MafiosaGrrl

Mushroom Love

2012-01-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

After making some for my wreath, I couldn't resist making a bunch more. I made ten of these little ornaments for my tree. However, this photo was the last time they were all together. After seeing them, our friend insisted on buying half of them for his family. It was a tough decision, letting them go, but he won me over with his incredibly sentimental and touching story about how much they would mean to his family. I was incredibly shocked that something I was just making for fun for myself was actually selling.

Since I love them and what I have left of these are all packed up for the year, I'm going to make a few more for my craft room. As I type this, I have a few stems drying. Hey, ornaments aren't just for Christmas! Like I mentioned before, I adapted a tutorial from Hannah's Blog. Since I changed a few things, I'm going to take progress shots to share with you guys. That way you can see a different way of doing it, as well as see some little tips that helped me along the way.

Bye! Have a craftastic evening. I'll check in soon with some pretty ladies, more mushroom love, and a glimpse into my newest obsession.

It's Done!

2011-12-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

My wreath is complete and I'm all hung up on it!

I ended up adding a lot more stuff than I originally expected, but I think it all works well together. The toadstools where inspired by a tutorial I saw on knick knacks & ric rac. However, I changed it up a little bit. Instead of thread spools, I used painted corks. I used felt for the spots, instead of pom poms. Gotta work with what you've got, right?! I liked the mushrooms so much I made a whole bunch of ornaments for our giant tree. Those are up next!

I'm enjoying a relaxing day, so it's about cocoa time 'round these parts. I have one more day of work then a three day weekend with my honey! I'm so excited. And lucky.... a 3 day weekend in retail....over Christmas?! Guess all those weekends in a row with crazy hours are paying off for me. Oh, and New Year's Day off?! I'm practically giddy over here.

Christmas Cheer

2011-12-08T15:51:00.001-08:00

Hi, guys! How are you all doing?! I'm pretty good. Working my behind off, wish I could say literally, with tons of extra hours at my job to get ready for the holiday. Although it's been decorated at my job for months now, I'm starting on the house now.

This may not look like much now, but pretty soon all this stuff will be made into one of the cutest darned wreaths you've ever seen. I can't wait to finish it! Can I tell you that wrapping this thing is taking forever?! Although Dillon did give me some advice that will probably make the next one go a little faster. We'll see...

Besides being festive I've been busy stitching up a few things for my etsy. This is a custom request I received, ready to head out to it's new home.

So, yeah. That's pretty much what I've been up to lately, working and working on embroidery. Exciting life, I know. To make it a little more exciting, I think I'm going to give my blog a bit of a make-over. Any suggestions? I really want to change the layout so that I can share bigger pictures with you. These seem a bit small for my liking. I don't know, you tell me.

Be back soon, hopefully with a wreath! (If all this wrapping doesn't drive me crazy first.) Bye!

Quotable

2011-11-22T22:54:00.001-08:00

Guess I should have made this a "Words on Wednesday" post, but you guys have waited long enough for me.

As promised, this is the quote I'm stitching techni-color dream style for my shop. I laugh pretty much every time I think of it.

The lighting is a bit off since it's late here. So, in case you can't read it well it says, "It's hard to stay sucker free in the land of the lollipops." My guy and I were watching a prison documentary, one of those terrible "behind bars" type reality shows on MSNBC or Discovery when I heard this. (And this is why I watch TV with my notebook.) The interviewer asked an old pimp how he ended up in prison and that was his response. I couldn't help but think it was hilarious and terrible, all at the same time. Pretty much classic.

Yeah, I guess I'm pretty ridiculous for stitching the wisdom of a crazy ol' pimp, but seriously.... I love this quote.

Oh, Geez!

2011-11-21T14:33:00.001-08:00

My goodness, it's certainly been a while. Far too long in between posts lately. I promise I didn't forget about you guys, I've just been busy. I know that's a pretty lame excuse considering that some of the best bloggers out there wear a million hats at once. Add to that feeling a bit down, and it doesn't leave much motivation for blogging. However, there are a ton of things to share with you.

Here's one!

I've been making a ton of stuff for my etsy, including some more "paper doll" pieces. As soon as I can get a good picture of it, I'll share here and list it.

Besides stitchy stuff there is lots of other interesting stuff going on in my life. I'm on the hunt for a new job and a new roomie. I still have my current job, I'm just looking to move on. As for the roomie, that's kind of a long story. It's not working out with the current one at all, she's pretty much a joke. After her black-out drunk incident that ruined my super nice Calphalon counter-top grill and filled my entire house with thick smoke....at 3 in the morning, we could no longer tolerate her stupidity. It never ceases to amaze me just how far some people can go on empty. Anyways, change is in the wind.

Enough about that business, here's a happy looking preview of something I'm adding to my shop.

Intrigued?! I'll share the rest with you tomorrow. It's a hilarious quote that I will probably never forget.

Bye for now! I promise from now on I won't make you wait weeks in between posts. Pinky swear. Have a craftastic night, lovies!

Snapshot Friday!

2011-10-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

This creepy little kid reminds me of a young Vincent D'Onofrio.

Speaking of creepy, anyone have exciting Halloween plans?! Mine will be pretty tame. I think the highlight of the weekend will be trying to dress up my pets.

In a Pickle

2011-10-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Today's post is brought to you by the word, pickles. Yay for pickles! I love 'em, do you?!

When I found out my partner in the Phat Quarter Food swap had the nickname, Gherkin, I knew I had to go with it. So I made her a pickle jar, with my attempt at a label. It says, "Leslie's World Famous Gherkins. Petites with a punch." Originally it was to be a patch, but I think this came out better. Now if I could have just got a good picture of it. Taking pictures of round things is hard!

I guess the fabric I used for the words was too thin, I've never had it stretch out like that before? Any suggestions? It didn't seem like that when it was one the hoop.

I started by plotting out a pattern on the computer, mainly to play with all the different fonts. And to get the oval shape even, I'm terrible at that sort of thing. I transferred it onto the green fabric with my trusty Clover pencil and stitched away. Somehow my stitching turned out a little crazy in the word, famous. However, I'm learning not to beat myself up and obsess over every little thing, so I went with it still. Once the stitching was complete I cut it out with pinking shears and stitched it onto the orange felt.

The jar is an upcycled Trader Joe's coffee can that I covered with vintage green linen. I couldn't quite get the back seam right, so I used some coordinating ribbon to cover that up. Not thrilled about that so I didn't take a picture, ha. I finished up by attaching the vintage foodie trim with tiny dabs of hot glue. Then I glued the entire patch onto the jar. Added some felt to the lid, done! I filled the jar with goodies and sent it on it's way. My partner, Leslie, liked it, so I'm happy!

Ok, once I share pics of the foodie pieces I've received lately, I promise- no food posts for a while.

Donut Party!

2011-10-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my honey and I had lots of "us" time. Between sleeping in, eating too much awesome food and watching football, we found time to do a little baking. We made donuts!

Aren't they pretty?!

We used this recipe. Despite following it closely, we had nowhere near 58 donuts, which is probably a good thing. That meant we had too much glaze for the frosting, but oh well. We had one minor set back, when Dillon kept telling me I was going overboard on the sprinkles. Is there such a thing?! It was alright though, I told him he had no idea what he was talking about and promptly went back to flinging sprinkles everywhere. Thankfully, it was easy to clean up. By the time we got out the broom to sweep up, our little sprinkle hound, Tequila, had already taken care of most of the floor.

Like I said, we ate too much good food that day, so there was no room left for donuts. However, I've since tried them and they were yums for my tum. I think they are excellent paired with a glass of milk. I'm sure my guy prefers them with coffee. Either way, tasty!

Hopefully, I haven't made you too hungry! If I have, sorry! Feel free to stop by and I will share my donuts with you.

Caturday!

2011-10-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

It never fails. When you are trying to get something done around here, a cute little kitty will come along and distract you. Or in this case, jump into the laundry you're trying to take care of.

Or two may come along. Either way, their cuteness is getting in the way of progress.

Sorry about the Instagram photos guys, I couldn't resist the convenience factor. I can smell a pizza in the oven and it's calling my name. Oh, I'm Mafiosagrrl on Instagram.... like that's a surprise, just call me "Captain Obvious!" Are you on there too? Lemme know!

Snapshot Friday!

2011-10-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Someone was obviously impressed by the gams on this gal!

In fact, they were so impressed they had to write it twice.

A bargain at .25, wouldn't you say? It makes me curious to see what the rest of this scrapbook looked like.

I'm looking forward to this weekend off from work. I've got lots of Halloween prep in the works. It's been hard to get into the holiday mood since the weather refuses to turn into fall here in CA, so I'm going to force it along. I think it's time to decorate! I need some pumpkins around this joint. Be back soon!

2011-10-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

I made this kitty for Connie as part of a swap we had. She was kind enough to send me the largest Q-Snap you will ever see in your life. It's made to be a floor stand for hand-quilting and I'm going to put it do good use. Baby quilts here I come! No, there are no little ones in our near future. I just want to start small with my new hobby.

I found the canvas on sale at the craft store and fell in love with the circular shape. I bought it with no particular project in mind, and now I wish I had picked up a few more. Not for stitching though, it was a major pain as it was primed for painting. Next time I stretch my own canvas for mixed media stuff.

Despite having a cute little dog named, Girlie, Connie loves cats! Being a kitty lover myself, I wasn't lacking in cat patterns. I used a vintage pattern that someone had shared in the Hoop Love flickr pool. I've long since printed it out so I'm not sure who the original maker was, sorry folks! Then I lightly tinted it with watercolors and stitched it for more definition. I used Perle cotton and regular embroidery floss, divided into various #s of strands.

I'm so glad that she liked it. I'm always happy to send off things to a good forever home! Speaking of which, I've got tons of happy mail to post about. Including a package for a lovely lady from the land down under. She will love me and hate me by time she get's the giant box of swaptastic stuff. I decided to create one last goodie to make up for my tardiness and you know how that goes....takes forever. I feel like the naughtiest swapper ever, I'll probably decline swaps for a year now! Anyhow, more coming soon! See you later, dolls.

Current State of Affairs

2011-10-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

My crafting area is one hot mess right now. This is just a small portion of the craziness. And it feels like more a reflection of my life in general. Trust me, I can't show you the rest. I'm too ashamed. Maybe I'll get a before shot as I attempt to master the mess.

Last time I posted about organizing the fabric into bins, but that's pretty much where the organization process stopped. I need to get it under control and soon! It's getting a bit overwhelming. I tend to avoid the room when it's like this, which also means I'm not blogging and can't really work on anything but embroidery (which I take in the other room.) Holy Guacamole, I need to get it together! Be back with some projects that have contributed to this pitiful mess.

Best Pencils. Ever.

2011-10-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Despite telling me that I have enough paper and writing utensils to last me the rest of my life, my honey still indulges my obsession with stationary products. I guess he just gets me.

These pencils he got me are just plain awesome.

The Shining is one of my all-time favorite movies.

Great, now I want to watch this movie! Perfect movie watching weather too, gloomy and rainy outside. I want to cuddle under a blankey with a yummy coffee. Too bad that's not going to happen for a while, I've got too much to do. I'm in the process of organizing my fabric stash into bins. Exciting, I know. Well, off to finish up!

Snapshot Friday!

2011-09-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

My guy is the best! He brought me to a place that has enough old photos for sale to have Snapshot Friday for the rest of my life. Now you guys don't have to look at my boring ol' photos on Fridays anymore....if I posted one, I've been so bad lately.

I'm happy because I've missed the old timey photo Fridays. I can't wait to go pick out some more from my new favorite store.

Look at the handsome devil I have for you guys today.

Gorgeous, huh?! Kind of reminds me of Gene Kelly. And that deckle edge? Swoon. This one definitely has me longing for a bygone era.

I've got a ton of projects to share with you guys, once my sorry butt gets them in the mail. See you soon! I have the weekend off and plan on spending a lot of time working on bloggy/etsy stuff. Hopefully making up for my extreme lack of activity around these parts lately.

I'm a Bookworm Part III

2011-09-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried to share this with you guys yesterday but it didn't work out. Therefore today's post will be brought to you by the words, Technical Difficulties. Somehow I've misplaced my card reader so I had to wait until I could use the boy's sexy beast of a computer.

Seems silly posting about a specific day once it's already passed, but here we go. Yesterday was September 13th, also known as Roald Dahl Day. Did you know there was such a thing?! Awesome, huh? Check out the official site, tons of cute stuff for the kiddos...or the young at heart. Warning: there is happy music that may scare the heck out of you if your volume is loud. I know this for a fact.

I absolutely adore his books and read most of them as a child. To be honest, I'll probably be re-reading them for the rest of my life. He's also written adult fiction which I can't wait to get my hands on someday. I'm sure you know most of his children's stories have been made into movies, but if you've never read them- you must! They're quirky and full of dark humor, but still maintain a sense of innocence...a combination hard to achieve. For me, it's hard to pick a favorite! Do you have a favorite Roald Dahl book?

