Halloween Party for Boys

My 10 year old son, for the first time wanted to have a Halloween party. I have to say with 5 kids, the youngest one has from time to time not gotten as much attention as the older kids have. Life just happens, I started working more when he was young, I didn't have as much time to be involved in his school activities, and around the same time decided to go back to school to earn my degree. I have had to let some things go, and I am ashamed that it had to be being more involved in his school activities. So when he asked, I was thinking NO WAY, I don't have any time. But I really thought about how excited he was and decided to say yes.



Since then I have been racking my mind on how to make this party fun, exciting yet economical. I started by designing my own invites. I love Microsoft Publisher, I used the builtin clip art and came up with these cute invites:

 Next, I need to move onto decorations for the food. I want something that is fun yet not too babyish, the boys are 10-11 years old. I found some really great ideas on Pinterest (pics below):
 
These adorable pop bottles will be easy to do and will add a small detail that kids are sure to notice. 

http://pinterest.com/pin/195484440046252382/

Meredith Stebbing added this cute green pudding in clear cups, that the only work involves drawing faces on the cups with a sharpie. http://pinterest.com/pin/195484440046252382/


Carmella Calhoun came up with these cute little treats made out of pretzels, that will be sure to excite the kids. So simple and delicious.  http://pinterest.com/pin/195484440045089599/

For my indoor decorations, I found the following video on Youtube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVQs_Z_hMcA&feature=related:

 http://happyauer.com  has some really cute and inexpensive ideas.  Some take a little time but are well worth it.

These are just a few ideas (that are borrowed from the many talented people on the web) that I will be using for my son's upcoming party.  I will repost pictures of how everything turns out.

Thanks for reading and Happy Crafting,

Ana



Come Sew with Me!

I grew up with my mother sewing me pretty little dresses, skirts and blouses.  I wish that I had paid more attention to what she was doing, she made it seem so simple.  I began my own sewing journey in 1994, when for my first year wedding anniversary my loving husband gave me a Brother sewing machine.  At the time, I really hadn't expressed much interest in it except that I had mentioned to him that I wish I had learned when I was younger.  I am in awe at the things he actually hears me SAY.... 

At first I tried simple patterns and got clothing that resembled somewhat awkward tents but I persisted to no avail.  I am by nature not a quitter, so I decided to take my first sewing lesson at Hancock Fabrics.  I wanted to get the most out of my lesson, so instead of taking their advice and choosing a simple pattern, I chose an advanced dress pattern by Vogue.  I completed the dress and even wore it to a few weddings and I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but it still hangs in my closet even though it hasn't seen the light of day since about 1998. 

Over the years, sewing has come in handy, as a mother of 5children, who regularly rip their clothing, knowing how to do simple repairs has saved me a ton of money.  I have also enjoyed the many years of creating special costumes for my kids.  I have made many princess, witch and cheerleader dresses.  I have also made many costumes for my sons, surprisingly, when my son chose to be a werewolf, I could not find a ready to wear costume. 

I have to admit, that my sewing obsession sometimes has to do more with the fabric itself.  I sometimes find prints that I just fall in love with and then can't decide if I want to cut it up.  I know weird, but if you are a true sewing enthusiast, you will understand this. 

So, where do I get some of my favorite fabrics?  Here is a small list of online companies that I like to order from:

Distinctive Fabric Superstore: Has a nice selection of fabrics, prints and good prices.  I especially like their clearance section because I like to get the most for my dollars.  Another plus is that you can purchase by the yard or bolt.  http://www.distinctivefabric.com/

Warehouse Fabrics Inc.:  An excellent site to find retro fabrics for the mod decorators or fashionistas!  I love their huge selection of fabrics from the past to today.  What I especially like about this site is that you can search your fabrics by designer, very helpful when you have already started a project and ran out of fabric.  http://warehousefabricsinc.com/RETRO.html

Amy Butler Fabrics: This is by far my favorite fabrics, but they are a bit pricy.  The prints are lively and the colors are wonderful.  I tend to use these fabrics for smaller projects but with a larger budget it makes beautiful clothing as well.  http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/

In this post I wanted to share a bit about my sewing history and give you some excellent places to look for your next sewing project.  I hope that you will also share with me how you got started and where you find your favorite fabrics.  Thanks

Happy Crafting,

Ana

P.S.  This is a small pic of Amy Butlers Love Collection titled Bliss Bouquet/Emerald, which is currently on my to buy list!

What is Cr8ivecrafts?

Cr8iveCrafts is all out appreciating the hard work that goes into creating beautiful art of all styles.  For me, I am an avid jewelry maker, sewer and decorator.  I have on many occasions looked for inspiration from others and have found a vast assortment of talented people on the web.  I have appreciated and admired their skill, creativity, and hard work, so I have dedicated this blog to sharing their talent.

This week I would like to share one of my favorite jewelry artists, RockLove Jewelry.  Designer/artist Allison Hourcade's anthem is "centered on the lost art forms of jewelry with special attention to Gothic architecture, exotic destinations and the belief that jewelry should tell a back story as interesting as your own."  Allison designs, cast's and produces all her designs in New York, which I appreciate because I love American made jewelry.   I also love that each piece gives a little history into the origin of the design.  Excellent job and beautiful work!

Here is one of my favorites:


Vice Clockwork Necklace
Inspired by ornate antique grandfather clock hands - to each our little vices. Hand cut and polished intricate clock hand pattern in sterling silver accented by your choice of silver Swarovski pearl, faceted or smooth onyx, or garnet.


Check out her website at rocklove.com

Happy Crafting,

Ana