Happy Birthday To My Mom

I really wanted to post this on her actual birthday but I was late in sending out the gift package of goodies I made for her and didn't want to ruin the surprise. So, Happy Birthday Mom!

You can get a newly listed Autumn Trance bracelet of your own here!

NOTE: My shop The Beehive is now Papercut Kitchen! Please visit my shop Papercut Kitchen by clicking here.

Well, Get A Look At That!

NOTE: My shop The Beehive is now Papercut Kitchen! Please visit my shop Papercut Kitchen by clicking here.

Wow, can it be? One of my item photos (my Jesus Saves cards) showing up in the #5 spot of Google image search. The Bohemian called me from work to tell me this wonderful discovery. Ok, this is probably not the big deal I'm making it out to be because it's not like it was my etsy shop showing up #4 on a search but it was still really cool to see! And it was interesting to see where else this image popped up. The coolest place was on Bitter Tonic In their 2007 gift guide The 12 Funniest Gifts To Give This Holiday Season. Pretty awesome because they linked to my shop. The most annoying was on a pastor's blog where he just stole it as an illustration without giving credit or a link. Maybe this shouldn't bother me so much but I really wanted to email him and inform him that a whole lot of work went into getting that photo on the web, the least he could do is credit it. Oh well.

Autumn In Arkansas

I was very honored this afternoon to find that I was in a treasury! It's called AREtsy, Autumn In Arkansas and was created by glassbead, a fellow member of the AREtsy group for artists and crafters of Arkansas. Glassbead makes, by hand, from scratch, the most beautiful glass beads. I don't know how she does it, it must be magic in her hands but you should definitely check out her shop! My featured item is my Year In The Life scrapbook seen in the third row down, far left. Thanks glass!

NOTE: My shop The Beehive is now Papercut Kitchen! Please visit my shop Papercut Kitchen by clicking here.

Mamma vs. Crafter

Sometimes it can be pretty tough to get much of anything accomplished around here, as most of you can imagine! Many of you don't have to imagine because you live it too. The other day I got asked if I was going to list more of my Jesus Saves cards. I was tremendously flattered and of course set about to oblige. Yesterday and today I worked way harder on finishing such a meager number of cards than is healthy for the maintenance of sanity. Good grief, I thought I wouldn't get them finished until the boys moved off to college!

I felt a little guilty being frustrated with my precious angels with a dozen or so smiling Jesus faces staring at me. Soccer goalie or not, He's the baddest cat on this block!


Part of my frustration stemmed from the fact that I was working at the kitchen table, just like the olden days. Why was I doing this when I have a fantastic new craft room at my disposal? I think the next picture might answer that quite nicely!

The whole room looks like this! It's like a paper bomb went off and ever since creating my lovely light box I've been lacking a work table. Ok, I know, if I would take a moment to reorganize and tidy up a bit it would be functional. That's the first thing on my to-do list for tomorrow! Sometimes it's hard to do that part when all you want to do is make stuff!


Some of the interruptions while creating cards today:

• Lil' Spitfire getting up from nap 4 times
• Dog needs let out as soon as my bum finally hits the chair
• Delivery guy brings a delivery, as they're prone to doing (the boys' Halloween costumes, yea!)
• Mr. Golden Curls tries on his costume
• The dog "needs" out again
• Too late for napping now, I let Spitfire get up
• Spitfire sees his costume so he has to try it on
• I pin the arms and legs on his costume while he's wearing it. Sort of along the lines of trying to put a sweater on a crazed Chihuahua I imagine.
• Help Spitfire on/off the potty
• I rue the decision to let Spitfire get up as he throws a massive tantrum about anything and everything while I frantically try to glue card parts together between (or during) outbursts and timeouts so they'll be finished by the time we leave for church where, for some unknown reason, I've taken on co-teaching the Jr. High Girls Bible Study.
• I have to referee several fights between two boys, neither of whom took a nap or really even rested and therefore are grumpy and impossible to reason with.

