polka dot whimsy

All cleaned up and almost....

CAUGHT UP!!! Dear Lord PLEASE never ever ever let me get behind again!!!! It took me almost 2 straight months to get my PDW world back to being caught up. I do know the triggers though to getting behind and let me tell you they are on my radar now. I think a BIG problem is family does come first. Only there is a fine line there I think when you work from home people think that you really don't work. It is kind of like when my kids ask me for something during the day to drop off or take them here or there. If I worked in a cubicle I couldn't just LEAVE but since being at home they think I have that option and in the past I let it get to me . I would drop what I am doing and do for them. Well lets just say last week was a HUGE eye opener for them. I had LOTS of orders to ship and a PDW area to get back in working shape. I set the law down and said until 5pm I am working if you need to go somewhere or do something your going to have to wait. They looked at me like umm ok...So I got my work done and the PDW area looks awesome all ready to get busy again!!! Feels great, like no guilt this weekend spending time with the family and making memories. I shared these on our FB wall but just in case your not a FAN and you should be..Here are a few photos from the cleaned up space. I really wish I had a before because it was BAD!! Happy Monday everyone!!!

My office..

The shipping area...i LOVE all the yarn for making our orders so WHIMSY!!

My mini PDW hub..Everything is right here..orders..my "book" ..website stuff...all of it!!

 

Yes I have a weekness...

And it is craft stuff...So I bought myself a little something. I thought long and hard before buying it. I asked Evan if I could he then rolled his eyes. It came on Friday and he rolled his eyes again. LOL! I bought all the NEW TORI SPELLING STUFF on HSN. I had to, it was calling my name. Plus the album kit was YELLOW and the designs were AWESOME! All my New York Photos are going into it so please snap fish hurry up with my picture processing. I love it! The album is a little bigger than I like but it is going to be so CUTE!! With all the washi tapes and new trims I have I cannot wait to start it and share it with all of you!!! So in other news how was your St. Patrick's day, I hope you all crafted a bit at least. I had a busy weekend but you can read all about it over on my blog. So today is a BUSY day, orders to pack up...newsletter to write...a kitting/shipping area to clean up so I can share it with you and April's sneak peek...Well Happy Monday everyone...

 

Happy St Patty's Day...

I made this sweet little flower using one of my newest dies {new to me} from one of my favorite sizzix designers. It is the 3-D wrapped flower, I LOVE this die. You can use all sorts of different types of materials with it. I used glitter sequins fabric, wool felt and fabric. I covered the straw with our new green diaganol strip washi tape, which is AMAZING!! Then typed my sentiment onto muslin and attached it to the leaf using my epiphany crafts small button studio. I then used our new epiphany crafts brad setting and placed a epoxy in the center and then placed it in the top of the straw where the center of the flower is. TO FUN....Well I hope YOU all have a GREAT WEEKEND...It is raining here in CA so I am going to be packing up orders and loading images to the site. THANK YOU for the awesome response to our newest additions to the shop..I am also going to be updating our message board today to get the party started.. :) :)..Happy Saturday Everyone!!!

 

Fabric Bracelet

Hi PDW fans,

Today I'm sharing a fun, easy project to do with fabric from your kits. Michelle always includes gorgeous strips of fabric. 

I saw the idea for this bracelet in Martha Stewart Living, only using ribbon. But I decided to use fabric for it instead :)

1. Measure your wrist, add 3 inches. Cut fabric strip two times that length, then fold in 1/2 so the short ends are together. Pin sides together and stitch all around the perimeter. (I cut the edges with pinking shears to keep the fabric from fraying).

2. Thread the cut end of the fabric through both D-rings. Fold cut edge under 1/4" and the 3/4" to cover the D-rings, securing it snuggle, but not too tight.

3. Stitch across the length of the ribbon enclosing the D-ring. Add fabric flower to the top of the bracelet with hand stitches or even hot glue.

Now you have a fun, funky bracelet to wear yourself or give as a gift.

Hello Whimsies...

