Busy, busy

Chica Boutiqua is coming up this Saturday, April 16 from 10-4 at the Zionsville Town Hall and you don't want to miss it. I have been so busy this past week. I've got some new designs going on and Nature's Karma over in Carmel at Clay Terrace just got them in about a week ago. It's perfect for summer. Handbags with a beautiful flower on each one that compliments each handbag. And, in case you are wondering the flowers are made from fabric scraps that I have been saving a LOOOONG time! Melissa, the owner at Nature's Karma, is great! She just called me up and said it was time to replenish for Spring and so she bought up all of what I had - which I wasn't quite prepared for, but it was a definite blessing! So, I've been in my studio this week working feverishly to get ready for Chica Boutiqua and I think you're going to find that special handbag or piece of jewelry that you've been looking for. I'll have plenty of tshirts, hopefully some pillows and new jewelry with sea glass from Puerto Rico! (This is what happens when you love to make stuff) :) Here's some earrings that I've been working on. They're a double strand of sterling silver chain with 3 freshwater pearl bobbles.

This little trinket bracelet is made with artisan silver, leather and gemstones that range from turquoise, jasper, agate. It's unique as you can tell.

Here's another bracelet that I did. This one's a little different; it has the artisan silver heart dangling and no leather piece on the side. All of these will be at Chica Boutiqua or you can visit my ETSY website:

www.solstudios.etsy.com

Here's the store front at Nature's Karma. This store carries great fair trade items, an array of unique gift items and a great line of skin care products developed by the owner, Melissa. Her joy is contagious!!

Spring is in the air ...now, hang the door watchamacallit!

Spring has finally sprung in Indiana; I really hope Mother Nature isn't playing a joke on us! I think today we're supposed to hit 70!! Woohoo!!!!

In my cost saving and recycling mode, I made this great door hanger out of recycled coffee burlap sack. I lined it with some duckcloth and then used burlap webbing for the handle. It measures about 12" x 4" so it's tall and narrow which is perfect for a bouquet of flowers.



It's also a no-nonsense, easy door decoration. It's just simple; which is how I'm really beginning to like things.

something new....

Here's some of the latest things that I've been working on. These earrings are wrapped in brown waxed linen cord and then I added a red coral bobble. They hang about 2 1/2 inches. These are those pair of earrings that you could wear everyday and never grow tired of.



Here's another angle...



Here's a bracelet that I just finished. The center silver piece is a figure eight and it's flanked by two hammered circles. I joined the pieces by wire wrapping leather; something I've never done before, but it looks great. I added some bobbles -> an artisan silver heart and then a wire wrapped red coral. The gemstones in this piece are orange aqua terra jasper, green turquoise, cranberry red jade, kingman turquoise, chrysocolla, orange sea jasper & sea sediment jasper.


Here's a close up of the wire wrapping

Military uniforms make great handbags!!!

I met with Mandy about two weeks ago and she knew she wanted two handbags made out of her Dad's Air Force uniform. She preferred the messenger style handbags and then left the rest up to me. Here's her Dad's uniform which was in pretty good shape. His uniform had a few moth holes and it was faded, but that only added to the character of the bag. He was an airman.

Here, you can see the fabric has been cut and I've made good use of the pockets and design of the jacket. Mandy brought me her dad's total uniform (even the pants) which I had to use for the back of the handbags.

Mandy was able to find one military patch from her dad and I added it to the detail of the purse.

I used his trousers for the straps of the purse and then added his name tape to the strap and also U.S. Air Force. I love this detail and totally makes the purse unique.

Here, again, you can see the front of the purse. I added a lapel to the flap of the purse along with another front pocket. The silver buttons are a nice added feature.

If you know anyone who would like to have a handbag made out of a purse, please pass along my name. I loved creating this for Mandy and her sister and hope it will be a huge fashion statement!!

Single Moms' Super Saturday

It's so funny how things work out. Fifteen years ago, I was a single mom and I've always had a heart for single moms and their difficulties. I was truly blessed with Jay, but still I've had a soft spot for single moms. And, I really believe that God has a plan for all of us and it is baby steps all the way until he gets us where He wants us to go. So, He sends me to Africa to share my testimony with about 50 moms who have a lot of the same struggles that any American single mom would have. God orchestrated a connection with me and them that I could have NEVER done myself. He used me! Someone who never cracked the bible open until I was in my early 30's. I didn't even know where the New Testament started; let alone what it was about. Then, He opens the door for a single moms' lifegroup that I get to lead and He knows I'm nervous so He meets me where I am and He walks me thru it. Then, He places on the heart of Trader's Point Christian Church a Single Moms' Super Saturday and they contact me to kind of walk thru what a Super Saturday should look like and now I'm heading it up. I am totally out of my comfort zone, but that's ok because I know He has prepared me.

