It's Monday! Yay!

Copyright V.R.U.S.P. Inc.-All Rights Reserved
Copyright V.R.U.S.P. Inc.-All Rights Reserved

My dear friend Ben Sander a.k.a. Brini Maxwell invited me up to NYC recently to shoot two videos together. The first one is up on Brini's website! We had a delightful time decorating Holiday Balls with Brini's best friend Mary Ellen. Yay! Plus Brini's balls are beyond the beyond! No, seriously.
Copyright Ben Sander-All Rights Reserved

Don't forget our newly retooled Crafty Cabaret Caribbean Cruise! It's so absurdly affordable! You're going to enjoy a delightfully entertaining cabaret show, two fabulous classes, cocktail parties, generous swag bags AND two full days in the Bahamas. Plus I'm quite sure the company will be craftacular! What more could a gal or a guy want?!

I spent most of the day yesterday cleaning the downstairs of this old school house for our holiday party next week. We started a holiday tradition three years ago of having an annual cookie decorating event and it's been a blast. The first year we'd not even started renovating, the second we got our walls and cabinets painted and this year...finally...we've got our floor down and a simply stunning backsplash. We have a very, very small budget for home improvement and we have to be frugal. My job is to find something fabulous that will work and not make me feel like I had to settle for something sucky.

We found some really pretty floating floor tile that looks like slate and is a breeze to clean up. Yesterday we went to Home Depot to pick out a kitchen back splash and after reviewing our options, I discovered these pretty striated clear and copper glass tiles on a mesh background. They were incredibly affordable and it was really easy for Drew to install them, he even got out the glass cutter to fit tiles into the edges and corners. We didn't even have to remove the drywall background that was covered in scrumpy glue bits for the past year. Woo hoo! Just a little scraping and sanding and...ready to roll! We had to let the tile set overnight and tonight we'll do the grout in a rusty nutmeg color. Once it's finished, dried and cleaned, I'll share some pics. It's really gorgeous already and I'm so, so glad. I chose wildly vibrant colors for the walls and cabinets...as you can see here in last year's post. I've grounded it all with dark brown, copper and rust elements. It works surprisingly well.

I am buried in design work and fresh out of elves, so I must away! Until tomorrow...craft on with your bad selves.

Cheers,
Madge

Sunday TastyLinks and our retooled Crafty Cabaret Cruise!

Yet another week has flown by and suddenly Christmas is approaching at a frightening pace! Where does the time go? I simpy do not know!

Because many of you asked, we've retooled the Crafty Cabaret Cruise! It's shorter and less expensive but still jam packed with crafty goodness! Please join Brini Maxwell and me for a fun filled festive cruise to the Bahamas with a Crafty Cabaret stage show, crafty classes, a 24 hour craft room, cocktail parties and tons of fabulous prizes and swag! Check it out!

The fine folks from When Creativity Knocks have a new video for your edification and entertainment they shot at Maker Faire! This week they're sharing some adorable paper crafter Robots!

Here's what the cool kids from the crafty blogger gang have dished up this week:

About Family Crafts Sign up for Sherri's 12 Days of Christmas... Crafts email newsletter and you will receive a variety of Christmas related craft ideas delivered top your email box every day for 12 days - everything from advent calendars to Santa Claus crafts!

Cathie Filian It is apple craft time! Cathie is stamping up napkins and a simple apron. She also has a delicious recipe for apple crisp.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world Over at Craftside there is a free Japanese wave print and a how-to make pocket ATC with it, Latte Art, a sneak peek into Pam Sussman's studio from Lynne Perrella's new book, a call for entries for a cake decorating book, and good questions to ask yourself to help for a business/design plan.

Crafty Princess Diaries Tammy is super busy and "somethings gotta give!"

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style Two very different quilts from the same pattern and Linda shares the story of them both along with a story on getting one of the quilts published in McCall's Quick Quilts.

Mixed Media Artist Have you ever wanted to learn how to weave? Cyndi's got a book giveaway going on that could help you out!

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery Two fun necklace designs featuring charms made with a Faux Scrimshaw polymer clay technique from the book Enchanted Adornments by Cynthia Thornton

The Artful Crafter Make some sweet, goofy, felt and feather Tom Turkey Place Card holders for your Thanksgiving table.

The Impatient Crafter Madge shares a sneak peek of the ad campaign she shot with her lovely daughter AND the instructions to the Cupcake Glitter Shirt Avalon is wearing in the ad in this post for iLoveToCreate!

Madge's Monday Updates!

(Thanks to John Fritzinger at Beadalon for taking this shot!)

Here's a sneak peek at the earrings you can make with me at Michaels Manhattan next Saturday October 25th! (I'll also offer a floral design.) I'll be signing copies of my best selling first book The Impatient Beader and assisting folks with this fun Make it/Take it! Big thanks to Beadalon, Fiskars, Ranger, Tim Holtz, Krylon and iLoveToCreate for donating materials. I'm super excited! Plus I'm really glad I found a use for the huge bag of plastic flies I got at Five Below. Tee hee.

I would add a chain with a big plastic spider on each earring, but I was thinking subtle.

Har har.

