Olive Hyde Show

The Olive Hyde Show/Sale is this weekend. I've entered 10 bracelets and 10 bookmarks. These are the bracelets I'm hoping to sell. Keep your fingers crossed for me! If you're in the Fremont area this weekend, pop in and check it out. I think I might try to hit it up on Saturday.


This one is ceramic flower beads, green cat eye beads, peridot and clear swarovski, and a rhodium clasp.


Rhodium butterflies, olivine glass beads, olivine and clear swarovski, sterling silver rounds, and a sterling silver heart clasp.


Glass irridescent orange fish, sun and clear swarovski, sterling rounds, and a sterling heart clasp.



Pink swirl glass beads, seed beads alternating in light and dark pink swirling around it, sterling silver clasp.


Glass beads with colorful swirls alternating with copper disc spacers, and a copper clasp.


Glass irridescent green fish, blue opal and clear swarovski, sterling rounds, and a sterling heart clasp.


Copper chain, swarovski crystals in indian sapphire and topaz, glass beads, all on copper wire wrapped head pins, random copper spacers, and a copper clasp. Fully adjustable!


swarovski hearts and crystals in siam and clear, and a sterling silver heart clasp.


Ceramic hearts, glass bronze pearls, and a copper clasp.


Swarovski lt. sapphire crystals, swarovski lt. sapphire crystals set into silver plated suns, sterling silver rounds, and a sterling silver clasp.

I made this

So, this year we have a tree for the first time. It's fake, got a problem with that? I didn't think so. Anyway, my kitty seems to think it's for him to eat. Greg hears him chomping away, goes over and tells him no, the cat looks at him and meows back at him and then continues. Someone needs to get some control around these parts, guess it's gonna be me. UGH! Why do I always have to be the bad guy?

Anyway, since we have a tree, I decided we needed a tree skirt. I looked around at lots of places for the "perfect one" that wasn't TOO christmasy, too crazy, too over the top, too bright, too green, too red in the wrong shade, too well, just too..... So, I was at Joann's a week or so ago and bought some red sparkly felt. Then I came home and searched about how to make a tree skirt. I had no clue what I was doing. I mean, really, it's a circle, with a hole cut out, with some fasteners to hold it all together- how hard can that be? It was SUPER DUPER easy and FUN to make! I used a tape measure to make a 1/4 circle (after folding it in half and then half again) at 27", cut it out. Made another 1/4 circle at 2", cut it out. Cut some white sparkly felt scraps into snowflakes that were iron on adhesived using my sizzix. I cut 3 different sizes of snowflakes and then arranged them on the felt. Then I busted out the iron, ironed each one on to hold it down (and it sticks REALLY well!) To make the slit so it can go around the tree, I cut it down one of the 1/4 marks. Then I added a few denim buttons, cut button holes in the felt and closed it up. LOVE IT! I think it turned out pretty darn cute for my first attempt! :)

um yeah

it's been almost 2 months. School's already been in for a quarter. Life's FLYING by. No earth shattering news to share. Nothing really note worthy. I've been hacking and coughing my lungs out for the past 3 weeks. Yep, dumped crappy kaiser for even more crappy blue cross 80/20 plan and the next day I get sick. Wonderful huh? So, anyway, it started with ear and sinus issues, moved on to only sinus issues, then it was coughing and not we're down to only coughing. Well, it would be REALLY nice if I could actually sleep at night and not hack the night way and keep the honey up too. BUT, alas, that's not to be. My house sounds like a family of sea lions have taken up residency. I wish they would leave! Anyway- that's it. Nothing fun, nothing great, nothing interesting. Sorry blog readers. I'll have to come up with something fun soon. :)

school's in

So, as if my blogging wasn't infrequent enough, school is back in session and I haven't been a good blogger. Nothing of note to talk about. Just rants: insurance increases, pay decreases, kids who don't do their work, kids who won't be quiet, parents who enable their kids to be lazy and not do their work. You know, the usual. That's about it. Summer is over. I have 36 weeks of work (well, now 34.5 at this point) until summer shows up again. The time will go by VERY fast, it always does. I'll be another year older (for those who are counting, I'll be 36 in April), Greg will be one more year toward his culinary arts degree and another year older. I will have TWO nieces. That's about it. Life seems to be flying at full speed these days! I'll try to be a better blogger this school year but I can't bitch about school because who knows who will read this and I don't need to get my butt in a sling. Thanks for following along with my slice of reality. Wish I had more I could blog about but I got nothin. :)

