Creative Chaos

I'm supposed to be cleaning up my craft room........

 I'm so embarrassed.....I just fixed my title to reflect the fact that I know the english language......carry on......

I'm a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of it all........it's a disaster.  I know. Big surprise.  So instead of cleaning and organizing I will show you some of the holiday happenings at the chaos household......

Holiday inspired tic tac toe........

 

Joy banner class kits......

Snowmen fighting it out for local piano-top turf.......

Another snowman intercedes by asking "can't we all just get along?"........

All sorts of thing happening in the holiday forest.......

People putting up favorite ornaments......

Convincing people for twenty minutes that the picture on the bell ornament is of his brother not him.

Finally giving up and saying to people "yes...you are "so cute" on that bell ornament."

Bumble and friends show up looking for fun.......

And, guess what!  They found it....the drunk guy from the Karaoke bar is back.......

Not missing a beat he jumps right back in to a resounding version of Jingle Bells......

Putting up all the fun Christmas items from blogging friends near and far......

Kari at Artsymama

 

Mary at oh merci.......

Tricia at Vintage Bliss

Jenny at Polka Dot Pixie

Favorite ornaments from years gone by........

Alrighty.....back to cleaning!  Talk to you soon! Karin

Lots of chatter in the chaos household lately.......

mainly revolving around Santa.  I'm getting the standard questions and proclamations such as "I fink Santa my best friend", "I scary of Santa" and "Santa gonna bring me lots a toys"  from Andres.  Those I can easily handle with a simple nod of the head and a smile followed by "you better get writing your letter" and "yes, he really, absolutely, without a doubt knows if you've been naught or nice. So start cleaning that playroom." 

But this year has been complicated by a nine year old who is smack dab on a very narrow fence in between wanting desperately to believe and having a feeling it's all been one big fat and jolly deception.   Let me back track a bit to a conversation we had around Halloween.  He sidelined me with a question about the Easter bunny.  I was completely taken off guard.  He point blank asked me if the Easter bunny existed.   I was trapped. I didn't know what to say.   Do I lie to my child knowing that I was working against whatever playground conversation happened that day or do I keep the fantasy alive with a simple yes.   Sigh.  I told him the bunny was a fake.  It was me and poppa.  I swear in that moment he grew 3 inches and sprouted a mustache.  I actually felt a shift in the universe.   His reply?   "Well at least Santa's real! Right, mommy?"  Trapped again.   His response was said in such earnest it practically begged for a yes...... But then I would be lying...... But then again, who am I to fill a kid's stocking with coal when his eyes are pleading with me to say he's real......but, again, I would be lying....The pressure was mounting.  He looked to me for answers.  He trusted me. 

So I said, "of course he's real honey.  I believe in him."  To which he responded, "I knew it!" 

I don't think I was lying.  I really do believe Santa's real.  How do I know this?  He gave me the gift of another year of magic with Carlos.    

I think I time traveled.....

Because I swear it was just yesterday that I was posting Tutorial Tuesday.  I can't believe it's been a week.  I'm off to teach my Christmas card class at Paper Tales......

Saturday I taught the Snowflake class.  So much fun.  We had a full house so there was lots of glitter flying.  The night before I was almost in glitter panic mode because my antique silver was running out.  Of course I had forgotten the "recipe" I had made so I was mixing a bunch of glitter at 11:00 at night trying t get the perfect blend...I think I nailed it...... 

So here's what I've been doing in between dentist appointments, blood tests, avastin treatments, major holiday get togethers and throwing a semblance of dinner at my children.......

   

Talk to you soon!  Karin
   

Change....why does everything have to change.....

 

When I was on Facebook yesterday, I was informed by a little memo on top that I needed to update my Internet Explorer to version 8.   Ok.  Easy enough.  I go ahead and do it only to discover that I no longer have any of my home pages.....all the words are microscopic......my favorites button has changed....and, I can't figure out how to retrieve my email.   Arggg.   Why don't I just leave well enough alone.  My old trusty Internet Explorer wasn't perfect by any means, but at least it was familiar face. 

Then I log into Typepad and they've switched everything around again resulting in wasted time trying to figure out how to center my Flickr button.  Ridiculous.  

Anyway, I did lift my head up from the beads and wire cutter long enough to do these snazzy little cards for a class at Paper Tales.....

I told Julie at the store today I felt like a designer on Project Runway completing my runway collection.   I feel as though the cards tell a story....have a point of view.....yet are able to make a statement on their own.....

I'm heading off to bed.....Talk to you  later!  Karin

Still rolling.......

except right now I'm rolling into the couch and counting down the minutes until bedtime.

I had my avastin treatment this afternoon and it just wiped me out.  Everytime I go in for my treatment I'm armed with magazines to read, a notebook for jotting down witty blog posts and my bagel to eat.  And every single time, as soon as I sit in the comfy chair with a blanket on me, I'm like Pavlov's dog and can barely keep my eyes open.  I don't even get premeds anymore! 
 
 

Something about that chair just makes me go to sleep.  So now I'm going to finish making dinner and then convince the boys to go to bed at 6:30.

I think I'll go change all the clocks to convince them it's really 8:30.

