2016 October
Birds of a Feather....
10/26/2016
Look what flew into my back yard this week! Rare Rainbow Tok Tok Birds!!!
I guess they didn't think that the brightly colored Fall trees had enough color!
Actually, I think they are kind of wonderful, if I do say so myself. LOL!! I created this pattern the other day and just keep making them - since they are so easy. I'll probably have a full dozen done by the time I'm finished.
I think they need to stay around through Christmas. What do you think?
Great Balls of YARN!!!... and it took a lot to get there!!
Patty and I decided to head to the Woolery in Frankfort for a class on using the spinning wheel.
Patty has a wheel that she purchased awhile ago and I went thinking it was going to be a new toy that I needed to have. I have always wanted to try spinning and make art yarn... and now I know that I can save myself a ton of money by buying my yarn...
...or letting Patty make it for me!
So... when I decided that spinning was not for me, I decided to go shopping. Look at these goodies I found to use in my next felting project. They sure have beautiful supplies. On the right, Patty is going to town. We just had to remember to Draft, Travel and Pinch. My pinches got mixed up with my traveling and drafting, but Patty did great!!
Thanks to my friend, Paula, I found a new mold for my glass fusing kiln.
The icicles will be a great seasonal addition to my display booth at Reclaimed on Main.
I also think they'll be really fun tied on Christmas packages.
I better get busy... since I can only make four at a time and it takes a good twelve hours for each set.
Below is my first try at glass art buttons. I love that the clear and red ones are so organic and the red and brown ones turned out translucent on one side. I have to work on my color combinations. The glass doesn't exactly blend colors like paint will. Watch for these on ETSY soon!
The weather was cooperating to get the twigs spray painted for my Christmas mantle. Now to get out the plaster of paris to set it in place. I hope this all works out...
You know that old saying,... 'The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.'
Hmmmm......
...the Rainbow Tok Tok Birds and the twigs...
Guess what is in store for our decorations!
???
New creations came out of the studio this week. I made more aprons and matching bowl & utensil sets that will go on the ETSY site this week so you can start your shopping early. If you are an ETSY shopper, please be sure to visit my FunkyFibersKY shop and save it as a 'Favorite Shop'. If you would like the instructions to make my new apron for yourself or as gifts, check out the PDF for My Pretty Apron on our website. Quilters & Crafters Club members get a special discount and can find it in the QCC exclusive pages!
Patty and I visited the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea yesterday. Watch for some fun links next week for a fun Fall day trip!
6 Comments
Laura Dennison - I love the birds!!!!
Leslie - Thanks Laura!! They are sure fun quick and easy!
Jo Price - The birds are delightful & so unique. I'd love to have a pattern for one. Maybe you could have a class?! Sounds like you have been super busy with travels & creating. Love the logo for Jeff's new business.
Leslie - Thanks Jo!! I think a class would be loads of fun....we could get really creative!! I will check with Judy on a date for a class and then we may also do a PDF. Will talk to you soon!
Jayn - You are having way too much fun ... if there is such a thing! A PDF for the birds would be great! And another class for the copper enamel beads!
Leslie - I really am, Jayn! I think we will have the pdf for the birds soon so that you all can enjoy it... I am up to 10 that I have made so far... they are easy and take so little time. As soon as jury duty is over we will get more classes scheduled. I think you and Brenda need to come for a Fire Torched Enamel weekend!
Busy! The Never Ending Story...
10/20/2016
Busy! Busy! Busy! And I don't feel like I've gotten anything done.... at least, not much on the creative side!
Jeff and I spent last weekend moving his business office in Georgetown over to our new business - Cherry Blossom Powder Coating - so that it is all under one roof.
We almost have it all set up with his office things and the old shelves and desks from Making Ends Meet.
Now, you all have seen my piles and collections of 'stuff' and know that I'm not very organized. BUT... when it comes to working in a space with someone else, I'm going to make sure that it's easy for all of us to use.
Poor Jeff. I know he appreciates the help but after 20+ years of doing things his way, he's having to adjust to others in charge too. He is a good man!
I am trying to finish up all of the pieces for Operation Care and these are the last pieces and parts for the bedrooms.
