Crazy Garden Quilt Block #9

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday!  Well, actually, it's Monday but we're having our get-together tomorrow.  I just finished making some Sugar Cookies and some little Haystacks:

 

If you'd like my recipe for Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies, you can find it here.  The Haystacks are really easy.  Actually, these are supposed to look like little bird's nests.  Anyway, you take a bag of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips and melt it in a double boiler.  Once melted, you add a bag of Chow Mein Noodles.  Mix well.  Break up the noodles a little bit and spoon into mini cupcake papers.  I added a Cadbury Mini Egg to the center of each one.  I pop them in the freezer so they get solid quickly. Very Springy!

Been busy today putting orders together.  I've been wanted to do some Mixed Media Art Quilts.  I may play around with my things a little bit after my bath.  I really love the idea of mixing fabric and paper and glitter and anything else I can up with to make a one of a kind art quilt.  It should be fun!

In the meantime, I thought you'd like to see the final block of my Crazy Garden Quilt before 

I start stitching on it:

 

I plan to start on this sometime this week.  My timing couldn't have been more perfect!  It's just about Spring.  Will have to ask Scott to take me back to JoAnn Fabrics soon so I can find some pink fabric for the border.  I don't think I'm going to shash between the blocks.  I'm thinking of using some white or light pink lace.  Will see when I get that far.

Finally, I'm just about done with my altered purse that I mentioned last week.  I need to do something with the handle.  I don't want to take it off because it's in great shape but quite dingy so I need to figure out what to cover it with.  As soon as I do, I'll share photos.  It's so pretty and shabby and girly!  Very glittery too but it was a challenge as I will explain when I post photos.  I plan to use it as my Flea Market bag.

Well, I'm off to wrap my mom's birthday gift.  Have a great evening everyone!

Angel Brooches

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels, unawares."  Anonymous

I've always loved that quote!  It reminds me that there are angels everywhere!

I finished up on my little angel brooches:

 

The background is velveteen & antique lace.  I did SRE around the angels (which I hand-painted and glittered) and the tatting around the edges is vintage tatting.  I can do tatting, but I really prefer to use vintage whenever I can.  I just love these!

I also finished up the stitching my Cherub CQ Trinket Box:

I hope to have the time tomorrow to put it together.  I've already painted the box and I think this will be so pretty when I get it all put together.

Before I head out for today, I received another package in the mail from Gina in Australia:

 

I have the sweetest blog friends!  Thank you so much Gina!

Well, I'm off to put an order together and then I'm done for the day.

Fuzzy Chicks

Can you tell that mom and I just love these sweet little peeps? 

 

Oh, I just love anything Spring!  These little chicky's were made by mom.  They're available here.

Suddenly, projects that we've been working on for awhile are getting wrapped up.  I'm almost done with an altered purse that I've been playing with for a few weeks.  Wait until you see that.  It'll be my flea market bag.  I just finished up my little angel brooches.  I only have to glue the pinbacks onto them.  I'm about 1/2 way done with the tax crap stuff.  I want to get my little St. Patrick's Day things and put them out but I need to sit and relax for awhile.  I guess I'm finally learning when to stop pushing myself and when to take a break.

Before I start on my final block for my Crazy Garden Quilt, I'm going to stitch up another CQ Trinket Box top.  I sewed this piece up this morning:

That sweet little cherub will be the focal point for this piece.  I'll be starting on this shortly.  First I have to make a cup of tea.

Happy March 1st!

According to my calender, Spring starts on March 1st!  And apparently, I'm on the money.  My neighbor just called me to say that she saw 2 robins this morning on her way to work.  A light at the end of Winter's tunnel!  Now for me to see some robins!  I'm sure I'll see some soon.

For now, here is another finish of mine:

 

These were inspired by those old-fashioned Sugar Eggs.  The ones with the little bunnies and chicks in them and decorated with heavy, hard icing.  I've been playing with these for a few weeks and just finished them up over the weekend.  They're very glittery and so Springy!  All are available here.

For other Etsy sellers, I thought I'd share with you a photo of how I package my items:

 

I feel that presentation is very important.  I like my customers to feel like they're receiving a lovely handmade gift so I package my items in a cellophane bag with sparkly foo-foo stuff.  I tie a pretty ribbon at the top and add a hangtag.  I also like to include a handwritten "thank you" along with a little "extra"  something to show my appreciation to my customer.

So many times, I've purchased things from Etsy sellers or Ebay sellers and my items are just kind thrown in the box.  Sometimes with a receipt and sometimes not.  I think this is a nice way to present items.  It just makes the customer feel good to open a box and see their items packaged this way.

In case anyone is looking for my Sweet Treat recipes, I added them back to my sidebar this afternoon.  I'll be adding to that list again as well when I have time.  I have loads of great baking recipes to share.

