Poll for a new Layout.

I have been thinking about a NEW LOOK for my blog. Its been quite some time I have had the current layout, and a new look seems like a necessary step. (Agree?? Don't Agree??).

As you guys would know me, I love color, Scrap booking, Crafts, anything and everything creative. But I am also very organized. So keeping those parameters in mind I selected few Free Layouts from Blogger. (I can't afford a custom layout yet, so a  free one will have to do for now).

I need your help deciding which one should I pick (also should I even change it?)

So I am Having a small poll here. Please look at the following templates and help me choose.

Option 1 - Color Idea



Option 2 - Sticker Theme



Option 3 - Glory

Option 4 - My Diario

Option 5 - Color O Ring

Please VOTE:

                                           

                                               

         
Please vote for the template you think represent this blog the best. I really appreciate the help.

{I want to thank a darling friend who helped me create this poll on my blog post. Thank You sooo much.}

Halloween Pumpkin Party

"Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight, make me a child again, just for to-night!" ~Elizabeth Akers Allen

This quotation sums up my feeling about halloween for kids. What a fun festival to dress up, go trick-or-treating and all the candy.

This year I decided to call all my daughters friends for a Pumpkin inspired Halloween Party. Me and my daughter (oh yes! she is a big helper and to add to my happiness she loves crafts as well) prepared for little little stuff for the party over several weeks. Like filling Favor bags, making food picks, designing halloween cards, carving pumpkins, prepping for the food table etc. Saanvi had loads of fun stamping with halloween stamps on favor bags, helping me make the food picks, filling candy in the bags. What a fun process follwed by a fantastic afternoon spend with creative costumes and great company.

Here is what we did.


Carved Pumpkin faces, Haunted house and
pumkin stickers used to decorate the center piece,
Orange and purple lanterns



Halloween party table setup, Center Piece tree



'Boo' food picks, Pumpkin decorations, Halloween shaped cookie cutter cut fruits,
Eye ball and pumpkin cake



Fly Away favor bags and Halloween Cards

 I have added the links to my inspirations for everyone else to try if they like. I added my own twist to everything keeping true to the theme (Pumpkins).

I hope everyone who came had as much fun as we did planning for it.

P.S.- Please let me know if any of you like to know more about anything I share. I would love to help out with any project you guys want to do.

And yaa keep reading..

'About to Hatch' Diaper Cake

This past weekend we hosted a baby shower for a dear friend. Hostess did a great job with decorations, food and specially the cake (Oh my god I just loved her ideas, I am sharing some pics and her blog link, please check it out).
My little job was to make a diaper cake (I Love it)..
Instructions were simple...

Theme: About to Hatch
Colors: Yellow, Green and Brown
For a little baby Girl who will be named "Meera"..

Here it is... My Little Gift for the Parents to be..



To read about the Cake and decor and party favors please click HERE. Hostess of this baby shower writes an amazing food blog, check it out for some great recipes. Her blog is called Pinch of Sunshine..

Check back soon for detailed instructions on 'How to make a Diaper Cake'. Keep reading..

Halloween Cards

With Halloween right around the corner and kids coming over for a costume party I had the perfect reason to take out my crafting supplies and make some handmade cards. A few months ago I had taken a workshop at a friends place to learn a few tricks for making handmade cards. What better reason to brush up those skills and make some cards. Here are few glimpses of my Halloween cards.

Stampin Up is a great company that has amazing products for card making and scrapbooking. A friend of mine is a demonstrator with them and she showed me various techniques and fun ideas. Here is her blog/website have a look.



I have been working on some fun stuff for my halloween party. Will share more soon. Keep Reading..

Personalised Book for Kids

I came across a wonderful website the other day. A company that can create a book specially for my daughter. A book in which she is the star. A book about her, printed specially for her. It looked intersting so I decided to get Saanvi her own book.

The First Adventures of Incredible You, is about the most memorable experiences of early childhood. By answering a few questions, I could personalize these experiences so that this custom storybook includes specific people from her life like me and my husband, places and things that are unique to us and her.

The illustrations in this book are so colorful, bright and whimsical. Each page accomanied by a written rhyming text telling a story about her life. What she likes to eat, who tucks her in bed, what beach or zoo she likes etc. I love it.

I hope she will find reading interesting when the book is about her. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes personalized gifts. Click here for the comapny's website.

DIY Chalkboard

I am always looking out for FUN ways to teach my kid to write, read, draw, anything and everything. One of the things I distinctly remember is using a small chalk board as a kid. I used to love drawing on it and I think I 1st started learning to write on it. I have seen this chalboard paint in the stores which I always wanted to try. So I decided to MAKE a Chalkboard instead.

