Syotha's Country Store

I'm very happy to announce the grand opening of Syotha's Country Store, by the talented and ever so funny Toi, of Syotha Would be Proud Blog.

She has been a busy little bee designing and creating her fab aprons that you should all check out! My favorites are from the Bella Collection.

She just opened shop over at Etsy and I say we should all head on over there and give her a BIG welcome.....

This is FAN TAB U LOS......forget about wearing it as an apron...this is full fledged dress ladies!!!

I LOVE it.

And by the way she is a HUGE fan of Oprah! (inside joke) well no it's not reaaly an inside joke who am I kidding it's posted on her blog for millions to read....here

And the Winners Are...

Hi all...I'm back from my tooth miseries (swollen like a guppy) thank god you can't see me! I'm happy to announce the winners (yep winners) I decided to make 3 runner ups that will receive one card each.

The First Prize goes to Red Marionette....winner of the 5 pack Nastee Notes

The Second Prize goes to: Marilyn of Pulp Sushi

The third prize goes to: Bonghi Natura

The fourth prize goes to: Texas Tesla

So the Re-Cap:

1st Prize: Red Marionette

2nd Prize: Pulp Sushi

3rd Prize: Bonghi Natura

4th Prize: Texas Tesla

So kiddies get in touch with me at paperchickee@gmail.com

send me your name and address and I will get these out to you Pronto!

Tooth Troubles

Hey there kids...sorry for posting late today and it won't be anything exciting. I had my 4 wisdom teeth yanked out of my mouth about 2 hours ago and I'm not feeling chipper....so I want you kiddies to know that I will be extending the Nastee Notes Contest until Saturday....I will be popping my pain killers soon and will be in sleepy land and honestly I don't think I will be feeling any better tommorrow....and the fact that my face looks like a guppy is not helping my mood.

Anywho....you can still enter the contest here

I shall return on Saturday.....Adios for now

Chandelier Craze

Have you noticed the trend with chandeliers lately? From home decor to clothing to stationery it's everywhere. I love chandeliers, yes I do....so I decided to jump on the chandelier band wagon...and here are a few of my designs for your viewing pleasure (or just for the hell of it!)

Bonghi Natura

Bonghi Natura is a family run business specializing in spa quality skin care products. Their products are not only pretty but natural.

"We want to be different from the majority of bath and body sellers, but yet still appeal to the masses. We feel our new branding and products achieve this goal by offering our customers an old world Italian inspired feel, yet keeping the luxurious and classic spa quality feel at the same time. I'm working on creating a line of products that are fun, versatile, and affordable."

Check out Bonghi Natura

Howlin Doggie

As I was checking out the lovely treasuries over at Etsy...my eyes laid upon this FAN TAB U LOS creation by Ceeb Wassermann.....I LOVE this with a passion!

"Sawpierced out of Sterling Silver and then finished with a sandblasted/matt texture, this pendant will certainly stand out!" That is exactly what I love about this that it is beautiful and delicate and it stands out.

"Inspiration comes from everywhere, but especially from flowers and plants and the ocean as I live very close to the sea. I am also a great fan of Japanese Design, especially 'Kamon' which are like family 'crests'...I try to capture the the serenity and beauty of the ocean in my pieces.I love sawpiercing (cutting designs out of the metal).I am a metal fanatic and base most of my work around metals "

Check out Howlin Doggie here

Nastee Contest

I'm in a giving mood...or maybe I'm just getting old and trying to be a better person by filling this world with Nastee Notes..who knows? But what you have here kiddies is my first ever give away !

One super dooper (my new favorite word..or is that 2 words?) person will win a pack of 5 Nastee Notes...which you can send to the people you hate or most importantly the ones you love.

From today until next Friday (which according to my trusty calculations will be) March 28th...you can post your comments here and I will use Miss. B's trusty number generator to pick the winner (fine print: whatever order you leave your comment in that will be your number...comprende?)

So go nuts and comment away! Until next Friday...you have a chance to win 5 vulgar yet lovely Nastee Notes....

Excellent Etsy Sellers

As we all know by now Etsy is filled to the brim with talented artists slash designers slash artists and all around crafty folk.

