I Blame It On Beading

... my pain, that is. It's my shoulders, my neck, and my poor, poor fingers; stiff and swollen after two entire days of beading. I also blame it on me for not stopping myself, but mostly on Marcia, aka Beading Guru and Friend-who's-teaching-me-beading. It started with our recent Girl's Weekend Retreat where we were to be knitting and beading both. Both. That means switching off. Well, did it happen? No, it did not. Not really. There were a few token knitting attempts. But it was the beading that stole the show. That's when the hurt began to set in.

Marcia just shows up with these INCREDIBLE IRRESISTIBLE beaded items she makes. That's when the ogling and eye-popping begin. Then we move into the questioning phase; Can WE make THAT? and, WE HAVE to have THAT! and finally, Will YOU show US how? (How can she resist us?!) What she has, we all want. It's that simple. She's our Guru. Our Beading Guru, and she's taking us places we never dreamed we'd ever go.

We are making Under The Mast. Guess what? It's new, not even in her brand new book. We were guinea pigs for Marcia that weekend, so she could work out the kinks of teaching this project for an upcoming class. I am so happy to say that I am NEARLY DONE with this gorgeous necklace. I can't wait to wear it. Besides that, I have been making a modified project from the book, Teracita Earrings. These are the items that have stiffened my poor fingers, because I'm making them in every colorway from my stash possible. I cannot stop myself, I'm possessed by the beads... sigh.

Lastly, along with everything else, I am beading felt. The felt is being shaped, and embellished with beads. Did I mention that felting is my one true love (practically!). Well, the beads are making a stand, and it's not pretty...

Okay, well, yes it is. Very pretty, and I like it. Come see me at the Mission Hills Preschool Craft Fair on Saturday morning, Oct. 17 from 9am -12 noon. I will have these lovelies for show and sale. If you like them, do get them now. I have promised myself I WILL NOT be a beader, and I WILL NOT be a jewelry maker. However, as a Felter, I will sometimes allow myself a foray into the jewelry world, but I promise you, it's NOT FOR LONG!

Happy beading! And as far as for me... wish me happy kneading out the kinks from my shoulders and back...

Felted Ball Tutorial(s)

I will forewarn you that I don't understand a thing she says. But the pictures and idea come across really well. So, if you are "dyeing" to know how to make a felt ball for jewelry or for anything else, turn down your sound and watch the video. About the "dyeing" part, well, that's a whole different tutorial, and will have to be addressed on a different day. :o)

Okay, if you need translation, go on to this next video. Warning: you will notice the woman lets the water run for more than 6 minutes. Since we are in drought conditions, I don't recommend letting your water run the entire time you are working on the ball. Try to get a bowl of hot and cold water, and move between hot and cold in this fashion. Sheesh, I guess there's no such thing as a water shortages in Europe (or wherever she's from)...

I was going to add a third video. It's in Japanese with an English translator, but there are bathroom activities happening in the background which could gross some people out. I'll spare you that one, but can let you know where to find it if you're curious!

Happy felting!

Thanks to Trish

So, are you getting excited, curious, jealous (just kidding!), or maybe a little of all three!?!

The newness you are seeing around here is due to none other than Tricia Shiel of StreetDesigns and StreetCards. Trish is an oh-so-talented graphic designer, and she really shines in the World of Whimsy department. Trish is from London, but she used to live here in San Diego, and that is when she met my husband, Greg, and quickly got mixed up with our lot of friends. It was a sad day one May when she packed up her bits and bags, and her 1967 right-hand-drive cherry Porsche, and returned to her homeland. We still see Trish regularly, as she can't stay away, and joins our group whenever there's something too fun to pass up. She's a true gem, and we miss Trishie so much over here!

So, when Miss Heartless Etsy Designer closed up her shop and delivered her dose of negativity my way, I found a way to remedy the situation by hiring Trish. And, look at me now! An entirely new logo package, with a brand spankin' NEW Website that's so professional, yet whimsical too. Trish managed to capture my business model perfectly, and the nice thing is that she told me she had so much fun while she was at it. I couldn't be happier! And, really, you have to admit the site is full of whimsy and fun. It is actually still a work in progress, so if you keep checking back, you'll see small changes taking place here and there. And, guess what?! The site is going to be animated by Flash! (Okay, I don't really know what that's all about, but it sure sounds fun!)

