I received the most lovely surprise the other day in my inbox.  A customer, like many before her had purchased one of my sewing patterns.  Ok, not that unusual.  However, even though I always encourage people to send photos of the bags the make, I rarely receive any.  Most seamstresses simply leave lovely feedback about liking the pattern, and thats the end of it.  

It was so nice to hear from Diane, who had made one of my most difficult bags and sent pictures to prove it (see photo left).  She went out of her way to make my day and I completely appreciate it.  You all should visit her blog HERE.

Enough on that already.  My third column in the Sartell Newsleader can be read HERE.  I'm so happy they continue to publish me!  Hopefully positive comments are pouring in and I'll get a confirmed regular slot.  Right now I'm still fighting my way in!

Happy July to you all.  It's feast or famine weather here in Minnesota, hopefully wherever you are is a little more stable, the sunny days are steady, and the humidity non-existent!

While the "CLOSED" signs have angrily been applied to Minnesota rest stops and state parks alike, I wonder, what are the other 49 states supposed to think?  Really?  Do I live in the one state that says bah-humbug to the most important National Holiday, and our government cannot agree to the point of a shut down?  With all the passersby and the wanderlust travelers on the highways this weekend, I guess the message we're sending is, "don't stop here."  A bit sad.

On the brighter side of the road, it looks like I won't be stopping my columns either.  I was published for the second week in a row!  You can read my article in the Sartell Newsleader by clicking here!

So it looks like this week there's no rest for the weary travelers and writers alike.  We'll all just keep up the good fight, plan our fuel-ups accordingly and celebrate the 4th of July wherever we land.

Happy Independence Day!

So, because once again, Nikon's battery is dead, I'm forced to grab point-and-shoot from my purse.

A funny thing happens when you pull out the "emergency camera," you discover pictures that have been clinging to digital media for a while, just waiting to be uploaded and remembered.  Tonight is such an occasion.

The FedEx guy must work overtime around here because around 7pm, long after normal delivery hours, a long and slender package arrived at my door.  I knew exactly what it was.  AS Hanging System's top notch gallery track hanging supplies, coveted "for a long time" by me and recently purchased for my new walls.  Almost immediately, the cordless drill, ladder, level and the contents of my package were gathered and ready for installation.

Hanging just one track, on my tall purple wall, I became so proud of myself that the old Cybershot came out and I have the first cryptic photos to show you my new "gallery" (scratch that...home).

Now, here comes the fun.  Uploading the pictures I knew wouldn't do justice to the fabulous wall system, I discovered the final pic taken of our humble apartment.  It seems like we kissed it goodbye decades ago and a bit of nostalgia comes with seeing it's picture once again.  Sigh.

So, just to peak your jealousy, and encourage you all to display art (however trivial) in a uniform and respectable manner, here is the first glimpse of "gallery meets living space."  (Never mind that I still have no furniture.  I'm a big girl now, and I'd rather cross legs on the floor looking at beautiful walls than stare at unembellished space.  Besides, when's the last time you saw living room furniture in a GALLERY?)

Well, the offer is in, and the ball is in the hands of Mr. "606 Scenic Drive."

Trying to be vague on the details until all is final, we are really getting close to our new beginning in greater Minnesota.  Jahred is one-and-a-half weeks away from his debut as an RN with the Surgical Services Unit at Saint Cloud Hospital.  A large hospital with over 4300 employees, they offer outstanding benefits and seem to be such a friendly place to work (the gift shop is outstanding)!

Last week, Jahred, Axel and I spent a day in the area looking for what Axel calls a "garage house."  We trudged through 15 houses; enough is enough.  Today, while Jahred met with hospital administrators, I looked at our favorite house "one more time."

I am really feeling the "house number five" confidence as I now realize, it isn't our "dream home" I'm in search of; it's simply a place to store the things we gather while living our "dream life."

When we moved into our rental nearly one year ago, I discovered quickly that I had very few requests of our next home.  I need: four exterior walls of my own, a thermostat that we can control, toilets that flush more than one-out-of-five flushes, and a place for my boys to play.  The house we offered on today has those things and more.