As you may or may not know, I love my Target snowflakes.  So this holiday season is going to be the year of a thousand snowflakes.   Here is a snowflake banner I'm working on for a class at Paper Tales. 

 

Talk to you later.....zzzzzzzzzzz.......  
 
 
 

Oh boy..........

How......

in the world.......

did this.....

happen again......

Same table.....different season. 
 
 
 
 
 

Trying to stay focused......

on what I need to do.  But I'm getting lured in by Christmas.   I fell in love with these papers and have to do something with them.......

They are Webster's Pages.   Love them.......

When I was eating my lunch yesterday at Paper Tales, Michelle was hard at work stocking them on the shelves.....

I was going to help her after I was finished eating but then got distracted by this.......

and this.....

 

By the time I made my way back she was already done......

Trying figure out color combinations and textures....

I pulled out some tags from last year to see how I could change them up.....

Alrighty.....someone is breathing down my neck wanting to go on Toontown.  I have a ton of food to cook today since our freezer went on the fritz.....Talk to you soon!  Karin
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

  
 

Can a shelving unit change your life?

Well maybe not your life....

In my case it changed the entire direction of my day.  On Sunday I decided to clean and organize my craft room.  Yes, I know, it's the story of my life.  However, it really needed a good scrubbing. Plus, I wanted to be all organized for the big Christmas crafting rush.   So as I stood in my room overwhelmed with too much stuff and not enough storage, Cosme walks in and asks me if I want to take a look at this shelf he got from a client before he puts it in the alley.   Ack!  Yes! I'll take it!  It was as if I read "The  Secret" and all my wishes came true.  I then stood back in my craft room and wished for him to walk in with a bag containing a very large sum of money.   It never happened so I got back to organizing my ribbons.   I love the little light on top. People are going to think they stumbled into a museum.

Hopefully, when everyone is distracted by my lighted shelf, the rest of my messy room will be ignored.  I was able to free up a considerable amount of space on the other shelf......

Still not sure how I want to fill it.   And this table is driving me crazy.  It's supposed to be a "work" table but it just ends up being a catch all.  The room is slightly too small for it. But if I remove it then I have all this wasted space.   I think I'll pretend to read "The Secret" again and wish for a larger space.......

Some cans made the cut.....then I took them off...

Crepe paper storage.....the never ending battle.....

Sigh....I love my vintage wallpaper.  By the way Donna will be putting some new packs in her Etsy shop soon.  I only divulge my super secret source so I don't go crazy buying more......

This is what happens when you put cute little things in cute little drawers.  You completely forget about them.......

I found my little birds that I had been working on before all the Halloween craziness began.....

Back to the museum......

Ok....back to work.......
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  

 

I've been evicted.......

He called me a squatter. I said I had rights.  He said no you don't.  I said I watch Judge Judy. I know I do.   He rolled his eyes and said I had until the end of the night to remove all my belongings and get off the premises.   I knew my flimsy excuses and time had run out........

I reluctantly started packing my Halloween bags, boxes and great unfinished ideas. It was going to be their fault when the awesome paper mache pumpkin idea of 2009 never comes to fruition just because "they" want to eat at a kitchen table.   Idea crushers.  I was going to pursue the matter legally. But since he did give me an extension on my original eviction notice I let the matter drop.   Besides, I need to give enough time between now and the Christmas crafting rush to drum up enthusiasm for picnicking at the coffee table again. 

Off to pack more boxes.......  

Crazy for Halloween Mosaics......

1. skelly 31 ornie 005 STJ, 2. halloween tags, 3. BOO Banner, 4. Haunted Moon Hand Dyed/Altered Ribbon, 5. Vintage inspired "good fortune" Halloween candy container crown, 6. Halloween Swap sneak peek # 5, 7. Brooke's Hallowen Hat for Speckled Egg'S Swap close up of Glittered Rose from VIntage Crepe Paper., 8. Spookytime- trio, 9. Slipper Detail, 10. Halloween Goodies, 11. Eat Candy & Cake~NFS, 12. My orni's for a swap

 

1. Welcome to Boney's, 2. Halloween card - closeup, 3. Ghost' around the tree :), 4. Autumn leaves crown, 5. black and white, 6. solitary, 7. Masquerade Cat Candy Box, 8. Poe and Raven, 9. "always in my schemes" sweet & sinister, 10. Close-up of Hostess Gift, 11. black and white vintage dance costume FLEA MARKET FRIDAY, 12. Halloween Goodies!!, 13. Vintage witch (Halloween), 14. beware banner, 15. Jolie Paquet Halloween Kit - Boo Girl, 16. Gothic Chic Slipper

 

1. Batty ? Moi ? ........, 2. Halloween Cupcake Treat, 3. Halloween Screamsicle Cupcakes, 4. Cupcake Diving, 5. Halloween Cupcakes, 6. Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcake, 7. Trick or Treat!, 8. Happy Halloween!, 9. Pumpkin Pie Cupcake with Whipped Kreme & Candy Corn Gummy, 10. Take your pick, 11. squash halloween cupcakes, 12. There's a spider on my cupcake!, 13. cup cakes!, 14. Halloween Cupcakes, 15. Tuesday Toppers: Witch Hats, 16. No tricks, just treats...