Oh, hey! Speaking of books, have you seen the new Feeling Stitchy button on my sidebar? There is a contest for embroidered book covers on now through November 7th. If you're a stitcher who loves to read, you must check it out. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with! I'm going to draw up a few things this week and see if I can get it together in time.

Be back sooner next time, promise :) Bye for now, I'm off to work.

Big Winner!

2011-09-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

Last week I received a check in the mail for my 1st place win. Wait, what?! Yeah, that's what I thought. I had no idea what in the Sam Hill they were talking about. Turns out, my grumpy ol' Gargoyle DID win at the fair! I was totally surprised, seeing as how I not only attended the fair, but I had also already picked up my piece and had not heard anything about this. I guess since it was displayed low, some brave kid took it or it fell off? Either way, they gave me another one!

Apparently, not only did I win, I won first place. Holy guacamole, I'm shocked! Here's my plentiful bounty-

Don't spend it all in one place right?! Just thought I would share, since I was pumped. Can't wait to add to my ribbon collection. I need some big poofy ones!

Oh, on a side note, I'm blogging from my honey's new Mac.....swoon. So nice. I think I'm in love. And he's teaching me Lightroom. Aww yeah, great photos here I come. Good thing he's patient.

Sorry it's been so long. I've been crazy busy with work and there's been some commotion on the household front looking for a new roomie. I promise, I'll get with it again soon. Love you guys for your patience with my lazy butt. See you soon! Have a lovely Friday night. I'll be off to bed soon, ready to pop up at 5am for work- blech.

Words on Wednesday

2011-08-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned how amazing Scrabble Cheez Its are?! I love them.

This should totally be my new blog header!

Are you for or against playing with your food?

It's Been Bugging Me!

2011-08-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

It's kind of been bugging me that since getting my license I haven't added any Sublime Stitching stuff to my etsy. So I took a break from some of my bigger projects and swap pieces, which can get a bit overwhelming, to make some things for the shop.

Like this little guy!

This comes from the "Garden Variety" pattern. I stitched it with DMC Cotton, Metallic, and Rayon floss. The piece is mounted in a 3in x 4in oval hoop and is ready to hang. Even the back looks cute, with a coordinating felt covering the stitches. It'll be in my shop later today!

My guy said I should have arranged it vertically in the hoop. What do you think, would it have looked better? Maybe I'll try another one that way.

I'm also working on some bees for the shop, from the same pattern. I'm just loving how they're turning out, can't wait to show you. Be back soon, guys. Have a craftastic day!

Caturday

2011-08-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

"No, Dog. I'm pretty sure you are mistaken. This is actually my bone. Now, please stop bothering me. I'm trying to sleep."

Thriftacular Thursday!

2011-08-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

I collect postcards, so I was over the moon when my honey recently surprised me with a stack of super old ones. They're amazing! Most of them feature brightly colored images on linen paper. I just about lost it when I saw these cards. Yes, I'm a giant nerdy person.

They're just such gorgeous examples of a bygone era. Sadly, most people don't even send mail anymore. So not only is the art of letter writing slowly dying, but all the amazing little items and processes that go along with it. There are still a few people dedicated to preserving this form of communication, however, most people just appreciate these types of things.

These are a few of my favorites from my surprise stack.

I love the old cars in the front one. That one is of an Inn located on the campus of Dartmoth, in New Hampshire.

Old NY ones!! Nothing like what you'd pick up in The Big Apple today.

These ones are crazy! Originally a book of twelve, they feature various areas of a Cabaret in Paris. More specifically Le Lido des Champ-Elyees. We have numbers 2-12, and I haven't been able to find much information online. We may never see what number 1 was.

Oddly enough, I did find a site selling one of the cards I have. It shows the marble bridge that spans one of the pools. Something looked a little funny about it though, so I took a closer look at ours. It features a ladder, probably used for diving, that the one for sale doesn't have. Crazy, huh? Maybe we have some super rare prototypes, the photographers originals?! Ok, maybe I watch too much Antiques Roadshow, but I just love thinking about the history of things. Like who did all these cards belong too?

So, have you come across any treasures lately? Do you like writing letters? How often do you write? I try to write a few letters every week. I also belong to Postcrossing and that's a lot of fun, too. Most of these cards will stay in my collection, but I'm certainly enjoying sending some of these oldies out into the world. I like surprising people and I'm sure most people don't find a 65 year old postcard in their mailbox very often! Back to work, I've spent far too much time on the computer already today. See you later, gators!

Words on Wednesday!

2011-08-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

Today's words are brought to you by The Big Lebowski! For anyone new around these parts, I should tell you, I'm a "quoter" and a fan of all things Coen Brothers. So naturally, I quote this movie just about everyday.

However, I don't really get the chance to work this one into everyday conversation....if ever. For those of you confused, do yourself a favor and go watch The Big Lebowski.

I made this little piece for stitchy pal, Alaina aka SpidersPaw. She is such an amazing artist! I highly encourage you to check out her work. Please be warned some of her work contains sexual subject matter, so don't check it out at work!

Funny story, I found this in a bag of vintage linens someone gifted me. It was with a whole bunch of other bookmarks that already had embroidery on them, so I was excited to be able to stitch on this one. My guy saw it and thought it was some sort of fancy pantyliner. Ha, silly boy! Perfect quote to indulge his crazy notion, don't you think?

So, this is my third Lebowski piece, I wonder how many more there will be in my future? I'm also wondering if my post will be blocked by safe filters, ha! I'm off to cross of some thing off my to-do list before work. See you soon. Have a craftastic day!

P.S. Don't be uncomfortable, Vagina isn't a bad word!

Grumpy Ol' Guy

2011-08-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

I recently stitched a grumpy ol' gargoyle. More specifically, The Spitting Gargoyle from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. I've always had a thing for monsters and gargoyles, ever since I was a kid. When I was younger I had a bunch of small stone statues of them, too. I think I had three different sizes of this guy. That collection seems to have been lost in transit during one of our moves.

It's hand-stitched using black DMC, ranging from 1 strand to 4 strands.

I framed it so that I could enter it in the local county fair. I love the frame! This is the best pic I have of it, I'll get a better one when I get it back.

I didn't win at the fair, but I'm glad I entered. It makes me feel like I'm actually doing something with the pieces I make, instead of them just laying around gathering dust. This piece also got something better than a fair ribbon, it was featured as a "Stitchgasm!" on one of my favorite sites! It's chock full of so much amazing stitchy stuff I can't even begin to put it in words. Check it out.

More monsters and beasts in the works. I had a crazy lion I was working on but I took a short break from it and now the pattern I drew is worn off-boo! I can't decide whether to scrap it or try to figure out a way to salvage it. Gahhh, I hate that! I might take a break from stitching for a few days, I'm craving paint like a mad woman at the moment. Thinking I'll rest my wrist and get the whole arm moving around in front of a nice, big canvas. See you soon, my dears!

Club 27.

2011-07-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

You guys, I'm pretty bummed about the death of Amy Winehouse. While I'm not entirely shocked about it, it's still so sad. The fact that the whole world watched her fall apart makes it even more terrible. They say she was happy and healthy in the end, having beat drugs and finally starting to overcome drinking. It's good that she experienced happiness again before her death, she was too young to have so much pain in her life. I don't care what anyone says about her addiction, she was an amazing and talented artist.

This was my ringtone forever!

This is one of my favorite embroideries ever, it's such a beautiful likeness of her. It's completely hand-stitched by Totally Severe. You can see more of her work here. Check it out, she's one of the best!

One of my billions of etsy favorites.

Found here.

Sadly, she joins a long line of musicians that died young. She's probably on stage, knocking the socks off of everyone in Club 27 as I type this. Hopefully there she can find some peace. RIP, love. You will be sorely missed.

Caturday!

2011-07-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

We don't have babies, so I pretend with my kitties. Too bad I can't dress them up.

He loves being held this way, none of the other kitties will go for it. Not even Chunky who used to be my biggest cuddle bug! Oh well, one cuddly one is good enough, I guess. I'm realizing poor Natasha doesn't get on here often enough, I'll have to change that. It's not that she isn't cute enough, she certainly is. She's just a bit anti-social so getting the chance to snap a good shot it rare. She runs off most of the time.

Snapshot Friday!

2011-07-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmmm, felt. What more can I say?!

(Well actually, it's Eco-Felt, made from recycled plastic bottles. Pretty and recycled- Yay for green crafters!)

I'm a Bookworm- Part 2

2011-07-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

I realized as I looked at my Happy Hoopy Wall that I never showed you guys what I got in the Phat Quarter Book Themed Swap. I'm terrible!

I got this little lovely from Salvaged Mutiny. She's a talented stitcher who makes costumes while traveling the world on a giant cruise ship. Find her on flickr or check out her blog!

Check out all the detail in the trees! Isn't that awesome? I love fairy tales, especially the dark ones, so this was right up my alley. I'm certainly a lucky gal.

Well, that's all I've got for tonight. I'm off to bed so I can get up bright and early for the morning shift at my work. See you tomorrow for Snapshot Friday! Sweet dreams, kids.

M-O-M

2011-07-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

That title stands for "Man, oh man!" As in man, oh man, I have to stop writing, "See you tomorrow!" I just look like a flake. I've been crazy busy with my paper dolls project over the last few days. I kind of gave up on it yesterday though. I had washed and pressed it, then threw on a few more beads after tinting. It was looking great, except for the hoop marks. I don't know why they won't come out, I've never had a problem before. Anyway, I decided to submit something else and I'm walking away from it for a while.

Or that title can count for this piece. You decide. I stitched this piece a while ago using a Sew Lovely Embroidery pattern, from their Mad Ink set.

I used one of those faux wood hoops that everyone loves so much. This was my first time using one, so I can't really form an opinion just yet. It's most likely just me, but I had a little bit of trouble with it. Probably because I didn't stitch the piece it, I transferred it into there. Let's just say, I need more practice with them.

It's stitched on a vintage bed sheet, the same one that I'm using for the paper dolls project. I haven't experimented with it too much, but I'm starting to dig stitching on patterned fabric.

Alright lovelies, I'm off to work. I have no desire to go today. I'm sore as heck, but I'm going to suck it up. I'm taking a small project to work on during my break, then back to the big stuff when I get back home. I'll check in later tonight, this time I'm for reals. If I don't, I fear I'll never catch up. Later, have a craftastic day!

Caturday!

2011-07-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, I guess it's not technically Caturday anymore, it's Sunday. However, I haven't gone to sleep yet, so in my book it's still Caturday! This being noted, I hope this is the last thing I do on this fine Caturday. It hasn't been going all that well since I came home.

He certainly looks happy though, doesn't he? My baby Chunk loves his bags. Whether he's in them or on them, he's content. And a happy baby is something to be happy about. Cutie McBiggins, that's who he is!

Be back tomorrow with more of the stitchy projects I've done lately. There are a lot that I haven't shared here. Sleep tight, Lovebugs!

Weekend Update!

2011-07-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a bit more of the project that I'm working on at the moment. It's pretty big, so I hope that I can get it all done in time. Anyway, here's more! Not necessarily the best shots, but better than the blurry teaser, that's for sure. They're "paper dolls" can you tell?

I've gotten a considerable more amount done since these were take, but there's a lot to do. I'm a bit worried about the hoop marks. I've never had problems with them in the past, but they seem obvious and dark on this fabric. It's strange really. I'm going to wash the whole thing in Woolite when I'm done, but if that doesn't work them the whole thing is toast. Wish me luck!

Be back later tonight with Caturday!

Snapshot Friday!

2011-07-08T13:10:00.000-07:00

In one way or another, I tend to leave my mark everywhere I go. Today's photo is an example of that. These were a few of things that my honey found while cleaning out his car a few weeks ago.

What can I say? I like to be prepared at all times. Actually I know at least two of those needles probably came from noticing them in my pant leg while we were driving around. I have taken them and stowed them away in the little cubby under the handle in the door. I'm like a squirrel, I also hide ponytail holders and lip balm there. Although, this time of year is really not good for the lip balm. Summer here means opening your tin of Burt's Bees to find the contents have shifted drastically, like the stuff in overhead bins.

Ok, now I'm off on a tangent. Blabbering really. I'm suspecting it has something to do with not wanting to get back to cleaning the kitchen. Oh well, I have to because I can't stitch until it's done. See you later, with an update on my current piece!

Words on Wednesday!

2011-07-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

See you tomorrow? Wow, I was feeling ambitious when I wrote that, considering it was a holiday weekend. I should have known that I would be more focused on stuffing my face with delicious grilled food and maintaining a frosty beverage at all times. Although the "off to pet someone" part was pretty accurate. Our babies got a ton of attention this weekend since it was both of us at home.

