Friday, February 29, 2008

Aprons

I've realized that I love Japanese design. That subtle-ness, the use of sparse design elements. I was very excited b/c I found a really cool japanese book store recently - just FILLED with craftbooks. SIGH. Happiness. Now I don't have to order it through etsy or ebay anymore....

I played around a bit with an apron pattern. I think I want to add an applique to the front there - and this feels a bit big. but I had a great time and I love wearing it...



Thursday, February 28, 2008

Thursday reveal

Years ago when I first started scrapping, I would go to crops with everything I owned. It would take HOURS to pack and unpack. I grew weary of it and stopped going for a while. And then, one day, I ended up at a crop spontaneously and had no time but to grab the most recent kits that came in the mail and I was just THRILLED with how easy it was to transport but also, how creatively FREE I felt without the angst of spending all that time picking it all out. Because it was self contained, my brain was free to just create....

From that experience, I have gotten into the habit of going to crops ONLY with kits. In addition to the monthly kits I subscribe to, I periodically go through my stash and create them - mixing both old and new along the way. It all goes into my crop bag and when its time to go, all I need to do is pack my tools.

the cool thing is this week's challenge for the DT at lifetimemoments was to pack your own page kits - I did this with Tinkering Ink Beloved



Here are my layouts. I love the challenge of doing with what you've got - no adding... and so, I couldn't slap a pound of flowers on this, which is what I would have done if I had been unrestricted. So, I did my next favorite technique - i cut the flowers out of the pattern. (I actually cannot leave a big flower on its base sheet. I am compelled to cut it out, cut it apart, and relayer...)

TFL! Wendy

Sweet Dreamer


2 Front Teeth

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Jo Gong's Pool

I've been playing around alot lately with stamps and paint. Here, I was experimenting with layered patterns using the same color. The small dots went first (SavvyStamps) and then when dried, I layered the bolder pattern of the Prima flower over it. I love the slightly messy look of it. Another stashbusting layout. PP is Tinkering Ink, stickers are Fontwerks, EK and Joanns; flowers are Prima; buttons from Oriental Trading.

"Jo Gong" is the honorific title my kids have for my uncle - he's my mom's brother...

TFL! Wendy

untitled m

I don't care what anyone says. I love this Martha Stewart line.....

I was in a stamping mood - these are inque boutique. TFL. Wendy

Monday, February 18, 2008

-sweet dreams baby-

During my stint at Prima, I had my prima flowers segregated from the others to make it easier when designing. I always reached for the prima every time I was working on anything.

Now that my stint termed out, I took some time this weekend to file and reorganize my flowers into one large system - sorted by color groups. The majority is still prima, but now the misc. other manufacturers are mixed in. Now, when I want some flowers, I just grab the right color group and I'm good to go...

I've been working on older photos and stash busting. I did this with purple... i didn't realize I had so much purple...

I've been seeing some of these smaller sized 'die cut' papers. i wanted one, so I used my word program and simply printed out two brackets about a square shaped apart from each other. I transferred it to chipboard, connected the sides, and voila. My own template.

This is my dad and my niece.

TFL. Wendy

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Never Good Enough

This was for Week 5 of the DW Challenge at Lifetime Moments - Paint your backgrounds - Feb 2/3

Also, we dare you challenge - topic - hard

I wanted to see if I could stamp with paint and clear stamps. (yes...)

Journaling reads "Why does it feel like no matter how hard you try, it's never enough?"

I cut apart pictures of me at work and me at home - sometimes I feel so fragmented as I try and fulfill my roles

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Scrap accountability blogs

Oh, this is the most facinating idea!!

A group of ladies at lifetimemoments have set up scrap accountability blogs where they are tracking their supply usage against their purchases.

I think if you are a list kind of person, this might be perfect for you too.

Here's Susan's blog that started it - if you look at the side, you'll see the other group participants.... Everyone has modified the rules a bit to suit their own needs, etc... but the basic idea remains the same...
Susan's ScrapAccountability blog

This would never work for me. But i find the idea facinating and genius!

Thursday Reveal

Its newsletter day at lifetimemoments again and this month, we were challenged to work only with kits, no extras other than basics allowed (i.e. paint, glitter, etc).

I pulled the Sassafras Lass Royal Bliss line.

TFL! Wendy

Monday, February 4, 2008

i'm back...

With many apologies for my slight hiatus... Been in a funk lately and the only interesting things I have been thinking of are political, so I thought best to lay low.

I started watching Project Runway in earnest - DD just loves it and I find it refreshing to watch something other than sponge bob on the tv... It has gotten me kind of on fire to learn how to sew. I learned back when I was a kid from my mom but I remember nothing. About a year ago, my mom gave (well loaned, b/c my mom's "gives" are always reversible) a older sewing machine. Mom's an avid quilter so her hand me down was better than I'd ever ever buy. I started to fall in love with it again, but everything I made looked - well - homemade (note I said homemande, not handmade)....

Anyone have a good link to a good basic sewing course online or on dvd? not project specific sewing courses - but a basic one that I can learn the "right" way.

B/c I saw an apron like this when we were on vacation in December and I wanted it so bad. But !! $80. No way... But here's a pattern... And I love those awesome fabrics at superbuzzy. but I won't invest in that fabric til I know I won't mess it up. so until then, its J's clearance fabric for me...

can anyone help a new seamster out? (a lovely lady pointed out to me I can't really say I'm a new "sewer" (as in waste...) - rofl - but seamstress seems so much more skilled than I am. So, I'm going with seamster for now....