Crafting is in our Blood

My daughter and I are very much the same when it comes to crafting- go to be doing it and want to see beautiful results. She's been sick this week and really sick over the weekend but she went to school today. Her motivation-there's a trip to Oxford and a sleep over that she doesn't want to miss out on. Oh yeah that's MY girl! So even with her being so sick over the weekend she still had things going through her mind...
Note to self- don't let sick child peruse through the internet looking at Christmas Craft sites.

My darling daughter decided that we ALL need NEW Christmas stockings. Apparently she didn't like the fact that we all had different ones. She wants them to have a "theme" and to be of the same size/design. I had her trace a stocking that we had and make it a ½ an inch bigger all around. There was my template for new stockings. Now to pick out fabric- thank goodness for my stash, although it's come to my attention that I don't have nearly as much red or green as I thought. Good thing I didn't need black as I only have 2 different pieces. We had our fabric picked out, now to cut out the stockings. I got that done as she supervised from the couch. Now today while she is at school I will cut out the fabric that will be used to line the stockings and the coordinating fabric that we will use for the cuffs. Meanwhile my husband is cracking up as I was getting a little flustered with the demands of our daughter. He looked at me and said "Oh Sandie, she's so much like you" Oh really I reply his reply "when you get an idea in your head you've got to make it NOW and there's no stopping you once you get started". I can see this in our daughter and I really do see it in myself- how funny!
So I'm about to start cutting our more fabric, hopefully I'll be able to get these all done up (cut, quilted and sewn together) before our son needs to be picked up at the airport next week.

My Antique Shop Treasures

I saw (it's been many months ago now) in a magazine, a sitting room decorated in a manner that has stuck with me and has been in my head for quite some time. I'll have to wait until we get state side once again to find some wing back chairs, I've got the Turkish Rug and maybe I'll get lucky find a small table while here. Okay lets get back on topic- Then a little while back on the internet (HGTV to be exact) I saw a formal dining room decorated in a manner that I thought quite pleasing. Elegant yet not too formal to make ones guests feel uncomfortable. Then I saw a some more photo's of this persons house and loved what she had done with her Blue and white Staffordshire pottery collection. I knew that I wanted to recreate a similar look for my own home with my collection of blue and white pieces. Here's the link to Tetbury's photo's over on HGTV's website. Now here's the look I've recreated...

Actually it's 2 of the looks combined into one. My British house alas has narrow poky hallways and compartmentalized rooms. The picture you see here is in my breakfast room. But once I get back to New England I'll be able to have a larger house (hopefully one with an actual entry way like I had in my last house). I've found these items in various Antique shops here in the UK, on e-bay UK , the RAF Croughton gift shop and of course at the Burleigh Company factory shop in Stoke on Trent. Now if you'd like to catch up on the lovely person who created those wonderful rooms over on HGTV, well here's a link to her Blog Antiqueaholic, it's well worth checking out!

Paper Crafts and Quilting- oh the Crafty Goodness!

I love paper crafting and quilting and here's where paper crafting meets quilting in the most fun way! My Friend Peg has made a quilt using a Big Shots die, here's a link to see Peg's Quilt. I know that I have this flower die and it makes me want to make one of these adorable quilts! What a quick baby shower present this would make eh? Okay well minus the part of having to get it professionally quilted. But seriously, I'm itching to make one of these!

Make Something Crafty!

It's Tuesday and I want to make something crafty! I checked out Moda's blog and WOW!!! Cute stuff abounds over there!!!! Check it out for something fun! LOVE those fabric bowls!!!

Paying Homage to the Crafters in my Life

For those crafters out there- was there someone who was an early crafting influence in your childhood?

For me I had a couple- My mom who was always making something be it crochet, knitting, stitchery, sewing and even macrame and leather work. My Grammy Lola would crochet the most delicate lace doilies and she sewed. My Grams helped me to make my first patchwork quilt when I was 9 years old. My friend Barbara (whom I met in the 3rd grade) and her amazing oil paintings -I actually own one although it's in storage back in the states (would like to own more- hint hint). Barbara could sew, do needlework and take the most amazing photographs- and she did it all YEARS before I could do such things. My friend Barbara possessed this amazing ability to paint when we were children. I remember sitting in an a painting lesson of hers and being in awe- her mom brought in an instructor after school in their home.

I confess, I can't paint for beans, I've tried, the Lord knows I have tried without much success, LOL! . My watercolors are, well they are nothing to write home about- I do them for my own amusement. Now I can do those 3-d type stencils and add detail to them to make them seem more lifelike, but to draw them out freehand and then paint on the walls? Oh no, I do not begin to pretend to own such talent as to be able to do that. My crocheting- it's okay (insert snickering here). I can make a scarf and even a simple afghan although I prefer to make scarves because they go much quicker :-) Knitting? yeah right! I don't have the patience for knitting. here's a little secret tidbit about myself- I know how to work a weaving loom, and once upon a time I had a small one and I actually made stuff with it :-) Sadly, I sold it after I got married- I really wish that I would have kept it. Embroidery- learned that at an early age, still love to do it to this day. Every once in a while I find the urge to sit down and whip up a project- I've get about a half dozen needlework projects that need me to finish them up and get them mounted and off to the framers.

