Bari J.

What ya' working on, Bari?

Oh, so many different things. Some special Emily Tote orders...

Website updating... Lots of pretty patchwork key fobs...

and some solid ones too...

Plus some new aprons...

And, I'm trying to figure out how to use this doo-hickie (it's a fancy-schmancy ear thingy for my cell phone), but I keep forgetting about it, and picking up the phone only to realize there's a person saying, "Hello? Hello?" into that ear piece on the desk. Oops.

Oh, and I forgot to show you these some time back... I just love 'em. They're so shiny. I like a little shiny.

Looks like a Party to Me.

Years ago I went to a wedding reception that used these colors. It was in this gorgeous old wine cave in Sonoma. It was a small party with one long table, and when the doors to the wine cave were opened we were greeted with swells of orange and hot pink. Hanging from above the table on gorgeous satin ribbon were balls of orange and pink flowers. The chairs were wrapped like presents in orange and pink. And on the table were ice bowls filled with gaspacho that were lit from underneath and of course more orange and pink flowers. To my delight, there was also some apple green thrown in.

Since then these have been my colors. You can see it in my work repeatedly. And I decorate like this too. I'd have the whole house bright and fun like that if Super Husband would let me get away with it. Of course, since I did kick him out of his office and make it my studio years ago, I am limited to mostly just here. My Grannie's old stool (the one I found in Spokane) got the Orange and Pink treatment this week with Anna Maria's gorgeous fabrics...

And since I was already in the mood, I made a few of these too...

I'm wondering what else I can cover, paint or otherwise decorate now. Unfortunately (or fortunately as the case may be... I can't complain) I've got to get back to work. Anna Maria's fabrics will have to remain over there in that beautiful stack calling my name.

Work Play

Weekend synopsis:

When there wasn't some of this...

Or some of this...

or this...

There was some of this...

And I loved this...

And I know I promised you some of this...

Mail Order Assistant

I've got a new assistant. I ordered her up and she arrived very promptly. She's very quiet, minds her own business, and is really good at holding things. Like aprons, belts and purses.
Her first job is to clean up the mess behind her.

Well, watcha' waitin' for? Hop to, Gertie! ... if only.

Candy.

Now, this is fun fabric! We've been busy putting together a slew of belts for Jennifer to take to quilt market in Portland... I've got to show you how many zillions of combinations there are to be put together in the Bell Bottoms line. I was drunk on the color ... had it been candy I would have eaten it all.

Cutting and arranging pieces was a party. A red pattern next to an orange pattern, yellow next to blue, florals next to dots. No matter what I did it looked great.

And I have to tell you, I was stumped on where to put the red pieces.

There were two patterns that were red and white... and for whatever reason, I'm just not usually attracted to reds... But right there next to the orange and pink... Voila.

Just right if I may say so myself. I'm so glad I didn't try to go with the red, white and blue theme that I momentarily (don't laugh... it was only a passing thought) thought I might.

BTW, a certain little girl (that would be older daughter) is head over heels in love with this fabric. And actually, that's my next project for today... give older daughter some fabric to play with. It's going to be very difficult to part with.

Happy Place

Last Friday the planets aligned, conspiring with me to make a purchase I haven't had the chutzpah to make being that I had a working computer that was "just fine."

Here's how it went down:
# 1. My PC finally blew up. DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!

# 2. I managed to get Super Husband into the Apple Store where he was finally inclined to agree with me on the superiority of the Mac. So stubborn. Nevermind that I was the buyer... I needed his "buy in" in order to keep the peace, you know what I'm saying???

# 3. It was my birthday this week, and I needed a little gifty, don't ya' know.

So, excuses, excuses, I bought myself an iMac and my family thinks they'll never see me again. Can I TELL you how much easier it is to design "stuff"... (did somebody mention fabric?) on this sweet thing?
I am in happy place numero uno!

Ok, now with that out of the way... what else has been going on around here?

I did manage to get Miss Verna her new bag... Turned out pretty. I told her Scotch Guard was definitely in order though with those beautiful light fabrics:

On another note: I mentioned some time back that I had this stack of beautiful fabric to make aprons from and couldn't do the cutting myself because of that rotten arm (Update: doing much better... trying to avoid what got me to that state in the first place.). Well, I've managed to wrangle some wonderful sewing type people into doing it for me. Which is cause for a big loud, "hallelujah!"... Maybe a "wee-hoo!" too. Isn't she a cutie? There's more to come. I plan on having this babies up on the website no later than Friday.

