Lucky 13 - Treasury Thanks

Several members of the Blogging Business Artisans Team have started a tradition -- a weekly thank you post featuring items from shops of curators who have featured their items in treasuries.  It seemed like such a nice idea, I decided to join them.  This week I was AMAZED to be featured in 13 treasuries!!

Elena of ArtCafeColibri featured my Halloween bunting in her treasury, Happy Halloween.  Elena's Haystacks Twilight Oil Painting reminds me of an eerie Halloween night, complete with full moon:

Tammy and her 13-year-old daughter at wishestogether featured my giraffes on cream book bag (now sold) in their treasury, Trendsetting.  Tammy makes chemo caps knitted from soft, soft bamboo yarn -- a thoughtful gift for a cancer patient:

Judy of JNOriginals, and a BBArtisans team member, created a beautiful treasury Summer Fading Into Fall. Judy makes beautiful crocheted items, like this golden meadow crochet brooch:

Deb Baroff of storybeader, another BBArtisans team member, featured my flatware on brown oven mitt in her treasury, Unforgettable.  Deb's shop includes beautiful handmade journals as well as handmade beads.  With each journal sale, Deb includes a haiku written specifically for the piece.  How cool is that?  I just loved thes handwrapped paper pumpkin beads in beautiful Fall colors:

Eugenie of Mulberry Whisper featured my Autumn foliage accent pillow cover in her treasury, Andersen's World.  Eugenie, who lives in Uzbekistan, creates lovely items using ikat silks, like this pillow cover in black and white:

Jamie of PoppyHillCreations featured my fall table runner in her delightful treasury, Finally Fall.  I can think of many applications for this wonderful printable fall foliage clip art:

Britti Myers, an Etsy buyer only, creates BEAUTIFUL Etsy treasuries.  I was honored to have my aqua chevron oven mitts featured in her treasury, Feeling Blue.

Katerina of Maya Honey creates lampwork glass beads and Czech beads.  She is another international Etsian who lives and creates in Slovakia.  Katerina featured my aqua chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Pastel Colors.  I fell in love with these beautiful aqua blue handmade lampwork beads, available in Katerina's Etsy shop:

Carola of Aylla lives in Santiago, Chile.  She also featured my aqua chevron oven mitts in her treasury, Chic Home.  Carola makes wonderful handmade zipper pouches and pencil cases, like this one:

Linda Pruitt of Pruitt Creations, another BBArtisans teammate, featured one of my items in her treasury, Personal Favorites from BBArtisans.  Linda is also a fabric lover.  I just love this whimsical turtle zip pouch:

Heather from iHartFelt featured my autumn foliage pillow cover in her treasury, Fall Into Pastel.  Heather makes the most adorable little felt creations and plushies, like this cute owl:

Tasha of storyleaf also featured my autumn foliage pillow cover in her beautifully curated treasury, Amber Glow.  Tasha designs beautiful jewelry.  This beautiful red spiderweb agate wire wrapped pendant is one of my favorites:

And Sarah Beth of Magnolia Surprise also featured my autumn foliage pillow cover in her beautiful Fall-themed treasury, Falling Leaves,  Sarah creates wonderful crochet items, like these fun NO CALORIE crocheted chocolate chip cookies:

Uff-dah!  Again, many thanks to all these talented artisans who featured my items in their treasuries this past week.

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

Perk Up! It's National Coffee Day

Perk up!  In the USA, September 29 is National Coffee Day!

Diet Coke is actually my caffeinated beverage of choice, but I do love the smell of coffee.  And what a great excuse to visit a favorite local coffee shop!

Will you be observing National Coffee Day?

Clip Art image from clipart-for-free.blogspot.com


TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

Geaux Tigers!

It's Shameless Commerce Tuesday and today I'm featuring baby bibs for little Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers fans and little New Orleans Saints fans.

Now, you may ask, why is a Yankee from Husker Nation (aka Nebraska) sewing LSU bibs?  Truth be told, I've never even been to Louisiana.

Well, it all started, as many projects do, with a custom order.  Last November, an enthusiastic LSU fan wanted me to make Christmas stockings in purple and gold:

She loved the fabric.  But I had leftovers -- so I decided to use the extra fabric to make baby bibs.  Well, not only did I sell several LSU bibs, I've had requests for more.  My supplier for Cajun fabrics is Angela from All Stitched Up:  http://www.allstitchedupbyangela.com.  And while reordering, I couldn't help but buy some other cute Tiger-themed purple and gold fabrics:

Here is a link to my LSU fleur de lis baby bib listing:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/86995192/baby-bib-reversible-lsu-purple-on-gold.  The bibs are made using (with permission) a ModTods digital pattern and tutorial: http://www.etsy.com/listing/80657313/tutorial-baby-bib-pdf-pattern-tutorial

Geaux Tigers!

