Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Merry Christmas!!!

I just want to wish you all a very blessed and joyful Christmas!!

Little Gray Kitty

LIttle Gray Kitty
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Are we all ready for Christmas yet? lol...getting there. I have to admit, I get a little wrapped up in the craft business and, if I'm not careful, the home stuff gets pushed to the background. I'm terribly late with my Christmas cards! Lindsey has offered to help me with them (God, I love that girl!) so I thought we would make a pot of hot chocolate and some cookies--official card writing necessities--and work on them after church tomorrow.

I have met a gal, Leslie, who is the owner of a business called Alpha Stamps (check out her webstore--you're gonna love it!) who bought a little stuffed bunny of mine. She then asked if I would make her a kitty. The one pictured above is the final result of that. I tell you, I had such a good time designing and making the kitty. Years ago I used to make a lot of dolls, both cloth baby dolls and stuffed animal dolls. I had to put them on the back burner because of the time involved. Making the dolls takes a lot of time because I start with just an idea in my head, design the patterns, and then I stitch them entirely by hand. It is such fun, creative work! The sad part is that it is not cost effective because of the time involved--and people can go to a store and buy a machine made one for an eighth of what I need to charge for them. So, I rarely make them anymore. I have been thinking about trying out offering the patterns for a couple of them and seeing how that goes...I'll have to give that some more thought.

Well, I think things in my Etsy shop are starting to wind down a little. I've decided to offer a FREE SHIPPING UPGRADE on all orders over $25 from now until December 20th--you pay for First Class Shipping, which is stated in my listing, but I will upgrade your postage to Priority mail automatically! I am really good about getting things in the mail quickly so there is still time if you have something from my shop that you had your eye on for Christmas!

Thanks a lot to all my wonderful customers...you are all GREAT!! Hugs!!

Sunbonnet Sue and Teddy too!

Sunbonnet Sue and Teddy too!
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers! Is everyone swept up in the holiday spirit yet? I am happy to say that I am! I've been so busy with the craft fairs and the crafting and Etsy. I just passed a milestone in my Etsy shop--over 100 items sold! YEAH! And no complaints! which is really nice. I want to thank all of you who supported me and bought items from me in this new adventure!! You all ROCK!! Hugs all around!

This is all new to me, you know, having a web shop along with all the usual holiday stuff-and it's keeping me hopping. A real learning experience. I hadn't really thought that much about the limitations imposed on the online shopping due to the shipping times and I am really feeling the deadline dread! lol But, trying not to get anxious, if a person doesn't mind spending an extra buck or two, priority shipping only takes 2 to 3 days, right? ! Whew...I think I will be OK for another day or two before that deadline dread starts setting back in again, lol.

Here is my newest listing, this adorable Sunbonnet Sue and Teddy too bagkeeper. I cannot get over how fast the bagkeepers are getting snatched up! lol Yeah! If you want one of these, you better hurry on over to my ETSY shop and get it before its gone!! Take a few minutes to look around while you are there, you just might find the perfect thing you were looking for for Christmas too! Thanks so much and have a great day!

Long Tall Sally

Long Tall Sally
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. The holiday crafting season is in FULL swing! Busy, busy, busy...Yeah!! Business is good and I am very grateful. I would like to send out a special thank-you to all the lovely people who are supporting me with their purchases and their encouraging words--I really, really, really appreciate it!

I have a craft fair this weekend, which should be fun, but I really don't have that much product to bring, lol. I am glad that I am sharing a booth with my friend so we will have a full display. The fair is at a new location, they have never had one there before, so there is no way of telling if we will get a lot of traffic or not. But-I just found out that another friend is getting a table there too, right by ours-so even if the traffic is slow, we will have fun anyways! I just love my craft friends so much--I don't really have very many of them locally, and only one other person in our family likes to craft, but she is pretty much a loner- so it is a real treat to get to spend some time with some people who "speak my language"!

This newest creation is named Long Tall Sally-she is almost a full yard long! Made from a white glitter felt and handstitched onto a rich blue felt strewn with handstitched snowflakes with button centers. I love the snowflaky, swirly blue fabric I found for her bow and scarf and matching borders. Wouldn't she look pretty hanging in your home through the winter months? She is available in my Etsy shop--please stop in and check her out and all the other new items. Have a great day!!

Peaceful Nativity Cone

Peaceful Nativity Cone
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I see time has gotten away from me again! LOL I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was very nice, my hubby cooked up another of his wonderful turkeys with all the trimmings! Yeah!

I have been keeping busy with lots of new and old crafting, the ornaments are selling very well and I have to keep remaking a lot of them--which is great! I also have been working on some new items...pop into my Etsy shop and see what's new. I just listed this paper cone ornament today. The last craft fair that I did had a booth selling vintage stuff and they also were selling little bags of the old-fashion mica flakes! Yeah! I had been looking for that for a long time, so I was thrilled. I did this paper cone and added the vintage Nativity scene and applied the mica all around the image. It looks wonderful in person! I really tried to get a good picture of it, but the mica just shows up like a blur in the pics, bummer! Oh well, this is listed in my Etsy shop, along with a few other new items--Please swing by and get your eyes filled with Christmas goodness! LOL

Flowers and Dots Birdy Needlebook

Flowers and Dots Birdy Needlebook
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers! Are we feeling a little gray...feeling winter coming on? Well look at this little gal! If she doesn't cheer you up, I don't know what will! LOL Sometimes, when the drabness of this time of year gets to me, I like to work with colorful, cheerful fabrics and it can really perk me right up. I was down to 1 needlebook in my Etsy shop so I spent some time making a few new ones. These little birds and their bright, vintage colors ! I listed this one in my Etsy shop today and will be adding more over the next few days. I think these would make great gifts for people who sew or embroider...and for only $8!

Retro Cabin Style Car/Truck Trash Bag

Retro Cabin Style Car/Truck Trash Bag
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. A cold, kind of dreary day here....hope things are a little brighter where you are. We can feel winter approaching quickly.

I just finished trying to get on Etsy again...I can log on OK but keep getting the timed out error message when I try to move around on there. It sure is taking them some time to get things running properly...but I would like to encourage any of you that have run into trouble there to keep trying! They will have things figured out very soon, I am sure! I am eager to continue my Christmas shopping, I have found so many beautiful and unique items there and I am very excited!

Here is that deer car/truck trash bag that I was telling you I was designing a long time ago! I finally got a batch of different colors and styles made, they have been doing pretty good at the craft fairs, and now I finally have the pics taken and loaded onto the comp, wheww!! LOL This one was listed in my Etsy shop yesterday, if you are interested. I totally fell in love with this 30's style fabric when I saw it at the quilt shop! and if it wasn't almost $9 a yard, I would be making a whole new set curtains for our cabin with it! But, I did get enough to make a few of these really nice car/truck trash bags. I really like the blue and the birch trees along with the beautiful bucks. I used the deer print for the center and bordered it with a retro looking brown print. A great gift idea for the guys who like hunting or the outdoors.

