Autumn Purse Block Update

Just a quick post for today everyone.  Thought you would all enjoy seeing an update on my Autumn Purse block:

Bet you'll never guess what's going on that spider web?  LOL!!!  I may still hand-paint that lace piece on the top right.  I still haven't decided yet.  Stay tuned!  I'll be offering this in my Etsy shop when it's complete!

Taking Apart An Old Hat Tutorial

Bubba & I hit 2 Flea Markets yesterday!  I didn't find anything all that exciting but I did pick up this ugly old hat for $6.00:

I buy these these old hats for the vintage flowers.  Many times, they're velvet and silk and usually in very good shape.  I buy them when I find them for around $4 - $6 and then I take them apart.  This may seem like a rather dumb tutorial but I thought someone out there may like know how to do this.

In most cases, the glue on these hats is rather brittle and the flowers will come off easily but I have had a few that were a big old bear to get off!!!

First, I started on this one by removing the leaves:

The leaves & flowers are usually glued to each other.  Find a starting point and carefully start pulling the leaves or flowers away from the mesh base.

Silk flower petals may tear a little.  Do your best to carefully pull them off and keep in mind that if they tear, it adds to the charm and raggyness of the flowers.  I for one, love the raggy look of vintage things!  They can always be slightly trimmed with a pair of scissors.

There may be areas where you just have to cut the mesh base to get the flowers off.

Once I had the flowers off of the sides of the hat, I cut the mesh base on the top off.

This just makes it a wee bit easier to get the rest of the flowers off.

Continue to carefully pull the flowers off the top.

I pulled them all off the top of the hat and then I pulled them off of each other.  And now I have a nice bagful of silk & velvet vintage flowers & leaves!

It takes about 1/2 an hour to tear one of these old hats apart but it's well worth it.  The flowers can be used on crazy quilting, art quilts, cards, art dolls...just about anything!  They can be sewn on or glued on with a glue gun.  The can also be glittered!!!

If you find one for a few dollars, give it a try!  It's fun to re-purpose these old flowers on new projects!

If you would like to see some the projects I use these Vintage Millinery Flowers on, please visit my Shabby Chic Boutique at Etsy!

When I finished tearing that old hat apart, I did some baking!  My Kitchaid was calling to me!  LOL!!!  I made some Banana muffins with chocolate chips:

I just used a regular Banana Muffin recipe and replaced the nuts with chips.  Scott always laughs at me because I put chocolate chips in everything!!!

Then I made a batch of Sugar cookies with cinnamon and chocolate chips:

This is my basic Drop Sugar cookie recipe.  You can find it in my sidebar.  I added 3/4 of a teaspoon of cinnamon to it.

By the time I was done baking, it was late afternoon and Bubba had gotten the headlights on our Model A:

Is this incredible or what?  He's been working on this car for 7 years now and it's really starting to come together.  He has the running boards on it now too!

Finally for today, I'll leave you with an update on my Autumn purse block:

This is ready for beading now.  I'll start on that later today!

Before I head out and start my day, I wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the sweet comments that you've left for me on my depression & anxiety discussions.  If any one would like to share a link to the articles on their blog, please feel free to do so.  I truly feel that if I can help even one person who's going through a horrible depression experience, then my energy in writing these articles is so worth it.  My next article will be available this week.

Happy Pink Saturday!!! A Very Pink Surprise Gift!

Happy Pink Saturday everyone!  I always so look forward to this weekly event hosted by Beverly at How Sweet The Sound blog!

Earlier this week, I received a lovely goody package from my friend Mary Anne!  I mentioned here on my blog, that I was in search of pink eyelash yarn so that I could make a pink peacock purse, similar to this one:

Well, my friend Mary Anne found some in her neck of the woods.  Little did I know that she would put together a whole package of lovely pink craft supplies for me!!!  The box was even wrapped in pink rose paper!!  It was gorgeous!

