Apr 11 2012

Special Thanks to My Mother

It occurs to me often to always remember my roots, and where the gift God gave me was encouraged and directed:  MY MOM!  If it were not for her teaching and guiding me through my younger years, I would not have been offered an instructor position at Joann’s.  I am SO incredibly grateful and with I could tell her how much I appreciated her pushing me.  Today I just wanted to celebrate her life of creativity by sharing some things from her quilting scrapbook, which I was so blessed to have copied and passed along to her granddaughter (my daughter).  She was an amazingly talented woman who gave her all until she just couldn’t any more.  Take a look!

Just one page of SO many showing her color schemes for quilts, the cost of fabric and who they went to.

Local newspaper article about the quilting group she was in, and all the hard work they did to raise funds for the nursing home she and my dad were a big part of. That's my mom in the back to the far left.

Another page showing her quilting group, along with an article from the Omaha World Herald about their fund raising. She was SO frugal, that this sheet of paper probably was a left over from my dad's business back in the 70's.

Mom lived a long life and did much for many people.  I could not be a prouder daughter.

My Family in the 1960's.

THANK YOU!

Apr 8 2012

Easter Sunday Using The Gift God Gave Me

What a better way to spend an Easter Sunday (when there were no family plans) than using the gift God gave me.  So I sewed, and sewed.   I completed a special order for two portfolios this afternoon, which could lead to another order of three from this one client.  How blessed could anyone be!?!  So here is what she picked for her own two professional ‘padfolio’ fabrics – and they really are pretty classy.

Brown/Black Lace Look and Red/Black Lace Look Padfolios

Brown/Black Lace Look and Red/Black Lace Look Padfolios

Brown/Black Lace - opened. Hard to see all the pockets on the left hand side, but they are there. :)

Red/Black lace look padfolio opened out flat.

After those were complete, it was time to list the items that had already been completed.  It’s one of my least favorite jobs because I am NO photographer of ‘stuff’.  Give me a person or some nature and I can possibly pull it off.  But this ‘object’ stuff is rough rough rough for me.  But here are the listings for the iPad Clutches on Etsy!  Give ‘em a look.  :)

Butterfly Floral iPad Clutch

Olive and Aqua Designer Floral iPad Clutch

Purple and Green with BLING iPad Clutch

Thought I'd throw one in there with it opened and the iPad silicone skin taken off the magnets. These fold up SO nice into a clutch and have a lot more in line to make. (Yep, just got more magnets in so I can continue on)

I think it’s time to maybe cut out another knitting or craft tote.  Everything takes time and there’s a little of that left until “The Ten Commandments” is on TV.  It’s a must see for us.

Of course, I’ll be working on another special order while watching – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle crocheted hats.  Yep, two of them.  They MUST be completed tonight before the buyer gives up on my creative ability.  :)

Happy Easter to you all – and hope it was a blessed day for each one of you.

Apr 1 2012

Olives, Purples, and Aqua, OH MY!

It’s been a great Sunday! Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus for lunch and sewing all afternoon. Does it really get any better? All the laundry even got completed – THAT’s a miracle!

Just wanted to share two things that were whipped up this afternoon from that marvelous fabric I found yesterday at the Cosmic Cow. True to form, I cut two out and sewed them in Henry Ford fashion. At least that’s what Bill calls it when two or more like items are getting done at one time. LOVE love LOVE the colors of these two iPad clutches…. Take a look!

Purple and Green fabrics with a little jewelry bling secured to the flap.

Had to throw in one more shot of it with Leslie Nielson in the background. Pretty handsome guy, wasn't he!

Clutch opened out showing the silicone skin that uses magnets to stay put. Pretty ingenious if I say so myself. :)

A little olive with splashes of aqua on this iPad clutch. This is a Michael Miller cotton, and his stuff is FANTASTIC!

And a shot of this one opened up, just like the last one.

Can you tell I love Netflix? And Murder She Wrote? Had to watch an episode of ‘Bones‘ first, but decided Sunday needed to be a little more simple. Yes, when it all comes right down to it, I’m pretty spoiled when I sew. :)

Who knows when I’ll get these listed on Etsy, so if anyone of you reading this would like one, drop me a line or a comment.

Apr 1 2012

DIY Fabric Kindle Fire Case – Free Tutorial

Came across this when I was waiting for the timer on my hair to go off ( ha ) and thought I’d share the tutorial over here, too.  I love coming across things like this where people see a need and get creative.  Nice she shared her how-to on the web.

Click on the photo, and you’ll be taken right over to her tutorial.  Pretty sweet!

Enjoy your Sunday and BE HAPPY!  :)

Mar 31 2012

Cosmic Cow, Lincoln, Nebraska

I’ve been told on MANY occasions to visit the Cosmic Cow over in Havelock here in Lincoln.  Why I never stopped before is way beyond me!  What an incredible little shop that offers quality quilting cottons.  No, I don’t quilt.  Nor will I EVER quilt.  But the fabrics just go on and on…. and the colors and designs were almost overwhelming.  But so much fun.

