I Was Featured!

Oh My Goodness!  The last two projects I did I linked to a few sites on these Linky Party thingamajigs!  And guess what?  My Lace & Burlap stocking were featured on Brag Monday over at the Graphics Fairy!  Woohoo how cool is that?  Thanks for featuring me Karen!

Burlap & Lace

Having finished all my orders for Christmas and with just one day off left before packing up for our trip to the UK I decided to make some pretties for myself and, inspired by Sugar Lump Studio's and Lost Bird Studio's beautiful vintage Christmas stockings I thought I would have a go myself.
First I printed off the cute snow girl and the vintage Santa from The Graphics Fairy onto some calico that I had ironed on to freezer paper.  Remember how I was so afraid to try this technique until a few weeks ago?  Well now I can't seem to stop!  Next I cut out two stocking shapes from a piece of burlap and two from calico.  I ironed on some wonderunder to the back of the burlap which made it much easier to handle.  Then I had lots of fun sewing on vintage lace, beads and ribbons.  I made a cuff from some lovely damask fabric from the thrift store.  Then I simply sewed the calico backs on and hemmed the top.
A little while later I decided to tear two strips of the damask and have a go at making some fabric roses.  Like the freezer paper technique I have been putting this little experiment off for a while too.  BUT how easy was it?  and how pretty??  So now I will be making these darn cute little flowers and sticking them just about everywhere I think!

So anyhow enough of the waffling already, here they are, and I am just so pleased with the way they turned out!

Oooh and did you notice the loverly Christmassy pillow too?  Another image from the Graphics Fairy, Joy to the World, some great red and white Christmas print fabric and Bob's your uncle!  Oh and I also made three little hanging cushion ornaments too...well was I busy or what?

This week I am linking up with:

The Graphics Fairy Brag Monday
Feckled Laundry
Shabby Art Boutique 
ShabbyNest - Frugal Friday
Creation Corner Linky party 

The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker!

Oh. My. Goodness!  I just made Candles!  I got the idea for making candles in a tea cup from a fellow blogger although now I cannot remember who so sadly I cannot give full credit but rest assured it wasn't my own idea.  I did find this very good tutorial tho for anyone who wants to have a go.  That was a few months ago and I set out on a quest to find pretty teacups and saucers in the thrift stores.  I already had a small bag of wax pellets and some wicks (can you believe for another project years ago that never got done?  AND I shipped the darn things over here!).  Anyhow I found a lovely on-line supplier, Niagara Candle Supplies, they are super efficient and very reasonably priced (I'm sorry but Michael's just doesn't have the range nor can they compete pricewise) and I just ordered a pink dye block and a 2oz bottle of rose fragrance.  It all arrived about two weeks ago and I finally got around to doing it today.

I didn't have a double boiler or the recommended thermometer but I did burn the ass out of the bottom of my milk pan the other day and now it won't sit on the ceramic hob (see photo LOL!), so that and my wok, with a preserve jar lid as a stand, became my double boiler!  I kept a careful eye on the whole thing and had a wet tea towel at the ready in lieu of missing thermometer!

My wicks were a little short for wrapping around a stick to keep upright so again, improvisation here, I sewed a piece of thread through the tip of the wick and tied that to the bamboo stick!  I used a dab of hot glue to keep the metal 'keeper' on the bottom of the cup!

Et voila!  Some of the more seasoned Candlestick Makers may well be clutching their pearls and muttering at my various 'improvisations' however what the heck...it worked for me!

Now I am off to make a pillow or two and some Christmas Stockings, inspired by another favorite blogger (and this time I remember who it was!)  Laters Taters!

Fabulous Craft Barn Giveaway

In amongst all my orders for aprons and bags and working at the wine store I happened to grab five minutes to visit all my favorite blogs and just look what I found!  A new crafty shop and blog to follow and the chance of winning some reall yummy craft supplies.  Check out the link for the Craft Barn Giveaway for your chance to win!  

