Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Yo-Yo Challenge. Wanna Join Us?



Blame it on a bunch of crafters being bored and uninspired because of the snow. Here's an idea that came about when I posted this photo onto Pinterest and then Facebook. We now have an "official" challenge. Make something using yo-yos. It doesn't have to be as crazy fun as this. It can be a re-purposed skirt, a greeting card, a purse decorated with a few yo-yos. Whatever suits your fancy. We are just trying to give ourselves a creative challenge. Minimum of 3 yo-yos in the project. Are you up for the challenge? I have a business deadline but I will post the details in the next little while.

Deadline for the challenge is March 5. That is you will have post your photograph on a site that I will set up soon. I'll have a little drawing for some goodies too. This will be our own little talent show! Go crazy, go wild! Show us your stuff!!

Comment here, on FB, send me an e-mail or post on Pinterest. Let me know you're interested.

xo, L

Friday, January 21, 2011

This Little Boy Loves Bow Ties

The boys have their music recitals this weekend and my little one wanted a little bow tie. Since I am in the middle of a large pile of work and am no mood to draft a pattern for a bow tie [especially since they've been off for three days this week], I looked to Etsy for a pattern. Love that I can find something in a matter of minutes.


I bought this pattern from Crab Apple Attic and I made this bow tie this morning. So cute!

Yesterday, Little A made me buy some Steelers fabric. I thought that he wanted a pillow. Oh no, we want to be stylin' in a Steelers bow tie. He has not removed the shirt and tie all morning all the while playing with his Pokeball.

xo, L


Thursday, January 20, 2011

So Sneaky!


It has been one snow day after another. I think that we are going to have another one tomorrow! I finally broke down and bought a pair of boots yesterday! I think that I've been in denial all of these years of living in NJ. It couldn't have been as bad as when I lived in the Ottawa Valley, right? This year we've had a lot of snow in NJ and I think that it was destiny that I walked into the store yesterday to a 50% off sale and found a pair of good looking yet functional boots in my size. 

In the meantime, I've been working on so many different things that my brain is on overload.  Lots of stuff that I can't show completely just yet. Lots of proposal writing and magazine stuff to work on. Plus, I've been working on my project for the Aurifil Designer of the Month event going on over at the Aurifil blog. Did I tell you? I'm Miss February, you know. Come and visit me, won't you?


I also have that little project there below to show you in April when the episode of Quilt Out Loud makes its debut. Remember when my buddy Mark Lipinski and Jodie Davis came to visit me the week of Christmas? We taped two segments and it was fun!!!




I'm finally finishing up this little project for myself. Four years ago a lot of tragedy struck our family. One day, Liesl of Oliver and S, was offering up these lovely scraps. She had made a little hexagon quilt and I wanted to make one too. She sent the scraps to me and I made a little, doll-sized quilt top. I kept it on my desk for a long time but then I thought that it would be beautiful appliqued to a background and then framed for hanging. It's so pretty, soft and soothing.


Coincidentally, this past month's block for the Saturday Sampler program at my local shop, Kindred Quilts, coordinated with everything that I've been working on. I love the colors in this block. If you are lucky enough to have a shop nearby that's offering a Saturday Sampler program, take advantage of it. You'll learn something, make something beautiful and be guaranteed to keep a bit of creativity going each month.


xo, L

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Things That Excite Me!


Mark Lipinski's newest issue of Christmas 365 with my heart garland on the cover and my placemats inside.


My kids are inside too!




iPhone 4 on Verizon February 4!!! [Photo source: Apple website]


A new community for quilters in its testing phase and coming soon. Read their story here and here.



It's already an awesome week and it's barely even started. Cool!

xo, L

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Holidays Are Over?


I still have my tree up and I know that some, no many, of my FB friends have taken down their trees and decorations already. I'm just not ready. Getting there but not quite yet. I rather like being near my cutting table with the tree to my right. It's so twinkly and sparkly.


The welcome distraction is even more fun at my desk. I always wanted a white feather tree and I finally bought one for myself. I love it.


I don't want to get rid of my little reindeer, yo-yos and trees yet.