It's amazing how much talent there is out there and today I would like to share a few of the marvelous creations I have found.

Lost River Rags

*******************

I am so in love with Lost River Rags little sheep soap....it's the most prettiest thing I've seen. I want this...but I wouldn't use it...because I would want to stare at that little sheep everytime I step foot in my bathroom...actually no...I would put it in my "guest" bathroom so people (not like I have revolving doors at my place or anything but...) could admire that little sheep which I so love.

"We specialize in creating Hand-Poured Goat's Milk Soap...which is FREE of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS ) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES)! We use the purest fragrance oils, goat's milk, and glycerin to create this perfect soap for you. Our Goat's Milk Soap is a great moisturizer, keeping your skin silky smooth all year long, even during those winter months. "

Lost River Rags has other great soaps and soy wax candles! So make sure to check them out here

Studio Otto

Studio Otto's designs are a "modern approach to traditional Turkish tile art" Such fantastic pieces! I love the colors and the clean styles that Studio Otto creates.

"I materialize my designs on various forms and kinds of ceramic, tile and porcelain forms that I buy, found or gifted from anytime anywhere. I do both underglaze overglaze handpainting, depending on the material and design itself. "

Make sure to check out Studio Otto's shop here

Moon Dog Treasures

Moon Dog Treasures has excellent pieces. I especially love the wire wrapped crosses...gorgeous!

"I started creating my own jewelry when I realized that I was really picky when it came to the jewelry I wanted to buy and wear. Like most jewelry artists, I made my jewelry just for me. people would compliment me on what I was wearing and I would go home and make the same item for them. that's when I realized I could actually make a business out of this."

Make sure to check out Moon Dog Treasures here

Blog of The Day

We briefly interrupt your regular blog post with some news:

I am so super dooper (yeah that's right I said it) excited that Fuel My Blog has chosen my lil' ol' Blog as their "Blog of the Day"

Ha hem....
I would like to thank each and everyone of you who reads my blog and stops by for visits! I appreciate all your comments, and am thrilled at having the opportunity to meet new friends. Your inspiration adds "fuel" to my desire of searching for new things to "blog" about .
Once again my sincerest Thank You
(there better be some of you with tears in your eyes at this moment ...dammit!)

We will now continue with your scheduled blog post of the day look below....

Bridal Showers : Black & Pink

Wedding season is in full swing and I have quite a few to attend and have also offered my help to 2 friends in planning their Bridal Showers.
The first shower which my friend and I are planning happens to be in my favorite color combo which is pink and black, so I'm very excited! I love planning parties (if you didn't know I used to be a "wedding planner" but I gave it up for lack of time)

Miniature fondant-covered cakes with silhouettes, Cheryl Kleinman Cakes, 718-237-2271


I simply adore these little mini cakes with silhouettes By Cheryl Kleinman in brooklyn! These will certainly be on the guests tables!

I love these black and white striped table cloths and since finding this setting on Brides, I am in love and this is what I want (yeah I know it's not my Bridal Shower)

Roses are my favorite and these colors are to die for...(yeah yeah I know it's not my Bridal Shower...but she's digging my ideas so there!)

Love the custom silhouette programs designed by Lion in the Sun

And this is the invite "Lola" which I designed for her which started it all available at my etsy shop (some shameless promotion)

Papier Couture

My love for paper led me to a quest which I thought was impossible to find...but obviously there are millions of people out there who love paper as much as I do or even more....so ladies and gentleman I present to you

PAPIER COUTURE.....they design real dresses made out of PAPER!

Lia Griffith the creator and designer of Papier Couture is my Idol! How on earth can you make such beautiful creations out of paper. I thought I was hot stuff with my cards...(let me go hide in a corner).....

"Created by Lia Griffith, Papier Couture is an imaginative fusion of fashion and art. Utilizing designed and cut prints to form carefully constructed paper dresses, Lia's creations offer an exhilarating new look at inspiration, innuendo, surprise and delight. "This collection gives me the opportunity to push the edges of fashion; blending costume and couture with the unexpected medium of paper to create a new form of expression."

THIS IS PAPER!