Artistic influences surround me every day, wrapping me in their endless warmth and love. Shapes, colors, textures and how they flow seem to draw me in like a moth to a flame.

Simply put- I love doors. Doors open up into rooms, so you can create a space have it look a certain way then simply close the door and walk into another room and stylize it a completely different way. My house is like a small art museum, showcasing Art made by myself, my children, my husband and our friends and our extended family. In our living-room you will see oil paintings on the walls that were done by my children's great grandmother- my husbands' Grammy Dorie, floral photographs taken by yours truly. I have some handmade quilts on display on a rack in a corner and in a handmade basket (Longaberger of course) again made by friends or myself. There are many counted cross stitching works that I've had matted and framed that are proudly hung on the walls throughout our home- some made by dear friends and others by yours truly.

Now I suppose you can now understand why I felt so displaced for all those months while in our temporary quarters. Being without ones personal treasures, the things I deem near and dear to my heart had me feeling lost...and now, I'm home again.

Bicester Wool

I love that little shop! They're closed Sundays and Mondays BUT they have something NEW...I saw in their store window Moda fabrics, jelly rolls and charm packs!!! I am thrilled beyond belief! I can't wait to go back and see what kind of the quilting goodies that have to offer. :-) I am doing the Happy Dance!

Happy February!

A new month and with it comes new adventures! When in doubt, do something crafty! Maybe you find solace in needlework, counted cross stitching, embroidery, crewel work, macrame, knitting or crochet. What ever it is be sure to have fun while doing it!

Freebie Fridays!

Go check out the Freebie Friday's at Adrienne's blog for MSE stamps!

I feel honored

I have received this award from Judith- please go take a peek at her blog- tons of crafty goodness going on there! There are oodles of other sites linked to her pages as well.

For me, working with fabrics and doing paper crafts is a stress reliever. I enjoy helping others to build their self esteem through small simple accomlipments- be it through paper crafting, cooking, gardening or simply through inspirational talks. Right now my sewing machines are in storage back in South Dakota and I need to buy one for the UK. My paper trimmers (I own 7 of them-why so many? I use them when I teach classes) are all in transit. I can kick myself for not having shipped one. I set one aside for me to ship to myself but the packing people got to it first and so I have to wait. I've looked at buying a paper trimmer more than once but so far I'm doing okay without one. Although I'd really like to get back into stamping and making my own greeting cards.

So today I decided I'm going to hunt up some of those half finished counted cross stitching kits and start working on them. I have more than one crafting habit...might as well kick it into gear and get over this feeling of boredom that overcomes me in the early morning hours.

So it's thanks to Judith and so many others that give me crafting inspiration!

Send Handmade Cards

I've been making my own greeting cards since before my daughter Hannah was born. There's something so personal when you give a friend or a loved one a card that you've made yourself. It shows that you've taken the time to give them something extra special, that you've put a piece of yourself into it just for them.



I'm always thrilled when my friends give me cards that they've made. I know some of the best card makers around these parts! Peggy (you've seen her stuff on her blog) is an amazingly patient teacher! Her card ideas are stepping stones for us to leap off of...she's opened my eyes to so many wonderful ideas! Sarah is always willing to try something new and different she has the heart of a true artist. :-) Ellen and Donna, I've been so impressed with their and from the first day I met them! Their stuff is fantastic! Full of glitz, glamour and oh so very sophisticated- they've always got me ooh and aaahing over their work! So any time any of them gives me a card, first I put it on display for a while then I tuck it into a little album that I've made.



But I'm soon to get involved in something else...it's making Cards for Hero's. Please click on the link that's hidden in the name for more information. I plan on getting the spouses group together to make cards for this fantastic organization! IF you want to participate click on the link and they'll tell you how you can!

WARNING...this IS an Enabler Alert!

Have you seen this deal over at Provocraft? It's 2 Cricut cartridges PLUS a Cricut Jukebox and the pens for $99.99 plus shipping. It is quite the deal if I do say so myself! With that said, yes of course I ordered one! The question now is...are your ordering one?

Make it yourself!

With all of the graduations, baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays and anniversaries that we are all certain to be invited to in the coming months- it makes gift giving a little hard. This is where making it yourself comes into play. It's rare that I give a store bought gift, if I do, it's almost always a book.

I love giving handmade gifts, I feel that it shows that I care enough about the gift recipients to make it myself. I also put together little crafting kits and give them as gifts. Children especially like craft kits and you'll find that grown-ups like them too!


