CRAZY QUILT BLUE JEAN COAT

"They" say necessity is the mother of invention,  and I need a new coat.  And so, my "crazy quilt" blue jean coat is being created.  It's not done yet, but I thought I'd share what I do have done.
I found this pattern probably over a year ago, and have been hanging on to it waiting to find just the right material for it.   It's really cool, it's about knee length in front and gets longer in back.  It also gets very full at the bottom.  Now, I'm sure I could find just the right material for it, but I had this idea that it would be fun to make it out of used blue jeans cut up and then pieced together!!  And about now you're questioning my idea of fun, right!!   Me too!!
I've taken pictures of all the pieces and the piecing process, but I won't bog this down with all of them.

The front consists of 3 pieces, and the back has a total of 6!   Instead of piecing together a few large pieces together to make a larger piece of material, I've taken each pattern piece and laid out pieces on it to more or less fit.





The picture above is of what I pieced together to get the 1 pattern piece to the left.

 Left Back

 Right Front

 Left Front

Right Back




And my living room is a big mess!



So I still have the sleeves to make, but I do have the back and fronts sewn together.  I was going to take pictures but, honestly I have a very hard time disturbing this:




This is Jaz Cat curled up into my leg sleeping quite peacefully.

I'm thinking this would make a very cool dress!! Total material needed is 4 3/8 yd of 60" wide.    I already have the buttons, so the only thing I needed was the lining (fleece-on sale) and 2 spools of thread (also on sale).  So, for about $23.00 I'll have myself a "new" coat!





Thanks for coming by and have a great day.  Remember, comments are moderated so they don't show up right away.

Ok, I wrote the above last night, but took pictures today and here is the sewn together fronts & backs.   ALL of the seams are top stitched, so it took a while to do the seams of the actual patterned pieces.
 I did some measuring too, the bottom of the coat is 186" around!!!! The front is 33" long & the back is 45".   The lengths will change as I finish it.

Hopefully the sleeves will get done today.



Have a great day!

IT'S GETTING TO BE THAT TIME AGAIN..........................

For nice soft warm cozy hats that is!
I admit it, I love hats!  That's one of the fun things about being able to knit & crochet, I have 3 ( lo 4 or 5) of my own for winter with another 2 in the plans!  It's nice to have a variety.

A few kids hats......................
These kids hats are made on order, as these have been donated to a children's cancer center.  All 3 made with soft 1005 acrylic yarn.

 I love the way this little one turned out.  Kind of proud of myself for figuring out the flower without a pattern.

 This blue one is Two Blues With Stripes and Swirls

Green & White Earflap Hat
















 Of the adult hats,  my favorite ones are these made with Lion Brand Homespun yarn, soft & bulky.

I have one like this Women's Green Hat with a Flower, and I'm always getting compliments on it.  I love the colors available in this yarn.

This Orange Melon 20's Style Cloche is a fun one to wear, although not in orange for me. Fortunately other colors are available!!

And if you have lots of hair or just want a looser fit, this Slouchy Beret  is pretty comfy.
Other colors are available for this one too.  
For the hats, measure around your head , and from the top middle to just below your ear. - and if you want it longer so you can cuff it up, let me know that too.
Most of the hats can be made in different sizes, so if your size isn't listed, just let me know and I will gladly make one just for you.
Want a different style? Let me know and we can work together to make one that's just right for you.

I don't use wool though.  I'm highly allergic to the the wonderful stuff, so all of my hats are usually 100% acrylic.  These last 2, and the kids hats are made with Simply Soft acrylic yarn.

Visit my shop lisianblue on Handmade Artists to see what I have.
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day.
Comments are moderated, so you won't see them right away.

NATIONAL TACO DAY?

Really?  Who thinks of these things?
However our dear Monika, creator of  some wonderful mosaic artwork and her studio, MyEuropeanTouch at HandMadeArtists came up with a highlight covering the colors one might find in a taco!! Love it!
Here's the National Taco Day Highlight
and to give you a sneak peak, here are some of the items featured.

