Weiner Dog Bag

Sometimes ya just need a little weiner dog applique on a messenger bag to make you smile. And don't forget the rickrack and pompoms! I made this cheezie bag for my book, "Crafter's Guide to Glue" and forgot how cute it is.

So, you can use this handy dandy pattern and make your own, or pick up the book at Barnes and Noble Or Amazon.com, or you can just stare at it and giggle.

More Ceramics...Boxes!

Tanya Moller Jensen's ceramic boxes are fabulous. Not to be missed; her wall pockets and votives. I simply love the simplicity of these. I keep saying I want to start learning how to do ceramics. Years ago, I made some fun things when I went to a ceramics class every Monday night with my mom. We made some of the most funky things, like an ice cream cone shaped cookie jar, and a life-sized kitty cat. Weird, and long lost in a garage sale somewhere.

Ceramic Corsets!

Who knew that you could turn something as hard as ceramic into something as soft as a corset? Well, Nicole Moan has it figured out as you can see. Her art is a virtual explosion of creativity in a form that you can wear. I saw a peek of her work when I was channel surfing and came across a show call Split Ends on the Style Network and just couldn’t stop watching.

In her bio at her website, 4 Anything Art, she writes how that they are relatively comfortable as corsets go. Now, I don’t think these are something you would wear to breakfast, but for a shocking party dress, how could you go wrong?

This amazing artist from Oklahoma City, was featured at the Swatch Watch Alternative Fashion Week in London, England. The models who wore the corsets also had slip (the liquid form of clay) in their hair for unique designs.

Nicole works in themes, from super heroes to bridal gowns. I would love to see how she forms them into their custom shapes. Perhaps she uses actual models, or mannequins…I don’t know. But they are certainly mesmerizing with each being an art object to admire. Sure makes me want to take up ceramics!

Cookie Intervention!

Help me! The snacks and Christmas cookies have taken over! I found myself in the middle of the floor, covered with Mutti's & Pop's Christmas cookie cut-outs, chex mix, toffee, and cinnamon pecans. What are we going to do?

We need a cookie intervention! Scott is in a cross-eyed coma on the floor, too. Somebody help us!

Fun Birthday!

Yes, I had a stinkin' birthday. You'd think that sharing my day with a big holiday would make people forget, but oh, no. I got gifts. I got spoiled. I got lovins. And I'm calling Darsee right now to tell her how much I love the freakin' fun stuff she sent!

She loves craftin'up her cards as you can see, and of course she sent crazy fun jewelry. The cuff bracelets say peace and love, to match the rhinestone peace earrings. The cute patent leather red tassel is a keychain from Sandy and I got gift cards and other neat stuff from lots of peeps. Thank you EVERYBODY!!

Scott made yummy pizza with avocados and basil and tomatoes and black olives with goat cheese, which is my favorite. That's hummus, brie cheese & crackers, cookies & popcorn. Isn't that silly? Oh, and the martinis are acai and grapefruit with slices of honey crisp apples.

Joan sent the fabulous bouquet of flowers with matching vase and candlesticks. Absolutely beautiful! You'd think she could see my house all the way from the California coast, they match the house so perfectly.

Yep, he spoils me. Gotta make notes, so I can do his birthday up big, too. We are both capricorns, and like so much of the same things, it'll be hard to come up with a surprise.... but I'm up to the challenge...so look out birthday boy.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Nashville! It's been a laid back day, after a champagne toast by the fire last night.

We slept in this morning, watched the Rose Bowl Parade like everyone else, and then I got busy in the kitchen making our traditional black-eyed peas with cornbread and a carrot cake. My momma has never let a new year's day pass without cooking this meal so that we would be prosperous all year.

I had to don my new apron that was given to me by one of the interns at work, Kelly. She gave it to me because she knows how much I love kitschy things.

It's such a hoot! It has a big red heart that says, "How to keep your husband." And then it has all these cartoons with quotations in English and French. It says things like:

• Always look innocent! Cela vous va' faites la sainte nitouche!
• Watch your weight! C'est la chair qu! Semble s'enfler
• Kiss him often! Baisez-le, mais souvant!
• Have dinner ready! Avant tout, le diner!
• Get up for breakfast with a smile! Au de'jeuner, un sourire apportez!
• Don't open his mail! Ne touchez pas son courrier!
• Don't nag! Ne le crondez pas!
• Don't go thru his pockets! Ne fouillez pas dans ses poches!
• Don't gossip over the phone! Pas des comme'rabes au te'le'phone!
• Don't get mad or jealous! Pas des folies ou de jalousie!

The sayings withouth the translations are:

• Let him read his paper in peace!
• Encourage his hobbies!
• Praise his in-laws!
• Don't be a know-it-all!
• Don't go over the budget!
• Don't look sloppy over the breakfast table!