Big Hugs Santa

Big Hugs Santa
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Well, it's been a strange few days. Having Etsy down for several days and then there it is, all shiny and new, and then trying to be patient while they iron out all the wrinkles, lol! I have faith in them though, and think that the new Etsy is going to be great.
I went ahead and ordered a couple items today just so I could try out the new shopping cart and to be sure that I know how things work in case a customer has any questions for me. The shopping cart is wonderful! Yeah! It is nice to be able to have all the business part of the shopping all in one place, and the check out was nice too. You still have to pay each artist individually, but they make it nice and easy for you to do.
I just went and tryed to list this loveable, huggy Santa, but things are a little slow right now and I kept timing out. I think I might try again after I pick up the kids from Religous Ed class. But anyhow....you get the first peek at him! C'mon....give Santa a big hug! lol This turned out to be a very labor intensive project, but the end product seems to be worth it. He is actually a stuffed doll, made with felt, which I had to stiffen after the doll was put together. It took several coats of the stiffener with drying time in between, then a couple painting coats, then the gimp was applied, and the gold painting done. Then I had to attach his beard and put on his face, lol. Last, but not least, he got a glittery gold star to hold. If you are interested in having him for your very own, check Etsy either later tonight or tomorrow some time.

Jack on the Box

Jack on the Box
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I have had an idea in my head for a long time to do a jack-in-the-box type decoration...well, I finally sat down and did one! I am a big fan of the vintage style and really wanted to do one in that white and old tinsel theme. I started with a little star paper mache box, a vintage satin christmas ball, and some antique sheet music...and just started putting it together, really without any specific plan in mind. Well, here is the finished product. I really like it and I put it on my Flickr and was surprised by all the compliments there! Yeah!! It was fun to make, and I really like this style, so don't be surprised if you see more items in this style coming from this gal. I have put this up for sale in my Etsy shop, so if you are so inclined....

I just checked the Etsy site and they are not quite up and running yet, but it should be soon. I am amazed by all that they had to do to transfer all that information from the old Etsy to the new. Wow! It would seem like such an insurmountable task. I am really looking forward to the new site. From what I saw during the sandbox trial and the walk through, it is going to look so good with all the bigger pics and the new layout AND I am really excited that they streamlined the buying process and added the shopping carts!!! Yeah! It should be so much easier for buying. I know that a lot of people were confused by the old method and were turned off. If you were one of those people, please stop back and have another try, I think you will be pleasantly surprised!!

Thanks for stopping in and have a great day.

Old Fashioned Red and White Love Ornaments

Old Fashioned Red and White Love Ornaments
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I had the cutest thing happen at the craft fair I did today. See the ornament here, the red heart that says LOVE? I made these ornaments as a special order for a customer, and I ended up with one extra red one. Well, I brought it to the fair today and stuck it on my little display tree with all the other ornaments. This darling little boy, about 8 years old, a cute little blondie with a couple teeth missing ( you know how cute that is! LOL ) came to my booth and looked my tree over, very intently...he actually spent quite a bit of time looking at everything. Then his mom came over, he whispered something in her ear, he went over and grabbed the LOVE ornament off the tree, and handed me the money. I put the ornament in a bag and thanked him, and then glanced over at his mom, and she looked like she was about to blow up! Her face was all red and her eyes looked a little watery, which I thought was pretty strange. The little boy got about 15 feet away and the mom all of a sudden just burst out laughing! "He's in love, " she informed me "and he wanted to get the perfect Christmas present for his sweetheart!". OK!!!!!! How sweet is that? It really made my day. :-} That, of course, is my favorite sale of all times!

Vintage Santa Christmas Memories Photo Album

Vintage Santa Christmas Memories Photo Album
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. We are in the midst of a warm up! Yeah! It actually got up to about 50 degrees today and the sun was shining, felt so good! It's a little hard to think about Christmas on a day like this, but I managed to stick to it *lol*. I listed this photo album today. It hold 100 pics (up to 4" x 6"). I used a suede-like upholstery fabric for the main cover and added some decorative machine stitching and a nice vintage Santa image. This matches the Vintage Santa Beaded Ornament (look a couple posts down the line here on my blog) and I was thinking that it would be cool to wrap up this album, maybe with some old Christmas photos in it, and top the package with a big bow and the beaded ornament! Wouldn't that be a great gift? Yeah! This can be found at my Etsy shop...pop in and look around! Thanks.

Sunbonnet Sue with her little Kitty bagkeeper

Close-up
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Did everyone have a good weekend? I did a craft fair this weekend- by myself! The first time in about 5 or 6 years. I met a gal who owned a little gift/craft shop when I approached her one day to see if she wanted to carry any of my crafts in her shop. She agreed enthusiastically and had me bring stuff in right away! That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, lol. Eventually, I ended up working in her shop, and we started doing the fairs together during the holiday seasons. This has been going on for a long time now. Well, she and her husband recently closed the gift shop and sold their home in town and moved out to their cabin about an hour from town. She is really a little too busy right now to handle a full fair schedule, so we only booked a couple shows together this year and I am left on my own to do any of the others that I want to do. I have to admit that it felt pretty strange to go and set up my display-just my stuff. I was actually worried that I would have a bare or boring looking table! NOT! lol I had plenty of product and ended up with a very attractive display (sorry Joni, of course I forgot my camera! ). I am going to try real hard to remember it this next weekend. Sales were pretty good, especially since it turned out to be a sale where the church ladies also had a bake sale and white elephant sale going at the same time, which we all know is not condusive to good craft selling. I have a sale this next weekend at one of the local schools...and those are usually really good ones! Yeah!
I have pictured here one of my newest bagkeepers...this one with a darling little Sunbonnet Sue taking her little kitty for a stroll. I did it up in red, white, and blue--so fresh and pretty! I just went to list it in my Etsy shop, but the site is acting up a bit tonight so I will give it a shot in the morning. Pop on in tomorrow and have a look around...there are some new items that I've listed...some new ornaments and stuff. Bye!

Apples got the Blues

Apples got the Blues
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Hope all is well with you!! Are you starting to get into the holiday spirit? Time flies so fast once Halloween comes.

I just listed this new bagkeeper....all fruity and blue. Someone was talking to me about doing different color bags, so here is one! In person, this bag is stunning! Really! lol I love that fruit motif fabric that I scored (at a very expensive quilt shop I might add!)--I couldn't help it, the fabric just spoke to me. Anyways, it is really pretty and I think the bag turned out wonderful. If it is talking to you, it can be had at my Etsy shop.

