Candice Carpenter

Debby Schuh Class at Paper Tales

A fabulous day was had by my mom and me and all the gals at Paper Tales in San Diego today! We drove down to the famous paper shop at were drooling all over the place as we entered. I bumped into a sweet gal there at the store and she sweetly complimented me on my blog...my dusty, boring, cobwebbed, stinky blog. We laughed and chatted about how i used to blog...and I thankfully thought to myself, "after this day of crafty fun i will finally have something to blog about!" With school and work being so...demanding...i find that the blogging gets waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down on the list. But class is out in 2 weeks and i will be "fun Candice" again soon!!

Back to today...Debby Schuh taught a great class. Her organization and presentation is inspiring!! I was proud to nearly finish the project, minus a few embellishments here and there, and left with a bag full of extras to stick on later! I will photograph my project and share it soon. I highly reccommend taking a Debby Schuh class to any of you who find it a nearby option. She is one of a kind.And Michelle and Helle were wonderful hostesses!!

We laughed, shopped, said our goodbyes and we were on our way...back to reality. And after a little bit of stitching tonight while watching The King's Speech for the first time (LOVED it), the homework pile began to call my name. I have one pretty hefty paper due Monday with a complimentary powerpoint presentationand then i AM DONE with this semester! Summer school at Chapman doesn't start until the last week of July, so a nice little break will due me some good.

I will be back with some pictures of my project...and also a few other things i've been working on. But before i go...here is my royal wedding photographic montage...EnjoY!

Moulin Rouge & NEW Spring Items For Sale!!!!

Mom and I had the pleasure of selling our handmade goodies at Kim Caldwell's Moulin Rouge event this past Thursday! We had such a great time at this over-the-top event. Kim's decor was breathtaking!!! The amount of effort she puts into her events is astonishing. It makes me so happy to see artists like Kim who still pour their heart and soul into their work. Fabulous!!!

We got to see many good friends, including Jenny and Aaron and Jenny's lovey sister!

Kim, Cheryl, Mom, Terri and i all got in a fun photo too. Kim had this wonderful photography company at her event for us gals to get silly and make some wonderful memories. The photographers were so fun. It really made the event that much more special.Thank you Kim for everything!!

And i don't have many pictures yet of our spread, but here's one...

SOOOO, here are the items i have for sale on the website NOW!

GO HERE TO SHOP!!

A moment, please.

I am squeezing this post in. Life is absurdly busy. But man oh man, am i accomplishing a lot...It feels good to see the various course schedules with dark, black, strikes through the myriad of assignmnets and units already covered. Anyhow, I am here to talk a different kind of accomplishment...I finished a CLASS KIT!! I know you know what i mean. Don't deny it. I think there are more than a few of you out there that have, like me, purchased a class kit/event (maybe even form me, lol) and have yet to complete the darn project!! (My friend Val refers to these projects as UFOs, unfinished objects, LOL) I went to a dazzling event in November...you may have heard of it...Silver Bella...of course you have. Anyways, Teresa taught this amazing art ptoject opening night, and i was so exhausted from traveling i didn't finish it. So it can home with me...an sat in it's package...for months...BUT...you may want to sit down for this one...i finally completed the project!! Woohooo! I made a few little changes here and there to make it my own, but Teresa put together a fabulous kit that was sure to equal craft SUCCESS.

It is a bright spot in my day. Hope it inspires you, too. It's all i've got for now, but i hope to be checking in before too long. I have a lot of work to do for some boutique/vendor opportunities coming up!! And A LOT of school work. I'm going to make time for it all...find a balance. That's the only way to do it, right?! And my balance has to include a dash of creative time, here and there. It just HAS to. :-)

Thanks for reading...can you believe it, it's already March 2011!!! It's not too late to make this year your year of change.

Bunnies on Parade!

