A Different Kind of Order....and Canada Bound!!!

Just delivered a different kind of order this week for my friend, Melissa at work. 

Lately, I have been really used to sewing, crocheting and making hair accessories so it was fun to do some jewelry making (it seems like forever since I made my last jewelry piece)

My sister, Jen, also works at the pediatric office with me and I had made her a bracelet to wear to my wedding (almost 7 years ago.....).  Little (all 90 pounds of her) Ms Melissa loved the delicacy of them and wanted a couple for Spring.  So I went back to the jewelry board and beaded her up a few!

It was fun to get back into it!  AND I realized that I have a couple of "unfinished" projects I need to get working on.

AND this week I officially went international with my etsy items!  I was so excited and nervous at the same time.  Filling out the shipping info and reading horror stories about items getting stuck in customs for weeks was very nerve racking but I did it and am hoping this is just the beginning.

So Jaxon's very own dino shirt (like this one) is on its way North for his 4th birthday this April.

All in all I had a very new and fun week.  Can't wait to share more later.

Some of the things I have been working on

Holy cow in the last few weeks I have been not only reorganizing my craft room but working on several etsy orders and decorations for my home and gifts for friends and potty partying and much much more.  (hows that for one really long sentence???)

Here's a few things that I have been working on and a sneak peek to some tutorials to come. 

This was for a sweet little dino lover in CA celebrating his 4th B-day...

with his last name on the back...

and this A bodysuit with matching headband for my friend at church and her cutie Annabelle...

Another Etsy order for Rhett's John Deere 1st Birthday party...

between all that we danced it up at a "Pull-Ups Potty Dance Party" that I won through House Party, because in my spare time I am an avid couponer!!

and made some decorations (tutorials to come) for the house...

I have been loving all the orders I have been getting through etsy and this is just a few of them that I have been working on.  I'm excited for more to come! 

If you are wondering where the final pics of my craft room are they are coming.  I have a few things left to tidy up and then I promise pictures will be shared!!!  I will have to try out my new camera on it! :o)





Organizing....My Favorite Thing

Well I have been very busy reorganizing and redecorating my house including my craft room!!!  After this is all completed I plan to start dumping all my ideas on you.  Along the way I have been making a few little things but nothing has really gotten finished yet.  So with this long weekend I plan on hopefully finishing up most of the transformation and I will share them with you really soon.

A sneak peak of my craft room....

and this will be no more very soon!!!

When I first started sewing and organized my craft room originally I didn't really account for this much fabric.  I must organize it better because it is driving me insane!!!!! :)

So stay tuned for the unveil of my beautifully created and organized craft room...and some small other decorative projects around the house.

See you soon.

My Etsy Favorites

Well if you know me or follow me on facebook or even read this blog you have had to of heard of Etsy. 

The definition according to Wikipedia (my husband has me hooked) is....

an e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items as well as art and craft supplies.

If you have never heard of it or gone over there and browsed around you are seriously missing out on some really unique and cool things.

So I thought I would highlight some of my faves over there on etsy so you could enjoy them also.  There is something for everyone and you can literally find anything from clothing to housewares to off the wall items!!!  It is such a fun place. 

Hope you have some time because I am sure you will get hooked like me!!!

So here goes.....

One of my new favorites are these unique jewelry pieces from Lillypop.  Go here for the store.  I'm not sure which one is my absolute favorite (because they are all so cool).  It's a tie between the Island princess bracelet trio (of course anything tropical I LOVE), the Dancing Queen Trio , or the Genevieve Ribbon Necklace package.    Let me know in the comments section which one is your favorite!!!

Another jewelry fave of mine is the  Birka Scandinavian shop. You can find their shop by clicking here.  This is where my sweet hubby got my stackable mother's rings for Christmas (OK I had to help him out just a tiny little bit because he wasn't really familiar with etsy).  My cute little crazy boys are born in April and May so I have this one and this one.  I also got a beaded spacer ring to go in between the two.  The cool thing about this shop is it is so inexpensive and they have other rings/jewelry besides mother's rings!  These are great gifts for Mother's Day (which isn't too far away)!