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

BBA Challenge - Scrap Heap

The September BBA (Blogging Business Artisans) Team Challenge involved trying a new technique.

My project turned into a scrap heap ---- but in a GOOD way!

You see, I have accumulated a LOT of fabric scraps in my decades of sewing and fabric acquisition, and I am constantly looking for ways to use those scraps and stash fabrics to create something useful. One large piece of cotton fabric in my stash (acquired at a garage sale with the intent to use it as a quilt back perhaps) has now been transformed into yards and yards and yards of pre-folded and pressed fabric strips, thanks to the NEW TECHNIQUE I used to meet this month's BBA challenge.

I chose to use a Clover Bias Tape Maker to convert 2-inch scrap fabric strips into "bias tape" (although mine was cut on the lengthwise grain rather than the bias) with two edges folded in toward the center to conceal raw edges.  Tape made with the tape maker could be used to make binding for oven mitts, my Etsy shop's best selling item.  But the tape can also be used to make crochet rag rugs.

 

It took me several attempts to come up with a workable way to thread the strip into the gadget.  I tried spray starch, which left unsightly marks on my ironing board cover.  Then I tried poking with a large pin (I didn't have a tailor's awl recommended in the instructions).  Finally, (third time's the charm) I tried trimming each side by about 1/8" for the first two inches or so of the strip to allow it to slide into place more easily. Once I got the hang of it, I quickly turned about 4 yards of blue and white cotton floral print fabric into 2-inch strips, and I then turned those strips into "tape" that I intend to use to create my first crochet rag rug.

Crocheting the rug will require me to learn yet another new skill.  I have watched and rewatched a Basic Crochet Rag Rug Instructional DVD available through The Rug Lady.   I think I can do it.

I hope that one day my scrap heap will become a blue and white flecked 24" x 36" oval rag rug.  Stay tuned for further developments.  If all goes well, rag rugs may eventually become a new product line for my Etsy shop.

Please forgive the poor photo quality.  My tried and true photo editing system on my old computer was lost when it crashed.  I downloaded Photoshop for the new computer, but I am a bit overwhelmed, and feeling totally inept.   There IS a Photoshop for Dummies book -- I'll be heading to the library after I finish three "made to order" orders.  In the meantime, I'm open to suggestions for user-friendly photo editing systems. 

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

Treasury Thanks

I would like to take this opportunity to say "Thank You" to the five curators who featured my items in their Etsy treasuries over the past week.

Anastasia Lovisetto of Peterborough, England featured my set of purple plaid napkins in her plaids, stripes and checks treasury Gift Guide!     
        
Anastasia makes wearable art.  She specializes in bib necklaces, like this beautiful wearable art piece:

 

 

I love the butterflies and bead embellishments, and (of course) the purple ribbon ties.

Assaf Pelleg of Israel also featured my purple plaid napkins in her treasury, End of Summer.

It was an honor to be included in this lovely treasury, full of unique finds.  Assaf is a fashion designer, who describes her style as "clean and crisp, yet feminine."  I love this little black dress:

 

Jaci from ByTheWayside -- a vintage shop featuring vintage treasures and retro kitsch -- featured my Halloween bunting in her adorable Halloween-themed treasury,B*O*O!!!

These vintage salt and pepper shakers caught my eye in Jaci's shop.  They reminded me of my late Great Aunt Anna, who had three china closets full of carefully catalogued collectible salt and pepper shakers.  I loved looking at them when I was a little girl:

 

Tina from GrnEydDesigns featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her Poppy Dreams. Tina designs custom handmade jewelry.  This stunning poppy colored (Husker red) Magatama Kumihimo bracelet has 80 individual beads:

 

Tammy of wishestogether featured my black and cream giraffe book bag in her treasury, Fall Inspiration.  Tammy and her 13-year-old daughter team up to create treasuries.  Tammy's Etsy shop featureds both hand knitted and vintage items.  I would love to cuddle up in this beuatiful Merino short shawl in rich fall colors:

And -- that's a wrap!

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
 

 

 

Unplugged

My old computer died and went to the great computer scrap heap in the sky.  Fried motherboard.

So--I've spent most of the week offline, except for occasional trips to the library for one-hour public access on shared computers.  I experienced a fairly severe case of cyber withdrawal.