the things that make life easier

So, I have been making bags for a while. I love making them but I DETEST ironing the handles. Well, a fellow blogger Karin @ A Window Into Whimsy gave me a FABULOUS suggestion to get a bias tape maker. I had never heard of such a thing so I looked into it. There were people who made their own and I thought about trying this but didn't really want to even deal with having to measure it just right. So.... off I went in search of one I could purchase. I just happened to be at my Aunt's house and she's a big time quilter so I asked her if she had ever heard of one. Well, she went up to her sewing area and came down with one I could borrow. I played with it a bit and decided I needed to get one for myself. I planned to get a 1" one for making purse handles. THEN I remembered that somewhere I had a pair of jeans that was a bit too short in the length and I thought it would be a great idea to cut them into capri's and put some of my brand new bias tape around the hem. Well, 1/2 inch (1" folded over) wouldn't be large enough of a border so I also had to find the 2" version. I went to Joann's- they had the Dritz brand so I bought it. BUT after having researched a bit online I knew that there was a Clover brand one out there somewhere. So, I went to a different craft store, Beverly's, and found not just the 1" but also the 2" and all the smaller ones as well- I think there's a 1/2" , a 3/8" and a 1/4". I only have the larger 2. I don't anticipate on needing the smaller ones, if I do I know Bev's has them tho! So, I bought my bias tape makers and came home to use them. I was unable to find my jeans BUT I have made several bag handles with them and they come out BEAUTIFULLY!

the 1" bias tape maker


the 2" bias tape maker


my purse I made with the 2" tape maker


I think my bias tape makers and I have a VERY long and happy future together. Why did I not know about this wonderful tool before? Oh yeah, I've only been sewing for about 4 months! It makes making handles a breeze! I don't have to stand there and fold and press, and fold and press and ick! NO THANK YOU! Now I just pull the little tool along and iron as I go. The hardest thing is getting the fabric threaded into it and that's pretty darn easy! :) I'm a happy girl now!

Herold's bag

Made this one for the mom of Stephanie. She bought the fabric, I just had to put it all together. It used 3 full fat quarters. :)

This is the front or back outside


The other front or back of the outside


The inside


The other side of the inside with key chain thingie

Bag for Stephanie

This bag was made for a teacher friends daughter. Her school colors are purple and gold.

The outside of the bag. I LOVE this fabric!


The inside of the bag, complete with pocket and key chain holder.


The inside pocket.

99 things

I found this list of 99 things you may or may not have done. Copy and paste it to your blog to share with us what you've done! If you want to enter a scrappy blog give away here's the rest: (I stumbled across Sue's blog, and she has a great giveaway going on! She has made a list of 99 things you may or may not have done, and is encouraging other bloggers to post their responses to enter into the giveaway.)
Here is mine: 34 of 99
(my "haves" are in bold italic)

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii (2 times- big island and Oahu)

5. Watched a meteor shower (perseids and leonids)

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world/Disneyland Paris (HATE that place- too many people and lines!)

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis (LOVE 'em!)

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (I've NEVER taken an art or craft class in my life!)

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables (used to with granny all the time, this year Greg and I put one in)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight (who hasn't?)

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (yep- to go to Hawaii I took 3!)

24. Made a Snow Angel (didn't look like much of an angel)

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse (of the sun and moon, both several times)

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (sunsets daily from my backyard)

31. Stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an erupting volcano in person. (hawaii- volcano national park)

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (yep. then the market dried up)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing (castle rock state park)

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight (love doing this!)

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling (hawaii, belize, monterey)

52. Kissed in the rain (and the snow!)

53. Played in the mud (oh yeah, and got hosed off outside afterwards by mom)

54. Gone to a drive-in theatre (all the time when I was a little kid and once in HS and got BUSTED by my parents friends who called and ratted me out!)

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business (does etsy count?)

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Cookies for charity

62. Gone whale watching (monterey- didn't see any tho!)

63. Been given flowers for no reason (cut from my yard by my honey)

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check (accidentally - didn't know someone bounced one on me and it cascaded)

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favourite childhood toy (still have Peekyboo)

70. Visited Buckingham Palace

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt or blanket (not yet)

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Been to the top of the Empire State Building

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car (2005 Toyota Sequoia- LOVE that thing!)