So, if you're in the market for a web designer, give Trish a holler. Don't let the fact that she's in London scare you off. We managed to iChat and email every day, so the time difference didn't matter a bit. Don't worry about phone calls, because iChatting doesn't cost a dime. You simply must heed my advice, and forego cheap labor. Remember; pay peanuts, get monkeys. Pay a bit more, and get the best quality that you never knew would come your way.

So, thanks Trish. It just couldn't be any better! :o)

A Preview of Cuteness to Come

Yep, here's a glimpse! Oooh, it's very exciting...

So, do you remember the "Etsy, I'm Not On Sale" post? The one where I spilled my guts about the etsy designer who refused to sell me rights to my logo design? Well, doesn't every bad situation have a silver lining.... because now I have a brand new logo, and all sorts of goodies to go along with it!

Wow, it's just like Halloween night 'round here with a fresh new batch of sweets!!

Now, I'm supposed to keep part of my excitement a secret, but it's OH SO HARD TO DO! But, for now, you can see my new banner on my blog, and there's a new banner in my etsy shop too. And, stay tuned for the next part of the Big Unveil, coming very soon!

And as for these cutie pillows, well, they are in my etsy shop too. But they are in my BM (that's Brick + Mortar) shops as well... that's shopS, did you notice? For one is at Austin's Gallery in Coronado, and the other is at Hello Bluebird,

way out in Pennsylvania. I'm bi-coastal, and

that's kinda cool...

All righty, so there's my excitement for the day. Now I must get on with the truly important stuff, and that's bodywork. For today's the day for that. The chiropractor and the massage therapist will nudge, knead, and beat the knots from my over needlefelted shoulders and upper back. Then it's on to teacher conferences, and kid duty. These cutes here are what keep me sane, I tell you :o)

My FIRST Publication!

Guess what?! It's out, and I'm in it!! Haute Handbags,

that is. I can't tell you how excited I am about this; the very first ever publication of my handmade creations.

I just feel like things are taking a new path now. Kind of like I've been following along a straight and strong road with juts and potholes here and there. Now, all the sudden, a paved road has appeared, and I'm on it! It's filled with rolling hills and curves, there's lovely landscaping and scenery now, and it's definitely taking me towards a new direction. How exciting!

The other truly wonderful thing is that Deb Hodge's beautiful purses are on the cover of the magazine. Deb is a friend and the mom of my older son's best friend. I knew Deb's son for a year before I ever met Deb. I used to ask my son what his friend's parents did, and he'd reply "She's just like you, she makes stuff" Hmmm, I thought. What kid has a mom like me, who sits at home and sews and crafts the day away? Well, he sure did, and now I'm friends with this amazing and talented woman. We have SO much in common! So, Deb, you rock! And I couldn't be happier sharing my accomplishment with anyone other than YOU! :ox (kisses to Deb)

I will sell the magazines at Austin's Gallery, so you can find them locally if you live in Coronado. I know they will be for sale at Paper Tales over in Pt. Loma too. You can order them directly off the Stampington & Company's website, or by calling their toll free number; 877-782-6737. You won't be disappointed by this wonderful issue. It's filled with creativity, wonderful ideas, love, and especially, Deb's and my purses.

**Notes worth noting:

~ Those cutest ever pillows will be posted next. The publication excitement overrode the posting of the pillows... sorry!

~ I only write novels here because I try to fill up the space around the pictures. It's my Virgo need for order and feelings of symmetry... sorry!

~ Stay tuned for the launching of my NEW website. It's the biggest deal in the history of Val's Art Studio. This is going to be BIG, I tell you. BIG!!!

Some Days Are Duckier Than Others

...And some days we need to hold on and go along for the ride. Other days we are at the front of the group, ready to tow the line. (Just don't lose anyone in the process!)

I've had my share of busy days lately where I've have been TOWING THE LINE- big time, and they are not looking to ease up anytime soon. Probably not until... oh, say, around Jan 1 of 2010. Best not think about it, as I'm liable to let go of the line and coast (and daydream) for a bit. One thing about this business of being in business for myself is that the more things get going, and the more people are buying, the crazy busier I get. How does that happen, when

I thought I was already plenty busy yesterday?

