At loose ends... (or too many irons in the fire)

I feel at loose ends lately. Maybe I just have too many unfinished projects. I felt I started off the year with a bang. We even had a tidy list of (attainable) resolutions to make this year great.
So, self check here, how am I doing on keeping those resolutions?

# 4, 9 & 21 - I have alternately consumed more wine and less wine depending on whether or not I am trying to shed a few pounds or recovering from one of my too many flu-like maladies of the season or if I am relaxing with one of my meals consisting solely of appetizers with lit candles for ambiance (#2 &11).

# 25 - I have met this goal, we both have. My children have new, cute backpacks, and Kerry's girls have super cute Webkin's bags.

#14 - It is a funny thing, when you water plants, they grow beautiful, new green leaves. My plants are thankful for the attention.

#23 - We have made lots of fabulous tote bags, which we have shared in our blog. Now we are looking for new designs and new patterns. And also we are looking for lots of occasions where we can tote our new bags.

While there are other resolutions that I am "working on" I feel that I have too many unfinished projects and so many supplies to work with. Sometime the choices can be a little daunting. More is sometimes too much. Currently on my project to do list I have two candles to finish for my home, one or more tissue boxes, also for my home, an unfinished magnet board and some tote bags and drawstring bags that I want to use for gifts, and that's not all. I guess I had better get moving on some of these unfinished projects.

It's as if I have a creative "writers block." Just how do I get motivated when I am feeling overwhelmed and uninspired at the same time?

Perhaps it is malaise. Wikipedia even talks about a "winter malaise." It is a real thing. So my feeling of being out of sorts can be attributed to, "the culmination of the body adjusting to cold winter conditions and a possible depressing atmosphere due to either being forced inside due to the cold, or forced into a mundane daily routine because of the winter conditions." Now that it is nearing the end of March, I would have thought the winter doldrums would have passed. Hopefully a dose of spring sunshine and fresh air will snap me back into shape.

So, off to work on some unfinished projects. I will keep you posted on the results. Any ideas for battling malaise? you keep me posted.

March comes marching in...

March comes "in like a lion, out like a lamb," or so the saying goes. Our March seems to have a case of multiple personalities. We hit a high of 72 degrees on Saturday, March 1. The kids were happy to be outside, riding their bikes and running around the park.

Sunday, March 2, I awoke to blizzard like conditions. Our snow storm left this on my juniper bush...

The snow came fast and furious. Thankfully it stopped during the morning and only left three or four inches for us to deal with. The high was only about 32 for the day.

With a 40 degree drop in temperature in 24 hours, it's a wonder that we aren't all catching colds. (I know they say you can't get a cold from the weather, but such a drastic change in the weather has to take it's toll on our bodies.) Hopefully it didn't take it's toll on my tulips which are peeking out of the snow in this picture.

Our little teaser of spring, even summer-like, weather has left me pining away for warmer weather. I can't wait for the season to change. I want to see what comes up in my garden, plant new flowers and spend time out doors. But the wind and chill keeps me inside.

As Kerry mentioned, the weather leaves us to our at-home tasks and art endeavors. So I sit, at home, making things to use this summer.

This is my version of Kerry's patchwork bag. I can't wait to take this one to the park for a picnic, or to the beach with my book inside. Doesn't it just scream "SUMMER!"

I love the bright turquoise and orange mixed together. It is definitely a summer combination. The colors remind me of the ocean, the sunset, and tropical fruit. Okay, enough dreaming!

So back to the March in like a lion thing, it really has nothing to do with the weather. While writing this, I learned it's really about the constellations, and how Leo (the lion) is in the night sky with regards to how Aries (the Ram or lamb) is positioned at the beginning and end of the month. I never knew.

March is a month with many faces. It is American Red Cross Month and Women's History Month. If you are religious you can celebrate the days of St. David, St. Joseph and don't forget St. Patrick. And of course, this year, there's Easter in March. And for those non-religious, you can celebrate National Reading Day and Pi Day. (Pi, like in math, not pie, like in yum-yum), and don't forget St. Patrick's Day! And then there's the Ides of March and the Equinox--the arrival of Spring. I can't wait for the weather to change. I hope old Henry here isn't correct, and that the warm weather comes as quickly as the first day of spring will come.

