No More Craft Stores! (Maybe)

If you are like me, you can go into a craft store and want to buy one of everything - five if it's glittered. Unfortunately I have bought more than I needed for any one craft project at a time on so many occasions that my funds have dried up. So I took stock of all the crafty crap I have (as my husband calls it) and was absolutely amazed by how much is stashed away in my crafting closet. There is enough material for an entire wardrobe, baby yarn for every child born into the family for 30 years, card stock and stamping paraphernalia to put Hallmark to shame, hot glue gun glue sticks to glue - well, whatever it is that I may need to glue, ribbon to outfit a Maypole, and odds and ends that make me wonder what on Earth I was thinking when I bought them.

My new objective is to actually use what I have and try - I say try because this is hard to contemplate - to stay out of any craft stores until after Christmas. Maybe.

Musical Mastery

Every kid loves crafts, though many may not love the Arts. I have been teaching my older two to play the piano for some time now, and in an effort to foster a love and appreciation of this art I handed them blank music paper to write their own songs. I figured it would help them remember the technical aspects such as time signatures, bar lines, and rests, and it has. However, the unforeseen consequences are starting to make me rethink my approach.

All of their free time in the past few days has revolved around writing the newest, greatest song. They seem to be in competition with one another, furiously composing an entire page of increasingly harder music, all the while completely ignoring the piano or any semblance of melody in the process. The finished masterpiece is then hurried to the piano for its debut, which they ask me to perform. If this was the end of the mashed notes, sounding sometimes like an orca in the throws of death, the day could continue on in relative peace. But unfortunately it is only the beginning. They studiously practice their pieces and each other's until the piano itself cries out in pain. At least we didn't start out on the violin!

Bathroom Time

In the past week I have learned a lot about my bathroom. Did you know that in the time it takes to apply mascara, a one-year-old can amass Mount St. Helens out of toilet paper? Or did you know that your feminine napkins can be used as stickers? No, that is not my crafting tip, however, my inspiration yesterday did come from the bathroom.

I wanted to emboss tags for the Christmas presents I have been working on, but didn't want to burn my fingers on the stove again while holding little bits of card stock over the burner. There is a heating tool you can buy specifically for this, but why spend the money when it will only be used once a year? The solution turned out to be my flat iron.

With the boys pouring over their schoolwork (and the little guy napping), I embossed dozens of tags in a short amount of time! If you want to try this at home it does take a little testing, as my flat iron is a cheapie and yours may get hotter. After stamping and dusting with embossing powder, I placed the back of the card stock over one plate of the iron and it heated the design rather quickly. If you are embossing many different items it works best to stamp them all first and then sit down to heat each one.

Add a little flair to your life, grab your flat iron - or your daughter's - and emboss something!

Let Them Eat Cake

Making cakes is an acquired taste. But when your child begs for a certain cake (like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars), your better judgement exits the room and you say, "Sure!" You've just set the bar a little high, and not for this one birthday or even this one child. Every year until they reach 18, and maybe after that, each creation must outdo the last in its originality, composition, and "wow" factor. Not to mention that this labor of love will never be seen or played with for more than the one day like any other handmade item. It will be cut into pieces and shoveled into the mouths of sugar-frenzied kids mere moments after being appreciated as a work of art.

Last weekend I attempted another such feat, making a cake for my youngest's first birthday. I could have made a simple cake and stuck on a few plastic toys - after all, he won't remember the cake - but I have that bar to reach. I pulled out a Lightning McQueen cake pan (recycled from another birthday) and began to bake. With the party just hours away and my countertops strewn with icing bags, tips, and mixing bowls, I grabbed for my stash of icing dyes. Lo and behold, only three colors remained: black, yellow, and blue. How could I have overlooked this! If I had been the least bit prepared there would have been red, which was the main color of the cake. Lightning McQueen also had a Dinoco blue paint job, right?

After two hours of painstaking frosting, taking only one break to let my hand uncramp, I finished. The party was on, the cake attained its full glory lasting 30 seconds while we sang "Happy Birthday," and then it was gone.

The next birthday in December is already closing in, and Hogwarts Castle has been requested.

Welcome!

Welcome to my first ever blogging experience! I am Candice, the All-In-One Girl, which entails being a wife, mother of three boys, and extreme Do-It-Yourselfer. The extreme part comes from trying my hand at almost anything from arts and crafts to writing novels to homeschooling. My mantra is "I want it done and I want it done now," which usually leads to jumping in and trying it - sometimes succeeding and sometimes failing. Though even when I've failed miserably I will try again, and it may result in an epiphany. Case in point: if you put your hair in a ponytail at the nape of your neck and cut above the rubber band, you will have a nice little A-line bob that requires just a little trimming. If you start at one side and hack all the way around, it will look like you stuck your head in the lawn mower and you will have to call your mother for help.

This blog is for anyone who has ever tried something new, those who are looking for ideas in the arts and crafts department, or for those of you who are just wanting to laugh at life!