decor and excuses

So, I said I would post more pics of the decor from Lindsey's party. I had some random coasters from a wedding shower. I just messed with the photoshop invite and created a smaller icon. Then I cut strips from the same paper I used to make the invitations. I modge-podged them :) and they turned out lovely. :)
Then I made flowers using this tutorial. I made the gobes and the flowers. The larger pink flowers are extra leftover strips. The multicolored flowers are following the tut. In the next pic, you can kind of see the globes made using the same tutorial (by the pillars). I really liked them and will probably make some kind for Christmas decor. They would be cute halloween in black and orange.

I had some left over scrapbook paper in the pink and orange, I made some old-school paper lanterns (no light) and hung them over the bar. They looked cute.
Here is the last glimpse of the crazy pink puff balls. I bought them for 90% off 50 cents- for 4 so 1.25 cents each. I didn't know what I was going to do with them. I ended stringing them on VERY thin pink yarn from the Mexican swap meet :) They were ridiculous but worked perfect for the occasion.

So, I showed you the decor... now for the excuses. I was quite uncrafty all week :( Louisville was hit by a category 1 hurricane... how crazy is that!!! Ike left TX and came through the Ville, the 'natti, Columbus, etc. And left hundreds of thousands without power. (Ours was out Sunday early afternoon until Thursday (yesterday) late afternoon.) It was a little crazy. Restaraunts (even fast food) were packed and Gas stations were nuts, because they were all either without power or out of gas because of the extra traffic. We did just fine. My friend Melanie loaned me a bunch of books (and I read all of them), but the LGSM requires power. :) It was also frustrating because the school district ended up taking the whole week off which is frustrating when I am anxious for them to process my paperwork so I can sub or offer me a job! Tonight I finished the bias tape, added a white boarder to the quilt top, and made coffee sleeves for Holly and Lindsey. Here is Lindsey's. It's been kind of a crazy week. How about you?

1 done, 1 wip, lots of decor

I finished Olga's friend, her name is still being debated. Kelly likes Galina, Britton thinks Anya. I haven't decided. I love the colors. It took me awhile to find the yellow fabric, but I love it.
I did my first chain piecing.
f I am making a kartwheel doll quilt. I was inspired by this. I do like how it turned out. I want to put white around the edge, because I don't want to cut into the colors. I picked out my binding, but I haven't cut it yet. I think I am going to piece the back some too. I decided I am going to make a few doll quilts, to get better at quilting and maybe eventually to hang on the wall in my craft room.

I spent today decorating for Lindsey's party. I had bought all these puff ball things at work and spent today stringing them and hanging them up and decorating. I made a bunch of other stuff that turns out really cute, so I'll post it later.

bedroom...

I made Britton put photoshop on my computer and have been attempting to learn out to use it, so I can make design/inspiration boards like the blogs I stalk so frequently. I made this one last week, it has lots of components of our vegas bedroom, but some additional color, etc.
We have the bed, the tree art, and the side tables. I want the rug, lamps, etc. I think yellow is going to be my accent color. (I already have a "gold" chair from my grandma that I adore)
These are fabrics I think I am going to use. I need to cover the lampshades I have or paint the lamp bases... I haven't decided.... Its weird planning for an unknown space. I keep picturing everything in the vegas apt. I think I want a black shade with yellow curtains, but I haven't found any fabric for curtains that I like. (this is all in theory for awhile, I can't spent $) :)

Birthday Bag :)

Tuesday was super productive, after I finished Olga I got started on more fun. For my birthday (in may) my inlaws gave me a gift card to buy fabric. I went shopping on Monday and used my card to buy fabric I love! I got my idea for the bag from a quilting magazine, but I decided it would be too small, so I just kinda made it up. I used interfacing that I had instead of buying batting, and I think its a little to limp, I might go back and add batting when we have money. I LOVE THE Fabrics and how they turned out together. I love all the pockets (6) on the outside. I have been going crazy trying to stay organized living out of a suitcase and my purse....

Then I finished my SIL birthday invites! She decided pink and orange. I think they turned out really cute! (I cropped out her address and #) This was also my first attempt to use photshop for fonts....

Olga

My newest project was a pillow modified from the previous pattern I used. Her name is Olga and she is for Kelly too. (Kelly just came back from Russia) I totally just eyeballed it and cut a pattern from newspaper. She turned out really cute. I finally found some fabric that will match my gold chair, so I am going to make one for me soon. She is very cuddly and I love her.