Hey Girls!! Life is getting crazy again. A new semester at Chapman has started. Four more Spec Ed classes for me...IEP's & Assessments, Profession of Special Education, Transitions, and Moderate/Severe Strategies. Once this semester is over, i will have 1 more class and my student teaching to do and i'll have my credential! I'm on track to graduate with my masters in Spring 2012. I can't wait!!

So the focus inevidibly has had to shift...books instead of velvet trim and hot glue. ((insert sad face)) But i did finally decide on doing a boutique/vendor event this Spring...and i'm happy to announce that i will be a vendor at Kim Caldwell's Moulin Rouge in March!! This event happens to bring all of the craftiest and stylish people from accross the US together in one place for a creative long weekend. I know it promises to be fantastic...so i knew i had to get my you know what together and create some fabulous pieces for the market soiree.

Here is a peak at my third series of precious nut cup wonderlands...which will be for sale exclusively at Moulin Rouge!! Bunnies are on parade!!

And of course, i made a few featuring those sweet spring children gather posies in a flowery wonderland...

Are you going to the Moulin Rouge market soiree??! I hope so!

More Scrapbook Inspiration...

I accomplished a lot this weekend, including some scrapbook pages at an all day crop...I thought i'd share them with you. :-)

It was also me and hub's 7th wedding anniversary. We returned to the place where we got married for a champagne brunch and a trip down memory lane. We ended our meal with a piece of the cake we had at our wedding, a delicious carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. YUM. We had a great time. This was anniversary #7 in '11...so hopefully it will be a very lucky year!!

Take care and be crafty!!

I heart these new Vintage Valentine Nut Cups...

...and if you love them too, you can purchace them here! I added a small batch of Valentine creations to the website. I'm so excited to share some valentine cheer with you...

Valentine & Spring Sneak...

So...mom and i plan on signing up to be a vendor at the spring Glitterfest!! We had some dates to work out, but we have confirmed that we will be there with a table full of spring creations and vintage haberdashery!!

But before we get to Glitterfest, we will be decorating and celebrating for Valentine's Day! I will be selling some of my Valentine Nut Cup creations on my website next week, so here's a tiny sneak peek at what's to come for Valentine's Day...


These are still little blank canvases which may be filled with blossoms, mushrooms, and other magical things.  I hope to add these finished products to the website next week for your decoration enjoyment!

And now for a little peek into Spring...

I can't wait to share the Valentine finished products with you next week, and then the spring creations at Glitterfest in March!!

More Scrapbook Inspiration

Ladies, i've gone through many glue sticks in the past month or so, and it has been so fun! I just thought i'd swing by and share some more pages with you. A couple of these you may notice are layouts i taught in a past class that finally got some photos added. The books are filling up and i love it. It is so much fun to sit down and look through books from years ago...to see the embellishments and read the stories is so rewarding. I truly know why i scrapbook...i love it!! I can't wait to look at them in 20 years...30 years...etc.

School at Chapman doesn't start back up until Jan 31st, so i still have a lot of scrapbooking to do! Oh my gosh, it is so nice coming home from work...and doing nothing!!! Except for what i want to do. Ahhhhhhh. Heaven. It won't last for long. I hope sharing my pages encourages and inspire you to have some fun too. Thanks for reading and, once again, Happy New Year!!

Welcome 2011!

I have a lot of hope for 2011. I feel like Rory and i spent a lot of time in 2010 building momentum, so there is potential for getting somewhere in 2011...somewhere higher i hope. lol! I feel so blessed to have my health and that all of my close family and friends also have their's. I hope to be thankful everyday in 2011 for all that i do have, and focus on my strengths rather than my weaknesses. You know, we all say these kinds of things once a year as we start fresh each January...and at some point it may feel like we are making empty promises. But i am convinced that just the action of thoughtfully declaring any changes we want to make in the new year is important in reminding and inspiring us to proceed with positivity, hope, and motivation.

So here's my go for 2011...

1. Organize photos on the external hard drive, then buy additional hard drive to back up.All of my photos are saved on like 7 memory cards and 2 hard drives. They are everywhere and i have no clude what's what. I know i would be devastated if i lost them, so i have got to get organized!!