Paper Wreaths

So don't ask me how I found this beauty...(actually I was searching for party decorating ideas through flickr and found this...if you really must know.)

I am in complete and total LOVE with Haru's work. I cannot believe that such an amazing creation was done with paper! After reading her flickr profile I found out she has an etsy shop which you must check out!

"This wreath was created by carefully applying paper from:vintage music sheetsgift-wrapscrapbook paper pages from Mitchell’s 1954 edition of Gone With The WindWolfe and Michelsen's 1961 Enjoying English 2 textbook& Tabori and Wong's 2000 The Little Big Book for Mom "

"Haru is where my passion for vintage items & beautiful papers comes together to create one of a kind paper wreaths and treasure keeper boxes!"

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day for those of you who celebrate it!

sfopanda via flickr

tamelyn via flickr

Party Time!!!

I've joined the party thanks to Heather....which is hosted by 5 minutes for mom. You guys should check it out it's alot of fun and a great way to meet new bloggers.

Crank up the music and come on over. I'm a stationery designer from NYC. Born and bred. (Don't let the New Yorker stereotype fool you...I'm not that mean! but I do have the mouth of a sailor) Design Stationery from classy and elegant to full on potty mouthed!

Married for 7 years to my wonderful hubby and proud MOMMA to my state and country capitol knowing karaoking singing american idol loving Target afficionado can count in 5 languages know all cars makes and models lovable 4 yr old son (does it sound like I'm bragging?)

I hope you dig my party stay for a while and it's nice to meet you!

Callooh Callay

This is a wonderful etsy seller Callooh Callay...who's work I so love....I'm a big fan of pendants and it seems like I want everything in her shop. The pendant above is one of my favorites. She is also a member of the Etsy vintage Street Team.

"In my real life, I’m a writer and editor, but this is too much fun--addictive even. I’ve created arts and crafts my whole life but mostly for myself and friends; this is the first time I’ve put anything out there for sale (though I must have known this day was coming--I’ve been saving little toys and junk jewelry and scraps of this and that for years)."

Make sure to check out her shop Callooh Callay

St. Patrick's Day....

For those of you who celebrate St. Patrick's day or if you feel like being a little baking Diva...here is the most cutest cupcake...yep it's a cupcake...I'm on a cupcake kick lately...over the weekend purchased like 4 books on cupcakes....you can find this adorable St.Patrick's Day Derby hat cupcake at Wilton

Sparkly Strandz

I'm a connoisseur of pendants...and my favorite tend to be circular pendants...so I was instantly attracted to the work of Sparkly Strandz on etsy. She has some pieces which I have my "eye" on because I must have.

Jamie calls them "nursing necklaces" and here is why:

"Nursing necklaces are a way to provide baby something “Sparkly” for them to play with, tug on, or even occasionally drool on to help stay focused on the task at hand. You don’t have to be breastfeeding to enjoy this necklace. It’s very beneficial with bottle fed babies as well. "

But anyone of course can wear them as will I when I purchase mine.

"I've had a love for crafts, especially crochet for over 25 years ever since my grandmother taught me at age 5. It was probably the best thing she could have done for my parents because it would keep me busy for hours. During college, I developed a love for beads--not just because they're sparkly, but because beads have such a rich history to them from around the world, and can be made from almost anything imaginable. Also, as an occupational therapist, I am able to use a variety of crafts and activities in my therapy to make it more fun!"

Check out Sparkly Strandz here

A Tee from Paris

On March 3rd, I posted about a fab chick Eva B. who designs tee-shirts in Paris, France. Her line is called "What's wrong with being...?" Today the lovely mail man (Joe..we're on a first name basis me and him) brought me a package all the way from Paris! I was so excited! Eva had sent me my own What's wrong with being...bitchy? tee-shirt.....which is so me.

You can contact Eva for more info: evabana@hotmail.com

Thanks Eva!

Egg-celent Weekend...