Well, Judy of JudiPatudi and I had our vendor show and sale on Saturday, and we did not sell ONE thing! Can you believe it?! We quickly figured out it wasn't the right venue, and the buyers were bargain shoppers who didn't seem to want to pay the 'big' bucks for handmade. (Believe me, for the work we do, we hardly make more than pennies!) I swear, people even asked me if the items were "made in Peru"! I didn't know whether to laugh out loud or stare at them with my mouth wide open. But no, I didn't do either. I calmly explained that these special one of a kind sweaters were handmade by Judy and myself, from the finest recycled sweaters one can find, with artistic needle felting, ending up with a completely unique piece of wearable art. The explanation was good, but it didn't help get us any sales!

So, I hauled everything back to Austin's Gallery, and my display area looked better than it ever has. New sweaters, new friends (like Duckies!), new skirts... everything all fresh and happy. Then, today, a shopper buys two entire outfits, plus accessories, and is coming back on Thursday to maybe buy more. What say? Huh? Those shows... are they even worth it?? Well, I guess I'm figuring that out, right?

Along that line, I have signed on with one more craft fair. I'm promising you, me, my mother, my chiropractor, massage therapist, and swearing on a Bible that this is the last "add-on" for the fall/winter. This craft fair is in Mission Hills, at Mission Hills Preschool on West Lewis Street. The fair is in it's "infancy", just the second year they've held this show. Since they cater to the wee ones, I thought it might be a good one to try out. Also, I'm interested in branching out from Coronado a bit. And, frankly, if it's not Pennsylvania, Mission Hills will suite me just fine! This show will be on October 17th, and I'll be sure to remind you to stop by when the time creeps closer.

Okay, the cat's out of the bag now about Pennsylvania! You may or may not know that I signed on with The HodgePodgery when they opened up in July. Since their store was new, and they weren't sure of their direction, I gave it a try there over the summer, but made the decision to have them return my sweaters when I saw the direction they were taking the store. It's a fine direction for them, just not a great match for ME! Well, about that time, I heard from another gallery I'd contacted last spring, and she is very interested in showing and hopefully selling my work. This shop is called Hello Bluebird, and is a much better match for me. So, I am packing up a box of whimsy and will ship it off ASAP. Also, get this: The HodgePodgery and Hello Bluebird are only about an hour apart from each other, and the owners know each other. Now, how crazy are them apples?! Here, I throw fishing lines out into the universe, and I get bites from two folks who know each other...

Okay, I'm signing off now, but I want to you to check back soon because I made three pillows today, and they are the CUTEST THINGS I HAVE EVER MADE IN MY LIFE. I am going to take pictures of them tomorrow and will post the pic here so you can see them too. Oooh, did you hear me? The cutest things ever!!!

My Best Model

Um, that would be me. Yep; Me, Myself, and I. But, as my mom so generously put it last week, "Well, Val, most women aren't as 'hippy' as you are, and most women are a little bigger 'up top.'" Uh, yeah, thanks Mom, I know. (See that look on my face? that's the 'thanks, I know' look)

So, I'm needing to buy myself a dummy. One of those dressmaker's dummies. One that's more a 'regular' woman's shape. I think I'm going to need one that's adjustable, so I can make up size 6s and size 10s and size 12s. I just think my friends are getting tired of me measuring them in all the private places, boob wise and all. The biggest dilemma is where to store such a dummy. When one works out of their dining room in their small beachside house, it's awfully hard to disguise an adjustable dummy. When one also lives in a house of boys, it's even tougher still. I can hear it now; "Mommm, don't even think of putting that thing in HERE." *sigh*

So, speaking of dressmaking, that's what I've been up to. Not exactly dresses though. More like vests. They are slow and pretty painful at this point. One, because I don't have the dang dummy. And two, because I'm designing them as I go. No patterns, just images out of my head. I love how they are turning out though, so that's a good omen. These vests are my answer to the dilemma of felted sweaters for women. Women of many sizes, because the vests are adjustable, and can be sized like this: "One size fits many". That works, doesn't it? I like the sounds of that!

So, one day finished, the next day, gone. Cause that's what's going on tomorrow. Beth from Somerset Publications wants to meet me and my vests in person. So, off we go to Laguna Niguel, and we are presenting ourselves, and hopefully will make a positive impression on the people of Somerset. They are keeping my vests for a spring publication, BUT they only get them for one month. Then the vests are going into the Chargers Fashion

Show that's happening in November. But more about this later...