Okers, well, more tomorrow. Must to make dinner ... uh, and I can't believe the state of my laundry room. Seriously people, nobody here has a clean pair of panties for tomorrow unless I get on it. That there is NOT a happy place.

A little story about a girl named Bari

Much to tell, much to say. Right now a little proud "Ta. Da." ....

Why? Below is a Betty Weekender for Jennifer Paganelli made from her new Bell Bottoms fabric line which will be arriving in stores soon. I think this one is my favorite. A great big hug and Thank You through the computer to Miss Jennifer for giving me this fabulous opportunity! I am so honored. I'm almost silly, giddy honored.

I want to show these gals off, but there's also a little story here that I feel like I need to tell. It will sound just a tiny-weenie bit over the top, but no one ever said I wasn't over the top. I am. I admit it. I'm one emotional chick-idy.

I SO need to ya-da-ya-da. 'Cause if I don't my brain will whirl and no one wants to see that mess.  Here goes. I apologize in advance. But don't tell me you weren't forewarned...

My little story: Since starting Bari J.over three years ago, I have been pressing forward, pressing forward never really acknowledging any sort of milestones, acheivements but for a moment. My family would disagree because I tend to beam about it for a bit, but seriously, meanie Bari in my head has other ideas.

Then for whatever reason, this request from Jennifer snapped the old brain back into joint or something.

I started thinking about how far I've come since the beginning. And truth be told, it makes me want to sob. Just sob. Fall on the floor and sob, sob, sob. Messy sobbing. Not unhappy sobbing. Just sobbing. Maybe tired sobbing. Maybe relief sobbing. Something like that.

Someone at the Country Living event said, "Go ugly early". Meaning to me: "Start your dream. Get the not knowing what you are doing out of the way because if you don't go through not knowing ... you'll never get to knowing."

Well, everybody... I went very, very ugly early. A fact I was reminded of at the quilting store the other day... er... Thanks, Jane. Yes, I knew N.O.T.H.I.N.G. It's true, and now you all know it too.

Anyways, I'd been in touch with sweet Jennifer for some time when she asked me for several Betty Weekenders in her fabrics. I didn't think about it at first. Seriously, I was honored, but I didn't think, "How cool!" I mean, I'd been in love with her fabric line since it came out! (This was even before I was honored with Verna's project... which I'm totally stoked about too).

Then suddenly it hit me: That first bag. That first ugly, ugly bag! Jeezy peasy! I've worked my butt off since that first ugly bag. And not everyone thought I could do it.

Is it just me, or is this a universal female experience? That whole "god-forbid-I'm-proud-of-myself" bit.

I think I might just say goodbye to that for good. Here's a thought, gals... It's very not helpful.

(above... Betty Weekenders. The blue one is made from Jennifer's Bell Bottom line and the others are from a previous line. Except that one sticking out in the right corner of the pic.. that's Bell Bottoms. Two more to come next week. Wee hoo!)

Thank you, Jennifer. XO

~b

Pooped

Whew! I'm making myself crazy. As usual. In fact, I think I've created new ways to make myself too busy. It's my fault, I know. But none-the-less, I'm starting to get pooped.

Just thought I'd pop in and post a little diddy... part of something I'm working on. This stack of ribbon is making me very happy. I could just look at it all day. Better not... back to work. See you later... when I hopefully have something to show for myself.

It's the little things.

I tell ya', it doesn't take much to make me happy.

I'd been meaning to order one of these stamps forever, and finally got around to it. Ooooh, the possibilities! Here I've just created a little stationery with Amy Butler's fabby paper... goodness I love that woman!

BTW, I ordered this on Monday and it arrived today. That's F-A-S-T. I got it here. Only trouble... now I want one for everything. I'll be ordering every size eventually, I'm sure.

EDIT: I totally should add that I bought my kids pre-inked name stamps because they chronically forget to put their names on their papers. Anna stamped an entire ream of notebook paper last night. I can't take credit for this idea. Her science teacher is a genius w/forgetful kids.

