Crafty Bethie

I'm pretty excited about two projects I did over the weekend - a Happy Thoughts Jar for a dear friend and a piece of Valentine's Day decor for my house.

First, the Valentine's Day decor - burlap and buttons heart! I took the time to type out some steps so others can do this for themselves at home - posted over at my craft blog, Pressed Clovers.  So for more of a how-to, go visit there.  My aunt heard I was trying to learn to sew and gave me a ton of thread and a vase full of buttons. After sorting them by colors, I knew I wanted to make her a gift to say thanks... so I'll be working on something for her this coming weekend.  I'm not sure she's the bright-red-and-pink-button-heart-decor kind of person.  But I really loved how it turned out and REALLY like the buttons with threads still attached. Something from the previous owner.

 


Then the Happy Thoughts Jar for my dear friend, Paulene.  I started one for myself with scraps of scrapbooking paper and an empty kleenex box. This is one much cuter.  I took a vase I already had, added gift wrap tissue and watered down glue and made a scene I thought would be fitting for Paulene - a You Are My Sunshine theme! I took the first picture at home, but couldn't find my ribbon so I did a quick trip into Hobby Lobby for that and took a final photo in the car.  Inside the vase are strips of paper waiting for her happy thoughts.  At the end of the year, she can dump them all out, open them up and see all these blessings she's received in 2015.  So easy but so cute.  A coworker brought me more vases so I'll be making a few more of these!

I mentioned receiving a sewing machine for Christmas on here before.  Well, I finally got the sucker set up and let me tell you - it's all kinds of Oh-La-La! It sews with the press of a button.  Cuts the thread and pulls up the needle with another button. Crazy? But I'm so excited.

source

I have a quilt kit that I won from Fabric Editions that will be my first attempt at real sewing. It says for beginners so it better be telling the truth! So cute? I think so! It's very similar to this one - just cute baby girl elephant print instead. Let's hope I can do this thing right. We have a baby on the way at church and I thought if it works out ok we can gift it. :)

I'm off for home and some tacos with my family.  Looking forward to some good food tonight! :)

Friday's Letters!

Be exuberant! :) 

Does anyone ever click on these random things I post from Etsy?  Just curious. Because Etsy houses some really cool things and I love finding new treasures when I need an image.

Anyway, toady is Friday- whoo hoo! and this week really zoomed by me.  Not that I'm not ready for the weekend, but since I'm working some this weekend, it doesn't have quite the same appeal. But it's all good. Let's dive into Friday's letters, shall we? I think it's time.

DEAR GOD - You are AMAZING and I'm so thankful that you respond to my worries and fears even when I don't tell You about them.  AND when you answered my worry, you also delivered me four shirts with my company logo on them... which was great! So yes, I hear You and I'm sorry! I'll try to do better about talking to You about everything.

Dear Sara - Enjoyed dinner this week and catching up on the funness of your life. And learning what the X sounds like in Spanish.

Dear American Idol & The Voice - Wow.  AI, you are just having a horrible season.  And I blame the judges because they are the ones that put these people through to this level.  But The Voice seems to be doing well so far! Love Shakeria and Usher over Christina and Ceelo (I'm sure I'm misspelling all these names, sorry).  So I'm much more excited about The Voice.

Dear Project Life - Holy cow your stuff is expensive!  (Anyone getting rid of Project Life stuff??) I purchased the starter kit and I'm excited to start my own scrapbook.  To catch up on the past 38 years of life and hopefully stay caught up. Gracious, it's going to be a journey.

Dear Raynore - I don't know what's changed yet (I'm guessing I'll hear in a letter!!) but I'm SO VERY HAPPY FOR YOU!  Watch out, NC, here she comes!

Dear happiness - thank you for visiting me.  Maybe the lack of sleep is making me giddy but I'll take it. :)  It sure ain't the weather making me happy (the weatherman said if this rain were snow, it would be 30-40".  CRAZY!) So happiness, come back and visit with me any time!

So there.  My letters to begin my weekend.  Ya'll have a good one and I'll see you back here on Wednesday, if nothing else! :)

Three of the 30 Things on Thursday...

I'll do three for the next Three Thursdays, and then I'm done! Yippee!