If you want to spunk up (it is the only phrase I could find that fit these) then Cyanide Stitches is for you.  They have some very unique items ranging from decorative bath towels to wallets.  I love these.  Such a fun way to add a little bit of chic humor to your bathroom.  They even have some for the kids like this dino towel or a friendly reminder to wash your hands and put the seat down (ugh....the dreaded seat problem).  These are just plain funny and I have all intentions of ordering the glasses towels for the bathroom in our bedroom (goodbye monogrammed towels)!!!

For all my fellow couponers....I give to you The Organized Shopper.  If you are like me you have seriously been through a million different ways to organize your coupons.  Well whatever way you organize, this will work for you when you are at the store.  It is the Original Hands Free List Maker Coupon Organizer.  I think it looks very nice (given you aren't taking your kiddos with you into the store).  There are only a few for sale but it looks like in the sold orders that they have made a lot of different ones with different fabrics so you could probably Convo (etsy's way of emailing) the seller for a custom order.

So what do you think???  Are you addicted to Etsy like I am now???  Look around it won't take you long!

Fleece Tie Blankets

OK so it has been said before that the first child gets everything.  We have all heard that a MILLION times and me being "not the first child" may have even said it a time or two!  But for somethings it might be true!  For instance baby showers are often done for your first child so you get all those great new things and then the 2nd and 3rd etc kiddos just get the handmedowns.  And although I love handmedowns a lot (having 2 boys) the little ones need some things of their very own.

Why did I go into that big long speech??? (you're asking yourself)

Because at one of my showers for my first little man I got one of those perfect little fleece tie blankets.  It is perfect for snuggling on the couch, taking to the park for picnics, putting on his bed.....

Bottom line Mr. Max (the littlest) needed one to so I decided to make him one for Christmas (I know Christmas was a month ago). 

Yes I am just now getting around to finishing it up!!!!  (sometimes I am a tiny little teeny bit of a procrastinator!)

The best thing about making a fleece tie blanket is that you don't even need to know anything about sewing.  It is a perfect project for anyone!  (and if your weather is anything like ours lately you may need and extra blanket...C'mon Summer!!!)


Want to make one for your very own not first child or maybe for a gift??? 

You will need

2 yards each of coordinating fleece fabric

Scissors

that is it....pretty simple right???

I started by lying the two layers of fleece out (in a big space) with wrong sides together.

Then I trimmed off the edges so that they would meet up together better. 

Next, I cut a 4x4 square out of each corner (this will help you have clean corners when you start tying).

Now just start cutting 4 inch (approximate) strips all around the blanket.

Lastly, just tie each of those slits.....and tie......and tie......  (this is fun to have someone cutting and someone tying but you can do it by yourself also).



Yay, your done!!!

These are fast and fun!  Fleece is always on Sale (and you know I love that!) for 50% off or more so next time you see a good sale grab yourself up some and make a fun little blanket!

My Showcase Spot

Well in just a few minutes I will be featured on the childrens page of Etsy (a handmade and vintage website).  I am pretty excited and hope that it will again "get my name out there" in the world of craftiness. 

So with all this excitement I had to really work on my shop and make it look super hip!  AND I had to get several things (that I have procrastinated on) listed on Etsy!  I still dont have everything on there but I figure it is a good start. 

I am super excited to see how tomorrow goes and to see if I get more "views" on my items or convos about them.

We will see.  Fingers crossed!!!!

If you want to check it out for yourself you can go here and see all the cute little Valentine's Day things and other "must haves" that I posted to Qteepa2tee's Boutique! 

Brrrrr....Time for Snow ice cream

Have you gotten some of the snow that has been blessing the nation???

Well we got about 6-7 inches I would say here in Missouri and you know what that means....

SNOW ICE CREAM!!!!

I actually have never had this but after dinner I was really needing some dessert.  Of course with all the snow we really weren't jumping in the car to go to the store.  (and I was super tired from shoveling the driveway)

Soooo I decided to try out some snow ice cream. (I think my darling husband thought I was CrAzY!!!) Brody was excited about the idea and always willing to "help" in the kitchen (he gets this from his father)!

