The Week in Review

LOL--I just noticed that I seem to be managing about one post a week lately! I sure hope you don't all get sick of coming here and not finding anything new, cuz' I would miss you terribly if you stopped coming by :-)

Things are crazy busy for me--and I'm sure you are all in the same boat! Isn't it great?! There is just so much excitement that starts to build as Thanksgiving approaches. Got that big turkey taking up all the space in your fridge, pulling out all the old recipes, coming home with that grocery store receipt that's about 2 feet long!

I have to brag--my last shopping trip, the one to pick up all the Thanksgiving stuff-----------Saved $66.40 in coupons! Yup, broke my old record by about $8.00. I actually saved 42% off my total bill. Yeah, it's good to be the Queen. *takes a bow* Here's a picture of my baby in her first parade (and yes, she does LOVE it when I call her baby!). Isn't she cute?!! It was a cold (only about 33degrees) and windy night!

Well, I've been making lots of cute stuff for Christmas--wanna see??

Here's a cute Santa's Keys pocket that I made with material sent to me by Leslie at AlphaStamps--she asked me to be her guest designer for November. Beautiful wool felt, vintage images, and ribbons were sent to me--sigh--heavenly! Anyways, I made up this pocket--it has a key for Santa, in case you don't have a chimney for him to come down--and tucked in the pocket is a tag with a pocket (and another cute vintage image) for you to tuck in a little note for Santa!
Here's another little item I made up for Leslie at AlphaStamps--a pretty victorian inspired gift bag. It's made like a tote bag, with pretty cream and pine green gimp handles, that vintage floral fabric (that I told you about here) and the pretty sage green woolfelt and the vintagey victorian Santa image that Leslie sent. I love it--it would make a beautiful gift presentation and then can be re-used each year as a gift wrap or used in their holiday decorating.

Cute, old fashioned stick pony to hang on your tree! He's about 9" long. The kids really like these. I have to say, though, that making and attaching the mane is a big pain in the you-know-what! LOL Then there's this!! Not Christmassy--not really exciting, I mean, it's just a tissue holder! But I thought it turned out pretty and wanted to share!

Well, THAT was long winded--wasn't it?!! LOL I guess I better not wait for a whole week between posts (I didn't even post everything I had to show you, lol)
Take care everyone--and have a blessed and beautiful Thanksgiving!!! Hugs!

What's new in Whoville?

There is so much Christmas going on around here, it feels a bit like Whoville! LOL (Don't you just love the Grinch?!) I love this time of year, when things are busy and the days are just a flurry of activity!

Linds is so excited! She made the Dance team at school and their first activity is to dance in the Christmas City of the North parade this weekend. Yeah! She just got her big shiny pompoms and her outfit--and she's all ready to go.

I've been making Christmas and other stuff like crazy. I was going through some of my files and ran across this pattern that I designed a couple years ago. Remember the magazine "Country Marketplace"? Each year they would sponser a big ornament contest and I actually won the honorable mention award for this design. I wanted to make something that looked vintagey (and this was even before the vintagey style was in like it is now!), like it came from Grandma's Christmas collection. Well, I pulled out the pattern and whipped up a couple for my shop

I also found this lovely mustard star fabric--and it inspired me to make up a little country style quilt. I may have gotten a little carried away with the swirly things on Santa's beard and hat and moustache--but I think he's pretty cute anyways!

How about this--do you have a favorite Aunty who always got dressed up for Christmas, with her pearls and her favorite hat? This ornament was inspired by my Aunty Dolly.

I met a couple new people this week. Lauren recently opened up her Etsy shop. She ordered an item from me and we discovered that we are both from Minnesota, yeah! She also started a blog, and was sweet enough to do her first Etsy shop feature on my shop! yeah! Swing by and say Hi to her, she is really sweet!

The other person is From My Cherry Heart, she also has recently opened up an Etsy shop--REALLY cute stuff! Swing by and check it out! She has a fun blog to read too and is doing a giveaway so swing by there too and leave her a comment!

Well, I should go. I've been telling myself that I need to get to bed earlier--been burning the midnight oil AND rising before the sun! A gal needs her beauty sleep you know! Hugs to all!

SNOW!

Ewwww! It's snowing, big giant fluffy flakes. The roofs are all covered with a clean, white, fluffy layer of snow. OK--It's really pretty, lol! I'm not ready for snow. I HATE driving in the snow. I think it stems from the fact that I was such a late bloomer as far as driving goes--I didn't get my license till I was 31! So basically, I didn't learn to drive when I was young and fearless, but when I was older and more cautious. Whatever--it makes me anxious.

Guess what? I sold a planner yesterday--that cute brown and blue one with the dragonflies. So, I guess I'm not the ONLY old-timey gal who still uses a PAPER planner! lol This is my newest one--in pink and gray. Check out that pretty floral fabric. I was snooping around at an antique shop one day, poking around looking for cool old sewing stuff, and found it kinda smashed up in the corner, poking out from behind a basket of buttons. It didn't look like much, but it had potential and she only had it marked for $5 for about 2 yds of it. I brought it home and washed it up and pressed it--and it's gorgeous!! Yeah!!

Let's see what's on the to-do list today:::

1) Design a stocking for custom order--brand new little baby girl needs her Christmas stocking! She wants all pink, green, and white--I feel honored that she asked me to make it for her, to make something that will be part of her Christmas tradition. Yeah! It's going to be like this little ornament stocking, only bigger and fancier--and with some lace and her name embroidered on it OF COURSE!

2) Leslie, from AlphaStamps has sent me a big package of her new felts and collage images and wants me to put together some new ornament/Christmas designs for her to use on her website--samples of what people can do with the products she offers in her shop. This is a fun project and I look forward to jumping in to it.

3) Go around and change my avatars to this cute Christmas one that Sam made me! Isn't it adorable?!

4) Go to lunch with my sweety. He has the day off, and, he doesn't know it yet, but he's gonna take me to Mitch's for a big juicy burger! Oh, and HE is driving! lol

Have a fun day!!

Pretty Smelly

That is the perfect description for my new sachet--"Pretty Smelly" LOL, don't mind me, I'm just cracking myself up over here! ;oD It's made with some beautiful vintage lace, vintage velvet leaves, silk flowers, and that lovely vintage rhinestone button. It's filled with some really nice french lavender buds--(the "smelly" part!) It's listed in my Etsy shop.


I found this cute retro fabric with the dragonflies and daisies and just had to have it--isn't it fabulous? I've paired it with this aqua polka dot and made another 2008 planner cover with it. I really like these planners, but have yet to sell one--I wonder why? Even at the craft fair this weekend, soooo many people picked them up and oohed and aaahed over them, then they put them back down and went on. Weird. Is there something wrong with them that I don't see? Or maybe it's just too early for people to seriously think about 2008?? It's a mystery to me, LOL! (but what isn't? lol)

The fair was a BLAST! I had so much fun! I sometimes forget that I don't spend much time with actual flesh and bones people (besides my immediate family)--and it is so fun to actually get out and be with them once in a while! MY people--crafters, artists, seamstresses, and people who love all that stuff. I just enjoyed it so much. Yeah!
I've made up a few more of my little bird ornaments to list in my shop too--these look so cute hanging on the tree--and you don't have to put them away after Christmas either :-).

Well, I am going to go and read up some of my favorite blogs and see what you have all been up to!! HUGS!