Snow Day!!

We are officially frozen inside. I think the snow has finally stopped, but the snow on the ground has turned to ice! We took a walk around the block, and I'm still trying to warm up my face.

Right now, I have a couple projects in the works, and hopefully being stuck inside will help me finish them! But until then, here's to hoping you are all staying warm!

Revision

Hey everyone! I'm working on creating a new look for the site! Hopefully I can have it up an running soon, but I thought I'd go ahead and share, so that all of you can be as excited as I am! The very small, blurry image is just a little sneak preview!

Creative Everyday?

Tomorrow is my first check in for the Creative Everyday Challenge. Every Monday, we are supposed to post a link or just write a comment about our creativity that week.

I suppose I'm a little afraid of falling behind, coming up short, not being as creative as everyone else. I know that creativity isn't something to be measured, but I feel that my accomplishments this week are so very few.

This week, I haven't made anything, or done anything, really spectacular. I dreamed an idea for my valentines this year, but it's plain and simple, not special. I cleaned out the extra room, and started organizing my crafting things (check back for more on that one-- Eeek!).

I've also started learning Illustrator through a class I'm taking right now, which I suppose makes me feel a little more creative-- at least I am learning something new! And I am getting the hang of the pen tool-- click, click, drag, and click-- which is pretty exciting for me!

I guess, looking at it like this, my week has been more productive than I had imagined! But perhaps a more concrete challenge is what I need for next week? I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Christmas presents!

Yes, I am finally getting around to looking through the books I got for Christmas. Or, more like, I just got around to taking pictures of them!

I'm yearning to sit down and start on these projects; so perhaps sometime this week I'll be able to share.

But for right now, I'm still hard at work making jewelry. I finally got the posts to glue to the earrings. Success!!

Rosette Tutorial

Here's the rosette tutorial as promised! It's a pretty simple thing, but I thought I'd go ahead and explain it anyway. Bear with me, please. This is probably going to be a long one, but I hope you can put it to use!

1 Begin with a long piece of felt. I used about 1 inch by 6 inches. Remember that the width of the piece will be doubled in the end, so this should make a 2 inch rosette. You can of course go larger and smaller, and this will allow for stacking!

2 Stitch along one long side using a basic running stitch. You don't need to tie off the ends, but leave about two inches of tail at the start. You'll need it later! Small stitches will result in a more ruffled rosette, while long stitches will produce a less pronounced ruffle.

3 Pull the end of the thread while holding the start tail until the ends of the felt meet and over lap. The ends may not ruffle as well, but don't worry!

4 Using the long end tail, sew the two short sides together, again with a running stitch. I went to the top and back down, just to make it more secure. Try to avoid sewing through the short tail, so that you can use it to make a tighter ruffle later.

5 To finish, pull both tails tight until the center is closed or nearly closed. Tie off with a knot, clip the ends, and you're done!

Variations: You can also use the technique with frayed or pinked fabric-- like this, or double the fabric over and sew the edges together to form the basting stitch. Remember to use a longer length with fabric, as it is not as thick as felt.

1 day in...

nd I'm already behind. I'd like to have an excuse, like that is rainy and dreary and awful here-- which it is, but I know it's no excuse and that creativity is on the inside.

But I still have six hours before it's over!

The Creative Eveyday Challenge

I just signed up for the Creative Everyday Challenge, and I have to admit that I am both excited and a little anxious. I know, however, that participating in this will help me strive to be more creative.

And hopefully, the creativity will some easier after a while. I've always noticed that creativity is this way. The more you practice, the easier it comes! Wish me luck! You should be seeing some of the spoils-- for lack of a better word-- of my creativity up here, so check back soon!

Productivity visits here

Infrequently, I can be very productive. This lazy, long weekend has actually turned out to be very productive. I didn't realize how much I had done until I finished.

I thrifted and refurbished this vintage plastic frame, turning it into a jewelry cork board.




I also gave this cutie a bath, and now he is fresh and lovely. Too bad it's raining, and he won't stay that way.