I used the recipe from here and with my little man's help stirring we had a tasty dessert without even leaving our home. 

We added all the ingredients into a bowl, adding a little more snow than the recipe called for (it seemed to melt pretty fast).

After mixing all the ingredients we dipped up our freshly SNOWED ice cream.....

I added chocolate to mine but Brody thought it was "dirty" with the chocolate in it! 



All in all it was really fun to use the snow and it tasted good too.  Brody is more a papa's chocolate shake kind of guy so he didn't eat a lot of it but Max loved it and so did their mama!!!

So next time it snows......Dip up some snow ice cream!

2011 Giveaways!!!!

OK so as promised there will be several giveaways this year and I'm really excited about them!!!!  They are going to be new and exciting things that you will want to get in on.

The first giveaway will be some of those 'oh so chic' blocks from our very first tutorial(how appropriate huh?) 

didn't see the blocks tutorial??? just scroll down

Remember these can be designed in many different styles including last name, baby, holiday and much more!!!The winner will be named when the facebook page reaches 100 'likes' (because who isn't "social networking" nowadays right?) So tell all your friends about Qteepa2tee's Boutique fan page and they can enter too!  The other good news.........it is already over 1/2 way there!!!

So how do you enter this giveaway????


Go here and make sure you 'like' the page and then tell your friends to do the same.  OR you can click on the little SHARE button by this post.....lastly leave a comment down below about what you would want your blocks to say if you are the lucky winner.  As soon as the number hits 100 the winner will be announced. 

Easy enough?? 

Recycled Crayons

Do your kids have TONS of broken crayons in their craft box?????  Mine is only 2 and it's amazing how many crayons were already broken.  So I decided to consolidate!!! I was nervous about how this would turn out because we were using the oven and let's face it that is NOT my area of expertise......but they turned out pretty good! (dont tell my husband).

So ready to make your VERY OWN recycled crayons??? 

You will need

broken crayons

Crayon mold (I used an old cupcake pan)

paper cupcake liners

So here is how I made mine.....

I started with the old broken crayons.

Then I peeled ALL the paper off every crayon.

and I had a little help... :o)

He was concentrating so hard! :o)

Then we placed our cupcake liners into the pan and put the pieces of crayons in each one sorting them by color. 

we even added some together for a little bit of craziness!!!!

I put them in a preheated oven at 250 degrees and baked them for about 25-30 minutes.  If you have the thinner crayons it would take a lot less time but we were using the thicker ones.  AND of course we turned on the oven light to watch our masterpiece...

once they were completely melted I carefully took them out of the oven (trying not to mix up our "crazy" crayons).

I let them completely cool and then removed the paper cupcake liner.  Voila, they are ready for hours of coloring by your little one (and you too).

Aren't these so fun????  And your kids will love making them also.  It is a great project for a rainy day or just a day spent at home.  If I can do it you can too.....

Now go get rid of all those broken crayons cluttering up your craft box and create some crazy fun recycled crayons.

Memory Blocks

I am such a sucker for sentimental lovey things and have an upcoming wedding so I thought I would try out these fun memory blocks I have seen around. (plus I have a resolution to keep with new tutorials for you) 

So I decided to create their last name on the block and this is what I came up with.....

(no their last name is not JUNE but I thought I would keep it annonymous :) ) 

The ideas are endless for these blocks.  Weddings, kids' names, holiday decorations and much, much more!  Just chose the style of paper to coordinate and voila'! 

So ready to make your VERY OWN memory blocks??? 

You will need

2in wooden blocks (found in the unfinished wood @ your local craft store)

 paint if you choose to paint the blocks (I chose charcoal)

scrapbook paper (the thin paper works better)

scrapbooking glue

Ink

Modge podge

stickers or lettering (I used my cricut cutter)

So here is how I made mine.....

I started with the plain ol blocks and painted them charcoal.

Then I punched out squares with a square punch that would fit the blocks and then rounded the corners (you can cut these with a scrapbook trimmer also) .

