the tenth woodlanders desktop calendar...

October starts tomorrow, and it will bring some really good things! We need to start with a new desktop calendar though. So, grab one from the sidebar!

Now, here's a look at some upcoming October fun:

Caregiver Kits! I can't talk about them enough, so expect to hear a lot about this project throughout the month.

New sponsors! There are already a couple of folks that will be starting up soon.

Freebie patterns, including a guest Halloween set!

Giveaways! A bunch of them. (Some here, and a few other places too!)

News and peeks of an upcoming project for Christmas!

Lots more things that I probably don't even know about yet...I'm so excited about October!

striped with envy...

Oh dear, is right. I have discovered the most wonderful store. I would probably be happy with everything that Lark Handmade sells. Like this striped dear cup. But most of all, this coordinating lunch bag, which I would totally use as a purse:

They also have pretty candies in pretty striped bags...

And a super wonderful vintage-looking craft kit...

Want to know what makes me sad about this? They are located in Australia, and shipping is nearly as much as the items! Sigh...

But I think (I think!) that I may be able to locate a few of these a bit closer...

(all images from Lark Handmade)

tomorrow's update...

There are seven new items for the shop tomorrow, and I'm not kidding...I wasn't sure that all were going to happen. Life has been throwing me for a loop lately. In fact, there are still more things to do to really be done with everything, but it is *this close*!!!

Anyway, here's a look at what I've cooked up...or in the case of these first items, baked up...




This is a set called "Dough!", and there are embroidery patterns and printable recipe cards.




The Cuckoo clock all finished, and made into a set of printable items, and an embroidery pattern!

A Nativity pattern, which I am nearly finished stitching...



And then, prepare yourself, because this is awfully cute...



Otter printables, and, and...



A mini pattern. It's difficult to see in the photo, but I hooped thin white fabric with the floral around the edge so that you can see just a hint of the floral showing through. Kinda fun!

All of these new things will show up in the shop tomorrow (no specific time). But do remember that if you wait until Friday, the profits will go towards Caregiver Kits!

25 in a month...

If you've been around for a while, you know that I have a passion for the work of World Vision. They do sooooo much good, and they help in so many ways. The Girls in Crisis fund, is a new project I've worked on (see the exclusive pattern info in the right side bar), but one of my favorite things is Caregiver Kits.

Last year, we did two rounds of fundraising, and made a total of 45 Caregiver Kits. This time, it will be for a shorter amount of time, but we can still do something big...



This is a collaborative effort for the month of October, so I need your help to reach this goal! There are two ways to do this:

1) Buy something. During October, 100% of profits from my shop go towards Caregiver Kits. Tomorrow I'll be sharing new items that will be coming this week.

2) Sponsor the blog. All October sponsorship payments go toward Caregiver Kits. This means that I'll accept as many new sponsors are as interested (the number will be limited following this effort). Contact me for more info.

I'm very excited about this, and know that with our help, God will do amazing things to help those in need of care! And come Friday, watch the sidebar for a progress report. The fun starts on Friday!

what keeps us blogging...

Hello Monday! I am determined to get through, and have it be a good day! Sometimes with days like this, it's all one can do to survive the day, let alone blog and not be a total grump about it. And it's not just Mondays, right? Blogging on a regular, or somewhat regular, basis can be a challenge. So I asked all of my wonderful sponsors this question:

"What keeps you blogging on a regular basis?"



Michelle from Scissor Quirk said...

The inspiration it gives/brings! Well, and the accountability part of it, too. lol. I visit a ton of blogs for inspiration and to feel artistically connected, someway somehow, to some of my favorite artists. I figure it's only good ju-ju/karma that I give something back to blogland for it giving me so much inspiration - and in the hopes that I, too, may inspire somebody. :) Plus - I need deadlines to work (I'm the queen of starting-but-not-finishing), so the fact that I need something to post next is sometimes good enough oomph to get her done! And it's just fun, too.



Holly from Mommy Holly said...

Blogging is my outlet. :) I can share, exhibit, teach, beautify, and befriend through my blog. I can tell stories, share photos, and keep a running online record of my life. And above all, it is my way to keep in contact with like-minded individuals- the community that bloggers have built is amazingly extensive and so beautiful! :)



Kara from I Just Might Explode said...

I blog regularly for a few reasons which I are tied to the reasons I actually blog.

I blog as therapy. I'm a proponent of honest blogging, because I think transparency is personally healthy and because I think there is a wonderful human connection found in it. I blog as therapy to keep myself sane, to ask for help, and show everyone else that it is okay to not be okay.

I blog for recording. I art journal and journal on occasion, but my blog is not only a record of the events and activities in my life, but record of who I was in that point in time.

I blog for community. I have some great friends whom I have met from blogging and I love the interaction I get from comments and reading other people's blog.

I think those are all good reasons to blog and all three of them are constantly encouraging me to keep doing it. I love the release of honest writing, the laugh I get from reading old, dorky posts, and the great people and insight I get to encounter everyday.

Jessica from A Little Gray said...

