My Girls!!

I am so excited to introduce my girls!! These sweet chicks are six days old and currently reside in a large travel bin in our toasty living room. They are Golden Lace Wyndottes and should begin laying eggs for my family by late summer. They are Zelda, Gladys, Sheila and Betty, respectively, but until I can tell them apart I have not assigned names. We are having a lot of fun listening to their little peeps, watching them scratch around like "big birds" and one even falls asleep standing up! This is a first for me and I am looking forward to the adventure! Happy Spring!!

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Back From Hiatus!!

Hello Friends! Whew....sometimes life comes at ya so fast there just is not a way to manage everything. So, in the spirit of self preservation I took a leave of absence from this here blog and sadly, haven't been in the studio much either. However, I am still alive and well and I've been missing my little piece of cyber real estate.

I've held back a lot of of my personal situation on this blog but now I'm feeling like I am ready to start sharing the full picture of who/what/how I am. I work full time in a dental office and my husband has been full time student for the last three years. We juggle two great kids, schedules, sports, etc! Hubby is currently beginning what we are hoping is his LAST TERM of school!!!!!! This will mean a lot of things for our family and highest on my list is getting to cut back a lot of work hours. I can not wait to trade them in for working at home hours!!

I've reached the one year anniversary of my blog and that makes me happy. Each and every post on here has been something I've created in the wee hours (usually) while the two kiddos sleep and I can let myself explore in the sewing studio. We live way out in the country without internet access so all of my posts have been done on my lunch hour. It is truly not the most convenient method but it works. Even though I had my recent break I am still happy to reach my one year point as a blogger. I love this format and am looking forward to sharing more projects/dreams/family craziness with you! So thanks for stopping by and rest assured I AM STILL ALIVE!!!!!!!!! And, wouldn't you know it, thanks to some technical difficulties I could not get my new pics on here today. So please enjoy a bright and cheery photo from my trip to Holland last fall and I will be back shortly!

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Monday Morning Musings

Sometimes, the best restyle in the world is the one that is not fancy or artistic but is the one that makes a little girl wild with excitement. A Daisy Duck iron-on patch and some gems glued to a spare clutch made my little girl's weekend. I love that the clutch is more a messenger size for her and I love that she thinks Mommy is the most amazing creative out there! Daisy looks pretty happy too!

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Leather Purse Restyle

 This is the first time I have attempted a restyle on anything besides fabric. It was so fun!! I used the mantra "If I don't like it, its not done yet..." and that really worked for me. This sedate little bag got the full Gypsy treatment. I can't wait to get my hands on more of these little gems!!

 A vintage wallpaper flower.

Collage-style front pocket.

Available for purchase under Gifts With Heart on Etsy!

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Monday Morning Musings

 Happy Monday! I got up early today (about 4:45) to get in some creative time before the day began. I just cleaned the studio this weekend and it feels fresh and wonderful again. It was the perfect place to have my tea and look for some inspiration in past issues of Apronology magazine. I think I may use this type of flower on an upcoming sweatshirt restyle for my mom.

 I've been dabbling in zentangle lately. It is really fun and I can't wait to incorporate it into my sewing. On the right is a purse restyle that will go on Etsy - it is in the middle of the process and will be shared later in the week!

Here is some ink and fabric paint stamped on another bag that will also become one of my Gifts With Heart. I'm not sure yet how it will come together but I thought I would give you a little sneak peak into my early Monday musings. Hope its a great week!!

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GIFTS WITH HEART!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is the official launch of my newest project: Gifts With Heart! There could not be a better day to start this adventure. Two months ago, December 14th 2012, the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut rocked that community, our country and the world. There is no making sense of such an unthinkable day. For me, as the numbness and shock slowly wore away I was left with an overwhelming sadness. But as sad as I was, I still had my own children and so very much to be grateful for.

Slowly, even in the worst of times, life continues. Kids go back to school, errands need done, bills need paid...and so it goes. I have not been able to stop thinking about the parents, families and friends who live in Newtown and how hard it would be to continue - to be forced to find a "new normal." The need for support, counseling, time and love is huge. No one, let alone an entire community, just moves on without obstacles. I wondered what could I do?? I am one person; just a mom who lives on the opposite side of the country with no direct link to Connecticut. But a recurring thought kept coming back to me - "We can't do it all, but what if we all did a little?"

With that thought in mind I decided to take a baby step in the right direction. Do what I can now, within my abilities and hopefully it will be one more drop to help fill up someone else's cup. And so Gifts With Heart was born! Available on Etsy, all proceeds from Gifts With Heart will go to causes close to my own heart, beginning with the United Way of Western Connecticut, Sandy Hook Fund. There is no end date...just when it feels right.

I hope you will visit Etsy and I invite you to check back as there will be new items going up regularly as well as featured artists who are pitching in the help make a difference. I am excited about this...and a bit nervous. It won't produce millions but I believe whole heartedly that no matter what, it all adds up! Lets remember those 26 beautiful souls as we reach out to those they left behind by giving Gifts With Heart.

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Mixed Media Tote Bag

 I am having so much fun taking a blank canvas bag and turning it into something bright and new. Fabric stamping, acrylic paint with fabric medium, stencils and free motion stitch are my mediums of choice right now. This was one of my favorites so I gifted it to someone special - I hope it inspires her!

The back side is basic with antique letter stamping. I just love a "travel journal" vibe.

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Today's Gratitude

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up."

– Mark Twain

I've been thinking a lot about this, especially in the last month as I have struggled to come to terms with our world, with Sandy Hook in particular and with feelings of depression, fear and anger. I think I have found a way, my way, to help. I figure all I can do is add some positivity into the pool. Send a ripple effect of good, however small it may be, to counteract the negative. I am going to try my best! More to come...

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Fabric Art Journal Cover

 I am so in love with this project right now! I'm getting ready to head to a women's retreat with my besty who happens to be a knock out artist (www.rcrunningwild.blogspot.com). She is going to be leading some art journaling sessions and asked me to do a cover as an example. I fussed over the idea for a bit then decided I would make a fabric book of my own since I always drool over the ones in Sew Somerset magazine and Cloth, Paper, Scissors. This is so fun!!

 I wanted a heart theme for the cover and I wanted to play with the Angelina Fiber I just bought.

 Swirls are a pattern I am always drawn to and these are some of my favorite fabrics pulled from the stash-o-plenty in my cabinet.

Stamping on fabric was one of my first creative efforts and I love it. Here the stamping adds depth where it shows through the mesh fabric. I planning to use this journal to try new techniques on a small scale before using them in projects. I will continue to share as it grows!

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Tried Something New - Needle Felting

So this past weekend I finally got up the nerve to pull out my brand new needle felting tool. I've seen so many beautiful projects out there I was a little intimidated, then I decided to just play. I grabbed a plain tote bag and some wool suiting from my stash of repurposed fabric and got down to business.

I cut some flower shapes from stencils and just messed around with felting them onto the bag. No pressure of a finished project - just some play time. I am so thrilled to have the felting tools and I like the way it works. Now that I've broken the ice I can't wait to try this on an actual project!! If there's something you've been pondering I say just go for it - I wish I'd tried it sooner.

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