It's here and ready to play

The new longarm arrived on last Saturday.  I kinda felt bad as I was at the Marco Polo Quilt Guild (MPQG) helping to make place mats for the seniors and meals on wheels when I got the call....it's here.

Ready, set, go.  The first test loaded and the anticipation is killing me.

It took Tyler and I 3 hours to put the frame up and get the sewing machine onto the frame. and another 2 to get everything ready for the test quilt.

Checking to make sure the tension is correct on both sides.

Tyler is a wiz at this.  He's even having fun.

Other happenings this week.. At the quilters cove (MPQG) this week I was able to work on a quilt started in 2013.  My goodness, by the time I actually get it finished it will have been 7 years in the making.  The main thing though is that is will be finished.

Calendar quilt

Getting down there and only 4 more quilts in the UFO (unfinished objects) box.  How great is that.

Then the other great news is that Seriously Pinned is having a open house on November 30 to show off the new machine, and answer any questions you all may have.

Very exciting week

Winter arrived this week with -6 mornings and a skiff of snow.  I have always loved that first falling of snow that cleans the world and makes everything silent. 

The back yard looks so bare. 

The most exciting thing though this week is we took the plunge and started Seriously Pinned Quilting and Longarm Service.  I had forgotten how much was involved with starting a new business.  Business plans, projected cash flows, financing, not to mention all of the multi media to start, hook-up and link to. Thank goodness I have a wonderful son that helps with all that stuff.

So business cards have been ordered, financing is being sorted out, Tyler has done a wonderful job on the new website https://seriouslypinned.ca/, and best of all the new longarm has been ordered and arrives next week.  wow.

I can hardly wait for the new Q'nigue 21" on a 12' frame to get here.  Load up a play sampler quilt and practice, play and get ready for production December 1st. 

This week hopefully everything comes together.  We should have the space all sorted out with ..... well, quilting stuff.  Cutting table, shelving, design wall, bragging wall, All of the important opening a new business things.

Halloween

It has been a busy week.  We had about 60 kids even though it was ugly out there.  It poured and the wind blew but those little kids were persistent.  We also had a Marco Polo pot luck on Halloween and you could not have believed the food.  It was nice to see a few dress up and I'm sorry that I did not have Tyler take a picture of me to show you.

Only one of 3 tables loaded with goodies ant the pot luck.

 Having salvaged a bit of wood going to the dump from my neighbors, Tyler and I spent one afternoon cutting pieces into smaller pieces.  They need another coat of paint or two but I think will work  quite well as a display to show off all the jewelry at the Xmas market.

Lots of little pieces.

Once they are finished being painted, I will attach them in groups to a base, add a bead to the top and a small screw on the back and instant necklace display.  Don't worry I'll make sure to post a photo after they are assembled.

Work in progress.

I did also manage to get the final coats of polyurethane onto the acrylic pours.  It never ceases to amaze me the formations and cells that appear as they are drying.  Very cool.

Peach Pie.

And of course you have to have a kitty in the works.  Carl is my watcher and protector all through work and play.

Making sure I'm doing it right.

Zipper Pulls

Before I get started, just a note that the Twisted Copper Top store has migrated, has a brand new look and I'm getting good at web page management.  Quite the learning curve but awesome for the little grey cells. https://twistedcoppertop.com . Please have a look and any comments would be appreciated.

Once again it was time to get out all the beads and the lobster claws to make Zipper Pulls.

All the shiny beads

I love making these little bundles of bling.  It is the perfect thing to do on a stormy day.  Turn up the tunes and have fun mixing and matching beads and charms.

I picked up 50 gold mixed charms and 100 silver charms with a ocean theme.  After making 40 earring sets for the market it was a natural (and like I said, fun) thing to use the remainder for pulls.

Earrings for the market

When making multiples of any thing, spread out and make a mess.  It helps my creative flow to be able to see everything at a glance.  The only problem with that theory is that your work space seems to shrink with time.

Spreading out

My solution is to work on a tray with my note book set as the 'work zone'.  The tray catches all the little bits and pieces that get cut off or beads that run away.

Matching pairs

Once everything is spread out, the fun begins.

Oh I have to tell you about the great recycled container I discovered.  The trays of Sushi that you buy at the market, shaped like a boat, make the best little bead holder.  Then when you are all done just pour the beads back into their containers from the pointy end.

The top of a Sushi container.

Ok on to zipper pulls.