So what did I do with all that extra time I would normally spend at the computer?

Sad to say, not much sewing.  And the craft fair is only 5 weeks away. Yikes!  I did make some quilt blocks for a too long neglected church charity project, and I also made some headway on granddaughter Erin's graduation quilt.

I picked up an extra shift at work, attended live seminars to earn CEUs for license renewals, and spent a half day at a work session for Discover Nebraska -- a quilt guild project that presents a Nebraska history lesson to 4th graders in Nebraska using quilts:  http://www.discovernebraska.org.

I'm happy to report that a new computer is installed -- sort of.  Nothing fancy, and we kept the old monitor for now. I still need to transfer some salvaged files, and get set up with word processing software and photo editing software (obviously!!).  But at least I'm back online.  I can check my email, Etsy shop, Facebook, and Pinterest -- and reconnect with my blogging buddies.

BTW, if you're wondering about those colorful fabric thingies by my keyboard and mouse---I purchased those pretty and functional wrist supports from Comfy Creations on Etsy several months ago:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/ComfyCreations?section_id=11950941,   

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

Treasury Thanks

Several members of the Blogging Business Artisans compile a weekly thank you post featuring items from the shops of the Curators of treasuries which have included their items during the past week.  It's not only a nice thank you, but an opportunity for all of you to see some new shops and treasuries.

Unfortunately, I am not as techno-savvy as Rose, Edi, and others who have managed to paste the entire treasury into their blog post.  (I'm trainable, usually, but I'm struggling with this one.)

But here is my first attempt to thank the curators who featured my items in their treasuries this week:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/109054803/amethyst-slice-925-silver-bracelet

Tasha from storyleaf

Tasha is an Etsy newbie, a jewelry maker from Ontario, Canada, who crafts her unique creations from “wire and rocks.”  I just love this amethyst “rock.”  Stop by and give her new shop some Etsy love.

Tasha featured my bright flatware oven mitts in her treasury, Vivid!:  http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjM5Mjk0Mzh8MjcyMzI4MDgzMg/vivid?index=

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/55447094/handmade-tiger-eye-beaded-necklace

Janet from HoneyFromTheBee

Janet is a member of the Blogging Business Artisans Team who designs artisan jewelry, including custom designs for special occasions such as weddings.  This hauntingly beautiful Tiger Eye Beaded Necklace would be the perfect boho style Fall accessory.

Janet featured my Halloween Bunting in her treasury, Bootastic Halloween Party!: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTU4NDM2NHwyNzIzMjg1NDIw/bootastic-halloween-party?ref=pr_treasury

http://www.etsy.com/listing/93090638/aceo-illustration-original-girl-doll

Kaili from clockworkghOst

Kaili describes herself as a 23-year-old artis, photographer, dog walker and college student.  This original ACEO doll portrait showcases Kaili’s unique artistic style.

Kaili featured my aquq chevron oven mitts in her treasury Blue, Pink … : http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTU0MzQ0NHwyNzlzMjkxMzEw/blue-pink

 

Perlenoeudruban (buyer only) -  Member of a French team:  Communaute Francaise D’Etsy

This French buyer created a beautiful treasury featuring shades of lilac, mauve and rhapsody purple.  She featured my purple cloth napkins in her treasury Rhapsody:  http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTkwMzU5MTI8MicyMDcyODI3Mw/rhapsody

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86708144/british-empire-in-1886-vintage-world-map

Hristo of Déjà vu Print Store

Hristo graduated with a degree in photography and visual arts from the University in Sofia, Bulgaria. The shop features high tech prints of botanicals and animals, and vintage drawings, antique maps, and upcycled dictionary pages.

Hristo also featured my purple cloth napkins in the treasury Look Here!  http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MTcxMjExMTJ8MjcyMDczMzUzOQ/look-here

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90816178/mustang-quarterhorse-artwork-crystal-8-x

Kathy of Tapestry 316

Kathy, another member of the Blogging Business Artisans Team, loves art and horses.  This quarterhorse reminds me of my daughter-in-law’s horse, Harley.  My son gave her Harley as a colt in lieu of a diamond as an engagement gift several years ago.

Kathy featured my autumn foliage accent pillow in her treasury, Fall is in the air!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTQ1MjczMXwyNzIwNzM1ODUx/fall-is-in-the-air?ref=pr_treasury

 

 

Kara of GeometricInk
http://www.etsy.com/listing/104069173/watercolor-feather-original-painting

Kara is a watercolor artist who lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Many of her watercolors include geometric shapes superimposed on another object.