2. Exercise 4 days a week. I feel pretty good about this one. I already get on our ellyptical 3 times a week (however, only about 3 times in the month of December), so i just need to step it up. I swear, that ellyptical machine can work miracles!!

3. This is the traditional weight loss goal; lose 28 pounds this year. If i lose 28, i will weigh the same as the day i got married 7 years ago. I feel like this is a pretty realistic goal.

4. I will be cuaght up with my annual scrapbooks! This is a breeze for me as i live and breath scrapbooking.

5. I will buy only scrapbook embelishments and NO MORE PAPER until i am down by at least half of what i currently own. I have SO MUCH PAPER. Sticker and die cut sheets are ok, but seriously, i do no need one more sheet of pattern paper. I could wall paper my neighborhood with all of the paper i own. Geeeez. Major weakness...

6. I will floss EVERY DAY. I am about a once a week flosser, which is not enough. I have got to make this a daily habit.

7. I will volunteer once a month. I need to do some research and find some places to do this. Any suggestions? I would love to hear about your personal experiences...

What are your goals?

I will be back later today with some more scrapbook pages to share. I hope you are taking some time to be crafty in 2011!!

 

Scrappin my way into 2011...

I plan to scrap all day and night and ring in 2011 with a glue stick in hand. It's been an awesome Christmas break with plenty of crafty time. It has been so nice to scrap freely and at my own pace. I feel like i'm just throwing it all together and accomplishing so much. These are no works of art, just good old fun scrapbooking!

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year's celebration, as simple or elaborate as it may be. And i hope we all vowe to be craftier than ever in 2011! Happy New Year my friends!!

Have a very Merry Christmas!!

 
 
We are driving home tomorrow morning from our coastal roadtrip, ready to see more family and eat more delicious food...and also ready for some total vegging out! I hope you are beginning your Christmas festivities and enjoy your holiday with those you love...

I can't wait to get home to my kitty cat!!!

Very Last Minute!!

But, soooo freakin cute!! Mom made a few more Christmas Kitsch Charm Bracelets for our various boutiques and i thought i would share them with you online friends. Obviously, Christmas is in about 5 minutes. Lol! But if i get an order tonight, tomorrow or Monday, i can guarantee them to you by the 22nd and 23rd. They are DELICIOUS!! Take a looky! Oh, and if you are in the area, we will have these at our boutique on Sunday if you want to pick it up in person. (that's right! We're doing another boutique at the house on Sunday! email me or comment if you need the details!)

SHOP HANDMADE charm bracelets HERE!!

Holiday Boutique was a success!

Thank you to all that came on Sunday! Take a look at what we had to offer...

And my camera battery died before i could capture it all. But...

We have great news...we had so much fun, we are going to do it again this Sunday, 12/19! We had so many tell us they were dying to come out, but this or that to do...well, we hope this might give you the opportunity to swing by. It is so fun seeing you all and wishing you a happy Christmas in person, so let me know if we can send you the information!

It is finals week at school and the last week of work at the elementary school..."i think i can, i think i can, i think i can..."

Tomorrow!!

I hope to see some of you at out Christmas Boutique tomorrow! Please let me know if you need the details. I'm off to hubby's CIF championship game at Angel Stadium!

Christmas Boutique!

Hey blog friends! Mom and i are having a Christmas boutique next Sunday, December 12th from 12-5pm. If you are in or near Orange County and would like to come, please let me know and i will send you an evite!

You're invited to a Christmas Boutique! We will have some amazing items including handmade decor, handmade jewelry, trendy scarves, hats, AMAZING purses, jewelry, headbands, hair clips, and more! Don't miss our scrapbook supply table and vintage crafting supplies!

This is drop in, come and go as you please. We will be serving light appetizers and refreshments for you to enjoy during shopping and visiting.

We welcome you to our home to celebrate the season and get some great gifts for yourself, your friends, and family.

