Craft-tastic Announcement!!

I'm going to be selling my crafts at an awesome craft bazaar!!!!  I realise this might not be exciting for you, but it sure is for me.  Let me tell you all about it, starting from four years ago.

Four years ago, I decided I was going to start a business making baby and children's blankets.  Quilts, playmats, minkies, all kinds of cute things.  I bought all kinds of fabrics and designed all kinds of quilts and even bought labels.  But then, well, life got busy.  I just couldn't put in the time I wanted to and my plans (and my fabrics) got put in some very adorable vintage suitcases and packed away in the Closet of Unfinished Business.

But then a few weeks ago, one of my friends approached me about a craft show she wanted to put together.  At first I didn't think I had time, but then I heard me say to myself "It's now or never, girlfriend. Take this chance!!!"

I'm very grateful for this opportunity and I love that it's my friend's first go at a craft show as well. We both get to realise a dream and that is awesome!

So here's a glimpse at what's been going on in Sarahmerica: CUTTING!! As you can see, I have a lot of boy-ish fabrics. This is because most of my friends have had boys in the past few years and I thought the selection of cute boy stuff was abysmal, so I wanted my blankets to be bold, exciting boy stuff, not the sparsed patterned, pastelish stuff I was seeing at Fancy Tiger.

I like bright. Bright, bright, bright.  So that's what most of the blankets will be.

I will also have a bunch of Christmas cards, christmas tags, and Thank You cards (you'll be especially needing those, right?), as well as some high quality vintage clothes and accessories.

When is this fair? It's called the Great Bar Bazaar and will be held on Saturday, December 12 from 11 am to 5 pm at Roo Bar (3480 Park Avenue West).

I know there are other craft fairs that day, so make the Great Bar Bazaar a stop on your crafty holiday goodies tour and check out my handmade loot!!!

Quick subject change: Next Thursday will be the first installment of Physical Fitness Thursday here at Sunshine Satellite.  I set a goal to be able to do TEN pull ups by next October, and I am going to use this blog to hold me accountable!!  I will be talking about some of the tools I am going to use to meet my goal, so look for it Thursday, or better yet, subscribe to my blog and let your email tell you when I update!!

Self Esteem Thursday

Welcome to another installment of "Self Esteem Thursday"!!

Yes, it's true. At the bottom of this post is the recipe for Lavender Cupcake scented deodorant that my rad friend Desiree and I invented by accident last week while experimenting with deodorant recipes. And it is awesome. It works great. It's a miracle. But if you are going to try your own baking soda-based deodorant and you currently use antiperspirant, it is very important that you read about my detoxing experience.

If you are using antiperspirant right now and then make this deodorant and come complaining to me when you develop a burning, red rash, the first thing I am going to ask is "Did you read my entire blog post?" It's why I put the recipe AT THE END and not at the beginning where everyone wishes it was.

I know I take too damn long to get to the point.  I've been speaking the same way I write my entire life, I know the look on your face. So just read it.  Get it over with, I'll try and make it entertaining.

*ahem*

I read about antiperspirant detox about a hundred times while researching natural deodorants that could stand up to my 1/2 marathon training regimen.  As I read each person's encounter with a horrible, burning rash while using baking soda-based deodorant, I seriously thought it was all a crock.  Obviously, these abounding personal accounts of searing hives comes from a skin sensitivity not a "detox" and all those people are stupid and I have a Bachelor of Science, so I am smarter than pretty much everyone.

But then I went to Houston in August, and I remembered that regardless of my ability to draw Bowen's Reaction Series from memory,  I'm quite often pretty flipping stupid.  And often humbled.  Ha! 

As previously reported in an early post, I decided on Schmidt’s as my first experience with natural deodorant even though I read about a thousand accounts of  "pit detox." I slathered it on my underarms one morning and waited for a burning sensation, but there wasn't one.  It was hot and I had a nerve-wracking Toastmasters meeting, so I sweated up a storm, then I came home and jogged.  When I got back to the house, I made Scott smell my armpits (he didn’t want to, I had to promise to never ask him to “smell my pits” again) but to both of our surprise, there wasn’t a hint of body odor.  So, no smell, no weird detox rash.  I was shocked and elated.  I thought “Wow, this was too easy, I am awesome.”