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper (pink friday to protest teacher cuts)

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox (super bad ones that blistered, popped, reblistered, and repopped- it was ICK!- hemmorages (?))

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous (went to school with Kristi Yamaguchi)

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one (gramps)

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone (got one right now- LOL)

99. Been stung by a bee (several times)

2 sold!

I sold my lime and brown bag (see previous post at the bottom) to a friend. :)

Then I was shopping with another friend and she asked me to make a bag for her daughter. She bought the fabric and is going to pay me for it! Watch for pictures- it's going to be pretty!

THEN today I was online and another friend (who's friends with the friend who bought my lime and brown bag) asked me to make her a swanky bag. Well, I finished it! LOVE IT! I put 3 pockets on it, my first time even attempting pockets and they're LINED! and it's got a key thingie to attach her keys to so they don't get lost in the bottom of the bag. I think I keep improving on my bags with each one I make. Soon I will be awesome at it and be more confident to make my dress that I got all cut out and have yet to put together. I probably should have been working on that today but I didn't want to- I wanted to do something I knew how to do. And here it is:

Bags and more Bags

I've been experimenting with different stuff in my bags. Here I've made 3 that have magnetic closures. I think I like this idea. The second one down is just a single strap for over the shoulder or carrying at your side. It's a pretty big size perfect for packing for the beach or pool. The next ones I'm going to make will have wooden handles. We'll see. I also want to make some with pockets and key holders. Now, I need ideas for pricing. Help!!!! Thanks for popping by my bloggy place. :)

Blue and Yellow Bag




Pink Flowers Bag




Lime and Brown Bag

blog revamp

Alright- I redid the background on this blog. All I need to do now is make a new header. How do people come up with ideas for headers? I want to use pictures but can't for whatever reason get it to size correctly. It's frustrating.

Oh well. Greg's mom bought some white pants the other day that she wanted me to sew the pockets shut on and remove the extra fabric. Apparently the pockets are too long for her preference and they are visible thru the leg of the pants. So... I told her I'd TRY to do but I wasn't too sure of my skills with the sewing machine. Well, I sat down last night, ran some white thread for a bobbin, and tried it. It didn't end well so I ripped out the seam. Greg asked me what the problem was and when I told him the fabric bunched up when I was trying to sew it because it was kinda in the seam. He said it didn't seem to be such a difficult thing to do and went in there AND DID IT NO PROBLEM! WTF? How does he do this? He said I can take credit for it but there's NO WAY I'm going to do that- he did it. I'm proud of him. Hopefully, when I make my dress for his sister's wedding he can save me when I get stuck and frustrated on it.

Summer vacation is here! I've made 3 bags and several pieces of jewelry. I made my necklace and earrings for greg's sister's wedding. I love the crystal starfish pendant so I made it around that. Here ya go for your viewing pleasure:



I've also been busy making cards- I made 3 graduation cards, 2 father's day cards, and a birthday card. I've been totally LOVING the tri-shutter card tutorial. It's getting easier to make and everyone LOVES the final outcome. :) I'll post pictures later.

I got a Blog Award!

The rules for this award are.......

* post 10 honest things about yourself and post the award on your blog.
* give this award to some people who follow your blog.

10 honest things about me:
----------
1.) I wake up at the crack of dawn even on the weekends! It gets a bit old during summer vacation.

2.) I don't eat raw fish but love to go out to sushi.

3.) Spiders FREAK me out. I can deal with snakes, crickets, praying mantises, and pretty much everything else but give me something with 8 legs and it's over!

4.) I sucked at math in school (we're talking C/D student) and now I teach math to junior high kids. Yes, they learn. :)

5.) I know how to give fluids to a cat- done it for 2 kitties now.

6.) I wear guy jeans because they fit better than girl jeans. My favorite ones are the ultra low boot fit from Gap.

7.) I hate shoes. I love being barefoot.

8.) I love making jewelry and can spend full days sitting in one spot being creative.

9.) If "grilled cheese" is on a menu I will order it. I started taking pictures of all the grilled cheese sandwiches I ordered to make a grilled cheese blog but gave that up because I kept forgetting my camera at home.

10.) I just got a killer sewing machine that I love to use and have made a bunch of bags to "sell on my etsy" but haven't gotten around to posting any of them for sale. The same goes for my jewelry- I have TONS of it to sell.

