Crafting and Sandwiches

I have had crafting on the brain this week. I have been working on making some paper cones for Halloween. After my nut cup disaster last weekend, I am hoping to have some success with these. Don't you hate that? I made about six cups and was so proud of them when I went to bed after making them. Only to awake in the morning and see that on a couple of them I maybe was a little too generous with the glue and the crepe paper had bled. I was so sad. Luckily on my halloween cups I had more success than with the glue and they still look cute.
So this weekend Matthew and I plan on going to Pittsburgh for the day. I am looking forward to spending time with Matthew, it's his 28th birthday! And of course...Primanti Brothers pannini sandwiches! We have been wanting to go there ever since we saw it highlighted on one of those Food Network "best of..." shows about sandwiches. I will post some new pics of my nut cups and cones asap.

It can't be closed!

So we ended up going to two amazing antique malls yesterday. Both Matthew and I were lucky and found some neat things. We first drove down to Strasburg Antique Mall, a favorite of ours. It was such a beautiful day to drive down through the green Ohio country side. There we spent about two hours digging through our favorite booths. I picked up some sheet music and a tiny jar of old shell buttons for crafting. Matthew found an old book with science fiction short stories,his favorite. I did see some other things that I really wanted, like always, but I wasn't really in the mood to make any major purchases. So from there we went to eat at one of the gazillion Amish restaurants near there and then we headed to Kidron Village Antiques. We were so disappointed when we finally made it, there was a sign on the shop door saying that they were closing early. We were so bummed out but it actually turned out great because we started a new adventure.
I have always wanted to go to the Smuckers factory store in Orrville, which was only about twenty minutes from where we were, so we headed down that way. We were discussing what we would buy, I have been craving some Smuckers blackberry jam for the longest time! We get there...and it's closed. Well, we were again bummed out but luckily at the Amish restaurant Matthew and I picked up some brochures. We started going through them and discovered that we were minutes from an antique mall, so we headed that way. We discovered a great antique mall/flea market! This place is filled with super cute things, two floors full! In the back of this enormous store is a flea market filled with tables and tables of stuff. Matthew was in heaven sorting through stacks of records and old VHS tapes looking for his horror fix. I on the other hand was going through every booth looking for a hidden treasure. I hope to take some pictures next time of some of the booths that are set up. Some of them are just precious, so creative and cute how they are furnished. I wanted everything! I ended up getting and old glass jar of glitter that Matthew spotted, a little bag of some yo-yo quilt pieces, some more old sheet music and the coolest old art deco frame that I am going to put on my long list of things to paint. I could have gotten so much more but I was in such an indecisive mood yesterday, it happens from time to time. Matthew got a ton of old horror movies on VHS(his favorite)and some old heavy metal cassette tapes(his other favorite).
All in all, even though we ran into some bumps in the road, it was a great relaxing day filled with fun finds!

This weekend...

This weekend our plan is to wake up early on Saturday and head down to the Strasburg Antique Mall in Strasburg, Ohio. It is only about a thirty to forty minute drive from here. My husband and I have a particular fondness for this antique mall because we got an amazing deal on a pie safe there a couple of months ago(well maybe that is why I like it) and he really likes it because there are several booths that feature old comic books, records, and movie memorbilia, which he is obsessed with. So he does his thing and I do mine and then we meet and show each other our finds. If we feel like it we may skip over to Kidron, another small town that has a great antique store. It is actually right across the street from Ohio's famous Lehman's Hardware Store, they have been working on an addition for a long time and I heard that the new part of the store is now open for business. All in all we are looking forward to our Saturday one-tank trip. I hope that thoughts of Saturday will make my work day tomorrow fly by...

I love crafting blogs...

Today I had a minute to look at "Everyday is a Holiday." (see My Favorite Places) This is such a great blog written by an amazing designer, living near NYC. I don't know about you but I love looking at crafter's blogs. I find it so inspiring! I can't believe how many times I have seen something on the web that I just have to try to make, it really sparks my creativity! I never used to do this, I think I felt that if I looked at other crafter's work that I would somehow lose my own vision. I have realized that actually the opposite happens. It serves as an inspiration for a whole new crafty vision. So about six months ago I started visiting some of my favorite designer/crafter blogs daily. I have found that not only do I love seeing what is new and hip in the crafting world but I have gotten to know them through reading their entries. It is so neat. Unfortunately I only have a few "crafty" friends who really get why I could be so obsessed with crepe paper and german glass glitter. I get alot of strange looks from family and friends when they ask what my husband and I did over the weekend and I start to explain a great adventure to a flea market. They look at me like "ewwww, why would you get a table there and not at Target????" (love Target by the way, but it could never replace my flea markets!) So anyhow, I guess that is also why I love my favorite crafting blogs, it is my escape to a world where I can be with like-mided people and on top of that warm feeling I can find out what glue works best with glass glitter! Great tips!

Craft Extravaganza

Today during my completely crazy work day I found myself thinking about crafting and junking. This happens to me alot. Some people daydream about the beach or some hollywood hunk, not me. I dream of glitter and collaging and spending Saturday at the local antique mall searching for old hidden treasures. I am drawn to junk like moth to a flame. I can't pass a heaping pile of trash that I don't want to stop and pick up the broken chair falling off of the curb. I automatically envision myself sitting in our garage painting it some neat shabby chic color and then finding the perfect place in our house to give it a new home. That is why we finally had to break down and just buy a minivan, because sometimes the treasures I find are big! Well..on to sleep to dream of more fabulous finds...
I took some pictures of my crafts I created this weekend. I made these more-than-fairy-wands and a Pam Garrison-esque LOVE banner. Leave me a comment...like anyone is reading this.

German Glass Glitter has become an obsession of mine...

For my 30th Birthday my husband got me a giant jar of fine silver german glass glitter. This is why I married him, he is amazing! Anyhow, ever since I received this most special gift I have been glittering every craft that I make...I can't stop!
The other thing that I am crazy about right now to craft with is crepe paper! I have been messing around hand-sewing little round-a-bouts and gluing them on all of my collages. Inspired by an article in Somerset Life magazine I have been making Pam Garrison-esque banners. They are great, using vintage wallpapers, old cards, crepe paper rounds, black and white photos...and of course, german glass glitter!
I am preparing to do a show in Medina, Ohio called Art on the Square on Sunday August 12, 2007. This will be our first time doing this type of a show. Ususally I am in high school gymnasiums next to some lady that hotglues premade snowmen to little christmas trees, sprays them with glitter, strings them with multi-colored lights and is selling them like hot cakes! While I sit there with a table full of collages and glittery things that I guess your average person just doesn't seem to know what to do with, but I like them and that is what matters. So I am going to try blogging and see what happens. I really want to post some pictures of my work. I will see if I can figure that out. Until then, please check out my etsy shop and look for Sleepy Hollow Craft Company at craft shows in Northeast Ohio, maybe I could post a schedule of where we are going to be this Fall, I will work on that too!
www.sleepyhollowcrafts.etsy.com