I just started reading this great book by Ann Voskamp called One Thousand Gifts and it is amazing. She really writes extensively about giving thanks for EVERYTHING-and that's something I don't do. She cites Phillipians 4: 11-12 I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. She reiterates how Paul has said that he has "learned" to be thankful. She goes on to say, "Learn how to be thankful-whether empty of full. Could the list teach me even the hard language? Over time? Gratitude in the midst of death and divorce and debt-that's the language I've got to learn to speak-because that's the kind of life I'm living, the kind I have to solve." For me, I guess that's where I'm evolving. Thankful that Jay lost his job, thankful that life is hard now, but we still have our Faith and love and know that God is with us. Thankful that even during this difficult time that God is blessing me with Single Moms' Super Saturday and a time to spend it with some amazing women.

Ann cites 1Corinthians 11:23-24 "On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. The he broke it in pieces ...". Jesus offered Thanksgiving before his darkest moment. She says, "Jesus offers thanksgiving for even that which will break Him and crush Him and wound Him and yield a bounty of joy. The mystery always contains more mysteries."

Inspiration

I have been so inspired by the jewelry I've seen in the Sundance catalog; each piece is amazing, but so doggone (funny family word) expensive. I love the turquoise and other gemstones that are used along with the sterling silver. For me, turquoise and the earth tones found in so many of the gemstones can be worn with almost every outfit. So, I guess you could say I've been "experimenting". Here's a pair of earrings that I finished the other day. The scroll work in the crosses is beautiful! You can check them out on my ETSY website.



Here's a decorative pillow that I just finished up. IT's made from the burlap coffee sacks that I use for my purses. The mixture of the wording on the burlap along with the burlap texture really adds to the richness of the pillow. The back of the pillow is a wide whale brown corduroy, but anything could be used.

Dear Rafik

Dear Rafik,

You may not remember me; I met you two years ago during my mission trip in Malawi. I was only in your village about 8 days, but in that short time you stole my heart. You just loved to be held and loved on and played with. You were a snuggler and I was happy to supply you with all the holding you could endure because my kids are grown. I held you on the front steps of the unfinished school house while you slept in my arms. The picture that I have posted is probably my favorite picture because your eyes look so big and your face still is chubby and you look so cute with that crown on your head. We taught all the kids at VBS that day that you are a child of the King and this is the crown you made. But, I'm not the only one that bonded with you, so many other people loved you from all the other mission trips; you blessed all of us with your joy and love for everyone.

I had friends that said I would want to bring a child home and they were right. After returning, I told everyone that if I could have adopted a child; you were the one. I would have taken you home in a minute. But I never pursued it. Although I knew your life was hard and your parents had both died from AIDS and you were living with other family members, I had reasoned that it was better for you to stay with family than to go through the transition of living with me. And, then, our church came up with a program to sponsor kids and we sponsored you and so I felt like I was taking care of you with money, but without really taking the responsibility and all the work that goes along with adoption. I sent picture albums so you could remember me and have pictures of yourself and know that I loved you. I had planned on coming to see you every couple years and following your life that way and seeing what God was going to do in the life of such an amazing young boy.

So, Rafik, my sweet baby you are in heaven now and I must ask for forgiveness. Because I know I should have done more, but I didn't. My life is so easy and there is medical care for everyone, cleanliness is not an issue and there is medicine. It never really sunk in with me that you may not live. But, now I see that my little amount of sponsorship money cannot get you out of the poverty and the diseases. I'm so sorry I didn't do more. I'm so sorry that I didn't really check into adoption, I remembered that to adopt in Malawi that you had to live in the country for two years and so I just accepted that. I should have fought harder, but I didn't. Rafik, I hope when we see each other again, that you will forgive me. I don't know what I'm going to do going forward, but I know that your 4 years of life have touched me and I hope that God will use this for something good and maybe we can save lives of other children that live in your village. Can we get a fund in place to pay for medical care? Can we hire a medical doctor? Can we teach the women in the village what to look for and care for sick children?

