CHA Peeps

The VERY best part of a trade show is getting to see all my friends. I tried to get pics of most everyone, but got caught up in the moment several times and forgot. But, who could forget to get a pic with these crazy peeps? Kathy Cano Murillo and Traci Bautista were hanging out as designers at the Duncan booth, and Crafty Chica products were everywhere! These gals rock the craft world every day with the latest and greatest designs and ideas.

I also got a sneaky pic of Mike Hartnett of Creative Leisure News, Mark Peters and Larry Duncan at the Duncan booth. These highly respected fellas looked like they were solving the world's problems, and coming up with the next big thing in the arts and crafts industry.

Of course, the Lifetime TV.com team was there! That's Harriet Ells, Director and Mary Graff, Editor checking out all the exciting new stuff while we discussed what's going to be next on my "Let's Craft with Pattiewack" web-isodes and all kinds of new projects for the site. I'm holding the cute hand-out they were giving to everyone. I can't wait to get started on some new projects. Hmmmm, I see jewelry, beads, party themes, and holiday projects in the future.....stay tuned!

It wouldn't be a trade show without Joan Fee there to get a hug! We have been buds forever, and it's always great to catch up with her to exchange ideas and discuss the latest happenings. She has a great craft blog, Express Your Creativity, and is the Senior Copywriter at Duncan. Her life is filled with exciting things like adventure vacations, parties, and tons of crafts.

Oh my gosh! It was such fun to catch up with Heather Lancaster, who is just a ball of fire when it comes to scrapbooking and developing innovative products for Provo Craft, including the Coluzzles™ and the Cricut®. She is a well-known Hall of Famer for Creating Keepsakes and has begun hosting on the PBS show, Hands On: Crafts For Kids!


Check out that bag, baybee! Cheryl Ball is a diva of design at Duncan, and she was styling with her hand-painted roll-around. You can find hundreds of her projects all over the web when you google her name, or go to DuncanCrafts.com and find tons of great ideas made especially by Cheryl.


After a long day at the show, my pal and design partner, Susan Levin and I crashed at the Cheesecake Factory and almost threw out a lip, eating cheeeeeeeeesecake! Scott took the pic, otherwise you could see the cheesecake evidence on him, too. Susan is co-Author of the absolutely delightful new "SHOW ME HOW" books about a little girl named Mary Ruth, that teach how to knit and quilt. I will be discussing more about those cute books later.

CHA was fabulous! I'll be posting more about new products, and showing some of the latest and most innovative ideas I saw while I was there, so come back!

Project Runway

One of the most exciting things at the CHA trade show was the new Project Runway™ kit by Wrights®. It's stuffed full of fab trims that anyone can add to their finished fashions, or to embellish a brand new outfit that you've sewn yourself. I don't know about you, but I'm completely addicted to Project Runway™ and have withdrawals when I'm too busy to watch. Thank goodness they rerun those shows to death, so I can keep up!

In the Project Runway™ lounge, there were several examples of ways to use the new trims and patterns to make gorgeous outfits for everyday, office, and for a fun party. I'll be sure to get back to you on some great ways to get that Project Runway™ look in a quick and easy application. I love to sew, and I can't wait to get started on some trendy wardrobe additions. After seeing all the styles, I'm about ready to pitch my whole closet and start over!

Yes, that's Michele DeFay, VP of Marketing at Wrights! Hugs were in order, since I am so happy to have accepted a position with them as their new Product Manager in charge of appliques and Bondex™ products. I'll be keeping you in the know about all the latest products from this leading manufacturer of trims, rickrack, fringe, tassels, tools, needles, and so much more it would fill this entire page! And, yes, this new position means that Scott and I will be moving.....so keep coming back for updates!

Happy Valentine's Day!

CHA again!

The 2008 CHA trade show for the crafts and hobby industry is in full swing, and we are right in the middle of it. We'll be scouting out all the fab new products, and catch up on hugs with old friends. We'll be getting some great video of the best craft demonstrators and some behind the scenes pics for you. I can't wait to see what's new at the Wright's booth, at Duncan, EK Success, Coats & Clark, Provo Craft, Krylon, and more! I'll keep you posted on the cool stuff....

