Some Quick Updates and New Shop Items

I've been silent for a while. Life just seems to be flying by and I'm lucky if I can grab ahold. I'll run it down for you...

We have a new kitten named Tucker. He started out a little sickly, but is healthy now and full of fire. I just couldn't resist adopting him. Sorry that the picture is a little blurry. It's hard to catch him still. We haven't introduced him to the older cats yet. That should be fun...NOT! I think I'm now in danger of becoming known as the crazy cat lady. Ha! Three cats isn't too many...is it?





We moved my son's furniture from his last year's school apartment to a storage unit Friday. In another week we have to move it from the storage unit to a new apartment. We didn't plan that one very well. If the lease had just gone for another week. And, of course, It just happened to be the hottest day of the summer-96 degrees. Ugh! I'm praying for 80 degrees or lower for the next move.

My daughter starts graduate school tomorrow. So, we've been getting ready for that. School clothes shopping...that's fun!

Haven't had much time to sew lately, but I have a few new fobs in the shop today. I love this new MIchael Miller fabric called Pretty Bird Spice.

Public Art

Recently my husband was given the opportunity to do a public art project in West Lafayette, Indiana. He was asked to submit a proposal for a mural that would cover an 18 ft. high x 38 1/2 ft. wide concrete wall. He spent the last 3 weeks painting the mural. Not an easy task to begin with, but made all the more difficult because of the beastly hot weather we've been experiencing.

The mural depicts a character called "The Celery Bog Man" and is titled "Mythic Wabash". "The Celery Bog is a wetland located in West Lafayette, Indiana. For much of the 20th century the wetland was drained and farmed. Celery, as well as other crops, were grown in the rich peat of the drained wetland. However, the agricultural drainage system constantly failed, which resulted in the termination of farming in the wetland. Thus, part of the former wetland has gradually reverted to wet conditions. The wetland and important nearby sites are now preserved as the Celery Bog Nature Area. This area is listed as a “significant ecological site” by the Indiana Natural Heritage Program and it has become and important park in the area."

The original painting of "The Celery Bog Man" was conceived for another community art exhibition call "Tippecanus Rex" which my husband curated. The object of that project was for area artists and writers to create works about imagined myths and legends of Tippecanoe county. Some of my favorites were the Wabash River Dolphins, Tippecanus Rex, the Wea Plains Pigmy Bison and the Celery Bog Man.

The public unveiling of the mural was this afternoon. Craig says "It's meant to be fun, obviously, but primarily provocative. I'm hoping people respond to the creativity and the imagination behind it." So many people stopped to watch him paint and commented on how cool it was. The mayor was in attendance during the unveiling and he mentioned that not only is public art beautiful to look at and enjoy, but that murals like this actually detour vandals from creating graffiti. Who knew?

If you are ever in West Lafayette, the mural is on a wall near Purdue University behind Spurlock's restaurant. It was sponsored by the City of West Lafayette and the Tippecanoe Arts Federation.

Here are some pictures of the mural in different stages.

Christmas in July Sale

It's Christmas in July at BagsandBuds! I am offering FREE SHIPPING on all SALE category items and 25% OFF on all other items. The sale runs from today, July 15th through Sunday, July 25th. Check it out.

New in the Shop...Pincushions

My Creative Space

For optimum sewing experience be sure to stage your creative space.
My must haves…
• Television in the corner of the room tuned to the food network. I figure if it’s playing in the background I’m bound to become a better cook just from hearing what’s going on, right? (beware..this can slow down production)
• Or my laptop tuned to Pandora.com with my favorite artists crooning
• A large icy beverage in one of those sweat-free plastic cups
• My most comfortable reading glasses-the kind that don’t pinch my head
• Perfect lighting either from the window during a bright sunny day, or from my task lamp and overhead lighting
• Comfortable chair-cushiony with proper lumbar support. One with swivel and height adjustment is a must. Sometimes I pull my ironing board over close to my sewing table and put it on a low setting so I can just swivel from sewing machine to iron without going across the room. Lazy? No, just efficient.
• Plenty of clear workspace on my sewing table. I sometimes have a problem with this one, so I have a nearby table for the things I need.
• A great, clean sewing machine with a sharp needle.
• My fabric stash neatly folded and organized.
• A cutting table with rotary cutter and cutting mat.
• My plastic cutting guides/rulers. One long and one short.
• My inspiration board. It’s a metal sheet that hangs on my wall with magnets holding patterns, cards, magazine articles, photos, etc.
• Sharp scissors-at least 5 pair. I put one at the ironing board, one for paper/patterns, one at my cutting table and my favorite pair at my sewing machine. Oh, and a smaller scissor for clipping threads.
• Lots and lots of pins. I have pins at my sewing table and pins at my cutting table on magnetic “cushions”.
• Lots of organization in clear totes and drawer units. I cannot work in clutter. At least not in unorganized clutter. Ha!
• A shipping station with all the necessary items for wrapping orders.
• Two trashcans-one on either side of the room, and some shopping bags to hold my little scraps.
• And, if I’m lucky, I have my daughter, a fellow crafter, joining me in her corner of the room.

