Toilet Paper Cozy

With cold season upon us and the price of tissue so high we always use toilet paper when we have to blow our noses. Well at home it is one thing to use it but when we are out and about I really don’t like have a roll of toilet paper sitting in my car or in my tote bag. Well I decided to make a cover for it so that I wouldn’t mind taking it with me. This is what I came up with:

Busy Hands

I have been busy measuring, cutting and sewing a good size wholesale order of Coffee Cup Cozies. I have really enjoyed picking out the fabrics for each of them. There was only one request that I had to fill for this order, 2 solid brown and 2 solid black ones. I had to go and pick up some solid fabric because I am always drawn to prints.

This is just a sample of the ones that I have that are a work in progress. I used a Cardboard cozy from Starbucks as a template. I cut them out and sandwiched a thicker piece of fabric in the middle before I sewed a zig zag across each line that I had drawn then I cut them out close to the edge and continued to use a zig zag stitch to finish each edge.

Black Friday

I just had to set this to post. I will be shopping all day with my BFF so I just had to share this with you while I am out. This is last years commercial because I thought it was so funny. It is a running joke with me and my best friend that we are on a countdown to Black Friday each year starting in October. I hope you are enjoying this Black Friday shopping day as much as I know that I am.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving. by the time that this post I will be cooking for this afternoon’s dinner. Pumpkin Pies for my dad, Sweet Potato Casserole for the girls, fresh Cranberry Sauce for me, and who know what else. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

More Decorations

My girls love to decorate and use everything that we have to now the whole house is finished and ready for Christmas. I want to share just a few of the vignettes that we have created. The first picture is the basket that is sitting on top of the TV.

These are vintage ornaments that I don’t want to get broken so they do not go on the tree. I have them in a crystal bowl sitting on the dining table.

These three ornaments are sitting on the piano.  I have some of these on the tree but I felt like there was more than enough ornaments there so we put a few of them here.

These hang from our light fixture over the dining table.

Our Christmas Tree

My girls wanted the tree up so bad that they asked if they could put it up themselves. It is a small tree so I said sure you can. I think that they learned how to work together to accomplish a goal and they ended up doing a great job putting the tree together. I had to put on the lights, and I helped them put the ornaments.

I don’t put on lights like most people. I just get them on the tree. The ornaments will cover them up anyway. The girls don’t want to leave any off so it ends up covered.

I think that Christmas is for the children anyway so I let them decorate the tree just the way that they want to .

Art Journal Monday

I have made a few really detailed pages in my large scale art journal that I want to share with you. I took a few step-by-step photos of each and I plan on sharing a few of these pages with you over the next couple of weeks. I will try to have them posted on Monday of each week. Let me know what you think. See more after the jump.

The Beauty of Fall

When we watch the seasons change we are reminded that everything changes. We might be going through a rough patch right now but we have to remember that it is just a season. Our lives are seasons just like nature. Nothing ever stays the same and for that I am glad. No matter how you may like the summer and the sun, it gets old after a while, and then we are led into fall with the beauty of the colors of the trees around us and the knowledge that winter is coming soon.

Take the time to enjoy each and every season in your life and remember that each season only last just a little while before the next one comes in.

A Time for Everything

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 KJV

A Peek Inside My Sketchbook

I thought I would share another peek inside my sketchbook. This page was inspired by vintage hat pens and a lovely vintage pin that was in a Country Living Magazine from 2001.

On this page I was inspired by the lettering styles of Lori Vliegen . I love how she letters on each page. I am not much for adding letters but this just had to be done on this page. I am no where close to being as good as she is with her lettering but I did give it a try.

My New Studio Space

Earlier this week I shared the sketches of what I was planning for my new studio space. I am so happy to say that is is pretty much finished. I changed a few things up but pretty much everything is where I had planned to put it. So I wanted to share my new workspace with you.

I have a wonderful south facing window for great natural light. As you can tell it is already being used. I am using leftover paint to recycle mailing envelopes. (Post to come soon with a tutorial)

This area is also on the south wall of the space and I have a 8 space cubby that I have had since I had my retail shop. 6 years ago. I used it to keep my journals, my works-in-progress and supplies that I use often within reach. On top is a Making Memories cabinet what It think is such a great addition to my space because I can store small supplies in easy reach and keep them out where I can see what I have. whan I am sitting at my drawing desk all I have to do is turn in my chare and I am able to reach most of the supplies that I use all the time.

At the end of my drawing table I placed my flat file. This not only added a place for to to house my tools on top but a place to keep my stickers and embellishments.

I also use on of the drawers to store the markers that I do not use on a regular basis.

This is my sewing area. I also use my laptop here more of the time. I will do most of my blogging from this area now. In the corner is a Dave laptop table from IKEA and I found this it is the perferct place for my printer.

This is a area above my Ironing/Cricut Area, I like to use the vertical spaces and take advantage of all the space that I can. I have my cone threads and collection of vintage cigar boxes and and old brownie camera that I picked up on my honeymoon at a mountain flea market for only $5.
I still feel that this space is a work in progress and I hope to share more of it with you and also be able to create a few more tutorials and maybe a video or two in the near future.

