2016 December
Welcome 2017!
12/28/2016
I can't begin to remember when the last time was that I had such a laid back and stress free Christmas. I had both of my boys home, which is the first time since last Christmas, and was able to spend some fun quality time with them. I put the studio on hold and actually had time to sit down and rest, and those of you who know me well know I don't do that very often.
I didn't get the patchwork stockings done, the chair bottoms changed out, or those last few gifts put together but I decided that was all ok. Family time was so much more important to me!! I hope that all of you were able to find some time to visit with loved ones and find rest in the hustle bustle of the holidays!!
JP and Bo had no trouble resting on Christmas day! All that present opening wore them out!!
So much for getting all the dog and cat hair off the furniture!
Photo: Bo the Beagle and Johnny Peanut (aka: JP) the cat.
When is dinner being served?
The table was set in the dining room and we were almost ready to sit down to eat when I came around the corner and Purrl was sitting at the head of the table just looking like she couldn't believe that dinner wasn't on that plate yet!!!
I think it's time for Christmas break to be over and for me to get back in the studio. I'm spending way too much time taking pictures of animals instead of projects!!
I found this great little pocket mirror at the Woodland Art Fair this summer in Lexington.
It is fused glass from The Glass Haus and
I bought several of them for gifts. The artist, Leonard Wilson, is from McHenry, Illinois where he and his wife, Carolyn, work as a team to create beautiful glass works... and their prices are great!
Check out the pieces that look like painted landscapes with the trees and flowers. Such talent!!
These mittens were one of the Florida projects I worked on over Thanksgiving.
Judy had fallen in love with these mittens that were made out of recycled wool sweaters during our last Mitten Mania project. So I embellished them with beads, yarns and fun fibers to make them a little more special for her. It only took a year and a half to get them to her!!
~Merry Belated Christmas, Judy~!!
For those of you who missed our Mitten Mania projects at the store, this is a great way to recycle old sweaters and turn them into something so useful....
Christmas Day might be behind us, but winter is still ahead of us and there are many who could use a little extra warmth. This sort of project would be so great for a public Mitten & Scarf Tree at this cold time of year!!
Photo: Mittens made by volunteers at MEM's 2015 Mitten Mania.
There are several sources on the internet for mitten patterns, but here's a couple I found that are easy to follow and have easy to download patterns:
Smitten With Mittens is a blog and photo instructional found at Hobby Farms, and then there's Toni Dachis' 23 minute instructional video making wool sweater mittens that can be found on her son's blog at LifeHacker. Let me know how your mittens turn out!!
Judy and I took a trip to Wakefield Scearce Gallery this week. We missed the Christmas trees as they are in the process of taking them down but the antiques were beautiful. We then had lunch at the Science Hill Inn.
We can strongly recommend the Marco (yummy beef and gravy on cornbread) and the Eggplant sandwich. Such a fun time to treat ourselves!
A big shout out to Linda Sanford who came over this week and spent the morning sewing with me. We finished the sewing part of three pair of drapes that will go up in the living room and kitchen of the Women's shelter for Operation Care.
Now, I just have to get the grommets in place and take them to be hung. Another almost finished project for a really good cause!
THANKS LINDA!! What a fun day!!
I'm hoping to get back into a 'normal' routine next week when all the celebrations are over. New Year's Eve will be spent at home with long time friends, fun, food and one movie after another. It's become our tradition and we look forward to it each year.
Many blessings to all of you for a Happy New Year. Celebrate big and be safe!! Happy 2017!!
4 Comments
Jayn Lando - Good to take that refreshing break every once in awhile. Family time is so valuable!
Leslie - You are right,Jayn!! It has been wonderful!! Happy New Year!!!
Jo Price - Glad to know you had time to relax and enjoy your family. Although I bet those feet were moving even while being propped up. Wishing you a creatively beautiful New Year and Healthy too!
Leslie - LOL!! You know me too well JO!! Happy New Year to you too!! Hope it is full of fun,friends and creativity! Hope to see you soon.....