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

-- Henry VanDyke

Friday Freebie

Yet another Friday Freebie...
It is such a hard decision for me to make, what do you want to see?

Years ago I inherited an extensive postcard collection. My mom collected postcards just for fun, because she thought the images were pretty, unique or kitschy. Lots of them are kitschy! She used them as correspondence and received many of them from friends or her brothers who searched flea markets, antique sales and yard sales to find the most unique, unusual postcards to send her.
I am fascinated by them! I love this forum by which I can share them with you.

What should I choose for today?
Since Spring is peeking it's head here in Colorado, I am in a springy mood. My trees are starting to bud, I have seen a few tulip bulbs poking through the soil, and I even saw some bees buzzing today (isn't it too early for bees?) This all gets me thinking about warmer weather...

Badminton anyone?

(today's image is a vintage postcard printed in Great Britain)

comtemplation

I spend a lot of time making combinations.... thinking about color...

thinking about pattern...

thinking about texture...

What will all of these combinations become?

Tell someone how you feel....

Way back in January, our blog-friend Kat told us that we made her day! It was such a nice sentiment. We are thrilled that anyone looks at our blog, much less thinks that what what we have to say contributes to their day. How nice!


We are just now passing along the same good wishes to our blog friends. Kerry and I read some of the same blogs and some different blogs, so we came up with this list together. (If you aren't on the list this time, it doesn't mean we love you any less...) So, these blogs make our day--

Flea Market Studio

Pamela Garrison

Poppy Talk

Sally Jean

Abundant Curiosities

Living Out Loud

Art Junk Girl

Kari & Kijsa - Designing for Life

House on Hill Road

A Very Mary Design

***

Thank you for making our day a bit brighter with your creativity!

***

If you are on our list, please choose 10 of your own Make My Day recipients and pass along the award.

(and, here is a shameless plug for our friend Mary Ann, check out her blog and then vote for her in this contest. She entered a beautiful collage and needs your support. Good Luck Mary Ann!)

Quick and Easy Project

In our New Year's quest to finished unfinished projects and use already purchased supplies (# 13, #17, & #19), we have found the fastest sewing project yet! Kerry found this easy kid's tote bag on Martha Stewart's wonderful website. I decided to give it a try.

Because I can never follow directions completely, I made a few changes to her well-put directions. First, I felt that the bag might be a bit small for my kids, the model shown was about 4 or 5 years old. I added 1/2 inch to the width and 3 inches to the length. If you do this, don't forget to add several inches to the cording as well.

Her directions call for a water proof nylon to line the bag, not having any nylon in my sewing stash, I decided to use an inexpensive cotton for the lining as well as the out side of the bag. This is where you can use the fun and funky prints found on the discount racks of your local craft and fabric stores. I enjoyed mixing the prints and colors.

The cording I used was a very inepensive cotton cording found in the ribbon section of my Hobby Lobby. I found 2 of the fabrics I used on their clearance racks for $2 per yard. (Nevermind that I vowed not to buy more until I used what I have. I couldn't resist-- you won't tell, will you?) On the third bag, I used ribbon loops at the bottom of the bag to anchor the straps. This is another way to encorporate more detail and color in the design. On an adult bag of a similar style it would be easy to encorporate more mature fabric patterns and a colored cording for the straps.

From start to finish, I think that each bag took about 30 minutes or less. The time and money invested is not bad for a quick and easy project. And the kids love their new totes!

30 resolutions

Inspired by other blogs we read, we have decided to make a joint list of our resolutions for 2008. We are aiming high with 30 resolutions . We feel confident we can achieve them all if we work together.

We, Kerry and Rachel, do solemnly swear we resolve.....