While we're in NYC we're also going to be filming a two part segment with my friend Brini Maxwell for her NPR Podcast videos. As soon as that goes live, I'll let you know! I'm really excited!

Speaking of Brini...we're retooling the Crafty Cabaret Caribbean cruise to make it shorter and less expensive. As soon as that's arranged, I'll provide the link here. We're still planning on Fall of 2010. I'm also finalizing the details on Beads and the City May 13-16th 2010! So stay tuned for the 411!

I'll be back tomorrow with Terrorific Tuesdays. Until then, craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo
Madge

Saturday TastyLinks™!

We interrupt the regularly scheduled blog post for a moment of Shameless Self Promotion. The fabulous Brini Maxwell and I are hosting a crafty cruise that is going to blow your ever lovin' crafty minds. In October 2010, we'll perform our Crafty Cabaret show, teach four fabulous classes (I'll be teaching a tiara class!), have an open craft studio for 24 hour crafty fun and you'll visit some of the best locations in the Caribbean. Nine craftacular days of fun in the sun with two delightful, divalicious hostesses. Here's the story, Mornin' glories. You go to the ScrapMap site to sign up. All you need to do is put down a small deposit and make monthly payments, you are not locked into the cruise and can pull out and get your money back up to 120 days before the ship sails. So...what on earth are you waiting for? We want you...we need you...let us craftertain you!

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post...

It's time once again to spread the Linky Love across the Blogosphere! Woo hoo! I'm back in the saddle big time this week. I've been assembling kits for my new book shoot, selling and shipping stuff from the newly replenished Etsy shoppe, doing freelance blogging and design and lots of networking post show to maximize my new connections.

Phew.

I woke up this morning with my head spinning like a ball in a bingo cage...

"Get drivers's license photo...do something about my hair first.
Make appointment to take daughter to doctor for vaccinations and school required check up
Finish packing supplies for book photo shoot
Take pics and load new designs into Etsy Shoppe
Work on proposal for big event
Create widget for cruise
Fine tune idea for pitch
Write some pages for my e-book
Plan a new The Impatient Crafter™ video
Herd dust bunnies out of studio
Finish follow up emails post CHA
Pay bills
Work on design and blog post for manufacturer."

Damn...it's Saturday...and my straw pile is still HUGE! Enough whining about all of the work I have to do...it's better than having none at all!

My friend and colleague 'Daliciuus™' Fernando DaSilva is running a great contest on his blog. He's looking for a few good followers...Go see!

Here's what the Crafty Blogger Gang has for your education, entertainment and edification this week:

The Crochet Dude Drew is giving away all his latest designs that are included in his new line of patterns that just launched nationwide! To enter you just leave a comment on his blog!

The Artful Crafter Eileen blogs about learning photography - one frame at a time.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery Earrings made with something old, something new and a how-to from the new book- Simply Gemstones by Nancy Alden

Naughty Secretary Club Jen dishes up a recipe for making a pin cushion out of vintage tin.

Mixed Media Artist Cyndi has an imaginary friend named Jim...from 100 years ago!

Cross Stitch at About.com Help Connie decide a caption for her free Bat Cross Stitch pattern.

CraftyPod SisterDiane interviews a top Etsy seller who decided to downsize her business.

Crafty Princess Diaries Tammy has a bag full of fun crafting ideas for the crafter with a birthday.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world Craftside has a how-to on making a Traveling Mail Art Kit from the soon to be released book-Good Mail Day, a tutorial on how to line a flap and step by step directions to make a painted fusible web postcard. Be sure to answer the week's questions to be entered to win free books while your getting your fill of crafty goodness.

Cathie Filian Join Cathie Filian on HSN August 17th where she will be showcasing the new formulas of Mod Podge, Chalkboard Paint and Texture Paint.

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner Alexa shares 3 great photography tips for taking better photos of your crafts. You don't even have to have an expensive camera!

Aileen's Musings Aileen is offering a book giveaway! See how many ways you can get your name entered in her drawing to win a Ties That Bind Collaboration of Love book...

About Family Crafts Hurry on over and submit your photos and ideas! Sherri is now accepting Halloween submissions. Share your costumes, haunted house ideas, more and browse through the photos everyone else has submitted.

The Impatient Crafter Make a super cute pair of flip flops with your kid or teen for your end of summer vacation! Madge shares the 411 in this post for I Love to Create

Crafty Cabaret Carribean Cruise with Brini Maxwell and Margot Potter

I'm a little under the weather here, but it's nothing a course of antibiotics and more rest won't cure. Before I crawl back under the covers I have something exciting to share!

I'm thrilled to finally be able to announce our cruise! We've been working on this for months with Jim West and the folks from ScrapMap and it's taken amazing amounts of self restraint for me not to spill the beans...but...finally...I CAN! Follow this link to read all about the Crafty Cabaret Cruise with your hostesses with the mostest(est) Style Network star Brini Maxwell and The Impatient Crafter Margot Potter!

We're going to entertain you with our sensational song stylings, share our style tips and tricks and help you get your craft on while we cruise the Carribean for eight fabulous fun filled days! Let us entertain you...let us...make you craft! Come along and join the crafty fun!

xoxo
Madge