The Vintage Spool

Do you know Verna Mosquera? I bet a lot of you know her patterns from her company, The Vintage Spool. She's got a million of 'em. Every one of them incredibly detailed and elegant. And, If you haven't already seen her debut fabric line from FreeSpirit, you must.

Verna got a hold of me a couple of weeks ago to make her something fab for Quilt Market in her fabrics. Wee hoo! I'm honored. I'm thinking of adding in some ribbon too. Maybe. And believe it or not, I have secured help in the cutting department to save my poor arm... Super Husband to the rescue. Ladies! I've got a good one.

That's much better.

I said I'd paint the frame of the peg board Super Husband put up for me... and I finally did. The sad truth is that if I hadn't blogged about it, I probably would have lived with the unpainted wood much longer. There ya' go... blogging keeping me honest.

Super Tuesday, The Biggest Mess Ever, & A Must-Have Tool... All of which have anything to do with one another.

Super Tuesday:

I feel obliged to say get your rears out there and vote if you are in a Super Tuesday state of the U.S.! I did my civic duty right after kid duty (morning drop off). I left with a big smile on my face, and am wearing my, "I Voted" sticker proudly. For some reason, this election seems really exciting to me... more than in the past.

The Biggest Mess Ever:

That done, I got myself right to work and made this mess... with-in about 30 minutes.

There is another picture of what is on the floor that I was too embarrassed to show you. So, I'll let you imagine.

A Must-Have Tool:

As I was sewing up the creation that was made in this hurricane, I was delighted to use my new Purple Thang (yes, that's really what it's called). I lost the other one so I bought a new one. And when I bought it I said, "I just know I'm going to find that Purple Thang when I get home.". And guess what? I did. Now I have two Purple Thangs which makes me happy because there is one ready and available for backup when I drop the first one behind the desk again.

As a good citizen, I also feel obliged to tell you that Purple Thang is the most wonderful tool ever. It has prevented me from sewing straight through my finger on many occasions. Purple is a most perfect tool for these collage type sewing projects where I have a million little scrappies sticking up all over the place and the free-motion quilting foot does not make a good barrier. Trust me, I know... thank goodness it was only the plastic that came down on my finger becaue that sucker hurt!

You can get a Purple Thang here... I have no affiliation with this website... just sharing. It seems to be a good resource for all sorts of goodies.

Super Husband to the rescue!

I read this weekend on Belle Pink Cafe that Tara Frey calls her guy Superman which reminded me... "Hey, I've got one of those!" So, I've taken to calling him Super Husband. He LIKES it... a lot.

I know why I married Super Husband. He's really cute. Really, really smart. And, pretty funny to boot.

But most of all, it's because he can build stuff... You've got to have someone handy around. I am certainly not that person. You also have to have someone who can fix computers which Super Husband is also really good at. He built his own computer if that is any indication of how good.

The point of this story... I asked Super Husband on Saturday to put up some peg board in my studio (I had seen a pic from Pixie Blossoms which set the whole thing in motion).

Ask and you shall receive ... if he is in a building sort of mood, which thankfully, he was.

By the end of the day on Sunday, I had my own pretty pegboards hanging above my desk.

Not only did Super Husband hang some peg board, he framed it out too because he said he didn't want the inside of our home to look like a garage. Good point, Super Husband. I think maybe I'll paint them a pretty green too.

Another good thing about Super Husband is that he always, always, always finds the studs in the wall before he hangs something.

Which I'm telling you is a really good thing for a reason.

I'm not so sure I found the studs when I hung these.

I'm waiting for them to fall on my head. Super Husband was in London when I hung them and his reaction when he saw it was not pleased... "My God, Bari. You just couldn't wait, could you?"  ...

Uh, no. But the truth is they've been just fine if not just the slightest bit tilty for over a year... so there.

My next job for Super Husband is to find a way to organize this... God forbid I want a roll from the back. Go Super Husband! I know you can do it!!! XO XO XO.

The truth is I don't do well with unstructured time.

I have a hard time sitting still. Call me a work-a-holic or what you will, but sitting around is not for me. Can't do it. After five days of nearly totally unstructured time, I'd had it. So after a day of countless board games, a really nice dinner was served and cleaned up, a movie was watched (Alvin and the Chipmunks... I don't recommend it.), and children were going to bed... I made something I'd been thinking about for awhile.