1. To wear our cute clothes on a daily basis instead of saving them for special occasions.

2. To light candles nightly in our homes.

3. To greet our husbands in 1950's style, with a smile on our faces and a clean welcoming home.

4. To drink more wine

5. To not complain about doing laundry and how it never ends.

6. To not complain about our children putting clean clothes into the hamper because they don't want to fold them.

7. To wash our cars more than once a year.

8. To find out and share better gossip on our friends and enemies.

9. To drink less wine.

10. To stop wasting hours looking at the internet and forwarding links to each other.

11. To eat more meals consisting solely of appetizers.

12. To find more amusing cards to send to each other.

13. To actually sew instead of just staring in awe over our fabrics.

14. To water our plants regularly not just when they turn brown.

15. To shop sales more diligently.

16. To take more pictures of our children, and less of our craft supplies.

17. To use the fabulous craft supplies we have and not save them for a "special project"

18. To make every project special.

19. To not learn another craft until we finish all the projects we have bought supplies for and never started.

20. To throw more parties.

21. To drink more fine wine.

22. To be brave enough to cut the pretty fabric and papers and not just look at them.

23. To make fabulous tote bags for every occasion.

24. To use the fabulous tote bags on a regular basis.

25. To make fantastic bags and accessories for our children so they too can have an artful life.

26. To walk more.

27. To read more blogs and to comment with witty feedback.

28. To write more witty, crafty blog entries.

29. To have more art give-aways.

30. To host an art swap with all our artsy friends and throw a party to celebrate!

Weather report

I am happy to report that the cold snap is finally at it's end here in Lafayette, Colorado. When I took the girls to school this morning it was 22 degrees , we all thought it felt great outside. That should tell you something, if 22 felt warm, it must have been really cold for a while!

Look at Friday! It's a heat wave! To celebrate the "great" weather, and to get back to business, Kerry and I plan to be open for coffee hour this Friday! Yay! We are so excited!

What, you may ask, is coffee hour? The studio is open for coffee on most Friday mornings from 9:00 - 11:00 am. Join us for coffee and a sweet treat. You can peruse, shop, visit, sometimes make your own project, and check out our latest endeavours. If you are in the neighborhood, we'd love to see you. Why don't you stop by?

Fabric swap

Today Kerry and I swapped fabric. We each have sewing machines at our own homes. We don't keep sewing machines in the studio, I don't think there would be any room. So, we divide the fabric we own together and periodically trade. It is quite a sight! We each have our fabric in big crates. One of us hauls our crate to the other person's house.

Today, Kerry brought her fabric over to my house. Then, in the living room, we had a fabric explosion! After all, you can't trade fabric without knowing what you have to share. We spent a fair amount of time sorting and combining fabrics and discussing what we could make out of the respective pieces and combinations. Then, we claim the pieces we want to work with and re-pack our boxes.

Today we even created challenges for each other. Actually Kerry gave us both a challenge. To assemble all the items which are already cut out. I don't know about you, but I have a number of items cut and not put together. Nothing huge, just a few pouches, tissue holders, and tote bags, well, quite a few. So, we will see if I can rise to the occasion and finish all the work I have started. Stay tuned for updates, and give me some encouragement to get it all done!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

First the good, Kerry and I received an adorable ephermera pack all the way from Canada from Altered Kat at Great Musings. She has a great blog and a really neat website with wonderful ephemera and embellishments. She does lots of giveaways and offers freebies galore. Thanks Kat, for the great packet of things. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Stop by and visit her when you have a chance.

The bad, we are offering a fabulous class next week--The advent calendar class. (see the photo) We loved making this project! So much so, that we each made two. One for December and one for the fall months. So what's bad about this? We only have two people signed up for the class. We may have to cancel!

We offered lots of classes during our first year in the studio. We pulled back a bit during our second year. Our friends and studio regulars started asking for new and different classes again, so we came up with a few. We have lots of interest and few sign-ups.

So many variables go into whether or not some one signs up for a class. the time of year, holidays, money, other time commitments, family, class topic, etc, etc.... Kerry and I haven't become mind readers, yet. Someday we'll have it down and know how to make everyone happy.
In case you're interested, here are our two classes this season. If you're not local, we're sorry. If you know someone in the area of Boulder and East Boulder County Colorado, pass along the information.

