ART IS YOU PETALUMA 2014 Workshop List

Wowza!  I can't believe the wonderful workshops that will be at ART IS YOU Petaluma next year!  The only downer is that I waited too long to take Tracy Verdugo's SACRED MARKS class and it isn't offered this time. Still, there will be plenty to choose from!

See the list of workshops here.  Registration opens on January 1!

The ART IS YOU retreats offer such a great time!  2014 will be my fourth year. 

Here I am back in September with the lovely ladies who make it all possible:

Of course, I would like you all to come and join me in Petaluma.  But, there are ART IS YOU retreats in Mississippi and Connecticut and Australia as well!  Lots to choose from!

Hope to see you in 2014!

24 Hours of Happy

I keep a playlist of songs in my phone that I reserve for those moments when I need a happiness boost.  One of my "happy" songs is Pharrell Williams' HAPPY.  I can't listen to it without having my spirits lifted. My friend Anna shared with me that Williams has the first 24 hour music video.  Drop in any time you want and see a dancer dancing along the streets of L.A. to "Happy." 

This is making me happy today:

LINK



(I'm just bummed I didn't get to be in the video.)

Sew Amazing Indeed!

I think you all know that I have been without a sewing machine for a few months now.  All my big plans for sewing Christmas gifts went out the window. I love my basic little sewing machine but the repairs were going to be $130.  I kept putting off repairing it each month until I could pull together the money.  My mother found a new Brother on sale for not much more than a repair would cost and got it as my Christmas present. It just came a few days ago and is sitting under the tree. As if things couldn't get any better...

I entered a contest with SKIP TO MY LOU in conjunction with "Melly Sews."   It was their Sew Amazing giveaway. Want to see the prize package?

Mouth-watering, isn't it?  I have wanted a serger for years. And $600 would buy a lot of fabric!  However, with over 47,000 entries, I didn't think any more about it.

I got an e-mail this morning saying that I WON!!!  I WON!!!  Christmas came early this year!  In the form of a prize package worth somewhere in the region of $1300!

My church bazaar will be next Fall and I can't wait to see all the things I can make with this prize package.  Everyone is getting homemade sewn gifts from me in 2014!!!

Thanks so much to one of my long-time favorite blogs, SKIP TO MY LOU.  What a gift!

Taking Time for Creativity

This is such a busy time of year.  I feel lucky that I managed to finish Noodlebug's Advent calendar. Since I sell Barefoot Books in addition to my regular job, my weekends get pretty full.

(P.S. Barefoot is having a pretty spectacular flash sale right now!  See details on my Barefoot blog.)

I decided that Noodle and I needed to go do something special together.  We are lucky to have the Charles Schulz Museum in our own backyard.  When I saw that they were hosting a class called "How to Draw with You Child" aimed at younger children, I jumped at the chance to take it.

So, on Black Friday, we spent the day in a class with Joe Wos learning how to be creative together.  He taught us that if we know the alphabet, we can use letters to make all kinds of pictures. 

(a little disappointing to watch the dad in the background completely focused on his phone.)

Noodle thought that Joe's story about how the tortoise got his cracks was pretty hilarious.

 

We left the class with lots and lots of pictures and even a few made by Joe himself.  Noodle was especially amazed by how Joe used the letter's of my son's name to make a picture of a tiger. It is now hanging in my son's room.

Here is an example of a picture we drew using letters.  Noodle's picture is on the left and mine is on the right. Pretty good for a 5-yr-old!

It was a really special time together and much much better than running around wasting money on things we don't need. I hope we can find more classes like this to do together!

Advent Calendar Finished!

I finished Noodlebug's Advent Calendar!  Just in time.

The above photo is a little blurry but you can get an idea of what it looks like.  Each drawer holds a charm to be hung on the tree. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out except for the fact that you can see the threads showing through the linen. But I can live with that. 

I learned how to do this project from Amy Powers' CRAFT HAPPY class.  It is the only crafty thing I have done in months!!!

The embroidery technique was pretty easy and I love how it looks.  I put Noodlebug in charge of filling the drawers with charms. 

 

He was very excited to hang the first charm yesterday!

It was a lot of work pulling together all the materials and putting it together but I'm happy with it. I try to do one homemade gift for Noodle each year and this will be this year's gift.