This is a very easy and quick little (ok, big & fat) pin cushion that I will put a tutorial up for later this week.

I hope you all had a nice holiday.

Peace,

~Bari

Do you have CPS?

I know you do. There's a bunch of you out there. And, there is no cure.

CPS is a recently (self)-diagnosed medical issue otherwise known as Creative Personality Syndrome. I have a serious case.

You see here it manifests itself in loopy ways. A prime symptom? Blog Header Switcharoo Impulse (or BHSI).

You may have noticed a series of blog headers here. It's not my fault. I have an illness.

If you put your pointer over the headers, you'll see they have names like, "reallyfinal" and "finalfinalfinal". One of the most difficult symptoms of CPS is the inability to let small flaws roll off your shoulders. For instance, "Awww, that brooch is slightly too high... I'll let it go", sounds more like, "That brooch is completely off. Re-do that now. It's awful!"

After the brooch issue above was fixed, and the header was posted, CPS reared it's ugly head again. It started to annoy me, the header. It seemed all wrong. Too Spring/Summerish. Too bright. Too something I couldn't put my finger on.

The one below... I don't know. I just decided I don't like it.

 

Fortunately, I posted the most recent header after my diagnoses. Although there is no known cure for CPS (You're just born with it. It's in your genes. I bet your mother, and her mother before her had CPS too.), there is relief once you know you have it. You can control it. We'll see how long this little "state of control" of mine lasts.  I could soon have another episode of BHSI (blog header switcheroo impulse). You never know when the power of CPS will take over.

Beware of Lists

I'm a list person. Not that I get much checked off. I just make lists. This is all part of my futile quest to become organized.

When I make the lists (and this is all the time), I believe I'm going to get through them. I think that this time, once and for all I'll become an organized, efficient person.

The problem is, I have no concept of how long it takes to do stuff. So the lists go on and on. Today is Friday. I am on Wednesday's list. Remember Monday I bought Quickbooks? Thought that little set up would take an hour. It took six. This threw off the whole week. That's what I'm blaming it on anyways.

So today after an hour or so off trying to check off little items from the whole week, I decided I was going to tear up the list. I sat for a minute just staring at it (wasting more time) ... I couldn't do it. So, I buried it in a drawer and did something I actually wanted to do.

This is the beginning of what will go on my "art bag" page. It will be a Zoey Carry All with a patent leather bottom and handles. It was still work, and I think somewhere on The List is "Make Art Bags", but marked with a "C" priority. And there were plenty of "A" priority items that I didn't do yet. None-the-less, it made me very happy.

But I could practically hear that list calling my name from the bottom of the drawer like a big bag of Oreos. And blogging is not on it.

Goings Ons...

I've slowly been working on this. The flowers are all individually cut out, and now they are all now finally pinned on. It's a scraplique wall hanging for my living room... or maybe the bedroom. It's about 30"x30". I'll show you the finished piece when I get it done in 2010.

Below: A shipment for Daphne...

You saw one of these in it's beginning stages. The others are simpler and also done with use of free-motion quilting.

doodle.

I just can't help myself. I can't stop doodling with the sewing machine.

Yes, another handbag front... for this one I've got plans for the back too. I had the grand idea of tea-dying it too, but I'm scared. It took hours to do. I could ruin it in one fell swoop.

What to do when the sewing machine is in the shop...

  Ee-Gads! Actual needle and thread... Note to self: Must get thimble.

Apron Addiction

I'm really loving making these aprons... they make great gifts.  And, truth be told, if my kids would let me out of the house wearing them, I would.

As soon as I steal some time to make a bunch, I'll be either putting these on my website or Etsy.

And, for those of you who are into it, I'll be posting a tutorial soon as well. It's really very easy. And, I have to admit, I have long been afraid of ruffles (and zippers which is a story for another day, as my incredibly talented friend, Janis, will soon be teaching me the easy-peasy way... right Janis??? Right????).

Regarding ruffles: I had learned to baste stitch along the top and then pull it all together. Yesterday, however, I learned a new route to beautiful ruffles (thank you Janis).

