I want candy!

Calling all quilters....there is an awesome swap going on this month for 2.5" charms.  You will swap with five other people sets of 50 charms. Want to know more-check out Peach Patch Quilts for more information.  The turn around time is pretty quick--so get cutting if you want to be in it! :)

Another Authentique card

I loved this sketch from Authentique  so much, I had to do another card! (I was hoping to get to the layout version as well, but am running out of time.) For this card I used the Freebird 6x6 nest containing Blush and Delight.

Authentique blog challenge

Here is the first card I made using the sketch posted on the Authentique blog.  I used papers from the Freebird 6x6 nests:  Endless & Fair Weather and Blush & Delight. I also used some Splendid collection.

Traveling Stash Winner

I wrote out all of the names, shook them up and let my husband pick one out.  The name he chose is....... Kristy from Cotton Addiction!  Congratulations, Kristy! I will email you for your address so I can send this package out.

Bursting at the Seams: Traveling Stash Giveaway

I received the traveling stash a couple days ago-- it was literally bursting at the seams! (Blogger keeps turning this picture on the side! Ugh!)

Luckily, nothing was wet, torn or ruined! I think we need a bigger box!  Here is what was inside the box:

A LOT of books!

Some patterns

                                        This is what I was going to take-but I put that book back in

Smaller cuts of fabric:

Some blocks:

Some larger cuts:

Smaller scraps:

This rotated picture is what I ended up taking: a magazine, some labels (which still may go back in) and some 4 inch charms.

Here is the start of what I am adding to the box. These are all about a yard, if I remember correctly. I still have to go through some other fabric.

Does it look good to you? Would you like a chance to win--remember this box is more along the lines of Joann's quality fabrics. Here are the rules:

The rules are as follows:

RULES:
-Be an active blogger.
-Post about receiving and the giveaway on your blog in a timely manner.
-You may take anything you like from the box. Just replace every item with comparable items equal to the amount taken.
-Ship the box to the next person in a reasonable amount of time.
-Due to the amount of postage shipping is only within the USA.
-Add your name/blog address to the log so we can keep track of where it's been - and find some fun new blogs to follow in the process!

Just leave a comment below for a chance to win. If you become a follower or already are a follower, leave a separate comment for another chance to win!  I will draw the winner on May 23, 2012. 

The Charming Travelers winner!

I wrote all the names down, folded them up and drew a winner! That winner is:  Karen from Quilting, Losing, and Tea.   Congratulations, Karen! Please send me your address so I can send these charms on their way!

NSD: my favorite holiday!

How are you spending your National Scrapbooking Day?  I plan to spend the weekend in my craft room scrapping away!  If you are looking for a place to play check out the great challenges and contests below!
National Scrapbooking Day Super Contest

The Charming Travelers are here!

I received the Charming Travelers from Deb at Trio Stitch Studio earlier this week. Of course I immediately opened them and looked through them all----twice! However, I haven't finalized my choices yet. I am tentatively looking at about 18 of the charms. While I finish swooning over them, I thought I would get the drawing started!
                     

This swap was started by Diane at from Blank Pages during her birthday celebration giveaways. She dug into her stash and cut out fifty-six 5"x5" charms, packed them up and sent them on their way to Deb. Deb picked out the charms she wanted, replaced them with the same amount and sent the package on to me. Do you want to play?

Here are the rules:

  * you must be an active blogger

  * you must reside in the US

  * before sending the charm pack off to the next winner, you must be sure there are 56 - 5" x 5" squares of 
     fabric in the stack - please no yucky fabrics

 * to help keep the map updated, you must fill out the quick and easy form to let Diane know where you    
    are!

* if the charm pack arrives full of unwanted charms, let Diane know and we'll clear it out and fill it back up   
   with some more beautiful fabrics!

Sound like fun!? There are still a bunch of Hope Valley charms in the pack! I am a new Denyse Schmidt fan, but I only took a couple from this collection. As a matter of fact, I am debating adding some Flea Market Fancy seeds (second printing) to the pack. Those are some of my highly coveted fabrics...so I am still thinking about it! ;) If you would like to have the Charming Travelers pay you a visit, leave a comment below. For a second entry, become a follower and leave another comment. This drawing will close Monday, May 7, 2010. (I am a little busy the next couple weeks, so I need some time to cut up my charms!) Good luck!