Isn't that hysterical? The cute pin-up style girls in the cartoons are adorable. Talk about politically incorrect, and a jab at the old ways of the 50's male chauvinist. It is certainly a conversation piece. *giggle Kelly said she found it at Pangaea, one of my fave shops in Nashville.

Scott's favorite (he says) is "Kiss him often!"
Thanks Kelly!

I'm Ba-a-a-a-a-a-ck!

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.

Punkin Fun in Nashville

South of Nashville, there is the most adorable pumpkin farm you ever did see. Scott and I had to explore, take some photos and hang with the locals. They had itty bitty punkins, that are just perfect for building topiaries.

I made these with dowel rods and wooden discs. Drill a hole into the wooden disc, the same width as the dowel rod. Glue one end of the rod into the disc, then paint it black. When it's dry, you can pierce your little punkins as you stack them on top of each other. Scoop out a place on the top to shove a votive candle into the punkin for a topiary candlestick. Now you can tie raffia around the bottom or place in an urn for a fabulous fall centerpiece!

You can get more details from the Project Page at Pattiewack.com on how to make the topiaries.

Don't throw away your topiary holders after the pumpkins dry out, because you can use them for apples, gourd, and clove-covered oranges for a terrific Thanksgiving centerpiece that looks great, and smells heavenly.


The Nashville Farmer's Market is huge! We had a blast looking for fresh veggies to take home for a homemade soup for the week.

I'll be coming back here to pick apples next time. Wow!


Then we headed to historic Franklin, Tennessee for the annual Pumpkinfest. Good grief, it was crowded, but it was FUN!

I couldn't help it, I had to have a funnel cake, baybeeee. OMG, there was SO much powdered suger, you could barely see the funnel cake underneath. Yummmmmmmieeeee.

I love autumn. It's the best season of all.

Interview with New York Daily News!

You can be on the look out for an interview I did this week with The New York Daily News for Jean Chatzky, the popular news columnist with a daily column called Your Money. She also the author of "Make Money, Not Excuses" and hosts a daily show on "Oprah & Friends" on XM Radio, and is the financial editor of NBC's "Today"show.

So, I know you're thinking, why would Jean Chatzky be interested in ME? I know! Well, she wanted to get some crafty expert advice on what parents could do with their kids for Halloween on a budget.

And man, I loved it! Her assistant Arielle and I chatted on and on about all the ideas I had. First, I told her my ideas for some funny costumes, and then about how to get umbrellas at the dollar store and make Monster Umbrellas. Not only are they great for mom and dad to hold on a rainy Halloween night, but they would make fabulous and fun party decorations if you hang them from the ceiling for a sensational and cheap way to make a huge impact in a room!

You can find the instructions and patterns for these fun Monster Umbrellas on Pattiewack.com. I would love to hear from you, about your ideas, too. I'll let you know when the interview is posted on The New York Daily News, and you'll find out some cute things you can for Halloween on the cheap.

Tomato Art Fest

I forgot to post about the fun and artsy fartsy Nashville Tomato Art Fest last month! I found the photos today when I was searching for something else, and thought I may as well put them on my blog because they are so darn cute. Scott and I bought a poster that looks like the front of this t-shirt, and framed it to hang above our piano. Love that. The artist is Sheila B. and her website is a hoot! You HAVE to check it out at SheilaBware.com to see what a crazy and amazing artist she is from the Nashville scene.

There was so much art to see, and the crafty art caught my eye, like this big paper bowl made from a roll of tickets. I would love to make one of these myself.

This wall of bottle caps was outrageous, with a different image in every single cap. Think of the work!

I can remember eating at Big Boy restaurants when I was a little girl, so the big guy brought back a few memories for me. Waffles, burgers, grilled cheese sammies, yummmmmers.

A gang of Wrights buds met there, including Chant and Robyn who are graphic artists. We hung out in the art gallery soaking in all the tomatoey vibes.

I'm crazy for collage, and this art doll collage is fabulous! Check out the sassy little bottle cap used for a hat!

This graphic artist decided to use an itty bitty tomato as the priceless setting for an amazing tomato ring. That's a little saucy I'd say. wink-wink

Ah, collage. This wooden box was the best collage ever. The clock is real, and the metal items are real, but the rest is paper.

The artist couldn't stop with decoupaging the outside of the box. The inside was just as fun, with a mirror inside and a felt lining to make it complete.

Oh the drama. It's not every day that we have the opportunity to spend an evening looking at tomato art. Big thanks to Teresa (the greatest APM in the world) for taking the pics and sending them to me. I'll be back next year for the continuing saga of the life of tomatoes turned into art.