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Hi..popping in real quick mid-week here...pics of what I'm workin on as promised.

I don't usually copy ideas exactly, but I just loved Connie Govea Stuart's button people featured in the latest issue of Somerset Workshop and had to give them a go. First time working with fimo clay for me, too; come to think of it.

I have to say I think they're pretty cute but WHAT does one do with them? I made eight before that question stopped me. :-) Just had to make 'em, I guess.

I did come up with one more idea for Valentine's Day to put in Larissa's shop. Gosh I just love going in there. Everything seems new and different every time. And she always seems glad to see me. :-) She's got the fabric hearts in the front window, along with these button bouquets that I brought in yesterday.

They have those vases in our dollar store, which is what gave me the idea to make some more. I like this fabric covered green wire better than the original uncovered wire I used previously. They're fun to make. I wish I'd quit 'having fun' and get about the business of making stuff that might seriously sell. I'm now all set up to solder glass charms a la Sally Jean, but keep seeing these other things I wanna 'play' with. Like, I can't seem to get all these quilt ideas out of my head. Today I ordered freddy moran's book and I haven't been able to stop playing with fabric since. I'm thinking something with stars...bright and bold and no two alike like freddy (although no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to pull off her WOW factor). Here's a couple of six-inch ones that I made this evening. My first time paper piecing. Once you get the hang of it it's really fun. Lord knows I'd never get points like that the regular old way!

So, speaking of quilts and in honor of my current efforts to have a real life life (as opposed to just an internet life) I'm going to the local quilt guild meeting tomorrow night and will join and then go monthly. There's 100-150 members and they seem pretty active by what I read in the newsletter I picked up at a quilt shop today. I'm looking forward to it. Which reminds me, I recently reconnected with a good friend of almost 15 years. From back in the day when I worked in Nursing Home administration. We'd lost touch for the past 2 or 3 years, but as of this month her work will be bringing her up here for a full week every month! Yay! Such a dear friend. So glad to have that to look forward to every few weeks! Okay....almost midnight and our boy will be dropped off here at 6:45 am so this grandma's gonna go tuck in for tonight! Hope you're having a good week, too.

Gosh, I've been absent for a while, huh?

Well, as mentioned previously I went to my mom's house for almost a week. I'd have sworn I'd have been able to do at least two rooms while I was there, but even tho we worked from sun up til sun down literally every day that I was there (I was even putting 'one more coat' on her bathroom the morning I flew back home) we only got her bedroom and half bath done. Here's a before pic of mom workin at peeling paper.

I think that paper hung there almost all of the 30 years that she's had the house. Please note the DARK dry wood ceiling. That, my friends, is what took up more time than I'd have liked to think. It happily sucked up three full coats of primer (thick coats too--a whole gallon each time) but ended up looking so much nicer. Here's an 'after' shot, taken real quick on my way out the door. Mom obviously hadn't done any decoratin yet. The words aren't really written up there, either. Yet. I just photoshopped something in when I got home to show mom that I really should write something up there next time I go back.

Wowee~look at that nice white ceiling! ;-) and yes; I made the roman blind, too. We had a great time hanging out and working together. I told her I'll come back for more in March, and I'm actually looking forward to it already!

So I also real quick snapped some shots of a couple of her quilts. She has stuck with one thing--quilting--for...around 10 years now?...and has gotten SO very good. She truly is an artist in her work. I loved the borders and sashings on these three and am workin up some ideas after looking at these pics. Check 'em out;

Are those not just the BEST?! You rock, Mom. Thanks for sharing some of your talents ;-)

Best thrifting find of this week...only cost $10 altogether and they still have their Anthropologie tags on them totalling $42. Not sure if I'll keep or sell, but aren't they pretty?

Here's a glimpse of what I spent an entire day washing and photographing last week.

Every piece is Hall, from the 30's and 40's,  and fairly collectible. Have been collecting it for around 15 years, but most of it came five seven years ago when I discovered ebay.  I'll keep about three shelves full of the red (mostly the specialty teapots) but am selling the rest. Am planning to change the kitchen walls from yellow to pale turquoise. Will thin this collection out substantially, paint the black cabinets white, and parcel in some old creamy white pottery pieces as well as some glass and crystal, along with the red teapots. I'm slowly and methodically planning this redo, which is unlike me but it feels the right thing to do in this case.