Next, I put a THIN layer of glue on the paper and covered 5 sides of the block (I did not cover the bottom of my blocks).  If you don't cover all the sides you must make sure that the style of paper you want is in the front.  Since I was making this for a wedding present I used the couple's picture off the invite for the front side of the end block.

Next, I used my cricut cutter and the "making the grade" cartridge to cut out the letters I needed.  I made my letters 1 1/4in and then ran it through my xyron create a sticker.

I inked the edges of the paper on all sides for an antique kind of look.

Lastly, I painted a moderate layer of modge podge on all 5 sides of the block and placed them on styrofoam plates to dry (newspaper will stick).

Now bundle them up for a cute gift or go put them on that empty shelf!

I'd love to hear what kind of blocks you made in the comments section!

New Years Resolution

Seriously MUST stop blogging about where I've been and get to posting regularly for you readers.  That is my New Year's Resolution!!!! (you can keep me to it)

I have been crafting in my time off and doing several Holiday shows which went well. 

This is what you can expect in the upcoming months.....

Several posts weekly on what I am working on and other things that will be OH so interesting ;o)

Tutorials and other fun patterns for all your crafting needs.

Regular Facebook posts (are you a fan??? if not go here and 'like' us)

AND lots of other fun things and giveaways!!!!

2011 is going to bring many new and exciting things to this blog so STAY TUNED!!!!!  It is going to be quite the ride!

New banner

Wahoo I finally did it.  I had a banner and all kinds of fun things designed from a very talented Erin Bradley on Etsy.  She has amazing stuff, I love it all!!! 

It was hard for me to decide but this is what I went for.  It is also in my Etsy shop so you can check it out there too. 

I would highly recommend her, I ordered it today about 1pm and got it at 3pm.

That's what I am talking about. 

Well gotta work on a few orders and of course those fast approaching shows so gotta go.....just wanted to share my really cool banner!

Whew....

Wow!  What a weekend!  I have been cutting fabric, tying tutus, making key fobs and working hard on several other things for the upcoming shows. 

A big shout out to my sweet little hubby who designed and constructed my key fob rack and some heads to put my hair pieces on!  Oh and I almost forgot.....really took care of the kiddos a lot this weekend so I could knock out a lot of design pieces for the shows.  And I definitely cant forget about my momma who came over and slaved over the cutting mat for well over 5 hours today!!!!  And the best part about, I sent her and my dad home with "homework!!!"  Ha Ha!  Looking forward to Friday night when her and my gracious big sister are going to come over (kid free) and do some more 'helping' me (my sister just doesn't know it yet....oops) 

I am starting to feel like I MAY be able to go to bed on November 19th (the night before the show.)  Nah, probably not!  I am sure something will keep me awake at the last minute.  Sometimes I am pretty good at procrastinating although as I have said before.....I DO NOT like working under a few hours deadline.  I always feel like I make more mistakes then and have to redo things which I dont like to do.

I will try to post pictures later once everything is finished.  Things I definitely still need to get.....

another "head" for the stands

a black tablecloth (if you know where a nice one can be found let me know!)

ummmmmm oh and A LOT of other things that I cant think of right now!  :/ 

I really need to consolidate my "NEEDS" list because I have several running around and I'm really not sure what I need!!!!  I know sounds cRaZy right???

Oh well, it will all get done and I am super excited about it!  Hope everyone loves it as much as I do. 

After all this I am going to make my etsy store look ROCKIN cool so stick around.  One thing at a time! ;)

Where I've been

I am so sorry it has been awhile for me to post.  I have been....well trying to manage everything I need to do and want to do.  Sometimes I think it is hard to find a good balance.


But I have also been doing a lot of really cool things.  For instance, every October my mom takes my sister and I to a weekend long shopping trip.  So Fun!  It is designed to be "Kid Free, Stress Free but each year I seem to tag along one of my kiddos one way or the other.  This is Max's 2nd year going (last year as a little growing peanut) and this year he cant really get too far away from his momma if you know what I mean! ;)

I have also been spending some 'family time' doing fun fall things.  I love fall festivals and the parades.  So we have had fun doing that.

