for the victims of hurricane katrina...

For the month of September, APLCreations will donate 15% of all sales to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.

The fine folks over at Craft Revolution have organized Crafters United. They have partnered with Etsy (and numerous others) to put up an online shop chalked full of donated items for sale with proceeds going to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund. They've already met their initial goal of $1000! Way to go!

Get your Christmas shopping done early this year and put a little extra shine on your aura at the same time knowing your gift will be giving double duty!

a cautionary tale...

Against my better judgement, I recently did a swap with an unfamiliar person. I went about this swap as I would any swap I participate in. In my swaps I include items I think will suit the swappee. If they do collage or assemblage, I enclose a little package of ephemera and ribbons and such. If they like cats, or dogs, or owls, I try to put something in the box along those lines. If they admire something I've made, I might include one of that particular thing too. Long story short, I swap as I would like to be swapped with...I live by the swapper's Golden Rule if you will.

Well, for this last swap, I sent Captured Souls #11 (after she admired it), a necklace I made a while back, a nice ephemera pack and a set of store bought notecards. It was all packaged nicely and mailed Priority mail. I got a gushing email from her telling me how much she loved everything too. What I got in return was a 6"x9" padded envelope with a portion of a Sampler issue, last month's if memory serves: other businesses' promotional postcards and business cards, promotional trinkets and giveaway things. Not one thing made by this swapper, save for a business card. I think I am most disappointed by this swap for two reasons: firstly because we emailed back and forth things we liked (colors, animals, collections) and she said "...I'm going to whip a lil something up, gather some other goodies..." (indicating to me that we would swap for a few handmade things and a few store bought things) and secondly because she is also an indie business owner. Don't misunderstand me, I think the Sampler is an excellent service and maybe one day I'll get over there on time and catch a subscription before they're all sold out (I am amazed at how quickly they sell out...in minutes! everytime!). But I would never knowingly swap my own work for promotional items of other people I'm not even swapping with. I feel taken advantage of in this situation. I think THAT is what I am most chapped about, letting myself be taken advantage of. That is not normally something I allow to happen.

So that others may learn from my mistake, I've put together a few bullet points for better swapping.

• If your inner dialog says to pass, LISTEN!


• If you choose not to listen to your inner dialog, at least establish, with some certainty, what will be swapped.


• If you are going to swap with someone unfamiliar, agreeing on a monetary value would be a responsible thing to do.


• Really, just go with your gut...not all instances deserve the benefit of the doubt.

From now on, I will stick to sending surprise packages to my friends and swapping with familiar folk or swapping in hosted swaps like Haremail and Back-Tack where you get to know the person you're swapping with and can put more thought into the package and even make new buddies in the process.

* * *

Now that I've put this out there into the ether, it turns out I am reminded (embarrassingly so) that while there are some instances that do not merit the benefit of the doubt, there ARE instances that deserve the courtesy of finding out what was going on with the situation. I should have just sent my email and forgone the cautionary tale. However, if it serves as a gentle reminder and saves someone from having to experience that yucky feeling, then all is not lost. Sometimes things WAY beyond of our control collide with everyday life and then our well-meaning loved ones step in to offer help. I don't know about yours but none of my WMLOs are mind readers and while a handful of random piles might make perfect sense to me, it's probably tough for someone outside my brain to make heads or tails of it. So with that said here are a few more bullet points for better swapping:

• Keep in touch with your fellow swapper. If something comes up, just send a quick email stating things will be running behind schedule. People will understand and appreciate the update.


• If there are still issues after it's all said and done, check in with your fellow swapper first. You'll avoid causing even more yuck feelings for everyone involved.

free stuff...

I've been busy stumbling again...look what it found for me:


Click on the image
for instructions on making
one of your own.

A new (to me) paper store with free instructions for making little boxes! I love making little boxes and I love paper. I feel like Stumble KNOWS me (kidding). But really, playing with Stumble is almost as nice as getting an unexpected card or gift in the mail sometimes. And then again, it can also be as disappointing as getting a crappy swap in the mail too.

* * *
More box patterns and paper shopping suggested by Dawn.

pardon me while i gripe...