Inside the box, Mary Anne included 2 lace butterfly appliques, some pretty beads and some little cat charms:

Mary Anne's notecard was also pink!!!  And here are the lovely skeins of pink eyelash yarn that she sent to me:

Are these gorgeous or what?!!  The multi-colored yarns are incredible!!!  What a lovely surprise.  And as you can see, even the tissue paper is pink. Thank you Mary Anne for such a wonderful gift!

Before I head out today, I wanted to remind everyone that I'm having a drawing and this sweet little Sewing Art Quilt is the prize:

Click here for the details!!!

So that's my Pink Saturday post for this week everyone!  Thank you very much for visiting me and I hope everyone has a very Happy Pink Saturday.

Please visit our sweet hostess Beverly at How Sweet The Sound blog and while there, take a few minutes to check out some of the other Pink Saturday bloggers!

This And That

First, I'd like to welcome my new followers!  I truly hope you enjoy my posts.  I offer tutorials, recipes, guest bloggers and tons of needlework & craft eye candy! I'd love to hear how you found my blog.

I've been busy the past few days, stitching on some little Halloween Crazy Quilt Cat Dolls!  Here are the first 2:





I have a few more in progress but these are available in the shop now.  I think I'll do an Autumn purse when I complete the next litter of Halloween kitties!

Also in the shop are some new Scarecrow Tussy Mussy's by mom:



There are 6 different Scarecrow Tussy Mussy's available, each one is different and so cute!  Mom is now working on some Halloween Tussy Mussy's!

Does anyone else feel like it's August already?  I don't know what it is but I feel like I should be putting out a few sunflowers and mums!  Maybe it's the extreme heat we've had the past few weeks.  Feels like I should be baking apple pies & carrot cake!

I've had Autumn on my mind a lot lately and came up with these sweet little Spider Web Needlekeepers:



I just love doing spider webs on Crazyquilts but wanted to make a few needle-keepers.  I'm planning on making a few more of these, not necessarily with spiderwebs but perhaps some flowers.  When I do, I'll write up a tutorial for you.  I'm going to make 1 little change to how I put them together next time.

In other news, Bubba has the gas tank in the Model A:



And he has the fenders on it:



Every day is getting a little closer!!!  Scott's been working on it for 7 years now!   If you would like to see more photos of our 1929 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan, click here to visit my Flickr site.

Last week I mentioned that I plan to write some articles on coping with disorders such as ADD/ADHD, BiPolar, depression, anxiety and Seasonal Affective Disorder Syndrome using creativity to ease the symptoms.  From personal experience, I think it's safe to say that I've become quite the expert on the subject.  I like to keep my blog cheerful and uplifting so I won't be complaining about these things.  I've been able to see much of my disorders with a sense of humor!  I just want to help others who who suffer with these things.  I want other women to know that they're not alone and that artistic creativity is tool that we can use to work with the disorders rather than fighting them constantly.  I'll be starting this series of discussions in the next day or so.

I joined the Sister In Bloggerette Sorority at Some Days Are Diamonds blog:

Please hop over to Karen's blog and read about it!  Join too!  I think it'll be fun!

Well, I could swear there was something else I wanted to talk about today but it now eludes me.  I think my brain is fried for the day!  I'll leave you with my sister's newest pair of earrings:



These gorgeous green quartz earrings remind of Jadite Fire King!  They are so pretty in person!!!  And, they are available here.

Happy Pink Saturday!!!

Hello everyone!  And Happy Pink Saturday!!!  What a fun blog-land activity!

I finished putting together my Marie Antoinette Crazy Quilt purse and I've been saving it for my Pink Saturday post.  So without delay, here it is:



The back is rose colored velvet and the inside is lined with a pink rose print.  I had pink handles but they were a little too bright so I went with the clear handles.

I also thought you would enjoy seeing a Mini Art Quilt that my mom made for me:



This has always been my favorite photo of my mom.  She was about 1 year old here.  It was taken by a professional photographer in 1941.  The song "Pennies From Heaven" was popular at that time so that's what my grandparents called this photo.

