runneth over

This is a complete set of tealight covers. They are all based on the designs of my latest series of flats.

The shadows created on the wall are rather interesting and the kids approved of them with an emphatic, "Cool!" I actually have them lit right now. There's just something so relaxing about candlelight.



I have several projects in the works and I'm trying to be a guilt free Mom, so I think the best will be for me to be absent for the rest of the week. The balancing act is one I have yet to perfect. I'll have some new things to show and announce when I get back. I hope that everyone has a wonderful week!

a lot of effort, a lot of love

Yesterday was a first. I made a summer dress for my little C. It's something I've been wanting to do for a very long time.

I let little C pick the fabric and the pattern. I knew it was going to be a lot of work and I wanted to be sure she'd wear it. She was going for pink and frilly but fortunately she stayed on the subdued side. It was really interesting to see her narrow down the choices for fabric. She immediately discarded that had "too many" of anything. We could've gone on a more extended hunt for the perfect fabric but time was of the essence. She was very excited and wanted me to start the dress right away. So did I. Little C isn't much of a dress person (just like her Mom at the same age), so I had to strike while the iron was hot.



I had a surprise flashback as I was gathering the skirt. It was something I hadn't thought about in so long. When I was little I had a yellow toy sewing machine. It was tiny, but it worked. I recalled, rather vividly, that one time I pulled on a thread and gathered the fabric by accident. It was an aha! moment. I immediately thought that that would be the best way to make a gathered skirt or dress for my dolls and I went for it. I don't remember what I made. However, I do remember having the presence of mind to baste/gather with a different thread color, so that it would be easier to pull it out once the permanent sewing was complete. I was about eight or nine.



The huge mistake I made may already be evident for those of you with a good eye. I was about to start the hemming, basically one step away from finishing, when I realized that I attached the skirt on upside down. @#$%!!! I was devastated. After a lot of back and forth, I decided to tell my little C what had happened, and let her decide what I should do. My sweet C told me she didn't care and she'd wear it as is. I could've just died. What a sweetheart. The imperfection makes me cringe, but I'm respecting her choice and in all honesty my back and patience level couldn't take any.more.sewing!

I got thanked with lots of kisses and hugs. Best of all my little C says she feels like a princess in her dress and she happily wore it to church today. Success.

happy 4th!

I hope everyone has a safe and relaxing weekend!



(Something I played around with today. It's inspired by my latest cards but mostly by this lamp, of which you'll see the full version soon).

simple and neutral

I don't know if many of you have noticed but my shop updates had come to a screeching halt. While I can blame a lot of things (summer?), the truth is that I took some time away to reconsider the direction I wanted to take.

As you know, I don't shy away from color, but I've been craving neutrals. I've also become more interested in stretching my simple tastes to the limit. How much is too far or too simple? What happens when there is no color or it's very minimal? Shapes become the main focus and that's where the challenge lies. That's what I think I'm trying to get at. The few things I've come up with so far, tune into this exploration and into my core preferences.

There are more things to come, but for now here are new die cut flat cards that I just uploaded to my site.

Weave and Crossroads - While flowers and leaves fascinate me, I'm also on the lookout of patterns and details left between them (weird?). The negative spaces I find, are what inspired these two cards.

Weave



Crossroads




Pods - I don't know why but I can't get away from these. They are also in a paper lamp tutorial that will be seeing the day of light in a few weeks and a fabric pattern I designed last year.



Now, to cool off with a tall glass of something ice cold. We just got back from the pool and I have no idea why I didn't take a bathing suit with me. Genius. I watched the kids and baked myself unwillingly (no shade anywhere). Yep. I had fun.