Craft-A-Thon

A few weeks ago, my niece, Nancy, decided to have a crafting weekend - at her mother's house! Sara was all for it and moved some furniture out so she could set up tables for each person. What a good Mama!

The first time Bruce and I were in Branson, we went to Jim Stafford's theatre where I caught a 'Cow Patty', anyone remember that song? His wife, Annie, had a little gift shop and I fell in love with her walls, they were all painted with trees, flowers and a picket fence all around. I have no painting talent so, unless I found something to help me out, I would never have a wall like that.

The next September, at the Clay County Fair, was a booth from St. Paul, MN called Beautiful Impressions and it was just what I was looking for!! There were kits with painting pads shaped as flowers, leaves, and birds with paint, video (that dates it!), and brochures to show how you too can have beautiful walls. I shelled out about $90 for every kit they had, you know they always give you a better deal if you buy the entire collection. And I wanted it all.

I brought home my kit and stashed it in the sewing room closet - where it stayed for several years. I got it out once in awhile and looked it over, viewed the video, again, and put it back. My plan was to paint the walls going upstairs and first they needed to be repainted.

I finally painted the walls and the kit still sat in my sewing room, I was too chicken to try it out on such a large surface. What if I goofed? Then I would have to repaint the walls. You will be happy to know, or not give a crap, but one day I took the kit to the basement and tried it out on an old window and it was fun. I painted another window and that was even more fun and then the kit went back to the sewing room for another extended stay.

Two years ago I decided to paint flowers on some cheap, white, Kmart tennis shoes for my Mom, my sister, and I and bought three pair. They sat in the sewing room and kept the paint kit company. I'm sorry to say my mother never did get her shoes before she died so I needed  find someone else who wears an 8 1/2 cheap, slip on tennis shoe. But realize they will always be Mom's shoes.

The invitation to a craft-a-thon with non-judgemental family members was just too good to pass up. It was time to sh*t or get off the pot, so to speak. I loaded my paints, brochures and 3 pair of shoes in my Land's End bag, some clean underwear, a tooth brush, my pill box (When did I start having a Pill Box for crying out loud??), camera and book in a duffel bag, a frozen pan of unbaked caramel rolls, slab of ham and a carton of blue, brown and pink eggs, compliments of Rosanne's and my girls, I didn't know the pig personally. I was in charge of breakfast in the morning.

I drove to Denison by way of Ida Grove and was wowed by the life size nativity scene in front of Byron Originals business.

I was the first one to arrive at Sara and Max's, Rosanne had giggly girls at her house and had to wait for hubby, Peter, to get home and Nancy was working till 6 or so. I was so busy looking at the frosty trees, I blew past the turn off to their house and pretty soon was in unfamiliar territory and then saw some smokestacks from Denison so had to retrace my steps.

Sara and I had the afternoon to work on our projects, I struggled, my shoes were not looking how I had imagined. Sara was working on a great scrapbook for a friend, she did say she hates to finish them because she never wants to give them away!

Rosanne and her faithful dog, Jr. arrived  with several bags bulging with paper, Cricut cartridges, punches, scissors, pens, glue sticks, lots of embellishments and something called Stickles, a glitter glue. I was really surprised she didn't pull a packhorse out of the car laden with all her treasures. She does have a method to her madness and was soon set up working on a Christmas album.

Nancy's husband, Frank and son, Joshua, brought all her scrapbooking stuff  during the day so she could get right to work when she arrived. Between her and Rosanne, they looked like they were settling in for weeks instead of a weekend.

Sara just had to run upstairs to her craft room for more supplies.

I looked like poor relation with my measly Lands End bag.

Saturday morning found Rosanne, still in her pajama's, working away.

 

Nancy arrived shortly after I crawled out of bed embarrassingly late.

Sara's husband, Max, took refuge in their bedroom so he could watch basketball in peace.

And faithful, Jr., hogged the couch ticking off aging Sophia, their cat, who then spent the day upstairs.

He wants to stay close to his Mama because she has left him a time or two and he's very nervous when she gets up and moves around.

After our late breakfast, I set to work on the last pair of shoes, trying something I read in Donna Dewberry's painting book and finally, I liked what what they looked like. Third time was a charm.

The unveiling, the pair on the left are the first ones I did, Mom's shoes, the middle pair I royally screwed up but was able to cover some of my mistakes and the ones on the right, I'm happy with. I haven't finished the one but I will.

Rosanne tried to get me to Stickle the shoes I wasn't that crazy about, she said Stickles cure everything!

I might have to try that later.

Nancy was right when she said if I hadn't been sequestered in the craft-a-thon, I might have given up and never finished the other shoes.

Nancy is quite wise.

It was a great time, we had plenty of food, wine and chocolate, important but I had left Bruce in charge of my animals and I was ready to go home and see everyone.

To be continued.......