Look at this cute vintage look that we came up with... soft and inviting.
Now on to the Living room drapes and the kitchen curtains. It has taken way too long to get it together.
Hopefully the next rooms will move quickly. It's definitely been fun to work on!
The older I get the more I think about what I want to do with the time I have left (not to get depressing or anything, I just want to fit everything into life that I can)... this coming on the front end of my birthday month... yes MONTH. I intend to celebrate all month and I suppose when you finally get to 60 you can do whatever you want!!
One of the things on my 'bucket list' is to go to Family Camp for Thanksgiving. Friends of mine have put this on for years and I know the quality of things that they create and the fun they have. What a great way to spend time with your family to just get away and play. If you are looking for something fun to do with the family or by yourself this Thanksgiving, check this out!!
Here is a little bit from my friend Beth...
"Camp was started in 1969 when Mom and Dad decided that they wanted to provide a folk dance camp experience for all ages. They had traveled to many camps with us kids in tow where we were tolerated but not included in the activities. So they worked hard to pull together a weekend experience where dancing, live music, puppetry, crafts and fellowship were the focus.
Fast forward 47 years!
We have some folks who have been every year and now their children's children are participants. Every year we welcome new folks to camp and greet long time campers - single folks, couples, families, grandparents and great-grandparents!
The camp happens at the Blue Ridge Assembly (YMCA) of Black Mountain, NC and begins Thanksgiving afternoon with registration, games and a full turkey dinner, and ends on Sunday mid-morning".
Find more info on their website. www.familydancecamp.com
The one creative thing that I've gotten done this week is to work on some ready made gifts to go in my booth at Reclaimed On Main and on the Funky Fibers Etsy site.
I've been working new apron designs and this cute kitchen set that includes a clear salad bowl, hand painted wooden cutting board with matching utensils, and a matching apron. It should be on my Etsy site by next week along with a instructional PDF for the apron.
Looking forward to a fun spinning class at the Woolery in Frankfort. Hope what we create is good enough to share!!
1 Comment
Jayn Lando - Surely you know the poem "When I am old I shall wear purple". Embrace it! And "old" is relative!
Fighting the Fencerow...
10/12/2016
We fought the fencerow and the fencerow won! Or, at least, it felt like it at the time. Jeff and I spent some time the last two weekends working in the yard and, specifically, in the fencerows where we had to take care of some long neglected overgrowth. Between the wild rosebushes, the wandering grapevines, and trees growing where we didn't want them, we had our work cut out for us.
When I walked outside yesterday and took time to notice how pretty everything was looking during this Fall season, I decided that the thorn scratches, the bits of poison ivy, and the scratches and scabs on the forehead were worth the effort.
I do so love Summer, and I do love Fall, but Fall is spoiled for me as I dread the cold temperatures and snow that I know is coming.
I'll just have to look back at these pictures to remind me of what is coming in the Spring!
"Here we go again!" That's what Jeff told me when I informed him that these wonderful branches (which blend in to the driveway) were going to be stored back in the garage until it was time to decorated the mantle for Christmas. So much for a clean garage!
I love to decorate for Christmas, and being in retail for the past 26 years gets me in the mindset to start thinking new decorating ideas early in the season.
It's been a lot of years since I've had time to get creative at my own home, but... I have fun ideas for these branches!
Years ago, before I owned Making Ends Meet, I used to decorate and do the balcony displays for Wakefield Scearce Galleries. They did major Christmas displays and we started thinking about Christmas in July.
The Gallery has recently changed hands and I am looking forward to seeing what they're doing this year. I am hearing great things! Check out their OPEN HOUSE which will be Wednesday, November 9th. I saw a Facebook post the other day and their big tree is already going up!
A special day for a special guy!
I have introduced you to my brother-in-law, Mike, who lives at Park Place with Cedar Lake. He was on vacation in Nashville during his birthday so we decided to celebrate on a different day.
Here he is with Cooper, a friend's dog that just loves Mike, and a big stuffed bear that was given to him as a gift.
We had magician David Gerrard come in and entertain the Park Place residents. He did a wonderful job with the residents, and they're not an easy crowd to entertain!