Last week I missed "Words on Wednesday" because apparently I can't keep track of time and realized too late that it was actually Thursday when I wrote it. Oh well, turns out for the better anyways. Looking back at it, it's a bit grumpy and depressing, reflecting my mood at the time. Trashed it. This week it'll be happy!

Today's words are, "Officially Licensed!" I received my signed contract back and I am now officially licensed by Sublime Stitching! Yay!

It's crazy to think that years ago a little ol' ad for Jenny's patterns in the back of a Juxtapoz magazine got me started on this crazy embroidery journey. Now I'm licensed by her company to sell items made from those patterns! It's really mind blowing to me. I never would have thought that a little curiosity about a new hobby would turn into so much, it's practically my life now. I've learned so much and met amazing people, all thanks to embroidery. It's nuts!

I'm happy that I can share this news with you, it's very exciting for me. Now that that's done, I'm off to get in a little stitching before work. Then I'll be back at it when I get home, I've got to get this thing finished by this time next week! I'll share another picture soon. I know that last one was horribly vague. Bye for now!

Caturday!

2011-07-02T23:44:00.000-07:00

Out of all the cats, Boris is the neediest. He demands attention and will not take no for an answer. When he decides he wants cuddles, you'd just better stop and oblige him. You're not going to get anything done until you do. Several times a day, he'll walk up to you and nuzzle until he's asleep in your lap or you pick him up.

This is his favorite way to be held if you're standing. (Yeah, they're really picky around here.) Dead weight....prepared to dig his claws into your shoulder the second you attempt to put him down. Obviously our pet's need to come with instruction manuals if anyone from the outside ever plans on interacting with them. Until we get those written we'll just have to continue to cater to their every whim.

Off to pet someone, I'm sure. See you tomorrow!

Snapshot Friday!

2011-07-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

There's something wrong. Maybe I'm in some sort of alternate universe or I'm coming down with an illness. I'm not myself today.

This evening I left a craft store empty-handed....on payday! And I also picked this beverage on our trip to the grocery store. I don't know what's going on, but I'm not sure that I like it. I'm going to have a shot of whiskey and watch some violent mobster or zombie movies in the hopes of finding the old me. I stitched all afternoon so my wrist is killing me, time for a break. Nighty-nite, folks! See you tomorrow for Caturday! Meow!

Sneaky Peaky

2011-07-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

How are you on this fine Friday? Happy Canada Day to the readers in the North! I'm home today and furiously digging into my to-do list.

As promised, a little teaser from the the project I'm working on right now. It had to wait until today for a new picture, bad lighting last night when I came home from work. Plus, the ones I already had were much too obvious. I wanted an ambiguous shot. So nice of me, huh?

Curious? More to come soon, it's going pretty quick. Probably because I'm really excited about it. I have lots of smaller pieces planned around this concept. While it's a very specific theme it still leaves room to experiment quite a bit. That's probably my favorite thing about embroidery there is so much freedom to create different effects. Ok, could I be any more cryptic with this description?! You just have to see it to understand, I guess.

I'll be back later with "Snapshot Friday!" bet you thought this was it, huh? Nope, just a sneak peak. In the meantime, I'm off to blast records, stitch, clean my house (ugh!) and start a new art journal. This one will be just for Sam, it's a swap long in the works. A page a day for a whole month! I can't wait to see what Sam make's me, I love her style. Anyway, see you again soon.

Snotty.

2011-06-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Howdy, folks! What have you been up to this past week? I've been a stitching fool, but that's not really out of the ordinary for me. All current projects are put on hold pending the completion of a super secret wall hanging I'm working on. Nothing like deadlines to motivate, right? Sneaky peek later tonight.

Oh, speaking of motivation. There's nothing like being called fat by two different people, on two different occasions in one week to motivate you to get back in shape. No? Oh, I'm sure that's what they thought they were doing when they said such random things. And I should mention they were two complete strangers! I wouldn't mind so much if it was someone I knew, I mean, it's sort of true. But geez, a stranger? Jerkfaces.

Anyway, it got me to thinking, I haven't always been fat. Well, I was really skinny and then really fat, then skinny again. You can see where this is going, think Oprah. So out came the photos. It was either that or a snack to make myself feel better. And since my pity party was started after being called a fatty, I just thought the irony of that would have been too much.

I saw this one and thought, hey- that looks really familiar. Which led to more photo searching. Apparently, I've been perfecting this look for many years.

So, while I haven't always been big, I've always been snotty. This proves it. I found this coincidence to be hilarious. Laughing, I quickly gave up on being upset about what totally rude strangers think about me. Eff 'em. Right, Dude? I'm smiling now just thinking about the whole ridiculous situation. I'd rather be a jolly fat person than a skinny (insert pejorative term here) However, that being said, I do reserve the right to express my snotty side occasionally...preferably for photographs. Thank you and good day, sir.

Caturday

2011-06-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

G'day! Just a quick hello before I'm off to work. I'll be applying my "happy face" shortly. Yay!

I showed you last weekend that my kitties love the laundry room, but I don't think you realize just how much they love it. It's one of the most frequented rooms in the whole house. Besides large contraptions to play in, there are also sunny ledges to lounge on. And us crazy humans keep large, padded baskets that apparently hold no other purpose than to serve as cat beds.

These two can usually be found together.

This crazy guy likes to sleep by himself, most of the time.

So if you're visiting and can't find a cat to harass, look inside things. You're bound to turn up one.

Yep, airing my dirty laundry for you on this fine Saturday. Oh, I almost forgot, another nice thing about my laundry room? We have custom flooring. All the tile turned a lovely blue/gray color, complete with swirly patterns, when our washing machine flooded the room. Can you see it? I guess our house is as unique as the crazy people and animals living in it.

Well, off to get ready for work. To keep from losing it, my mantra of the day will be, "Money, honey!" Cynical, yes. Necessary, absolutely. I hope you guys enjoy a craftastic day filled with good times. I'm hoping to get a wee bit of crafting done this evening but who knows. See you soon!

Snapshot Friday!

2011-06-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hi, guys! How are things out there? Anyone melting from the heat? Here in CA it's been pretty ridiculous lately. I'm not a heat person. Oh well, got to take the good with the bad, right?

So I spent a bunch of time last night writing a Words on Wednesday! post before I realized it was Thursday. Uh, yeah, that should be an indication of how my week has been going so far...crappy. Now that I know what day of the week it is, I figured I'd start up Snapshot Friday! again, remember that oldie but goodie? Today is Friday, right?! Phew. I know it used to be all vintage shots, but I'm throwing off the restraints and mixing it up from now on.

Therefore, I give you this shot of a pickle! Why? Because I freakin' love them. Especially Nathan's.....YUM! What's your favorite snack?

Unfortunately, I don't have any pickles right now, but that's ok because I have Jeopardy. I'm off to relax after work. Hope that you've enjoyed the resurrection of Snapshot Friday! See you soon. Have a craftastic weekend, I'll be back tomorrow with Caturday...meow.

PSA

2011-06-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hey there, folks! Today's Public Service Announcement is brought to you by the letter, S! S stands for Sunblock. Remember to use it if you are roughly the color of paper. Trust me when I say, it's a lovely shade of red. This photo really doesn't do it justice.

Other than sitting around being burnt, I'll be stitching. I have today off and will be taking full advantage of it. It's my last before 7 work days in a row and I'm tired just thinking about it. I don't have much desire to move at all today. If you need me, you can find me here.

I made those pillows with the fabric I got when I was duped by Ikea, remember? I realized I had never shown them to you. They were super easy and quick to make, thanks to my honey. I had some complicated design in mind that was intimidating me quite a bit. There were multiple pieces of fabric, all different sizes....zippers, I was out of my league. Then the guy spoke up and offered up an easy solution, what would I do without him?!

One piece construction and the pillows slip right in. I think it took longer to iron the edges than it did to sew these babies up.

I adore this fabric! The only problem is, I can't decide which little section I like better. The goats or the mountain man? I have a few swatches left and I can't wait to turn them into little stitchy pieces.

Well, I'm off to the couch, with embroidery supplies in hand. The guy finally saw the light about Netflix- Hello, streaming SVU! Aww yeah. Nerding out for the rest of the afternoon, bye!

Caturday Cinema!

2011-06-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! How are you on this fine Caturday? I'm great, enjoying a little family time before work this evening.

Today I have something a little different for you...it's a video! Of my crazy cats! It's my first video post, too. How exciting. It was taken quite a while back, March 2010 in fact, but it's too funny not to share. The quality is not the best but now we have some kick-ass cameras and amazing future phones, so I have a feeling better movies will follow in the future.

I do have a disclaimer though, I sound like a creeper in this. Totally sick at the time, I'm breathing like a crank caller from a bad horror film. Enjoy!

So, yeah, these are my little crazies. Doing what they do best, trying to one-up each other for the more interesting spot to sit. That is, until someplace better comes along 5 minutes later and the game starts all over again.

Have a great weekend! I'll check in again very soon...sooner that you might think. Happy crafting!

Won!

2011-06-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here are the little brooches I sent to Alwaysinspired and Corvus Tristis for my giveaway.

The gals just mentioned some color combos they might like to see and I ran with 'em. Alwaysinspired (she got the purple one) mentioned that she sometimes she might pin it on a headband. So she can wear it in her hair too, like the barrette style. That clever girl!

I added a few more of these little guys to my shop and there is about a half a dozen more I need to list. My to-do list is about 50 miles long at the moment, however, I'm feeling very determined to keep at it, full speed. I'm proud to say that I've been pretty darned productive lately. I just finished a huge embroidery and I can't wait to show you!

See you soon, I hope you have awesomely productive day, as well. Ta ta!

Couldn't Resist.

2011-06-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

How could I pass this up? $2 in the remnants bin! Yes, come to Mama little fabric, I'll give you a forever home.

I did feel a bit guilty though. As I got out of the car I had said, "I swear, I'll be quick....I won't even get any fabric!" However, I justified it as it was already cut and priced....and even cheaper than a fat quarter for 1.5 yds. My guy didn't mind though...it's beer, how could he? In fact, I think he mentioned something about making something for him. Guess he likes the craft store sometimes after all!

Any suggestions for me? I need ideas!

Words on Wednesday!

2011-06-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

I used to do a lot of weekly posts, so I'm going to try to get back into that habit. That being said, I'm going to do "Words on Wednesday." As most of you know, I'm a quote freak, so it seems more appropriate than the usual "Wordless Wednesday" don't you think? I used to do, "Words to Live By!" but now I don't know which sounds better. What do you think?

Getting back into the swing of it, this first one is dedicated to Magpienight, we both have a tremendous amount of love for Golden Girls and Betty White. I saw this return address and immediately thought of Rose Nylund. If you're a fan, you'll know why.

Doesn't it seem like a street in St. Olaf?! Or at least the last name of one of it's inhabitants?

Anyhow, it's the little things like this that amuse me. I hope you get a kick out of it, too! See you soon, hope you have a craftastic time until then.

I'm a Bookworm!

2011-06-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Two posts?! On a Monday?! I know, I'm blowing your mind here. I have to confess that I've been dying to post this, so I just couldn't wait. I recently participated in the Phat Quarter Swap. It was my first swap in a while, as I've been feeling a little iffy on the subject lately. With a theme like "Books" though, how could I resist?! I got word that my partner had received her piece and loved it. Yay, success!

Want to see it?! Okay, here!

I was excited to here that we share a common love of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, so I went with that. This is based on a photo of him in his younger days. I really enjoy making personalized pieces for people in swaps and it's even better when it's something I love too. I rarely work in one color, so it's always crazy to see all the detail you create.

I also had the pleasure of learning a new stitch for this piece. I learned the Turkey Stitch, thanks to a little help from Youtube. I think it worked great for his mustache.

So, yeah, that's one of the projects that's kept me busy lately. Glad I could share it with you. I hope it's generated some interest in you for Marquez's work. If you've never read any of it, cruise by your local library and pick some up. I'd suggest One Hundred Years of Solitude or Love in the Time of Cholera. Both are amazing, you won't be disapointed.

Thanks for tuning in twice today, guys! You're the best :) See you again later.

Two Little Birdies.

2011-06-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

G'day, mates! How are things? Hopefully you enjoyed a lovely weekend. I stayed busy with some stuff for my etsy, nothing too eventful to speak of.

Just popping into show you this tea towel I made for a special lady, as a little thank you. She took the time to surprise me with a sweet pressie and I wanted to show my appreciation. My guy picked out the pattern for her, saying she loves birds!

I'm not sure who originally made this one, probably Vogart, but it's apart of a "Day of the Week" Set. (Sorry about that giant wrinkle, some of my domestic skills are less than stellar.)

This piece made me realize that my 24 Pack of Crayolas isn't cutting it anymore. I need to splurge on the box of 64.....wait, do they still make the 101 box?! I know they come out with awesome sets at Christmas time, but I don't think I can hold out that long. I'm definitely hitting the crayon aisle on the next trip to Target. I'm not so keen on the that brown color of the house but oh well, as my man Tim would say....make it work, people!