For those of you who, like me, chose to teach yourself (ie: do it the hard way):  two rows of basting (one at 1/8" and one at 1/4") works a lot better. Not so bumpy. Also, in order not to break the thread it is easier if you sew just to the middle of the piece once from each end and then pull. That way you have less opportunity for breakage. Which, if you have made this mistake (and btw, I've made every mistake that you can make, trust me) you know it is very frustrating. You have the whole cutie all pulled except the last little bit and then, whammo! Thread breaks.

P.S. It's also wise to use an upholstery thread or quiting weight thread.

Studio Shot Thursday

Stuff around the studio today is totally out of hand. Cuts everywhere, a whole flock of birds (!), bags galore & scraps coming out of my ears!  Things change fast around here. One moment it's neat as a pin... next moment it looks like a fabric shop up and exploded in this little room. Here's a first in what I hope to remember to make a series of studio shots each Thursday. But with the ADD and all... who knows.

XO,

~b

Curling Irons Work On Fabric... sometimes.

Here's a little gift and card I sent out today. I actually took out my curling iron and curled the leaves. Tee hee. I was pretty worried that I'd burn them right up. Sizzle... But I didn't. I'm not going to try this on rayon or satin or any poly-blends though.

BTW, I also want to inform you that if you decide to put really fragile vintage wallpaper through your sewing machine be aware that your machine will likely jam. Oops. The sewing machine repair man is going to be very upset with me this time.

Ta Da.

The bird turned into birdies before I was all finished... they're pretty neat. They're made of wool with an overlay of vintage lace. The little heart is done the same way. That ended up there to balance the whole thing out. I tend not to use hearts in my work, but I like this one. There's also a brooch hiding in the leaves. Now it's off to the contractor to be made into a Stephanie mag bag... BTW, Elizabeth, you are going to have to pry this from me.

Edit: I just looked back at my original inspiration for this piece. It's a logo from a place called the Weeping Willow Inn that I got from Google images. I used it to get an idea of how to shape the tree. But look! Two birds and hearts! I hadn't looked back at that in weeks. I intended to put one bird up there after I saw this picture...never a heart. I totally forgot that those hearts were there. Funny how the brain works, huh? The creative process is an interesting thing.

In bloom...

More leaves have filled in on that weeping willow. Another 2 hours or more. Another 50 or so leaves give or take.

Edit: I failed to mention... this particular piece is an exclusive handbag for Daphnes Cottage. Who, by the by is getting over 50 bags this month. Each one is different from the next as owner, Elizabeth, asked for different appliques on each pocket, extra incredible brooches and more. When they ship, I will post a mosaic of all of her pieces. You'll need to contact her to get hold of the goodies.

Scrappy Saturday Evening

No, I didn't say "crappy". I said scrappy. An unfinished scrappy, that is.

I've been thinking about this piece for a long time and haven't been sure how to make it work. Loosely interpreted, it's a weeping willow. When it's finished there will be leaves all over and a bird flying across. It's taking forever though. I think just this much took 2 hours. There's about 20 leaves right there. Maybe more. Oy. I'm off to bed, and I'm leaving this room a big fat mess, mess, mess.

G'night,

~b

Good grief! Where are my scissors????!!!

 

Why can't I just set my scissors down in the same spot every time? Why are they always hiding at the bottom of a scrap bin or under a bolt of fabric? And where are the three hundred thousand fabric markers I have bought?

I have said it before, and I'll say it again. I have an organization problem. I can get organized, but I can not stay organized.

Today, I thought I'd come up with a solution for the missing scissors scenario that replays minimally 10 times daily in this room.

I've made myself this nifty little apron inspired by all of you out there who have been making these fantabulous little sweeties for years now. This one is short and has three pockets.

Yes folks, I've finally broken down and spent time (dare I say it?) making something for myself. I hope to put my scissors HERE when I am done cutting ... and hopefully not behind the printer where I found it earlier today.

What ya' been up to Bari?

Did you ask what I've been up to since those cuties went back to school? You didn't. Well then don't mind my rambling. I'm in a poopy mood because things are not coming out the way I wanted today. Which is why I'm about to escape this place and go on a brooch hunt. That always makes me feel better.

I have spent the entire time taking photos and cutting bags. The cutting is lovely, its the taking photos is that's driving me nuts. Get the front of the bag, the side, the lining, the back, the bottom. Oy. I'm acually sweating. Never mind it's 100 degrees and rising outside. I'm sweating running bags around. Ugggchccchccchcch. (New word. Put it in the dictionary, Webster.)

