3 Faces of Francis

Oh what fun it is to play with Francis.......we won't dress her up for Halloween (too silly), but love to toture  her with new personas on a regular basis.

Some Recent Ones:

The Board Room Exec:

The Muskateer:

The Cyclopse:

40 & SUPER!

Mike turned 40 this week!

So hard to believe.

To commemorate, Nolan & I made him a

SUPER SIGN

from Scrapbook Paper.

Happy Birthday Papa!

Scrapbook paper

Glue Stick

Pumpkin Patch & SPOOKY Halloween Cookies with Grandma

This year we visited the worlds most crowded pumkin patch at Irvine Park.

More people than pumpkins for sure.

Grandma and Aunt Denise joined us for the fun (?).

Our family picture with people that couldn't wait five seconds for us.

(Not mad or anything)

The most handsome at the Park

Nolan loved the Haunted House

Later on, we created these SPOOKY Characters with cookies made earlier.

 This was a great way to relax and spend time together.

The Best Ones

Nolan had lots of fun POURING on the sprinkles, icing and sugar, and grandma and I ran interference and created faces out of his creations

I brought the "B List" to work. The quote "Delicious, though not the easiest on the eye"

Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Handmade Icing: Vanilla, Butter, Confectioners Sugar, Salt

Decorators Sugar, Icing, Candy Corns, Black Licorice & Candy Pumpkins

Cute Clay Pumpkins with Coco & Kirsten

Our very best BFF's Coco and Kirsten came over and helped us make these little pumpkins inspired by one I made in Kindergarden.

We had fun creating our own designs, then after they dried, Nolan & I painted them, then sealed them with spray glaze.


The CrAzY Ones:

The Pretty Ones:

I am going to surprise them with a set of the finished "pretty" ones as a gift.

1 Tub of Crayon Brand Air Dry Clay ( Target)
Folk Paint
Spray Glaze-Clear
Paintbrushes

Emerson's New Dress

My good friend Vanessa's daugther Emerson turned one last week, and I made her this simple, fun dress for a special gift.

It is the first dress I have ever made, so the project was really fun. It actually turned out quite nicely for my first time, lined and everything!

To make, I took inspiration from some simple dress patternsI found online, and then created my own dress by combining features of two dress patterns.

Here are the links to the sites I used:

http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/free-baby-clothes-patterns.html
http://rae.oostendorp.net/ITTY%20BITTY%20BABY%20DRESS.pdf


I found this fun fabric at M&L Fabrics in Anaheim, and added ribbon and button trim to the front and back.

Can't wait for my next one, as always big plans, lots of ideas, no time....................................................

Alysia

SPOOKY FUN KIDS CRAFT!

Nolan, Mike & I had fun making these fun Halloween Characters from paper, ribbon, stamps, beads & buttons.

To have some basics to work with, I cut some orange pumpkins & black triangles from colored construction paper then grabbed the glue stick & scissors and we were off!

We let the leftover cuts of patterned paper from other projects to inspire the shapes of the other characters like the funky ghosts, the bat, and the smiling ghost cat!

Mike made the black bats, and we glued little orange bead eyes on them-these are the coolest.
Characters clipped to rough twine make fun additions to the front door, pictures and walls.

I also make some planter spooks by backing with cardboard from a box and gluing to a stick.

Hope you like them!

A NEW DAY!

I had aspirations of opening a kid's boutique this year. That did not happen. I am glad that the realization that a new business venture would not be the best choice in today's tough economy, and that retail in the traditional sense-overhead, rents, product inventory-would not be the best choice for a start-up. More than anything, I need OUTLETS for my creativity. Being creative, whether I am creating a wreath for my neighbor, or doing a craft project with my son, is what makes me happy. So with that said, I do not know what or where my talents will take me, ideally with a business component so that I can not only create, but make money doing what I love. I just haven't figured out the right thing yet...... So the theme of my blog will officially CHANGE TODAY to a PERSONAL BLOG! I look forward to writing about all the crazy and wonderful things in my life!

Sweetest things.....

I think that someone takes the time and care to knit & felts these booties by hand is incredible and admirable.

I am so glad that we have a new baby on the way in our family so I have a baby to buy them for!!

I think after this video feature of the process, I better put in my orders now......

taken by Storm....

This is Storm.....he is a sweet little handmade whale I recently bought from Poink!

Poink plushies are made by hand by Felicia, an illustration and design student in Vancouver BC, during her time outside class.

She hand-makes each whale with its own "Character" and I want more from her but I have to wait until mid terms are over........ sigh.................! http://www.poink.etsy.com

More fabrics....

Here are some more of my recent favorite finds from Japan & some retail sources......

http://www.superbuzzy.com

http://www.nuno-plus.com

Can't Pick a Favorite!

I am looking for a location to open a retail front for my childrens business...I can't wait to have a space to create and curate.

San Juan Capistrano or San Clemente I think...any thoughts??

Anyway, when I saw this fabric my heart stopped...I can't wait to have it made into wallpaper & place a comfy white chaise in front of it, a fantasy spot to read fairytales.

I love the fabrics for kids from Japan, including the pattern I just ordered this one from nuno-plus.com. I was thinking about pillows or laminating it and making a tote with it....hmmm....grand plans.