12.11.07
Posted in Events!, Fun Stuff, Main, business-a-go-go at 2:21 am by carrie
I feel like I’ve been in the jungle and I’m writing on an ancient typewriter, face smeared with dirt, wearing weather-beaten khakis, a pith helmet while surrounded by man-eating plants and various monkeys. The past week has been such a blur of gift wrapping, hors d’œuvre making, coffee brewing, tagging and find-the-last-ornament-on-the-tree playing that I have neglected so many other things! yeesh! :) But, I’m so very grateful that we have been busy & the Holidays are finally in full swing… I was worried there for a moment :)
Quick side note, before I forget… we are out of pooping sheep & penguin candy dispenser things. All the pretty hand-dipped chocolate goodies… still here… pooping plastic animals… “Ewww, that’s disgusting! I’ll take three!” Seriously. Please tell me who you are buying these things for. I want reactions.
Holiday open house… check. Cathi Milligan’s demo days and bead sale… check. I can’t believe they are wrapped up! Pics below:
close quarters!
The backside of water… I mean of the counter :)
we made 100’s of tags…
And now… Cathi Milligan on the torch!
I love those pictures!
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Gratuitous Meg-a-moo picture :)
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10.24.07
Posted in Fun Stuff, Main, business-a-go-go, coupons at 11:54 pm by carrie
…was a smashing success :)
Cathi Milligan (glass bead guru) came up to visit & left with a scarf in her trademark turquoise and lime colors…
Miss Lou-hoo and I spent the entire evening making these cupcakes… at #42 I was like a small impatient child on a road trip… “Are we there yet?!?!” Isn’t it awesome to have a meticulous friend who is a whiz in the kitchen? Not to mention… her oven works ;) Mine’s on the fritz… Many many thanks to Graycee’s Kitchen!!!
Although in a cast going on 15 weeks or something, Raegan was a HUGE help!!! The most polite teenager you’ve ever met! (And very sweet brothers, too… but she may disagree! hehe) She cleaned up my messes, greeted customers with a huge smile and sprinkled pixie dust on the party to make it more magical. Thanks again Rae, you’re my favorite sarcasm buddy ;) (She’ll know what that means!)
Transmission to the world:
We have too much candy. (stop)
Please send help. (stop)
I made all those labels by hand. I’m insane (stop)
Remember how in the movies, they’d send a telegram and they would say “stop” a lot?
nevermind… my memories of old movies tend to have dancing food, Shirley Temple in every scene and well, things that just aren’t there :) Rose-colored character phantoms! Yay!
I digress… but…The above is just a sampling of the over 50 pounds of TAFFY I purchased. Caramel apple, banana cream pie, neapolitan, assorted, licorice, halloween mix… my teeth hurt now. Free tooth brush with every pound you buy! (kidding)
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For being a Spooky Tea party, we sure didn’t go through much tea. Out of the 50-something people that attended the party, 40 of them had a cupcake, most had candy… ONE had hot tea. I got special swizzle sticks and everything but *sigh* our October has been in the 90’s… not very good tea weather. But I did have an awesome tea set out surrounded by flicker lights:
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Besides the cupcakes and one cup of tea available… we had pumpkin bread, shortbread cookies and other snick-snacks. Oh, and iced tea, too. I made little “spooky” labels for each item. For example… “Peanut butter pretzels - to appease angry charging elephants”, “Garlic pretzels - anti-vampire formula”, “Hot water - For your tea and assorted spells”. Etc etc etc… I had them on the candy jars, too… and it turned people off to some of the flavors. “Twisted Root Beer Beans” is really just Root Beer Jelly Bellies… no need to fear. And “Rotten orange seedlings”, just Orange Sherbet Jelly Bellies. I could go on and on ;) (Have I mentioned that I LOVE puns and pun-like things?!???? We should trademark Nathan’s *groan* and eyeroll that he performs after I reveal a pun that I think is brilliant. It’s THAT good.)
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I did mention I have a ton of candy, right? Come ‘n’ get it! (Is there a 12 step program for over buying? There has to be… as I remember the mount Purse-uvius incident and hang my head in shame… BUT… we only have about 10 of those puppies left… so HA!)
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Also… speaking of over-buying… guys… I got like… 50 tons of candles. They are great candles, don’t get me wrong… but my nose made me buy most of their scents. Bad nose! So, mention my “run-a-way nose” and buy three get one free until the end of November. See, a hidden Coupon… right over there!!! Go find it ;) I ship too, call me! (dang it… to clarify… buy three Colonial Candles and get one of equal or lesser value for free through November 30. Can’t be combined with any other coupons, specials or acts of nature). Colonial Candles… awesome candles and I got Potpourri, too. In Christmas scents (holiday cheer, holiday sparkle, fresh fallen snow and mistletoe). Also, pumpkin Pie, Indian Summer (my fave), ocean scents, florals, fresh cotton scents, papaya, honeydew… too many to mention.
