Celebrity Endorsement

I went to my local quilt shop over the weekend and got some new fabrics to inspire me to sew some new things. Did you know I love fabrics? Well I do.

I finished a new bag this morning and as usual, I hang new things on my entertainment center for my family to notice. Sometimes it can take days for them to notice but in their defence, our living room is very messy.

I noticed Kelly Rippa was wearing a matching dress!

Oh lookie, she noticed too!

I think she likes it!

The Kelly Bag is now in my etsy shop.

Bunny meets Llama

I know I wasn't supposed to post anything until Wednesday when the kids are back in school but there have been good things happening and the kids are at my sisters playing with their cousins.

Great Grandpa is a Valentine baby so we celebrated his 89th Birthday on Saturday. He is currently at a facility recovering from surgery, we partied there, we hope he comes home soon.

He is the sweetest man ever, it's fitting he was born on Valentines Day.

I just got back from the grocery store and they finally brought back the discounted produce rack. I know it isn't local food, but that pile of bananas and pears was only .39 a pound. The girl loves grapefruit and that little kiwi was looking at me begging me to bring it home.

I also got discounted fresh mushrooms. Tonights meal, stuffed mushrooms and lasagna with a fruit salad on the side.

I had $100.00 to spend this week and my total came to $96.53. That was close, a little too close.

*

My little business news:

I got word that the bag order is a go (from last weeks meeting). They loved the sample I gave and want to order even more than the original 10. Yay! I'll give more details later.

You may be wondering what the title of this post has to do with anything.

I got word I was put into another etsy treasury.

It is such a nice feeling when another artist admires your work.

Thanks Patty!

Etsy love!

The nice gal over at blushing mermaid picked my Mermaid Quilt to be in her treasury.

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=35028

It's flattering to be selected and put in with other talented artists.

No resolutions for me!

I try to never make New Year resolutions because I can never keep them. Because of my previous post perhaps? Maybe. I figure why give myself more to feel guilty about. But this time of year I always try to organize (at least some), my craft shows are months away, holiday decor is put away and I have a bit more time on my hands.

My entry way is were my pup's food, one bed and his toys are. He tends to get dirty at times and is a place we can block him off until he's dry.

Before shot, notice the small basket with too may toys to hold.

I had purchased this fun dog fabric quite some time ago and made a new "basket" to hold everything.

Much better.

I made two and loaded it's twin on my etsy shop.

Now back to organizing even though it's NOT a resolution!

Showoff Friday

I have a horrible habit of putting work last. Working from home is tough, (not that way, I know how great I have it) it's just the work around the that house calls to me first, it's nice because I get a lot done around the house but it's bad because I'm broke.

I'm calling it showoff Fridays because it feels like I'm showing off and I am SO not like that, I have the typical artist insecurities and hold my breath whenever I show anyone what I have been working on, expecting the worst. Not that I'm fishing for compliments or anything. OK, I'll shut up now.

So my goal is to have Friday as my deadline each week to show what I've done, making myself work and load some of the items on my very neglected Etsy shop and set some aside for local shows. Not putting work on the back burner.

ANYWAY, here goes.

I started making pillows.

I pieced the background, appliqued the chickens, free motion stitched the words and quilting. I sewed on button eyes with DMC thread, machine stitched the front and back together then mitered the corners.

I used extra soft, puffy, fluffy stuffing and hand stitched the bottom closed.

I completed three and have two more in the works.

That's it!

Farm news.

This "meat" rooster was injured last week, I'm guessing from another roo. Anyway I've been caring for him and have been bringing him food water and hand picking grass for him. Not good. Now I love him, notice the tag on his foot so he won't accidentally get eaten, also notice how he favors his left leg. If I was a true hardcore farm gal I would have just finished him off the day he was injured and put him in the freezer. A true hardcore farm gal wouldn't want a limping roo representing the flock.

This wimpy farm gal wants to keep a nice sweet rooster and wants to eat all the other roosters who may have done this to him.

Oh yeah, this was my 200th post, geez I talk a lot.

Announcement!

My etsy shop is taking a vacation starting July 3rd and wont reopen until the week of August 11th hopefully with some new items.

With my big shows coming up

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Arbor_Art_Fairs

http://www.salinesummerfest.com/

I need to pack up and don't want to risk selling the same item twice.

Thanks for understanding.

I don't know what to call this

I thought about calling this "Are you sick of hearing about my great weekends yet? In case you aren't, here's one more."

Not that I want a crappy weekend, it's just I am on a great weekend streak and i don't want them to end, but I don't want to sound like Pollyanna either. I get my share of shit too.