Pretty Sunny Yellow Headband by IKnitQuiltSew

So cute Fingerless Crocheted Monster mitts! by TheCrochetChick










A very nice Fall Quilted Table Topper by PatchworkMountain

A very lovely China Mosaic Cake Dome by MyEuropeanTouch who will also gladly work with people on a custom order, as most of the artisans do.









Thanks for coming by and have a great day!!!!!
Remember, comments are moderated so they won't show up right away!

THUNDER ROSE LEATHER

Thunder Rose Leather is  the wonderful creation of Debbie & John who live outside Sedona, Az in a small town called Cornville.
They do old school leather & beadwork,  one piece at a time,  by hand, paying attention to details.   You can order one of their standard items, or they will gladly work with you on a custom design. Most of their work reflects the styles of the old west, western, mountain man, & Native American cultures.  Each piece is unique, practical, and can be enjoyed for many years.  They use primarily Elkskin, but buffalo, deerskin , and deer tanned cowhide & others are available. 

My absolute favorite in their shop is their baby & toddler moccasins, such as these

 Adorable aren't they!! And I know your little one will outgrow them before they outwear them!

 This beaded purse is great for a free spirited person, and will last so long you will be amazed!

 Gorgeous White Buckskin Purse is elegant yet durable.
















Know someone who plays a flute?   This Fringed Leather Flute Bag would make a perfect gift to keep a flute safe and handy!

This beautiful Beaded White Deerskin Pouch is  perfect for stashing a few little goodies in  for an evening out, or.......?




They have so many others to chose from too!

Experience the joy of a quality hand made leather purse, pouch, moccasins, etc from Thunderroseleather.  It will last you a life time, and maybe even your kids!

You can also find them at:
http://www.handmadeartists.com/shop/thunderroseleather
http://www.zibbet.com/thunderroseleather
http://www.facebook.com/thunderrosecreations
http://www.thunderroseleather.blogspot.com/
http://www.thunderroseleather.com/

Note:  My ex-husband did leather work, I'm still using a purse he made about 40 years ago, and my daughter, still has her little boots he made for her 30 years ago.  Good leather like
Debbie & John use, lasts an incredibly long time. 
Thank you for stopping by and as always remember comments are moderated so they don't show up until I approve them.
Have a wonderful day :)

MY EUROPEAN TOUCH

It brings me great pleasure to introduce you to a very special friend of mine, Monika, creator of My European Touch.   It is said that necessity is the mother of invention, and this was especially true in war torn Europe.  Watching her parents re-use, recycle, and re-invent items, using her doll cooking stove to melt the wax, Monika started creating candles from candle stumps using yarn as a wick.
Her dolls had clothes that she crocheted, sewed and cross stitched.  Making clay vases, drawing and painting were also among Monika's early interests.  Her interests and talents have varied and grown, bringing her to mosaics.   Now, Monika doesn't use just mosaic pieces that are already made, no, she precisely cuts fine bone/porcelain plates along with stained glass, jewelry and other baubles as she says.  Items such as cake domes, washboards, old violins and others, Monika transforms them into beautiful artistic creations.  Besides her mosaics, Monika also creates other decorative items, and she does shabby chic so well.   Let me show you a few.

Handmade ornament, gift tags, wall or cabinet hangers

Love these handmade yellow roses

 Jeweled Picture Frame

 There's those baubles!

Quill and ink hand drawn Mansion of Tesdorf, Germany
 Such talent!

Shabby Chic Mosaic Treasure Box


Her creations make me love pink!  And pink isn't even in my top 10 fav colors!








This Shabby Chic Wall Mirror is one of my favorite creations by Monika.


You just gotta go see one of her mosaic cake domes, they look so yummy!

Oh yeah, she enjoys doing custom creations and works closely with clients to create their desire.
So, visit her shop, My European Touch

You can also find Monika at:
 Blog: http://bit.ly/1qHnwlr
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1uzNLvS
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1zmJ8nL
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/X4GW6y
Video: http://bit.ly/1gi5Ww5
Flickr: http://bit.ly/1qk81ic
HGTV: http://bit.ly/X4JIc6
http://about.me/mmyeuropeantouch

Questions, comments, love it or hate it, just please remember that comments are moderated and won't show up until I allow them!  Hopefully I will allow them sooner, than later!
Thanks for coming by and have a spectacular day.