I want to encourage you to make something for that next baby shower you're invited to. Be it a flannel receiving blanket, a crocheted baby blanket or a set of stamped thank you notes. You don't need to go into debt to be able to give a friend a nice gift, and they wouldn't want you to either. I'm going to look at some flannel and create some small projects. Everyone needs receiving blankets and they are a quick and simple thing to make. To dress them up, use a colored thread and if your sewing machine has any kind of fancy decorative stitch use that! I want to make some with variegated thread for the decorative stitched edges, how neat will that look in shades of blue, green, yellow or pink? Too darn cute!

Our Paper Crafting Group

Here are some pictures I took when we were at Peggy's house for our paper crafting group...This is Peggy, she is the one who brings out all of the creativity in our group. She always has something new to show us! Please check out Peggy's blog as she always has something new to share with everyone in the world of paper crafting!

Here's Ellen, There's not a time when she doesn't have some great looking stamped project to show to us.
This is Sarah, our multimedia artist please check out her blog for links to her other sites - she's more than just a paper crafter!

The always bright and cheerful Donna, who brighten up any room she enters! Donna is super creative and a true delight to be around! Donna has brought show and tell items from when she attends other local paper crafting classes. All I have to say is Ooooh Pretty!

Here's one of our projects- we made these little boxes using one of those really big dies from Sizzix that's made especially for Stampin Up. From left to right

Red Flowered box- Sandie

Blue Box- Ellen

Pink Swirly- Donna

Cream and Blue- Sarah

We all put our own little spin/touches on the boxes we made. They all came out looking great! And I'll tell ya, I ended up ordering this jumbo sized die...I can't go to the UK without it! I see myself making a lot of these little boxes this Christmas!

We also made some note cards, it's just that I didn't take any pictures of mine...yet.

Have you ever...

Seen a crafting item (be it a tool, fabric or patterned paper) in a magazine and think "Wow that looks nice I'd like to get it" and then see it in person and say "Wow, that's not at all what I expected it to look like or be like? I'm going through that with a fabric line...it's not at all of how I expected it to look. Oh well, I'm glad that I got to see it up close and personal and that I can save my $$ for something else.

Fall in Love with your crafting space

This is a special area in your home that is your retreat, your own special little haven where you can play with paper, scissors and fabric. This spot needs to be comfortable and functional.

Start with the simplest of things first- Color. Find a color that works for you- be it yellow which is high energy. My first official scrapbook nook was a yummy yellow which was great for that small space. Or your tatses may take you to choose a subtle Aqua which is tranquility, which by the way is the color of my current Scrapbook Nook. Keep in mind that the color you choose will be all around you and can have an effect on making the room feel larger or smaller not to mention your mood. Check out this article on the meaning of color, it delves into the emotions/feelings that are associated with a particular color. I have used this as my reference point when teaching color theory classes to scrapbookers, the class has been a sell out every time I offer it. And for those of you who are wondering...yes I do plan on teaching scrapbooking and other crafting classes once I move to the UK.

Form follows function- that's furniture. I like to start with the basics...shelving is essential to storage, and my favorite shelving has to be hands down the chrome shelves that you see in places like Sam's Club and Cooking Stores. These kinds of shelves are adjustable and can hold more weight than you can ever put on them! Wood is great and all, but tends to warp, metal is your best bet- after all paper, cardstock and wood mounted stamps can be quite weighty. Don't like the color of chrome? Many now come in white and a matte black. Me, I prefer the industrial look, it's also a finish that won't scratch or flake off.

If this is a place where you will be sitting make sure to have a comfortable chair. Too many times I see crafters with the worst kinds of chairs. This is where to spend your money. Get one that is comfortable but also has an adjustable lumbar support and seat height. There's nothing worse than back pain when you're trying to craft. If you prefer to stand while you craft then invest in one of those thick cushy mats, I'm currently looking into that for my kitchen... actually, I'd like to have my entire kitchen floor covered in that stuff, LOL! But that's another story :-)

What I'm getting at is this- make your space comfortable. Look on-line and see what others have in their spaces and how it works for them then think about what will work for you and your space. Don't be afraid to ask people where they found the items that work for them- nice people share ideas and welcome questions. There are tons of great crafting rooms out there to look at- webshots is a great stepping stone, go out and look around and gather ideas!

My paper crafty pals

Here we are...the 4 of us Sarah (in red), Donna (in purple) Ellen in the beige and Sandie (that's me in the striped sweater). we are in Peggy's basement making 20 birthday cards, oh the fun we had too!


Ellen (pictured here) is super talented. She pays great attention to detail and makes beautiful cards!

Here you see Peggy (she's wearing the blue denim vest). The creativity that this woman brings to crafting is ubelieveable!

here's Sarah, deep int crafty thought :-)

Donna is a blast! She makes me smile...ask her how she got that cat of hers, that story will have you on the floor laughing!

