The Handmade Christmas Craft Fair...

I think I'm finally ready for The Handmade Christmas Craft Fair taking place this Saturday, December 3rd at Trinity City Church in St. Paul. If you live in the area, please stop by...there are lots of great vendors and even an area set up in the Sanctuary for the men to relax and watch movies while the women shop!

I priced everything yesterday, now I'm just trying to figure out how I'll fit everything on my 8 foot table. That's not going to be an easy thing to do!

Unfortunately, each time I participate in a sale my Etsy shop gets neglected. So, I think I'll be listing some ephemera packs and some of these vintage tag packs since I have so many.

Anything that doesn't sell on Saturday will be listed in my Etsy shop, hopefully on Sunday, but don't hold me to that!

Trash to Treasure (workspace edition)...

I have been on such a non-stop crafting frenzy that this is what my workspace looked like this morning... and my floor was so bad I couldn't even get to my chair...see it buried in the background?I don't know about you but I'm much more productive with a clean space and for me there's not better inspiration than being able to find your supplies...like your glue stick and scissors =) So after breakfast I got busy and started cleaning...

This is what my workspace looks like now...And I can once again get to my chair. It's been so long since I've been able to vacuum that even Tom came in to have a look...he couldn't believe I could actually manuever the vacuum around the room! Now I'm off to mess it up again!

And sorry about the poor photos...it's bee so gray and dreary around here lately I just wish it would snow already...at least it would cover up all the ugly brown grass!

Handmade Christmas Craft Fair...

Here are a few more fabric and bag albums I made for the Handmade Christmas Craft Fair...

I started dipping into the "save for myself" stash of millinery and fabric and I know I'll be a little sad when they sell but one person can't possibly use 70 albums...so, alas, I must part with them.
I bundled up some of my old post office "city" cards...

and made a few little mushroom and vintage millinery tags...and I have enough mushrooms to make a few more.

I posted a photo of these bulap stockings a few weeks ago but changed them a little...the original was too plain so this is the gussied-up final product. I did take a little break from crafting to do a some genealogy (prompted by a lovely lady who gave me a big family "hint") and I found out the most exciting information about my Father's Great Great Grandfather...turns out we are quite famous in the settling of St. Paul, Minnesota, the naming of Como Lake (I graduated from Como High School) and the settling Arden Hills, Minnesota (even have a park named after us)...can't wait to tell my Dad!

Sorry about the wonky spacing, sometimes it just does that and I can't seem to fix it no matter how hard I try! =)

I've been holed up in my studio getting ready for the Handmade Christmas Craft Fair that's less than a month away. (Ooops...looks like one of my little snowmen is making a break for it!)

I've been making tags, burlap stockings, pinecone santas, ephemera journals, ephemera packets and my favorite fabric and paper bag albums. The craft fair is Saturday, December 3rd from 10:00 - 7:00 at Trinity City Church in St. Paul (Minnesota). Check out the website for more details and a glimpse at the 46 vendors! Looks like it's sure to be a good time!

Dia de los Muertos

I didn't get these Sewickley Cemetary photos posted on Halloween as I'd hoped (too busy scaring kids!) so I figured The Day of the Dead and All Saints Day was the next best thing. The photo above is the view from the highest point of the Cemetary. You can see the Sewickley bridge in the background and if you look really close you can see the church clock tower to the right between the trees.

Most of the grave markers were so old and erroded that you could hardly make out the inscriptions. Tom managed to find one from a person who passed away on his birthday 100+ years before he was born....kind of eeeeerie!

The cemetary road went around and around in a corkscrew fashion and these were some markers that were over a cliff, not really with the rest of the graves...not sure how their visitors make it down there but judging by the flag, they get there somehow.

And this mausoleum had gates with a lovely green patina...that were padlocked, but don't get me wrong, there's NO WAY I would have dared opened the gates had I the chance!

It felt like a very peaceful cemetary...we were the only visitors Friday morning aside from the grounds keeper that was clearing leaves. And considering there were no strange orbs in any of my photos, I think it's safe to assume that all these souls are at peace. Happy Dia de los Muertos!