These vests are a combination of felted wool or cashmere, fashion fabric that I haven't been able to resist by the likes of Heather Bailey or Tina Givens, and needle felted irresistibles by yours truly. (Uh, that would be me.) The true art is definitely in the needle felting, but also in the craftsmanship, and especially the sewing. I take a huge amount of pride in my sewing skills, stemming from learning from my mom at aged 7, to spending babysitting money on patterns and fabric in my teens, to being a poor fashion-aholic in my 20s, and learning to copy fashions (sans patterns) from Vogue Magazine. Needless to say, these vests are beautifully made, top to bottom.

So, take a gander, as I am. I need to look at them, photograph them, touch them (so soft!), and talk about

them. I've put alot into them, and so I will miss them. Things like this are normal for me. Probably by next week, I'll be over them and onto the next item. In fact, a new birdy painting came to me today. Can't wait to get the sweaters and fluff off the dining room table so the painting and stitching can begin! It's pretty much a whirlwind around here, don't you know it!!

Lastly, this weekend (Sunday) is my Felted Book Cover Class at Paper Tales. The class is limited to 10 people, and last I checked, 6 people had signed up. Call over to Paper Tales 619-222-2510 to get yourself signed right UP so you can make yourself that cutie pie book cover!

And, very much, the final item, this Saturday is the Strut For Sobriety Fashion Show, a Jeff and Jer event! I have been invited to participate as a vendor along with my friend Judy Thacker of JudiPatudi. We will be showing a myriad of items, but mostly our sweet recycled lines of needle felted children's clothing. So, if you're there, stop by and say Hi!

Now, do I have time to get to that birdy painting?...

Pattern Perfected

**Update: Here is the link to be able to purchase this pattern: click here. I couldn't figure out how to rework the link on my Ravelry page, so I'm sorry but you will just have to keep clicking links. I promise, you are almost there!

The pattern for Cathy's Chemo Cap has been reworked and I am excited that it is now good to go! I like this version much better than the first one. This cap is so lovely that I will be making one for me to wear when I'm having a bad hair day. It's comfortable, cool, easily adjustable with the cotton tie band, fashionable, and well, I think it's quite pretty too!

The other thing that I was considering is if you do not knit. The band could be modified, and made from any stretchy fabric. You could buy two stretchy headbands, and sew them together, or you could buy a knit fabric from the fabric store, and make it using that.

In any case, this pattern is now available for purchase in my etsy shop for a very affordable price of $8.00, and will come as an immediate download once you purchase the pattern. The link is here: pattern  The pattern is for sale, but if anyone wants the pattern for free because they can't afford buying the pattern to make for themselves, then I will give it to them (or you) for free. ***PLEASE NOTE: The free pattern offer is available ONLY for a single use option, for the person suffering from hair loss. Requests for multiple use/making the pattern for groups, etc. does not qualify for a free pattern request. Please leave me a message here, or email me at valsart@me.com. Though I'd like to be paid for my efforts to design this pattern, it's important to me to help people in need. To especially help anyone who is faced with all that goes along with cancer treatments, and the angst of loosing one's hair. I am here to help in whatever manner I can. Thanks to you, too, for caring…

Please note: this pattern is intended for one time use, meaning I ask you make it for yourself and/or a friend, but you do not make it to sell or intend to distribute. The pattern is copyrighted, and all rights remain with Val's Art Studio. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

Time For A Cup of Cute

Pretty soon the weather will be cool enough for a cup of tea, so for now, a cup of cute will have to do.About the cutest thing I've seen. Studio Violet made these sweet porcelain pieces, but it appears that they have already all sold out. Seems that lots of people are smitten by "cutes". That's good :o)This Tea and Owl print by MarmeeCraft can be purchased in her etsy shop. What lovely and imaginative illustrations. I fell in love with her beautiful felted owls as well. Click on the link and take a lOOk. Woot!

I couldn't resist adding a sweet birdy in his cozy cup of a nest... Enjoy your day!

Stylin'

Just how do they become so stylish minded the minute they turn 13? First, they are just a big kid, and then, a few days/hours/moments later, it's all about the "look". Things their mother wouldn't dare them to wear have all the sudden become the cat's meow!

