Oh my... where has the time gone? Since I last posted, I started working in the classroom again, teaching English to my lovely students here in Michigan! My sweet twin boys are now EIGHT years old, and getting bigger by the minute.

In between grading papers and attending conferences, playing pirate and stacking dominoes, I still manage to find time to do some crafting and sewing. I have also discovered Pinterest, which has become an obsession. A good obsession :)

In addition to aprons, I am now making lovely little ruffled tote bags and message centers... canvas signs and painted mason jars.... a little bit of everything :)

Here are a few pictures of my most recent work; you can find me at the Grand Blanc Farmers Market every Sunday from 10am-3pm.

These are two message boards I made. The one on the left is magnetic on the top, with a fabric covered corkboard bottom. There are also two little hooks drilled into the bottom to hang keys and other must-not-lose items :) The bulletin board on the right is simply a shabby chic frame that I painted and distressed, and it holds a lovely fabric covered corkboard to pin up your pretties!

 Canvas signs are my new favorite decor!  I love the movie "Practical Magic" and this quote is one of my favorites :) Next to it is a large chalkboard that I created. I love chalkboards...

 This is a glimpse of my booth at the Market. I call this apron "Pink Lemonade" and the combination of yellow and pinks remains one of my favorites!

Aprons fluttering in the breeze... I love summer!

 

A sneak peek at my latest obsession... canvas market bags! Come see me on Sunday to see more :)

Queen's Guide to the Fabulous Tea Party...

"I'm late, I'm late! I'm very, very late!"

Poor Rabbit. It is his first time hosting a party. He was invited to create his own soiree by the lovely Vanessa at a Fanciful Twist, and now he is worried if he can pull off a fabulous tea party. I decided to create a "How To" list for this handsome hare, and he was so delighted, he asked me to share :) Obviously delicious treats and tasty tea are a must (and perhaps some Flamingo Croquet) but some other things to consider...


The Invitation List

Since conversation is just as important as to what tea to brew, it is crucial to invite interesting people who not only are witty, but can wear party hats with panache...
These gals know how not only how to rock their powdered wigs, but how to sip their tea without mussing their ruffles...



The Ambiance
Please note I did not say "decorations." One must create an ambiance, an atmosphere, a magical place that transports the party goers to a realm of wonder. Indoor or outdoor, you must find the perfect nooks to tuck in unexpected lovelies, and they should include flowers, fancy china, and linens...




Party Favors
Without pretty little gifties, your party may feel more like a simple snack time. Homemade favors are best, the more unusual and eclectic the better...
This is a paper teapot I created a few years ago - perfect for place settings!


Couture

One must throw themselves into her attire with reckless abandon. Large hats, layers of lace, and of course, as hostess, a fabulous apron...



And there you have it! Some simple guidelines to help you created a lovely tea party that will keep the party goers talking for months! So get your tea cozy ready, cut some flowers, and tie on that apron - and go visit the other party hostesses today!




Credits
All vintage photographs are from my collection of adopted ancestors. The Alice in Wonderland illustrations are from the Library of Congress. The watermarked images are of my creations and other pretties (such as the apron and stack of linens), and the fabulous photos of flowers and such are from http://www.countryliving.com/.

A Place for Everything...

So busy lately! Is it just me, or does it seems like that the nicer the weather gets, the faster the days go? I know there are more "daylight" hours, yet it seems like I am still running out of time. Of course, the nicer weather means I am outside more, playing in the sun with the boys, helping them plant a vegetable garden, and trying to soak in some sunshine.

Before the nice weather arrived, I did spend some time cleaning my studio. I organized and prettified.

 I have a large shelf by the window, and I like to keep flowers and ribbons at hand. I use a lot of bowls, boxes, and jars so I can see my supplies. If I can't see it, I forget I have it - so I like to keep my pretties visible...

My best storage solution for ribbon: mug racks. I got several of these vintage looking, white chippy racks and then hung them vertically, and the rolls of ribbon fit perfectly! Not only are they pretty, they are easy to access.

Storing supplies is one thing - crafting a creative ambiance is another.  I like to tuck in unexpected notions with my supplies for little bits of unexpected inspiration. Antique photos and orphaned pages from a vintage book are nestled in a box of tea-stained ribbon...

I adore polkadots - so I need to keep my dotted ribbons handy! A fancy dowel is the perfect home to rolls of ribbon. The paper flowers I made are a nice nest, and I had these fabulous old Bingo cards which needed a place to stay...

A love of words and letters. Old printer trays are ideal for storing chipboard letters. One tray is for plain letters, the other for decorated letters.

All little bits are kept in little jelly jars and little tin cups. Easy to see, easy to use. Buttons, bottlecaps, hatpins, and more...I put the jars on an old cookie sheet, so I can just lift the entire tray up to my work table if I need to.

Of course, that was a while ago, and it doesn't look nearly so tidy anymore. I am a messy crafter. When I work, I like to spread everything out, and right now my crafting table is covered in scraps of paper, bits of fabric, and a few half-finished projects.

However, seeing how nice it can be in there inspires me to clean.

The next rainy day.

I promise...

Fun with Dick and Jane...

If you are a follower of my blog, you know I just adore vintage goodness! So when I saw this fabric a few years ago, I just had to have it.  Now bear in mind, I wasn't even sewing then. I was strictly a paper girl working on scrapbook pages and paperbag albums. And while I would incorporate the occasional swatch of fabric or strip of lace into a paper crafted goodie, I never bought yardage of anything :)

So it sat in my stash of goodies,

Until last week! I was digging in my stash, and found my lovely "Dick and Jane" fabric. Perfect for my newest obsession - Pillows.

