Welcome to my Blog!

Hi and welcome to my Craft and Sugar Arts blog!

I am a Christian homeschooling work-when-and-where-I-can, mostly stay at home mom of four children, occasional insomniac and forum addict, who loves a bargain and is married to my best friend who is proudly serving in the Navy almost 20 years and counting, GO NAVY!).

I love art, art history and crafts and I have a thousand and one hobbies. As a matter of fact I have met very few hobbies I didn't like and that has led me to some interesting places!

My grandmother taught me to sew, cross stitch, candlewick, embroider and do plastic canvas, although my needlepoint skills never quite came "naturally."

My mother taught me to crochet, cook and bake like a mad woman (my ever expanding waistline can attest to that...)

Add those things together and here is my current resume...

I am a Wilton Instructor (cake decorating), baker and eater of way too many sweet things...I also grind my own wheat to make bread.

I am a Red Heart Ambassador and am working through The Craft Yarn Council to become a certified instructor for crochet which I teach at a local craft store, I also teach fellow homeschoolers at home.

I am a Certified Fisk-A-Teer (they do a little bit of EVERYTHING).

I am helping DD as a Juliette Girl Scout and did I mention a homeschool mom of four?

Which means more than anything I am BUSY everyday with the house, school and loads of projects!

I am online all the time and everywhere, you never know where I will pop up next. Some of my favorite sites include the AC Moore Forum, FaceBook, the Wilton Discussion Forums, Cake Central and the Cricut Message Boards among others!

Some of my other hobbies include: card making, beading & jewelry, photography (35mm), pottery, scrap booking, soap making, candle making, stamping, trying new things with my Cricut Expression machine, and figuring out my Blackberry...

Add it up and you get The_Cr8ive_Life!

To keep up please follow my blog, I promise it will not be boring! Like Forrest Gump said "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get..."

Welcome to my box of chocolates (warning many contain NUTS!)

Find me online:
Cakes are Fun Facebook Page
Cakes are Fun Twitter
Cakes are Fun Web Site
The Cr8ive Life Facebook Page
The Cr8ive Life Twitter
The Cr8ive Life Web Site

My First Blog Award

Imagine my surprise when I logged in to start rearranging the bloggy blog and I find I have comments that have been lingering since February 26th...ugh, never got the e-mail notices. Like old mail it is scary and exciting to see what comments people are leaving. Well, except when it is SPAM.

But among the spammers was a comment from my friend April aka: Hobbyaholic from the A.C. Moore forum. Hobby is a great friend. She is filled with grace and love for people she has never met like me.

And to be chosen to receive the Stylish Blog Award from her (my very first award) makes it that much sweeter.

THANKS Hobby!

Let's Talk About Conversation Hearts

I love these cute little pastel candies.


I think they taste awful (I can not eat chalky things like these and TUMS) but I love to decorate and craft with them.

I found these really cute craft projects all over the web and thought I would share with you...

These adorable votives can be made from leftover votive holders from Christmas:

If your Valentine sends you flowers this is a clever idea.


You add these cuties to your vase by placing a glass cylinder in a large jar and filling the space with the candies, SWEET!

For a special centerpiece or to anchor your mantle glue hearts to foam cones (available in various sizes or place them on top of chunky candle holders)

Create a gift for someone on your list by using hearts to make a framed heart...
Take it up a notch by framing a message...
Make sure that special someone gets the hint...
Last but not least make this adorable wreath

PROJECTS 5th Annual Craftzine Thing-a-Day Challenge

Here are some of the Projects I am Planning for the 5th Annual Craftzine Thing-a-Day Challenge!

Hopefully some of my friends will do guest posts for me...

The links are to the pages I got the ideas from not my projects. I will change them as I do them.