I suppose this can be said about boys as much as for girls. I thought I got off scott free being the mom of two boys. It was always "time to get dressed, and here's what to wear", as they dutifully stepped into the suggested outfit. My friends who have daughters complained about scuffles over the clothing issue, and mountains

of cash spent at stores like Abercrombie. Well, I spoke too soon. Now, all the sudden, with the teenage years upon us, my oldest son has stepping into the realm of "Fashionista". Or, would that be "Fashionistor"?!

Here is Drew modeling his summer stylin' beach day look. I really couldn't believe he was going out like this, but he was proud of it... so, okay. At least I got him to pose for a picture! This past week, the temp has been in the high 90s and 100s, (so hot for our San Diego beachside town). Drew and Kyle are back in school. The outfit of choice? Skinny cords. Yes, corduroy jeans, skinny style. Hot x 10... Ask me about back to school shopping for clothes. Abercrombie? He wouldn't be caught dead. No, it's a half hour drive to a special skate shop in Rancho Penesquitas called Willie's Workshop. I said try on everything and I'll buy you anything you promise you'll wear. Well, about $400 later, I'm sympathizing with the Abercrombie moms and wondering if I can find Willie's Workshop slightly used clothing on ebay... Okay, I'm eating my words here. I'm eating my "so glad I have boys" attitude. I guess it must be a teenage thing... Well, here we go. Strap in and enjoy the ride!

Honesty Counts

Thank you, Mari, from Mis Amores, who sent me this thoughtful gift. I love being honored with the tag "Honest", because I hold honesty and truthfulness in very high regard.

Here's how this tag works:

1. Make a link to whomever sent you the tag.

Mari has a beautiful family, filled with love. When I read Mari's blog, I feel the most jealous about not having a daughter to share my love of craft. Mari and her daughter do so much together. I can only imagine their special time spent beading, working clay, and learning new crafts. My heart is warm with love after a visit to Mari's blog. Thank you Mari!

2. Disclose ten truths about yourself, known or unknown. (I'm not sure how you can list a truth you don't know about!)

- I have a wonderful husband and two sons, aged 11 and 13

- I have a Portuguese Water Dog named Lola, who is my sweetie girl and all around best friend :o)

- I have a 22 year old cockatiel, named Birdita, who is a boy, but I gave him a girl name before I learned his sex. He's had gender confusion for 22 years!

- I am a Virgo, semi organized, but a lover of all things orderly.

- I think I drive some people crazy with my persistence. (I really don't mean to!)

- I teach craft classes, and I really love doing so.

- I am 100% girly and a lover of all things cute, especially if it involves a birdy or two.

- I worked in the art field for 20 years, and quit to start my business two years ago. I am loving every minute of it, except for waiting to hear back from the proposals I've sent out :-# urrrgh!

- My birthday is on Monday, August 31st!

- I'm a loyal, supportive and true friend, and I believe I was a healer in my last life...

3. List ten blogs you feel deserve this honor and announce it to them in an email.

Here are ten blogs I love to visit. I hope you enjoy checking them out too!

- A soulmate breathingbesideus.blogspot.com

- About my favorite store (and person:o) swellsknits.blogspot.com

- Another irresistible stop with the best people EVER around there papertales.typepad.com

- She always makes me laugh tutumonkey.blogspot.com

- Filled with creativity alittleofthisthatandtheother.blogspot.com

- I can't get enough of her beadwork maddesignsbeads.blogspot.com

- I love to visit their blog AND their local shop theatticgirls.blogspot.com

- A breath of fresh air littlebrownpen.blogspot.com

- I love both Abby's blogs abbytrysagain.typepad.com

- Filled with inspiration sweetbeadstudio.com

For An Ocean Loving Girly Girl

This one's for Flor...

When she was selected as the winner of the Girly Giveaway, I wanted to make something, well- girly, and something that reflected the winner (Flor), and what she loves. Reading her blog is a big treat. Flor is very a versatile artist with all the things she creates. And I do mean things! She is a very busy girl over there, that Flor! Well, reading all about her loves and passions showed that one thing in particular stood out. Her love for the ocean, the sand and the waves, and her glimpses of the mermaids that reside in that special place. So, a mermaid it is! This lovely mermaid needle felted wall hanging is for you, Flor. I'm packing it up and off it goes in tomorrow's mail, hoping to arrive quickly and bring a peaceful wave of the sea... to you from me.