Yummy Mosaic Cake Dome

BUNNIES FOR MY SWEET GIRLS

Some of you may know already know that I have a thing for bunnies.   I started making bunnies when my grandson was about 3, he's 14 now and has 3, and wanting another one, but  a very specialized one.  Really!
My oldest granddaughter who is only 4, was recently diagnosed with Leukemia, fortunately the curable kind.  But, she still has to go through hell to get it done.  I decided she deserves and just may need a special bunny, so that's what I did.  My sweet little Evie loves pink, and she can often be found with a pink dress on, with ruffles around the bottom playing with cars!  When it comes to dressing, she is ALL  girl! Here is Evie's bunny

 I know that Evie often just wears her clothes when she goes in for treatments, but I thought it may be fun to make a "hospital gown" for the bunny, only this one does a good job of covering up parts it should cover!  Evie usually wears leggings under her dresses, so I thought it was only right the bunny should at least have bloomers.

The white with pink polka dot rompers  are an item I came up with many years ago, by sewing the bloomers to the  dress bodice top.
This one has gathers in the bodice, not something I often do, but I wanted this to be a special bunny with special outfits.
I have a dress for her in the works, hopefully it will be done soon.
I gave the bunny to her about 2 weeks ago, but still needed to take pictures of it, so she gave it back to me so I could do so!  What a sweety!
For  various reasons, I wasn't able to give it back to her  until yesterday. Mom and Evie came by for just a few minutes and both remained in the car.  I sat in the back seat with her and handed it to her, she hugged  and snuggled up to it, and was sound asleep within minutes.  Her hug and snuggle was thank you enough!

The other bunny is for my other sweet 3 yr-old granddaughter, Namine'.  This bunny is  special too.   It's made from one of my Dad's robes!  All 3 grand kids will have one now.  I'd post pics of the other 2, but they were on my computer that I no longer have access to.

The white on the feet is from the arms of the robe, I sewed some "fancy" stitches on it  to add something a little extra special, and the white part needed some reinforcing .

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see her get the bunny as I will be mailing it to her.  Hopefully mom or dad will take a few pictures!
So, these are my bunnies for my special girls.  They're so fun to make!

Thanks for visiting and if you leave a comment, please remember that comments are moderated, & don't show up right away.
Have a very wonderful day!

RASMUSSEN GEMS AND JEWELRY LLC

Jewelry, looking for something a bit different than what every store in your local mall carries. If so, I highly recommend Rasmussen Gems & Jewelry LLC on Handmade Artists Shop.  Here, you will find
 jewelry and gemstones  handcrafted in John and Debora's  shop. Debora does the designing and beading necklaces, anklets, bracelets, ear rings, and key chains. John does lapidary to cut the gemstones, metalsmithing (silver and copper) to make the jewelry and wire wrapping.
 If you want a custom design, just send them a message through the shop.. Custom orders are always accepted.  Gem identification and appraisal services are also available. How cool is that?

John isn't your typical self taught lapidary grinding away in the garage type person.  He was educated at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.  He also taught geology for ten years, and after switching careers for a while, he is back to his love of rocks, minerals. and gems.  John has also been educated in Gemology including jewelry design and repair at the International Gem Society, Gemological Institute of America and Penn Foster Career School.

Looking for a cool stone cabochon for a special something you want to create? You will find 6 pages of a variety of stones and cuts including this lovely Mossy Agate Cabochon. Gorgeous!

Or perhaps a classy facet cut? He has those too!  This Citrine Checkerboard Gemstone is amazing!

Besides cutting these beautiful gems and stones, he also makes some very nice jewelry too.  Besides using cast settings, he also does some very nice wire wrapping.  Love this Forest Agate Sterling Silver Pendant.






John's wife Debora, does all the bead design & crafting.  She doesn't make just necklaces, she also makes matching earrings sold with her gorgeous designs. 

This Necklace and Earring Set 1053 really caught my eye. Such wonderful colors!

This very sweet pink Necklace and Earring Set 1034 reminds me of my very sweet granddaughter, Evie.  But, she'll have to wait since she's only 4!