Three days later I had to travel to Houston on business. I can sum up Houston in August in one word: Wet.  Not rain wet.  That would be easy to avoid using coats and umbrellas.  It's really, really humid. It is inescapable drenching.  It’s unavoidable full body saturation that can only be minimized by arctic level air conditioning blowing on you constantly. I used to live in it and I just don’t know how. That horrible dripping I feel down my back under my business attire when I'm not even moving around, it’s not just sweat.  It is humidity building up on my dry, brittle, flaky skin. I often hear people say things like “soak up the humidity.” Screw that. I’m pretty sure that after being exposed to dry Rocky Mountain air for so long my skin has developed an anti-absorbing shield that causes humidity to simply bead off like water on my windshield after a carwash.  My skin probably thought I was drowning. So gross. 

Maybe it was just that it took a few days to actually get rid of the antiperspirant chemicals, or maybe living in a sauna disguised as a city sped up a “detox” process, either way, on the third day of the conference, I got out of the shower and put on the Schmidt’s, as I had done the past few days with NO problem.  But this time one of my armpits immediately broke out in a painful, swollen, bright red rash.  I was already running late and a simple washcloth wipe wasn’t making it better!! I had to jump back in the shower and wash the deodorant off my skin.  The burning stopped right away.  The rash, however, remained. Luckily, I had a backup deodorant. Sometimes I'm dumb but not that dumb. The night before I left town my friend gave me a new tube of his favorite natural deodorant, Arm and Hammer, to try and I just tossed it in my suitcase just in case.

The Arm and Hammer did not irritate my skin, but I did need to reapply it a few times a day while I was in Houston.  It could have been that I was just so wet and the deodorant kept getting rinsed off by the humidity.  It could have been that I actually started detoxing and it was going to be a smelly process.  I don’t know which, because when I got back to my sweet, arid Colorado climate, the Arm and Hammer worked pretty well. My only complaint was that it kind of dried out my skin.  

Sooooo I bought Nourish. It is full of moisturizing ingredients and uses cornstarch as its absorbing agent.  This was actually perfect for getting through the "detox" phase.  The skin under my arms never felt so spoiled. It was like I was putting fancy lotion on an area that rarely got any love.  Actually, it wasn't LIKE that, it just was putting fancy lotion on an area that rarely got any love. I mean, it's coconut oil and shea butter.  I still use it when my underarms feel dehydrated and if I had to do this whole thing again, I'd just use Nourish for a month and then switch to something baking soda-based if I felt I needed something stronger.

About a month went by before I tried Schmidt's again because the whole burning rash thing scarred me emotionally.  So, I don't have a timeframe for how long the detox process takes but I READ it only takes about a week, if you want to believe things you read.  

But since I made my own deodorant last week, I haven't used the Schmidt's.  Why? Because as much as I love smelling like Bergamot and Lime, I LOOOOOVE smelling like a lavender cupcake.

Desiree and I made two different recipes to try. We used ingredients we ALREADY HAD at home.  Look, essential oils are nice but not necessary.  You don't NEED vitamin e oil for this to work.  Use what you got, try it out.  Find a friend that hoards essential oils and team up.  (I am going to make a batch with Aveda's Beautifying Oil soon.....you Aveda girls reading this...) We got two jars out of each recipe, so we got a LOT of deodorant basically for free.  We based the recipe amounts off of instructions we read online. One recipe has more baking soda than the other. More about that at the bottom. 

Lemon Lavender Deodorant

* 1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or just cornstarch.  I happened to have a bag of arrowroot laying around that I hadn't touched in like 6 months because I like to pretend I bake things.)

* 1/4 cup baking soda (I used arm and hammer, which was next to the arrowroot on the super high up baking shelf that I don't look at)

* 4 Tablespoons coconut oil (We used unrefined extra virgin because that's what we had- and to be honest, probably adds to the "cupcake" aroma. But again, just use what you have or what's on sale) 

(side note: these top three ingredients are the most important. the rest is just fluff and you can customize it however you want)

* 10 drops lavender essential oil

* 10 drops lemon essential oil

* a splash of vitamin E oil (probably a teaspoon)

* splash of jojoba (probably 1 teaspoon)

Directions: Soften up coconut oil- not to a liquid, just so you can mix it up. Stir all ingredients together. Put in container. It will stiffen up overnight. That's it.  Desiree and I were sooo stoked to spend the afternoon making deodorant and it took about ten minutes to make both.  Ha!

To apply: take a pea-to-coco-puff sized amount in your hand and rub it around to soften.  Then slather on underarm area.  Or just take some from the jar and rub directly on the pit.  I do it either way. 

