New Aprons

Here are a few aprons I made this summer.  I have to keep busy.....I love the process of putting the different fabrics together  - it is such fun to figure out all the colors combinations. As you have seen in past posts - I am a fabricaholic....so I have plenty to chose from.  Then I get to choose and sew on rick rack and bias tape....I just love to sew......

 I thought this was the cutest bird fabric - kind of Scandinavian and retro together......

 I had to have this fabric it's red and turquoise - again a very retro feel -

 This owl fabric was so cute - I just had to have it.  I liked the pleating around the edge - a fun look.

Love this pink one - it was fun finding all the different prints for this.  Add a few buttons and I'm finished. 

I will show you more later.  Hope you like them. 

My Purse on a Magazine Cover!!!!!!!

How exciting is this? A purse I made as a designer for iLoveToCreate was chosen for the cover of Haute Handbags. There are alot of really cool purses in the magazine so I'm very porund that they chose mine for the cover. I found the jewlery at Forever 21 and in my own stash of "retro" jewelry that I wore in high school. I was reallly happy with the final results. I want to thank everyone at the magazine for the honor. Hope you like it too.

Here's what I purchased at the Bead and Button show - these are "vintage" Lucite beads. I was thinking vintage as being 40's or 50's - but then the seller said that these were from the 70's - I think I have alot of "vintage" beads, shoes, clothes, fabric etc hanging around my house. Yikes!
I liked the cording -it's not vintage - liked the combinations of colors. Now it just have to use them in something right away so they won't become part of "vintage" stash not to be used for 20 more years. I feel that if I use them then I won't have them so I don't use them - you know what I mean.......

Aren't these beautiful? I guess only a person who sews could appreciate them - My bother-in-law (bless his soul) when through my thread box and put them together by color. The sun was hitting them just right for this beautiful picture. Some of these threads are from my grandmother and some from just a few weeks ago - but together they create a lovely picture. It sure is a lot easier to find them here than hunt through the tangled mess they were.

I've been working on a new purse - hope to post soon.

I had a great time talking with everyone at Inspired at Home Radio this Sunday. It was great to hear everyone's voice especially Aleene's - what a lady - still going after all these years... a real pioneer of the craft scene. I checked in alittle late - but still had time to talk with all of them....check it out here. Hope you like it - they are a very creative and inspirational family. Hope we can all get together again to do something special soon.

Last Saturday Jen and I went to San Mateo (again) for the International Jewelry show. It was a great day - It was fun to see all the wonderful charms, beads, chain and everything else in between. Here is Jen holding a string of beads - We were told that is was $77.00 - we thought that was rather high for the strand - but then were informed that each bead had real diamonds and that EACH bead was $77.00 - Jen carefully put them down.......nothing like holding $7,000.00 worth of beads in your hand.

Here is the assortment of what I bought - I love everything here. The red bird and cherries are laser cut Lucite and the bracelet to the left has flowers and leaves made from leather - too cool - think I will take it apart and do something cleaver with it - will post when done. I thought the lampwork birds were fun - don't know what to do with them yet - just knew I had to have them....you know how it is......

Isn't this cute? I just love the colors.....I drilled through each ball and added a post and looped the top. I then thread them onto an elastic cording and added a few bright colored bead to the mix and there you go -a cute summer necklace. Larger holes could be drilled then the balls could be threaded directly onto thin elastic cording for a different look......hummmmm I have a few balls left over - I'll have to try that...... Let me know what you think.

These are a few of the supplies I plan to use on my "Fireworks" ring - will show you later how it turns out.

Wanted to show you my "helper" while I'm creating my projects for Amate Studios. Her name is Little Poof - her sister is Big Poof. Little Poof always wants to be wherever I am and always manages to lay down right in front of me - whether it's while I'm reading the newspaper, painting (I have had to be creative with my design trying to cover up footprints or a swipe of a tail with paint on it) or any craft project. Many a time I have had to pick up stuff from the floor where it fell from a swish of her tail. Right now she's laying on my beads that I plan to use for my 4th of July ring.

In my attempt to post something new everyday (or so) - I wanted to show you these cute pincuhshions I made.