Merry Christmas & Blessings to All!
12/20/2016
The Great Room is ready for guests, the parties are over and now it is time for family to come in! Family, Fun, Friends and Food make this magical time of year so much more special!! I hope you all are finding what makes you happy during this Holiday Season!
P.S.... I've added my Christmas ready rooms to my puzzles on Jigidi. Give them a try!
The reading room is finally ready...now mind you I don't take time to sit and read very often but it is there when I can! The two lady pictures are from a fun artist named d.j.pettitt that I acquired several years ago. I took a great class from her and SO admired her work. I even turned out faces that were halfway decent after her class but you don't see mine on my walls!! The flowers on the coffee table are painted canvas that I made, and you can see the glazed clay heart I bought while in Chicago from Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi.
I finally hung the drapes and dust skirt at Lydia and Jason's house the other night. We were very pleased with the way that they came out.
There is something about a neutral room that is so calming. Hmmm... I don't have a neutral room at my house. LOL
Now to get the chest out, a bench in and some pillows to match it all.
Their new little kitty seemed to find a neat hiding place under the bed as she inspected what we had done!
Patty and I took another day trip, this time up to Westchester, Ohio to Ikea and Jungle Jim's.
OH my gosh!!
I really dislike going to a "normal" grocery store but one on steroids was just more than I could handle!
I think panic was about to set in when I found the housewares section. I can deal with that!
It was amazing... the selection of hot sauces, mini fruits.... lots of stuff that I have never seen or heard of.... OH MY! I have to keep my husband out of here if at all possible or I'll not see him for hours.
Don't get me wrong. I think, if you like cooking and grocery shopping that you'd be in heaven and it would so be worth a trip. Just make sure and take your cell phones if you go with friends because you can easily get separated and lost!
Now that I think about it, that might be how people felt when they walked into Making Ends Meet and were totally overwhelmed!! It's all about what you enjoy! I now feel your pain!!
Our trip to IKEA in Westchester was great fun. I can do steroid shopping like this as long as it doesn't include cooking. If you haven't been, it can be an all day trip. But if you want to get in and out, go during the week and early when they're just opening. We got in and out before the rush.
We had no trouble filling our baskets with wonderful Christmas presents to be wrapped and have plans made to go back to buy for us after the holidays.
After Christmas I'll share with you some of the great finds in my basket and ideas I have for them!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all... Thanks for following my blog this year. It has been fun to share with you and I look forward to all the exciting ideas planned for next year!!
4 Comments
Nancy Adkins - Back in the seventies we lived near Jungle Jim's. At that time, it was a small fruit and vegetable stand. Years later I was amazed at how it had grown.
Leslie - I grew up in the 70's in Hamilton just around the corner and it was not near as big as it is now!! My husband would really love it!! Merry Christmas Nancy!
Jo Price - I love you reading room! Great place to curl up with a good book on a cold winter day! Your great room looks fabulous too! Merry Christmas to you and all your family!!
Leslie - Thanks Jo!! Merry Christmas to you! Looking forward to getting together in the New Year!!
But, Baby It's Cold Outside!
12/13/2016
12/28/2016
I can't begin to remember when the last time was that I had such a laid back and stress free Christmas. I had both of my boys home, which is the first time since last Christmas, and was able to spend some fun quality time with them. I put the studio on hold and actually had time to sit down and rest, and those of you who know me well know I don't do that very often.
I didn't get the patchwork stockings done, the chair bottoms changed out, or those last few gifts put together but I decided that was all ok. Family time was so much more important to me!! I hope that all of you were able to find some time to visit with loved ones and find rest in the hustle bustle of the holidays!!
JP and Bo had no trouble resting on Christmas day! All that present opening wore them out!!
So much for getting all the dog and cat hair off the furniture!
Photo: Bo the Beagle and Johnny Peanut (aka: JP) the cat.
The table was set in the dining room and we were almost ready to sit down to eat when I came around the corner and Purrl was sitting at the head of the table just looking like she couldn't believe that dinner wasn't on that plate yet!!!
