Halloween Deal {today only!}: B1G1 FREE Mini Wet Bags

Happy Halloween, friends!  I can't believe the month of October ends tonight!  I hope my fellow East Coasters are recovering quickly from any damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

I have a special Halloween Deal of the Day! All mini (sandwich-size) vinyl-lined wet bags are BUY 1 Get 1 FREE! Today only!! That's just $7 for 2 bags plus shipping! Good on any in-stock fabric. Message me on Facebook or email me to order or for more information. Offer absolutely ends at MIDNIGHT and won't be repeated before the holidays!

Mini wet bags can be used as sandwich bags, travel make-up bags, snack bags, first aid bags...keep them in your purse, backpack or diaper bag! Perfect time to start stocking up on teacher's gifts and stocking stuffers. 

 

 

Orders will be billed via Paypal and shipped within 2-3 business days.  Valid only on in-stock fabrics.  Email me for more info.  aquaseventy6 {at} gmail dot com.

 

Mad Haute

Every November, when Target has their costumes at 75-90% off, I pick up a few for my kids. These have worked beautifully in the past for the Halloween Parties, Trunk or Treats, Storybook Parades at school, and countless other opportunities my kids have had to dress up prior to the actual day of Halloween.  This is not only super fun for my daughter, but preserves her "real" costume until Oct. 31.

Last year was no different.  I picked up three adorable costumes at $3 each and thought my daughter was set for this holiday.  Boy, was I wrong!!

We are in a whole new world up here in Virginia.  We weren't invited to any pre-Halloween costume parties and her school doesn't allow them to come to school in costume.  Lo and behold, her school DID decide to try Trunk or Treat last Friday night, and since she knew she wouldn't get to show off her costume to her friends, I allowed my daughter to wear her "real" costume to the event.

So let's talk about this "real" costume.  Mommy has been very busy, so I assumed my ever considerate daughter would pick one of the three costumes hanging in her closet for the last 11.5 months---and she would have---had I not shown her a picture of an adorable Queen of Hearts costume on Pinterest.  My kid is a mini-me in every way.  Her wheels started turning, and even though we went to the fabric store intending to make her the Queen of Hearts, we came out with purple, black, and green tulle, some pink and black tights and The Mad Hatter on the brain. 

What we created was Mad Haute....

I made her skirt using 9 yards of tulle, elastic and a simple tie-on method.  Click here for a tutorial. I love how it looks torn and industrial...dark and moody.  I added some tulle to a mini hat hair clip we found at Pier 1.

Next I made the floppy bow tie, tying in the colors of her tights.  I safety pinned that into a heather-gray long sleeve top to continue that industrial look.

I cut the fingers off of some simple winter gloves we've had forever, and I dug up an old vest I've had since my hipster days.  JK, I was never a hipster, but I did rock the mini vest back in 2006ish.

I tied her hair in two twisty knots, and attempted to recreate Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter make-up, to no avail.  We ended up just using lots of eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner and lipstick to finish off the dark, Tim Burton-esque look of this costume.

I have to say, I LOVE the way it came out!!  What do you think? 

 Click here to see where this and my other posts are linked

Two Year Anniversary HUGE Giveaway!!

This is a very special week here as I am celebrating AquaSeventy6's TWO year anniversary!  AquaSeventy6 would not be what it is without all of you, so as a special thanks, I am hosting an AMAZING giveaway!

Ten of my wonderful fellow handcrafters and bloggers have joined in on the fun and have offered up some unbelievable prizes totaling almost $300!!

To make this giveaway even more special, I will divide the prizes up among 3 winners, so that you have an even greater chance of scoring something special!

Here is what you can win:

Prize Package #1 ($103 value)

Two custom throw pillow covers by yours truly! These have been my biggest seller this season,and now you can have your very own set!

Adorable Pocket Wristlet by Tween Queen Designs -  Handmade Handbags, Accessories, and more.  Made for Tweens by a Tween...and her mom!

Mommy and Me Apron Set by Stitched by Jones.  Autumn is a former AquaSeventy6 blogger and designer.  She continues to write and design lovely things on her blog Stitched by Jones!

Prize Package #2 ($87 value)

Custom Designed Skirt by kaiya designs.  Marcy designs everything from kid's wear to mommy wear, including layette, accessories and home goods.

Spiced Apple and Salted Caramel Candle by Seventh Avenue Apothecary. Seventh Avenue Apothecary is a family owned & operated company pouring small batches of candles in Tampa, FL.  Their signature scents are reminiscent of the historical, cultural and culinary legacy of Ybor City and their own Cuban and Italian heritage.

Handmade Tree Domino Pendant with Necklace by Sweet Whimsy.  Sweet Whimsy is the way one stay at home mom shares her love of art, crafting and jewelry with the world. Jan creates most of her pieces using upcycled game tiles and adorns them with beautiful images. Love and care is in every item created.

$10 Shop Credit to Rustic Living. Ashley has an adorable shop filled with rustic inspired pillows, handbags and home goods.

Prize Package #3 ($106 value)

Handstamped and Personalized Sterling Silver Washer and Heart Necklace by R&E Avenue,  Jasmine makes a wide array of beautiful and original handstamped jewelry and accessories. 

Black Raspberry Vanilla Candle by Simply Vintage Candles.  Kara and Kathy are a mother-daughter team who are passionate about life, family, friends and their thriving business.  Their hand-poured soy candles are decorated with beautiful early-to-mid-century labels and prints and come in a variety of amazing scents.

