launch party

after a few weeks of planning and lots of help from my super-crafty mom, it seems i've pulled off a successful launch party for ellebee studio this past weekend. i'm quickly learning that it's hard to get anything done when my perfectionist side starts battling with my let's-just-be-flexible side... for example, i thought i'd whip up some quick postcard invitations. well, forty bucks and an earring stuck in a photocopier at kinko's later, i didn't know what else to do but laugh it off and thank my husband one more time for being wonderful (he came along for moral support... aka keeping me company while cutting at least 120 business cards by hand with the big paper trimmer). i also was excited that i finally put together a display idea that i've had brewing in my head for months... one trip to the flea market for an antique window frame, one afternoon banging the glass out of it, one trip to home depot for a board for the base and some brackets to stabilize it, and one afternoon with power tools later and i had a display background that turned out just how i wanted:
as for the launch, it all came together well, and even though i had food for about 30 people and about 7 showed up (due to the invitations going out about a week later than planned)... it was still fun and nice to know i can put a decent little event together. it's also nice to see all of my handmade items all out in one place (my dining room table) and see that i really do have the makings of a nice little shop! it almost felt like a good trial run for a craft show to get it all spread out and arranged how i wanted it. because of preparations for the launch party i just missed the deadline for the next crafter's flea market that i've previously participated in, but it was nice to know that i would have had everything together and looking nice. there will always be more craft shows! here are the great pictures my husband was thoughtful enough to take while i was rushing around with last-minute details. if not for him, i likely would have completely forgotten to take any at all!

one of my mom's lovely additions to the party were hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries (i'm telling you- superwoman!), which were definitely the hit of the party.

it's been a heinous week at work with mandatory overtime all week, but i was able to spend almost all day today with my mom while she taught a class on making a greeting card organizer in an album... a very cool finished product (anything that helps organize in my life is a plus). projects with my mom are a really fun change of pace for me because she is much more into planning, measuring and coordinating than i am. it makes for much more finished looking projects, and it's a good stretch of the brain sometimes to go from eyeballing colors and measurements to striking out with a detailed plan. i'll post some pictures of that in the works, and i have fleeting hopes of making a new address book as well... i may just end up indulging in one of these cool hand-stamped journals and writing them in there. i suddenly feel inundated with ideas i want/ have been meaning to do.

1. make cards to go in my card organizer



2. test out more sewing on paper



3. try making some little matchbook-style notepads



4. get some soldering iron tip cleaner so i can do more soldering



5. decorate a small magnetic box i got for keeping business cards intact in my purse

and of course, knowing me, it's 1:30 in the morning when i get all these ideas. i think i'd better go to bed before this list gets any longer!