Well, what are you waiting for?  Stop mooching around here I gotta get back to work!

My Faux Statue...

whom Lovely Man has christened Titty Ha Ha!

When I saw Carol's tutorial for altering dress forms (check out The Polka Dot Closet) I just knew I had to do one and I knew just where I wanted to put it.  Recently my lovely boss ordered some stock for our shop (Superior Wine) from a company in California who just happened to sell dress forms for around $10!  AND he kindly ordered one for me! 
So this weekend, armed with Mod Podge, Walnut Ink Crystals, a stash of sheet music and some images from The Graphics Fairy  I got her done.  No sooner was she finished and the Mod Podge nice and dry I installed her on top of my lamp table in the dining room.  I am just so pleased with the way she turned out...totally love her!  Thanks for the inspiration and the tutorial Carol xx

When You Just KNOW!

Well remember I couldn't find the link for my latest project?  I just absolutely KNEW it was a blog called CampbellsStoop!  But when I was searching I was looking for Photo's onto Canvas and, of course they didn't!  Silly me they put theirs on wood and titled it accordingly!  So I found it, and can now give credit where it is due, you can check out the instructions to make one yourself AND... BONUS....you can be safe in the knowledge that the instructions work equally well for both wood and canvas so the choice is yours!  I don't know why I shy away from wood, but I do...I really need to step out of my comfort zone sometime soon don't you think?  Anyhow here is my finished piece.  The canvas has it's own little easel, it cost me $2 total in Dollerama (Canvas & Easel!), but I can't decide whether to use it or not and if I do should I paint it white and distress it a little, or maybe a subtle creamy vanilla?  What do you think?

Switching On The Love

Remember a while ago I covered the light switch covers in the bedroom with some lovely images courtesy of The Graphics Fairy?  Well I have been at it again!  This time the Kitchen, The Bathroom and the Hallway have come in for a little TLC!  I am totally smitten with these covers and how easy they are to do.  Of course, several people have said to me, "Oh we used to do that years ago"...and there was me thinking I'd learned something new...but then fashions do that don't they?  They come and the go.  Only the other day Carole, from The Polka Dot Closet, remarked how anything with a shabby chic graphic transfer or water decal on it is highly sought after and in a few years we'll all be sanding them off!  Shame cos I think it's all rather pretty!

Anyhow here are my latest switch covers...loving them SOOOO much!

I also played with putting a photograph onto canvas with much loved Mod Podge this morning after seeing a post on a blog that I follow, however hard as I looked I couldn't find the blog let alone the particular post to link back!  So I will investigate further, and I will take a picture of the finished piece when the second coat of Mod Podge (which I added just before writing this) is dry.  Ciao!

Oooh More Pillows!

Oh my goodness I'm hooked on pillows.  Everyone these days seems to be making pillow covers from cable knit sweaters and I just simply had to have a go!  I only had a pink sweater handy and didn't think it would go with everything but I figured as I got it for free if it didn't go in the lounge it could go somewhere and would be good practice.  I have also been keen to have a go at making ruffles having seen so many beautiful creations with those on too.  I checked out online how to make a ruffle and it was amazingly easy!  I just hemmed both edges in the normal way and then set the machine to the longest stitch length and sewed down the centre!  Then very carefully I pulled the thread and gathered the fabric up!

Et voila!

And best of all it actually goes pretty nicely with the butterfly cushions I made...all I need now is a nice new couch!  I am in the process of crocheting a flower to go on it as well but I can't read my own shorthand so will have to watch the video tutorial again cos I got halfway through and then things started to look very strange indeed!

So far this week I have managed to get two more aprons finished for one customer and have two more almost finished for other orders.  Then all I need to do is make up some bags for another customer who has been oh so very patient, a few card orders and then it's time to make some stuff for me.

Catching Up And A Request

So, I am catching up steadily!  Four aprons done for one order, safely shipped and three more to do!  Then a bag order and I'm just about caught up with myself!
Tonight I also made some cards for our local Red Hat Ladies!

