Waiting Around

Today is the day that Mark's big box of beer comes. So I offered to wait around until it comes. The only thing is that my kids are antsy! Ciaran NEEDS to get outside, and little Ms. Ed kept me up for most of the early morning hours being fidgety and still is. She is my precious gassy girl! So today I am taking the opportunity to oxyclean some stuff, since it has to soak and be rinsed throughout the day, and I will be here basically doing nothing. But, I will use my down time to put together a couple of special projects for special people in my life. I can do this during nap time! I actually managed to list another travel wallet on Etsy yesterday during nap time. I was so excited! Although, as usual, Ed woke up during my photo session and would not go back to sleep for anything. She is sleeping more though, and is starting to have regular nap times, not just little cat naps here and there. I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Its getting a little easier to find the time to work now that Ed is older and easily entertained by her toys. A lot of times I just plop her down next to me and we talk and make faces at each other as I cut and glue things. It's the sewing part that is harder to get to. She is super alert and any little sound, light, or change in temperature catches her attention and bugs her, so my sewing(unless the gassy one is in her crib)is done to the soundtrack of fussy baby. Oh well, can't please them all the time. I just hope that someday she'll get used to it so I can get this huge pile of ready to sew things off my table and into my shops....Oh, and I still have to sew together my diaper bag. Hopefully, I will get to that before she's out of diapers.

My newest custom creation with the cutest little currency signs ever. I sure had fun making this one! I hope it's new owner enjoys it just as much:)




The little devil is coming along nicely. The little devil costume that is. Ciaran wants to wear his new little horned hoodie around the house and throws huge fits whenever I tell him no. My sewing machine is once again putting up with me despite it's injury so the sewing is going just fine. I am just praying that it holds out through the rest of the costume sewing. Now Mark wants a devil costume too. I don't think I can take having two devils in the house at the same time. Too darn evil for me:)

The week ahead holds lots of baking( I am trying my hand at soul cakes and yummy pumpkin cookies, hopefully the arrival of a new sewing machine, then lots of sewing, trick or treating and hot apple cider. Maybe even a ghoulish dance with a jack o'lantern. Sounds like spooky good fun to me. I am off to enjoy a scary movie and a cup of coffee while my little devil is napping. Have a great day all!

New and Improved

This is my first new and improved travel wallet. I made it a little roomier, and added a couple extra card pockets. I went with this beautiful caramel colored leather because it is so darn smooth and soft! I am having way too much fun with the leaf and vine designs right now. I am trying to expand my horizons, but it is tricky when one thing just appeals so much to my eyeballs. We will see what I come up with next time. I still have a thing for polka dots so that may show up in a few more of these little wallets. Polka dots just make me happy. When I was a kid my sisters and I fought over a little orange dress with magenta polka dots on it. Of course, when it was my turn to wear it, I ended up falling asleep with a piece of gum in my mouth and waking up to all of my hair stuck to the dress and ended up having to be cut out of the dress. It was the end of my long hair and the end of the polka dot dress. It was a sad day. I never napped with gum in my mouth after that. In fact, I don't know why I had gum in the first place. I have always hated chewing gum. I don't know why but it grosses me out. I would rather chew on a stinky sock than chew gum. Blahhh!!!!

In other news, no news on Humbug yet. I am hoping we will learn a little more today, but I am not holding my breath. She seems a little more on the perky side today. She was begging for food this morning which has not been the case for a while now. I take that as a good sign for the day. Right now she is spying on me as I write this from between Mark's shoes. I think she is saying "Hurry up and finish writing, I need a lap to curl up in, NOW!" I must obey the queen.

It's done! My first travel wallet, complete with zipper compartment on the interior. I really like how it turned out. The design of the wallet needs a few minor adjustments but I think it will work. I am having so much fun making snaps I can't believe I didn't try sooner. I hope to make a lot more in the next few weeks. As soon as I finish up a few other things then I will be concentrating on perfecting my snap an zipper techniques. I think I have it down pretty much, but I just want to see what possibilities my abilities have.

Other than that, Ciaran and I will probably take a little break this afternoon to go and check on my parents' elderly kitty Oliver, who is very old and completely deaf. My parents are in Seattle this week picking up their new puppy Duffy. My dad is so excited about his new little friend. He lost Zeke (his other dog) in November and has been so upset about it. I hope Oliver deals well with the new friend. He is pretty tolerant of everyone around him including dogs but he is so old and frail now, I hope his health holds out. So Ciaran and I will go and hang out with Oliver and keep him company for a while. He always seems to appreciate a visit. Ciaran always appreciates having a new furry friend to hang out with.

I am Diggin' The Purple!

I have to say, I really like the purple. I really wanted to stick with a black background but when I woke up this morning and got ready to write. I was pleasantly surprised by the crazy purple background. O.K. I am done talking about my background color.

I woke up a bit early this morning. Last night, Ciaran's toys started turning on by themselves. We had just gotten into to bed and started to hear a whirring sound at first then some random beeping. It took me a while to figure out what it was. Luckily, Mark went out to the living room to turn them off, I was to scared. It was funny but spooky at the same time. Either we are haunted, or we need some new batteries around here. Shortly after that disturbance, Mr. Ciaran woke up crying and could not be soothed back to sleep, so I brought him in to bed with us where he tossed and turned and talked in his sleep until about 5:30 am. Then the little booger ran down the hall at top speed, squealing at the top of his lungs! He got out into the living room before I could stop him. So we have been up for a while now. I am pretty darn sleepy but having my first dose of caffeine for the day, that should help.

I made a pattern for a large travel wallet last night. So I plan to work on that today. I am curious to see how it turns out. This one will be out of black leather, but I can't figure out what I want to do as an applique on it. So that will be the task for the day! Figuring out a new and unusual color combination that will be pleasing to the eyeballs, not pukey. Once that is done, we are off to farmer's market to pick up some fresh veggies and to get some exercise and fresh air. It looks beautiful out there so far. A bright and sunny day without all the smoke that has been plaguing us for the last couple of weeks. Hopefully we will get outside before the fog rolls back in. Well, off I go to my secret laboratory to mess around with colored leather.