Here's a couple shots I'm not completely satisfied with. This just means more will be taken later when I recover from this round. Goodness, I hope I find some goodies out on my excursion today or there's going to be real trouble.

See how the light is coming in from the left fading the fabric over there? Hmmpf. This just ticks me off. Plus I think the heat is making me very grumpity.

On this one, the contrast fabric is chocolate brown. It looks black here. Ummmmpf-ta-grrr.

Have a lovely day, all. I'm outa' here! Photo taking suggestions are completely welcome if you dare to contend with my mood.

Happy Wednesday.

~b

Fabric Explosion

Summer is flying by. My kids are finished with camp and are dancing around the house with friends this week. We saw Hairspray yesterday and rollerskated this weekend (I can't tell you how much my ankles hurt now). Monday I dragged them to the Museum of Modern Art. They thought this was very funny as there are many nude sculptures and paintings there... "Grossssss!". It was very amusing watching them roam around. Their favorite thing was a mammoth pile of indigo work clothes (18,000 pieces in all) that was meant as a sort of performance piece with a woman at a desk in front of it erasing a book. I have to admit, I didn't really "get" it. The kids however, thought it was the most amazing thing they'd seen.

Finally back to work today with kids screaming and playing in the background... If I showed you what this room looked like right now you'd think that a fabric shop exploded. It's everywhere. And it's spreading itself throughout the house... I'm working on a jillion appliques right now which is more fun than I can stand. As I cut pieces they end up on the floor and I'm right now pretending it's not there. But now I can't work anymore in here so I guess it's about time to look up and face the music. Eeek. Above is a new scraplique/applique that I just finished. It is on the front of a messenger bag this time. I'll be doing these guys on jean jackets and hoodies soon for a special client. I'm really looking forward to playing with them. Below is a tree that is going to be an exclusive for that same client. I'll let you know when she's got them. This one is on a Lara Hobo. I like the funky pin at the bottom. She's a silly one, isn't she?

Tweet

Still scrappin'...

More "Scraplique"

I'm 'a havin' fun in the studio tonight. The husband is at a poker game, so there's no one to answer to and somehow or another I have quiet kids. It's a good thing too, because I actually have a lot of work... fun work, but work none-the-less. This is part of a handbag I was messing with tonight. I hope you can see the layering in the photo. It actually has a lot of depth in person. I started with a floral print & began cutting flowers out of another print and layering one on top of the other. There is also a lot of bunged up thread bits... I'm thinking of throwing in a word or two (maybe from a selvage?) somewhere secretly to see if anyone notices. There are also two vintage brooches hanging out in this little garden. I hope to have a lot of pieces similar to this one for a show I am doing in September. Stockpiling now for Fall and Winter. Loads of fun, but my husband has started to call my studio "The Cave". And he asks when the "bear" (ha ha, never heard that one before) is coming out.

Thank you, Cindy!

Just finished up a little photo shoot with my beautiful model friend, Cindy... These are some of my favorites. Yup, the woman even has pretty feet!

 

It's A Sleepy Saturday

The Ackerman's have done nothing today. I did walk the dog for an hour, so that counts as something, I suppose. Other than that, we woke up late, late, late and ate, ate, ate. My husband makes mean biscuits and gravy. We were going to get to the laundry, the yard and all that... but we didn't. There was some flipping of magazine pages on my part, and books on my kids parts. I created a huge wish list at Amazon.com. Including...

This,

this,

and this.

I have nothing to report. So, instead of telling you all about the wonderful things we've been doing (ha ha) I'm going to show you some of the "wonderful" things I (me me me) have already done. You see, the preamble to this little report, although true, has just been one great big excuse for me to post more about me, me, me, me, me. I'm very important ... to me.

I'm actually really proud of these girls. A slow news day always provides an opening for me to indulge. Hey, it's my blog!

OK, that was so painful, that I have to show you the work of others I've been admiring... who today? Oh, I know, I need to show you this work I saw in London (yeah, it was OVER a year ago, but you're gonna' love it,trust me!). These wire creations are the work of Cathy Miles. I happened into the Chelsea Crafts Fair unwittingly as I wandered around by myself all jet-lagged (husband was working which was a blessing because I got to do whatever I darn-well pleased which included quite a bit of fabric and art gawking). I stood long enough at Cathy's booth to probably make her nervous. I was very intrigued and just the slightest bit goofy from travel. I'm sure she thought I was insane. This one below is on a great big canvas. It says "Greenfinch glowers at competitor on the the fatball". The writing on her pieces gives you the idea that she has a great sense of humor. She probably needs it with crazy Americans like me stalking her at various venues.

