Taylor Made designs

Thank you Rachel Ann!

I tried to take photos of the wonderful goodies I received from Rachel Ann, but the photos came out dark and a bit muddy looking, so I decided to get a little creative and make a little collage. Thank you so much Rachel Ann.Those silver bells and candle holders are perfect decorations for the holiday season. With two dogs in the house, and with all this rain we've been having, believe me, that potpourri makes our home smell heavenly :)

Hey, have you guys seen any of the holiday specials that have been on TV? Tonight is Rudolph. We've been counting down the days till we see Clarissa, Herbie the Dentist and of course the red-nose reindeer. Do you have a favorite holiday show? I wish I could remember the show with the heat miser and mr freeze :)

Preppy Holiday Swap

I stumbled upon Clemsongirl and the Coach blog a few weeks back and she happened to have a post up that day about a "Preppy Christmas Decorations Swap". How could I refuse, being a preppy at heart? Well I did not refuse, and signed my preppy ass up. Of course I had to make everything pink and green, but with a holiday twist. The pattern I created reminded me of a candy cane and I think the entire package had a nice holiday feel to it.

Since Davis and I spend the afternoons together, she helped me put together my package. We settled on a few things for Rachel Ann, my swap partner, who happens to live right here in MA. Naturally, we made a little package for Davis too :) {she is four, and everything that is yours, is also hers}
 – Crochet snowflake + angel ornaments. Davis just LOVED these. Perfect decorations for Rachel Ann's tree or a packages. We "prepped" them up by adding pink + green ribbons to them. {We also bought a set for us}
– Two rolls of Custom Silkscreened Ribbon. "Happy Holidays from Rachel Ann" ribbon can decorate her packages this year. Davis picked out the ribbon at the craft store. She wanted pink ribbon, but I convinced her that green might be more festive for the holiday.
– Wine + Gift Tags: A few sets of both in pink and green should come in handy for her holiday packages.
– Mini Taylor Book: I made her a preppy green + pink book to keep track of her holiday list this year... but hopefully she'll be able to use it all year round.
– Homemade truffles + holiday MMs. You can guess who thought we should send these :) Good thing I was able to package some up before she got her hands on them. The homemade truffles came out so yummy. I'll post the recipe later this week. So easy. So good.

Overall, a really fun swap to do and a great way to get into the holiday spirit~ Thank you Clemsongirl!

Thank you Erin S!

Remember the contest I held last November? Erin S from Dani be Good won :) Because of my relapse, the holidays, and then getting sick again, I didn't get my package out to her till late December. Well, Erin sent me a package to thank me for sending her stuff. How sweet is that?

The kids were so excited with the package. Davis can't believe that someone made a scarf "just for me mama?". She loves to wear it. And it looks so pretty on her. She also received some hair accessories that she loves to wear. The kids also couldn't wait to make the snowman doortag. They had so much fun putting it together. The books have tons of activities for them to do – tons of stickers! I love the design magazine she sent for me :) Plus Erin sent little Smartie Candies that Neal loves. We can not get them in the States, so it was a real treat to get them. so yummy.

SO a very big thank you to Erin for being so thoughtful and a wonderful friend. I'm really happy that we have gotten to know each other!

Ok, I'll be remiss if I do not ask this before I sign off, but did anyone else watch LOST last night? How good is this show? Kate is not my favorite character... so I didn't love love this episode...but the last 2 minutes? wow. I loved the episode last week with Sayid. So many questions, so little answers. I truly feel.. LOST :)

:: Go Go Gocco Swap ::

Well, I was late with my gocco swap {thankfully, so was most of my group} but my packages have gone out and are set to arrive this week. Having the flu and over seven colours in my print really slowed me down! Thankfully I Gocco'd ribbon and the little square tags a long time ago. I used them for my packaging. Simple and easy :)

So far I have received about three packages and I am so happy I participated in the swap. Such great stuff! You can check out the Mid-WInter Gocco Swap here.

A huge thank you to Sarah, @ cloth paper string for organizing the swap. You rock!

