Baby Foxes at Play

As  most of my readers already know, I love my camera! I take a ton of pictures. I've been trying to remember to take more video, especially of family. I wish I could look back at the video we had of the kids when they were little but I somehow lost them all in my divorce. So I've been creating more memories on video ever since.

For those who don't know, along with running my designing business, I work at an animal clinic where we also rehab wildlife. I get some really fun video and photos there! On my very first day of working there five years ago, we got in a two headed turtle. Since it was my first day, I was too chicken to whip out my camera and I missed a great opportunity! Kicking myself in the behind for that one.

Above is a video of some foxes we got in last year. They were orphaned so we had to raise them. They were actually released not long after this video was taken. Now that Spring is here, we're bombarded with wildlife, especially babies. The video was shot behind glass so it's not the best quality, but you can still see how cute the babies are when they are at play.

So do you prefer to take video, or photos?

My Must Have Craft Supplies

I just placed an order for some sewing supplies and it got me thinking about my most used and most needed craft and sewing supplies. I recently ran low on my Heat N Bond Lite. When I went out to get some more, I discovered that none of my local stores sold that brand anymore so I bought another brand. When it came time to use it, I was so disappointed. It was a pain in the butt to peel off the backing, plus the glue didn't adhere evenly. I really missed my Heat N Bond! Fortunately I was able to get online and order it in bulk. No problem, I'll use it!

Here are my favorites:
Heat N Bond Lite (as noted above)
Fusible and non fusible fleece
Black embroidery floss
Black mini buttons
Good selection of colorful buttons
Good selection of fabrics and trims

I could really drag this list on and on, but those are my MUST haves! What's yours?

Tutorial for Table Runner Now In PDF Format for FREE download!

Quite some time ago I had a tutorial on my blog for a table runner. I decided to put the pattern into PDF format so you can save it to your computer and print it out if so desired. I love this pattern, in fact it's one of my favorites. One simple pattern, your choice of fabrics, and you can make it for any holiday or season! I have one in the works right now for Christmas. So quick and easy!  

Most of my crafty friends would probably know how to adjust the size for their own needs, because it would be so simple by simply adding or subtracting the stripes.

If you want to pick up your free pattern, you can pop over to my Craftsy pattern shop and get yours now! Click HERE.

Applique Tutorial - Daisy Stitch & Satin Stitch, Part 4, Plus WINNERS!

First let me congratulate the winners of my giveaway. They will each receive my super bag pattern plus their choice of 3 patterns from my shops. If they don't sew, they can choose 5 graphic items from my digital scrapbooking shops.

Here they are along with links to their blogs so you can visit them.


Alice from 
http://www.yesiknowmydogslookfunny.com

Anne Marie from
http://balmyatticarts.blogspot.com

Edi from 
http://memoriesforlifescrapbooks.blogspot.com

Now, onto the final two stitches in my series. First we have the daisy stitch. This is a cute and decorative stitch. You can make into the shape of a daisy or you can make it into a long chain by using the same stitch. You can see in the image above how I made mine side by side to appear as the "pie vents" in my pie appliques.

Our final stitch is the satin stitch. I'll be the first to admit that this is my least favorite stitch to do. I do use it though because there are times when I feel it's needed such as for the cat's the nose and the owl's beak above. It's just several stitches side by side and I like to use all 6 strands of floss in my needle for this stitch, where I usually use only 3 for other stitching.

I hope you have enjoyed the series. It will remain here on my blog and you can get to it by clicking on the Tutorials tab at the top. Come by anytime you need to use it as a reference.


Part 1
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/03/applique-tutorial-giveaway-part-1.html

Part 2
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/04/applique-tutorial-giveaway-blanket.html

Part 3
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/04/applique-tutorial-giveaway-back-sttch.html

Applique Tutorial & Giveaway, Back Sttch & Running Stitch - Part 3

GIVEAWAY HAS EXPIRED - CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!

The next stitch we are going to learn is the back stitch. This is the stitch I use most often in applique, only second behind the blanket stitch. This is the stitch that is perfect for dividing lines in the body of an animal such as where the legs or arms will be. It's also great for the veins in leaves, flower stems, chicken or bird feet, etc. It's also the stitch I use for writing, such as the name on a stocking, or words on a wall hanging.

 

Now is the running stitch. This is a versatile stitch. It's probably the first stitch you ever learned. It's just simple stitches spaced evenly apart. If you are a quilter, it looks like the quilting stitches although they would be very tiny. It's also a nice basting stitch but you would make the stitches very big. I use this for basting my quilt layers together when making a larger quilt project. As you can see above, it also makes a great decorative stitch.

Thanks for joining us!

Part 1
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/03/applique-tutorial-giveaway-part-1.html

Part 2
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/04/applique-tutorial-giveaway-blanket.html

Part 4
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/04/applique-tutorial-daisy-stitch-satin.html
 

Help Rescue My Favorite Purse!

Above is a photo of my very most favorite purse in the whole world! I know, it sounds a little extreme but I love that purse. It has everything I want, great inside and outside pockets, cross-body bag, black leather, and super cute! I think my favorite thing about this bag is that it looks small, but is so roomy on the inside. 

So what's the problem? Well, to make a long story short, it was in the closet at work and it had a mis-hap with a bottle or something of cleaning fluid. My purse and another girl's coat got the worst of it. Now back to my purse....

I've been hanging it under the eves since Wednesday. Today I set it in the bright sun on my deck. I've sprayed it with a combination of vinegar and water. At this very moment, it's hanging under my eves again with an open container of baking soda inside.

Tell me, is there anything else I can do to get rid of the smell. I want to save my purse!!!

Applique Tutorial & Giveaway, Blanket Stitch & Straight Stitch - Part 2

GIVEAWAY HAS EXPIRED - CONGRATULATIONS WINNERS!

The first stitch we are going to learn is the blanket stitch which is also called the buttonhole stitch. This is the stitch I always use to go around my appliques. It's also the stitch that I use to go around felt projects such as the gingerbread ornament above. It's a nice, simple, decorative stitch.

Second video today is the straight stitch. This is a super easy decorative stitch. It's basically long straight stitches. In the image above you can see how I used this stitch in these projects. Notice how perfect it makes the veins coming off the main line in the leaves. It also makes great whiskers for small cat appliques, and I found it perfect for making the needle in my sewing machine above. 

I hope you join us next week when we will learn two more stitches.


Thanks for joining us!

Part 1
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/03/applique-tutorial-giveaway-part-1.html

Part 3
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/04/applique-tutorial-giveaway-back-sttch.html

Part 4
http://sherscreativespace.blogspot.com/2013/04/applique-tutorial-daisy-stitch-satin.html
 

Moving Shops and Good News - What a Week!

It's been a busy week! After spending a couple of days uploading files to Etsy for the instant download service, I decided it was a good time to remove my patterns from my Etsy shop and give them a shop of their own. The thought of starting a fresh shop terrifies me, I'm sure after a slow start, it will be worth it in the long run. I can see how confusing it must have been for those who were looking for digital graphics to find a bunch of patterns and vice versa.

So, my new shop is located HERE if you want to take a look. I'm starting with a 20% OFF sale that will be running this week.

THE GOOD NEWS: Another good thing that has happened this week was that my son finally let me announce to the world that he will be making me a grandma for the first time in October. It's been so hard to keep my mouth shut on this one! I did announce it on my personal facebook page but not all of you have been able to see it. So here it is, it's official!!! 

Be sure to enter our giveaway where you can win lots of free graphics or patterns of your choice! You can enter that HERE.