After Thanksgiving Sale

First of all, I wanted to wish you all a belated Happy Thanksgiving! I had a very nice, laid-back day consisting of eating left-over turkey at home from Brendan's mom and going to the movies.

Second, I wanted to let you all know about the After Thanksgiving Sale going on in my etsy shop.
Here are the great deals you'll find this weekend:

• $3 off patchwork scarves.
• $10 off aprons.
• Additional $5 off all summer clearance items.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Sale ends Sunday, 11-30-2008, at midnight Central time.

Happy Weekend!

Refocusing

Well, it's been way too long since I have posted, but that's nothing new. :)

I've been focusing a lot less on making clothes lately and more on affordable gifts for the holiday season.

These patchwork scarves are so fun to make! I could've made about 20, but I ran out of materials. They're just about the only part of winter that I care for. :)


I also had a craving to make an applique last week, so I whipped up this little pouch and appliqued the leaves onto it.

Up next? More appliques, I think. :)

Pumpkin Fun

Instead of carving a pumpkin this year, I decided to paint on the design this year instead.
I came to this decision after the pumpkin I carved last year rotted out in only a few days. Bummer!

Here's the pumpkin in its original state, plus my inspiration for its decoration:



After cutting out and tracing a pattern that I got for free online and a few coats of acrylic paint:



"I'm Chef, and I approve this pumpkin."

Tulsa State Fair 2008

On Thursday, Brendan and I went to the Tulsa State Fair! This is a pretty big night-out for us, since we're sort of stingy, homebodies. :)

The three main attractions we were interested in were The Big Cat Adventures, the petting zoo, and the .38 Special concert. Despite having to drive around for over an hour trying to find a parking space, we managed to catch all three.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy:

I got to pet this precious baby lynx at the Big Cat Adventures!

Emu at the petting zoo! He was so friendly and let me pet him for a long time.

This giraffe was gorgeous.

Apparently this sheep is supposed to have four horns. Crazy.

Brendan and I enjoying the .38 Special concert (I have no clue why we're both so red-faced).



And a small video of the concert:

Maya Mia!

I'm currently sitting in a computer lab on campus waiting for my Ancient Mesoamerica class to start.

We have an all-essay test in about 30 minutes, and I have been studying like crazy.

I've got facts about the Maya ceremonial/sacrificial ballgame coming out of my ears!

I already had a test today in Theory of Personality. Wednesday I have a test in Human Sexuality. Monday I have a test in Abnormal Psychology. Over the weekend I had a test in Human Development. Yes, that's 5 tests in 10 days.

Send me some good thoughts for good luck. I'm a nervous wreck. :)

Green and Brown Paisley Apron Top

This past week I got back the items that were in a boutique for consignment for the summer season. Now I get to offer them in my Etsy customers at a super discounted rate in celebration of the arrival of fall.



Today I listed this beautiful top, and two more dresses will be added very soon!

Finally a new creation! Hemp and Woodgrain Top

Thanks so much for the nice comments on my last blog entry. It helped to get me out of my rut!

I finally finished this beautiful hemp top that I'd been working on for at least the past month! I've got to say, I'm quite proud of how she turned out. :)

The fit looks a little off in the photo - this is because this top is meant for a size large or extra-large, and my mannequin has teeny tiny proportions! I'm positive this will look amazing on a woman whose size it was intended for.


See more pictures of this top and find its measurements in my Etsy shop.

I Suck?

Since I have moved, my blog posts as well as new items on Etsy have been few and far between.

There's a reason for this I suppose - I am pretty much at a total creative stand-still.

I have at least 5 half-finished projects laid out on my sewing table, and all of them I have managed to botch something on. Lately I have just been giving up instead of ripping out a seam and re-constructing it. I really need to get out of the "I suck" mindset and simply correct my mistakes when they happen! I think some of this has to do with the fact that sewing has been making me miserable lately. My old grabbed-from-the-dumpster rolly chair got trashed when we moved, so now I have been sitting in a hand-me-down chair from the neighbor that the back has fallen out of for the most part and KILLS my back to sit in. Not to mention the fact that I actually have to physically get up and move the chair to the other side of the table when I have to switch between the serger and sewing machine.