We just found out that Etsy is almost ready to launch it's new, updated version! Yeah! Shopping will be easier, with a shopping cart, and I have perfect confidence that the brilliant minds behind Etsy will NOT disappoint. BUT that means that the site will be down next weekend. I just wanted to spread the word, in case someone goes to shop and finds the site down...don't panic! lol They said that they think they should have it up and running by Monday. I'm so excited!

Vintage Santa Beaded Ornament

Vintage Santa Beaded Ornament
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I'm doing a craft show...right now! LOL The show I am in this weekend is a drop-off your stuff show. A nice break from all the hauling and setting up and selling and tearing down and packing up and bringing home and unpacking! Whew, just typing it is exhausting! lol I don't mean to whine though really. I enjoy doing the shows. It is nice to get out in the public, and chat and laugh, and get the immediate feedback that the shows allow. Of course, not all feedback is good, but that can be used to make improvements that maybe you wouldn't think of yourself. I have shows booked now for the next 5 weekends. Wish me luck!

Here is one of my newest listings on Etsy. A very Victorian looking Santa, the image is taken off of a vintage postcard and transferred to fabric. I handstitched the image to a felt heart and then stitched it into a little heart shaped pillow, adding beads to each stitch. I really like the old fashion feeling that these colors impart...I did a little twist on the traditional colors. I used the regular bright red, but then used a sage green instead of the usual hunter green, and a cream color instead of the usual white. I sold all the ones from the first batch of these already, but have a new batch ready to go. LOL I went and rented a few new movies (I like to do all my hand stitching while "watching" movies!) and got the felt hearts all cut out and bought the beads I need. So Linds and I are going to sit and have a movie night and I'll see how many I can get done! Sound fun huh? Till next time then, take care everyone.

Ho-Ho-Homestyle Santa Ornament

Ho-Ho-Homestyle Santa Ornament
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

SEE! I told you Christmas is just around the corner, lol. Guess who is watching you, to see if you are naughty or nice! This little felt Santa is just so cute hanging on your tree, he is flat enough to enclose in a Christmas card (though you may have to remove the little bell on his hat first if it is going through the mail), and I like to use little ornament on top of gifts, they really add a cute WOW factor to your gift! This one is my own design and is completely hand stitched by little old me. I will be adding Christmas ornaments and gifts, probably every day, so keep checking in on the Etsy shop. I don't have time to put each one in my blog, so there is a lot there that you don't see here!! Thanks for stopping in...I better get back to work. Smiles!

Cranberry Woodland Angel

Cranberry Woodland Angel
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Well, I guess it is time. I've decided to start listing my Christmas items, gulp! I did a craft fair last weekend and my friend, who I share a booth with, sold a crapload of Christmas stuff....and I didn't even have mine with! Waahhhh. I guess that the organized and intelligent people start their Christmas shopping now so they can actually enjoy December and the season, lol. So! I'm going to start adding the Christmas ornaments and such little by little to my Etsy shop...pop in now and then and see what is new. Today I put up these little Woodland Angels. Isn't she cute?! My hubby is a tree guy (a professional squirrel I always say, lol) and he brought me home some nice pieces of birchbark that came from a tree he had to take down. I used some of it to make the wings on these little wooden angels. She has an acorn cap for a halo and is hand painted and sprayed with a coat of polyeurethane (prior to adding the wings and halo). She stands about 2-1/2" tall and has a string for hanging. I also made some that are sage green instead of this cranberry color. Stop in to the Etsy shop and have a peek!

...and the dish ran away with...another couple dishes!

...and the dish ran away with...another couple dishes!
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I was just over on the forums at Etsy and ran across an interesting topic there. They were discussing if and how a person's age might affect their crafts, both in the making of and the selling of. This brings up an interesting question for me, mainly because I am quite a bit older than the majority of sellers on Etsy (I'm old enough to be a Mom to most of them, but shhhhh! don't tell anyone! LOL). It seems the younger ones are worried that people won't have confidence in the quality of their work due to their youth, and the older ones worry that maybe they aren't really hip enough to appeal to the younger crowd. I have to admit that I DID worry about that when I first started looking into joining Etsy. I started looking around the site and found very few things similar to my own...I decided that was a GOOD thing, lol, and opened up my shop anyways. I didn't sell hardly anything the first few months and my insecurity really started to get to me. "Am I too old, are my items too boring, etc". Happily I learned about the need to advertise, the web is a big place and you have to make your presence known or you won't sell anything. Once I started that, things started to look up, it seems the people who like my style are able to find me, thankfully! Now that I have been on Etsy a while, I see that there are a lot more of us more "seasoned" people on there...you may have to look a little deeper, we are really not that obvious, but we are there! As for the younger crowd and the quality of their work, I have found that there are really a lot of very talented young people and they have amazing skill and talent, and a good business head on their shoulders.

Yeah, I love Etsy and the need to create is very strong in both the young and the old and everyone in between.

Strawberries and Green

Strawberries and Green
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I'm a little pooped out so this will be a short one. We had a craft fair this weekend AND the big roast beef dinner at the church, which our family always heads to the kitchen to help out with. This year we ended up with almost 700 people who attended the dinner! Sooooo, I'm gonna hit the hay early tonight. I wanted to share this new bagkeeper with you....I had someone suggest that I make one in blues and greens, so here it is. It can be found in my Etsy shop too if anyone is interested--swing in and have a look! I'm going to leave you with this wonderful little email that my Aunt Marcie sent--Enjoy!!

PECANS IN THE CEMETERY

On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big,
old pecan tree just inside the cemetery fence.

One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts
and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began
dividing the nuts.

"One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me,"
said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down
toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his
bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices
from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate.
Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me.
One for you, one for me." He just knew what it was.
He jumped back on his bike and rode off.

Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane,
hobbling along. "Come here quick," said the boy,
"you won't believe what I heard! Satan and the Lord
are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls."

The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard
for me to walk." When the boy insisted though, the
man hobbled slowly to the cemetery.

Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one
for me. One for you, one for me..."
The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' me
the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord."

Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence,
yet were still unable to see anything. The old man
and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence
tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the Lord.

At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. That's all.
Now let's go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done."

They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes
ahead of the kid on the bike.

Smile, God Loves You!!!

Mom's Diner Bagkeeper

Mom's Diner Bagkeeper
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Well, winter has hit us today! We had a thick snow coming down for a couple hours this afternoon and flurries for a good portion of the day. The ground is still too warm for it to stick, but it sure was coming down. AND it is cold...we had a wind chill of 9 degrees this morning and the temp was 29. Brrrrrr. A good day to stay inside and get some crafting done for sure.

