Jan 7 2012

Oompa Loompas – Not Crafting

So I happen to have the best job ever. And this post has nothing to do with crafting or designing whatsoever. So if that’s what you’re looking for, go ahead and check out the archive posts.

While working my real day job, I am blessed to meet hundreds of people each week. There’s opportunity to visit with some, get them to smile and make them at ease. I totally adore the interactions, and seeing repeat patients come in is absolutely TOPS! Which leads to always having some sort of story to tell and here is my FUN story of the week. And yes, it has to do with Oompa Loompas.

As I was checking in a beautiful teenage set of twins, my focus was with their dad making sure I had all their information correct. Off to the side, these two high school girls were mumbling and complaining about how embarrassed they were to be out in public – looking like a couple of Oompa Loompas! Well, if you know me, I couldn’t leave that one alone so I engaged them in a conversation about “Why?”. Come to find out they had been training for a local tanning salon and that morning they had a session on spray tanning. Yep, they both had gotten themselves an over-the-top spray tan (if that’s the color you want to call it). They were absolutely disgusted with how they looked, even though these were two very pretty young women. Teenagers absolutely STILL rock my world – love ‘em. Which leads me to my point….

It did my heart a tremendous amount of good to see that young people are still catching a classic movie here and there, such as the original Willy Wonka movie from the early 70′s. Not everyone knows what an Oompa Loompa even is. I agree that the Johnny Depp version was marvelous, even with its dark side, but the simplicity and in-your-face lessons of the original movie are still tops. Grab a young person in your family and have them watch this with you – it’s just good stuff. Re-familiarize yourself with those great Oompa Loompa songs….. (it will take you over to YouTube – can’t embed)

All you young folks, catch yourself a classic movie – there’s so much to enjoy out there!

Jan 5 2012

2011 in review (WordPress Stats)

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,500 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Jan 3 2012

Revising Thrift Store Tapestry Jacket

After having a weekend of thrift store shopping, cleaning those items up and basically having no actual crafting mojo, this is all that was accomplished. It’s not much and when I was working on the design it was feeling forced. That means it’s time to stop. I usually like to take a project and complete as much as possible when it gets started, but at least this little combo restyle is underway.

This started out as a ladies tapestry jacket with a zippered front. I had cut one of the sleeves off the night before to show Bill just how much fabric there is in clothing that can be used for items. Here it is with both sleeves cut off and splayed out to be re-cut into an iPad cover.

Ladies Tapestry Jacket (with zippered front)

And a close up of the beautiful fabric – it’s very lush and we both have really fallen in love with it.

Lush tapestry fabric

The sleeves are slowly turning into an iPad cover and here is how the closure looks. It’s taken from the caps of the sleeves and shows that same shaping. Velcro has been sewn underneath the flap.

Sleeve Cap Closure Flap

The lining to the iPad cover is really a soft gray corduroy which the picture doesn’t show real well, but trust me on that one. After this pic was taken it was time to get the hammer out and apply the 4 mega snaps to the inside lining and the silicone iPad skin so it can be removed when needed.

After showing Bill what little I accomplished, he kind of took a step back and said, “You’re going to have to keep this one – it’s VERY cool!” Told him the handbag needs to get completed from the body of the jacket, then I’ll decide if it’s my style or needs to be listed in either Etsy or MySupaDupa Shop. It will be a one of a kind combo package either way.

Keep checking in though! There is never any creating on Tuesdays as that is my 12 hour day at work, but the rest of the week may hold some surprises.

Happy creating and thanks for stopping by!

Jan 2 2012

MySupadupa.com

For those who are looking for a new way to get your items out on the web to sell, check out MySupadupa.com! I signed up for a storefront quite awhile ago and did not have time until today to get it set up. And I actually have three (3) items up and listed. Check it out, see if it possibly would fit YOUR needs!

The TygerLily on MySupadupa.com

Knitted journal cover on MySupadupa.com

Jan 2 2012

Just For Fun And I Didn’t Break the Bank!

With a new year comes new challenges and projects – is there any other way? Didn’t think so. Of course there’s always going to be the hand knitted handbags happening around here, but the sewing room needed something a little different going on. I have had an idea or three rolling around my head for a long time and yesterday, out of the blue, came an opportunity to stock up on items that can be upcycled in to new, useful and fun things to offer.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook probably saw all my excitement over thrift store finds yesterday. Yes, I purchased 7, yes SEVEN men’s suit coats. Bill was honestly intrigued by the idea mulling around in my head, but had to try on each suit coat, just to make sure HE couldn’t use them! Bill and I are both short people, and finding a coat that doesn’t have arms down to our knees is always a challenge. Hence, none of them fit him, all were too long. But for TygerLily and Journal Junction, it was a relief! Suiting fabrics are beautiful and professional. It is just a perfect fit for the organizational side of our creations.

