What have I been doing lately?

The answer to that is ALOT!  Everything!

The "Christmas in July" event with my friend,  Jennifer Hayslip, went so well and I wanted to share a little bit of it with you.  

I was touched and humbled that these ladies traveled from as far as North Georgia and even Florida to be here for the day!  We had 14 participants.

We had a ball, in spite of a little July heat.  The ladies all enjoyed seeing Jennifer's beautiful studio and home.  

The food was out of this world and Jenn's home is just as beautiful in person as in her photos.

Here are a few snaps I caught.  I was busy instructing and didn't get many photos but Jennifer did and you can see them at her website.

Everyone is concentrating intensely on those stitches and the decorations! Heehee!

I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies and seeing how creative they were with designing their own adorable trees.

This kind of event is like heaven for crafters.  It is such a joy to be creative together.  I feel very grateful to be able to be asked to be part of such an event!

Moving on to August....

My upstairs bathroom was remodeled by a contractor/neighbor last month.

It is no longer the decorating disaster that my sister named it!  I wish I could find the before photos I took of the peeling lead paint and dated gold fixtures!  

I can't wait to share it when it's finished!

Basement Remodel

Last month, I started working on my disaster basement as well.  

Clearly, this basement has never received any attention since I moved in the house 14 years ago! 

My cats used to get into the ceiling and they knocked out some of the tiles when they were kittens.  Thankfully, they've outgrown it now!

The ugly 70's kitchen counter and sink come in handy for painting and cleaning projects but I hope to replace it with something better looking.

Check out the hideous green walls and the black and green asbestos tile that laid underneath the 80's tan carpet!

Speaking of the carpet, it's awesome to have that dust and dirt trap out of my house!  I pulled it all up myself!

I also ripped out all of the old tile by myself!   

My next dilemma is getting the black adhesive or mastic up from the floor.  I bought one "all natural" chemical that didn't work.  I'm trying a soybean oil product next.

I have been painting woodwork, pulling up carpeting and flooring and washing walls in preparation to prime and paint them.

This month, I hope to get the adhesive removed from the floor and to paint the walls, then I will move my craft supplies downstairs and set up a much needed workspace.

Working in the adorable eyecandy studio has inspired me and I realized I would enjoy crafting much more in a cheerful and organized, dedicated craft space.  

Art Projects and Etsy Store Update

 I also start stocking my etsy store with cute kitschy angels.  

Miss Pink and Aqua cutie sold within an hour of my listing her so,
NEVER underestimate the power of pinterest!  

She is on her way to Australia to a sweet new customer right now!

This beautiful girl is still available in my shop.

I love the cream, gold and dark pink combination.  

I have more retro, up cycled, angels in the works that will be listed!

Spun Cotton Angel Craft

I have taught myself to make retro mini spun cotton angels that I can use in my corsages and on my nylon net trees.  


The vintage ones are just so hard to come by and so pricey.  I love to use them in my crafts so now I know how to make them.  

These little nylon and wire angels are time consuming and tedious to make so I don't foresee selling them, but who knows?

That's just SOME of what I  have been doing in the past couple of months!  

It's no wonder I can't seem to find time to blog any more!

I hope you are having a productive and happy September!

xo,

Jennifer

Linking to those lovely collectors of elegant nostalgia, Ivy & Elephants for "What's it Wednesday".

Check out "Blog Shop" at How Sweet the Sound.  Beverly, who also hosts Pink Saturday invites bloggers to advertise their etsy, ebay shops or to sell through their blogs every Tuesday.


Also joining the fun at Cindy's "Show and Tell Friday".

and "Pink Saturday" with Beverly of How Sweet the Sound.