Nothing to Light on Fire

I received these beautiful matchboxes from Lori for the Wist Swap on Craftster. I don't know what to do with them, but they look so beautiful sitting in a little bowl together. I cannot wait until I have a room in my home that I can put all of my stuff in. I will just sit in there and be inspired.

Front:


Back:

My Porch

Apartment living doesn't give the best options for showing off your holiday decorations to neighbors and folks passing by. Seeing that we are now on year four of aparment dwelling, I've had to get a little more creative. I'm glad I have a banister to hang stuff on. Mike keeps asking me why I buy outside decorations. My simple reply, "We won't be here forever." Am I turning myself into a liar?



I made these banners because I HAD to use this fabric. I went into Elaine's Quilt Block and these little Fats Quarters were all neatly stacked on the display table. I'll take one of each, Thank You! I made 8 or 9 of these bad boys. I am so pleased to go to my sister's and mother's house, and see these sweet little banners hanging up in their homes.



Now this little beauty has turned out to be one my biggest letdowns in decor purchases. I was at the Avenues Street Fair working in the University of Utah Printmaking booth, when from across the way, the sun hit this thing so beautifully. I went to take a closer look. Shocked by the $25 sticker price, I asked them their techniques of glass and metal cutting. "Oh yes, everything is made in our workshop. We salvage sheet metal, clean it, and cut it to our shapes. Then we treat it so it won't rust. Then we do the mosaic last."

Wowzers... that is a lot of work. I could justify paying that much for it. I pulled out my wad of cash and handed over the money. We talked about local boutiques and farmers markets. We exchanged cards. I thought I had found new best friends.

When I got home, I so proudly hung my little cut glass "BOO" hanging outside of my door so all visiters could partake in its simple beauty.

A week or so later... I made a stop at the local dollar store for something fabulous, I'm sure. As I walked in the door, my heart broke into a million pieces. There, hanging in the halloween section was my "BOO", without the cut glass of course, but it was still my BOO. Why did these sweet, hip, crafty ladies lie to me? I felt like buying them all up so they couldn't deceive any other suckers like me. When I got home, sure enough. I pulled back their sticker price tag (it was so cute, so I left it on) and there was the gold "Made in China" label underneath it. :( Ladies, CYA on this type of thing!

I still see those ladies at markets and boutiques around town. I've never told them that I know they lied to me, but their work is definatly less magical to me. Anyway, that wasn't supposed to turn into a crazy rant. I just wanted to show you my cute little decorations.

I love when Halloween is in the earlier part of the week, because then we get to celebrate it all weekend! Tonight I have costumes to make and a party to go to. Tomorrow is the party at church, where I am in charge of the cake walk... gotta do that, too. Mike entered the chili contest, and Cohen has to live up to his title of "Scariest Costume Award". Although, he is going to be Charlie Brown, he has got to win something.

Happy Haunting!

Needles

Embroidery is something that I am learning to love. The more I do, the better and faster I get... IMAGINE THAT!



I found this wonderful Aunt Martha's embroidery pattern for $.50 somewhere. I became immediately obsessed and started ironing the vintage fruit on anything light enough to show the fading transfer ink. The fruit is cute enough to eat.

Although extremely hard to part with, I just recently sent them off to Canada where I know they will have a good home with Sally. Enjoy.

This is Halloween

Aside from all of the wonderful miniature candy bars in orange and black wrapping, there is nothing I love more than Halloween fabric. Every year I buy it, and stack it, and look at it, and then stash it. I can't bear the thought of cutting through one of these cute little ghost's faces.

This year is different. I have laid out all of my fat quarters and ironed on fusible webbing to the backs. I created a pattern for banners. Now, I am cutting out the triangles one by one. This fabric looks SO GOOD together. I'll get a picture of the finished halloween banners soon. I am making one for everyone because I love them that much!

Knit, Purl, Knit, Purl

My friend Kim is so enthusiastic about knitting, that she made me want to start up again. I can just knit and purl. Nothing exciting. I can make scarfs and probably a pot holder. Like I said... NOTHING fancy.

I finished up two scrafs last week and was very proud to tell Kim that I even figured how to bind off the edges. I also made my first visit to a real yarn store, and I think it is worse than candy. I couldn't stop touching everything.

Anyway, I think I'm a little addicted to it and I can't even read a knitting pattern. Kim helped me buy my first set of circular needles and is teaching me how to do a bag. Wahoo! I didn't realize that I needed more than needles and yarn, but Kim gifted me the most beautifully handcrafted stitch markers to help me keep track of what I am doing.





So far, I haven't figured out what do do with them, but they sure look pretty sitting in a pile next to my yarn basket.

Fun With Pincushions

Yes my friends, that is a pincushion... and the little mushrooms are pins. My swap partner said she obsessivly collects garden gnomes, and I knew I needed to theme my pincushion after that.

I asked Mike, being the trained artist he is, to help me with the gnome because my first attempts were not looking so hot. After all, his hobby is building and painting miniature figurines (see, we all have our quirks). Anyway, little gnomey turned out fantastic and one million times better than I could have ever done it.



I stuck with the easy stuff. I sculpted and made the little mushrooms and made the fabric flowers.



This is the great pin cushion I got in return. I'll never look at trucker's mud flaps the same way again.

Swapping...NOT Swinging

Last fall, I browsed onto a website that I could not believe existed. Not only does it exist, I am a complete addict. In fact, I think the term Crackster has been coined is a completely acceptable term use, if not a compliment. Yes, this site is Craftster. For over a year, I have checked the boards and blogs religiously looking for new ideas and random crafty goodness.

One of the areas that I am most intrigued by is the Swap sections. Who would have thought that crafty people all over the world would be willing to make me stuff, FOR FREE, and ship it to me? I sure didn't.

I know, I know . . . I KNOW, it all sounds so bizarre, but it is my new hobby. I mean, some people meet in Liberty Park bright and early on Saturday morning, dressed as goblins and wizards, while they imaginary fight with fake swords and bowstaffs. I could be doing that. Sheesh. I just wanted to introduce you swapping, as I know several of my posts will be swap related.

Yes, I have a husband and we only sleep together... this is not that kind of swapping.

Every Girl Needs a New Bag

A few months ago I decided I wanted the Amy Butler Nappy Sack to use as a diaper bag. After buying the pattern, I saved it for a few months while I searched for just the right fabric to make it. I found this amazing fabric at Wal-Mart on their bargain table for $.50 a yard. I bought the entire bolt.

Ever since I began carrying this bag, my MIL has been dropping hints that she could really use a bag like this for school. She is a teacher's aid without a desk and is forced to carry all of her materials from classroom to classroom. Being the fashion concious gal that she is, a plastic tote that she can pull would just be unacceptable. She finally just asked me if she could borrow my pattern so she could make one. I told her that I would send it with Mike the next day when he dropped Cohen off.

She is such a great MIL. She is always so willing to watch Cohen and help us in anyway possible so that we can get ahead in life. I decided that I would just make her the bag so she would have it ready to carry on her first day of school this year. What a surprise she'll get when Mike shows up with the bag tomorrow instead of just the pattern.



Cohen was very also very happy to deliver the bag to Nannies (as he calls her). Thank you Nannies for all of your help!

Starting Over

I started a blog several years ago and did not do much with it. Now I want to start again because I have been inspired by several blogs that I have recently come across. I figured it was time to start my own with my own projects rather than just always drooling over everyone else's crafty goodness. Visit those blogs that have inspired me. As soon as I figure out how, I will add links to them on my page.

Now, let the crafty blogging begin!