I completely forgot to take pictures.  Here are a few defining characteristics...promises of photos to follow:
 - fenced, large yard
 - four bedrooms (one large enough for a king size bed...finally)
 - two bathrooms (one for boys and one for girls...haha, I'm the only girl)
 - two stall garage, with shop, that may be large enough for the bike Axel is coveting out of the Target catalog
 - a raised garden box in the back yard
 - a piano wall
 - plenty of boredom busters (wallpaper stripping)

So, the offer is in and hopefully we'll get the all clear soon.  I'm trying to be emotionally detached until we hear from the owner...emotional detachment has never been one of my strong points.

An oldie but goodie has been given new life.  A couple years ago, my baby blanket was resurrected by Axel when he realized it had "bears" on it.  Such an animal lover...he has no idea that they are indeed "Care Bears," (boy would he have loved that show) and the bears are only the backing...the real show being Raggedy Ann and Andy.

Anyhow, my darling blanket, completely hand stitched nearly 28 years ago by Nana, has been made into forts, worn as a cape and basically loved to within an inch of it's life.  Slowly it has been shedding pieces of ric rac, a jump rope and many of the stitches are just plain worn off.  As each piece let go, I put them in a "special place" for the day when all would be made right.  Finally fed up with the dangling pieces and the tattered look, I went to make it "disappear" last night when Axel (insert sad eyes here) called, "don't take it away because it's...sniff sniff sniff...broken."  Ok, I think he's been watching a little too much Toy Story.

What a wonderful feeling it is to restore your baby blanket.  I seriously think an entire business model could be created around restoring childhood favorites...for adults.  Mending a piece of your childhood is like mending a piece of your adult self.  I didn't hand stitch it because I lack all the matching threads like Nana originally used.  I did however sew it with my beloved Salvation Army sewing machine and a bit of clear thread.

aahhhh.  To check something off the list.

This fall I have been many times blessed in creating special projects for friends and family.  Regrettably, I didn't catch a photo of a series of tote-bags created from childhood crib linens, but this week I wasn't about to miss out on featuring another heirloom project.

I received a call just a few weeks ago from a friend of a friend who lost her father this year.  One of his crowning characteristics was his love of picking Pussy willow and Bittersweet.  She had found some fabric and was anxious to have a quilt from it.  Literally a one-of-a-kind piece, I drew this pattern on a piece of freezer paper, ironed it to a stack of fabrics and cut along the lines...the pattern, although a simple geometric will never be repeated in these proportions.

This time of year, with complete "Etsy Flurry", projects like these make it all worth while.  Merry Christmas to all those who have loved, lost, and have "honor gifts" to give this season.

Sometimes you create projects that make you love the craft all over again.  When I got my hands on some lovely canvas fabric, I saw "guitar straps" written all over it!  This year has been quite an Etsy blur and while I prepare for the thousand of Christmas gifts I have mailed, and have yet to mail for all of you, I settle down to begin my own magical planning.  

Just for the books, this years most popular sales are Bracelets and Guitar Straps.  Coincidently they are my two current favorites to make.  One, because I can vicariously place my lack of strumming talent into people who will do something better with it, and the other because Jahred actually makes that product.

There is still time for my US customers to get their gifts before the big day.  Let me know if I (or Jahred) can help you out with a seasonal fav or if you have something else in mind.

Etsy has started a NEW coupon code system!  It's super rad and a quick way to give an all around shop SALE!

For Black Friday and Cyber Monday savings...shop my Etsy store and upon checkout...enter this code:
BLACKFRIDAY10

Happy shopping...no worries, my shop is open all day, every day, so although you may be tempted to wake up at 3am to get the best deals...they'll be there, but the OOAK items are always first come first serve.  (Actually, I have a little secret...the coupon is active as of...NOW!)

The first Snow Day of the year came a bit early.  With nearly 10 inches of wet messy snow, and being without garage and shovel this year, we took the opportunity to decorate for the Holidays.

