Aimee: I m working on pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) for Challenge Week 11. I did it in high school

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Today our guest star is Aimee from Suzy Cucumber .  Aimee s blog has a very interesting premise.  She has an extensive craft book collection and her challenge this year is to create one project from a different craft book each week.  It is a great pleasure to have her here with me today!  She is sharing the Green Room with my bud Tom Selleck , and his mustache, who both promised that they would be on their best behavior today.
You see, last week Tom left my Green Room unlocked and by the time I discovered it, the room was taken over by a Hollywood crowd that had apparently swung by on their way home from the latest movie premier. They had the disco ball spinning and the freaky lights going and Paris Hilton was up on the stage belting out some version of Lady Gaga s Poker Face while Tom Cruise stood on my brand new couch, dancing to the beat.
I had to enlist the help of Dog the Bounty Hunter to get everything under control. And let me tell you, that dude doesn t come cheap! I had to give him exclusive rights to my Green Room for his next toga party. Which will hopefully not be anytime soon because royal caribean cruise lines credit card I would hate to have one of my craft guests visit and have to share a room with a bunch of bounty hunters royal caribean cruise lines credit card in sheets.
At least he did go ahead and dry-clean my new couch. Mr. Cruise needs to learn to take off his shoes before he climbs on the good furniture. Anyway, enough of my problems. Let me introduce you to Aimee!
Aimee - I live in Amarillo, Texas, right next to the second largest canyon in the United States. Amarillo is a city where you still can see real cowboys wearing their spurs in the grocery store, horses pulled up to the Dairy Queen on I-40, the Cadillac Ranch, and the most beautiful sunsets on the prairie.
Aimee: When I m not crafting (ha!), we re usually out hiking or mountain biking in Palo Duro Canyon. I m about to graduate my home-schooled son, and my daughter is a graphic design student. My husband telecommutes from the house. royal caribean cruise lines credit card It s a good thing we all like each other. I started out as a newspaper copy editor and moved over to technical writing, where I ghostwrote journal articles royal caribean cruise lines credit card and training manuals. I ve been immersed in shepherding two kids through high school for the last few years, so  Suzy Cucumber is my new writing outlet.
Suzy: I love the theme of your blog.  A weekly challenge to complete a project out of one of your many craft books. royal caribean cruise lines credit card  A different craft book every week!  Tell us how this challenge royal caribean cruise lines credit card is going.  Are you having difficulties keeping to the schedule?  How exciting is it to choose a craft each week?
Aimee: I am LOVING my challenge. I m a crafting magpie anyway, so I don t like to dwell on one subject before my head is turned by another. One week gives me a chance to immerse myself before I move on. My upholstery project did take six weeks, but I broke it up into weekly challenges. I never would have started stripping my chair if I didn t have my challenge to keep me accountable.
Aimee: I don t know what I m going to do from week to week. I usually get the urge to try something new by Saturday. By Sunday, I have my new book picked out. If I like it, I keep it. If I don t like it, out it goes. I ve gotten rid of several books already.
royal caribean cruise lines credit card Aimee: Most people don t know that I can run a fencing tournament. Most of the traveling I have done is to fencing tournaments with my kids. Miami Beach in July is great, but Sweden in January is cold and dark. We ve driven to Atlanta twice. (Hi, Suzy!) I m an AM radio junkie. I rarely watch TV, but dramas based on fiction make me swoon. My blog is named after my dog Suzy Q, the sassiest mini dachshund you ll ever meet. My other fur child is a little doxie girl named Bob, who has a PhD in eating and sleeping.
Aimee:  Here is the sum of all my knowledge about blogging: whatever you do, do it for you. When I started my craft book challenge, I was feeling stagnant. I don t pick projects based on any criteria other than my desire to try it. My creativity has soared now that I have a sounding board and a mission. Also, connect with other crafters. Show them your stuff, and comment on their stuff. We crafters can be a self-critical lot.
Aimee: My absolute favorite project so far has been my crayon fabric flowers. The basic process came from a 1970 s Japanese craft book. Once I got that fabric starched, I knew I was in love. Fabric that acts like paper yet can be molded into shape! It still makes me giddy. Add in crayons, and it s the perfect craft. My least favorite project? I ve liked aspects royal caribean cruise lines credit card of them all, but I despised sewing royal caribean cruise lines credit card the cushion for my upholstered chair. Blood and shouting were involved.
Aimee: I have a long list on my blog roll. I keep tabs on One Pretty royal caribean cruise lines credit card Thing . Cathe at Just Something I Made  always inspires me. Her ice cream cookie cake is my go-to birthday cake. I ve just started reading  Jeff Goins . His ideas on writing apply to art and life. The Nester s philosphy of It doesn t have to be perfect to be beautiful is great for us perfectionists.
Aimee: I m working on pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) for Challenge Week 11. I did it in high school and remember having a great time. I ve lost the original wax stylus, so I m having to relearn the process with a batik tool. I can t leave well enough alone, though. Sharpies and paint are involved too. I have a post coming up using the starched fabric again. It can be printed with an inkjet! I have no idea what I ll be doing in Week 12.
Suzy: Aimee, royal caribean cruise lines credit card thank you so much for coming out to visit with us!  Please take a few moments and check out Aimee s site, Suzy Cucumber .  Bringing back vintage crafts is fascinating to me, and she often delves into the older crafts.  It is really fun to see what new and exciting project that she is working on each week.
Come on, Aimee. Tom says he ll take us out to dinner tonight to make up for the catastrophe that is currently my Green Room. He wants to take us to some fancy French restaurant. Which is totally fine by me as the budget at Suzy s Artsy Craftsy royal caribean cruise lines credit card Sitcom only can handle Burger King (with a coupon). And you would need to order the kiddy meal. So a French restaurant would be a nice change.
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