Weekend Rundown:

Australian Order accepted and shipped:  Check
Michael Miller Pink French Postcard Portfolio:  Done and Listed
Michael Miller Blue French Postcard Portfolio:  Done (not listed)
Poky Little Puppy fabric art portfolios:  3 completed (none listed)

All that brings me to this!  I think I've overdone it a little as I'm sure this is NOT what my co-worker really wants.........
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All the humongous pieces and parts....
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This is the SECOND layer of pleated material getting added to the base.
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Interior bottom (3rd layer) put on. But there's one more interior piece that needs to get sewn to this one yet! HOLY THICK BATMAN!
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Before handles and ties get put on.
OK, so you can see that this thing is as big as my CHAIR! I do believe I've overdone it.  But this is going to be one awesome tote bag when it's completed.  There are at least fourteen zillion pockets and cubbyholes inside of it.  Once it's completed, there will be a silk hydrangea flower stuck into one of the seams (I purposely left a 'buttonhole' in one area).
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The view from my sewing area. Just thought I'd throw that in here.
Anyhow, back to the sewing room for me, now that the 24 layers of that bag are now securely put together.  I will have to think of a different type of hobo for my friend.  How could I have been so off on what she wanted?  Oh, well.  Back to the drawing board.  But that's sometimes the most fun - the planning part.

Now go get creative already!  :)
 
This has really been a fairly productive day!  For an unexpected WHOLE day off (now I work Saturday though) there has been a ton of sewing going on.  Here is a large port that hopefully an Etsy client will pick up - if it meets up to what she ordered.
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My buyer is the boss, so I'm keeping my finners and toes crossed.  Let's hope this one is sold! 

Happy crafting and get creative out there.  :)
 
Remember a while back, I received a box of goodies in the mail from my blogging friend, Marcy.  Just wanted to give you the finale before I send the pieces and parts back to her this week.....
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The original package from Marcy
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Four items complete....
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3X5 card holder
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Amy Butler fabric journal cover
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Inside journal cover to fit Marcy's Bible journal inside.
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Quilt block pinwheel and sunflower portfolio cover.
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Open portfolio with mini decoupaged notebook.
It's not perfect by a long shot, not only because I'm not a good quilt block put-together-er, but I noticed the business card holder melted a little when I was doing the final pressing.  I COULD HAVE SCREAMED!!!  There's no turning back on that one, and it's the first time that's happened.   ARGHHHH

There is a lot of fleece left, but am not real sure what I could do with it.  I'm sure Marcy adn her daughter can figure out a better purpose for it than I'm coming up with.

It will get mailed this week, Marcy!  Hope it's all okay and happy blogging!!
 
Still working on getting my groove back and decided that I'd better take my husband's advice.  When things get a little too much he says, "Now Karen, how do you eat an elephant?"  To which we all know the answer is:  one bite at a time.  Yeah, yeah.  OK.
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I did finish the 2nd of the dishcloth trio.  The square one has soooooo much texture to it that it should be able to scrub a million germs off dishes, or bodies!  HA!  These are great projects for that quick, I need a little FAST gratification, since most things take more like days, weeks, or months to finish.

The Celebrity Apprentice is on tonight, so #3 should get started, if not finished.  Then to the PO they shall go.  :)

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Wanted to try my hand at putting quilt blocks together, and believe you me, I am NOT my mother!  Darn it anyway.  If she were alive to see what I did, she'd be horrified!  This block is way below my personal expectations of myself.  But the colors and theme were working, so I kept on going with it.  One day it will be a large portfolio journal cover for a blogging friend.  Really, who doesn't like sunflowers and pinwheels and bright yellows/greens?!?!  This is called Pinwheel #9, for what reason I have no idea, but pattern is free - just click.

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This journal 'vest' was a project I did last weekend when I decided to stay in the depths of the dungeon of the basement.  Watched old movies.  Mother's Day.  Just wanted to be alone I guess.  But anyway, this little purple tweed gem came out of that weekend and just needed to be sewn into a journal cover.   So that was accomplished and posted on Three Sisters' Marketplace for sale.

The back and insides are a pretty neat butterfly batik fabric that I'd, yes, been hoarding.  DO NOT MAKE A TV SHOW ABOUT MY HOARDING FABRICS!  I'm definitely not as bad as the fabric cutter at Joann's.  (yes, she spilled that little secret the last time I was there)

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And to end the weekend, this was the sunset that I got to enjoy last evening off our duplex deck.  If those houses weren't in the way across the road, it would have been perfect.  But still, it was very pretty.  The camera (as usual) didn't pick up all the colors that were really there.  But you get the point, right?  :)

 
Dealt with an elephant of a headache yesterday, but when it finally eased up my brain went into overload.  The ideas, thoughts, projects, time elements..... everything decided to dump into my head all at once.  Hence, no sleep until 3 this morning when I finally fell asleep on the couch watching a Law & Order show.  Thankfully.  :)  I even made a cup of tea - didn't work.

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So this is the crocheted dishcloth that got started and finished after midnight.  This morning was when I realized what will happen to a trio of these that are now on the planning deck.  When you struggle to sleep, can't hear the radio program you have on because your dear one snores through every other sentence of the story (giggle) a gal just picks up what is closest to her and that was the cone of natural colored cotton and a hook.   And this was the result.

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I haven't posted any photos on here yet of the scarves that will be a year long project.  Here are four of them that have been crocheted so far.  Two are complete and the other two needs ends woven in still.  After doing fringe on the one, that was the deciding factor in picking other designs that have NO fringe.  Hated it!  :) 

If anyone else is interest in doing scarves for the Winter Special Olympics, just click on over there to see the official colors of Red Heart Yarn and four designs that can help get you started:  2 knit and 2 crochet.  I didn't pick any of them, but that's just me.  After my original purchase of 3 red/3blue skeins, it still looks like I haven't made a dent in the yarn yet.

