Southern Christmas Show 2011

Oh my!  I know it has been a minute.  I have so much to share with you all.  Thank you for your patience and your continued following. 

So, last week, I was able to go to the Southern Christmas Show here in Charlotte. It was absolutely wonderful. It is so refreshing to see all the gifts and talents of so many people from all over the country.  Here are some of the highlights from my visit. 

First up is this gorgeous Christmas wreath.  It is made from Deco Mesh.  It is seems as if this all the rage this year because this stuff was everywhere you turned in various colors.

Next, is this simple but elegant copper bracelet.  I just had to get my hands one one of these.  There were others with beads and baubles on them, but I really loved the simplicity of this kind.

Now, this just took both my assistant and my breath away. It is a dress, vest, belt, purse and earrings made from recycled bottle tops from soda cans.  I couldn't believe my eyes. It was truly unique and a pretty penny as well.

And finally, these necklaces with the flowers made from t-shirts seem to be another big hit this year.  It is so simple, but again, so elegant.

There were many, many, many vendors and shops and so much to see.  I just wanted to give you a little taste of what was there.  Hope it gives you some ideas for starting your Christmas shopping and once again, Happy Crafting!!

Where is the year going?

Well, hello there! Where is the year going?  I can't believe how fast the calender is moving.  The Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays will soon be upon us.  I have been so busy with so many projects that I realized that I had not posted anything new in about two weeks.

Well, my oldest daughter celebrated her 19th birthday, while my sister and sister-in-law also celebrated birthdays all in the same weekend.  So of course, handmade cards and gifts were in order.  I used my Lifestyle Crafts letterpress machine to create Birthday cards for them all. 

I also spent some time "scrapping" with some wonderful ladies at "Creating for Causes Event".  It was a 48 hour crop held here in Charlotte at the Ritz Carlton to raise money for autism awareness. I don't have any photos to post from the event, but here is a link to their website: http://www.creatingforcauses.org/. You can also find them on Facebook.  I believe the organizer will have some photos on their blog soon from this event.

I am also pleased to announce that I am working on some products for an upcoming event that will be held in December.  I will be one of the vendors at "The Christmas Market". This will be a day filled with shopping, music, food, story telling (for the little people) and much more at Victory Christian Center on December 10, 2011 from 10 am to 6 pm.  The address is 7224 Old Pineville Road, Charlotte, NC 28217 and you can call (704) 602-6010 for more details.

Hope this keeps you updated for a moment as my hands have so much to do.  Until next time, "Happy Crafting!!"

The Birthday girl!!



Hand letter pressed Birthday card

 

Are you looking?

Good morning everyone.  Have you looked outside your window lately?  The leaves on the trees are absolutely gorgeous!! Everything is turning those wonderful golden, autumnal colors.  I was sharing with someone recently that the visual I see is God coloring with huge crayons and the world is His coloring book.  :-)

Have you been in the stores lately, already you see Christmas decorations and signs that winter is coming.  The calendar is moving fast.

If you are already starting to plan out your holiday season and are looking for some great gift ideas, I will be sharing some with you in the coming weeks.  Today's idea is a monogrammed tumbler.

It looks like a disposable "to go" cup ,but both the straw and cup are made of acrylic.  It can be decorated with anyone's initials in various colors or other graphics.  These can all be ordered through our sales division of KayRoche.  If interested, contact me about the specifics.

I hope you are having a fabulous autumn day and are you looking?

One of life's little luxuries

When I began this blogging journey I talked about how I love to share places that I go to or find.  So today I am sharing with you a neat little place that I have recently come across.  It is a chocolate bar inside the lobby of the Ritz Carlton downtown Charlotte.  I had never even heard of a chocolate bar before I got a fabulous invitation to the grand opening of this place.  It is a quaint little bar where they serve drinks and all kinds of chocolates including those made by Norman Love Confections.  If you are not familiar with them, here is the website: normanloveconfections.com  I must say I am in love with this place.  You can invite a friend maybe for some after dinner desserts or meet your girlfriend for lunch, or snuggle with your boo after you catch a show.

On the day of the grand opening, everyone was given a gift bag filled with some of their chocolate treats.  When I opened the bag, I was simply beside myself at how elegantly they wrapped the chocolate.  I can't bring myself to open the cute little thing because it so adorable.  However, the thought of these lovelies sitting on my night stand every night is making me drool...

Party favor

A few days ago, I promised that I was going to post something new, but I got tied up in the affairs of life and didn't get around to it.  Anyway, I am back today with a cute little craft for you.  I hear people say all the time, I am just not that crafty.  Well, trust me when I say, anybody can make the following.  I hope it gets your craft juices flowing.

I was recently at a show and one of the vendors had the cutest little make and take.  It is candy wrapped in a little packet. I came home that evening and thought this would be a nice little party favor if you were having some sort of event.  I can not take credit for the idea, but here is how I made it.

1. I cut a piece of cardstock  2"x6".
2. Next, I scored the cardstork at 2 1/2" in on both sides, so that there is a 1" fold in the middle.
3. I used my Silhouette machine and cut out the oval scallops and stamped them with my initial.

4. I adhered one Hershey's miniature candy bar in the 1" fold with some double stick tape.

5. Finally, I punched holes at the top of the wrapper and tied some ribbon in the holes to keep it together.  And voila, here you have it.

I think it is absolutely adorable.  The possibilities are endless.  You could use it for a wedding reception or a birthday party.  You can stamp some other quote or saying on the front and give in a gift basket.  Hope you enjoyed and happy crafting.

A new day

Good morning. So much in store for the day. I will be posting something new later today. Stay tuned...

Welcome

Well hello to all who will follow and welcome to the long anticipated KayRoche blog.

I am a crafter, artisan, craftsman, and creator of home decor items, papercrafts, wall inscriptions, giftware, knitted, crocheted and sewn garments and more.  I love life and love sharing it with others.  I do that in many different ways.  I am that person who can't wait to share with others about my experiences at the newest restaurant in town that I have been to or giving my fellow shopper in the grocery store one of my extra coupons so they too can enjoy a bargain.  I send hand crafted cards to family and friends still in a world that is everything virtual.  Don't get me wrong. I love the latest technologies like ipads, ipods, tablets, and facebook just like the next gal, but I am still an old fashioned papergirl.  Give me a pen and I'll write a letter, send a card in a heartbeat, or create something wonderful with colorful paper and inks.

I believe what it says in the scripture, Ecclesiates 9:10 - "Whatever your hands finds to do, do it with all your might."  We are here to produce, be active in whatever gifts, talents, and abilities our God has given us.  For me that medium is through crafting.  So come along and join me on my journey as I enjoy crafting and life!