And suddenly all my get up and go has got up and gone!

My Lovely Man bought me a Mastercraft multi crafting tool today, with circulars saws and all sort of gismos including a sander for all that furniture I bought to refurb!  I am now looking forward to some days off so I can get down, dirty and dusty and then throw a little paint around!  Well, that's it... I'm so pooped I can't even string two thoughts together so I'll say nite nite for now, but I will be back soon, hopefully with some fab refurb pics.  Have a great weekend everyone ciao!

Ooops almost forgot... the request!  A fellow blogger is in need of some help,  she needs as much info as possible on Lyme Disease and the Paleo Diet (I think I spelled that right)  if anyone has any links/info/suggestions of places to look please message me so that I can pass on to her.  It may be that we turn up nothing new for her but then again we might just find what she needs if we all pitch in.  *Smooches*

An Anniversary And A Love Affair

Today Lovely Man and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary!  Well I say celebrated... poor man arrived home from a 12 hour night shift, we exchanged gifts had tea and toast and then he slept (or tried to) and I kept quiet (at least I tried to!).  Anyway he bought me the perfect card and gift and we have made a date to go spend some time together just as soon as we get a day off together!!  Now I did mention a love affair too didn't I?  You see I have developed this crush on.....Modge Podge!  Yes it stinks and yes it's messy but by 'eck you can do some real cool stuff with it! 

Around 2 a.m. this morning (I forget to go to bed when L.M. isn't here) I was browsing Etsy like you do and I found some beautiful decorated light switch covers.  Now it's not that I'm cheap, the lady who makes them wasn't exactly charging a lot ( $10 each) but I am rather impatient and generally stuff takes around three weeks to get here from the U.S.  Added to that I wanted them to 'go' with stuff I had already done for the bedroom (Remember the Bird pics I did?).  So this morning I made this.....

Ta daaaaa.....

The pictures don't do them justice, the light is awful and I couldn't find my tripod but you get the idea!  So now I want to do all the light switches in the house!  But for tonight I have stopped as it seems I have gotten past myself, not exactly sure what that means but it's an expression my mother used to pull out whenever my brother or I got overtired and started making a mess of things.  So far this evening I have up ended a whole cup of water over my entire stock of red mulberry paper (the last I have) AND a set of prints that I so carefully prepared on good paper to make toppers for cards!  To try and save the day (and hasten the drying in the hope I could actually get the cards made) I tried to iron each sheet only to have it curl up.  So now it is all sandwiched between two heavy books in the hope that it will flatten out over night.  I also have a muslin 'sack' of cooked grapes for grape jelly hanging from the cupboard door draining into a pan, but for tonight I think I'm gonna leave it just in case I mess that up too!

A Quick Little Project!

Oh my goodness!  I hopped over to Rosemary's blog earlier and saw her tutorial to make a beautiful ethereal dreamcatcher...and I fell in love!  in love with both the dreamcatcher and the beautiful music Rosemary has playing there (Adam Hurst she kindly told me).  So with Adam playing in the background I set about finding all the necessary items required and set to work.  Well!  Would you just look what I made!  So pretty!

Ooops I Did It Again!

Made another cushion that is!  I just love The Graphics Fairy!  

 AND... I made these!  Fabric pumpkins!  Super easy to do and fun and really quite cute.  I found them on the Martha Stewart website so all credit to her but they also seem very popular in blogland too!

I'm addicted!

We Have Created A Monster!

