Treasury Thanks - The Year Is Half Over

The year is half over.  How did THAT happen?

This week brought a flurry of activity in Etsy treasuries.  I'd like to take this opportunity to extend a big
THANK YOU to the curators who featured items from my Etsy shops, Pasque Flower Creations and Aunt Pheba's Vintage, over the past week.

Sarah Beth from MagnoliaSurprise featured my patriotic bunting in her treasury, Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue.   What would a 4th of July picnic be without watermelon?  This cute watermelon  potholder, dish cloth and magnet set is a sample of the wonderful crochet items to be found at Magnolia Surprise.

Deidre Wicks of WaterInMyPaint featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her treasury, My Compliments. I know all my animal lover friends will  "ooh and aaawww" over these watercolor pets from Deidre's shop:

Natalie from JewelryEveryday featured my yellow chevron baby bib in her bright and sunny treasury, Beautiful Bold Yellow and Orange.   I went to the opposite side of the color wheel to find these gorgeous turquoise and jade earrings from JewelryEveryday.  Aren't they fabulous?!

Vicky Barone of VickyBaroneDesigns featured one of my boutique baby bibs in her treasury, Baby Brights. I just had to share this wonderful Hold Your Horses art print from Vicky's shop:

Ozden of ReddApple featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her Hot Summer treasury.  I just loved this dainty crochet necklace from ReddApple:

Deb Baroff of Storybeader featured my turquoise and black jungle baby bib in her treasury, Turquoise and Black, A Lovely Combination.   This blue handmade doodle book is also a lovely combination of form and function.

SarahLyall of SarahLyallHome featured my gray chevron oven mitt in her thoroughly modern treasury, Grey and White Kitchen.  Sarah's shop has home dec pillows and pillowcovers as well as vintage finds.  These outdoor pillows in trendy coral and gray would add a pop of color to your patio or deck.

Justyna Ra of JustynaRaPhotography featured my green organic cotton napkins in her treasury, Tuesday's Gone.  Justyna offers her photos, like this hauntingly beautiful photo of birds, as instant digital downloads:

Although the photo is amazingly beautiful, I have to admit it brought back memories of Alfred Hitchcock's movie, The Birds.

Justyna also has a second shop on Etsy, OczkOhandmade,  which features crocheted jewelry and collars.  I just love these dainty lilac earrings.

Trina Prenzi of TrinasClayCreations featured my patriotic bunting in her treasury, Red, White and Blue.   In keeping with the patriotic spirit, I decided to feature this polymer clay soldier from Trina's shop:

Egretta Garzetta of EgrettaGarzetta featured my green chevron oven mitt in her beautiful treasury, Summer Meadow.   Egretta makes handmade undergarments like these lovely soft turquoise briefs:

Jesse of JHhandmade featured my pink floral oven mitt in her treasury, Pretty in Pink.  Speaking of pretty and pink, how about these beautiful pink crystal earrings!

Andreia & Vitor of 4HappyChildren featured my white glass covered dish from my Aunt Pheba's Vintage shop in the treasury, What Is the Color?   Perhaps one of their four happy children inspired these precious little pink baby shoes.  (I couldn't help but think of my blogging buddy, Sher, when I saw these!)

Anja Brummer-Para of kleinedromen (The Netherlands) featured my rainbow chevron oven mitt in her bright and cheery treasury, Colors: Candy.   This beautiful bright blue and green crocheted baby afghan would be a wonderful baby gift.

Judy from JNOriginals featured my yellow chevron oven mitt in a beautiful treasury, A Breath of Summer, featuring shades of yellow and aqua with a hint of pink.  This cute turquoise felted bowl would be a pretty yet practical accent for a crafting studio.

Again, THANK YOU to all the curators for their wonderful treasuries.  Please take a minute to visit their shops and show some Etsy love.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

TTFN

LeAnn

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AuntPhebasVintage

http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

Heart Melt

This adorable photo of Baby Giana arrived in today's mail.

I have been sewing Project Linus quilts and cuddle quilts for the Lincoln Quilter's Guild for several years.  They are donated anonymously to kids who are hospitalized, and I've always trusted that each little quilt found a good home.  But a couple of years ago, at the Project Linus collection point, we were asked to pin our names to the back of the quilt.

I remember that quilt.  It had four center blocks with clusters of roses on white, with pink and pale blue sashing, and pink, blue and red accent fabrics---with the polka dot outer border.

