I'm the Proud Parent of...

 

The Most Creative student in Desktop Publishing!

Last night was CAP awards night (C-1 Academic Partners)

and my oldest, Victoria (now 16 and a sophomore in high school)

was recognized by her teacher, Mrs. Vanderhoff,

 for having a unique eye and great design skills.

At her teacher's conference, Mrs. V. told me she had made an extra copy of

 Victoria's calendar assignment to keep as a class example because it was so well done.

That's high praise!

Only 26 students were recognized with the academic award,

 for their unique achievements, so it's a pretty big deal.

Even in a small high school.

 

I am one proud mom!

Spring Everlasting

 

Happy First Day of Spring!

 

I haven't seen anything brave enough to start sprouting in my yard,

but I've always got spring time on my desk!

This is an everlasting bouquet of pens-- you know how some places of business gussy up their pens so no one walks off with them?

My daughter made a bunch of these as party gifts for my 50th birthday celebration last November

and happily there were plenty of extras leftover from the party.

Not only do I enjoy how they look, but I can always find a pen to write with.

Pens used to disappear in my house, but not anymore!

With a giant silk flower attached, my son is not likely to carry one off to school

and the pens won't roll off of a table, travel along the floor and disappear under the bookcase.

Nope.

 

 

And with so many great duct tape patterns to choose from,

you can make them even more bodacious.

Because more is more.

Why just use a pen, when you can write with a flower?

And hey,--

They would also make a nice May Day offering.

I'm already thinking of a reason to make more!



Stitchin'

 

 

The Queen Bees (see member's blogs in my sidebar) are currently on hiatus from swaps,

but I am still trying to finish up my pieces for our last swap...

whose deadline was just before last Christmas !!!!

We did prayer flags, made on gelatine printed fabric provided to all of us by Patty,

who had such a great time with the process that she offered to send us all some!

So all of our flags have great continuity, but my flags are grossly late.

Instead of showing you the design I finally decided upon, I thought I would share a sneak peak of  one I rejected, on the grounds that it would be too time consuming and heavy to mail.
I am keeping the flag for myself.

The design I am almost done with, is just as time consuming and only slightly lighter.

*sigh*

 

"D'avantage est rarement suffisant."

(More is is rarely enough)

Ophelia B. Clise

 

I am almost done Girls!

 

 



Pickin' Corder, Missouri

 

Today I went to my favorite junk shop in Corder (there is only one).

"Mahnken's Farm Supply", so called because it was once a hardware store.

Mr. Mahnken had opened some "new" auction boxes from his vast, cluttered, storage - a semi annual event at best- and I did not want to miss out on possibly restocking my own shop.

 

I picked up this souvenir ashtray, among other things.

I have never smoked and never plan to start, but

I love old trinkety souvenirs and since I live in Missouri, this selection was a no brainer.

 

 

It's old enough (pre-1960s) that the Arch is missing from St. Louis!

(There is a crude map of Missouri in the middle of the ashtray).

But the infamous Missouri mule has always been around.

 

********

I am in the process of listing new items. 

(The "among other things" I picked up today.)

Watch for an oven thermometer, a portable shaving mirror and brush, a pot metal pin dish from San Francisco, Calif.  (circa 1920s I am guessing) and a rusty, crusty sand shovel.

It was a great day pickin' at Mahnken's Farm Supply!

Snowed In

 

This photo is from two weeks ago when

we got close to 12 inches of snow in mid Missouri.

Last week we got another 12-14 inches.

Yikes!

My kids missed 4 consecutive days of school.

Although there are still huge piles of snow everywhere,

the roads are clear so school was in session today.

Thank goodness!

I can only take so many snow days.

Next in the forecast.

MUD.

Cloth Napkins That Serve a New Purpose

There is no market for fine linens,

so I don't bother with listing them for sale in my etsy shop.

Believe me, I've tried, with little success.

But what to do with all of the cloth napkins from my grandmother?

I have been storing them for ages, wrinkled and unused.

This week I decided to cut them up *gasp!* and otherwise alter them.

Remember in my last post about cloth bags,

I told you I would rummage in my china cabinet drawers for more materials?

Well, I did.

And here is my report.

 

 

Linen napkins make fabulous sachets or gift bags!

This one was too "white", so I dyed it was some old tea left in my pot

(I drink sometimes 3 pots of black tea a day).

Once dry, I cut the napkin up into quarters and made a dainty bag from each quarter.

I sewed the lacy scraps and buttons on first,

then sewed the bags up on two sides, using the fold as one side.

The linen napkins I have are serged on all 4 sides,

so I used the finished edge for my opening st the top. 

 

 

Before I made the small ones, I made a large one from a single, uncut napkin. 

I gave it the same tea dye treatment to give it some age, and to disguise any stains

(none of my napkins are spotless!)

This napkin was also bordered on all four sides, so I used it.

It also had some machine embroidery on one corner, which I also used in my design.

 

 

 You might recognize the crowned heart from one of my first bags.

I plan to repeat that design until I run out of the crocheted doily I cut it from.

You may get really tired of seeing it, because I have a lot of that doily left!

So there you are.

Use folded paper towels at the dinner table and

save your good linen napkins for creating ditty bags!

Now go make something!

 



Another "Silk Purse"

 

On this bag, I knew I wanted to use a heart made from felted wool, after seeing what Patty (Magpie's Nest) did with some.

This heart was cut from an accidently shrunk wool sweater, given in a bag of hand-me-down clothing for Rebecca.

A tragedy for it's former owner, but free arting material for me!

The glass beads on the heart may be a little too modern looking compared to the old shell buttons, but I swallowed any misgivings and forged ahead.
 I have never claimed to be a purist.

And I like the sparkle the glass beads add!

I also like how this heart looks like a claddagh, without the hands, thanks to the odd bit of crocheted doily "crown".
*****************
Alas, I am out of ready made cloth bags, but this project has got me thinking about the possibilties for all of the tattered/ stained embroidered linens I have.
These simple bags would be so easy to make from old cloth napkins
(of which I have about a gazillion!)
I'm off to rummage in my china cabinet drawers, as soon as I hit "post"!
I'll be back with more show-and-tell!