Halloween Goody Bags!

...all made entirely in the HOOP!

Can you tell I've had some fun this past week with digitizing? :)

The "mummy" is my personal favorite. ;)

But then again, how can you resist little Frankie?

Filling these little bags with other special "surprises" can make this a fun little gift to give to your children or grandchildren! (My kids already have "theirs" picked out! Those lil' stinkers. LOL)

Add a face or just leave alone to add your own personalized take on the pumpkin... "Oh, look! It's a "Rachel-o-Lantern!"

And finally...

All of these are now available at SWAKembroidery.com!

I love machine embroidery!

Mixed Emotions...

Today the kids go back to school. Hooray!

Really?

Yes, for the most part. But Mom's little tugs at the heart will always remain.

Right?

The DIY Dish Studio Redesign!

We've been working away all summer long...

Check out some glimpses of the new studio! We'll be bringing back more DIY projects beginning September 13!

A Fancy Nancy Soiree!

(That's a fancy word for party.)

Too. Much. Fun.

My youngest has turned 4. She's into pink. And dresses. And pearls.

And don't forget the glitter.

It's time for a "Fancy Nancy" birthday party! Here are some pics of her special day!

Of course we had to have peanut butter sandwiches with frilly toothpicks!

You can never have too much tulle! Even our little doggy got in on the fun!

The girls made necklaces from Fruit Loops cereal. It was the perfect project for that age group! (And of course the Fruit Loops needed to be presented in a fancy bowl.) :)

Garland was hung...

...and nails were polished!

My personal favorite were the fancy glasses with a bit of whimsy! The girls loved their crazy straws!

And finally, what is a party without a pinata? This lipstick pinata I found at a local party store and filled with goodies. The girls got to rush for the candy afterwards and fill their little purses!

Oh, what fun we had! And actually it was all pretty easy to put together! When you've got a little one who loves all that frilly stuff, it's not too difficult to find the party decor amongst items you already have on hand! I love all of the Fancy Nancy books and so do my kids. They're just darling and they add new words for a little one's vocabulary!

It was a stupendous day!

Studio 5: Picnic Garland with More Ideas!

Last week I had the opportunity of teaching a segment on our local NBC/KSL's Studio 5. It was a lot of fun and I was able to share more ideas of what to do with the same technique as BBQ garland I had made earlier in the summer. Think birthdays, Halloween, Christmas.... so fun!

Here's the clip of the segment! I'd love to hear if you have even more ideas of what you can do with this as well!

CHICAGO!!

Deep dish pizza...world-famous hot dogs....yep! CHICAGO!!

(And I don't even like hot dogs.) LOL

But "When in Chicago..." right?

Kim and I spent a few days last week in Chicago for the Annual Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Summer Show. Being there was like being a kid in a candystore!

We got to check out all the coolest new tools that are about to hit the market, as well as revisit some old favorites. Over 400 companies were there representing some of the most inventive new products in the craft industry! What fun!

We were also fortunate to meet many wonderful people while there. I'll show some of my favorite pics and then later this week I'll share some pictures on our "off" day. We also did several "video blogging" spotlights while there, so be sure to check out theDIYdish.com blog to find those all there throughout this week!

First off...2 of my favorite people in the industry! Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza from HGTV's Creative Juice. They were as warm and endearing as I find them on TV. It was so fun to meet them for the 1st time as they were there showcasing their new "Hot Glue Gun Helpers" from Plaid. (Definitely check out the video we took on these! Very cool!)

And recognize this gal? If not, you'll surely recognize what she represents...MOD PODGE ROCKS! Amy is one awesome gal who loves her decoupage! Check out her blog for oodles of inspiration from around the globe.

Then of course I love all of the creative and amazingly talented folks behind Provo Craft, makers of the Cricut. They were there to debut their brand-new product- The Cricut Imagine. Oh. Wow. Amazing. It is similar to the Cricut expression, but can print out in color!!! All cartridges are interchangeable as well. So, so cool. Jinger is their spokeswoman and then there's Maggie who I just adore and is a huge proponent of ProvoCraft with her "challenges" she creates over at her blog. Maggie is so, so sweet. I could sit and visit and laugh with her for hours if given the chance.

Here's Kathy Cano-Murillo, otherwise known as "Crafty Chica." She's just as nice as they come! She has her own product line filled with flashy and vibrant colors. Her work is beautiful! And so is she!

We met "Suede" from Project Runway. One very cool dude. He was there showing how he made actual FASHIONS from the eCraft Central machine. He definitely has his own style! What he was able to do with that machine was quite remarkable!

And finally, another old and dear friend of mine in the crafting community, it was such fun to see Erin of Schlosser Designs again. Her creativity never ends. I always enjoy sitting down with her and hearing about her newest endeavors. She really is an inspiration.

On the last day while we were there, we got to hang out with Christi and Kelly. I'll share pictures later from our Chicago adventures! Can you say 94 floors to the top? :)

And again, don't forget to check out theDIYdish.com blog for more details on all of these cool products we were able to test out!