Creative Project #16 ~ Aprons & Creative Challenges

This morning my dear friend, Amy, sent me a link to a website where an artist was being interviewed.  This artist was Leah Piken Kolidas of Blue Tree Art Gallery.

Leah hosts a year long creative challenge to create everyday.  I was over the moon since the February challenge I am in on FLickr has kept me so inspired, and I have been wondering what I would do after this one was over.

Of course, without hesitation I joined Leah's group!  After February, instead of blogging every, single day about what I created, I will do one post a week with a selection of items that have come out of my creative journey, because there are other blog posts I am anxious to do.  Like the post on my plate and chair collection!

So after the excitement of finding another creative challenge this morning I went into my studio and worked on some more asterisk blocks for my new quilt and then looked around for something new to dive into.

In one of my first Creative Project Posts I mentioned an apron I wanted to make from Fat Quarterly Magazine.  Here it is........another apron to add to my growing collection.

I LOVE aprons.  They are so practical and pretty - all rolled into one.

This apron will be perfect for art shows.  There is even a tiny pocket for business cards and a pen slot.

Plus two more spacious pockets.

All the printed fabrics I used on this apron are all vintage fabrics, even the backing fabric.

For my last art show I made the apron below out of vintage doilies and got lots of compliments on it.

The owl apron was sent to me in a swap, and also makes a great show apron because of all the handy pockets.

Perhaps another future blog post could be on my apron collection!

Because I am an apronista!

Creative Project #15 ~ Eat Your Veggies

 Today started out as a hectic day, taking one dog and one cat to the vet, and ended with dog agility class.  So my creative time was limited.  The dog if fine....the kitty has a grade 3 heart murmur :(

I managed to squeeze in some sewing machine time, and finished this placemat which was the idea of my cousin, Tara, for her husband.

It also included a cow with a special message......

Tara loved it.....

I tried to make it as masculine as I possibly could.

See you tomorrow with Creative Project #16!

Creative Project #14 ~ Live ~ Love ~ Laugh

Happy Valentines Day!!!!!

I am halfway through my Creative Challenge for February and having a BALL! 

The project I am revealing today has actually taken a few days to complete, just because I always have a million different projects going on all in one day.

Making beads, sewing, quilting, sketching ideas, entertaining my furry children, creating jewelry, cooking, dog agility.....I could go on and on.....I get bored working on the same thing all day long.

I have a busy life, but LOVE every moment of it.  Through all the busyness we all need to do more of this everyday is........

This placemat has been sketched out for months and sitting next to my sewing machine.  I finally decided to make it on Friday.  After I got it made, the common quote *live ~ love ~ laugh* popped into my head and I set out to make the other two placemats.

*Love* was second.

*Live* was third.

Yes, I did it completely backwards from the saying!

I love how they are the same but different.  I love the  funky-scrappy style they have.

It is a simple quote, but one of my favorites.

So let's all set out this week to LIVE MORE, LOVE MORE & LAUGH MORE!

Have a fantastic week!

Creative Project #13 ~ Artbeads Winter Enchantment Challenge

As you know from previous posts I am an Artbeads Design Partner.  The challenge that was recently sent to us was "Winter Enchantment".

Down south, in the tropics, we don't see snow and cold is in the 40's if we are lucky!

On cool, crisp days all the colors seem brighter and more vibrant.  The ocean beams and the trees are screaming green because it is a comfortable temperature for them.
I went with a blue, green and silver color palette.

The design was simplistic with sterling silver chain, a sterling silver toggle, some sterling coiled wire and my lamp worked beads. This toggle was perfect because it looks like a branch from the trees who's color I was trying to capture.
There are so many neat toggles at Artbeads that it was difficult to decide which one I wanted to use.

I am calling this necklace and earring set "Winter Colors".

I am so in love with the diamond cut rollo chain that I got from Artbeads that I have already ordered more.  It is on sale right now so hurry over and stock up!
These earrings are so light that you cannot even feel them on.

The bead just floats below your ear.

I went a little crazy adding beads to the toggle, but I was having so much fun with the beads being the perfect color and adding the coiled sterling silver wire for some fun and texture, that it was difficult to stop.

This design is a lot simpler than I normally do, but it seems that the designs I have in my head to do now are headed in that direction.  We'll see what happens!
Hope your weekend has been fantastic!


The Artbeads.com products in this post were provided as a promotional gift by Artbeads.com, as part of their Design Partner & Blogging program.  I have been asked to review these products and give my honest opinion - good or bad.  My comments and opinions about these products are my honest, personal opinion and I have not been paid for any endorsement.

Winner! WInner!

 I headed over to random number generator and #10 was picked!

The 10th comment was made by *somethingunique*!

Congrats Lana!!!  Send me an email with your address and I can send these out on Tuesday for you :)
Thank you all so much for playing.  I love doing giveaways so there will be more in my blogging future!

Creative Project #12 for February......G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y. for my 100th post!!!!!

Today is the day!! WOW, one hundred posts!!!  This creative challenge I am participating in has helped me get to my 100th post quicker than I normally would have.

This is what I decided to use for the giveaway prize:

Swirls with Swirls earrings.  As always the wire is fine silver wire and they are my lamp worked beads.  I love how that color combo turned out and hope you all like them too.

I have been selling a lot of earrings lately, so I figured I couldn't go wrong with these for a giveaway prize.

Let's go over the *rules* again:

1.  Post a comment under THIS POST for one chance to win (not on Facebook)

2.  Become a follower of my blog for a second chance.

3.  Write about this giveaway on your blog for a third chance!

4.  For each one of the above tasks you do, PLEASE write a separate comment.  This will make it easier for me to use the random number generator.

5. You will have until tomorrow when I make my next post to play :)  I am guessing sometime after lunch - eastern time.

Yesterday I showed you a terrible picture of a ring I was working on yesterday.  I got a half way decent shot this morning even though it is cloudy here.

(the ring is not included in the giveaway prize - only the earrings)

Good luck in the giveaway!

Have an awesome weekend!

Creative Project #11 for February......a little bit of this and a little bit of that!!!

Phew!!! Today has been quite the day.  I have done a bunch of creative things.

First I started to make a silver heart bezel for a ring that has been in my head.  With all the filing, polishing, and soldering that took most of the morning.

Then I had to gather tiny pieces of sea glass and shells to fill the bezel.

I was inspired to do this ring after joining a group on flickr called "Ring A Week" (RAW).

You HAVE to visit that page and see the awesome creations that are being submitted.  There are so many talented jewelers there that I have been intimidated to post anything.

This isn't the greatest picture of the ring.  The resin in it is still drying, so it is the best shot I could get right now.  I will post a better picture over the weekend.

I also have a rack full of quilts to quilt.  Quilt tops that others have made and they have hired me to quilt for them.  So I knocked one of those out today also.

I also made some new beads at some point today, and some new earrings, but the beads are being annealed and while I write this post the earrings are in the tumbler for their final polishing.

Then I put some time into my swaps.....trying to finish some pieces for an embroidery swap I am in.

I have had a quilt top in my head for a while now that I started picking away at today also!

You can find a pattern for a smaller block here at my friends blog, House of Krom.  It is a free pieced block and is tons of fun! I figure if I do a few blocks a day that in no time I will have enough for a quilt.
It has been a busy, busy day!  And some people think I don't work!! HA!

Tomorrow is the big day for my 100th post and giveaway, so come back to tomorrow and sign up to win :)
Hope you have all had a Happy Friday!