Do Not Disturb

Nothing is worse than your roommate (or the kids) crashing in on your privacy, especially on Valentine’s Day. This adorable felt door hanger is the perfect signal to tell them, “Do Not Disturb!”

I made mine with scarlet red felt, cut into a shape like a slice of pizza. You’ll need 2 pizza shaped pieces of felt, and your hot glue gun, and gorgeous trims & buttons & ribbon. You just might have it all in your craft stash right now.

Glue two sides of the felt pieces together and poke some stuffing in there and glue it shut. I used a pair of old panty hose (yes, they were clean!) and a handful of lavender. Now you can glue pretty trim along the sides, bows on each corner, and buttons onto the front. I especially love the cameo in the center. Cut two lengths of ribbon 18” long, and glue them to the back of the door hanger at the top. Now you’re ready to tie it onto the doorknob.

So, now your doorknob is all dolled up and it’s time for you to get ready for a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Be Mine

If you are a fiend for fabulous machine embroidery, you will love the MyEmroideries.com site, where I found this cute little design from the folks at SVP Worldwide. (That's Singer, Viking, Pfaff.) Just in time for Valentine's Day, this darling pair of children are holding their hearts and proclaiming the ever popular endearment, "Be Mine" that would look amazing on a little cotton shirtdress pocket, or on a cute card!

Speaking of love, I am still a flutter with my fabulous Singer ® Confidence 7470 machine. It has push button controls, one-step functions, and is perfect for me, and would also be perfect or the first-time sewer. I have been making aprons, comfort pillows, ruffled rubber gloves, and everything else I need to design with confidence. Love it!

Rows of Roses

Valentines Day is a perfect time to bring out the roses and this little topiary is just the ticket for a simple centerpiece. All I did was purchase a readymade foam tree with a pole that is inserted into a pot-shaped foam base. You will find these in the floral department at the craft store. If you don’t find one, simply use a foam cone, a square of foam and a dowel rod.

I painted stripes on the pot with acrylic paints and let it dry while I gathered around 60 rosebuds (dried or silk), Spanish moss, ribbon, my hot glue gun, and Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue.

Next, I smeared Aleene's Quick Dry Tacky Glue all over the top of the topiary and pressed a thin layer of moss into the glue. It’s smart to lay newspapers on your table to catch the extra moss.

Then, I cut the stems off the roses to about 1 1/2 inches and hot glued them into the topiary in neat rows, glueded the base into my striped pot, covered the top with moss, and finished it off with a pretty bow around the pole.

You could change it up with pink and chocolate stripes on the pot, green moss, and all pink roses for a more girlie-girl look!

Candygram Valentine

Are you ready for Valentine's Day? Well, here's a fun idea using all your fave candy bars and a little poem to give a candygram to your sweetie! Just be sure you buy more candy than you need, so you can "test" it while you make it..... "snicker".

If you go to Pattiewack.com you can see a cute candy bouquet I made, too!

Candygram Card -
Supplies:
Poster Board or Foam Board
2-inch Ribbon for the Trim
Scissors
Hot Glue & Glue Sticks
(Option: Use glue dots to attach the candy bars.)
Printed Poem on Paper
Glue Stick
(Option: Use a marker to write the poem onto the board.)


8 Candies:
Big Hunk (for a guy) or SweetTarts (for a gal)
Symphony
Whoppers
Snicker
100 Grand
Good & Plenty
Bit O’Honey
Mounds

Steps:
1. Cut a large heart from the poster board or foam board.
2. Glue ribbon around the edge of the heart.
3. Write the poem onto the heart, or print out the poem and cut out the words, then glue each word onto the heart with a glue stick, leaving space for the candy bars.
4. Glue the candy bars to the heart, with glue dots or hot glue.



Candygram Poem:

Life is a (Symphony) on Valentine’s Day!
And to my (Big Hunk or SweetTart) I just wanna say….
Please don’t (Snicker) at my silly rhyme,
And we’ll celebrate with a (Whopper) of a time!
I wouldn’t trade you for…(100 Grand)
Because you’re (Good & Plenty) and my best friend.
You probably think this gift is funny,
But I’ll always be your…(Bit O’ Honey)
So, let’s have (Mounds) of fun today,
And have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

I'm BACK!