Well, I've got to fly away to work on some more stitching. A few pieces to go up in shop and lots of happy mail to prep. I hope you have a craftastic day, be back soon :)

Full of It!

2011-06-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was lamenting the fact that I had a "new-to-me" vase, it was nice out, and we couldn't spruce the place up with some fresh flowers. My guy said he would take care of it in no time at all. I huffed and puffed and quickly gave up, given our budget.

A few minutes later, I saw this... A full vase. Full of good intentions, that is.

Well, I can pretty much admit that my heart melted. Yeah, they aren't the prettiest and to most people they are weeds. But, to me, they are the flowers that turn into wishes. And you know what?! They brightened my kitchen for a whole week. Yellow, full, and going strong the whole time. I finally tossed them out today because they weren't as bright as they started off and didn't open so wide anymore.

It reminded me that it's not what you have, but who you have it with. I'm sure we all know this, but sometimes we need something bright and in your face to remind us. Thanks, Cakes, for always showing me what's important.

I admit, I have tunnel vision sometimes. I look right past the real stuff, nit-picking silly things. So I savor the moments that make me stay grounded. What do you do to help keep things in perspective? I'd love to know how you guys get it all together.

Ton's of new stuff coming at ya, see you again tomorrow. Hope you have craftastic weekend! Talk to you soon :)

Caturday

2011-06-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! Off work and loving it, I get a weekend day with my honey tomorrow, so I'm excited. Even if we don't do anything crazy fun, it'll still be nice. It's rainy here, so we'll probably just escape long enough to walk the dog, come back home and watch too much Dexter. (Love that show!)

I was trying to take some photos this morning, quick before work. Of course, that got the attention of my little trouble maker, Boris, who was asleep in the next window over. The second I moved something, he was right there to investigate.

"This doesn't go here, lady!"

Then he proceeded to sit in the dirt and crazily rub all over my poor little plant.

So, I'm thinking, great, I have a crazy cat and now he's taken a shine to this thing. Thankfully he didn't start to eat it, just rub. But man, I thought he was going to break it! So, I kept grabbing him and bringing him in the other room.

Then it became a game. I'd move him and he would race back and jump back up.

Eventually, he became bored with the plant destruction. Then he wanted to see what was going on up on the window sill I was photographing. This was taken seconds before he pounced, knocked a bunch of stuff over and freaked out. Life around here is always eventful.

This guy keeps me on my toes, he's certainly a little busy-body...and very insistent!!

Do you have stubborn little beasts too? I'm lucky that Chunky and the little girl, Natasha, are such good little kitties. Three naughty cats would drive me batty!

Hope you guys have a good night, I'll check in with you tomorrow. See you soon :)

Poofy Clouds!

2011-05-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! Just checking in on this rainy Saturday. I have to make it quick, I'm on my lunch break! I wanted to show you a custom piece that I made for my co-worker, Liz.

She's going to her family reunion this summer and every year an auction is held to fund the next year's reunion. Isn't that such a good idea? Well, she wanted to bring something handmade, as a lot of her family is into Art and crafty stuff. She commissioned me to make something fun. She told me to surprise her and this is what I came up with:

I was experimenting quite a bit with it, but I'm quite pleased with how it came out. She loves it and that's all that matter.

Ok, I'm back now.... 5 hours later, didn't finish on my lunch break. Dillon wins that bet, but I tried!

Anyhoo, on this piece I used lots of different techniques and materials. A tiny bit of machine stitching to join the blue and green fabric and attach the label to the back. Then some applique with felt and fabric, a little bit of poly-fill stuffing and tons of hand embroidery. I even used some divine twine for the mini-bunting....I love that stuff. I wish I had a huge crafting budget, I'd get it in every color. Someday....

Here's a close-up for a little more detail.

I finished off the back by sewing a label to some oilcloth and gluing it to the inner frame. Check it out!

So, I can't decide what my favorite part is, the mini-bunting or the poofy clouds. What do you think?

Hoping to check in with you again before the weekend is out, lots of projects and silly photos to share with you guys. Enjoy a craftastic weekend! See you soon!

Best Weekend/Worst Blogger.

2011-05-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys! So, who get's the "World's Worst Blogger" award for the month of May? ME!! I've done a pretty cruddy job of keeping up on things lately. I've been feeling a bit "blah" lately and my poor blog and etsy has suffered for it. Thankfully, I've still being pretty productive with other things though. New regiment in effect, hoping it'll make a difference around here. Thanks for sticking with me guys!

Even though it's a bit overdue, I still need to tell you about the Stitching Party with the girls! It was seriously the best weekend. I got the opportunity to catch up with old friends and get together with others for the very first time, it was amazing.

To bed super late and up way too early, we headed out for adventures. The guy to a boring symposium, me to a craft party- yay! My gal pal, Josci, and I met up with Katy and Maureen of Sew Lovely Embroidery and Lisa of A Cuppa Tea with Me! It was so great because we've been online stitchy pals forever now but this was the first time we got together.

Can I tell you, Katy and Maureen totally spoiled the heck out of us. Check out the sweet decorations, it's it darling?! (I stole this photo from Sew Lovely's flickr, it's chock full of gems like this.) There was a ton of yummy food, tea, champagne...everything a girl could ask for!

They even gave us the cutest goody bags, I told you- spoiled. Check out all the cute loot I got:

We stitched, we bitched. Traded tips and quips. All in all, we had a great time. Here's all us girls together. Yeah, I'm inadvertently giving you guys a glimpse of my bra...leopard nonetheless. Classy, huh? Someday I'll get it together.

It was a gorgeous day, the weather alone would have made the weekend fabulous. Beautiful, isn't it? I feel so lucky that I got to spend such a lovely day with great people.

Thanks again to Katy and Maureen for hosting a lovely afternoon, you ladies rock my sock's off. From your patterns to your sweet words of encouragement, you are always amazing! xoxo

So, can you guys see why I had such a great time? Thought so. Tons of stitching lately, so lots to come. Stay tuned. See you soon :)

Winners!

2011-05-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, I tried to post this yesterday but silly Blogger was not cooperating. Figures, when I actually go to do something.... Anyways, with the help of my assistant, the winners have been chosen.

And the lucky ladies are AlwaysInspired and Corvustristis! Yay!! I'll be contacting you gals very soon to get all the details.

Errrr, 3rd time's a charm, maybe? The laptop died during my 2nd attempt to post this, possibly forever. I'm working on our other computer and quickly getting frustrated with the awkward desk set-up. *Breathe in, breathe out* Ugh, guess it's time to bite the bullet and start saving some money. New Macs don't just buy themselves. I'm just grateful we have the other one to use still.

For the next few hours, I'm challenging myself to get a ton of things crossed off of my to-do list, so I can have a nice relaxing weekend with the guy. It's his birthday tomorrow! Thanks to a trade, I have the weekend off...Yay! It also means I don't have as much time as originally planned for this darned list. Let's see how much I get done before work tonight!

Have a craftastic day, I'm off to be a busy little worker bee!

Caturday

2011-05-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

In the evening and on weekends our neighborhood is really quiet, so Chunky is allowed to go outside while it's still light out. He pretty much just lays on the porch and makes silly noises at the birds.

While he's not doing that he plays his favorite game. It looks like this.

He sits at the door and meows super loud....over and over again. When you try to let him in he will turn around and ignore you. A few minutes later, he will do it again. It could really go on for hours if you indulge him. After several dozen interactions like this, he will finally come in. At that point he will saunter to the back door and demand to be let out again. He scratch his favorite tree, then right back to the front door to play again. It's a vicious cycle. Like I've said, he runs this place.

P.S. That's the roomie's new car in the background. Every time I see it I expect Joe Pesci to come walking up the house with a baseball bat.

To Hold Me Over.

2011-05-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

A few of you guys already know, but I'll let the cat out of the bag. I have a huge giveaway in the works, I'm totally excited about it. I can't wait. While I work on that, I figured I would have another small one. You know, just to hold me over until the big one. Can you tell that the anticipation is killing me?

I've gotten so much positive feedback about my Arcade Barrettes and Brooches, so I thought I would show my appreciation by giving away a few of those. The winners may choose a style already in my shop (more to come tomorrow!) or I will make a custom one just for you.

I'll choose two winners on Wednesday, May 11th, 2011. To enter, simply leave a comment telling me about your favorite thing to make lately. These are among my favorites right now. So, what do you love to make? Cookies? Crafty Stuff? Loud noises? Tell me, I need to know!

Be back soon to tell you all about my fabulous weekend stitching with the gals!

Over the Top.

2011-04-29T15:51:00.000-07:00

So, round these parts we don't go all out for the holidays. Unless it's Halloween or Christmas, there are no decorations, no fancy dinners. It's just me and the guy, sometimes the roomie, so usually it's just another day. A day that we happen to have off from work. On the other hand, birthdays are pretty fun!

This year mine was a bit extravagant- over the top, if you will. Food, thrifting, fabric, fun- all rolled into one fabulous weekend! We kicked it off on Friday night with the most amazing Mexican food we've had in a long time. And chocolate, there was a ridiculous amount of chocolate. There were M&M's, Godiva Chocolate Pretzels and my sweet honey made me the yummiest cake. I think it's pretty funny that I went on a chocolate bender, considering when I was a kid, I hated chocolate.

My guy also gave me this awesome Betsey Johnson Dia de los Muertos ring. Yeah, I know, I have such conservative taste, huh?

Then we went thrifting at one of my favorite stores ever, the one that only sells craft stuff. Just heavenly! I bought a ridiculous amount of vintage fabric, about 11.5 lbs actually. On the way home we scored some expensive dishes for next to nothing, it was just pure luck. I knew that they looked familiar, so I looked into it a bit more. They're a discontinued and highly sought after style of Denby Dishware. I couldn't believe our luck when I saw replacement sets go for $95+ per place setting. And we got 6 place settings for $8! And that's not 8 bucks a piece, that's total for the whole set. Craziness.

Back at home, when I started unfolding all the fabric for the laundry, Chunk appeared out of nowhere and burrowed in. He didn't seem to mind when I kept piling it on, so I left him for a while.

So, yeah, I guess this is was 26.5 lbs looks like- 11.5 lbs of fabric and 15 lbs of cat.

After short stints of sleeping and failed attempts to burrow all the way to the bottom, he just resorted to planning sneak attacks on everyone nearby.

Followed up with the yummiest breakfast for dinner, celebration drinks, and cuddles with a movie, I had the best birthday! A big thanks to my honey for making it all fabulous for me. Love you, Cakes.

I had such a great time, I just had to share it with you. Now I've really got to get ready for my stitching escapades this weekend! I'm giddy with excitement. I hope that everyone out there has a craftastic weekend, I know I will!!!!

Kitschy Kitchen

2011-04-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to upgrading my kitchen a bit. For the longest time, I've planned on making new curtains. I had the fabric picked out, the measurements taken but no way to hang them. I have to confess, we just had sarongs tacked up (I know what you're thinking....hippies.) Well, they served their purpose but they had seen better days. We finally got some "rods" that are actually super cool wires with clips. My honey hung them and it was my time to shine.

I whipped out some of my favorite vintage fabric and transformed the place. It was super easy, just hemming squares really, but I was still pretty chuffed with myself when it was all said and done. It's so light and airy now!

Boris is giving me the crazy eye in this photo. Since I wanted him to look, I asked, "Boris!? Is that you?!" He turned around and looked at me, as if to say, "Of course it's me, woman! Who else would it be? Great, my mom's losing it." Oh, and please forgive the overflowing recycling, I can't very well be cleaning my kitchen and making curtains for it at the same time.

The black frames are coming down and the new wall art will match the new kitschy theme. Speaking of matching, I made a Lazy Susan. Dillon said it would be "a bit much" but I thought it would be perfect. I used spray adhesive to attach the fabric, added a couple coats of Mod Podge and a clear coat. Voila! Matching Lazy Susan! Using the spray adhesive and cutting slits on the edge before I tucked it under, made the fabric perfectly smooth. Even on that ridge, it was super easy.

And check out my new candy dispenser! Isn't it great?! I've had one like it in my etsy favs for a long time and now we finally have one, just in time for the kitchen upgrade. It was a surprise gift from a friend. It was the perfect Earth Day, B-day, Easter pressie all rolled into one. I love it!! However, I am a bit frightened to think about how much candy that jar holds. I poured in an entire bag of M&Ms in there! I have to be careful with this thing. Dillon said I'm not to fill it or my teeth will fall out.

Anyhoo, that's just one of the projects that's been keeping me so busy lately. More to come soon. Hope you have a craftastic day! I'm going to be spending some time getting ready for the long awaiting Stitch & Bitch that's happening this weekend. I'm so excited!