I'm giving this award to:
Changes in Latitudes
Leslie
Tracy
Black Hockey Jesus

Enjoy! Leave me a comment to let me know you played along!

More crafty stuff

So, this summer will be the summer of crafts I think. I made 2 more bags and a birthday card and a graduation card!




I LOVE LOVE LOVE this green bag. I don't think I'm going to try to sell this one- might have to keep it for myself! :)



Kylie's first birthday card.


This card is for an ex-student who moved to Idaho.

New stuff I made

So, I made this great anklet out of some fish beads I loved and bought but didn't know what to do with. It's made from glass fish in alexandrite AB and wire wrapped with sterling silver wire. The clasp is just a lobster claw that hooks into a rope looking ring. It's super light weight and I don't even realize I have it on! Alexandrite is pretty cool too- it changes between blue and purple based on the lighting.



I also made a tote bag for Kylie's 1st birthday. I know- she's one and doesn't need a tote but I got her some SUPER cute books and wanted to put them into something and the fabric I got was ADORABLE so I had to make it. Hopefully it'll be around for a while to come. I envision her using it for dance class with her ballet shoes in it. Like the other bags I've made it's reversible.




I have more fabric to make more bags with but the next ones are going to have to wait until I get more pelon. I think I'm going to add a ribbon to tie it closed at the top. It would be able to work even if the fabric gets flipped inside out too! Version 2.0 of the Tiffany bag. Not like others haven't already come up with this idea. Whatever. :)

my adventures with my sewing machine

So, for my Birthday (not really but kinda) Greg and I got a sewing machine. I've wanted one for a while and my mom always gives me birthday money with a note enclosed that says "for your sewing machine". Well, we bit the bullet and bought a sewing machine at Joann's. Knowing the Husqvarna/Viking is a good company we bought the Emerald 118 on sale and got the floor model. Well, the first day I got frustrated with it because I couldn't get the stupid bobbin to thread correctly. I think I have since figured out what I was doing wrong.

So, the machine pissed me off. I left it for a while. Came home from work on day to find GREG at the sewing machine! Yes, my husband sews! I can admit and loudly and proudly! LOL He has made shorts out of a few pairs of his jeans that the knees ripped out in. I still can't figure out why he doesn't like jeans with holes in the knees- I love mine! Greg has a SUPER old leather jacket that he was using for his motorcycle jacket. Well, the zipper in it got all jacked-up and he gave it to Jess to fix. She didn't get around to it so he got it back on Easter and put in his own zipper. Have I already said how proud I am of him? Anyway, up until yesterday he was the only one who had done any real sewing on MY machine.

Now, Jessica makes some GORGEOUS bags and stuff so I was kinda inspired by her to make something. Anything- I just wanted to play with my machine! Well, I was watching "uncommon threads" on my DVR last weekend and they did a thing where someone made a bag out of a patchwork called a crazy quilt pattern. Basically I took that idea and made my own idea for a bag. It brewed for a few days until I figured out that I would use quilters fat quarters and make it a reversible bag. No pattern. Just gonna make it. So, I went to Beverly's and found some really pretty quarters (had to pick up some thread for Greg to work on his jeans shorts with). THEN, realizing how thin the fabric is and how flimsy the bags would be I went to Joann (of course I had to go there for *something* else!) and got some thread and pellon iron on. AND I found some REALLY cute BRIGHT fabrics to make bags out of. At this point I was a bit scared that my bag idea would be an epic failure but I was going to try it anyway. I mean, now I had stuff to make FOUR bags with! OMG!!!! I was starting to get a bit scared.

Well, on Thursday this past week, I had my fabric at school showing it to another teacher and one of my girls was in the room packing up her stuff for lunch while I was showing it to her. Apparently this student of mine sews. She asked me what I was going to make with it. When I told her I was going to make a bag without a pattern. She looked right at me and said, "Oh- well, good luck with that- I think it might be a disaster." I told her I'd bring whatever it is it turns out as to work with me on Monday to show her- good or bad.

