Bedroom Refresh and what I made with the leftovers........

I wish that I had taken a before pic of my bedroom. It was very blah, take my word for it. My windows are so weird. Wide, short and high on the wall, I had put curtains that I had made that went only to the top of the headboard ( it must have another name if it's made of metal) on my "Atomic Betty" bed. They went on a rod that went across the full width of the window. I wasn't sure what to do, and I probably still don't, but I liked this treatment a lot better.

I always wanted to incorporate blue into my room and thankfully the childhood mantra of "blue and green should never be seen" doesn't hold a lot of water anymore. That's good considering my walls are green.

I made drapes and put them on shorter rods with matching wooden hold backs. The drapes are a blue/green gold shimmery fabric, with a microfibre topper and, my favorite, moss fringe.





With the same fabric and fringe I made a rectangular pillow.


Using a tutorial I found at Mama Says Sew for folded fabric flowers I was able to make two roses pillows. This lady is so inspirational thanks sew much!



For two button pillows I used a mixture of vintage buttons from my grandmothers button box and a few Tim Holtz buttons. I should have sewn the buttons further to the side, they appear to be straining like someone wearing an ill-fitting blouse. I will be correcting at some point.



I made a coverlet out of a larger piece of the button pillow fabric and some heavy damask sewn together with strips of the light blue faux silk used on the rose pillows. The lace was expensive filet crochet that I only purchase enough to do the coverlet. Mostly all the fabric I buy is bargain, but sometimes I will splurge on trims.


The comforter, bedskirt, pillow shams and two center pillows were purchased at a very reduced price at Superstore. The colors in the set are what started the whole ball rolling. I will very likely be making a new duvet cover and shams soon.







The overall effect is a refreshing change from what it was. Someday maybe I will get some pretty new furniture.

After all the pillows and drapes that I have made for living room, dining room and bedroom, I had a lot of scraps! I needed to make something with them.

I have had this old flour sack quilt of my grandmothers for about 20 years now. I had a very plain sheer cover on it held in place with buttons from her button box. I decided it needed a new cover.


This quilt is so neat. It is over 80 years old and you can still see the labels on the sacks. It has held up amazingly well.



I was inspired by a quilt in this book.





So I made my own layout and started sewing.




I did not want to actually stitch on the quilt, so it is just placed inside. It's very weighty, I tacked it with embroidery thread at many junction points.

.......and this is what it looks like.


I do not have it covering my couch normally, that's just for the picture, it is just folded up and draped over the arm of the couch waiting for someone to cuddle up under.

Thank you Grandma Meyers!

Brrrrrrrrr........

It is March 8 and it is still -22 (-8C)! There is no melt down in site in the near future. This is what it looks like out my front window today.


At least it's sunny. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

The next sewing project that I wanted to do, trying to inspire spring into my dark little house, was to recover my pillows in the living room. I have decided that I can have whatever style I love in my house. I will not quell my preferences just because I live in a little 60's ranch style bungalow. As much as I love Amy Butler fabric and cool, crisp,clean lines, I am a vintage and ruffle lover! These are the before pics.



These are the after pics.




I have made all the pillow covers with an envelope back. These are easy to do and quick. They just slip on over the existing pillows.


I love the damask green fabric and the brown floral.


As I mentioned before, I love trims. The pre-pleated, plaid trim was only $2.50/metre at Fabricland. The red and green fringe was 80% off.



Flowers are good.


In the stamping department.........

I started making a desktop calendar for the year and I am almost done. I really did start in December and I have been able to enjoy January and February. Now it's March and I must get the rest of the calendar done.




Hopefully I will get the rest of the calendar done tonight.

Until later, have a productive day and may it be Spring where you are!

Finally......

Way too busy creating and getting through day to day life! Finally I have taken pics of all the stuff that I have been busy doing.

Just for today though I will start off with the new curtains that I made for my living room and dining room.



When I started sewing home decor for children's room designer, I was making over the top curtains and other luscious things. I got turned onto trim and having things lined. Lining makes such a big difference in how they hang and look.



I love the fabric in my dining room curtains. This fabric is what inspired me to get it into gear and just do it!

The pics are hard to see, sorry about that. My camera is not the best and I have such a dark house. I love the shabby chic, vintage look where everything is in shades of white, but with my four kids, it's easier to camouflage the dirt with darker, earthy tones than it is to wash it


Now for some cards...........

These were cards made with products from the new Stampin' Up Spring Mini. They are starting to really get into the vintage look and have lots of beautiful items to choose from.





This card was done at the last Stamper's Nine that I attend on a monthly basis. Thank you Jodi Bourque, you are always an inspiration to my self and others!



These were done using a tutorial from Sandi Maciver. She does so many wonderful projects! This is a faux silk technique and lots if gee gaws from the mini. Loving the little beveled acrylic blocks.






This is a desktop calendar that she has created. Super easy and the little calendars can be found at a nifty little place called SkyBluePink. They have a lot of really neat stuff there. Shredded money, old watch parts and Melissa Francis keyholes (yummy little things that I will show you things I've done with later!)




That's all for today! Hopefully my next post will be sooner than later!

Maybe a new layout will inspire me...........

Still working out the layout but I thought it was pretty. I have been busy sewing for a living and will try to post pictures of everything I've been working on lately.

Until then, happy creating.

A Little Bit of Scrapbooking........

Thought that it was about time to do a little scrapbooking.


I decided to try to create a page for a photo of my daughter Laura and I wanted to try and use all Stampin' Up products. I used pages torn out of a book(the ONLY non-Stampin' Up product) that I would never read for the paper for the roses. We made these roses the last time my Stampin' Up group met and our leader and good friend, Jodi showed us this technique. I do believe the tutorial can be found here at Beate's website. I (we) used a six petal flower template that we made ourselves.

