"Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent; with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play."~~Henri Matisse
Before the holidays, someone was telling me about a delicious treat that was easy to make: take two Ritz crackers and make a peanut butter sandwich with them, then dip and coat in chocolate. I have been making them and I think they are now our new favorite.
From this…
…to this…
Try them…you WILL like them!
It’s January, the typical month when retail sales slow down because everyone has spent for Christmas and now the credit card bills are coming due….but a girl still needs things…
I ventured out in the cold yesterday to go do some errands in Evansville (namely shopping). Dick Blick…I need paints and a little stock up on some screenprinting inks I’ve been trying out. Then I need to stock up on batting as I just might start layering and stitching some pieces that are laying around here. Off to Bernina to pick up a new free form embroidery foot I ordered. I feel like I need a back up foot since the plastic quilting foot I have now already has a slight crack in it…it could go any time because I free form stitch so fast. Then to Sew Tech to deliver a class sample and supply list. (Yes, I will get it listed on the class page soon). While there I purchased something to help me organize. This is usually what my side table space looks like…bobbins and loose strings everywhere, some in the drawer, some laying out.
Enter Clover to the rescue with the Stack ‘n Store Bobbin Tower. The box says “Neatly organizes 30 bobbins”. We’ll see. Here is what it looks like.
And yes, it will hold 30 bobbins…I have now loaded it with 29! It will hold plastic or the metal ones. My bobbins are the wider metal ones. And no strings hanging everywhere. This is a pretty clever tool. Leave it to Clover to come up with it; they ARE the gadget people!
You ever notice what the sales are in January? They are on item to help you organize your life…big plastic totes, under the bed totes to store all your Christmas stuff, organizing bins for your tax records, etc. I’m starting the year off right by buying this little bobbin tower…! I feel so organized right now.
Today is a day to ponder growing older…and how to do it gracefully.
Today is a day to eat shrimp for breakfast.
Today is a day to break from the holiday bustle and choose to make art deliberately and thoughtfully.
Today is a day to try something new. (but not bungee jumping)
Today might be a day to enjoy the rare glass of wine, but maybe not while I’m sewing.
Today is a day to be thankful for the energy and good health to enjoy life.
Today is a day to be thankful for good friends and family.
Today is a day to pray for those less fortunate than I.
Today will be a full day.
Life has been incredibly busy around my house lately…but I don’t think I’m alone in this…it’s the holidays!
The first weekend of December was the Art Fair at New Harmony. Sales were good. This past weekend was our first Tri-State Artisans Studio Tour. I set up a “shop” in my garage. My friend Kay, who weaves baskets, joined in with her wonderful baskets.
The weekend warmed up to the 40’s so we stayed warm enough with a big heater and a small electric heater. We had fun, visited with people that came by, and had good sales.
Now it’s time to get started on Christmas baking…one week from Friday the party is on!
I made these little cell phone/credit card pouches last week.
I had 6 of them…before a nice new Facebook friend purchased 4 of them. Then I went to the New Harmony fair and sold 1. The other one sold yesterday in my Etsy shop. So last night I was scrambling around trying to make a few more. You see, these bags came out of playtime in my sewing room last week just using the scraps from the other bags I made. The scrap pieces were already layered and stitched; they just needed to be pieced together and then sew the bags. That made it easy. To make more, I have to layer and quilt a piece of cloth, maybe add more stuff to the cloth, then make the bag. I was scrounging around through my unfinished pile last night to see if I could find something already quilted…and I did. These were made from a collage that just never did work for me. I loved the cloth, but never could get it to come together so I cut it up last night and made these…
The bottom one is sold and I am awaiting her buttons to sew on it. The other two are in my etsy shop. One has a cool dark green antique button on it and the other has a dark brown one.
The Artisan’s Fair at New Harmony was better than last year in sales. Maybe everyone was really scared last year and they aren’t so much this year. The crowd wasn’t massive, but there was a fairly steady flow of people and they were buying. I sold several scarves each day. Although not blockbuster, I am pleased with my sales.
To purchase one of the two bags in the last picture, click here.
…for everyone! This is a kitty Christmas stocking. A friend from church posted a picture on Facebook of these, but got them a long time ago. Therefore, she could not tell us where to get them. So I went and made my own version, using red fleece and some furry white felt (I forgot the name of it). Joann’s didn’t have fur in white; that would have been nice.
