LET'S GET CRAFTY.......

I was offered a challenge to come up with some refrigerator magnets.  So after much thought and research I came up with an idea I thought may work. 

As always I first gathered some supplies and got my craft on !!!!

I poured some plaster, painted, resined and added magnets and after all my work I ended up with these.

This display is headed for our mercantile, but I just couldn't resist making a special one for my refrigerator.

 

Now it's time to put away the supplies and sewing machines for awhile so that I can attend another art show and auction and with any luck hit a few new fabric stores !!!!!

QUILTING IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had what I thought was a brilliant idea, that was until I began to execute that plan.  My "brilliant" idea was to make some table runners using fabric scraps left from making napkins and burlap to match the placemats I had made for the mercantile.

I began simple enough with cutting out 48 4"x4" squares of fabric (took way longer than I anticipated).

 

After two days of cutting and sewing the pieces together my thoughts were "this isn't much fun" and I almost aborted the mission, but figured I would finish it and make it to fit my dining room table, so back to the cutting board I went and cut another 18 squares.  Once I had all my pieces sewn together I ironed on some batting and set about the "quilting" process.

 

 

I chose a simple "X" in the middle of each square to cut down on my quilting time.  Once this step was finished I cut and stamped a piece of burlap, sewed both sides together and I have a beautiful two-sided table runner for my dining table.

 

 

I am so happy with how this turned out, but I worked on it for 4 days and I don't think I could ever be paid enough to give it up.  That leaves me with the question "Do I want to do more?"  Only time will tell.

I'M JUST HAVING TOO MUCH FUN !!!!!

I spend so much time in my sewing/craft room and I didn't know when I acquired all my many stash piles what exactly I was going to do with everything, I just enjoyed having it.  But now that our new gallery/mercantile owner and I have found each other I have been having so much fun.  Making things to go into the mercantile I have been able to pull out some of those stashes and put them to good use.  I don't worry about whether or not someone will like it, will it fit, does it fit their personality or décor I've just been making what I love and it seems strangers also enjoy my things, which makes me even happier.

I have just completed some items I'll be delivering to the store in a couple of days.  I have made handbags before but have never worked with magnetic snaps or purse handles, but I did have them in my stash, now some of them will find a new home soon.

 

When delivering my items to the mercantile I like to make certain they get displayed well and when thinking about what I had for displaying handbags one night I remembered a coat rack my grandfather had made me some 40 plus years ago, so I pulled it out along with hair ties I had and after working with everything for awhile I am very pleased with how this display will look in the store.

 

When I moved to our little town 3 years ago I had no intention of staying as long as I have and putting my grandfathers hand made coat rack in our little store has made me reflect a little about planting roots.  See this coat rack was made from trees he had planted on his property right after he built his home and the place where my handprints will not only be in foundation forever but a place where I grew up.  Although the little forest of trees know longer exists and that house is no longer in the family this little coat rack reminds me of the roots my grandparents instilled in me.

BELT MERCANTILE AND ART GALLERY

I finally made it down to our new local mercantile and gallery.  The owner (Anne) of the gallery has worked for three years to turn an old transmission shop into a gallery and although my photography skills don't do it justice I wanted to share a few things.  Most of these pictures are things I have contributed to the mercantile room and with the gallery only have been open 7 days I am happy to report that some of my merchandise has already found a new home.  That is great news for me, but also adds a little pressure as our little town has two major rodeo events in June which brings in a lot of out of town people besides the normal spring/summer tourists and I have several out of state art shows and auctions I will be attending during this time so my sewing machine has been working overtime.

 

THE MERCANTILE ROOM

                                                     FOR THE COWGIRL IN ALL OF US

                                                            FOR THE COWGIRL HOME

                                    AS ANNE WOULD SAY "THIS IS MY HAPPY PLACE"

And of course, I didn't take any pictures of the outside of the gallery, but I will save that for another day and will do my best to remember to take pictures before items go to the gallery.

GOT FABRIC SCRAPS ????

I can't bring myself to rid my sewing room of all my fabric scraps so I am constantly seeking ways to use them up and after some searching through my many stockpiles I came up with some purse handles I had acquired several years ago

 

Then I cut up some fabric scraps

 

 

sewed them all together and added some iron-on batting and set about "quilting" the pieces

 

 

After assembling all my pieces I came up with the perfect little fabric scrap handbag

 

 

CAN'T BELIEVE APRIL IS OVER !!!!!!

It's been longer than I like since I last posted, but my days have been fun filled.  Lots of guests, road trips and of course preparing for a new gallery opening.  I was asked to prepare a "mercantile" room for the new art gallery and to help fill it with "cowgirl" items.  This was such a fun challenge for me and I had every intention of taking pictures once the room was completed, but haven't done that yet, fortunately I did take a few pictures of a few of the items I did do.

First there were some pillows 

 

Some hand stamped burlap placemats

 

 

And something for the walls

 

 

Of course, I finished the table settings with napkins, napkin rings and wine charms.  Couldn't do a mercantile room without some jewelry and signs, but you will have to wait until I get to the gallery to take some pictures to share.