Maybe I'm the stranger...

Well, I'm afraid I don't have the pictures yet that I promised last time.

And I don't really even have a post today.

But - we are getting a better/faster/awesomer internet connection in a few days which hopefully means this whole blogging thing will be easier for me and I will be able to contribute a little more to the internets.

So, until then -

It's sort of difficult to read in this picture, but the quote is:
"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water"
- E. Roosevelt

Blessings

Hi there stranger...

So it's been awhile huh?


Sorry about that.  We were on vacation with my family up in Michigan.  Not somewhere we normally go to vacation, but this time was a little different.  We spent the week on Mackinac Island (pronounced mack-ea-naw for those of us not from the region).  There are no cars on the island - not even scooters or golf carts (except on the golf course...silly goofers!), just horse drawn carriages and bicycles!

And it was chilly, even down right cold part of the time.  Such a wonderful difference from the stagnant heat of New Orleans.  We spent many an hour on the bicycles circling the island, getting off to do some window shopping and ice cream eating and riding through the woods.  


A few milestones were reached during our stay in the island... the first was that my husband and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary.  Go us!  ;)  The little one stayed with Grandma and Grandpa while we walked down to a lovely dinner at a restaurant overlooking the water.  It was perfect for us, beachy colors inside a window filled dining room (J pointed out that the color of the walls was the same color as our wedding cake!), yummy food and happy and friendly staff.   

I even found a quilt pattern in the design of the tiles on the bathroom floor!  Isn't it gorgeous?!

Speaking of sewing...I didn't get much of any of THAT done.  Which is a bit of a bummer.  But lots of time was spent with family so I really can't complain!  I took along my paper piecing teaser from the first issue of CraftSanity Magazine that I had yet to dive into and gave it a whirl.  At first, I really could not understand why people say it's addicting because it seemed like a whole lot of work to me.  But looking at the finished piece now, I really want to do more!  And I hoping to incorporate them into bags and items where they are not usually found.  Mostly though, it was that bathroom floor.  So so beautiful!  


I have been very inspired by the slow making/ slow sewing/ not sure what to call it - but the hand sewing (as in a needle and thread) talk that has been going on these days (more explanation coming soon...).  While working some late hours a few weeks ago, I finished piecing my first Alabama Chanin skirt!  I LOVE it and am happily looking forward to making more!!!  I put the elastic on while we were on vacation.  It doesn't look pretty, but it does it's job and that's really all I can ask of it, I think.  I don't have a picture of the whole skirt (yet), but here is the stencil before the reverse applique was finished. (note:  a few weeks ago my wonderful husband found freezer paper for me - I was beginning to think they didn't sell it in New Orleans, I couldn't find it ANYWHERE.  J to the rescue!!  This was my first freezer paper stencil and I was so happy with how it turned out!!!) (note(2): I did not draw the boat, I found it in Google images) (I think that's the last note...)

In my little sewing bag were also some shirt scraps and random thread.  The first time in a long time I went without a plan - and this was the result...

uh, sorry.  I don't have a picture of that either.  Coming soon!

Look at that, you got me all caught up in talking about sewing and I haven't even mentioned the other milestone!  ;)  Our little Wy is walking!  Definitely can't put my finger on an exact time or place but I know that when we got there he could only take a few steps before he fell down and now he walks across rooms and down hallways with no problem at all!  Things are happening quickly - I'm so glad we were able to spend the whole week with him to see all this unfold.


Alright, I suppose that's enough for now, don't you think?  Until next time...


Blessing friends!

Happy Birthday to...

We had a birthday last month...with a cowboy themed party... can you guess which one of us it was?

No!  It wasn't me! ;)  

Wy turned 1!

I sewed a bandana tie and some denim (from scraps from a denim shirt-turned-apron) onto a plain onsie we already had for a cowboy outfit.

And to complete the outfit, Grandma found a cowboy hat that fit perfectly.

We tried to leave it low-key with a pot luck get together, cupcakes and no gifts.

Somewhere I have better pictures, but since I can't find them, these will do.  Michaels had tissue paper with cow print, denim and a bandana print (score!) that I used to make pom poms (see them hanging there above the island?).

Michaels also had a large assortment of colorful bandanas.  A few pinking shear cuts, felt letters, glue and twill tape and a Happy Birthday banner was done.

I, of course, needed an apron for the occasion and World Market had a perfect set of dishtowels to make one.  I roughly used the pattern in Apronology (one I think I will return to again and again).