What is your creative space like?

Collage...Silhouettes

Some beautiful silhouettes from Etsy sellers.



1. The Silhouette Collection-Pets by aedrieloriginals
2. Silhouette Group Scene by paperportraits
3. Custom Silhouette in Graphic Ornate Frame by BlueClara
4. Small Plate by aedrieloriginals
5. Custom Silhouette Necklace by STELLAandHODGE
6. Custom Mugs with Portraits by MissCrowland

These are the silhouettes of my children. They hang above my bed. I had them done when the kids were both around 18 months old. I cherish these.

One Moment week #13

My moment this week was having to put our 1998 Ford Escort out to pasture. Here she is in her hay day.



She was a good car for many years, but lately she's been a money pit. The last straw was the fuel pump that needed to be replaced. Another $500 repair. Why is it that whenever you take the car to the shop it costs $500??? Every time!!! So, goodbye old friend. Hopefully they will be able to salvage some parts before they send you to your final resting place.

Collage...Pretty Portraits

I was browsing through Etsy today trying to find a subject for a collage and happened upon some very pretty little portraits.



1. Colored Pencil Portrait by JaneWittenberg
2. Watercolor and Colored Pencil Portrait by pentopaper123
3. Custom Pencil Sketch by Lavatican
4. Quick Sketch Custom Portrait by Sketchbookstudioart

These drawings made me remember a portrait that my mother commissioned of me when I was a little girl. It is dated 1966~I was 5 years old. Yikes!

Some Fun Treasuries for BagsandBuds

Collage...Pinwheels

1. Tiny Pinwheel Earrings by mxmjewelry
2. Paper Pinwheel in White by UseYourKnoggin
3. Independence Day Pinwheels by rule42
4. Pinwheel Mobile Sassafras by mamax2
5. Pinwheel Baby Quilt by FrozenKnickers

Time for Some New Fobs

I had some time this week to make some new key fobs with this great Moda fabric.

What I've Been Up To

I was given the opportunity to create some bags for an event that my sister's friend is organizing. It's kept me pretty busy lately. I thought I would share some photos of the finished product. Thanks Darcy!

Collage...Romantic

1. Brooklyn Dreamers by shyama
2. Darling Necklace by foundling
3. Laced Leaves Watch Locket by lovespelljewels
4. Roses Art Print by elr104
5. Pink Rose Ring by Crafts2Cherish
6. Pretty Gray Hair Comb by prettylittleme

New Fobs in Aunt Grace Authentic Fabrics

One Moment Week #10

You know how hard it is to take a good picture of a cat? Well, it is, and she never sits in her bed. That's my one moment for this week. Thanks for posing Bella!

Cutest Clutch

I purchased a clutch pattern from Keyka Lou on Etsy for my daughter. Since she helped me pick out the fabric I bought from Quilter's Harvest, she decided I should make her something with it. LOL! So, of course, I did. I adjusted the pattern to include a zipper so she won't lose anything. I may have to borrow this one.

Collage...True Blood

IT'S BACK...YAY!!!

1. Eric by jessejanes
2. Vampire Bite Mug by MaidOfClay
3. Fangtasia t-shirt by OpticThreads
4. Bill Compton by StraitjacketFun

Quilt Shop Trip

I went to the sweetest little quilt shop today called Quilter's Harvest. It's in an old church that was built in 1871 on the outskirts of Lafayette.


I came away with a great addition to my fabric stash. Just the right sized prints for my key fobs. Watch the shop for some new posts.

One Moment Week #9

I've been absent from the "One Moment" group for a few weeks, but this week I have something to share. While in Ohio last weekend for my nephew's high school graduation and my niece's birthday we went to our favorite garden center Grandma's Gardens.



They had the most fabulous selection of garden art I've ever seen. Since my husband is very into gardening and he wasn't with us at the time, I was able to buy him a really cool piece for father's day. Since we were traveling and it's a pretty big piece, we had to give it to him early. The first place my husband found to put it was in the side yard under some old trees in a hosta bed. Well, that meant he'd have to spruce up the whole side of the house. He put in a stepping stone walkway and made a bed along the side of the house. This was all done in a few days. When I came home from work on Thursday, he met me in the driveway giddy with anticipation for my reaction. That's was my one moment this week. I think it's beautiful.

Something to make you laugh today.

I heard about this from the Bob & Tom Show. Enjoy!

New in Fobulous! Today

I have a brand new banner in my Fobulous shop. I hope you like it as much as I do.



Here are some new fobs too!

Collage...Brooches

1. Flower Brooch by julishland
2. Palette Petals by melbry
3. Chained Rose by StudioElenus
4. Yellow Rosette by sunshineandcarousels
5. Victorian Homage by aubeebop
6. Black and White Chiffon by TheBroochBoutique
7. No. 105 Soire Silk Studio by acstudio9
8. Zipper Pin by zippinning
9. Springtime Bouquet by HandFashioned