Oh. My flight home took five hours longer than planned, but it turned out to be a good thing 'cause I had to buy a book to occupy myself and I ended up with The Memory Keeper's Daughter , a first novel by Kim Edwards that was REALLY good. One of those that you just keep wanting to sneak a few pages ahead to see what's gonna happen next.

Both my sewing table and my crafting desk are covered in projects that are all around 85% complete. I vow that Caleb WILL be well enough to go to school tomorrow and I WILL set about the business of finishing things. Will post pics soon. Have a good week!

Hi there. Times' flyin by already. Went to the gym four or five times this week. Lost three pounds. Quickly got over the fact that I was workin out with pudgy grandma's 'cause I realized...I resemble that remark ;-) Speakin of pudgy. Check out this pic of Mia I snapped last night. Seriously, she's the only cat I've ever seen who still looks bulky when soaking wet. It's rather odd how often she can be found in this very position. Paws UP!

I bought a cutter quilt (a quilt no longer worthy of bein on a bed--just good for cuttin up) recently. At first was kinda concerned about the low contrast of the pink and yellow. I bought it because when you look closely (which you have to do due to the low contrast) it's amazing the small and precise pieces that are in it. Really good work. I came up with two different ideas for it this weekend. Here's a cute lil tag for a new baby (showing two sides of the same tag)

The pic of the baby is on fabric, too (just in case you can't tell). Some recently acquired vintage trim across the bottom. Not sure yet if I can afford to do these wholesale. Will go show Larissa at The Nesting Place tomorrow along with these:

this pic shows both sides of one heart. It's probably 10 inches across. Immediately got the idea when I saw the cover of the latest Mary Engelbreit mag. Which, by the way, is currently and has been for a while my very favoritest magazine. Inspiration, decorating, crafting. It's got it all goin; baby. And just keeps getting better and better! So yeah; Larissa asked me to make stuff for valentine's day and a half dozen of these fabric hearts is all I'm coming up with. Will be gone all next week to go work with my mom on some chores around her house (Hi Mom! See you soon!) so more'n likely this is ALL I'll be comin up with for V-day. It's an over-rated holiday anyway, right?

I could make hearts and tags to choke a horse and STILL have a bunch of this quilt left so I think I'll also parcel some squares into a...oh crap...I can't remember the name of the style of quilt where you use flannel and snip snip snip the exposed seams...see the pic here and you'll know what I mean.

Our boy just got here so I best get goin'...he spends the nights that his mom has to go to work at 6am. This morning when he woke up and sat in papa's favorite side of the couch he casually said to us both, "If someone would like to make me a hot chocolate they could probably sit here by me." Oh My Word. The timing and the tone. Freakin' classic. He truly is his mother's child. MY child's child, come to think of it. ;-)

Have a great week!

We finally started the new year this week. Caleb went back to Kindergarten...his mom had worked 12 days in a row so that about sums up what I did for 12 days. On Monday I went and signed up at a ladies fitness center. Kinda like Curves, where they do circuit training. Wow. After all those times I've seen those gyms in passing and thought, 'That looks lame'...well; I was wrong! It's really not lame at all. It's a great workout! I'm so glad I finally went. Have been three days in a row now. Today I was there for the filming of a tv commercial. Can just hardly wait to see that! Now, just in case not ALL of Eureka already knew that I gained 40 pounds, they will now. yikes. More importantly, after about 2 years of thinkin on it, John moved his desk to a ReMax real estate office yesterday. He put it off for ever so long...ego issues around letting his own office go, fear of change, etc. but I think now that he's done it he's going to be happy with it. He's a real social kind of guy and living in a vacuum just wasn't a healthy environment. We're not sure yet if we're going to sell or lease out the building. So. Big changes already...I think we're going to have a great 2007! Plus I booked that art cruise to Alaska for the both of us. That's a fun thing to look forward to!

With some regularity I get the call to go thrifting. Something in the wind, on some high pitch frequency that only I (and maybe dogs) can hear, tells me there's a treasure out there waiting for me, so I must drop everything, grab my purse and head out to the three major thrift stores. Wowee. I was NOT disappointed today! I paid right around $13 for everything I'm about to show you;

 

this house stands 13" high. Is that going to be fun to alter and decorate or WHAT!?

