Spring peeks

My daffodils are popping through the ground, and teeny buds of green are starting to sprout. Does that mean spring is coming, at last???

It was cold this morning, but I snapped a shot of Lu (wet head and all) in the skirt I've been working on. I haven't finished the top yet, so we improvised with stuff from her closet. No pattern used, just my innumerable math skills :D


Hoping to finish the top today and then get a set of pictures to edit for a Paparrazi launch with the PIPB girls. Lu's not entirely excited about modeling, but I think she'll survive! I'll post more pics when it's finished!

a.

Cutest thing I've seen today....

(not counting Lu, of course)

Born on February 17, she's the first baby chimp born at the Tulsa Zoo in 16 years. Isn't she a cutie!? Today was her debut for the public. Here's her proud mama: (pics courtesy of the zoo website)


They're taking suggestions for names! I think she looks like a Giselle myself. ;o)

I bought a pasta roller thingie today for polymer clay. I'm officially a hobby junkie. But dang, just look at all the pretty colors it comes in!
And you can smoosh it around with your hands and fingers. I'm thinking this is gonna be a hobby with stress relief benefits...

I'm kinda lost besides the pasta machine thing. Oh, and I bought the bead roller thing and the baking pan thing that suspends the beads so they don't get shiny. Other than that, I'm a complete polymer clay virgin. (I did buy clay too, just in case you were wondering.

So...Any tips? Tricks? Good websites to ponder or books to buy? I really want some of those little cookie cutter looking flower things. They didn't have the teeny tiny ones at my local hobby store, I even checked the cake decorating aisle. Reputable online source for supplies?

Because after all, what's a hobby without techniques you never fully grasp or actually participate in, yet have all the supplies for? Which brings me to...

Scrapbooking anyone?

Lu...our Household Tween

As hard as it is for me to grasp, Lu is growing up. Any day now she's going to discover that her mom making her custom outfits is a hideous affliction that must be hidden/discarded/rebelled against at all costs.

But until then...

There's a new Boutqiue Group in town... specializing in those hard to find Tween Sizes. I, as a mom of a 9 y/o, truly appreciate this idea! The clothing in stores for her age & size is more "Miniature Rock Video Groupie" than I'm comfortable with.

Not to mention the fact that Lu can now model for my outfits with them :D

My first outfit is almost done. Will post a peek as soon as it's finished!

Bunnies Everywfhere

I did the logos & templates for the Bow*Babes' Easter launch this week...
So if ya find yourself in need of a bow or some bling...HOP on over!

Movie Weekend!

We vegetated this weekend. After a particularly awful day dealing with the rudeness of shopgirls, we decided people aren't worth the effort :D We'll take fictional characters any day of the week! (But a cold Sunday, especially).

We watched this...


and then I watched this and LOVED it! (Kids weren't interested, haha).


Now I've got to start a sewing project for Lu. Yay!

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A different kind of SWAP

This one's an actual "swap"! Over at NanaPennyPockets, I joined the Valentine's Day Swap, just because it sounded like fun. These ladies do a lot of heirloom & smocking & home dec stuff...mainly machine embroidery. I don't do too much of that type of sewing any longer (no time!) but the swap sounded like fun so I thought what the hey! They did a great apron swap in the fall that I wish I had joined.

I was inspired by the pincushions that Rebecca over at Studio*Bijou posted a month ago or so. Here's my sweet V-Day version:
The Swap is anonymous until all have received their goodies, but my swap-ee won't be reading this blog, so I'm safe. :D I used a variety of vintage-look red & pink prints and patchworked them in a random sort of pattern. I embellished the patchwork with decorative stitches. I don't use those enough!! No pattern was used, but it was super easy to make. Here's a picture-less tutorial.

First I cut 2-3" by 8-9" strips of 3 fabrics. Then I arranged those in a pretty manner, cutting a few in half lengthwise & stitching to add an offset patch here or there. I stitched 3 strips together to make a 9 x 9 square (approx.) Repeat, so that you have two 9 x 9 patchwork squares. I grabbed a saucer out of the kitchen to use as a template and traced a circle with my blue washout marker on each square. Move the plate around until the patches look their best!

Before cutting out the circles, I added rickrack, velvet ribbon, lace, and rosebud trim. I also added decorative stitching using Madeira rayon thread and a light tearaway stabilizer for support. After all the decorative stitching is finished, cut out the circles.

Stitch right sides together, leaving a bit open for turning, Turn and Stuff firmly. Slipstitch the opening closed. Now for the hard part. You need to make the "indent" in the center...and the webs that pull in the cute scalloped indentions in the cushion sides. I started in the center and took a few stitches front to back then front again, pulling as tight as possible, knotting off every couple of stitches to keep it secure. Then I changed over to pink floche, using 3 strands. Come up through the center and wrap around the cushion to the bottom, coming back through the center to the front. Pull tight. Repeat on opposite side, then repeat perpendicular to this stiching, forming a "T" . I changed to red floche and stitched the same process again, between the previous pink stitching, giving me 8 "scallops" .

Almost done! Just decorating stuff now!! I stitched a vintage red button on the bottom of the cushion to hide the knots, but hot gluing a button would be easier & probably work just as well! I hot glued tiny red daisy petals in the center of the top, adding a pretty bead to the center. I finished the whole thing off with a little bling bling from my Kandi hotfix wand & aurora borealis crystals. Voila! Pretty Valentine Pincushion!!

Have a great weekend! :)

a.

Snow Days!

We've been out of school for 2 days again...at least I've got electricity this time! I got my house nice and shiny (well, almost. I'd just be uncomfortable if it was ALL done, right?) We've had quite a January. First the ice storm, then G-man got bronchitis/which turned out to be flu/which then morphed into pneumonia. He was sick for over a week (but is feeling better now.)

Oscar the pom had a visit with the vet that week also, poor sick puppy. His eyes had weird blisters on the lids. He had just had his teeth cleaned, and turns out he was allergic to his antibiotic. He's STILL on steroids & an antibiotic trying to recuperate. He's my little buddy, so I was pretty worried about him too. (See how cute he looks all cuddled up in his favorite blanky?)


Now Lu has been sick this week, but seems to be turning the corner this afternoon (probably flu...the incubation's prolly about right! Which means that about Monday I'll start feeling lousy of course.)

I'm really glad I had these 2 days this week to recuperate, LOL. I was on the verge of losing it in a big way! I won't even tell you the strange flukey twist of fate that happened to my work laptop. Suffice it to say that I'm typing this entry on the partially working Gateway laptop (of which only half the screen is visible at one time now.) Sigh.

Be back shortly. Informative posting returns soon, promise!