I think it's time for Christmas break to be over and for me to get back in the studio. I'm spending way too much time taking pictures of animals instead of projects!!
I found this great little pocket mirror at the Woodland Art Fair this summer in Lexington.
It is fused glass from The Glass Haus and
I bought several of them for gifts. The artist, Leonard Wilson, is from McHenry, Illinois where he and his wife, Carolyn, work as a team to create beautiful glass works... and their prices are great!
Check out the pieces that look like painted landscapes with the trees and flowers. Such talent!!
These mittens were one of the Florida projects I worked on over Thanksgiving.
Judy had fallen in love with these mittens that were made out of recycled wool sweaters during our last Mitten Mania project. So I embellished them with beads, yarns and fun fibers to make them a little more special for her. It only took a year and a half to get them to her!!
~Merry Belated Christmas, Judy~!!
Christmas Day might be behind us, but winter is still ahead of us and there are many who could use a little extra warmth. This sort of project would be so great for a public Mitten & Scarf Tree at this cold time of year!!
Photo: Mittens made by volunteers at MEM's 2015 Mitten Mania.
There are several sources on the internet for mitten patterns, but here's a couple I found that are easy to follow and have easy to download patterns:
Smitten With Mittens is a blog and photo instructional found at Hobby Farms, and then there's Toni Dachis' 23 minute instructional video making wool sweater mittens that can be found on her son's blog at LifeHacker. Let me know how your mittens turn out!!
Judy and I took a trip to Wakefield Scearce Gallery this week. We missed the Christmas trees as they are in the process of taking them down but the antiques were beautiful. We then had lunch at the Science Hill Inn.
We can strongly recommend the Marco (yummy beef and gravy on cornbread) and the Eggplant sandwich. Such a fun time to treat ourselves!
Now, I just have to get the grommets in place and take them to be hung. Another almost finished project for a really good cause!
THANKS LINDA!! What a fun day!!
I'm hoping to get back into a 'normal' routine next week when all the celebrations are over. New Year's Eve will be spent at home with long time friends, fun, food and one movie after another. It's become our tradition and we look forward to it each year.
Many blessings to all of you for a Happy New Year. Celebrate big and be safe!! Happy 2017!!
4 Comments
Jayn Lando - Good to take that refreshing break every once in awhile. Family time is so valuable!
Leslie - You are right,Jayn!! It has been wonderful!! Happy New Year!!!
Jo Price - Glad to know you had time to relax and enjoy your family. Although I bet those feet were moving even while being propped up. Wishing you a creatively beautiful New Year and Healthy too!
Leslie - LOL!! You know me too well JO!! Happy New Year to you too!! Hope it is full of fun,friends and creativity! Hope to see you soon.....
Merry Christmas & Blessings to All!
12/20/2016
The Great Room is ready for guests, the parties are over and now it is time for family to come in! Family, Fun, Friends and Food make this magical time of year so much more special!! I hope you all are finding what makes you happy during this Holiday Season!
P.S.... I've added my Christmas ready rooms to my puzzles on Jigidi. Give them a try!
The reading room is finally ready...now mind you I don't take time to sit and read very often but it is there when I can! The two lady pictures are from a fun artist named d.j.pettitt that I acquired several years ago. I took a great class from her and SO admired her work. I even turned out faces that were halfway decent after her class but you don't see mine on my walls!! The flowers on the coffee table are painted canvas that I made, and you can see the glazed clay heart I bought while in Chicago from Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi.
I finally hung the drapes and dust skirt at Lydia and Jason's house the other night. We were very pleased with the way that they came out.
There is something about a neutral room that is so calming. Hmmm... I don't have a neutral room at my house. LOL
Now to get the chest out, a bench in and some pillows to match it all.
Their new little kitty seemed to find a neat hiding place under the bed as she inspected what we had done!
OH my gosh!!
I really dislike going to a "normal" grocery store but one on steroids was just more than I could handle!
I think panic was about to set in when I found the housewares section. I can deal with that!
