Warning! Lots and lots of pictures ahead - it's been a fun week!!!

Lots of fun crafty stuff to talk about :) Last week I was bound and determined to do something about this table cover:

I had picked up this vinyl remnant at Joanne's a few months ago for a dollar or so - while it's fun and great for Sydney's crafting and other messy endeavors, it's not so pleasant on the eye on a day-to-day basis. I saw this tutorial for a double-sided SPLAT MAT, bought some of Michael Miller's laminated cotton and went to town. The instructions call for a couple of fiddly things (like using fabric tape to keep the layers from shifting, and putting masking tape over your feed dogs). I like to live on the wild side (okay... I didn't feel like dealing), so I skipped both. I used the quilters clips (look like little metal barrettes) to keep the layers snug and didn't have any problems. Honestly, I think the hardest part of the project was getting the 2 pieces of fabric to be the same size.

I love the new mat:

And it looks so much better!

I also whipped up a little something for my niece, Jordan. She wanted a pink sling for her favorite friend, Pinky, so I followed the tutorial that Laurie of the blog THE WOODEN SPOOL put together. It was an easy-to-follow tutorial and the only changes that I would make are to make it a little longer (I ended up adding ~ 8 inches) and to use larger rings (she calls for 1 1/2" rings - it was really tight for me, so if I do it again, I'll look for slightly larger ones).

Also finished up the quilt! YIPPEEE!!!
I did make my March deadline (finished hand-stitching the binding on the 31st...).
Here's a picture of the quilt front and the pillow that I won from Joy's blog - matches perfectly! And most importantly, Sydney loves it and her new blanket :)

Here's the quilt back:

Thursday brought some pretty fun things in the mail:

Flowers from my buddy, Sara, in NYC - just because :)

And..... the BEST goody box from my sewing pal, Julia, from Singapore!
THANKS AGAIN JULES!

(Ben is checking to see if there is anything else in the box...).
She wrapped everything up and included little notes - it was Christmas in April!

Here's a gorgeous bag that she made (with one of those neat collapsing metal frame openings) and a Japanese pattern book that I've been eyeing.

A new handmade dress and book for Sydney:

Some fun knick-knacks for the kids and I (although I doubt that I'll share - it's all too cute!)

And some baby music toys (Decole) for Ben (of course Syd has since claimed them as hers)

As for projects I'm working on this week, this is basically where I'm at with the Sophia Bag Sew-Along. I've made the piping and started the ironing (there is a bunch of interfacing with this project) - I think that if I can find 2 chunks of time, I'll have this bag done (barring no big catastrophes).

I also received my partner for the Bend The Rules Sewing Pleated Bag swap, so I'm working on some ideas... I'll post pics once I figure out what the heck I'm doing.

Lastly...

What is Syd peeking at? My new sewing machine!!!!!

I am doing cartwheels over this one! I've had my eye on the Janome 6600P for a while now and couldn't resist a good deal when it presented itself. I have a ton of things to learn still on it, but I can at least straight stitch for right now :) I'm in heaven....

I've been tagged by Steph, so next time I'll be sharing a few more random tidbits about myself (I think I'm running out!). Good night! :) Kris

Zoom!

Geez! Where does the time go?! I have been thinking about you guys - I swear :) It's been busy around here lately and I can't seem to get caught up on everything! So... what have I been up to? Here's a bag that I finished up the other week for a customer out in CA - she wanted a BIG bag with pockets on the side, and some smaller pockets on the inside to help stay organized. I *almost* kept this one for myself, but these days I'm carrying a backpack (need 2 hands at ALL times with Sydney and Ben) and have put aside my more fashionable mommy bags for a bit.




It's still mighty chilly here, and we actually got a couple more inches of snow this week to boot - I think someone forgot to tell Old Man Winter that spring has started. We're hanging in, but it's rough... We keep a tent up in the house at all times (Syd loves it), and this is how I found it the other day:

Now mind you, she moved the tent to this location (from the other room), and the potty chair (which she hasn't used since last year - she just likes to carry it around the house), and placed everything together as shown in the picture. It makes sense only to a 2 year old...

