Jewelry day

My Mom sent me these beads from Arizona awhile back, I decided today was the day to make myself something from them. I thought the dragonfly clasp was fun and it will definitely be seen with my hair cut short. I also made two pairs of earrings, didn't know which one I would like the best so I made both, now I have choices.

With the pink/brown beads I made necklace, earrings and bracelet. I usually don't wear a whole set of anything but I like the option to do so. I found the big/small rose beads in Mom's stuff. (thanks for sharing Mom!)

(every pic is sideways and I don't know how to fix it....)

While I was busy so was Sara, she has been wanting a necklace like the one on the cover of a book. This is her House of Night necklace. The one on the book cover had a bigger charm and diamond shaped beads. I think she did ok with her DIY knock off. She's happy with it and I'm happy that she spent time with me doing something crafty.

I also made charm bracelets for work, 14 bracelets, 3 necklaces and 5 bracelets with 40 charms on the each! My hands were cramped up by the 5th bracelet, ugh! Shop Hop started today, have more samples to show off but I'm to tired to find my camera and download pic's. Tomorrow Sara has the State Geography Bee in Omaha so we will be gone all day. Good Luck Sara!

Hair

I had a hair emergency today............I decided to straighten my grown out perm. I have done it before, no problem. Well today was a different story, no I don't have a before pic, lets just say straw has a better feel than my hair did when I was done. The ends curled up and fell off just like hair being burnt. I couldn't get a comb thru it without it breaking. The more it dried the frizzier it got, it was so bad I just got in the car and went to Norfolk. Walked in to the mall and told the gal at Regis to cut it off. I really made her work hard and over an hour and a half later this is what was left. She tried to leave it as long as she could, there was no hope and I made her cut another inch and a half off the front and two off the back. (I've never had my neck shaved before)Sooooooooooo long story short; never trust a box that says gentle and safe for all hair types! Josh told me I look just like all the other moms now....oh great....hey what kind of earrings do ya wear with short hair?

weekend

This table runner will be for Kristin after the kits are gone from work. I took one of her dishes into work and matched it up with this brown. Julie and Vicki picked the batik and I got it sewn up this week. It's not been a sewing week around here so this is all I have done, notice the piles of fabric at the top of the photo.....two more table runners and a small quilt.

I took Saturday morning and watched sewing shows and worked on this afghan. My Aunt Sis started it with 6 giant granny squares, I sewed them together with bright pink with a little help from Sammy. Now Sammy and I have an afghan from our Aunt to cuddle up under together.

I thought about adding ruffles around the edge but in the end just a simple crochet finished it off, this is the first project I've ever joined together. I like the way it turned out but my Aunt crocheted so tight it was hard to slip a hook thru and i finally had to skip a stitch every so often. Heck it's good enough for who it's for..........me! (and Sammy)

Enjoying the weather

Me and the 'boys' spent a little time out in the yard enjoying the weather, 70 degree's sure is nice this time of year. The sun was so bright that this was the only pic that turned out decent. Spot would not join me, Sammy and Blackie in the grass, he stayed on the dirt by my car the whole time we were out. I made them stay outside today in the cage while I was gone today and they were sure happy to see me when I got home until I gave them baths!

Just another sneak peak at a kit for work....

Three more table runners done and ready for display!

I got this little throw quilt finished up also and ready for display, red and black/white are big this year at the shop.

Today I spent a little time with Roseanne cutting and kitting up a few more table runners and small quilts. Tomorrow I start sewing! I'm starting to feel the push to get things done before March 31st!

puppies

Blackie and Spot are ready for new homes! They will be 8 weeks old on Saturday. Anyone interested just let me know. Shih-tzu's get between 12 and 17 pounds,( or I say large cat size.) Non-shedding, they need haircuts twice a year, loved to be brushed and don't mind baths. They like to be outside during the day when it's warm and love to snuggle on the couch.

Love this quilt! It's a Moda Bake Shop pattern.

Moda Bake Shop pattern again, those designers are great!

