So, to those with computer graphic knowledge, this will be ho-hum, but I'm kind of proud of my self - this started out black and white. The hat is even blue (although that's a little hard to spot):
Stumble It!

So, inspired by all of you out there...I'm now starting my paper journal (this as opposed to the fabric journal which has been started but is not - as yet - photographable).....so, here are a couple of pictures of NOT FINISHED pages......



the flowers are pretty much a photo collage after messing around with some things in photoshop...the purple one in the background is just a rough sketch tho!

Ok, we're having a relaxing day....kids are napping and there's classical music on. Rog is playing in his darkroom attempting to develop his first photos - start to finish - I've had some experience in this department (College photography) so I'm just giggling in the background! :-) (I'm so mean!) Stumble It!

One of my "regular read" blogs is "The Colorist" who pointed out Akira Studios Home Page as one of her favorite doll artist and I have to say they are amazing. I'm always amazed at how dollmaking and crazy quilting overlap. We all seem to need every supply on the planet and also enjoy mixing every media we can put our hands on!

She also pointed out Cloth doll supplies, fabrics, patterns and notions - joggles.com an online store for dollmakers (read CQ supplies too!) and oddly enough it's the second time in several days I've come across this site (have no idea what led to it before). I think both sites should give you lots of eye candy and maybe more ways to spend money (aren't I cruel!) Stumble It!

So, Missy C is sick today which is why I decided to spend the day (pretty much) surfing the internet...poor baby she cried for 20 mins that she couldn't have her favorite babysitter over to play today (the babysitter was sweet and dropped off some coloring books for the kids...are we lucky or what? And she's only 13!!! A total find!)

Anyway, back to my surfing...so, I came across this site: How to Draw a Radish by Joy Sikorski. Originally I was directed to the drawing lessons (which are only about 1/2 finished) but the office projects, the books look great and there are wonderful ideas for people with kids or who just have a "child inside"! :-) Stumble It!

Well, today has gotten really busy, but yesterday ended wonderfully at Antonia's house...we had our first casual sit and stitch as part of the RMCQ group! It was marvelous. The joy of dropping a needle in a house where no one panics because the 2 year old will find it and eat it! :-) Antonia's house was wonderful, fun, arty and I made a pig of myself on hummus and cheese! :-)

So, I sat and hand pieced the square for my VERY FIRST round robin. I was so nervous, but I think it turned out ok:



For those who haven't done round robins (I'm totally new to this too) the little book is where you put any special requests, etc. and then each person that stitches can write a bit about what they did. I'm assuming this is so you have some idea of who did what! :-) So, I mailed it off today and I'm sure the next time I see it it will look completely different! NOW, what to do with Ronni's block that is all white....she wants light pink Victorian! EEEK! The possibilities are endless!

Oh, and I'm back to work on the cq border for my fairy. Hopefully there will be more pictures in the next day or so. So, I'm off to stitch! Stumble It!

Ok, so I'm a bit late with this, but day before yesterday (just in time for Australia day) a WONDERFUL package from Maureen showed up! I think you'll agree it's fantastic:





I think the last one (sorry about the crease in the middle) would be particularly cool for something....hmmmm...more project ideas. But the others are WONDERFUL! I adore them...they work in really well with the fabrics I really like....thank you Maureen (and all of this for just helping her get the bloggers who embellish button on her blog!!! Hmmm, I wonder what else I can do to get more fabric! (Just kidding! :-))

Also, in the same mail (thus you can see the Australia Day link) came this:



I have a subscription that my mother in law on the Gold Coast in Australia gave me for my birthday...lucky girl, eh? If you've missed this little tidbit - my hubby is Australian, he grew up in Sydney.

So, WOW! What loot in the mail, eh?

I got a kick out of Sharon B's post on Australia day...I had printed out a lot of those coloring book pages for my kids last year. We even did a little celebration at their preschool with another Mom who's married to an Australian (I think you all are INVADING the US! :-)).

Anyway, tonight I'm going to one of the Rocky Mountain Crazy Quilting group member's houses (whew, that was long) to stitch...just social....it should be wonderful....OH, AND I got my first round robin in the mail today. I have to admit I'm scared stiff! Totally worried I'll do something terrible to it! :-) So, send good stitching karma my way and I'll try to thing of something fabulous to stitch on it! :-) Ok, I'm off to piece my block for the swap. So much stitching to do and so little time! :-) Stumble It!

