Working on the Inside.....

The pennies are placed where the stamps will go

The stamps are done!

My first carved stamp!

All done?

Sometime last year I started contemplating having my lining fabrics printed with my own designs.  Then, I started remembering how much fun I had in high school with printing and painting on fabric.  So, I dragged out some plain white cotton from the stash that I collected from my mom a while back and started playing.  My first attempts were pretty gross.  Not much was happening except for mud.  I tried washes and dry brush and spray bottle painting and I was not impressed with any of it.  So I gave up and just kept collecting random pieces of cotton for my collection.  Then, I thought I would give fabric stamping a try.   So off I went to our local art store and got myself some fabric dye and blank stamps for the carvin'  and I finally got results I like!  This one is green with black hearts, and multicolored dots.  I think it's a mighty fine start, and a nice break from sitting at the sewing table too!

Just Messin' Around

So, I have bags and bags full of small scraps of leather and suede that have been waiting patiently for me to think of some exciting way of using them all up.  I think I've made a start.  I decided that I could not make it through the weekend without giving this new design a try.  I think it's a good start.  I love the colors!  This one is now up for grabs.  I'm thinking that I will be making a few more of these in various colors and sizes, some with snaps, others with buttons,  all kinds of cool new stuff!   Thanks for looking:)

So, I Missed April Too......

It's been a bit busy over here and I just realized that I haven't posted anything since late March.  Oops!  Well, today I have some new things to share and hope to have more ready to share soon.  I am busily working on leathery things and helping the kids make it through these last few weeks of school.  Then the madness really begins!  I will be hangin' here with the kiddos this summer trying to find new and exciting ways of entertaining them and trying to fit in lots of designing and sewing in between.  Wish me luck!

Checkbook Covers!

I managed to get a few checkbook covers done this weekend for Funk Shui in Eureka.  I am running out of leather super fast these days which is making me play with color a lot more than usual, but I think I came up with some interesting combinations here.  Now that these are done, I have a couple of custom orders to finish along with a huge pile of pouches!  I'm gonna be sewing for a very long time!

That is good. 

New Stuff to Share!

The start of a new neck piece and my first attempt at setting stones in leather, should be fun!

New Tie up card wallet in black and red

This one looks like a ladybug:)

New Things Finally!

I finished up a few new card wallets over the last few days and got them all listed in my shop and ready for their new homes.  We have had quite an interesting 2015 so far, lots of illness and not a lot getting done.  It finally seems like things are improving and we are down to one earache and cough, which is a whole lot better than what we've been up against over the last meanwhile. 

I have not had a lot of free time for much of anything so of course, nothing creative gets done.  Now that these little guys are all ready to go, I'm going to head back to the sewing table to work on my various projects (the most recent being a simple checkbook cover design) and get some stuff done!

I did get to hide my handmade valentines all about Arcata and it looks like they have all been found and given homes.   Since Valentine's Day has become a sort of blah, nothing special day around here for me, I was able to enjoy it more because of my little project.  I got to give some love and appreciation to my community and that makes my tiny, rotten heart happy.  I can't wait to make some more.  I'm thinking the next project is going to be something to do with dragons or monsters of some sort.  Probably in the same medium too.  Glue and pastels have been an awesome reintroduction to drawing and working on paper.  I am also kind of addicted to my metallic pastels and paints too!

Here's to having fun and getting stuff done!  Happy Friday!!!!!

I Missed January!

I would to say that I missed January because we were so incredibly busy with activities and super fun stuff that I just didn't have time to post, but, no, I can't.  We've all been sick since the end of the year at least and we are now dealing with a nasty tummy virus that has gotten both the kids so far.  I thought I would post something before it catches me! 

The pictures above are for my newest project for the Humboldt Art Abandonment project.  They are specially made valentines that I will be placing throughout Arcata over the next few days.  They are simple glue resist paintings on black paper with extra special metallic pastel painting and a little bit of sparkly fairy dust to make them super magical!  I just finished framing them and will wrap them later today.  Then off to find some good "abandoning" places for them around town.  I think I'll abandon the first one tonight on my walk around the neighborhood.

I have been working in between illness and other various activities.  I even managed to come up with a new wallet design and finished the first one this week while I was home with Ciaran.  I'll have pics of those later when I get to sewing the rest of them up. 

I had such big plans for January, but, nothing worked out they way I planned.  We even had to postpone Ciaran's 8th birthday party because we didn't want to make anyone else sick:(

Now it's February.  I sure hope I don't miss this month too!

I am crossing my fingers for a healthful, creative, and happy February for us and everyone!


N.