It was amazing... the selection of hot sauces, mini fruits.... lots of stuff that I have never seen or heard of.... OH MY! I have to keep my husband out of here if at all possible or I'll not see him for hours.
Don't get me wrong. I think, if you like cooking and grocery shopping that you'd be in heaven and it would so be worth a trip. Just make sure and take your cell phones if you go with friends because you can easily get separated and lost!
Now that I think about it, that might be how people felt when they walked into Making Ends Meet and were totally overwhelmed!! It's all about what you enjoy! I now feel your pain!!
Our trip to IKEA in Westchester was great fun. I can do steroid shopping like this as long as it doesn't include cooking. If you haven't been, it can be an all day trip. But if you want to get in and out, go during the week and early when they're just opening. We got in and out before the rush.
We had no trouble filling our baskets with wonderful Christmas presents to be wrapped and have plans made to go back to buy for us after the holidays.
After Christmas I'll share with you some of the great finds in my basket and ideas I have for them!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all... Thanks for following my blog this year. It has been fun to share with you and I look forward to all the exciting ideas planned for next year!!
4 Comments
Nancy Adkins - Back in the seventies we lived near Jungle Jim's. At that time, it was a small fruit and vegetable stand. Years later I was amazed at how it had grown.
Leslie - I grew up in the 70's in Hamilton just around the corner and it was not near as big as it is now!! My husband would really love it!! Merry Christmas Nancy!
Jo Price - I love you reading room! Great place to curl up with a good book on a cold winter day! Your great room looks fabulous too! Merry Christmas to you and all your family!!
Leslie - Thanks Jo!! Merry Christmas to you! Looking forward to getting together in the New Year!!
But, Baby It's Cold Outside!
12/13/2016
Christmas is coming, ready or not!
At least I picked the warmest day of the week to get the decorations up, if you call 35° warm! We've been having temps in the teens since then so I'm glad I got it all up!
I went shopping on Black Friday and bought much needed new ribbon for decorating and spent the day making bows and getting the greenery up.
Always looking for something a little playful and different, I decided to add a little surprise to the front door wreath this year. If you look close, those are elf legs sticking out of the bottom of the wreath. Last year they were sticking out from under the Christmas tree skirt.... kind of like my own 'Elf On A Shelf.'
It's always hard to share what I am working on in December because so much of it is gifts for people that read this blog. HMMM.... I've spent the last week getting the house ready for a few gatherings and then spent the rest of the time in the studio working on 'projects'.
One of the projects that I can share are the little Angel Ornaments that double as gift card holders. These are a smaller variation of the Art Angel that I have on ETSY. I think the count is up to a baker's dozen, and they are all different and addicting. There will be a PDF after Christmas for this cute little Gift Card Ornament that will come with some variations and styles.
My son, Jason, is running the new Cherry Blossom Powder Coating business that we started the same day Making Ends Meet closed. They typically powder coat big industrial equipment, barn doors and motor cross sports frames.
Me?... I'm thinking about how I can use this new resource for fun projects in my studio!
Like these cute Christmas Cans!
Aren't these cute?
It all started with the idea of having some cans powder coated just to see what I could do with them. Turns out they were harder to finish than any of the big pieces of equipment the guys have ever done. And even though I taught my children proper manners, I do believe I heard Jason cussing me out all the way from Georgetown when I had him powder coating these cans for me.
... but, look how cute they turned out!
The leaves on the front are old soda cans that I cut with a die cutter and then painted. They made great containers for the cookie exchange a few of us gals had the other day.
Making the containers was much easier than figuring out how to make the cookies!
The same thing can be accomplished with a can of spray paint and, for future projects, THAT will make Jason much happier with his mother! LOL!!
We spent the other evening going through the Lights Under Louisville with Mike, Jeff's brother. We've taken him for the past couple of years and he enjoys the trip, seeing the lights and going for dinner afterwards. These were a few of his favorite Christmas lights from the Louisville section. What a fun evening. If you get a chance, I hope you get to take a carload of family or friends and go see the lights before they close, December 31.