I assumed that the name tag was just for record keeping purposes because Project Linus is a separate 501(c)(3) organization  -- but apparently the tag stayed on this little quilt, because here is the sweetest thank you note I received today (along with 3 photos) from little Giana's mommy:

Thank you so much for the beautiful baby blanket!! It is so lovely and we are so thankful that you made it and we were the lucky ones that got it!  To be honest I haven't really snuggled the baby in it very much because it's so pretty.  I don't want her to spit up on it and have it be stained!  

I took her picture on and in it so you could see who received such a wonderful gift.  My daughter Giana was born 5/16/13  and we had to go back to the hospital because she lost too much weight.  The blanket you made gave us both a lot of comfort.

Now doesn't that just melt your heart?
It certainly made my day.

I need to make more cuddle quilts -- and Project Linus quilts ----
and finish Erin's graduation quilt.

TTFN
LeAnn

Wordless Wednesday - Almost Ripe for Pickin'

Raspberries 2013

Flower Power

It's Shameless Commerce Tuesday, and this week I am featuring some newly-listed floral oven mitts.
I recently received a request from Candice McIntosh, the new owner of The Window Box floral and gift shop in Wahoo, Nebraska, for flower-themed oven mitts and table runners.  I delivered 18 items to her sunny little store on Monday.  But I kept a few for my Etsy shop, Pasque Flower Creations, as well.

The pretty pink mitt above was made using LillyBelle fabrics designed by Bari J for Art Gallery Fabrics.  I love Art Gallery Fabrics, not only for their terrific designs, but also because their cottons have an almost silky feel -- like high thread count sheets.  The lining is Oval Elements, also by Art Gallery Fabrics.  I purchased these pretty fabrics at one of my new favorite online fabric shops, Glam Fabrics.   (The scraps were used for my BBA June Challenge project.)

On a brighter note, this mitt features a bold multi-color floral print designed by MoMo for Moda Fabrics.  I used a white on yellow polka dot from Riley Blake for the lining, binding and hanging loop.

I love Amy Butler's Tumbled Roses fabric from her Love collection, but that fabric is out of print and hard to find.  I had offered these mitts about a year ago, but sold out.  When I received Candice's request for floral mitts, I set out to see if I could find some more of this fabric -- and I did!  I used SunSpots, also by Amy Butler, for the lining.

And last, but not least, is this pretty red floral from the Silvia's Garden collection by Silvia Vassileva Studio for P&B Textiles.  The colors -- wine red, olive green, teal, and earth tones remind me of Tuscany.  I've never actually been to Tuscany---or anywhere off the North American continent for that matter. But I loved Frances Mayes' book, Bella Tuscany.

So,  buongiorno!

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

Something Old, Something New - BBA June Challenge 2013

Each month, the Blogging Business Artisans Team hosts a challenge.  This month's BBA challenge was from Cynthia of  Antiquity Travelers. The June challenge was to take something old and make it new -- upcycling! So-- here's my project:

As some of you know, I've resolved to find new ways to use up scraps.  They seem to multiply in my sewing room while I sleep.    But I love fabric, and I just can't bear to throw scraps away.  So I knew that my response to this month's challenge would involve scrap fabric.

I discovered a tutorial for a Boucherouite Blush Box on the Art Gallery Fabrics blog.  The instructions were from I Heart Linen. The finished size of the box was 4" x 5.5" (10.16 cm x 14 cm).  And the supplies were all items I had on hand--even the 501 Spray Adhesive, which I'd been meaning to try.

I'd need cardboard or card stock, so I decided to upcycle cereal boxes that I usually recycle:

And I'd also need batting.  I have lots of Warm & Natural batting scraps left over from oven mitt making!

And although I have bucket loads of scraps, I decided to use some very pretty LillyBelle by Bari J. pink floral fabric scraps, and some coordinating Oval Elements fabric by Art Gallery Fabrics.  I'd originally purchased that fabric from Jennie C. of Glam Fabrics for some special request floral oven mitts.  (I had to piece one of the longer rectangles.)

I needed five 5" circles, so I used the top of one of my small kitchen canisters for a template.  I also needed cardboard strips of varying lengths to create a round cardboard trinket box and lid:

Then I cut the pretty fabric.  I needed a 6" circle for the fabric pieces, so I used a larger kitchen canister lid for that template, and I was able to rotary cut around it fairly well.

