Progress, Luckily!

I'm really struggling to see progress lately.  Life pulls in so many directions it can be frustrating at times.  That is probably why I am so over-the-moon excited to have put off everything else tonight and 

got a few odds and ends taken care of.

For starters, I am feeling pretty lucky to have finally painted my "Lucky" sign I designed 4 years ago with my sweet friend Season.  I found it last summer traced on a piece of wood hiding in the garage.  I must have moved it 3 times in 3 different states over the last 4 years.  It was finally cut out this last fall on my scroll saw.  Since then I have moved it from pile to pile of unfinished projects optimistic that life would ease up and time would permit me to paint it.  

Trust me.  This hunk of wood is LUCKY it survived to see the paintbrush.  It will be fun to hang up next March, even if I missed using it this year ♡

Next up, and having waited even longer, moved even more times...my Never Enough Snowmen signs!  I have 2 of them I stumbled across at Christmas time and decided their day had finally come.  Then January was full of trauma and recovery, February was more trauma, a big trip, more trauma, and illness.  March was finally feeling better, crazy craft party, even crazier photo shoots to prep and pull off, followed by trauma and over a week without my husband and right arm (Madison) while they sat at Grandpa's bedside 1200 miles away.

Ahem, get the picture?  This is why I am so excited to have even started these projects!  With any luck, I will even get a couple finished 😄

I did get the lettering finished tonight!  I made a strip of vinyl to use as a stencil.  The white area was where the vinyl was.  I can't even tell you how EASY vinyl has made crafting!!!  I didn't have vinyl back 9 years ago when I cut thsee signs out.  My box would never have been so straight and the lettering would have totally stressed me out.  Instead, done...finally.  Now to get the snowmen on the sign completed!!!  

*fingers crossed*

This will be my new Mother's Day Door Decor.

Cut out this time last year, painted to the level of done-ness you see here.  Yesterday, between editing photos, I worked on the pattern so hopefully I can get it and others up for sale soon.

*more fingers crossed*

These are 2 of the 9 signs I got painted before dinner.  Mads and I are planning a little string art here...

Another fixer project moved from table to table...

I decided I don't like my letters by the front door on wires.  I started gluing them to ribbons and I love it!  They hang better AND store better.

If only I could find the "U" from my "LUCK" I would get that set on ribbon too.  

My garage is a disaster.  Maybe with temps finally above the 30s this week I can get out there...no fingers left to cross!

Fixed my first bunny.  He fell a couple of times during our craft party and I hate to just throw him away.  Now that his ear and foot have been glued back in place I hope to touch up paint and have him good as new.

Got my HAPPY BIRTHDAY frosting painted for my birthday cake door decor.  It is not a fun piece to cut or paint.  I think I finally figured out my paint colors, so hoping to finish the whole cake soon!  Yesterday I designed a party balloon door decor pattern.  I want to make a 3 piece party pattern set with the cake, a giant present, and the big balloons.  More...more...to do.

My most recent started and waiting project.  I finally figured out how I wanted to finish these guys and got the stencils made for the hash marks on the bottles.

After realizing how many unfinished projects I had to show you, I figured I'd better get SOMETHING finished!!!

DONE.

Ignore the scrap on the carpet!  I am posting entirely by phone tonight and have no idea how to crop that out, LOL!

Won't these be cute on the door welcoming baby home for the first time!?!

Well, I am off to bed.  Feel free to show me your projects you hope to finish one day.  I'd love to know I am not the only one 😀

So Hoppy To Be Crafting With Friends!

I am so sneaky!  I invited all these ladies over to my house to craft and didn't tell them until the very last moment that they had to get their picture taken!  HA!

I am totally joking, but seriously, I had the best time the past 2 days crafting with so many Minnesota friends!!!  

Since this past Christmas selling season, I just have not been able to get myself to craft.  I guess it is a side effect of making what you love as your job.  Eventually, you get tired of it!

Well, after a few online requests for my big bunny Sir-Hops-Alot, I thought I would just throw him out there on our local RS FB page and see if any of the sisters would like to make one.  Wohoo!  I was so excited to have 14 lovely ladies jump on the opportunity.