Kara featured my navy and white chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Navy Stripes …nh 
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/MjI1MDkyODJ8MjcyMzMwNzg2MA/navy-stripesnh?ref=pr_treasury
 

To all these Curators, THANK YOU!  Next week, I hope to be able to show the actual treasuries.

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

 

Plattsmouth Revisted

Lights. Camera. Road trip!

My quilting buddy, Leola, invited me to come along on a road trip to Plattsmouth, NE, a sleepy little river town of about 6500 an hour's drive from Lincoln.  Some of you may recall an earlier post about a pilgrimage my little quilt group made to the Seams To Be Quilt Shoppe in Plattsmouth almost a year ago. http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com/2011/11/this-little-piggy-went-to-plattsmouth.html.  This incredible quilt shop boasts over 6,000 bolts of fabric and 12,000 fat quarters (18" x 22" fabric cuts).

Well, I come to you with a heavy heart to report that Seams To Be seems to be going out of business.  It's a sad, sad day for quilters and fabric lovers in Eastern Nebraska.  I received an email invitation to the Going Out of Business Sale -- so off we went!

We arrived in Plattsmouth about 9:50 am Thursday to find LONG lines of quilters at both the front and back doors of the shop, which was scheduled to open at 10:00 am.  It was like Wal-Mart on Black Friday!

A newspaper photographer with a wide angle lens was taking photos of the hundreds of little old ladies who had descended on his fair city.

Police cars kept circling the block.  I can almost imagine their radio communiques (think Barney Fife and Andy Griffith):

"We seem to have a growing group of women and a handful of grumpy old men-- I'd say at least 250 total -- gathering outside the quilt shop.  Most look to be card carrying members of AARP.  They just keep coming -- in vans and cars and pickups and SUVs."

"Any sign of violence?"

"No. It seems to be a peaceful assembly."

"Any out of state license plates?"

"I'll check that out, pronto!  We don't want any of them outside adjusters in our town!"

"Ya mean outside agitators?"

"Aww -- You know what I meant!...The parking lots are all full -- the plates are mostly from Omaha, Council Bluffs, Lincoln, neighboring counties and some locals."

"Well, watch out for those city folk from Omaha."

"Any placards, chants -- like We Shall Overcome, that sort of thing?"

"Nope.  They're just milling around, gabbing and laughing and hugging each other.  Another 30 or so showed up just now!"

"Well, keep an eye on the situation.  Let me know if things get out of hand --- and keep 'em on the sidewalk  Don't let them take to the streets."

"Roger that."

When we finally gained entry, and scored our fabric finds (and batting, and thread and buttons), we lined up at two cutting tables.  I waited in line for the cutting table 1 hour and 20 minuters -- only to move to the end of another long line -- to pay -- where I stood in line at least another hour.  Fortunately I had friendly people with pretty piles of fabric in my section of the line.  While standing WAY back in the payment line, I happened to spot some decorations for sale--cheap.  The wooden movie director's board pictured above was $3.00 -- a fun new "toy" for my creative grandkids.

My other great find was this cute little blue snowflake teapot.  It will be a Christmas gift for my sister-in-law (hope you're not reading this blog post, Kathy, it will spoil the surprise) who lives in northwest Minnesota where there are LOTS of snowflakes every winter.  She and her hubby go snowshoe hiking.

A also bought a few fat quarters (I thought I showed remarkable restraint given the 12,000 tempting options), and a grab bag with some colorful fabrics I'll use to make a baby quilt ... someday.

When Leola finally made her way through the payment line (she was about 30 people behind me) we headed for the nearest eatery (and restroom!) only to learn that the sandwich shop, The Chocolate Moose, had sold out.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chocolate-Moose-Cafe/50011180410. Hordes of hungry quilters had devoured all their sandwiches, muffins and scones.  All they had left was one bowl of soup and three pieces of cheesecake.  So we headed up the street to Mom's Cafe.  Mom never sells out :-).

To Terri and friends at Seams To Be -- we'll miss you!

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

Easing Into Fall

It's Shameless Commerce Tuesday and today I am featuring another 16" x 16" envelope back pillow cover.
Although I usually use 100% cotton fabrics, this beautiful synthetic blend with shimmery autumn leaves on olive green vines was just too pretty to leave in the store.  It has a silky hand, and the heavily embroidered leaves add texture.  Here is a link to the listing: https://www.etsy.com/listing/108869821/autumn-foliage-accent-pillow-cover-16-x?ref=pr_shop.  I only have two in stock - TOAK (two of a kind).

