Another Bag

This bag is made using an Asian theme.

I love these oriental fabrics. The design piece in the centre (front and back)was made using my embroidery machine. The size of the bag is 11" square and inside has a divided pocket and can accomodate a cell phone etc....I make beaded zipper pulls to add on which makes the opening and closing much easier.

I plan to list a series of this type of bag in my Etsy shop.... I really enjoy making them....

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What Next??

Well honestly I think I surf the net too much!!

I came across this podcast on how to make tote bags as well as other things out of plastic grocery bags..... How could I NOT want to try this ??!!I save all the bags, and what I don't use for trash I save and give to the second hand stores where they use them to wrap things they sell...

Anyway I rounded up some bags and cut them into strips.....then I tied them to-gether in a very neat and easy way the gal in the video demonstrated....and "Voila"..... I have a nice amount ready to crochet and just started to see what it would be like.... I think I like it!! hee hee

Actually I had quite a bit done but I didn't like the shape so I am starting again... stay tuned....EVERY DAY A NEW EXPERIENCE!!!!

Handmade Cards

I went to a card making class and this is what I did......Aren't they pretty... Seems to me anything handmade is so precious...... nice to give and also nice to receive.... Now I'm primed..... I am going again next month to learn more.. stay tuned...

Beaded Bracelets

Here are some bracelets I was working on. The spiral design is fun to do but every time I picked it up to work on it I got it wrong a few times! There's a trick to turning it as you bead and I would forget!!!

I finished the purple and green one to-day. Isn't it pretty?!?!

I usually use a toggle closure but on these I did a little something different. The flat green one is done with crystals. Tried a snap closure on this one . I rather like it as it is neat and easy to open and close.

The End Of A Perfect Day.

Here is another postcard done on my embellisher machine. The sky and the water is created using wool rovings. The trees are done using free motion technique and the flowers are french knots done with embroidery threads. The water has a few silver strands of embroidery just to add interest. The reverse side of the card was completed using some of my hand dyed fabric.
The figure aiming a gun was a little prize that came in a Xmas cracker! It wasn't a planned addition but as I was looking for something else up it popped! That's how it goes sometimes.
Anyway I decided to title this one "The End of a Perfect Day"
My thoughts are the hunter aimed at the crow and MISSED!! Perfect day for the crow ;-}

Embellished Postcards.

These two cards were made for a trade with my Fibre Art Traders group on Yahoo. The pink one is titled"Queen Rules" and the fish one is one of my favorites.....I love this subject.. Maybe I was a mermaid in another life..:-}

There is something that facinates me about seeing a picture of a single piece of fruit.. These I did with my needle felting machine .....I love the black and white background.

This picture inspired me and here is my interpretation. I was very pleased with how it turned out. I used my embellisher machine to needle punch the base colors of the sky and the earth, then I free motioned with threads the trees and then added more wool rovings on the trees and needle punched those areas with my embellisher.

Dyeing To Have Fun.

I was wanting to do some more hand dyed fabric and this was such a fun day.

This particular piece looks like a face , at least I thought so!

This assortment was in greens. I do a lot of applique and these pieces are perfect for leaves and stems. The color doesn't really show up here very well but it is a pretty mossy green.

The fabric is put in plastic bags with the dye and then laid in the sun to begin the curing process.

Here we are playing!!!!

The dyes which are in powder form are mixed in an area by themselves since each speck of dye is VERY powerful. Gloves and masks are essential when mixing up the colors.

Here are the basic colors. and then differenty colors are mixed to-gether to get other colors...

Here we are getting started.....

I'm the one wearing the mask and the yellow gloves!! heh heh...

A good time was had by all.

Comfort Dolls

I have been wanting to contribute to Pat Winter's Comfort Doll Project for a long time but life got in the way!!!!

Well I finally had a chance to work on some dolls and here they are....

Beading dolls is so relaxing and I enjoyed every minute. I hope to do more in the future. It gives me such a warm fuzzy feeling to know someone somewhere will hold one of these dolls and know someone out there loves and cares about them......

Thanks Pat for this opportunity.

A Fun Time at Retreat.....cont'd

The machine I brought to sew on was my very first machine purchased in 1956, a Singer Featherweight. It is one of a few that has an open arm....It still sews like a little work horse and is perfect for travel....

This was my project ....a postage stamp quilt. A picture of the finished quilt above.. The squares are 1" finished. INTENSE sewing!!! I went as far as I could and then got out my beads and worked on an angel doll for

Pat Winter's Comfort Doll Project

Decisions, decisions!!

Heather made this quilt to send overseas to the soldiers...Each one of is going to do one eventually, and they will all be different.... This one has the canadian flag in the centre of the log cabin... Very effective in the red and white.Hopefully it will bring comfort to a soldier far from home...

Fitting time.....

Karen made each of us the cutest aprons vintage style.... Aren't the the cutest!!

We sewed late into the night.... the fun just went on and on and on and...........

This was Heather's food contribution.... a Thai Salad..... It was sooooooo yummy...

I meant to get pictures of everyone cooking but I guess I got side -tracked!!!

I think Heather has inhaled some spices!!!!!

Here's Carol getting her meal ready. It was a wonderful Shepherd's Pie.......

Karen made a curry with pork medallions.... soooooo good.....

and I made a lunch of coldcuts and potato salad.... with Smore Bars for dessert!

Karen was a busy girl in the kitchen making us eggs benedict for breakfast one morning along with fresh fruit smoothies!!! Oh My!!!!

Here's Karen with the pincushion I made.

and Carol with hers.....

and Heather with hers!!!!

Here's me opening a gift.... Being the photographer, the shots of me are scarce!!! Just as well. .....Since I was sick and now on the Prednisone I look like a chipmunk storing nuts for winter!!!!!!! hee hee

One of my gifts was a tote bag .... I think Karen likes hers!!

and Heather looks happy!!! We are all tote bag crazy!!!

I think Carol liked hers too........

ARE WE GIRLS SUPPOSE TO BE HAVING THIS MUCH FUN??!!??!!
YES....YES....YES......

This is what the place looked like when we arrived...Didn't take long to change this scene....

Well that's all folks...

I hope you enjoyed your visit...... Please come again....

We've arrived and now the fun begins.....

I'll give you a peek at how it looked when we arrived..... all neat and tidy ... and then we unloaded our stuff and got going!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!!