Meet little Miss Shawna

I got some fabrics from a friend of mine - and being hooked on my new elephant this morning I wanted to make another one ... Yeah I really need to manage my sleep better or I will most likely end up with ALOT of elephants ...
This morning Purple was the color that I felt like ... Which was funny cause while chatting to my friend Cat I was afk while she suggested to make a purple one with green ears.

This is Little Miss Shawna:

Elephants from the 70 ... maybe ... 1974

I got this pattern for Christmas, Elephants Softies from RetroMama on Etsy. I love elephants and collect them, I currently have over 800 in different size and quality from diamond earrings to drink umbrellas. so ofc i wanted to make this one too =)
The before I actually managed to make one I started a monthly challenge with my sister, she makes all kinda weird and monster like creature. No clue what her plans are ofc - but I figured out that it could be fun to make all 12 items in my challenge from one pattern ... just different fabrics and decor to make then fit the challenge.

But ofc I needed a prototype, so I know how and where to place any decor or personalizations. I had several options on what I could make it from ... but the one that ended on the top was this crazy patterned fabrics that seem to escaped from the 70s ... The patterns is from my friend in Cincinnati. And I know she knows its the one I liked the least from the ones i got. But this one ended up to be really funny =)

I chose to name this one ... 1974. I think I can love this guy/girl ... not sure what it is ...

Christmas was here ... and finally gone ...

But that means I can show off my makings ... that was under someones tree =)

My nephew wanted some game or something that was totally unknown to me - so I when to the store and got a gift card. Which I decided had to be the most boring present ever for a 7 year old ... 

So I got this pattern for a Christmas Stocking ... and this is what I made to hide the gift card in: 

And to try out both types - I ended making one that I gave my dad :

Yesterdays loot =)

An unplanned trip to town, and some most likely over the top shopping...
But I saw this project on someone blog the other day ... and I SO wanted to do it myself ... Most likely mine wont be as pretty as hers. She had a much easier letter to make look pretty. But more about that later ...

I got the buttons I needed for my project, $55 worth of buttons. Its fun not having a stash to use from and no thrift or second hand stores that sell anything useful...
But hopefully it will be a pretty project when its done =)
Here are the buttons:


I also got some tools for my sewing ... 2 sewing machine bobbins and ... something I don't know what you call in English - I usually just call it murderer, cause it kills tread when you need to undo things ... Yeah I know I'm morbid or weird ...  If someone know what the thing is called, please leave a comment and let me know.









And I got told that it was Sinterklaas (a Dutch December tradition - is all I know since I myself is not Dutch) yesterday, and feeling emo and having a bad day ... I figured out any reason for buying myself a present ... This is my new ruler:

I kinda needed the new ruler - I only had a "6in x 24in" and a "2,5in square"
My new one is a "6,5 in square" - damn thing costed me $30 but I guess its will be worth it =)

Nice day =)

No one actually commented or said one way or the other if I should keep this blog alive or not ... so since I like to whine and nag and brag ... I will continue posting now and then ...

Today I got summoned by my mother ... apparently I needed a haircut ... Well I do agree ... Short and easy - just like I want it ...

Yeah Yeah I know this is a crafting blog ...
The good crafting side of the Saturday is my aunt was at her cottage, and she had some stuff she found for me ...  Some zippers - from short to very long. Some scrap bits of lace and ribbons - awesome stuff ...
And a box full of buttons ... and there was some really coooooool buttons in there too =)

I am so happy =)

Anyone still out there ?

I know its been forever since I updated my blog, but life happened I guess you can say. Health issues made it impossible to manage to be creative. But I been thinking and planing on things every day ...

I been planing on sewing things and maybe it wont be xmas presents this year ... but there will be a xmas next year too ...

So my question is ... Is anyone still out there - and want me back posting new stuff now and then  ?

My Shop has Closed - for good.

Due to ArtFire's new rules, I can't afford a shop there anymore to try sell my stuff. I don't make or sell enough for it to make me any profit if I have to pay a monthly fee for the store. This has been and is a hobby for me.

If anyone out there hit their heads and want to buy something from me that is still possible, just contact me and we make a deal, and PayPal works for payments.

Thank you to all my customers and all those that are wearing my creations =)

I am JINXED!!!