Just joined rehab....

BOM(block of the month) rehab that is! While I have been following many scrapbooking blogs for a couple years now, I just started adding quilting blogs to my repertoire as well. During my reading, I kept coming across different QALs and BOMs that I just LOVED and bookmarked! I have started a couple, am behind in them all! LOL So when I came across the BOM rehab challenge at Pink Cushion, I knew I had to sign up!




However, I didn't get a lot accomplished this week. I actually only completed the BOM for my quilt guild. I really like the design of this block and may need to make an entire quilt out of it. But first, I am going to finish up my BOMs!

This week I hope to work on more of the stars for the "Oh my Stars" QAL. I also would like to make a block from the "Hello Sun" BOM. Are you addicted to BOMs? Perhaps you need to join rehab also!

The Traveling Stash winner is......

I wrote down all of the names, put them in a bowl and drew out a slip of paper. That paper had the name........ Ann Marie from 16 Muddy Feet.

Congratulations, Ann Marie! I sent you an email asking for your address. Once I have the address, I will send the stash off for your enjoyment!

The Purrfect card

I made this card to enter the sketch challenge on the Authentique blog. I used the Freebird Endless & Fairweather 6x6 Nest. I was excited when I saw that the orange in the Free Bird papers matched the cat that I fussy cut from a paper by Kaisercraft. (Our nephew's favorite cat is our orange tabby.)

Our nephew loves our cats, so I like to make cards and send items from the cats to him. This card is for his birthday. I always "stamp" each ones pawprint inside.

Traveling Stash ready to go!

I had so much fun sorting through the stash box! I enjoyed looking through the patterns and all of the fabric. I kept switching things in and out. I finally decided to keep four fat quarters, 2 patterns and one spool of thread.

The box when it arrived:

So far I have added a book of teapot patterns for applique, a wallhanging kit with pattern and five fat quarters, some yardage and several fat quarters. Do you want to be a part of history? I was shocked to see that this box has been traveling for well over a year! Do you want a chance to peruse the fabrics and patterns? If yes, then please read the rules below.

Here are the rules, as set forth by Nan (The originator of the box):

1. You must have an active blog and will post receiving and when you are ready to pass it on


2. You will swap out equal quilt quality fabrics and products


3. You must pass on the Traveling Stash


Does this sound like something you would like to do? Then just become a follower and leave me a comment.

Due to the weight of the box and the cost of shipping, this giveaway is only open to those who live in the USA. Sorry!

This giveaway will end Tuesday, April 10, at 11:59 pm EST. I will post the winner on Wednesday, April 11.
You must leave me a way to contact you. If you are a no-reply blogger, your name will not be entered unless you include your email in your comment.

It's Here! It's Here! (quilting traveling stash!)

When I arrived home from an appointment today, I was excited to see a box waiting on the porch! It was the traveling stash I recently won from Linda at Stray stitches. I hurriedly fed the cats so I could get that box open! I REALLY wish I had a Kindle--because there is a beautiful handmade kindle cover in the box!Here it is before I looked through it all:

I finished going through the box and will be posting tomorrow for the giveaway. I want to go through my own fat quarters and try to add some to the stash box. So please check back tomorrow for the chance to enter and have this box of goodies visit your home!

Scrap Attack...take two

I just wrote a nice long post about this quilt...hit post and it was gone!

So, here is the Reader's Digest version:

I came across Nanette's tutorial for her Scraptacular Picnic Quilt at Freda's Hive. Then I discovered Rachel's Scrap Attack challenge to finish at least one scrap quilt top at Stitched in Color.

I was working on it as a Leader/Ender quilt, but in March it became my main focus. I wasn't sure I would get it done in time--but I did! However, it is dark and rainy out--so I did the best I could with a picture. Here is my picnic quilt top. I hope to have it quilted and bound before summer!

Another Weekly Challenge

It has been another busy week. I have spent most of these beautiful, sunny days outside raking up the leaves, cutting down branches and getting the yard ready for spring. However, when I wasn't out in the yard, I was busy trying to work on a couple quilty things and some scrapbooking too!