Wild Orange and Peppermint (again, these are the oils we had on hand)

* 1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup baking soda

* 1/4 cup arrowroot powder

* 4 Tablespoons coconut oil (looking back, I feel we added a little more for consistency, maybe another tablespoon)

* two teaspoons of jojoba oil (however, I recommend one, see below)

* 10 drops wild orange

* 6 drops peppermint

Same directions as above.

    serving size example and my cute new nail polish

Desiree and I both tried out the Lavender recipe the day after we made it.  I was telling Scott how great it was when I received a glowing rave via text message from Des.  The day after that I ran 6 miles wearing the Lavender mix again.  It worked great, no smell complaints.  

I was hesitant to try the Wild Orange and Peppermint mix because I was worried that the extra baking soda was going to be an overkill and actually irritate my skin.  Having said that, the smell is amazing so I just had to try it and I gotta say, it is currently my favorite of the two.

Just so you know, next time I'll mix the lavender lemon scent with the higher baking soda recipe, but I will cut back the jojoba. The Wild Orange Peppermint is a LITTLE greasy. I gotta wait a bit for everything to absorb before I put a shirt on.  

The lesson I took away from this experience is that I will probably never buy store deodorant again.  It's just too easy for me to make a good quality deodorant at home.  

If you are addicted to your pointless antiperspirant, that's fine. I will still be your friend.  I have never, ever asked someone what they daub on their underarms each morning in normal conversation and I don't plan on starting.   

But it's really, really fun to make your own!!! (do it.)

Desiree's handwriting is beautiful.

Once Upon a Time, I Didnt Want A Dog.....

Basically, the story goes like this: Scott called me at work and asked me if I could possibly get to the Denver Dumb Friends League in freaking Parker in an hour to see a dog he had fallen in love with.  And by the way, he had been going there every day for a week on his lunch break “just to look” at dogs. Oh, and I REALLY needed to get there ASAP before someone else got him. Ughhhhhh, I was not into it. We had just had an incident with a dog we tried to adopt and had to give back and I just wasn’t ready to start looking at another dog.  In fact, the previous day we had agreed to wait a month. But I went because Scott Heller is handsome and this fact makes me do things I normally wouldn’t do. 

I arrived at the DDFL and Scott walked me excitedly down the row of Plexiglas kennels. The place looked kind of like a weird dog zoo and Scott looked kind of looked like a six year old picking out his new best friend.  It was all pretty adorable, which made me really mad, because I knew that Scott had basically gone behind my back to get a dog and I already knew I had to say yes no matter what I thought of the mutt.  Scott finally found the dog’s kennel and I saw, for the first time, the fuzzy poopface that was going to change my life. The sign on the kennel said “Shepard Mix” but it didn’t really look like a typical dark haired German Shepard. This pup was very skinny, I could see its ribs and although he looked kind of like a German Shepard, he was a little squatty in the legs but his tail was giant and obviously out of control, wagging with a vengeance.  I felt my stomach sink as I imagined glasses full of liquids getting wagged off our coffee table. His overall color was a light yellow but he had dark coloring around his eyes and his giant black ears.  I watched him as he jumped around his living space with what seemed like a huge shit-eating grin, which is funny because he’s an avid poop-eater. Why the hell was he so happy in doggy jail?  Good lord, the pooch was just too freaking cute. And Scott was too freaking cute looking at the dog. I’m pretty sure that Scott had the dopey-est, goofiest smile too and if he had had a tail, it would be wagging like crazy.  They loved each other right away.

Some people in blue polo shirts shut me in a room alone with the dog.  They told me his name was Mikey but he did not respond to it.  I kept trying to give Mikey treats but he didn’t care about me at all. He was distracted by the giant line of small children walking down the hallway. The dog basically had his nose up against the glass door, still wagging his giant dumb tail like crazy.

“He probably wants to eat them,” I thought, because at the time I assumed all dogs in the pound were fundamentally bad dogs.  Which is totally untrue but my experience was limited at the time.

Griff woke me up because he wanted me to pet him

I was very uneasy about the whole thing and worst of all, I felt like Scott trapped me. I wondered if Mikey was going to pee everywhere and eat my underwear and get into the trash and destroy our couch….all things I wasn’t ready to deal with. But, I agreed to adopt that day because I knew if we didn’t just adopt this dog, not only was I going to crush Scott’s dreams, I was going to be back here in a week looking at another damn dog.

We picked up Mikey a few days later because he had to be neutered. The vet told us the pup would be pretty groggy from the pain meds but when we got home he acted like he was on meth:  What’s this smell? What’s this crumb? What’s this chair do? Oh, can everyone sit on this couch? No? How about this bed? No? Let’s do ten laps around the table!!  Oh, I have an itch. Where does this doorway lead? What’s in this clothes hamper? Let’s do laps again!! Who likes to wrestle??  Wait…Itchy….What’s down these steps? 

