Thursday, January 31, 2013

Where it all began...

My friend Emily at Mommy's Nap Time has started a new linky party called Sew Thinky Thursday!!!! It is a question and answer link up so all us on the internet can share our stories and get to know each other better!!! What a great idea Emily!!!!!


Many years ago in a galaxy far far away...or at least in Southern California, there was a girl ( 40 years young), a new baby boy and not a whole lot of fashion going on.  Well, almost, there was fashion for boys but it was usually expensive or just plain ugly!


This is why I started sewing...isn't he a doll! 
Retro Rocket Rascals by Michael Miller is STILL a favorite print!

The truth is my grandmother was an excellent seamstress, as are my Aunt and my cousins.  My sister sews but she is a natural artist, I got the height ( am over 5-6 and she is a maybe 5-2)  she was given the MOST amazing artistic talent!  I think she got the better end of that deal!  My mother did not sew, well, that is not true...she did make a few things but has never really liked sewing or unsewing mostly. She had an old Singer in her bedroom that I would look at from time to time but it went unloved by anyone that could actually sew. So my grandmother would make clothes for my sister and me and they were always put together so quickly and perfectly, it was like magic.

My grandmother was an excellent seamstress but she was a very impatient teacher.  She did let me play at her machine a few times but I was not a natural at the machine so she would shoo me off to go find something else to do.  I was, however;  very very good at going to the fabric store and looking through the books of Simplicity, Vogue and McCalls patterns and could have walked through the isles of different fabrics and notions forever!  When the question was "Who wants to go to the fabric store?" the answer was ALWAYS..."ME!"

Fast forward to the year 2006...me pregnant and on bedrest for three and a half months with a sweet little boy that needed some more time.  I had TONS of time and the internet, so many things to see for babies and so many things to make!  I thought I would crochet a blanket but honestly had completely forgotten how...I was a victim of pregnancy brain! That skill has never come back to me but has now been replaced with another creative outlet that I love even more!

Sewing!

After the wee one was born, I was bitten by the sewing bug even more! I would lurk and stalk blogs...I would visit fabric shops and drool at the fabrics and try to figure out what exactly I would make but first I needed a sewing machine!  I am a genius aren't I, LOL!  I bought a Singer from the local Kmart and honestly, it was a piece of CRAP!  I bought a different machine from Walmart and took that one back too!  I decided to do a little more research and after reading many reviews I visited a Sew and Vac.  I tried out many machines but I was hoping for something that would sew through layers. I could not get anything like that for less than a million dollars but the guy at the shop showed me an old Bernina that someone had brought in for a trade in. It was not an attractive machine and there was nothing on it that looked amazing but I trusted him. So me and my new (old) machine went home and it sat...what the Hell was I thinking...




I had bought some fabric some thread and that was about it, I tried some straight stitches and took the big leap into zig zag...WOO HOO!!!! This was fun but what now?  I realized that I needed a project, a real project so show to people and to complete so that I could justify buying this machine to the in house engineer that thought I was crazy.  So I decided to embellish some prefolds of the babes. I cloth diapered and loved my prefolds but why not make them FUN! So, I did! I successfully made something!

I went crazy after that and decided I could do SO MUCH MORE with this brilliant machine by making other things too!  I hated all the bibs I saw or did not want to fork out the money for them so I made my own pattern for them and made a bunch. They were cute and well loved and I wanted to make MORE! And that is the whole story :o)


I had a need that turned into a PASSION that I love to share!!!!


Linking up to

Hang in There!!

This is my second post.  The TAWS 
blog hop is just a post away!

I love this week's sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch!  I had so many ideas swirling around in my head - having multiple ideas from which to choose is quite unusual for me.  I hope you like the direction that I went...

Hang In There


As usual, the rest of the design team has a wide variety of inspiration for you  - head over to the CAS(E) this Sketch! blog to see how amazingly different and creative each card is!

Hope to see you play along this week!

  • Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Like Your Style (from the February kit)
  • Paper: Glitz Hello Friend dsp and various CS (also from the kit)
  • Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede
  • Accessories: Maya Road Vintage Love Hanger (from the kit!), Papertrey Ink Sweet Blush button

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Tiny Treasures from TAWS

It's that wonderful time of the month where The Alley Way Stamps (TAWS) is releasing new stamps!!

There are three sets each month - plus there's a freebie-with-purchase mini set this month.  If you've been hopping, you have probably seen samples from each of them.  If you started with me - you should head back to the beginning at the TAWS link and check them all out.

I decided to focus on the new set - Tiny Treasures.  They are each absolutely darling and I used four of the stamps and the frame to make this simple set of cards.  (The sentiment is from a different set.)

Mushroom
Fishie
Pinwheel
Lighthouse
And these aren't the only images in the set!!!  You'll have to check back on the TAWS blog tomorrow to see the entire set!!  (Plus the cute Easter set, the sentiment set - see my sneak peek from Tuesday, and the freebie set).