Flower Power!

2011-04-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I promised Nicky and Becky that I would post this over the weekend. However, I'm a fat liar. My pant's are on fire as I type this. There was just far too much celebrating going on for me to finish stitching it, so I didn't finish it until today. Celebrating, you ask.... why, yes! We were celebrating my birthday! Not so much an excuse, but an explantion for my tardiness.

Yep, this pattern has been done a million times, but I thought I would try my hand at it. The tinting was more of an afterthought, but it turned out ok. My honey suggested it, and it did the trick. Also, this was my first time using my new Q-Snap. Baby, I'm in love!

Had to get that metallic floss in there somehow. Always.

Not sure what I'll do with it. Originally, I had intended it for someone who told me to surprise her. However, it doesn't remind me of her at all. It's much too Lisa Frank/60's. I've been in pillow mode recently, so it'll probably be it's fate.

More on my b-day later! It was such a fab time, can't wait to tell you. Have a craftastic night, guys!

Caturday!

2011-04-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the guy bought fancy new sheets and pillows. They are so comfy!! I haven't slept this good in years.

Although I'm sure that I know someone who thinks the upgrade was just for him. This pic is an oldie, but it's still Chunky's favorite way to sleep.

Spoiled rotten, I tell you! Do your pets have the run of the house?

Cups and Saucers

2011-04-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

You guys know Lisa, right? Good! For those you who don't, she's a fellow CA crafty lady who can stitch with the best of them. When she's not stitching and scootin' around on her bright red Vespa, she's an expert on all things tea. Talk about a Renaissance woman!

Anyhoo, I wanted to make her a little something, just because she's great. I started something a long time ago, using the same materials, but Boris had other plans for that. Grrrr, that cat! I'd glare at him now, but it's been too long and he's much too cute. Second time around, even with the same materials, I went in a whole new direction. And I must say, his destruction was a blessing in disguise, because I think it screams, "LISA!!!"

It's not perfect, but I still loved the results. Behold, "Cups and Saucers."

I also loved that everything came from my stash. The vintage flannel I used to make the circles is one of my favorite finds ever. I wrapped the whole thing with some vintage trim to finish it off, popped in the mail and off it went to Lisa Land! It has made it to it's forever home and lives on the wall of her crafty room. Yay! I can't think of a better place for it.

Want to know a secret? Each cup has a permanent smile built in! The way I stitched the ridges on the bottom of the cup inadvertently made them perma-happy. This is what they look like on the backside.

The piece is mounted on a painter's canvas though, so you can't see 'em. That's why it's a secret!

Well, that's it for now, my computer time is just about up for the day. Less computer equals a more productive Jackson. Besides, all this talk of Lisa and happy cups has me thinking it's time for a spot of tea. Have a craftastic day!

Am I the Only One?

2011-04-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

I can't be the only person that does this. After a long stitching session, when I finally take a break, I paint my nails. Not really sure why. Perhaps it's that I've spent the last few hours having to look at my hands constantly. Or maybe I just have to be doing something. It's hard for me to take a break and do absolutely nothing.

I think part of it is, I'm forced to set down my project while they dry. Otherwise I would sit there, examining it and wanting to fix every little thing about it that bothered me. Stitching and stitching until it was finished or until my arm fell off. So, whatcha think, do I seem wacky enough for you?! Just keeping it real.

Watchful Eyes

2011-04-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

So, I see things a little differently than most people. I'm ok with that.

For instance, we usually take the same path when we walk the dog. (He leads the way.) One of my favorite parts of the journey is getting to visit the alligator. For everyone else, it's just a smear of paint from someone's tire. Left there many moons ago, when the parking lot was redone.

For me, it's a gator.

Can you see him?!

Sam's Zine

2011-04-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

Another project that I've never shared is the zine I made for Sam in the "7 Things in 7 Days" Swap. The deal was you make something everyday for a week. Then you make a little zine telling your partner all about your week. It was tons of fun and was probably the most productive week ever! I've shared some of the stuff I made that week already, like my hat and the arcade games. The rest I'll show in a follow-up to this post. I don't want to bore everyone to death all at once.

I decided to make mine more like an art journal and I loved the results. It was huge!

I started by prepping the pages to match the item I was going to showcase. Each page is made up of two 5x7 unlined index cards. The front one is the funky, pretty side and the back one would have a picture of the item on it. I glued them back to back, making each page pretty strong.

Here are a few of the pages before I wrote anything on them.

Here's a few after they were finished.

This last one is my favorite one!

Again, some terrible lighting on this last group. These were taken late at night. Anyways, all the pages are held together by a metal ring in the upper, left corner. Which works great since the pages were thick and some were oddly shaped. I had a ton of fun making this! Art journaling is something I've mainly admired from afar, but this swap definitely inspired me to do it more often!

What's your take on art journaling? Yay or nay?

Speaking of swapping, I'm certainly getting in the mood to start up again. However, I've got to get on the ball with my etsy first. And I'm thinking about doing my first craft fair this summer. So those will keep me busy for a while. It's ok though, it feels good to have bigger priorities. On that note, I've got to get back to work. The computer is a huge time killer for me!

See you soon, have a craftastic day!

The Blog Police

2011-04-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, guys!! I bet you're thinking, what the hey?! Didn't this used to be a craft blog? What's with all the random pictures of cats and green benches? Well, don't worry, the blog police came home for lunch and Officer Alwaysright wrote me a ticket for my lack of activity. So, I'm back in the saddle again.

I've been stitching like crazy lately! I've got so many things to show you, but first I've got to keep crossing oldies off the list.

I made this for a special lady I know. Sorry, for the horrible picture. Sometimes with presents, getting a picture is an afterthought. I realize I don't have one right as I'm about to wrap it up and snap one quickly. Obviously, with no thought to it's potential quality...or lack of it, haha.

I've been experimenting with painting the hoops, I rather like it. Here, I just used black gesso, but it's matte quality was a perfect contract to the silver beads. Yeah, you can't tell with the crappy photo, but that's actually green floss with silver beads.

Anyways, more fun stuff coming your way soon. Gotta get back to work, I have an itch to stitch. Have a craftastic day!

Mean Girl

2011-04-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

I just sent my honey a text that told him dinner would be on the table when he got home. I don't think he's picturing this. Poor guy, I'm cruel. Oh well, I had to do something! After all, it is April 1st. And it's not a total lie, that is dinner. On my table. It's just not an edible version of dinner.

He should know better anyways, it's burrito night.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Friday. Did any of you get tricked? Hope it wasn't too bad. Enjoy a craftastic weekend, guys! See you soon.

A Little Tequila Time

2011-03-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Not the liquid kind, blech! The furry kind! This weekend we had a break in the rain...finally. So we took advantage of all the sun and spent some quality time with the baby. Since our neighborhood is home to a college and a high school, it's pretty much deserted on the weekends. It's nice and quiet.

Another pro to having a college nearby, gorgeous landscaping. About a block away, I can feast my eyes on this.

And this.

Dillon was pretty click happy with the camera on our adventure so there are some really silly photos. Many of them should never be viewed by anyone....ever. However, some are really nice. This one really captures what a beautiful day it was.

I love my neighborhood, for a variety of reasons. On our walk we were discussing how much we like living here and somehow we came upon the topic of anti-zombie fortification. Typical course of conversation, right? According to the guy, our neighborhood is perfect for it. And I have to admit, he had some good points. So yeah, one more reason I love it here, we'll be able to keep the zombies away relatively easily. Do you have a plan for when the zombies come?

Thanks for checking out my neck of the woods. Have a craftastic day!

Weekend Update

2011-03-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend was pretty productive for me, not so much crafting wise, but productive none the less. I took Friday afternoon off to get some errands done before the weekend. Want to see my weekend? It was full of fun stuff, I'll show you.

After the adult, real life business, like banking, I got down to the fun stuff. Like swinging by the library for some goodies and then stocking up on stamps. Yay, stamps!

Celia is my favorite one, she was so amazing!

On the walk home I passed by one of my favorite benches. It's not too much to look at in this photo, but trust me it's pretty wonderful. Oh, how I would love to have a huge green bench made from tiny, green tiles. *sigh* So many greens in this picture too, I love green!

Luckily my walk took me past Sift Cupcakery, so I could stock up on some essentials. Here, we have a Stud Muffin, a Carbomb, and an All For The Cookie. Yum, yum in my tum-tum.

On Saturday, I found this amazing little photo while sitting at my desk at work. My second job is at an appliance parts store, so there are tons of little bits lying around that pay homage to old washing machines and such. Isn't it pretty great? Just wait until I show you "The Wall."

Then I played Suzy Homemaker for the rest of the weekend. Shopping, scrubbing and cooking were all on the agenda. I think I experienced what pregnant ladies like to call "nesting."

At the store, the guy read off everything but olives. I swear, it's on purpose, poor thing is so terrified of an olive smooch. Or maybe it's because I couldn't be bothered to put a "s" on the end while I was writing the list. I can spell, I just can't proofread, ha ha. I had no intention of buying just one olive. (And although I do love the name Olive for a little girl, I also wasn't trying to pick one of those up at the grocery store.) Anyways, he reminded me at the last possible second. Perhaps hoping that I wouldn't jump out of line to run and get them, I'm weird about that. However, I love olives that much. Made is back with seconds to spare...and with a bottle of pink champagne, too! Ha, I'm good.

Told you I was a busy girl! And there's more but I don't want to torture with every boring little detail. I mean, I'm already pushing it with shopping lists and random green benches. For getting so much done, today I am rewarding myself with much needed arts and crafts time. A little stitching and a little painting are in order. Perhaps, popping open that pink champagne I mentioned earlier? Hmmmm.

Hope you had a great weekend too. Have a craftastic day, see you soon!

Caturday!

2011-03-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Whoops, had planned to schedule this for Saturday, but apparently, uh, didn't. Some day I'll get my act together. Someday.

This is how Boris likes to eat his food. Hence, the plastic deli container. Many a cute ceramic dish and plate have been chipped due to his constant battery. In the morning or when they're empty, he flicks at them over and over again, to make a ton of noise & show us where the food goes. Sometimes he completely flips them over and pushes them all the way into the bedroom. You know, just in case we didn't realize it's time to get up for the day.

Then as soon as you pick it up, off he runs to where we keep the food. Meowing, saying "Follow Me!!!" the whole time. It's pretty funny how obviously demanding he is.

As cute and quirky as it is, there are downfalls to this way of eating. The other kitties have to deal with these ugly bowls until we build a rack to hold all three bowls. Because, of course, Boris can't claim one bowl for himself. He prefers to sample from all three. Therefore, all are subjected to the flick, flip, and dump method of eating.

Also, the dog has been scolded so many times for sneaking kitty food that he sticks to stuff on the floor....well, for the most part. So, anything that Boris leaves behind is fair game. And that's a lot, because rather than chow down, he'd rather flip it over and have two bites.

Silly kitties, I'll never understand 'em!! Do your kitties have strange eating habits?

Gifted

2011-03-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm so grateful for the people I have in my life. They are sweet and thoughtful.

And on top of that, they know exactly what I like.

Both of these gems were recently given to me by two wonderful people. Aren't they great? Both of them are hanging above my crafting desk now.

I found the vintage cross-stitch piece on the desk, waiting for me when I arrived at work one night. My co-worker Liz left it for me, she's the nicest lady. Isn't it darling?! Old needlework is one of my favorite things to collect.

The plaque on the right was a gift from my honey. He brought it home for me in an attempt to cheer me up when I was under the weather. Niagara Falls is where I grew up, so I love to collect all the old souvenirs. Ironic how people always do that once they leave somewhere, huh? Guess you don't what you got til it's gone. I was so sick I couldn't do anything but lay on the couch or bundle up under a million blankets in bed...for a solid week. When he gave it to me, I was so out of it that I don't even think I managed a smile. However, I LOVE it. He's such a great guy.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm such a lucky girl!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-03-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

I know that today's Caturday, but we'll get to that soon enough. First things first, it's my mom's b-day!

Happy Birthday, Mama!! I hope you have tons of fun day. And that you get to eat lots of cake...with Chunky Monkey :) Love you!

I Make Up Words.

2011-03-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

Really, I do- all the time. Apparently it's something I've always done. I've been told that for the first four years of my life, I insisted on calling all beverages, ogendagens. Despite knowing how to say milk, water, juice, etc. I was just stubborn about it. Me? Stubborn? Go figure.

Well, I've coined a new one, folks- Fabriganza. Fabric + Extravaganza. And that's what I had this past weekend, a super fabriganza! I thrifted a bunch of vintage goodies, check 'em out.

I'm not exactly sure what kind of fabric this is. It's got a bit of a sheen to it and it has some give to it. Maybe rayon? Well, whatever it is, it's fab!

This one makes my eyes go a little crazy. Not sure how well that's going to work out when I go to cut it and actually make something. (It's a thick cotton, very sturdy.)

