This morning I went on an adventure to Shimek's Gardens in Alvin. I read about it in the Houston Chronicle yesterday, and I was excited to see their collection of daylilies. What I did not realize was that you can pick out the ones you like, have one of the Shimek clan dig them up, and purchase them! If you have the chance to visit, I recommend it highly! The gardens were stunning, and the family is incredibly friendly. Here are some photos from their incredible gardens:
So many of my friends are now moms, so I wanted to wish you all a Happy Mother's Day! Here are a couple of photos from today:
Have a great week, everybody!
My dear friend Maria is expecting her second child, a baby girl. She sent me some onesies to embroider for her, and here's what I have so far!
I used Sublime Stitching patterns, which are so very easy to use AND cute! I have 5 more onesies to go, so I'll be sure to share them here and/or on my Flickr page!
By the way, today is Austin's (Maria's firstborn) birthday. HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY, AUSTIN!
Hey everybody! I'm just making a quick post to tell you that my sister Erin is on the Peace Corps China web site. Be sure to check her out! She's the super cute girl writing on the chalk board!
http://www.peacecorps.gov/multimediapages/photos/index.cfm?gallery=china
Last week, I finished my first mini art quilt. I've missed quilting, but I really didn't want to take on a big project. This one is pretty small (8.5 X 9.25 inches), and almost entirely handsewn. Let me know what you think!
BTW, it's available in my Etsy shop...
Happy Sunday, everyone! Just wanted to share the new items I added to my Etsy shop today. They are headbands and hair clips handmade (of course!) with wool felt in brilliant hues! They are perfect for kiddos and older girls, too. Be sure to stop by the shop and check them out!
Miss Sofie, one of my groupies!
Me goofing off, as usual!
No, I'm not moving! This is just the state of my kitchen table as I prepare for my first craft show tomorrow! I was invited to this event by a fellow Etsian, and I think it will be a good experience. Plus, the event will benefit The Bridge, a local charity that provides a safe haven for abused women and their children.
My latest treasury, which features awesome wrist cuffs by a variety of Etsians, is going to expire in 8 hours. So, I thought I'd capture and share it with you here. Maybe it will inspire you to craft; if not, you can always head over to Etsy and support handmade!
I'm an auntie again!! Yay! Diana and Gino welcomed little Diego on April 12. He was 8 lb, 4.5 oz. I can't wait to meet him! Much congratulations to their family!
After much fabric hunting online, I came across a lovely coverlet on sale at the Charleston Urban Outfitters (Maria and I took a road trip to S.C. during last week's vacation). This provided PLENTY of fabric for a new shower curtain. I cut it down and hemmed it to standard size, then added button holes across the top for hooks.
Though I generally dread projects involving a lot of fabric wrangling, this one didn't take too long and turned out well. Plus, I have leftover fabric for my ever-growing stash!
Here it is, plus a close-up shot of the fabric design:
I think it looks rather pretty next to my little stained glass window!
Last night I returned from my trip to visit 2 of my favorite people in the universe! Here are some of my best shots:
Even sick with strep throat, Austin is adorable!
Austin and I look the same in the morning!
Austin looks extra-special in this photo!
Hello everyone! I thought I'd leave one last pretty post for you before I leave for my week-long vacation tomorrow! These gorgeous images were found by searching "Japanese fabric supply" on Etsy. Then I put together a collage with the Etsy Poster Sketch tool. Stunning*, isn't it?
My mom and I went to the Bayou City Art Festival today in Memorial Park. It was so nice and warm (not hot!), and we saw the work of many talented artists. I wasn't really sure if it was good etiquette to photograph people's booths, so I just have 2 photos to share!
The weather was so pleasant yesterday! Sindri and I spent some time lazing about in the backyard. As I lounged in my chair, I was able to capture the gorgeous blue sky and new leaves on the trees. I also snapped a shot of Sindri smiling! He loves to be out in the sun, hunting for lizards!
I'm never satisfied with the headers on my blog or Etsy shop. I made a new one for my blog this evening, which you can see above. What do you think?
I often see really cute graphics in others' shops and blogs, but they either have much better graphic arts experience or know some talented people! Maybe I'll break down someday and hire someone to create a custom logo for me. I suppose that's something to ponder further in the future! Until then, the photo editor and Paint program that came with my laptop will have to do!
I've been invited to participate in a local craft fair by a fellow Etsian. It's my first, so I've been busy getting things made and planning my booth table! Here are some new hair clips, pins, and pendants for you to enjoy!
The fair isn't scheduled until late April, but I'll be sure to share photos of the big day!
The good thing about the time change: I can still enjoy my garden and take photos after work! Here are some new garden friends that I discovered today!
On the way home from work today, I was listening to NPR. They were discussing the various war protests taking place around the nation today. Naturally, the "Knit In" by the Granny Peace Brigade in Times Square caught my attention! I did some research and found these photos on sparkdance's flickr site.
Aren't these little flowers so bright and happy? I saw them peaking out of one of my backyard pots this morning and had to share them with you!
Hope you enjoy them!
While perusing the Craftzine blog (a daily must!), I came across this gorgeous skirt!
Apparently, this is the first attempt at a skirt by the creator of the Blissed Out blog (see http://jo2308.typepad.com/blissedoutknitting/2008/03/my-first-skirt.html). I think she did an awesome job! I love the little doilie accents - they add so much character!
There are lots of great projects on the Blissed Out website, so I'll definitely bookmark it and check back soon for more inspiration!