Stylish Wristlet by Thirty-One is offered courtesy of Amy Saumell.  Amy uses her Thirty-One business to help in her community with fundraising efforts and also help empower women. The company is based on Proverbs 31, which talks of the virtuous women, with celebrating, encouraging and rewarding others.

XL Ad Space at Ma Nouvelle Mode.  Natalia and Christie encourage, motivate and inspire women of all walks of life to discover {or rediscover} their own fabulous panache.  They want to see women build the confidence to embrace who they are through the modes of fashion, beauty, home décor, travel and other creative passions.

Now that you have learned a little more about the prizes and the lovely ladies providing them, use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for your chance to win one of the THREE amazing packages above!  Good luck!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rules:
Winners will be notified by email.  Winners have 48 hours to respond to the email in order to accept prizes.  Prizes may be forfeited and a new winner chosen if a) the winner does not respond to the email within 48 hours, b) the winner has not "liked" the Facebook page(s) owned by the shop/blog(s) offering the winning prize package (as applicable).

AquaSeventy6 50% Off Sale!!!

I'm having a HUGE sale over on my Etsy shop!  EVERYTHING is 50% off when you use code COLUMBUS12!! 

The sale expires in 24 hours, so don't wait!  This is a perfect time to stock up on some Christmas gifts.  Starting next week, I will be revamping my shop and adding all new items, so I need you to help me clear out all of my existing merchandise!

Visit my shop and take advantage of this great sale!

Favorite Month, Anniversary, Giveaways and More!

It's finally here!  My favorite month of the year!  Ever since I was a little girl, I have LOVED the month of October.  The weather in Tampa cooled off, my mom would make me a Halloween costume, and my elementary school had its yearly Halloween Carnival.  Those were the days.

There's another reason why I love October...it's the month that the idea of AquaSeventy6 was born.  This year, AquaSeventy6 celebrates its 2 year anniversary, and I have SO MUCH in store for you! 

First I will be holding weekly FLASH GIVEAWAYS on my Facebook page!  What is a Flash Giveaway?  Without prior notice, I will announce that a giveaway is in full swing and how long you have to enter.  FB fans have to do something simple to enter ("like" a particular update, post a comment, share the page, etc.)  The following morning, I will list everyone who has followed the rules (making sure they are a follower, of course) assign them a number, and have Random.org choose the winning entry which will be announced on my FB page.  Easy peasy!!

On the last week of October, I will be holding a HUGE giveaway...more details will be announced soon, so make sure you follow me on Facebook for the most up-to-date information.

..............

I wanted to share some items I've created in honor of my favorite month of the year...

Even though I don't normally create many holiday-specific items items, I can't help myself when it comes to Halloween!

There is more to come, so stick around! xx


 Click here to see where this and my other posts are linked

Working Through the Pain

Gosh...I don't know how to begin to tell you how sorry I am that I've been lagging on this blog.  I've been very busy with orders, which is so amazing.  I love, love, LOVE what I do!!

Unfortunately, I somehow aggravated my back injury on Monday (unloading the dishes, of all things) and I've been in excruciating pain ever since.  I can't tolerate pain killers other than basic ibuprofen or acetaminophen, so it's been a rough week.

How did I injure my back?  7 years ago my husband, kids and I were hit by a drunk driver who ran a red light.  Our SUV spun around and rolled over. I was driving.  By the grace of God we all walked away from the accident, but my back was never the same.

I go through this every few months...but this has been the longest I've been in pain...ever.  I think I may have to see a doctor soon. :(

I probably should have relaxed my back much more than I have this week.  After I finish this post, I promise I will go upstairs and stay in bed until Sunday.  Maybe my fairy Godmother will appear and do my laundry this weekend.

Here are some photos of what I worked on this week, pain and all...tell me what you think:

20" x 20" Chevron Throw Pillow

Elephant Karavan Applique Pillows

Scrappy Scarf Necklace

Boho Cuff Bracelet

 Click here to see where this and my other posts are linked

Elephant Applique and Patchwork Throw Pillows

My friends and family are the inspiration for most of my projects, and I am so grateful to them!  It takes so much creativity just to figure out how to run a multifaceted business from home with kids on two different bus schedules, all the while having to plan dinner, do housework, worry about bills AND try to find a way to have a fulfilling life on a budget. It's no wonder my hair is falling out...seriously, it is.  I could make a wig out of what gets trapped in the shower drain!

Even so, nothing has fulfilled me creatively than creating items to share on AquaSeventy6.  So, thank you again!

The following project was inspired by some fabric I came across while mindlessly browsing the web.  It was so beautiful that I had to share it on my Facebook page.  Minutes later, my friend Natasha asked if I could use the fabric to make her some throw pillows....OF COURSE!

I ordered the fabric from a trusted shop on Etsy (small business supporting small business!) as well as some coordinating fabrics for the backside.  When the main fabric arrived, I decided to cut out the print and applique it on another fabric.....and here is what was born...

Isn't it beautiful?!

Here are both sides.  What you can't see is the zipper I added to each pillow so that my friend can toss the covers in the wash whenever she needs to.

I love this pillows so much, that I am planning to recreate them for myself...if I ever make time!  I hope you all enjoyed today's bit of eye candy! xx

 Click here to see where this and my other posts are linked