Today was one of those days I would like to rewind and then sleep straight through. We had my vehicle in for $300+ worth of work last week...I took it back to the dealership today for the same issues this morning.

While the boys and I were sitting on Business 121 cursing the project manager on the expansion of that particular stretch of Texas highway, Lynn called to inform me that he'd just had an accident. Nothing catastrophic, noone was hurt (THANKFULLY), he just ran up a curb while farting around with his blackberry (and if I've told him once, I have told him ONE THOUSAND times, "don't mess with that thing and try to drive at the same time, someone is going to get hurt!!"). He managed to blow out a rear tire, trash the front tire, rim, wheel AND strut. Then he couldn't get the spare tire out so we had to call a wrecker to get it to the dealership.

Now to find the positives in this day: at least we can afford to have two cars and afford to pay for the repairs for two cars; at least he didn't hit a mailbox or a person or another car while he was being sofa king; he wasn't injured; our boys are healthy and happy; we have air conditioning (because it is hotter than forty freaking hells here right now).

After a day like this, Lynn still came home and wisked the boys off for a boys' night out and mom's night in. Is he the best or what? My blood pressure is still through the roof, but for something else that I was just reminded of from last week...I almost want to blog about it just to vent, and while I know I would feel SO much better it is not the mature thing to do so I won't. I'm still debating on whether or not to send an email about the "issue." GAH. I'm taking deep, cleansing breaths right now. Alot of them. I should probably have a brown bag (with a nice, open bottle of Jack Daniels it) near by in case I start to hyperventilate.

For now, I am going to go make some new Captured Souls. I need some calm right now.

fish...

I recently had my first custom order for a Captured Soul suncatcher. I didn't want to post about it until the gift was given and now that it has been delivered I will do an little show and tell!



This picture was taken earlier today in the fish's new home state of North Carolina (thanks, Katie!). The photos I took didn't show the detail in the fins and tails at all (shame on me).

I had a good time creating this little school of fish. I've been dreaming up ways to expand the little souls' design horizons with things like legs (see little birdies), wings, fins, etc. so this was the perfect project to give the extras a test run. I am thrilled with the outcome. The only thing I wish I had paid closer attention to was the fact that two of the glass cabs were too similar in color before the design treatment. Now they appear almost identical and it throws the design off a little as a result. It's a learning process though isn't it? Live and learn.

I'd also forgotten how much fun custom work can be and that it helps to push one's thinking beyond potential ruts in the creative process. I quit doing custom work for awhile because I took on too much and ended up really bored making the same dolls and ornaments over and over again. It is important to remember our limits too, we should enjoy what we're working on...not dread it, drudge through it.

company's gone...

We had my sister Katie here for the week so we were very busy running around eating mexican food, shopping, crafting and hanging out. I'll be catching up with things this afternoon after a family outing with Lynn and the boys! See you then.

i'm just giddy with anticipation...

I wish September 23rd would get here alreay!

happy belated birthdays to...

My Aunt Patty on the 12th and my dear friend Tammy on the 15th. I thought about you both on your birthdays and intended to send you notes but you know how that goes with me. Anyway, be on the lookout for a little gifty in the mail soon (and by soon I mean SOON, like in a week soon, not my normal in a month or so soon).

halloween time has hit me...

Introducing Spooky Brooster, my first Halloween creation of the year. Halloween through New Year's (well really through the Epiphany, January 6th, my birthday) is my favorite time of the year...my favorite time of the year to create for too.



She's up for sale on the Halloween page.

how cute are these...

From Bonjour Fleurette
Meribels

Mandarin Chic


The boots look very warm and toasty (and they're cheap too), but I could never wear them. My feet get so hot so quickly in closed in slippers. The slip-on slippers are what I'm eyeing. So pretty!

While you're there, check out these too.

a new cousin...

sort of. My favorite aunts just got a new dog. She's super cute and needs a name. She is an Italian Greyhound so they are looking for Italian names that might suit her. Any ideas? Leave a comment.

i've been tagged...

by the delightful Anke of ask anke. Today's tag is brought to us by the number 5 and the letter I.