If you need a magician for a party, check out
davidgarrardmagic.com. He is local and was prompt and easy to work with.
Check out the plate that Jeff made out of fused glass. He is so good and patient at glass work when he takes the time to sit down and enjoy the play process.
This week has been a busy one for me as far as ordering fun stuff to play with. I ordered some more glass supplies to create with and fire up in my kiln for the glass fusing process.
This week has been a busy one for me as far as ordering fun stuff to play with. I ordered some more glass supplies to create with and fire up in my kiln for the glass fusing process.
I'm going to have to start selling some of these fabrics or quit ordering because they're going to run me out of the studio! Share the Quilters & Crafters Club link with your friends so we can keep ordering lots more!!
I told you I was ready to play with paint, and today was the day. The blue piece is one I'm getting ready to put in my booth with lots of others..... A few ladies came over today to play with me in the paint and the table shows a lot of their finished papers. They have gone home and I am still working!
I'm thinking Christmas... only because, if you are going to make gifts you MUST start ahead of time.... and I hope to make a lot of the gifts that I give this year. I'll share my ideas with you as I create and design. What are you making for gifts this year??
0 Comments
Paints & Pretty Colors...
10/4/2016
Last Saturday I spent the morning in the old Studio waiting to give away scraps and old trim and fabric books to any nonprofit that thought they could use them. Big mistake... I had them all sorted and had decided what I was getting rid of and, while I waited for people to come in, I just had to look through the pile again and found a ton of uses for what I was trying to get rid of!! I just don't have enough space or hours in the weeks to accomplish all the ideas in my head!!
After perusing the scraps, I started to clean and sort through the piles that are left and I came upon this fun collage piece that I made in a class I took with Traci Bautista a LONG time ago. It was such a fun class and it just made me smile to remember the process.
The class included a little random drawing, paint and collage. And, of course, this is just a little more inspiration to get out the paints again.....
"Art is a form of relaxation & freedom. Enjoy and take advantage of all you can do and it gets easier as you go!! This is the best form of self expression."
Can you believe that there is a floor in the old Studio? It doesn't seem possible that I have gotten that much cleaned out, and in organized piles, so that I actually know where to take everything when the building sells. Remember when this room held our high-end cottons? A lot of good memories and friendships happened in this room!
In the meantime, I have started painting these old chairs for my dining room. They had seen better days but were still very sturdy. I'm going to start with this turquoise color and then put a pattern on them with some variations of red, green and blue. You are probably wondering if I use a special paint for my furniture. I like the ease and convenience of using Valspar Signature paints in a Satin finish. And when I'm all done, I seal my work with a polyurethane in a gloss of my choice.
Do you all know about liquid sanders and how they work? I use Easy Liquid Sander Deglosser by Klean-Strip when I'm redoing furniture to save myself a lot of time sanding before the paint goes on.
It's a liquid that you can rub on the furniture until it makes the finish tacky. It saves so much time and keeps the new paint from chipping or peeling. It definitely makes the job easier.
Thanks to the gals who came to the Studio Work Day this past Tuesday!
We had a great time working on new bathroom and bedroom décor for Operation Care, and were able to finish two coverlets with a pillow each for bunk beds, curtain panels for two windows, and a shower curtain that all look great! These are some hard working ladies!
Have you ever had a sewing mistake turn into something fun and pretty? Let me tell you how it happened...
I was on the phone before the ladies came to work having a slightly frustrating conversation with a telephone employee after having spent at least 6 hours this week on hold with less than exciting elevator music and no one to answer. Big business!... I would have been out of business a month after I opened if I had treated my customers that way! Rant over....
So... I wasn't really concentrating on what I was cutting and I cut the shower curtain a little too short. I cringe when I say that.
What to do?...
I decided we would add a ruffle to the top and put a band to hold it all together where the grommets will go. I do think it turned out great.
There is always a way to fix your mistakes and sometimes it's better than the original plan.
AND I LOVE how the coverlets came out!
(below)
The fronts are made with the black & white floral print and the pillows and valance over white curtains are made with the Zebra print.
The back of the coverlets are covered with a tiny black & white check fabric that wraps around the front to create a self banding.