Lined up and read to mount on the display tags.

The combinations are endless and oh so pretty.

Beads that look like rock bubblegum, remember?

The earring display tags took a bit of thinking about to mount the pulls but with all the extra bits of wire from making the tree of life pendants, it was a waste not want not situation.
They look great.

All ready for market

Jewelry Totes for the Market

This past week out came the sewing machine and 20 pretty fat quarters to make 10 jewelry totes for the Christmas market at the Cedarcrest Gardens December 7 & 8. https://cedarcrestgardens.com/seasons/

Little jewel bags.

 I love these little jewel bags that are fun to make.  I find it easy to set up and do a production line of 10 or more at a time.  Cutting out and pressing, marking the button holes and if most of the fabric is on the same tone you do not even have to change threads all that often.

Stack of cut fabric with the home made cardboard templates.

Then I discovered a need trick, instead of marking all the inner circles for stitching, just place a few pieces of painters tape in the desired locations on your sewing machine to use as a guide.  It saved quite a bit of time and you don"t have to worry about the iron removing all your guide lines.

A few guild lines

The only lines you really have to worry about are the pocket lines,  Thank goodness for templates.  Just center then with a ruler, mark your lines, sew, add the cord and 10 hours later 10 beautiful and very practical little gems.

Marking the center pocket lines.

All finished

Here is the final tree of life pendant from last week.  It turned out beautiful and is for sale for $51.55 if anyone is interested.  Please note that Tyler is in the process of migrating the Twisted Copper Top Store..... to somewhere....... so it will be down and being updated over the next few days.  Kinda like the geese migrating south, you know they go, just not sure where. lol

Thought I would leave you with a look of Saint John in the fall.

Kings Square 

Tree of Life Pendants

It has been a busy crafty week this past week.  I have been trying to have a few tree of life pendants made for the up coming Christmas sale in December.

Front

 They always look like such a mess when you are making the tree.  Wires everywhere, tangled and always in the way.  The beautiful pink stone is a resin cabochon made when I was experimenting with resin and alcohol paint.  The alcohol stains are made from immersing the felts from inside Sharpie felt pens in alcohol for a few days and then adding a few drops to the resin pour.  The results can be very cool with an almost sky (you should see the blue ones) translucence to them. A nice thing about using resin cabochons is they are very light compared to stone or glass.

the back

This tree of life pendant is the first that I have tried with beads added to the branches.  It went much better than I had originally thought it would. Using the crackle seed beads in a light green gives then the look of leaves just breaking out in spring.

Almost finished front

The tree managed to get finished but when I went to complete the clasp..... out of 28 gage silver wire.  Darn so my order should be in tomorrow and I will be able to finish and make another in blue.
I'll post the finished pendant next blog so you can see the final piece.

A few others.

Here are a few other pieces completed in the past weeks.  The dark blue is on resin colored with mica dust, the dark blue tree on beach rock, a brass on agate and a wire captured gold on red glass.  Now here is hoping that they sell.  lol. If not I'm going to have a lot of choices to wear.

Sammy getting ready to come to market with me
Not going to be left behind!

Moved to Saint John

It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since updating this blog.  Many things have happened but the best is the move to Saint John.
Over the past year we finished the house on Cape Sable Island and how wonderful to see the old girl with a face lift. A lot of hard work but well worth the effort (even though my back did not think so on some days).

Fun stenciling the floors.

Bright and shiny new cedar shakes.

Quite an improvement.

But as with everything time moves on as did my son Tyler and I.  We ended up spending way more on the house than expected and reality set in.  Time to get a job and like Tyler said " I am so looking forward to being able to order in a pizza delivery". 
One of the first things we did once we moved to Saint John. lol

We bought a nice smaller home in great shape and although there are things that need to be updated nothing required is immediately.  It has a beautiful back yard and lots of garden potential.  Wait until spring!

Our new house on Manawagonish Rd,

In the past month of unpacking, Hanging pictures and opening boxes that have not been open since we left Vancouver in the motor-home, I have managed to set up my craft corner and am back to having fun making things again. 

Organized chaos.

So I'm back!!  Yeah.  Get ready for regular updates.  Posts on quilting (joined the local quilt guild - Marco Polo Quilt Guild), jewelry making (have a table at the Cedar Crest Gardens Christmas Market Dec 7 & 8), and gardening once spring rolls around.

It is lovely to be home and back to being creative, I've missed it.