Cards and More Cards

Recently I had a great adventure attending a group representing the First Families of Arizona.  My grandparents, my mother and her 5 brothers came to Arizona in 1909.  To join this respected group of pioneer families one must have come to AZ by Statehood which was 1912.  Although I am not quite ready, time wise, to join the group, I offered to do some cards for their Social Committee to send out to members when needed.  

This first batch is just 4 cards to give to the lady who actually invited me and my friend Brad.  Brad runs an absolutely fantastic web site to honor old Phoenix in it's glory.  

 The cards needed were "Thinking of You", "Get Well", and finally "Sympathy".  I moreorless constructed the cards using some left over papers and embellishments so these came together quickly.  Hope they like them, because I was honored to do them for this wonderful group.

Thanks for your visit.

Crochet Coasters

Today I will deliver the tub of sewing projects (shown earlier) to Lucy Anne's place, and I've added some bright and colorful crochet coasters.  Initially I had each color in a stack of 6, but the blast of delightful colors were muted.  So I separated them into 3 of each color.  As the little red head gal on the Wendy's commercials says "now that's better"....

Sewing For Giving

When my son went to college, I took a second job at a fabric store near my house.  I worked all day at a mortgage company, rushed home, fed the dog, changed into slacks and a tee shirts and headed for a delightful store full of fabrics.  It was a moment to moment inspiration as I cut each fabric for the customers.  I was home by 9:30, sewing by 10:00 and forced myself to quit so I could get the rest for the work the next day.  I was paid $1.10 an hour which was scale back then, and in retrospect, I paid them to work there.  I worked 3 days a week from 6PM to 9:00, all day Saturday and noon til 5PM on Sunday and I think everytime I left the store, I was carrying a bag of delightful fabrics. This was 2-1/2 years of buying in 1987-1989.  I think I still have some of that fabric in tubs...  I am the proverbial ole' lady who has the bumper sticker that says "she who dies with the most fabric, WINS". (I need a bumper sticker for paper addiction as well). 

I sew willy nilly things... my favorite description for picking up a cut of fabrics and on the spot deciding what I wanted to sew with it.  Now, at long last, I have another "cause" which is a delightful place called Lucy Anne's Place. This is an Adult Day Care Center in the conclave of Benevilla in Sun City West.  I sew, they take it.  How much better could that be?...  They have little games, Bingo, and daily activities that allow a drawing for a winner.  And now they have a big tub of "things" to chose from that I have donated.  

Below are some bibs I just made for my high school friend who had a stoke.  Her towel bibs are now replaced with bright and colorful bibs from me.  

 I love making Tissue Cozies.  It takes only a little 6x9 cut of fabric, a little rickrack or buttons or decorations to make a cozy.  All of my friends have them in their purses because I love using up little scraps of fabric that I simply cannot toss out. This batch goes to Lucy Anne's place, as well as the projects below.

Below you see  Eyeglass cases and one little pouch.  I love the little felt red flower that I added.  Long ago I did a lot of little whatnots with felt so now I make felt flowers.  I have tubs of rick racks and ribbons and the little sewing projects easily use up that stash ...

 Here you see some cell phone purses.  And little felt flowers I cut using one of my Sizzix die cuts.

 More Napkins.  I am told they can always use as many as they can get.  I try to make the napkins in a finished size of 16x16 but if I have less fabric, I make whatever size that is still decent.  A great way to use up fabrics not of quilting quality.  I found a wonderful easy way to miter the napkin corners so the finished napkin looks pretty nice.

Thanks for wandering through my sewing adventures.  Soon I hope I have a few cards to upload.

A worthy delight

Happy Wednesday.  I am driven to create be it paper, beads, fabrics, .. And recently I decided I wanted to give back a little more than I had in the past.  I love to share the things I make, and I've donated to some pretty wonderful agencies in the past.  Last month I went with my friend Pat to a place called Benevilla.  In this conclave of several agencies resides an Adult Day Care Center.  Pat told me they loved to get handmade fabric napkins so I made a batch and she and I delivered them.  I decided if they wanted an array of sewing things, I was the gal to give them.  Monday I drove out to Sun City West and I delivered about 22 napkins, 4 placemats, 8 bibs, a small lap quilt in colors of Christmas and a few "giftie" items like an eyeglass case, a little purse of corduroy.  The napkins, of course, were gratefully accepted but I was also told that the other are indeed "gifties".  The Center has a Bingo game, and a drawing for prizes.  The quilt could become someone's special lap cover, the little eyeglass case could be a tagalong in someone's purse.  That particular day the Center was full of gentlemen, and the nurse told me that when a prize was won, basically the men pick out something they think their wives might like.  BINGO..... Carole has a new place to share some willy nilly sewing items ...

 This is one of the bibs I made.  I sew a little pocket across the bottom of each bib and although sometimes the fabrics aren't completely coordinated, I am using up some scraps much to my delight.

 This is a tub I shall deliver tomorrow.  It is full of 9 fabric totes, some purses, eyeglass cases, coin purses, wall hangings, some felt Christmas tree ornaments and some tissue cozies.  I am a happy girl.  I am creating, I am sharing and I believe my fabric items will be used.

Baby Stuff....

