Candice Carpenter

Sharing and Caring

Can i please tell you...that it WARMS my heart to see that you all are making your projects and the kits you order from me are being put to good use! Oh my gosh, it's amazing the feeling of happiness when i open an email from someone and it's all about how much they enjoyed the kit...and better yet when they attach a photo of their variation of the finished project! I want to start some kind of a photo album on the blog soon with some pictures of your projects!

Take a look at this amazing variation of the Birthday Banner! For those of you who are still working on it, this just might light that flame under your tushy to get it done! Kimla purchased this humble kit of mine and ...OMG...look at all of the personality she added to it! I just can't stand it...i need to re-do my banner and add those sweet little ballerinas! So cute Kimla! Thank you sooooo much for blogging about the banner and then for allowing me to share your project on my blog. And that sweet baby of yours...oh my...SWEET as can be!

And then we have miss Jennifer Day...and her AWESOME variation of the Americana Party Hat!!!  It is soooooooo beautiful! I love the crepe paper she added to the center with the gold edging...this just screams patriotic elegance! Thank you Jennifer so much for emailing me with your finished project! I love it!!

And Susie Vasquez just emailed me the other day telling me how much she's enjoying putting together the Summer Party Hat. And speaking of the Summer Party Hat, those of you who ordered the kit will notice that you have a new pattern! It's a smaller sized party hat. Now you have the option of using this new pattern, which i think will add some variety to your party hat display, or you can go back to the old pattern! Just a little fun extra. This new smaller pattern is the PERFECT size for kids. Someday...i want to create a collection of kid's party hats so that every child can have a custom hat for photos! Oh my...CUTENESS.

Ok...and more to share...i just thought it would be fun to capture one day at Peacoats and Party Hats. This was just one carrier pickup from last week. 1 of 4. All equally as large. There were some party hats in there...some regular everyday orders...quite the mix. And it's just lil' ol me packaging and processing...so i hope this further validates why i need up to 5 days to package and ship out orders! lol! I hope to someday have a fleet of workers! Then i won't fall behind so much! Oh...let me just my head of the clouds....ok, there we go, back to reality. lol

Ok, one last item...the Halloween Banner! I will be teaching this banner of the cruise in September...so if you likey what you see then go get some cruise info! The cruise is having trouble filling on all fronts so there's a chance it might be canceled, so if you're interested i would send in your registration sooner than later. That way they can get a better idea if the cruise will be a go or not. And no worries, i am going to try and teach this Halloween banner as class, cruise or not! So if we have to cancel, there may just be a class in the future (or a kit for you sweet out of towners).

I am SOOOO tickled to announce...

..our next guest designer! I had this fun idea for a kit...and i could think of only one person who could do it justice. But really more than do it justice....make it amazing and kitschy and colorful and well...i just know everything she does just rocks the cuteness radar right off the scale! Her name is Danielle Thompson and she is the QUEEN of CUTENESS!!

Sooooo much is going on for this pretty lady lately and i just HAVE to share what's keeping her extra busy lately: Tiny Bazaar! That's right, she has a seriously adorable Etsy shop...and i just about fainted when i saw this necklace:  I just placed my pre-order with her because it is the juiciest most colorful strawberry necklace i have ever seen...and i cannot wait to have it adorning my neck!!!! But this one is a very close 2nd.

So this strawberry necklace making lady is going to work her magic with a kit that i will be putting up for sale next week! I was really trying to shoot for Friday but i just don't think one of my shipments will get here in time. Danielle's kit is already off to her so she will have some time to play. We will all be patient because she is a busy mommy of  2 handsome boys and has a lot going on right now. She is sooooo worth the wait. I would ideally like to have some inspiration for you by the first week of August. So we will just go with the flow and Danielle and i will have some fun crafting with this kit...and you will be blown away for sure!