Please feel free to call and let us know you're coming, or simply reply to this e-vite. We would love to hear from you, so give us a ring if you have questions! We hope to see you there!!

Mom and i have been crafting this evening and preparing some lovlies for our little sale. We would love it if you dropped by and enjoyed some holiday cheer. Many of you who are friends on facebook may already have the info. If not, it's on my wall.

Today was a great family day - my grandfather turned 90 years old! We had a big party with friends and family and i think my grandfather really enjoyed having all the grandkids in the same place for the first time in ages. Great times!

I will be back in a couple days with some boutique teaser photos! Yum!!

My House

I finished one of the classes i took at Silver Bella. Everyone's project always turns out so different. Looking at our neighbor's creations was half the fun. Feels good to actually finish something, you know?! I took some time this afternoon and added some finishing touches.

This was just a fun class to collage and make it your own. The house is wood and we screwed on some hooks at the bottom for handing little lovlies. I see necklaces hanging from it eventually. Oh, and this class was called "secret in a bottle," so we all wrote a little secret on a piece of paper in put it into our bottle before we attached it. I like that fun little secret about this project...only i know what i wrote...

Crafting can be so therapeutic sometimes, don't you think?

Mom and i did the flea market thing this morning and i started on some spring creations. We are getting some boutique dates set for 2011 and our creative juices are really flowing. Tomorrow, back to work and school. :-( It will be Christmas break soon enough...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Black Friday Sale! Free Shipping! New Items!

Just added: Old Fashioned Twist Lollipops for the holidays!

This new 4 oz Lollipop is bigger than the palm of my hand! Imagine the decor and photography opportunities...and the delicious tatste too!

And don't forget about all of the other handmade lovlies we have for sale!

AND...JUST ADDED! Cute Clown Prize Ribbons! These are great for those fellow circus lovers, birthday gifts, present decor and more!

Go HERE to shop the birthday prize ribbons! 

Go HERE to shop the handmade seasonal decor creations!

Go HERE to shop the Old Fashioned Twist Lollipops!

Go HERE to shop the handmade charm bracelets!

 

Remember, FREE SHIPPING now through Monday, 11/29!

Merry Memories

I thought i'd share some photos from our wonderful trip to Omaha, Nebraska for Silver Bella. We had such a great time. Me, my mom and our friend Valerie roomed together at the Old Market Embassy Suites. Before and after our classes and events, we toured the sweet little downtown area...and it was coat and scarf weather which was very exciting for us Californians! lol

Next, it was time for a reception/welcome dinner...and the food was delicious!! Along with the company.

Cari Kraft made these adorable top hat centerpieces for every single table...and there were A LOT!

Friday was a day full of classes...and i even snuck in a nap :-)...then it was time for the Bella Market! It was an unforgettable night! Mom and i are so thankful for the love and support we received from our Bella friends!!

So much FUN!!!  (Me and Cheryl, Me and Jessi)

My favoite classes by far were taught by Karri Meng. She is so inspiring, articulate, and uber organized! I finished both my necklace and bracelet in class and was able to wear them throughout the weekend! I would take another class of hers in a heartbeat!! Check out her website...she has a shop in LA!

I need to photograph the finished products...will share soon!

Here's a pic of mom soldering in Sally Jean's class...i think that was the most stressful
class i've ever taken! lol!

Oh and it snowed while we were in omaha! This was simply magical for us since we hardly ever go to the snow. It had been years and years since we had stood in snow!

And that's the end out our 2010 Silver Bella trip! I think we are going to have to take this trip again next year...it was just too much fun!!

And today...i promise to add the super cte old fashioned Christmas lollis to the website!! With a special sale for Black Friday! Stay tuned...

Handmade Christmas Goodies are up!

Go HERE!

Old Fashioned Lollipops will be posted tomorrow, so email me then to add some to an existing order. Must go and get some lunch and a movie!!

Mom's Fabulous Bracelets!!

We went to Omaha with many, but only returned with 4! They are now in the shop, so go HERE to check them out!

More items coming this weekend!