Cleaning and Organizing...Again!!!

My sewing room.

I love this room Mr. C built for me.

I am not ashamed of showing it like this as it means I have been creative and that is the best feeling. This is what this room was designed for. Sewing and being happy is in my DNA. I learned to sew when I was a very young girl. My Grandmother, Mother, older Sister and her mother all sewed and it was never even discussed that I would learn to sew and I did.

This is an old Singer that I got out of storage a couple months ago thinking I should be using it for all the paper I have been sewing. Hmmm...once you have a new machine like my Pfaff it is really hard to go backwards. I tried to sew on it but I must admit I keep using my new machine with all of its ease and features I have grown to love.


This is the desk area with fabulous open shelves above which I tend to use as display for my numerous bits of this and that I collect and love. You can also see that I tend to pile things and pending projects on any flat surface I have. Drives Mr. C crazy however this is my room so I can close the door and he doesn't have to see it. :o) When I took these photos I didn't plan on posting the before and hopefully the after (not today!) so the photo cutoffs are a bit incomplete. Yes, you do see my covered up IBM Selectric II typewriter (with changeable font ball) that I will not get rid of. I actually still use it from time to time.

This is another random photo of my very messy room. So yesterday after I took these photos I got the cleaning supplies and a ladder and began at the top to clean and organize this wonderful room I love. Today I am continuing my journey of making this room just that much better for my creativity. I hope to complete my task and take new photos to share with you very soon.

May you have a wonderful and sunny and creative weekend...
Prayers and Blessings to all who have experienced family and/or friends who have been touched by the horrific weather across this country.

Santa Fe Feeling...

Happy Sunshine to those of us who finally have some. And wishing sunshine for those who are experiencing rain and tornados and flooding and horrible weather. Prayers for recovery.
Thank goodness I have a few photos of some projects I have completed in previous months. My creative time has been very much lacking with this long dreary winter.
My mother had this pendant pin in her jewelry when she passed away and I liked it. I wore it many times on a blazer as a pin. Now I am honoring it as a removable pendant on a necklace I created. This way it can be removed and still worn as a pin. You can see the time and wear this piece has enjoyed. The stories it could tell would be wonderful to know. Where did mom get this piece? It had to be on one of her many travels. What country? She had to have met the artist and gotten a lot of talking time with them as that is who my mother was...very friendly and personable.

When I began to compose the components for this necklace I naturally started with the pin above. Then I gravitated towards a Santa Fe feeling with silver, red coral and turquoise. My mother loved these elements especially turquoise. This red coral heart bead really speaks to me as it appears to have an energy vortex naturally created right into the stone.

This is the finished necklace and I love how all the elements just came together and look perfectly Santa Fe in my opinion.

I made this piece to sell. Well, as you have probably already surmised I just cannot bring myself to offer it for sale. I wore it to quality check my work and it simply felt right on me and is one of my most very favorite pieces. I even have another very similiar pin/pendant from mom so I could make another necklace. Somehow this one is just the perfect piece that speaks to me.

I hope you are having a wonderful week and that creativity is abundant in your muse. I just cleared off my studio table and feel a new surge of creativity coming forth as this glorious sunshine brings energy to me. What? No time to create now? I must go to a meeting and do my volunteering which I do love to do. Oh how I need to do it all!

What about you? What do you like to do? Do you feel like you are being pulled in too many directions? Is there a balance so we can do it all?

Thank you for joining me along my journey...

Walking Down Memory Lane...