My kitty is DONE! Missy C loves it (as you can see by the photo - isn't she cute?) and it was a lot of fun!

I can see why other softie creators start making multiple softies because I can see lots of way to improve on this one. HOWEVER, I must get back to the quilt that inspired it. By the way, this is one of the kitties from the applique book (not my own design) but it's for a quilt, not a stuffed toy. I think it converted quite well into the toy tho.

Note: By the way, the prints are all reproduction 40's prints (that's what I'm doing the quilt in) and the body is an actual bedspread that had huge holes in it...(Mom, don't have a cow, it really wasn't usable) so I cut it up for this!!

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AAARGH, don't you hate it when you go to post something and it disappears! I went to post this earlier and POOF! It's gone! UGH!
Ok, so surfing around for Montage photos in google image search I ran across this site: The Airchive- American Airlines Memorabilia. The pictures are great...I'm especially fond of the one at the top of this posting!
It reminded me of this post from Wee Wonderfuls that I read earlier in the week about a childrens book about trucks illustrated by Richard Scarry, and if you go through the comments, it's followed by this article - an interesting biography of Richard Scarry.
All makes a fantastic way to waste some quality time on the net!
So, I got a lot of web work done today (no stitching at ALL!) and my kids were angels (amazing, eh?)...here's how cute they were when I put a movie on for them:
Stumble It!

Ok, so I'm pretty proud of myself. I still need to do the tail, but I'm really happy with how it's turning out!

Now I just need to do that pesky tail. Stumble It!

Ok, so I may regret this, but I'm doing Loobylu's month of Softies this month. It ties in perfectly with the cat applique quilt I'm doing, which is not only cats, but cats with vintage fabric (vintage catwalk!). Well, this is my first ever attempt at a toy....UGH! Not sure about it....I think I"m too much of a perfectionist and a toy critique. We'll see.
So, here's what I have so far:

Thanks to my parents, I was able to do lots of work on Leslie's website today, and here's what they did while I was slaving away:

Cute, eh? The picture with it off makes the art easier to see, but it was a bad picture, so here it is! :-)
Well, off to have a fantastic dinner...hubbby's making something really yummy. Stumble It!

Isn't Rhonda's bag fabulous! :-)

Hey all, Ok, so I'm totally overstressed underpaid and need a very long vacation. Well, maybe that isn't true, but sometimes it seems like the things I do to relax just aren't.

Saturday we had our Rocky Mountain Crazy quilters meeting...it was FANTASTIC! The bag at the top of this entry is a bag from Rhonda (one of our members) who wanted to show and tell her fabulous new bag....wonderful, eh? Holly gave us a wonderful peek into the world of beaded embellishment. See, this is why I love crazy quilting...you never get bored. Now I just want to bead the HECK out of everything I see! :-) UGH! Too few hours in the day.

Speaking of which, we have several new members in our bloggers who embellish webring - I do love that there are more and more of you out there and I really hope that as you read each of these blogs you will join up. All are welcome...costumers, embroiderers, dollmakers, etc....embellish and you are included! :-)

Today I went to a birthday party with Missy C...it was fun (more fun that I expected) but I'm exhausted and I've PROMISED Leslie (see, I'm promising here in writing Leslie) that I will finish her website by this weekend...so that's what I'm doing this weekend. I don't promise I won't do any stitching to break up the monotony, but I promise to have it done. So, there! :-) Stumble It!

So, I ran across this blog at Loobylu (one of my favorite daily blogs) in one of her comments and Ward Jenkins is an illustrator and art director and has a great blog at The Ward-O-Matic.

His most recent entries include a critique of "Polar Express" where he "fixes" some of the creepier elements of the animation. I haven't actually seen the movie, but his pictures that he "adjusts" are interesting. It's a fascinating insight into computer animation and animation in general.

Anyway, looks like a fairly new blog, but he seems to be an interesting guy, so I'll check in frequently! :-)

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Well, after the disappointing lack of Sharon's blog in the finalists for the Bob awards , I finally went over and took a look at the finalists.

Wow, here's a shock...they are all knitting blogs. Most not too exciting (but maybe I"m biased because I don't knit).

Anyway, after looking at all of them, the ONLY general craft blog is ljc fyi which looks like a pretty good blog (I only just added it to my "daily" list so I'm not completely sure), so that's my recommendation for a vote. Frankly I think "Bob" could have done better, but I'll let all of you decide. Let me know what you think. Stumble It!

