November Crafts & Cocktails project unveiled!

November's Crafts & Cocktails project for November is a three-album set featuring autumn Earth tones. The project kit is $50 and the class will be the evening of Nov. 19 aboard MCAS Iwakuni. For more information, check out the YouTube video, or click on Kits, Classes and Events.

Giving new life in celebration of new life...

As you may know if you've been following this blog, I love to repurpose things... take something and give it new life. That's what I did with these three fames for 5x7 photos. I've given them new life to celebrate a new life. These have been designed with Iwakuni newborns in mind... a fusion of American and Japanese style to display baby's first photo.

Each frame can be personalized with baby's name... and at $20, them make unique, affordable baby shower gifts! Custom orders are also possible, depending upon the baby's room or shower theme. Email me for details!

Special H&HS Ornament Class

I am excited to announce that I will be providing a craft for the MCAS Iwakuni H&HS spouses once again! On Dec. 5, members of this group will create a beautiful, festive holiday ornament in an evening! This glass ornament is filled with holiday-themed paper that has been "quilled," or rolled in coils. Add a little sparkle with high-quality glitter glue, a kanji tag and a ribbon, and you're ready to celebrate the holidays in Japan.

For more information, click on Kits, Classes and Events and scroll down to the December class details.

Video for October's Crafts and Cocktails Project

I can't believe October is just around the corner! That means a new Crafts & Cocktails project! The October Crafts & Cocktails kit is a home decor project that features 3-inch paper boxes adorned with cute embellishments from My Little Shoebox. Arrange these boxes in a number of ways to create the perfect spook-tacular display. These boxes can also be used as favor boxes. The cost of the kit is $30.

I have created a short, 2-minute video preview for you to enjoy:

"Happy Halloween" Preview

If you would like assistance in putting the project together, there is a free Crafts & Cocktails class 7:30-10 p.m., Tuesday, October 8 in Bldg. 655's (mid-rise closest to the front gate) community room. Additional details about the class can be found on the Kits, Classes & Events page.

Vintage patriot custom baby album...

This, album was so much fun to make! Mother-to-be Lauren wanted a unique baby album that would fit right in to the vintage plane theme she had planned for her son, who is due next month. I already had this album created as a standard, three-spread 8x8-inch album, and Lauren loved the way it fit in to her theme. But she wanted more pages, more pockets, more places to be able to put things like ultrasound photos, hand prints and journaling about milestones. She also wanted to use some of the decorations from her baby shower this summer. No problem! Here is the expanded album in a cute patriotic, vintage fighter jet theme.

Monsters Inc. Frame

Carina heard about the Cat in the Hat back-to-school frame and ordered one for her students... in her classroom's Monsters University theme. I think it turned out really cute, if I do say so myself... although the guy modeling it for me may have something to do with it!

Anniversary wall art...

I wanted to do something creative with the photos I shot of my parents on their 40th wedding anniversary this summer. So, I came up with this mixed media collage. I am huge fan of collages! I love that you can check it out, and then come back later and maybe see something you hadn't found before. And the bigger, the better. I have a huge mixed media collage on my living room wall with repurposed thrift-store finds, and photos of my family and friends eating... it used to be in my dining room when we lived in Florida. I blog about it soon.

This collage is much smaller, with the canvas frame being 10x10 inches and the wooden shadow box being 5.5 square inches. But I didn't skimp on detail! I just mad the details smaller!