The Cosmic Cow, Lincoln, NE

The Cosmic Cow, Lincoln, NE

It is in one of the oldest neighborhoods in town, and its building is old and eclectic – just the perfect style.  Wooden floors and high ceilings.  And the older couple that was working in there today were outstanding and very helpful.  I’ll bet they never have a dull moment at that little shop.

After rolling through the shelves and aisles of beautiful colors and prints, I realized that these people had made fat quarters available stacked on top of the rows of fabrics, matching up what with what was below.  What an idea!  When you don’t want yards and yards, it’s the perfect way to shop for high end cottons.  WOWZERS!  I couldn’t help myself, and spent a little cash – see what I got!

7 Sets of coordinating prints (2 each)

I can’t wait to dig in and make some iPad clutches – and SOON!  Realized there isn’t any blue in that grouping.  Hmmm.  Must mean I really don’t dabble in blue too awful much.

So stay tuned for some exciting clutches – can’t wait to show them off.

Happy creating and have a wonderful weekend!

Mar 21 2012

Going To Havana With the Ricardo’s?

As you may well know, I was on a mission to use some beautiful leather scraps we’d purchased last year. After only a short time trying to sew what was pictured in my head, I realized that leather is not my gig. Not even close. I need to stay with fabric and yarn to design things. Don’t get me wrong though! Leather is awesome and will hang on to those scraps for decorations of some sort on future project.

So I get out fabric.. ahhh. My old friends. Picked a piece for another crafting/knitting/crocheting tote and dug right in. I’m SO in love with this print, and the lining that was found at Joann‘s is absolutely over the top fun. Take a look!

The large leaf and fronds print will be the outside of this tote while the cotton 'travel stamp' fabric will be the funnest (is that a word?) lining ever. This shows the side panel on the outside of tote, and one of the pockets that will get sewn to the lining.

These pieces are the front with zippered vinyl pocket, the back with the elastic two pocket approach, and the one slab of pocket that gets pleated for the inside. Are you loving it yet?

I’m a leaf fanatic. If I could use fabrics that have nothing but leaf designs, I’d be in leaf heaven. :) But really, is this NOT one of the best couple of prints ever? It cost me, but the colors and design just said ME! I really can’t wait to get more of this done, but off to my real job I go.

Keep checking in and watch how this will all play together – it’s just one of those projects that makes me smile and think of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on TV. HA!

Would love to hear feedback from anyone who’s here to take a peek. :) Happy Wednesday everyone and go dream a little. It’s good for you.

Mar 20 2012

Leather With a Side of Insomnia

Do you ever have one of those nights where thoughts much jump in your head and it wakes you up?  Then you lay there thinking about how this and this, and that with a side of this and how it could work into a design?  I woke up thinking LEATHER.  What a goofy thought!  So I lay there trying to get to sleep, but images and ideas kept invading my space. Sometimes it’s easier to just give up and let the thoughts roll on through.  :)

I shared this beautiful stack of leather scraps we located at some point with you all.  I checked the date on my original photo and it’s really been almost a whole year without using these pieces.  So I figure there must have been a reason, and my insomnia may have come up with the perfect idea.  Trust me, the leather hasn’t sat dormant really, we do get it out on occasion and mess with the colors and textures.

Awesome leather scraps! Love the colors.

Didn’t think there would be time to blog this week, but this way it stands out as one of those “So let it be written, so let it be done” projects.  Yeah, that’s one of our favorite lines from “The Ten Commandments” movie with Charlton Heston.  :)

What’s on your crafty agenda today?  Have a creative and fun day!!

 

Mar 18 2012

iPad Clutch

Totally switched directions this afternoon after looking through the old scrapbooking stuff.  Didn’t feel like cutting another bag out today, so something smaller with a lot LESS detail looked rather good.  I had some awesome fabric left from another project and there was JUST ENOUGH (do you believe it?) to complete this project.  There was not hardly one inch of anything left over.  That’s what I’m talking about!  LOL

That cute button there on the bottom left of the flap?  It’s not a button!  It’s a jewelry bead I found somewhere and that good old German glue is doing its work on it as we speak.  That baby isn’t going anywhere!  I really like the tight fit these clutch’s give the iPad.  No room for a notepad, just loose papers maybe in a pocket on the inside.  And one day I will figure out how to SIMPLY put the magnets on that silicone skin inside.  Those things are ruthless to these hands!  Any suggestion, I’m all ears.

OK, that’s probably the last blog for the week!  It’s a six-day work week for me this time around, so if anything gets done in the craft room, it will be a miracle.  :)

Happy crafting and thanks again for stopping by!

Mar 18 2012

Scrapbooking – I’m Over It

So I’ve made the huge decision to be totally done with scrapbooking.  I have probably every tool known to man, and it’s just plain selfish of me to continue hanging on to things when others can use them.  But it was incredible therapy (and some of the best) while going through severe trauma in our family and helped to keep me sane.  And for that I’m very VERY grateful.

So up for auction on Ebay is this!

EK Success Punches

Sad to say, this was only about 1/2 of a little storage drawer out of the gazillion drawers I have.  If ANY of you want anything you need to let me know as IT’S ALL GOTTA GO!!  My therapy is now complete.  :)

Happy eBay-ing everyone!  You never know what good stuff you might find over there.   I know we sure have.

Now go get to crafting something fun and colorful today.  :)