Etsy, I'm Not On Sale!

As some of you know, I've had a Love-Hate relationship with Etsy. The things I love about etsy are the ease with which you can open an online shop, the assistant tools etsy offers to help you get started, and the encouragement and love shown to etsy sellers on a regular basis. What I don't like about etsy is that so many sellers sell their wares so DANG cheap. I think this practice only serves to cheapen etsy's reputation as a whole. I lose faith in etsy sellers on a regular basis when I see something I know takes an hour or more to make, and the seller is charging $10.00. Now that makes no sense to me.

As an artist and craftsperson, I work hard to price my items according to the time I spend making them. I quit my job working for someone else where I was paid handsomely for my time. In order to make ends meet by working from my home studio, I've had to think long and hard about what I'm worth, about what to pay ME! Believe me, when I take into consideration the materials I've bought and the time spent shopping, the label that goes onto the finished product, the business card hangtag, the marketing, let alone the actual time in making the product, AND the time it takes to take a few reasonable photos and then list the product on Etsy... How in the world could that ever be done for a $10.00 sales price, and, more importantly, how could I ever feel good about what I'm doing, that I'm even making what I'm worth???

This lesson was brought home to me this week when the etsy designer I "hired" to design my logo, business card, product tag and labels suddenly closed up shop, and hung a closed sign on her etsy shop door. No forewarning, and no concession to the fact I'm in need of a few more designs. Just a response of "Closed, and no more using your design because it's my 'art' and to do so would be copyright infringement". No reasonable response to my offer of buying the rights to my design. Okay, I know... pay peanuts, get monkeys. I guess I'm guilty of my own foolish pleasure here. I was so thrilled to get my design for such a deal... now I'm really paying for it because I lose out on something I love.

So, the moral here is to spend a little more and get the quality you deserve. If you pay bargain basement prices, expect to be treated like a bargain basement shopper. Pay for quality and get quality. Let me tell you that if you spend the money for one of my products, you will get something that's completely unique, beautifully made, with exquisite attention to detail. And, if I were to ever close up shop, I'd never shut the door in your face. My integrity is more important to me than that...

Out, Out, Damned Doubt

Trouble...

Oh, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble

Feels like every time I get back on my feet

she come around and knock me down again

Worry...

Oh, worry, worry, worry, worry

Sometimes I swear it feels like this worry is my only friend

I woke up with this Ray LaMontagne song running through my head this morning. Other than fact that I love, love, love this song, it's words are tripping a trigger with me today.

What's to worry and fret about? Well, the truth of that matter is I'm no longer worried and troubled. I am just suffering the lingering effects of my last two worry racked days. I have been waiting to hear back about two proposals I put out within the last month. The first is the Rady Children's Hospital project, and the second is the Lark book proposal. Somehow I got it into my head that I'd hear about both of them on August 18. Finally, I looked over both RFPs on the 19th, and found out I'd hear about one through the mail beginning on the 19th, and the second, I won't hear about until the week of the 24th. So, worry and trouble be damned!!

Worry, fret and trouble go hand in hand with the Virgo personality, well, at least MY Virgo personality! It really is something that's "been doggin' my soul since the day I was born" Okay, it's out there now, another fun fact about me! Well, I know we all have days when worry and trouble get the best of us. It's just that the last two days have had me paralyzed by fear, and that's about the most counterproductive situation ever. So, get out Doubt. I've looked at you and talked to you. Now leave me be so I can get on with what needs to get done around these parts!

Side note about this post: Sorry about the weird line breaks... it's nothing I can figure out how to fix. Somehow the editing mechanism within this post is all messed up today. Must have something to do with all the worry and doubt. Well, get ready; I'm going to stamp it OUT!!

A Summertime Post

Here's a great message from Daily Worth that showed up in my inbox today. A perfect message for a lazy day. I think that's what I'm going to do today. Finish up a few beloved things, perhaps sit and knit for a bit, maybe take a trip back over to Paper Tales to visit their Junque and Trunk Show and Sale. Maybe I'll even splash out and whip up this fun Watermelon Pie, a perfect dessert for a summer evening... or for when special guests come to visit... like tomorrow night. My best friend is coming with her family... they are here visiting from Wisconsin. I can't wait!!!