So that's my post for this Pink Saturday.  Thank you so much for stopping by!  Please hop over and visit our gracious Pink Saturday host, Beverly.  You can find her here at How Sweet The Sound.  Be sure to visit some of the other sweet pink bloggers!!

Also, be sure to enter my drawing to win this sweet little Sewing Art Quilt:

There are 3 chances to win and you can find the details here in this post!

Pam's Blueberry Muffins Recipe

Good Morning everyone!  First, I would like to thank Cathy Scalise for being my Guest Blogger yesterday.  I love introducing my followers to my favorite artists and bloggers!!!  There's so many talented ladies out there!  My next Guest Blogger will be posting on August 1st!

I stopped at the Farm Market the other day and picked up some Blueberries.  You would love this Farm Market!  It's in the middle of nothing but cornfields!  And thankfully, just down the road from me!  Anyway, my Bubba loves my Blueberry Muffins so I made him some last night:

These made my house smell good all night long!  I thought you might enjoy having my recipe which is a combo of several Blueberry Muffin recipes! 

Pam's Blueberry Muffins

1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoons Salt
1 Beaten Egg
3/4 cup Milk
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
Grated zest of 1 Lemon
1 teaspoon Vanilla

I double this recipe and add 1 pint of fresh Blueberries. 

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients.  In a 3rd bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons of flour with the blueberries.  You'll want to make sure the berries are coated with flour.  This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Mix well but don't over mix.  Fold in the blueberries.  Don't mix them, just gently fold them in so they don't break.

Spoon into muffin tins or cupcake tins lined with cupcake papers.  Fill about 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.  A double recipe makes 12 large muffins.

Enjoy!

You may have noticed that gorgeous embroidered tablecloth in the muffin photo.  My sweet friend Cathy K. sent that to me!

 

I fell in love with it when I saw it on her blog.  I commented on it and a few days later, it arrived in the mail.  I have the sweetest blog friends!!!  Thank you so much Cathy!

I did iron it!  Honestly, I did!  Apparently, I'm ironing challenged as anything bigger than a 3 X 4 inch piece of fabric never looks like I ironed it!  Oh well, I love this tabletopper!

Before I head off to stitch, be sure to enter for a chance (3 chances actually) to win my little Sewing Art Quilt:

Details can be found in this post!

I'm off to stitch for a while now!  Have a great day and be sure to stop by tomorrow for my Pink Saturday post!

Guest Blogger - Cathy Scalise

Hello everyone!  It's the 15th of the month and that means it's time to meet another guest blogger!  I have invited Cathy Scalise of Treasured Heirlooms & Elegance and Whimsy blog to tell us about herself.

I only met Cathy about 6 months ago.  I stumbled upon her blog and absolutely fell in love with her very unique vintage-style creations.  Little did I know at that the time, that her beautiful home has been featured in many cottage style magazines.  Cathy loves pink like I do.  If I may quote Cathy, she recently said, "If it's not pink, vintage or handmade, it doesn't belong in my home."  I love it!!!!

Cathy is currently working on her Christmas 2010 line of gorgeous one-of-a-kind wreaths, trees, snowmen and anything else that she can glitter and add shine to.  When I invited Cathy to be my guest blogger this week, she offered me a lovely interview that she did with Joyce Lucas for her Women Who Inspire feature at Make Mine Pink. It's such a wonderful interview and I agreed to go with it!  Everyone, please welcome one of my newest blog friends, Cathy Scalise!


Cathy Scalise Creations

"Beauty from one's soul comes through in the things they create and the way they choose to live life." So believes Cathy Scalise of Treasured Heirlooms, where the beauty from her soul is seen in her elegant and whimsical artwork. Drawing on her creative talents, Cathy adds the romance of yesteryear to her customers' gardens, homes, and lives through her creations. In her youth, she was deeply affected by her grandparents' collection of antiques, linens and lace, and the pleasure they took in creating a home. Cathy now helps her customers add those same special touches to their own decor. Her creations have been featured in several magazines, and her online boutiques are an inviting place where anyone can stop to smell the flowers, pick up a unique treasure, and find their way home.




