Vintage linen pillow

I have been collecting vintage linens for awhile. They are so pretty and unique. So I finally got around to using some of them. For this project I used a 14" x 14" pillow form, new white & yellow cotton ruffle trim, a piece of soft yellow bedspread, a striped pale blue sheet and an embroidered finger towel.


I loved the embroidery on this towel. I cut it to size to use as a front panel. I stitched it to a piece of the blue striped sheet.


Then I pinned the ruffle trim between the blue striped piece and the yellow bedspread piece. Putting right sides against each other. I stitched around 3 1/2 sides of the pillow, turned it inside out and stuffed the pillow through the opening. (next time I am making this a pillow case so it is easier to get the pillow form in and out of - duh to me) I then hand stitched the rest. I just love how it turned out. If my bedroom were these colors I would keep it for myself, but I am put it in my Etsy shop or sell at the next craft fair.

Flower Power

I love today's weather - a nice cool breeze on an normally hot August day. One day closer to the weekend - yeah !

I have finally made some flowers that I have seen a lot of lately. The five cream flowers are made from an ivory chiffon. I just roughly cut circle shapes out randomly. Then I lightly held the fabric circle by a candle flame to heat the edges to singe them. Sometimes getting to close for my own fingers. Maybe next time I will try using my long handled tweezers to hold it. Then I just stacked the layers and sewed 3 simple beads in the center. Not sure what I will use these for yet, but you can now find them on headbands, pins, hair pins, clothing, purses. The other two flowers I die cut fabric scrapes and linen with my sizzix flower petals die - it cut really well. Then I pinched some of the smaller petals and hot glued them in the centers. Then I glued four of those onto the next size petal and so on. I continued layering the petals. I really love how these turned out.

On my Walk

So I took an hour plus walk at lunch yesterday and this is some pictures I took. I really tried to take in the sights that I normally just take for granted. It was a beautiful walk. I need to do this more often. The Chicago lakefront, flowers by Buckingham Fountain and Buckingham Fountain. So I email Jason (my oldest son) the picture of me by Buckingham fountain and ask him to guess where I was walking during lunch - He emails back and asks if that was a retirement home !! Oh I that kid makes me laugh !!!

A Cold Candle?

I got this idea from a magazine and for the life of me I can't remember which one - (I am admitting an addiction to all magazines related to creating - guilty pleasure) SO easy to make. I bought a thrifted sweater and cut the sleeve to fit around a glass candle holder. Tucked the edge slightly under the bottom and glue it with modge podge. Let it dry completely and cut a piece of self adhesive cork for the bottom to make sure it was a nice smooth surface. It needed something extra and I already had the ribbon flower pin made just waiting to be used on something. The ribbon flower was also easy to make. Just use a piece of wired ribbon - pull the ribbon along one side of the wire, turning as you go and forming it how you like. It is easy to manipulate. Then I glued a felt circle to the back and secured a pin back. I glued some scrap bead trim and there you nave it. So this is a dual purpose creation - beautiful candle holder that will provide a soft glow when lit and a bonus flower ribbon pin - So cute and fun to make. I already have some other ones in the works. Just think of the possibilities.

Banner fun

Who doesn't have tons of paper scraps. I know I do and I don't now why I can't seem to throw them out. SO I decided to put them to use. I punched a bunch of double sided patterned and solid card stock with two scallop punches in different sizes, circles Sizzix die and the party hat sizzix die. I randomly sewed them together with pink thread. I really need to use my sewing machine with paper more often - SO EASY. I ended up with 28 feet of paper banner fun !!!! Great colors and patterns - (pinks, creams, tans, silver) I am going to put this in my etsy shop this week. It will be great for any girly party - young or old.

Treasures

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to treasure hunt at estate sales. I never know what I am going to find. Sometimes it seems sad that people's entire belongings are sold to strangers - Where is the family, what happened to the owners, what is the history behind the stuff I buy.



So the first one I went to I got a vintage scrabble game - I pick them up all the time, I know have 4 or 5 of them. Some small wooden plaques that I will upcycle to create something fun with, 5 felt stuffed shapes - just thought they were kinda cool, a brand new pack of white tissue paper (always comes in handy), a big baggy full of costume jewlery (some junk, but some cool stuff I can re-use), a few wooden shapes I can craft into something and this real cool vintage photgraph album full of pictures for the 1920's and 1930's. This is one of those things I wonder why a family member didn't want. Maybe she had no family, so I gave I a home. All those goodies for 10.00



The second one I went to had a houseful of stuff. But I managed to find two pillow cases(not in the picture) that have some really cool pink edging on the end, one of my favorite finds is the vintage bird cage, two metal angel ornaments, a metal bird ornament, a metal snowflake, a vintage Fannie Mae valentines day tin. I have had another one of these for a few years and saw this one and thought it needed a buddy. It had some small heart fabric shapes inseide - bonus !! Got all those goodies for 7.00. So all in all a good treasure day. I posted a few more things in my Etsy shop and I noticed I got added to my first Treasury - So cool.

Time Flies

I have so neglected my blog but not any more !!! I am dedicated to trying to post everyday and also focus on creating. I have revived my Etsy store. Today I listed a few things, some tags and my finished chalkboard frames. Speaking of chalk, Jason told me someone had defaced the back yard - Well, Jason took some chalk I had out on the table and wrote on the back driveway a common thing he has been saying about Tank - Poor Tank, he gets so much verbal abuse from Jason and he doesn't even know it. Today Tank and I went for a 4 mile walk. We were walking by some people and I heard a few guys say "now there is a dog". I am so proud of my handsome Tank. Another walk that was kinda hot for him - he spends so much time cooling off. I am really careful not to overheat my poor little pup.


Back to my creative side - I am hoping that someone likes them enough to buy them. I really like these cute little tags.



I am also starting to think about making some Halloween stuff - It's only August but it gives enough time to create some good stuff.
Create away !!!!

2010 - Journal & Word = Choice

Part of my 2010 goals is to create something everyday (or at least try) and I didn't get this finished before midnight so it is technically 1/2/09, but I still haven't gone to bed, so I think it still counts. So to start the year out, I wanted to make a journal to document all the positive for 2010 and it will go along with my word for the year which is "CHOICE". I used a vintage readers digest book front and back cover, I stamped and embossed some vintage French text, I used some scrap velvet ribbon, I used the definition of choice from a 1930's dictionary page in the metal frame, I embossed a die cut of a bird and distressed with vintage photo ink, I stamped and embossed a manila tag with vintage photo ink and clear embossing powder and tied it with scrap ribbon. The inside is blank pages using various shades of green, tan and white cardstocks. I am going to use this to doodle in, document moments, add pictures, write different positive sayings etc. Anything that really comes to mind. I wanted to use large rings so I can easily add pages later if needed. I can't wait to see what it turns out to be at the end of the year. I choose the word choice because I need to make different choices and the only way to achieve change is by the choices I make. So this word doesn't focus on just one aspect of my life my all of it. It is going to be a great journey and I am so ready for it. The choice is MINE - that is so powerful, don't you think?

WELCOME 2010

So goodbye 2009- lets just say it was some year -

January - Tank celebrated his first birthday 1/22/09, traveled to NY for work

February - Archivers with the scrapin ho's (Laura, Maryann and Nancy, an actual Valentine's dinner date with Jackie and Mitchell Harris and Kathy Banta at Il Mulino's, saw Elaine Harris's performance in Amadeus, decided to get a body wave (no, not a frizzy perm !)

March - Scrapbooking weekend in Lake Geneva (Laura, Eileen, Maryann and Theresa), dinner with the Henz (Daphne, Michelle and Tracy), Brooke Brynes bridal shower

April - Attended Daphne's dad's service, did a road trip to ISU to see Pat Brynes in Evita, 12-hour crop at Archivers.

May - Emma Ferriter's communion party, went to North Carolina to attend a creative event called Inspired, walked in the American Cancer Society walk and roll with Tank (and Daphne and Tracy and a few others), club at Lynn's new house and a crop at Archivers.

June - Went to Old Town Art Fair and then to Jackie Swift's and Meg Rowley's for open houses, went to Joe Ferriter's high school graduation party.

July - Crop at Archivers, went to visit Jackie Swift in Boston and New Hampshire, Grandpa Zudycki passed away on 7/24/09, Lauren McGovern's accident happened this month (there was and still is a lot of prayer for this strong little girl)

August - Brian came home for a long weekend, went to St. Charles Scrapbook expo for the weekend and sold stuff int he Scrapbook consignment sale.

September - Went to dinner with some work friends and went out on Gerard Burke's boat on Lake Michigan, went to Renegade craft fair on Division St., went to dinner with the Henz,

October - got a short haircut - yikes !, was a vendor at the St. Laurence craft fair and went to the Croppin Cottage. (celebrated my 44th birthday - how did I get so old)

November - scrapbooking at an event in Norridge and at Archivers

December - Had Ria, Red, Meg and Carolyn over for holiday movies and dinner, Micky O'Donnell passed away, another hair cut and went to Nancy's for the scrapin Ho's holiday get together.

Just some tidbits to jot down as to what happened in 2009. I am really looking forward to 2010 - I am ready for change and the choice is mine !!!!! Choice is my word for 2010 - I have the power to make choices for what will be and what I will make of my life, so let the journey begin. Getting healthy, personal changes, overall attitude changes, job refocus, lessoning expectations, releasing negativity - all kinds of good stuff. It is just a huge thing to be at this point in my brain. Its been awhile since I have had the desire to work on something.

