My New Bag

Isn't she lovely!
Just Make Something Monday #9

I am loving this bag!  I found this tutorial on Elizabeth Hartman's blog Oh, Fransson.  I fell in love with the black flowered bag in the photo.  I had such a great shape.  The fabric was not something I could come satisfactorily close to in the local fabric shop, but I do like what I chose. 
Not ever having made a bag before I didn't realize how big this bag would end up.  I had thought to use it as a purse, but in the end decided it would work very well for carrying around my portable projects.  Right now it houses some of the yarn I plan to use in making some crocheted granny squares (pattern also found on another blog) that will hopefully become a couple of pillows and a throw for my bed.  Funny thing is...I don't crochet.  The pattern is for advanced beginners, but I am determined.  I like doing new things.  I do that a lot when we have company over for dinner.  Our guests are always guinea pigs for some new dish I'm trying, but I digress (as I often do). 
This bag is destined to become my frequent companion.  I love the contrasting lining, the pockets and the vintage button I used from my beloved button box.  It is so well constructed.  I say this not to pat myself on the back, but to give praise to Elizabeth.  It is very sturdy and ever so attractive.   True, it took me many hours to make, but it has been awhile since I made anything of substance on my sewing machine.  I think my husband felt a little neglected, but he has resigned himself quite nicely to my year long commitment to craft.  I promise I made it up to him later.  Digressing again (sigh...I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it)...
Needless to say, I enjoyed making this bag very much.   I learned a lot from making Elizabeth's bag.  Things I will be able to use in my own future projects.  The wheels are turning.

I am making myself a list of all the projects I plan to work on in the months to come.  How is it possible that there is always something new being added to this list that I am excited about doing?

Somewhat craft related:
I am participating in a stationery swap.  Fun, fun, fun!  Who knows how I ended up there, but I signed up to participate in it on Megan's blog Time After Tea.  (Oh the joys of blog hopping!)
I am torn between asking my partner what she would like and just totally surprising her.  I hope she isn't too disappointed in the fact that I'm in the states.  After all the swap host is in Austrailia and from what I've learned from my partner's blog, she likes to travel.   Oh well, Florida is like its own little country.  I'm sure I can come up with something lovely for her.  I love the challenge of making the most of a $15 spending limit.

(Oh my goodness.  I am a super word nerd and I just discovered I've been spelling stationery incorrectly all my life!  I always spelled it stationary!!  Thanks Megan for helping me learn something new.  Just don't tell my Mom.  She's where I inherited my nerdiness.  In a good way.)

Busy Blog Hopping

How difficult it is to write on my own blog when I am so busy looking at all the other wonderful blogs out there.

I think that I shall soon have to make a list of them to share. 

But not until after my JMSM project #9 is done.  I refuse to be late on it this time.

I hope it's as cute as I think it will be.

Yay, I Did It!!!

(JMSM #8 - Just look at my lovely new header)

Oh my goodness, that was painful, but I finally did it!!

Several hours of my life used in the relentless pursuit of success!

I like the way it turned out.  I'd better.

I think it may be awhile before I try that again.  There's got to be a better way.

If you'd like to know how I did it here's the link.  It still took me some time to figure out, but I'm just a little challenged like that.

The only thing I'm not totally crazy about is the size of the header and the color of the background.
I can live with both.  I tried several different background colors, but white seemed to work the best.

What do you think?

(Yawn...is it really 2 am?)

May I Vent?

Good grief!!!  I have just spent far too many hours trying to create a header for my blog.

I really want this to be a happy place, but right now I am not very happy.

I thought it would be much easier.

I created something that will be satisfactory for awhile, but I CAN NOT figure out how to get it where I want it.

It's just ignorance really.  I'm sure there is an easier way to do it, I just don't know what it is.

I so wanted to get this done today.  It was my JMSM project.  This will be the third week in a row. 
Aargh!!!

Well, I'm off to find my happy place.....while I do the bills.

Maybe I'll find a happy place tomorrow.

For the Hubster

The Official Just Make Something Monday #7 (on Wednesday)

Almost 23 years ago I married my best friend.  I love him now more than ever.