I have been reading Loosetooth.com artwork blog featuring the Art/Work of Brandy Agerbeck. Besides really digging her artwork and sense of style, she's an interesting person (she has several blogs). She's an illustrator, crafter, quilter and many other things. I think the fact that I dig her artwork and fabric selections will tell you something about me! :-)
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Matey Moo had his first day of preschool today. On a snowy cold day. Equally important was the fact that Missy C and I went and checked out the preschool program she will probably do next year in the school she will go to elementary school. It looks like a good program, but Mommy is having a hard time thinking of her little girl at that big school! I'm pitiful, aren't I?


So, last night I worked on the kitty applique quilt and watched "How to Make an American Quilt"...good movie...I hadn't seen it in a long time. Less about quilts and more about women, my husband rates it a top notch "chick flick"...meaning he was at a meeting and that's why I got to watch it! ;-)

I don't know how much I've talked about this on my blog, but one of the reasons I'm doing so many different things right now (i get to take a beading class on Sat.) is just to get knowledge in different techniques. Unlike many of the blogs that I read, I'm not a seamstress first. I actually have an art degree and have always collected fabrics, but until this year hadn't really ever used a sewing machine. I'm in awe at both Arlee and Nicky's use of thier machines...it's absolutely amazing. You gals are both an inspiration! Oh, and Nicky, I chose stitching everytime over sleep - you do have to sleep SOMETIME tho! :-) Stumble It!

I'm SO behind this was yesterday's post! :-)

So, I don't know if I've mentioned that we live in a hip little neighborhood, but I'm really excited about our new take out pizza place about 3 blocks from here: BasilDoc's Pizza Menu-Denver, Colorado. It looks fantastic. I'm actually not a big fan of traditional pizza, but this looks like it's anything but traditional.

So, what does this have to do with stitching. Hmm, cool neighborhood, and our 50's house. I'm went shopping this afternoon to try to get some bargains for the house. So, I went to an antique mall. They did have some antique hankies for $1 each, but none of them were anything special. I'm really interested in 1950's textiles...no idea what I'd do with them yet, but I'd love to find more. I already have some cool table cloths:


(I have more, that's what I could find immediately) - and have no idea what to do with them. Most of them have little or big stains on them. I use them...for parties and such, but no great sewing ideas. Stumble It!

Ok, knitters, don't be offended, but you are all represented out there in spades! :-) SO, I've started my own webring for embellishers. This should include anyone who does crazy quilting (of course), needlework, beading, dollmaking, historic needlework or costuming, "sane" quilters, fiber artists, etc.

I'm hoping that all of you whose blogs I read regularly will join and many more. I think this is really self serving as I'm constantly adding to my list of blogs and this way hopefully you will all add your wonderful blogs to my list so I can find you! :-) I think this is a great community that already exists out there!

Speaking of webrings, another one has started, the Artful Quilters webring (I proposed to Arlee that maybe this was duplication, but she didn't think so) of quilters. So, for you quilters, I'm now a member (go to the bottom of this page) of this webring. Looks like a great new group and I'm excited to participate.

So, please, all of you who fit the two groups above....JOIN! The more the merrier! I'm excited about both groups!
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I find with my headings I always have to do something normal followed by something unexpected...hmmm, maybe that sums up my personality. Ok, so I had HORRIBLE PMS yesterday, the positive side of this is that everyone left me alone to work on the "kitty" quilt for Missy C's bed. I have to say that having a little girl lets me do all sorts of sappy stuff I might not do normally...this quilt is so "her" and NOT so "me"! :-) But it's fun and I really really love needle turn. I'm also LOVING these fabrics.



At any rate, I'm having fun with it, and that's what's important, right?

Oh, and I keep forgetting to link to the shop I bought my fabric from. Harriet of "Harriet's treadle Arts" is a guru in machine quilting (not my thing) but her shop is just blocks from my house and she does have a FANTASTIC selection of vintage fabrics...the gal at the shop was funny...she was almost insulted when I started to combine the civil war fabrics with the 40's vintage fabrics. Funny, huh? Do you think our grandmother's ever had this problem! :-) In Denver we have a ridiculous amount of quilt shops...about 90% of them think you're nuts if you do any handwork and the rest are downright rude if you don't know heaps about quilting. I've found shopping in shops to be kind of daunting...especially when I was starting and wanting to do a crazy quilt (they all acted like I was INSANE!). So, here's a note to anyone with a quilt store who reads this....all crafters are equal. I'm surprised that more of them don't care about customer service.

