Gathering Dust

Stitching Starts and Finishes

Starting a new project- I love it!  Love to start a new stitching project, knitting a new scarf, making a new tag book...but the finishing....well, I'm not as reliable about that...

I can't wait to take all the blue pretties in the top picture and turn them into a book.  I bought a box of linens at an auction, saw this blue satin jewelry keeper and thought it would make a perfect book cover.  I couldn't help myself from finding an image, gathering some lace & buttons and start sewing.  You notice I said "START"- I started the cover, but that's about it.

I probably should have finished this project- and I will. It just needs some more texture, maybe some charms....

It started with a stack of these already embroidered border strips that I got from Lisa.  I sewed some strips together, adding some print fabric in between, more stitching, and some lace snippets.  I'm close to finished, but I think I'd like to add just a little bit more.

Then I'll just need to add a back, and maybe a fringy border.

Here's a little art quilt that IS finished.  This one started with an auction box lot, too...a box lot of gloves.  The box had a lot of long opera length leather gloves that I sold, but there were also a lot of short cotton gloves that had damage...spots, stains etc. 

When I looked at the "not fit for sale" gloves, I was admiring all the different patterns and designs a white cotton glove could have.  I cut up the gloves, salvaged the pretty parts and put together this little "glove sampler".

Beaded trim from the wrist of one glove.

A cable knit driving glove.

Rosettes snipped from the back of a glove.

I have made a resolution to finish these projects- that doesn't mean that I won't start something else... but they're going to stay on top of my work basket so everytime I reach for a scissors or thread, they'll be staring at me, begging me to finish them.

Speaking of finishing, Karla's dog Twinkle finished up her pregnancy on Thursday.  The picture above shows Twinkle last Sunday- HUGE.  She weighed 15 lbs and normally weighs about 8 1/2 lbs.

Bike Man and I went to visit Twinkle yesterday (Saturday) with her NINE puppies.  They are just adorable and Twinkle is such a good Mommy.  She didn't mind if we held the pups, but if one of them squeaked, she was on alert.

Twinkle is  Button's mom...so all these puppies are his brothers and sisters. I guess that make me their aunt!

Button and Buddy

Do you Mandala?

Journaling, especially art journaling has been and continues to be a hot topic in mixed media. I first wrote about journaling  in my blog about three years ago.  I'm still working in the same small notebook- although I've started a couple more journals by making background pages.

My "journaling" is mostly just arranging clip art, pictures, cards or pretty backgrounds that I like.  Sometimes I have a scrap of wallpaper or part of a trade card, and I think it's too pretty to throw away, so I tuck it into a plastic bag that I keep my journal, glue sticks and scissors in.

Then, when I feel like making something, but I don't know what, or I don't want to think too hard, I pull out my plastic bag...oh, yes, such a fancy way to keep my supplies...and play a little bit.

Occasionally I've written, drawn or doodled, but I kind of stay away from that because I'm not always happy with the results...until I found the mandala. Mandala is the Sanskrit word for circle.

Watching the video at the end of this blog post hypnotized me, and I had to try it, and try it again, and again...and sometimes add colors.

I know...this isn't any work of art, but they are FUN and RELAXING- and for me, a great way to clear my mind before or after I go to work, or before I go to bed.

So...that's what I've been doing lately- grabbing my journal and a handful of pencils out of a baggie, and drawing circles and things around the circles...the possibilities are endless.  No wonder I'm so busy...

Funky Shoes

I was reviewing my weekend estate sale purchases, and realized that if I

could fit in a size 6 shoe, balance a "Fascinator" hat on my head, and

manage to get any scent out of these old perfume bottles, I could be a very happening 50's lady.

I mean 1950's- NOT fifty plus years old.

Wow! What a Birthday!

Actually, my birthday was back in Jun, but last week I got this birthday package from Lisa.  Stacks and stacks of presents each wrapped in pretty paper.  I have to share some highlights.

Beautiful salvaged pieces of embroidered and beaded trim.  (and in the upper right corner, Button is begging me to make him a bed from this fabric.)

Beautiful bird fabric.

Fun collage fabric.

And isn't this intriguing?  A package with a tag that says "I've waited months to give you this".

How cool is this?  An old celluloid advertising piece from the 1900 Kansas City Stockyards- the area that is now the  West Bottoms Antique District.

(I love that longhorn on the top of the frame.)

Lisa also gifted me with one of her incredible albums.  Each page is  wonderful- I'll share them with you in another post.

Besides all the goodies I've already shown you, there were craft supplies, embroidery pieces, all sorts of "raw materials" that I can't wait to start using.

And this:

I think it has gum inside, but it's too cute to open.

Don't forget to blog your Mama!

Gypsy Spells & Songs Felted Book and Romantic Gothic Ghosts

Karla asked me to teach a class at her upcoming Romantic Gothic Ghosts workshop.  The theme behind the workshop is a romantic Halloween look, no bright orange pumpkins or scarecrows; instead projects you could leave up year round.

I'm not sure how most teachers come up with a class project- there is probably a more efficient way to do it than what I do.  I knew I wanted to make a fabric book and I thought it might be fun to put a gypsy spin on it. 

I went to The Graphics Fairy blog, downloaded gypsy and Halloween images, made some collage sheets, and printed them on paper, fabric and scrim.  God bless Karen, the Graphics Fairy- what a wonderful resource!

Then I got some trims, trinkets, charms & lace and started to play.

This was the first book I came up with- with a tin type on the cover.  After looking through my tintypes, I realized that even though I had enough tintypes for the whole class, I didn't have enought PRETTY tintypes. 

This project needed something more attractive than a tintype with an old man with a pointy beard and scruffy hat- so I tried to figure out how to make my own tintypes.

Here are some that I came up with.  They aren't as dark as the real thing, but I think they do have a spooky look.

The book is made of walnut stained felt.  I'll have plenty of images, doodads, trinkets and lace so that everyone can make their pages unique.

Karla still has a few openings left for the event- it's Oct 6 at her cottage.  If you know Karla, you know that just seeing her decorations, house, studio and landscaping make it worth a trip.  She'll have a delicious lunch for us, and you can pet a chicken or a puppy.  Her Yorkie (and my Button's mother); Twinkle, will have 6 week old puppies right about that time. 

Oh, and you get two craft classes, too----this one and Karla's Ravishing Raven.  Here's a link for more info and to sign up:  Romantic Gothic Ghosts Workshop. 

My original tintype book is now listed in my Etsy Shop Gathering Dust, along with some awesome 1940's penmanship magazines.