Flags

My current obsession: bunting flags. I think they are just too adorable and fun. I love the triangle ones but also the square ones that are like prayer flags. Earlier this year I made this set for Ferris' room:
I used swatches and scraps to make this one and I love how colorful it is. Turns out it's a little long, but not too bad.
My newest project has become printing flags on the garment printer to be used specifically for making these bunting garlands. Hence, the first example:Gnomes and mushrooms. I am in love with this set. It only has six flags but it's still 4 feet long. I listed it in my etsy shop but I am very tempted to keep it. I suppose if it actually sells I can make another, and for now I can gaze at them all I want!

Also, I'm quite obsessed with all things Montessori right now. I know my guy isn't quite old enough for a lot of it yet, but at the rate I've been getting things done I just might have my research and supplies ready about the time that he will be. I can't wait, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun learning along with him.

Sunday

It was a rainy Sunday yesterday, and it was actually kind of nice to hole up with the family and just do little things around the house. Though some things were not so little, like getting the paint up in Ferris' future room. It's almost there now, I just need to do one more top coat. It's a lovely, buttery light yellow. I can't wait to put up all the cute things for him and make it a nice space for him to spend his time.I came out from painting the room at one point to find this:

so sweet

So I also recently bought this cook book:

Would you even know that I'm trying to diet? I still have pregnancy weight and my little guy is 8 months old! It's probably because I can't stop trying out things like this! There's nothing like a recipe that uses an entire pound of butter to ruin my plans. I love butter. I seriously, seriously love butter.
Anyway...here's my finished product:

zucchini spice cake whoopie pies with honey lemon buttercream

So, yes, they are delicious. The recipe I used for the cake part was actually for pumpkin spice cake, but I had a squash/zucchini thing and and thought, how can I take this healthy, fresh gourd and make something completely unhealthy? They are just lovely to eat, though and they took 2 hours to make, so maybe I can write off some of the time making them as calories burned? Yeah, right.

Re-working

Well, the computer crashed horribly last week. So badly that we had to get another one. During this time I had been very caught up in compter-ized designs for tshirts and fabrics. Nothing wrong with all of that and I get a lot of pleasure from those things, but, those still feel very much like work these days. Not always, sometimes it's a load of fun and it's great for when my brain is just not wandering in the ways that it normally does.
The incident prompted me right back into 'traditional' art again. As traditional as I get, though I doubt I would ever be accepted into any group of artists that would identify themselves with the word. Either way, I feel renewed in a way that I haven't in a long time.
Results:

Model Home

Our home is far from precious. It's been a work in progress since we moved in. It's an apartment style condo that used to be a rental, so wear and tear is a given. So much work to be done and so little time and money. I try to keep my humor about it and I was able to whip this up as a nice little touch the other day:

Remember The Money Pit? I always loved that quote.

The pattern and tutorial came from here:

http://sewing.about.com/od/christmasideas/ss/fabricwreath.htm
I'm sure there are others out there that aren't christmas oriented but really I just clicked on the first one I saw!

15th!

My hand shadows made 15th, and I will say I'm quite pleased with that. I did not expect to do well, my design being so plain, but I love it...and here it is printed up!

mmmmm....yellow....

Anyhow, new contest!
http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters/new?contest_id=40
I've entered this design -


So there you go...and I promise I'll be making some posts that do not have to do with Spoonflower and their contests in the near future :)

New Spoonflower Contest - Paper Collages

Time for another round of Spoonflower contest! Last time I entered was the cocktail theme and managed to place 7th with this design:

mmmm...all the alcohols.

Anyhow, the newest one is Paper Collages, and you can vote here:

http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters/new?contest_id=39

I've entered a design I've called Hand Shadow Animals:
to see it in repeat, go to my profile here:

http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric_items/new?design_id=281154

And just so you know, you can vote for as many or as few designs as you like, and you don't have to vote for mine at all if you don't like it, I'll never know!

Bloooo-berries!

This summer has been so hot and humid, and this weekend was no exception. Despite this, we decided we needed a blueberry fix, and of course the only way to solve that is to pick them yourself! We headed to Durocher Farm in Litchfield, NH and had lots of (sweaty) fun.

Me and the little guy grabbin some berries.

Andy and Ferris.


Ferris was mostly interested in grabbing whatever he could reach...there were many sad branches left that day!

His first taste of mushed up blueberry. Doesn't seem like much of a fan so far...

We came away with a fair amount of berries, there were plenty but in that heat Ferris just wasn't going to last. We'll try again this coming weekend and see what we can get.