Oh...what's the theme of the kit you say? Hmmmm...well, it's a secret for now. :-) All i can say is F-U-N...and it makes me crave buttery popcorn in red and white striped bags...and i can hear kids laughing and see rosy cheeks...and noses. I see A LOT of color and quirkiness...but the vintage flair is what makes this kit such a classic. Do you think you know what the theme is? If so, LEAVE a COMMENT on this post and you could win a BONUS add on kit! This precious kit is a tiny version of  this secret kit. :-) Have fun guessing!

** I will pick a winner from the bunch of those who guess the correct theme! So keep commenting and if you answer correctly you will be entered in the drawing! I will pick the winner of Sunday along with a "when the kit will be available for purchase" update. :-)

New Paper Crafting Kit Preview...

I am busy this weekend working on a new kit! I will have more photos to show you on Monday, but for now...take a look at a few new papers that are included in the kit...New Cosmo Cricket! The new product is already on it's way to me on Monday so this new kit will begin shipping on Friday! Ok, i've already said too much...back to Everybody Loves Raymond and cutting ribbon and fabric. :-)

Oh...one last thing...are any of you watching So You Think You Can Dance? I'm LOVING this season!! That Bollywood routine...OMG...so fun i watched  it like 17 times! I love my Wednesdays and Thursdays in the summertime! My favorite dancers are...Katee and Will. Katee is just amazing! She is everything a dancer should be. And she's from my alma mater, Chapman University!! And Will...well he's just SUPER hot with no shirt on. And he can dance so beautifully...and he seems so humble and cultured and polite. Basically i have a HUGE TV crush on him.

Ok...i'm really going now. :-)

Halloween Home Decor Pre-Orders

Ok, gals...it's time to start the Halloween Home Decor Pre-Orders! I just got off the phone with one of my reps and she informed me that the Halloween product is taking 2 weeks for delivery! They are SWAMPED. Which must mean the stuff is GOOD!! So, rather than risk not having it in time for the official Halloween Boutique opening, i'd like to get your orders now so that my rep can place them by July 31st. That way we are shipping all items on or before August 18th. I say have all that out of the way so that when the Fall season comes around (which is scarily only like 6-8weeks away) we are all set to pretty up the house!

And, everyone who places a Halloween/Fall item pre-order before July 31st will receive this darling Halloween Baby Doll Party Horn (a $12 value) along with their purchased goods!

Just to clarify...

Question: What does a Pre-Order mean?
Answer: When you place an order for an item marked Pre-Order, you are securing the item with payment. The ship date will be noted in the item description, which for the Halloween and Fall goodies is Monday, August 18th. If the items can be processed and shipped to you before that date, they most certainly will be. :-) Since it's just me and my lovely helper (my mom), we ask that you give us 3 days buffer time to get your package in the mail. This will be a crazy time of year for us! The best kind of crazy. :-) If you still have questions about this pre-order process, please email me at candice@peacoatsandpartyhats.com.

Take a look at some of the items listed for Halloween!! 

Super Cute Banner Garland!

Go on over to The Red Bee Blog for a fun how-to banner garland! I made the banner for the new Doodlebug display at the store. It was soooo easy and soooo fun. And what a great way to use up some scraps...and the kids can help!

It's nothing revolutionary or anything... i just got so excited when i hung it up...i thought, "wow, i just made that!" LOL Instant gratification. :-)

Sale continues throughout today!

...mostly because i am just too busy to go and adjust the prices back to norm. LOL! Enjoy it for an extra day! I am sweating in my beautiful craft room this afternoon...secrets in the making...and then i go to work tonight. Busy!!

ADORABLE!

Look what the lovely Kim Henkel did with the patriotic box included in the Summer Americana kit!!! She made a sweet little accordion mini book for her little man Carson (who is almost 1 year old...i can't believe how fast time flies!)! SOOOOO cute! She added a piece of scalloped felt behind it for fun and then stitched it to the mini album tying it on here and there.I just love this idea Kim!

Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us! 

All of you...don't forget to go on over and wish Carson a very happy first birthday!