Quiet Evening

Tonight I was able to work on some things that have been haunting me as I fall asleep at night... that's what the pad of paper next to my bed is for. Except that when I read it in the morning the "creative genius" that I have in the middle of the night is not nearly as genius. Usually it's just ramblings and often my writing is completely indiscernible. This is one of the non-sequiturs that has come up over and over again. It's what I do instead of counting sheep.

Bags, stuff, and a cool new find to add to the "Who do you love?" List

A deep breath...A whole slew of handbags went marching out the door late this afternoon. I had meant to have them out by 9am, but, stupid me, I stayed up until 2am last night. This means that the girl who never oversleeps (at least not in my life with children unless I am super sick) overslept. I didn't wake up until my 9 year old jumped on the bed at 10am scaring me half to death. 10am! I don't think I've slept that late in 11 years, since my Anna was born.

This episode had me off kilter for the rest of the day, flying around in my nightgown getting things done. But that group is gone (I bid them a fond farewell, tears and all.) and on to the next group which is due next week. Can't complain. It's all good. BTW, if you just have to have one of these handbags, you'll need to check in with Elizabeth at Daphne's Cottage. She holds claim to them. I don't know if you'll be able to pry them from her, but you can try.

That said, I'm sick of talking about me and want to mention an artist I "bumped into" on the web. Shannon from Miss Fickle Media wrote a comment on this blog. So of course I linked over to her Etsy shop and I must tell you I was blown away. I love what she does and put in an order right away. And honestly, I'm sort of a browser on Etsy. So this is saying something. I ordered one of these with a "B" of course. And another that I can't remember because I had a really hard time choosing. The one below I really like too though!

In other super fun news... you may remember the post I wrote about "needing" espadrilles. I did end up buying an unimpressive pair later that week. However, to my great surprise the owner of espadrillesetc.com whom I mentioned in the post came across what I wrote. She is actually from San Francisco... such a small world. AND, she offered to send me a pair of espadrilles as a gift. Really, I can't get over the kindness I have found with the network of women on the internet. It made me think of this post from Anna Maria Horner about kindness which brought me to really unexpected tears.  I haven't told you how much I love Anna Maria's work. I know most of you know of her, but if not, I hope you will get to know her work. Also, you HAVE to look at the photos of her home on Flickr. OH MY GOODNESS. You'll just die when you see the colors. IN-CRED-IBLE! Anyways, I am trying to get to a great big THANK YOU to Laura from espadrillesetc.com. Gracias.

That's enough gushing for now, I suppose. Except it is late and my internal clock is way off so I could probably go on for hours.  Nothing a dose of benedryl can't cure, I suppose.

Past My Bedtime

I'm pooped and I should go to bed, but the idea of getting up in the morning to the mess I've made of my studio is repulsive to me. So, instead of cleaning it, I'm procrastinating cleaning it. In fact, I don't even want to look behind me at the mess. The good news is I've finished some custom hangtags I was working on. They were supposed to be easy breezy, but I got carried away. The idea started as "I'm just going to sew my labels on some pretty card stock." The  finished product is double sided so as not to show the sewing and to add a little beauty, is adorned with vintage lace, and I've sewn quilting lines all over it for texture. So much for simple. Really, I know I've said it before, but I just can't leave well enough alone! 

Back To Work

I think I might be happiest when I am working...

Chirp.

Etsy Shop Updated

Vintage Scrap Packs have been loaded on the etsy store. Enjoy!

Friday Night Prints

Maybe this will be a regular feature on this blog. The prints, I mean. Hmmm. Thinking about it.

This first print came from a line drawing I did and some other stuff I threw in. I love cameos, and will soon be doing an applique for a handbag.  The second one is copyright free art that I altered. I so need to learn to do another kind of print beside this staggered thing I'm doing. At least the second one is a two-way. I have dragged out a ton of books and have been pouring over them. Something is a-brewin', I think. Who knows?