Today is my boss's birthday. She loves things homemade. The thing is, lately all I do is sew. I don't make that many cards because by the time I get out all my papers and supplies, decide on the layout, the event or holiday is over! lol Last night I decided I HAD to make her a card. I had picked up a gift card from Williams Sonoma. She's quite the shopper and the woman has everything. So, I found one of those big packs of scrapbook paper I must've bought a couple years ago at Michaels. I didn't even know what was in there. Then I found a box of ribbons I picked up at Costco, still unopened! They just so happened to match perfectly. Yay! So I took out a cream colored card and envelope from my stash, put some pretty paper and ribbon on it, stamped a happy birthday greeting, made a flower out of a punch I had (Stampin' Up!) and wahlah, card done and I was very happy with it.
The tin is what I used to put her gift card in. It was recycled from a watch my hubby got a few Christmas's ago. I used the same paper on the plastic insert section, added more of the ribbon and another little flower cut out. Before adding the ribbon, I used ModgePodge to glue the paper down to the tin. I put a strip of matching paper around the sides too. It came out better then I expected!! :o)

Sewing Block Parts

I'm trying to stay on top of the piles. Seems like things have been so busy going places, people visiting, etc. This weekend I didn't have anything planned and actually got to sew! Yeehaw! Worked on some Storm at Sea blocks for a swap. They're going pretty quick and it feels great to be behind my sewing machine.

Yesterday it was 80 degrees here so I got outside and pulled weeds. I don't do yardwork and my fingers were a little sore but today no aching bones so I guess I didn't overdo it. It's supposed to be nice all week and I have another area in the yard that needs work. As much as I hate doing it, I do enjoy when it's done and purdy.

Scrap Therapy

I went to a retreat this weekend in Apple Valley, CA. Me and my buddy Sherrie drove the hour and a half to the Ambassador Hotel. The retreat was hosted by our local sewing machine store, Moore's Sewing Center, that opened a new store in that area. It was a really nice set up with the machines provided so no lugging our babies with us. We learned about sorting and cutting our scrap fabrics and made a wall hanging on Sunday. Both of the teachers we had were great. On Saturday we had Scrap Therapy with Joan Ford. http://www.scrap-therapy.com/index.html We cut our scraps into usable squares and started our little the piles in our new clear plastic shoebox. We made star blocks with our freshly cut pieces. I got visions of a scrappy quilt in my future!!! It is very doable and the one thing she said that stuck with me the most is cutting those scraps is VERY overwhelming. Start with a handful. So that's what I'm going to do! (Stay tuned to see how long my the excitement lasts.) lol

On Sunday, we did a wall hanging with Betty Cotton of The Cotton Theory. http://www.quiltyard.com/index.phtml Betty had her daughter Katie with her. What a sweet couple of ladies. The class was great and both Sherrie and I DID finish our wallhanging in the class. Well, almost. We quilted front and back but we need to do is add the binding. Oh, and cut up 3 baskets of scraps, give or take a couple! :o)

Buttons and Bows

I receieved this adorable collage from Becca, the lady who works part-time in our office. I have played bunco with her for years and now that she works in the office, I get goodies from her too! Yay!! She does all kinds of beautiful shadow boxes with baby names and collectibles. Very cute stuff!! In case you can't read the little card (I couldn't get a close up without shadows or bright flash spots in the reflection), it says:

"Families are like quilts

Lives pieced together

Stitched with smiles and tears

colored with memories

and bound by love."

I put it in my sewing room of course! And it looks mahvelous dahling!!!!! :o)

Danbury Mint meets Ideal!

It's all my sisters fault!! She told me before Christmas that she found a Shirley Temple doll on ebay and that I should go look. She sent me a link and the rest is history. Two Shirley Temple dolls, seven outfits and a doll trunk later, I decide that my older sister has more influence over me than I thought! hehe

Here's how it happened. I bid on a 14" Danbury Mint (DM) Shirley in a Wee Willie Winkie outfit and won. I'll post her pic later. A week or more later, I found 6 outfits in one lot but they don't say what size doll they fit and I assume since they are also DM that they would fit my doll. Wrong! I won that auction, got the package but they look a little big. My poor little Shirley was swimming in her clothes. Interesting. I called my sister and she tried an outfit she had gotten on a vinyl Shirley doll she had from the 70's and wah-lah, they fit her perfectly. So back to ebay I go, this time with a search of a 16" Ideal Shirley Temple doll. Once again, I won!! Doesn't anyone else bid on ebay! Somebody stop me! lol

The "Ideal" Shirley arrived yesterday and is pictured here. She said she likes the name "Ideal Shirley". :o) By the looks of her hair, it must've been a rought trip but it combed up nice and the curls came right back. She had on a different dress when she arrived so we put her in this lovely little DM outfit from the movie Curly Top. It is a perfect fit, as are her undies that came with this outfit. I'd show you but Shirley said I am way over the top with my camera. hehe

Late Christmas or Early Birthday?

Is it just me or is red the best color in the world??? :o) After Christmas I went on-line and found this great set of 4 dishtowels at gooseberrypatch.com. The white pitcher was $14.99 before Christmas and I bought it thinking I'd use it for a gift for our family gathering but found something else instead. Of course, I wasn't going to send the pitcher baaaack! I would've had to pay shipping. I threw away the box. Um, I had grown attached. lol

Now, can you see that adorable little crocheted red dress? That was an early birthday gift that came today from a sweet friend of mine, Angela at countrycellar.com. Isn't it cute? And doesn't it just fit right in? I LOVE it! She is so talented. She does all kinds of prim stuff so I'm not sure if making this was taking her outside of her comfort zone or not..........but I'm so glad she made it!

My sis is coming in tonight on the train to stay the night and tomorrow we're off for Road to California, our biggest quilt show. I've got my loot in my wallet, my camera charged and my sneakers dusted off and I'm ready to go. (Most people don't have to dust off their sneakers but mine aren't used for anything resembling exercise so you get the picture.) I'll take lots of pictures so check back soon.

Letting go and moving on...

I'm embarrassed to say that I only finished two of my ornaments for my family this Christmas. Today, I came to terms with the fact that I didn't finish them on time for our family gathering and packed them up in a box. I keep telling myself not to put them too far away and I can be REALLY early for Christmas 2008!!!! I'm trying to let go of the guilt. lol

To move onto the new year and projects, I ordered these beautiful batiks. Anyone who knows me, knows this is NOT my favorite kind of fabric but I am hosting a Batik Storm at Sea swap and just "had" to participate. hehe I can't wait to dig into these fabrics now. They've grown on me. :o)