Pretty Patriotic Poochie

Introducing Holly, our Schnoodle-doodle!

Schnoodle-doodle because she is a Mini Schnauzer with Poodle cut ears, (or because she makes little doodles for us every day). She is modeling her favorite Fourth of July skirt and American flag. I made the skirt for her so she could strut her stuff proudly at the 4Th of July parades.

She is almost 12 years old, but certainly doesn't act her age. Most of the time she is bright eyed and bushy tailed. She loves to play, go for walks and perform tricks for treats! (but that's another holiday for which she also has several outfits!)

Sometimes Holly gets an up-do hairstyle by tying her ears together with a hair scrunchie. She can proudly wave her flag as she trots down the sidewalk, when I slip it through the scrunchie.

The skirt has two layers of very patriotic stars & stripes fabric. The fabric glitters in the July sun, especially the tiny silver stars. I measured and cut two long rectangles of fabric, one narrower than the other, and both twice Holly's waist measurement. I sewed each piece together at the ends and hemmed up the bottom edges. Next I layered the two skirts together and sewed a casing to thread elastic through to fit around Holly's tummy. 

Last I hand sewed on a tiny little American flag embroidered patch.

When she wears her pretty skirt, I tie a red, white and blue ribbon around her neck to finish this summer holiday ensemble.

We're pretty sure she knows she's cute and loved, she has her special way of looking at us to get whatever she wants!

I entered Holly's ensemble in the CSI project contest!

Firecracker Apron

Happy 4Th of July!

When I found this fabric of patriotoc hearts mixed in with firecrackers and stars, on a field of blue, I knew I had to create something cute with it. Using a simple pattern, I cut out and sewed this useful and handy-dandy little apron in no time at all.

Of course I couldn't stop there, I had to embellish it to make it even more festive. I love wearing it to those wonderful family 4Th of July picnics!

It ties around the neck and waist with one long strip of fabric, folded in half with edges pressed under 1/4 inch. Then I simply zigzagged along the strip, covering the raw edges of the apron, to give it a finished "zippy" look.

I hand sewed on these adorable wooden heart buttons...my fave!

I tacked down a three ribbon bow and a little metal liberty bell under a cute wooden star button.

Here is a yellow wooden star bead which I threaded and tacked on.

Three pockets on the front provide a great, close at hand, place for all those important cooking utensils, (or an important piece of chocolate!).

Here's three apron sayings, which one shoud I put on it?

"I use the smoke alarm for a timer"

"I was on a diet for a month & lost 30 days"

"Kiss me I'm American!"

 

I entered this apron in the CSI contest!

I also entered my apron in the Fabric Fun Thursday #4

A Keepsake Card Forever Framed

Some greeting cards are just too special to hide away in a box. I adore this one from a loved one. So when I redecorated our master bathroom in pinks, rose and sage green, I thought of it. I repainted a frame I already had, it was a really dull off white. I wanted an imperfect "white washed" look, only in green. Then I gave it a couple of clear coats to seal it and give it a little shine.

This is the front of the card, a beautiful little embossed cyclamen, one of my favorite flowers. One problem with it was that it's leaves were not the right shade of green. So I painstakingly painted over them using a fine paintbrush and acrylic paint.

Another problem with the card was that it was a little short to fit in the frame. I remedied that by layering and gluing two strips of ribbon over the edges to fill the gap at top and bottom.

I chose two colors of satin picot ribbon, that matched the card, to add extra interest.

A two toned, satin ribbon bow is tacked to the wall separately from the frame. I wanted the ribbon to be loose and free rather than pulled flat against the wall.

Now every time I see it, I think of the loved one who sent it to me.

Wild Rose Garden Wreath

As you can probably tell, I really love the heart shape, it has such a wonderful meaning! Most of my wreaths are hearts and many of my crafts include a heart somewhere. This wreath hangs high above our entertainment center in our living room. It is basically a simple 18" grapevine wreath with a wired bow, dried roses and other tiny dried flowers arranged to my liking. I used a glue gun to attach the flowers, bow and tiny bird.

Making bows with wired ribbon is easy and they never get droopy!

Sometimes the look of the wreath changes in different lighting.

I love these little mushroom birdies!

It's always nice to have a little bit of sweet nature in your home!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog, this is all very new to me so I am learning as I go. I hope you like my blog layout and design, the logo is my creation. I hand drew the original artwork a couple of years ago and recently recreated it on the computer using GIMP Photo Editor, with a lot of loving help from my computer genius son, Austin. Most of my family and friends know I am an avid Martha Stewart follower, she has been the inspiration for many aspects of my life. I started this blog to join the CSI (Create, Share, Inspire) weekly project contests. In the process, I have visited many other blogs and have been very impressed with all of the incredible creativity. So now I am ready to participate and share, time permitting. I am very excited by the possibility of getting to know some of you. Thanks for stopping by!