So, my goals for the month are as follow:

1) Buy a new rolly chair with my birthday money (I turned 22 on August 26th - woo!)
2) Stop constantly telling myself I suck when I make a mistake
3) List at least one new item on Etsy per week

Back to School

"Oh back to school Back to school To prove to dad that I'm not a fool. I've got my lunch packed up, My boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight! Ohhhhhh back to school."

(Hehe. I watched Billy Madison about 100 times one summer when I was about 12 years old.)

Well, school officially starts for me on Monday. I had an anthropology workshop class for two weeks at the beginning of August, but going to campus to listen to and talk about rock and blues music for about 4 hours per day doesn't really count as real school to me. :)

This semester I am finally at the point where all of the classes I am taking actually pertain to my major and minor. I'm taking 4 psychology classes (developmental, personality, abnormal, and human sexuality) and another anthropology class (ancient mesoamerica) to count toward my minor. I have about a 30 minute commute each way, so to preserve gas and money, I had my advisor help me schedule all of my classes into two days per week - Monday and Wednesday. The bad thing about this set up is that on Monday I will have class for nine hours, back-to-back. Eek! Thank goodness I'm taking classes I'm interested in!




Brendan starts his classes on September 3rd. At the moment we are both still sharing the trusty Saturn, so we're going to have to try to figure out who gets to drop off and pick up who until good ol' financial aid comes in. (And believe me, they will take their sweet time getting financial aid to you.) This means that for a few weeks, I'm probably going to have to be at my campus for eleven hours per day on Mondays. Yikes.

Overall, I am excited about this semester. Interesting classes, beatiful new campus, nicer living arrangements. I suppose I don't have much to complain about for a while. :)

Hemp and Patchwork Apron

This beautiful apron is made from earth-friendly khaki-colored hemp fabric as well as colorful patchwork composed of designer Amy Butler fabric.









Machine washable and fits a variety of sizes.

Check out more details about this apron in my
Etsy shop!

Tree Apron on Kashmir

I am back from vacation, hard at work, and excited to present to you a brand new apron up for grabs in my Etsy shop. Looks great as a top, skirt, or around the house to keep your clothes tidy!

This beauty is made from 100% cotton fabrics and is machine washable. To get all of the details, please visit this apron's individual listing.

On Vacation

My dear blog readers, I am happy to announce that I am officially on vacation!

I will be visiting my family in Indiana for a little over a week.

Please feel free to shop around and purchase items as normal in my shop. All items purchased now and July 31st will be shipped the following Monday, August 4th.

Thanks for your understanding and I hope you are all enjoying your summer!

(Deer outside of my dad's home in Indiana - click to enlarge)

Woodgrain and Leaf Batik Patchwork Pillow

My new home has been inspiring me to create practical works of art for around the house.

This striking patchwork pillow features two different 100% cotton designer fabrics - Woodgrain by Joel Dewberry and a beautiful Hoffman leafy batik fabric.


The best part? Machine wash and dry! Your cat or pup can lay all over it (like mine do on my furniture) and you can just run it through a spin in the washer and dryer. No problem.


To find out more, check out this pillow in my Etsy shop.

New Skirt

This sweet and flirty patchwork strips skirt is made from 3 different 100% cotton fabrics, has an elastic waistband that stretches from 32 inches to 36 inches, and features beautiful decorative stitching at the hem.

Check out this skirt in my Etsy shop for more details. :)

Arte Y Pico Award

While catching up with the Grizzly Mountain Arts blog, I discovered that I have been given an Arte y Pico award - an award passed from one artist to another to honor their creativity! So now, I get the honor of passing it on to five other artists!


*Amanda from This Old Hen House paper crafts and Twist This jewelry.
I have the honor of owning several of Amanda's hand-bound journals and I'm truly proud to call her an Etsy friend.

*Kylee from Soap Lane bath and body.
Kylee's bath and body products are all true works of art. She continues to amaze me with the quality of her work and incredible attention to detail. I've never tried one of her soaps or soy wax melts that I didn't absolutely love. She is also one of my most beloved friends in the world of Etsy.

*The artisans at Infinite Cosmos.
They offer beautiful blown glass works of art unlike anything I've ever seen.

*Sticks and Stones Designs.
Beautiful, earthy hemp and assorted materials jewlery. I have the honor of owning the Chocolate Bamboo Bracelet, and it is absolutely gorgeous!

*Kerri from Nature All Well jewelry.
My very first transaction on Etsy was with Kerri. I traded her a patchwork apron top for two of her gorgeous rings. She was so patient and kind to answer the million questions I had about Etsy and the buying/selling process. I wear her rings all the time and cherish them very much!