I have my first craft show of the season this weekend. I am doing the usual "OMG I don't have enough stuff done" panic thing, LOL. Actually, I spent the morning washing and ironing the tablecloths and doilies that I use in my table display, and going through my boxes of completed crafts to decide what I will bring. Come to find out, I have plenty! As usual. Of course, I will be bringing some of the things I have listed in my Etsy shop, so if there is anything there that you have your eye on, you might want to go and get it as it may be gone. I am looking forward to it. I share a booth with a friend and we haven't seen each other since the last craft fair season...so it will be fun to catch up.

I just listed this new bagkeeper today...isn't it neat? I have had this idea about doing a "Mom's Diner" thing in a retro cafe looking motif for a long time, but I couldn't find a fabric or pattern for the center panel. It finally dawned on me to see if I could design my own using my graphics program...and here is the result. I purchased some of that special printable fabric and printed it out on that and sewed it to my project. I really love how it turned out! Swing by my Etsy shop and check it out...and make sure to see the other new things I have there. You know there are new things being added often, so don't be a stranger. Have a great day!

Stop hurtin' yourself

Stop hurtin' yourself
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Well, I finally got the design down on this! My newest design--the MicroMitt. A little potholder designed to use for taking things out of the microwave. I got sick and tired of my kids grabbing handfuls of napkins every time they needed to take stuff out of the microwave! This uses a batting specifically made for potholders, it has some kind of metal fabric between the batting layers, so your fingers won't get burned but the potholder isn't thick and bulky. AND I added little pockets on each end for your fingers and thumb. What do you think?

Black Cherries Card Wallet

Black Cherries Card Wallet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I've been in a slump :-(. Does that happen to you? I keep going and trying to get started, but things aren't working right. I know! It will pass, but it gets so frustrating. Plus, I haven't sold anything for a couple days, and that is a bummer. There, I feel a little better just from whining about it! lol I did manage to get these little cherry wallets done, which are pretty cute-- I made 6 of them, and 3 of them turned out crooked!. See what I mean! lol OK, the cup is half FULL- 3 of them DIDN'T turn out crooked. I finally decided to just take the day off from crafting and go check out our new Michael's store. The old one closed and they relocated and opened a bigger, better store. I had my 40% off coupon and went shopping! Yah! I ended up buying a set of Christmas rubber stamps. I figured it was something that I should get a lot of use out of...and my daughter likes to stamp too. I am thinking that we will have a girl's night and make up our holiday gift tags, that should be fun. Well, thanks for letting me whine a bit, I do feel better. I think I will go and read some blogs, that usually tends to inspire me! I have some very talented blog friends!! Yeah! Bye.

Peacock belt or scarf

Peacock belt or scarf
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Well, I had an exciting day today. I came home from church today, grabbed myself a cup of coffee and headed to the comp to check my mail ...and, much to my surprise, I found a couple of messages congratulating me on getting one of my items on the Etsy homepage!! Yeah! So I logged on, and there is my item in all it's glory! LOL The person who picked the homepage items this time did a peacock theme...and one of the items was this belt that I knit out of a peacock blue and green ribbon yarn. My daughter was excited too because she is the one who modelled the belt for me. The exposure brought a bunch of lookers to my shop, and I did sell the belt and a couple of other items too, yeah!! AND it is going to a gal in England--my first overseas sale. Whew! Anyways, I just wanted to share my exciting news with you all. Good night!

First Purse

First Purse
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. Well, it looks like time has gotten away from me again! LOL I really don't mean to neglect my blog. Isn' t this blogging world something? Wow! There are so many really cool blogs out there, and I could spend a scary amount of time just flipping around and reading them all! I am pretty pooped tonight but I wanted to share this new purse with you before I head off to bed. I recently had a really sweet gal order a couple little card wallets from me and she liked them so well that she asked if I made purses. Well, I really don't, lol, at least not as of that time. I thought, "hey, what the heck!" so I got busy and just designed a bag that I thought had the features that I would like in a purse. I took me a couple days of working on it, but here is the finished product! Yeah! I interfaced everything so it is nice and sturdy. There are 4 big pockets all around the bottom on the outside of the bag, and 2 smaller pockets inside. It has my signature rick rack (heaven help me, but I love the rick rack) and I just love that lime green and black together. I think it turned out really nice. I lined it in a lime green with white polka dots and the pockets in there are black and white checkered. I had a thought about this bag...it has a personality a lot like some people-- it is bright and elegant on the outside and colorful and a little crazy on the inside!! OK...maybe I am spending too much time down in the craft room! LOL I have been busy and my sales are picking up, which makes me so happy. I've been trying to come up with some new items, many of which are still on the drawing board, and I've got a few more embroideries done so I can work on some new bagkeepers...the fruit motif ones seem to sell really fast. So there you have it, blah blah blah!! LOL Thanks for stopping by...swing by my Etsy shop and see what is new there. TaTa!

Rosie

Rosie
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I was just over at my friend Joni's blog "My Piece of Heaven", reading about her barn cat Gus, aka LB, and it sparked me to write a little about the cats in my life right now.

I have a couple of new items in my Etsy shop, halloween items, and 2 of them feature cats...check them out - they are cute and fun! The first one is a little black cat in a pumpkin and the other is a black cat pocket, good for filling with goodies to leave on someone's door knob or to dress up your own home with.

We have 3 cats. I know, LOL, I am well on my way to being that "crazy cat lady who lives down the street"! Our oldest, Purdy, is a little over 20 years old! She is getting a little feeble and senile, but we love her anyways. Purdy had gotten a little cranky with the kids, didn't want to play with them, so our daughter begged us for a kitten for her very own. Finally we agreed that it would be nice to have a kitten around for the kids to take care of and love, so we went down to the Animal shelter and let her pick one out...that is how we ended up with Miss Rosie, pictured here with her red collar. She is the sweetest and most polite cat I have ever met. Sweet, gentle, and fat! LOL She definitely likes to eat. She will only eat her Purina Cat chow, and only the unbroken pieces, all the broken ones get daintily tossed out of the dish. Rosie is now about 3 years old. Purdy basically just wants to be left alone to nap and eat ( she is affectionate with my husband and I, but that is about it) so she never really took a liking to Rosie and we were feeling like Rosie was a little lonely and needed another cat to play with. This is where Daisy comes in. I found Daisy at a craft fair, of all places! A gal there was giving away kittens and at the end of the night there was only one kitten left. I went to look at her, she looked me straight in the eyes, climbed up my shirt, and snuggled around my neck under my hair, and started purring very loudly. WELL! needless to say, I had to bring her home with me. Her and Rosie liked each other from day one. They could not be any more different, personality-wise. Daisy is bold and cocky and talks all the time. She loves to play and race around the house, and will eat ANYTHING! She licks people! Yup, she licks people, just like a dog! She will jump up on your lap and lick your face, she will walk by you while you are doing dishes and lick your legs. It is so funny. Here I have captured a picture of Daisy talking to me...isn't she funny?! So now you know a little about the crazy cat lady, Mrs. Kwitty. I would love to see and/or read about your cats. Feel free to share! Have a great day!