Almost a month since my last post and you could all be forgiven for thinking I haven't been doing much at all, and you would be that far from the truth as far as my personal creativity is concerned.  Life has a habit of doing a U-turn every now and then.  Last year, our first year in Canada, we had very little work between us.  Lovely Man struggled with the bureaucracy of the College of Nurses Ontario to get his registration done, I took odd jobs and tried to make a living from my art and craft.  Now suddenly I have two jobs, working six days per week and Lovely Man is getting hospital work.  To top it all suddenly everyone wants my Aprons and they want them now!  Not that I am complaining, I am so happy people like my stuff but I was starting to get very twitchy.  I wasn't getting anything done for me.  All the fall decorations I had planned didn't happen and I haven't put paintbrush to canvas for at least 3 months.
So today I did a deal with myself.  If I got one apron finished this morning then I could have the rest of the day doing stuff for me!

I have been keenly following The Graphics Fairy, especially Brag Monday, and many others all of whom seem to be a dab hand with fabric, freezer paper and an ink jet printer!  Now I bought some freezer paper nearly three years ago and I dragged it all the way over here with me but I never got around to using it!  I suddenly realised I was actually nervous to do it in case I wrecked my printer! Ha!  So after giving myself a good talking to, along the lines of "for heavens sake the world and their Uncle have been doing this successfully get on with it", I got on with it!  And just look what I made!  I took a pumpkin print from the Graphic Fairy, I made a background in Photoshop and overlaid said pumpkin, printed it on calico and with a bit of beige wool fabric made this lovely cushion.

 

And it didn't stop there!  I also found some sheet music and these pretty birds and flowers, also courtesy of the Graphics Fairy, layered them in Photoshop, printed them and put them in very cheap (but nice) frames from Dollarama.  Total cost per picture?  Around $1.50... Suzanne  would be so proud of me!  Excuse the bad lighting it was late but I was excited to share!

Ok so now I am off to make some fabric pumpkins....Happy Thanksgiving!

Thrift Store Finds And Other Shopping Venues!

Last week I had yet another medical appointment in Thunder Bay.  It seems that once you hit the big 50 you become fair game for all manner of tests which seems to lead on to further prodding and poking!  So I duly trundled off for said appointment and just happened to end up in Michaels, Dollerama, Walmart and of course the Thrift Stores.  It's funny because I always take a little list of the things I could really use as often I get so overwhelmed with all the excitement of being in 'big' shops I miss stuff that I forget I "need"!  So anyhow the last twice I have been I noticed that I managed to find everything on my list and it crossed my mind that because I had written it down and had become conscious of it I had actually invoked the help of my shopping angels.  This time I was proved right.  Not only did I get everything on my list when we were in one thrift store I said to Lovely Man, "Oooh we must keep our eyes open for that card game, There's a Moose in the Hoose".  Immediately he walked over to the shelf of puzzles and games and retrieved that very thing!  What's more it was complete save for 1 card (which is easy to fix), and in great condition!  I have been scanning the shelves for months for this game to no avail, but as soon as I say it out loud The Universe kicks in and guides us to it, of course Lovely Man felt he really should take all the credit saying it was his innate thrifting skills that found it!
Also on my list an ornamental bird cage which I could paint white.  Well would you just look what I found!  Not only a birdcage, which I decided not to paint after all, but a pretty little white bird cage clock.

All for the princely sum of $6!  What's more I purchased some AA batteries in the dollar store for a dollar and found that the clock actually works and keeps perfect time! One of the finials was missing but a $1.50 in Micheals and a little gold spray paint and glue from my studio soon fixed that.  Result!
So later on in the day I went for the appointment and was in and out in record time, with 15 minutes to kill waiting for Lovely Man to come back for me I wandered into the Hospital Gift Shoppe and found this perfect little china egg with a humming bird on which would sit very nicely on some Spanish Moss in the new cage!  Et voila!  Lovely Man is still shimphing about how I can even manage to spend money in a hospital when left alone for too long!  Oh and the little white bird?  Another find in Michaels clearance section for $1.99!

And Another One!

When I first mentioned aprons to my friend Jocelyn she became very animated and told me how she would love the 'perfect' apron.  It had to have a tie neck so that she could wear it higher when frying as fat always seemed to splatter up toward the neck and aprons never go that high!  The bib part needed to be quilted with a layer of batting... what good is it if fat splashes you and soaks straight through to your clothes she asked.  Ideally it needed to be black so as not to show every little mark and it had to be smart, not frumpy... good enough to wear when you had guests for supper.  OK not many boxes to tick then!  So today I put my creative thinking head on and set to work.