This is the handbag that I started over Thanksgiving while we were in Florida.
I loved the colors and the textures and just didn't have time to finish it for my Etsy site.
However, some friends were at the house the other day and one of them said she just had to have it - even though it wasn't finished!
So I quickly added the handles and rings so she could take it with her that same day.
It's always so much fun to make something and then have someone just love it!!
The sale of the bag and the two Art Angels -one to Florida and one to Louisville - just made my day!! Thank you Ladies!!
Tip #27: THOSE %$#!&0! COVERED BUTTONS!!!
OK... to all of you who cover buttons... all of you who fussed and rubbed your fingers raw as you tried to cover the buttons for the ottoman classes we had... I have a tip for you!!
I have been covering button for years and it can be really hard on the tips of your fingers and fingernails.
As I was struggling with a button the other day, I had a brainstorm of an idea. I put double-sided tape on the inside of the button and it holds the fabric in place while tucking it under!! OH... this makes things so much easier!!
Try it!!
My gift to you!!
I hope you're finding peace and rest, fun and creativity in this Holiday season. Let me know what fun projects you are working on!!
0 Comments
CHICAGO FUN!!
12/6/2016
A girls' trip is a great stress reliever during the hustle and bustle of the Holidays. Patty and I planned a spur of the moment trip to Chicago to hit some fun art shows and whatever else that struck us while we were there.
We left Friday afternoon and made it to Chicago in time for an early evening. Chicago is an easy weekend trip with it being just about a five hour drive away. That's easy for me to say... I stuffed angel legs all the way up and wrapped corded baskets all the way home while Patty did all the driving!
We started the weekend at the Bridgeport Art Center where the RENEGADE Craft Fair took place. This art show had some amazing artists, and Patty and I were able to pick up a few Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers while enjoying the show.
I love the chandelier that's located in the elevator of the building. Also, check out this neat copper pipe and stainless steel sink hand washing station. They really did some creative decorating in this beautiful old building.
You know when you find that 'something' that you just love and have to have it? This glazed clay heart was that for me.
We found this treasure at theONE OF A KIND SHOW that was held at the Merchandise Mart, an iconic building that locals call 'TheMart.' There were so many amazing artists at this show and it was filled with lots of artwork that you aren't likely to just run across on your own.
With several hearts to choose from, it was hard to decide which one was coming home with me! But this is the one and it's going in a collage of artwork over my sofa.
The artist and creator of my clay heart, Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi, has a lot of amazing pieces available on her website. She has beautiful wall art, bowls, plates, and vases of all shapes, designs and colors.
Check out her website LPEclay.com, and don't be afraid to call her if you see something that strikes your fancy.
She was a delight to meet!
While driving through downtown Chicago, we saw this huge lion statue that was dressed for the holidays. People were actually standing in line to have their pictures taken with the fancy beast, but it was way too cold for me to get out and stand in line.
Patty and I were on the run the whole time we were in Chicago but we managed to find two fun, out of the way places to fill our bellies.
The first one was The Spoke & Bird where we had breakfast Saturday morning. Great food and lots of atmosphere in a little out of the way place. Everything was made from scratch and from their own recipes.
We also shopped till we dropped and were looking for a good place to eat after the art shows when we stumbled upon the LYFE KITCHEN.
This was a great place to get some healthy food options. So good!, and we were planning on going back for breakfast until the chance of snow changed our plans.
Charlie had his angels.... These are mine! :)
I took all those angel legs I had worked on in the car and spent yesterday attaching them to the rest of the angel bodies, and getting the angels ready to go on my ETSY site. A few of them are there now. Check them out... more to come. They are one of a kind and have LOTS of hours in each one to create a true treasure just for you!
On the way out of town I dropped off some fabric to be monogramed by Charlene Nation at 3 P's. If you haven't had a chance to stop by to visit with her, you need to. She has some great personalized gift ideas and Christmas décor items.
These names are going to be tags to go on my stocking project for next week. Check back to see them finished!
I hope you're finding fun, peace and a little time to create in the hustle and bustle of this holiday season!
