New Adventures

I am very excited to embark on another adventure...
in my craft room! Well, sort of two adventures. 

I have been so very busy this year working on my paper shop (which has been amazing!), leaving little time to work on my jewelry shop. Now that a new year is here, I am ready to get back to making jewelry. I have been spending a lot of time this month buying new supplies and thinking of new ideas preparing to revamp Craft Me Pretty.
A new collection will be available soon! 

Along with these shops, I will be opening another Etsy shop. This time with my other half!

Lately, he has become very interested in beeswax. Because we both love our Etsy shops (he has his own too!), we decided to open a shop together to sell beeswax and beeswax products.
 Our first creation.... Beeswax Lip Balm! 

Our store is not yet up and running, but soon you will be able to find our items at:

The Busy Bee - thebusybeestore.etsy.com

I have had such a wonderful, blessed year. I have had many opportunities to work with children, in and out of the classroom, and the success of my online business has surpassed anything I could have imagined. I am the happiest I have ever been and can't wait for the adventures ahead! 

Wishing you all a happy 2013!

Support the Cause

As most people know, October is breast cancer awareness month. I have created a set of bookmarks to sell in my shop this month, and probably after, for the occasion. The bookmarks are made with brown kraft cardstock, pink ribbons and silver awareness ribbon charms that say the word "hope". I will be donating a portion of each sale of this set to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. 

Take a look, spread the the word,
and help support the cause. 

Hope - Think Pink Awareness Ribbon Bookmarks

Simple And Sweet

As you know from past posts, I love to use quotes on items in my shop. Some of my most recent cards with quotes or sayings are very simple, yet some of my favorites. These lovely cards are available on white or kraft cardstock with black ink. Sometimes something simple is all that needs to be said.

I Love You To The Moon

Let's Be Adventurers

I'd Still Choose You

You Are My Sunshine

Which is your favorite??

Quote Me

Like I mentioned before, everyone loves quotes. People love to say them, share them on social media, and use them in their home as decor. Here are some lovely quotes I have available in 5x7 art prints. The simple black writing on bright white cardstock looks amazing framed on the wall. I even have one of these on the wall in my own kitchen. Can you guess which one??

Drink Tea - Read Books - Be Happy

You Can't Buy Happiness - But You Can Buy Tea

When All Else Fails - Take A Nap

You Are My Sunshine - My Only Sunshine

Keep Me In Your Heart - I'll Stay There Forever

 These lovely prints, as well as others, are available at Pretty Petals Paper Shop.

Take a look and Enjoy! 

For The Love Of Words

Well... I have been away awhile. Working with little ones at summer camp during the day and making orders during nights and weekends has been keeping me very busy. Over the last month or two I have introduced some new items in my shop. Like most people, I love quotes, sayings, and lyrics. I now carry a selection of note cards and art prints that have.. you guessed it!... classic quotes, sayings, and lyrics! 

Here are a few of my favorite new note cards, with fun sayings and colorful chevron backgrounds! 

True Story

Let's Be Weird Together

Hakuna Matata

To see all of my note cards and art prints, visit Pretty Petals Paper Shop.

Have a great week!

Giveway - Grand Prize Worth Almost $500

The Precocious Preteen Giveaway Hop!

April 24 - May 8

Today, the daughter of What Mommy Wants author Melissa, is turning 12! To celebrate, she is hosting the Precocious Preteen Giveaway Hop, where one winner will get a grand prize worth over $475!

The grand prize includes a digital camera, a plasma car, and several other great items. Items from Pretty Petals Paper Shop and Craft Me Pretty are included in the grand prize. 

The giveaway is going on until May 8, so there is plenty of time to enter!

ENTER GRAND PRIZE HERE

Also, make sure to visit her blog daily for the Sponsor Spotlight (I will be featured!) to learn more about the items in the grand prize and for an extra entry.

Good luck!

Sew Me Something Pretty

I grew up with a mother and grandmother who did quite a bit of sewing. I always found it to be a fun activity, just like all the other craft activities I was constantly doing. This last November I finally purchased my first sewing machine! It was so exciting! Within a day or so of having it, I had already made some great business card holders for my sister and myself. 