This inky hand belongs to Peggy. She got this way beause of me (sorry Peg). You see, I tweaked out a Stampin Up ink pad and I somehow managed to get it off of it's tracks and well Peggy became inky because of it.

This is Ellen, she is such a gem!

my morning coffee

There's nothing more satisfying than having my morning coffee, reading the news on line and my cat on the computer desk trying to get me to pet her. But alas, my kitty is sleeping in today, LOL! So it's me, a mug of my favorite coffee (Dunkin Donuts) and the news.

As you know one of my goals for the year is to take classes to gain knowledge in a craft or to participate in workshops. Today I'm going to a card making marathon workshop. Our goal is for each person participating to make 25 different birthday cards. I'm bringing my camera and will be taking pictures throughout the event. I anticipate all of us having a blast and laughing our socks off!

Fabric Baskets

This the book that tomorrow's fabric basket class is from. I've got my rope, thread, glue stick, needles, pins and all of my fabric has been pre-cut into ¾ inch strips and stored in zip-lock baggies. I've got my ¾ size travel sewing tucked into it's hot pink tote bag ready to go out for a few hours of sewing FUN!

When I saw the bowls on display at the quilt shop last fall I wanted to take the class but alas, my schedule and the class schedule just did not chime. This time when I saw the the bowls yet again on display I enquired and I immediately booked myself into a class seat! When I talked to one of the shop owners she was telling me how this was a great way to use up fabric scraps plus it's also a great way to use those fabrics that you bought for some project and now you look at them and say to yourself "why did I buy that?". Those kinds of fabric are perfect. For me, I'm using a seersucker fabric that is yellow & cream plaid with red cherries. I had bought that fabric when Hannah was 5 years old (she's now 13½) and I had planned on making her an outfit from it. For what ever reason, I never made the outfit but obviously I still have the fabric. Since I'm pretty darn sure that I'll never use that seersucker fabric to make either Hannah nor myself any kind of a clothing item, I decided to make a bowl. While I'm at the quilt shop I'll look for pattern to make a cute apron with the remainder of the fabric, it'll go quite well with my Mary Engelbreit themed quilting corner :-)

sites to check out

You've got to go over and check out Pegs Blog...TONS of great crafty stuff going on over there! The woman just had knee replacement surgery and is still a crafting maniac! She makes some of the BEST paper craft items around! Need some paper crafting ideas? Then go over and check out Peggy's blog- ideas are running loose all over the place (kind of like the cattle on her ranch Ü).

What do you think of my blog tog make over? Like it? Well you better get on over to Blog Tog Makeovers and get in the SALE! That's right Cindy is having a sale, get yourself in line to get a blog makeover!

shopping locally

So you all know that there are times when I feel as if I live in a bubble when it comes to shopping and finding things that I'm looking for. I'm here to tell you about the local places that I enjoy shopping at, where customer service is at it's best and the products that are sold are simply delightful!



One would never think of a place that sews on military patches as a unique little shop. Well I'm here to tell you that "Angelique's Sewing and Alterations" in Box Elder sells this fantastic line of Goats Milk soaps and lotions. I've been using this soap exclusively for just about 8 weeks now and I love how it makes my skin feel. I first bought it for my daughter who is allergic to some of the additives in commercial soaps and I have to say that this stuff is fantastic! So good in fact, that if we ever move I'll continue to order it via on-line! want to order some? Click on this Nanny's Milk Soap it's lightly perfumed and it's hand made here in South Dakota, USA...what's not to like? I use it every day on my face and have noticed a difference in how my skin looks and feels. It's a fantastic all over soap. Angelique even sells a foaming hand wash (liquid antibacterial hand soap),I use it in the kitchen and LOVE it! My hands actually feel clean and moisturized!

We have 3 bonafide Quilt Shops in Rapid City;

Thimble Cottage home of Pearl Louise designs

Quilt Corral too home of Gusty Geisha Designs

Quilt Connection etc the website is not up and working as they have just moved to a brand new location. New location is on Haines Avenue and it's a beautiful well lit store with plenty of parking! You should see all of the new quilting patterns and pattern books they have- OOh Whee! I had to hold myself back from spending any money- I could have spent at least $75 yesterday on patterns alone! Although that chicken pot holder pattern seems to be calling my name pretty loudly, I just might have to go back and get it!

Each of these quilt shops has unique fabrics & quilting patterns and I encourage you to shop locally as much as you can. Obviously there will be things that you just won't be able to find locally (like the Mary Engelbreit quilting stuff I bought on line). But there are oodles of things to catch your eye that will make excellent stocking stuffers! Am I on your Christmas list? LOL! Feel free to get me a gift certificate at any of those 3 quilt shops! Ü