1 Comment
Jayn Lando - What a fun sounding trip! I love your angels ... they are so you! We have a LYFE kitchen here in Memphis. Didn't realize they were a chain. Haven't been there yet.
Sun, Sand & Sewing!
12/3/2016
This was a strange, in a good way, Thanksgiving. Jeff and I were headed to Florida to babysit Murphy, our granddog (still waiting on a grandchild LOL!) while the Florida 'kids' went to Norway for the long weekend. We had Thanksgiving the Saturday before we left with the Kentucky 'kids' and so it was just Murphy, Jeff and myself for the past week. LOVE that warm weather!!
So... before Brent and Natalie were even on the airplane on Wednesday night, Murphy decided to have a run in with an opossum. Yes, a BIG opossum in their tiny backyard in Florida!
I thought that all the opossums in the world lived on my road and up my driveway out in the country. But, believe it or not, Murphy came out better than the opossum, even though it doesn't look like it!
By the time we left to come home he was much better and no vet visit was needed. We weren't very good dog watchers!!
As we walked the beach, we ran into some other Kentucky folks enjoying the warm weather.
These people were big Louisville fans and had just spent hours building a big Louisville 'L' in the sand. I don't think it helped Louisville's game much, but it sure looked like they were having fun creating in the sand!
Later we enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal of burgers and onion rings at BurgerFi while looking at the beautiful view below.
There is a lot to be said for a laid back day and NO COOKING!
This is the first time in a lot of years that we were able to get away together and just enjoy each other's company.
We spent time each day walking the beach, finding out of the way places to eat and taking time to just visit and talk. I think THAT was the biggest thing that I was thankful for... what about you?
The stores opened for Black Friday on Thursday at 6:00am. Jeff and I didn't need anything so it was fun to go 'shopping' later in the day on the way home from the beach. Of course, I ended up at Michaels to see what specials they had and it didn't take Jeff long to realize this might be a longer shopping trip than he could handle and that I might need to run him home and then come back. It was like having the store all to myself. I spent over two hours just looking around at what was new and trying to think creatively. The store was all mine for the taking... probably 10 employees and just me.... That's the way I like to shop on Good Friday!
I knew I needed a project to take to Florida to work on but wasn't sure what that would be so I grabbed a pile of scraps and tucked them into the suitcase.
When I was ready to relax in the evening I pulled them out and started to create. This was extremely fun and I challenge you to try it.
Pull out a pile of supplies that go together and just stare at them until they talk to you. That can be very scary to some ,but it really lets you free yourself up if you give it half a chance.
If you like to do puzzles, I've turned this image into an online jigsaw puzzle! I now have an account on Jigidi where I'll be posting photos from my studio creations. HAVE FUN!
This piece is turning into a brightly colored bag that's not quite finished. I knew I had supplies to finish it in the studio at home and decided it could wait till I got home to finish. It'll go on my Etsy site some time next week.
I also started these fun Christmas angels while on our vacation that will go on the Etsy site soon.
The other story is, while I was waiting in Tampa I was doing some of the hand sewing to try and get as much done as possible before I got home so that they can go on the ETSY site, and I met two wonderful ladies who sat with me while I sewed. The angels were a great icebreaker and we became best of friends by the time the trip was over.
I went shopping on Black Friday and bought much needed new ribbon for decorating and spent the day making bows and getting the greenery up.
Always looking for something a little playful and different, I decided to add a little surprise to the front door wreath this year. If you look close, those are elf legs sticking out of the bottom of the wreath. Last year they were sticking out from under the Christmas tree skirt.... kind of like my own 'Elf On A Shelf.'
It's always hard to share what I am working on in December because so much of it is gifts for people that read this blog. HMMM.... I've spent the last week getting the house ready for a few gatherings and then spent the rest of the time in the studio working on 'projects'.
One of the projects that I can share are the little Angel Ornaments that double as gift card holders. These are a smaller variation of the Art Angel that I have on ETSY. I think the count is up to a baker's dozen, and they are all different and addicting. There will be a PDF after Christmas for this cute little Gift Card Ornament that will come with some variations and styles.
