studio flurry

well, I've been a busy little bee in the studio: I've got some collage blocks coming to the shop and they will be in the shape of... what else - little houses :) They are similar to my scrabble tile necklaces, except they are 3 -d and not wearable. I'm thinking that they would make great Christmas ornaments, because I fell in love with the little Anthropologie fabric embroidered houses last year. I guess my idea came a little late for Christmas, but I'm going to keep making them this summer, as I need to be MUCH more prepared with inventory for next holiday season anyway. I've been asking friends and family what else they could be used for, other than sitting on a shelf or windowsill and looking really cute. I can't help it, but I love it when art is functional.

So here are the suggestions I've gotten so far: 1. review mirror dangly thingy, 2. Light pull (for those ceiling fan lights with the chain hanging down), 3. knobs on dresser drawers in a kid's room... If anyone has any great ideas, please comment on this post. If I use your idea in my 'marketing description' in the shop, I'll send you a little house of your own. They will have a roof, and a tiny button doorknob of course. I'll post pictures later today when I get them finished. Finding a triangle top for the roof has been a challenge, but I bounce all of my ideas off of my husband (I'm sure he loves hearing them all), and he thought of using the really small moulding strips from the hardware store. We tried cutting blocks in half, but apparently did not have the right saw, and the wood is very hard.
On the fabric front, I have tried not to buy any more fabric until I work my way through some of my fabric shelves, because I'm tired of trying to find more places to put it, and reorganizing it all the time. But I bought a few goodies from the amazing PurlSoho, and they arrived yesterday:

It's a print of a coupon ticket from a french auction, and I'm going to use them individually as little frayed labels on some purses I have been dreaming up. I also got some Amy Butler for some spring skirts. Pictures coming soon!
I never got my velveteen scarflette finished last weekend, because laundry and working out and family stuff doesn't leave enough time for crafting and sewing. (Oh yeah, and the day job). But I'm going to make it happen~

one month down, 3 to go...

BIGGEST LOSER UPDATE:
It's been four weeks since the official beginning weigh in at school, and I've been pretty darn good if I do say so myself. We are having 'checkpoint weigh-ins' every 4 weeks, and I lost 8.8 pounds as of today. I'm extremely excited, but pounds do not just drop off of this body, especially since I entered my 30's. It takes a lot of work, and getting my food right. I wasn't in the top 3 today, but I'm sure I will be at the end -- I better be in the top spot, because I've got plans for the $500!
So even with my continuing back pain, I shall march forward (on the treadmill no doubt), and continue on. I have made a definite lifestyle change, and I'm starting to wonder what it will feel like to actually look good in a swim suit this summer. I can't even fathom it yet!
Onto other news, I've got some new purses and wrap skirts coming, with spring fever at the forefront of my creative mind. I still love all of my lovely fabrics in browns and greys, like corduroy:

and this beautiful blue velveteen that I'm going to make a scarflette out of tomorrow (for sure!), but I am looking forward to some brighter colors. I've noticed just in the last 2 years, my color choices have definitely gotten more cheery. My wardrobe, my wall paint choices, everything!
I used to be Queen Neutral. You couldn't find anything in my closet except for black, grey and brown. My latest buys were some really cute hoodies in turquoise (my favorite color, but used to be afraid to wear it), hot pink (yes, it is actually really cute), and a buttery yellow- YES, I said YELLOW!!!!! Can you believe it?
I have no idea why I've been so afraid of color for all these years.
Maybe I'll wear something really bright and eye-popping in my final 'after' picture when I WIN the biggest loser competition!!
caio girls~

~book giveaway~

ooooooohhhhh, I'm a craft book collector on a serious level, and hope to write one myself soon, and here's one I don't have:

Catherine Matthews-Scanlon will be giving away 2 copies of this wonderful mixed media collage book, so check it out on her blog. Yay!

2007 questionnaire

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
~ran an online shop~ yeah etsy!