Next on the hop is Melissa.
Here are the official words from TAWS:

One person will win ALL 3 NEW SETS!! YEP!! So if you want that person to be you.. all you have to do is comment on the hop! Here are ways you can win.. You can pick and choose which ones you want to do.. but the more you comment, the more chances you have to win.. 1-Comment on The Alley Way Stamps Blog 2-Comment on the DT girls blogs (below) 3-Post about it on facebook or your blog 4-Like us on Facebook (leave a separate comment for each that you do) This is a fun mini set that is yours FREE when you spend $40.00 or more during the month of February! Nothing to do but shop.. this little guy will be added to your package.. You have until tonight, Jan 31st by 10:30 PM TAWS time to leave comments.

One person will win ALL 3 NEW SETS!! YEP!! So if you want that person to be you.. all you have to do is comment on the hop! 
Here are ways you can win.. You can pick and choose which ones you want to do.. but the more you comment, the more chances you have to win.. 

1-Comment on The Alley Way Stamps Blog
2-Comment on the DT girls blogs (below)
3-Post about it on facebook or your blog
4-Like us on Facebook
(leave a separate comment for each that you do)

This is a fun mini set that is yours FREE when you spend $40.00 or more during the month of February! Nothing to do but shop.. this little guy will be added to your package..


You have until tonight, Jan 31st by 10:30 PM TAWS time to leave comments.

Here are the DT Blogs to visit
 



LAST DAY for you to enter...your name will be put into a drawing for 5 FREE stamp sets of your choice. 
Plus a crafty goody bag from me. 

YAAY ME...WIP!!!!!

This week I WILL have this in...at the VERY LAST minute but I do have a sweet baby girl at home today who is ill ( yes again) with what her brother would call PUKING!  He will only use that word and so it has kinda stuck.


I was able to get some things completed this week and I am SO HAPPY  but still so much left to do and will be adding to the list at the start of the month on Friday!!!! Where the heck did January go!?!

My Bee a {modern} swapper wonky star blocks are completed!!!! So happy with the way these turned out!


Here they are side by side. I was hoping to ship today but will have to wait until Little Miss has recovered.


I also was able to get the printer back up and running so the Lucky Stars Jan block is finished!!!!!

The intro and the Jan block...LOVE!!!!! I am super excited for February!!!!!



With all the sewing I have been doing for the past three or so months my favorite Aurifil spool is almost out! It has been on my machine so long I want to name it, LOL!  Maybe Sophia...or Nicola...she has been so good to me!!!!!












Progress update...
The Lucky Stars...practice block DONE, Jan block DONE!!!!!
Aurifil BOM...DONE!!!!!
Gen X BOM...no progress, will start tomorrow :-)
Skill Builder BOM ( starting Jan 17)
do. Good stitches Believe Blocks...DONE
Bee a {modern} swapper Jan blocks DONE
#scrappytripalong quilt top...DONE...now to baste and quilt


Lattice sofa pillows because I am crazy! still need to finish!


Linking up to 


simple tip: choose a theme for gift giving

Our little grandson turns two today. Happy Birthday, Karson! He is a very active little guy and one hundred percent boy. Lynn calls him "Tank." :)


I have three granddaughters--Madilyn, Piper, and Lilah Jane. Karson is my only grandson. 

I think boys are harder to shop for. But choosing a theme to his gifts, made it so much simpler! Karson is in a cars/dinosaurs phase, so I searched on Amazon. Momma suggested books and puzzles. We are the grandma and grandpa who always give a book as part of a gift, so it was perfect. To make things even simpler, I had everything shipped directly to our "Tank." 

Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (tons of great reviews on this book)

Fun stuff. I think he'll enjoy them.

Your Friendship Warms My Heart

I have a set from Flourishes that I loved when I bought it years ago and it has never seen ink.  (Of course, I could say that about the majority of my stamps!!)  But this one is particularly nice.  So when two challenges came up - "hearts" and "markers" - I knew what I had to ink up...

Warms My Heart

There is a little bit of sparkle on each flower.

Warms My Heart close

I picked the colors because I had just gotten a package from Timeless Twine.  I had ordered when I saw seen this yellow/gray twine (Cape Code) on their design team's blog.  Just so that it didn't get put away and never used (as did the stamps!) I wanted to use it right away.

The sentiment is a fun set from Inky Antics that I just picked up when I treated myself to an Archiver's trip yesterday.  I had taken my son to take his home-school finals (finals have to be proctored at an official center).  I took my own homework and planned to spend a long two hours sitting in the car taking notes on Accounting 101.  But...it was cold...and I realized there was Archivers about 20 minutes away.  Hmmm....tough choice!!??  I'm not buying many stamps lately - mostly I like new papers, dies and embellishments.  However, this Inky Antics set - Simple Sentiments - is all innie/outies and they are just a little unique.  The innie for this stamp says "you add sunshine to my life".  I really like one that has an outie "sending a hug" and an innie "you can return it whenever you want".