Whew! It seems like I’ve been gone a year, my gosh! The After Party in Tulsa was absolutely dreamy. My huge family was there, and we got to celebrate to our heart’s content. As you can see, the rich colors at Lola’s at The Bowery were the perfect backdrop for the flowers, the favors, and my ruby red dress. I gathered the most vibrant colored roses and tied luscious green bows onto each stem. I held them together in my arms while my Daddy read a poem and a blessing over us, and then gave them to the significant women in my life, which are my Mom and my Auntie Mary Lou, and my daughters Tricia and Stacey, and then to my granddaughter Lacricia.

We had the most incredible raspberry cake you ever wrapped your lips around, and Lola blew us away with her delicious spinach dip with flat breads, fruits and cheeses and all sorts of yummy finger foods. Oh, and the coffee and chocolate favors we made for everyone were a big hit.

Scott and I danced to a few tunes and of course had to dip at the end. So cheese-waddy and fun. I had to hem my dress up about 2 inches since I’m such a shorty. I think it turned out okay.

Instead of a guest book, we had our guests sign a red lacquer tray with well wishes. I had gold, copper, and silver Krylon paint pens for painted perfection. There were some pretty creative things written on there, and even a couple of sketches. Too fun!

Our photographer, Laura Hahn, was incredible the way she documented every little thing. She took us outside for some great pics with the Tulsa skyline in the background. Scott was his usual sneaky-pants.

My Mom and Dad gave us the ultimate gift. A handmade quilt made especially for us! (If you click on the pic you will get a better look.) I have been wanting a black and white quilt for the longest, and they seized the opportunity to make it special. They run a little quilt studio, Pearl’s Quilts out of their home at Grand Lake. I can’t wait to curl up under this gorgeous quilt, and every time I do, I’ll think of them, and the love they poured into this priceless gift.

Tricia and Stacey were so pretty and we got a nice group hug. They especially liked Scott’s funky hat that belonged to his grandfather. Pretty snazzy, Scott!

Lola had the Cutest bride and groom in the window, and gave us a gift of miniature dolls just like the ones in the window. How cool is that?

I had the best day ever, with family and friends, food and fun, and Scott.

The After Party is ON!

Finally, we are headed to Oklahoma for our party to celebrate the wedding! Yipppeeeee! We sent this postcard out to all of our friends and family, so we're just crossing our fingers that another ice storm doesn't hit Tulsa and mess up our plans like it did at Christmas. It was really tough not being able to fly into Tulsa during the big blast of ice and devastation on the week we had planned to be there with our family. They even closed down the airport there, it was so bad. But now we get to party!


I put together some sweet little party favors for our special guests and shipped them out yesterday, so I hope the FedEx dude can find my parents house out in the boonies at Grand Lake in time for us to take them to Lola's.

As you can see, they are Chinese take-out boxes in pretty colors to match our invitations and postcards. I tied the chocolate and tangerine colored boxes with kiwi green and golden ribbons. It took a lot longer than I thought it would but each little bow has scalloped edges that I cut with my new shears that Gail (Scott's sis) gave me for Christmas. Too cute!

I placed 2 squares of individually wrapped Ghirardelli chocolates in each one. Yummmers! Would you believe that I got through the whole evening and only ate one?

First, I poked a circle of white wedding tulle inside each box and filled them with rich coffee beans. Scott and I are totally addicted to coffee and chocolate. In fact, when there is no chocolate in the house, we have to make a chocolate run. Scott's the one who's addicted. (Not me;-) We could hardly sleep the night I made these, the house was so full of the aroma of fresh roasted coffee. Anyway, we thought it would be fun to share our addiction with our party guests. So, they get to go home and grind some beans, put on a pot of java, scarf down some dark chocolate and think of us.

I'm going to have a hard time keeping up my blog while we're gone since my Mom & Dad have dial up. But, I'm going to try to keep putting up more projects and of course the party pics, so keep checking back!

Eureka Murals!

Can you believe these murals??? Oh my gosh! We drove through Eureka, California on our road trip to Washington and were blown away when we saw the beautiful artwork displayed all over the buildings all over town. We took just a few pics and these are some of my favorites.

This clown's face was uncanny with detail. I felt as if the 20 foot gaze was staring straight at me! You can see the panels bolted to the building at the corners, which reminds you that it's not real.