I'm having a hard time transitioning into Fall.  My left brain knows the grandkids are back in school and the Huskers are playing football -- and the days are getting shorter.  But it is still hot and sunny, and the leaves here have not put on their Fall colors.  I'm not quite ready to let go of Summer.

Although Spring is my favorite season, I do love the colors of Fall.  I was lucky to visit my son and his family in New Hampshire one year during foliage season.  The colors were breathtakingly beautiful.  Traffic on the Interstate was at a near standstill as tourists stopped to gawk and take photos of the beautiful trees.

How about you?  Are you "into" Fall yet?

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

Pantone Spring 2013 Color Report is Out!

The Pantone Spring 2013 Color Report is out!  I love the bright, cheery colors -- the whole rainbow spectrum is represented.   To view the report in more detail, visit www.pantone.com/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=21005.

Although my favorite color is purple, I'm also loving the muted jade.

I'd love to fast forward through Winter to end up in Spring 2013, but I'd miss tax season, so that's a no go.

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

Blogging Business Artisans: September Giveway -- BeadedTail

Blogging Business Artisans: September Giveway -- BeadedTail: September's GIVEAWAY is hosted by Sharla of BeadedTail!   The winner  will receive a custom tennis bracelet in any color combination.  Because purple is my FAVORITE color, I just love the amethyst bracelet shown above!

To see more of Sharla's beautiful beaded creations and journals, visit:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadedtail.

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflowr
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

Grunge

It's Shameless Commerce Tuesday, and today I'm featuring one of my newly listed 16" x 16" envelope backed pillow covers made of high quality 100% cotton home dec weight fabric (circa 1990).  The fabric was one of my great finds at the Hillestad Gallery fabric and fiber sale.  http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com/2012/08/fabric-nirvana-650.html.  The fabric is SO soft -- like a comfortable old pair of jeans.

My kids grew up listening to grunge bands like Nirvana -- and this colorful fabric seemed to have an early 90s grunge vibe.  I loved the mix of colors with just a hint of gold metallic thread:

This pillow cover would be perfect for a teen's room, rec room, or dorm.  It is constructed with serged seams, reinforced with an extra row of straight line machine stitiching.  It will be able to withstand launderings and pillow fights.  To see this and other pillow covers, visit this section of my Etsy shop, Pasque Flower Creatiosn:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower?section_id=8079949.

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

Teamwork

Early last Saturday morning I braved pre-game Husker football traffic and a dangerous new roundabout intersection (it was the scene of 10 accidents in the few days since it opened) to attend a 7th Grade girls' volleyball event.

My TeamMate, LaQuincia, played on the team wearing the light blue shirts.  And I was amazed that their young coach managed to inspire these sometimes awkward, self-conscious, pubescent girls.  She helped them develop a "team" identity.  Before each match, they would huddle and say, "1-2-3 - Cougars!!" and raise their hands in celebration.  And when the other team got the serve, the coach would shout, "Ready position!" and the girls would bend their knees in unison and stare intently at the other side of the net.

I remember 7th Grade (vaguely -- it was a LONG time ago) as an awkward age.  We didn't have volleyball teams back in the day, of course.  I attended Junior High long before Title IX.  (Although I did play on a 4-H  softball team.)  But I do remember my gym teacher, Miss Trapp, keeping me after school, and telling me I could not leave the gym until I learned to serve a volleyball.  After many failed attempts, I finally got the hang of it.

The only team I was a part of in high school was the Debate Team, but it was a wonderful experience.  I learned to research and speak in public, and I gained self confidence and forged great friendships along the way.  Like the 7th Grade volleyball players, I had a terrific young coach, Miss Lewis, who took a motley crew of nerds and turned us into a winning team.

As an Etsy seller, I owe much of the success of my shop to my teams and teammates.  When I first opened my shop, the Etsy Newbie Team and later the Lost In The Crowd (LITC) Team (fewer than 10 sales) helped me know that I was not alone --- and that together we newbies could share resources and insights and eventually "graduate" from the LITC Team.  My current teams include the Blogging Business Artisans, Baby Boomers, and the Etsy Blog Team.  Through these teams I have learned a great deal.  I've been inspired and challenged, and I've made new cyber-friends.  I have also become part of a community -- a virtual neighborhood -- in the vast cyber-city that is Etsy.  So, to my Etsy teammates -- Thank You!!

TTFN
LeAnn aka pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower