TUTORIAL -- Blue Jean Pocketful

These are super easy and so fun to make!

You'll need a pair of Blue Jeans.

Silk flowers

Stiffy  Fabric Stiffener

Macrame Jute

A Crow, homemade or store bought

Hot glue

Floral Foam

Floral Moss

A Tag of some sort

LET'S GET STARTED!

Cut out the Pockets of your old Blue Jeans. Make sure you actually cut the material underneath and don't just tear off the outside of the pocket. Open up a Pocket and poor STIFFY fabric stiffener inside it and rub it all over the Pocket, inside and out. This is messy, which is why I didn't get a picture of it! After you have it saturated well, take some wax paper and ball it up; stuff it into the pocket. Lay down the pocket on some more wax paper and let it dry over night.

Get yourself a piece of Floral Foam and cut it to fit inside the Pocket. Add some Hot Glue to the inside of the Pocket and place your Foam down inside.

For my strap I've taken 3 strands of Macrame Jute and braided it.

Then I tie off both ends with a single knot, trim them, and Hot Glue to the inside edge of both sides of the Pocket.

I then apply a bit more Hot Glue to the top of the Foam and add some Floral Moss. 

Now comes the FUN part! The Floral Design! I was always taught to choose the tallest piece first and fill in around it......so I did!

I started with my Crow, which I made from a pattern by Thread Bare Primitives. Cut a small hole in the crow, add a bit of Hot Glue, and add the dowel. I didn't paint the dowel this time but I usually do. The flowers cover it mostly so I wasn't concerned.

Fill in your flowers. Small ones amongst the large ones, please!

Finish it off by adding more Floral Moss around the edges where you can see gaps. Remember to add the Hot Glue first!

Add yourself a Tag and you have yourself a Super Cute Blue Jean Pocketful! Here's another one that I just finished last night!

This Tutorial is yours to share where you may. Just please Link my Blog to it!

As Always.....STAY TUNED!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

EXCUSES!

I have them! Lots of them! I always have excuses because they.......well......they excuse me!

I had deactivated my Etsy shop items in the middle of June and didn't start back up until the beginning of August....my vacay to myself. The beginning of August brought a surge in Teacher gifts so here are a few pictures of what I've been doing!

I have 5 more of these to do and ship out on Monday. I've already done 7 of them and shipped them out. Good thing I love making these!

I've also cut out another doll but this one is made of wood. 

I have to wire her arms and dowel her legs. She'll have a very pretty dress (for a witch anyway!) on her and  a broom with her little black kitty. 

I've got 2 swaps to finish this week.

I've got an order for 11.....11 of my seasonal Garlands I'm working on now!

I just announced my FB Mystery Winner this morning so check it out (badge on sidebar).

 I'll have a Tutorial up in a few days to show you how I make a Blue Jean Pocketfull!

My Blog GIVEAWAY is still on until Sept. 7th so sign up while you can on the post below this one. OR, find the picture of my Fall Garland on my Blog's right sidebar. Visit the other Giveaways while you're there!

SEE? I have excuses!

Thanks for my followers, old and new! I appreciate your support in Blog Land!

Stay Tuned!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

Fall 2013 GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

I know most people gripe when we (retail) start to show off our 'seasonal' goodies before it's even time but, hey, it's just how we do things! 

I changed a few things on my Seasonal Halloween Garland. 

I added some deeper oranges and a Candy corn with one more star. Even added a

cute digital tag from Deena @ Ewenmeprintables.com.

What started out as a nice 48" Garland has turned into an even nicer 65" Garland.

 I have this already in my Etsy shop as a MADE TO ORDER ITEM.

I don't remember where the pattern came from as I've been putting this one together for quite a while.

I'd like to offer one up for my Fall Giveaway! I'm busy cutting out extra pieces since they're popular so I might as well make an extra one for someone lucky enough to be chosen by Random.Org! (The fabric strips in between will be varied from the photo).

Simple rules will make this obtainable!

1. Be a follower; new followers are always welcome!

2. Leave me a comment!

3. SHARE WHERE EVER!!

Let me know you've done this in one comment!

This is opened to US Citizens and Canadian Friends.

I'll announce a winner on September 7th!

Don't forget about my FB Mystery Giveaway!

Thanks for playing along with me!

Stay Tuned!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

UFO's!!

Oh, but I've been so neglectful of my blogging lately. Life gets in the way and I've had a bit of the 'lazies'. School is starting in a few more weeks and the kids and I have been doing our school shopping. Happy to say that's all done and behind us except for what the school/teachers will need for their classes.

My table is FULL of many of my UFO's (Unfinished Objects)! 

I HATE it when I do this, however, it's just a part of me that comes with my creativity. I don't have much time to just sit and dote on one particular item. My attention gets a bit messed up when I have to attend to the daily necessities and the end production is a conglomerate of unfinished busy-ness!

My hubby is finally coming home to stay....YAY!! We finally got a project here in Florida and so we don't have to pretend to be married anymore!! It's been a long ! 1 1/2 years with him coming in every 2-3 weeks for only a few days. Hoping to not ever do that again!

Meanwhile, I've 2 other little girls SCREAMING for attention!

 This pattern if from Susan Dean of ThreadBare Primitives. They are so ugly, they are cute!!

Witch hats for the Jacks and a grubby Homespun dress for the little girls with their black hair and bows! So FUN!

I've got a Face Book Mystery Giveaway going on right now if you want to hop on over there and leave a comment.

 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paintspots-and-Splinters/141867899181670

Look for this picture!

Hope you can stop by!

The kids will go back to school and I might get a life so.....

Stay tuned!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

Sassafrass!

Remember this?

Oh, but she's so FULL of attitude; casting her spells and causing me deep consternation. She should be ashamed but, of course, she's not. And as a WOMAN, that's her prerogative!

I sat down to finish her a few days ago.

I layered her clothing with my own design. You can't see it in this picture but I cut her sleeves wider at the end and on a diagonal.She has a pair of pantaloons, then a skirt, then the dress part that I'd sewn the apron to. I didn't think out the process throroughly and had put her head onto her body before I'd slipped on her dress...SO....I had to slit the front and back to get it on. I stitched and glued a piece of fabric down her front so I could hide the slit.

Her collar is Tulle and she has a Black/White polka dot tie at her chin. I also tied a strip on her hat and then glued the wooden black bat above it that I'd painted, previously.

Her boots have been grubbied up with some cinnamon and 2 rusted safety pins attached for her 'buckles'.

I painted on her lashes, her mole, and those wide lips that she casts her nasty spells from.

Her hair is gray sheep's roving and her hat is made from black felt. She's 32" tall and a good 'handfull'!

I've named her Sassafrass. She's sitting on her bench in front of my China cabinet and thus far, hasn't given me any trouble.

 I've got her listed in my Etsy if you want to stop by and FAVORITE her.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/157478024/halloween-witch-doll-sassafrass

She took some time to make but I REALLY enjoyed putting her fabrics together.

I've listed most of my inventory again in my shop. Slowly getting back to the 'here and now'. It's been nice having some down time.

We're getting lots of rain here and I've not been able to break out the 'tools' between the heat and the wet stuff. I did manage to get these painted up.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/157265428/halloween-treat-boxes

https://www.etsy.com/listing/76937978/halloween-trio-of-buddies

I'll have another Giveaway soon so make sure you 'STAY TUNED'!

}}HUGS{{

Vicky

....And That's How the Fight Started!!

My wife and I were watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed.
I turned to her and said, 'Do you want to have Sex?'
'No,' she answered.
I then said, 'Is that your final answer?'

... She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, 'Yes..'
So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And that's when the fight started...
______________________________

I took my wife to a restaurant.

The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.

"I'll have the rump steak, rare, please."
He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"
"Nah, she can order for herself."

And that's when the fight started.....
____________________

My wife and I were sitting at a table at her high school
reunion, and she kept staring at a drunken man swigging his
drink as he sat alone at a nearby table.

I asked her, "Do you know him?"
"Yes", she sighed,
"He's my old boyfriend. I understand he took to drinking
right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear he
hasn't been sober since."

"My God!" I said, "Who would think a person could go on
celebrating that long?"

And then the fight started...
_______________________________

When our lawn mower broke and wouldn't run, my wife kept hinting to me that I should get it fixed.
But, somehow I always had something else to take care of first, the shed, the boat,
making beer.. Always something more important to me.

Finally she thought of a clever way to make her point.
When I arrived home one day, I found her seated in the tall grass, busily snipping away with a tiny pair of sewing
scissors. I watched silently for a short time and then went into
the house. I was gone only a minute, and when I came out again
I handed her a toothbrush.

I said, "When you finish cutting the
grass, you might as well sweep the driveway."

The doctors say I will walk again, but I will always have a limp.
____________________________

My wife sat down next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, "What's on TV?"
I said, "Dust."