(THIS POST WAS TO BE FOR YESTERDAY BUT BLOGGER WAS HAVING ISSUES SO HERE IT IS TODAY)

Ok...so I didn't think I would have time to post anything this weekend since I'm swamped with work...but I have made a little time...(nothing exciting but hey)

Yesterday it was pouring rain here in good ol' NYC...so I was home most of the day being Cinderella (cleaning....without the help of cute little mice)...so my son and I did our Easter eggs....I hadn't colored slashed decorated easter eggs in eons....but since he is 4 now...I figured he would enjoy it....

The little pretties below were done with a kit I purchased at my very favorite store...Target.

You have to make 2 smalls holes in an uncooked egg with the enclosed "baby screwdriver" and blow the egg out....after the second egg was done I had no desire to do anymore...but they are pretty....

Yesterday we decided to make some cupcakes (I still haven't received my Ginormous cupcake pan...maybe the UPS man is taking it easy or something) I wanted to do some Easter cupcakes...nothing spectacular...so I plopped a little Peep on one of them....












I had some flowers left over that I had made for my mom's birthday cake and I put them on ...they look like little wedding cupcakes.





My son (the future rock star- president of the U.S.A- scientist-baseball player-doctor...am I bragging?) decorated his cupcakes..... and this is him attacking the little Green Peep on his cupcake....oh no poor lil' Peep.....

WARNING THE PICTURE BELOW CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT MIGHT BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME VIEWERS. DISCRETION IS ADVISED

There is nothing as sad as a headless Peep

Well that kids was my weekend!

My Blogging World

To think I had no idea about blogs a year ago...well I knew what a blog was but I had never read one, searched for one, smelled one (the scratch 'n ' sniff kind) or had the desire to write one.

Until someone told me it was good for business, that you could communicate with potential buyers, media etc...

Well I thought if it's good for business...it's good for me.

But now the problem (well it's not really a problem, it's not like I need to go to Bloggerholics Anonymous...not yet anyway) is that I am completely hooked on it. I write my own blog, I read others' blogs, I search for blogs.

I'm always thinking of what to write on my blog or what interesting things I can bring to my readers. Sometimes I do more research for my blog than I do for my business! (O.K. someone give me the # to bloggerholics anonymous)

But there are alot of fantastic blogs out there that inspire me, make me laugh, make me cry and today I would like to share a few of these with you.

1. Paper Shop Ink: this was the first time I actually saw a blog...thanks to Candis who was so kind as to be the first one to feature my work. So I send my BIG thanks to Candis. This is where I go daily for my paper kicks.

2. Etsy Greetings: The first blog I joined as a designer. Etsy Greetings promotes the work of other indie paper designers. This is where I go daily for my paper kicks II

3. Design For Mankind: Erin has the most amazing blog. The work she does to showcase independent artists/designers is outstanding. She also publishes an E-zine "Inspiration" which is in itself a work of art. Her blog has inspired me to showcase indie designers as well. This is where I go daily for my inspirational kicks.

4. Syotha Would Be Proud: I recently found out about this blog through Miss. B's Blah Blah Blog, and I have to say that I visit Toi's blog everyday for my laughter kick. She writes the most humourous pieces on her everyday life which make me Pee Ma Pants Off, and we both have a thing for American Idol and Target.

5. Blah Blah Blog: I found Miss. B's blog through her etsy profile as I was looking through her shop. I have been a big fan of her work for a while and when I saw she had a blog I had to visit. So that visit has turned into daily visits...which I so love. This is where I go for my fancy shmancy kicks.

Well Kiddies have a wonderful weekend and I will catch up with you on Monday (have to much work to do so posting this weekend...I think won't happen)

Paper Flowers

So by now you know I love paper (hence the name paper chick) and I love flowers...put the two together and I'm like a kid in a candy store. Found the most amazing creations on flickr here are some for your viewing pleasure:

Via Lagomorph on flickr

This picture is from Billie Girl on flickr....and you know what? She is getting married this summer and is making all of her wedding flowers from paper back books!!! How cool is that.

Via DictionaryCorner on flickr

Via Krystal.Pritchett on flickr

I'm in Heaven....

Heavens to Betsies ( I actually said that when I first saw this) I am so in LOVE.....I have found the Mecca of cupcakes.....this my dear friends is a Ginormous (that's right I'm using one of the new words in Merriam-Webster's dictionary) Cupcake....this is a new ginormous cupcake pan that you can bake your very own cupcake cake.