My son, Jason, is running the new Cherry Blossom Powder Coating business that we started the same day Making Ends Meet closed. They typically powder coat big industrial equipment, barn doors and motor cross sports frames.
Me?... I'm thinking about how I can use this new resource for fun projects in my studio!
Like these cute Christmas Cans!
It all started with the idea of having some cans powder coated just to see what I could do with them. Turns out they were harder to finish than any of the big pieces of equipment the guys have ever done. And even though I taught my children proper manners, I do believe I heard Jason cussing me out all the way from Georgetown when I had him powder coating these cans for me.
... but, look how cute they turned out!
Making the containers was much easier than figuring out how to make the cookies!
The same thing can be accomplished with a can of spray paint and, for future projects, THAT will make Jason much happier with his mother! LOL!!
We spent the other evening going through the Lights Under Louisville with Mike, Jeff's brother. We've taken him for the past couple of years and he enjoys the trip, seeing the lights and going for dinner afterwards. These were a few of his favorite Christmas lights from the Louisville section. What a fun evening. If you get a chance, I hope you get to take a carload of family or friends and go see the lights before they close, December 31.
I loved the colors and the textures and just didn't have time to finish it for my Etsy site.
However, some friends were at the house the other day and one of them said she just had to have it - even though it wasn't finished!
So I quickly added the handles and rings so she could take it with her that same day.
It's always so much fun to make something and then have someone just love it!!
The sale of the bag and the two Art Angels -one to Florida and one to Louisville - just made my day!! Thank you Ladies!!
Tip #27: THOSE %$#!&0! COVERED BUTTONS!!!
OK... to all of you who cover buttons... all of you who fussed and rubbed your fingers raw as you tried to cover the buttons for the ottoman classes we had... I have a tip for you!!
As I was struggling with a button the other day, I had a brainstorm of an idea. I put double-sided tape on the inside of the button and it holds the fabric in place while tucking it under!! OH... this makes things so much easier!!
Try it!!
My gift to you!!
I hope you're finding peace and rest, fun and creativity in this Holiday season. Let me know what fun projects you are working on!!
0 Comments
CHICAGO FUN!!
12/6/2016
We left Friday afternoon and made it to Chicago in time for an early evening. Chicago is an easy weekend trip with it being just about a five hour drive away. That's easy for me to say... I stuffed angel legs all the way up and wrapped corded baskets all the way home while Patty did all the driving!
We started the weekend at the Bridgeport Art Center where the RENEGADE Craft Fair took place. This art show had some amazing artists, and Patty and I were able to pick up a few Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers while enjoying the show.
I love the chandelier that's located in the elevator of the building. Also, check out this neat copper pipe and stainless steel sink hand washing station. They really did some creative decorating in this beautiful old building.
We found this treasure at theONE OF A KIND SHOW that was held at the Merchandise Mart, an iconic building that locals call 'TheMart.' There were so many amazing artists at this show and it was filled with lots of artwork that you aren't likely to just run across on your own.
With several hearts to choose from, it was hard to decide which one was coming home with me! But this is the one and it's going in a collage of artwork over my sofa.
The artist and creator of my clay heart, Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi, has a lot of amazing pieces available on her website. She has beautiful wall art, bowls, plates, and vases of all shapes, designs and colors.
Check out her website LPEclay.com, and don't be afraid to call her if you see something that strikes your fancy.
She was a delight to meet!
Patty and I were on the run the whole time we were in Chicago but we managed to find two fun, out of the way places to fill our bellies.
The first one was The Spoke & Bird where we had breakfast Saturday morning. Great food and lots of atmosphere in a little out of the way place. Everything was made from scratch and from their own recipes.
We also shopped till we dropped and were looking for a good place to eat after the art shows when we stumbled upon the LYFE KITCHEN.
This was a great place to get some healthy food options. So good!, and we were planning on going back for breakfast until the chance of snow changed our plans.