Cathy, how did you discover your love for creating art?

I believe you are born with the ability, desire, and passion to be an artist. Some of us are born painters, some sculptors, some writers. Others may learn to create artwork in an arena that they are interested, and for others, it is a natural path. I have created since I was a small child. I loved to watch my mother plant her gardens each season and my grandmother sew us new clothes. My mind was a never-ending spiral of creativity.

As a child, "Good Housekeeping" and "Better Homes and Gardens" always had do-it-yourself projects. I would stare at the pages in the checkout line while my mother was paying for groceries. Magazines were not in the budget. This is where being young and having a good memory came in handy. The details on the page became etched in my mind. Each step of my favorite "projects" was burned into my brain so when we arrived home, I could get out a needle and thread or some clay and glue and get to work.

Of course, I had to work fast so I wouldn't forget the instructions, but the details, embellishments, and final results were my very own. No matter how terrible or how wonderful my creation came out, I was always told it was a work of art and given high praise from mom.




Did you always know you were meant to be an artist?

I believe being an artist is in my genes. Although my life has traveled many paths, my goal to have my artistic talents become my livelihood was always in the forefront of my mind. My dream of having my home featured in a magazine and owning my very own gift shop where I could sell my artwork has never wavered since childhood. I must admit as a child this crazy dream was just that ~ crazy.

My grandparents had just survived the Depression, and my parents believed frivolous dreams were not to be taken seriously. During my four years of high school, I spent most of my free time in the arts and crafts studio. I learned how to work with many different mediums. Jewelry-making and ceramics were the areas in which I enjoyed creating the most. Although I would have loved to continue on my journey and attend a college for the arts after graduation, that was not in the cards for me. However, my dreams never wavered although deep down I really didn't have the faith that one day it could become a reality. Life changes are always testing our faith.




Your grandparents were a significant influence on the work you do today. Can you tell us how they influenced you and your business?

My grandparents were immigrants who came to America during the Great Depression to find a better life. Gardening, masonry, carpentry, cooking, sewing, along with any other tasks necessary to survive was all they knew. You didn't buy anything you could make yourself. It was necessary to be able to utilize every ounce of their creative being to live. Each and every member of my family has amazing talents all of which we were born with or learned out of necessity.

Every weekend, we visited my grandparents. Each visit was a treasure trove of inspiration and learning. When the moon was full, my grandfather took us out at 4 a.m. to dig for clams and mussels which we would cook and eat later on in the day with pasta and sauce made from tomatoes from their garden. A fresh salad full of greens, vegetables, and herbs also came from the huge garden in the backyard. My mother baked with fresh fruits made from pears, grapes, apples, and peaches, all of which we grew ourselves. My grandmother was an expert seamstress for 50 years in Boston while my grandfather wove fresh cane and rush which was used to design the backs and seats of beautifully hand-carved chairs. Several of his chairs are now used in the Smithsonian Museum. These amazing grandparents were two of the many great influences in my life.




How did you make the transition from creating art for yourself to doing it as a career?

Creating for myself and for others has always been parallel. While my artwork has evolved over the years, I have always been selling my artwork. I began selling at the young age of seven when my brother and I had our own "Neighborhood Fair" in our driveway. I made fudge, popcorn balls, and lollipops and lemonade to sell while my brother created games such as "coin toss" and other fun amusements for the neighborhood children. We posted signs up in the schoolyard and on telephone poles to let everyone know about the big event. Kids came in droves with pennies and nickels for a day of sweets and fun. It was quite an entrepreneurial success for a young tot as myself. Taking an idea, making and creating everything on my own, marketing it, then following it through gave me quite a sense of achievement.