Friday, I met with my sons 8th grade class at the park and helped supervise while they tested one of our local rivers for pollution and such.Not much effort on my part but fun anyway. I got to hang with my boy and his classmates and eat hot dogs. Not bad. The last time I helped out at that park, all the kids were shorter than me.

Friday eve I sold another bag on etsy! Yay, etsy love.

Saturday, kids had soccer games. I usually don't care much about watching sports on T.V. but something about my kids playing soccer is the greatest. We also had wonderful weather too which helps.

We had an hour and a half to kill between games so I shipped off the etsy package and we went to our local farmers market. More crafters this year, and lots of plants for sale. I was bummed though because the only veggies for sale were all ones I currently have in my garden. There was a booth selling home made cheeses and although it wasn't in my budget for this week, I plan on returning and trying some soon.

I pack a lunch on these Saturdays so we don't have to travel all the way home or resort to fast food. We picnicked in the car and then watched my sporty girl play.

Then the kids and I went shopping, they are both taking class trips this week (the boy, Washington DC. the girl, Toronto). We got travel food, granola bars and such and bottled beverages, since they are required to take disposable packaging so they don't have to worry about lunch boxes on the bus.

My girl's birthday is tomorrow so she also picked out a few early gifts. She loved it! She got to pick out what she wanted and it saved me gas on an extra trip back to the store later.

Shopping with my kids is so much fun. They are two funny souls.

We also hit a local fruit and veggie market and got a combination flat of flowers and veggies. I get some Veggie plants already started thatI don't like starting from seed, like eggplant and hot peppers. I would never use up a whole pack of those kind of seeds anyway. The Coleman family owns the market, they had purchased my grandfathers farm and took such great care of it, so I like to spend my money there. Very nice family.

I got the flowers for my pot sculpture.

I saw this pot idea from another blogger http://empressofdirt.blogspot.com/ , if you go to her blog, scroll to the bottom and click on projects. I added my own twist with the baby foot sticking out. My MIL likes all thing cherub, so when one of her angels was damaged by mowing, I stole the body parts. I know, I'm twisted but i like what i like.

Rained all day Sunday, but had a great indoor Mothers Day. I sure am blessed with great kids and Hubbie.

Today I'm finishing gifts for the girl.

I made a travel bag for her trip. I wanted a zipper to keep her things safe. The zipper didn't turn out as well as the first time I installed one, this one is slightly crooked but I think she'll forgive me.

She loves all things puppy so I thought this fabric would be fun.

I put a pocket on the back.

I also am making her a bulldog from mens socks. Martha Stewart kids magazine had this idea a few years back. One of many sock dogs I've made for her. She usually claims them in the making stages and how can I refuse?

It still needs a tail. I'll stitch it on during her soccer practice tonight.

I like using different buttons for each eye. It gives them a one of a kind face.

I hope you all had a great Pollyanna weekend too.

My weekend in a giant nutshell

I someday, may pick a topic and just write about said topic. Not today.

I made a grand total of $63 at the garage sale. Considering it was all useless to me stuff, that was just gathering dust in the basement stuff, and the fact that my kids had soccer so I didn't even man the sale on Saturday, I consider it a success!

When I got home a package was waiting for me on the porch.

Lisa from twinville http://laughingorcaranch.blogspot.com/ had asked me to make her some bags, after seeing my dog food bag bag, out of some of her feed bags. Since i adore Lisa I said yes!

Lookie at what she sent.

Aren't these beautiful.

Not only did she include the two she wanted but gave doubles for myself,

and more.

My girl who has a love for all thing puppies claimed this one.

Farmer Julie also ordered something from my etsy shop so I got to use my mailing station for the first time and am thrilled with it. Everything I needed in one spot. No running down to the basement, digging out supplies from under mountainous piles, none of that. I am proud of my smarticles in making this.

Speaking of Farmer Julie, http://farmerjulie.blogspot.com/ , so nice, one of the first few to leave comments on my blog. She's an artsy, chicken owning, big truck driving mom who made me feel not so freakish with my artsy, chicken owning, big truck driving ways.

She makes these beautiful ceramic pieces at her etsy shop http://farmerjulie.etsy.com/.

Speaking of etsy, I know for the economic stimulus check that we are supposed to be going to the mall, buying giant screen TVs and such, but I don't want to. I am going to take some of my $$ and shop on etsy or some other artist website. Not only do you get some one of a kind art, clothing, and more to choose from, you also are buying something from an American, in America. Not that i have anything against those poor Chinese people working for poor wages, but when you support an American artist or business, they in turn (hopefully) spend their income on food from a local farmer, eat at a local diner, shop at a local hardware store, and on and on. If you really want to help stimulate the economy, isn't that the way?

other weekend happenings

Field trip for a 3 week old Partridge Rock and a 1 week Dark Cornish.