First Day Home

Right away, though, it seemed that fate had matched us with this extra-happy spaz-case. In the days between signing the adoption papers and the dog’s surgery, Scott had decided to name our new addition Griff.  Well, Sir Griff McHeller, to be exact.  (Don’t ask me what the hell it means, it’s probably what seven year old Scott wanted to name a dog). We called him by his new name the moment we got in the car and he responded to it instantly, as if it had always been his name.  It was weird.  Anyway….

Griff's first Halloween

Griff and I had a rough go at first.  I didn’t know a single thing about owning, training, and caring for a dog, I never had one. I read a couple books, but most of them were about training puppies. He didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak dog. And of course, finding our “order” was pretty tough. Scott instantly proved his dominance by tackling Griff on the first freaking day we had him but I couldn’t tackle a seventy pound dog.  All I could really do was stare him down until he looked away, which I had read in one of the books, to do to establish dominance.  However, sometimes Griff took this staring contest as an invite to play and I’d just get a hyper seventy pound dog jumping all over me.  And going for a walk was a nightmare, he pulled on the leash like crazy and zigzagged back and forth across the sidewalk, constantly tripping me up. I would try and make him sit at each street corner and what seemed like a simple task turned into a three minute argument- Me telling Griff to sit and Griff whining really, really loud.  Like, so loud the neighbors would look out their windows and see me staring at Griff and Griff staring anywhere but at me.  I’d wave at whoever was staring at us. Yep, it’s just Sarah Heller standing on the corner with the dog she can’t control.  Oh yeah, and he wanted to attack every animal that came within fifty feet of us.  And he was super pissed off at anyone wearing a puffy jacket, a hat, and/or sunglasses, which was everyone in Colorado in the spring.  This happened on every.single.block of every.single.walk. 

To make matters worse, Griff was not very cuddly and he hated being hugged, which was very disappointing to someone like me that wants to hug everyone all the time.  He didn’t really care about treats and therefore we didn’t have a clue how to train him or tempt him into listening. Not to mention I didn’t really know how to connect with him at all. Griff and I were pretty confused by each other and were both often very, very frustrated.

BUT. One day.

 I was out in the front yard pulling weeds.  It was a freaking gorgeous day, some of the neighbors were in their yards and kids were playing up the street.  Our next door neighbors stopped over to chat with me and Scott decided this would be a great time to bring out Griff and introduce him to the neighborhood.  Sweaty and covered in dirt from weed pulling, I wiped a filthy glove across my forehead and I looked over towards the front door, out popped Scott with Griff pulling on the leash. They looked totally awkward and out of control to me, kind of cartoonish, as a super excited Griff came over to sniff the strangers and Scott tried to pretend he had some kind of handle on the situation. But the neighbors immediately surrounded the adorable yellow dog. The kids down the street ran over, and soon there were ten people all clustered together around Griff and I, with ten hands trying to pet Griff’s head. I knew right away this was not going to turn out well. 

Christmas naps

People always go for the head pat, but that’s the worst place to pet a dog you don’t know.  They can’t see or smell your hand. I mean, if someone you never met immediately reached for the top of YOUR head, what would you do?  Look up and wonder “What the hell are you doing?”  Yeah, dogs wonder the same thing.  When someone goes to shake your hand, you can see what they are doing- so get over putting your hand near a dog’s mouth and just go for the neck-scratching “hello.”

Anyway, the whole neighbor scene was very overwhelming.  Griff circled around me a few times, wrapping my upper legs in the leash. Scott handed me his half to get untangled and a few more kids came running down the sidewalk to meet Griff.  One little girl got right up in Griff’s face and when she tried to pet his head, Griff looked up to see where her hand was going and she ended up poking him in the eye.  He snapped at her in a playful way but everyone around us instantly yelled “No!” like he was trying to bite her and pulled the little girl back. Poor Griff immediately stuck his head between my knees, confused, overwhelmed, and scared. 

My heart instantly exploded.  He leaned his head harder into my left leg and the introvert in me knew exactly what was going on.  “He just thought you wanted to play,” I told the little girl. And then I unwrapped the leash from my body and got down low to Griff and made him sit. I showed the little girl how to pet him on his neck instead of on the top of his head, that way he could see where her hand was going.  Griff calmly let her and that seemed to satisfy everyone around us that he was, in fact, a good dog.

“I think Griff’s had enough excitement for one day, I’m gonna take him back inside.”  Everyone petted Griff one more time and we headed into the house.  I sat down on the couch and Griff came over to me and stuck his head in my lap. “Griff, you’re a good boy,” I said as I leaned over and kissed the top is his head, to which he responded by spazzing out. 