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• November 8 (NEW DATE!!) Magnetic Mixed Media Advent Calendars – perfect for your home or as a special gift. Check out our samples to see the possibilities.
  7:00pm – 9:00pm
  $45
  
• November 27 Collaged Candles and Wine boxes – It’s your call, make as many as you like!
  7:00pm – 9:00pm
  $10 per item

The ugly. Sometimes customers can be tricky. We always hope that our customers are satisfied with their purchases, from Amazon, from our Etsy shop, or from our website. We make every attempt possible to make a customer happy if they are not satisfied with their order. That being said, we have come to realize that some people are hard to please. Others are, in fact, impossible. It is that occasional, impossible person that causes things to get ugly. Recently we had an order for a cute little pendant from our Amazon shop. In fact this pendant has been flying off our bench--we have to keep 4 or 5 in inventory just to keep up! It is simple, it is easy to wear with lots of styles, and it is inexpensive. This pendant is made from something called Crazy Horse Stone. Our gem and stone wholesaler describes this stone this way: Crazy Horse Stone~ A kind of limestone material (from China) exhibiting natural circles and lines of flamboyant colors and combinations. No two pieces are alike. This material mixes well with many colors. Coated with clear epoxy to provide better luster and hardness.

So here is the ugly part, one of the recent customers who ordered this pendant wrote a review (rating us 1 out of 5) that says this: "show and said stone...when real is plastic!!!" Not only that, she has filed a complaint with Amazon against us. This is upsetting to both Kerry and myself. We certainly have offered this customer a refund, but her goal now seems to cause trouble for us.

The truth is, we don't sell plastic jewelry. We don't attempt to misrepresent our jewelry or ourselves in any way. We do want our customers happy. But, how do you resolve a situation with someone who doesn't really want resolution?

So, there it is folks, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I guess we'll tough it out! We hope you all have a great weekend!

Halloween Goodies

I spent a little time in the studio yesterday, getting in the Halloween Spirit. I love Fall and all the things that come with it: changing leaves, chrysanthemums, asters, cool nights, pumpkin patches, apple cider, jack o' lanterns, Halloween, family gatherings, roast turkey, pecan pie, and Thanksgiving.

I made a Halloween candle to go in the guest bathroom. The bathroom is decorated in black and white, including vintage photos (which I should show you) and a few silhouettes that are just beautiful. I wanted the candle to be black and white, too. The Halloween cats are from a vintage postcard. I added the pumpkins as a splash of color. I am pleased with the result.

I also took my first stab at making Artist Trading Cards. I have never made any ATC before. I love the size and the openness of the medium - anything goes. I have been held back because I don't know what to do with them! What is their function? Do they need a function? What do you think?

Anyway, here is my first endeavor into the world of ATC. I am fairly pleased with the result.

Oh- not many people have signed up for our goodie bag give-away. Look at Monday's blog to sign up! Good luck!

Puttering

As I mentioned, we have been puttering in the studio. I decided to make door tags for my girls' rooms. It was purely an experimental project, not too difficult, but I didn't really know what the end result would look like when I started. I just wanted to get my hands working with some of our new materials: papers, letters, and stickers. The frilly yarn, clips, and rubber stamps were ones we already had.

I assembled the tags using Mod Podge as a glue and sealer. The papers came from a large paper stack (on sale) at Hobby Lobby, and ones we had ordered last year from Oriental Trading Company. The stickers are new ones from one of our favorite catalogs, 7 Gypsies. The letters are a pale sparkly green from the dollar section of Target.

The girls were pleased with their new door signs, which made me proud of my work.

Don't forget to sign up for our great giveaway. Check out Monday's blog for the details.

Quote of the Day-

--on creativity

"So you see, imagination needs moodling [sic] - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering."

Brenda Ueland
writer

We have been doing lots of dawdling and puttering with new projects. What have you been working on?

Deal of the Day: Swag Bag Giveaway!