And then the fight started...
_____________________________

Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the
boat up to the van and proceeded to back out into a torrential
downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather
would be bad all day.

I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed. I cuddled up to my wife's back;
now with a different anticipation,
and whispered, "The weather out there is terrible."

My loving wife of 5 years replied, "And, can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?"

And that's how the fight started...
______________________________

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary.
She said, "I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds."

I bought her a bathroom scale.

And then the fight started......
______________________________

After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply
for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked me

for my driver's License to verify my age. I looked in my pockets

and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that

I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.

The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'.
So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair.

She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.

She said, 'You should have dropped
your pants. You might have gotten disability too.'

And then the fight started...
_______________________________

My wife was standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.

She was not happy with what she saw and said to me,
"I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you
to pay me a compliment.'

I replied, "Your eyesight's damn near perfect."

And then the fight started........
_______________________________

I rear-ended a car this morning...the start of a REALLY bad day!

The driver got out of the other car, and he was a DWARF!!
He looked up at me and said 'I am NOT Happy!'
So I said, 'Well, which one ARE you then?'

That's how the fight started.
_______________________________

One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot
as a Christmas gift...

The next year, I didn't buy her a gift.
When she asked me why, I replied,
"Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"

And that's how the fight started.

LOL!!

}}Hugs{{
Vicky

My STAY-cation!

Good morning [[[[YAWN]]]] Blogging Friends!I can't seem to wake up this a.m.!

So much going on around here and I'm exhausted from what is supposed to be my Stay-cation!

Looks like my 'Peace and Quiet' is going to be elusive this summer.

Anna Belle had a mishap with Superman, aka her twin brother, Tate.

They were jumping on the furniture after being told numerous times to 'cut it out'. I've been teaching them about 'choices and consequences'. My kids are VERY stubborn and sometimes it takes a literal example to teach them. This was one of those examples, I guess. He jumped on her and she flung her arm out and caught the back of the loveseat at the corner where the wood joins together. She broke both her Ulna and Radius at the wrist. they were clean breaks and didn't have to be set, for which we are all so THANKFUL for. She was cast on Friday (5th). Our summer beach plans are on hold.

I've bought a few more patterns. This one I couldn't resist from Kim @ ORP.

 These are from Chestnut Junction and I can't WAIT to make them!

My sewing machine has been put away for a bit. I'm going into town this morning to pick up a new sander so I can cut out some Halloween items. I've actually listed my Halloween inventory in my Etsy shop. You can see my Etsy Mini on my right side bar.
I've got to take my little girl to the Heart doctor tomorrow along with her broken wrist. When she was born, they thought she might have Mitral Valve Prolapse (a floppy valve). It runs in my family on my mother's side and I have 2 kids with it already so I'm sure she does, too. If it isn't "one thing, it's another" right?!
Hope your summer Vacations and Stay-cations are proving to be a bit more positive than mine. At least it's beautiful here and we're getting some much needed rain. Looks like there is some kind of Tropical system out in the Carribean that we'll have to watch for. Sure wouldn't mind the rain it can bring.
I've got something FUN up my sleeve so.....
Stay tuned!
}}HUGS{{
Vicky

My Swap Package!

 Amy over at BUMBLEBEE LANE had her Summer Swap and I participated it in it! What WONDERFUL gifts I received! Linda @ COUNTRY PICKINS has such a generous heart. I was completely overwhelmed!

Take a look!

 Someone was showing his excitement!

 

 THE CUTEST KITTY!

 Smells so good!

 Lovely dish towels!

 Just perfect!

 Sweet Pea lives up to her name!

 Patriotic hot pads!

 Wonderful soaps and a Patriotic ornie!

A Tea Towel, note pad, the BEST smelling candle, an ornie pattern.....

Good HEAVENS but I've been SPOILED to the point of ROTTEN!
THANK YOU, sweet Linda and Amy for a wonderful Swap. Linda was the first person I ever swapped with and I continue to learn from her!

*************

In other news, someone is getting new clothes....

I've also decided to give her a 'facelift' as I can't seem to get her to smile. I'll show you soon!

These precious dollies are from Susan at THREADBARE PRIMITIVES! They will be part of my Halloween. They just make me laugh!

My family is coming in for the 4th so I'm cleaning and preparing my menu. Looking forward to having my 'nest' full with my chicks! It's been a while since they were all here!

Wishing you a wonderful and safe 4th!

}}HUGS{{
VICKY