I think the creative community online is what keeps me blogging regularly. It's really cool how I've "met" people though blogging. And there is so much inspiration out there that I just feel like I should be trying to add to it. I want to be a small contributor, not just an observer. My son Hendrix is my biggest creative inspiration so I'm including a picture of him.

Katie from Green Bean Studio said (er, well, drew...love it!)...

The Mystery Joy Attack said...

The thing that keeps me blogging on a regular basis is the commitment to MJA that I made years ago. It was an idea we had formulated nearly three years back and have slowly built up, and I truly believe in the sentiment of spreading unconditional joy. The fact that blogging allows us to do this is a micro kinda way online, alongside our packages, means that the joy is all the more accessible. Blogging every day is fun for us too, as in the process of finding posts, we find new things that bring joy to us too. It's all about the joy! I love that blogs are unconditional forums of creativity and expression. I had never wanted one before, but MJA seemed perfect for one, as opposed to a website. Now I would like to have blogs for all of my hobbies!



Tara from Sew Tara said...

I try to blog on a regular basis! The funny thing is I started my blog, almost a year ago now, as a way to keep myself crafting. I thought it would create some accountability and momentum if I was putting it out there that I intended to be crafty and keep it up, sort of a outloud promise to myself. It was all for me and so I was pretty delighted once I had regular readers, comments and some emails, it's been great. Now things have shifted a bit and I have to make the time for blog posting thanks to all the silly crafting I'm wrapped up in! Inspiration is everywhere for me now and my ideas are like popcorn in my mind. I get one little thought and suddenly 4 or 5 ideas are busting out from that one, it's contagious! Fantastic too. I get to be crafty, be a mom to my little boys, work as a teacher and am surrounded with creative people. I have it all right now and it's great.

Wow! I was going to ad something here myself, but everyone here has covered all of my favorite reasons! Thank you so much to my fantastic sponsors. Be sure to stop by each of their blogs, because they have good stuff to share!

If you're interested in having your blog sponsor Wild Olive, I'd love to have you! In fact, watch the blog for more info about what will be happening for all new October sponsors...

a new do...

I have not cut my hair (other than trimming bangs) for over a year. Yep. And it was time. So today I went from this:


(I called this my Jenny Hart look, although it was pretty much NEVER down)

To this:


(Officially, this is based on a Heidi Klum cut. Never thought THAT would happen!)

Do we like? I think that I totally love it...

makin' bacon...

I've been hanging onto a little project until either a) I got together with my friend to give her what I made, or b) Spoonflower opened voting for Kawaii fabrics. Catherine and I have still not seen each other (close your eyes and ears, dear!), soooo....



Before you do anything, please, please, please go and vote for my "Bacon Makes Everything Better" fabric on Spoonflower. There are so many wonderful choices, and I really don't think that I have even a sporting chance, but I'll beg for votes anyway.



Now, to share something fun that you can use your bacon fabric for. You only need a swatch of it to make a couple of these, so it's not even a huge investment (in the event that you don't know what you would use a yard of bacon fabric for...). But whether you need a little or a lot, you can purchase the fabric here.



Cut out a strip of bacon, leaving about 1/4" around it. You'll also need to cut three more pieces that match this, but they can be from plain old white cotton.



Stack the bacon and one plain piece, then stitch along the bottom. Keep your thread going, then add the other two pieces behind.



Continue stitching all around the bacon until you get to the bottom again.



Sew the bottom of the two back pieces together, but of course, not to the front.



Tie everything off securely, and you're set to do a little finger puppet act with some sweet bacon! The extra layers of fabric are an easy way to add some stability. The puppet will stand up better, but still be floppy. (My brothers always ask for "floppy bacon", as opposed to the crisp turkey bacon that I prefer!)

Now, don't forget to vote!

get on the list...

Just a quick note to say, if you're not on the Mailing A-List, you should be. Especially because I will soon be sending out something fun! (Let's just say, you'll be cuckoo for this one...)

You'll find the sign-up box in the left sidebar!

vintage geometry stripes...

(photo links to Flickr...find the treasury link below)

I was looking through Etsy treasuries, and I found a beauty. Vintage. Color-Coordinated. Stripes. Of course, they had me at the stripes, and all the rest was icing on the cake.

You'll find this lovely collection, curated by Etsy seller MissPott, at {Vintage Geometry}

You know, I never tire of wearing stripes on Thursday, but sometimes finding good stripey things to blog about can be a challenge to me. Thank goodness there are so many fun things out there to hunt down.

Do you have any stripes to share?

cuckoo for you...

I thought it might be fun to do a full color version of my cuckoo clock, and have it be available on some printables. They are coming along!

There are a few items that are close to being finished and ready to list, but I think I'm going to wait until October. Why? Because October brings good things!

on stem or outline stitch...

There is something you should know. The stem stitch and its close relative, the outline stitch, eludes me. I can kind of do it, but it never looks pretty. I believe that a good part of this is because I embroider with the stabbing method in a hoop, not the sewing method.

But I have happy news!



Do you see this? Do you see that pretty stem stitch? Here's another look:



And better still:



This last pic is from a finished piece that I'm still not quite ready to share. But the point is, I'm stem stitching. Sort of.