[My] big brother (who was always there for his baby sister) was talented in his own right. He dabbled in sketch artistry and designed sterling silver jewelry incorporating natural gemstones. He was an inspiration in has talents. Painting and drawing were not in my realm of talent. However, that wasn't going to stop me. Finally in my early forties, I discovered a local artist who taught Tole Painting. I signed up for the beginner's class and the rest is history.




The items you create and sell are extremely unique. Where do you find inspiration for your projects?

Inspiration is all around. It is the way I look at life. If you are content and happy within your soul, you tend to find beauty in everything. I love color, fabrics, gardening, vintage linens, lace, and millinery everything I remember from childhood gorgeous bone china teacups, fabulous jewelry, hats, gloves, hankies, and handbags. We used Fiestaware and Jadeite everyday on the kitchen table. Pretty floral tablecloths and dinnerware that came in a box of laundry detergent was commonplace (OK, I am so giving away my age here!). The garden, huge roses, the smell of green grass, butterflies, bees, wind chimes, and hammocks all bring back vivid memories of my life as a young girl.

Vintage items and decorating themes have come back into our lives once again giving me the opportunity to create artwork that you cannot purchase at the mall or your local boutique. There is so much to choose from at local estate sales, consignment shops, and yard sales. It is a never-ending plethora of exquisite items I use in my creations. Each and every creation is one-of-a-kind which makes owning one of my pieces so special.

Although several of my items fall along the same lines, such as themed wreaths or "Marie Antoinette Ladies in Waiting", no two will ever be alike. I take great pride in using different elements, treasures, and mediums in each piece. My vintage artwork is purchased by ladies who appreciate items they can display for their pleasure and treasure for a lifetime. The vintage elements give them their timeless appeal and are pieces which can and will be passed down to their families for years to come.




For people who would like to create their own art, can you help them with that as well?

I know that my magazine features, websites, and blog have all been huge factors in inspiring others to follow their artistic dreams. Letters, emails, and website guest book entries overflow on a daily basis allowing me a window into the hearts of women whose lives have been changed as a direct result of what I create.

Each and every one of us is great at something. If your desires are to try creating something new, the best way is to begin with a version of a small project in a different medium and move on from there. If you absolutely love the idea of crocheting, take a class, learn it, love it, and keep doing it make yourself happy. Create whatever comes from within your soul and work from there. If you don't love creating it, move on and try something else until you find your niche. That one thing that makes you want to wake up every morning and tell the entire world, "look what I've made for you today."



What types of marketing have worked best for you?

All marketing works. Any and all aspects of marketing will work for you if you work it. Everything you say and do about yourself and your shop, artwork, and website is beneficial to your success. Acknowledgement, sales, and inspiration come from everywhere whether it be chatting with a person in line at the local grocery store or paying for an ad in a magazine. You must always remember to be proud of what you do and talk about it, write it, shout it from the rooftops. Let everyone know you are there whatever it takes.

In addition to having a sister site "Elegance & Whimsy", I have also ventured out into the blogging world, posted my creations on Flickr, and have put quite a bit of time and money into marketing my home, garden, and artwork. All of which have brought me great success. You never know when or how you will make a sale, so you need to sell yourself wherever you are at the moment. Be kind, encouraging, and humorous when chatting about your passion. It will become contagious, and everyone around you will want what you have, especially your happy spirit which is the central spot of all your creativity. 



Your designs have been in several magazines. Your Holiday Home was recently on the cover of "Romantic Homes", and you've been featured in
"Romantic Country" and "Country Victorian". With all of your successes, of which accomplishment are you most proud?

At this point in my life, I would have to say, I am proud of everything I do and have accomplished from my very first sale at my backyard craft fair at seven years old to my first tiny acknowledgement of my Pink Fairy Cottage photo in "Flower Gardens" magazine. Each and every accomplishment, no matter how big or how small, has been rewarding and, most importantly, a huge learning experience. I believe we all wish we could know it all right now, but unfortunately, that is not possible for anyone. Making mistakes and growing from them is what makes us successful and rich in our accomplishments. We then become better teachers, have richer hearts, and become amazing entrepreneurs. 