One bed will have blue accents and the other hot pink. The buttons on the coverlets are really cute and will also hold the batting in place.
These turned out so cute and I hope to have them in the room the beginning of next week.
Check out the new batiks that just came in. Love the bright colors and the fact that they are so multi colored.
They are now online and ready for you to order. And, remember!... our Quilters & Crafters Club members receive a 30% discount on all our batiks ALL THE TIME!
Clockwise from upper left corner:
Robert Kaufman To The Point - Rainbow
Timeless Treasures Tonga - Tropical Leaves - Multi
Timeless Treasures Tonga - Ethnic Paisley - Pizzaz
Timeless Treasures Tonga - Piñata Fig Tree - Pizzaz
1 Comment
Jayn Lando - So hard to let things go!
10/26/2016
I guess they didn't think that the brightly colored Fall trees had enough color!
Actually, I think they are kind of wonderful, if I do say so myself. LOL!! I created this pattern the other day and just keep making them - since they are so easy. I'll probably have a full dozen done by the time I'm finished.
I think they need to stay around through Christmas. What do you think?
Would you be interested in a Rainbow Tok Tok Bird Instructional PDF ?
Patty and I decided to head to the Woolery in Frankfort for a class on using the spinning wheel.
Patty has a wheel that she purchased awhile ago and I went thinking it was going to be a new toy that I needed to have. I have always wanted to try spinning and make art yarn... and now I know that I can save myself a ton of money by buying my yarn...
...or letting Patty make it for me!
So... when I decided that spinning was not for me, I decided to go shopping. Look at these goodies I found to use in my next felting project. They sure have beautiful supplies. On the right, Patty is going to town. We just had to remember to Draft, Travel and Pinch. My pinches got mixed up with my traveling and drafting, but Patty did great!!
Thanks to my friend, Paula, I found a new mold for my glass fusing kiln.
The icicles will be a great seasonal addition to my display booth at Reclaimed on Main.
I also think they'll be really fun tied on Christmas packages.
I better get busy... since I can only make four at a time and it takes a good twelve hours for each set.
Below is my first try at glass art buttons. I love that the clear and red ones are so organic and the red and brown ones turned out translucent on one side. I have to work on my color combinations. The glass doesn't exactly blend colors like paint will. Watch for these on ETSY soon!
The weather was cooperating to get the twigs spray painted for my Christmas mantle. Now to get out the plaster of paris to set it in place. I hope this all works out...
You know that old saying,... 'The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.'
Hmmmm......
...the Rainbow Tok Tok Birds and the twigs...
Guess what is in store for our decorations!
???
New creations came out of the studio this week. I made more aprons and matching bowl & utensil sets that will go on the ETSY site this week so you can start your shopping early. If you are an ETSY shopper, please be sure to visit my FunkyFibersKY shop and save it as a 'Favorite Shop'. If you would like the instructions to make my new apron for yourself or as gifts, check out the PDF for My Pretty Apron on our website. Quilters & Crafters Club members get a special discount and can find it in the QCC exclusive pages!
Patty and I visited the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea yesterday. Watch for some fun links next week for a fun Fall day trip!
6 Comments
Laura Dennison - I love the birds!!!!
Leslie - Thanks Laura!! They are sure fun quick and easy!
Jo Price - The birds are delightful & so unique. I'd love to have a pattern for one. Maybe you could have a class?! Sounds like you have been super busy with travels & creating. Love the logo for Jeff's new business.
Leslie - Thanks Jo!! I think a class would be loads of fun....we could get really creative!! I will check with Judy on a date for a class and then we may also do a PDF. Will talk to you soon!
Jayn - You are having way too much fun ... if there is such a thing! A PDF for the birds would be great! And another class for the copper enamel beads!
Leslie - I really am, Jayn! I think we will have the pdf for the birds soon so that you all can enjoy it... I am up to 10 that I have made so far... they are easy and take so little time. As soon as jury duty is over we will get more classes scheduled. I think you and Brenda need to come for a Fire Torched Enamel weekend!
Busy! The Never Ending Story...
10/20/2016
Jeff and I spent last weekend moving his business office in Georgetown over to our new business - Cherry Blossom Powder Coating - so that it is all under one roof.