I set a goal to try and sew a block a day and to finish cutting out the largest stars for my "Oh my stars!" quilt. This goal was set and met thanks to the inspiration at Amy's Creative SideWoohoo! I made it this past week! I also finished cutting out all of the largest blocks in my "Oh my stars" quilt. I even got some of the smallest stars cut out, along with the rest of the squares for my picnic quilt.

My last two stars:

My first block in the Picnic quilt:

As for scrapping, I have completed a couple layouts for contests I am in, but really need to take time to sort and organize this part of my craft room! Perhaps then I will feel more creative...

Treat yourself on this day of sweet treats!

Another run, don't walk evening! You have about one hour left to get in on this fun contest over at Wescrap. They have amazing kits and they are giving some away! Come on over and play! Tell them I sent you! :)

Wescrap contest

Ready...set...go

Run... don't walk to this link--it is a time sensitive giveaway. The chance to win a kit and a cricut cartridge.
Wescrap Giveaway

Cutting Up

I spent most of this past week washing, pressing and cutting up scraps! Well to be honest, not all were technically scraps, I did add in a couple fat quarters. A couple things started me on this mission first, the quilt on the cover of Sew Scrappy volume two and the other, Pleasant Home Sew scraps along event.

New blade inserted, I started cutting! I really loved the rich, autumnal colors in the Scrappy Hourglass quilt featured on the front of Sew Scrappy, but thought that I didn't have many fabrics in those colors. Imagine my delight when I checked the fabrics from a Civil War block of the month kit I had bought years ago and realized there were many fabrics in there large enough to cut into the blocks for the hourglass. Originally in the tag sale pile, I was glad to be able to use those fabrics! While I still don't have nearly enough squares, I did get a good start on them.

Here is my pile of squares.

Since finding Sew Scraps Along at Pleasant Home
I have been daily exploring new blogs, researching quilt patterns,etc. When the Picnic Quilt tutorial was shared-- I knew I had to make one! I just loved the colors and the pattern! So, I dug through my scraps and yes, fat quarters as well--I even bought a few new fat quarters for this one! Again, I don't have enough yet to complete the quilt, but I am going to use this one as a Leaders and Enders quilt-so there is enough to get started. Here is what I have so far:

I did cut up what I had in scraps for two more quilts! Another post in Sew Scraps Along was about Postage Stamp quilts. After reading the post, off to google I went. I found a postage stamp, charm quilt swap starting at The Curious Quilter
So, I added 2 inch squares to my scrap cutting.

Finally, I had found a great leaders and enders quilt tutorial over at Em's Scrapbag so I got all of my chain squares cut out--using scraps my Mother-in-law had given me and cut what I could for the other pieces. All of these are still works in progress, as I create more scraps to add!

I did get a little sewing in too. I completed the block for our block of the month swap for guild on Wednesday. Normally I am rushing to complete the block that day, but the weekly challenge on Amy's Creative Side forced me to get it done early! Not only does it feel great to have that done early--but I also accomplished the goals I set for Amy's challenge. Now to decide this week's goal!

Thanks for sticking with this long post! I plan to post more often...this week I think I will do some sewing! I also have some scrapbooking projects to work on--oh and cleaning, I must clean!

Happy New Year!!!

I know I haven't posted in awhile. The end of the year was a flurry of sewing projects for gifts and exchanges. Now I need to get back to scrapbooking and.....back into quilting! I am so inspired with the goodies I received for Christmas: a set of sewing feet for my machine (now I can free motion quilt), several new patterns, and a new quilt kit.

One area I have really been exploring are scrappy quilts. I really love the freedom of just using your scraps. We have a beautiful quilt that my husband's great grandmother made hanging in our dining room. I love to look at all of the different colors and patterns she put together.

So, imagine my delight when I stumbled across this new to me blog  Pleasant Home and the amazing month of activities and giveaways she is hosting during Sew Scraps Along 2012.  I love the inspiration I have found already--and it is only the first day!  Just check out the first tutorial for a picnic quilt-- LOVE!!!

I can't wait to see what the rest of the month brings!