2/1 Sew Spoiled Cabrio Tote Sew A Long Starts (not for me though, :/)
Crochet Mystery Project Parts 1-4
February Birthday Card Postal by 2/9 (can't spoil the surprise by posting the card)

2/2 Post TAD Project 1 Days 1&2 from The Cr8iveLife (yeah I am late, I know)

Crochet Sock Saga Part 3 Gusset
Crochet Mystery Project Continued
Sew Spoiled Cabrio Tote Day 1
2/3 Nine Birthday Cards
Snow Layout
2/4 Started Red Striped Bag
2/5 Last Minute Birthday Cake - Pound Cake and Chocolate Buttercream
Brownies
2/6 Lion Brand Yarn Super Bowl Crochet Yarn A Long
Finished Purple & Green Bag
Finished Red Striped Bag
Started Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/7 Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/8 Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/9 Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/10 Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/11 Sweet 16 Birthday Cake
Light Purple Ruffled Scarf
2/12 Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/13 Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/14 Pound of Love Baby Blanket #1
2/15 Reclaimed Cassette Storage Box for Stamp Pads
2/16 Reclaimed Spice Rack for Scrappie "Spices"
2/17 Reclaimed shelf
2/18
March Birthday Card Postal by 3/14

LOTS of Ideas:

Dollar Store Decor

• Pom Pom garland
• Felt Heart Mantle Garland
• Valentine Votives Dollar Store Decor
• Valentine Tree

Book of Love
Heart's Content T-shirt
Heart Coffee Cozies: Plaid
Conversation Heart Pillows
Crafty Cupcake Dress Up Pink Lemonade
Amigurumi Heart
Heart Potholders
Valentine Mobile
Valentine Pops
Valentine Cookies
Valentine Cake
Valentine Candy
Easter Tree
Tie Skirt
Red Lips T-shirt - UFO-already have everything.
Red Lips Apron - UFO-already have everything.
Cupcake Apron - UFO-already have everything.
Baby Blanket for #5 - UFO-already have everything.
Gallery Glass Suncatcher - UFO-already have everything.
Bloomin' Button Brooch
Fabric Cover Button Necklace and Bracelet
Button Bracelet
Extreme Glitter Eggs
Easter Window Clings
Crochet Easter Eggs

Thing-a-Day Project #1 Crochet Mystery...

It's purple and green but what could it be? I shopped my stash for yarn and browsed the web for a pattern, I started with this...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=810594&l=c02203f1b0&id=100000223778255

And made two of these...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=811448&l=bfd2ed8828&id=100000223778255

Now I am up to this...

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=811449&l=d188adb414&id=100000223778255

What oh what could it be?

Sew Spoiled Cabrio Tote Day 1

I admit it day one came and went without my even thinking about this part of my Thing-a-Day challenge. Sad to say I know. Will pick up this afternoon. And provide photos, PROMISE.

So I downloaded and printed the pattern and located my fabrics. They came from my stash, which makes me both happy and a little freaked that I have so much STUFF!

I tried to take a picture but the camera is dead (AGAIN) and my cell phone froze (AGAIN!)...

Pictures tomorrow. Double Pinky Promise!

Crochet Socks Part 1

I received a beautiful ball of handmade yarn sock from Jill Draper Makes Stuff. It is wonderful. But I have NEVER made socks. And most crochet sock patterns are bulky and just plain UGLY. And I can not knit.

So I went on a mission to find a crochet sock pattern that I can use this awesome yarn for, but I am limited to a pattern that calls for 398m and is EASY. Although I crochet fairly well I would rather not try a difficult sock pattern right out of the gate.

I found two balls of Red Heart Heart and Sole Watermelon Stripe to practice with. So who knows maybe I will end up with TWO new pairs of socks!

Here are a few patterns I have found:
Colorful Crochet Socks http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/WR1783.pdf
Ultimate Crochet Socks (toe up) http://crochetme.com/media/p/89746.aspx

Pictures on My public FaceBook Album:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=805226&l=14a58168e9&id=100000223778255

Additional Posts:
Crochet Socks Part 2 Toe to Gusset
Crochet Socks Part 3 Gusset