Pink Posy Pin, AND news of a SALE

Pink Posy Pin
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. I see that it has been a few day since I've updated again. Time just flies by so fast, before you know it a whole week has passed!

Here you can see one of my newest creations. Remember the pincushions that I made in the little glass cups? I liked those flowers so much that I decided to take the same design, scale it down about 50%, and make little brooches like that. Here is one of them, I also did one in a bluish purple that I haven't had a chance to get pictures of yet. If that one interests you, just leave me a note here in the comments. I think they are so pretty and feminine and soft! Yeah!

***SALE**** I ran a little sale last night...my first official sale that I put in the forums at Etsy. I did make one sale from it! Not a BIG turnout, but better than nothing, lol. I have decided to offer that same sale to you fine people who read this blog. From now, Sunday Sept. 17 '06, until midnight CST on Sunday, Sept. 24 '06, I am offering you a 10% discount off any item in my Etsy shop and I will throw in a Matchbook Notepad for free with each order. Just put the words "Blog Friend" in the notes to seller area when you click BUY NOW, remember to tell me what color notepad you would like, and then wait for me to send you a revised invoice with the proper price on it. Yeah! Thanks for shopping!

I have added a few little Halloween items to my Etsy shop too...swing on in and have a look. Have a great day.

Joe

Joe
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

It's a special day around here today! Our son Joe turns 15. Like I tell everyone who will stop and listen long enough for me to whine to them, I spent 31 hours in labor giving birth to this kid....but it was worth every second of it! He is such a fine person already. He is kind and thoughtful, honest, and generous. He helps me out around the house and doesn't complain about it, ever! I have never heard him speak unkindly about anyone and he is always willing to stand by the side of anyone who needs a friend. We're proud of you honey-Happy Birthday!!

Luscious Loot from ANGELa of Norththreads

Luscious Loot from ANGELa of Norththreads
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Look and see what I got today! OMG! It is like Christmas and my birthday all wrapped up in one! I just got this awesome package in the mail today from Angela of Norththreads. She went nuts, I can't even show all that was in there because i don't have a wide angle lens on my camera. There are a ton of beautiful fabrics, a couple kits to make Christmas bags, a new Holiday Crafts mag, embroidery transfers, quilt patterns, wallpapers, ephemera, cards, papers, ribbons, buttons, and much more! I am overwhelmed. Thanks so much Angela...You Rock! I don't know what she is going to use to make her awesome craft items with...she sent it all to me! Make sure you go and check out her Etsy shop, her website, Flickr, and Blog (she is a very busy, multi-talented woman for sure!)

Frog's Eyes Card Wallet

Frog's Eyes Card Wallet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. My house is quiet... even the cats have all gone back to sleep. I have shut off all noisy things...tv, radio, fans, etc. and am just enjoying the quiet. This is my first day home alone, the kids off to school now and the hub at work. My hubby works 4- 10 hour days a week, so he will be home tomorrow, which is good. I will get to adjust to the solitude a little at a time. I have mixed feelings about having the house to myself. On one hand, it is nice to just be able to do what I want, when I want...have time to craft, eat when I am hungry. On the other hand, I really miss the kids when they are gone all day. I guess I really love being a Mom!

I got two new styles of wallets done this morning, yeah! I have only listed this one in my Etsy shop so far. I like to call this wallet "Frog's Eyes", which may sound kind of gross, but I kept trying to come up with another name, and I just can't! LOL It just reminds me of frog eyes. It is a scrumptious striated green cotton with the "frog eyes" on the outside, and I have lined it with a pretty swirl pattern black cotton. I stitched on some black rick rack with a matching embroidery floss, added this wonderful vintage black button with a little rhinestone center, and added a black and white ribbon that you can wrap around the button to keep it closed. If you are interested in this wallet, please just go to my Etsy shop and get it! Hurry up! *lol* All kidding aside, the wallets seem to be selling pretty fast, so if you see one that you like, you might want to go and get it before it is gone.

Well, I hope you have a great day. I may get the other wallet listed a little later, so check back when you have time. I am going to sit back and enjoy the quiet, and thank God for my beautiful children!

Steaming Cuppa Bagkeeper

Steaming Cuppa Bagkeeper
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers. We got surprised by a hot day today. Hello, lol, it has been so cool lately, in the lower 60's, and then today, out of the blue, it got into the 80's. Just goes to show, don't ever get too comfortable, lol. We finished up the school shopping today (I hope), went and got the shoes (agonized scream). Man, shoes have gotten expensive. I am going to have to sell 50 little wallets just to pay for them, LOL! I better get busy.

I finished up this new bagkeeper yesterday and got it listed in my Etsy shop now. That's where to go if you need one of these! I had this idea in my head for a long time...I am a huge coffee and tea lover and have always liked those pretty victorian teacups. So here you go, a pretty floral cup full of steaming ? coffee, tea, cocoa? whatever your imagination would like to put in there. For Mother's day my hubby actually went to an antique shop (I know! shocker, and all by himself no less, lol) and picked me out a beautiful teacup and saucer. I was so touched by that. He really does come up with some great gifts, so thoughtful. I think I may have to make one of these up for our kitchen that matches my cup....hmmmmm. Ooops, sidetracked again! I also listed another new needlebook and a little wallet. I worked on a new wallet this morning..this one is in a bright green print with black. So cool! but I haven't had a chance to get the pics done yet. Will be back with that one probably tomorrow.

Well, tomorrow I send my baby boy off to high school! I can hardly believe it (sniff, sniff). Time flies.

Pretty Pink Posies Card Wallet

Pretty Pink Posies Card Wallet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone is enjoying their last big weekend of the summer. We are having a lazy day around here! LOL Watching movies and lazing around in our comfies all day. I did finish up a few things early this morning-I got up about 3 hours before anyone else here did-and thought I would at least get the pictures posted. I made this cutey little card wallet this morning...don't you just love this fabric?! I had to make another one like this for myself. I have this one listed on Etsy is anyone is interested in having it for their very own self! LOL

I went to a 50th Wedding anniversary bash for my sis-in-law's parents on Saturday night...that was a real good time. It is always interesting to get right in the middle of a family that you don't know! They are all such a nice, caring group of people who love to laugh and really care for each other...a real joy to be around. AND it was a potluck (yeah!) which I love!, and the food was wonderful. Such a great evening. It was held about 10 miles from home, and I saw 3 deer on the way home too...just to put a cherry on the top of the day. One of them was a fawn that still had her spots, so cute! We do see a lot of deer here, but I never get tired of it. They are just so pretty!