Not busy me...

This week has been spent looking for jobs (keep praying) and reading. I was going non-crafting crazy and was trying to figure out what I could do that takes up no space.... I finished a baby blanket (which I forgot to photo). I tried to shuffle boxes to find my works-in-progress box, but it didn't work (now all the boxes are straighter in the garage though)

I finally ordered a pattern I had been admiring on etsy. I originally saw them here. I love her colors. I want to make a HUGE pillow for me and one for Kelly. I am also thinking about making some nativity puppets and wanted some ideas. I thought I would start with the actual pattern and picked out felt that matches Kelly's love for green. I might have to make Ireland some purple ones though....

I don't think I've ever really embroidered, so it was a new challenge. I think they turned out cute. I didn't give them mouths.... The larger size will have more embellishment.

I found another blog addiction today called www.thisyounghouse.com , it is an adorable couple about our age who are super awesome do-it-yourselfers and a great source of inspiration... except it makes me want to spend money :).... They use "moodboards" and some of my other blogs do "inspirationboards" for weddings and decor. I decided I needed to do some of my own, Britton is supposed to put our photoshop on my computer so if I can acutally pull them off I will post some. They include our already owned furnature and then what I want for our spaces.... right now I am just working on bedroom and livingroom. We finally agreed on an accent color for our bedroom, so I think I am going to work on a matryoshka to match that color scheme and I have some fabric I already own that I might make a pillow out of. (I found that box.)

So... Keep praying that we find jobs soon and (I am a complete idiot and Britton got me a new digital camera for our anniversary (ours had gotten stolen out of my desk at school) and on the first night we went out I managed to lose it. I swore it was in the car, but I can't find it. So if that would amazingly reappear that would be amazing too.)

Busy me....

So I haven't posted in almost a month. Sorry! I have been very productive, some crafty mostly not so much. I finished the table runners I was making for my mom and my MIL for their birthdays. (They are next month, but since I am with my parents today and won't see my mom for her bday, she got hers) and my MIL doesn't read my blog, so I can share!
I found a red-white-and-blue table runner I really liked in a quilting magazine. It was pretty country and I liked it but I have been collecting more mod fabrics for a few months. I started these toward the end of june and made 10 blocks total. They are "courthouse step" blocks and have red centers with white and blue steps.
Once I had all the strips cut, I pieced them and then completed 10 squares. I connected the squares, alternating the white and blue. Then I added the red boarders. It took me a little while to figure out how to quilt them. I had to pin them twice and rip out and requilt 1/2. I finally found a tutorial and pinned them to my carpet, which worked well. I borrowed my friend Jenny's machine (which she had never used) and quilted with a zig-zag around the squares. The LGSM only has forward and back, no zig-zag.















I was worried about choosing backing and binding fabric, but a nice lady at the quilt store helped me and I am happy with my choice. They are kinda of 30s print and I think they work. My mom loves hers! :) She even said she was going to show her quilty friends, which I guess is a big deal.

Anyways in the last month we decided to move back to Louisville. (so pardon the pics that show chaos) So I packed the apartment and everything we own is in our cars or the Penske truck. I have done very little crafting because I was so busy packing our house and classroom. Between report cards and chaos I am exhaused. I am so glad we spent an extra night in CO so I could relax. I am very stiff from carry boxes and climbing the stairs for 2 days straight and then sitting in the car for 2 days staight. ( I also sunburned my right shoulder badly from my sunroof- so I am very uneven and my shoulder hurts! What a dork!)

So the shower I helped Kelly make invites for the last time I was home is this coming week and I am sad I cannot attend. So since everyone in CO at my house was at work today I threw together an apron for Lily. I wish I had a cookbook or whisk or something to go with it. Oh well. I used an apron my mom had for my idea and went for it. The tension was screwed up on her machine so I dug the LGSM from the back of the moving truck and used it. The tension on it was funky too. I am almost positive mine was because of a dull needle. Oh, well. It's cute. I looked up her registry and am hoping it matches her kitchen.
I hope I will be crafty this month, but starting new jobs and moving with my inlaws for 6 weeks might stall the crafting a little... Although both my SILs have birthdays this month.... So we will see.