Here I am Walking Down Memory Lane on Memory Lane Monday that Miss Donna began a few months ago. This photo hangs on my "Rogue's Gallery" wall. I don't exactly know why but I like this photo. Then again this photo makes sad and happy at the same time.
I am the older sister pulling the wagon. I am about seven years old. My sister in the back of the wagon is 4 years younger than me so she is about 3 here. My sister in the front of the wagon is 12 months and 12 days younger than her sister so that makes her about 2 in this photo. That is a bottle hanging from her mouth.
I never look at this photo without thinking and feeling WAIF. We look like such waifs that are orphaned with no one to take care of us. All our worldy goods are on our backs...clothes that are very much hand-me-downs and definitely do not have any fancy designer labels. Marie has her bottle...and she is not letting go of it. Joyce and I each have a balloon. I am not certain why I would have a balloon because I really dislike balloons. Not in general but just for me personally. I don't like how they pop at any unknown moment. I don't like blowing them up because it hurts my head. I really don't like how balloons make your hands smell! Something like rubber which I dislike also.
We three sisters each have the same haircut but I can remember mine got a permanent. Oh how I really hated those days. Some woman cutting your hair when all you wanted was the long hair you had before she started. Then she would pull it and wrap it way too tightly around some little rod contraption until your entire head looked like you could receive radio transmissions. Uh-Oh...now comes the smelly stuff that always made me think I would pass out after throwing up! My poor eyes would water so badly that it looked like I was crying. My mother would be right there telling me to sit still and behave. How rude!!! I was being poisoned and she was happy about it. :o) Then the big heavy dome of heat that would burn your entire head but you sat under it until the hairdresser lady was done looking at her magazine or talking (gossiping) or maybe cutting some one elses hair too short. Whew! I am done with that torture and now I look like a frizzed out poodle. Not the look I ever wanted or enjoyed. What was my mother thinking? She had very long beautiful smooth hair that she braided in one very long queque down her back. No perms or hair salons for her. Why me? YUCK!
Life was simpler back in the olden days. I can attest to that. It is not often, if ever, that you see kids playing with a wagon on a sidewalk.
I love old black and white photos. It leaves your mind open to creatively color the images. To imagine what time of year it might be and what color the leaves on the trees might look like. Did I match my clothing or wear whatever was in the "play" clothes stack. We wore a dress to school and then came home and changed into play clothes. Do kids even do this anymore? Is this old REX wagon red? I love red wagons. In fact Mr. C has a red wagon that he used for hauling batteries and tires when he was racing cars and I will not let him throw that rickety old wagon away. I think some sub-contractor even ran into it with his truck but I won't let it go. We use it around the property and it resides in the garden house. Nope, cannot throw it away while I can still enjoy the memories of red wagons and childhood with my sisters.
Life was simpler back in the fifties.
Thank you for letting me share some of my memories with you.
I hope you get out some of your old photos and enjoy going down memory lane this week...

Bunny to Bunny...

Hello Bunny to Bunny:

What are you doing today?

I am enjoying a day of rest while family and friends celebrate Easter.

It is pouring rain so I know everyone will be indoors and staying dry and warm.

Happy Easter to you. And Happy Easter to you too.

Happy Easter Weekend...

May you have a beautiful and meaningful Easter.
Celebrating with family and friends.

Enjoying what you like to do.

Making memories that last forever.

A very Happy Easter to Everyone.

Quick Packaging...

Hello faithful followers. Do you ever have those days that just get lost? I completely lost yesterday while it was happening. Today I have decided that there is just no catching up so I shall merely move forward from here. Even my computer has been misbehaving for no known reason. Right in the middle of my post yesterday it decided to just lose all capability of functioning. Maybe my computer was relating to how my day was not progressing well.
I have always been told I am unfocused and therefore not able to stay on task. I like to think that is a good thing as I get more done...or not. :o) So anyway today I have been flitting from task to task to task and I will admit I feel like I haven't accomplished a thing, however I have cleaned and cooked and helped Mr. C put together a BBQ by fetching and holding, which is something I am very good at by the way, sewed two more lace bunnies as Easter is approaching quickly, opened the mail and paid a few bills, visited with a friend who stopped by, answered the phone several times and been able to put away some winter themed candles. Whew! Even I am impressed with all that I have accomplished and it is only early afternoon.
Let's get to the title of this post. Quick packaging is what I made for a couple of my Sister's birthday gifts. I used a beautiful ribbon that I knew she would like. Stitched the sides of the folded ribbon. Then I wrapped a blue Swarovski crystal tennis bracelet I made in tissue paper and slipped it into the ribbon case. I am sad I didn't take a photo of the bracelet as it really is stunning and Marie loves blue as much as I do. In the shorter ribbon case I placed a dragonfly key ring wrapped in tissue paper. As for the closure I decided to keep it very simple and used a small red colored safety pin that I attached a charm to for decoration. I am sorry my scan did not come out very straight or clear. I think you get the idea of how simple and quick these ribbon cases are for giving gifts inside of them. Next I will use the beautiful gold embellished ribbon Marie gave to me on my present as her next packaging for something I shall make and give to her. Ribbon is not only for wrapping around a gift. It can be the gift as well as the packaging. Now her delicate bracelet has a safe case for storage as well.
Let me see what shall I accomplish next? Maybe I better file the stack that has grown taller on my desk that also looks ready to take a dive over the edge. Of course better the papers than me. Oh thank you bloggers for staying with me as now I feel a little better realizing just how much I have completed today.
Happy mid-week to everyone...

Creative Case...

I love to present a present (one of the funny things about our English language) in a clever creative case. Here I used wool felt for the case. It is soft and protective and very friendly to sew with as no hemming is necessary. Embellished with lace around the top and sides. Now for the closure of this case. I used decorative small safety pins which I adorned with beads. Inside resides a pretty choker I handmade. This was wrapped with tissue and mailed in a padded envelope all the way across the country to it's new home. Thank you buyer for purchasing from my etsy shop. I hope you enjoyed the extra gift of this jewelry case. This type of packaging works for so many items. Then you also have a protective case for keeping your jewelry safe from scratches and tangles. A drawer full of these pretties and you will always smile when selecting what item to wear. How about a basket of these on the shelf? Or a tray of these on the counter. Just think of all the fun and pretty possibilities. What are your ideas? I am working on another case and will show it soon. Happy weekend to each of you...

