Dome Jar Cover 2016

One of my crafting buddies (Charlene) made this dome jar top for our monthly meeting. 

It's just too cute!

Carmel 2016

I'm lucky enough to get to spend time down at the beach. One of the major reason I try and spend as much time there as I can, is because Annie loves to run in and out of the waves.  It's peaceful and having the space to leave out my projects is a luxury. With all the storms we've had lately, there isn't much of a sandy beach. As it turns out, it's a plus because it's easier to walk (hard packed sand_ and Annie doesn't get covered with sand.  

Bunny Butts 2016 - Make Mine Chocolate

Buuny Butts

I think bunny butts are just too funny! Took me awhile to make this card because I had sold off my SU oval punches. It took some time to track a set to borrow from another crafter. Since I plan to mail the card to some folks who don't follow Easter, I decided to make it a Happy Spring card. 
I stopped off at Annie's favorite snack shop "All Living Things" to pick up her monthly treat supply. The front window display banner read "Make Mine Chocolate". Knowing chocolate is not good for most animals, I checked it out. It's to raise awareness on not giving live bunnies for Easter. The rescue groups will be over whelming with unwanted bunnies right after Easter. The store is donating the profits from the sale of Schurra's Chocolate (which is my favorite) bunnies to the non-profit  bunny rescue group. So if your'e going to buy a chocolate bunny, pick one up at the pet store in Sunnyvale. Annie and I did are part and picked some up for our human friends. :)

Make Mine Chocolate 2016

Just a little note postcards

I was checking out Jennifer Mcguire's blog (she has amazing how to videos) and she did a one on making quick note cards (really post cards but you put them in an envelope) and I thought it was a super idea! She was using a big bubble word die cut and I thought about getting it but didn't really see that I would every use it again. I had to also remind myself that selling product is Jennifer's business and she did come up with a great idea for that die, but it does have limited uses. So I pulled out my corner rounder, all my mini stamps and did a modify version. I plan to take a set to my Bay Area Women's group as a quick gift to all the members. 

Visit to my local smoke shop - butane score!

I'm learning how to enamel and I needed to buy butane for my torch. To have it shipped (at least here in CA) there is an extra hazardous material shipping fee, which is a lot. So I finally broke down and walked into a smoke shop or what it was called in my day, a "head" shop. They last time I was in a store like this was over 50 years ago! So, I was just a little nervous about walking into a incense filled, dark dirty, poster filled place. Well, much to my surprise things have changed. The store was very clean, bright lights and filled with sun light. They did have head banging music playing in the background really loud but over all a really nice place. I did take my torch in and the clerk there knew exactly what I needed and gave me a quick lesson on why refined butane is needed when  using a torch to make jewelry. The price ($3.99) was so low compared to what I could find online (before the high shipping) that I said I would take 10 cans. He said no, that was way too many. If I was using my hand held torch that much (each can has a burn time of 2-3 hours) I should invest in the bigger propane torches. So I settled on getting just 4 cans. Thank you Monster of Rock 2!

Enameling

For my birthday my daughter took some enameling classes with me and then surprised me with getting me all the tools. Now the hard part of finding good grade butane, which is pretty hard to find! 

Cranberry Hill Flea Market 2016

 One of my favorite things is finding a good deal, especially when it has something to do with one of my hobbies. The annual used rubber stamp sale at Cranberry Hill is the best. It's a whole lot of work for the store to host a used rubber stamp sale but it's sure lot of fun. I've been wanting to make this card for awhile but didn't want to spend a lot for the stamp. Finally I found it at the flea market for only a $1! 