So I welcome 2010 and all it has to offer.........

(and since 10 is my favorite number, I think it will be an even better year right !?)

December Daily Journal - 2009

It's been awhile since I have posted - I have been working on something new a December Journal. I got the project from Ali Edwards. The idea is to create thebasic book to be ready for each day as it comes. Once I have journaling and pictures, I can embellish a bit further. There is a page for the first 25 days of December, maybe I will go to the end of the month. Each page captures a memory of that day. I really like how my journal came out. It was fun to create. This started with a 7x7 album kit from Fancy Pants. There were chipboard pages, acrylic pages and two black felt pages. I made some of my own pages from card stock and file folders. Easy to do by tracing the shape. It is not bound yet, I am still trying to decide how I want to do this.

Cover page - using fabric thickers, quickutz die for red frame, cardboard mat, reindeer is grunge board covered with distress crackle paint with bells, ribbon and hemp around his neck and the hollies are distress stickles. Gold oval is chipboard covered with distress crackle paint. Of course edges are inked with distress ink.

1st day page is a Theresa Collins journaling spot, scallop circle punched from vintage book text with a daisy d rub on. Edges distressed with distress ink. 2nd day page is on an acrylic page. Chipboard "Christmas Memories" from K & Company on patterned cardstock. Foam Thicker for number two on patterned paper with chipboard star

3rd page, backside of acrylic page, patterned cardstock with dollar store corner metal looking embellishments, red and green fabric flowers with chipboard center and brad, felt number 3. 4th page is black felt with ivory snowflake ribbon and felt red number 4. Stocking die cut from K&Company.

4th page, backside of black felt page, patterned dies cuts from K & Company, patterned paper with Theresa Collins journaling sheet, felt number five. 6th page is patterned cardstock with cardstock mats, Hambly scroll rub-ons, felt number six and K & Company chipboard piece.

7th page is backside of patterned cardstock, scroll die cut from a monthly kit, red metal gems and red felt number seven. 8th page has vintage Santa die cur, scallop circle from vintage book text, red felt number and acrylic gold corner pieces.

9th page is patterned paper with felt trees, gold chipboard oval painted with distress crackle paint and foam thicker number. 10th page is a file folder stamp with Tim Holtz stamps and embossed with copper embossing powder. satin and lace ribbon. Grunge board numbers embossed with copper embossing powder.

Page 11 is backside of file folder. Martha Stewart paper pocket with backside of paper used as a journaling card. Border scallop punch is EK success, number 11 die cut from cuttle bug hippie chick font, pearl stickers and felt angel from hobby lobby. 12th page is patterned paper, with dove diecut from manila file folder, chipboard Thickers letter

13th page - patterned cardstock, with snowflake lace cardstock centered with pink gem brads and pink number Thickers. 14th page is a black felt page, with scallop patterned paper and red felt letters, dots and ornament. Black fabric Thickers for number 14

15th page is backside of black felt page, with metal tape of quickutz border scroll die. Red and green ribbon with quickutz ornament die using metal quickutz tape. Red foil thicker numbers. 16th page is an acrylic page with patterned cardstock, nestabilites label out of vintage ledger paper and red felt letters.

17th page is backside of dotted acrylic page with small nestabilites die from vintage ledger paper and green chipbord thicker numbers and metal tree. 18th page is file folder with K & Company mat patterned cardstock, twill ribbon, vintage dictionary text with the word holiday, brown foam thicker number and felt holly

19th page is backside of file folder with chipboard K & Company joy label, quickutz border embossing folder, scallop circle punched from vintage book text and smaller scalloped circle from green cardstock, green chipboard thicker numbers. 20th page is patterned cardstock, with quickutz border embossing folder, K & Company chipboard tag, with gold number diecut from hippie chick cuttlebug font.

21st page is K & Company cardstock, bazzil just the edge green scallop, ivory glitter thicker numbers. 22nd page is an acrylic page with muslin scrap, cardstock scraps, back sticker numbers and my version of Tim Holtz 12 days of Christmas tags from 2008. (tag has grunge board letter, buttons, vintage book text, brads and metal joy word

23 rd page is backside of acrylic page - edged with white dots - same scrap cardstock and muslin from page 22 - its folded over the top. black number stickers. This is another tag of my version of Tim Holtz's 12 days of Christmas. 24th page is red patterned cardstock with scrap cardboard, edged with fake snow, Jillibean cardboard numbers with same fake snow on a distress mail tag tied with ribbon. K & Company sticker embellishment 'Be Merry"

Another page for 24 using Love Elise embossed tree cardstock, ribbon two chipboard tags from K & Company, Nestabilites tree die from vintage book text with black fabric thicker numbers. 25th page using patterned foil cardstock with felt numbers and chipboard label from K & Company.