Well, I hear that couch calling my name! LOL I'm gonna go watch another movie and then I think we are going to throw some pork chops on the grill and have the rest of the leftover potato salad for dinner. Have a great day everyone!

Circles Card Wallet

Circles Card Wallet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers, I hope that you are having a wonderful day and have some fun plans for the long weekend. We have a 50th wedding anniversary party to go to tomorrow. Isn't that great? It is my sis-in-law's parents and I'm going to help with the food and decorations. Looks like I'll have to make ANOTHER gigantic batch of potato salad! Dang, why do I have to be such a good cook? LOL! But really, everyone really likes my potato salad and I always get asked to bring it to functions...I swear that my "secret ingredient" is pickle juice- that's it! lol I just add dill pickle juice to my sauce and everyone goes nuts over it. Truthfully, I think that everyone just knows what a pain it is making potato salad and they just sweet talk me into it so that they don't have to make it (the evil geniuses! lol).

I ran across this quote in a book today and wanted to share it with you...it is so true! A person's individual personality and style always manage to show, even if they are not trying. Here's the quote:

"Don't worry about your originality. You couldn't get rid of it even if you wanted to. It will stick with you and show up for better or worse in spite of all you or anyone else can do." Robert Henri

I just really love that...because it is so true. Have you ever seen something in a magazine or somewhere and tried to make it to look like it does there? I know that mine always just looks like my stuff...it never looks like that professional beauty that I was trying to copy.

Well, here is one of my newest creations. Another little card wallet...these seem to be my biggest sellers so I will just keep on making them. That's fine by me, they are pretty fun to make and don't take up too much time. I really like the colors in this one, of course I am partial to green and yellow, AND polka dots! I love the marble button too. It can be found in my Etsy Shop, along with a bunch more of my "original" stuff! LOL Swing on by.

Have a great day and weekend!

Close up shot of the Tea Party bagkeeper

Close up shot of the Tea Party bagkeeper
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Not your typical English style tea party...but the kind where the kids have had too much (kool-aid) "tea" and are now running around like nuts! I love these vintage style animated dishes embroideries. This one is hand embroidered, by me, onto white linen. I used colorful repro vintage fabrics to border the embroidery and some red jumbo rick-rack for added pizazz! Here's a great way to get control over all those plastic store bags that are threatening to take over your home! This bag is fully lined with a red cotton fabric, there are no raw edges, and I have added some elastic to both the top and bottom edge. There is a hanging tab sewn to the top edge with a grommet in it...it can be hung either from the grommet by a nail or hook, or there is also a loop below the grommet on the back that you can run a ribbon or string through and hang it by that (if you want to hang it from a door or cupboard knob or a larger size hook that the grommet won't fit over). This is a roomy bag, approx 18" x 9", and is well put together, so it should serve you well for a long time. A nice vintage style addition to your kitchen and another stylish solution to your storage needs. I just listed this in my Etsy shop...so swing on by ! Good night!

Little Birdy Needlebook

Little Birdy Needlebook
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello Readers! Hope your day is going great! We are having a nice, cooler day...I do believe that there is a hint of fall in the air! I've been busy getting ready for the school year. Linds and I went shopping for school supplies yesterday. I just LOVE school supplies, the smell of a pencil as you sharpen it for the first time, a fresh notebook just aching to be written in, crisp new folders just waiting for you to decide what will go in them so you can make them a pretty, neat label with your new markers! Yeah! I am feeling a little nostalgic this year. We only live about 3 blocks, as the crow flies, from the elementary/middle school that my kids go to. All you have to do is walk down one block, take a trail through the park, across the bridge over the river, down another little trail, go up some stairs, cross the street, and you are at the school. Every school morning for the last 7 years I have watched my kids head off down the sidewalk together, chatting happily, with their little backpacks on their back. Well, now this year Joe will be going to High School so he will be heading down the other way to catch a bus, and I guess that I will walk with Linds over to the park. Time just goes by so swiftly and I miss my little babies! Sorry, I told you I was feeling nostalgic, sniff.

Enough of that before I start crying over here!! LOL I have at least been pretty productive craftwise since I cleaned my craftroom! I finished another bagkeeper that I need to get listed in my Etsy shop. I have also made a few of these little needlebooks like the one pictured above. This is the only one I have photographed so far. Isn't it cute! I was in the forums at Etsy the other day and a customer wrote a post with some good tips on what a buyer looks for while shopping, and happened to mention that a shop's avatar should reflect what the person does (craftwise)...so I have changed my avatar to a pic of this needlebook! What do you think? I got a few more card wallets done and also worked on some new hang tags! Yeah! Now I just need to get to work on taking and editting the pics, which is my least favorite part of it all. I'm not that great of a photographer and so the editting takes so much time...and even then a lot of the pics still don't look that great. BUT, I am better than I used to be, so I guess that practice makes perfect and I will just keep on working on it.

Ok, enough babbling! I should go and take some pics and get some of my new things listed....they can't sell just sitting here, right?! Please swing by my Etsy shop and see what's new...heck, you could even buy something if the mood strikes you! LOL Have a great day and go and get yourself a new notebook and a pack of markers...they are really cheap right now!

Funky Card Wallet

Funky Card Wallet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Ah, the end of a nice, mellow weekend! Finally! lol It just seems like the weekends get so maniac in the summer and its always go,go, go. Well, we didn't have any plans this weekend, so we slept in, and took the kids to a movie (the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which was quite good), and all went to church together this morning and went to the farmer's market for fresh potatoes, corn, and watermelon for dinner. Very nice! I even got down and cleaned my craft room! Yah! Spent 6 hours on it, and it was worth it. I feel a renewed vigor for crafting now. I finished up a couple of embroideries and have gathered together some fabrics that I like with them. You can look for a couple new bagkeepers this coming week. I finished up a couple of new wallets too. This one is made with a cute kind of space age looking fabric in a nice light blue, and I lined it with a chocolate brown with letters of the alphabet in darker brown. It has a nice snap for closing and is just the right size to hold your cards. This will be listed on Etsy either tonight or tomorrow some time...I'm not sure. But, you saw it here first! LOL Please stop by my Etsy shop anytime and see what is new. I add new stuff all the time. Thanks for stopping by and have a great night.

So how's things today? It's pretty close to my bedtime, but I thought I would pop in with a couple thoughts for the day. I need to clean my craft room! It has gotten to the point where I really can't start anything new until I do, which is terrible and I am ashamed of myself, LOL. It's just a matter of putting things away so I really need to quit stalling and just get on it...maybe in the morning. I have worked up a few new little fun magnets that are pictured here....I had all the paper stuff all piled up on my table so I was able to do that at least! I have been working on a couple embroideries too in the evenings...I would like to get a couple new bagkeepers listed soon, as those seem to be my best seller lately. I really hate to say it, but it is getting close to Christmas and I need to get switched over here and start working on things. The craft fairs will be starting at the end of next month and I don't want to be scrambling around and working like a nut then! OK, I guess I'm just babbling away so I should probably get to bed. Take care and blessings to you!!!