Snow and Easter Eggs...

Well it is snowing here again. The weather reports said a chance of rain early afternoon. Hmmm...by 9:30 am we had an inch of snow and the snowflakes were huge and beautiful. As the day has progressed the weather has turned to all wetness...rain, sleet, hail, snow, slush. I want to thank each of you for your wonderful comments on my last post. I have had some really good visuals of projects you have sewn. I have also had some really great laughs over some of the antics that led up to sewing something or not sewing something. Thank you my wonderful blog friends. You really make my days so interesting and happy. Now for Easter eggs...I love to hard boil dozens of eggs and then color and decorate them just like when I was a little girl. My mother would boil one dozen for each of us and an extra dozen just for breakfast. By my count that would have been about 7 or 8 dozen eggs each Easter. We had a giant old library table for our dining table as it could accomodate so many of us. Lots of layers of newspaper and plastic cloths and every fun color you could imagine for dipping and rolling and coloring our eggs. We used stickers and crayons and lots of imagination. Even mom would color a dozen eggs. I think she had as much fun as we youngsters had. Maybe that is why I always enjoyed coloring eggs when my daughter was home and then when my granddaughters were visiting. Now there are no eggs to color as Mr. C won't eat hardboiled eggs, deviled eggs or eggs-a-la-goldenrod. My girls are 500 miles away. I do miss the fun. This year I am going to try to color a few with beet juice, which will make them so softly pink, from my canned beets I love to eat, the water from boiling artichokes which makes a lovely greenish blue aqua shade and some brown onion skins for the creamy tan colors. I think that ought to satisy my creative need to color eggs. At least my girlfriend and I like to eat egg salad sandwiches so the eggs will not go to waste. What are you doing for egg coloring? My daughter will at least carry on the old family tradition of eating brunch consisting of eggs-a-la-goldenrod. Such good comfort food. I made this lace bunny for my sister who is having her birthday Saturday and we are celebrating on Sunday with a day of shopping and lunching. This will be her Easter decoration from me. I am really having fun making these. No two alike but all with the same ideas. Happy creating...

Happy Birthday Mr. C...

A very Happy Birthday to my dear Mr. Createology. Today is his special day. We will be celebrating at one of our favorite local restaurants tonight for dinner. As for projects...Mr. C wanted some new specialty car towels so he researched and this is what we did. Bought the nicest thickest plushest towels I have ever seen or touched. Of course in white! Next as you see in the photo above we cut them apart. Why? Because there can be NO banding or edging to impair the surface of the towel or cause any roughness or drag. So we cut the towels apart. Have you ever cut up a super thick plush towel? The "lint" is overwhelming and covers every surface...me, him, the cutting table, the floors, the carpet. What a mess.

This is just a small bit of the mess on the carpet in the sewing room. Looks like it snowed. :o)

Next we sew the cut towels. With a special cotton thread in white. No other blends or types will do for these car towels. Only cotton or the thread might scratch the car's surface. I merely zig-zagged the edges to control the amount of raveling that might occur. Then a nice clean run through the washer and dryer to remove any contaminants that the towels might contain. NO softner in the towels as that will hamper the ability to dry and buff. Alrighty then!

Now we have the new "required" car towels for Mr. C. One large bath towel minus all edging and borders cut in half and one cut in thirds. Special sizes for each special task.

Happy Birthday Mr. C.

P.S. I am still sweeping and vacuuming debris. This is one project I am glad to have finished.

What is the most unusual project you might have done? I would love to hear your comments.

Happy week and may the sun continue to shine for everyone. What? Really? More rain coming tomorrow? No thank you. We have enough water this year. I hear Florida might need some water table moisture...

Spring Chickie...

Spring?

Hellooooooooo Spring...

Spring please come back.

It is so cold and we have had snow again.

Winter has been with us since before Thanksgiving.

Please let Spring come back.

Three days of Spring was just mean!

Miss Lace Spring Chickie is waiting patiently.

She is gathering twine for a nest.

If you look closely what do you see?

She has an egg to lay in her nest.

Spring...Where are you Spring?

Please come back and stay until summer. We would be so warm and happy...

Butterfly Effect...