Because the usual "decor team" is out on "leave"...along with the kitchen staff, cleaning lady and the accountant who has yet to return from a three year vacation, good old Mom had to shine up a new approach.  When Jahred and I discussed the "tree budget" for the year, we decided that FREE is the max we can pay.

We do have an artificial tree purchased several years ago for $9.99, but have decided it's too sparse and sad looking to ever be our main tree again.  So, using the following materials I whipped up a rather Dr. Seuss looking X-Mas Tree.

Materials List:
 - 2 wrapping paper cardboard tubes
 - 40 plastic grocery/target bags
 - 1/2 of a large roll of Tin Foil
 - plenty of scrap paper, newspaper
 - tape (the clear packaging sort)
 - 1 spool of ribbon (optional)
 - 1 strand of green lights (optional)
 - 1 empty box approx. 2 ft x 2 ft
 - summer shoe collection (sandals)

It began with the wrapping paper rolls.  I taped them end to end to create the height of my tree.  Just for good measure, I stuffed a plastic "Olive Garden" kids drink cup where the two rolls met to ensure extra stiffness at the joint.

Starting at the top of the tree, I wrapped plastic grocery bags and old newspaper around the "trunk" and covered them in Tin Foil, scrunching and gathering to look "authentic".  Working my way down, I increased the amount of stuffing under each wrap of Tin Foil to give the tree a triangular shape.  I tried my best to roll the ends of each foil section together as I went as to avoid gaps and separation (I wouldn't want the shopping bags to show, now that would be tacky).  Where necessary, I taped the stuffing to the trunk so it wouldn't slouch as I erected the tree.

Eventually I became happy with the bulk and the shape of my tree.  I stood her on end to see how she looked.  Beautiful.  Next I took the box and cut a hole in the center of one of the sides the same roundness as the trunk.  I slid the trunk inside making a "tree stand" if you will.  To make sure the tree wouldn't lean, I used some of mine and Axel's summer shoes (we won't be needing those in 10" snow).

The only thing left was to decorate and give the top some personality.  To enhance the reality of it, I strung some green twinkle lights down the back of the tree for a little "back-lighting".

There you have it, a Seussical tree, suiting both the "Bah-Humbug" in you and the "Magic" within your child.  Axel's vote of approval was making his own Tin Foil Tree and letting me know mine was "Beautiful Mom!"

Benefits to a Tin Foil Tree:
 - cost (especially if the tin foil was left behind by previous renters): FREE
 - totally recyclable when the Holidays are over, better yet, wrap the Christmas left-overs with a piece of "tree"
 - it weights literally 3 pounds and you will never lose your child to tree toppling
 - not a fire hazard
 - moldable and flexible to any size room
 - truly OOAK (one of a kind)

With Jahred approaching the end of Nursing school and finally seeing the light of day/a normal schedule, I can't help but feel we are moving forward.

Today I put the finishing touches on the piece I will hang in the Emmy Frentz Gallery this week and I couldn't be more in love with it.  Now, I'm not about to give anyone a sneak peak (I will certainly post pictures after the official opening) but it really represents what in my heart I know I should be doing with my talents.  Creating from scratch, sculpting with textiles, using word and image alike.

Because of all this forward progress I've decided to clear the studio, making room for an expected evolutionary blast.  My need for a clean slate is your gain in my Etsy shop this Holiday Season.  Literally EVERYTHING is marked WAY DOWN!  I made a promise some time ago that when Jahred graduates, I'll be celebrating with a "Massive Sale" and that's just what it is.

For the first time as well, I am offering the Exclusive Licensing Rights to several of my original designs.  By purchasing these rights, you are purchasing the right to have your name on the pattern and to sell or distribute the pattern and it's product for your own personal profit.  I've had so many offers from overseas companies and bulk producers alike, but I'd really like to offer my designs to a fellow Etsian!  It will be a GREAT earning opportunity for whoever purchases them!!  All patterns have been tested and sold for some time now and are only gaining in popularity!

So, as we near the "most wonderful time of the year" I look forward to more moving on, moving up and moving forward!