Woo Hoo!

I love my new blog layout!  Thanks so much to Sarah!  Etsy shop should be done just after the Holidays are over.

That's right...I am 'making' Christmas gifts this year!

There are exactly 40 days til Christmas (sigh).  Did I mention I'm on a budget?  I am.  However I feel this may be the best Christmas ever! Why?  Because I'm making the gifts for my girls myself!  Let's start with my 5 year old girl.  She loves to paint, glue thingies onto paper, draw, I guess you can say she takes after Mom...and Gramma, and her other Gramma, and her Great Grammas!  My soon to be 4 year old in 38 days (yes I have a Christmas BABY!)likes to do whatever her big sis does.  So this is what I've come up with for gifts for these two little crafty divas in the making.  I am fortunate enough to have a work/craft/laundry room.  And after cleaning it this weekend and rearranging my work table I've discovered 48 sq feet of empty space (that's 8' by 6').  I've decided to give them they're own crafty space that will allow them to paint (cement floors...with a drain...unlike inside the house) and I won't go crazy when something spills.
Here's my idea:
find empty large wood picture frames
spray them in bright colors
add a wood panel that's been sprayed with chalkboard spray paint
hang them according to their height
get some clothes pins
some twine
and make a space for them to hang their masterpiece
find a bookshelf to hold supplies
make aprons using oil cloth
make an oil cloth floor mat
Now I will have to purchase 'some' items like a new paint set for each child It's a Draw Art Box like this one from Land of Nod.  I LOVE this store cause California doesn't get charged sales tax!!!!!!!
I'm so excited to get started on this project.  I will be posting pics as I go along.  I mentioned my daugher is turning 4 in 38 days, I will also share my experiencing of giving a 'Christmas Baby' their own special day, like my other two who aren't 'Christmas Babies.'

Change is in the air

I feel a change in the air.  Maybe it's this California weather finally cooling down or maybe I'm just getting bored.  I tend to do that alot.  Change my mind from one activity to another.  First it was scrapbooking, that didn't last long at all!  I only have 1 complete scrapbook finished and I have 3 kids!  Then came making custom invitations.  Which I stopped since I've found sooo many great graphic designers on etsy.  Here's one of my favs http://www.etsy.com/shop/GoodFrau?section_id=7358940.  Then there's the bow making.  Mind you that I love doing this and seeing girls wear my creations except a problem has peeped it's little head up...my hand hurts.  After 3 years of bow making my hand is beginning to develop arthritis.  So what to do now?  Stop bow making?  No... but I do need to change things up.  I've always enjoyed creating things whether it be Halloween costumes or birthday party decorations I love to create!  But I love to create things handmade especially.  No kits, just from scratch.  I guess you can say I have a 'love Jones for all things handmade.'  So I'm expanding my business.  The name Sew Bowtiful (current bow business name) will be changed.  I've decided to create a shop thats geared toward what I do and that's CREATE!  I may have cards, bows, jewelry, home decor who knows?  But I do know that I need to keep my options open because that's who I am and that's what I love to do.  Someone once told me (when I was in a creative slump), "never lose your motivation to create, it's what you do, it's who you are, and it's one of the reasons why I fell in love with you."