After Christmas, I became very busy with work and my Etsy shop, leaving my beautiful new sewing machine to sit and collect dust. I have a box full of lovely new fabrics waiting to be made into something great, and I hope that I can soon find time to sew.

I want to share with you a lovely shop where I found an adorable sewing accessory, the cutest pincushion I have ever seen. Found at Sea Pinks on Etsy, I purchased a little yellow pumpkin pincushion to match my new yellow and grey sewing basket. The owner, Jenny, worked with me to find just the right fabric to match and was a pleasure to work with. In her shop, she sells a variety of beautiful embroidery and sewing items. Absolutely love her shop!

Here are some fantastic handmade items by Sea Pinks

Felt Bird Pale Ice Blue

Bright Yellow Floral Pumpkin Pincushion

Decorative Monarch Butterfly

Light Green Polka Dot Tomato Pincushion

Make sure to visit her shop to find all the wonderful items available!

Stamps!

As a craft lover and a shop owner of paper crafts, I love stamps! I have an insanely large collection of rubber stamps, and I mean LARGE. No matter how badly I don't need more stamps, I continue to buy them. Of course  I buy most of them to make items for my shop, but I have enough to last a lifetime. Most of my purchases are from local craft stores, but my favorite place to buy stamps is from other crafters on Etsy. It is so fun to get unique designs that are completely handmade! 

One shop I have come across many, many times is Green Garden Stamps. The designs are beautiful and fun. I have yet to buy from this shop, but have been tempted many times. Here are a few of my favorite designs.

Rainy Day

Flower Garden

Hand Made

These are so lovely that I just might make my first purchase tonight!

Hunger Games Note Cards

I can't believe the movie is almost here! Only a few more days! I decided to read the first book in the Hunger Games series again in preparation for the movie. As I read, I began to fall in love with it all over again (even though I was still obsessed!). 

This morning I decided to create a set of note cards using quotes from The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.  All of the quotes are between Katniss and Peeta. 

Peeta and Katniss Quotes - Hunger Games Note Cards

Last week I ordered this really great handmade mockingjay pin stamp from Crafting Casa on Etsy. Using this stamp I created a set of note cards and a set of bookmarks. Take a look!

Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin Stamped Bookmarks

Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin Stamped Note Cards

More Hunger Games inspired items to come!

Subbing = Exhausting

After a nice couple months of short work days and much needed freedom, I decided to finally start working more and actually begin teaching. It has been an exhausting three weeks!

I started this week at a school I had never been to in a 5th grade class. It turned out to be a pretty nice day, with the classroom student teacher doing most of the teaching. After a two day break, I was in a first grade classroom. Wow, those little ones have a lot of energy! They were up and down, and all around, constantly having something to say. Each one seemed to have something that hurt, from a hurt tooth to a hurt heart. It was a great experience though and the classroom teacher asked if she could call me again.

Today was spent in a 6th grade class, next door to the class I did my student teaching. I was amazed at how great the kids were. They had a few moments of not so perfect behavior, but it makes me seriously reconsider what grade I would like to eventually teach. Maybe I do want to teach older grades after all.

Now . . . Spring Break!

Have a lovely week everyone!

Mad Libs - A Must!

This week I had my first opportunity to get back in the classroom. It was so wonderful! I was in a 4th grade classroom for three days and had such a great time with the kids. They were a little on the wild side at times, but luckily I brought a great "tool" with me. Mad Libs!

Mad Libs

I showed the kids my brand new booklet of Mad Libs and made sure they knew we could only do them if they were good for me. So helpful! At the end of the day, the kids were so excited to do them. Not only were they laughing and having fun, but they also were practicing their grammar. If you are a substitute teacher, you need to go get some Mad Libs (Barnes and Noble has a large selection).

I get to sub in both a 3rd grade class and a 6th grade class this week, wish me luck!

Jewelry Sale!

I have been so busy with my paper shop lately (YAY!), which has allowed zero time to work on my jewelry shop. I currently only have a few items listed in my shop, but I am planning on revamping it soon with several great new items. Until I get a chance to, I am trying to clear out my shop. What does that mean for you? Great deals! All jewelry is reduced to low clearance prices. Take a look and get a few great pieces for a super low price!