I don't know whats wrong with me ...
I went to town today ... with a few reasons for doing so ...
I got my strawberries, tho by the time I gotten then home they where have way mushed into jam.

and I walked to the sewing store, and no open door ...
All I see is a dark store - and a note on the door.
"STORE CLOSED - ENDING"
So ... I change to a hobby that I at least can have a CHANCE to get some stuff and mats for in my town ... even gotten a sewing machine from there ...
And less than 2 months later ... the store is closing ...
Which I find ridiculous - this store has fair enough moved a few times ... but its been in town since before I was born ...

So I must be either jinxed or cursed or something ... everything I do seem to get messed up or broken ...

-
One good news tho ... I GOT CINEMA TICKETS .... HARRY POTTER 7:2.
Not the best seats - cause I forgot what date it was and left it to long to buy one ... but I did get a ticket ... so I am ready to go on Wednesday the 13th. Can't wait to see the ending.

My new bag =)

For those that have been reading my blog - might remember me having a horrible fit about some stretched fabric the other day. Well I did promise to post my finished project when I got so far...
AND NOW ITS DONE!!! And I am so happy. Ok so the fabric might have been a bit expensive - and there might have been some tantrums along the way... but the bag turned out awesome.
Its a "Lickety Split Bag" from "Made by Rae", and it was nice and easy to make after a good tutorial =)

It was suppose to have pockets on the sides - but since it was my first one - I decided not to add pockets and mess things up. I'll leave that for the next one ... maybe.

Sorry for the weird color of the picture - it's midnight, and the only place I could hang the bag well taking pics, was in the hall way where there is no windows, and it seems that power-saving bulbs don't work for taking pics. 

Not my day ... or maybe its the project ...

I found this bag I wanted to make - first I have too little fabric, then I go get some fabric. And everything should be well right? Yeah you would think so - at least I did ...
But when I unfold the bundle of fabric I got - so I could prepare it for cutting ... And the damn thing is almost U-shaped, from when they ripped it off the role at the store. I tried for like an hour to yank it and stretch it and pull it ... to get it proper ...  But NO ...
Even desperate enough to call my mum for help. According to her pulling and stretching it should help ... after about the 3rd phone call she agreed to come by in the morning to assist me ...   So lets hope she can help ... or I will have to go down to the store again to see what they have for solution ...
Sometimes getting a new hobby you feel so useless cause you don't have a clue what the tricks and fixes are ...

Here is a piccy - with the edges on the fabric lined next to each other - and this being the middle ...

And part 2 of my whining ... I stopped by the library today ... they had 4 books about quilting ... 3 of then only showing pics of  finished things - but not explaining how you did it ... and the 4th book was something that was most likely older than me ... Not really impressed. Someone need to assign some money to upkeep the libraries - cause they are only having crap. OK I stop ranting ...

But at least I got a table and a chair sorted for my sewing machine - so just get my fabric fixed and I should be good to go =)

But I forgot the scissor ...

For some reason - even tho I only cut fabric with my seamstress scissors, just like my mom and grandma always told me, my scissors got a chip in the blade. And ofc that make cutting fabric a PITA.
So since my plans for today got canceled ... and it was estimated dry weather. I took a trip to town to get some scissors. I should guessed the day was going to be bad as soon as I stepped out my door and needed an umbrella. After 3 min in town I was SOAKING wet, even with an umbrella.
But back to the scissors. I checked the sewing store, and got lost in this "Rotary Cutters", don't even thing I saw any scissors. But the cute little rotary cutters costed 285NOK ($47.5) at the sewing shop, and I checked the hobby store 99NOK ($16.5). In the end I ended at a household-crafts-tools shop, they had the same "no name" brand one as the hobby store. But this time for 69NOK ($11.5) - and I got a "self-healing cutting mat" 99NOK ($16.5). And I was so happy with my shopping ...

But I forgot the scissors ...
Guess that's for next time then ... (plan is I have to go to town tomorrow too)

And ofc I had to try it when I got home. I found some misc fabrics, and a 2.5 inches plastic mold. And it is so much fun ... I have a problem tho ... no clue what to do with a million 2.5 inches patches, but I guess I can worry about that later.

Pretty in pink ? or maybe not ...

Playing and sewing is fun - but today I was not in the mood to iron and other things. Some days its just too hot to iron right ?
So I found something that was fairly flat as it was. And I found this adorable bunny - works as a scent bag, if you have herbs or so in it. I didn't have herbs - so mine is stuffed with pillow stuffing

Pretty in Pink ?