I found these great thick felt placemats with die cut flowers at Joann's this Easter. They came in three colors and there were only three in the store so I snagged them.

To create the pincushions, I cut off one of the flower shapes and glued it to a base of cardboard between fabric then sew around the edge. Add layered with another piece of felt and added the poof for pins. The leaves are cut from an old blazer I picked up the the Goodwill store. I added a few stitches for dimension - glued everything together - and there you go. I love them both - I made them to sell at a craft show but I think I may need to keep the turquoise and red for myself - those are so my colors.

I will add a tutorial when I make the next round - then you can see how easy they are.

Let me know what you think.

Some of the things for the craft show - made some really cute pin cushions out of felt (of course)

Close up of pear apron

Thought this looked like Minnie Mouse - now have to make Mickey!

Love this little bee apron - the pockets are so cute!

My fruit salad arpons - cherries and pears......

Hello -

I'm back!!!! Have been very busy making and creating - and had lots of fun doing it. I had to clean up my studio just to see what I have to create more with. I am planning on making a vow only to use what I have already have and not to buy more - hope I can keep it.

Wanted to show you a few aprons I made for my last show - guess I'm in an apron roll - they are so fun to make - I love the feel of the fabric as the needle goes through, I love choosing the different fabrics and even sewing on the seam binding.....I love it all.

I also was part of a craft show - wanted to show what I made for it. Did OK at the show - but still somewhat slow.

Here are some of the felted purses I embellished and bottle covers made from the sleeves of shirts.

Here is an apron I made with some of my favorite fabric. The cowboy fabric in the center I have had for about 15 hears. I just love it. I could never figure out what to make with it and never made anything with it because I couldn't bear to cut it cut - then I wouldn't have it anymore - so I have kept it folded up in my stash. Well, I decided to actually sew something with it and I think it turned out very cute.

I loved this fabric - Paso Robles has a allot of cowboy's and made this for them. I thought the fabric looked like a retro bedspread my Grandma had on one of her beds. Really liked how it turned out.

Here are some of the totes I covered with fabric - I liked them all and wanted one for myself. The record purse in front was one I made when Joan Fee and I (a.k.a. Still Crafty After 50) were on our local TV show. We created lots of cute things with records - I will show at a later date. Got lots of comments. Plan to make more.

I created the aprons on the left by cutting dish towels in half and sewing onto toille fabric. I made removable pins from the remaining fabric - the one next to it is a cute Christmas apron. I like to use lots of rickrack - it really makes it look retro.

Here is how I hung the aprons at the show - they looked so cute and were great to keep the sun out too. I sold all but one that day.

Hello -

Haven't adding anything in a while - been busy getting ready for a show. When to Paso Robles for the Olive Oil Festival in the town park. Had a lot of fun and sold allot of aprons. Here are a few pictures. This shows my sweater glass cases, cherry pins, glass magnets and other assorted things.

Hello -

Just wanted to show what I have been working on lately - having allot of fun - I'm getting ready for a craft show in Paso Robles ,Ca. - the Olive Oil Festival - in August and am getting started early.

I like the stone coasters - they are non-polished rocks glued around the edges of a cork coaster - I really like the look - rather rustic. The glue I used is water proof so liquid won't ruin them. I liked the colors too - kind of jade green and white.....

I thought these Wine Glass Identifiers turned out really nice. I am such a felt person and wanted to make something really different with it - I sewed irregular beads around the edges of felt squares, cut to fit around the stem of a glass. I really like how they turned out - I love the bright colors - but any color scheme would be cool. Very easy to do - I have lots of beads in my craft studio and this is a great way to use left over odds and ends. The felt can be colored and beads matching - like mine - or I'm also making another set - ivory felt with colored beads - I will post a picture when I finish.

These mailers were really fun and quick to create. I bought plastic laminate at a fabric store and ironed to the right side of fabric - it takes less than a minute depending on size. I then cut into desired size and sewed together - it was very easy to sew - no problems at all. I added two buttons and cute colored string to hold together and I'm ready to go. I plan on printing address labels on sticker paper and just press to the front. I think anyone would love to get one of these in the mail......

Well, hope you like what I've make so far - more to come - Let me know what you think I would love to hear from you.

Talk to you soon.......