Happy Saturday....  I love weekends.  I worked for so many years (50+) and weekends were so precious.  Now, even after over 5 years of retirement, I still cherish a Saturday or two.  Recently one of my wonderful clients from my work years asked if I had a pre-made baby scrapbook.  I said I didn't have one pre-made, but I would be so happy to do pages all designed so that the recipients could just add photos.  I did 40 pages, 20 for each scrapbook. I pulled out every cartridge that had baby die cuts available.  

A Child's Year, All Mixed Up, Creative Memorie's Stork Delivery, Cricut Sampler, Cuttin' Up, Doodlecharms, Gypsy Wanderings (Gypsy) Heritage, Life Is a Party, B is for Boy, Lyrical Letters, New Arrival, Paper Doll Dress Up, Simply Charmes, Stamping, Stretch Your Imagination, and Wild Card.  

I kept two trays, one for a new baby boy and a second tray for baby boy twins just born.  So basically I was cutting 3 die cuts almost in each case. . Once all of the die cuts and sentiments were cut or stamped, I pulled out a new designer's paper pack with baby theme papers.  The pack had 48 pages, and once they were trimmed to the 12x12 size, I started designing assembly line style (my fave way to go...)   I was so pleased with the finished pages, and I made one final little baby themed door hanger.  

My friend just has to decide which new parent or grandparent to give it to.

Thanks for stopping by.

Post It Note Covers

*CORRECTION MADE ON MEASUREMENTS: You all know my penchant for "slam dunk" cards.  Another one of my favorite things is to whip up a batch of Post It Note covers.  I buy the packs of Post It Notes with great abandon, and then they end up in a drawer until they have gathered so abundantly, I cringe when I open the drawer.  After I finished the my personal card marathon (a secondary card camp after the gals left from  the real Card Camp), I grabbed up about 20 post it notes of all colors, grabbed up some left over  pattern papers and voila', I have a big batch of gifties to share.  These are the simple covers, using pattern cardstock cut 3-1/4x7, with a half inch score area in the center for the fold over section.  It is a great way to use up piles of little scraps.  I punched out flowers and butterflies, added some blingy jewels.  My typical Post It Note cover is generally done using chipboard squares that are covered with papers.  The style below goes together in a snap.  I will say, however, that on the cover, inside cover and bottom part are strengthened with additional cuts, perhaps 3x3.  This is especially important for the top cover because that little bit of extra weight allows the cover to lay nicely over the post it notes inside.  Before I add the embellishment for the top cover, I add yet another mount for weight.  These are so much fun and the use of different patterns brings them to life. 

Have a wonderful week...and do try some Post It Note covers just for fun.   They are addictive.  I promise.

3D Cards

 At Card Camp, there is a 'gifties' exchange.  Pat gave each of us 3 sheets of 3D punch out floral designs that make awesome cards that have such a delicate and glorious presence to each one made.  The sheet has multiple prints of the same flowers, they are numbered so that the design can be applied correctly.  Once each 3D flower has been added with a small popdot, maybe some pearls put here and there....the final effect is fabulous.  The embossing folders you see are the Anna Griffin Cuttlebug folders.  Truly beautiful stuff. 

                     Just behind the two cards below you can see a glimpse of the 3D punch out page.

                                 Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek. Have a wonderful day.

CARD CAMP 2013

Our 6th annual Card Camp at my house was February 22-23 and part of the 24th and I realized I hadn't posted a photo or two.  We had such fun.... Here you see Pat, Kris and Sandy.  We missed Deb this year as she was on a trip. I posted this on Facebook and Kris said "that spot where we stand previously was filled with tables and tools and there was hardly room for anything else".  I made Sweatshirt Jackets for everyone and you can see Pat wearing hers. 

 Tacky me.... Did I both to comb that hair that morning?...

Thanks for your visit.  It's raining here and I am lovin' it.  I am doing two baby boy scrapbooks for a former work client and it is delightful to sit in my craft room and look out on a bit of rain.

Starting the journey....Heritage Cart

Happy Monday.... here I am, and for the first time since about 2007 I am not posting my weekly challenge for BBTB2.  I've stepped away for now and I will concentrate on "giving back" in a more dedicated way.  I have donated a lot of cards and paper artwork to my friend Lanette who organized graymattersfoundation.com after she had endured brain tumors...and to date she has had 5.  This sweet lady sends greeting cards, decorates hospital rooms, and is there to support anyone encountering this dreadful disease. I have had a lot of fun making turtles for Lanette to slip inside a card or letter, and some larger turtles that can be hung up in a room, on a door.  Her logo is  a turtle with a gray shell, sticking his tongue out and the sentiment is "brain tumors stink, that's what we think"... I told her I had made about 100 cards lately and asked if she needed anything. She told me she had plenty of girly girl kind of cards but needs "guy cards".  Those are always a challenge for me.  But I dug out my Heritage cart and was able to cut out some pretty cool cars and some bikes.  I added a bunch of stamped sentiments so she can make the decision if she wants to add one to a card she is sending.  Here are just a few of the cards Lanette received.  Here is Lanette's web site. 

http://www.graymattersfoundation.com/lanettes-story/

This stack of napkins I made will go to an agency that serves cloth napkins with the meals.  I have a lot of fun making these.  And I am so happy they will be used.

I have a stack of lap quilts I made and soon those will be given to special places.  I am on my way to "giving back".  Thanks for stopping by.  Do have a very wonderful week.