Aches, Pains and Stampin' Up! Sunday

Where do I start?  Guess I'll start by saying I'm going in to have back surgery tomorrow.  That will probably mean no crafty posts for a while.  Since I can post to blogger from my iphone though, when I'm feeling better, maybe even from the hospital (bored stiff), I'll pop in and let you know I'm fine.  If you don't hear from me, just know I'm probably heavily medicated and in a happy place.  lol

And to add insult to injury (pun intended), I pulled a muscle in my leg on Friday night.  I couldn't even walk and thought I ripped a tendon but was assured if I had, I wouldn't even be able to walk.  So, I missed the craft show with the girls on Saturday but sent my make-up bags for them to sell.  None of the vendors did very well but it was the first time the event added vendors and no one came prepared to shop.  No worries for us because it can just sit as stock until the next event.  Anyway, I iced my leg off and on all day Saturday and was 70% better on Sunday.  I was even able to climb the stairs at work today.  Yay!  And YES, I'm at work today even though I should be at home preparing for surgery!

Yesterday was my daughter Stephanie's Stampin' Up! Big Shot class.  We made four projects.  We decorated this jar with rosettes made with the Stampin' Up! Designer Rosette maker die.  You can make them without the die by scoring the paper but boy, this was much easier!!

The other three projects were a little memory book, a treat box and a flower clip.

This is the memory book sample.  We used the argyle embossing folder (gray background) and a Hostess stamp set called A Little Ocassion.  There are so many cute little designs and borders on it.  VERY cute set!

This is my book I made.  Stephanie ran out of gray paper so I got a pinky orange.  I don't remember the name of the color it it worked out fine.  Of course, I used the scissors from the same stamp set.  I just need to find some pictures of craftying pictures to tuck inside.  They'll have to be small pictures as the pages in this little book measure about 3x3".

Here is the inside of the book.  It only uses one 12x12" sheet of designer series paper.  We embellished the pages with punched shapes.  Real cute idea.

This is the sample candy box Stephanie did.  We the same Hostess stamp set, the Candy Wrapper die, the argyle embossing folder and some punches.  This would be an adorable baby shower favor.

This is the one I made.  Would be perfect for a baby's first birthday.

Okay, that's it for me.  If you wouldn't mind, please keep me in your prayers.  Me and the surgeon can use all the help we can get!!

Sew, Sew, Sew

I finished 10 drawstring bags for the craft show.  It's not a lot but with my daughters also making things, I feel like I don't have to kill myself.  Yay!  :o)

I found this adorable print at the discount fabric store.  This would make a cute lunch bag.  I used what I had bought, so of course, I had to go back and get a few more yards!!  lol  I think it would be cute to make a fabric sack with a boxed bottom.  This fabric is so cute, it would be a cute whatever.....apron, pot holders, table topper....


The green bag in the back was made at the retreat I was at in Indiana.  Since I got the first bag made and was out of projects to do, I asked one of the girls that headed back to the quilt shop to get me some fabric off the sale table.  Usually I over pack but this was a first!  lol  The bag in front has an adorable western print purchased at the same discount store.  I love the little "rope" drawstring.

And lastly, I got two different car prints.  Can't you just picture these full of little Hot Wheels?  One of the ladies at the retreat made a bag out of car fabric for her grandson so when I saw this fabric, I scooped it right up.

I only have three make-up bags from the last batch I made so back to the cutting table!  I'm burning through the zipper stash I had built up but that's why I bought a bulk lot on ebay.  I better make some money so I can stock back up.

Card Night

Last night was craft night.  We had a nice little gathering with my buddies Neena, Susan and Irene.  Neena played with some new stamps she got and her BIG set of Copic markers.  Man, those things are cool but I'm not there yet.  I can resist them especially when I see the price.  Sheesh, they must have liquid gold inside!!!

Irene and I made a Father's Day card for our hubbies.  We kind of used this card as our inspiration but we didn't want such Christmassy colors.  The woman who made this card blogged about it here in case you want more info.

All I really had the same as her was black and the stamp!  :o)  But this is what me and Irene came up with.  This is her card...

And this is mine.  I think they came out pretty good.  I jotted down the dimensions so I can make a few more for my birthday card box.  I know a lot of guys in the family golf and I never have masculine birthday cards.  I'm going to fix that!!

Off to go work on finishing up the bags for the craft show.  All I have left is to thread the cording through them.  I had to go buy some first.  I'm almost done and then onto something else.  Maybe more make-up bags.  I only have three left!

American Jane Trunk Show

Sandy Klop of American Jane fabric line for Moda was the guest speaker at our guild meeting on Tuesday.  I don't get to too many meetings.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe because I do the Yahoo quilt group and have my social time with "real people" on Thursday nights with my girlfriends.  I do get the newsletters though and when I saw it was going to be an American Jane quilt show, I knew I didn't want to miss it.  I didn't want to go alone so I wrote my wise older sister Isabel and told her my dilemma.  She said she would go if it she were me.  (And honestly, she loves American Jane fabrics.  I think she wished she was me for just a minute.  Just a minute and then she would come to her senses!  lol)

This is Sandy at the podium giving us a little background on herself.  She is a sweet and funny lady.  Her life is very interesting and if you ever get a chance to see her, do it!

Here are a few pictures I took of the quilts.  Unfortunately, I was sitting in the middle of the room and every time I zoomed in on a quilt, it darkened the photo.  It was something about my flash I guess.  This was one of the better ones.  This one of her current patterns and this was the quilt she was teaching a workshop for the next day.  Ohhhh, don't you know I wish I didn't have to work!!!  Me and Isabel both both templates to make this quilt when we were at Road to CA.  It's on our to-do list.  *That is one whopper of a list!*

I believe this was a BOM she did with her group.  Isn't this a striking quilt?  The picture doesn't do it justice.  The whole room moaned when they opened it up. 

This one is a school quilt.  From the first block where the school bus is there to the last block where she is buying new school clothes, it covers it all.

This one was inspired by the Pennsylvania Dutch.  Little floating blocks!  Adorable.

If you would like to see the entire album of pictures, I put them on my webshots and you can see them here.

Wedding Card

Going to a wedding today on a boat in Newport Beach. It should be beautiful since it's about 78 degrees today. This is a card I saved on pinterest that I thought I would try to make.

This is the link if you would like the dimensions to make the pretty card.  I didn't have all of the punches and dies they used but here is the card I made.  I printed the saying on my computer.  Thought it turned out okay.  I'm sure the bride will like it.  She loves pink!  :o)



Making' Bags

I've had a little trouble getting my mojo going. It could be the beautiful weather we're having in southern California lately but it's not like I've been out working in my yard. The weeds are proof of that!! :-)

But...I spent some time in my sewing room tonight so it's all good. I'm making these bags for the craft show I'm doing with my girls in a few weeks.
It's a family affair as my sister-in-law is hosting a community event and added the craft fair. I really don't expect to do too well since its a first time event but at least I'll have some inventory!!

Back in the room I go!!

Testing...

I saw a notice that there was an app for blogger so you can 'blog on the go'. I thought it might be a nice feature to have to blog some quick check-ins kind of like we all do on facebook.   So, this is just a test from my iphone.   The picture is just added in for the test.   It's a vinyl cut out from a Cricut cartridge and applied to a plain jar from Michaels. :-)