We challenged ourselves to come up with a professional type combo item, such as a matched set of something. I found a perfect women’s tapestry jacket to upcycle for this project. So Bill could wrap his own mind around how it would work with only a small women’s jacket, I showed him how to get more bang for our buck and started cutting it apart – just to show how much fabric is really IN a jacket! You’d be surprised!!!

So before I go off and start getting some stuff done (like laundry), I wanted to share the photo of all the goodies purchased at two of our local thrift stores yesterday. For the price of a movie for two and a large popcorn, this is what we ended up with…..

Future Handbags, Totes, iPad covers and Journal covers.......

There are hundreds of key chain rings in that little bag and under that is a box of FIVE vintage broaches that I found, which got polished up last night. The stores obviously wanted to clear their racks, and I was more than happy to help them out. I did sneak one summer sweater out of the group and put it aside for myself to actually wear. tee hee

It’s time to write up an application to a crafting throwdown and enjoy one more cup of joe. May you all have a wickedly fantastic day, and please keep checking in now that we’re back up and in the swing.

Blessings, my friends.

Dec 29 2011

The Ultimate Challenge (and a free knitting pattern)

While surfing around the web on Christmas, we came across the greatest and funnest Ultimate Challenge ever! Somewhere along the line, I have been blessed by being called “McGyver” and people ask me first when they are ready to throw something out if I could use it or make something out of it! So here’s the deal………
Now Seeking America’s Most Talented Crafters!!!

Are you ready to show America your unique, creative skills?

Do your friends refer to you as the “MacGyver” of arts & crafts?

Can you create, design, build and implement visually stunning
and out-of-the-box creations on the fly?

A MAJOR CABLE NETWORK & the Executive Producers of “CUPCAKE
WARS” and “HALLOWEEN WARS” are seeking Arts & Crafts Designers
for a new competition show.

Each episode will feature Arts & Crafts competitors who battle
against each other for a $10,000 prize and an opportunity to
publicly showcase their craft masterpiece!

Casting Males & Females, (18 and over) with fun and upbeat
personalities that can think on their feet!!!

If this is you, we want to hear from you ASAP!
Email craftcasting@gmail.com the following information:

-Send us your full name & contact numbers
-Tell us what city you live in
-Tell us in a short paragraph about you and your specialty
-Pictures of you and samples of your work

Here is someone’s YouTube audition. Don’t think I could actually do that. But I could sure use some help writing up an audition email!!! Any takers on that one?

Can’t leave without throwing in a free pattern. Found this lovely thing this morning and will put it into my own library – it would be perfect on the front of a handmade purse. Don’t ya think?

Click the photo and you’ll go directly to Berroco for the free pattern download. ENJOY!

Nov 13 2011

Happy Baby Time & Goodbyes

It has not been a very productive weekend, but that’s okay. Sometimes we have to sit back, and let the world roll along. This was a weekend to celebrate the comings and goings in our life.

Today there was a baby shower for a special couple who are expecting their 2nd girl in December. I do believe the mommy fought this idea of a shower saying that no one should have a shower for the 2nd. Well, I say why not? It’s a baby, it’s a celebration of life, and it’s a great excuse to be social and meet people. I am blessed to work along side the new daddy every day at work. A wonderful couple whose faith is in the Lord, and have one TON of fun each and every day. Bill and I chose to celebrate them with this today:

Sewn Diaper Bag before stuffing it.....

Bag with 'stuffage' included.....

Full and ready for gift bagging.

What a celebration of life – it makes every minute of sewing nothing but pure joy. And even though one never knows if the mommies and daddies are going to like what you give, this bag was more selfish than that even. This made ME feel good, no matter what. This came from my heart, and from the talent the good Lord entrusted to me. And that’s where the blessings are.

And then the baby that really started the TygerLily name and line is going out our door tomorrow to a new home. Someone purchased our cherished baby this weekend. So here it is, ready to meet Mr. Postman and meet the new owner.

Ready to box up....

So it’s now sealed, tissue paper bunched up in the belly of the bag and ziplocked into a plastic bag so no rain, snow or sleet could ever get to it. Bahbye to my baby that got me published. I will never EVER forget you.

One last thing to top off the weekend. A blogging friend’s daughter is starting to show flair and passion for design with yarn and fabric. So I packaged up as much yarn as I could SIT on and smuch up, sealed it and let her know that there would be yarn coming her daughter’s way from me. After the fact, she sent me a message to write a story of where I learned my craft, about the passion involved, etc. to her daughter. WHAT? I sweated over this for a little bit, but then sat down and without knowing it, wrote a very cathartic letter slash novel and printed it off. I don’t mail anything out without reading it to my husband. Whether the letter is what mom really wanted or not, when I read it back outloud it was quite hard for me to read and found myself choking up. THAT is what my passion is about, and she will be privy to the reasons why. Not many people know, and really, not many people care. But I was given the opportunity to share why and what TygerLily is really all about with a young person. I am truly grateful.

Thank you for checking in – it’s been slow around here with production, but one day, you just watch out what might come flying out at you!

Nov 8 2011

I won a gorgeous TygerLily handmade purse!