  At the time we were very young (only 19) with limited money so we honeymooned at the local beach.  It was still lots of fun for us because we had only moved to Florida from Texas 7 days earlier.  During our honeymoon we collected quite a few shells and we purchased the one in the frame above at a shell shop.  I loved how it consisted of two pieces that fit so perfectly together.  I thought it was the perfect representation of the  commitment that we had just made.  And we did, and still do, fit so perfectly together.

So, for almost 23 years this little shell has been sitting in a box waiting for the day when I would finally get around to doing something with it.  Over time it has held up very well and only has a few small chips to mar its surface.  I'm happy to say that our marriage has also managed to make it to today with only a few tiny rough spots itself.  Now our little shell has found a permanent home.  A place to be displayed where we can see it often and be reminded of the wonderful beginning of the love we are still living.  It makes me happy to see it. 

I've wanted to stitch on paper for a while and I thought it would be a nice understated way to add depth to the finished product without taking away from the shell and the quote.  I think I was a bit hesitant to add too much and mess it up, but I'm learning.  I think it still needs something, but I couldn't decide what.  Hopefully, I will stretch a bit more with my next project.  I hope you can tell that the shell is supposed to be under water and it's surrounded by seaweed and bubbles. 

I was inspired by Rebecca Sower's style and wanted to add lots of dimension and texture.  I started with a nice colored piece of scrapbook paper, sewed on it with the sewing machine, and handstitched the beads on.

  I hand stamped the quote on a piece of muslin.  I wanted to add color to the white fibers I used for seaweed so I used watercolors and dried them with a heat gun.  I wasn't sure it would work, but I like it.  I added some plain white ones to break up the monotony of the blue.  I had wondered how I was going to attach the heart and in the end I just hot glued it on. 

The frame was what actually kept me from posting this on Monday.  It is a Martha Stewart frame that started its life in black satin fabric.  I wanted it to look like driftwood so I painted on two coats of gesso.  Once that was dry I painted it with tan paint and followed that with brown that I painted on then wiped off with a paper towel.  Voila, driftwood.  Or at least something that resembles it close enough for me.

(dark color before completely wiped off on bottom portion)

(after wiping off)

I'm giving it to my love when he gets home late this evening.  I know the shell means more to me than it does to him, but I also know that he loves it when I take time to celebrate our love.  He'll give me that smile that he has whenever something I do makes him feel special.  That smile that makes me feel special too.

Hello Card

Well, this is not what I intended to post today.  For one thing I'm supposed to make something  new every week to post on Monday, but alas I cannot today.  I'm learning you can't make something for Monday by starting it on Sunday.  Who'd-a-thunk!  Especially if it involves paint, sewing, stamping and other stuff.  I'm trying something new, (Oooh, I do love trying new things) but it won't be done until Wednesday.  Barring, of course, any unforseen hurricanes and since I have three children and live in Florida.....one never knows.  To make it up to you (that is if there are any of you) I'm going to post a card I made not too long ago.  Then I'll post my project on Wednesday and I'll try to do it earlier in the day.  I don't like to make people wait.  Even if they might just be imaginary people in my head.

I think it's cute.  My inspiration was my desire to use some $1 stickers I bought at Target a while back.  It's hard to see in the picture, but they have sparkly dots on them.  I love like, a whole lot, (had to change that for my father-in-law since he's so fond of reminding us that one can only love people, not things) (Love yah, Dad!) the dollar bins at Target.  There's always something fun to play with there.

By-the-way, yesterday's Stuffed French Toast was amazing!!!  Everyone loved it.  You must try!

Ugh!  My photos are so unfabulous.  I'm working on it though.  I simply can't embarass my amazingly talented photographer sister with these sub-par photos.  She deserves better. 

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Heart Day Everyone

Looking forward to a lazy day just hanging out with my family.

Anxious to spoil them with Raspberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast, from here, for breakfast,

Spicy Alaskan Cod with asparagus for dinner and

Crock Pot Chocolate Cake, from here, for dessert.

Well, maybe I'm spoiling myself too.