*staring blankly at a stack of uncut wood*....What have I DONE!

I volunteered myself for 3 days in the garage, between kid drop-offs and errands, that is.  It was totally worth it though.

This pile of pieces, when put into the hands of these talented painters, turned into hoppy, bright spring masterpieces!

Focus on the cute faces of my friends ;0}

Do not notice the messy disaster of a house behind them....

Morning and night Tuesday and Wednesday 13 of the 14 ladies smashed into my tiny space to make their bunnies.  

Tonight Emmalee and her BFF also painted bunnies while I got to chat with BFF's awesome mom.  My emotional bucket is officially filled!  Tonight we squeezed Me, Madison, Emmalee and BFF and BFF's mom, and 4 fabulous Eagan ward ladies in my little crafting space and had a blast.  Everyone got creative and painted their bunnies a little different.  It was so fun to see the difference and chat the entire night.

Emmalee went Mint, Coral, and Gold with her bunny.  I love the bow around the head instead of neck!

Girl bunnies ROCK!

BFF added yellow to her egg to match her hair bow...I guess it is her hare bow ...hehe.

Priya knows how to paint.  She brought a personal assistant ;0}  I love these ladies.  They both have such happy, friendly personalities it makes me smile just being around them.

I let my last two guests off the hook.  We took pics of their bunnies alone.  Apparently I get nicer as the night goes on.  Love the Coral/Gold/Purple egg on Sara's bunny!

And Loren's orange egg with green zigzag is very carrot-esque!  I love them all!

It makes me want to cut out 12 eggs and decorate them all differently....and then I remember I am exhausted.

Sadly, I only got pictures of the first few and last few of my friends, but it has been a SERIOUSLY long time since I had this much fun.  I can't wait to do it all again.  We have requests for hair bows and neck ties before Easter, promises of a Mother's Day and Father's Day and Patriotic door signs.  Then the phones started coming out and a flood of Pinterest Pins were presented, each of which I responded..."Oh, I can make that.  We can totally do that!"

I think we are going to need to buy some more paint.

Be back soon.  Mads and I have a photo shoot this weekend with live chicks and we are booked Friday and Saturday SOLID!  Sister Kallie and brand new baby will have to be there to help and next week I will be back with some cute, cute photos to show you!

p.s.  There was also sadness the past couple days as I thought back on my craft parties back in AZ.  My original crafting buddies.  I miss them so much ;0(  I hope you are craft-partying without me!  It is good for the soul

A Little Window Shopping: Poppy Seed Projects

Welcome to my new favorite wood craft store!  Poppy Seed Projects in Sandy, Utah.  I saw this store in a pin about three years ago.  It has been that long since we were in Utah.  It was the first store on my list for this shopping trip, even if it wasn't the first one I got to go to ;0}

As you can see on the door, they do not open until Noon on any given day.  They reserve the morning to get vinyl picked and supplies made for purchase every day.  As for the particulars, they are located just off 90th and the I-15, on the southwest side of the freeway.  The actual address is 

477 W. 9160 S. 

Sandy, UT  84070

801-948-4365

STORE HOURS:

Sunday: CLOSED

Mon-Fri: 12:00-5:30

Sat: 12:00-4:00 

You can see more at PoppySeedProjects.com.

Here is a little, just a little sampling, of what I saw in the store.  I can't even wait to show you!!!

If you have followed my blog for a while you know we did these temple blocks for Super Saturday a few years back.  Well, if you haven't made your own yet, all the stuff is available here.  Kits are only $3.50.   I bought the one on the far right that says Praise to the Man.  It was perfect with the trip our youth just took to Nauvoo, Illinois.  

Right next to that were these cute divided plaques.  I have seen printed church pictures used on these, but this with personal family photos was precious.  Want.

Please excuse the lame phone camera pictures.  You know how it is, one picture is so fabulous it blows your mind and the next is a blurry mess.  I had to show you this cute little tin, so we will both have to put up with the blur.  Sorry.   Anyway, what a cute gift or busy box to keep a little one occupied for a bit.  They had a basket of these kits for sale that included a sheet of pictures, the tin, and the small tiles cut from bead board.  You paint the tiles and glue on the pictures and that is pretty much it!  My kids would spend more time stacking them tall or lining them up to make a sidewalk than they would playing the matching game, but it all fits the purpose ;0}  I really want one of these in my church bag.  There are so many times I end up wishing I had a little toy to keep a little one busy, even now that my own are getting so big.