The one on the left is super crazy. It appears to be dual-layered and woven together. Check out the close up below, it's it great? It makes me wish I knew how to make clothes. I totally want a jacket made out of it!

I'm a sucker for prints, can you tell?! Especially that blue one. I have something pretty similar in red, green and yellow!

I got these two pink things for 50 cents. I can't tell if they are napkins or hankies, but what I do know is they are crazy. They have little people on them!

See them? These second photo is more true to the color too, not so bright.

I also found an unopened bag of stuffing. Yay, I was getting low. Phew.

I saved the best for last! I was so excited about these last finds that I'm still grinning from ear to ear.

I can't believe I finally found one those ridiculously kitschy vintage sheets. They're always on the top of my list when I go thrifting, but I've never had any luck until now. As for the velvet, it was the first thing I picked up when we got to the store and I knew it was going to be a spectacular day. Baby, I've got one word for you- PRINCE. Oh, hell yeah. Some royal embroideries coming at ya soon!

What's the best thing you've thrifted lately?

Caturday!!

2011-03-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Everyday is Caturday 'round these parts!! So even though I was going to post this yesterday, I figured it'd be alright today. Hope you don't mind!

They grow up so fast. Look how tiny Chunk used to be! This photo was taken in June, 2007 just a few weeks after he was born. Probably shortly after the babies opened their eyes for the first time. (We knew he'd be a biggun- look at that paw!)

Now look at him, he's huge! Here he's completely filled, if not overflowing, from a medium flat rate box from the USPS. That's one big kitty! Poor guy has a snaggle-ear from an altercation with the neighbor kitty, but I still think he's very handsome.

I'll have to figure out some way showcase our handsome pup because he often gets jealous of the kitties. If he knew I was posting this he'd be huffing and puffing up a storm. Seriously, he sighs loudly every time the cats are being pet. It's hilarious.

Had the best thrifting day, can't wait to share my finds with you- pics coming soon! Hope you enjoyed a lovely, craftastic weekend! What were you up to out there in the wide, wide world of crafts?

Finally!

2011-03-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Would you believe that I finally have my first pair of pinking shears?! I feel like an official crafter now! I'm going to be using them like crazy this weekend. Lots of big crafting plans!

Oh, Happy Day!

2011-03-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

Crafting while drinking- two thumbs up! Unless you have a few too many and mess up your project, then it's two thumbs way, way down. Be safe out there, crafters!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

p.s. Speaking of crafting, I'm going to be whipping up a little something special for an upcoming giveaway. I'm floored that I'm quickly approaching 200 followers- it's crazy. So, I figured it's a good reason to celebrate!

Darn you, Ikea!

2011-03-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Perhaps you've also uttered that phrase. If so, you are feeling my "pain". This past weekend we met up with some pals in Sacramento and cruised around Ikea. They were shopping for some ridiculously cute baby stuff. We, on the other hand, weren't shopping for anything. At least, that's what we thought. And then the madness set it, it all began with one little wire basket to hang by the sink. Then an hour later we had a full cart of stuff! How does that happen?

Typical me, I bought a ton of crafty stuff.

Colorful new homes for embroideries.

8 yards of fabric. Yeah, I went a little crazy in that section. The fabric on the bottom is destined to become pillow cases for the new couch pillows we also picked up. It's so flipping adorable, I can't wait to show them to you!

A new floss jar. It's HUGE- I can't wait until this baby is all filled up! And I'm happy to report it's already acquired a nice, little layer of happy bits.

I can never say "no" to crafty stuff. We got some other house stuff, nothing too exciting though. Except for popsicle molds, who doesn't get excited about popsicles?!

Well, needless to say, I'll be sticking to thrifting my supplies for a while. Except for one supervised trip to the craft store to pick up floss and pin-backs (more arcade brooches coming soon!!!) My guy manages to keep me in check at the craft store by incessantly complaining. It's makes it no fun to shop. Therefore I leave quickly, spending little to no money. It's a system that works for us, I guess.

Have you also been sucked into the Ikea vortex?

Heavy Heart

2011-03-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

The past few days I've been thinking about this sweet girl. Her name is Masami and she stayed with my family for a summer when I was in high school. I'm hoping that she and her family are faring well in this difficult time. Give what you can, every little bit helps.

Shop Talk

2011-02-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today I'm listing some little things in my shop. All handmade... supplies will be next time. I still have the yo yo barrettes, remember those? Well, I took better photos of them.

I also whipped up some tags in my signature style.

These are barrettes but I also make them as brooches. I'm selling a few of the ones shown and there will also be listings for custom color combos. Think of all the possibilities!

Now for the tough part, making it all the way through the long etsy process- ha ha. After all, there aren't very more hours left in this day. Besides upping my productivity level tonight, I'm also looking forward to one other thing. It's burrito night! I can't wait. I'll be honest- nothing makes me feel better than guilty pleasure food. Yummmm!

Have a lovely Friday night all. I'll be all bundled up at home, but if you venture out into the wild and crazy world, be safe!

Happy Things

2011-02-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

It's a gloomy day and I'm feeling a bit under the weather. But despite this, it's easy for me to find lots of things around me to cheer me up.

New colors.

Our pretty mantle.

This picture of silly Natasha.

What's making you happy today?

BLEEP!

2011-02-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

A while back (as in October!) I did a personal swap with csjoyeuxnoel on swapbot. It's occurred to me that I never showed you the loot.

She requested a woodland themed piece with dark colors, so I made her this-

I used a Sew Lovely Embroidery pattern on muslin. I tinted it with colored pencils, didn't do so well on the dark color part, but she like it just the same. Phew! The sky is my favorite part! I promise, the border isn't really crooked. It just looks that way with my sloppy photo- whoopsy!

For the trees, I used a few browns. Not sure if it makes a big difference, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

In return, csjoyeuxnoel made me this!!! Awwwww yeah- a great one-liner from one of my favorite movies, Casino. I told her to surprise me and mentioned that movies are kind of my thing. She did great- thanks, Courtney!

Sorry about the edit, I'm trying to keep it clean. You know, for those folks who are reading this at the office when they're supposed to be working....you know who you are. I would hate for you guys to miss out on lovely, crafty distractions on account of my potty mouth. To be honest, I'm surprised I've managed to maintain a profanity free blog for this long. Considering the fact that I cuss like a sailor in real life.

That being said, here's the scene that this awesome stitchy piece is referencing. It is most definitely not safe for work, unless you work someplace pretty cool. Please don't tune in if you dislike cinematic violence, gangsters, blood, Joe Pesci, the F word, and/or tools such as, ice picks and vices. You have been warned, thank you.

Hope everyone is having a great day. Aside from feeding an addiction to Words with Friends, I'm getting a lot done. Some stitching, some painting, some sewing. And a little bit later I'm going to get busy in the kitchen making my famous lasagna.... I love busy days!

It's True...

2011-02-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to each and every one of my lovely readers!

Yours, Neglectful Nancy

aka Jackson the Mafiosagrrl

p.s. Thanks for sticking around while I've been a naughty blogger. That's one reason I love you so!

Switchin' Stitches- Round 2

2011-01-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

This is a little swap that I participated in with the Switchin' Stitches group on Flickr. This round I was paired up with Lolablueocean. Knowing my love of gorgeous gals, she took inspiration from her grandfather- renowned pin-up artist, Ted Withers. How cool is that?!

She stitched up this lovely for me.

One thing that I really love about his work is the layering of sketches and alternate poses.

Looking through her favorites, I was inspired by her love of Blythe Dolls. So I stitched one up based on a photo I found online. I just changed the colors to include the ones that appeared in her favorites the most.

Here she is!

Originally I just stitched it, but I thought it needed a little bit more, so I tinted it.

We both had agreed to surprise each other, so I think it's funny that we both stitched up girlie girls.

See you soon! I'll be back to share more exciting things that have been happening around here.

Fun with Hats! Pt. 2

2011-01-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

Want the inside scoop on how I made my hat? Very few people have guessed correctly, but once you know it's pretty obvious. It's an old lampshade that I had lying around forever. I also used cardboard, fabric, felt, lace and wire. Luckily, I had everything on hand to construct it. But what's a silly hat without feathers....and a glittery bird?? So, of course, I had to go out and get those. I figured a bit of indulgence is good when it comes to over the top hats.

I started out by making the little nest with steel and copper wire. Then, using a tapestry needle, I threaded ribbon throughout it for a little extra something. After some failed experiments I settled on the lampshade for the main part of the hat.

The stuff!

(Boy, this photo was awkward to take. I had to crouch down with my hand through the shade. I'm sure I looked crazy.) I took apart the shade using an exacto knife, careful to maintain clean edges, since I would be reassembling it.

I kept the rings for putting it back together. I traced the larger one to get the size of the brim and the top, which I ended up constructing out of cardboard. However, with the smaller one, I took off the loops that would hold the bulb in place. I used one of them later for the bird perch.

Once it was disassembled, I used spray adhesive to attach the fabric to the white part of the shade. I left a little edge and folded it in, attaching with hot glue. Hot glue was really to key to this project. Well, that and a lot of patience.

This is my favorite section of the fabric. She reminds me of Cinderella. I attached some scalloped lace to cover the edge of where the top piece I constructed meets the shade part.

The bird!! I love it! The color, the glitter, the tail. Especially the tail, it's epic.

I stretched out the wire hoop I mentioned earlier so that it could be glued to the hat. I wrapped it in hemp twine, threw on some beads and attached the bird. To cover up the glue, I attached little bows made out of lace.

For me, it's all in the details. So, I couldn't have a nest without some wee little eggs! Can I confess just how obsessive I am? These little plastic eggs I got had rough edges, probably from the mold used in the production process. I used the heated tip of the glue gun to melt them down. Yes, I know, I'm sort of crazy.

I used some scraps and my trusty sewing machine, Ol' Bessie to whip up some quick ruffles.

To keep it on my head, I sewed these long pieces of vintage lace to pieces of felt and attached the felt to the underside of the brim. It was very secure and comfortable.

In addition to the ends of the straps, I threw a bit more of the green velvet ribbon on the side, in front of the feathers. I think it helped to give the whole thing a bit more consistency.

I love, love, love my hat!!! As you can see, I had way too much fun wearing it!

Hope that you enjoyed a nice weekend and that your week got off to a lovely start!

Fun with Hats! Pt. 1

2011-01-12T23:56:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! Hopefully everyone is having a wonderful 2011 so far. I am, that's for sure. I've been pretty productive so far and enjoyed every moment of it. Despite the fact I'm already on to 2011 projects, I've got a bunch of oldies but goodies to share with you... from waaaay back in 2010. Terrible, huh?

One of my favorite projects of 2010 was a crazy hat that I made for The Great Handcar Regatta. Over the top and a bit ridiculous, it was absolutely perfect for me. Best part about it? It's completely handmade!

Check it out, isn't it silly?!

Yes, that is a glittery bird on top.

It's even got a secret pocket? Can you believe it?!

Everyone has fun trying on hats. Trust me, try it. You won't be able to help but smile when placing silly hats upon your head. Buster, one of my favorite bartenders, is such a good sport.

You may have noticed that this listing is Part 1, however, there are two hats in the next photo. Maybe, if we are lucky, I can convince the boy to blog about his experience in hat-making. Yep, that's right! My guy made that super fly Aviator's Helmet... all by himself.

Lots of little details went into these silly hats, so I'll have to comeback later to share them all with you. I just wanted to give you a little hint of all of the great things to come. Hope you are having a craftastic week, see you soon! xoxo

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

Hello, all! Best wishes for a happy, creative, productive 2011. May everyday get you a little closer to the person you want to be.

I know that everyday can't be spectacular. However, I'm going to try to make it so....and by try, I mean really, really hard. I think my new calendar will really help to get everyday off on the right foot.

Might be the best purchase I made of 2010, it was a great investment in my future. I'm now guaranteed to have 365 days of smiles.

See you soon, with tons of fun stuff!

Phew?

2010-12-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

Since Saturday, I've heard. "Phew, it's over. Finally!" about a million times. When you work retail, that is to be expected. However, I have a confession.... unlike everyone else working in this field, I actually love the holiday season! Strange, I know.

This year it was great, we actually put up lights and decorated a tree! Almost picture perfect, except for the whole snow thing. Not one flake 'round these parts, I wish. Just plenty of rain.

If I could say one thing about our tree this year, it has "us" written all over it.

Yay for Tree-Bots!

Yes, that is a real pine cone on our tree! How cute is that?! We were lucky enough to find two of those little guys on the tree once we brought it in. As for the pickle, I've heard some debate as to whether or not it's really a German tradition. Oh well, even if it isn't, I still love pickles. So why not one for the tree?