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The large hobo bag is finally cut out.  Nothing like picking a project that has about $40 worth of material to it.  This will be one awesome bag when it's done.  Vogue is not something I use often, but this was THE bag I wanted to do and after reading the instructions over and over and yes, OVER again, it has finally stuck in my head what this design is all about and WOW!  It is very very cool.  This is a commissioned job, but if she isn't happy with it, I'm not sweating it at all just because it really is that neat a design.  Someone will want it - maybe me!?!?!  HA

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And last but definitely not least is the decorator fabric I found while shopping with my daughter and grandson the other day - and HALF OFF!  This popped up out of the corner of my eye and knew I had to have it to do something with.  The picture doesn't do the color justice at all as it's really a brownish olive color.  As one of the pillows on my couch (where I finally slept) need recovering pretty badly, this will be WAY cool to use for the living room.  If there's any left over it sure could get put into a lining of a makeup bag or ditty bag.  Didn't even think about it being hard to sew with all the pleats, but that's okay. 

So now that my brain in back to functioning after nearly a month being on some sort of creative hiatus, let the creative life get back to where it was before.  Maybe now it will even be better!  Who knows!

So get up, get out, get creative - happy Saturday!  And be watching for more posts as the weekend progresses.

 
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There is nothing new to report as far as accomplishing anything creatively.  It seems that 90% of what I've started there either isn't enough to finish it, or my idea just didn't work.  It's disheartening to say the least.  There are dry spells in everyone's creative life and I guess you just have to work through it.

There are three Special Olympic 2012 scarves completed.

There is a commissioned bag that needs more supplies before I can even sit down to sew it.

There are four hats that need to get done, but not real motivated as there hasn't been payment for the last three yet, even though I know it will come.

A three-ring binder sits with everything ready to cut and sew for a friend.

There is a journal sweater that I started out of slub cotton yarn, but that will get frogged as it's not meeting my vision.

There is a box of wonderful fabrics from a blogging friend that sits by my sewing machine, waiting for inspiration to hit and complete.  Want this right, and worthy of sending back out.


So off I go, celebrating mother's day with my memories and maybe some yarn.  We'll see.

Something's gotta give!  Right?  :)
 
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My eyes were SO tired after work last night, but not too tired to see that Bill had been working on rounding the corners to the wood cuts for our leather venture.  Isn't he the best?  I sure hope I can pull this idea off for him because #1) he truly thinks he'd use it and #2) he's one of the best salesmen in the world and he's not shy about promoting the handmade things around here.

Pretty bad when the Home Depot chick sees me walk in, and you can almost feel her mood change.  And not for the better either!  LOL  How many women walk into Home Depot in heels and head towards the lumber aisle and NOT be a problem customer?  And just getting across the store in heels brought many male employees towards me with questions on how they could help.  And not because I'm some hot chick either!  You remember the Sesame Street song "One of These Things Just Doesn't Belong Here"?  Yeah, like that.  HA  They are getting to know me there, and know that I'll want LOTS of cuts.  Both of the cutter guys rock and never fear each time they honestly do mess up a few boards.  But why get bent out of shape about it, it makes for some great laughter and good conversation.  And as I was leaving and listening to the HD chick tell me about her flower bushes she needs to dig up out of her boyfriends' yard, I just had to smile and say, "I'll be seeing you in a couple of weeks for a flower update and more boards, so be ready!"  LOL

 
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There are eight (8) new listings on Etsy.  Complete.  Done.  Written up.  Put out there.  The gazillion photos can now be erased off the camera.  Time for some eye and mind relaxation...... does that mean sleep?  Could be!

See, I'm too lazy to even put up the links to the Etsy items.  Deal wid' it.  :)  Look at the scrolling boxes down on the right side - you'll get there is you want.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend full of good things.

Blessings and get creative!
 
Needed a HUGE break from the normal stuff today, and out of the blue comes an idea.  A new purse.  YES!  That was the ticket!  I needed a new purse, it's the first day of spring, and it DIDN'T rain today like I'd thought!  Win, Win and WIN!  So I located some black fabric I'd been hoarding that was originally $19.99 a yard, but mind you I didn't pay that price.  My nose for deals was obviously working that day - in whatever year that was.  And I'm going to keep this purse for myself.  Yep, selfish, but I adore this fabric.  I forgot to take pics of the stages of construction, but at least I can share the finished (almost) product.  I just need a big BLACK flower to pin onto it and then it's complete.
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(Yes, those are Bill's shirts in the background, un-ironed. He'll live.)
You probably can't tell from the photos, but the black flowers are actually fuzzy!  Yeah, that's me and that texture thing rolling again.  But isn't it cute?  LOVE IT!
 
Weird day.... PetSmart for a new fish (yes, Michael Jackson the 2nd needed to be replaced by MJ #3), to Bed Bath & Beyond because whoever waited on my husband yesterday thought they could get by NOT using his 20% off coupon he handed them, and to Walmart just for the fun of it.  Yeah, the last part of that sentence was a joke - who goes to Walmart for FUN?  Yikes.  

Anyway, wanted to throw out the two planners I finished up today.  It was my PINK day, I guess.  Just because I'm not a fan of pink, doesn't mean others aren't.  And one of the planners is for a good cause, and would make a terrific gift for a survivor.
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It's time to pick up a book - or some knitting.  I hear golf on TV so we all know it's Sunday afternoon for sure.

Be CREATIVE and let's have a wonderful week together!