We have some wonderful goodie bags left from our launch party. We would love to share! So it's time for a swag bag giveaway! We will draw a name, at random, to select the winner. To qualify for the giveaway:

• leave us a comment and give us a piece of advice about the best way to get people into our studio;
  
• you must have a US mailing address (which we will contact you for, should your name be drawn);
  
• leave a link to your site or blog, or if you don't have a site or blog, leave your email address;

If you win, you will receive one (1) goodie bag via the USPS. You will receive a bag similar to the ones pictured. The items (and colors of the items) in the bag will vary, but each bag will contain 3 handmade items. The drawing with be on Monday, October 8.

Good Luck! We can't wait to read your comments!

Collections

Actually this relates to the studio tour...Kerry and I are collectors. We collect all sorts of supplies for collage and other art projects. (I won't even mention the fabric we have collected for our sewing endeavours. There are enough bolts for a separate blog!)

We collect yarn. Our most exciting time collecting yarn, was when the local Big Lots sold yarn for $1 a skein. No kidding! The same yarn was being sold at the next door Hobby Lobby for $6 a skein and more!

We also collect paper. Obviously paper is the prime ingredient in decoupage, which is a favorite of ours. We have found paper at lots of sources. Our favorite for unique and interesting papers, but perhaps the most expensive, is Two Hands Paperie in Boulder. But our best deals have been found at Oriental Trading Company. Who knew-- they carry paper!

We also have a fascination with letters. (Or maybe that's just me. No, I actually think Kerry has caught my fascination--no make that addiction or maybe obsession--

with letters. It wasn't hard to convince her, since we both studied English in college.) We collect all types of letters. Letter stickers (note the upper right hand corner of the paper photo), letter paper, letter tiles, chip board letters, and letter stamps.

Our most recent, exciting find came from the Target dollar section. You would never believe what you can find there. And being the thrifty gals that we are, we jumped on the opportunity! We found packages of cardboard letters--they came in colors, patterns and even sparkly green. They were just $1 per package! And if you have done any scrapbooking or letter-related projects, you know what a deal that was.

What collections do you have for your art projects? How do you keep them organized? Sometimes that's the biggest challenge of all!

note: I re-read this, so nice, I can make us sound like collectors, instead of the hoarders we probably really are. ;)

Studio Tour....continued

We have visitors and friends come to the studio on a pretty regular basis, so we need to display our jewelry and other art items in a pleasing way. We have tried lots of different ways to provide an appealing presentation. So far, our latest is my favorite. On the wall we mounted a jewelry display board. This is actually a re-purposed item.This is the top of an old drafting table. We disassembled the table, wrapped the top in batting and then a burgundy fabric. With a coordinating ribbon, and upholstery tacks, we make loops from which we could hang our necklaces and earrings. It has been a useful fixture in the studio. Just this summer, we mounted the display on the wall, rather than using the table stand. Below we have an old cedar chest and some bookshelves to hold our candles, a lamp from our friend Linda, and our clearance items. Above, we hung our F and H collages.
Another of our display pieces is the bakers rack. We found the bakers rack at a local flea market. We spray painted the metal portions black and changed the knobs. We use the bottom portion to hold our art and craft library. The drawers hold pouches and small fabric items we've made. The upper portions hold various jewelry displays, including my favorite wood ones that Kerry's dad made for us.
Our other challenge is to be able to sort and contain all our our art materials, supplies and tools. That will be the topic of another blog....stay tuned.

Re-Purposing

I am cleaning up my sewing room--which is not part of our studio. It is actually my guest room. And the fabric, ribbon, and sewing machine strewn about are not conducive to having my aunt and uncle stay with us next week. And because I am the procrastinator that I am, I decided to take a "cleaning break" and do this blog.
Last spring, as I was trying to organize the materials in my sewing room, I searched around the house for a ribbon organizer. I had an idea. Why not use my old Stoneware Rack from Pampered Chef as a ribbon holder? It sits neatly on a table. It holds each ribbon spool in place. It is even pretty to look at. It is a tidy way of keeping potentially unruly materials in place.
I love the idea of re-purposing unused items for other uses. What interesting things do you use in your house to keep yourself organized?

