Archives for December 2010

Local Artists!

Posted by on December 27, 2010
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!! What did we do before Hobby Lobby? Here is a picture of our modestly small (our house is for sale) Christmas tree with our wrapped gifts underneath. I got the paper, tulle and gift tags all from Hobby Lobby (at 50% off no doubt). Every year I say “I’m going to use up all the random paper, and NEXT year I’ll do matching wrapping paper”. I didn’t use up all the random paper but I did wrap my presents to all match! It’s almost like fabric!! I love the red polka dot and swirly paper!
Here are a couple of Christmas gifts I got this year! The first is an Ex Voto necklace made by a friend of a couple of friends here in Montgomery. She travels all over to find pieces to make her jewelry and I was SURPRISED when I opened a piece from Jeff (thanks to KV for the suggestion and to my SIL for her help too)! Here is her blog ~ http://exvotojewels.blogspot.com/ and she is also on Facebook. The other side of the charm has initials engraved on it which aren’t mine, but that’s what makes it so interesting!
I also got this beautiful painting by Donnie Sasser. He is also a local artist and I couldn’t find any blog or website but there is info out there if you google him. His paintings are very popular here in Montgomery! I have another one that hangs by my door.
Lastly, the boys did an art camp last week with Abrakadoodle. In the summer they do art camps with the lady who runs the program here in town. They each painted these cute Christmas trees (with a little help I’m sure) and also some candy cane ornaments that were precious! I LOVE the artwork they do! In our next house there will be a wall of it somewhere! I have tons of paintings from the past 3 or 4 summers of art camps!
Lastly, I gave Jeff a painting of our house. A) because this will always be “our first house”. Meaning this is the house all 3 of our kids came home to and were partially raised in. B) because hopefully in the near future this house will sell and we’ll have the painting as a sweet memory! I meant to take a photo of it but haven’t yet, but you can see it at AMR Art. It’s the middle house with the wrought iron benches on the front porch. Amanda is also local and I have another painting she did in Mallory’s room I may have posted a couple of years ago, and I also have another plaque which hangs in my kitchen I got at a Holiday Open House. I also have one of her Cathedral Angel paintings which is also in Mallory’s room. I love her work and would love to have more of it (next house!!). (p.s.AMR Art is on my blog list below and she is also on Facebook ~ Amanda Roberson Art)

I took a picture of the painting (below) but Amanda’s picture is better than mine! Check out her blog!
I’m busy re-sampling some of our Applique Cafe designs and we also listed 4 new ones this morning. Sometimes a design looks one way and with a change of fabric looks totally different. Since I’m “off” this week, I’m taking some time to re-do some of our older ones that I think might be cuter with different fabric. We have several Valentine designs listed as well as Mardi Gras, which are both coming up soon. We’ll be working on new Easter designs as well! The NEW designs are featured on the home page!
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Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Posted by on December 23, 2010
Here are a couple of shirts I did yesterday. The AC OWL which is one of my favorite designs. The font is Grins & Giggles which is also another favorite of mine (from Applique Frenzy).
I also did the Celtic Cross (Embroidery Boutique) with the vintage stitching. This picture doesn’t show how cute this fabric is! I take my pictures in my dining room sometimes and this is one of them ~ no matter how I edit it doesn’t do it justice! Again, the Grins & Giggles font from AF.
I cut off orders a couple of weeks ago and these were the last of what I had agreed to do before Christmas! I am now technically done, although I have 2 Applique Cafe samples to do today. I have not wrapped the first present, and yet I find myself cleaning out drawers, throwing stuff away, doing laundry. Can you say procrastination???
Projects for after Christmas: organizing my fabric (it is a MESS) and organizing and getting rid of some blanks! I have a couple of quilted bags (lime green and brown w/ blue trim) that have been in my drawer for who knows how long, as well as some short sleeve tees I bought last year. I have a baggie of crochet appliques from www.quiltware.com ~ not sure if I will use them? Tons of shirts in general that I’ve “collected” and never used! I buy stuff thinking I’ll use it and never do!
It’s seriously time to eat lunch and then WRAP WRAP WRAP!! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas if I don’t post again until after Saturday! Turn off the embroidery machine and enjoy time with your family!!
Filed Under: Applique Cafe, Design | Tagged:

Merry week of Christmas!!

Posted by on December 21, 2010
Here is my very small stack of “to-do” for this week. I’m down to 5 shirts! These were some I had agreed to do a week or two ago and am just now getting around to them. Hopefully I can finish these tomorrow and enjoy some time off to wrap presents (I haven’t wrapped a single one yet) and do some other stuff around the house and with the kids! Jeff is off for a while over Christmas too so I’m sure we’ll find something to do ~ probably do some new AC designs!?
We all went to Target last night and I bought this cute little travel iron. I had a craft iron on my list but could never find one, so I saw this one in/on the luggage aisle and decided it would do – probably gets a little hotter too? My plan is to use it on my applique fabric AFTER the tackdown stitch and AFTER I’ve trimmed, but BEFORE the satin stitches. With my Heat N Bond Lite, I think it’ll fuse the fabric better to my garment before the final satin stitch. Note: add a new ironing board to my list ~ this one looks horrible! Lots of HNBL residue built up on it.
This weekend we went to a (HILARIOUS) Christmas Vacation party. Jeff & I are not the dress up type (I think we’ve dressed up once since we’ve been together over the past 12 or so years). He went as Cousin Eddie (black dickie and all) and I went as Audrey. There were lots of Eddie’s at the party, a couple of Clarks, an Ellen, several Catherines and even Aunt Bethany and Uncle Louis. Lots of fun!!
Here is a pic of Audrey from the movie. My hair wasn’t as kinky but I had the pink headband!
Here is Cousin Eddie. I think his pants are green and of course, the black dickie.
Jeff actually wore one of MY shirts!

Here is a family photo from the movie. I think everyone was just about covered!
If you’re friends with me on Facebook then you can look on there to see the rest!
I had a visit from my friend the other day, AGAIN! I don’t know if he’s coming in with the mail or what? He seems to like it amongst my sewing stuff!!

It’s almost CHRISTMAS! While we’ve been done with shopping for a week, not a present has been wrapped yet! I guess we’ll get it done! Applique Cafe ~ all “Christmas & Holiday Stuff” designs are 50% off, everything else is 25% off and you get $5 off your purchase of $20 or more through the end of this month! We’ve already put up 4 new Valentine designs for the upcoming year and also several Mardi Gras designs! We’ll work on more over the next week or two including EASTER!
Have a great week!
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