~Pamela Susan~

Napoleon Dynamite Digs My Jewelry! Oh, and My Shop Is Open, Too (but only for 2 days!)

Boy, do I have some fun pictures to share with you!  Remember my pal Erin?  She was recently with her friends, Kirsten and Sarah Heder after they received a few of my necklaces.  Now for those of you who might not know who Kirsten and Sarah are, Kirsten is Jon Heder's wife, and Sarah is their sister-in-law (she is married to Dan, Jon's twin brother).  You read that right: Jon Heder, also known as Napoleon Dynamite.  Yep!  THE Napoleon Dynamite.  Now tell me... how freaking cool is that?!

And how beautiful are these ladies??  Very.

(Kirsten, Erin, and Sarah) 

Erin is wearing the Songbird necklace, along with a chalcedony necklace...

Sarah is wearing the 'You Are My Sunshine' necklace...

Sarah--I couldn't resist posting this picture--I love it!

And Kirsten is wearing the 'A Wish For You' necklace...

Uh, oh!  Jon is noticing Kirsten's necklace for the first time...

I think he kinda likes it...

Actually, he liked it so much he snatched it from Kirsten's neck and put it on his own!

Here they are having some fun...

What a CUTE couple!!

And for some bonus pictures, here's a keychain I made for Jon...

For those of you who are familiar with the movie Napoleon Dynamite (more like you have the entire movie memorized, if you're anything like my family!), you'll know why I stamped "I LIKE TOTS''.  And for kicks n' giggles, here's a link to one of the "tots" clips...

 

Oh, how I love that movie!

It looks like Jon's into his new keychain, doesn't it?!

A lot!

(photos were taken by Erin Chambers and Jon Heder, and are not to be used in any shape or form by others.  Thank you!)

Ha ha!  Thanks for the chuckles, Jon!  And girls, I'm happy to see you're enjoying your new pretties!  What lovely ladies you all are.

 

xo,

Pamela, a gal who enjoys a good laugh, especially when watching Napoleon Dynamite!

 

Sorry, now it's closed!  It will reopen the first Monday and Tuesday of January.  Thanks!

p.s.  The shop is open!  But only for two days, so swing on over and grab what you want before it's too late!

A Belated Happy Thansgiving and a Shop Update

I hope my American readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving day!  May we constantly strive to celebrate the blessings in our lives that we are thankful for.

Though I wasn't able to spend this special day with all my family members, I sure enjoyed the family I was with.  My mother-in-law and I have been taking walks near her home the last couple of days; look at what we found along our way...

a beautiful pine cone!  

Now, I realize I might come across as being easily entertained and amused.  Well, that fact is, it's true.  I've been quite intrigued by this little guy.  When I first found it, the wings were tightly closed, but now they're opening up, little by little.  Nature is fascinating, isn't it?

Also, on a completely different note, I have a shop update: for those of you who have been waiting for me to open my lil' Etsy boutique for Christmas shopping, mark your calendars!  The doors open this upcoming Monday and Tuesday, November 29 and 30.  Turn around time for these orders will be 2 weeks, which will be enough time for domestic orders to be delivered by Christmas.

There will be a few new items available:

'You Are My Sunshine Birthstone' Necklace

I'm in love with this teeny pendant.  I'm also in love with all the birthstones...

They're so pretty I could take a bite out of 'em.

Here are a couple hand stamped rings for The Green Collection (this collection is made from recycled discs, and are offered at a lower price than my regular jewelry...you gotta love that!)

Do you know someone who loves words/letters or numbers?  They're sure to love this unique design...

There will also be a few acorn bookmarks...

As well as three acorn bags!

That's it for now!  I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.  :)

 

xo,

Pamela

p.s. If you'd like to be added to my newsletter, please email me at [email protected].  Thanks!