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Okay… so my cousin Allison emailed me and said… “I want a scarf (from your blog), how much… pick the coolest one.” I think Cathi picked the coolest one ;) So, Al, I know you don’t like purple, but what is your second favorite color? :) And do you want more serious or girly foo-foo? Is it cold in NC already??? (I’m turning my blog into myspace now, sorry… comments have their place! hehe).
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And finally… we put these Doggles on Meg… we thought she’d spend the entire time trying to get them off her little head, but she really enjoyed them. And goodness, can you stand the cuteness??? We recommend these dog-goggles to protect your pup’s eyes… and you too, can swoon at the cuteness that is accessorizing your dog. (I’d whip out the head bows, sweaters, little shoes and tiaras with sparkles but Nathan won’t have it. I had to sneak a pink collar on my GIRL dog. So, Meg gets to wear jewelry when he’s not looking! hehe!)
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10.14.07
Posted in Fun Stuff, Main, outings at 1:06 am by carrie
For those of you who know Sue T. and her amazing gift for finding vintage treasures, decorating, entertaining… and the sheer *wow* factor you get when you step into her house… you’ll realize that this blog does not do her home justice. Also, this was only one month into her Halloween decorating. She spends over 8 weeks preparing for her favorite holiday but her house is always set like a stage… as you will see :) Every little nook and cranny has a spooky surprise waiting for you…
This is the end of her downstairs hallway… fun little touches everywhere…
Typewriters, cats, candelabras and a book of spells!
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Sue’s son is very involved in the selection of decor each Halloween. He was very excited to show me his collection of mummies and archaeological dig ephemera! I’ve promised to come back and help paint hieroglyphics on a wall or two to help with the Egyptian/mummy theme. Of course he was digging in the dirt and making stone etchings… it has to look authentic :)
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I got the full mummy tour in the most awesome of tree houses I’ve ever seen (Well, it’s more like a playhouse on stilts but completely awesome none-the-less)! You have to cross a bridge/plank to get inside and it has a second story! I really really want a tree house! (these pictures do not do it justice, I must take more!)
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I can’t wait to see everything when it’s all put together with low-lights, rolling fog and spooky sounds :) I’ll be sure to share those pictures, too! I’m pretty sure Sue should charge admission but it truly is a labor of love :)
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Posted in Fun Stuff, Main, Sharing the Handmade Love at 12:15 am by carrie
So, I get this text message to my phone… “Cupcake decorating party tonight at my house!” How can I say no??! Pinguino had the awesome idea to make Spooky Cupcakes…
In order of appearance… (All these pictures were taken by Pinguino or Nathan…)
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Tiny naked cakes!
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Pinguino’s coffee table… where the magic will happen.
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And these are my little edible art pieces… the turtle (on the right… it doesn’t really, err… look like a turtle) is covered with taffy that I rolled fimo style into swirls and sliced. 5 years of fimo-ing had to come in useful someday, right? ;)
The end!
**I’m SO doing a cupcake decorating party at the store for Christmas… any takers?**
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10.03.07
Posted in Events!, Fun Stuff, Main, business-a-go-go at 12:43 am by carrie
Being an artist and prior mathematics aficionado, I find myself stumped when it comes to vocabulary and *new* words. Nathan and I often say that together, we would have a perfect SAT score. Sadly, I didn’t fare so well in the verbal section. I tend to enjoy visuals much better than words. Those pesky words get in the way of everything!
I finally got the postcard to the printer… I thought I was being clever in my selection of wording but… ummm… I’m doubting that now:
front - click to view larger
back - click to view larger
It says:
You are invited to join us for
Violets are “Boo’s” 5th Annual
Spooooky Tea Party & Sale
Saturday, October 20th
11:00 am - 8:00 pm
The sale lasts all day long, but we’ll drag out the
spirited festivities & comestibles after 4:00 pm
For more info, visual diversions & freebies:
www.violetsareblue.net
be sure to check out our blog, too!
Okay, okay… I was going for the Haunted Mansion host’s monologue thing at Disneyland (”Kindly DRAG your bodies to the DEAD center of the room… ” etc)… hopefully for those who do not enjoy the Halloween Holiday, I have not sent them away forever :) I’m more normal than creepy, I swear!