Again I don't like the colors, but its the skills not the color that is the point when your starting out and practicing right? I know the bunny is suppose to have a face ... but that is on next skill level ...

I got some misc fabrics while visiting my mum on Friday, so I'm using them to practice, cause the colors are a bit out of date and most likely not fitting with anything ... Well if I am lucky I might make something that is "usable" - for other than prototype test projects.

Stay tuned - and see what it will be next time.

My first attempt ... Dresden Quilt

I been playing with my sewing machine today.
And after looking a bit online on different kinda quilt-blocks - I thought the Dresden looked cool, and not to difficult...  So I figured out I give it a try.

It ended up being the worlds smallest place-mat, please excuse the colors - its one of those "what ever is on the top" picks. The "circle" never ended to be a circle - so I figured out I just use the good part of it ... and the round thing in the middle ... didn't work out either ... But I guess it works for a first attempt ?  and I just the old fashion way - drawing on fabric and cutting with scissors.

A tiny splurge ... and a long wait ...

I was in town today and I totally fell in love ... with a fabric.
I have this pattern I got a few weeks back (Cant get into that cause its a secret - to my sister ...) and the plan is that we are going to make a handbag each when she comes to town for her vacation.

Isn't it awesome =)

Problem is ... my sister wants to go on vacation with her husband first ... so poor me and my awesome cute handbag has to wait for I'm guessing 4-6 more weeks ... 

Strange right ... how can vacation be more fun than sewing ... 

But the fabric is awesome right ? 

(I will post pics of the finished projects - when ever that happens) 

Tho maybe the wait is good ... cause the buttons I need ... are still in Cincinnati... 

My New Toy =)

I been trying my best to save for a sewing machine, but never really got there. But due to my mom inheriting some money, she decided to give me one. So I got my new toy this past Wednesday.
Its a Bernina Bernette H70. Ok I know its just a little silly one - but its HEAPS better then my old one, and it has all these fancy new things it can do =)

So now all I need to do is figure out how to make new fun things ...
I am currently busy killing some old and very ugly curtains, that will never ever be hung as curtains again at least ...  Not sure what will live on as ... if they projects even are a success ...

Well Have a look back later to see if I made any progresses in either of my hobbies ...
I am branching out, beads, chain-maille, sewing and cross-stitching.

Rumors has it ...

I should have made and posted something Vampiric style jewelery like a few days ago ...
I totally lost time and energy to make something - I was sure I still had time. Cause no one reminded me to get my head out of the sand and start doing things ...
I do actually have the stuff I needed to do to make mt planed thing ... just not the ability to get it done just now.

So please don't hate me - my health should hopefully stabilize and make me able to do something soon ...
At least I hope so.

I am still around and I still do fiddle with my crafts - things just goes a whole lot slower that usual. I wont go into why cause thats an awful long and boring story.
So keep checking back and sooner or later there will be something new here ...

(and as a PS: my spell check dont work - so please forgive typos)

A strange idea ... maybe...

I have lately been branching out into some other crafts ... And ofc I feel like blogging about some of that too ... but I am curious should I make 2 blogs or have a mixed blog ?
There is ofc good and bad reasons for both - a pure jewelry and a pure sewing blog separate from each other is easier for those followers that is only interested in one or the others ... But on the other hand it will also mean that there might be longer gaps between posts if you have them separately.
Also mixed blogs might give more wide range of ideas and things to read about ...

So I am asking all my readers, if there is anyone left out there, what you think I should do?

Back from the dead ... sort off ...

Nature seen to decide I needed a break. For all those that has been wondering, I been knocked out with the flu, for like the last 4-5 weeks. I seem to be mending, and hopefully able to bead something soon.
I have a few projects coming up, a bracelet for a swap, a 3 part design challenge and ofc the button swap.
The bracelet will be shipped in about 2 weeks and ofc not posted before it arrives at its destination.
The design challenge will be posted and revealed (hopefully) in end of May - early June.
The button swap is due at the end of April. I have sent my buttons to my partner - but so far not gotten any back.

Think that is it ... at least there will be somethings to look forward too and read about here soon.
I also have some other plans ... but that is more "wait and see what it turns out too be".

Hope everyone is doing good - and being healthy ... and that my flu is gone for good soon.