From Chaos Comes Happiness

Oh, how I love Fridays! They are quickly becoming one of my most favorite days EVER! And not just because it marks the end of a hectic school and work week. Nope, not at all. I love them because over here at From Chaos Comes Happiness . . .         they are . . . Crafty Schmafty Fridays!!!! Wahooooie! And my friends, I just LOVE getting my "Crafty" on!!! Now, one little bit of business before we begin. I finally  have my button ready for you to grab . . . so please venture over to the right side bar and take a look! I'd be absolutely honored if you would be so kind as to post my "Crafty Schmafty Fridays" button on your blog. Really . . . it would just thrill me! I'd love to see this become a great big Blog party each and every week, so please consider joining in! Whew . . . I'm glad the business is over. Let's us continue, shall we? WELCOME to this week's Crafty Schmafty Friday!!! And, oh, I think you'r...

I'm starting to get my groove back with my blog. Can you feel it? The smooth ride . . . my hair flying in the wind . . . the sun shining on my face . . . yes, that's what I feel . . . Blogland . . . it's good to be here. (BIG smile). To celebrate my return to this great land of blog, I thought I'd try a little something different for me. Some sort of schedule by which I can commit myself to. Something to plan for, to think about, to dream of. I think a schedule, of sorts, is just what I need. So . . . without further ado . . . and in my best Maggie Smith impersonation . . . I hereby welcome you & christen thee, "Crafty Schmafty Fridays!"   "What?" you say, "What in the world is Crafty Schmafty Fridays?"   Well . . . Crafty Schmafty Fridays is going to be my attempt at sharing a creative idea, project or piece of art that I completed during that week. If you've read any of my posts this year, a big goal of mine is...

Oh, cleaning out your art studio is so good for the soul . . . and I have been inspired with lots of creative ideas since organizing my supplies. I also have made a secret pact with myself this year, as best as I can, to ONLY shop for supplies in my own studio. I have rediscovered some AWESOME embellishments, kits, and all kinds of goodies long forgotten, and I intend to use as much of my 'stuff' as I possible can! I also decided that I want to make as many gifts as possible this year. With all the birthdays, anniversaries, and wonderful celebrations that take place in the year . . . why not start MAKING gifts for people? I know it's easy to stop and pick up a gift card some place, but gift cards (not only) seem a little impersonal, they also cost lots of $$. We are a one income house (something I need to remember), so it's time I start putting my talents to use. Gift Giving use, that is! So . . . no time like the present! Some time last yea...

Oh, my friends . . . I love creating something new. And now that I have finally finished organizing my studio space in our home, I was eager to get in there and get my hands on a new project. This one . . . is AWESOME (if I do say so myself), and I can't wait to share it with you. Have I told you how much I love Instagram? If you are a Facebook friend of mine, you already have a pretty good idea how much I love it based on the photos I share. If you aren't familiar with it,  Instagram  "is an online photo-sharing and social networking service that enables its users to take a picture, apply a digital filter to it, and share it on a variety of social networking services, including its own and other leading sites such as Facebook or Twitter." (source: Wikipedia) Aside from all of that (and please know I am not affiliated with Instagram) I absolutely love how the program conforms your photo to a square shape, and offers a variety of different camera filters a...

Greetings my dearest friends, and Happy Monday to you all! I hope this post finds you well rested after the weekend, and ready to take on some new adventures. I know I am . . . and let me tell you friends . . . I'm in the midst of a great adventure right now. Oh, what a craft making Diva I have been! This past weekend, I actually think I have out done all previous "Craft Diva" projects.  And oh, how I can't wait to tell you all about it! If you follow my Facebook page, you'll know that I started my most recent creative adventure this past weekend . . . making candles. It started with an idea of a new product to offer in my next Holiday Craft fair (November 10th), and you know me - when I get an idea and have a vision of what I want, I stop at nothing to make it happen. Very early in the process, I realized this was more than just an "idea". I had committed to a whole process of creating, and I learned more about myself than I ever imagined. Like most t...

Just a little crafty thing to share with you today . . . a little project that took me a short amount of time, and really spruced up the house. I love mini-lights. And we have the perfect banister in our home to place lots of them. Usually around this time of year, as the darkness falls upon us earlier and earlier, I look for some sort of light to string on our banister. This year was no exception. After I realized the Halloween ribbon was on sale for 50% off at Michaels last week, I went to town . . . All it took was one string of orange lights, and a bunch of ribbon, cut in about 7" strips. Michaels has the BEST ribbons, don't you think? I took a strip of the ribbon, and tied it to the string of lights like so . . . I think I tied two or three ribbons between each light. After a short time, it started to look really festive! Then, I simply tied it to the banister . . .   Here it is, without the flash . . . LOVE IT!   Oh, just t...

I've been working really hard this week. Still doing a bit of that work project for my old employer, and then coming home and working on my art for the upcoming art fair I've been talking about. I'm up to my elbows in mod-podge, paints, prints, jewelry and absolutely everything else that I can get my hands on this week. All of this has me living some late late nights, followed by really early mornings, and I'm just exhausted. It'll be over soon . . . I know. I feel like I'm rehearsing for a play. I used to be in theater (can't remember if you knew that or not.) I've probably been in about 30 plays in my life . . . most during my college years, but a number of them during high school. It's kind of funny that I am working for an art fair that will be held in the high school I attended. And I find myself with that same excited and exhausted feeling that I felt so many years ago at this school, when I performed in Chicago, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie...

Did I tell you that I went to a jewelry show a couple of weeks ago? And, that I am obsessed with Pinterest? They don't really have anything to do with each other . . . well, not really, but maybe just a little. Yes, I went to a friends home jewelry show, and bought myself some GORgeous jewels. Nothing too fancy, but all lots of cool fun. And I'm loving Pinterest. Have you been there yet? It's an awesome sight were one can "pin" and save some of their favorite images from the web, and I LOVE IT! I can spend HOURS there, pinning and repinning things that I love . . . (I said I can spend hours, not that I do actually spend hours there . . . although, if I could . . . I certainly would.) If you want to see some of the things I've pinned on my boards - click the red bar on the right that says "Follow Me on Pinterest." Anyway, I am sure that I was inspired by a pin somewhere for this awesome DIY project that I did today. Although, when going back thr...