Foodie Pinterest Finds

Source: mamaandbabylove.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: alattewithotta.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: plainchicken.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: dreamydesserts.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: stamps4fun.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: bakingandbooks.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: daysofchalkandchocolate.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

Source: bakerella.com via Katie on Pinterest

Inspiration from Atlanta

A couple of hours spent in Atlanta and I come home with a ton of Inspiration, that I wanted to share with you. Today I want to share with you the Sweet Auburn Curb Market. This is a great place to visit and I would recommend it to anyone who is visiting Atlanta. If you would like a little bit of History of the market you can check out this page. For more on what you can find there, The Merchant list is here.
To Quote their website: “ LOCATED ON EDGEWOOD AVENUE
Just as when it was founded in 1918, the Curb Market offers an exotic array of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and fish. The market also stocks numerous specialty products. A selection of small cafes serve daily meals that range from soul food to gourmet Italian cuisine to one of the best burgers in the city.” ---The Sweet Auburn Curb Market.










Next time you visit Atlanta be sure to stop by and take a look around the Sweet Auburn Curb Market and try some of the great produce and pastries.
HOURS OF OPERATION : Monday – Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Holiday Hours (closed the following days)
Thanksgiving: Nov. 24th and 25th
Christmas: Dec. 26th

A New Sketchbook

I have been working in a Paperchase Kraft paper sketchbook for a few weeks and because of its size I really didn’t feel I could carry it everywhere. Well Michael’s had a  huge sale on Strathmore Windpower  Sketchbooks so I had a snap up a couple.

Well I have been making using it with every medium I have. I love it because I can draw on both sides with markers with no bleed-thru. I have painted on them with watercolor with little buckle. I really am enjoying the size also. I can carry it everywhere and sketch anytime.

I am trying to explore color and choose a palate that is not in my normal range. So on this page I went for a walk in my yard and choose a few leaves that were blowing around my yard as inspiration. I went through my set of markers to find colors close to the colors that were in the leaves and went to work coloring in this sketch. While they are not my favorite colors I do like how they how it turned out.

Supplies: Artist Loft Pens, Artist Loft Fine Tip Markers, and a Strathmore Windpower Sketchbook. 6.25 x 8.5 .

Great Gifts

I wanted to showcase my monthly sponsor post different this month and show a few great gift ideas. The are great for any crafter on your list.

 

From Shabby Fabrics I would love to be gifted the Applique Kit. The Basic Kit includes the following: Stiletto, Turning Tool, 2 oz. bottle of Roxanne Glue-Baste-It, 50 sheets of C. Jenkins Freezer Paper (which can be put through a printer), a Loew-Cornell stipple brush for applying your spray starch, a case of 16 Straw Needles, and the Shabby Fabrics Applique Guide - a step-by-step photo guide of Jennifer Bosworth's own applique technique which explains how to use each of the above items. This kit is well worth the money! Only $56.00.

From The Fat Quarter Shop, I would have to say a 12 pound fabric grab bag would make me happy. It includes 20-25 yards of fabric and is on sale for only $55.99 .

The Fat Quarter Shop also sells a Pattern Grab Bag  that is one sale for only $24.00.

You should go and check out my lovely sponsors today and check a few gifts off that Chirstmas List.

Sketches of my Studio

I am working on a new studio space that I have been able to carve out for me, and I wanted to share the sketches that I have made of the space. I am in the process of moving everything out that is in there now so no pictures yet, just sketches of what is to come. The Space is 10’ x 11’ with a south facing window for wonderful natural light. I will have my drawing table right in front of this window.

This is the south wall elevation with my drafting table centered under the window. To the right of the drafting table is a 7 drawer rolling cart. I have had this piece for years and I plan on having it here to be able to keep all my most used supplies within east reach. to the left of the drafting table is my 8 cubby cabinet.(I just realized as I am writing this that I only drew a 6 cubby cabinet). This unit has 8 cubbies that are each 1 cubic foot of space. I use it for works in progress and holding current magazines and some larger cuts of fabric.

This is the east wall of the space and it already has the two shelves on the wall . They are 8” and are 12 inches deep. These shelves have been in the space since it was originally a home office when we first moved into our house. I really like how they add a lot of storage space without taking up any floor space. I will have my sewing machine and serger on this wall also. I use a vintage typing desk for my sewing machine because it is the perfect height ro sew and not hurt my back or shoulders. The larger drawer system to the left of the machines are from vintage greeting card displays. They were in my mom’s bookstore when I was a kid and I had them in the studio section of my retail shop. When I stack them 3 high and add the counter top piece it is the perfect height for standing and cutting our fabric pieces.

This is the north wall of the space and it will be where my ironing station will be. this piece of furniture was originally the changing table when my girls were babies. It is a piece of furniture that is supposed to grow with the child but because of the changing table area it is to large of a space to be used for an older child’s room. the cabinet below has two shelves and will be a great place to store my papers and fabrics, above the countertop serface is 3 cubbies that will hold small baskets, I will use these to hold small scraps of fabric and other items. The top of the unit will be used as a display space for finished projects. There is a door on this wall that leads into the hallway.

This is the west wall and the closet is behind that door. It is a standard small bedroom closet. I hope to add shelves at some point but it will be used for large supply storage. The bookshelf has been in the house for a long time and has been in many places. This is where it is at now and I don’t plan on moving it anytime soon. I t holds the girls books but I am thinking about moving them into the hall closet that I featured before and move all of my books out of there and let it be for them only.

For this room I don’t plan on making any new furniture purchases. Based on the sketches that I have made all the furniture items that are being used in the room are pieces that I already have that are either in use now or in the storage building in my backyard. The storage building was orginally going to be my studio space and and was used at such for about a year, but the utilities were almost double when the space was in use because of having either to heat or cool the space. I will be adding pictures of the studio as it progresses.