Charlie had his angels.... These are mine! :)
I took all those angel legs I had worked on in the car and spent yesterday attaching them to the rest of the angel bodies, and getting the angels ready to go on my ETSY site. A few of them are there now. Check them out... more to come. They are one of a kind and have LOTS of hours in each one to create a true treasure just for you!
These names are going to be tags to go on my stocking project for next week. Check back to see them finished!
3 P's is located on the north side of Main Street, at 519 Main St, Shelbyville, KY
just down the hill from the court house in a quaint storefront.
Facebook: 3 peas
I hope you're finding fun, peace and a little time to create in the hustle and bustle of this holiday season!
1 Comment
Jayn Lando - What a fun sounding trip! I love your angels ... they are so you! We have a LYFE kitchen here in Memphis. Didn't realize they were a chain. Haven't been there yet.
Sun, Sand & Sewing!
12/3/2016
This was a strange, in a good way, Thanksgiving. Jeff and I were headed to Florida to babysit Murphy, our granddog (still waiting on a grandchild LOL!) while the Florida 'kids' went to Norway for the long weekend. We had Thanksgiving the Saturday before we left with the Kentucky 'kids' and so it was just Murphy, Jeff and myself for the past week. LOVE that warm weather!!
I thought that all the opossums in the world lived on my road and up my driveway out in the country. But, believe it or not, Murphy came out better than the opossum, even though it doesn't look like it!
By the time we left to come home he was much better and no vet visit was needed. We weren't very good dog watchers!!
As we walked the beach, we ran into some other Kentucky folks enjoying the warm weather.
These people were big Louisville fans and had just spent hours building a big Louisville 'L' in the sand. I don't think it helped Louisville's game much, but it sure looked like they were having fun creating in the sand!
Later we enjoyed our Thanksgiving meal of burgers and onion rings at BurgerFi while looking at the beautiful view below.
There is a lot to be said for a laid back day and NO COOKING!
This is the first time in a lot of years that we were able to get away together and just enjoy each other's company.
We spent time each day walking the beach, finding out of the way places to eat and taking time to just visit and talk. I think THAT was the biggest thing that I was thankful for... what about you?
The stores opened for Black Friday on Thursday at 6:00am. Jeff and I didn't need anything so it was fun to go 'shopping' later in the day on the way home from the beach. Of course, I ended up at Michaels to see what specials they had and it didn't take Jeff long to realize this might be a longer shopping trip than he could handle and that I might need to run him home and then come back. It was like having the store all to myself. I spent over two hours just looking around at what was new and trying to think creatively. The store was all mine for the taking... probably 10 employees and just me.... That's the way I like to shop on Good Friday!
I knew I needed a project to take to Florida to work on but wasn't sure what that would be so I grabbed a pile of scraps and tucked them into the suitcase.
Pull out a pile of supplies that go together and just stare at them until they talk to you. That can be very scary to some ,but it really lets you free yourself up if you give it half a chance.
If you like to do puzzles, I've turned this image into an online jigsaw puzzle! I now have an account on Jigidi where I'll be posting photos from my studio creations. HAVE FUN!
This piece is turning into a brightly colored bag that's not quite finished. I knew I had supplies to finish it in the studio at home and decided it could wait till I got home to finish. It'll go on my Etsy site some time next week.
I also started these fun Christmas angels while on our vacation that will go on the Etsy site soon.
I have two fun stories about these angels. I went to pick the 'kids' up from the airport and was waiting in Customs while I stuffed the legs for the angels. Just the black and white stripe legs, not the doll portion, and I'm filling them with pipe cleaners. Now, most of the people that were waiting in customs with me could speak little to no English but I could sure see their curiosity and them wanting to know what in the world this old lady was doing!! LOL
Art can sure bring people together. Thanks, Yolanda and Jennifer. You made the return trip great fun!
2 Comments
Yolanda - It was great meeting you ladies and I agree it was a fun return trip home. Merry Christmas Leslie!
Leslie - Merry Belated Christmas and the best for the New Year Yolanda!! Hope our paths cross at a later date!!
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