Circus Birthday Party Theme & Digital Freebie

Curtsey Boutique Vintage Circus Balloon Lady Party Package

Remember the cowboy party I throw for my son's first birthday? Making the hobby horses, invites, wanted posters and all the other crafty Wild West projects was half the fun of the party itself. I like the idea of having a big shin dig at the end of the Summer every year as an excuse to get all the families in our life together.

This year I am thinking about doing a Vintage Circus theme. Can't you just see tulle tutus, a juggling center and all sorts of neat tight rope walking activities. I might even do some faux animal cages and old timey advertising posters for the photo booth.

That fun is still months away though, and its difficult to wait (enter child like pouting here). So yestereday when  I found these neat vintage inspired Circus products I had to snatch them up.

They go great with the cupcake rosette toppers and cupcake bow ties in the shop and they can all be found in the Curtsey Boutique for purchase individually or as a package here.

I'd love to hear any circus themed party ideas you might have, I'm going to keep track in a notebook and refine my party concept as we get closer.

I made up this vintage inspired Happy Birthday Digital tag using public doman images from old Barnum and Bailey Circus posters. It is free for you to play around with.

Free Circus Happy Birthday Tag Digital Download

Hope all is well in your big top,

CarrieAnne

Sprinklers Rain Liquid Sunshine Project Life Layout

I've always been an avid writer. Writing and editing articles for magazines opened my first "professional" doors in the papercrafting industry. I struggle sometimes between the art component and having enough space (and discipline) on layouts to capture the story in journaling.

Last week I made my first "Project Life" type layout with this page protector that divides into six 4x6 compartments. I already had the page protector and these remants of paper from another project. The layout was very easy to put together and I love that I had so much space for the story. I think you'll be seeing more of these types of layout from me in the future!

The layout captures our first "real summer" day a few years ago when our Nemo sprinkler was pulled out of Winter retirement.

I created the jouraling card with a vintage image of a girl in a 60's swimsuit in photoshop.

The card is here for your own use and enjoyment.

Thanks for stopping by,

CarrieAnne

Rainy Day Journaling Cards and a Vintage Freebie

Curtsey Boutique Rainy Day Journaling Cards

Here in Georgia the weather has been blissfully balmy over the last few days. I can't imagine we won't be getting a few Spring showers though and so I whipped up a few vintage inspired journaling cards for the puddle splashing opportunities to come. The images come from an early 1920s vintage catalog and show boys, girls and ladies rocking the waterproof fashions of their day.

They each measure 3 X 4 and these cards work with ATCs, Project Life or any scrapbooking project. My favorite is the bingo card with the rain boots in the free space - so fun!

They are available at the Curtsey Boutique in paper format or in digital format.

I've been working on some baby themed images and I thought I would share a bit of vintage digital love.   Isn't this the cutest little girl in an old bib below? Perfect for some many fun things!

Waiting for the puddles,

CarrieAnne

Vintage Sewing Flash Card Freebies

Curtsey Boutique Vintage Fashion Flash Cards

  Lately, I've been building quite the hoard of vintage publications, and because my inner historian has threatened my not so inner crafty self with an emotional melt down  I've come to the epiphany that I simply can't cut up a 1909 copy of McCalls. I just can't do it. But I HAVE to use these images!! They are amazing.

So I've been using trial and error (mostly error) to do more with Photoshop and miracle of all miracles I've come up with some Vintage Sewing Flash Cards. I'm planning on doing a whole set from A to Z (any ideas for X?) all about vintage fashion and sewing terms.  Feel free to download the two pictured here for free for personal use. I'll be offering the entire set in the Curtsey Boutique in digital and print in 4x6 and 3x4 for those who like unique Project Life embellishment cards.

Have a fantastic day,

CarrieAnne

Perfect Pies for One!

Curtsey Boutique Pie Plate Gift Packaging Set

 
Are you a baker and a crafter? Do you love to give home baked gifts that you've gussied up? I do!!

I can't cook worth a lick - but I can bake like a champ. My mom tells me these use the same skill set, following directions, patience, etc... But I strongly disagree, its way more fun to lick the cookie spoon than the beef roast tester and being an instant gratification type of girl - cooking just doesn't meet the taste test.

But I love to bake and to give most of it away so I don't eat to much of good things.

So look what I just came across - individual baking safe, food safe pie plates!! I am going to make a bunch of for the ladies I visit at my church this month. So sweet just in time for Valentine's Day. They are available in the Curtsey Boutique today.

Individual Pie Plates

Can't you just see all the crafty possiblities with these?

If you don't have time to embellish them yourself you can always pick up the Pie Plate Gift Set in the shop.

Sweet Baking my friends,

CarrieAnne

Laundry is getting so much more attractive

Curtsey Boutique Shabby Chic Recipe Clothes Pins

With 4 children and a sporty husband, I do lots of stinky, dirty, mind numbing laundry. I've tried everthing to make it more appealing. Here are just a few failed attempts at making taming the funky fun.

1. The Mary Poppins approach - "snap" the laundry is still not a game.

2. The Turn it into a competition approach - bummer the kids win again, they've used all the clean clothes up quicker than I can fold them.

3. The grin and bear it approach - who am I foolin' there is no one to impress in my laundry room!

So this week, while tracking down the one sock that has figured out teleportation way ahead of NASA it occurred to me - what's the most fun thing in the world? Crafting of course.

So I made a deal with myself, keep a positive attitude when washing off that stain of dubious origin and you get to go buy a brand new package of laundry pins and try that shabby chic stamping technique that you loved in that magazine a few months back.

Just doing the mental inventory of which stamps would fit on those little clips killed the time it took to do two loads of folding and pressing and now these little cuties are hanging all over my laundry room and kitchen and available in the Curtsey Boutique!

Hope your chores are going cheerfully,

CarrieAnne

Valentine's Day Kraft Bag Treat holders

I love crafting for Valentine's Day. Its just so much more fun to make things when they are going to someone you love!

Doilies and kraft bags are two of my new go-to items. Below are a few of the treat bags I will be doing for my girls' classes that use both. They fit the snack size kit kat's perfectly.  I think the felt butterflies and hearts are precious and I could hand sew piles of those together all day.

Hope my little ladies know these were heart felt (pun intended) when they get to swap treats in class.

They are of course available in the Curtsey Boutique.

Embellish Creatively,

CarrieAnne