In my experience solid black will show as many marks as plain white, but usually a small irregular pattern is pretty good at hiding little marks.  I had a this black and white patterned fabric in my stash.  I also had some cotton batting and found in surprisingly easy to quilt the bodice.

I wasn't too keen on the idea of hoiking the bodice up around the neck as it is semi fitted so not only would she have to hoik her bust up as well, but the waistband would be up around her midriff.  So... another little bit of fabric and a little more quilting... et voila!  A small quilted, detatchable neck bib which only need be worn when frying and then taken off to greet guests and serve supper!

This time I made the waist ties extra long so they can be worn in a bow at the back or crossed over and bought forward to tie at the front.  Two looks for the price of one, for the skinny mini's at least!

Now I am off to make a quilted case for my Kindle!  Ciao!

An Apron and a Confession!

Well my lovelies I have had a very pleasant and productive day... the first one in ages!  Lovely Man will be over the moon when he gets home because I have, at last, 'done' his trousers!  I confess that these have been lying in wait...waiting to be 'done' that is.  Poor man has reminded me at EVERY given opportunity about them...how they have been waiting to 'be done' for over a year, how I have TWO sewing machines and yet his trousers are still waiting 'to be done'.  So today, despite feeling a little under the weather I 'did' them!  It took me all of 30 minutes (they needed taking up and a button sewing on!).  Yes people I know, shame on me, such little tasks!  But they were just that.  Little tasks, boring tasks, not creative or interesting or fun!  So there we are... I confess... I have been a B.A.D. woman for sooooo long... but today I repented and took my punishment...they are done, and so I am good again and Lovely Man is a very happy chappy indeed!

I also managed to make a pattern from an old favorite dress for an apron!  I have recently started work in a wine store and have so far ruined three tee shirts by splashing myself with red wine either at the filtering stage or when helping customers to bottle their wine.  For those of you who know me well enough you will know that I am often technically challenged and it is not uncommon for me to have a little altercation with one machine or another and get sprayed with a good dose of red vino...never happens with the white...always red!  So anyhow I figured if I could find a patterned fabric that was basically the same color as red wine I would be well covered!  Et voila!

Last but not least I also managed to make 4 greetings cards using some of my artwork printed onto good quality watercolor paper and mounted onto pretty pearlescent card!  Wow!  Think I deserve a glass of wine and a little relaxation now...ciao my lovelies!

Quick Update Post!

Good Morning Peeps.  As of late I seem to have little time to blog or craft come to that :(  It's this work thing that gets in the way really.  However, I am glad to be back at work, just need to adjust the work/life balance a bit.  In short I need to get my sorry butt organised!  Anyhow a very quick update on what's going on over here and so on.

First let me tell you my dear friend Lorrie Whittington is holding an auction in aid of the Famine In Africa Appeal, please do click on the link and take a look, even if you're broke and can't bid please help by spreading the word.

Well I've found ANOTHER little hobby thanks to Ron & Jackie...Fishing.  Yes folks I am well and truly hooked!  And yes to those of you who have known me forever it will come as no surprise that I have the WHOLE fishing ensemble (Pink Shirt and Pink Hat with "FisherGirl" motif!).

I have also made a start on making greetings cards and already got an order for two baby shower cards which unfortunately I can't show yet in case mum to be just happens to see, but I can share these which I have made and will be in my Etsy shop once I get organised! (Unless someone in town snaps them up beforehand LOL!)  They are hand drawn/painted in watercolor, on heavy weight watercolor paper and mounted on pastel card stock or Mulberry paper.  Cards are blank inside.  Of course I am always happy to make up custom orders, please message me if you are interested.

