The Very Hungry Caterpillar

I've been away for a little bit, but that doesn't mean I haven't been up to making fun stuff! A new trend for childrens' birthday parties is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. You remember the book by Eric Carle? I always loved it as a child so I'm very excited it has quite became another ancient children story.

You can purchase this book here.

At my new-found favorite scrapbook/stamp shop, Sir Stamps A Lot, I was browsing through the fantastic designer card stock they had. I found this:

And what does it remind you of? That's right! The Very Hungry Caterpillar! So I got to thinking about what I could do with this. I ran to Michael's and picked up a few coordinating color card stocks and some fruit puffies (which are adorable!!!). I found a fun matching card game that was also TVHC. I started right when I got home and it turned out pretty cute!

How cute! The inside is stamped with "Happy Birthday" in brown ink. The back of the card has a black and white cut out of the caterpillar himself with a green apple crayon for your child to color. What a great way to help make this birthday one to remember!

After I made the card, I decided to make a small little birthday collection that all matched. The party hat I made has a cute little "1" on it - it could have whatever your child's age was. The trim is done in white pom-pom balls with a large cotton ball on top. There are two red strings attached underneath to tie around your child's head.

I went back to the little shop to get more paper to start the birthday banner and the lady said that the designer discontinued that print. I was so upset! So I'm thinking since I have one sheet left, I'll make a few cupcake picks or goody bags and then release the collection on my shop. It isn't on there just yet but will be by the end of the week. I can't wait to get started on my next party collection!

Have a great week!

Cuptakes - Cases for Girly Girls

YOU HAVE TO CHECK THIS PLACE OUT!!!!

This website has the most amazing cases for iPhones. They are so stinking cute and each one looks like a custom designer print that I can promise you nobody else will have. I can't decide just which one I want to get just yet. They are all so fabulous!

These are my favs:

Get to shopping!

Sir Stamps A Lot

I have recently found a scrapbooking/stamping store and I have got to tell you about it! They have great prices and brand names such as Hero Arts, Jim Holtz, and Stampabilities. If you live in Bham, it's right off of Oxmoor Road. The lady has had the store for quite some time but I never knew about it. There aren't very many scrapbooking shops open anymore these days so I was thrilled when I found this place. Her mission is to not have anything Hobby Lobby or Michael's has so that means brand new stuff I've never seen before! There's paper, a billion stamps, ink pads, card kits, and so much more. If you're in town and you love to scrap, stop by Sir Stamps A Lot.

Right now, ALL of their Christmas, Halloween, & Thanksgiving is 50% off!! I bought $80 worth of stamps and paper for $30.

Shop local. Shop small.

Visit their webpage.

Craigslist Queen

Craigslist is great website for stuff you have no room for or that you just do not want anymore. There is no need for a registration and it is very secure. You sell to people in your city and surrounding cities. After a posting has interested someone, you meet up with them (I advise at a local place with lots of people) and you sell your item. It works the same way if you want to purchase something. No need for PayPal or waiting for money in the mail. You get it right there! I like to take someone with me, like my dad or my boyfriend, because, well, you just never know. This is a great way to clean out your closet and make room for more!

Ever since I sold my two Cricut cartridges on Craigslist within TWO days of posting it (WOW!), it has inspired me to put more things on there! I have a lot of shoes, purses, jeans, and random decor that I no longer use so this is a great way to make some extra cash instead of giving it away to Goodwill. So, my next posting is for a lot of high heel shoes. I am a huge shoe person but I have such a hard time finding comfortable shoes that support my feet. One foot has an arch and one doesn't so comfy heels are a must! I am normally a size 6 in tennis shoes or other shoes like such but in heels, I like to wear a 5 1/2. I can't handle wobbly shoes. The heels that I am selling are great, but are too big for me! You can see the posting here if you are interested. They are all size 6 and are in pretty good condition. I am selling them for $100 for the whole lot or individually for $15. Contact me if you or someone you know whats them!! They'll be gone in less than a week so get them before they are gone!

Happy Shopping!

Friends Frame

I am all about a good clearance section in a store; most of the time it's where I go first! Today, I went to Michael's to get alpha stickers and ended up with everything but alpha stickers. They had an amazing sale outside their doors with items 50% to 80% off. I just couldn't keep walking. I had my arms full before I ever entered the store!

I found some little wooden phrases that where covered in fabric. I didn't know what exactly I was planning on doing with them but I just thought, "Hey, they're 20 cents." I found some other random things like a wooden picture frame, silk raggy flowers, some jewels, and other stuff mostly all for under $1. I couldn't wait to get home and make something!

