Fabric, Stamps and Felt

In the midst of gathering up and organizing all of my receipts for tax purposes (yawn!) I have finished up a little set of pins that are a little different than my normal style of work. These were originally going to be pendants, but I just couldn't get behind the pendant idea and so they are all pins and I think they turned out sweet and simple (in a good way.)

The inspiration for the designs was this - if you have ever inherited a treasured sewing box or button tin from your grandmother or great aunt, you know how special it is to sift through the bits and threads and buttons and cards of needles and snippets of fabric saved. It's quite magical for sure, especially if it comes from a loved one. It's even quite magical when you find a sewing box at a yard sale and can create your own story about the person who owned it. These pins remind me of all those little saved bits of fabric at the bottom of the sewing box - worn, wrinkled, frayed at the edges and smelling of antique-y things.

To go along with this idea, I used my beloved set of stamps from my Great Aunt Sade (the rabbit, bird and tree) in a pretty sepia ink. I also used colored pencil to give it a blush and tint of color. There are a couple of these pretties here and here and more on the way!

WOW!

Happy New Year! (Oh, and Happy Holidays and Happy Thanksgiving is in order too!) I think that about covers all of the events that I have missed in my blog absence. Wow! Is the title of this post because I am amazed that it has been so very long!

I will get right to it then, since if anyone has checked in here lately they have been looking at those three little gift ornaments for almost 2 months - I have a few new things that I have been working on. I have been enjoying every minute of working on new designs. I do feel, for the last half of '08, that I had been playing catch up, making custom pieces, filling orders, stocking for shows and haven't had a minute to play and create and try out new ideas. Let me tell you (and for those of you that make things - you know this) when I get to sit down and just leisurely make and sew and paint - ahhh . . . so relaxing and rewarding!

Okay, so I have a few new designs that I was in the progress of photographing when my batteries went kaput, so I have half of my new card set ready to show and tell. (One is the first picture of this post.) This set is just in time for the holiday of love and sweetness that is up-and-coming and that is of course Valentines Day and what better way to celebrate with your sweetheart than a"Bugs in Love" card! Yep, that's right, along with the butterflies theres . . .

Worms

Ladybugs

I have covered many bases with my card sets - there's "Breakfast in Love"

"Produce in Love"

"Sweets in Love"

"Crafts in Love"

The first three designs are up in both shops here and here.

More to come as soon as my batteries are back in working order - and really, though I breezed through my well wishes at the beginning of this post - I truly hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season and I am wishing you a very joyous and peaceful 2009!!!