I'VE BEEN HAVING SO MUCH FUN THIS PAST WEEK CUTTING UP FELTED SWEATERS AND OLD WOOL BLANKETS TO MAKE CHRISTMAS THINGYS. I MADE MANY SMALL WREATHS, AND SOME LARGE ONES FOR A HOLIDAY SHOW I WAS IN. THEY WERE A BIG HIT AND I WAS SOON ALMOST CLEANED OUT. I COULDN'T WAIT TO MAKE MORE! THEN I MADE SOME TREES AND I LOVE THEM! THE PICS DON'T DO THEM JUSTICE AS THEY ARE CHARMING IN REAL LIFE. CAN'T WAIT TO DISPLAY THEM IN THE SHOP. SOME I WILL PUT A FEW VINTAGE BALL ORNIES ON AND SOME I WILL LEAVE PLAIN. I AM ALSO CUTTING UP AN OLD WOOL GREEN BLANKET THAT IS A LOVELY PALE SHADE AND I WILL POST THOSE PICS SOON.

TRUELY A SCRAPPY CUFF

DURING THE CLASS THAT I MENTIONED IN MY LAST POST, REBBECCA SHOWED THE CLASS HOW TO USE EVEN THE SMALLEST OF BITS OF FABRIC, STRING AND THREAD TO EMBELLISH FABRIC COLLAGES. (RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!) THIS IS MY VERSION TO MAKE THOSE SCRAPS USEFUL. i TOOK LENGHTS OF VELVET RIBBON, IN THIS CASE TO FIT THE WRIST, HAD A SMALL PILE OF SCRAPS ON THE TABLE TO THE LEFT OF MY SEWING MACHINE, AND SET IT FOR A DECORATIVE STITCH PATTERN. PLACING THE RIBBON UNDER THE STITCH FOOT, I SIMPLY FED DIFFERENT PIECES OF SCRAP, (CAREFULLY) UNDER THE PRESSURE FOOT WHILE THE MACHINE WAS SLOWLY RUNNING. I SEWED UP ONE SIDE AND DOWN THE OTHER SO THAT THE SCRAP PIECES WERE SECURE. I THEN TRIMMED THE SIDES A LITTLE, ATTACHED RIBBON END CAPS, A SMALL BIT OF CHAIN AND AND A CLASP. ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF COFFEE DYED MUSLIN, I WROTE A SIMPLE WORD AND GLUED IT IN THE CENTER WITH A FEW BUTTONS. I THINK THIS METHOD WOULD ALSO MAKE SMASHING CHOKERS AND BELTS. EVEN FABRICS OF A SENTIMENTAL MEANING WOULD BE A USEFUL AND FUN WAY TO PRESERVE MEMORIES.

FABRIC COLLAGE

LAST THURSDAY I TOOK A CLASS FROM REBBECCA FOR VINTAGE LIVING. IT WAS ON FABRIC COLLAGE AND AS SHE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM AN ADVENTURE IN COLORADO WITH K.C. WILLIS, THERE WAS MAGIC IN THE AIR. REBBECCA HAS A WONDERFUL EYE AND IS VERY GENEROUS WITH HER COACHING AND SUPPLIES. IT WAS A GREAT CLASS AND I USED AN OLD PHOTO OF MY MOM WHEN SHE WAS FOUR, WITH HER MOM, HER GRANDMOTHER, AND HER GREAT GRANDMOTHER. ALSO, I USED A RECENT PHOTO OF MY GRAND DARLING, ALICE. I LOVE THE COLORS AND THE OVER ALL FEEL OF THIS WALL HANGING. I WILL BE ADDING PICTURES OF MY FOUR CHILDREN IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND PROBABLY ONE OF MYSELF AS A CHILD TO BRIDGE THE GAP. THAT WILL ENCOMPASS SEVEN GENERATIONS OF PICTURES THAT I AM BLESSED TO HAVE.