Friday, after I got home from school, I set out to brave the machine (that I had not used up to this point to do anything other than random stitches on cut off jean leg scrap) that was intimidating me. I washed and dried and ironed all 8 pieces of fabric I had bought. Then- I cut 2 pieces of the fabric into 3 matching parts- 2 straps, 1 bag piece. I ironed on the pellon to all the pieces. I stitched the bag part and even made the corners squared/triangled (whatever it's called to make a box so the bag can stand up on it's own). I sewed the straps with one fabric on one side and the other on the other side. Turning those straps SUCKED! They were super thick and stiff from the pellon. Then I top stitched the straps to keep them flat (yep, I do know SOME things about sewing from watching TV). I put one bag inside the other and then put the staps in and pinned it all together and top stitched around the top edge of the bag and it was done! Yep, I made my first reversible bag! AND it didn't look too horrible. I wasn't happy with the straps- they were too thick. BUT I had braved the machine and made something finally!




Then this morning I did more thinking and realized that I didn't need to put pellon in the straps and I could make them a bit thinner. So, I made another one today. I LOVE this bag! Think I might have to make it my purse or something. It's tooo cute!




So, now I'm out of pellon and need to get more but we're not going to "town" until tomorrow. UGH! I'm feelin' all crafty and stuff and don't have anything to be crafty with. ARGH!!!! :) Oh yeah- did I forget to mention that they're REVERSIBLE???? I might have found a new addiction (it's actually cheaper than scrapbooking!) and will be probably selling these on my etsy before long because I don't need millions of bags!

sephora

So, I got the scoop from someone- can't remember who- that sephora has a b-day gift for ya 2 weeks before the day and 2 weeks after. I went in on Sunday and told them that I got an email (you have to sign up to be an "insider") that I could pick up my b-day gift. The super nice cashier handed over 3 lip glosses! LOVE IT! So, girls- go sign up! Who doesn't love free lip gloss?

WTH???

BLOGGER! WHERE DID ALL MY BLOGS I WAS FOLLOWING GO???????? This sucks! Anyone who I was following- or knew I was following- PLEASE pop me a comment and I'll re-add! Grrrrr!!!!!

UPDATE: Apparently being mean to blogger brings back the followings. Whatever- I'm happy- I can follow along again! :)

nothing much

So, I'm bad at blogging. I'll say it now, I've said it before. I suck at blogging :)

Aside from that, nothing's really going on. I've been loving the warmer weather and counting down the days until school's out- we're down to 38 after Monday! Stupid state testing starts April 7. HATE IT!

Can't wait to get out on the lake and get some sun on my poor winter white skin. My roses are all budded out ready to pop, my tulips are coming up. Greg put in a veggie garden (almost- planted seeds and waiting for them to sprout). That's it. Nothing exciting at all in these parts.

Later. :)

I love my cat

Ok- so Mr. is SLIGHTLY neurotic. Just watch this video- he follows me to the bathroom all the time, gives me headbutts while I go, then after I flush this is what ensues (no, there's nothing in the toilet- go ahead, click play!) Make sure the volume is turned up for the full effect.

Pretzles and Chacos

Two of my favorite things in the world in the same day? Could it be? I came home from work to find Greg making me soft pretzels. No, not the kind you get at the grocery store. The kind that come from a bag of flour and love. They are SO super yummy! He put garlic salt and parmesean on them and OMG! To die for! Of course I had to have one before we could go. Hot and fresh from the oven. Is there anything better? Ok, well, maybe fresh gelato in Italy but I haven't experienced that yet. I plan to find out one day.



After we enjoyed our pretzels we went to a Stockton thunder hockey game. Got free tickets from school so we had to go- cheap? Heck yes we're going! So, we decided to go out to eat before the game. We went to BJ's and I had a stupid panic attack. I know, totally lame. BUT I got over it with a little help from my xanax (bad, bad, bad) and was able to eat a little bit of my delish soup. After we left we had a bit of time to kill so we walked over to REI. Yes, we are poor and trying to save money BUT they had 50% off their clearance prices! I HAD to go in and look! Of course I head straight up the stairs to the shoes (what girl doesn't?) and promptly find a pair of chaco's. Yes, it's january and been raining for 3 days, BUT I MUST BUY CHACO'S when I find them on sale. I found a pair of green ones, we're talking the prefect shade of green. They were originally $95 marked down to $44 and then 50% off of that! How could I pass that up???? THEN I found a pair of brown ones like the blue ones I have worn for the past 4 years. Those were also marked $44 but when I got to the register they weren't half off. So, I left with ONE pair of GORGEOUS green chacos for $25. I wanted to put them on right then and there but knew I'd freeze my little toes off at the hockey game. SO this morning bright and early I popped out of bed and adjusted them to my feet and have them on right now. I LOVE THEM!