My Birthday Getaway

This year's birthday was one to remember.  After Aaron whisked me away to Portland, I enjoyed a 1 1/2 massage at Dosha on NW 23rd.  Oh, what a much needed treat this was!  We then enjoyed a mouthwatering dinner at Typhoon, which was just up the street.  Now, this is when it got exciting.  I was sitting at our table enjoying my plate of Drunken Noodles, talking with Aaron, while gazing out the window watching people walk by.  I love to people watch.  I think humans are fascinating creatures.  And that is when it happened.  As a couple walked by I admired the woman's red coat and black little hat.  Then I narrowed in on her face.  But this was no ordinary face.  I recognized those features: the cute little nose and pouty red lips.  "There's Emily Martin!" I exclaimed to my hubby.  "I have to go get a picture with her!".  After all, it was my birthday and I was entitled to do something crazy like that, right?  You see, most Oregonians might get excited when they spot a Portland Trail Blazer, or perhaps Phil Knight, the owner of Nike.  But not me!  You show me an amazing crafter/artist and I'll be on a happy high for hours! (Okay, now all the Etsy people reading this will know her, but for those of you are not familiar with her work, she is the owner of The Black Apple, a shop full of unique and beautiful creations.  You may have seen her on the Martha Stewart show. She is the inspiration for the creation of the girls' favorite dolls.  Also, for a visual treat, do visit her amazingly creative blog.) Lucky for me I had my camera in my handy dandy bag and I rushed outside to meet her.  Fortunately, she walked into Urban Outfitters right next door, so I didn't have to run too far.  

And can I just say she was the sweetest lady ever?  Here's a picture of her holding her new book which is available at Urban Outfitters.

Of course I bought the book and had her sign it.  It will be a gift for the girls when they are just a wee bit older.  I love what she wrote to them.  

This book is amazing. AMAZING.  Her attention to detail is beyond impressive.  Her writing is just as enjoyable to read as her drawings are to look at.  If you're a paper doll lover, or you have young girls, this is a must have book.  And if you happen to live in the Portland, Oregon area visit Powell's bookstore December 13th for a book signing!  

And here we are.  What a wonderful birthday treat!

After I calmed down we headed to our hotel, The Nines.  What a beautiful place!  We couldn't resist a few shots.

(blurry elevator ride)

(this picture is for you, Summer!)

Yes, this place was swanky.

I fell in love with this chair.

Here is a cake Avey made for me.

The next day we traveled to Anthropologie.

Now, I know in a previous post I wasn't very positive about this store, and my opinion still stands about some of their low quality clothing.  BUT, this store is full of creativity!!  And for this reason alone I will always love it.  I love their clothes too, but I'll just have to be very careful about what I buy, because  big prices do not always equate high quality!

But look at these beautiful window displays.  LOVE them.  See the cakes made of yarn?  What about those stools?  EEEEEEEEEE!!

Here's the other window...

I love that door.  I want to make one.  How cute would this be in a playroom??

And their indoor display...

Tree Trimmings...

And another display...

Yes, it was a great little weekend getaway, but I couldn't wait to get back to my little girls.

 xo,

Pamela, a very thankful gal

p.s. Ketti--Emily commented on how she liked my camera bag! You truly do amazing work.  Thank you!  :)

Gobble Gobble, Who Wants To Make a Turkey and Leaf Wreath?

Okay, I really want to share with you my fun birthday weekend but first I thought I better highlight these fun Thanksgiving ideas before it's too late.  For dinner favors, I made Bakerella's cake pops.  Everyone loves candy leaves, right?

Those were fun and all but then I just had to try a couple of her turkeys.  Now I wish I had forgone the leaf balls for these cute guys!  I had to improvise with some of the supplies:

1.  I didn't have pretzel sticks for the legs, so I used the orange leaves for feet.  They worked great!

2.  I used Werther's Caramel chews for the base of the head, whereas Bakerella used coated espresso beans.  I just cut up the caramel and rolled it around and shaped it into an oval.

3.  For the beak, instead of using candy coated chips, I cut up one of the candy corns and sculpted it to my liking.  

4.  I own pink hearts, not red, so I used an edible red ink pen to color them in.  Perfect!

These really were a hoot to make.  I hope you try them!

And here is another idea for you just in case your front door is naked and you just happen to have a pile of leaves in your yard... a leaf wreath!  This one was made by my friend, Tracy.

 Pretty, isn't it?

These next pictures aren't the best but they help illustrate how to make the wreath. 

First, gather your supplies: metal wreath frame, floral tape, floral wire, leaves.  That's it!

Press leaves in a phone book until they are dry.  Make little "bouquets", using floral tape.

(Here are a bunch of bouquets Avey made for her wreath.)

Overlap the leaf bouquets onto the metal frame, and wrap each bouquet to the frame with floral wire.

That's it!  I love the simplicity of these wreaths.

Have fun!

 

xo,

Pamela, a lover of everything autumnal

Acorn Birthday Giveaway Winner!