I really enjoyed coming up with a concept and then working from there. I decided to go with a winter tree – inspired by my winter morning walks with the dogs. Plus, I l really love trees :) I found the perfect quote that supported my artwork. Love when that happens :)

Doing this swap and designing this print really got me thinking... I should make a series. The first one is this winter tree, then I will do a spring, summer, and fall tree print. I think they will look great once they are all framed and put together.   

Anyway, I'll show a better photo of my print later this week. I do hope everyone will like my print as much as I loved making it.

:: Orange you glad...

it's Thursday?

Well here's what I gave Erin Scissorhands for the 5 Senses Swap.

This swap really made me think... and that hurt :)
I came up with the concept of orange when I opened up a Poland Springs orange bubbly water. I thought,  – oh, that would be kinda clever + different for "sound". So I set about finding, making "orange" things.

Here's the rundown:
:: SMELL – orange aromatherapy
:: TOUCH – mini taylor book with a kitty button closure
:: SIGHT – gift tags
:: SOUND – orange bubbly water
:: TASTE – candy orange slices

A week or so back, I ordered the number "5" from Deb at "say it with letters". I thought it would be fun to have for my package. It was so easy to order and to customize the font. {see how it matches my tags?}

Well, I loved the shape + curves, but then hated it when I tried to cover it with paper saying "smell, touch, sight, sound, taste". What.was.I.thinking? It was so freaking hard to do. So I gave up on that idea. I just couldn't make it look good. So I went with ribbon. Which I really loved, but gosh, that was hard to do too. All those curves! I sometimes wonder why I don't realize how hard something is before I take it on. Ah, ignorance!

It was a lot of fun putting this swap together. I was glad to hear from Erin that she liked my package.Thanks Jen for putting it all together :)

:: 5 senses swap ::

Yesterday I received my package for the 5 Senses Swap. Can I tell you how awesome it was? Raesha from "my love" blog had me... {I had no idea she had me... I had assumed the person I was preparing for had me...}
So what did I receive... let me count'em:
1. sight:
a scrapbook kit to make my own little booklet. Includes grommets and tags, basically everything you need to make something special
2. touch:
salty margarita foot scrub. Good thing it's said touch, otherwise I would have eaten it! :)
3. taste:
yummy jolly ranchers and lifesaver gushers. (almost gone already!)
4. sound:
a terrific CD called "on the mountain" featuring so many of my favorite artists including a good friend of ours, Susan Tedeschi. {who is an awesome blues singer... my two sisters just hung out with her at Jazzfest in New Orleans last week. You should definitely check her out! (oh the net proceeds for this CD was donated to the Wilderness Society.}
5. smell:
before i opened the package up I could smell something beautiful. Peach + apricot sorbet potpourri will make my home smell delicious.

Pretty good huh? How thoughtful was Raesha?
Well, I'm finishing up my swap package to Erin Scissorhands. I'll show what I sent once she's received it.
Now I'm off to make more tags! 

:: the loot ::

So here's the loot for the Mellow Yellow swap I participated in. As I mentioned before, Rachel {my swap partner} said she was partial to black + polka dots, so I went with it + that became my theme.

I made little origami boxes. I filled one with black speckled eggs that I found in my favorite store. Not sure what she'll do with them, but I thought they were so pretty + would look nice in a little bowl. Then I decided to make push pins. Can I tell you how easy they were to do? I just bought a button kit, + some black + white polka dot fabrics {I had a bunch of other black + white fabric at home} I hope they prove useful. I picked up a metal "J" for Rachel's last name. Of course, I had to make her a MINI Taylor Book. This is the first time I sewed ribbon to the spine. I really liked the way it came out :) As you can see, I'm really getting into sewing! I decided to make little black felt pouches for the letter + the book. Don't look too closely at those, that darn acrylic felt is just so crappy! Wouldn't hold a grommet at all... though I tried.

