it's not over 'til the craft lady sings...

Halloween Decoration: Sanderson Sisters Brewing Company Sign - Reverse Canvas Vinyl Iron-on Cricut Project

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 22:04:00 +0000

I have been looking at these online for a while now and decided today was the day! (Yes, I know that sounds dramatic - but seriously, that is how I do most things in my life.)

Here are the images that served as my inspiration today...

Because I am trying to really learn how to use Illustrator effectively, I thought this would be an easy project to tackle. After rewatching the how to build a logo training, I was able to create this...

I liked it!

Then I was trying to figure out the best way to use it and (thanks to Pinterest) found so many people with reverse canvas posts and I knew I had a canvas that has been sitting in my closet ready for a project.

I forgot to take pictures of the canvas deconstruction, but here is what it looked like while I was painting it..

The fork was there because I am impatient and wanted to hold the frame in place while I painted it. I didn't want to wait for it to dry. LOL!

I had some black glitter iron-on vinyl left and printed it...

I have to say - I HATE WEEDING! It took forever, I am sure I did it the worst way possible, I do not have the patience with these tiny letters (and you will see why in the final project), Next time I am using BIG, THICK letters!

BUT, I did it. and then I was ready to press it on the canvas. Like I said, the canvas was in my closet so it was dirty - however, the other side was a nice off-white color and not as dirty... so I used that!

Ironing away!

Yay! It worked! Although the "A" in Salem went wonky, oh well! I don't care - it adds to the charm (yeah, that's the ticket). I didn't have a working stapler, so I glued it back to the frame. I love it, it is so dang cute.

Here is to the first of many Halloween decorations!

Coming back to an old friend...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 23:08:00 +0000

When I started this blog I was a different person. I was younger (definitely, much younger) with little ones and craft projects galore in my life. Sharing these posts helped to give me the feeling that I was important and probably made me feel like I was a good mom because I was doing all these things. (Who are we kidding, yes! I thought I was so much better because I could work a full-time job, direct musicals, do all these extra crafts, etc. I was KILLING it as being a mom! But was I really? No, not really. I was just over-tired, over-whelmed, and hated myself for constantly running from thing to thing and had no ability or time to relax and enjoy my children.)

As the children grew, the cute kid projects became non-existent and my life was all about shuttling children from one place to another, obsessing over homework and schedules, trying to make my career feel worthy of where I "should be" in my life, and so many other unimportant things. Looking back now, I have realized that I was just working in toxic jobs, dealing with having the not perfect family/marriage, being overwhelmed by daily life, and just being your average mom/random white lady. I have been trying to find ways to be in the background to not bring focus to how fat I have let myself become and how I have not achieved amazingly great professional goals.

Now that my kids are mostly grown, but I love that they still need me daily - just nowhere near as all-consuming, I have found myself in a place where I am trying to figure out who I am, what I want to be, and how I will get to that person.

Here are the things I have decided are absolutes in my life:

I will not be a crazy Karen. Seriously, as a white-haired, white woman, this is in my mind every moment.
It is time for me to discover who I am - for years I was Andrew's wife, then M&M's mom, and now I am just - Amy. So who is that?
Things I like to do involve crafting, theater, music, and listening to podcasts. How do I take these things and find ways to share what I know and love to do with other people who like the same things?

So that is it - this is my (probably post-) mid-life crisis. I have found a job that makes me really happy, but where I do not have any power or real worries/responsibilities. That is working for me right now as I am in this place of great change. I want to be more at work and do more - but that is not part of this. I have decided that I do not want to be defined by my job. When I die, I don't want people to say. "she was great at marketing", I want people to say "she really lived every moment". That is what I think is missing in my life right now, living every moment!

Okay, so I said that - how do I do that?

I don't really know, but I do know that I am going to try really hard to figure that out.

Right now it feels really scattered, I have started to bring back all kinds of things that I used to really love.

I am playing guitar daily again. Even though it makes me really sad because it is so tied to my father who we lost a year and a half ago to pancreatic cancer, it also reminds me that this is something I can do, I am "good" at, and it is just for me.**
I have started crafting again. I SO LOVE crafting and making things! I am not crazy about how I get sucked into Pinterest timesucks for hours - but I do love looking at crafts, figuring out how to do them, and making new things! Now I just want to figure out how to make money at it and have just one side hustle.**
I am starting a new theater company with a dear friend who I LOVE doing theater with. This is very important to me. I have missed directing theater! I hate that I think that I just love this because I love being in charge. I truly think I should be able to enjoy running a theater company and directing shows, without that "female guilt" of being in charge.**

**Side note: Having something "just for me" still makes me feel bad. I am not sure why this is. Why should everything I do benefit someone else?

So that is where my brain is and what I want to say. Feel free to follow along, I have no idea where this will go.