Treasures from the Studio

We are cleaning out the studio and have put together some fabulous treasures for you. Our new art scrap packs are filled with great goodies. Each pack is one-of-a-kind! There are some great items in the packs that will really add to your art collage and assemblage projects.
Each packet will hold a wide variety of items and no two packs are identical.
Your packs may include:
*Handmade papers
*7 Gypsies sticker sheets
*7 Gypsies tags, large and/or small
*Assorted stickers
*Vintage labels
*Vintage wine or liquor labels
*Vintage doilies
*Assorted Ephemera (tickets, labels, book pages, etc.)
*3/D items: clips, plastic charms, metal pieces
*Milagros
*and much, much more!
We promise an eclectic and generous assortment of items. Look at our etsy store to see pictures of our art packs for sale. These packets would be great for card making, scrapbooking, collage, and other craft projects. Be sure to take a look!

Tray Project, Part 2

Okay, here are the directions for making the tray. Let me know if you have any questions and I would be happy to get back to you. Happy crafting!
Supplies:
-1 wooden tray, tissue box, keepsake box or other item to decoupage
-Hand written messages (you could use color photos or copies of other original art however I would recommend having them color copied with a non-smudge ink at your local copy store)
-1 large jar Mod Podge (I chose gloss finish)
-1 foam brush
-Colored paper scraps, (I used an assortment of handmade papers ordered from the Oriental Trading Company; if you choose standard colored tissue paper, check to see that it is colorfast, most isn’t)
-A Bone Folder or Flat Popsicle stick

Step 1 -Develop a plan for where to lay out your memorabilia. You can lay them on your tray (with no Mod Podge) to see if they will fit; do any trimming now.
Step 2 -Choose colored paper scraps for your base layer, be sure that they are the size, shapes and colors that you need. You can use lots of smaller ones for a more collaged effect.
Step 3 -Begin adhering the paper to the tray. I generally coat the back of the paper with a thin layer of Mod Podge and lay it on the tray. I press to smooth out any bubbles. A bone folder is helpful in this step; or use my favorite tool: fingers. Repeat this step until you have one surface covered in paper.
Step 4 -Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the covered surface. You may see some air bubbles at this point. Use your fingers to smooth them; most of them will resolve when the Mod Podge is dry.
Step 5 -Let the surface dry until no longer wet, it may be slightly tacky to the touch.
Step 6 -Repeat steps 3 – 5 until all the tray surface are covered with paper and sealed. Then adhere the messages or memorabilia in the same way the paper was applied.
Step 7 -When you are satisfied with the look of your item, apply a thin, even layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface. Let dry. Repeat. I would suggest 2 – 3 coats in for an item that may be handled. You can apply multiple layers for a more durable surface.

The Mod Podge will be dry to the touch in a few hours. It will take several days to “cure.” The surface can be cleaned by wiping with a dry or slightly damp (not wet) cloth.
I hope you enjoy this project. I enjoyed making it, and I know the teacher enjoyed receiving it. Let me know if you give it a try!

Tray Project, Part 1

The end of the school year is jam packed with so many activities, my head is spinning. Regular field trips, end of the year field trips, literacy night, the learning fair, teacher appreciation week, and the other culminating activities are enough to make kids, teachers, and parents batty. Then you throw in the nice warm weather, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day we all end up with spring fever!

This year, I was the parent coordinator for the teacher appreciation gift for my eldest daughter’s 2nd grade teacher. I liked the project so much; I thought I would share it and the directions, so you could do this project, too. It would be a great gift for a teacher or grandparent, or even a wedding or baby shower.

I made a decoupage tray (actually 2 trays, one for the teacher and one for the student teacher)and tissue box. In order to get ready for the project, I had each student write a message to the teacher. I provided an artist quality paper, cut in a 3 x 3 inch square and some archival, non-smudge, fine tip markers and pens. Each child had to think of their message, use their best spelling and handwriting, and sign their name.

This was a wonderful part of the project. Each child put their best effort into thinking and writing something wonderful to their teacher. One child even wrote “You changed my life!” It can’t get much more heartwarming than that!

When I took the messages home, I began assembly of the tray. Check back in tomorrow’s blog for step by step instructions.