If you squint, you can see the car at the far bottom left. (Oh, and you know you can click on the photos here and they will enlarge.) This gives some perspective of how large the entire piece of art actually is.

I play the piano, so the keys and the hands were especially intriguing to me. Check out the shadow of the guitarist wearing a hat! And the dancer in the foreground. Simply amazing!

We found this one by accident in an alley and the characters are all animals dressed up. Each one is gigantic, as you can see by by handicap parking spot. I loved it. We are planning to go back in March for a video shoot in Washington, and we just have to spend more time in Eureka, California.

Washington Wedding Party

I know, I know, I know......I need to get blogging! You've all been emailing me and wanting to see the Betsey Johnson dress that I wore to our wedding party in Washington. So, here it is! The fabric was crispy and frilly and fun.

The wedding party given by Scott's family in Washington was fabulous, of course! The cake was red velvet and Yummmers! The fresh flowers were my fave, with bright gerberas and little shasta daisies. Mutti (Scott's mom) pulled out the finest silver and crystal serving pieces and champagne was flowing freely.

Yeppers, that's Pops & Mutti, Sandy & Darrell, Gail and me and Scott. As you can see, the party was a buncha fun and the guests had a great time, too!

The food was wonderful with tasty shrimp salad, fruit kabobs, and tons of other appetizers put together by all the gals.

I just want to say thank you to all of you that made this one of the best nights of my life, and I was so honored to be welcomed into such a loving and warm family. Thanks to the special guests, too. I'll never forget it.

Thanks Daddy 2......

Merry Christmas!

Crafty, Wacky, Happy Holidays....

It's not too late to get into the crafty spirit, so grab your glue gun, and we'll pompom a wreath, turn wash cloths into house shoes, make silly soaps for stocking stuffers, or greet your guests with gilded dishes. That will get you into the spirit!

Just to let you know....I'm taking a little bitty blog vacation for a while so that I can celebrate Christmas with Scott's family. But you can still craft with me! I invite you to join me anytime, night or day at PattieWack.com, at MySpace, on CBS-CH6 in Tulsa, and, on LifetimeTV.com.

Here's GREAT NEWS!

You can watch ALL SIX CRAFTS COUNTDOWN VIDEOS anytime you want. We'll make some whimsical gifts, wacky decorations, impress the most finicky friends and as usual, Have fun with it! I'll be back soon....so keep on crafting!

Happy Holidays,
Pattiewack



On Christmas Eve you can catch me on the "Six in The Morning" show with the last one of the segments for the Christmas Crafts Countdown. I'll be making these cute last minute gift boxes, tags and place cards from Christmas cards and photos.

But, YOU CAN WATCH ALL SIX SEGMENTS NOW if you miss it!

Just CLICK HERE and watch them right now....

Mini Gift Boxes
Designed by Pattie Donham

Supplies:
Christmas or Greeting Card
Option: Photograph and same size Cardstock
123D Papercrafting System™
Tape or Glue

Steps:
1. Cut the card in half along the fold line. If you are making a box with a photograph, cut cardstock the exact same size as the photo.
2. For the box top, place the photo or front of the card face down on the (pink) scoring side of the 123D Papercrafting™ System mat. Place the corner of the card or photo in the bottom left corner along the WHITE lines. Lay the slotted ruler over the card and lightly score on the 1-inch mark. Repeat on all 4 sides. (Note: If you want a box that is not 1-inch deep, score along the measurement that you desire, for example 1/2-inch, 2-inches, etc.)
3. For the box bottom, place the other half of the card, or the cardstock in the corner along the BLACK lines. Lay the slotted ruler over the cardstock and lightly score on the 1-inch mark. Repeat on all 4 sides.
4. To cut the corner tabs, lay the Notch-a-box template over the corners and cut out a notch as shown on the template. Repeat on all 4 tabs, on the box top and bottom.
5. Adhere the corner tabs to form the box top and box bottom.
6. Place the box top on the box bottom to complete.

Santa Paula Christmas Windows

It's hap-happiest time of the year! And the downtown merchants in Santa Paula are in a huge competition to decorate their windows for Christmas. The theme this year is "Planes, Trains & Automobiles." Scott and I were invited to be judges, so we took to the streets with our clipboards in hand and got busy.




This is Pamela's Tea Room, decorated with antiques that fit perfectly with the theme. I lost count of all the airplanes, and there were several trees heavy with ornaments of cars, trains and so pretty!