Can you name one person who has inspired you, and how?

Unfortunately, I would be hard pressed to choose only one person. Each and every day, I find someone or something that inspires me. I am enamored of many famous people we all know and many people whom you will never know, such as my grandmother, grandfather, aunts, cousins, and close friends.

I admire many women who have changed the world in ways I can only aspire. But my greatest hero was my mother, who taught me everything I didn't know inherently. I wished you all could have met this amazing woman.



My website is very involved in giving those who don't have all that we do a chance at a better life. Can you tell us about that?

Growing up in a family with meager means taught me at a very young age that giving and sharing yourself is the greatest gift. Most people want to grow up knowing they are loved and [knowing they] hold an important place on this planet. I promised myself if there ever came a time when I had the opportunity to give a little bit of myself, whether it be monetarily or spiritually, I would not pass it by.

I feel it is each and every one's duty to give back. Being successful and making money is wonderful. However, we owe it to those less fortunate than ourselves to help in any way we can. This is "His" plan. When we give of ourselves we become full and whole human beings. The joy of giving has no boundaries. It is a part of who I am, not something I feel the need to do. I hope I can inspire you to do the same. You will be rewarded ten fold. 



What advice would you offer to someone else who wants to succeed at their own design business?
My advice is to acknowledge that success is a process in which you must stay focused. It involves many factors and comes in many different ways. Sometimes you begin with a dream you hold onto with all of your heart and soul and suddenly you become completely fulfilled by following a different path. For me, it began as a young child admiring the beautiful items created by family. What I didn't realize then was that there would be hundreds of obstacles which would change my path many times before I made it to where I am today.

Stay focused, hold onto to your dream, but keep in mind you must bend and flow with life's changes until you find your own happy place in the universe. Once you are there, everything will become clear. You can then continue your journey with a heart filled with joy. 



What are you working on now? What can we look forward to seeing from "Treasured Heirlooms" in the next year?

I am planning to spend my summer working on my garden and taking the elements of nature which inspire me and work the ideas into my creations. Being aware of the changing times, the economy, and what new trends my customers are following will be my biggest challenge. I am looking forward to it and hope you follow along with me as we venture through 2010 and into a prosperous 2011. Thank you for reading this long and lengthy interview. It means the world that you now have a little peak into my world. Enjoy the view.  

 


I'd like to thank Cathy for agreeing to be my guest blogger this week.  I absolutely adore Cathy's work and I hope that you do too!  Please hop over to Cathy's blog and take a moment to say hello to her.  Also, while at Cathy's blog, please visit her lovely shops.  The links are on Cathy's blog banner.

Finally for today, please this this post to learn more about my drawing for this sweet little Sewing Art Quilt!

Marie Antoinette Purse Block Completed!

I finished stitching this yesterday and so much wanted to sew it together today but after washing my floors, doing laundry, washing a few windows and putting a few packages together for shipping, I was out of steam:



My plan now is to put it together on Thursday when I get back from picking up groceries.

I did run my sewing machine yesterday.  I pieced some Autumn themed cat dolls and another purse block.  I stitched a little bit this afternoon but not enough for sharing.

In other news, we had some of the pin-striping done on the Model A this weekend:






What you see in these photos is the gas tank.  Bubba had to have the pin-striping done on that before he could put it in the car permanently.  It's getting there!  It looks more and more like a real car everyday!

Be sure to stop by on Thursday for my next Guest Blogger post!  There will be lots of beautiful photos of my guest's creations!!!

Finally for today, enter to win my Sewing Art Quilt.  The drawing will take place when my blog reaches 300 followers:



Details can be found in this post.

Finally for today, my Peacock Purse was included in this lovely Etsy Treasury.  Please hop over see it.  It's a lovely a Treasury!!