Love, love, love the nativity blocks.  Love them!

And how precious is that picture?!?  I love that it is so uniquely shaped.  It makes it even more eye catching.

You can figure by now that I want pretty much everything pictured in this post, but this...

When I walked into my Mother-in-law's house the first night we were in town, her board like this was the first thing I noticed.  It is just this huge board where you can hang all your random loose photos that you love but are too lazy to frame ;0}  OK, not too lazy, just too tired..or busy..or cheap..or short on shelf space or WHATEVER!  Really, REALLY WANT!

I love that Poppy Seed Projects has so many simple, fun decorations for every day life.  Above that, they have all sorts of adorable, trendy crafts for the holidays.  These aren't the same old, dark, moss covered crafts yo' mama made.  They are fresh and clean and so, SO CUTE!!!

Oh pink and blue!  How do I love you!!!

Love.  Gotta have.

Here are a few more of various holidays...

I might as well throw the wedding ideas in with the seasonal, right?  Adorbs.  I love wedding signage.  These are just the best {lego movie}

Did I mention that they did not pay me to write this post.  I did obtain permission to share my photos and my opinion, and baby, this place rocks!

They have all sorts of LDS projects available...

Primary, Young Women, and Youth.  Mission ideas and more.

I also grabbed one of these.  I have a very, VERY meager craft budget this trip, but I was still able to leave the store with a bag full of fun for less than $15.  I love the eye glass paper on the block.  Bought it up by the register so I can CopyCat this block exactly ;0}

Apparently this is one of the original projects that started it all seven years ago.  One lovely lady made the project, ended up sharing it at church, word spread.  Soon the one lady became two.  The two ladies became so popular simply by word of mouth that they were able to open a store four years later.  The store has been open now for three years.  For a while they did the cutting on site.  Now the store is simply for sales and they do the cutting at another location.  I can see how they would grow so quickly with such amazing talent.

These shaped wood plaques were what got my interest on Pinterest so many years ago.  I just, just LOVE THEM.  How precious is this!?!  Now that I am doing photography, I really would love to bring my two passions, wood and photos, together in a similar way.

Some more plaque/frames on display...

Cute calendar and menu boards that would make my Mom job more enjoyable when doing the mundane.  

I can't give you a peek at the store without showing you the "store" part.  Why not start here...

Yep.  Best playplace in a craftstore EVER!  Kids were singing to "Let it Go" as we shopped.  Quite fitting don't you think?  That pile of boxes right before the playroom would be the clearance table.  They have various wood and projects at discounted prices AND a box of vinyl scrap that is only $.25 a sheet!!!!  I bought about $4 of vinyl for $.50.  NOW it isn't a problem that I forgot to bring some with me ;0}

Did I mention I am a total fan now.  

Up by the register they have a fabulously adorable selection of paper, the very same they used in the samples of the projects on display.  They also sell the cutest bottles of latex paint, also the same as used in producing their samples.  I love the little Poppy Seed Projects labels.  These ladies have really done a fabulous job branding their products and business.  I am super impressed.

A glimpse of the shelves in the back.  This probably only makes me excited, but it is just so pretty.  I am trying to get my garage to look like this so I can get production a tad more efficient.

Lastly, they have a classroom, clean and well lit, ready for you to come and make projects right in the store.  Give them a call when you are in town.  It will totally make your trip.  I have been in town less than a week and have gone there twice with two different friends.  Even Sharon, my long lost Minnesota friend that moved here all the way back in April came, professing not to be that into wood, but walked away anxious for the chance to come back.  

The two ladies that work the counter are the most friendly, smiley staff I have met in a long time.  Be sure to tell them Vanessa from Minnesota told you about the store.  If you take an Instagram picture and post it while you are in there you will get 10% off your purchase!

OK,I am done with my sales pitch.  I am off to bed, finally.  Have a great weekend and I will be back with more fabulous places you need to visit soon!