And of course a fall fave in my family.....picking apples and going to the pumpkin patch.  Brody did an awesome job picking the "perfect" apples.  Really he was absolutely fine taking the ones that had already fallen on the ground.

I have also been working on a few of my first "etsy" orders!  I was so excited to get those first couple of orders and am praying that I will continue to create things that people want to put on their cute little ones or even themselves because I am having way too much fun to stop!  :o)

I have also been working on getting my stock built up for a couple of craft shows and holiday shop nights I am going to be doing. 

So my last few weeks in a nut shell....but mostly just been loving on these 2 Q-T's!!



Some Halloween fun!

Ok so I just finished this super fun BOO shirt for my friend Keri's daughter Katie!  I love it and I hope she does too.  I thought the fabric was fun but wasn't sure how to make it "girly!"  Well here ya go!!

I bet she will look adorable in it!  Although she may need to push up those sleeves for Halloween in Florida!!!  :)

I will get this....

Ok I promise I will figure out the Fabrics page.  Blogging....sewing....crafting I can handle.  Apparently I am not as "computer savy" as I thought.  But hey I will get it figured out maybe with the help of the hubby!

So excited for a few things today....

Hubby is getting off early.
Picking up our new car.
Actually getting some laundry done.
AND finishing some fun fall projects today!

Lately I have been trying a lot of new things in the sewing/designing world and it has been a blast!  I am seriously just 'winging' it and turning up with some really fun designs.  I am working on getting prepared for a few craft shows/fall festivals that I have entered and it has been interesting.  This will be my first one so I am not exactly sure what to expect but I am really excited. 

A couple things I know for sure will be there....

Tutus (various sizes and colors)
Key fobs
Initial onesies
some festive fall and Christmas shirts and onesies
Hair clips (not the usual flowers/bows....although there will be a few of those.)

I was also thinking about having an order sheet for custom items, um, and some minor things to bring attention to my table like a fall/pumpkin smelling flameless candle. 

I just really need to figure out how I am going to display all the items.  I would love to hear ideas of what you think needs to be there or any other fall festive attention getters.  You can just leave them in the comments section. 

It is November 20th so I have a little less than 2 months but I really want to have fun with it and not get all stressed out at the end.  Lets face it.....when it comes to some things I am a great procrastinator BUT I hate saving things until midnight the night before (although this happens way too often).

As soon as there is more info about the craft venues I will keep you updated because I would love for you to just stop by to say HI!!!

Working on fabrics tab

If you are coming to this blog to look at fabric choices just click on the fabric tab.  I am still working on getting this organized so please be patient as I am not that blogger savy yet!!! :)

Up and Going...

I have been working hard on getting everything up and running for Qtee Pa2tee's Boutique as well as filling orders while I go.  Oh and being a wife and a momma to the 2 crazy little men in my life.  I have created this blog to keep you informed on the new and exciting things that are going on with Qtee Pa2tee!   


To start off with.....I started this blog.  Yippee!  

Tomorrow I plan on turning in my contract to have a booth at the 18th Annual Oak Park High School Craft Fair.  I figure that will be a good start in getting my name out there.  I also have a few things in my friend Shannon's salon.  (Thank you Shannon)  I was very excited to take some of the onesies, tutu and hairbows to her place. 

 Also I got a etsy store going and just tonight put a little more on there.  You can visit that in your spare time.  Here is a preview on some of the things that are in there ...

I am really having a lot of fun with all the new creations.  Of course I can't stay out of the craft stores and online.  Just Saturday my loving husband ;) took me out to OPKS to some very fun fabric stores where I had way too much fun. 

Saturday I also got my hardware in for some very fun new key fobs that I am creating.  These are so cute and make carrying your keys a little easier (ok,ok I know that is not a hugely difficult task, but they loop around your wrist & hey they are cute!) 

I will hopefully know something quickly about the venues for my fall shows.  I may also try to have an open house, we shall see.  You will have to stay tuned to find out. 

For now I am going to try to peel myself away from this new world of blogging, etsy, facebook and much much more to go get some zzzzzzzzz's before those two crazy boys wake up.