Treasure for You

May you find treasure under the tree all year long!

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Holidays

Santa Clause is Coming to Town

Happy Hanukkah

Time to Trim the Tree

Deck the Halls

Hip Hip Hooray!!!! The Workshop is Ready!!!

I am so excited to announce that my workshop, Mini Treasure Box of Dreams, is finished and ready for the opening day of Stitched on January 1st!  This was my first time teaching and creating a video and I am very happy with how it turned out.  Alma's description was "Amazing ...very creative and professional." My husband told me I looked like Martha Stewart.  I'm not sure if everyone would consider that a compliment, but coming from him I know "its a good thing."

If you want to take the workshop, you will have to Register for Stitched.  It is such a wonderful site with 20 great workshops, I highly recommend it.  I took  sneak peak at a few and I am very excited to take them. I now have something to look forward to in January when the weather can be a bit dismal around here.  If you would like your very own Mini Treasure Box of Dreams direct from me, make sure to register today and email me your mailing address.  My last trip to the post office of the year is tomorrow morning. (Think Christmas gift and your special someone will even have a little something to open Christmas morning.)

Now it's time for me to get ready for Christmas--bring on the shopping and holiday cheer!

The video is done!  Or at least I think it is.  I had thought I was done filming Sunday night, but when I listened to the edits in a quiet house yesterday morning I heard little voices in the background.  Luckily, it was only a short segment and didn't involve sewing or painting.  It did take me three tries to get that few minutes of footage though.  The first time, somehow, the top of my head wasn't in the frame.  Then the phone rang right in the middle of the take.  Finally on the third try, everything turned out great.  I'm so happy to be able to wear different clothes today.  I finished editing and adding little touches to the film yesterday.  Now, I'm just waiting for my husband to watch the whole thing to make sure there isn't anything weird that I missed after watching the whole thing too many times.  My oldest daughter also started watching it last night.  She made it through a segment and a half before bed time -- "Mom, I have to finish!  I need to know what happens with the fabric paper!"

Above it my stack of supplies left over.  I didn't use most of the paints I pulled out, but I always like to have a lot of choices when painting fabric or making fabric paper.  I now have a nice selection of painted, quilted fabric and fabric paper in purple and orange.  You can also see on the far left my pile of boxes.  I think I made six in the process of filming.  Another result of my suppressed perfectionist tendencies.  I had so much fun during the process!  

Yesterday, I also took a sneak peak at some of the other videos on the Stitched website.  It is going to be so much fun.  They were great!

The Video Production Studio

Now that all the Arts and Craft Shows are over for the season, I am having a great time working on my Video Workshop, Mini Treasure Box of Dreams, for STITCHED.  I'm not a very good multitasker, so I am enjoying being able to focus all my attention on the workshop.  I cleaned out my art room, hung my work,  moved my desk to the center of the room and have been filming ever sense.  I'm not sure how many hours of footage I have.  I thought I would have a hard time seeing myself on the screen, but I'm getting used to it.  I've also learned a few tricks, like using my son's giant teddy bear as a stand in so I can focus the camera.  He tends to slouch a bit more than me, but it seems to be working.

I'm very glad that we aren't doing any entertaining this holiday season because I don't think I would let anyone except my very closest friends into my house at the moment.  As you can see the window seat and a good portion of the living room is filled with the contents of my art room.  The kids have found a bit of room for displaying the Lego and Playmobile advent calendars.  The also decorated the piano with our collection of snow globes and filled their own rooms with lights.  This year I am just going with the flow and accepting their contributions with lots of love.  No picture perfect Christmas this year.  Instead, I'm going for the perfect video workshop--an artist has to have priorities!

STITCHED Registration Now Open!!!!

I am so excited to announce that registration for STITCHED is OPEN!!!

I don't really mean to be yelling at you, but I'm very excited.  I can't believe that December 1st is already here. Never mind that the house is a disaster and I have no idea what my husband has bought the children for Christmas.  I'm focusing on the excitement and putting on the blinders to the rest.

I would love for you to join me on the STITCHED website.  20 fabric artist are creating 20 online video workshops to encourage you to sew, design and create.  In addition to our video workshop, each of us will  provide you with printable pdf files with patterns, supply lists and instructions. Plus, Alma is creating a video workshop titled, Beaded Fabric Jewelry, and 5 additional mini video workshops. And we will be there to support you along the way in a completely private site. All this for the unbelievably low price of $89.  As an added bonus, within the STITCHED website there will be all kinds of giveaways for students. I've even heard rumors of sewing machines, fabric packages and other goodies.

In my workshop we will make these Mini Treasure Boxes of Dreams.  We will explore my quirky method of backwards quilting, make fabric paper, secretly share our dreams and wishes on some fabric beads, and share the big secret of sewing these boxes 100% on the machine.   Plus I couldn't resist throwing in some extras, like Treasure Tea Boxes and Nesting Boxes.  

Register for STITCHED before December 15th and I will send you a free mini treasure box of dreams as a gift to you.  Simply follow this link to the STITCHED registration page and follow the direction.  Then send me an email with your address to send your free gift. Register for STITCHED I look forward to working with you!