Hi friends,

How was your weekend? I had a it's about time I am creating weekend. I had my crop finally and it was so nice to hang out and chit chat and just create. I served a yummy chicken salad sandwiches and we had chili for dinner and a baked potato bar for lunch the next day plus a ton of snacks. If you missed this whimsy crop be sure to mark your calenders for our next one is June 2 and 3rd...it will be a summer theme so think BBQ!!!! Other than creating all weekend I also just recently got back from our anniversary trip to Las Vegas it was WONDERFUL..13 years of marriage is not always easy but we are going strong!! So now to get back into the swing of things. I have been beyond busy getting it all done so very proud of myself. I am looking forward to the coming months and getting all of you VERY inspired. Speaking of inspiration our SHOP will have a FULL update on Thursday. We will have our kit..new trims and doo dahs..and all the washi tape came in...eeekkkkk Here is a picture of our MARCH kit {sweet surprise}..You can see the whole kit on thursday along with sneaks of our April kit...

i LOVE LOVE LOVE this kit and the handmade album that is a add-on to this beautiful kit...Also I wanted to share a few photos with you from this weekends crop...

I finally got around to completing our November kit using our add on album...I will share with you tomorrow the whole album i LOVE the way it turned out!!!

Here is debbie creating and creating...i just love all the messes...

this is one of the make and takes a simple one page layout ..i used our epiphany crafts stars {my favorite}...and some yummy yarn..I wish I would have snapped a picture of Jane's because she turned hers into a 2 page layout and it was adorable...

Ok well I hope you are all creating and I know it has been pretty quiet around here I will just say we had alot of internal stuff going on in our household...It took up a ton of time..I am updating my personal blog so you read all about the hill family happenings over there.. :)

Hope to see you Thursday for the BIG SHOP UPDATE!!!

National Craft Month.....

Hello PDW land...How is everyone doing 3 months into the New Year...I have been beyond busy. Family,business,travel, and a VERY hurt knee. It is on the mend though now thank goodness. So March is national craft month. I am looking forward to sharing lots of inspiration here with all of you. So to kick of day 1...I wanted to share with you a fun flower pin/barrett I made with my new sizzix die. I LOVE making stuff always have. SO here is afun tutorial for all of you..If you also are celebrating crafts all month please share I would love to see your creations...

i LOVE this die...so many possibilities... so gather your supplies...

I gathered my WOOL felt colors and a covered button and my glue gun and a pin and barrett...I chose mustard yellow and grey because it is my FAVORITE colors right now...

die cut them out I used a total of 8 doilies..

Fold 4 of them in half and then in half again. Use hot glue or a fabric glue to keep them together..

So this is what you should have...4 folded ones...4 flat ones..and your circle piece with your pin and barrett already attached..

glue 2 doilies together {this will be your base for the folded ones..

adhere the folded ones like shown. You can leave it like that and place your covered button on the center or finish it off like I did with the next step...

I added 2 more flat doilies to the top of the folded ones..to create fluff.. :)  and then adhered my fabric covered button..

see all nice and fluffy...

Glue your back piece to the flower. I used a pin and a barrett so I can pin it on a jacket or hat or wear it in my hair.. :)

Please do share if you make a cute something to.......

 

 

Happy Thursday....

1st off thank you all so very much for supporting PDW..You made our sale awesome and I got our new shipping/kitting area all organized it is so pretty.. We now have carpet.. When I get back from New York I will take some pictures so you all can see it...Evan did a fantastic job...so New York..why you ask..to help my dear friends from epiphany crafts launch there new kids craft line...CRAFTY BANDS... I am super excited to go I have never been so TOY FAIR 2012 here I come..I will post pics over on our FB page to keep you all updated... I have some awesome stuff coming in for PDW..it feels great to get all caught up.. Again thank you friends...I will share with you a few pictures since I am typing this post from my iPhone as Evan drive me to the airport ...kinda cool and geeky...I made the kids valentines presents to open while I am gone..they turned out cute..and then I whipped up lillies friends there sweet valentines gifts...brown bags and washi tape..a perfect match ..enjoy...and my next post will come from NY and I will announce our winner from our last post...
Xo
M

It's Saturday....

I am slowly recovering from the craft and hobby show. It was awesome for PDW. I worked in the Epiphany Crafts booth each morning doing the make and take that the ladies LOVED. It is my most comfortable place in the world, creating and sharing. This show proved to me that this is going to be a great year for PDW and I... This show I also got a visitor to walk the floor with me, my sweet lillie. She was so EXCITED to go and I have to admit my little tomboy cleans up well. She looked so pretty with her hair done and cute clothes on other than a soccer shirt or uniform. Lillie is such a artist not just a crafter but a artist of all things...she paints does mixed media...scrapbooks...makes cool stuff out of duck tape...I am super proud of her. She was so happy that her badge had her name on it as a PDW employee..super cute. So the show is over, I ordered LOT'S. I cannot wait to share with you all the peeks soon that i ordered. Today though I will share some CHAW photos...Today we are also re-doing PDW headquarters and re-doing my scrap room at the same time..YIKES...So here is to a HAPPY saturday...and hopefully some creating later today...