Griff and I would struggle with dominance and commanding and listening for about another year, which I’m sure I’ll write about soon, but that moment in the street, when Griff could have hid like a scaredy-cat behind either Scott or me, and he chose me, well, it made us friends forever. 

Self Esteem Thursday

disclaimer: Although I use some research to back up my points, this is totally my opinion.

Everyone has a pit smell.  After all, it's where our apocrine sweat glands are, which contain bacteria that breaks down sweat.  The process is a little smelly.  But normal pit odor is, well, normal. We shouldn't be embarrassed by it, everyone HAS to sweat. But a few years ago I opened my clothes dryer and was overwhelmed by the scent of body odor.  I thought I had forgotten to add detergent to my washer load. I re-washed the load but it didn't really do anything.  The next load was the same.  And then a few days later, same thing.  I thought, holy crap, my sweat is so gross that it's staining my clothes.  But I really didn't know what to do about it, except buy new clothes and change my antiperspirant.

And then it progressed in the worst way.  I couldnt get the yucky body stench off my body.  I'd shower and I'd loofah and loofah until my skin was red, get out of the shower and sniff my pits.  STILL SMELLY!! What the holy hell was wrong with me, I'd wonder. I mean, my Reasons Why Sarah Is Totally Gross List that I keep in the back of my mind for times when I really want to kick myself into the gutter is already long enough. Now I have to add "So Stinky Even Antiperspirant Can't Help You, ha ha ha ha ha!! Gross" to the list.

It was a cross I bore quietly for about a year until, like any normal person, I googled my disorder in hopes of a self diagnoses I could live with.

And there, on the internet, I found the truth. And I got really pissed off.

Now, humans have been sweating, let's say...forever.  Humans have been embarrassed by sweat for...let's say....forever.  Okay, not forever, but I have a feeling that the very first time a human was embarrassed, it was from body odor.  Possibly, it was for not having enough body odor (mmm.....hormones), but odor, nonetheless.  And us humans have been altering the way we smell for thousands of years.  Apparently, Ancient Egyptians started the trend of applying spices directly to their pits to de-odorize them and eventually the Greeks and Romans caught on. (everythingIreadontheinternetistrue)

However, antiperspirants did not really come about until the good old 1800's.  Antiperspirants were being used by surgeons to keep their hands from being sweaty during surgery but manufactuerers wanted to make their product more attractive to the public.  However, Victorian society was not sold on antiperspirant. Why? Because the active ingredient in antiperspirant was (and still is) aluminum, which was stabilized through an acid-based process often resulting in acid remaining in the products, thereby causing said product to eat away at clothing and cause skin rash.

So, antiperspirants seemed unnecessary and dangerous to Victorians. Then, this marketing genius managed to convince Victorian females that their body odor was totally embarrassing and making them fail at love and life.  His self-esteem crushing marketing technique was so good that other companies followed suit and eventually even preyed on jobless depression-era men into considering their chances at financial stability were directly related to their body odor, or lack thereof. (Isummarizelikearockstar)

And, of course, why screw with a good thing? It's the same marketing technique used today. We don't need antiperspirant, we NEED to sweat, but someone we don't even know is making us feel bad about ourselves.  And making money off it.

So, back to my rank pits. Was I becoming immune to my antiperspirant? Is it a fact that your body can become immune to antiperspirants? No, I have found no reputable study confirming this. However, think about this: how often do you buy a specific brand you love and when it comes time to replace said brand, it says "reformulated!" or "new technology". OR, you FINALLY find a scent you like (Crisp Cucumber? I think I totally want to smell like that) and you go to replace it only to find it has been discontinued and replaced with a "reformulated" antiperspirant with a totally new set of scents? (What the hell is Pearl Finish?)  Like, EVERY time you buy a new stick, right? RIGHT??? How often does a company really need to reformulate something?? Especially if it works. Hmmm, could this be how they keep your body from becoming immune?

It could also work this way: you feel like your antiperspirant isn't working that great and are about to look at other brands, but you notice that Secret has COMPLETELY REFORMULATED it's deodorant to be extra-special strength in the same powdery whatever scent (or, you know, manly scent) you prefer, so you get it and it magically WORKS GREAT!!  They managed to switch you up before your body starts to become "immune".

But then, maybe you, like me, start having some problems.  Like when you don't use it one day, your body odor is extra smelly.  And you can't get your newly reformulated stink smell out of your clothes or off your damn body.  Why?? Because you're SOOO gross.