Pretty Pink Punchcup Pincushion

A new pincushion
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

I had to do another of the pincushions in the cup..... I just think they are so cute! This one is in pink and brown and I added a little beaded detail to the petals this time too.

Just got back from the cabin, had a great time! It was such a full weekend that it felt like I was gone for a whole week instead of just 3 days! LOL I posted a couple pictures from the weekend on my Flickr site...one of my niece on the cabin swing and one of my great nephew going for his first lake swim. They are so cute and growing so fast! Austin actually fell into the water while attempting to walk backwards, went all the way under, and then popped back up and was floating on his back (because he was wearing a life jacket) that pretty much freaked him out and he was scared for a bit, but then he wanted to go back in a little later! We'll turn him into a little fish just like the rest of the kids before long! LOL
Well, I'm still trying to catch up around here so I am going to make this short. Please stop by my Etsy shop and see what is new there and I invite you to swing by and visit my Flickr site too, there are lots more pictures there than I have time to load here. Have a great day!!

Whimsy 2

Whimsy 2
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

OK, so it's just 1 whimsy! LOL I uploaded a fuzzy pic on Flickr and had to redo it, hence the Whimsy 2. I just listed this little cutey magnet...she is just taking a little joy ride in her party hat! This can be found in my Etsy shop...swing on by when you have the time.

Lots going on here this week. My Godmother, one of the best women that God has ever put on this earth, was found to have ovarian cancer. They just did surgery on her on Tuesday, and it looks pretty good so far. She always has a problem with the meds and coming off of the drugs after surgery, so she is feeling pretty ill. I would like to ask for prayer for her and her family as they go through this hard time. Thanks so much!!

Guess what else? Birthday time for old (and I mean old! lol) me! I'm turning 45 this weekend and we are having a big get together at our cabin to celebrate. Should be a lot of fun. Got my 3 brothers and their families coming for sure...and then various in-laws will be popping in too! Eating and drinking and swimming and fishing and boating and etc.!! Yeah! So just a fair warning, if anyone orders from my Etsy shop, I will not be getting back to my computer until Monday. I should be able to get the orders and pack them up and get them in the mail by Monday afternoon, or Tuesday morning at the latest. Thanks so much. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

The top of the Purple Parfait pincushion

The top of the Purple Parfait pincushion
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hello! Well, here is that little item I was talking about (the one that wasn't really working out). I was right to leave it be. I went down this morning and it all just fell into place. It is a pincushion that I built into a darling little polka dotted punch cup that I found on one of my many little treasure hunts. I decided to make it look like a parfait from the side, because you can see through the glass and it needed to look purdy! lol I am really pleased with the way this one turned out! If you click on the picture it will take you to my Flickr site and you can see the pincushion from the side. Or, of course, you can always go to my Etsy shop and see 4 pics of it, and buy it if you would like.

I did another feature piece on the Yahoo blog...this one is about Angela from Norththreads. She does a very lovely variety of crafts that all have that old fashioned charm, and her work is just beautiful! Go and check out the blog and make sure you click all the links so you can see all her great stuff!

Happy Day Birdy Magnet

Happy Day Birdy Magnet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hi! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Ours was good here, thanks for asking, lol. I took it easy this weekend. Took my daughter to start looking around for her school clothes...you know we have to get a feel for what the fashions are going to be this year so we just go and browse the first couple times until she decides what she likes. We had my niece here for a few day so we did the shopping and the lunching and the gabbing....a lot of fun. We also had a friend of the family give birth to her new baby girl...Faith! What a cutie pie. She weighed in at 8lb.7oz. and looks a little like Holly Hobby (remember her?) and has curly red hair. We live the closest to them so we were the ones who got the phone call at 3:00 a.m. to come and watch their older child (2 yo) while they went to the hospital.

I didn't really get too much crafting done this weekend. I worked on a couple of these little magnets. I just listed this one in my Etsy shop this evening. This one is so sweet and cheerful, I just love it! I also worked a little on something else, but it is not really going together like I want it to...so I just left it for a while and I will give it another try in the morning and see what happens. Does that happen to you? It does seem, a lot of the time anyways, that if you can just get away from it for a while, things look better or work better when you get back to it. I hope it works out, because in my head it is really awesome, LOL!!!

Well, I'm gonna get to bed early tonight. It's been so humid here today and the old knees are aching like crazy. Think I'll go put them up with an ice pack and watch a funny movie! Yeah, with popcorn....!

I'm a Little Teapot bagkeeper

I'm a Little Teapot bagkeeper
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Here's a pic of the little teapot bagkeeper....yes, it is short and stout! LOL I think this one is pretty sweet and cottagey looking. It can be found, along with all my other stuff, at my Etsy shop.

I finally started that other blog that I have been talking about...the one to feature other Etsy shops, the ones that maybe don't get to the top of the page on the Etsy shop due to the fact that their products are more traditional than some. I'm not complaining, mind you, I just want to make sure that people know that we are there too! The blog is on Yahoo 360 and it is a lot different format than this Blogger site. Here is the link...if you have time, check it out and let me know what you think. So far I have gotten some of my pics on there and then I have one featured seller, Dottyral of Dyed in the Wool Designs. She does some beautiful crochet along with a variety of other crafts. Be sure to have a look.

Purse Notepads

Purse Notepads
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

How-dy! Oh a beautifully cool and cloudy day around here...YES!!!! Love it. I got a couple of new things listed in my Etsy shop today. I did up a new bagkeeper that is more of a cottage style with a fat little teapot embroidery on it. AND here are those little notepads I was talking about in my last blog entry. I found this absolutely gorgeous wallpaper and used that for making these and stamped them up with some nature inspired stamps. They are about 3-3/4" x 2-1/2" and have about 20 to 25 pieces of paper in each. I think they turned out pretty cute. I am having a hard time deciding what to price them at. I am thinking about $1.75 each. I did put in a bit of work on them, especially since I have to hand cut all the paper that goes into them. Any thoughts? Leave me a comment about how much you would think, OK? I would really appreciate your input. I think I will list them individually, but if a person wants more than one they can convo me and I will definitely combine shipping on them.

Ok, a new topic...did anyone watch the final "Last Comic Standing" last night? OMG, I almost laughed myself into hyperventillating!! They had the guy that was the host in years past, Jay Moore (?), do a stand up routine that was so funny! I was bawling!

