Stir Crazy!!!!

We are going Crazy Around here!

We are going on 4 days of all of us staying in this house together.  So far we have all survived each other.  Ryan has been in bed the whole time with the flu.  I have been staying in Maranda's room every night (which has been surprisingly comfortable).  My parents and my sister Stefanie and her family all headed to the cabin in Angel Fire to get away, and now I am thinking that we should have followed!  However, my other sister, Stacie, and I worked on finishing up booking our Disney cruise for the spring with a extra few days at Disney World!  Being stuck in the house during this "blizzard" makes me really excited to go to Florida!  Ryan was actually in Florida all last week on a golf trip with a few buddies and it was colder there at that time than it was here!  ha ha ;)

Well, I  get a little tired of sitting at the sewing machine nonstop.  I love to sit down and do a little needle work (which is my favorite thing to do).  I started working on a Crab Apple Hill piece that is called Winter.  I still have to put the wool and beads on, and then finish the embroidery.  I am just cooped up so I thought I would share what I did all evening last night as my children ran wild through our home!

I got to use my tracing light again to trace the design.

I like to sit on the floor in front of the fireplace and t.v. to work.
(Yes Robin you are seeing all your beloved Valdani!! :)

Here is the pattern and some of the flosses I found to use too.  They are Weeks brand and it happens to be what the pattern called for.  I got lucky!

All I have gotten done is the names and the stems.

My mess on the floor.

Gabe decided he wanted to make a flower for me for Valentine's.  :)  My sweet boy!

Coconut has enjoyed some nice leisurely days in the house!  She absolutely LOVES the snow!

And to my mother in law Cindy...... Yes I have been cooking and cleaning.  We have sat at the table to eat dinner every night.  I actually let Ryan come out of the sick room for the first time in 3 days to sit and eat steak , potatoes and salad.  ;)  Then I made him go right back in.  He is at the doctor right now.  Pray they take the kids back at school tomorrow!!!!

Frenchy and Birdie!

I have been sewing my tail off in this blizzard!  I love making my Amy Butler bags.  My partner in crime, Leslie, just taught a class on the birdie last week and I missed it!  I won't miss her next one though!  This was my second birdie sling to make.  I think it may find a home with my dear girlfriend Holly:)

 I cut out the Frenchy today (always so much cutting!).  I put it together tonight.  

Over exposed pic sorry!  My plans are to make some pillows and ruffle pants for my Maranda.   We will see though.   I really need to work on my wool crazy quilt!  My next class is coming up soon and I need to get it done!

Blizzard Days

Valentine Table Runner

I love Valentines and I love the color's red and pink!  I found this pattern by Shabby Fabrics and fell in love.  It took me a couple of days to make it.

It is a table runner for Valentine's Day.  I first cut all my 5 x 5 squares and made the runner on Saturday night.

Maranda is getting over the flu so I was able to stay home and work on the applique` and beading all day.  I had to first trace all of my applique` with my light box.

The house was nice and quiet.  The boys were at Nana and Papa's all day, Ryan was at his folks getting their generator going for the blizzard and M was in her pallet watching t.v. all day as she recouped.  I sat on the floor with a nice cup of Tulsi "honey chamomile" tea.

Some of my hearts cut out!

I tried to contain all my mess into this container.

Ric rac, beads and sequence were sewn on to embellish.

This is a picture of it complete.  The applique` is on both ends of the runner.

Maranda is feeling much better finally today however Ryan is in our room  burning up with fever.  The kids and I are enjoying watching the blizzard blow into our neck of the woods.

Published Paper Doll!!!

Pink Cupcake

I got published!!!! :)

I sent a few of my cupcake liner paper dolls to "Art Doll Quarterly" magazine last summer.  I got an email from Jana in November from the magazine letting me know that they were going to publish it this February.  

 I was super excited to receive my complementary copy today!  The article talks about who I am and what I do.  They even called me a mixed media artist lol!!  This has been a really fun experience!  In the article it also talks about my obsession with my Catherine Moore stamps that I use to make all my dolls.   I love Catherine and her doll stamps:)

This is a couple of the other paper dolls I had fun making too.

Maranda's room

Maranda's Room 

This is my little Maranda's room.  It is finally finished.  I love this room!  My girlfriend Kasey had custom made a bedroom set similar to this for Jennifer, another girlfriend of ours.  I fell in love with it! 

My mother in law also helped out with the work load and made the beautiful bed skirt and gorgeous balloon curtains.  The curtains were an act of love to make I assure you! lol!

Maranda decided to put on her party dress and pose for a picture:)
Thanks again Kasey and Cindy for your awesome work!!!!

A few of my favorite things!

A few of my favorite things!
I got some exquisite handmade gifts from some of my best girlfriends this Christmas!

 Leslie took a lot of time (I am so flattered) to make me this sewing book.  She is Ruth Rae  Jr.

 She kept having me pose for pictures lately but I didn't know what she was up to.

 I love this new book with all of it's great little pockets.  I will be able to use it for my scissors, threads, seam ripper, etc.  Thank you Leslie!  I love it and you too!

Holly made me this bracelet after I drooled all over her sister Amy's wrist looking at one she made similar for her!  I love this and wish the picture did it justice for just how beautiful it is!  I wear it all the time!!!  Thank you Holly XOXO

Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas

I guess I wasn't alone in making Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls.  I know about 8 other people that had the same idea.  They turned out great and I made two big pans full.  I love her cook book because it is sooooo Oklahoma.  It is everything we always make around here and shows why we are such a fat state. ;)

 I also made my friend Jackie Peter's blue berry, cream cheese French Toast.  This is always a big hit!

Santa (PaPa Steve) comes every Christmas morning driving up in his red 38' Ford with Mrs. Clause (NaNa).  Thankfully my sisters and I live in a 4 mile radius.  Santa gets to make all the rounds and eat cinnamon rolls, biscuits and gravy and pancakes.  The Clause's get stuffed Christmas morning! 

 This Feather Weight was one of my favorite gifts this year!

 Luke loved his OU quilt I made for him :)

 Gabe also loved his quilt of planets I made for him!  I used glow in the dark thread to quilt his!

 I am working on a quilt for Maranda and already made one for her in the fall that she now snuggles.  In this picture Maranda is wearing a Christmas skirt that my friend Jemellia made for her.  She got lots of attention in it!

 This is what is going on with the wool crazy quilt this week.  I will do another post on this and the class next month.  I love doing this.  Embroidery may be my favorite thing in the world to do!!

 This is my hobo fringe that I made and have enjoyed carrying this holiday season.  It is an Amy Butler.

This is a picture I took of myself to show my friend Robin.  She made me this rosette necklace that I wore the whole season too.  I even wore it Christmas day:)  I love it!!!!  I bought several of her rosettes to give away as gifts this Christmas too.