Christmas included wearing PJs (Jammers around here), Scrabble, cuddles, football, movies and tasty beverages all day. We exchanged awesome gifts and basically took advantage of a quiet day together. A rarity. I hit the jackpot with my presents, lots of cute things to share with you. And lots of supplies to make cute things to share. Oh, my babycakes knows me so well.

At the moment, I'm taking a break from crafting to enjoy a cup of coffee...Santa brought the house a Grind n' Brew. Yum!

I hope that you enjoyed a lovely holiday with the ones you love. Wishing you many more in the future. I also hope you are having a craftastic day. See you soon!

My 1st Caturday!

2010-12-18T01:46:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that I just love Becky of Becky's B-Thrifty Blog. Becky is a sweet, stitchin' lady who just so happens to be a teacher! (Anyone who is a teacher has a special place in my heart!) She's also in love with the same things as me- kitties, thrifting, embroidery, old TV, Elvis...should I keep going? Anyhoo, she's wonderful and has the sweetest feature on her blog, Caturday! Isn't that cute? I thought so, which means I'm totally going to have a few Caturdays around these parts. I figured with three cats, I'll have plenty of material. A big thanks to sweet Becky, for the inspiration!

Everyone likes pictures of cats, right?

Oh...you don't?

Sorry! You'll probably want to avoid my blog for the next few ~~Saturdays~~ Caturdays!

Hmmmmmm, what to share?? As my first Caturday, I should probably kick it off with the OGK, (Original Gangster Kitty) Mama Sass.

It all started with her. A crazy lioness of a cat.

The guy was pretty anti-cat for a long time. Understandably so, after several bad experiences with an old roommate and her kitty. However, after getting the big guy, Tequila (Yes, we're aware of the female emphasis there. It's a long story, for another time.) he warmed up to the idea. One night a co-worker called to tell me she was bringing over a stray kitten. However, she arrived with a ~~"teenage"~~ adult kitty who was promptly scared away by the dogs in the house. Eventually she came back and we became one big happy family- Dillon, Jackson, Tequila and Mama Sass. We were surprised, but not the least bit upset, when this skinny-minny gave us 5 kittens!!! (That, too, is another story entirely!)

Sadly, after having her litter and being fixed, she changed quite bit. When the babies we kept were old enough to be developing their own personalities and exploring their space, she became very hostile towards them. She fought them all of the time and eventually ran away. We put up posters and checked every shelter around for months, however we never saw her again. After seeking some advice we found that this was pretty common with feral cats who become domesticated for a short period of time.

I was still pretty devastated. Having grown up in NY, I didn't even know what a feral cat was until Sass came along. With the weather being so temperate here, most people let their cats out all year-round. I'm still torn on the subject. (It's been the topic of many a heated discussion 'round these parts.)

After she left I felt so guilty, however, I'm convinced that she only moved a few blocks away. There is a huge college that maintains a colony of feral cats (with controlled breeding and health-care, of course.) There is one that looks just like Sass. She has yet to approach when I call, so I mainly look crazy, but I'm used to that. I still think it's her. I also still miss her terribly. Maybe it's wishful thinking but I still hope that it's her. And that maybe she cruises by here every once and a while, just to see how her babies are doing. You never know, crazier things have happened.

So, yeah. That's Mama Sass, our first kitty. She's a beauty, no?

Thanks for tuning into my first Caturday! I'll be back very soon with more fun stuff. Having missed you guys so much lately, I'm trying to make up for lost time. See you soon. Have a craftastic day!

V-V-V-Vino!

2010-12-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys! Long time, no see. I've missed you. The days are flying by in the form of one big blur, too fast for my liking. Before I know it, it'll be 2011. Isn't that just plain crazy? I need to hurry up and get caught up with 2010 projects to share with you. A fresh slate sounds nice, wouldn't you agree?

A while back a friend of mine mentioned that he would be turning a room in his house into a wine bar. I mean, we are in "Wine Country", after all. So, after a little brainstorming, I made him something to contribute to the decor.

Don't mind the terrible photos...I swear, I wasn't partaking in any Vino at the time!

It's simple enough, but I'm new to this whole piecing thing, so I was quite pleased with it. Hope he is too.

Hmmmm, un bicchieri de vino does sound mighty good but it'll have to wait. We're supposed to get our Christmas Tree tonight! Yay- should be lots of fun. The guys put up the lights outside last night and they look great. Hopefully by next time I check in, it'll be nice and festive around here.

Evidence

2010-11-29T22:47:00.000-08:00

Howdy, folks! Been a while, eh? I've been a busy gal...working my buns off. I'm working two jobs, so hopefully I'll be all caught upon expenses soon. And you know what that means? Craft store, here I come! Ha, actually I don't really need anything, but it's nice to know I can get it if I do need something.

I noticed something, even though I have the hobbies of an old lady and I'm often told I'm "mature" for my age, I still have my moments of childish behavior. I have proof.

Given the choice, I will always go with the cartoon bandages.

I still buy crayons.

I stashed the last Hershey's Bar, from Halloween, away in my crafting area. For a moment of frustration, I suppose. I'm happy to report it's still there.

So, yeah. I guess no matter how old I am, part of me never seems to grow up.

P.S. Need more proof? I still shop for coloring books. I want this one sooo bad!

Sewing Case Tutorial!

2010-11-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

The little case I showed you guys last time is pretty easy to make, so now I'll show you how! Oh, and I'll just go ahead and apologize right now for the terrible photos. I'm not sure if my photography skills have improved in the last few months or it's the new camera we recently acquired, either way these shots aren't so hot.

Materials you'll need:

* Plastic container- this can really be any type of container. Even the clear deli take-out kind will work, (although I have a different method for that kind, I'll share with you later.) you just have to be more conscious of your jump stitches.

*Embroidery Patterns- I used Sublime Stitching's Dress Up patterns. I also used a photocopy since I would be chopping it up and writing on it.

*Embroidery Floss and normal stitching stuff like needles- Duh, you already knew that!

*Drill- with a 1/16 drill bit (teeny tiny!)

* Tape- for your pattern and reinforcing your container if it's on the flimsy side.

*Scissors

*Pen/Sharpie

Optional Stuff:
*Beads

*Rotary Tool- Sandpaper will probably work just as well.

*Transfer Paper

*Felt (with hot glue)

*Scrapbook Paper (with glue stick)

Let's get started!
I wrapped the whole jar with masking tape to reinforce it while I was drilling. I wasn't sure if the plastic would take it well. It was probably unnecessary, however, it also helped with the transfer method so it wasn't a total bust. I also taped my lid down so it was more secure when drilling.

To transfer the pattern I used a scrap of Saral Transfer Paper. (Most of my fellow stitchers know how much I love this stuff. I carry on about it in our forums all of the time!) I tape the pattern onto it and traced it with a ballpoint pen. Easy Peasy.

*Tip- If you have a particularly sturdy container or lack transfer paper, you can probably just tape your pattern to the jar and drill right through it. I just like to plot out my holes first. You'll see....

Okay, so at this point I plotted out where the hole for each stitch would go. I find this part helpful so that I can make sure that two holes aren't to close together. (Notice how I crossed one out?) Plus, I would probably just start drilling, willy-nilly, that usually doesn't end well around here.

Notice on this one, I had to adapt the pattern a wee bit based on what the plastic would allow. Keep that in mind when you're plotting out your stitches.

Now it's time to drill, baby, drill. (Ewwww, did I just quote Sarah Palin? Gross. I'm sorry, it won't happen again.) I didn't take a picture of this step, but I think you can handle it ;) Just be sure to be safe- wear those silly looking goggles! Also, hold the container securely, taking special notice to the placement of your fingers so you don't drill yourself. You want those fingers to be ready for stitching in just a few minutes.

Here's where the rotary tool comes in. On the inside, where the holes are, there were lots of little plastic burrs. I sanded them down with the rotary tool so that it wouldn't snag my floss.

*Tip- if your container is completely clear or you don't have a rotary tool, snip the burrs as close as possible with sharp, pointy scissors. I don't think the snags will actually cut your floss, just makes it irritating.

Since my container was frosted, my sand marks on the inside were visible. So I did the outside too. It's most evident in this photo.

Now, stitch! I used all six strands of floss for the designs and just knotted it at the end. When it was time to finish off a color or design, I simply ran the needle with floss back through a few existing stitches on the inside. Since I was using the back stitch there is enough floss in the back side to keep it nice and secure.

As for the optional stuff, it's really just to gussy it up. I added beads to some of the designs.

To cover the stitches, I added felt and scrapbook paper.

For the paper, I just made 2 tubes, one with the design on the inside. The other with the design on the outside. (The outer one is so there is a pinkish tone showing through the frosted plastic. It looked better with the sanding.) I put one inside the other, squished it up and let it open back up once it was in the jar. Since I didn't glue the paper into the jar itself, since the glue would have shown on the sides, I added a circle of felt at the bottom. This keeps the paper from moving around too much.

That's it! Lots of little steps, but pretty easy. I hope that this tutorial is clear, if not, please let me know. Don't hesitate to ask me questions, I don't mind at all.

So now that you know the secrets, I hope that you can find even more stuff to stitch around your house. This ability is especially helpful when you're broke...trust me. If you make something with the tips I've shared, I'd love to see. Crafty geeks....unite!

Enjoy a craftastic day! And don't forget to recycle :)

Upcycled Sewing Case

2010-11-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hey there, guys! Remember the other day when I said I was at least a month behind with sharing projects with you? Well, holy smokes, I just found something from all the way back in June! Shameful. Well, despite being little bit behind the times, I think that you will like this project. A little bit of everything went into it- stitching, upcycling, felt, pretty paper, beads, power tools! Fun all around.

You guys know that I love to recycle. So when I find a product that I like and it also has nice, sturdy packaging, it's like a bonus! Silly, I know, but something has to excite me. (Fun Fact: I hoard glass jars...it's true.) Over the summer, before we went camping, I decided I need a little something to store my embroidery projects in. I whipped up a little case made from the packaging of face wash wipes.

TA DA!!

It's pretty big too, considering the jar was excessively large for the product. (Sorry, Aveeno, it's true. I love you, but you went overboard on this one.) Which is one of the main reasons I decided to reuse it instead of just tossing it in the recycling.

The inside of the lid and jar. That had to be pretty too!

Want to see more photos of it?

You'll noticed I used a set of Sublime Stitching patterns and of course, metallic floss. (I'm an addict.) It's certainly not my prettiest stitching but I'm happy with it. And I think Mother Earth would be too.

What do you think? If anyone is interested I can throw together a tutorial. Just let me know. Hope you are having a craftastic day!

Remember What's Important...

2010-11-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, I get into a funk. Everything turns into, "I hate this...and I hate that..." I have to stop and reevaluate what's really important. And I realize I'm just being silly.

A little girl that used to live across the street drew this on the sidewalk this summer. I got to see it on my daily jaunt over to the big, blue mailbox on the corner. For some reason, it's really stuck with me. I think I'm going to get one printed so that I can hang it somewhere as a daily reminder.

Day Off

2010-11-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of a boring person but I'm ok with it. On my day's off I rarely have big plans unless my guy has the day off too. However, this time of year his Sunday's are spend cuddled with the pup, watching football. And since I have a funky schedule too, I've just been doing my own thing lately.

My day off tends to revolve around drinking warm beverages from cheesy cups. (Occasionally, obliging when said cup is branded with the Kahlua logo.)

Later I eat lots of yummy soup. With TONS of fresh cracked pepper. I'm a soup junkie.

I'll also do some cleaning, some stitching, and some dog walking. Perhaps take in a bit of guilty pleasure television.

And if I'm lucky, I'll be doing all of this while wearing my favorite sweater. My Freddy Krueger sweater!! The only picture I have is terrible, want to see it?! I think Dillon must have yelled, "Jackson!" right before he snapped this one. I seem to look a bit confused.

(Oh yeah, and this was last year. I've already mentioned our tragic lack of pumpkins this season.)

I pulled my trusty, old Freddy sweater out for the first time this season, despite the fact it's pretty nice outside. It's November, it should be sweater time.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say, is I'm a creature of habit. If I was an old wiseguy, I'd be easy to whack.

How about you? Are you a homebody or always on the go on your day's off? Whether you're out and about or cozy at home, I hope that your day is craftastic!

I love the Candyman!

2010-11-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

So, want to hear about my super uneventful Halloween? I bet you do! After work I was determined to have a scary movie marathon under a blankie on the couch. However, the guy was writing a paper in the living room. So rather than sit there and bug him, I decided to catch up on house stuff. Yep, I'm the boring person who got to celebrate by scrubbing my bathroom and doing the dishes. We suck, we didn't even carve pumpkins this year. I was so bummed about that.

One thing that did cheer me up about my less than festive holiday? I could enjoy a fat free trick or treat bag! I won this sweet little prize on Kym's blog.

Isn't it cute? And guess what?! It fits in the palm of my hand. You guys know my love of tiny things.

