Where Women Create

I'm crazy THRILLED about something.  I don't know how to describe my delight about it, because when I think about being featured on Where Women Create my brain starts spinning.  I feel so honored.

If you'd like to check out my post here is the link…

There is a give-away too!  You can enter to win all the owl party downloads and a dozen of my fabric roses!  

Happy Happy Happy Monday All!!!

It's coming… 

I can feel it…tulip shoots are peeking up through the ground… 

it's warming up….birds are chirping…. and I'm ready! 

I'm ready for...

 picnics,

and gardening,

and sunshine,

and lawn mowers,

and freckles,

and open windows,

and my grill,

and longer days,

and snow cones,

and the lemonade stand…

Here's my littles selling lemonade and snow cones last summer.  (With the help of my handy neighbor we made this lemonade stand as their christmas present in 2009).  They wanted to help pay for their dance classes, so every penny they earned went towards their dance stuff (sweats, shoes, bags, and bobby pins… we go through so many bobby pins).  

  And now after looking at these photo's not only am I craving summer, but I could go for a snow cone right now! 

Mmmm....tigers blood.

(I started salivating as I wrote that).

Picking Your Parchment

So I finally finished the owl adoption cards, but before I jabber on about that I wanted to share a little something with you…

My thoughts about printing paper, (I know you are on pins and needles to hear what I have to say).  

Such an exceptionally exciting topic.  

If you're like me you do all of your printing at home.  I only head to a print shop when something is too large for my printer.  It keeps me from having to run another errand and let's be honest… sometimes when I'm "crafting" it's late at night, I'm in my creative mode and breaking it up with a trip somewhere is annoying, my son is napping, or I look super sexy in my crafting sweats.   So when I make lovely party printables, invitations etc… I'm picky about what paper I use.

Many of you may already be aware of this, but I thought I'd give my thoughts for anyone who might not.  And now that I actually have something worth printing nice in my etsy shop I feel better knowing I've spread the word.

When I'm printing out something I want to be particularly pretty or special I use

matte photo paper or matte brochure paper.  

I also make sure it is at least 45lb or 170 g/m.  (Be careful here… speaking from experience, I've bought the wrong weight before, and it's still great for printing, but it's weight is more like normal paper).  

It prints color bolder and richer, the details are finer and it looks awesomer in general.   
(Yes I know awesomer isn't a word).  

Here let me show you the difference.

I printed my adoption cards with the same printer, using both brochure and card stock paper.

On the left regular card stock, on the right I printed on brochure paper.

Ummm… there is a HUGE difference! 

Here is a link for the paper I used on the right. HP Brochure paper

Here is another link of the Cannon version. Canon Matte Photo Paper

Those are just a couple. 

So in a nutshell….

Con's

-It's more expensive.

-It isn't quite as thick as card stock.

-It bugs me if I run out;)

Pro's

-Looks far-eaking awesome.

-The colors are more accurate.

-The texture is smoother than card stock.

-Did I mention it looks amazing?

Alright so there is my opinion about printing paper. 

And if you're interested in taking a look here is the link for the 

Adoption Cards! 

It's a MIRACLE!

Can I get a hallelujah?!?

 Because between...

Valentines Day

Dance Competitions

PTA Stuff 

(Including a Birthday Carnival I host for the kiddo's every other month)

Being a mom/homemaker/nurse/wife

Learning how to make a pdf

Learning how to use illustrator (well sort of)

And the other normal insanity which is my life…

I've finally finished the owl pattern!

And you can find in my Etsy Shop 

(Crossing my fingers here friends… this is my first experience with etsy).  

Here is the link…

Hooo-Ray Owl Pattern

So now to tackle what I hope will be miracle #2 today…

The Laundry!  

(I have the Psycho music playing in my head as I type that).

 I'm working on the adoption certificates next!  

Hopefully now that I've worked some of the kinks out it will be A LOT quicker!

Happy weekend all!!!