Wednesday's Works

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I've been fortunate to have a few custom orders rolling in to sosorosey!  This jute wine bag was specially made to accommodate a large bottle of wine.

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I made some stars for a customer from her baby's blanket back in 2010, and she recently came back for more- for the new baby!  She sent me two bamboo receiving blankets, and these 6 stars are the result.  I had never worked with bamboo fabric- it worked up much like gauzy cotton, with a slight fray to the edges.  Super soft!

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My most important work today involves being a mother to my little batling.  She got to dress up for her class party, and I led the "ghost making" station.  Good fun, and now we're preparing for some trick or treating around the neighborhood.  Woohoo!   Happy Halloween!

Makeover Monday: 10/29

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I picked out some Christmas-ish crochet thread the other day.

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And made a new vintage style potholder for sosorosey.  This photo doesn't do it justice- the light here isn't the best right now ;).  I think this would make such a nice holiday hostess gift, don't you?  I'll have it in the shop once I'm able to take better photos.

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Still have power!  Winds are picking up, though, and the rain is coming down.  Off to go watch the weather channel...

Wednesday's Works

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I've been experimenting with different "toppers" on my string bowls in anticipation of the winter holidays!

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Another big project going on around here has been Sophie's "Panda of the Week" poster.  I am really happy with the way it turned out :)

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What have you been toiling away on this week?

Makeover Monday: 10/22

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I chose this little pink bowl as my makeover subject in honor of breast cancer awareness month.  I made her awhile ago and always thought she needed a little something extra to make her just perfect.

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This scrap of fabric is from an old, stained, full-of-holes apron.

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Awwww- a match made in crochet heaven :)

Makeover Monday: 10/1

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Happy October!  I'm not sure how many people would see this extra large, extra bright tie-dyed tee on the thrift rack and give a little squeal of delight.  I sure did, though!  It's so very *candy corn*, isn't it?  I cannot wait to dig my claws, scissors and hook into this tonight.  Stay tuned to see the results tomorrow :)

Makeover Monday: 6/25

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Whew!  I made it!  Sorry to come screeching in here at the last moment, and with only a half a makeover, too.  It's been a busy (mostly fun-busy) sort of day, and I just lost track of time.  I have turned this ball of fabric into a bowl already, though, and I'll be back tomorrow to show you how it turned out.  I have a couple of fun finds to share, too.  Hope to see you soon :)

Super Cute Craft Overload: Help!

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Sometimes you just need to mix things up.  You know what I mean?  Maybe it's just my Gemini nature, but in addition to all of my wonderful qualities (*snicker*), I have a tendency to get bored.  So, instead of working on a crochet project for which I have more supplies than Martha Stewart herself... I go out and purchase supplies for a new project.  Makes perfect sense.  Not.

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Fortunately for my wallet, it was sale day at the thrift.  So, this giant hardback children's book treasury from 1968 was fifty cents.  In case you couldn't make it out in the first picture, this IS duct tape holding this book together.  And some masking tape too, if I'm not mistaken.

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Adding to the well-loved charm of this tome are the chew marks at all four corners, and some vigorous scribbling throughout the book.  I know, you're wondering why I paid them for this book.  They should have paid me to take it out of the store!  Not so, my friends.

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Because with the help of my brand new 2" oval cameo paper punch, I can go through this book and salvage some of the most precious artwork ever!  How freaking cute are those deer?  And the bluebirds? 

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Now here's where the title of this post comes in.  I'm all good with the cute crafty pieces, but I need help figuring out what to do with them! 

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Before you make any suggestions, keep in mind that this *may* just be something I try my hand at selling in the future.  Off the top of my head, I can think of gift tags, bookmarks, small cards, or little gift boxes. Maybe even put into a sweet little oval frame?  Can you think of something else that would work to showcase these sweeties?  I'd really appreciate your ideas... I can't stand the thought of not giving them a new lease on life!

WIP Wednesday

 I really love to see photos of what other people are working on, so I thought I'd share my WIP (work in progress) with you!