I decided to paint the frame a soft khaki color just so it didn't look unfinished.

I used the "Friends" phrase I bought on this one. I added the phrase, the peach raggy flower, a butterfly sticker, and some jewels. I'd have to say it pretty adorable!

The phrase apears to be covered in a denim type material so it added some nice texture to the frame. Even though it sticks off the frame a little, it still looked good. I just glued this on with Tacky Glue. Takes a little bit to dry, but it is very durable.

The butterfly sticker is by K&Company and the jewels by Stampalicious.

The peach flower was one of two just on a cardboard piece. It had an adhesive sticker on the back to I just stuck that on.

The wooden frame came with a piece of cardboard in it already but after I painted the frame it was a little messy. So I took that out and traced it onto another piece of cardboard. I cut out a piece of transparency film to give it a finished look like a real picture frame. I'm in love with it. I am using it as my own decoration until it sells. You can purchase it on my Etsy page for $15.00.

Thanks for stopping by!

Candy Bouquet

I am all for cheap flower arrangement ideas. This one came from here, the lovely Martha Stewart. There are lots of other fantastically easy crafts on that page as well, but this one really stood out. I attempted it and here's what I got:

First off, this vase was a thrift store find for $5 that I fell in love with. It's a little large but the shape of it was just lovely. It's a vase that I can use for any occasion all year round.

Secondly, let me be honest. I'm not a flower person. I prefer simple arrangements with simple flowers like daisies or tulips. These silk roses were on hand at home so I used them. I am planning on buying real roses a week before Valentine's Day because who doesn't like fresh roses? It makes you feel romantic. Hopefully, the boyfriend will give me some. ;) They'll die super fast without the water so silk was the best option for now. But overall, I like it! It was so simple and SO cheap. Maybe less than $10 for the whole thing? That's an easy bargain and it's definetely an eye catcher when you walk in the room! Yay for easy!

Thanks for reading!

Where The Heart Is

My cousin and his new wife have recently bought their first home! How exciting! The home is a small ranch style with three bedrooms. The bathrooms and kitchen need a little updating but for the price and location it's a great place with a lot of character! Buying your first home can be a little scary but according to TLC these are a few tips you don't want to miss out on.

A few I picked up on were:

• Know How Much You Can Afford - This is a must. Before you do anything, sit down with someone you trust and talk about a budget. Mom and Dad give great advice. They've been through this process before and even had to think about kids. If you're recently married, consult your spouse. Don't just wander around in the realty world, get your hopes up on a great home, and be shot down because of the price tag!
• Prioritize Your Needs and Wants - This is a problem in my every day life. What I want is not always what I need and what I need isn't always what I want. Having a seven bedroom mansion with a four car garage and a huge pool out back and may be nice and fancy (and a little dreamy) but if you're single or newly married do you really need all that space? Unless you're my mother, no. It isn't because we need the space it's because of her addiction of Christmas decorations and inherited furniture and should I mention the Elvis Emporium? Buy what you need. A three bedroom home is the max on any first time home buyers. The master, the guest, and the office/multi-purpose room aka CRAFT ROOM. No need for extras. You don't need a whole bunch of space for nothing. Save the money for when you decide to pop those babies out.

The rest of the post is just as important, especially for financial issues you must deal with. As for me, I'm still at home with the rents and probably will be for a while. Home buying/apartment renting is terrifying for me. I have a small addiction to shoes. That is a great excuse for that extra bedroom.

All this home buying stuff made me want to make a card. Your home is where your heart is. It's your money that you've been saving up for, make it worth something! Be proud of your first home even if it isn't what you've always dreamed of. Make mistakes and learn from them. When you're ready to have more space you'll know what to do. I made this card for my cousin and his wife for their housewarming party.

And the sentiment is:

With last card I did (Paper Flowers) I forgot to add the sentiment so here it is:

Happy Scrapping!

Selling Two Cricut Cartridges

I have two font cartridges that I hardly ever use so I'm selling them for $60.00. Wow! Seems like a lot but if you're a Cricut person you know that one of these cartridges was $59.99 on it's own. The two I'm selling are "Calligraphy Collection" and "Opposites Attract." Both are complete with their original booklet, cartridge, and rubberized keyboard.

If you or anybody you know would like to purchase these, you can contact me via email - ne.osborn@yahoo.com or facebook message me here.

You can also see the posting on Craigslist.

Thanks a lot and have a great day!