Really what I'm doing is back stitching, but placing the needle further back, and under the previous stitch. I learned this version from Amy of Early Bird Special, and I am so thankful she shared this method! Yes, it's technically cheating, but it's better than nothing.

a quiet monday...

I wasn't sure what today might look like, because, you know. Mondays. They can be filled with all kinds of crazy. Instead, today has been almost peaceful.

I've done a little bit of sketching for some new ideas, and while drawing, this happy little peppermint stick appeared on my page. He's kinda cute, don't you think? Happy doodles are the best...

Now I'm about to do some work on an idea that has been kicking around for like, a year. And then, perhaps I'll get to stitching up the next new pattern. Or something. It's sort of a no pressure day. I love that.

i'm not even kidding...

You MUST make these doughnut muffins. They are amazing. Amazing, I tell you!

today i...

...made something pretty with crochet thread (still a secret!).

...thought about cleaning up my workspace.

...drank a giant glass of my favorite flavor of kool-aid.

...finished stitching my cuckcoo clock, just in time for my parents' 34th anniversary.

...make some earrings like these.

...gave a few siblings haircuts.

...didn't clean up my workspace.

...enjoyed the day.

my heart skipped a beat...

I recently received a gift from someone I love. It's vintage, and therefore, used, but I think that adds to the charm. Want to see?



oooh...little boxes are sure to bring good things! (especially from Marshall Field's)



What's this? Not what you were expecting? Who knew that thimbles came in such fancy boxes?!



But as you can see, this box was made purely for holding this very shiny, very lovely thimble.



It's no engagement ring, but it looks nearly as pretty...

(by the way, the person who gave this to me was my grandpa!)

sharing stripes...

Did you know that you are really good at motivating me? You are.

I've been working slowly at stitching this new embroidery pattern, but it would go a lot slower if it weren't for the fact that I promised to share this with you, and I can't let you down! (Fine, so maybe you don't care that much, but let me think that you do...it helps.)



So, what I'm sharing here is:

1) Me wearing stripes on a Thursday.

2) A half-finished cuckoo clock.



This is definitely more involved that what I usually do, but I'm loving it.

My grandpa has a cuckoo clock, which stopped working not too long ago. It has always been a favorite thing at my grandparents' house, especially when I got to pull the chains to wind it! This clock looks NOTHING like his, but it is still inspired by it. And when it is done, I can see this hanging in our dining room. Hopefully my mom will see it the same way!

the ninth woodlanders embroidery pattern...

Here is the newest Woodlanders pattern! The simplicity of this one makes this a quick stitch, which I love. So much, that I thought it would be a fun one to make into a hair clip. At least that was my plan. For now it's still an unfinished plan...



You can see where this is going though, right? I promise it will get finished and I'll show it to you. (Think fascinator.)

Download the pattern.

beeeeean bags...

My dad called me yesterday from the AWANA fun fair set-up to ask if we had any bee bean bags. Specific, right? Since we didn't have any, I offered to make some. I could see them in my head, but it involved [dum, dum, dum....] the sewing machine.

One of my goals for this year has been to get over my sewing machine issues. Last Christmas-gift-making season, I broke about 5 needles. This year, I haven't broken any. Because until last night, I didn't touch the sewing machine!

But as you see, I survived, as did the needle! Granted, I did have my mom thread everything, because thread tension is the most probably source of my problems. But still...I'm a happy girl.

And I think that the bees themselves are quite cute! I cut them all freehand, so they are each a bit different, but it works. My brothers and sister have suggested that they need eyes, but I say no. They look more like a simple graphic this way, and I love that look!

more ways to keep your spot...

A few weeks ago, I made some printable bookmarks, and they were a hit! I had ideas for more of these, and at last, I made some! You can refer back to the post with the first set for more detailed instructions, but essentially you'll trim, add magnet tape (the really thin kind), and fold it over your page.



This new set includes a clothespin, watercolors, a traffic light, a birch log, and a rainbow.



But the best part is, my genius sister discovered a new fun way to use these!



Anna has an inspiration line on her wall, which has a few strands of crochet thread draped. Then she uses clothespins to hold pretty pictures up there. Guess what? The magnet bookmarks also make wonderful magnet clips! Yay!

So, now you can keep your spot, and keep some inspiration around!

Download Set 2 of the Magnet Bookmarks/Clips.

congratulations are in order...

When you read a lot of blog posts, you tend to skim. Which is why I nearly missed some exciting news from one of my sponsors, a little gray. I was all excited about her lovely list, and almost didn't notice her list item #9: Jessica is expecting a new baby!

Congratulations, dear!

next week...

After feeling down on Thursday, I got a little boost. (Sometimes I think that simply communicating how you feel makes a difference!) Anyway, here's a little preview of things that I have to share next week...

-More magnet bookmarks!

-A fun vintage find.

-The next Woodlanders embroidery pattern.

-A better look at the new pattern that I'm stitching (seen above).

I love looking forward to a week of blogging, and I tell ya, it's going to be good!