It is already Mandatory Make Things Day...trying to get our second newsletter and complimentary blog page together by Monday and then order product for Houston and then make stuff. We are trying to get samples made for Quilt Festival...

The piece shown above, was made with our new little wool felt squares, small felt beads and some charms. It was all stitched together by hand with metallic thread.

We wanted to share some ideas for using our wool felt beads and charms for making decorations for a Christmas tree, decorating packages and cards. It's not too early to get supplies and start stitching as the nights grow longer and colder...well where we live anyway.

BUTTONED UP BEAD

Sewing through the wool beads is very simple. I prefer using millinery needles with Coats and Clark metalic thread. You will need 15 - 20 little buttons. The smallest used in this project is about 1/4 inch across. To add these little buttons, knot the end of a double thread, hide the knot behind a button, and sew right through from one button to another.


Attach a dot heart charm with the same thread. That will be the bottom of the ornament.


Create a loop with a 6 inch piece of silk ribbon. Fold in half and make a knot in the middle... Stitch the loop onto the top of the bead at the knot.


To finish off the thread, just stitch through a loop of thread to make a knot an pull thread through the lenght of the bead and cut thread.






EMBROIDERED BEADS


The bead on the left was embellished with embroidery thread, silk ribbon and a variety of beads.

Thread the silk ribbon through a needle and pull the ribbon down through the middle of the bead leaving the end on the inside the bead. Go back through the top and continue to add the ribbon around the bead.

Thread two strands of embroidery floss through a needle and stitch around the bead to hold the silk ribbon in place. Add French knots in a contrasting color.

To create the "dangle" at the bottom of your decorated bead, string a variety of beads onto
your embroidery thread. To secure the string of beads, loop back up through the string skipping the bottom bead. Take a couple of stitches at the top the string to secure the thread.

Additional goodies can be added such as more beads, sequins, little bits of colorful felt, metalic threads, more ribbon, family faces hanging off the end, meaningful words or images...

Have Fun and Keep checking Back for Fresh Ideas!

With classes and the Quilt Festival speeding our way, "Fun Friday",
a concept that we have had in our hearts for two years but never get to,
has suddenly become
"MANDATORY Fun Friday"

Mid week already and we are moving along here at Artgirlz Nation...Got our box from Nepal yesterday with our felt and had a couple of surprises. Our new pocketbooks for embellishment came fully embellished...that kind of thing. I have to remind myself that if that is my biggest problem of the day, I am a lucky girl.

I managed to get the images of our new charms together and we are very excited about them. Have to get going on the next group.

We had a visit last night from Pete and Karen and our friend MT Silvia. MT (Smartgirl Productions), a big shot at Pixar, is making a film about her mothers' experience with atom bomb testing. We were lucky to see the sample piece that has been put together to help nail down some production cash. Her first film was a wonderful look at Christmas in a neighborhood near her home in California. It is a big project and I hope that it all comes together!

Have to get on the bulb situation in the garden. I haven't spent my usual amount of time dreaming and studying the daffy bulbs!

September is flying by...Sue and I worked in the garden last weekend...pulling weeds, moving plants, planting shrubs, edging. Sue spied a praying mantis in a tree we had just dug up...there is an amazing face!

Speaking of faces, we finally having our new face charm produced...it has taken a while to get this one the way we liked it. Will be ready to ship next week as will the jester hat! We are waiting to receive our wing models. Should be any moment!

We talked with a smart energetic woman this week who is going to work with us to help boost sales! Yea...thanks Jes for sending Janet...my sis is a bit worried about having another "J" name...Jes, JoAnn, Janet. JoAnn and Mat are returning today after a break for family hospital issues...so another Artgirlz Birthday Lunch for Jo...

I think that our first plate of rubber stamps are ready for production. I was hoping to have them for Houston, but it will be very tight! It is coming at us very quickly.
Off to get some work done...

We had an unexpected and spirited call from Tim Holtz the other night. After chewing over who's doing what where, Tim shared that he too had a collection of "scary babies" in his studio. Living out in the garden, our scary baby tribe occasionally has work to do. Clearly these boys had been relaxing on a nice summer day and must have sprung into action to save us from some unsavory individuals...


It seems like we have done so many things since the last post. Al and I traveled to Macon, GA for a family wedding. It was fun to see cousins Kevin and Scott, sister Beth and family, my former husband Ed and son Don, as we wove in and out of festivities. Don and Ed were in the neighborhood trying to catch the space lauch that was postponed. Here we are sporting our Artgirlz jewels...

I saw a very interesting Pulic Television program about a gathering of forward thinking individuals. Check out PopTech.org. Learned about Architecture for Humanity with a book "Design Like You Give a Damn". It was very inspiring to see so many people doing such amazing work!!



Last week we had to say good-by to one of our workers Danielle. She turned 18 and is now off to Pace College. We had an Artgirlz Birthday-Going Off To College Lunch. Here is Danielle with boyfriend, Artgirlz worker, and drummer rock star Mat. It is very quiet without her!


I can hardly believe that it is September...I didn't finish half of the projects that were on the docket, but that probably has more to do with me dishing out more than I can chew...so we will continue to take care of the piles on our desks, the lists on our (painted on the) wall sized chalk boards. We have an interesting business call this afternoon and an interview with a potential new helper. We are looking forward to both events!

Sending lots of love to JoAnn and Mat!