This is a new butterfly I made. Utilizing the foam center with sheet music backing and a Monet inspired fabric front. The Monet fabric was salvaged from an umbrella which I just couldn't bear to throw away. I sewed an assortment of laces to the fabric sandwich. Next I added a layer of vellum over the laces. Hearts were punched into the vellum for a sneak peak of the laces. A row of colorful buttons for the body. Ribbon antennae complete this butterfly. Now I am sending this butterfly to the Butterfly Effect hosted by Trudi Sissons of Two Dresses Studio in Canada. Then Trudi will send all the butterflies she collects on to the Holocaust Museum in Houston Texas. This is such a beautiful and heartwarming project. Teachers have incorporated making butterflies into their classroom projects and the kids have made their own versions for the remembrance of children victims of the Holocaust. This teaches us all to be kind and generous and to do for others. I know many of you have already made and contributed butterflies to this very worthwhile cause. In fact we can all make and send more. The goal is to obtain 1.5 million for the museum. Lets all donate more of our handiwork. I have loved butterflies all of my life ever since I was a little girl. My mother did a lot of traveling in her adult years and after one trip she returned with a butterfly pin attached to the top of her shoulder. I remarked on it and she promptly took it off and pinned it on me saying, "Butterflies are the bearers of 10,000 happinesses". "Now you share this with someone else." I don't know how many pins my dear mother passed along her journey of life but I do know it was her way of paying it forward. To this day I share my butterflies with others in honor of my mother. Afterall butterflies also represent beauty, charm, grace and rebirth. May you have a truly beautiful day and create what makes you happy...

April, Spring and Easter...

We are well into April and I am amazed at how quickly this year is passing. Happy Birthday to my sister Joyce today. And Happy Birthday to my friend Lisa tomorrow. April holds many birthdays for us to celebrate. How fortunate to be born in Spring. The surprise of new leaves and buds and blossoms all sprouting the excitement of fresh new life.

April this year is also the celebration of Easter. Very late in the month this year however all the same it holds lots of fun, parties, cupcakes, eggs and chocolate deliciousness.

These images are of some fabric postcards I made. I love to send these in the mail. The little bunnies having tea or picnicing or cooking were cut from some vintage fabric I had. They are so adorable. I do not remember who made the fabric so I apologize for not giving credit. I really enjoyed using this varigated thread to satin stitch around the edges. I honestly think satin stitching is a boon to thread sales.

May you have a wonderful and sunny week ahead.

Are you working on something special for Easter?

Spring and Quilting...

Here we are April 1st and our weather has given us a glorious Spring day. The sun is shining and the frogs are croaking their mating songs. The Robins are searching the grounds for just the perfect things. I have spent the better part of the day working in the yard. I decided to put my blinders on as we still have some snow on the ground in the yard and also so I wouldn't get overwhelmed with the massive job to do just cleaning up the debris from such a harsh winter. I chose a small walkway near the pond and merely worked in a small circle hand raking and picking up pine needles, oak leaves, old acorns and heavy wet soggy mushy plant stems. After a few hours I had finished with my little piece of heaven walkway. I have daffodils blooming and there are even hopeful tiny new green sprouts on a very dead looking geranium I didn't think would survive the winter. Life is good. Now for quilting...my small little patches of cleanup work remind me of how quilting goes. In small little patches of fabric that eventually become the finished piece to be proud of. The photo above is a small piece of Cathedral Quilting I did all by hand about 4 decades ago. It was tedius and took forever because I wanted my stitches to be as tiny as possible. Now all these years later it is still perfect...in my eyes. Oh yes, I can see flaws however these only make it more cherished to me. Now days I don't quilt however I know that someday I shall...when I am ready. As I follow blogs and find things that really speak to me I was super fortunate to find Terri Stegmiller. I know many of you already know Terri but for those who don't here is her link. Terri is also part of 3 Creative Studios and you will find lots of inspiration there. From Terri's blog one day I visited the Twelve By Twelve blog. I was intrigued by the quilts that various artists were creating. They were each only 12 inches by 12 inches. Hmmm...now that seems much more doable than some huge king-sized piece that is montrous to work with. I digress but back in the 70's Dear Grandma and I each made king-sized crazy quilts out of small pieces of double knit fabrics. What were we thinking?!! And I don't even still have that monster...me who never gets rid of anything! I do hope you visit both Terri and the 12x12 just to see all the amazing art that is created. Twelve By Twelve had a lovely coming out party online for their book they published and I was super fortunate to be selected one of the lucky recipients of a copy. The book is published by Lark Crafts and Terri actually signed my copy that she sent to me. Thank you very much Terri. This photo above is the front of the book cover. This photo is the back cover. I have perused this book from front to back and it is so beautifully done. Each of the twelve artists who participated and created twelve quilts in the 12x12 inch size are featured. How fun and challenging that each quilt had a theme and it is amazing to see how each artist represented it in their quilt. I will definitely be devouring this book for a very long time. Each time I look I see something new and different. Who knows...maybe this is the catalyst for me to make a tiny little 12x12 inch quilt of my very own to be proud of for decades to come. How are you enjoying your weekend? Maybe a little outdoors and a little indoors creativity? This sunshine is definitely re-energizing me after all the gray, cold, wet and snowy days we have had. What?!! Rain is predicted for Saturday???