happy Leprechaun Day!! Hope your day is filled with love & luck!

So...here are the pics from the adventure on Tempe Town Lake. Are these bikes not the coolest ever! They were so much fun to ride.  We rented them for an hour-- only $20. The weather was gorgeous and we had a blast. You really can't make it into a workout if you wanted to, they just don't go that fast. So it was a leisurely ride around the lake.

It was a perfect day spent with a great friend! Loved it!

This is a shot of the old Mill Bridge. That is all that is left of it...sad. But at least they did save part of it. 

    Well I hope your St Paddy's day is a good one!! Enjoy & Be Safe!

Capes & Tiaras

Celebrating a good friend's birthday!  We had a fun day planned today. Turned out to be an awesome day! Great lunch outside on the patio at Four Peaks Brewery and then biking on Tempe Town Lake...yup! Biking on the Lake! How cool is that! The bikes have large pontoon style floats on them and you just peddle normally, it turns the propeller....and off you go! What a blast! The weather was perfect. We biked for an hour and rounded out the day with a trip to Mojo yogurt. YUM! 

The top photo here is a mixed media canvas that I made for my friend. We have a running joke about superheroes, capes & ruling the world! I cannot claim the idea, it is totally taken from Curly Girl Designs. However..I have no intention of selling or marketing it so I thought it was OK to try it out for a friends gift. I love how it turned out. And more importantly she loved it too!
The bottom photo is a "50 things I love" display that I made for her also. Fun to make! And each one is always different. One of these days I need to make myself one. I have made quite a few of them for friends.
Just wanted to share these with you! Have a wonderful weekend!! Hug your family & tell them that you love them!!!

Simply Charming

Here it is! My newest class! Simply Charming will be held at my home on Saturday March 26th from 1-4 pm.  All that you need to bring are needlenose pliers.

We will be creating this adorable charm bracelet with found objects, rolled paper beads, UTEE, Shrink Art & some other fun techniques! Each one will be different as you will be able to choose the items that you like the most.

It is going to be a great day! And of course as always food & drinks will be served. Come and join the fun!!!

A Unique Flower Garden

 I have been busy today making flowers for a friend of mine. She is taking a group of women on a retreat with their church Pan De Vida in Chandler. There are quite a few young women attending and this will be one of the little gifts they receive. I am so glad she likes what I came up with!

 The lesson is on Isaiah 45:3b The Lord, the God of Israel , who calls you by your name.  She wanted to make sure there were crowns included, the scripture and of course the girl's names. What a sweet gift for them to remember how precious they are to their God.

As you can see the flowers are pretty simple to make...some burlap, muslin, tulle, ribbon and a small piece of canvas to stamp their names onto. The center is a small wooden disc that I glued a computer print out of the crown & verse to. I inked it and then added some Diamond glaze.  You might be able to tell that the one above was just laying on top of the disc. I had tried using UTEE and it peeled right off. I wasn't happy with the way it worked, so I switched it up. 
I am happy with the result & I hope the girls will be too. They can clip the flower onto anything...a blouse, a jacket, their purse or notebook...whatever they choose.

 These last two flowers are examples of what I made recently for a boutique we had at our Bible study. It was lots of fun and went really well. The top flower is a small bracelet and the one below is a pin.
 Simple ideas but fun to make & even more fun to wear!

Spring Fling Wednesday

 Flowers are starting to "pop" in the garden! I can hardly wait until they are out in full force! My husband is the gardener in the family & does a great job. I will share more when they are in full bloom!

 Today it was a beautiful day so we spent the afternoon at this wonderful place! Some friends from church own this restaurant. It used to be the family farm and has been converted into a restaurant with delicious food (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives).The main building is surrounded by beautiful gardens, lots of trees and wide open spaces. There is a cute little coffee shop on the property also. They have just done a fantastic job creating a space for people to enjoy a bite to eat and hang out with friends.

 If you live in the East Valley here in Arizona then you are familiar with the spot! It was a warm & sunny afternoon and the food was delicious! Afterward we walked the grounds and just enjoyed the sunshine!

 Even though our winters aren't harsh, I am absolutely ready for spring! Bring on the heat!! Happy Spring Fling Wednesday everyone!