22)  Where you do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23)  List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24)  Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs your family dynamic now.

WELL... in five years I'll be 42, then 47, then 52.  Well that's enough to scare the poop out of me, thanks for that.  I'm not a career-minded girl. I never set out to make a name for myself in the XYZ field so placing myself in the years ahead is tough. When asked that question before, I figured I'd be married with kids and have the perfect little family life.  Obviously it didn't happen that way, so ... you know, I'm not going to set expectations on my future.  I'll just be surprised as it unfolds.

My hobbies:  scrapbooking for Pressed Clovers; random crafts; collecting pottery; blogging; taking random pictures.  Why do I love them?  I'm addicted to memories, I believe. I love giving people an outlet to preserve their cherished photos in books, I love taking pictures to capture memories, and blogging does much of the same thing.  Crafts and pottery are just creative outlets, I suppose.  -- I lost a friend much too young and I am so thankful for all the pictures I had of the good times, so I think it's influenced me to always have a camera nearby.  Granted, I've been a shutterbug since middle school. :)

My family is awesome. AWESOME. Growing up I didn't really see my parents fight, they must have done that behind closed doors.  They were firm and strict with us, we grew up in a Christian household and felt safe and loved.  Today I'm very close to my parents and enjoy them as friends as well as parents.  My siblings and I also get along very well and I'm so thankful for that.  My family is one of my very best blessings. :)

Camera Woes.

Did I tell you my camera died? It was my good camera - ok, not an SLR but still my GOOD camera. It died. Kicked the bucket. Kaput. Goner. You have never seen someone so sad as when I realized it was gone because I knew I didn't possess the funds to replace it the way I'd like to do. *sniff sniff*

After MUCH deliberation, and I mean serious deliberation and conversations with everyone on Facebook and one seriously long discussion with my buddy, Hayes, I chose the Canon S100. Um. I'm not exactly thrilled, the zoom isn't as good and the flash isn't as good, and you know, I just want my old camera that I understand back (but being told it would take at least $200 IF it could be repaired... yeah no.)

HOWEVER, it does exactly what Hayes said it would do - takes great pics in low light. And makes Macy look even cuter, which is definitely a requirement, right? And I can toss it in my purse, which isn't something I could do with me old one.  So here are a few of the first pictures taken.  I'll give it a real review after Hayes teaches me how to use it.

With the flash. Umm.. a little too bright. Sorry Macy!

The last two were taken with just a lamp on in the room - not even the overhead lights. And she's just adorably cute, so... I think it will be ok until I can afford something bigger/better.  Especially after learning more from the master himself. :)  I'm so glad I have smart friends to help me with these stressful decisions!

Thanksgiving!

find it here

So true!! Today we will have about 25 people gathered together to feast on some seriously delicious Southern food. And we are all very thankful for our families, our friends, and the many blessings we have each received over the past year.

I've shared two days of Thankful Things, so I'd like to wrap up Thanksgiving with just a few more things I'm so very grateful for in life.

My home. I love my home. Every room, every square inch is a testament of my family's love. Every family member - even my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, gave to creating this cozy cottage for me to live happily ever after.  It's perfect for me. :)

My job.  I have learned more about myself and my hidden talents through this job and I'm so very thankful for the opportunity to give back to my nation, state, county and community through this position.

The lessons learned.  I told you, I'm trying to be thankful in all things, and you know, I have learned a lot through my mistakes, mess-ups, shortsightedness, and thoughtlessness.  And although I know I've hurt people (and myself!) along the way I can at least say I'm learning.

Pressed Clovers.  My very first venture into stepping into the great unknown of sales but I'm happy I did it and put myself out there.  No, I'm not selling out on Etsy, but it amazes me the sales that have been generated on a local level from advertising the Etsy shop.  God has it all in His control, so I'm not longer worrying about it.  But I'm so very thankful that step was taken this year.

My readers!! I'm thankful for you!! I know, I call you my imaginary friends, but you are very real and I greatly appreciate you bringing me into your home for a read on my life.  Thanks for dropping in and say hi from time to time, I'd love to hear from you.

So, with this, I'm wrapping up and letting you enjoy your Thanksgiving feast.  I hope your holiday is fabulous! Gobble til you Wobble! :)

Obsession

Pottery is an obsession in my family with my mom, sister and I all being addicts. I have no idea what started it, but I seem to think it's maybe my fault.