I used the new Stampin' Up Summer Mini Designer Paper Presto Patterns. I used Baja Breeze and Pixie Pink Classic inks with a finger dauber to apply color to this paper and watched the embossed design pop out.

This was the end result. I was inspired by a layout from a new lady I was steered to by Urban Scrapbook. This lady is at Karola Witczak Handmade. She uses alot of Webster's Pages product. She is an absolutely gorgeous designer. Her cards are very uniquely done using different card shapes.

Next is a page for Tara.

Well that's all for now, have to clean up the creative mess before my appliance guy, Tony, comes tomorrow to fix the washer, the dryer AND the dishwasher.


Thanks for looking!

Just a couple of quickies.......

Just a couple of baby cards that I made yesterday to post today. I made one that is vintage and one that is modern.


First the vintage. The Buggies and Booties stamp set is a retired stamp set from Stampin' Up. This was one of my first stamp sets that I ever ordered from them. It's still one of my favorites. I used the polka dot deep impressions folder, kraft (now crumble cake) paper and pink pirouette paper and chocolate chip craft ink from Stampin' Up. The rose is from Prima. The ribbon is one of my favorite things, it's hand-dyed and antiqued from Marilyn Healey of Memrie Mare on Etsy.com. This is a wonderful site where people sell all sorts of handmade items. The crocheted cotton lace is a Dollarama special (where I buy ALL my lace)

This one is a little modern, I made it for my lovely neighbour, Kendra, for a baby shower she is going to this weekend.

This was made using the Bundled in Love stamp set, polka dot deep impressions folder, Sweet Pea DP and Pixie Pink and Whisper White papers, Pretty in Pink ribbon from Stampin' Up. The pearls for the duck were a dollar store find, button from Papertrey Ink. The white ribbon roses I found in Fabricland. You can also buy these by the metre (yard) at most scrapbooking stores. Webster's Pages also has packages of ribbon roses in beautiful colors. I haven't had much opportunity yet to use them, but I will plan on using them more on upcoming projects.

My dear hubby is on his way back from Kelowna, B.C. (McNugget Open, golf tournament for MacDonald's Western Canada) so I feel compelled to clean the house up today and make a nice supper. This is mainly so that it looks like I have done something other than blog the past four days!!! Ahhhhh the tricks of the trade.

Happy Creating! See you later.

It's good to be back.......

Over a month since my last blog. How very neglectful of me! Actually, I have been very busy and yet I can't quite pinpoint how. Needless to say on with show........


I found myself at the beginning of May on a roadtrip with my sister, Linda and my Mom. We went to Naicam, Saskatchewan for 4 days. We spent the majority of the time with my Great Aunt Edie, 89 and Great Uncle Roy, 98. Probably 4 of the most cozy days ever! Her home was small and old and filled lots of things that I remembered from visiting them as a youngster. Seeing the boundless energy of my Aunt was very inspiring, watching and listening to her I found that I now know where alot of who and how I am is from.

She has a very common sense and calm approach to all things in life. One thing that she put in from of me is as I was sitting at the table over about the 40th cup of tea and a bar/cookie treat (I gained 5 lbs while I was there) was this lovely book, Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book.


Published in 1906, it belonged to my Great Grandmother. Not only is it filled with wonderful recipes, but wonderful directions on being "The Housewife" which includes everything from directing servants to table napkin folding. Sometimes we "housewives" receive "looks" when asked what it is that we "do". The opening of this book summed it up for me as to why we should (if we don't work outside of the home) and why it's important.

"It is not given to us all to become famous, but in this busy world there are few who, metaphorically speaking, need "waste their sweetness on the desert air," or, in less poetical language, lead a useless life." (Ha, ha, love it, so upfront!)

"Far from the humblest or the least dignified one is that of a housewife in whom, if she faithfully fulfills her duties, will center all the home interests and cares; while to her and to her alone is given the power of making her house, however humble, the embodiment of our ideal, "Home, Sweet Home" (That's right girl, be in control, make it happy, paint that wall and buy that couch!)

"Unselfishness, industry, patience, perseverance and thoughtful care for others are most needful qualities for the good housekeeper to possess, for with her rest many responsibilities." (Wow, will those things transfer well to a resume? They should!"

It's a lovely little gem, too bad she gave it to my sister! It sucks being the baby sometimes.

I spent some quality time at the Naicam Thrift Shop as well and found these little vintage lovelies for 50c apiece

I had two vintage aprons that I found at a tag sale about 8 years ago and have been wearing them for a long time and now I have these to wear. I'll take a couple up to the cabin (that now I have gone back to my Aunt's house, I know why I love so much and find so comforting to be in)

I love the apron on the bottom right it inspired the card below. It has a different kind of matching envelope.




The envelope is made by sealing a regular size card envelope shut, cutting off the top. Cutting paper to cover the bottom and top. I saw the original idea for this card on Splitcoaststampers from this crafty little gal. I used the Itty Bitty Buds stamp set from Stampin' Up. Little accents of white on the flowers was some 3D paint in an iridescent white. All paper and ink was from Stampin' Up. The sweet blush vintage button was from Papertreyink. The sentiment is from Favorite Thoughts, a new clear mount set found in the Stampin' Up summer mini.

I know exotic warm locations are a wonderful place to be (especially to escape the winters here in Canada) and our immediate families and the lives we lead can occupy a lot of our time, but I highly recommend making the time to be with extended family and older generations if you can, you may find some comfort and inspiration while your there!