A Time for Rest Our minds and bodies need rest. We're nicer, happier, more productive women when we feel rested. We see you nodding in agreement. In Italy and other parts of Europe, everyone stops working in August! While we in the U.S. don't embrace such luxury, we at DailyWorth toast the European tradition and encourage you to emulate it in any way you can. So here's your assignment for the rest of the summer: Take a few days off, sleep an extra hour, read a mag, go to the beach, drink an extra glass of Riesling — whatever relaxation means to you. So enjoy the dog days of summer, and get some rest!

Pincushion Friday at Paper Tales!

Make and Take a Sweet Pincushion this Friday from 5-7pm at Paper Tales!

Hooray! I am teaching this pincushion class again, but am adding a different color group for this class. You can choose to make a lavender bouquet or a hot pink bouquet of Itty Bitty Roses. I will have extra kits that you can purchase if you want to go home and make extra pincushions. The gift giving season is right around the corner... Hint, hint!

So, call over to Paper Tales, 619-222-2510 and sign yourself up! We'll have an action packed two hour class, a great way to start off the weekend. See you Friday!

A Gift For A Very Brave Friend

Well, I'm supposed to be doing lots of things around here except for what I am doing, which is to help take care of a friend. Sometimes certain things make all others pale in comparison, and this is one of those things. My sweet brave friend has breast cancer, and had a double mastectomy in June, followed by chemo. She lost her hair last weekend, which I think has been one of the toughest things of all because it somehow announces her plight for all the world to see.

I have decided that there must be a way for people who need to wear head scarves to find a very cute and fashionable solution. Sadly, after combing patterns on the web, it doesn't seem so. Plus, many of the patterns out there, while being pretty unfashionable, are costly as well. It seemed like the thing to do would be to design my very own cute chemo cap! So that's what I've been doing. I have made the first one, and here it is on me:

This Chemo Cap (bad name, I know) is perfect for the summer because the scarf part doesn't hug your head, and it has some gathers and tucks. It looks like you are just having a bad hair day. Then, the super soft Blue Sky Organic Cotton knitted band keeps the hat in place. You can tie it as snugly as you please. What do you think? Do you like the design?

There have been some design flaws, which I'm working out. Even though the back is very cute, I gathered the fabric together and added elastic. There turns out to be too much fabric, so the gathered bit puffs out too much above the bow. My revision includes cutting out sections of the fabric so there's not so much fabric to deal with at the back of the head. My friend also had long hair, so she wants fabric to trail down the back of the neck. I'm modifying the design to include that as well.

In any case, I love, love, love the combination of the Amy Butler fabric and the soft Blue Sky Organic cotton. I bought this lovely combination at The Grove, where Susan and Judy of judipatudi are working hard to put beautiful combinations of yarn and fabric together. It sure makes coming up with a design solution so exciting. I couldn't wait to get home and start knitting and sewing! My husband thought the fabric would be too busy for my friend, but when she saw the yarn and the fabric, she got so excited! Hooray! If I can give my friend a gift which makes her want to get up in the morning, and get dressed so she can feel pretty going out into the world, well, that's the best gift I can ever give, isn't it?

**Update: Please click this link here to view the perfected pattern, and this link here where you can purchase the pattern for yourself. Thank you!

And the Girly Giveaway Winner is.......!

Winner, winner, I'm so excited!!!

Flor Larious Art

... was pulled out of the hat this morning by my World of Warcraft playing son before suiting up and headed out for sailing camp. Hooray, hooray, for Flor! All you need to do is to get in touch with me so we can finalize a couple of girly details, along with your address so I know where to send off your girly prize :o)

I want to thank everyone who entered my First Ever Giveaway. Stay tuned because I might offer another one very soon, as this has been alot of fun! It was a great adventure to meet so many new bloggers out there. I tried to visit each and everyone's blog so I could see what YOU are all about, and I sure liked what I saw. Our blogging world is filled with the most interesting group of creative people, isn't it?! I really enjoyed 11 year old Sabine's blog, all about potatoes, well, sort of. She said she really wasn't very girly at all, and didn't like pink. Well, that's okay, Sabine. Just so you know, if you'd won, I'd probably made you something with purple beaded potatoes on it!!!