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I've been working on this neutral round rug since before Easter.  Very off and on, though.  It measures almost two and a half feet in diameter as of last night.  I have a special idea in mind for this one, and I'm hoping I have the patience to get her to at least 4 feet across.  Wish me luck!

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What crafty thing do you have going on these days?

Makeover Monday: 2/27

 Today's project is a special order that came in at the end of last week.  Upon checking out with THIS purchase, the customer asked for turquoise yarn...

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... and a whitish fabric topper.  With maybe green and/or yellow.  I enjoyed looking through all of my fabrics to find the perfect one!

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I love the way they came out.  So crisp, clean and colorful.  They remind me of a Mediterranean vista.  I hope they are exactly what was envisioned.  They'll be heading off to California tomorrow :)

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What's going on in your neck of the woods this week?  I plan to spend today and tomorrow making up for last week's lost thrifting time, so I am raring to go!  I hope you have a wonderful start to the last week of February.

Makeover Monday: 8/8

I've been entrusted with a super important job- turning these sentimental articles of clothing into a ruffled bowl for a very special person.  It's going to take some thought and time, as this is a fabric I have not worked with before... "parachute nylon". 

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I've planned out the overall pattern, and begun the base.  As I suspected, this material scrunches down to almost nothing once crocheted.  What you see here is made from an entire pair of pants!!!  Hoping to have more to show by the end of the week.  Stay tuned!!

Makeover Monday: 7/25

I have a VERY exciting custom order, and this is the PERFECT fabric for what I need to make.  A neutral cotton with the tiniest lighter colored diamonds.

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I started the usual way, by cutting the fabric a uniform width and wrapping the long strip into a ball.  In this case the width is about 3 inches.

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Using a large hook, I've crocheted the very base of this project to be about 8 inches wide.  Before It's all said and done, it will be going up many more inches and out a bit too.  I don't think anyone could guess what this will be/represent in the end, but guesses are welcome!  I hope to be finished by the end of the week, and I'll show you the final result.  I hope you can stand the suspense, lol!!!

Makeover Monday: 7/18

My cleaning out process has included going through every fabric I have accumulated over the last 4 years. 

I have had some pleasant surprises, and some *what was I thinking* moments as well.  This one stood out to me as a mix of camouflage and tie dye, and I decided it would be just right for a Monday makeover.

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The light isn't ideal for photos this morning, but I hope you can see the flecks of green in there with the blue.  Definitely an oceany basket! 

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Though I've not posted many larger bowls in sosorosey of late, that is going to change over the next few months.  I have decided to pull my inventory from The Muse, and anything that I pick up in August will find its way here.  I loved my relationship with that shop and I loved having my work on display in a place that I truly respect.  I've decided, however, that consignment is just not for me.  It's too important to me to have the ultimate control over how my items are displayed, and I dislike the pressure (from myself) of keeping the stock current and fresh in two places.

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Here's hoping that you have a great week in store.  I will have some extra Jennie-time this week as Sophie is currently in cartoon and sugar bliss with my parents for a few days.  I'll be continuing my de-cluttering process, and posting lots of new goodies too!  What do you have on your agenda?

Makeover Monday: 9/27

I started today's project with some lime green cotton yarn,

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What a fun contrast!
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I usually weave in the ends of the fabric on these rag-topped bowls, but I couldn't bring myself to do it on this one. The little knotty ends add such a cute, whimsical touch.

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Happy Monday! After a fun-filled weekend here, it's back to our regular routine. The big items on the agenda this week are my trip to the dentist for the permanent crown fitting and Sophie's school pictures. I will be finishing the project that I blogged about yesterday, and starting a rug set for an extra special customer. How about you? Do you have a fun week ahead? I sure hope so!

Makeover Monday: 9/20

Back in the day, in my junior high prepster phase, these colors were the ultimate in style and sophistication. Oh, I'd have my Izod polo shirt (collar up), and my Pappagallo button-on purse cover to match. I do wish I had a photo to share with you. Not!