The Orchard Quilters got together the other night, we made 10 minute table runners. These are so easy! At one point I looked at the girls and said, "leave it to a bunch of quilters to make this easy project hard" and then we all relaxed and had fun making them. We did do a bit extra with some top stitching, we decided they would wash up better with just a bit more structure. Still need to tack on buttons or something where the corners come together and meet, I'm thinking pins, or brooches, even cute beads. I made the horse and the patriotic runners, Maxine made Easter, Linda made Halloween and Luanne made St. Pats and the red/black combo. Luanne also had two others finished so we could see options, different sizes and color combinations. I really enjoyed her homemade shrimp dip, wow! She made it with her own katsup, how many people make katsup? Well it was so yummy I ate way more than I should have, thanks Luanne!

Josh giving his speech, it's the only decent pic I got, gonna have to learn how to take distance shots with my camera. He qualified for state speech next Friday, so we're all going to Kearney! I'm really proud of him, he made up his mind he was going and now he is!

Today I've got corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot, I followed the recipe in the O'Neill Shopper, I've never made it with cabbage, or potato's or onions.....or apple juice and brown sugar....I always just tossed it in the cooker and poured water on it. I'm sure it will be good and I'm hoping someone brings me some at work tonight. Oh yeah, I'm the lass serving green beer at the ye' ol' tavern (ok not sure what to call myself but lass just ain't fittin') and homemade Irish Cream. Yes I made it! Yes it's good! I like it and I don't like Irish whiskey, little strong for me but just right for everyone else. I wish I would of bought another thing of sweetened condensed milk and I would make a batch with Black Velvet, then.........I know I would lovvvve it! Well off I go to find my green outfit and color my hair red, just wouldn't be fittin' to have the bar wench's grey roots showing....hehehe!

New camera/sneak peak

Here's a sneak peak at a few of the kits that will be available at the end of the month at work, this baby quilt was soooooooooo quick and I love the colors! It's 51x55 perfect size for baby/toddler.

Two quilts, a batik and a 30's and two table runners, there will be more soon!

I am still looking for my camera, so I thought as soon as I bought a new one the other would show up. So I am now the proud owner of a little pink Casio. I think I like it, it's easy to work and the pic's look fine so far.(ok I only took a few) I have been lost all week without, didn't realize how much I love to take pictures until I couldn't. Kev is upset because I replaced it but I really don't care, he replaces tools when he looses or breaks them, well that's what I did this time, my camera is a tool and I needed it to do what I do. So now I'm off to take pic's of everything I've been working on the last week and a half......oh and pic's of my puppies!

I sewed up a cute LITTLE baby quilt this morning, I'm saying little because it's half the size it's intended to be, oops I cut wrong and just couldn't figure out why I had so many extra triangles. Well anyway I will put some borders on it and finish it after I go back to work and see if I have enough fabric to remake it the right size. I cut it out late Friday afternoon, should of done it earlier when my brain was working better. I also have another one to cut out, but this time I know not to mess it up! I am trying to get samples made for Shop Hop coming up at the end of the month, it's gonna be a fun 10 days!

still lost...

My camera is still lost, I'm in mourning.....I feel like part of me is missing, ughhhhhh!
Who would of known a silly little gadget would be so important to me. Today I am cleaning the dining area in an attempt to find it, maybe the cat moved it while laying on my quilting stuff.
I have been sewing quite a bit lately, to bad I can't show it off here! I quilted a T-shirt quilt for my MIL and 3 shop samples. I love my new batik quilt, it's a kit at work to be unveiled during Shop Hop (march 31 thru April 10th) we are working on new table runner kits and I also designed a sun hat just for fun. I have made 4 of them and hope to have the pattern ready soon.
On the home front not much going on this week, Josh took first in both his speeches at the Speech meet on Tuesday! Sara will be going to Omaha on the 1st of April to compete in the state wide geography bee and Brad turned 16 this week. Oh and Kristin is in Chicago at the moment, on the first leg of her tour with the drama ensemble ministry. They are doing a 10 day tour to New York state and she is stage manager and part time van driver.
The puppies are getting ready for new homes, anyone interested?

no camera

My camera is lost.................and I'm lost without it. I took pic's Tuesday night at Brian's house(progressing nicely with paint and flooring being laid) went to use my camera Wednesday at work and it's not in my purse. I have looked everywhere I can think of, cars, studio, driveways, pockets, even called work and the library. So if someone out there has seen my camera...........