Rachel has a five month old baby, so I picked up a little black + white kitty cat. {I looked + looked for a Dalmatian, but no luck} A few sand dollars + a starfish pulled it all together :)

Now for all the goodies I received!

How funny that we both went with black + white AND she sent me an initial? I love the "K" it's hanging in my studio as I type. She also sent me a pretty tub of lip gloss {which I'm using already} some very pretty b/w tags {which I think she made herself!} a terrific book filled with great black + white imagery and to top it all off, pop rocks :)  Which I've never had, but I've been told not to let the kids have them. They sure look fun.

All in all, a really fun package + swap. Now to finish up my package for the five senses swap. Erin, your package will be mailed to you soon!

:: Friday RoundUP::

Did you think I forgot? 
Well, honestly, I did :) I blame it on this cold. My head is still a bit foggy. I'm sure by Monday I'll be fine :)

Weekends
Looks like everyone heads outside when the sun is out. Yard clean up + gardening is a priority. Well, after playing + being with family :) Jimmies rock. Rockets fly {and get stuck} And, everyone agrees, two days is just simply, not long enough!

Swapping + Creative Bloggers
We all love mail. Good mail. Mail from other bloggers! {boo for bills} I think bloggers are the most generous + creative group out there :) And you all agree. There are so many generous spirits out there, willing to share their talent + knowledge. I'm really happy to be part of this community, as I know you all are too. 

Motherhood + Nursing a Cold
Though no paycheck is available at the end of the week for mothers to cash, we'd all be more than happy to have healthy, well adjusted children, husbands, wives + pets:) That's a reward in itself, in other words, priceless :) Thank you for your wishes for my cold to go away. It's a known fact, Spring + Summer colds stink!

Graphic Design
Not sure if everyone knew that's what I did for my day job... but apparently you all think it's a wise decision :) Thank you all so much for your kind comments. I truly appreciate the fact that I can make a living doing something I love. I spend everyday working away on somekind of project + it's nice when I complete something and can show others my work. 

Next week I'll be able to post what I sent to Rachel for the  Mellow Yellow Swap. Above is peek at what I sent all wrapped up. Rachel mentioned she loved black + polka dots {among a bunch of other things, but that's what I zero'd in on} Funny that we both chose to go with black + white for our colours + sent each other initials. mmm. great minds think alike? She wrapped the book + the pop rocks in topographical maps. {really clever + pretty}

A big shout out of thanks to Marta for coordinating the swap. With so many participants, it must have been a lot of work to coordinate. Great job. Had loads of fun :)

:: Dying Eggs + Swapping News ::

I'm having a hard time believing it's already April and next weekend is Easter. When did that happen?

I had to figure out another craft projects for the kids to do yesterday. It might be Spring, but here on the East Coast, it's still rainy and cold. Can't wait for the nice weather so the kids can play outside. I decided we'd start to dye some Easter eggs. Here's our first effort. Colourful + bright.

This first round of eggs were hardboiled. We only had one accident... well, not really an accident. William purposely broke one of the eggs to see what was inside. I guess he needed to visually see what happened to the egg when we cooked it. Of course, there was no way he was going to try eating it. But Davis, she's at that age where, if it will fit in her mouth, she's game. She loved it. {I think this was the first egg both of them ever tried. Our pediatrician recommended no eggs for the first few years + I actually listened}

Sometime today I'll hollow out some eggs + dye + decorate them for our little easter egg tree. Stay tuned for that :)  I try to get fancy, but they never turn out the way I want. But I still try :)

For those of you interested in some swaps, here are a couple I found that sound fun + interesting:

:: M.Writes | Mellow Yellow Swap
Sign up by April 6th  | Mail your package by April 23rd
{the rules} • Choose a favorite hue and incorporate your color theme throughout your entire package. Participants are asked to send three items both mellow + colrful to your swapping partner. be creative with your interpretation. think of items that are simple, unique + lovely. focus more on your chosen color palette than on the monetary value. your color will be a surprise to your swap partner. chose items that will delight. objects can be vintage, new or handmade. your partner will be sending 3 items in a color all her own. {just click above or here + it will bring you to her wonderful site}