'Till we meet again...

Yippeee!!! I went for a walk today.....

Finally, we've had a crack in the weather today and Jay & I have actually been able to go outside and walk! The roads are clear from snow/ice, but the grass and cornfields that surround our house are still covered with the white stuff. We walked for about an hour and when we walked close to a sewer or stream you could hear the water pouring!! What a fabulous day.

Some of you may know that about a year and a half ago I had the opportunity to go to Malawi and serve. While I was there, I purchase a coin on a long string that I wore for a necklace until I realized that the string had some kind of oil on it that left a nice black mark around my neck ->not exactly the look I was going for! I've been thinking of how I could make a bracelet out of it and this is what I came up with. I love it! The coin is from when Malawi was owned by the English; I think and this was their money although it is no longer in circulation. I added some leather and sterling silver and then some great gemstone beads that match the style of the bracelet and me to a tea!


Because I fell in love with the bracelet I made for myself, I had to try and make something to sell and this is the first piece I've made. I love the tree of life sterling silver center piece and then, again, with the gemstones that are earthtone colors. There's some sterling silver beads, leather, fire in the sky agate, orange aqua jasper, green turquoise, cranberry jade, kingman turquoise, and african yellow turquoise. I should be listing it on my ETSY site in the next few days....



I met with my client today to design her handbag using her Dad's military uniform and it's going to be spectacular. The uniform is an Air Force dress uniform and a little faded which is going to have a great effect on the handbag and then she had all the insignia, buttons and name tape which will be added to the handbag. Can't wait to start working on it.

My sewing machine is going back into the hospital tomorrow. I took it a few weeks ago in for routine maintenance and cleaning out and I must be really hard on my machine because some of my parts on the machine are missing!!! Thank goodness I still have warranty to cover it.

Let's try this again...

Alright, so I'm going to be honest. I have not been the best blogger; I wouldn't even say I was mediocre -> terrible probably sums it up the best :) But, I've decided that I've still got some things I want to say and share. I've been really busy creating things and thinking of things. I've been soul searching (life changing events have that effect) and I found my best friend again. Well, I don't want to get too sappy, but I feel like I'm in a better place, but a harder one if that makes any sense.

It's kind of funny how I've been working with recycled fabrics. I don't remember ever setting out to "save the planet" from all the discarded gently worn clothing, but that's kind of where I'm at right now and I like it. I like finding old clothing and repurposing them into something better than it was originally. I recently came up with a great idea for old denim that I've repurposed into sandwich/snack bags. They're lined with vinyl and then have velcro across the top to seal. I love these bags for two reasons: each one has a pocket and the vinyl is only attached at the top so that it can easily pull out and be cleaned. The pocket is great for sending a note to your loved one or labeling what's in the bag or putting a name in the pocket which is really useful if you have a large family.





The earrings are something I created, but not out of anything recycled. I love the Sundance catalog that I get occasionally, but CANNOT afford one thing in it! Of course, I love most of the jewelry in the catalog, but there was a particular pair of earrings that I really wanted. And, so I decided that I could probably make them and I did. It's sterling silver faceted beads with turguoise chips from Nevada and then I added some sea sediment jasper beads to just tweak it a little. I may add it to my repertoire on my ETSY site!!!

And, last, but not least I've been knitting! This is something that is so relaxing to me and I've decided that I will probably not sell anything that I've knitted -> I'm too doggone (that's a favorite family word!) slow! And, this scarf that I've been working on is sooo easy to pick up and lay back down without losing my spot. It's 30" of knit 20 and slip 2 and then I'll need to knit a hole and then add another 10" and, voila! Finished!!! I've taken knitting lessons for a few months and I've stuck with the easy patterns; I'm sure Mary at the Village Yarn Shop in Zionsville would tell me I'm ready for a sweater, but I just like easing along and knitting something mindless such as this scarf. Maybe, I'll try a sweater someday, but I'm in no hurry.

So, I guess that's it for now. I can't show you everything; what will I write about next. I'm meeting a client on Wednesday to draw up a handbag pattern using her Dad's military uniforms; yeah!!! See what I mean, I haven't set out to save the planet, but it sure is fun to see what can come from something old. I've never sewn anything with a military uniform, but the wheels are turning and I'm getting excited! Pictures I'm sure to follow.