You all are so sweet!

Thank you all for the sweet comments you left about my little creative area! I so love it and i'm sooo happy to hear it inspires you too. :-) Well, just for fun i thought i share another corner of my room...my vintage clown and circus shelf! It is still growing...my little baby. Just some more fun colors for everyone to be inspired by. :-)

Christmas in July

I have a peaky poo for you. :-) Peaky poo...lol! That's fun to say. Anyway, here is a peak at the 5 Christmas Cards we will be making on the cruise in September. Loads of embellishments and delicious papers are included in this Christmas Card Kit and not only will you get 5 cards completed on the cruise...you will also leave with ideas for more cards and tags that you can create with the leftovers from this kit! Love that. These will all be displayed at The Red Bee starting on Tuesday.

Yay! Events to look forward to!

If you haven't yet been out to La Maison Rustique in Temecula, CA...and especially if you have...mark your calendars for August 16th! Peacoats & Party Hats, along with a long list of very talented artists and amazing vendors, will be selling goods at La Maison Rustique and celebrating all day with blog friends and refreshments...and shopping is the order of the day! This will also be the first in-person buying opportunity for the Peacoats and Party Hats Halloween & Fall Boutique! Good stuff...i'm tellin' ya! Please come and party with us! What a great way to end our summer!

Also in August...many socal scrapbook stores are participating in the Shop Hop...and one of them is The Pink Pineapple in Vista! I'm happy to announce that i will be designing a make and take for their Shop Hop date, which is also August 16th! Since i will be in Temecula all day, i will not be able to attend, but i have lined up a couple door prizes to send along to the store...so after a morning at La Maison Rustique, make your way over Pink Pineapple and partake in their scrapbook festivities! More details to come soon.

Then, in September we have the Fall Cruise to Catalina and Mexico! More project photos coming on Sunday! I've got a peek at the Christmas Cards we'll be making...and a tiny peek at the Halloween Banner too! Registration is still open so hurry and reserve your spot! All of the projects will be in the store for viewing on Saturday, July 12th...so come by and chat with me and check out the projects!

I am so excited about Artistic Affair Deaux! I am signed up to TAKE the classes...all taught by FAB artists - Kim Hesson, Carol Wingert and Beth Quinn - and i will be selling my goods at a mid day shopping boutique...and the rest of the time...oh i suppose i'll be treating myself to Kim's amazing treats and meals...and of course a traditional afternoon tea...and i WILL participate in the swaps this time! The event is sold out. It's so great to have something like this on my calendar...i get more excited everyday for Fall to come and the seasonal splendors to start appearing!!!

Sooo...there's a little line up to get excited about. But...this is only the beginning. I have so much more in the works and i can't wait to spill the beans!!!

Back to work...i'm busy tonight watching movies and working a very top secret project. ;-)

Here's to a Happy and Safe 4th!!

Enjoy 25% off everything on the website! Prices are marked down (some even below 25%) so if you've had your eye on something...now may be the time! This and this are 30 and 35% off...and there are quite a few other goodies permanently marked down so i can make room for.....NEW HOLIDAY GOODS! Who wants a sneaky peeky of the Halloween yumminess??? Maybe i'll share a little bit this weekend...

How can i be posting about Halloween on 4th of July weekend?? Because i'm weird that way!

And i've gotten several emails asking if i'll be attending Silver Bella this year as a vendor. As of today, No. I'm not sure i can swing it this time but i'll be missing you all very much, that's for sure. If airfare wasn't so crazy...you know i'd be there in a heartbeat!

More than a craft...

I thought i'd share some happy images that i took randomly  yesterday. This is my little cork board of happiness. I like to keep all of my little pieces of paper with special little notes written on them...bussiness acrds, post cards, advertisements and so on...all tacked up there. I change it up quite a bit...because if i didn't i'd have 10 cork boards full of "crap" as my hubby calls it. No really, he is so sweet and he supports me 100% with my hobby...but always wonders about the significance of a dear cut out or a felt flower tacked onto a cork board! lol! God bless him.