Wow!!  What a weekend!  Thank you for your patience for waiting to hear who won the giveaway.  First, thanks to all who entered!  This giveaway received the most entries I've ever had (I must not be the only acorn-admirer out there!).  I had to wipe the drool off my keyboard after reading the many suggested cake flavors... YUMMY!  And thanks to my wonderful hubby for such a thoughtful gift!  So, so, sweet.  I've got a keeper, don't I?  :)

So who wants to know who won?  The giveaway winner who was randomly chosen was MARY B! Congratulations!!  I'm so excited to gift you with your acorn gifts.  Please email me your information and I will ship this in a jiffy.

And do you want to know what kind of cake I got?  Chocolate cupcakes!  My family did a great job making them.  They even sprinkled chunks of pomegranate and caramel candy on top of them.

Also, stay tuned to find out what we did over the weekend.  Something very exciting occurred!!!

And real quick--before I let you go, guess what's falling from the sky right now in our neck of the woods?  SNOW!  Copious amounts of white, beautiful snow.

Miss A even made her first snowman of the season.

xo,

Pamela, a very happy 31 year old gal

Happy Birthday Pamela....here's to you (love, your husband)

In honor of Pamela's birthday, I have put together a tribute video that highlights some of her amazing work. Please share with any and all friends. She truly is amazing and I am a very fortunate person to be married to her. 

 

Here's the youtube video link:

 

 

PS- I'm stealing Pamela for the weekend. She'll announce the winner of the give away on Monday.

Thanks!

 

(Post edit by Pamela:  fyi--the picture of Jane with the pink and blue outfit/headband is made by the talented Jodell of Modest Maven, not me)  :)

A Fairy Birthday Party

Hello!  I can't wait to share with you the second summer birthday party highlight.  My good friend, Leah Fairbanks, hosted the best fairy themed party for her daughter's fifth birthday.

 (For those of you who are familiar with the art of making glass beads, you'll know this classy lady. She is truly amazing!)

Not only does Leah rock on the torch at making beads, but she's also a lean, mean, fairy-skirt-sewing-machine!  She made over 25 skirts for each other the little girls that attended the party.  And they were ADORABLE.

Here is her birthday girl glamming it up.

Aren't these wings every little girl's dream?  So cute.

Miss C loved her skirt.

Miss J did, too!

Leah also made the most exquisite fairy meringues.

Sprinkles of fairy dust adorned each one.

I love this picture of Leah and her hubby Derek.  Cute, cute, cute!

And can I just say that I've never seen such beautifully wrapped presents before?  Gorgeous.

This one was my favorite.  Creativity is pasted all over it.

And here are a few fun ideas for you if you'll be attending a fairy party soon... next time you gift your loved one with a present, paint a box, throw some stickers on it, and fill it with fairy goodness!

Miss A and Miss painted this "fairy" house and I needle-felted a door and flower to embellish it.

A bag of fairy chalk is perfect for creative little minds.

Fairy dust is a must.  Just fill a little baggie with flower-punched paper.

Here is a necklace I designed for our special little friend. 

(This design will be available in the shop when it opens November 29th)

The teeny-tiny font is the perfect fairy size.

Thank you, Leah, for a magical party!

 

xo,

Pamela

p.s.  Don't forget to enter the Acorn Birthday Giveaway!  The winner will be announced tomorrow.  :)

 

 

 

Evie's Birthday Party and a DIY Paper Party Hat!

Since this is my birthday week, over the next couple of days I thought it would be fun to highlight some birthdays I took pictures of for my friends' little girls.  The first party was for Evie, who has the prettiest brown eyes in the world.

(These first two pictures were actually taken during a photo shoot a week before her actual birthday.)

Told you she has gorgeous brown eyes!

Here's Evie with her pretty mama, Libby.  Didn't Libby do a great job on that banner?!

Now can I just tell you something about my friend Libby?  She is a details girl.  Take a look... maybe you can get a few ideas for your next birthday bash!

Impressive, wouldn't you say??

And instead of a traditional cake, Libby made raspberry cheesecake.  Yummy!

Yummy and pretty.

And of course there were presents.  Lots and lots of presents for this big one year old!

I think her friends were just as excited as she was.

Here's Mama helping Evie open a special handmade gift from our close friend Jennifer.

I made her a wall hanging.

And here's her proud Daddy.

Since Libby's birthday was a few days before Evie's, party hats were a must for both of these special gals.

To learn how I made them go here for a quick tutorial.

