little.black.sheep.shop

Wrapping Up Europe

So on my trip to Europe, I did a fair amount of window shopping and browsing. There was an odd assortment of finds throughout... Here are some of my favorites. :)

 

{ real leather liederhosen for children at a market in Germany - SO adorable }

 

{ this little wooden cabinet had so much character with its eclectic painted wooden pieces and distressed look - i wished i had a giant suitcase to bring this back home! }

 

{ handcrafted Belgian cookie molds - so much detail, the molds themselves look like artwork to be admired, not tools to be used in a kitchen! }

 

{ decorative wooden welsh love spoons, with symbolic designs that represent different things - beautiful handcrafted work }

 

{ brush brush brush... germans have a thing for brushes }

 

{ some William + Kate souvenir junk they were selling at a touristy shop in London }

 

{ hehe... solar powered waving plastic Queens! }

 

{ flower shop by Paul McCartney's daughter, Stella }

 

{ London window shopping under cover - a treat in what is usually a rainy city! }

 

{ suits galore on Seville street in London - even non traditional fabrics! }

 

{ these uniforms laid out in a work room below street level make me think of stuffy English royalty and aristocrats }

 

{ anthropologie! woohoo! }

 

{ unusual window display in Carnaby Street, London }

 

{ All Saints, a clothing store, features countless old Singer sewing machines in its windows... I wish I could take one of these home with me! }

 

{ you can't even see the clothes inside for the stacked Singer machines in the windows! perhaps that's the point... they make you come in to see what they have to offer... hmmmmm.... }

 

{ everywhere we looked in England, someone was trying to capitalize on the Royal Wedding. Yardley was selling a "Royal English Daisy" line of beauty products "in consideration of the Royal Wedding... whatever that means! }

 

{ and it wouldn't be a vacation without a "kitchy" souvenir shop - some of the Union Jack pillows were ok... these were a bit over the top. and do you see all the Will + Kate gear for sale? crazy }

 

{ an art gallery in Windor had a few clever creations in its window... check out this sheepdog... so cute and so much movement in the piece! }

 

{ the body of this swan looked like it was made using glue and string - papier mache style. And the wings seemed to feature real feathers, but I couldn't tell for sure. very clever! }

 

{ i also loved this dumpy fellow, perched atop a stack of old traveling cases }

 

{ i loved this cute piece of art i came across in a garden center in Scotland... the little dog at the bottom reminded me of my little Riley, who always likes to be around people! }

 

{ and speaking of dogs, check out this cute sign! }

 

{ seeing some of the items for sale made me miss my studio and sewing machine at home... i started to get inspiration for future items for the shop! }

 

{ these "money pots" were a really cool idea... they don't have an opening, just a slot to put money in. so if you want the money, you have to break the pot open! these pots were so pretty... you'd have to really want that moolah in order to break such a beautiful creation! }

 

{ check out the designs of these money pots - so many choices! }

 

{ i loved this heavy owl door stop - so cute! }

 

{ the hedgehog was a cute door stop design too. :) }

 

{ and these cute little sheep were calling me to take them home... but i had no room in my luggage :( }

 

So this pretty much wraps up the pics of my trip to Europe. I had a fantastic time and really enjoyed spending time with friends and family. The weather cooperated and I got to see so many sights, it was definitely a successful trip!

I can't wait until I begin the countdown to my next trip!

xoxo!

-h-

DIY Fused Glass

One of my sisters came into town to spend time with me on my birthday one weekend in March. It was SO nice to spend time doing things together - we usually just chat on the phone in the evenings as we are going about our separate lives.

So while she was in town, we decided to hit up The Mad Platter to paint some pottery. But we found out that they are also now offering DIY glass fusing! We were hooked from the moment we were informed about the process. :)

Believe it or not... it is super easy and very safe. We were provided a simple array of tools. Then we had to pick a base glass size, shape, and color. Both of us picked clear 7-inch squares.

Then... you get busy cutting glass and coming up with a design. When you have something you like, you glue the pieces down with simple Elmer's, believe it or not!

Then, you select any 3D shaping that you want your final piece to have. They can curve up the edges gently or make the final piece have a more structured look.

Then, you leave your piece behind to be put through the kiln a few times. Soon enough your final masterpieces are ready for you to take home!

We LOVED this process... so fun!

 

{ the tools and basic supplies }

 

{ my sis working away on coming up with a design }

 

 
{ our final pieces, mine to the left, my sister's to the right }

 

{ my final piece! }

 

{ my sister's final masterpiece }

 

We really had a blast... and this was a fun alternative to pottery painting. It was MUCH faster, which was good for us because we showed up with little more than an hour before they were supposed to close that night! I recommend it to craftistas in Columbia. If you have any questions, the gals at The Mad Platter are always patient and willing to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have. :)

 

xoxo!

-h-

Finished My First Quilt Top!

I finished my quilt top a few weeks ago...

...and I am SO excited at how it turned out!!!!

