I know, I know! It’s been forever since I did an update on my blog. I profusely apologize. It sucks when I go to someone’s blog and I’m expecting some fun ideas, news about what they are working on, and find that it hasn’t changed in months. My bad. I have no excuse except for working nonstop, photo shoots, finishing a new book, the holidays, and nursing a sore shoulder. Yes, I’m going play the pity card. There is a funky hallway going into our master bedroom and I was in such a hurry that I forgot about the left side of my body needing to clear the opening. Arrgh! The doctor says it will take up to 3 months for my rotator cuff to heal. The steroid shots were not pleasant, but all the babying from Scott is fabulous. And baby I’m gonna milk it. *giggle*
Project Runway Behind the Scenes Video
Hey, you won’t believe the fabulous line of products I have been working on. You all know that I’m a huge fan of Project Runway. Well, we have acquired the licensing for Project Runway products and I have been a maniac for the past several months as we developed unbelievable trims and goodies you can embellish your wardrobe with. I have always loved making rosettes out of just about everything, and when I saw the episode where the designers were repurposing jeans into extreme outfits, I decided that we just HAD to have Zipper Rosettes and Zip Trim!
The products will be in your local Michaels sometime in January, and at Target.com to order online. The photo shoot was unbelievable, and of course Scott shot it in our distribution center. I had a blast creating all of the fashion for the models to wear. The best part about the products is that you can use fabric glue to attach everything! So, not only can you sew it onto garments, you can also glue the giant gems, zip trim, rosettes, and studs to your shoes and purses and jeans.
Field Trip to Loveless Cafe
Field trips on the weekend are pretty much the norm for us, since moving to the Nashville burbs. We heard so much about the Loveless Café that we simply had to go see what all the fuss was about. My momma makes the most divine biscuits in the world, so I was pretty skeptical about the biscuits everyone talks about from the Loveless Café. But, when they brought out those biscuits and gravy and homemade jellies, I flipped out! OMG, they were fabulous. Buttery, flaky and endless. Yep, they keep bringing them out until you say, “stop!” We brought some home and ate on them another couple of days.
New BOOK!
I said that I’ve been busy, and I mean busy. Check out the new book, Cookbooking just now available at Barnes & Noble and of course at Amazon.com. I designed nearly all of the projects in the book, and Barbara Winkler wrote the content about them. The book is all about how to organize your recipes in creative ways. If you are like most people, you have a ton of loose magazine clippings and hand scribbled recipes, or cards that people have given you over the years, that are thrown into boxes and notebooks. Mine were the same way, but not any more. I figured out that I could design all kinds of creative ways to categorize my recipes and be able to find my favorite Stuffed Shrooms recipe when I need it.
One of my favorites was the cookbook I made for my Mom’s 70th birthday. My entire family participate by writing about their favorite moments with my mom’s cooking or their favorite dish. Then I made a notebook with retro fabric, tons of ribbon, grommets, and 3 binder rings. You’ll love it! Best part? Some of my mom’s recipes are in there! There are ways to give recipes as a gift, and how to create an heirloom cookbook, and even a kid’s lunchbox recipe organizer.
I plan to put them on our website to buy soon, but meanwhile you can scoop one up online or at the book store.
Holiday Videos at Lifetime!
Have you been watching the holiday videos on MyLifetime.com? The cute little stocking that I sewed up for the Christmas project is so easy, but you’d never know it by looking at it. And don’t forget that you can personalize yours by cutting out felt letters and gluing them on. I know it’s too late for this year’s stocking, but it’s a perfect time to get started for next year. One of the cool things about handmade stockings is, that they are perfect to stuff and pop into a fedex mailer to send anybody on your list. Fun!
CHA Trade Show theme: "It's Easy Being Green"
Right now I’m busy as bee working on new products for the upcoming CHA Trade Show in Anaheim at the end of January. It’s top secret right now, but it involves the theme of the show It’s Easy Being Green. I can’t wait to see what all of the other manufacturers present for their new products that speak to the need to recycle and sustainability of crafting. After all, that’s what we crafters do best, turn scrap into art. This has been one of the most satisfying challenges of my position as New Product Manager at Wm. Wrights Company. We recently combined all of our sister brands under the umbrella of Simplicity Creative Group, which has given me the opportunity to combine efforts with the talented team at Simplicity headquarters in New York. Our company just keeps designing amazing new products and marketing strategies to keep us on the cutting edge.