So that's it for today folks!  Now I have to go make my packed lunch and dry my hair then it's off to work I go!  Tatta For Now!

A.W.O.L.

Hi all!  I'm back!  My apologies for having been gone so long,  a few of you have been giving me a gentle prod now and then!  Some of you will know that I have been struggling a little with life in general and I have never felt comfortable disclosing my woes and worries here, always feeling that the last thing people want to read about is how crap you feel!  So anyhow suffice to say that the stresses of the last year took their toll and I lost the ability for a while to stay positive and I don't write well, or do anything well for that matter, when I feel like that so I took leave of blogland for a while.  But I am back now and hope you all forgive me.

Now where shall I start?  Projects.  Haven't really got any further with those.  However I did have my mum and Aunt over for a month and we had a ball!  Life here in Manitouwadge?  Looking much better!  Lovely Man heard this week that he passed his exam and can continue working!  I cannot tell you what a relief that is.  Now we can relax and feel like this is REALLY home, no more worrying about what we will do if he can't work, no more worrying if we'll have to go back to the UK.  We can start to fix the house how we want it, we can think about buying a boat or an ATV without worrying that we'll run  out of money for essentials.  As you can see I've already got my first fishing rod (thank you Jackie & Ron!).

So what's next you ask?  Well I have some full time work for a few weeks covering holiday leave, so projects will be a little slower than usual.  My first job is to make some cushions for a friends garden swing, then I plan to work my way through the renovations of a dresser and chest of drawers, two garden tables and my own garden slider!  In amongst all that I hope to find time to get creative again with maybe a little painting and I fancy some card making, watch this space!  For now though I am off for a much needed bloghop to catch up with all the things you guys have been getting up to! Ciao!

New Blogs, New Projects!

Before I start my usual ramblings I must show you my new shelves!  And thanks to Carol of The Polkadot Closet it is all organised so I can see all my fabrics and they don't get crumpled up!  Not quite so professionally done, Carol used Comic boards all pre-cut to a uniform size, me? I cut my own from the packaging from the two bookcases!  Nevertheless quite tidy... for me!  I love looking at my fellow creators' studios, they are usually very pretty and calming, lots of white and frills and neat drawers.  Well I do my best but somehow I don't quite get there... one day... but for now this works for me!

Over the recent weeks I have stumbled across some very inspiring, creative, thrifty people here in blogland! I have to tell you my son thinks that this blogland thing is hilarious... when I say "Oh I met this lovely person in blogland today"  he does that silly voice mimicking thing! But anyhow I have, so there!  Thing is these lovely people have helped to create a monster!  I have now taken to rescuing roadkill, by that I mean freebie, unwanted throw-outs don't worry I haven't turned into Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, buying copious amounts of sandpaper and spray paint and hoarding all manner of things that are well past their sell by date with the intention of making something useful and beautiful from them!

If you get chance hop over and visit some of them, well worth it!  Try Better After, Liz Marie, The Birdhouse Family,  A Pumpkin & A Princess to name but a few.  So anyhow, so far I have three new projects, courtesy of a very dear gentleman locally who gave me first pickings at his yard sale knowing what I wanted to do.  First a dresser, which is actually in very good shape and Lovely Man has the notion that it really should be left well alone... I however have other plans but I shall have to be cunning and work on that one.  Any suggestions... how to persuade him I mean,  I'm not too confident on my usual faite a compli tactics on this one?  He seems quite taken with it as it is... Hmmmmm!

Anyhow my second score is a garden slider! 

My friend across the street has one that I have secretly coveted for a while now!  Well, now I have one and it just so happens that I have a can of spray paint and a trip to Fabricland planned within the next week!  Oh yes I also got two matching, solid wood small tables which will look just so fab on the deck alongside said slider! 

Again Lovely Man wants me to leave them as they are... he's got this thing about bare wood!  I just want to paint, paint, paint!  I must admit I have also considered doing a tiled mosaic on the tops of these too, what do you think?