Good thing that's fat free, because this certainly isn't-

We are left with a ridiculous amount of candy because we didn't even get one trick-or-treater. (Well, one but since she was a friend of ours who's in her 30s, that doesn't really count.) I just think that is crazy! It's not like we live out in the cuts, we have the corner house in a family neighborhood. Weird, I think.

And just because I have this song in my head all of the time. Especially when I think of candy.

I hope that you had enjoyed a fun, safe holiday! Did you dress up or do anything fun? Manage to catch the premier of The Walking Dead? I caught a few minutes here and there, but not enough of it to register some sort of opinion. Hoping to see the whole thing soon.

Have a craftastic evening! Until next time, my lovelies...

Where to start?!

2010-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time flies when you're...being productive. Bet you thought I was going to say having fun didn't you? Well, I'm doing that too!!

I've spent the last couple of weeks getting settled into my new job. I really must say, I love it. I get to work behind the scenes at one of my favorite stores! Yay. It's the fun, busy environment of retail mashed up with an office job. Basically, perfect. And it's almost like a reunion of sorts, I worked for this company before, years ago. And now that I'm back, I get to work with some of the nicest people that I encountered the first time around. It's great!

I am most definitely a note-taker, especially when learning something new. So I whipped up a little notebook to jot down all the important info I need to keep track of at work. Given my fashion forward new employer, my Project Runway fabric was the natural choice. (Yes, I love me some Project Runway...But I assure you, it's the only thing I watch on Lifetime.)

I used a piece of fabric slightly larger than the book when it was wrapped around it in a closed state. I coated the backside of the fabric with spray adhesive and placed it on the book. The spray adhesive is nice because then you can just wrap the edges of the fabric around to the inside of the cover. It sticks! If you snip a bit in the corner areas it's easier to fold and less bulky.

I traced the shape of the cover onto some colored card stock and glued it on the inside to cover the edges of the fabric. I also added a bit of ribbon, you know, just for fun.

Before I added the card stock to the back cover, I glued in a bit of elastic between the red piece and the original cover. It stretches around to keep the front closed or can be flipped onto the back cover when not in use, make sense? I used a headband that I had lying around. (I've developed a bad habit of picking out the little contrasting stitches, as evidenced in the above photo. Hmmm, how long will they last?)

And because I absolutely LOVE Tim Gunn, I had to get this part of the fabric on there somewhere. Make it work, designers.

So, are you a note-taker too?

I'll be back later with more stuff to show you. I'm easily a month behind on sharing projects with you. Isn't that terrible?! Oh well, that just means lots of great stuff coming your way.

P.S. I noticed a few new followers since I last checked in. Hello!! Welcome and thanks for reading. Remember, questions, comments and rude remarks are always welcome :)

Find Your Floss Bunnies a Home!

2010-10-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to everyone who commented on the last post, I love craft talk. Yep, I'm a big nerd.

It seems like some things are universal. Such as walking around with random bits of floss stuck on you. Or the compulsion to store pins and needles anywhere but a pincushion, preferably articles of clothing. And let's not forget the floss bunnies. Those little bits of floss that seem to sneak off into the corners and under furniture...and seem to multiply on their own.

Becky brought up a very good point, that those little guys are dangerous! If an animal is to get a hold of one of those little floss bunnies and eat it, they could end up seriously ill. Embroidery floss is not friendly on an animal's digestive system. Her poor kitty required surgery to correct the problem. So in addition to being neat and tidy, it's a good idea to pick up those flossy bits for our furry friends. Safety first, people!

I know lots of people have thread catchers in their sewing areas or placed over the arm of a couch. These are great since they also have the pin cushions right on top. Someday I'll make one for my sewing machine, Ol' Bessie. However, until then I'm perfectly happy with my current arrangement.

A glass jar.

It doesn't take up much space on the desk and I can easily take it from room to room.

Plus, it's nice to look at and changes with each new project.

It's also good for those times when I just need a little bit of a color. Or when I'm sewing something that will be turned inside out and you won't even see it. Since I don't need to worry about keeping track of a floss #, I can just grab a bit from there. Saves time and resources.

How do you keep your floss bunny population from getting out of control?

p.s. Sometimes when I'm making tiny stuffies or puffy applique, I use the leftovers from this jar as stuffing. I just weed out the really longs ones that are still good for stitching and stuff the rest. It makes me happy to think about colorful guts!

Seemed like a good idea at the time...

2010-10-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

I found this embroidery needle stuck in a little planner that I use sometimes. I tend to find needles and pins in all sorts of my stuff. I never want to leave them around for animals (or bare feet) to find, so I stick them in my stuff. Like papers, or my shirt or my pants. Our couch is leather, so luckily, I've gotten out of the habit of putting them in the couch ;)

This is one reason why I love listening to Stitching 'n' Junk. I can always relate to the silly stitching stories- like random floss sticking to you in public or stitching yourself to your project.

What silly stitching habit do you have??

The Bag Bag

2010-10-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned in the last post, I've got a ton of happy mail lately. Getting the mail really is one of the best parts of the day.

I won a giveaway on Cynthia's blog, The Sewing Dork.

Check out the cute handmade bag she sent me-

It's a bag of bags!! And it's huge, great for me since I tend to haul around a lot of stuff. I can't wait until Spring rolls around again so I can bust this out. It's so bright and cheery!

And inside was a whole bunch of fabric!

She said that she was just including some scraps, but let me tell you, she was very generous. Some of these "scraps" were bigger than fat quarters! So many cute prints too.... I'm already brewing up tons of ideas to use them for.

A BIG thanks to Cynthia!!

Be sure to visit her blog, she makes tons of great stuff. And posts tutorials for them, too. Right now she has the "Sew What Holiday Challenge" going on. It's already a week in, but I'm still thinking of playing along. Anyone else want to join in?

Well, it's time to enjoy a bit of South Park and eat breakfast for dinner (the best!!!!) Despite the fact that getting appliances as gifts used to irk me, I LOVE the waffle iron the boy bought me. It creates such yum for my tum.

See you guys tomorrow!!

I love Strumpets Crumpets!!

2010-10-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but I <3 Strumpet's Crumpets!

(Click on the photo for the source, Becky's Flickr!)

Becky has the cutest blog! It's jam packed with crafty goodness, plus pictures of her sweet little dog, Mickey. What's not to love?! Please, go check out her blog! From embroideries to afghans, paper crafts to aprons, she really does it all. And fabulously, I must say.

I mean, just look at these invites. Printing black on black...genius.

(Click on the photo for the source, Becky's Flickr)

Remember a few weeks ago, I mentioned her crafting supplies swap? Well, so far it's been a raging success for me. I was able to send some supplies to loving homes where they will come to good use. I'm sure that I will be able to come up with lots more to giveaway when I deep clean the crafty closet.

And Miss Strumpet's Crumpets herself sent me a whole pile of wonderful! Thanks, Becky!

Yay! Business cards! Exactly the kind I was planning on buying, since I'm making my own. I love it when things work out that way. Now for a little stamp carving.

A few days later, I found another little surprise in my mailbox.

What a sweetie! And with perfect timing, how did she know that I needed all of these bookmarks?

I had just gone on a library binge the day before.

Again, just funny how things work out. Don't you think?

Well, off to craft a bit. And clean a bit- meh. Having a job again is making me super conscious of time, so I'm cramming in as much as possible. Yay, for super productive days!

I'll be back later today though. I have lots of happy mail to share with you, I've been such a lucky girl lately. Hope you are having a super productive day too! See you soon.

Bluework Quilt Square

2010-10-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

Little 5x5 squares stitched up for the "Bluework Quilt Square" Swap. Bluework....one word? Two? Please, enlighten me.

I made this little gal. The pattern is from Sublime Stitching.

I'm not sure if it's really Bluework since I added the crayon tinting, but my partner liked it so that's all that matters. Right?

My partner, Courtney, made this tea themed square. (Also with Sublime Stitching patterns.) Courtney and I also did a private swap on swap-bot, so you'll be seeing more of her work shortly.

Perfect for a little tea wallet, wouldn't you say? I'll have to whip one up for my bag when I'm at work, I've been on such a Chai kick lately.

Bye for now!

Robot Round-Up!

2010-10-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that I have a special place in my heart for Robots.... I mean, I wouldn't have one tattooed on me if I didn't really, really love 'em right? Well, I've been lucky enough to receive 2 robot related crafty things in swaps lately.

Thanks to the ladies who asked me about the "Embroidery in Yellow" swap, I totally forgot to share with you... I received this piece from Ozduchess. It's hard to tell from the picture, but she stitched it onto printed fabric. I love it when people do that!

Next up, the sweetest little robot sewing accessory from Shainyeo in the "Sublime Stitching Embroidery" Swap. It's so perfect for me, you have no idea! Perhaps she was stalking me a bit because she really nailed my style.

She was even kind enough to include a little hoop and some needles. What a sweetie!

I decided it wouldn't be a "Round-Up" with only two things so I'm throwing in this oldie but goodie.

Atop the fridge is where we keep some of our robot army...and kitty treats. (Please excuse the water damage. Thankfully, that has since been fixed!) Boris likes to try to help himself to treats and catnip. Notice he's passing up the soft ones and headed straight for the dual-flavored crunchy ones. Our cats are spoiled and they each know exactly what they want.

Oh, guess what?! When I was looking for robot photos I came across some Boris and Natasha baby photos. It has been exactly 1 year, to the day, since we got them! What a crazy coincidence, no? I sense a kitty post coming on :)

Hope you are enjoying a craftastic day!

October's Goals

2010-10-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time again. When I share with you things that I have planned for the month.

Before I get to it though, I figured we ought to address last month's goals, right? Well, everything worked out splendidly except when it came to blogging 5 times a week, stocking up my etsy and having the stitchy group meet-up. I have no one to blame but myself, however, I'm not going to waste time on negativity. The way I look at it, if everything is easy then I'm setting my sights too low.

I guess it really comes down to time management- making the time to get things done. I fall into the trap of "Well, as long as I'm still getting something productive done..." I counter feeling bad about not reaching last month's goals by pointing out all of the other stuff I did get done. Yet, it seems that setting goals means nothing if I don't get there. So, time for accountability. (Well, that sounded...grown-up. Ick.)

As for the stitchy group, I'm not giving up on this yet. I figured it was best to wait and see what my new job schedule was going to be like before I made plans. I would hate to have to flake out because I had to go to work. However, I did design fliers and would love you guys to check them out. I'll post 'em and you tell me what you think, deal?

In October, I will:

* Finish 10 Christmas gifts

*Make kitchen curtains

*Sand our end tables (and collaborate with Dillon on designs)

*Work on business cards

*Make 2 Toy Society drops

* Ready sewing cabinet and transfer design

*Make 5 etsy sales

*Actually hold first stitchy group meet-up

I'll also be working on the things that I failed miserably at last month- stocking etsy and blogging...regularly.

Ambitious? Yes. Realistic? Yes.

I can do this!

Welcome to October! (Edited)

2010-10-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Around my house, this is how we can tell that it's October.

Forget a calendar or temperature changes, when our house is surrounded by GIANT Spiders, that's how we know that Fall has arrived.

When we moved in, years ago, it was right around Halloween and the whole place looked expertly decorated with cobwebs. The shrubs outside looked like they belonged to a haunted house. We quickly found out it was because we were moving into Spider Territory. I also quickly learned that there was no use in screaming and rushing behind the Guy for protection. He's not much better with them. (Sorry, Babycakes. You know it's the truth.) EDIT: I want to assure everyone out there, that Dillon is not afraid of spiders. My mistake. He just doesn't like them on his head. (Uh, yeah. Don't know too many people who are fond of that, but I digress...) Okay, now that we're all clear on that, we can move on.

This particular Spidey has been living near our front door for a while now, quite close to face level. He is much too big for me to try to get rid of.... (ughhh, I'm getting chills just thinking about it.) If it is running towards me on the ground, yes, I will stomp it...furiously. However, if it is up in a corner or minding it's business in a web, I will leave it alone.

Perhaps, I read Charlotte's Web too many times as a child. Or maybe it's that there it's too much of a risk of it landing on me if I try to brush it down. You decide.

Snapshot Friday

2010-10-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

Snapshot Friday has been a bit lacking lately. What is normally a relaxed day to kick off the weekend has turned out to be my busiest day this month. Unfortunately, poor ol' Snapshot Friday has suffered for it.

This week's selection comes from an old pal, Awestruck Angie. Well, she's not old.... I've just known her a long time. She was kind enough to share some wedding photos with us.

She's not sure who the happy couple is.... but everyone loves a good wedding! Right? Especially one with a Volkswagen. Cute, cute. Thanks, Ang.

If you are want to share some old photos, drop me a line at Mafiosa{at}aol.com... or which ever site you know me from flickr, Swap-bot, FB....whatever works best for you!

I hope everyone enjoys a good weekend! I know mine will be awesome... I'll tell you why soon.