Trillium in bloom.

So is the Dogwood.

We call this Dogwood Lane.

This is my dish washing view, I have it good.

Chicken with Bleeding Heart.

Chicken with Sunflower Bag.

I fed worms to my favorite Bass.

Yes, I do realize that sounds weird but this fish likes to swim up and be fed.

(It's nest is on the left, the little gravel spot. click to enlarge)

And I weeded the lettuce and pea bed.
(hey Lisa, you get 2 this time)

You can enlarge to see the little pea faces.

Not bad for one weekend. I hope yours was good.

More ramblings

I frequently wake up around 3 or 4 am, use the bathroom, then can't get back to sleep due to my brain spinning full of ideas. Not always good ideas, but ideas just the same.

So I got up packed lunches and started another llama bag.

We then missed the bus due to a road nearby being closed, had to run the kids to school, threw off my sewing groove. Read some doom and gloom blogs, worried, cried and went back to sewing.

I finished it and loaded it on etsy.

Does it sound awful of me to think it's really cute and then actually say it out loud?

The chickens had to come and investigate the photo shoot.

ANOTHER LAUNDRY PHOTO? Like we want to see her undies again. Sorry to disappoint, no undies this time. It happened to mostly be my canvas bags and cloth napkins drying in the sunshine. See, even though i wasted gas in the monster truck taking the kids to school, I still love the earth.

New Year

I don't have any lofty new goals for the new year, lose the extra pudge, get organized, learn more about the computer (most of the time it's luck not knowledge that gets photos loaded) just the regular stuff. My main goal is to make my artsy/crafty business more successful. Try more shows, promote etsy more, add more variety to the things I sell.

I have one show for sure in March, it is an unusual show, its a Middle School Teacher Convention. They usually only have big store vendors at these things, book stores and the like, but they wanted to try a few local artists, and I was one of them. It's a 2 day show at our Middle School, I don't know since it isn't a art/craft show how I'll do, but the price to get in was too good to be true and I was flattered to be one of six asked, and who knows, it may turn out great!

So I am making more lunch bags (I hope teachers will be interested) as well as totes.

I just mailed out a craft show application for another show in March, if I make it into that one I had really better get sewing. I have 2 more applications to fill out for November and December. I also have 2 for sure shows for August and September. These are all good shows I have done in the past and have been successful. So I have 3 guaranteed shows, and 3 pretty good chance of getting into shows (I hope). I try to avoid shows during soccer season so I need to find a couple of more for the summer. The kids can help then, I pay them, and my shy daughter becomes not so shy when she is manning the tent for me. It is amazing how confident and outgoing she becomes. The kids even help other vendors set their tents up and have gotten paid in ice cream.

Snow on the clothesline.

We had a white Christmas and even had below 0 temps last week and now it is balmy, in the 60's and our snow is melting away. I like winter so I'm not sure how I feel about this. Mosquito's are out! My daughter and I split and hauled more wood yesterday, without coats and I was sweaty. I had been wanting to have my very own log splitter for years, I had to borrow my dad's because I didn't want to spend the $1,000 for a new one. So my hubbie and I scored on a great shape used one for $100! Now I can get my "gym" workout whenever the mood strikes.

Ready for the next cold snap.

I love bluebirds. This male has been hanging out and beating up his reflection in our window all week.

Photo with snow.

Photo today with much less snow.

Working on a "new" rug using old ugly sheets for the den.

I am giddy as a school girl over the new paint colors.

Etsy love

Does the giddiness of selling things on etsy ever wear off? I hope not. I'm up to 3 things sold! This talented woman from http://gracebeading.blogspot.com/ bought some of my buttons. If you haven't seen her work you have to check it out. She blew my doors off!

I got into making things for craft shows 4 years ago. I love working the shows because of the feedback, meeting the other crafter/artists, and I like the feeling of having my own little boutique if only for a day or two. I had also sold some bags through a local art gallery that used to be in town. That was fun, drop off stuff, look at other artist work, get a check once a month.

Not being very computer savvy made me hesitant about opening a etsy shop, it has been pretty easy, my 13 year old helped at first, it still takes me quite awhile to load things. I know about copy and pasting descriptions of similar items but I'm sure there are a ton of shortcuts to learn. But I do like that you can sell anything you make on etsy because some craft shows limit the types of items to sell. They don't want you to sell bags and then a few hand knitted scarves if the person next to you is selling knitted items.

So today after visiting the post office to send out the package, I had a little photo shoot with my fashion model ( I take terrible photos) and put a few more bags on etsy. Makes a stay at home mom with kids at school feel productive.