Last week also brought a sad farewell to our friend "Bird":

"Bird", as Sydney calls him, was given to her for her birthday on 2/22 from Daddy. She thought that he was cute, but didn't really become smitten with the large yellow fellow until my brother and sister-in-law came to visit a few weeks later. Their son, Luke, took a liking to walking Bird around the house - since they left, Bird has followed us EVERYWHERE in the house. Ever try going up the stairs with a 2 year old climbing in front of you, trying to hold onto a balloon, while you're also carrying a 5 month old? Needless to say, I won't really be missing Bird :)

As for craft news, so much is going on! If you haven't joined Stacy and I for our Sophia Bag sew-along, please do! You still have an entire month to finish the project - I haven't started mine yet, but finally got all of the fixin's today. I've had the toughest time deciding what fabrics to use, but I finally went back to my original plan. I have some Amy Butler SUNBLOOM in my stash that I have been saving to make the Weekender Bag out of, but I think that if I am creative with the lining fabrics, I should be all set to make a matching Sophia as well. I usually need 2 bags when I travel - one for clothes and shoes (the Weekender Bag) and another for toiletries, books, knitting, etc., so this one will be perfect!

Curious as to what main fabric I'll be using? Here ya go!

I am admittedly a bit scared to cut into this fabric - it's out of print and not sold any where, but heck, you only live once :)

Remember the Pleated Beauty Bag from BEND THE RULES SEWING that I haven't made yet? I found out that a BTRS swap site has been started, and the first project is the bag! I have been horribly indecisive about making this bag for myself so I'm REALLY looking forward to having someone to make this for. The last day for sign up is Monday, March 31 and you have the whole month to make the bag. Come on, you know you want to! I have the button on my sidebar in case you want to pass this one by - check in again next month to see what the next swap will be!

I'm off to bed now. I Ferbered Ben last week and it worked for a few days... then 2 teeth decided to pop out through his bottom gums. Poor guy... We're back to working on the sleep schedule, hence I am writing this at 12:40 am. Good night all! :) Kris

Join Us for a Sew-Along! (& coupon!)

I've had Amy Butler's Sophia Bag Pattern on my "to make" list for a while now... Stacy (of Stacy Sews) and I were chatting the other day about it and she came up with the fantastic idea of starting a sew-along (with prizes!) to help motivate us and to see what kinds of beauties you all will make.


Here's what to do: The Sophia Sew Along starts today and runs until midnight, April 30 (you can use any material(s) that you like, but you must use the Sophia to be eligible to win). Join the FLICKR sew-along group and upload your final project. If you don't have a FLICKR account, you can always email us the pics and we'll post them for you.

Feel free to share photos of your progress, add notes, and ask questions\share information in the Discussion Area, but you must have a final photo uploaded by April 30. At the completion of the contest, Stacy and I will pick a winner from the pool of entrants who will win a 'fabulous prize package'!

If you need the pattern, I've got a limited supply in my web store - click on THIS LINK to get 15% off of your entire purchase through 3/31/08! This past weekend I updated my site a bit: added new fabrics for sale, all of Amy Butler's newest patterns (Kimberly Bag, Anna Tunic, Lotus Tunic, and Sophia Bag), more COMPLETE fabric kits for the Emmeline Apron, and new wetbag and nursing cover-up fabrics! Have fun! ~ Kris

A bit about blogging

Hi folks! I've started hand-sewing the back of the binding for the lap quilt - hope to be done tomorrow! I'll be sure to post pix in my next entry.

Jen over at BeeBee Mod has tagged me to share a bit about blogging. Here we go!