Coming back for a quick edit - yes, I am still obsessed with Disney!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 21:50:00 +0000

Reviewing some old posts today - I found these classroom valentines I made a few years back and thought I would report them (because my kids are now too old to hand out valentines).

Here are the valentines we will be handing out this year...

Since Andrew is a Junior Kindergarten teacher, he ALWAYS has tissues in his pocket. So after seeing MANY variations of these on Martha Stewarts website and countless blogs... here is my version of the tissue holder. I made these with felt and quick sewed them up on my machine. The letters were felt stickers. I printed the silly knock-knock joke (and tried to make them look like tissues coming out of the package and we were good to go.

One version
Martha's Version

For Matt, we made the recycled crayon hearts (again seen on countless blogs everywhere).

Click here for instructions from Make and Takes.

I broke up old stubby crayons into small bits and made sure to remove all the paper wrappers. Then put the crayons into a heart shape mold and bake in the oven at 275 degrees for about 10-15 minutes (the better brand of crayon, the faster it melted).

The only thing that I would add to the many other bloggers who have been doing this project this year is the following...

1. The bottoms of these are UGLY. I was so upset when I took these out of the oven, they were so gross looking - I thought I had messed the whole thing up! BUT once you pop them out of their molds - they are really cute.

2. I used a silicone pan and I would suggest that everyone do the same. I don't think you could pop them out otherwise.

Enjoy...

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:57:00 +0000

Molly's class play was so well done. The kid's worked really hard. Can't help but think there was a little typecasting in assigning Molly the role of Lucy (the bossy girl who can't stand her little brother). ;)

Matt's tripod...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Matt got a tripod to use with his camera. Who knew it would be much better used as a space ship landing pod.

playing in Target...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 May 2012 03:05:00 +0000

getting ready for our good friends' wedding...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 May 2012 03:07:00 +0000

that's a big strawberry...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 May 2012 03:26:00 +0000

We sent my parent's some chocolate covered strawberries. Little did we know that they would be THIS HUGE! (and incredibly yummy)

look what came in today's mail...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 May 2012 03:25:00 +0000

I can't wait to get started with rehearsals!!!!

Matt's artwork on display...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 May 2012 03:22:00 +0000

Matt's artwork is on display at Christopher Martin's Restaurant in New Haven.

Geronimo!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:19:00 +0000

There is nothing better than sitting on the porch of Geronimo's Tequila Bar in New Haven enjoying guacamole and chips in a lava pig while drinking margaritas!

Matt is a natural fruit arranger...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:13:00 +0000

It was our turn to be coffee hour hosts at church. I asked my 7 year old son to arrange the fruit on trays for me. Here is what he did (all on his own)...

I think he may have a future in this! :)

favorite picture from the Bronx Zoo...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:15:00 +0000

Took the kids to the Bronx Zoo today. This picture was on the wall of the ladies room. Molly and I just couldn't stop laughing!

coloring Easter eggs...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:54:00 +0000

Love the look on Molly's face... LOL!!!!

improv...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Molly got to take an improv class at Yale. Run by Yale students, the kids got to learn how to do comedy improv. The last class we were all invited in to watch. It was hysterical!!!

look what surprise I got today...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:31:00 +0000

I came home from work to find that a I got a floral delivery. The card was signed love, Finn (our dog), Clark (our cat), R2&D2 (the hamsters) and JBF (Justin Beiber fish, our fish). LOL! My husband cracks me up!

a beautiful spring day...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:28:00 +0000

so true...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 21:14:00 +0000

This just rings so true with me. ;)

king of the world...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:11:00 +0000

where Finn likes to hang out...

how much fun would this be...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:09:00 +0000

I would love to have this in my backyard!

picture I found at Mom's house today...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 21:08:00 +0000

I saw this picture of me (I would be the one not sleeping with "that" look on my face)and I couldn't help but realize - THAT is the look Molly gives me that drives me insane! LOL!!!!

a musical evening...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:04:00 +0000

2012.062 - Had a great time tonight at a church potluck. Lots of talk and excitement about this sumer's musical - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We watched the movie version starring Donny Osmond - how I have such a crush!

what work looked like this morning...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 02:55:00 +0000

2012.061 - the painters changed their mind and did my office while I was out yesterday - I didn't even realize I had this much stuff.

bruised, not broken...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:50:00 +0000

2012.060 - My ever so graceful daughter (she gets that from me) fell down the stairs and bruised her bone. Ungraceful + crutches = lots of opportunities to hurt herself worse. Pray for her... :)

stray kitty

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 02:47:00 +0000

2012.059 - (picture credit: Matthew) This poor little kitty ended up in our back yard - abandoned and obviously hurt. Animal control had to come out and get it. It turns out he was hit by a car and was very hurt. So little kitty, whoever you were - I am so glad you are no longer in pain. :(