Remember,  Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC also do custom orders as well as gem and stone identification, just send them a message through the shop.

You can also find them on their blog and facebook
Blog: http://rasmussengemsandjewelryllc.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rasmussen-Gems-and-Jewelry/123028303885

Share your thoughts, dreams, wishes, what have you, but please remember comments are moderated so they won't show up right away.
Have a bright and sparkly day!

REEF BOTANICALS & FABRIC OF MY MIND

One of the fun things about being a long time member of HandMade Artists Forum is watching some of the other artisans grow and branch out.  One such artisan is Larissa, creator of Reef Botanicals and Fabric Of My Mind.  Actually, it's a husband wife team, of Eric and Larissa who discovered a mutual love of making things from scratch.  Between the two of them, they cook, bake, brew, craft, paint, photograph, knit, sew,  create candles & skin care products. and oh, both of them hold down full time jobs. Whew! Oh wait, I forgot, Larissa's face painting and their recently added bee hives, which Larissa has lovingly painted with Winnie The Pooh characters!
Painting the bee hives has led to painting other things too, and Larissa plans to expand this into painting murals.
It all began with Reef Botanical'sShop with high quality all natural handcrafted soaps and other indulgences.
Such as this soothing and skin radiant Honey & Oatmeal Soap

They also create lip balms,  bath salts, scrubs,  other bath products as well as lovely candles.

Fabric of My Mind eventually evolved, with knitted scarves & hats, toys, as well as some sewn toys and creations.  Many of these creations are from Larissa's own patterns such as this fun Designer Knitted Green Dinosaur Scarf

Larissa also creates such classics as this beautiful Deep Blue Celtic Knot Hand Knitted Scarf

One of my favorites is her Flossie The Cow creations such as this one in Black & White.




These are all the places you can find Larissa &/or Eric.

www.ReefBotanicals.com
www.FabricofMyMind.com
www.ReefBotanicals.blogspot.com

www.NJFacePainter.com
www.NJFacePainter.blogspot.com
www.NJBodyArt.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/ReefBotanicals
www.twitter.com/ReefBotanicals
www.facebook.com/faceandbodyart

 

Larissa does some awesome face painting too!  

 

Don't be shy, leave a comment or two!  But, remember, comments are moderated so they won't show up right away!

 

HARMONY

Harmony is not only a pleasing arrangement of parts to one another, but also an agreement
in action, feeling, sentiment or the like. Harmony is about agreement, accordance, unison, melody concordance.  We most often think of harmony in terms of music, but harmony also comes into play in any art form.
When I look at Andrew & Kimberly's work, I see harmony.
Where does harmony come from?  I think it can come from many "places", but I believe it primarily comes from love.
Love for what you are doing, or creating.  Andrew & Kimberly are creating so much more than their jewelry, painted glass and other art.
This harmony is also a major component of Handmade Artists Forum & Shop.  I believe it may  come from their love of each other, the love of handmade and a shared commitment.

Besides her work outside the home, taking care of 3 "boys",  co-running HAF & HAS as well running On Fire For Handmade, Kimberly creates some beautiful sea glass pendants, as well as some awesome altered art using books you can find in her Handmade Artists Shop, Makin The Best of It
Love this Sterling Leaves Sea Glass Necklace

  And of course this awesome Cobalt Blue Message Pendant









Kimberly also creates some wonderful hand painted glass that you can find at MakinTheBestOfIt
















Besides holding down a full time job and co-running HAF &HAS, Andrew does some pretty special chainmaille jewelry by "twisting rings" that you will find at Chainmaille By MBOI.  Not only does he put all those little rings together, he creates most of them, if not all of them!

One of my absolute favorites is this Sterling Silver Roundmaille Bracelet

Chainmaille, sort of boggles my brain, but this Copper Elfsheet Chainmaille Bracelet really does!









This Stainless Steel Persian Unisex Necklace is just totally awesome!

You can also find these awesome chainmaille creations at Chainmaille By MBOI
If you look at handmade creations in a different light, you will see the harmony, especially when it's a creation by either one of these two very special people.
You can also find them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/KimberlyAKitchen



Harmony.


Would love to hear what you think, please remember comments are moderated, so they won't appear right away.