1. Why did you start your blog?

To be honest, I thought blogging was a pretty silly idea when my techie-bother, Ken, first explained it to me a few years ago. “But Ken, what do people write about? And who the heck reads it?”. I think this discussion occurred back when I was working full-time out of the house, and had no children. My life was extremely different than it is now.

Fast forward a couple of years…

I met a fun customer, Tara, through my EBAY business and she mentioned that she had started a blog. She encouraged me to start one as well to share some of my craft creations and b/c she likes to buy things from people she feels she “knows”. Hmmm… interesting thought. I had some free time on my hands, so I started one. It’s been a fun ride so far!

2. How did you come up with your blog name?

It’s the same as my company name, which is named after my daughter, Sydney. When she was born, she was only 6 lb 12 oz, but had HUGE feet. The nurses couldn’t stop talking about them, and we couldn't stop calling her Monkey Foot. When the time came soon afterwards to come up w/ a co. name, hubby suggested this one and it stuck.

3. Do your friends and family know about your blog? What do they think of it?

I think so. My sister-in-law, Sue, definitely does. Not sure about the rest – I don’t ask. I know some friends check in now and again, but my craft/fabric talk probably bores most of them!

4. How do you write posts?

Usually sitting at my desk while I’m nursing Ben. Sorry if that’s TMI, but that’s the truth. It’s one of the only times of the day that I kind of have to myself. Syd is usually sleeping, so there is only one child to tend to.

I am a stream-of-consciousness writer, so my posts tend to be wordy. I actually have found myself having running commentaries during the day when things happen that I think are blog-worthy. Should keep a tape recorder handy to jot them down b/c I forget most of them.

As for frequency, sometimes it’s a few times a week. Other times it’s just once. I’d like to do it more, but there are honestly just not enough hours in the day right now.

5. Have you ever had a troll or had to delete unkind comments?

Nope! Yey!

6. Do you check your stats? Do you care how many people read your blog? If you do care, how to you increase traffic?

I check stats maybe once every month or two. I don’t really care how many people read it but I love to get comments, so maybe I do care … Anyways, I don’t do anything to increase traffic – not sure how one might go about that!

7. What kind of blogs/posts interest you?

Obviously craft blogs (more specifically sewing and textile blogs). I also love when people add pictures and give tutorials. I’m good about the former, but not the later. I’m sure I’d be interested in more topics if I took the time to explore, but again, that lack of time thing gets in the way.

8. What do you like and dislike about blogging?

Like: It’s a bit of an escape from my daily life – makes me feel a little more connected to the outside world as well. I also love “meeting” all of the amazing crafters out there, and the friendships that have come to be. When I’m shopping, I often think, “Oh… so-and-so would love this (fabric/bag/pattern)” it’s amazing that I could shop more easily for my blogging buddies than for family!

Dislike: Hmmm….. there’s nothing I really don’t like about it (other than I still haven't figured out how to change some of the settings to improve the visual presentation of my blog).

**As for who I'm going to tag to share their bit on blogging... Sue, Stacy, and Adrienne!
Can't wait to see what you have to say!**

I hate posting without a picture, so here we go!

IKEA loot!

I've been getting a bit cabin feverish these days, so I packed the kids in the car and went to Boston with them on Monday to spend some QT at IKEA with their Aunt Linda. The pic above is just a sampling of the goodies I picked up -there's a bunch more, but they are already in use. The fabrics there are so fun (and reasonably priced!) that I couldn't resist getting some. Aren't those hippos (red/white fabric) adorable? The pillow in the back of the pic. is for Sydney's room, and I'm thinking of making a little quilt with the hipppos, striped fabric, Japanese fabrics (wizard of oz, etc.) and a few other brightly colored fabrics. Hello spring!!!!!

My favorite purchase of all is a simple silverware organizer - I can't get over how one little thing can make me smile every time I see it. Also love this duvet cover- looks great with the brown walls in our bedroom (and you can't beat the $25 price tag!).
Have a great weekend everyone!