Four hours later I've managed to complete four measly sets of Jesus Saves cards! I know, woe is me! But sometimes it really does feel like woe is me! The amazing thing is that even with all the woe is me-ing I do, being a mamma and getting to stay home with my boys and craft on the side is the most rockin' awesome job I could ever have dreamed of having!

Faking It

Get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about light of course! I've been on a mission to improve my product pics these days. I learned the benefits of using the white balance on my camera then made a light box when white balance was wonderful but not a cure all. Now I'm learning to make friends with the Brightness/Contrast feature of Photoshop. This is what I've been using from the beginning to try and fix my not-so-hot photos but it only did so much. Now I'm realizing if I get brave with it and bump both up a lot more than I was, that I can get even more improvement. Yesterday I fixed another listing, my Year In The Life scrapbook, but this one I didn't have to re-shoot, I just upped the Brightness/Contrast levels. Can you believe the difference in the second and third pics?! Take a peak (click to see it enlarged):

NOTE: My shop The Beehive is now Papercut Kitchen! Please visit my shop Papercut Kitchen by clicking here.

OLD LISTING

NEW LISTING

All Packed Up And Ready To Ship

NOTE: My shop The Beehive is now Papercut Kitchen! Please visit my shop Papercut Kitchen by clicking here.

A few weeks ago I finished my special order, the 12 x 12 version (seen below) of the 8 x 8 Little Princess Album I have listed in my shop. I was so excited when my customer purchased it right away because it meant I didn't have to wait to pack the first of my new boxes!

I love the way this album turned out and it gave me the push I needed to put "start listing 12 x 12 scrapbooks as a regular part of my stock" on my to-do list.

I always include a thank you note and three business cards in my packages. I print them on different scrapbook papers, appropriate don't you think? They get placed in a white envelope with the customer's etsy name on it. I think it's important to let my customers know they're appreciated and hopefully they'll appreciate me enough to pass it on!

First I wrap my items in bubble wrap, not the most attractive wrapping if left as-is. I like my customers to feel like they're opening a gift though, even if it's for themselves, so I tie a coordinating ribbon around it, slide the thank you note envelope underneath it and voila! A simple, super cute wrapping!

To fill in around the item and keep it from slipping around in the box I use paper that I shred myself using a cheap office shredder and a roll of white craft paper. When I first started I struggled with myself about recycled shipping materials vs. new shipping materials and the clean, professional look of new simply won out in spite of my earth consciousness in other realms of my life.

All taped up with self adhesive address labels applied I'm ready for a trip to the P.O! My labels will be going through some changes soon. I want to design and print my own pretty labels. I also am thinking it would be smart business to start printing shipping labels through PayPal. They print with all the necessary info and shipping is less expensive. The downside, ugly shipping labels. That can be a big downside for me!

Wish You Were Here

I don't think there could possibly be anything more wonderful than drinking my morning coffee while staring at the ocean with my feet buried in the sand. We're back now but I think I can hold this image in my happy place file, something to think of when other things don't feel so great.

I had promised the boys a trip to the beach. We didn't make it while in Destin so we detoured to Gulf Shores, Mississippi on the way home. That's where I finally had my relaxing coffee in the sand and the boys got to see the ocean. They've both seen it before but Lil' Spitfire was only about 3 months old. They were super adorable as usual!

The water was a little too cold that morning to tempt the boys too far in, I was kind of glad since that meant I didn't have to go swimming.

I think what this kid really needs is one more character in this outfit! Buzz Lightyear hat, Batman sunglasses, Curious George shirt, Nemo trunks, good grief! And may I just say this was one of my pre-mamma nevers: I will never put a piece of clothing on my kid that has a character on it. Oh well!

Brother's a close second with Jack Skellington hat, Batman sunglasses and Cars shirt.

My little boy isn't seeming so little anymore. I'm having a lot of those sighing-my baby's not a baby anymore- Mamma moments over my Mr. Golden Curls lately.