Oh, and since I have to make use of that digital camera, here's Harry, watching me work on the kitty quilt (he's a pretty cool cat!):
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So, I love needle turn applique. Needing a new project (like a HOLE in the head!), I've actually been thinking about getting this for a long time.


I didn't actually get it at equilter, but got it at Harriet's Treadle arts....the closest quilt shop to me.
I also got a bunch of reproduction fabric there too:




I really love all of it. I must say that having a daughter enables me to do all sorts of stuff I may not personally love, but would look REALLY Cute in a little girl's room. Isn't it adorable? I'm going to start tonight, so hopefully progress pictures will follow. I just needed a break from the fairy crazy quilt. Stumble It!

So, Sharon B got us all blogging and thinking again (thanks Sharon! - a big wave here too!)...about why we blog, who we meet and all sorts of interesting things.

Why do I blog? I started blogging as an extension of my Professionals In Pajamas site to help drive traffic (unromantic, eh?). Well, it was boring. Not really finding a LOT of joy in looking for links about working at home, I've had a lot more fun here!

I started this because as a new person to the crazy quilting world I kept finding interesting links and information. I wanted to share all of this research with someone - it seemed a waste to just surf for myself.

On top of this, I'm not a good writer. I'm not horrible, but it's not my thing. The funny part of this is I'd like to be better (love to write a novel, etc - in my spare time!). My husband is a fantastic writer and doesn't utilize those skills much, and keeps telling me I just need to write more. So, I see this as a chance to work on those skills....kind of like a journal with spell check! :-)

Since I've found so many of you out there who work in this same creative area, I've also found a support group for something that seems to have blossomed into much more than a hobby (an obsession, a calling! LOL!) . Something I find funny is the small world that this has created. I'll go to read a comment on another blog and realize I "know" the person (meaning I visit thier blog a lot) and it's funny what a small community this has become. I feel honored to be recieved with so much openness considering my inexperience in this artisitic area, but maybe it's nice to watch someone's "beginner" projects ocassionally! :-)
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Ok, so I've given the great audience of craftster about 2 weeks to help me on this, so now I turn to my blogreaders for help.

Here's a lamp I have in the kid's room (sort of a nightlight):



This is the inside of it...it's supposed to have a pinwheel sort of fan at the top, but the kids have destroyed it.



What I'm looking for is a template or new idea for the top so I can either put this back inside or come up with a new idea to put inside of it. At any rate, I can't believe that there isn't someone out there in the crafty world that hasn't fixed/enhanced one of these lamps!

HELP!!! :-)

Speaking of cool things you run across on the net, here's an idea: book thongs! Really cool beaded bookmarks! I've actually been wishing I had a better bookmark...what cool gifts these could make...what do you all think? Stumble It!

By the way, there are more, but I didn't want to post all of the pictures at once! :-)
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We had a very nice New Year around here - stayed up late playing Texas Hold-em with my inlaws, having fondue and watching the ball drop. As for stitiching, I now have 3 out of 4 sides of my fairy border done.

PLUS, started a new project. I've been having problems "journaling" and I had a stitch sampler book that I wasn't too excited with, so I decided to combine the two....more pictures later...should be an interesting project.

I need to get back to work on my grandmother's crazy quilt too....so, that's my next goal....I also have a few other projects in the works...no rest for the wicked, eh?

So, as another sideline to my major projects (like I need a lot more to do!), I decided to clean out a trunk in our basement....not your usual trunk, this one houses my mother and grandmother's antique doll collection (which I guess is mine now).




I really want to have a few of them repaired, clean up the clothes and then get them all into plexi-glass boxes to put them out for display - near my sewing machine. I also have a heap of old doll and baby clothes I want to wash and find proper storage containers for and then there will be more room in the trunk.

I also need to have each of them valued....I think our insurance would cover them, but it's always a worry. Anyway, they're pretty wonderful, aren't they? I'm actually really really relieved there aren't more...for some reason I thought that there were more of them and that I couldn't display them all. Rog said he'll build me some shelves to put them on (out of reach of children) and so that should be really cool. I think they will provide a lot of inspiration! Stumble It!