And while I was watching a rerun of the World's Strongest Man Contest-- wicked!!-- I started on this. It's sad that I can't finished it, as I have no sand! However, I should still be able to post pictures and a tutorial for this pin cushion/trash bag soon! Until then, stay productive!! It really does feel good...

Rosette Rage

I've been in a rosette frenzy of late. I've done this before, but never in this quantity. I just kept making them.

It was really to have something to do with my hands. I cut strips of different colors, lengths and widths, and then I gathered, and gathered, and tied. And I really had no idea what to do with them at first.

But then, it just appeared, in a burst of inspiration. I don't know why, but the more I do, creatively, the easier it comes. I think it's that way for a lot of people, and this is why I am striving to never go a day without doing something creative, stretching my creative muscle, I guess.

And like stretching real muscles, I am hoping that my creativity will expand, become more flexible.

And the burst of creativity said to me last night, why not make a necklace out of these... So I am going to try!

P.S.I'll try to post a tutorial for this soon. I tried finding a similar one online, but no luck. Stay tuned!

Tea inspired napkins

A friend of mine is a great tea aficionado, which she's been striving to turn me into for years. Her love of tea, along with this download from A Print a Day, inspired her Christmas gift, a set of embroidered napkins to go along with her tea.

I drew my cups instead of using the template, so that I could personalize them. I tried to make each one unique and specific to a time period.

I started by drawing the designs onto the napkins. I measured to make sure they were in approximately the same spot--I'm bad at guessing distances. I drew mine in with pencil, but that probably wasn't the best idea on my part. A washable fabric pen probably would have smudged less.

After I embroidered each cup, I washed the napkins, ironed them, and folded them into the gift box.

I'm guessing that she liked them, because the day after I gave them to her, they were already on her dining room table! I wish I could have found such perfect and thoughtfully handmade gifts for everyone, but perhaps if I start early this year, I can make the next year a handmade Christmas!

P.S. Other cute ideas for embroidered napkins could be birds or trees--especially at Christmas--mixers, cakes, or other kitchen paraphernalia. Check out this sweet free downloadable from LollyChops for more ideas!

P.P.S. Here are just a few sites to check out-- along with Flickr-- for some great embroidery ideas and patterns.

• Sublime Stiching, adorable patterns for a small price
• Pimp Stitch, plenty of cute ideas and patterns
• Feeling Stitchy, chock full of lovely and comical inspirations
• doe-c-doe, new/vintage patterns each week
• So september, cute free downloads and tutorials
• LollyChops, the aforementioned and ever-so-lovely

Oh, the humaity! Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookie Cups

Image courtesy of Hostess with the Mostess
I thought that this link needed to be shared. No, it was begging me, literally. These Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookie Cups hail from the blog Hostess with the Mostess, and wouldn't any guests love you for these. I can't wait to try them out on some very grateful friends!

Archer Hairline

hank you, Pentagram, for this amazing quiz! I've, of course, always wanted to know what font I am... Well, since I saw this quiz. And now, I do!
To take this quiz, visit PR Junkie for the password, and the quiz is from the amazing design firm, Pentagram.

Cleaning Day Challenge

The handsome dog in his new coat taking a walk in the snow
I've been cleaning for a week. Well... at least it feels like I have.

I took down the Christmas tree and decorations and packed them up for next year. It's now so sad and bare around the house. I need to find or make some winter decorations, so wish me luck!

I cleaned all the floors in the house yesterday, and I thought my arms were going to fall off. If they didn't look so shiny and beautiful, I would be mad that I had spent hours doing it.

I'm still working on finding places for all the things that we accrued over Christmas. I should go with the theory "out with the old..." but I am a pack rat by nature, sadly. I did work on organizing my growingly messy recipe collection in an adorable little book! This system is much better than the stick-all-my-recipes-in-other-books system that I had before.

I still have some sewing to do, taking up sleeves and taking in shirts, but I have finished one minor project, adding velcro to our pug's new jacket! Which he hates. Everytime we put it on him, he gives us the saddest face imaginable. But too bad for him, it's going to be under 32 all week.

The snow, although beautiful, is keeping me inside; so hopefully, I can finish more this weekend! Here's to getting things done!!