Oh! I sold that funny little keychain with the bird that says "I just pooped on your car" today! I'm gonna kinda miss him, I've had it sitting on my craft table (in a little plastic bag) looking at me since I got it done...good for a smile now and then! Looks like I'll have to make another one.

Well, I think I'll go and get that keychain packaged up so I can pop it in the mail first thing in the morning. Take care!!

Toile Card Keeper Wallet

Toile Card Keeper Wallet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hola! How's everyone today? We had a fun day, my niece came over to play with my daughter and all three of us gals went thrifting...which we all know is fun, fun, fun!! I found some really cute little glass items that I can use to make up a little something that I've been tossing around in the old melon for a while now. I'm not giving any hints, you will just have to check in now and then to see what I come up with. I did a little crafting this morning. I worked on some cute little purse notebooks, I will be listing those probably tomorrow. I know I need a little scratchpaper in the purse just for jotting down things, but the space in there is really limited, so I made up some little flat ones. I then had some more of that luscious pink and brown toile sitting out on my sewing table and decided to make up this little card keeper wallet. I just absolutely love this fabric! I might have to make one of these for myself! Well, its been a long day, the humidity is up there and all the walking today, my old knees are barking! I think I'll put on a movie and put my feet up. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to visit the Etsy shop and pick up a nice little something for yourself or someone you love!

Strawberries Bagkeeper

Strawberries Bagkeeper
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Well....I know I was supposed to work on those manly trash bags today...but I was just feeling a little more feminine today! I had finished this strawberries stitchery a little while ago, and it has been sitting on my table all starched and ready to go. I made it into a colorful, vintage flavored bagkeeper. I just listed this in my Etsy shop so stop on in if you are interested. I also finished another little card wallet and another little fridge magnet that I will post when I find the time, maybe later on tonight. Keep an eye on the Etsy shop, 'cuz I try to list things every day or two just to keep the shop fresh and I don't always blog every item that gets put in there. Well, I need to start thinking about dinner...hmmm, maybe meatloaf tonight. Thanks for stopping in and have a great day.

Summer Fun

Summer Fun
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Well, I'm back from the weekend trip, whew! A good time was had by all. Here's a pic of my Goddaughter and my great nephew sitting on my brother's riding lawn mower. They thought that was the coolest thing! (city kids!) Darrel and Linda's home is so nice and they have a gorgeous yard! Wow! it is just like a park. Linda is a really great cook and she really outdid herself, I am sorry to say that I think I may have gained a couple more fatty rolls this weekend! *lol* It was nice to have everyone together again, lots of chatting and laughing.
I sold an item in my Etsy shop right before I left, which was great! and I was happy to find that I sold another while I was gone. Yeah! That really made my day. I got those items out in the mail this morning, so if you are one of the people who bought something, it should be there in 3 to 5 days. I have gotten a couple orders here at home too for the fish trash bags, and now a guy I know wants one like that with a deer head (buck, with antlers) too. So now I need to find a nice pic of a deer that I can use. If anyone knows of one that a person wouldn't mind me using, please let me know, I would appreciate that. Well, I'm gonna go and get to bed early, I am still a little tired from the weekend! I know, lol, I'm getting old! Good night and thanks for stopping by.

Singing Bluebird Magnet

Singing Bluebird Magnet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Here is another of the little birdy magnets. I have really enjoyed making these little colorful cuties! These make nice little gifts that you can stick in a card...or, dare I say it? stocking stuffers! Gasp! Or just a little something that says "I'm thinking of you". You can find these in my Etsy shop, swing on by and have a look! Thanks.

Count Your Blessings Birdy

Count Your Blessings Birdy
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

I really needed this little reminder to count my blessings this morning! I was down crafting in my craftroom and I kept smelling this musty smell. I did a little investigating and found the culprit. When we had all that torrential rain last week, we ended up with water in the basement. Not a whole lot, but a few little rivers here and there. I mopped it up and forgot about it. Not so fast Karen! LOL I have these heavy rubber mats on the floor over by my cutting table and sewing machine and the water had gotten underneath them and hadn't dried up. PEW! So I had to move all the stuff and I'm going to have to get someone big and strong (Honey....!) to help me get them out of there. Such a bummer, and a bad smell too. I'm glad that I keep all my fabrics in plastic totes or that smell might have gotten them too.
I just finished making these little collage magnets. I made 4 different ones, and they all have little birds on them. This one I have listed on Etsy so far. I will be listing more in a couple days. It is fun to switch off from sewing for a day or two and do a little collage or paper craft. I do get bored easily and have to switch things up a little. I think they turned out pretty cute...but, you know I have a thing for birds!
I have a brother, Darrel, who lives down near the cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) who we are going to go visit this weekend. I am really looking forward to it! We are going with another of my brothers and his wife and kids. We are going to caravan there and hook up with my stepDad, whom we haven't seen for at least 6 months. Should be a great time. They have bought a new house and I this is my chance to finally see it. Any orders from my Etsy shop will be handled on Monday morning, first thing, so if there was something that you wanted, go ahead and order it and I will get to it then. Have a great weekend everyone.

Bass Truck/Car Trashbag

Bass Truck/Car Trashbag
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Hi all! I'd like to send a special greeting out to Joni....HI JONI!! *lol* Joni is a friend from a hand embroidery group I belong to, and a real sweetheart! I don't know if any of you noticed but I added a weather thingy to my blog...it shows the current weather and temp. where I live, and the little gal in it dresses according to the weather! So cute. I was just watching the weather this afternoon and they were discussing about what weird weather we have here in Duluth, and they were discussing the fact that July is the only month of the year that we have never had snow in...all the others we have at one time or another! Isn't that a flip?! I do remember that last year we had some snow flurries in August. Ummm, I don't think that will be happening this year. I ran up to the cabin today to pick up my daughter who has been up there with her cousin...it was so nice there! I wish I had more time to go and stay a while but I'm just going to have to wait a couple more weeks. I've been thinking about the cabin a lot lately and so my mind, of course, turned to fishing! I love to go fishing, in fact I always have my fishing pole in my trunk just in case the opportunity arises! I made some really cool fabric transfers of fish, and put them on a couple of trash bags for your car/truck. The transfers are slightly transparent so a little of the fabric shows through the fish...which looks really cool. I am really bummed that the pics don't really do these justice. They are so rich and vibrant in real life. I just solved the dilemma of what to get the men in my life for Christmas this year! Yeah...new truck trash bags all around! If you would like to get one for your fav guy...or yourself for that matter...just pop on over to my Etsy shop and click the "Buy Now" button, easy peasy! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.

Pokey Dots Card Wallet

Pokey Dots Card Wallet
Originally uploaded by misseskwittys.

Oops...here is the polky dot one..I had to keep one of these for myself!!