WHITE WEDNESDAY (SORT OF)

EVEN THOUGH I TOOK THESE PHOTOS IN JUNE, I WANTED TO SAVE THEM FOR THE HALLOWEEN SEASON. THE CEMETERIES IN ENGLAND ARE FILLED WITH SOME VERY ANCIENT AND BEAUTIFUL HEAD STONES. IT WAS VERY PEACEFUL PLACE TO VISIT IN THE LIGHT OF DAY,BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE ANY WHERE NEAR THEM AFTER THE SUN WENT DOWN AND THE NITE TIME FELL WITH IT'S TOTAL DARKNESS. EEUUU! JUST TO THINK OF IT MAKES THE HAIR ON THE BACK OF MY NECK STAND UP! SPOOKY!

WHITE WEDNESDAY

THESE CHOICES FOR WHITE WEDNESDAY ARE SOME OF THE NEW ITEMS IN MY SHOP THAT I HAVE MADE. THE OLD CABINET DOOR BECAME A HANDY NOTE HOLDER, (SORRY, SOLD) AND THE CANVAS TOTE BAGS ARE EMBELLISHED WITH SOME OLD BLACK AND WHITE ENGLISH PRINTS WHICH I HAVE TRANSFERRED ONTO THE CANVAS. I AM ALSO WORKING ON SOME SMALLER TOTES WITH CHRISTMAS SCENES THAT WOULD MAKE WONDERFUL GIFT BAGS. THE CHAIR IS ONE OF A PAIR THAT I PURCHASED AT A RESALE SHOP AND COVERED WITH LINEN AND A TRANSFERRED CLOCK FACE. THANKS FOR VISITING AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY.

I WON THESE.......

WONDERFUL ITEMS FROM RITA @ MAMMABELLARTE.BLOGSPOT .COM. THE PACKAGE CAME IN THE POST YESTERDAY AND I WAS SO EXCITED! RITA MAKES CUSTOM SIGNS AND BOY DO I EVER NEED TO SEE THE SIGN SHE MADE FOR ME, EVERYDAY! SO... THIS IS GOING IN MY HOME STUDIO. AND...........AS A BONUS, SHE SO GENEROUSLY ADDED THIS WONDERFUL, SOLDERED CHARM NECKLACE OF A LITTLE METAL DOVE. I JUST LOVE IT! RITA, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

AND THE AWARDS GO TO.....

1. LAUGHING WITH ANGELS...

2.IOWA JUNK GYPSIES...

3.RHUBARB REIGN...

4. ANYTHING GOES HERE...

5.SEPIA DREAMS....

6. COLLECTED TREASURES...

7. 52 FLEA...

I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE 10 THINGS ABOUT YOURSELVES THAT I'M SURE YOU ARE JUST DYING TO DIVULGE, AND THE 7 PEOPLE YOU PASS THIS ON TO! JUST GRAB THE HONEST SCRAP AWARD AND GO..........

HONEST SCRAP AWARD

REBECCA FROM VINTAGE LIVING SENT ME AN HONEST SCRAP AWARD.

IT SEEMS THAT I NOW HAVE TO DIVULGE TEN THINGS ABOUT MYSELF THAT IS NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE. HERE GOES..........

1. THE ONLY REASON THAT MY BED GETS MADE EVERY DAY IS THAT MY HUSBAND AND I DO IT TOGETHER.

2.I LOVE TO EAT POPCORN IN BED WHEN I READ.

3.LENGTHY TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS IRRITATE ME.

4.IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE HUBS, I WOULD BE THE STAR OF THE NEW REALITY SHOW, "HOARDERS"!

5. I DON'T LIKE TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO WHILE I'M DRIVING.

6. MARCHING BANDS AND PARADES MAKE ME CRY.

7.BASICALLY, I'M A LONER, THEREFORE......

