Coloring inside the lines...

I know I'm not the only one who feels the calendar slipping by rather quickly. I read bloggers everyday expressing distress at the speed of time. Nothing has made me more acutely aware of how quickly the pages on the calendar turn than the Craftsy Block of the Month I have been trying desperately to catch up with. Each time I sit down to work a block, it is brought to my attention that I am STILL two months behind!

It's a good thing modern technology has allowed us procrastinators the opportunity to replay and pause the classroom or some of us might never graduate!

I have been really good at sharing with you the process of putting together each block, but I failed in April to snap pictures. Well, part of it was done here    so, can you blame me? And honestly that was April......I just did not COMPLETE them until now.

Each month there are postings on Craftsy of finished blocks and there is some amazing talent out there. Our instructor, Amy invites us to be as creative as we want with our blocks.  I usually am one who goes off into my own creative place and comes out with something completely different than what I was instructed to do....hmmmm...that could have been my problem as a child....

BUT......

I decided that this Block of the Month should be an exercise in restraint....like coloring inside the lines, you know? 

Pfffff....I know, it's crazy isn't it? How does a creative mind stay in the lines?

Secretly, I have another one of these blocks made up in a completely different pattern because I just had to...but don't tell anyone!

 

Let's just pretend that these are the two April blocks I did and they are exactly as instructed.....I stayed inside the lines....mostly.

How about you....are you a color inside the lines type of person?

Teaching my sister to sew

My sister, Marie, asked me when I was going to make more of these....

Aren't they cute? She bought a lot of these bottle covers from me when I used to make them and sell them in my Etsy Shop. I tired of making them and put the idea on moth balls for a long while. I had actually forgotten about them until she asked about them recently.

So, I dug out my pattern. I designed it to fit over the odd shape of the Bath and Body Works hand soap dispenser. When their soap goes on sale, I stock up to have them around for a quick gift. Everyone uses soap....right? I whip up one of these bottle covers in a favorite color or theme to suit my recipient and voila! An inexpensive, simple but personal gift!

But, instead of making bottle covers for my sister, I decided to write a PDF pattern for it so she can sew her own.....teach a man to fish....except in this case...teach my sister to sew. After all, she needs to get her sewing machine out of moth balls and maybe this will encourage her to do just that.


Of course you have to have a catchy name........

 And lots of reasons to make them....






Housewarming gifts.......

             Teacher's gifts.........



















Party hostess gifts..........

My friend, Joni, tested my pattern for  me and she made this one for her kitchen.....







                          Isn't it SoaPretty?





I think the possibilities are endless.....add some piping, rick rack or lace. Embellish it with a flower or rhinestones. The canvas is small but sure can be cute!!

I've placed my pattern here and here so you can be prepared for the holiday season with something quick to put together for that last minute gift! It's a great way to use up your stash too!

Congratulations...you get to wash your windows!!!

Hoorah!! Someone gets to clean their windows!! I know that doesn't sound like fun, BUT, my winner will NEVER have to buy window cleaner again so that means she'll have more money to spend on crafty things...now THAT sounds like FUN!!!

I used Random.org to pick the winner of these amazing products from Norwex of Canada and the winner is...

IFROG CRAFTER!!!!! 

she said : 

That does sound like an awesome product!!!! I hate cleaning windows, so this might change that. =)

1-green

2-Two years ago, we had 3 or 4 baby bunnies in the backyard. We kept the dog out of there & as they got bigger & their eye open, they would venture out of the nest. It was awesome to watch them grow until they finally went on their way.

Thank for this opportunity Suzette!
<><

I'm so happy I get to share these fabulous window cloths with her! She has 24 hours to respond to my email to her so if she doesn't let me know she wants them, I'll have to pick a different winner....don't hold your breath though, I'm betting she'll get in touch with me.

CONGRATULATIONS IFROG!!!

                                                              

In the Purse-uit of happiness

Is there anything like a new bag? I think not! A bag, a purse, a tote, a clutch...they all have one thing in common....we LOVE them!

They come in "just the right" color or style. We buy them because "it matches my shoes"...because "it will go good with..."....because it's practical? (not so much). We wear them like trophies on our arms..on our shoulders...on our backs...in our hands and YES there is always that triumphant feeling when exiting the store after "winning" a new trophy!

 
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE bags...I am an addict, I admit it. My closet has more purses than shoes, that's for sure. I'm older now (or at least parts of me think so) and my shoulders have tired of carrying big bags that make a statement. So, my collection has become small and shamefully practical but I still find myself touching, smelling, opening and closing bags of all sorts when I am shopping....it's a woman's right...it's written in the Declaration of Independence after all...that all women shall shop in the "purse-uit of happiness" !! RIGHT?

 

The Forefathers may have had it wrong, but women know where happiness is....it's in the bag! 

In my Imaginarium

This past week I wrote and published my first PDF pattern for a small wallet tote I designed for my youngest sister. She wanted something to carry just her Disney Pass and some money when she went to the "happiest place on earth"...I asked her if that meant she was coming to my place for a visit, but apparently, she was talking about Disneyland :(

She's a nurse and a bit of a germ-a-phobe, so I added a small hand sanitizer and called it the "Happy Hands Wallet Tote"

Now she can spritz away those handrail germs...You're welcome, sister!

For her tote, I used some Micky Mouse fabric.

I made one for me to go to my Grandson's baseball games on the back of hubby's motorcycle...no big bags for me!

This fits my cell phone my ID and some money...what else do I need to carry?

Just fun and perfect!