If I remember right, my first piece of pottery was made by me in elementary school. A slab box. Then in at class in high school with coil pots and one thrown pot, made with the help of my art teacher.

But the first piece of pottery I received that was truly a piece of artwork came from my friend, Stefan, when I was in college. It was a birthday gift, a yen yang swoop of black and white with curly que handles. 20 years later it's part of my kitchen, keeping all my put holders in order. I love it.








Since then, I've collected pottery from various locations. Beach trips, estate sales, festivals, our family trip to Seagrove, NC, and the annual pottery festival held just down the road from the house. This set found in a consignment store in Georgia, visiting the ex-boyfriend.






Here is the large bowl, which is stunning. So beautiful, inside and out. Doesn't it look like the Northern Lights? That's what I've always imagined. Probably why I couldn't resist and HAD to have it.










It also came with four cups and this little bowl. I fell in love, but couldn't afford it all at once. I begged and ended up walking out with part of the set. Then went back and got the rest. Sadly, it was there due to a divorce, so the owner told me. But I gave it a home, where it will stay. The little bowl I use for butters during the holidays, the cups make me feel better with spiced cider.





Crazy story, my friend from high school, who had never seen this set, bought me this vase for Christmas a few years back! A perfect match-the same potter! Couldn't believe it.

I know, obsessed doesn't begin to cover it...and you haven't seen the tip of the iceberg yet! I'll share a few pieces along the way. I just love the talent and artistry involved while still being useful. Perfect combination. :) Maybe I'll inspire you to check it out and become interested, too.

posted from Bloggeroid

Making Memories.

I'm very excited to show off a few pictures from my new adventure!  It started as a way to make a bit extra money... My idea became "Pressed Clovers" - and thanks to my friend, Paulene, here is my awesome logo:

The Registry Books were my first idea, which I still believe in, but people don't quite get the concept unless I'm there to explain it. I usually make them for family as a baby or wedding gift.

A co-worker asked if I could do a little "honeymoon scrapbook" for a wedding gift.  Of course I can!!! So I set about doing just that.  Then, the idea was born, what about making pre-made scrapbooks and all folks will have to do is add their pictures? I even include the stickers to make it easy. Not that I have sold a million, but I've sold a few and people are seeming to get this concept much better. 

Funny, once you start something like that, you suddenly have a million ideas that you THINK will sell. Granted, they probably would, but I don't have the money to sink into probably.  So I started with Christmas, which has sold fairly well.  Then I added birthdays and we'll see how that goes.  Now I have two requests: one for a beach album and one for vintage guitars.  Then someone mentioned a dance album, and she'll get back to me on if her daughter wants one. Graduation was mentioned. So, who knows where all this may take me. We'll just have to wait and see.

Here are some pics of the birthday book I just delivered.  They are horrible quailty photos, but I have no editing software where I'm currently at. Regardless, you get the idea of the cuteness! I loved this book!

I think the Christmas book is just adorable, too.  I have two versions, one is more earthy and looks kinda teen girl-ish. The other is bright colors and kiddish, although depending on the pics used, they will all be good for all ages.  And here are those pictures!

And this is what my dining room table and all the area around it looks like while I'm "creating."  Oh my gosh, I have GOT to get this cleaned up so that I can decorate for Christmas, which I have not even started. And that's INSANE because I usually want to decorate in October!!

Wish me luck, folks. I'm excited about this project and really hope it goes well. It's very fun to be part of people's memories and know you are providing a way for people to preserve those great photos. :)

Fru Fru Pumpkins = Autumnal Goodness.

Welcome to Autumnal Goodness. This is the easiest and most fun project that makes a big wow ...Fru Fru Pumpkins!  Everything you see here, minus the pumpkin, came from the dollar store, so this project is great on the budget, too.  What do you need? Depends on your nature. 