No, no. Because the chemicals in the antiperspirant are reacting to the chemicals in your body and creating a reaction that stains your clothes.  Yes, the chemicals in your antiperspirant are staining your clothes. This is a fact.  (that I didn't source an actual scientific paper to back up)

IN FACT, some studies found that stain pre-treatments actually CEMENT in the stains instead of remove them.  This study came out about 2010, right when antiperspirant manufacturers came out with CLINICAL STRENGTH products. PRESCRIPTION STRENGTH products.  It's as if their response to "why is your product making me and my clothes smell worse?" was "Wow, you got some FUNK, what you need is MORE chemicals."

Right?

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo????  All this conjecture, Sarah!  Get to the part where you quit using antiperspirant!!!

I made the switch six weeks ago.  Four days in, I started to notice the really bad body odor smell I had been dealing with for years started to go away and about a week later it disappeared completely.

 It also took about a week for my body to go through "detox." I don't know if it's really a "detox" but I started sweating a LOT more and I started to get a little pungent again, however, this new natural smell was nowhere near as bad as the old smell.  And it lessened over time.

Some days I don't even wear deodorant.

And now, six weeks in, I get a little stenchy, but at appropriate times, like the morning after the day I didn't wear deodorant.  And it washes off. Completely. Again, the aroma is in no way offensive or excessive. In fact, I like my new natural smelly me. It's better than super gross chemical body stain me.

This was a very successful transition for me. The only thing I sort of didn't expect (and I don't know why, duh.) is that I had to get used to sweating more. Because hey, I was sweating more. Naturally.

Added benefit: Many of my clothes stopped stinking and the new clothes I have purchased since switching smell like my detergent.  No more body odor blasting my face when I open the clothes dryer.

So for years I thought I was gross but it was really that antiperspirant is gross.  Antiperspirant was really the culprit but antiperspirant companies made me think I was the foul one.

And that is why I hate them all.  And I'll never use antiperspirant again.

These are my fave natural deodorants:

Nourish Organics: This brand uses corn starch as its sweat absorbing ingredient and coconut oil as its moisturizer.  My pits love it. Lasts about six to eight hours but I must reapply after a run, if I care how I smell after. And let's face it, I'm totally in love with my new natural stink so sometimes I don't.

Schmidt's: This product uses baking soda as its absorbing ingredient. It is a bit drying and I'm very *sensitive* so I can't use it regularly but I am freaking in love with the bergamot and lime scent.  I found this product wears the longest of the four deodorants I tried- I can wear it for about eight to ten hours and run 5 miles and still smell like bergamot and lime. I wish I smelled like bergamot and lime everyday. (I'm probably smelling the jar right now....bergamot....and lime....sooo good...)

-side note- I know some people use deodorants to avoid the aluminum in antiperspirant, which may or may not be linked to diseases like Alzheimer's and cancers.  The jury is still out and I changed deodorant because I believe the ingredients, including aluminum, made me smell worse, not better. Having said that, I don't see anything wrong with believing that inhibiting natural body functions may have consequences. It just wasn't my point. So don't put in the comments that I skipped it over.

Countdown to Halloween!

Stampin' Up! released the holiday mini catalog and it is filled with holiday awesomeness.

>Look at it online here<

It  focuses mostly on Christmas, but there's a bunch of rad Halloween stuff, and I know most of you don't want to even see a sliver of red glitter before October 31st- so let's talk about ghosts and candy!

I used a bunch of different products to create all these goodies, but the one thing I used in all of these projects is THIS Happy Haunting Designer Series Paper:

And for the stamping parts, I used the "Sweet Hauntings" stamp set. To achieve the "headstone", I used the Note Tag punch. This punch would also probably make great gift tags for gifts...ANY time of year...

 I used more than the products shown above but these are the basic tools and embellishments I recommend in addition to the paper.  A quick tip about some of the products: The Stampin' Write Markers are great if you don't mind a more faded or rustic look. For halloween, it's perfect.  If you want a sharp, crisp line when stamping, I'd go for the actual stamp pad in Tangelo Twist or Basic Black.

The Sweet Hauntings stamp set is available as a wood block-backed stamp set or a clear block-backed stamp set.  The wood block set includes the wood blocks. If you decide on the clear block set, the clear block is sold separately.  Although the catalog recommends about four clear blocks, you only need one: size D.  Which stamp set should you get?  Either one.  The only advantage to using the clear set is that you either 1. already have a clear block D so the stamp set is actually cheaper or 2. plan on buying more stamps in the future, which may work with your new D block.

