We Make A Difference Today

For one day all us savvy PR gals and guys step away from our laptops, put down our headsets, stop checking the latest Twitter posts or Valleywag dish, and set our smartphones to vibrate. Schools need painted, gardens planted, and bikes to fix for one day we're reminded of the big picture of life and just how lucky we are to have jobs and our health.


Crafting brings smiles? It does to my face, hopefully it will to lives of little kids around the country. Today we had our "WE Makes A Difference Day" where we're allowed to participate in company-wide volunteer activities organized by Hands On Greater Portland. This year I had the opportunity to make "smile" cards for kids living with a terminal illness. Far less messy for me than last year which ended when I accidentally spilled a can of paint on myself and the carpet of the school we were painting...yes I'm clumsy. But I'm distracted already from the matter at hand.

Before we start the projects the organizer gives us the profiles of the children complete with heartbreaking details. So inspired to bring a smile to their day, we busted out our scissors, paper, pens and glue sticks to craft our little hearts out.

Current Project: Grandmother's Flower Garden

Farm Chicks Show

Monday Musings

Here's a round up of your crafty links for Monday.

• Hula Seventy is having a postcard swap in celebration of summer.
• Present Past blog, just saw Heather Bullard's wonderful creations at the Farm Chick Show in Spokane, WA. Her blog is a wonderful source of inspiration.
  

Now on Etsy: Typewriter Key Necklaces

The Farm Chicks show was full of treasures, too many in fact to post all at once. I picked up these great little typewriter keys with pictures. I kept wandering back to the booth deciding whether or not to buy more to take home with me. These ones managed to come with me and the booth owner was so nice she gave me her contact number for more. The little keys are so dainty...I couldn't wait to make them into necklaces.

Roadside Attractions

Farm Chicks Show...pre-event

We're all just settling in to Spokane now after a long road trip from Portland. The ride was long complete with wind, rain, and ended on a good note with a rainbow.


We stopped in at a rest stop after urgent pleas from a 4-year old for a potty break. As we pulled into the stop you would have thought we were at the coast the parking lot was full of...get this...SEAGULLS!!?? And I mean full seagulls at every turn. The wind was so strong the poor little guys just hovered near our car in midflight.

To entertain the little ones we decided to feed the birds...BIG MISTAKE. They descended on our car causing my niece to cry out "Aunt Christi don't let them in our car!"

Farm Chicks...on the road

We've gotten off to a rough start by heading to Seattle instead of Spokane. Now heading the right way. This is going to be a long trip.

Fortune of the Day

Spoonflower...I got my invite

Woo hoo!! Today I got my invite to join Spoonflower, such an exciting day. I can't wait to check it out. Another craft addiction just what I need, but who can resist uploading and creating your own fabric. Way too tempting to resist. More later after I try it out.

Here chicky chick...Farm Chicks show coming up

This weekend my sister, mom, nieces and I are trekking it up to Spokane, WA for the Farm Chicks show. The Farm Chicks show features numerous antiques and vintage splendor. Highlights include:

• Sue Rowley/Shabby Bella
• Book signing with Ellynanne Geisel/The Apron Book
  

Details: Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana Street, Spokane Valley, Washington. Admission: $6

More reports to come...

Button Rings

New favorite craft...BUTTON RINGS...like I needed a new addiction. Anyhoo, these button rings are so fun and a great use for my stash of buttons. Fairly simple to make I can turn these out quicker and fulfills that sense of accomplishment requirement for maintaining my interest. Tools required: blank rings, button shank remover, E600 and your favorite button or vintage earring.

Monday Musings...

• Fun Fortune Cookie Tutorial over on whipup.net.
• I've only dreamed of this service before...create your own Fabric with Spoonflower. Site's currently in beta and you have to sign up for the reservation list. Totally worth it...anxiously awaiting access to the site and can't wait for this to come out of beta.
  
• Funky monster finger puppets from Mahar Drygoods.
  

I heart vintage

Etsy today had a fun interview post for vintage buyers. Oh vintage how I heart you, it all started at Shirley's Estate Sales when I was a child. Thanks mom all the junk in my house is as a result of my childhood, can you tell that to my brother? It's not my fault.

1. How did you get into vintage?
Since I was a child I've accompanied my mom to estate sales. She collected linens (which she then incorporated into her pillow designs), buttons, sewing notions, graniteware, doll clothes...the list is too long. As a child I collected vintage jewelry and prized a collection I'd received from my mom's friend Millie. Since then I've collected vintage and antiques.

2. What is you favorite part of vintage?
Thinking about the item in it's day. Where did the person where this dress or what was going on when this picture was taken. Beyond all vintage addictions I treasure the old photos I've collected, my heart goes out to the memories tossed in a box. The eyes in the picture beg me to buy them and find a new home.

3. Do you collect or wear vintage?
Both, I usually only wear vintage jewelry. Unfortunately the dresses are rarely my size, if so I'd be decked head to toe in vintage. I collect vintage fabric, feedsack variety, just learning how to hand quilt the grandmother's flower garden pattern, more about this later.

4. Are you a buyer or seller or both?
Both - I've developed an eye for vintage and sell items that I don't collect. Sometimes I update my collection and get rid of vintage items I'm tired of seeing laying around my place. My sister and I junk on the weekends to find new stashes.

Weekend Fun

Today's was Josi's birthday party, 4 years old now. I know everyone says this but it seems like only yesterday she was a baby. She cracks me up and I'm constantly amazed at how smart she is at her age.

She was a little unhappy with me, I was trying to take her picture while she telling everyone it was time to take pictures. I kept snapping away until she reached for the lens to cover it with her hand...a la paparazzi move. "Come on" I begged, her honest 4 year old little response was..."I wasn't ready, I was trying to tell you something." She got me I don't always listen to her.

My mom, the sewing maven made their pink dresses with orange crowns. So cute and stylish.

Jaida is already been introduced to crafts she looks at me and tells me "I sew."