And for the elements of the postcard… The front picture is awesome… we set up the Nicol Sayre pieces then used fake candles (the real ones were TOO bright) and filled in the bottom light using flashlights. We put the camera on a tripod and left the shutter open for about 20 seconds. Here’s the original and a couple of variations…
And I made the ribbon in the top corner. Technically, it’s called a rosette :) I want to make bunches of these and stick them all over the store!
And for the back of the postcard…Penny Mcallister’s pumpkin bride and groom… fabulous… we had a lot of fun taking these pictures… just playing with the lights and shutter speeds change the mood dramatically… inspiration for animating! And, at the bottom, the nod to Thanksgiving… hard to tell, but all of the harvest items are resting on a Sommer Designs apron :) *btw… congrats are in order, Carrie! I just read! Yay!! :)*
So… phew! it’s done! Now to tackle the 58 boxes of Christmas that came today! Yikes!! Christmas will be up 100% by the end of the first week of November. Can you believe it??? How is it October already??? I have other inspiration to share later… including pictures from Susan’s house. Her home is a treasure trove of finds… and they are getting ready for Halloween. Her son Sam has a mummy theme in mind… I’m going to draw hieroglyphics on their walls outside! Too fun! If you think you go “all out” for Halloween, you haven’t met Sue ;)
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Lastly, we now offer Colonial Candles & Potpourri! I think I have over 22 scents including pumpkin pie, 2 other fall scents and 5 holiday scents. They are wonderful candles… if you need anything, please call! We’ll ship almost anywhere, too :)
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Enjoy the transition into fall! If you are a fan of Starbucks and have a craving for something sweet, try the pumpkin empanada… it’s divine!!! :)
p.s…. giveaway VERY soon! :)
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06.29.07
Posted in Classes/Workshops, Fun Stuff, Main, Mind Wanderings, business-a-go-go at 1:43 am by carrie
Lost… lost in a sea of “Summer Clearance” signs and over-indulging in a jewelry making supply purchase (shhhh…). I have about half-a-dozen posts started, but nothing up and finished… even my major epiphany entry… I love how that works.
I extended our Summer Clearance sale through this coming Saturday so come on up and take a look. I marked many things down to rock-bottom prices… Most things 10-30% off (All fashion jewelry is 30% off!!) but many random 40-50% off items and even some 75% off items. Making room for all the lovely Halloween items we just received!!
So… phew… I finally got the class schedule together…
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Saturday, July 7th
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $50.00
Fast & Fun Picture Frame Workshop with Tyn Atol of Pookieville
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Sunday, July 8th
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $55.00
Assemblage Shadow Art Box with Joe Carrion of Rufus & Paco
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Saturday, July 14th
12:00 pm - 5:00 PM - $85.00
Assemblage and Stitch Pin/Pendant Workshop with Sandy Gordon of Art Tea Life
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Saturday, July 21st
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $60.00
Tin Faire House Workshop with Tyn Atol of Pookieville
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Saturday, July 28th
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $40.00
Basic Fresh Flower Design with Kristina Gyure
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Saturday, August 4th
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $36.00
Collage Art Box, Purse & Tags Workshop with Maylene Au
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Saturday, August 11th
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $55.00
Tiny Book Necklace Workshop with Rachael Doudrick
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Saturday, August 18th
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $45.00
Memory Glass Pendant/Brooch Workshop with Rachael Doudrick
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Saturday, August 25th
1:00 pm - 4:00 PM - $40.00
Glycerin Soap 101 with Carrie Hannegan of Violet Cottage & Violets are Blue
Please click here for more information and to sign up!
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Coming soon… Halloween Sugar Skull (Day of the Dead) Workshop, Basic Jewelry Design, Assorted Scrapbooking Workshops, Bath Product 101’s, Artist Trading Cards (ATC’s) and much more!
I’m going to put the schedule in flyer-form in a few local Starbucks… any other suggestions? I’m not a marketing guru and I hate going into such places and sheepishly asking to post my advertising. Better yet, you do it and I’ll give you something! hehehehehe…. shameless Tom Sawyer move.
It’s almost 2 am so I’m going to get to sleep, but I have been thinking of all of you in blog-city… I plan to take an afternoon and get acquainted with everyone again soon, and leave comments! ;)
To blog about (this is for “office use only” I suppose, because it’s not going to make sense):
- The 48 Hour Film Project (Go Nancy and Friends!!)
- Carrie’s Misadventures to pick up clasps and wire… I came home with a bead store
- Have I mentioned that I dislike the heat?
- We’re going to North Carolina in the middle of July! (what?!?! Whose idea was that?!?)
- Looking through ancient Violets are Blue flyers from 1999… awww, look at my horrible layout design
- My Mom may be getting her own park! Well, sort of
- Happy Birthday Ms. Buswell
- Who wants to come dispose of the 2 dozen deflated balloons I have hidden in the back room?