Now I did go a little crazy buying up some Copic markers from someone who was getting rid of all her stamping supplies, who does that???Thought it was time I rounded out my Copic collection. I was bad but in a good way. :)
At the flea market, you can pick up some super deals and things are cheap enough to try out. The best thing is that you can always sell off what you don't use at the next sale in 2017

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Baby Shower 2016

This past week we had perfect weather and it was even hot in San Francisco! My daughter and I did the decorations for a cousin's baby shower at the South Beach Yacht Club, which was the perfect venue. The tread is now to do things gender neutral, which turned out to be pretty easy. I had most of the materials on hand so we choose to do things in muted primary colors. The theme was sailing because it was at the Yacht club and the family is really into boats. My good buddy Patty N made this super quilt for me to give as a gift. I saw is posted on Pinterest and she was able to copy it using up her scraps. 

 

Out in the back yard 2/7/16

Today is super bowl Sunday, which until about 3 weeks ago, didn't know it was happening here in town. Yeah, I don't follow sports at all. Even when the San Francisco Giants won the world series, I had no idea. Overall I don't think my life as suffered too much for being out of the loop. For all those people coming in for the big game, they couldn't have asked for more perfect example of California weather. It's a comfortable 73 degrees with a light breeze and most importantly, no bugs. Annie and I spent the afternoon out in the backyard (well what most people would call a back yard, it's giant hill) enjoying the peace and quiet. Normally the birds are chirping away in the full grown oak and redwood trees but I also have nesting falcons so when they're home, no comes out to play. My garden is waiting for me to get my act together and start planting my garden. There is an abundance of deer and gophers in the area so everything has to be fenced and in containers. The upside down flower pots in the photo are covering the gopher holes I set traps in. I can only use traps since I won't take the chance a poisoned gopher will end up as a snack for Annie or the other wild life around here. The flowering trees and both almond and cherry trees.

Red Chair - Auction Find 2016

I've been an auction rat for a long long time. When I had an art studio, I was always dragging home the antique pieces too big for most dealers. Even with my down sizing, I'm still on the look out for cool vintage items for my consignment booth at Cranberry Hill. At the auction this weekend, someone's doll collection (it was massive) came up for auction. Saw these vintage children's metal folding chairs and I can only guess the doll collector used them to display their collection. I just couldn't pass them up. The color is patina is perfect and all of them are in great condition. Always so exciting when something unique comes home with me!

Sewing Projects

I read the book "Over-Dressed, the shockingly high cost of cheat fashion" by Elizabeth Cline. If your into going green and even remotely interested in clothes, it's a good read.
The author also points out the art of sewing is lost very quickly if parents don't teach their children. With cheap fast fashion, many people have stopped taking the time to sew. I know when I was younger, I was taught to sew and I made some amazing things. Of course as I got older and busier, I stopped sewing and now with all the new types of machines out there feel a little lost. 
I love the re-fashion blogs of women turning thrift store finds into something they can wear. I love the creative challenge of seeing something and making it your own. 
The creative side of me decided it's time to get back to using a sewing machine. I've been looking for some fun pillow cases, which are hard to find (well so far impossible) that are made with quality fabric. As they say, the stars all lined up. I was volunteering at FABMO  (www.fabmo.org) a non-profit that recycles fabric from the designer samples in San Francisco. I came across some very nice high grade cotton print (pink fabric in photo will be my new pillow cases - $4.00 for 2 yards) at a faction of what I would have paid for at the fabric store. The best part is it kept it from going to into the land fill. 
The animal fleece fabric is a baby quilt I'm hand sewing together for niece's baby shower. I purchased the fabric at a local quilt shop and boy did I have sticker shock! For just 3 yards it was over $42.00.
I really wanted to make pillow cases out of the mushroom fabric but the sample piece has a lot of damage and pen marks. I thought it was too funny to pass up, so I have my thinking cap on now on what to make with it. 

Blue Vase Card

Another card I'm finishing up from my card marathon fundraiser in 2015. I always make extra kits, just in case. I'm finally getting around to taking apart the kits (been several months) and some I finish off and other just recycle everything back into my stash.The great thing about this card is the vase is really easy to cut out and you can change up the color. 
Card:
Stamp - unknown, I lost the packaging 
Die Cut - Memory Box
Asian Paper - Old Japanese book - yes, I tore out pages.
White embossing power