It measures 12x12, and has an envelope enclosure in the back so it is easy to clean. I have it listed at Artfire, and I think would be a super cute Mother's Day giftie :)

Here are a few more that I have created...

Have a fabulous Thursday! I have fabric scraps all over the house, so I seriously need to get cleaning...

Are you a Good Witch?

NOTE** I am entering this hat into the "Crafting with the stars" contest :) Wish me luck!

How can you not love the new Halloween papers from Graphic45? Alice in Halloweenland is perfectly perfect for the projects I love to make: vintage, whimsical, and delicious colors. Adoring all things witchy, I made several of these darling little witch hats. Relying heavily on the graphic45 papers, I also used fabric, ribbon, bottlecaps, vintage buttons, odds and ends... I love to mix materials.

I sold a few at the Farmer's Market yesterday, and may put some up on Etsy. After I got home from Market, I had a bee in my bonnet to take the boys to the Family Fun Fest in Grand Blanc. I think listening to the carnival sounds and smelling popcorn all day made the festival irresistible. So after I rushed home, I changed my clothes and had Steve help me get the kiddos ready. We got a pizza on the way (my picky eaters won't even eat Carnie Food - what is that about?) and had a picnic in the park before going to the carnival. Mikey decided he was content to play at the park playground, as was Dad (he said just listening to the Tilt-A-Whirl made him nauseous), so Johnny and I took off for carnival fun.

He won a blue turtle, went through the fun house, and rode down the Gigantic Fun Slide twice by himself. I was super impressed that he did it by himself, it was super tall (I think I was more nervous than he was). And he got some free balloons from a nice lady, just because he is just that cute. He had an absolute blast, and Mikey was tickled to have Dad all to himself to help him do the monkey bars. It was a win-win for all!

The only not-so-fabulous part was that as I was getting the monkeys in the tub, I started to sneeze. And feel drippy and tickly. Sure signs of an end-of-summer cold. Bluck. I feel icky this morning, but have too much to do to be sick. So I am refusing to succumb to my desire to plop on the couch and sniff all day. I am hoping sheer will alone will heal me :)

Ooooh, and Glee starts tomorrow!

How exciting is that?

Apronology

So I am pretty sure that aprons are the funnest thing ever! My inner "English teacher" cringes, but the sentiment is true. I have been sewing up a storm, which is funny because when I initially purchased my sewing machine, it was to stitch on paper, not fabric. Now I find myself making hems, adding ruffles, and making linings! Who knew?


I think my latest apron looks kind of "scrapbooky" even though I am working with fabric, and not paper. Piecing fabric is a lot like paper piecing. I love digging through my stash to find bits of green toile for trees, sprigged ivy fabric for rolling hills... Of course, this now means I will go broke buying not only scrapbook paper but fabric too :( New obsessions can get pricey... I also like to check out the antique shops and estate sales to find lovely bits of embroidery, handmade lace - now that Spring is here, I can't wait for auction season! Yay!

I have a few pretties listed on Etsy, and have had some nice emails suggesting I submit some of my aprons to Apronology. Have you seen this fabulous publication? Somerset has a magazine for just about every creative obsession out there :)

Once Upon an Apron... and Banana Bread

In my latest obsession with apron making, I combined my love for old quilts, vintage finds, and paper piecing...

When I scrapbook, I adore making little vignettes; houses on rolling hills, elaborate trees on lush landscapes... you get the idea. I also love the look of primitive samplers and quilts. I had made this sampler a few months ago


(and sold it to a dear and darling customer!) and have been itching to make another. Until then, however, I decided to try to make a little landscape art. But this time, I used all fabric, and instead of paper, my canvas was an apron.


I used some fabulous fabric I got at an estate sale. I think it is floursacking - it is so thick and supple! A combination of new fabrics and vintage lace were the rest of my materials, and a tiny little old button was the perfect doorknob :) After much deliberation, I decided to list it on Etsy. I thought about keeping it, but now that it is up for sale, it gives me an excuse to make another!

As for the banana bread...

This weekend, I had the grand idea to make some banana bread. The recipe is my Great Grandma Tessie's recipe, for "Fruit Loaf", and whenever I make it, I usually double it. Well, I had quite a few bananas, and whenever I do make this yummy bread, my dear friend Kelly begs for some - with chocolate chips, of course :) So what do I do? In my ambition, I multiplied the recipe by six. Twelve cups of flour, six cups of bananas, a dozen eggs...

My mixing bowl overfloweth....

It all turned out in the end (my arms got quite the workout. Mixing that much batter is way more taxing than a rowing machine, my friend) and I even had enough for six loaves and six muffins :)

Kelly will be happy :)

Last post today, I swear....

I have been so busy creating the last few days, I hadn't had the time to post what I have been making! And since I have about 19.5 minutes until the bus delivers the munchkins, I figured I better seize the moment (especially since these two challenges are due asap!)

This first card is my entry to my first ever to the Just Magnolia challenge blog :) The challenge was distressing (not to me, to the card, silly!) and I had a lot of fun aging the edges, teastaining the fabric...

This is the only magnolia stamp I have, and after using her, now I know why so many of you love your magnolias! She was really fun to color :)

Ingredients
Papers:MyMindsEye
Image:Magnolia
Embellishments: fabric, buttons

My other card is a little more seasonal. Drawing inspiration from Our Creative Corner, I went autumnal and thankful for this easel card. Loving the easel cards! I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday, and used Kraft paper as requested by Daring Card Makers :)

This stamp was toooo fun to color, and I really had a blast finding just the right papers for her :)


Ingredients
Papers:Graphic45, Creative Imaginations, brown Kraft Paper
Image:Greeting Farm Anya
Embellishments: fabric, buttons, punch