Of course the Santa Paula Flower Shop was just adorable with a giant teddy bear and vintage airplanes hanging from the ceiling. I feel like I've stepped back into the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" when I'm walking down the street.



Okay, Scott got a little carried away at the Ooh LaLa Boutique. I'm not sure what the red corset has to do with the theme, but he doesn't seem to mind.



Their other window was just darling! Santa's sitting in a metal car, with airplanes hanging all around. They even cut out snowflakes to hang in the window. So cute! I can hardly wait to find out who won. And this is only a few of over 20 participants. We had our espresso with us to keep toasty warm, although it isn't that cold. I'll keep you posted about the winner!

Wacky Holiday Wreath

See what you can do with a silly $2.00 aluminum wreath? I covered styrofoam balls with glue and green glitter, made some brightly colored pompoms, a great big tassel, and lookie-loo! If you click on the photo it will enlarge for you to see that the giant tassel has a polka dot wooden top. This is my favorite tassel, and I move it around all the time to different spots in the house. So, of course I had to hang it on my wacky wreath. I didn't hot glue it to the wreath so I can hang it on a door knob after Christmas. Fun! You can get tons more ideas for Pattiewack™ Tassels and Pompoms on my website, and all kinds of crafty projects and supplies. Don't forget to sign up for the newsletter. I promise to send the Christmas newsletter soon!

Comfort Pillows

With all this winter weather, sore shoulders, and holiday headaches, a comfort pillow is a nice thing to have around. I made this one for my segment tomorrow on CBS Six in the Morning. You'll be able to watch at around 8:25 a.m. when they show me sewing these up for Christmas gifts. I found the cutest pin-up girl fabrics to give to the guys in my family. They are filled with FEED corn (not popcorn) because I simply love the smell. It brings back memories of my gramma Harris in Dewey, Oklahoma when I was a little girl. Every time I spent the night with her, she would pop a huge dishpan full of popcorn while we watched TV before bedtime. I think of her every time I warm up my corn pillow in the microwave. It only takes 2 or 3 minutes, and then it rests on my shoulders while I sit at the computer. The moist heat, memories and aroma makes life goooood.

Snazzy Soaps

You'll get to watch me make these Thursday on the CBS Six in the Morning Show if you live in the tri-state area of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas. LeAnne Taylor is the Anchor, and they plan to have me on at 7:40 a.m. while everyone is getting ready to rush out the door to work and school. I just love being on the show, since most of my family lives there and can watch.

Okay, here are the steps to make your own snazzy soaps!

Snazzy Soaps
Designed by Pattie Donham

Supplies:
White Bars of Soap
Stickers or Photo Copies
Household Paraffin Wax
Double Boiler (or electric wok)
Tin Pie Pan
Water
Tongs
Sharp Knife
Glue Stick

Steps:
1. Unwrap soap and carefully carve off the brand name with a sharp knife.
2. Apply stickers or photo copies with glue stick.
3. Place tin pie pan in wok (or double boiler). Lay 2 chunks of paraffin wax in the pie pan. Pour water into the wok just until the pie pan floats above the bottom of the pan. Heat the wok on LOW and as soon as the wax melts, turn the heat off. (Never leave unattended.)
4. Grab the sides of the soap with tongs and dip face down into the wax, about 1/4 of an inch. Repeat a couple of times for a smooth surface.
5. Lay soap aside until the wax becomes firm.

Ice Storm

I've been in a grumpy funk the past several days, because Scott and I are suppose to be in Tulsa right now celebrating our wedding with an After Party, and having our family Christmas. But, the horrendous ice storm wrecked our travel plans and we're stuck in California. Bah humbug! Most of my relatives have been without power at home and at work since last week. It's been just horrible for everyone, trying to find wood and propane, and trying to help each other.

I'm sad, but they are the ones suffering because of the cold and terrible conditions. It honestly looks like a tornado went through the neighborhoods and dumped tons of ice on the broken trees. So sad. But, they are all huddled in the homes that have fireplaces with beds covering the living rooms and using their camping equipment to cook and lanterns to see at night. Every day that I call, someone else gets their power turned on, so they are slowly getting to go home and back to work. I miss you guys! We will be coming in January, so look out!