Lap Quilt Update

So far, I'm lovin' this project!

Here's the lap quilt before sewing the pieces together:

And here's the FINISHED top! WOO WOO!
(sorry for the poor lighting - the colors are actually much more vibrant)

I just finished putting together the back and have my "quilt sandwich" (top/batting/back) on the kitchen table downstairs. Just came up here to get some quilting safety pins - I'll pin it tonight and hopefully start sewing it tomorrow! The plan is to have it done by the end of the week. We'll see if I can keep the momentum going :) (I have a custom bag order that needs to get done first, so the quilt will have to go on the back burner for a day or so).

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!
PS: I just posted more Emmeline Apron patterns and kits in my website! More fabric combos to be added this week. Any special requests / fabrics that you think would be perfect?

:) Kris

And the winner is......

Lucky number 23 - ALLYSON HILL!!! Allyson - drop me an email at kristen@monkeyfoot designs.com with your address and I'll pop the pattern in the mail tomorrow for you :)

As for the project that I'll be making, I don't even need to count the responses - the lap quilt is the definite winner. It's sitting on my cutting table as I type (with a started Princess Twirl Skirt for Syd and some yummy Ginger Blossom whose destiny has yet to be determined), waiting to be cut this weekend.


Hate to skip around on projects, but something in me needs to get this done before making the pleated bag. Probably my need to work with some bright and "spring"y fabric.... can you believe that we still have a few feet of snow on the ground, and that more is coming tomorrow? Oi Vei!

This is the view from my craft room
(yes, that is snow that's taking up more than half the window)...

I do have more to post on, but baby brother bubba Ben just woke up - gotta run!

February (kind-of) Drawing

My oldest little helper turned 2 last Friday...

Where the heck have the past 2 years gone? Truth-be-told, I was actually a bit sad on Thursday night when I said good-night to her because it was her last night being 1. Silly, I know, but it hit me hard.

So what was I trying to take a picture of above? As most of you know, Meg of Montessori by Hand released her FANTASTIC new Emmeline apron pattern a few weeks ago. I hopped on the proverbial band-wagon and got a bunch of her patterns to put in my web-store.

Then it dawned on me that fabric kits would be a fantastic idea - who doesn't just absolutely LOVE the chocolate and aqua scroll fabric by Anna Marie Horner?! Ditto for Heather Ross' Gnomes and dots. So, take a look in my shop when you have a chance (there's even a special hard-to-find birdy print!). I've got some fabric suggestions for the Reading Pillow, Gnome Messenger Bag, Mei Tei Baby Carrier, and of course gorgeous Emmeline. I'll be posting more fabric kits when I get some more of the apron patterns in stock- Heather Bailey's Freshcut, Amy Butler's Belle and Lotus, and a few other gems are waiting to be cut into...

I'll also be stocking the fabric section of my shop with some yardage so you can mix and match as you please :)

So what's been new around here? A little more sleep, courtesy of baby Ben, and a ton more wetbags. Honestly I've made about 100 this month. Can I just say how much I am DYING to make the pleated bag from Amy Karol's book? Soon. I promise. I've started cutting!

I daydream a lot when I sew bulk orders... and the latest thing that I've been fixated on is quilting. I've never done it but would like to make a small project.

This is where you come in :)
(You didn't really think I'd forget about the February give-away, did you? :)

Same rules as last time - I'm posting 2 projects that I'd like to make, and you decide which one I'll make.
Please post your response by Wed., March 5th and then I'll pick a lucky winner - this month's prize will be..... the Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag Sewing Pattern !