Wy LOVES bubbles (in fact bubbles was one of his first words), so i really wanted to have bubbles as favors to have out for people to use during the party and after.  I had the hardest time finding small containers of bubbles that weren't wedding favors.  In fact, I didn't find any other ones so I tried to disguise the wedding part with start stickers and by putting them in glass jars covered in cowboy scrapbook paper.  I'm not sure if people bought it, but they did blow bubbles and that's all that really matters I suppose.

More on my extended absence soon - just have to get pictures uploaded!

New Business Card

Ta Da!  Here is a picture of my new business cards.  The lovely Teresa is modeling one of the shirt aprons as a little peek into what the shop has to offer (this was one of the photos from the Etsy listing for this apron).  I was so pleased with how they turned out - I think I might have a whole bunch made...

And this is one of the hair clip holders.  I used the shapes buttons in pages (the mac version of word), on the business card templates.  We printed them on the pre-cut business card paper, from there it was easy to just cut two slits in the middle of the card, sort of thread the back part of the hair clip through the slits and clip it on.  I will also be making more of these!

Have a safe rest of your Memorial Day - and take some time to remember what this day means.  Not just family time and barbecues, but the sacrifices of our soldiers, policemen and firemen.  

Blessings - Daphne

Last Artwalk post...I think

The booth, me and a certain 1 year old at the end of the day

I forgot to tell you all about the compliments I received from the gentleman at the booth next to us.  It was the end of the day and we were all about ready to pack up.  Richey (I think that was his name) came over to see how the day had gone for us.  Then he looked at all my stuff and gave me three compliments:

The first was when he asked how old I was, "What are you, 22?"  Oh!  Thank you good Sir, no, I am not 22 (just this morning I realized that I told him I was 27, but I'm not 27 (but I'm close) - either way, it was a compliment!)

The second was when he said he could see that I put my heart into all the things I make.  (so nice to hear from someone who doesn't even know me!)

And the one that touched me the most - he told me "There aren't many women like you anymore".  At first it sounded weird to me and I was ready to get defensive, but once I thought about it for a minute, I took it as a huge compliment because that's just what I'm trying to be - I'm trying to be ME in a world that does not appreciate the values I strive for or the work that I do.

I wanted to share these with you all because if you're reading this, I think Richey would have paid YOU the same compliments.  (Okay, maybe not the age one...)  

I see the heart that you put into what you all do.  

And There aren't many women like YOU anymore - thank you for being kindred spirits.  We need to stick together ladies!

Art Walk!

It was a BEAUTIFUL day on Saturday.  Just perfect.  I was in a sweater most all day, in Southern Louisiana, in mid-May.  Weird.  Weird, but wonderful.

And although the weather was lovely, there were not many people out and about enjoying it at the Art Walk.  Which is all to say, it was a pretty slow day.

But I met some sweet people, got to spend a day chatting with my friend Teresa (Thank you Teresa!) and we sat outside in the shade all day.  Oh, and I did make some sales too. ;)

This was my third time selling my 'wares' in a booth at a show and I could feel a difference.  Everything went a lot smoother than the last two times.  It was a nice feeling.

the table set-up practice Friday night (minus the cool hair clip cards...they had yet to be printed)

Up top there, you will have noticed my new sign.  I LOVE it!  I would LOVE it more, however, if I knew what I was doing with that whole quilting business, and it layed more flat.  I think I'm going to rip out the binding and redo it sometime in the near future.  With everything else going on around here, it was one of those things that intimidated me (the sign) because I had a picture in my head and I knew the likely hood of me screwing it up was pretty high, so I was putting it off for as long as I could.  I finally mustered up some confidence and minus the frumpy middle saggy bit, I'm quite pleased with it.  It mostly looks like what I had envisioned!

I also made up some new business cards (thank you to my dear husband who helped me figure out how to use the Mac template late Friday night before the show Saturday...) and some cards to display the hair clips.  Another one of those ideas that have been floating around in my head for some time now.  I just used a business card template and the business card paper that is already perforated that you run through your printer, and voila!  Semi-profesional product displays!

Work is ramping up around here for all the water that is coming down the Mississippi these days, so I'm not sure how this week will go - all I know is that I need Saturday off because we are having a birthday party for my now 1 year old!  (Can you believe it?  He's already ONE.  Crazy talk people!)  More on the decorations and such for that soon...

Oh my!

Has it really been that long... I haven't said "hello" since Easter???

I'm sorry!  It's not that things haven't been happening 'round here - it's just that there has been so much happening 'round here that I haven't put my bottom in a chair long enough to tell you all about it!

The Gretna Art Walk is this weekend, so I probably won't be updating you until that is over because I still have a bit to get ready!  But there will be pictures galore and a few tales of woe mixed in with a whole lot of tales of success.

Don't you worry, I'll be back soon. :)

Until then, Blessings-