I suggest any of the following:
          Ribbon
          Fake leaves in various colors and shapes
          Lots of straight pins
          Sequins if you are oh-la-la
          Picks, meaning little sprigs of autumnal stuff, berries, leaves, sticks, etc
          Curling ribbon

What to do now. You have a pumpkin (the one in the top picture came from Wal-Mart and was definitely NOT perfect, but who cares? I was covering it up anyway!)  Then decide if you want the ribbon to go all the way around (see the pic above) or only partial hanging down the sides, whatever! Or do you even want ribbon?  Anyway, use the straight pins to fix the ribbon at the top of the pumpkin and either on the bottom or on the side - wherever your ribbon stops.

The fake leaves can be added, not added, massive or sparse - it's all your taste. The first picture, I went crazy with leaves.  The one just above and below - not so much.  The top picture is from this year and is sitting in my office.  These two (above/below) are from my sister's rehearsal dinner at her wedding. More elegant and less tacky. :) 

Mom added sprigs of sticks, berry picks, etc to give some height around the stem.  Or sometimes a little bow.  Everyone loved the pumpkin centerpieces and they were really inexpensive.  We had a great time decorating them and gave them away to key people from the wedding.  They loved them.

Just so you can see the overall picture of Katie's rehearsal dinner - it was held outside in a covered picnic area with one wall of stones making a huge fireplace.  The white lights twinkled enough with the fireplace to light up the entire area just perfectly.  Brown plastic table clothes and the pumpkin centerpieces were just awesome! :)

So where did this pumpkin mania begin? At my old job, we were planning a fru fru ladies luncheon with an autumnal theme - WHA-LA! Awesome pumpkin centerpieces!  And, of course, at each table one of the agendas had THE DOT - you know, the special dot that means you are a WINNER! So someone received the centerpiece as a present, which the ladies loved!

Since this was a tad bit fru fru, we needed to bring out the bling with sequins, feathers and rhinestones. Sometimes, you just have to pull out the big guns: the hot glue gun that is.  Straight pins just won't do it with the rhinestones so ladies, grab the gun and glue away! 

Awesome results, no matter how you do it. So run out and buy your pumpkin, then look around your yard and house for the trimmings and have fun! I promise you there will be a WOW factor that tickles you pink. :)



Bloggers.

I have SO enjoyed being introduced to the world of blogging and all the cool people that are out there in this great big world.  My interests are ALL over the map, therefore, the list of blogs that I follow are also all over the map!  But it's wonderful to log in and see all the creativity that surrounds these ladies (guys just don't seem to blog as much??) - so I thought I'd share a few of them with you.

Mama Bear Gets Chatty - she's a trip. A mother with three children - Teen to child - and at least a few are adopted. She is super creative, very logical minded it seems and I just enjoy her positive spirit about everything. You want to check her out, I can tell.

Buckets of Burlap - Oh my, when I need to look at pictures that inspire me to dream big of cottages and relaxing days, this is where I go. I love her style, her eye for placement and design. *sigh* It's just dreamy and one day, my very own little cottage will be perfect like hers.

Sidewalk Shoes 365 - Photography, oh how I love you! Pam has an eye for awesome shots, of her adorable kitties, the flowers in the garden, fences on Fridays - her subject matter is diverse and it's always a treat.  She's doing the 365 Project - which I aspire to do one day when I know I"ll actually complete it. :)

Susan Branch - Susan is another cottage-y crafty person, complete with to-die-for recipes, printable bookmarks and other paper treats, and inspirational quotes prettied up enough to make you want to learn how to paint.  She has a store connected to her blog filled with wonderful items that I really want.  One thing I love - the Mom book. Maybe I can convince my mom to fill one out...

Positively Peaches - This lady is Creative with a Capital C! I love her awesome ideas for kids - even if I don't have any of my own! She's so neat, nothing seems to be crazy expensive - just a fun read and hopefully some ideas I can add to the "to do" list with my niece this summer! :) YEAH!


So there! Enjoy discovering something new and feel free to share a new blog with me! I love finding something else to read and follow! :)

Hobbies.

Oh! I wanted to post this to see what you might come up with.  My best friend, Donna, and I have decided we need hobbies. And not something like cross-stitch where we'll never leave the house. Something that involves interaction with people.

I know volunteering is good (hello - 10 year non-profit worker here!) but that's tough when you work. Most places are closed on Saturdays.  So think outside the box and PLEASE give us some suggestions.

Finding hobbies is hard work, so help us out!