When you post your response, please start with your first name, the first initial of your last name and where you're from. Thanks :)

Project #1: Table Runner and Cute Pillow
(Pattern by Thimble Blossoms)

Materials: BLOSSOM by Urban Chiks
(I've got a serious obsession with this line right now - I know that it's full of fall colors, but I love the birds, and the big dot fabric that Joy got me hooked on). Our home is decorated with these colors, so I think it would be fine to use year-round.
Dark colors also hide stains well :)

Project #2: Lap quilt from the BEND THE RULES SEWING book by Amy Karol

Materials: (more birds... this time, from Joel Dewberry's Aviary Line.
This line is GORGEOUS!
I'd like to make Syd a new spring-time quilt, and I think this would be perfect. Her room is painted a light yellow and I'm thinking of adding some bird and tree drawings to the wall.

Good night everyone! :) Kris

My new Happy Thing

I love this little thing. Saw it on EBAY the other day and had to snatch it right up.


Meant it to be something cute to put Sydney's snacks in, but since it's arrival it has been re-purposed.


I have been looking for a portable "essentials" dohigy to carry stuff up/downstairs (I am constantly moving my sewing machine up/downstairs these days in an effort to maximize any free time- business is busy these days!). This little guy is perfect! One tray for my labels and the other for needles, the ESSENTIAL seam ripper, screw driver and little scissors. When I'm done for the night, I can pack it all up and not worry about Syd getting to it.

And the little bag that it comes in? Perfect for threadlings (the mounds upon mounds of thread scraps that accumulate within a matter of minutes when I start sewing).


I had no clue that Bento boxes were such a hot topic and product - there are tons of blogs out there devoted to these things, and how best to pack them. People actually take pictures of their Bento Box lunches. Love that.

A little spring-spiration :)

How freakin' COOl is this skirt?!

It has made it's way to my inspiration "pile", because I haven't made a board yet :)

Fixin's... (& opinions needed!)

I've got lots of fixin's around here these days.... so many little piles of fabric and patterns ever-so-patiently waiting... *sigh*

What's been new here? Take a gander...

This is the view from my front porch. Every day when the kids go down, I do snow duty for a bit - just to keep in good favor with the UPS and USPS guys :)


I'm feeling a bit caged in... When it's not ~ 5 degrees out, it's snowing or icing. The kids have been champs though, and are loving the endless pajama days, snuggle time and crazy games that we have to come up with to keep entertained.

But... I finished up a big re-stocking effort of wetbags for Erin at Diaper Daisy:


and hope to get the little shop downtown re-stocked with belts and headbands.

Also finished up some baby goodies for friends: (I love this fleece from Joanne's!)


Next on the list is the Pleated Bag from Amy Karol's book. I'd really love some opinions on this project - I've narrowed it down to 2 different themes: (A) GNOMES and (B) PIGS. What do you think?