Next came the box assembly -- taping strip ends together with masking tape to create circles -- one wide circle and one narrow circle -- and saving the other two pieces for later.  (This is where I wished I had started with "fresh" cardboard that didn't have creases from the cereal box corners.)  Then, a cardboard circle was taped onto the "rims" I'd just created -- except they didn't fit.  The circles were 1/2" smaller than the rim. Hmm.  Untape the rims.  Trim.  Retape. Try again.  OK, better.

Four 5" batting circles were placed on top of my cardboard lid, and then one of the floral fabric circles was pulled down over the adhesive-sprayed rim, and glued in place.  Then another cardboard circle was covered with lining fabric.  The clipped edges were glued to the wrong side of the cardboard, and the circle was glued into place to form the inside of the lid top.

Then came the box assembly.  The box was covered, the inside was created, and a bottom fabric-covered circle was glued to the bottom of the box.  Here's what the inside of the trinket box looked like.  

(Notice the gap on the outer fabric?  I'm not happy with that.  I think I will stitch that with needle and thread.

Then, on goes the lid, and there you have it:  An upcycled trinket box!  Something new from scraps and old cereal boxes.  No new fabrics or supplies were used in this project.

I am not happy enough with my end result to give this to my granddaughter, as I'd originally planned.  But I've learned a few things from this project:

1.  501 Basting Spray is a product I would definitely use again.

2.  Cereal boxes are probably not the best choice of material when creating circular cardboard rims.

3.  The side of the box, which is fabric glued directly onto cardboard needs a middle layer, I think -- either fusible interfacing or light batting.  If I make another one of these, I'll make that modification.

4.  Although this may have been a cost-effective project (FREE is as cheap as it gets),  it was very time intensive.  I had hoped that trinket boxes might be something I could make for Fall craft fairs, perhaps in a scaled down version.  But, as my former neighbor Cindy would say, "It takes a whole lot of dingin' around" to make one of these!!   

So -- I need to keep looking for other ways to use up my heap of scraps.  

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AuntPhebasVintage

http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

Treasury Thanks - Super Moon

Maybe it's the Super Moon?  I don't know.  But this was a wonderful week for treasuries.  I extend a huge

THANK YOU

to all the curators who included items from my Etsy shops, Pasque Flower Creations and Aunt Pheba's Vintage, in treasuries during the past week.

Ayla of Eyelah featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her treasury, Vibrant Colors.  This bright butterfly wristlet by Eyelah features embroidery in vibrant colors!

Lisa Ruth Miller of thimledoodlesattic featured my yellow chevron oven mitt in her sunny treasury, Farmhouse Yellow.   I love this beautiful Royal Ascot violet tea cup from Lisa's vintage shop.

Paige of OhNostalgiaDesigns featured my orange and gray baby bib in her treasury, Call Me Old Fashioned.    Nothing old fashioned about this wonderfully modern color block necklace, new in Paige's shop:

Patty Harrington of FernHollowFinds featured my red, white and blue chevron oven mitt in her patriotic-themed treasury, Hooray for the Red, White & Blue!  These reversible cloth napkins would be great for a 4th of July picnic - or any day!

Ayla of Eyelah also featured my vintage blue and white ceramic dish  in her treasury, I Love the Blues . . .
This beautiful robin's egg blue pouch is one of the wonderful clutches you will find in her shop.

Anna Wegrowska of AnnaWegg featured my yellow chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Yellow and White.  This beautiful magenta felted brooch is one of the beautiful felted accessories you can find at AnnaWegg.

Nancy LaBerge Muren of LaBerge featured my gray chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Invent Your Day.  Nancy does custom pet portraits.  I know many of my readers have adorable pets!

Olga from Orange Clover Shop featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her treasury, Poppy :-).   This passionflower photograph is one of the lovely art pieces to be found in Olga's shop.

Bijoux Elte’  of  01andonly1  (from France) featured my black and white chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Black and White: It's So Chic!   This statement oyster necklace is an accessory with the Wow! Factor.

KJ from LitandCo featured my poppies on teal oven mitts in her treasury, Turquoise and Teal.  KJ makes soy candles.  Lavender and chamomile sounds like a soothing scent.  

Erinf115 from HarpandThistle  featured my navy chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Neat-O Nauticals.  Erin does incredible punch needle embroidery needlework.  This sachet sampler would make wonderful stocking stuffers or party favors -- perhaps for a bridal shower or a big girl birthday party.  (Speaking of birthdays, Happy Birthday to my friend, Faith!) 

Sharla from TheBeadedTail featured my carousel nursery wall art in her summer-themed treasury, https://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTQxMDI5MHwyNzIyMDc2MDMx/its-summer-so-ride-a-horse-pet-a-cat.  I love this Be Curious journal, which reminds me of my curious (nosey) cat, Tux.  Proceeds from the sale of items in Sharla's shop are used to benefit animals.