Well, Happy March everyone!  Let me know if you see any Robin's!

A Trip To JoAnn Fabrics Store

We went up to JoAnn's today.  Just needed to get out a little really.  I picked up some beads, a couple of purse handles, a few spools of bead thread, some felt and some flowers that were marked down. The felt was 4 for $1.00 if anyone needs some!  Anyway, just needed some basic supplies.  There was some fabric that I was drooling all over but my husband reminded me that I have plenty of fancy fabric.  I told him that I didn't have any like that and he said it'll be there next time.  Okay, I get the hint!  Ha, ha, ha!  Actually, he couldn't care less what I buy.  He puts things in my cart that he thinks I need.  What a guy!

When we left there, we stopped at Wendy's for one of their little tiny cheeseburgers and we split a small fry and then came home where I have been doing laundry ever since.  And then my husband asked for me some bread.  He never asks for anything so I didn't want to say no.  Thank goodness for my Kitchenaid.  I made a loaf of wheat bread.  It's on the second rise now so I can bake it in about 45 minutes.  Should make the house smell really good.  We'll have it with salad later.

I have a few new things to share today.  Actually, I have loads of new things from mom and myself but I can only do so many at one time.  First are my Orchid Greeting Tags:

 

The orchids are from a vintage greeting card.  I really love making pretty tags.  These would be so pretty on Birthday gifts or Mother's Day gifts.

Next are some more of Mom's Victorian Tussy Mussy's:

 

Those fuzzy little chicks are just too cute!

I'm getting ready to start stitching on some little Angel Brooches.  First, I think I'll sit in a tub filled with bubbles and relax a bit with my magazines.  Then I'll stitch for a bit.  I'm definately feeling better.  I noticed a bit of a change on Saturday.  I feel a twinge more on the planet and not quite as "out there" as I felt.  Still, I'm out of steam by 5:00 pm every day.  So it's time to rest.

Speaking of resting, I'll leave you with a photos of my lazy little Simba:

 

He's really the sweetest little angel of a kitty.  Doesn't bother anything or anyone.  Very quiet and gentle.  And definitely lazy!   I think I want to be a cat in my next life and live with someone like me!

Crazy Garden Quilt Block #8 Completed

I finished up on this block early this morning:

 

Can you find my little Bluebird?

Before starting on the final block, I'm going to do a few other things.  Haven't decided exactly what yet except for some little angel brooches that have been calling to me.  I just painted the little angels this morning.  I think I'll get everything ready to do some silk ribbon embroidery on them this afternoon.  Or do I want to bake something?  Hmmmm......I still have Strawberry Cupcakes on my mind!

Brooches, Strawberry Cupcakes and More!

I have loads to things to share with you today.  Well, maybe not loads but some eye candy and some news.

First, I promised you brooches:

 

I took some small lace appliques, hand-dyed them, tacked them onto some heavy weight interfacing and then embellished with silk ribbon embroidery, beads & sequins. When they were done, I glued a piece of card stock to the back and then some flannel (couldn't find my felt) and added a pin back.  They're very sparkly and available in my Etsy shop.

Next, I'm sure you're all wondering what the plan was for the strawberries.  Well, here they are:

 

They look good enough to eat, don't they?  But they're not edible.  They're pincushions!  Oh, what a fun project this was!  It's really incredible to get an idea and bring it to life.  Not that cupcake pincushions haven't been made before, but I wanted to put strawberries on mine!  The cups are vintage tins.  I'd like to say that I sprayed them pink but I can't.  My father did it for me.  I'm spray paint challenged!  Ha, ha, ha!  Anyway, they're available in my Etsy shop as well.

I spent the day over at mom's and completed several more projects that I had started.  I had to let them sit overnight so the glue could dry.  I'll share those projects next week.

In the meantime, I wanted to share photos of some lovely gifts that I received this week.  First are these beautiful hankies from Judy:

 

Aren't they beautiful?  I just love vintage hankies!  Judy also sent me a copy of her choir's CD.  Oh, I just love choir music!  And she sent me an issue of Sew Beautiful.  Oh, I love that magazine.  Thank you, Judy for all the lovely gifts you sent to me!

I received another wonderful package this week as well:

 

These pretties were a gift from Mary Ann.  Beautiful hankies, crocheted pieces, appliques, lace and sequins.  And check out the gorgeous smocked piece!  I don't have anything like that in my stash.  I will be using that on something special.  Perhaps a new purse once my Crazy Garden Quilt is done!  Thank you so much MA.  It was a lovely surprise!

Finally for today, I have an announcement to make.  Due to the lack of interest in my Biscornu of the Month designs, I have decided to drop the project.  I apologize if this disappoints anyone.  I just feel that without the interest in the series, I could better spend my time creating other things. 

Well, that's my post for today.  I'm quite tired now so I think I'll go fill my tub with bubbles and relax.