Ok, so these are not the greatest photos! But, I just couldn't wait to share how the Anna Tunic turned out. The only changes I made to the pattern were to omit the lining and add darts at the bust. I'm really happy with it! After making one blouse (see http://rbnsnst.blogspot.com/2008/01/completed-projects.html), the second one seemed to go much more quickly and smoothly! Now I'm unstoppable! Ha, ha!
Well, I started making the Anna Tunic this afternoon after a trip to JoAnn's to buy fabric! I decided to go with the camisole length version of the pattern, which I think will be a nice addition to my work wardrobe. Here's the fabric and some of the pattern pieces:
I made some great progress today! I'll share the finished product when it's done!
Ugh! Anyone else wide awake? Supposedly it's 10:40 pm, so I guess I should be in bed! This time change is such a bummer...I know I'll be a sad, sad lady when the alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning!
While visiting one of my favorite blogs this morning (http://www.belleepoquewhimsy.com/), I learned about a fantastic site called Stuff White People Like (http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/). Not only are the observations hilarious, they are also rather spooky in their accuracy. Here are a few of the items from the list that are most relatable to myself:
#84 T-Shirts (yay Threadless!)
#82 Hating Corporations
#75 Threatening to Move to Canada
#44 Public Radio
#41 Indie Music
For Erin & John: #38 Arrested Development
#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report
#25 David Sedaris
#15 Yoga
For Meghan: #13 Tea
#5 Farmers' Markets
This is a VERY entertaining site, so be sure to stop by if you're in need of a good laugh! I'm bookmarking it!
I've been visiting all my favorite craft blogs this evening, and I stumbled across the following image on Etsy-Love (http://www.etsy-love.com/). Isn't it gorgeous?
This amazing design was created by Nervous System. They have an Etsy shop and a very interesting web site in which they share their process. Apparently, they begin with a pattern found in nature, then develop a "pattern generating algorithm" on a computer to further manipulate the design. Visit http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/blog/ to learn more about the creative duo behind Nervous System.
Ok, so I finally broke down and started a Flickr account...
Please stop by http://flickr.com/photos/robynsnest77/ and leave a comment! If you also have a Flickr site, let me know so I can visit yours as well!
Talk at ya later!
Robyn
Well, here are my little brooches, all ready to go in the box! I made 25 pieces to contribute to The Sampler's April edition. What is The Sampler, you ask? Here is the info, straight from their web site:
"The Sampler is a super fun marketing & promotional tool for indie businesses. Each month, independent crafters, artists, shops, zines and record labels who run web-based businesses send samples and promotional materials to a contribution pool. All the samples are photographed, posted to the site and then are portioned out, put in little packages and sent off to Sampler Subscribers, other Sampler Contributors and members of the Media all over the world!"
This was a really fun project for me, which was suggested by my dear friend and craft goddess Tara (see http://paperspoon.etsy.com and http://buttoncollective.etsy.com). I also learned a lot about attempting to "mass produce" items that are handmade. The outcome? I'm just not a mass production kind of girl. I made several items that had similar colors and themes, but every piece was unique.
To learn more about The Sampler, visit http://homeofthesampler.com.
While in Austin, I went to Diana's baby shower and visited "Junior's" nursery! Below, you can see that Diana made the most fantastic triptych in a space theme for the baby's room! And the crib looked so cozy, I wanted to curl up in it myself!
Diana isn't due for another month, but I'm not so sure...what do you think?
I just returned from a trip to visit Diana in Austin this weekend. Diana, who is my wonderful friend and an enabler to my craft addiction, gave me the following goodies:
They are Amy Butler sewing patterns for the Weekender Travel Bag and Anna Tunic! I've been salivating over the tunic since it went into production, and the bag is SO very cute! Looks like I'll have to get my sewing machine humming again! And, of course, I'll have to go fabric shopping! Hooray!
For those of you who haven't been by Erin and John's flickr site lately (see link at sidebar), many new photos were uploaded this week! They recently returned to China after vacationing in Cambodia and Bali, so they had TONS of amazing photos to share. Here are some of my favorites:
Remember when I said I was only going to add books to my sidebar list that I finished reading in 2008? If not, see http://rbnsnst.blogspot.com/2008/01/reading-is-sexy.html for details.
Well, I lied. I keep remembering other AWESOME books that I read last year. Case in point: The Time Traveler's Wife. This is a wonderful book, and you really should find the time to read it if at all possible. What made me remember this book? Well, it appears that a movie version starring Eric Bana (droooooool...) will be coming soon to a theater near you. For more on this, see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452694/ .
As a general rule (with the exception of To Kill a Mockingbird), movies are never equal to or better than their literary counterparts. So, I urge you to read the book first. Then, go out and enjoy the movie when it's released because, after all, Eric Bana is HOT!
Check out the new brooches in my shop! I LOVE the new wool felt that I purchased from a fellow Etsian, so I've been playing with it a lot! It's so soft and pretty!
Be sure to stop by my shop! Also, if you're shopping for wool felt, check out the FeltCraftStudio shop, http://FeltCraftStudio.etsy.com.
I bet you can guess what's been blooming in my garden --- more bulbs! This one might be my favorite. The flowers have such intricate, lovely petals! Hooray!!
Won't be long until the wildflowers start to bloom...
Check out my second treasury on Etsy, which I named Negative Space. It won't be up long, so be sure to visit this link before it expires!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=29099
My friend Shelby sent me a link to the Inhabit web site, where they have a feature on recycled wall paper kits. I LOVE the tree below with the sweet bird house! And of course I can't resist anything with birds!
Learn more about these products at http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/10/06/inke-diy-recycled-wallpaper-kits/.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Yep, those are my hot honeys.