So you know I ordered it from Wilton....and cannot wait for the UPS man to deliver my box of joy! I am already thinking the decorating possibilities....

If you too want to try this out the recipe is here And if you would like to purchase the pan you can go to Sur La Table

Paper Quilling

Paper Quilling is a beautiful art...but it requires patience (which I don't have) If you don't know what it is here is the handy dandy definition from Wikipedia

"Quilling or paper filigree is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued together to create decorative designs. The paper is wound around a quill to create a basic coil shape. The paper is then glued at the tip and the coil shaped, these shaped coils are arranged to form flowers, leaves, and various ornamental patterns similar to ironwork."

I recently purchased 2 cards from Allthingsjenuine on Etsy...the work she does is simply amazing....my sushi card is all done with paper quilling as is the burger and fries card and the detail is marvelous....check out her shop . I bought the cards ... not to give to people (cause I'm greedy) but I framed them and put them in my office.

Here are some more paper quilling finds:

Via Acraftgeek on flickr

Via Loolibelle2 on flickr

Dylan's Candy Bar

Yesterday we took a little trip to Dylan's Candy Bar....owned by Dylan Lauren (yep she's the daughter of Ralph Lauren) Why you ask? Because come on look at the place...I loved this place since I first stepped foot in it a couple of years ago...you just get that feeling of a child in a candy store....(Oh wait it is a candy store)

And I happened to see these:

I so dig these galoshes (Do I sound like I'm 80?) Ok let me be all rad (boy did I just say "rad"?) these rain boots. I was soooo tempted to buy them but I didn't and I've been thinking about them. It's like they are calling my name...."Vanessita (as my mom calls me) come buy us you know you want to wear candy patterened galoshes") By the way Oprah (as in "Winfrey") digs them too. So I was thinking I should buy them and send Oprah a pic of me sporting these lovelies and maybe just maybe...she would call me...and we can both do lunch in a swanky chicago restaurant as we chat while wearing our galoshes. (A girl can dream right?)

So I opted for this instead:

Who doesn't love a swedish fish? And after they're gone (which they are almost) I will have a handy dandy mini lunchbox tin.

So for you folks who might be in the NYC area you must make a pit stop.

What's wrong with being...

This very cool chic Eva B. a tee- shirt designer from Paris, France sent me some info on her new line of shirts which I recommend you check out. They remind me of my Nastee Notes...but in clothing.

They are all too cool...What's wrong with being Bitchy is my fave. Here is a little Q & A with Eva:

How did you start doing the tee shirts?

Eva: I started these t-shirts 2 years ago, this idea came when I was getting really fed up with people being prejudiced. So basically it became my message through these t-shirts.

Do you sell them anywhere?

Eva: I started to sell them to people around me, but soon i will do via a website. so if anyone is interested my mail is evabana@hotmail.com

As an independent designer what's the biggest challenge you have faced so far?

Eva: I would say all the business aspect of promoting them, I'm not a professional so it takes some times.

Eva was so gracious enough to send me a What's wrong with Being Bitchy Tee...that's me in one word

Delectable Addiction

These bad boys should be outlawed!! Not because I hate them...because I love them toooooo much! I'm a Cadbury mini easter egg JUNKIE. Everytime during Easter season, when I walk into a store and I see them for the very first time again since the year before I shed a tear....a tear of happiness. Cadbury Easter mini eggs just make me giddy with joy. The chocolate is the most delicious creamy and smooth and the crunchy little shell just warmes the cockles of my heart. Why oh Why are they not sold year round? Maybe we should all write a letter to Hershey and tell them "Hey guys just change the shape a tad and have them year round."
Don't you agree? Well I spotted my little beloved's (is that a word) on Friday afternoon as I headed into CVS to purchase hair conditioner and I had to stock up for the next couple of days (cause they won't last me until Monday)
I will be purchasing in bulk by the time Easter season is over so they can last me for hmmm...I don't know...a week. If anyone wants to make a donation to my cause I will gladly accept the little purple packages of happiness.