As you can see, the clear block stamp set is NOT photopolymer.  It is still a rubber stamp that you can not see through.

Okay, enough tips. Let's look at the goodies.

If you take a look at the catalog, you will see that I sort of copied-but-customized some of the catalog designs.  This style of treat holder was designed by Stampin' Up! but I tailored it to fit my M&M's.  So it's super cute, super easy to make and super easy to customize.  Also, you are going to learn about all my favorite candy. Side note: I love that staples are "cute" now.

These grave candy wrappers are another project inspired by the Stampin' Up! holiday catalog, but as you can see, I again customized them to fit one of my favorite mini chocolate bars.  

I actually made all these candy holders about three weeks ago and work got so insane I didn't get around to photographing them until now.  So some of them may not have candy in them anymore. And I may have had to refill some. But you can't tell, right?? 

These boxes were my favorite to make.  Of the three wrapper projects, this is the most involved.  I used this tutorial on Youtube but I added the satin ribbon pull instead of using a flower button.  And I really, really like the satin pull, that little customization worked out nicely.  Also, FIVE mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups fit in one of these little boxes.  As you can see, I ate one. As you can see, I couldn't replace the one I ate for the photoshoot because I ate the rest of the bag like two weeks ago. 

Last, but not least, Halloween cards! Designed by me but inspired by my friend Ryan who wants to make Halloween cards a thing. I also think it should be a thing.  Not just a kid thing.  A regular holiday card thing.  

For the above card, I used the Stampin' Write Markers on one of the Sweet Hauntings tombstones to just ink up the words I wanted.  Then I used the Triple Banner paper punch (it's in the regular catalog, not the holiday catalog) and sponged the crap out of all my paper edges.  I freaking love sponging the edges of everything.

Here I also sponged the edges!!  And it looks super rad!!  I also used the Rich Razzleberry inkpad to stamp the bottles from the Sweet Haunting stamp set onto Rich Razzleberry colored paper.  And check out those black sparkly stars- I punched those out of the Black Glimmer Paper with my itty bitty star punch.

So, there are a ton of cute ways to use a pack of the Happy Hauntings Designer Series Paper and the Sweet Hauntings stamp set. (and you totally want the note tag punch too. do it.)

If you see a product or project that you have more questions about, contact me!  If you want to host a Stampin' Up! party and make some cute Halloween stuff, contact me!!  

If you do decide to order anything, remember to select me as your demonstrator!  And if you let me "see" your details, you will get a little free handmade thank you gift for ordering.  Otherwise, you can order and give me credit but I won't be able to see anything but the fact that someone ordered from me, which might also make you happy.  

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HALFOFF sale at Paper Pumpkin!

Sign up for Paper Pumpkin between now and September 10th to receive 50% off your first two months of your Paper Pumpkin subscription. (First-time subscribers only) The kits are normally $19.99, so if you've been thinking of trying out Stampin' Up!'s subscription craft box, now is the time!!

I have been a subscriber now for three months and I have collected all these stamps and mini stamp pads.

This was the April 2015 kit- It came with not only cute cards and stamps, but also gift bags and tissue!

This is the May 2015 kit! It has SOOO much stuff in it- plus it came with really nice quality envelopes with pattern-paper inserts.

The June 2015 kit is my favorite so far, but I am a sucker for succulents....and teacups.

Each kit is a papercraft-based surprise delivered monthly to your door.  Although the projects are different each month, every kit includes an exclusive stamp set and at least one mini inkpad (sometimes two!).  The only extra tool you need is adhesive, and sometimes that is even provided.

But you don't have to limit yourself to the instructions!  Use the beautiful paper and inks and create anything you want.  

Don't forget that this is a subscription craft box! You can cancel ANYTIME, but until you do, you will be charged monthly for the kit.  So sign up, try it out, and after two months, if you don't love it, just cancel. If you don't cancel after the two month sale, you will be automatically charged the regular price ($19.99) until you decide to cancel.   However, the last sale was three months ago and none of my current subscribers have cancelled yet because this craftbox is AWESOME.

Click this link and use code HALFOFF to receive the discount --->  https://mypaperpumpkin.com?demoid=2150154

You MUST order by the 10th to receive August's craft box. After the 10th, you can still get the two month half-off deal, you just won't get your first box until September.  

THE SALE ENDS SEPTEMBER 10th!!

Make And Takes!