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The pillowcase turned into a fun little bowl, though; these colors really pop!

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It's looking like it should be a relatively calm week around here. Hubby's birthday is next Sunday, so Sophie and I will be making mad preparations for a fun celebration. Other than that, I have a custom order to finish up and two to begin- that's always really exciting! Hope you have a super Monday, and a happy week :)

Makeover Monday: 9/13

Christmas items and colors have been the focus lately, so I went rooting through my fabric stash with an eye toward autumn.

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A large, vibrant table coaster is born- ready to set the stage for a fall centerpiece display!

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Happy beginning of the week! This will be Sophie's first full week of school. While she is busy learning and playing and growing, I will be busy working on my shops and craft clutter. I have the blue custom rug to finish, and a new rug order to gather fabrics for. Tuesday will be taken up (read: ruined) with a visit to the dentist and I need to make my mammogram appointment soon, too. Ah, the joys of getting older! What's on your to-do list for the week?

Makeover Monday: 8/30

I've begun to gravitate toward brightly colored fabrics for a more contemporary vibe. I knew this sheet would work up to be bold and fun.

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Yep! Bold, fun .... and shapely. Since there are a few others selling basic upcycled pencil pots on Etsy now, I figured I'd go ahead and make mine a little different. This beaker-ish shape is juuuuust what I was hoping for.

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Happy Monday to you! What's on your agenda for this week? Me, I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, a house cleaning scheduled for Tuesday, a playdate on Friday and a wedding to get ready for this coming weekend. And in between? There's tae kwon do to attend and fun to be had with my Sophie, a custom order for business card carriers to work on, and still loads of things to photograph and list in both shops. Whew!

Vintage Fabric Scrapbook & Journal Pages

This gorgeous (challenge winning!) scrapbook page was created by Elisa Pages. Elisa used vintage fabric from a sosovintage charm pack for the springy yellow background.

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She used more fabric to decorate the pages of her ultra-cool art journal, too. Seeing such talent and fun projects makes me ever so happy to play my teeny little part. Thanks so much for sharing your inspirational work, Elisa!

Makeover Monday: 5/24

For this week's creation, I started with some plain cotton string from the hardware store.

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I added a smidgen of *magic dye dust*...

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... and finished off with a few glass pearls and a gorgeous vintage flannel.
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Voila! A truly rosy rose...

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...brooch. Since my applique flowers are still prettying up the shelves in sosorosey, I thought I'd see if ready made brooches in hand-dyed cotton would stir up any excitement. I know they make ME do a little dance!

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This is my daughter's last week at her Tuesday Thursday playschool. I also plan to get my eyebrows done and my hair cut within the next week. I'll be 42 in two weeks, and I'd rather look my best when that day rolls around, lol. Yep, that's the extent of my social calendar at this point. What do YOU have going on this week?

Thursday's Treasure

This masterpiece was painted by my little Picasso! The craft was a gift from Sophie's great Aunt Irene, whom you may remember from my Mother's Day treasure post. The frog planter itself is a treat, but even more than that, our time together working on this will always be a fond memory .

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I can't express how much we appreciate the thoughtfulness of our *Michigan relatives*. In Christmas of 2008, Sophie's gift from them was a teddy bear... and each month for the next year, her bear got a new outfit in a special package sent just to her. This year, she was given a "craft of the month" gift- so now each month a package arrives for Sophie with a new craft project inside. Isn't that just the most kind and thoughtful gift idea you've ever heard of? We both look so forward to the packages, and each time we open one, we feel the tremendous love and care tucked inside.

Makeover Monday: 2/22

I started this project off with a piece of vintage Sears & Roebuck bedsheet.

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And I created the "one egg wonder basket"! Not only does this appeal to my love of all things little, it also has so many fantastic decorating possibilities and uses. Wouldn't a set of these with tags make an awesome Easter tablesetting? Or as spring wedding placecards/favors? How about using it in your kiddos lunchbox for a hard boiled egg treat? Oh, Martha? Rachel? Country Living? Are you listening?