We almost have it all set up with his office things and the old shelves and desks from Making Ends Meet.
Now, you all have seen my piles and collections of 'stuff' and know that I'm not very organized. BUT... when it comes to working in a space with someone else, I'm going to make sure that it's easy for all of us to use.
Poor Jeff. I know he appreciates the help but after 20+ years of doing things his way, he's having to adjust to others in charge too. He is a good man!
Look at this cute vintage look that we came up with... soft and inviting.
Now on to the Living room drapes and the kitchen curtains. It has taken way too long to get it together.
Hopefully the next rooms will move quickly. It's definitely been fun to work on!
The older I get the more I think about what I want to do with the time I have left (not to get depressing or anything, I just want to fit everything into life that I can)... this coming on the front end of my birthday month... yes MONTH. I intend to celebrate all month and I suppose when you finally get to 60 you can do whatever you want!!
One of the things on my 'bucket list' is to go to Family Camp for Thanksgiving. Friends of mine have put this on for years and I know the quality of things that they create and the fun they have. What a great way to spend time with your family to just get away and play. If you are looking for something fun to do with the family or by yourself this Thanksgiving, check this out!!
Here is a little bit from my friend Beth...
"Camp was started in 1969 when Mom and Dad decided that they wanted to provide a folk dance camp experience for all ages. They had traveled to many camps with us kids in tow where we were tolerated but not included in the activities. So they worked hard to pull together a weekend experience where dancing, live music, puppetry, crafts and fellowship were the focus.
Fast forward 47 years!
We have some folks who have been every year and now their children's children are participants. Every year we welcome new folks to camp and greet long time campers - single folks, couples, families, grandparents and great-grandparents!
The camp happens at the Blue Ridge Assembly (YMCA) of Black Mountain, NC and begins Thanksgiving afternoon with registration, games and a full turkey dinner, and ends on Sunday mid-morning".
Find more info on their website. www.familydancecamp.com
The one creative thing that I've gotten done this week is to work on some ready made gifts to go in my booth at Reclaimed On Main and on the Funky Fibers Etsy site.
Looking forward to a fun spinning class at the Woolery in Frankfort. Hope what we create is good enough to share!!
1 Comment
Jayn Lando - Surely you know the poem "When I am old I shall wear purple". Embrace it! And "old" is relative!
Fighting the Fencerow...
10/12/2016
We fought the fencerow and the fencerow won! Or, at least, it felt like it at the time. Jeff and I spent some time the last two weekends working in the yard and, specifically, in the fencerows where we had to take care of some long neglected overgrowth. Between the wild rosebushes, the wandering grapevines, and trees growing where we didn't want them, we had our work cut out for us.
I do so love Summer, and I do love Fall, but Fall is spoiled for me as I dread the cold temperatures and snow that I know is coming.
I'll just have to look back at these pictures to remind me of what is coming in the Spring!
"Here we go again!" That's what Jeff told me when I informed him that these wonderful branches (which blend in to the driveway) were going to be stored back in the garage until it was time to decorated the mantle for Christmas. So much for a clean garage!
I love to decorate for Christmas, and being in retail for the past 26 years gets me in the mindset to start thinking new decorating ideas early in the season.
It's been a lot of years since I've had time to get creative at my own home, but... I have fun ideas for these branches!
Years ago, before I owned Making Ends Meet, I used to decorate and do the balcony displays for Wakefield Scearce Galleries. They did major Christmas displays and we started thinking about Christmas in July.
The Gallery has recently changed hands and I am looking forward to seeing what they're doing this year. I am hearing great things! Check out their OPEN HOUSE which will be Wednesday, November 9th. I saw a Facebook post the other day and their big tree is already going up!
A special day for a special guy!
I have introduced you to my brother-in-law, Mike, who lives at Park Place with Cedar Lake. He was on vacation in Nashville during his birthday so we decided to celebrate on a different day.
Here he is with Cooper, a friend's dog that just loves Mike, and a big stuffed bear that was given to him as a gift.
We had magician David Gerrard come in and entertain the Park Place residents. He did a wonderful job with the residents, and they're not an easy crowd to entertain!