And this is also where my growing collection of party hats resides on pedestals and a glass jar of buttons. I LOVE how they all look! I just want to come in and play dress up every day! And oh how i loooove those old fashioned lollipops!

And what's under the loveliness?? USPS boxes O' Love.

Sometimes when things are getting too complicated...or when i'm no longer enjoying what i'm doing at that very moment...i just look up (because i'm usually on the floor) and stare at the pretty things i see around me. I LOVE color...and i believe that we should all be living a very colorful life...experience every color in the crayola box. And so i look up from whatever it is that's making my head ache and i feel a rush of happiness. I feel like i know why i'm here doing what i'm doing...i get re-inspired every time i look around and the things i have made or at the memorablia from events i've participated in...every little antiquey hodge podge knick-knack reminds me of that day at the flea market ...or a certain someone who inspired me. The spools of ribbon are so much more than just spools of ribbon...they are pure happiness! They are unraveling...and stacked in a half-hazard way...ready to fall off any moment...and the colors and types are all over the place...seam binding in between the satins and gingham socializing with polka dots. But when you come into the room at the right moment...it's just so beautiful how they all seem to be in just the right place. Wow...as i write this i am realizing that is exactly how my life is so much of the time. Things feel a little out of sorts and unorganized sometimes...but there's always a moment down the road where i have this "ah ha" moment and realize that everything is just how it should be. Gotta love that.

Precious Potted Plant

So, continuing on with my sweet recently gifted with items...today i want to share this AMAZINGLY adorable pot that my friend Jenny Morgan designed for me...complete with yummy lavender plant and all! She painted this pot a stunning turquoise and then added some fierce little rubons by Hambly and Sassafras (totally correct me if i'm wrong Jenny). And one of the rubon designs is the letter C with this gorgeous ornate frame. She is soooooo thoughtful and amazingly talented! And she has created a potted plant monster...now i am going to doll up a few more pot and make a sweet little summer collection of plants on my Target dollar section cherry tablecloth! 

Thank you so much Jenny for the sweet gift and oodles of inspiration! Hope to see you soon!

4th of July Weekend $ale!

Everything in the shop will be 25% off and a few select items will be discounted even further! This includes the All Seasons Pedestal and Mollie Mae doll! I'm trying to make room for seasonal items and i can't wait to share what's been arriving at my doorstep! (sale excludes paper crafting kits) And...download this patriotic image for free! Just click on the image and you can save it to your desktop! Enjoy and Happy 4th!

We are all set here at Peacoats and Party Hats to launch our Halloween & Fall Decor & Craft Boutique on August 15th 2008! We will have soooo many amazing selections for home decor, vintage crafty supplies and gifts galore! Stay tuned for all the spooky details...

Amazing Halloween P&PH clip art designed by Hope Wallace of Paper Relics.

And more fun news...Peacoats and Party Hats is about to announce it's first ever SWAP! I will be updating the blog this week with all the fanciful details. I think this is a great way to get to know all of our crafty online friends and connect through our love for vintage goodness. :-) More on this fun swap soon!

Kim Henkel - Queen of Sassy Hand-Crafted Totes!

Mkay...look at this darling altered sewing basket that Kim Henkel designed using the Summer Americana Paper Crafting Kit! 

How sweet is this? I love the way she used little strips of the pattern paper all along the sides. And just look at how sweet those brown Hambly rub-ons look on the top of that basket! Scrumptious Kim!!

And we are going to treated again soon with another crafty something from Miss Kim. Can't hardly wait!

September 2008 Cruise!

I am so excited to announce that The Red Bee and i have scheduled another cruise for 2008! We had so soooo so much fun on the first one and we couldn't wait to do it again!

