Sinless treats

Last weekend, my husband and I were at a major sporting event. I love sporting events purely for the food... you know, that junky, bad-for-you-but-really-delicious food. I decided I wanted a frozen lemonade (kind of a giant popsicle you eat out of a container with a spoon) and as I was enjoying it, I happened to look down at the nutritional information--that was my first mistake! At first I thought "80 calories and 17 grams of sugar isn't that bad for this giant container!".

And then I looked closer and saw that that was PER SERVING and there were FOUR servings per container!

Oops.

Here are some delicious Etsy ice cream treats that contain NO calories, NO fat, and NO sugar:

How about this lovely ice cream bookmark from Beacon Bookmarks? Perfect for your summer beach reads!

Tempt your senses with this lovely mint chip candle jar from Sugarville:

Send out your summer barbecue invitations with these delightful ice cream address labels from Letter C Design:

I'm completely in love with this ice cream summer print from Haunted House of Projects:

And this mini soapsicle set from Howard's Home looks good enough to eat!

Hmmmm. I have a sudden craving for some Ben and Jerry's...

A first!

What an exciting weekend it's been around here! I'm very proud to share the two treasuries my cards have been featured in:

The first is For the graduates put together by Primitive Hodge Podge (showcasing my "hats off" card in the second row):


And the second is Team Etsy Texas Crafters put together by Corky Crafts (showcasing my set of 8 mini-notes in the second row):

Feel free to check them out and leave me some love :)

Crafty goals

Do you have goals?

As you may have guessed from my last post, one of my goals is to have a pretty, functional, organized work space. I've already made some great strides in making that happen. I have other goals and dreams as well: producing creative cards more quickly, connecting with other crafters, and building my store into an actual business.

I have personal goals and dreams too... like riding in a hot air balloon, hosting a murder mystery dinner party, and snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef (just to name a few!).

Thinking about my goals (and even crossing some off my list!) prompted some searching on Etsy. Hope you enjoy these finds as much as I did!!

Here's a handy journal to keep track of your bucket list from Blue Toad:


I love this inspirational print from Honey Boo:


Or you could wear your inspiration with this lovely necklace from Gratitude Jewelry:

Here's a great idea to make sure you cross those goals off of your list with this mini goal clockboard from Mary Kate McDevitt:
And I love this customizable to-do list from My Soul Shines:


After all, there's nothing like seeing your goals written down to motivate and inspire you to accomplish them!

What are your goals?

Silhouettes

Silhouettes aren't just for elementary school crafts anymore-- they're making a comeback as lovely home decor and grown-up gifts!

Check out these custom made silhouette his and her mugs from Miss Crowland:


Or this needlepoint belt buckle from Needle You:


I'm loving this modern personalized print from Nella Designs:


And this custom silhouette wedding poster from Ello There would make a great wedding gift:


A few months ago, I tried my hand at silhouette art to decorate our bedroom. I found this fantastic tutorial from The Fab Miss B and got to work. It was surprisingly simple! Here was my end result:



I was quite pleased with the final product!! Do you have any silhouette art in your house?

Craft space

Since moving into our new house at the end of last August, I really haven't had any time to devote to my crafting space. You know, because school started and annoying things got in the way of my creativity, like writing lesson plans and making a difference in kids' lives.

But now that summer break is almost here, I can finally start organizing my craft area the way I'd like it to be. I've just been drooling over the creative spaces I've seen out there on the internet:




There's no way my space is going to look nearly so wonderful, but I'm at least going to shoot for having my materials clearly displayed and organized. I'm sure it will be a multi-step project. Hopefully I'll be able to show before and after pictures soon!

What does your crafting space look like?

Killing time

I teach fourth and fifth graders with hearing loss.

If your students are anything like mine, they are probably getting very antsy for summer break. (I know I am!!). Suddenly, they've forgotten every rule and procedure and routine you've taught them and it's all they can do to keep quiet and stop wiggling!

My school year isn't over until June 3rd and my lesson planner is shockingly blank until then. If you're in the same boat and wondering how in the world you're going to survive until the end, let alone do something educational in your classroom, I've compiled a few suggestions for you:

1. Have your students write a letter to the next year's incoming class, describing what this grade will be like and what this teacher will be like.

2. Have your students write a letter to your principal, suggesting ways in which school would be better (I'm thinking these would be hilarious to read!)

3. Make ice cream in your classroom and call it science.

4. Make an early Father's Day craft. Need some ideas? One Pretty Thing has great round-ups here. And here!

5. Have your students come up with a poem/song/rap about this school year.

6. Create a classroom game to review key concepts discussed throughout the year. You know the kids would have a blast with this one!

7. Do "buddy reading" and have your class pair with a younger grade for read-alouds.

8. Have them pick out a non-fiction book from the library and create a lapbook.

9. Host a "beach reading" day. Students can bring towels, beach chairs, and sunglasses and bring a book outside to read. Don't forget the sunscreen!

10. Create a countdown paper chain until the last day of school. Are there 15 more days of school? Have 15 students write a favorite memory from the past school year on a strip of paper. Link them together in a chain, then cut one off each morning and read aloud to the class.

Do you have any other great suggestions! Please share!

Teacher Appreciation Week

Today marks the end of Teacher Appreciation Week. If you missed it, don't worry! Teachers love to feel appreciated at any time of the year!

And with the end of the school year almost upon us, I thought I'd do an Etsy roundup of some beautiful handmade teacher gifts.

First up is this hand stamped teacher necklace from Chipmunk Hollow:


Next, I love these reusable snack bags from Bells and Unicorns. Did you know that the students aren't the only ones who need a midday snack?


Or how about this Teacher Jar filled with questions from Joyful Jars? No more scrambling for last minute time fillers before the next activity -- these questions would do the trick beautifully!


I'm loving these custom teacher bookplates by Modern Classics: Kids. It would be perfect, paired with a children's book!And this handmade dish from Mud Hutt Studio would make any teacher smile!


There are so many other wonderful handmade items on Etsy that would make great teacher gifts as well. Happy shopping!

Oh! And don't forget to pair your gift with a lovely card from my very own Yes Teacher Crafts:

The Handmade Bash

Yesterday, I attended The Handmade Bash in downtown Dallas. It was my first Etsy event and it was so fun! I met a lot of talented people with some awesome stuff for sale. I especially liked:

Guitar string bracelets and jewelry by Eye on the Sparrow.

This alphabet print by Paper Fingers.

The cinnamon clove and orange shea butter soap from The Pig and the Peacock. (It smells heavenly!!)

And how cute are these fabric flowers from Jane Joss? Perfect if you have a pitiful green thumb, like myself!

I could lose hours drooling over all of the incredible talent within the Etsy community!