Five idiosyncrasies (in no particular order):

-When I eat a candy bar, I cannot just take bites like a normal person might. I am compulsed to nibble the chocolate layer off the sides and then peel apart any inner layers and eat them individually.

-Like Anke, I too read magazines from the back forward. Only magazines, never catalogs. Go figure.

-I love red shoes. In fact, I just got a new pair of really cute ones over the weekend.

Can't have enough of them. Yet I think I might own three or four red(ish) pieces of clothing.

-There are random foods I cannot eat simply because of the texture. The smell and flavor could be wonderful, but if the texture is something I find gross, I cannot eat it. My throat will not swallow whatever the offending food source is.

-I am a stacker of things. Papers, fabric, whatever, I have stacks of everywhere. They are organized stacks...I know exactly where everything is...but still stacks all over the place. I should say that everything in these stacks does actually have a specific place to be stored, but I still end up stacking stuff first and then eventually putting the stuff away, only to make more stacks shortly thereafter.

for a good cause...

Take a minute to empty the laundry room change jar, dig (carefully...) in between the couch cushions, check the ashtray in your car. Gather up the loose change laying around the house and help First Book win a $1 MILLION matching grant, Nonprofit Innovation Award, from Amazon.com.

the artist's way...

My mother bought me a copy of The Artist's Way a million years ago when I was transferring from Angelo State University to the University of North Texas. I read through it once. Really, I would say I skimmed it.

I started off life with an artist mother and a father who was married to that artist mother, I had all the support and encouragement a girl could need...I could totally skip week one...I was nineteen, studying to become an interior designer, which at the time was exactly what I wanted to do. I felt like I was on track and this book was not really for me. Cut to a few years later where I went directly from college to working as a finance manager in the car business. I loved my time in the car business...had a blast the entire time I did it. The interior designer in me did not want to deal with the structure and confines of the actual job. I didn't want to start at the bottom of the totem pole. I wanted to work on what I wanted to work on, whether it be jewelry, sewing, weaving, painting, whatever. In my free time that's what I did. Then I became pregnant with Logan and we decided that I would stay at home after he was born. I sort of felt like part of my identity was lost, but then my art came back front and center again reminding me of my "true" identity. Since I've become a mom I have worked in all sorts of media, all the while making myself and (I think) others happy with my creations.

Recently I've noticed various artists blogging about The Artist's Way and it reminded me that I still have that book and I should actually READ it. I have had a handful of really good things happening for me and my art in the past few months. I feel like I need help focusing, making the most and taking the best advantage of my opportunities. So with that said, I'm starting the book again tonight.

did you know...

the sound of an imaginary bullet being shot of an imaginary gun made of train track pieces sounds like this: p'yoom, p'yoom, p'yoom? It's high pitched and quick and makes me smile.

hey...

I love a good bubble blowing session as much as the next guy, just not this much. Now, if I knew someone who loved bubble blowing that much, I would so buy a sterling silver bubble wand for them. Me, I like to go ghetto with my 6 gauge aluminum wire, cotton string, a pie tin and Bubble Solution #3. On a slightly breezy evening, there's nothing more fun than watching your kids become encased Bubble Solution #3 and grass clippings.

what is it with little boys...

and their fascination with their "private" bits? Can anyone shed some light on this? My husband just laughs and says with a shrug, "It's there." Um, yeah.

Since we've begun the journey down the long and winding road that is potty training with Caleb he has his days where he refuses to have a diaper placed on his person. You can wrestle him into submission, put the diaper on amidst the screaming and thrashing about, somehow manage to get shorts over the diaper and set him loose on the unsuspecting public and the next time you see him (approximately 3.2 minutes later) he will be naked from the waist down with a gigantic shit eating grin as if to say, "Ha HA! I have conquered the diaper again, woman! What will you do now?"

The first time it happened I duct taped his next diaper on him. One might think that would totally do the trick...perhaps if the child wearing the duct taped diaper was a submissive one. Unfortunately, Caleb is not remotely submissive. He's very much a bull in a china shop. Well, the duct tape REALLY pissed him off. I even put shorts back on over the diaper...you know, thinking 'out of sight, out of mind.' R-ight. Caleb just ripped the bottom part of the diaper off, leaving behind the duct tape waist band. I had to leave the room that time, because, seriously how could you not laugh?