8. I DO NOT LIKE TO SHOP WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

9. I AM NOT COMPETITIVE NOR DO I STRIVE TO BE #1.

10. I DO NOT HAVE TO BE RIGHT ALL THE TIME. (#9 AND #10 TAKE TOO MUCH NEGATIVE ENERGY.)


NOW I HAVE TO PASS THIS AWARD ON TO 7 OTHER PEOPLE WHICH I WILL DO TOMORROW.

OHIO FALL EXTRAVAGANZA

THIS PAST WEEK-END MY FRIEND JANICE AND I SET UP A BOOTH AT THE SPRINGFIELD, OHIO SHOW. IT WAS A FIRST OUT OF STATE SHOW FOR BOTH OF US AND THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD TOWED A TRAILER! HAPPY TO REPORT THAT IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE. SALES WERE VERY GOOD, PEOPLE WERE FRIENDLY AND APPRECIATIVE OF OUR HAND MADE STUFF AND THE WEATHER COULDN'T HAVE BEEN BETTER! ( A BIG THANK YOU, JOE AND SANDY, OF RHUBARB REIGN, FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT AND HELP WITH THE TRAILER. OH!, AND THE DELICIOUS CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES. YUM!) HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ITEMS WE HAD IN OUR BOOTH.

WHITE WEDNESDAY

MY CHOICE FOR THIS WEEK'S WHITE WEDNESDAY IS SOME PICS I TOOK WHILE IN ENGLAND THIS YEAR. THE WEATHER WORN, BLEACHED DETAILS OF ANCIENT THINGS, EVEN IF MADE OF METAL AND STONE, HAVE TIMELESS APPEAL.

WHITE WEDNESDAY

I GOT THESE WONDERFUL CLOCK FACES FROM THE IOWA JUNK GYPSIES LAST WEEK END AT KANE. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THEM! I MADE SOME TRANSFERS OF THEM AND APPLIED THEM TO SOME RAW SILK PILLOWS THAT I HAD MADE. I ALSO COVERED SOME CHAIR SEATS WITH THE TRANSFERED CLOCK FACES. WILL SHOW THOSE PICS LATER.

BOY DO I EVER NEED HELP

I LOGGED INTO MY BLOG JUST NOW WITH THE INTENTION OF POSTING MY WHITE WEDNESDAY PICS. BUT BEFORE I BLOG I ALWAYS LIKE TO READ WHAT WAS POSTED IN THE BLOGS THAT I FOLLOW. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I COULDN'T FIND ANY POSTING AND THE MESSAGE WAS THAT I WAS NOT FOLLOWING ANY BLOGS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!! OH, YES I AM!!!!!!!! BUT I ONLY REMEMBER SOME OF THEM!!!! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED. I CERTAINLY DID NOT DELETE ANY! THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, RIGHT AFTER I STARTED BLOGGING, AND MESSING EVERYTHING UP, BUT I THINK BY NOW I WOULD KNOW ENOUGH NOT TO DELETE THE BLOGS I FOLLOW EVEN ON ACCIDENT!... ANYWAY, BLOG FRIENDS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I FOLLOWED ANY OF YOU SO THAT I CAN PUT YOU BACK ON MY LIST..............AND TO MAKE MATTERS EVEN WORSE, I WAS TOLD BY RITA, ON MY JUNK JEWELRY BLOG, THAT I WON A CONTEST BY HER AND I SHOULD E-MAIL HER WITH MY ADDRESS. WHEN I CLICKED ON HER NAME, (about ten times)I WAS TOLD THAT HER PROFILE IS NOT PUBLISHED AND THEREFORE, I CANNOT ACCESS HER BLOG SITE!!!!! WHAT!!!!!!! (rita if you read this, please give me your blogsite name) OR IF ANYONE WHO READS THIS KNOWS WHERE I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH RITA, PLEASE HELP!!!!!!! I WAS SO EXCITED. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE WON ANYTHING. RITA PAINTS THE MOST GORGEOUS SIGNS WITH LOVELY WORDS ON THEM. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.