If you need a magician for a party, check out
davidgarrardmagic.com. He is local and was prompt and easy to work with.
Check out the plate that Jeff made out of fused glass. He is so good and patient at glass work when he takes the time to sit down and enjoy the play process.
This week has been a busy one for me as far as ordering fun stuff to play with. I ordered some more glass supplies to create with and fire up in my kiln for the glass fusing process.
I'm going to have to start selling some of these fabrics or quit ordering because they're going to run me out of the studio! Share the Quilters & Crafters Club link with your friends so we can keep ordering lots more!!
I told you I was ready to play with paint, and today was the day. The blue piece is one I'm getting ready to put in my booth with lots of others..... A few ladies came over today to play with me in the paint and the table shows a lot of their finished papers. They have gone home and I am still working!
I'm thinking Christmas... only because, if you are going to make gifts you MUST start ahead of time.... and I hope to make a lot of the gifts that I give this year. I'll share my ideas with you as I create and design. What are you making for gifts this year??
0 Comments
Paints & Pretty Colors...
10/4/2016
Last Saturday I spent the morning in the old Studio waiting to give away scraps and old trim and fabric books to any nonprofit that thought they could use them. Big mistake... I had them all sorted and had decided what I was getting rid of and, while I waited for people to come in, I just had to look through the pile again and found a ton of uses for what I was trying to get rid of!! I just don't have enough space or hours in the weeks to accomplish all the ideas in my head!!
The class included a little random drawing, paint and collage. And, of course, this is just a little more inspiration to get out the paints again.....
"Art is a form of relaxation & freedom. Enjoy and take advantage of all you can do and it gets easier as you go!! This is the best form of self expression."
Can you believe that there is a floor in the old Studio? It doesn't seem possible that I have gotten that much cleaned out, and in organized piles, so that I actually know where to take everything when the building sells. Remember when this room held our high-end cottons? A lot of good memories and friendships happened in this room!
In the meantime, I have started painting these old chairs for my dining room. They had seen better days but were still very sturdy. I'm going to start with this turquoise color and then put a pattern on them with some variations of red, green and blue. You are probably wondering if I use a special paint for my furniture. I like the ease and convenience of using Valspar Signature paints in a Satin finish. And when I'm all done, I seal my work with a polyurethane in a gloss of my choice.
It's a liquid that you can rub on the furniture until it makes the finish tacky. It saves so much time and keeps the new paint from chipping or peeling. It definitely makes the job easier.
Thanks to the gals who came to the Studio Work Day this past Tuesday!
We had a great time working on new bathroom and bedroom décor for Operation Care, and were able to finish two coverlets with a pillow each for bunk beds, curtain panels for two windows, and a shower curtain that all look great! These are some hard working ladies!
I was on the phone before the ladies came to work having a slightly frustrating conversation with a telephone employee after having spent at least 6 hours this week on hold with less than exciting elevator music and no one to answer. Big business!... I would have been out of business a month after I opened if I had treated my customers that way! Rant over....
What to do?...
I decided we would add a ruffle to the top and put a band to hold it all together where the grommets will go. I do think it turned out great.
There is always a way to fix your mistakes and sometimes it's better than the original plan.
AND I LOVE how the coverlets came out!
(below)
The fronts are made with the black & white floral print and the pillows and valance over white curtains are made with the Zebra print.
The back of the coverlets are covered with a tiny black & white check fabric that wraps around the front to create a self banding.
One bed will have blue accents and the other hot pink. The buttons on the coverlets are really cute and will also hold the batting in place.
These turned out so cute and I hope to have them in the room the beginning of next week.
They are now online and ready for you to order. And, remember!... our Quilters & Crafters Club members receive a 30% discount on all our batiks ALL THE TIME!
Clockwise from upper left corner:
Robert Kaufman To The Point - Rainbow
Timeless Treasures Tonga - Tropical Leaves - Multi
Timeless Treasures Tonga - Ethnic Paisley - Pizzaz
Timeless Treasures Tonga - Piñata Fig Tree - Pizzaz
1 Comment
Jayn Lando - So hard to let things go!
Comments
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