The Epiphany booth..always so cute...

i LOVE christy...and lillie of course couldn't wait to see her favorite mixed media artist...

Yes that  toe head little girl is all mine...

silly pictures...

yup..ordered those sweet little mushrooms...

october afternoon kills me...i ordered all 3 lines...some for the kits...some for our shop...

and those are coming in a kit to...LOVE THEM!!!

so WHIMSY!!!

and Lizzy...always amazes me with her talent...and she is SO beautiful...

 

Also WELCOME blog party HOPPERS from Holly's blog....I brought back some goodies from CHAW...so I will give one lucky commenter the prize...just leave a comment of what NEW product you are looking forward to and become a fan on our FB page....

 

 

 

DIY Valentine Candy Display

Hello Friends,

I hope where ever you are you are staying dry. Today it's a nice rainy day {my favorite} it means I do not LEAVE the house. So this week and last week are crazy weeks. CHA starts Sunday but I am helping Epiphany Crafts set up there booth and help a bit in the booth during CHA. I hope you stop by and say HI..I am also planning on updating the blog ALLOT while I am at CHA, and asking for suggestions over on our FB Fan Page. So be sure to "like" us over there so you can keep up with the PDW happenings at CHA. In case you do not know what CHA is it is the BIG Craft and Hobby show. I LOVE it, I get to see old friends and look and order all the new stuff. So for today I wanted to show you a little DIY candy dish. I have our PDW LOVE crop right around the corner and I always love displaying stuff in a cute manner and I LOVE anything that is tiered. When I went out shopping for all the crop stuff there really wasn't a ton of valentines stuff out there. So I decided to make my own displays. Everything is from the Dollar Tree except the adhesive. So here you go....

Gather supplies. I got 2 heart candy dishes a few candle stick holders and a red plate.

Turn your plate over and using a sharpie mark in the center where you are going to adhere your candlestick.

Apply the glue to your out line..

Now attach your candlestick pressing it firmly into the glue. You want to hold it for about a minute and depending wher eyou live will determine your trying time.

Repeat the process with the heart candy dish. Turn upside and adhere the candle stick. Let dry..

Once the bases are dry adhere the heart dish to the center of the right side of the plate to create a tier. Mark the center and apply the glue and adhere..I also went  a step further and added some trim to my plate.

I LOVE this...you can also use the cute plastic plates or just about anything...try different bases I would love to see what you come up with...Be sure if you make a candy display {or you could put cookies on it} share the link with me in our comment sections...

Happy Creating...

LOVELY...Inspiration...

Happy Monday friends.I went searching on etsy over the weekend for a couple of things. Like a few new headbands for CHA and anything CHEVRON. What I ended up doing was window shopping though. I LOVE all the beautiful handmade items on etsy, sadly for me it is always the same comment I say to myself...oh Michelle you can make that. I ignored it though and I did buy a few things {that I know I can make but I don't want to} I just want them to come all wrapped up and ready to go. Do you ever feel like that? Like sometimes you just want to buy that card at target instead of making one..lol...Well here is a little Valentine/Love inspiration for you. Happy Shopping.....{just click on the photo to go to the sellers etsy shop}

I LOVE these...I am going to make a bowl of these for my front table....

I just want to hang these on a glittered tree...hmmmm

Adorable...

I would make the cutest heart felt pins for this....

Gonna order this one for my room...cute title also for a mini book...hmmmmm

You bet your scrapbooks that if I was a 27" waist {sadly I am a 29 right now} that this dress would be MINE...it is so beyond cute..

I think the idea of this banner is really cute..you could make it into a LOVE ADVENT VALENTINE banner...with little candies and trinkets in the pockets...hmmmmm

My favorite..I had to order one...I just cant pass up vintage fabric...It will look so cute at my upcoming LOVE crop...

So please share with me any of your Valentine Inspiration...I would LOVE to see it...You can link it here or over on our FB page.....