If you've been reading my blogs this week, you know that I am booking workshops in July and August, but you might be asking yourself, "What is a Stampin' Up! Workshop?"  Well let me tell you what it is:

It's a party.  A crafting party, to be more specific.  You decide on a date and we go over what craft you'd like to do (it's called a Make-and-Take).  Then you invite a few friends over!  I'll spend about 20 minutes explaining the products and tools we will be using for the rest of the evening, demonstrate the project, and then you and your friends get to spend the rest of the afternoon or evening crafting it up.  It's really fun!

The new Stampin' Up! catalog came out earlier in June and it has some fantastic things in it.  I, of course, want all the things. I picked out two really great stamp sets for new Make-and-Takes for July and August. I gotta say, they are pretty awesome. I have links to all the products I used in each of the projects today at the bottom of this post.

The first stamp set is called Watercolor Wings.  It's a "make your own butterfly" kit!!!  There are 15 stamps in this set and you can make three different sized butterflies in any color combination you can come up with.  There are some really nice sentiments and a cute dot border.

If you are so inclined to simply purchase this stamp set right away because it is so awesome, I highly recommend you also purchase the size E clear block.  Photopolymer stamps do NOT come with blocks, they are sold separately.  Size E fits the largest butterfly stamp perfectly.  You can purchase smaller clear blocks for the smaller stamps, but you certainly don't have to.  I used the size E block to stamp the tiny antennae on a few of my butterflies and it worked perfectly well.

I just want to take a moment to point out that I totally smudged one of the cards when I was sticking it onto its card base.  See it?  Oh my God, it's ruined!!!

Nah, like I ALWAYS say, you can almost always fix it.  I ran downstairs and got some twine to cover it up.  Now you can't see it at all and the twine gives it dimension.  Gorgeous! And then, of course, I had to make an envelope.  Making envelopes is ridiculously fun for me.

At Stampin' Up!, we have a saying "CASE!!"  CASE stands for "Copy and Share Everything" and I do it ALL the time.  As long as we give proper credit, copying is the greatest way to learn.  As a musician, I do it constantly when I learn to play other people's songs. Learning other people's techniques and styles is part of what makes me a better musician. I love to come up with my own designs for Make-and-Takes and for my friends, but I have to give credit where credit is due!  This lovely butterfly card was designed by the people at Stampin' Up!.  I just freaking loved it sooo much, and I know you love it too!  It's super cute!  I used a lot of words to say I didn't create this design.  Well that's blogging for you. (I did "design" this envelope though, ha!)

This second stamp I purchased is beautiful.  It is called Corner Garden. As you can see, I bought the wood-backed version of this stamp.  I love photopolymer so much, but with large background stamps, I've found that the cushioned rubber and wood backing really make for an even ink distribution.

I bought this stamp specifically for watercoloring.  What a great way to spend an afternoon! Drinking tea, eating sandwiches (cookies), and watercoloring with a few friends.  For this project, I used one of the very lovely sentiments from the Watercolor Wings stamp set (hmmm, must be on a watercolor kick....I sense a theme happening).   Obviously, by the picture, I didn't mount this on a card base.  I just didn't properly plan ahead and have matching off-white cardstock to mount it on.  It happens!

Just a quick tip- watercolor works so beautifully with Stampin' Up! Inks because, well, they are water based!  Having said that, if you want to watercolor, you have to use an oil-based ink for the stamp so it won't run when you watercolor. I recommend Memento inks.  You can purchase them through Stampin' Up!

Making a mess: my creative process

Thanks for letting me share my projects with you this week!  Please consider hosting a workshop in July or August. As a party host, you get some great rewards when your party guests help you reach sales goals.  But there is no pressure to buy anything- I am honestly doing this to have fun.  You don't need a large group either, I prefer smaller groups of 3-5 (including you!), so please support me and have fun doing it.

 Contact me through my Facebook Page.

And subscribe to my blog to enter the contest!! (see previous post!!)

Products I used:

Watercolor Wings Photopolymer Stamp Set
Corner Garden Wood-Mount Background Stamp
Clear Block E
Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

Watercolor Paper Envelope Punch Board 2015-2017 In Color Envelope Paper Stamping Sponges (Buy one package and cut them up!) Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad Rich Razzlebberry Classic Stampin' PadSmoky Slate Classic Stampin' PadDelightful Dijion Classic Stampin' PadMint Macaron Classic Stampin' PadTempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' PadBermuda Bay Classic Stampin' PadCucumber Crush Classic Stampin' PadWatermelon Wonder Classic Stampin' PadOld Olive Classic Stampin' PadTangerine Tango Classic Stampin' Pad Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin' Pad Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' PadEarly Espresso Classic Stampin' PadSoft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad Overwhelmed by the amount of inks? Host a workshop and use mine for free then find the colors you want to purchase!