Got new glasses this past weekend.
The piece of artwork I was working on has fallen by the wayside. Maybe I will just paint over the whole thing and start over. Geesh, I hate it when I get lost on work…seems like it takes forever to come back to it and get somewhere.
Yesterday, I trimmed out the fleece and cut the edges of a blanket for my niece. It’s two layers of fleece and the edges are tied. I only tied three sides and I think I will stitch one end instead. That will be the top of the blanket.
Art fair coming up this weekend and studio tour the next weekend, but I’m not getting any more art done…however I am getting all my Christmas shopping and birthday shopping done, so that’s good. Today I may piddle around with some small ideas for handmade gifts. And I have one more rag quilt to make. Next week I will prepare my entry for Form Not Function for shipping…and perhaps ship it as well!
The December/January issue of Quilting Arts is chock full of exciting articles (at least they are for me). I can’t wait to dive in to them and try some new things.
In my last post I promised a picture of the jacket I finished at the retreat. It is actually a “hybrid” using two of SuznQuilts‘ jacket designs, with a twist of my own thrown in. I wanted to make this jacket just for me. Valentine’s Day is coming (not that I celebrate it that much), but I thought this jacket was a cute design, so that is why I made it.
New potato soup recipe I made last night…this one has bacon in it. Yummm…I am so stuck on potato soups right now.
Today I am preparing to pack my van so that I can leave early in the morning. Where am I going? To another quilting retreat, that’s where! It doesn’t get any better than that. This one will be held in a quilt shop that has living quarters on the 3rd floor. Hopefully I will have new finished projects to show when I get back.
On another note, I want to congratulate the new president on a fine inaugural event and I wish him the best of success in governing this great land for the next four years. May God richly bless him and his family as he embarks on the work ahead.
It is the last day of 2008. My blog is set on some weird time zone, but I think it will show that I am still writing this in 2008.
(Note: Whoops, guess not…after I published it I see it shows Jan. 1. 2009. Oh, well.)
It is hard to be pensive and thoughtful about the past year as I am cleaning and fixing food, in preparation for a few guests tonight. Perhaps I will be able to tomorrow. Of course, my husband will also be home with me, so, maybe not. I am making that yummy potato soup recipe with homemade croutons that I have talked about before and the shrimp cocktail is on ice.
A lot of people on the quiltart list are already talking about goals for 2009. Hmmm…all I know is that my first three months of the year are likely to be quite busy and I am gearing up mentally. I will be attending two quilt retreats (count ’em…two!) in January. My husband purchased one of them as a Christmas gift to me. What a sweetie. I have a project class scheduled to teach at the quilt shop in Evansville. In February I have a machine quilting class scheduled and the rest of the month will be spent preparing to vend at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show in Bloomington, IN. I received notification that they had a space available. Since I have wanted to vend there for a few years, I jumped at the chance. So I will be dyeing fabric as well as making decisions about my inventory of other artsy things to take. The Indiana Heritage show is a fairly large show lasting 3 days. I may also have the opportunity to teach a workshop for a Greenwood quilt guild while I am up there. Currently I am still slugging around trying to complete the commission proposal. It is not finished yet. I am making small advances.
New piece I’ve been working on for a “go green” exhibit…I’m sure it’s now done..except for finishing the edges…made from a section of an old quilt…
My husband and I have had a nice quiet day this Christmas day. We attended a short Christmas Eve service last night and then came home. This morning we slept in, then I fixed us a breakfast of orange juice, homemade biscuits and gravy, and bacon. Sorry, no pictures of that.
In the past, our Christmas season has consisted of running to and fro between the homes of his family and my family and hoping for good weather. I miss being with the kids this year, but we did talk to them on the phone. They were pretty much on the run today too it sounded like. But this year we stayed home, and it has been pretty luxurious, I must say. We have been quite lazy, watching a movie and eating Christmas shrimp and nachos with chili-cheese sauce along with a nice glass of rose wine. The movie was a bit bizarre, Will Smith in I Am Legend. But we have another one lined up, the new Narnia movie. I think I am enjoying this staying home idea.