That's it for this week.  I hope you'll be able to do some serious moon gazing tonight.  

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AuntPhebasVintage

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

Wordless Wednesday - Path

Path-2013

Red, White & Blue

It's Shameless Commerce Tuesday, and today I'm featuring a newly-listed oven mitt from my Etsy shop, Pasque Flower Creations.  Love the new Riley Blake medium chevrons in red, white and blue.  She also has team colors (like maroon and gold, my old high school colors, or green and gold for Green Bay Packers fans).

I paired the patriotic chevrons with white on navy polka dots for the lining, binding and hanging loop.

These oven mitts would be fun for a 4th of July barbecue, or for New England Patriots fans year round.

Independence Day will be here before we know it!  We will have 4 grandkids visiting from Colorado, so it should be a fun time.

I'm ONE sale away from hitting 500.  Maybe this week. I hope. I hope. I hope.

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

Treasury Thanks - Short & Sweet

This week my Treasury Thanks post will be short and sweet.  But I do want to extend a big THANK YOU to the curators who featured items from my Etsy shop, Pasque Flower Creations, in treasuries over the past week.

Edi Royer of memoriesforlifesb, fearless leader of the Blogging Business Artisans Team, featured my red chevron oven mitt in her treasury, Red and Turquoise.  Such a vibrant color combo!  I love this engraved beer stein.  I know many dads who would appreciate one of those!

Nurlu of nurlu featured my yellow and gray baby bib in her treasury, Grey and Yellow.  This has become one of my favorite color combos of late.  This pretty gray shawl is one of the beautifully crafted items you can find in Nurlu's shop.

Semas of beyazdukkan featured my red, white and blue 2" fabric squares in her treasury, Red and White.  I expect to see lots more red, white and blue in the next two to three weeks.  These beautiful barefoot sandals would be such fun to wear on the beach!  

But, alas!  No beaches in Nebraska.  

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. It's Father's Day in the USA this Sunday.  I'll be making a special request dinner for my hubby for Father's Day.  Hug your dad or give him a call --- and if that is not possible, then cherish some fond memories of times you had with your dad this Father's Day.

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

Just for Fun Sewing

Sometimes a girl's just got to get out and play.  So, on a whim, I signed up for a one-evening class, taught by my favorite local quilt teacher, Roxann O'Hare of The Cosmic Cow quilt shop.

A week ago Monday I raced across town (as fast as one can go in rush hour traffic) from a late afternoon meeting.  Loaded down with sewing machine, cutting mat, and sewing supplies, I frumped across the parking lot, used the Handicap Accessible door opener, and caught the elevator to the 4th Floor of the Southeast Community College Continuing Education building, and set up my sewing area.

It was a small class, so each of us could spread out and cut and sew to our heart's content in our own little escapist bubbles.  

The project was just a little 12.5" x 12.5" quilted wall hanging.  The pattern was designed by Roxann.  The June Bug sign was stamped .  The bugs bodies were hand sewn with a blanket stitch. The polka dot wings are two-sided--front and back dots fused to double-sided fusible web.

I'm edging out of my comfort zone and a little closer to mixed media (there are dyed semi-transparent underwings).  And there was some hand stitching and embroidery.  My half-square triangle points aren't all perfect, and my machine quilting was minimalist.

But this little project was not for competition, not for sale, not intended to be an heirloom by any stretch of the imagination, and there were no quilt police in the classroom.

It was just a chance to play with fabric.  Just for fun.

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

Wordless Wednesday - Peony

Guy Friendly Gifts

Father's Day is only a few days away, but there's still time-- thanks to Priority Mail!

Today is Shameless Commerce Tuesday, so I'm featuring guy friendly gifts for grads and dads.

This vintage book, Ben Hogan's Power Golf would be a great gift for a golf enthusiast, especially if he happens to be an old duffer a grandpa.  It's one of the new listings in my vintage shop, Aunt Pheba's Vintage.
The most amazing thing about this book IMHO is the 120 line drawn illustrations by illustrator Tony Sheehan.  I love how each drawing has a shadow.

Does your guy fancy himself King of the Grill?   This BBQ oven mitt would be a useful gift:

Or how about this industrial gray pillow cover - perfect for a dad or grad.

Happy Tuesday!
TTFN
LeAnn
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AuntPhebasVintage
http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflower
http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com