Pre-Halloween

We made these bags last year and it was fun to get them out again.  I told the kids that if this bag gets full it's time to come home and let mom go through all of it to remove the candy that might be poisoned.  I usually find a pretty good handful, or two, of suspicious looking KitKat's every year.  It feels good to save the lives of my children; such a sacrifice.

I've already eaten 2 bags of candy I bought early so I had to buy more today. Typical.  Our neighborhood is CRAZY on Halloween.  Literally hundreds of kids and never enough candy!  There's a house on the main drag that has a live band play on their porch, and a house at the front of the subdivision that sets up a real live haunted lawn every kid is scared of, but they hand out big treat bags so they go anyways.  Freaky house.

We told Dani she was too old to Trick or Treat this year and she has chosen to show her disappointment by shaking uncontrollably on the floor and holding her breath till she turns purple.  I'm not convinced.

We have the costumes all worked out, but there are always last minute changes so we'll see what we end up with tonight.  The Pretty Skeleton Girl came home from school a little crabby so we may end up with a Pretty Grumpy Witch Ready for Bed.

And in other news...my Holiday Mint M&M's are now in stores!  Time to decorate the tree.  Merry Christmas.

i opened a shop.

I've been wanting to for a while, but I've been chicken I guess. I've needed a place to sell all this stuff I make, and Etsy was the logical choice, but I've been dragging my feet. I wanted to wait until I had a good stock of stuff, and a really good business plan, and a good unique product, and good marketing, and good packaging, and lots of time to spend on it.

things just don't happen that way in my world.

So I jumped in. I took pictures of the stuff I had, and just did it. It was hard! Wondering how to word things, how to describe the item, is it not enough info?, too much?, what the whooey do I say about myself on that profile page?, yadda yadda. A lot to take in.

I did decide on free shipping ($4 to Canada. Sorry fellow Canucks.). Because I like free shipping. And I decided to keep it really simple. Nothing fancy. I like that.

I'll just post different things when I can, and see what catches on, and just go with it right?.

So check it out, and tell me what you think. What would you like me to put in there, what should I change, what should you do with your hidden stash of Halloween candy in the cupboard? eat it.

I have a few more ideas of things I'd really like to get in there by next week before Christmas (including but not limited to some dolls and more bags and an apron or two), but that all depends totally on how much fun we have here at home and how much I can get done. Which may not be much because we just signed up for Netflix instant streaming through our Wii and we can't stop watching PeeWee Herman's Great Adventure and Garfield and the Secret of Kells and all the chick flicks I've missed. awesome.

Be sure to order if you wanna by DECEMBER 17TH in order to get it by Christmas.

nice bow tie.

i love green.

little blue bag.

oh dear.

this bag is being auctioned on ebay.

closes Wednesday, November 10.

all proceeds go to Chelsie.

bags.

I've been making bags. The purple one was a birthday present, the houndstooth bag is my new laptop home. And that "bowtie bag" will be up for auction on Ebay next week, along with 4 other bags I'm working on to help Desi's sister celebrate being cancer free for 5 years by raising $25,000 for cancer research. All five siblings are in Ireland right now running a marathon on her behalf. I love it. So come back in a week and bid, bid, bid! Every little bit will help.

mindy.

Ashby Fundraiser TODAY.

Mr. Ashby was in an ATV accident two weeks ago and has been left paralyzed.

He has four children.

My friend Elisha has taken part in organizing a number of fundraisers

for the Ashby's to help with the million dollar medical bills

and with the renovations needed for their home to be wheelchair accessible.

These two bags:

are being sold

HERE

today, Monday May 3

along with some other great stuff

to assist the Ashby family.

Go check everything out, and help if you can.

Thanks, Elisha!

susan.

alyssa.

elisha.

mishell's.

more ruffles...

...is what I always say.

jill's. she's having a baby.

These changing pads are easy guys. Just make a tiny quilt {one layer of batting between two pieces of fabric cut big enough for their little heads and bottoms to fit} then fold it up. I fold it in half 3 times. Then use your iron and press down your creases where you've folded it. You can {but don't have to} sew a line down those creases to make it more obvious.

Then wrap your diaper strap around the folded up changing pad and pin it down on the back. Open up the changing pad and sew your strap down {a little bit}. If you make your strap big enough you can tuck your diapers and wipes in here too.

Lovely.

Let me know if you have questions. I didn't make this a full tutorial, sorry, but brief explanations of fortuitous crafting will sometimes suffice. I made a diaper strap to put in Jill's bag, and then made a changing pad that I was going to add just a little velcro closure to but I ran out of velcro. So I wrapped it in the diaper strap and I love it even more. See? fortuitous. Happens all the time.

did you know that mac's have a little dictionary application at the bottom of my screen I can just click on and have instant definitions? like fortuitous. all my dreams have come true.

I'm going to invent a cliche application...but someone else will have to write it, because my six to one half dozen of the copper kettles under the haystacks in the horses mouths don't always make it out of my face appropriately. Hence, the need for the cool application I'm going to request. Then all my dreams will come true for real.

I'm easily pleased.

see ya later, crocodile.

just kidding. I meant mater.

I know that one.

just kidding, that's not a cliche, it's just a rhyme.

so don't put it in the application you're writing.

apples and oranges.

huh?

laura's bag.

actually, it was a gift from Laura to her friend, but I think of Laura when I see it. So I'll call it laura.

tote tutorial. totally.

Okay, I know it took forever, but here you go:

{This is when you'd sew on your ruffles around the outside of your bag,

if you were to ruffle.}

Don't turn your interior right side out.

Fit it inside the exterior with wrong sides together.

Now follow this tutorial for your straps, except don't press the sides in

and cut your strap pieces 24" x 4", and without velcro.

Backstitch over the straps.

Done. You have a tote.

These totes below are just one layer of exterior upholstery fabric. I pressed the tops over twice to hide the raw edge of the fabric, and sewed the straps onto the outside of the bag.

Let me know how it goes!

I mean, if I totally confuse you, I'd appreciate a request for clarification.