Thanks again to Dave and Jo of Grizzly Mountain Arts for this great award! It means a lot coming from such talented artists. :)

Slowly re-emerging into the world of blog

I know you've all been crossing your fingers to see where I've been for the past month (ok, probably not), but I'm back now and slowly re-emerging into the world of blogging and Etsy.

Brendan and I have been moving into our new place! We are totally lovin' it and livin' it up - hence my lack of much computer time lately. Our apartment is set back a ways into the country outside of a nice, small town. Still, it literally takes 15 minutes to drive from our apartment to downtown Tulsa and the million and one opportunities for fun things to do there. We pretty much have the best of both worlds here!

Here are some pictures of the new place:

The view from our balcony



Brendan and I sat on the balcony for hours a few nights ago, watching a giant storm




Our bedroom, featuring my gorgeous antique sewing machine that Brendan bought me a few anniversaries back.



It's hard to see from this picture, but my closet really is ginormous. (And for the record, yes, I really do hang my t-shirts according to color. I'm a little compulsive that way.) Brendan and I each have our own closets, which prevents more fights than you can even imagine. :)



It's a little hard to get a good picture of this bathroom because it is pretty small, but it's still awesome.


Living room - part 1. (Sorry for the poor lighting!)



Living room - part 2.



Living room - part 3.



Dining Room



Kitchen - part 1



Kitchen - part 2 (I have way more cabinets than things to put in them!)

I don't have pictures of the second bathroom or my sewing room yet. My sewing room is slowly being transformed into something like the picture of how I want it in my head. When it gets closer to how I want it, I promise to post pictures.

For those of you whose blogs I normally frequent, I'm going to spend some time this weekend catching up with you all.

A few new items should be posted to Etsy also this weekend. I will definitely update to tell you about them as soon as they are ready.

It's good to be back! :)

Flickr

Well, I finally got a Flickr account. Yes, I know, I must've been living under a rock.
I don't have any contacts there yet, so if you have a Flickr, leave me a comment with how to find you over there! I need Flickr buddies!


On another note, I found this fun little game. It's a vocabulary game, and the more you play, the more ad sponsors on the page pay to donate food to people in need. You can click on the banner on the right side of this page to play, or to add a banner to your blog to help spread the word, click here.

Threadless

After reading this Storque article on Etsy, I decided it was time that I checked out threadless.com

Having seen them advertised before (on Myspace I believe) something in my brain said "this is trendy nonsense, no use taking the time to check it out."

Well, today the Storque article caught my attention, and I decided it was time to see what Threadless is all about.

I was pleasantly surprised, my friends. So now I present to you my top Threadless picks:

The Rebirth of Venus - $17




My Broderie Tyrannosaurus - $17

Let it Grow - $16



A Field with a Dream - $20

When browsing through different T's, I was very impressed with their presentation of their clothes. Their models looked like real people - all different shapes and sizes, people with imperfect skin, and people that looked like you might actually know them. They seemed to avoid the airbrushed "perfection" look. Kudos, Threadless!



Has anyone ever bought clothing from Threadless before? I'm really curious to hear feedback from people who have dealt with them!

Sneak Peek

As promised, I am posting the completed project made from the woodgrain fabric in my last post (please excuse the picture quality - my camera does NOT like the woodgrain pattern) :

Yeah, a skirt! I decided I wanted to explore applique more, so I added the leafy applique, made from cotton fabric I had in my stash for a while.



I also decided to give my blog readers a sneak peek at two aprons I have been working on for when my Etsy shop re-opens in July after my move:

(Cotton tree applique on apron made from hemp fabric)



(Tree applique on apron made from Amy Butler's Kashmir fabric)

Well, that's all for now, blog friends. I hope you're all having a wonderful Sunday. :)

Get a Move On

I made the decision last week that I won't be making/listing anything new for the store until after we move at the end of the month. (I'm hoping that after we move and get settled in I will be totally inspired and sewing up a storm!) So, everything left in the shop is in sale BIG time. Stop on by there if there's something you've been wanting. :)

That being said, I did something this week that I haven't done since before I opened my Etsy shop in late January...I made something for myself!



I whipped something up from some of this sweet woodgrain fabric that I scored from FabricShoppe

Photos to come soon of what I made!