We're doing it again! Our last cruise was soooo much fun that we couldn't resist a fall trip. Get the kiddies back in school and sail away with Candice Carpenter as she inspires you with 3 fun projects - a jam packed mini book, a Halloween banner, and Christmas cards! You'll also enjoy plenty of crop time, goodies, prizes, and a cruise ship of relaxing fun. You'll board Monday afternoon and depart Friday morning, enjoying 4 fun filled nights. This is one day longer than our last cruise by popular demand!   Come solo or grab a girlfriend! Non-scrappers & knitters enjoy a reduced rate.

So, i have one project i can share with you tonight and it's the Jam Packed Mini Book! This mini book is hardly mini. In fact, it's an 8 x 8 acrylic and cardstock mini book that is full of the most beautiful color combinations and patterns that you can imagine! It features the new Heather Bailey Line by Autumn Leaves...sooo yummy...and includes some Hambly overlays, rubons and other delicious trinkets! Take a look at the teaser:

Speaking of Heather Bailey, i can't get over her newest line of fabric!!!! I want cover my house in it!

And later this week i will have the Halloween banner to share! I am sooooo excited about this one - well, because Halloween is my FAV holiday and just because i get to use the new Bethany Lowe Halloween tissue garlands! Can't wait to share...

Also later this week i will be showing the Christmas Cards that we will be creating on the cruise. It will be so great to walk off the ship with Halloween decor taken care of and 4 Christmas cards checked off our list!

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions regarding the cruise or the projects. You can also find me working at the Bee so come on by!

I know it's summer...

...but i just had to share my most recent kit purchase...even thought it's a sping decor! I bought this kit from the AMAZING Jenny and Aaron and i loooooved it! I took their class at Silver Bella and so i couldn't wait to try another one of their kits. I tell you, i felt like a total artist when i made this. It;s so fun to collage their gorgeous painted images and backgrounds onto the wood board with mod podge...then add the glitter accents and trims. I LOVE it so much and i'm not taking this down just because it;s summer. It looks sooo nice in my craft room! And i made this kit at a crop one night. Finished the entire thing in less that 3 hours...and that included a lot of laughing, chatting and other fun distractions. I got so much attention over this kit...i was pimping it for you Jenny!! I gave out anything in the kit that had your website address on it. :-)

Look at how adorable this is for the 4th of July!!!

And i still have some ADORABLE gift i want to share with you all this week. I just need to take some better photos. That's all for now. I'm working on orders tonight and watching I Love the New Millennium on VH1. I am addicted to these types of shows...just a fun walk down memory lane. :-)

Goodnight!

Vintage Summer Party Hats listed!

I just put the remainder of the Vintage Summer Party Hats on the website. I also added  a few more cruise mini book kits.

I'm running ahead of schedule with the July Party Hat kits (yay!) and should have them in the mail by the beginning of next week! Yay!!

Ok, i'm a tired girl...off to bed.

Have a Vintage Summer

Here is the July Party Hat of the Month! These will be going out to all you subscribers, but i do have some extra that i will list late tonight when i get home from work. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Congratulations Carrie and Daniel!

You could kind of say i grew up with this girl. I was best friends with her sister Katie all throughout Jr. high and high school and i found myself really looking up to her. She has the most beautiful voice and would sing for us...we would all pee our pants laughing together...and i think she's got the most intoxicating smile. Well, this past weekend she got married in Cancun and i just got an email from her sister Katie today with some of the professional photos...

Can you say BREATHTAKING! I immediately went to check out this photographer and guess what...he is soooooo local to us Orange County residents! All i could think of when i saw these photos was, "i want some of my own!!". Check out his blog and website. I'm sure he's busy with it being wedding season and all...but i am seriously considering booking a session with him. Do you see the vintage-ness ooozing out of that lighthouse shot???!!! Wowzers.

Anyways, i am making Carrie a surprise wedding scrapbook. I am going to use a bunch of the new Anna Griffin wedding embellishments. I hope to get this done soon so i will be sure to share the finished product.

Dieppa Photography