(A) GNOMES, DOTS and LINEN

(B) PIGS, DOTS and LINEN

~~~~~ Happy Heart Day!!! ~~~~~

** FABRIC SALE!**

Quick post to let you know that I've listed a bunch of fabric on sale in my EBAY store - need to make room for some new arrivals!

A bunch are ending tonight (several Nigella prints and one Temple Flowers print), but I've got a few others ending throughout the week, including some Amy Butler Ginger Bliss, Charm, and Sunbloom fabrics! Happy bidding!

PS: If any of you have any tips on how to get a 3 1/2 month old to sleep through the night, please do share... I let him try and cry it out from 12:30 - 2:30 this morning and it didn't work. He screamed for 2 hours...

Some Tidbits

Please... don't ask... I haven't started the bag (Pleated Tote from Bend the Rules Sewing)yet :( I'm up to my eyeballs in baby gifts and wetbag orders lately, but hopefully I'll make some free time this weekend to cut it out. I am torn between 2 different ideas - I've got some scraps of the adorable Heather Ross Gnome material that I think would be perfect for this project (along with some of the fun coordinating dot fabric and some of Joel Dewberry's gorgeous orange fabrics). And then there's still the idea of the spring colors with embroidered flowers with yo-yo's. Hmmm....

Anyways, I didn't forget Adrienne-thanks for tagging me! This kind of stuff is fun :)
So... here's 7 things that you (probably) don't know about me...

1) I *LOVE* Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond - Mom used to listen to them all the time while I was growing up and I think that they are permanently embedded in my DNA.

2) I am somewhat of a recycling freak. When I lived in the dorms at UNC-Chapel Hill, they didn't recycle plastic containers at the time (they did do cans, glass and paper though) so I'd ask everyone on the floor to leave their plastic containers with me and I had my parents bring bags and bags of garbage back home to NJ to recycle. Mom and Dad were such sports!

3) When I was in high school, I kept an "outfit journal" so I knew what I wore, when. I was generally on a 2 week cycle and never wore the same outfit in a week. Now, I'll wear the same thing 3 days in a row, or at least until I get spit-up or food on it :)

4) I was Drum Major in high school and voted most musical for Senior award night. I feel badly about that last part b/c I'm really not very musical... I just loved being Drum Major and I think people voted for me based on that.

This was my outfit for football games and competitions... seriously...

(I did mention that I grew up in NJ, right? COOOOOOOOLD!!!!!)

5) I went to my senior high school prom with 2 girlfriends. We weren't planning on going at all (I didn't have a boyfriend and there wasn't anyone I wanted to go with - ditto for my pals), and instead were going to head to the shore early to start the festivities. The weather turned out to be rainy and cold, so we decided to go - we went to the mall, bought $40 dresses and showed up on time. We didn't have tickets, so administration thought we were crashing the prom - everyone knew we were "in trouble" before we did... too funny! (that's me on the right - back in the days when I had crazy natural curls... where did those days go?!)



6) I'm one of those "cold spot" on the pillow people. Gotta have it, or I can't fall asleep too easily. Sue (sis-in-law) bought me this neat product for my birthday last year - it's called THE CHILLOW and I LOVE IT! And yes, it does work !

7) I love all "mini" food. I cut my sandwiches into 4 triangles, eat my yogurt with a condiment spoon, cut my brownies into ~ 1 1/2" squares, etc. I am especially fond of the Reese's mini Peanut Butter cups - the *perfect* chocolate to peanut butter ratio :) I don't tend to buy many pre-packaged mini foods though b/c the packaging waste bugs me.

As for who I am tagging..... it's JOY! Joy's blog is one of my latest fun reads - she too is into naturafying (just made that word up... another weird thing I do all the time) her family, and we have similar tastes in fabrics and projects. She inspired me to get some of this fabric to make a quilt and hopefully some placemats - thanks again Joy!

***Hope everyone's having a great week! ~ Kris

We're back!

We're back from our travels! The kids and I spent the bulk of the week in PA with my brother and sister-in-law and their 2 kids. Had a fantastic time and was happy to see that their house is just as chaotic as ours :) We finished the week at my parents house in NJ and then made a trip to NYC to see some high school friends on our way back north. It was a busy week, but fun!

Thanks again Sue & Ken for having us!

(Me & Sue after a fun morning with the kiddos at Jungle Jerry's)

The reason for our trip was two-fold: (1) the kids and I really needed to see my family and (2) we couldn't be home while the construction workers were removing the wall downstairs between the kitchen and the living room. Hubby had to stay home to work and tend to the dogs - not the ideal set-up, but it had to happen. I'll post pics of the downstairs once they are actually finished with everything. I thought it would all be done by the time we came back, but they still have to install the propane stove and wrap the new beam with pine. Then we have to get the walls and ceilings painted. I didn't realize that this was going to be so involved...