:: Scissors Paper Glue | Five Senses Swap
Sign Up by April 6th  |  Mail your package by April May 11th
Each swap participant will send five item to their swap partner. One item must correspond to each of the five senses See:: Smell:: Touch::Taste::Hear 

"I would like you to focus on quality not quantity when sending your swap.  Keeping in mind the beauty and purposefulness of each item you send." {just click above or here + it will bring you to her great site}

It's funny, I was thinking of coordinating my own swap, but sounds like there are plenty going on. Maybe later on this year :)  I didn't join the "vintage button swap". Though I totally appreciate lovely buttons, and I work with them all the time, I'm just not passionate about them. I don't even know where I would go to find vintage buttons! I wouldn't want to disappoint my swap partner with a less then inspired package. But these swaps sound fun. Trying to decide if I'll do one or both... what do you think? Will you participate?

 

:: swapping ::

On Saturday we found a couple of packages in our mailbox. The kids were so excited {+ so was I} to see the "beautiful use" packages from Chakriya. Above is a photo of all the little goodies I received, along with a note written on handmade paper detailing all the lovely items.

I received a postcard of Paris, a photo taken by Chakriya in Italy, a green pouch from India holding a rock and coin from Notting Hill, London, a couple of kaleidoscopes {that the kids have commandeered} a Japanese wooden doll, and some bath salts.Big thanks Chakriya! Such fun going through everything. We hope you like your package too!

I'll post what I sent Chakriya on Monday. {as I'm pretty sure she'll have received her package then}

Susan from Sulu-Design sent me a fantastic link for finding swaps. Check out this link: http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/search.php.

I did find one swap over at Swap-Bot for making small totes/handbags which are so my thing. I think the deadline is March 3rd or 5th for sign up. I've been pretty busy work wise, so I'm still contemplating if I should join or not.

Carmen over at Sweet Petite participated in 5x7 art swap and also a mini swap. Check out her blog to see what she gave + received. Loved her artwork + the placemat she made.

On Saturday I did a lot of silkscreening using my Gocco. I made some new cards for myself + reprinted cards for both kids. I also silkscreened some more Taylor Made design ribbon. I'm hoping to hold another Taylor Made designs party soon and I figured I should be prepared. Lately, I've been trying really hard to think ahead. I'm too old to pull an all nighter to get things done, and my kids really do come first. I just can't put them aside to get stuff done at the last minute. {believe me, I've tried, and it just doesn't work! Lots of tears + guilt, not fun!}

 

Today I have some small work projects to complete + then I might try my hand at some sewing, and read Blueprint Magazine {yea! It arrived yesterday in the mail! Looks good!} but that's after we play a few hands of Old Maid and William beats me at checkers :) Have a super Sunday. 

:: Let's Swap ::

Exciting times :) I just participated in my first swap –
B E A U T I F U L  U S E – which was organized by Kelly over at "hoping for happy accidents". We were asked to send any three objects that were utilitarian, simple + beautiful. This swap was right up my alley. I had so much fun putting stuff together for my partner, Chakriya. She collects elephants and likes the colour violet so that gave me plenty to work with.  I'm not sure if she reads my blog, so I'll wait to hear from her before I post what I sent. I'll definitely post what I receive.

I just happen to stumble upon Kelly's site and read about the swap... does anyone know how to find other swaps? Just curious for the future. Let me know!

I had fun with the packaging. Instead of using my Taylor Made designs packaging, I decided to make my own wrapping paper. I silkscreened some ribbon, using my trusty Gocco. Overall, I'm really pleased with how everything turned out  :)

I am pretty swamped with work, the kids are on holiday + my in-laws are dropping by on Thursday. We haven't seen them since their trip to Norway to visit Neal's sister's family. The weather is going to be pretty crummy, so I decided to make homemade turkey chili with black beans + corn bread for lunch. yummy.

Can you believe it's already Thursday? Have a good one!