Apricot Cream Rose Gift Set

Find all clearance items at Craft Me Pretty

Dr. Seuss!

Like so many others, I am a huge fan of Dr. Seuss books. They are so fun, with whimsical, colorful illustrations and memorable characters. They are also filled with wonderful quotes and stories for children. For these reasons, I decided to make Dr. Seuss inspired note cards, with quotes and illustrations by the author himself. Take a look!

Today You Are You - The Cat In The Hat

No Matter How Small - Horton Hears A Who

** These cards are no longer available in my shop, but if you are interested in purchasing any, feel free to contact me through Etsy to set up a custom order. Visit at prettypetalspaper.etsy.com for contact info.**

Finally, Success!

I must start off by saying, the past month has been amazing! To have 100 sales in one month is something I never imagined. The new success of my paper shop is so exciting, exhausting, and wonderful! It has been such a great experience the last few weeks making order after order of products that are so ME! How wonderful it feels to make something that so many people want to have. Thank you to all the friendly customers who have helped make my shop a success!!

How Lucky I Am

Winnie the Pooh

One of my favorite characters from childhood, and adulthood, is Winnie the Pooh. I have a lovely collection of books, clocks, snowglobes, cookie jars, stuffed animals, and figurines from the famous bear and his friends. The books, written by A.A. Milne, have been cherished for generations. In these famous books are beautiful, heartfelt quotes between Pooh and his friends. These quotes, and the bear himself, were my inspiration for my most recent cards. On these lovely cards are quotes from the classic stories, along with picutres of Pooh, Piglet, and Christopher Robin.

Friends Forever - Pooh and Piglet

Sure of You - Pooh and Friends

The Smallest Things - Pooh and Honey

Live To Be A Hundred - Piglet and Pooh

These Winnie the Pooh cards came just in time for Valentine's Day. Show someone how much you love them with a sweet quote from a classic childhood friend.

The Hunger Games

Recently I read the books of The Hunger Games series.

In one word, AMAZING!

After reading the books, I had the idea to make bookmarks with quotes from the books printed on them. Clearly, I am not the only one who fell in love with the books because the bookmarks have been a huge success. Currently, I have four different bookmarks available in my shop, with quotes from all three books. Take a look!

Real or Not Real - Peeta's Pearl

Peeta Loves Katniss - Heart Charm

Hunger Games - Mockingjay Charm

Kiss Me - Heart Charm

Now, all I can think about is the movie. So excited to see it!

Goals For This Year

It is a new year and for the first time in my life I am free to do whatever it is I want to. Now that I am finished with school, I have the chance to do anything! Because of my new found freedom and the new year, I decided to make a list of goals I want to achieve this year. Some will take a lot of effort. For others I will just need a little motivation.

1. Reach my goal weight

2. Workout 4-6 days a week

3. Eat less fats and sugars

4. Spend less time on the couch/watching TV/on the computer

5. Listen to more music

6. Spend more time outside

7. Go for walks, often

8. Read more. Craft more.

9. Save more. Spend less.

10. Be happy. Always!

Looking forward to a wonderful year!

What are your goals?

Excited To See What Is Next

After over 5 years of school, I am finally finished. With a BA, a teaching credential, and a lot of experience, I am ready for my next journey. I am looking forward to finally having my own classroom. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a little girl. Finally, my dream has come true. The job search is on!

Until I find my dream job, I have a chance to do my next favorite thing, craft. I have been crafting my whole life, making anything I get a chance to. A couple of years ago I opened my first shop on Etsy to sell handmade jewelry and hair accessories. Craft Me Pretty has been a fun place for me to begin sellling my items online. Pretty Petals Paper, where I sell cards, gift tags, and other paper items, has been a wonderful second shop. I have met a lot of great people and had the opportunity to create several custom orders. Now that I have more free time, I will be creating many new items for both shops!

I am excited to begin this next adventure, both in my little craft room and my future classroom. Along the journey, I will happily share my experiences, thoughts, and ideas. Comments, criticisms, feedback, and ideas always welcome!