Upcycling Halloween Treats

Up-cycled Halloween Treats

  What do you do with those left over paper towel & toilet paper roll tubes?  Well, you up-cycle them to make a new & fun treat to share with friends & family.
My husband works for the US Government & his job is with protecting the environment, reusing, & training the Air Force on how to best do this.  In our home before this job, we always were conscience of what our waste can do to the planet.  Now with my Sweetie's job, we try to make it an effort to reuse, recycle, & make do with what we have on hand.  One of the huge draw backs with making "Green Crafts" is the storage of the recycling items until you find a use for them. LOL  It is amazing how few bags actually go into our garbage can for weekly pick up.  Almost everything either goes to the recycling center or washed, dried & stored in my studio for future craft projects.  Try to get a mental picture of that will you. The pile is growing each day.  I think I have to get in there & start to break down & send a bunch of my "Saved" goodies to the recycling center.  The pile groweth, but I'm just not fast enough to use them all within a reasonable time frame.
Make recycling a part of your daily existence.

Spooky Halloween Creations

Smiling Jack  Retro Pillow

   Halloween is just around the corner (in the Crafting World).  It is one of my most favorite times of the year.  There are so many happy memories for me surrounding this fun holiday.  I know that many folks do not celebrate Halloween due to it's "Demonic" undertones.  For me this holiday brings back fun & happy memories of my Mother always having her special way of getting all five us, my brother, sisters, & myself dressed in home-made costumes,  creating our feast of the traditional "Chili Dogs" for our Trick or Treat dinner, & out the door for our frolicing Trick- or-Treating fun to beg & preform for our bags full of yummy candies.  What fun & what fond memories!  I wouldn't change a thing about those ghoulishly fun nights with my sisters & me running from house to house.  So, when this time of year approaches I dig up those precious memories that spur me into fun & festive creating to share & sell to my customers.
  This year so far, I have had a few inspiring creations that have made their way up to the shop at Alamo Craft Company.  Look for more to come!

Hexing Helga
Hand-made Paper Mache Headed Doll

Skeleton Sacks

Kyle's & Amanda's Wedding August 2010

     A beautiful day, a wonderful time with family, a joining of 2 happy people. 
I know, I am not what you would call a constant of anything, especially of keeping up with my very own blog.  There are so many excuses I could give in my defense, but in reality, it's all about being able to be consistent.
   Aren't these two just too sweet for words?  They both looked so great & I pray they stay happy within each other's embraces & in each other's lives.  Marriage is a great thing, but it takes some work as most of us know.  I hope they keep each other the main priority in each other's lives. 
  So world...let me introduce you to Kyle & Amanda Rairdan.  I'm a little late, but here they are!
  Love you two....keep smiling!

Memories for Keeps ..."Willie Bear"

  Here is a a creation that I was commissioned to help with.  A dear friend's sister wanted a personal keepsake to give to her daughter for her upcoming birthday.  This cute bear has a shirt made from the shirt of a departed loved one.  the importance of this shirt was one that there needed to be a pocket to hold this man's eye glasses & that the shirt be made to resemble one that he wore on most days due to his job.  I will say that I was quite pleased with how it came out & was very happy that with all that I tried, I was blessed with very few problems & an end result that I was proud of.  Some things just seem to fall into place and this project felt very right almost from the onset.  Now, I just pray that the young woman who receives "Willie Bear" will have wonderful memories envelope her each time she embraces this cute teddy bear.  I hope that she will find peace within it's meaning.  What a fun & thoughtful gift her mother commissioned.  Something to think about for future gifts of sympathy & thoughtfulness.

USO Thank our Troops treats

San Antonio, TX Downtown USO  Dawn, Renee, Me (Kim), & Annette
Today, we got together to make 200 treats to honor our wonderful troops for the upcoming 4th of July weekend.  There were 6 wonderful ladies who gave their talents & great efforts to create 200 of  Renee's design that thank our troops.  Inside each little bag there are candies & tied with beautiful red ribbon & a small plastic soldier with a tag to "Thank" each one that will be able to pick one up at the down town USO & the airport USO.  Let's face it, without those beautiful men & women who don the USA uniform, be it Airman, Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Coast Guardman, we would not be at liberty to live the free lives that we live.  So, "Thank Our Troops"; it takes such a short time, but it means the world to them. 
Thank you Martha, Sarah, Sherri, Dawn, Renee, & Annette....the treats came out wonderful & I hope to hear some of the great stories that come about due to the treats.

Paper Creations Workshop June 2010 @ Alamo Craft Company

Pat & Harriet

Donna & Oliver

Bianca & Rhonda

Saturday, we had a wonderful time with a room full of women, 4 projects to create, & an air of creativity that was ready to be used.  It was a grande time & all the ladies went home with new ideas for fun creating in their future.  Craft On & keep stamping!

June 26th Paper Creations Workshop

  Here are the creations that our lovely ladies will be making for our Paper Creations Workshop at Alamo Craft Company tomorrow, 26th June.  I think that they will have a great time.  Only time will tell.
  All of the stamps & papers are current Stampin' Up! products.  I tried to incorporate a lot of the new Stampin' Up! upcoming  new catalog, available 1 July 2010.