A basket of favors awaited each of the guests before they departed the party.

Thank you, Libby, for such a fun party and for letting me take pictures of your little angel!  

 

xo,

Pamela, a gal who is grateful for good friends

 

p.s.  Please head over to Dionne's blog and vote for her Lemongrass Vanilla Bean Pannacotta dessert!  If anyone deserves to win the contest it is definitely Dionne!!

 

Acorns, Acorns, Who Wants an Acorn? Or Two?? Or Three??? It's My Birthday and I Can Give Away Three If I Want To!

I'll cut straight to the chase.  I love acorns.  The first time I realized my unique adoration for this nut was when my Mom began sculpting them and selling them at her shows years ago.  They were a hit.  A BIG hit.  I think it is safe to say she was an acorn lover before it became trendy to love acorns.  Yep, my Mom was cool that way.

In fact, I am pretty sure I love acorns because they remind me of my Mom.  In fact, I happened to stumble upon a treasured gift a couple months ago while helping clean out some boxes at my parents' place... a bag full of acorns she had collected herself from years ago!  I found the perfect home for them:  a handsculpted/carved bowl that Mom made herself.  

Behold the pot o' acorns!

Speaking of acorns, one of my girls' favorite past times is collecting acorn tops.  After countless times of stashing these little tops in my purse, stroller, and pockets I figured we should have a dedicated bag for our acorn-collecting adventures.  So why should I use new fabric to make a bag when I can upcycle an old, worn-out mens jacket?  All I had to do was cut the sleeves off, turn the leather elbow patch into an acorn, add a strap and voila!  We had ourselves two stylin' acorn bags!

(Acorn Bag © 2010 Pamela Susan Designs)

I think I'll put a couple of these bags in my shop next time it opens.  Yipee!

(The fabric for the acorn tops come from Hawthorne Threads, which is only the coolest online fabric shop around!)

So, as I mentioned in the title, it's my birthday.  Well, not today, but on Friday.  And since I'll be turning 31 I thought it would be fun to give away 3 gifts, plus a bonus one!  Get it?  3-1?  Oh, good.  I'm glad you got it.  

Since I'm a jewelry designer I think it is only appropriate for one of the three gifts to be the acorn necklace!

And since we recently collected a bag fully of acorns, I couldn't resist pulling out the felting needles to make an acorn bookmark.

For the third gift I'll throw in a bar of either chocolate or licorice soap--your choice.

The bonus gift will be a little handsculpted acorn made of the chocolate soap!  

So who wants an acorn necklace, bookmark, and soap??  One winner will be randomly chosen.

To enter this giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me which flavor of cake I should request for my big day!

2.  For a second entry, like my facebook fan page and come back and tell me you did.  

(If you're already a fan, post this giveaway on your facebook page and come back and tell me you did.)

3.  For a third entry, do something nice for someone this week and come back and tell me what you did!

The winner will be announced on my birthday, November 19. 

 

Good luck!!

 

xo,

Pamela, a soon to be 31 year old

 

p.s.  For those of you who have inquired whether or not I'll reopen my shop before Christmas, I'm happy to announce that I will be! :)  I'll most likely open it the last week of November for a couple days.

A Classic Hound Winner, 14 Bottles of Salsa, and Soapy Soap. How's That for Random?

We have a Classic Hound winner!  But first, I want to thank all of you who entered the giveaway!  It was fun reading the many entries.  Ellen offers a pretty good selection of designs, wouldn't you say?  

Okay, onto the fun part.  Carrie is the lucky number 28... CONGRATULATIONS!!  Email me at [email protected] and I will forward your mailing information onto my sister.

And guess what I realized today?  I haven't given you an update on my salsa-making adventure!  I'm happy to report I was able to make a couple batches, and boy is it delicious!  Thanks again, Stephanie!

(before the onions, peppers, spices, vinegar and other goodness were added)

(after)

(the finished product... yummers)

And I finally got around to making the soap this week for our swap.  Licorice and chocolate were the two fragrance choices I settled on... I hope that's okay with you, Stephanie!

I love the chocolate soap--it darkens over time until it actually takes on the appearance of chocolate!  I took this picture right after I cut it, so the inner portion hadn't darkened yet.

Yes, my house smells fantastic right now, if I do say so myself.  And it felt great making soap again.  

Here's to veggie oils, lye, and saponification!

 

xo,

Pamela, a gal who loves salsa just as much as soap.  Well, almost.