I am playing along with Addicted to CAS.


And with CAS-ual Fridays.


  • Stamps: Flourishes Hearts & Flowers, Inky Antics Simple Sentiments
  • Paper: white
  • Ink: Memento black and Copics
  • Accessories: Timeless Twine Cape Cod, Crafts-Too embossing, Stickles



Monday, January 28, 2013

Hold On Pain Ends - HOPE

I am so in LOVE with this sentiment from the February release at The Alley Way Stamps!!  It's so unique and it says something that is so very hard to say...

Hold On Pain Ends
And it is just one of ten fun sentiments in the new set All About You. Check out the link above to see some more sneak peeks with this same set!!
I used the sketch from Less Is More.

And the colors from Dynamic Duos.


NOTE: The darker brown really is Soft Suede.  That's one of the colors that I have the new Stampin' Up ink pads for.  I have been throwing away my old pads as I got the newer ones and I am really regretting that.  There are some blog conversations going around that the ink isn't as good with clear stamps.  I can't say I have had coverage problems with clear stamps, but even IRL this does not look like Soft Suede.  Anybody else having problems?

  • Stamps: The Alley Way Stamps All About You (to be released Feb. 1), Trees Company
  • Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake
  • Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Crumb Cake
  • Accessories: Memory Box Woodland Branch die, MFT scallop die, CTMH Bitty Sparklers, Stampin' Up embossing folder, white crochet thread

Happy mail, good choices and Fredericksburg has a MQG

I LOVE getting mail, I think everyone does. It seems to happen less frequently with computers and and other widgets.  I am like a KID when I see something in the box for me!!!  Jane  from Want it,Need It,Quilt! posted the MOST adorable VW bus fabric on Instagram and I was drooling all over my screen, which my in house engineer says is not really good for it, and she is such a DOLL...she SENT me some!!!


How CUTE!!!  THANK YOU SO MUCH JANE!!!!! BIG QUILTY LOVE YOUR WAY (and a few drinks in Houston...wink...wink)


Then Lindsay from Lindsay Sews was destashing and posted some vintage zippers in cool colors...YES PLEASE!!!!

and, sweetheart that she is...she added in some adorable fabric earrings!!!!! MUWAH!!!!!


The printer is back online so I can get back to making progress (if the kids ever go back to school) on some of my blocks. I was able to pick some fabric for the Jan Lucky Star block...WOOT WOOT!!!!


and Fredericksburg has had it's first Modern Quilting Guild meeting!!!!!  So excited to be part of this group and looking forward to the next meeting already!!!!

I was so happy to see a familiar face sitting in the room when I walked in! Becky from Sarcastic Quilter saved a seat for me right in the front row,LOL!

Great bunch of very talented and fun gals in the group. I asked permission to photograph and share photos and everyone said YES...YAAY!

Here are just a couple I took

Becky made this fantabulous one!!!! We all wanted to take it home :o)


This one was HAND STITCHED...FAINT!


I fell in love with this one...amazing!

Here is the group (minus a couple of ladies that had to leave and me since I am taking the photo)

So, if you happen to be in Fredericksburg  in Feb...come on over and join in on the fun!!!! The next meeting will be at Quilt and Sew

Sunday, January 27, 2013

twists and turns...

It's funny how life has twists and turns......since I joined the Heidi Swapp media team it has been like a dream come true. When Heidi asked us to join her at CHA this year all the girls on the team jumped at the chance , what an incredible experience to meet Heidi and the rest of the team and be with her at CHA. Since I was going to be in Anaheim we decided to take the whole family on our very first family holiday. We left Australia and headed to Lego Land  and Disneyland in early January. The highlight for the boys was of course Cars Land .




We were lucky enough to meet Heidi and have a class with her the night before CHA started.

 


 I stayed with the girls that night...


 

The morning of the show, just 15 minutes before it was due to open,  we had to take my eldest son to the hospital, he ended up having emergency surgery at the childrens hospital for a burst appendix. What an incredibly scary couple of hours for us. My other son was unable to visit the hospital due to the influenza outbreak in California ( my husband had to stay at the hotel with him) so I was unable to return to CHA. We spent 6 days in the hospital and had to delay our flight home by a week as he was unable to fly. I was so proud of my son who had to deal not only with being in hospital in a diffrent country but having to deal with the pain and confusion of his first surgery.


One evening I was called down to the foyer of the hospital to discover Heidi and the team waiting for me. How incredible that they would take the time to come visit me, it was a very emotional time. I could never express my gratitude to the girls for making that trip to see me at the hospital. A true testament to the loving spirit amongst the team.


Once we were able to leave the hospital, we visited Disneyland again this time with my son in a  wheel chair and saw the Space Shuttle in person.




So my trip to CHA did not go as planned, I am grateful for the short amount of time I did get to spend with Heidi, Jen, Maggie, Jamie and Lindsay, I am grateful that my son is now home and ok and I am grateful for the fun times we did manage to have while on holiday!
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