I won a gorgeous TygerLily handmade purse!.

Nov 6 2011

Great Sunday Update

So here we go with a great update for a very productive Sunday afternoon. The ROOM was buzzing instead of my ears! And I just got an update that my husband’s hunting trip with his brothers is going great!

Two fabrics for special orders – now cut out and ready to get sewing on. One order is Bill’s and the other is mine. Tee hee

Two more special and monogrammed orders cut out and set with the other two orders, ready for the machine. Lots of embroidery going to be happening around here!

And what might this funky little ruffle be for? We will soon find out!

And lastly, my first attempt at a different type of purse closure using a piece had knitted two years ago with no purpose. It’s been sitting for a long time, and debating on it. It isn’t the quality I want for my shop, so may either use it myself or give it away. Any takers? It would be a freebie.

Now I get the whole evening to work on two other projects on my list, waiting for the UNO Orb to get home and tell me stories and more stories. Gotta love that.

Have a great week, and hopefully I will be back in the blogging swing.

Nov 6 2011

Coming Clean & A Peek at FB GiveAway Prize

Not a lot of creativity happening this past week due to some sort of vertigo issue which totally threw me (us) for a loop. It certainly impedes the creativity process with production, but it didn’t stop my brain from working and designing. With getting one extra hour last night due to Daylight Savings Time coming to an end, true to form I was up at five, which was now really four. No sleep for me, my brain was already in the Creation Room working on things. But coffee must come first along with catching up on all the creativity going on over in a group on Facebook that I’d been invited to join a week ago.

The Artisan Group is well worth wandering over to Facebook to check out. “Like” their fan page and you’ll get to see all the wonderful and GLORIOUS items this group of talented artists have done. Many posts direct you to where you can purchase unique gifts. I plan to do the majority of our Christmas shopping with this group. SO unique.

So anyway, now that I’m able to walk a straight line and my ears aren’t buzzing like a beehive, it’s time to come clean. Try to start anew. Be accountable.

My creative space is a disaster. Even though I know where everything is in this mess, it could still use some help with see-through bins, totes and open baskets. At this point, someone could actually get lost in there and not know how to get out! Thank goodness there is a double bed in there to take the load. I have a glorious walk-in closet in this room, but the lighting needs to be fixed, so things just get hauled out and not put back – because I can’t SEE! :) Where’s the maintenance dude? Yeah, that guy that rummaged through this area a week ago looking for glue and came out asking if I had enough purse handles stashed away. (To which I said, “I sure hope so!”)

TygerLily will be happy to accept any and all donations of see-through totes, baskets and lightbulbs you may want to hand over. LOL

Totally Disgusting - Doesn't it about make you want to scream, "What would your mother think of this??? GET IT CLEANED UP ALREADY!". Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too.

Overflow of things into the family room....... ugh

And Even A Work Area Upstairs (while the chef cooks)

All of it stares me in the face, constantly reminding me there are orders to fill, and wonderful handbags, gifts and sewn items that need to get done. I never seem to find time to clean or clear off – there’s always something going on. Which brings up a discussion my husband and his boss had a few weeks ago on a sales trip where they were discussing ‘wives’ and ‘maids’. His boss has a cleaning lady come twice a month. My dear heart said that sounded pretty good since his wife (get this) is a designer and there’s yarn and stuff ALL over the house! He called me a designer! It was a great boost to know that now Team TygerLily was a reality. Our August turn around in goals was getting worked on, and hard. I had more time to clean when we had 3 little ones in the house! :) But times change, and obviously so have we.

* On a side note – this weekend marks one year since my husband’s assault. His attacker has been charged and is now behind bars. He will be out of jail though years before the medical bills he caused will be paid off. BUT, he is somewhere where he cannot do this to another innocent person. In that we are grateful. One must ALWAYS find the good through the bad. As someone wise once said, “Will you be bitter, or BETTER?”

Bill will be taking the camera on his outing with his brothers today, so there may not be updates on projects completed. They are going hunting and he thought that if he proves unsafe for the hunting part because of his vision, he can sure capture some moments with the camera. Good thinking!

I’ve been a little ‘wordy’ today, but it’s been so long since I’ve written anything longer than just a word or two on a sticky note. With the Facebook Fan Page for TygerLily giveaway happening, I wanted to give you a little tease of what the prize could be. We are at 90 fans this morning and feel incredibly blessed by that number coming on already. So hopefully sometime this month someone could be the owner of this………..

SNEAK PEEK!!! What could it be???

That’s all you’re getting. :) The first prize I worked up just wasn’t hitting that home run for me, but this one makes me smile when I look at it. It’s all about having passion about what you do and create, and this one draws that part out of me – so it will get shared with someone. Could it be you? Get over to Facebook and check TygerLily out. :)

The “Blue Skies” bag is getting renamed to have the word, or a variation of, DAYDREAM in it. Sounds more appropriate for its cabling.

Enough rambling. It’s time to have another cup of joe and praise the Lord for another day!