This soup tureen holds about 2 qts...looks brand new but I believe it's pretty old due to the maker's mark on the bottom (calfornia pottery). I just this weekend decided I'm going to do a major redecorate in the kitchen...has been red yellow and black. I saw so many pretty and inspiring things done in aqua with bits of red during the holidays that that's the palette I'm going to switch to. This tureen will look nice with my other white pottery pieces from the 40's and 50's.

I can't get a good enough photograph of this heavy vinyl wallpaper. Got a pretty good size partial roll for 50 cents. If it's not 60's it's certainly inspired by the 60's. Here's a close up view;

It's such a great texture and quality. I have no earthly idea what I'll do with it. Just knew I'd better grab it!

Perfect and chip free...these dishes are probably from the 50s? Inset is the makers mark, but I haven't been able to identify the pattern yet. Four pieces of each. Will probably put them up on ebay.

Very good quality old leatherette box for storing monthly statements. Have no idea what I'll use it for, but was so impressed with the color and condition!

And my favoritest favorite of the day. :-D Grabbed it before they even knew they'd put it out on the floor. Asked for a price and he said 'how bout 2.50?" SOLD! cutey cute cute cute! It stands right around 4 ft tall. I'll most likely use it in the new kitchen...for tea towels or something. I don't know. I do know that just the thought of changin things up around here makes me happy.  Gosh. I did so good today I think maybe I should go to a couple of neighboring towns tomorrow, don't you?

Hi there! Hopping on real quick. Thought I'd share a couple of good links I came across this week. When I was researching the use of flax oil for Caleb's chronic constipation (TMI! Sorry!) this morning I came across this healthy tips website. I'm especially going to go back and read the part about cutting out sugar (for me, not him). My brother recently sent me this link about Rick and Dick Hoyt, an amazing father and son team. Don't forget to watch the video at the bottom. (and let me know if you were able to make it all the way through without crying!) For you crafters that sell on etsy and ebay, have you heard of hyenacart? A local gal recently turned me on to it. Seems like it's still a very small operation but that's how they all start out, right? Oh gosh...sitting here going through my bookmarks I just came across this link for ooh-la-la rubber gloves. Back in early December my hairdresser was telling me about these gloves she was taking to a white elephant party and not til I saw them could I imagine what a wonderful gift they would be for anybody! You really should check out their fun stuff.

Here's how I finished the purse. Lots and lots of detail work on it...even stitched down every point of that rickrack so it won't curl over later. I'll go put it on the website later today. That stripe-ish fabric I used for the backside pocket is one of my hoarded japanese fabrics. The straps are a fabric covered very stiff plastic so they stand up on their own.

 

Just got back from having my first cinnamon dolce latte of the season. I guess it's officially offered as of tomorrow, but last week I was at the Starbuck's kiosk in Target and was overhead by the barista that I could hardly wait for them and he pulled the bottle of syrup out from under the counter and said "you mean THIS!?" If I promised not to tell anyone he would hook me up early. I'd probably have promised him my next grandchild. Honest to God, there's probably crack in it for all I know but I DO NOT CARE. Oh snap. I just checked an online WW points chart and the dang thing is worth nine points. poop. So much for dinner. (but it was worth it! ;-})

So about a year ago I tuned in to 'japanese craft magazines'. Spent hours/days looking at them online. Copied to my harddrive a few pics of ideas I'd like to try. Basically it's simple sewing and quilting projects. I think what attracts me to these mag ideas is often the fabric they use. I did find one online supplier of groovy japanese fabrics (cotton, but not cheap!) and have happily bought from them several times. Also I got a sizzix die that appeared perfect for this flower pattern

So last night I felt like making the purse. Spent most of the evening on that blanket stitch...I really like the flower itself but; I'm sure you'll agree, it's out of proportion for adding a stem and leaves as shown in the sample page.

Hmmmm. NOW I'm thinking it's the start of the quilt I've had brewing in my head for a while now. Mostly black and white (which I've collected a LOT of) with lil touches of red, aqua, yellow.  Each square of the quilt different. Yeah. I'm thinkin I like that. Just gotta figure out what to do with this heavy canvas piece first. Continue on as a bag?