- Birthday presents a-flyin’
Ummm… I knew there was more… but… whoa, it’s late!
Have a super duper Friday!!!!
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05.09.07
Posted in Fun Stuff, Main, Mind Wanderings, Sharing the Handmade Love, outings at 12:10 am by carrie
Okay, so… it’s another pun, but it makes me giggle more than it should. You see, we like to take our dog everywhere with us and the other night we were in and out of the car quite frequently and I coined the phrase “Re-leash the hound” to get ready for our next mini adventure etc and so on… Use it in a sentence tomorrow, I dare ya!
I’ve been doing the jewelry thing again… thought I would share a few pictures :)
That’s my workspace… anywhere there’s an a/c and cable tv ;)
Here’s a bracelet with Cathi’s beads and tons of dangling crystals… oh, and a loose heart pendant
Just one of my many bead boxes… this one is filled with glass cupcakes, little glass birds and other assorted goodies
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A couple pairs of dangle earrings… need to make about 20 more pairs… well, that’s my goal by this Saturday at least ;)
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Have I mentioned I have a thing for greens, blues and other ocean colors?
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Our water heater is broken and I adore cold showers as much as the next person but… dang it! At least it’s been 90 out lately to counteract the temperature difference of my skin. I loathe hot weather, glad I live in the middle of a desert with a/c boxes that cool a 3 foot semi-circle. Sorry, grumpy… didn’t have my latte today ;)
We did, however, consume the best gelato this side of… errr… Italy. Melt Gelato in Montrose. I thought it was a “mom-and-pop”, but it isn’t! They are tucked in a little 2 story mini mall, hidden among the small businesses. Is this the wave of the future? (I’m slow) Large businesses and franchises disguised as small businesses? No, it’s been around, but I like to create long sentences about it. The gelato was amazing, they also serve crepes and we are definately going back, if not only to take pictures of their gelato sculptures! Pinguino is obsessed with pink berry frozen yogurt… that’s next on the “80 frozen treats in 80 days tour”. I should write a complete essay about frozen dessert movements. Who can forget Heidi’s Frogen Yozurt, Penguin’s Frozen Yogurt, dippin’ dots… and TCBY at the airports (Some of these are still around). Now there is Cold Stone, marble slab, 21 choices and Maggie Moo’s. Funny how the trends move all around. Why do I find this extremely interesting??
So much to do before the weekend… we are offering fresh flowers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday… I’ll post our hours in an official announcement post… aaannnnddd… need to get more Mother’s Day cards printed and jewelry made! Nothing like last minute to keep you going! :)
Important Programming Note!
Oh, and I had a few visitors from BlogLand this weekend! Sandy from Sam I am Creations (and she totally bought a bird that looks just like the one on her header) and her friend Iva (who needs to shoot me an email so I can check out her blog). Okay, I’m so horribly bad about being surprised (although, she did mention that she was coming out… talk about scattered… how do I dress myself?) because my brain just doesn’t work that way. I need to know what’s going on or coming my way every moment or I will make a bit of an ass of myself :) (This includes phone calls from someone who may have *just* left my store!) Sandy introduced herself and mentioned something about receiving a package from me and I thought…. from the giveaway? I JUST sent it, wow! the USPS sure is speedy (it was actually an ebay win from eeeearrrlly that week)! And I totally thought she was someone else and thought of a different blog in my head. Bra-ill-yiant. Me. Thank you. *Bow*.
So, if you come up and introduce yourself… give me approximately 90 seconds to run to the computer, do my “ooooohhhh, that’s YOU!” bobbing, nodding head thing… then re-introduce yourself. It may just sink in after that. I never said I was smart.
(*I’m good with puns though*)
Lastly…
Here’s Meg telling me we should hit the road again… it’s too hot in the house and she’s wishing the entire house was made out of ceramic tile! :)
Have a good Wednesday everyone! :)
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05.03.07
Posted in Classes/Workshops, Fun Stuff, Main, Sharing the Handmade Love at 1:47 pm by carrie
We know the What and Where… the When & How much… well… that’s to be determined :)
You will be creating ATC’s or Artist Trading Cards. It’s like a calling card or business card, but better. Handmade using stamping, collaged images, vintage and new papers, rhinestones, glitter… you name it! Technically, you are supposed to trade them so you have many different ones from a variety of artists, but you can hoard your own, the decision is yours!
Here are some examples, courtesy of your instructor, Sue Thornton!
Details on the classes to come! Yay!! :)
To view our list of classes offered on our website (still needs updating, but it gives a general idea), please click here
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