Maybe I'll take everything down this weekend. Then I will put up some hearts and Valentine's things.


Just before the holidays, I worked on some designs for my buddy, Mark Lipinski's magazine, Christmas 365. It should be out soon so check out this issue. I only have this small photo. That's my garland on the front. There are a couple of other small projects of mine in there too.


I am working on some work things this week but I am distracting myself with some fun too. I used to like calligraphy a lot and although I think that I have nice handwriting, I wasn't always that great at writing with a nib. I decided to give it another try when I saw this set at a local fine stationary place, The Write Touch. I'll have to see how it goes. Do any of you do calligraphy?



I'm making my mom a simple quilt for her sofa. She wanted simple and she wanted lavender and beige. It's a first for me! I haven't laid out everything yet. We'll see how it all works out in the end. It's pretty though.


We are expecting a snowstorm here in the northeast. Stay warm and stay safe!
xo, L

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Aurifil Designer of the Month - January 2011


Good morning! It's great to announce the Aurifil Designer of the Month Event. This month's designer is Susan Brubaker Knapp


Here's a sneak peak at here free design. Gorgeous quilting! The rest of the quilt is gorgeous too! So, hop over to Aurifil's blog and read the interview that hostest, Pat Sloan, did for this event and to get the pattern. So awesome.


Let me know what you think! Susan's so talented, isn't she? I don't know how I'm going to follow her. I'm Miss February. I can't wait!!

Remember that if you make the top by the end of the month and load a photo to our Aurifil Flickr group, you will be in the running to win an Aurifil thread prize. So exciting!

xo, L

Monday, January 03, 2011

Live Your Dream and Live It Well




Live your dream and live it well is my theme for 2011.  That's generally my theme in my life. I'm pretty optimistic even in times when everyone around me isn't. Is it a genetic thing? I believe that you do your best and then some with what you have. I have had a lot of creative things burning a hole in my brain for a long time. I'm going to work hard at getting them out. Everything might not get accomplished in the next 12 months but I am going to try really hard. I want to live, design and do the things that I want to do on my own terms, with passion and no fear but with compassion and good spirit. Are you with me?


[collage: Pat Sloan]

The first thing that I am going to do this week is visit my friend, Pat Sloan, on her Creative Talk Radio. Click on the link to listen. Pat and I have known each other for a long time. I often think that our energies combined can light up the Empire State Building! She's a high energy person and I love that about her! So fun and our visit this afternoon will be fun too!! Drop by and call in from 4 - 4:30 p.m. EST this afternoon. Then leave a comment on her blog to win a bundle of fabric. I'm giving away a fat quarter of Hugs & Kisses.


Come and join us. Let me know what your theme is this year. 

It's going to be fun!!!  See you at 4!

xo, L

Saturday, January 01, 2011

1.1.11


Happy New Year!! Wow, last year sure went by so fast! I hope that you enjoyed your holidays! We had a crazy few weeks leading up to the holidays. We sent off our letters to Santa in town and then we relaxed for the rest of the holidays.


We played with Legos and did some crafting too. The kids and I decorated these fun houses. Big A decorated the one in front, Little A decorated the middle one and I decorated the pink one.


They were meant to be Magical Spring Houses since we didn't have time to make them until yesterday. However, the boys had other purposes for the houses. Here's Hagrid leaving his hotel.


The hospital for the bad guys is heavily guarded. 


The secondary hospital, the one that's used in case the first hospital is bombed, is so pretty.


Here's Indiana Jones' house. So colorful!


Alas, all of the silly fun must end because now it's back to serious fun and business again!


Tomorrow afternoon, join me when I visit my wonderful friend, Pat Sloan, on her radio show, Creative Talk Radio. We met a long time ago and she's energetic. We've been on a few blog hops together too.You can go and listen live and also get the podcast afterwards here. Check out her radio show page here for information on Creative Talk Radio. I will be offering a stack of fat quarters of my latest line, Hugs & Kisses, in a giveaway on her blog.  I'll be on from 4-4:30 p.m. Call us and join in on the fun!

I hope to hear from you tomorrow! xo, L