My Supplies:

1. Chalkboard Paint .(I used a spray kinds, easier to use.)
2. One Picture frame any size you like. Mine is 26" x 20". (I bought a clearance piece from an Art Supply store without the glass in it but if you find one with the glass in it that works as well.
3. Plywood or ACM (I used a piece of Aluminium Composite Metal) or the Glass the picture frame came with. (I would avoid using glass for a chalkboard for kids.
4. Bunch of carpenters Nails.

Painting the board:-

• I followed the instructions on the spray can  (very carefully). It is important to shake the can well before painting the plywood or ACM or glass.
• If you choose a Plywood as the board, then you need to sand it 1st with a fine grit sandpaper and make sure you sand along the grain.
• If you are using Metal piece or Glass then you can spray right after you clean it with a wipe or cloth.
• Then I sprayed the paint on the board. Once horizontaly then vertically covering the entire surface.
• I left it to Dry and then sprayed another coat. (If you feel the need then you can spray the paint 1 more time on the plywood)

P.S.- I prefered to paint in an open area because of fumes and wanted to stay away from my kid. Please read the safety instructions before you paint.

• Then I inserted the painted ACM inside the frame and secured it with carpenters nails.

ALL DONE!!! :-)

It was easier than I expected. My daughter spend hours drawing and writing on it. And I love watching her play with it.

In case you would like to buy a Chalkboard instead, here are some that I would recommend click here, here and here.

Fabulous Find

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

— Jacqueline Kennedy

I have to share this fantastic book that I recently found in costco. 

"Bee n Me" is a charming story of a young boy who is scared of bees, full of movable pictures (through polarization) (in publishing world it is called "Ani-motion" technology). My daughter loves this book. The ani-motion is awesome and really keeps her attention while we are reading it. The story is very cute and educational and there is a list of bee facts in the back. 

I like the word indolence.....

I like the word "indolence". It makes my laziness seem classy... Bern Williams

I know.. I know.. I have been pretty lazy last few days (ok! ok! weeks...). And I have tons of excuses for not writing regularly.. like we moved into a new place, been unpacking, organizing, my demanding kid etc etc.

Even my friends have started asking 'When will we get the RSS feed of your new blog post?' or 'What is the new project you are working on?'.  Reality is I haven't touched my crafting supplied for over a month now. In fact they are still packed in boxes stored in the new computer/craft room. The new netflix account is not helping much either. So today I decided to write and break the block. 

All I need now is a good topic, but somehow searching for a topic to write about is very difficult in this state of laziness. Although I do have some projects that I worked on earlier that I never got around sharing with you. One being the exhibition where I displayed my handmade clips at.

A couple months ago a friend suggested that I should participate in a buyers exhibition called Americasmart. It sounded like a good idea to see the business side of crafting and design. I accompanied her in her stall for a day. My first reaction when I entered the ginormous exhibition space extensively packed with exhibitors and buyers was of shock and fear. I felt lost looking at all these people who knew what they are doing in that popular exhibition that I had never even heard of. I was standing there with a boxful of my creations mocking myself for being so clueless. I displayed my hand made designs on a small table which felt like a pebble in the pond.

It all started with me trying to make a few clips for my daughter. I was enjoying the process so much that I kept making more and more and more. I designed several templates on my computer and began making these goodies. Trying to find color combinations to go with the cute outfits of my daughter. I made a small bib style necklace for her (can't give her the beaded necklaces, choking hazard) and several other clips. Then I displayed them at the exhibition hall scared that no one will notice them. But to my surprise most people were supportive, they were trying to motivate me and navigate me in the right direction. I got a few inquiries too which made me ecstatic (they couldn't materialize though, as I am not ready to handle big orders yet).

In the future I am tempted to try a bigger stall in another exhibition with more designs and products. For now my creations are for my little princess and are for the baby girls in our family and friends. 

Wedding Bouquet

One of my collegues is getting maried to his High School sweetheart this week. This is his second marriage and his fiances 3rd one. To keep it simple (and romantic, I guess) they are going to have a small ceremony at Gatlinburg (Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee). I hear it is the 2nd most popular place to get married after Vegas. Is it??

What wedding ceremony is complete without flowers right. So here is my gift for their new beginning.

Wedding Bouquet with white and blue paper flowers matching brides beautiful gown.

Matching boutonnière for the Groom.

And a handmade card for the new couple.

I wish them the best for this new chapter in their lives. All the best Mrs & Mr. Dodson.

P.S.-I know I have to give a lot of updates about what I have been up to. Including a cardmaking class-event a friend hosted (was so much fun and I learned a lot). Will be writing soon on that.

P.S. (2)- I found a great tutorial on making paper flower bouquet (its not how I make Paper flowers, but it is damn neat and easy). For the tutorial check here.

Thanks a lot for reading and for writing such wonderful comments.