The next time I put the chunky cloth training pants on him. He's totally thrilled to wear them, BUT! he hasn't quite grasped the concept of making it to the potty BEFORE peeing in them. He won't poop in them though (thank God), he will just scream at me until I take them off and put a diaper on him at which point he turns right around and poops in the diaper. This drives me insane for two reasons: one, I know he can take pants off, that fact is what precipitated the training pants in the first place and two, I have tried to get him to just poop in the pot and he just isn't to that point yet. Sigh. Since I'm no fan of hunting down pee spots I broke down and bought a package of Pull-Ups for him. He wears them periodically.

After this morning though, I suspect he'll want to wear them all the time. First of all, he can put his feet into them by himself now. He hasn't figured out how to pull them up all the way yet, but the feet in the pants is a big deal for him. Secondly, he has figured out that he has quick access to the "bits." Once he figured this out I guess he felt like he needed to show me his new found access. I was sitting in the recliner drooling over my new Rio Grande tool catalog when Caleb trotted over to me giggling madly. I looked up to find him standing in front of me with his "bits" peeking out of the top of the pull-up. He pointed to them, just in case I missed it. He chattered up a storm about them too. I tried my hardest not to laugh. I almost bit a chunk of my inner cheek off in the process.

Oh my, why are little boys like this? Are little girls like this?

bleach pen tee...

Awhile back Moki posted about trying out the bleach pen technique she found on Deborah Merlo's blog and it looked liked a cool project so I had to give it a whirl too. I was finally able to try the process yesterday. My time was limited so I only did one. It turned out pretty well...had a little liquid bleach dribble out at the beginning...luckily it was serendipitous dribblage (eesh that's an ugly not-actually-a-word word typed out).

I used a shirt that was recently stained just in case it was a total bust. With that in mind, I used the stained area as my starting place and went from there. I used my large plastic cutting board as my insert and then used one of the boys' washable markers to sketch out my image before laying down the bleach pen lines. That worked out well as I could work from the upper left hand corner down to the lower right hand corner saving the whole thing from smearing. Anyway, it didn't turn out horrible, but it's pretty blotchy. I now have a SUPER mother hen house shirt!

a new category is born...

I hope you're sitting down, because I think the Earth is about to spin off its axis...I actually achieved something on my business to-do list before dinner, before bathtime, before bedtime, hell, before midnight even!

I uploaded the two little suncatchers I talked about yesterday. AND got the page set up too. Granted, yes, it's a bit of cut and paste, but there is still work to do even with that handy dandy function. Anyway, I did it and in a timely manner too. Only one or two interruptions but they were totally legitimate and worth an entire separate posting on their own.

Without further ado, the new category is Miscellany. Broad enough for you? It works for me. I need a place to stick the things I've been working on that don't fall into my usual categories...so Miscellany it is. Go take a peek, meet numbers four and five of the Captured Souls.

culinary genius...

That's what my husband is.

Sunday is his day to worry about feeding the family (physically anyway, aside from everyday when he works hard to bring home the bacon). Yesterday he was stuck for an idea as to what to prepare. Usually he has a plan...in fact he spends two or three days out of the week planning for his Sunday cooking bonanza. Fun for him, yeehaw-no-cooking for me.

Round about five o'clock, it hit him. Burgers on the grill. Great idea! But wait, no buns...only wheat bread...yuck. But wait! There's a pack of hotdog buns in the freezer. People, he rolled hamburger meat into oblong blobs instead of the common patty. My husband made meat logs. Ingenious I tell you! I seasoned them as usual and he grilled them up as usual and they were good as usual. Only this time it was way more fun to eat them. The kids were totally perplexed by the "turd burgers" (as I dubbed them). Logan took one look at his and said, "hey, isn't that supposed to be a hotdog? I thought burgers were round." Well, my boy, not when your father is a grillmaster who thinks outside of the bun.