Anyways, while we were down there we finally got to exchange x-mas gifts! I'll post pics of some of the handmade goodies that I received once I get my camera back (I left it at my friend's place in NYC - URGH!). Here's pics of 2 gifts that I had made (for Sue and my dad, respectively).

Nappy Bag, using Etsuko Furuya ECHINO Dangling Spider Scene

Cell Phone Pouch

Dangling Spider

... and some matching key fobs

Dad loves squirrels, so this little bag was perfect!

And from the looks of the answers to my last post, I'll be making the Pleated Tote this month! I was kind of hoping that y'all would pick that one :) The winner of the drawing is...

Lynn C. from Saratoga, CA

Congratulations Lynn! I don't know how many of you have checked out her blog - Lynn knits the most amazing things, and made this drool-worthy bag (which is *still* on my to-do-list...hmmm... maybe it'll make the project list for next month!).

Please email me your address when you have a chance (kristen@monkeyfootdesigns.com) and the new Amy Butler Kimberly Bag pattern is yours!

While away, I was tagged by Adrienne to tell you 7 things that you don't know about me...stay tuned! ~ Kris

Wow - it's January 11th already! Sorry for the lack of posts - Christmas seems like it was just yesterday. It's been busier than usual around here as Syd is wavering on the line of nap/no nap (which in mommy terms really means "me time/no me time") and Ben, well, he hasn't quite figured out what to do with himself. One day he's a rock star and the next he's all over the place. Poor guy.

New Year's has come and gone and I really don't have a ton of new resolutions / "things that I'd like to improve on". We all have the same ones: sleep more, eat better, try to keep your cool around the kids even when they are dropping Goldfish (or groceries or themselves) from the cart at the store, blah, blah, blah. One thing that I've resolved to try to do is to make at least one new project a month from the myriad craft books that I've accumulated.

This is where you come in :)

I'll post 3 potential projects and have you all vote on which one I should make. I'll then pull one lucky answerer as the recipient of that months' giveaway. It might be a pattern (I'll check to see if you have it already), or some fat quarters, or something that I've made. Sound good? Let's start!

When you post your response, please start with your first name, the first initial of your last name and where you're from. Sounds a bit much, but I had 4 "Kate" responses to my last give-away and there was no way of telling who was who (so they all got free patterns!). I can't do that again, hence the guidelines. Thanks :)

Please post your response by Sat. January 19 to be included in the drawing.

This month I've chosen three projects from Amy Karol's fun book Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew. Haven't checked it out yet? You need to. And no, I don't get anything for telling you that :) Check out her Flickr group too!


First up is the fabulous Children's Smock: (maybe with some fun Wizard of Oz canvas fabric in white?):


Second is this darling pleated tote (would definitely use some linen, blues and pinks, and maybe even hand-embroider some flowers):


And Third is this cutie-pie Turtle Stuffie (the scanner blurred the photo for some reason):

Can't wait to see what you all pick!

As for the title of this post, I wanted to take a couple of minutes to answer some questions posted in responses. Blogger doesn't give me your email addresses, so there's no way to respond.

Courtney (aka Court): You can find the key fob hardware at Crafters Vision thru this link. I also use a crimping tool that I bought at a hardware store to pinch the clasps closed tightly. Works like a charm. Just be sure to glue some foam on the metal crimpers, or cover the key fob metal with cloth to prevent marking. I usually use webbing under the ribbon or fabric strip, but sometimes just make it with Peltex (thick interfacing you can find at Joanne's).

Knitting: A few people have asked how it's going and well... it's slow! I taught myself last year about this time and had wanted to make hats and sweaters and all sorts of fun goodies by this time this year. I'm still on scarves :) Not for lack of starting (I have actually made some slippers, started a hat and started a sweater)... come the end of the day I'm whooped and often can't fathom grasping a new skill. I'd rather go to my comfort zone and continue to outfit friends and family with scarves. My favorite one to make is the keyhole one - it's not super long and requires that you know some basics (knit, purl, casting on/off). I do hope to finish Syd's sweater before she turns 3.... (it's a size 2).

I'm off to print up a slew of labels - the Amy Butler Kimberly Bag and Anna Tunic Patterns came today, so if you ordered one they are shipping out tomorrow! Have a great weekend everyone! I'm off to NJ, PA and NYC tomorrow to spend a week visiting with family and friends - should be fun!