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
~well, it's only Jan. 2, so yes. (biggest loser competition is main one, and I threw my back out at the gym on Dec. 29, so major pain at the moment, but my resolve it still there!)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
~no

4. Did anyone close to you die?
~our pug, Weezer (love you)

5. What countries did you visit?
~none

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
~a lean, mean physique, and more confidence

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
~Oct. 2 - 2year anniversary!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
~etsy shop, raising a 14 year old

9. What was your biggest failure?
~ not having the best attitude at work~

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
~ bladder issues

11. What was the best thing you bought?
~fabric, fabric, and ummmmm, fabric~

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
~Kev, quit smoking and other bad habits

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
~ westroads mall shooter

14. Where did most of your money go?
~after bills, fabric and supplies (teenage daughter clothes)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
~sales! lots of time for crafting

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
~all the repetitive crap on my daughters fave radio station

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? ~happier
ii. thinner or fatter? ~same, but that's going to change
iii. richer or poorer? ~much richer, very very blessed

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
~exercise, more home improvement, more saving money
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
~complaining, eating ice cream

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
~spent it at home with family

21. Did you send out Christmas cards this year?
~never do...maybe someday?

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
~with etsy!

23. How many one-night stands?
~zero

24. What was your favorite TV program?
~Color splash! david bromstead is HOT! and he's so creative! (my husband knows about my obsession)

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
~ I try not to hate anyone~

26. What was the best book you read?
~Lisa Bevere's books
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
~no discoveries really, but I was stoked that Alicia Keys put out a new cd

28. What did you want and get?
~an anvil for hammering clasps (birthday), craft books, martha stewart craft kit from my little one
29. What did you want and not get?
~ new tiles for kitchen floor
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
~ nanny diaries (just saw it 2 days ago, and it was better than I expected, but I can't think of any others right now)

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
~37, dinner with family

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
~working at home full time, reading my bible more, being in better shape

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
~modern organic, comfortable, various 40's flair ideas, sporty at times

34. What kept you sane?
~my faith, my daughter, my husband, my sister, my friends

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
~uh, david bromstead ~

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
~if they are truthful about what they say- no issue in particular

37. Who did you miss?
~my sis, my pug

38. Who was the best new person you met?
~ a workout friend who I hadn't seen in a long time

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
~if you are patient and hardworking, you can achieve anything!

etsy-versary!

aahhhhh, the day after Christmas. So free of the running around, frantically trying to figure out what everyone wants, and do I have enough $$ for all of it. I wanted to take the handmade pledge and all that, but I have a hard time doing handmade for the guys. They are the worst!
So I did enjoy making some handmade goodies for the nieces ~ one was a fabric tool roll for crochet hooks and things like that. I ended up debating on it for so long that I finally made it half an hour before we left for their house. I think she liked it though.
I also procrastinated on it because I decided it was a perfect sunny day to have a photo shoot. As today is my one year anniversary over at my shop, I wanted to revamp my banner and avatar. So, I relished in being very narcissistic and put on makeup and all that. Here's the old 'summery' one:

and here's some of the new choices:

~with the 'supermodel' fan going:

and I think this angle looks 'artsy', but my hubby thinks I look mad:

It's kind of frustrating to take 800 pictures of yourself and not really be happy with any of them, but I guess that's the way it goes. I also have a 'before biggest loser competition' full length pic of myself, which I will not be posting today, thank you very much. I may however post it in May, as I'm hoping the 'after biggest loser competition' photo will be much better. (fingers crossed). My faithful readers may remember me talking about this competition last year, but I got motivated way too late, and it was impossible to catch up to the person in the lead, who had intelligently started losing 2 to 3 pounds a week from the actual beginning. Darn those smart dieters!
So, I have already started eating smarter, and have been working out every day, even though it's Christmas break. I did not partake of any of those chocalatey cookies on the coffee table at the family get together last night! Yeah me!
So, now off to the gym~

flurry

wow, could somebody please go back in time to about 3 weeks ago and tell me that life and the shop are about to get REALLY BUSY!!!! That would be oh so helpful. ok, enough of my complaining about doing what I love~ ha ha
We had a tiny ice storm (really odd freezing drippy rain)

So, I stayed inside most of the day being creative:


~these little tags were so fun to make. I just started rummaging through my gigantic pile of collage images and stained the edges, and of course added some sparkly stuff. I used torn cotton fabric for the hangers. I have been crazy for torn fabric lately. Whether I'm making a cord for a pendant, or sewing a wrist cuff, or whatever, torn fabric just makes everything look so gorgeous and vintagey! My friend Rene' would love these, I just know it. Hey Rene', we should have a crafty nite and make a ton of these~ next year of course, because both of us are WAAAAAAAAAY too swamped to indulge ourselves anytime in the next 3 weeks. Honestly, I think she's even busier than I am.
On the kid front, my baby made the basketball team in high school, so I am so stoked about that. If I get a great shot of her in action on the court, I may have to violate my own rule about no kid pictures on the blog.
~one last creative thing:

...well, off to find the perfect Christmas gift for my little sporty one. caio!

more merriment

Ok, I'm completely submersed in my holiday planning. I want to extend my color theme for christmas into more homey ornaments. So I'm thinking I'm going to do granny squares, with different rows of the chosen colors, and hang them as a diamond shape on the tree. Aqua, purple, black, red, and royal blue. We'll see how well I remember how to crochet. I made an entire blanket with 3 double crochets when I was 8, and have done little bits here and there since then.
Also, I've been using my tiny company stamp to make fabric labels for purses and clothing in the shop.
I think theyr'e so cute! I will do more later with screen printing ink.

still more coming soon!

approaching holiday goodness

wow, a month without a post - jeez, where have I been? For one thing, I've had a vision for the Christmas tree theme I want this year. The last few years I've been unhappy with the ornaments I have - nothing really special, not even very many of them. I don't know if I lost some or what. So one day I got the new Adorn magazine and the new Anthropologie catalog at the same time in the mail. There seemed to be a hint of these folkoric Eastern european designs running throughout some of the crafty stuff and clothing in both. It hit me! Beautiful intense blues, greens, reds, and of course turquoise~ along with some old fashioned with a modern twist shapes, and definitely felt. I went to the fabric store and bought lots of different colors of those little pom poms. I will make a multicolored garland with those later. Can you feel my vision? Here's what I have made so far:

and this:

and this:

More to come!

daydreamin'

geez, I've been eating chocolate for 2 days straight. darn that pms! I'll have to do extra walking miles for this. I really feel like I want to quit my job every time I get pms, so I know I have to wait it out until I feel better. Let's hope the feeling goes away.
I got some items listed on ebay, finally, and I'm interested to see how it works out. There are so many choices! 3 days, 5 days, 7 or 10 days, reserve price, buy it now, and on and on and on!! Etsy is sooooo much more beautiful though~ and streamlined, and of course the fees are so much nicer.
So I hadn't made a new scrabble tile necklace for awhile, and suddenly the other night one came together. It's super cute if I do say so myself!

I was thinking of when I was little, and how fascinated I was by miniature things. I've probably told y'all about this before, but I would draw cross-sections of dollhouses, and carefully label each room. I would draw the tables and chairs and beds, and add the ruffly quilts, etc. I probably even drew the silverware on the tables. I never owned a dollhouse, though. It was an extravagance that not only could we not afford, but one that I would never have even thought to ask for, because I knew it would never happen. As an adult, I've thought about buying one and decorating it. Too bad I spend so much time and effort decorating my own house!
Ok, so back to the little girl in the bingo house. This idea of a window just popped into my head as I was looking at the little girl in one of my collage sheets. I'm always thinking of ways to vary my little houses, so a window was perfect. Then she looked a little sad, but I wanted it to be happy, so I thought of the times when I was little and had my daydreaming moments.
Even though I loved sporty stuff, I have always been an introvert, so I would sit in my room quietly, and imagine the lives of barbies or other small creatures. So, this way she's deep in thought, and not sad.
I think I'll do a bunch of variations on these.
I must be in a really romantic, victorian mood lately, because I made this skirt last weekend:

well, off to bed, to dream about victorian dollhouses, I guess... and miniature hershey bars~

leather, oh yeah...

My love affair with soft leather continues...


I love this leather cuff, but it sold tonight. I can always make one for myself though~
I realized this week that all the things I love to do are finally melding together in a somewhat cohesive style. Like a sewing idea will relate to a jewelry idea, and one material finds its' way into a piece with a totally unrelated material, and somehow it turns into something beautiful. I am so grateful for this, because I've been worried for over a year that I didn't really have a style.
There's a famous quote from someone about how impossible it is for us NOT to leave our imprint/ style on something we do. I will have to find where I read that. I've even prayed about this worry, so I'm blessed that everything is coming together in such interesting ways.