And I was shocked at how little time it took to put everything together...

 

{ i loved the first border as i saw it coming together }

 

{ press, press, press those seams! }

 

{ i laid everything out before running it through my sewing machine }

 

{ my finished quilt top! the final border keeps it all "square" :) }

 

I can't tell you how much I love how it turned out. Particularly since the monkey wrench block is just not my favorite at all! The next step will be to select my interfacing, cutting my backing to size, basting the layers together, and then picking a quilt pattern to stitch it all up! 

I have a Kenmore sewing machine, which has served me VERY well over the years. But I have not ever tried my hand at "free motion quilting." So I think I will leave that for another project when I have developed my quilting skills a bit more.

And perhaps in the meantime I can get my confidence up by doing more traditional quilt patterns. I think the quilt top will lend itself to geometric quilting shapes and lines... so I shouldn't have to deal with any pesty curves or anything. Woohoo!

I may not have a chance to work on this project any further for the next few weeks b/c of my work and personal schedules. It has definitely had to sit untouched since I finished the top weeks ago. But I PROMISE to keep you up to speed as it progresses.

Fingers crossed that I don't make some awful mistake and ruin the whole thing!

xoxo!

- bitten by the quilting bug -

:P

-h-

Real Simple Links

So I'm not a big magazine person... unless I'm sitting in a salon or waiting for my oil to be changed, I don't really subscribe to many magazines.

My one guilty-pleasure of an exception to this rule?

RealSimple.

I * heart * this zine. It has fantastic tips for finances, gardening, raising kids, mental and physical health... and they often have guest authors whose stories I get sucked into.

If you aren't familiar with this publication, I suggest you begin to subscribe... or ask for a gift subscription for your upcoming birthday, christmas, bat mitzvah or kwanzaa. Srsly.

:)

I don't feel guilty about getting this magazine sent to my house each month. Partially because I know I will either

1. Clip cool articles from the pages to send to my friends and family

2. Recycle the magazine along with my plastics and metals

3. Use the magazine in craft projects

And you know what?

You can too!

So in honor of my favorite (and only) magazine subscription, today I share with you earth-friendly links on RealSimple's website.

First up:

Under the category of "REUSE", they share reader's suggestions of

 

Gardening AND recycling? That's DOUBLE GREEN people!!!

 

Then, for those of you with kiddos, check out their tips for

LOVE it!

 

{ Do you have green or earth-friendly tips you'd like to share? Let me know and I'll post them here for ya! }

 

Happy Hump Day everyone!

xoxo!

-h-

 

Caught a Bug

Hey folks...

You may have noticed my brief departure from the blog. That's because I have had a bit of a rough week... I caught some sort of bug. Or maybe I ate something that didn't agree with me. Either way... ugh!

My tummy has been upset all week... and I have been exhausted!

I even missed almost an entire day of work (not like me at all) on Tuesday.

Needless to say, I am VERY happy that it's Friday! There were a lot of things on my personal to do list (errands to run, etc) that I just couldn't take care of. They have inevitably rolled over to today... So hopefully I'm over whatever has been gnawing the lining of my stomach and esophagus because I should have a very busy weekend ahead of me.

Fingers crossed!

I realize there are still a few pics to share from my trip to Europe. Which I will do this week.

And I was able to make some headway on my quilt before I started feeling ill. The good news is that I am REALLY liking how it's coming together! (Maybe I can push one or two errands to next week so I can work on my finishing my quilt top this weekend!!! :) )

Finally, I'm uber excited about Earth Day next week!

I've got some really great "green" things to share with you next week. And the blog will undergo a green transformation in honor of our Mother Earth!

Anyhoo. Wanted to drop you a line to let you know I'm back online. Both in my real and virtual lives!

xoxo!

-h-

Google "Modern Quilting"

So in my excitement of blogging about my first proper quilting project, I began to look for ideas online. And while I can appreciate the work that goes into traditional quilts, I have found that aestheticaly speaking, I am much more attracted to modern designs.

Here are the quilt pics that I found to be very inspiring for my own current and future quilt projects...

 

{ I love how the bright colors and patterns in this simple quilt are balanced out by the white... very pretty and makes me think of spring }

 

 

{ the pic is fuzzy - but the pinwheels are clear... i love the simplicity of the design }

 

 

{ the quilt top on this quilt may have looked too plain... but the final quilted product is gorgeous... and this would be a quick weekend project, I suspect }

 

 

{ slightly off-kilter squares and frames... a bold combination of patterns and colors }

 

 

{ how pretty is this pillow? again... i'm noticing that i love the use of white as a base color... it helps these patterns and colors pop out... and the top stitching is really pretty too. also... is that felt? j'adore! }

 

 

{ perfect for scrap fabric that you don't know what else to do with... a gorgeous border and would look really nice in a guest bedroom. paired with unisex gray (which is a teeny bit dark for me), the balance totally works in my mind }

 

 

{ how pretty is this?! hanging on a wall or in a young girl's room... the birds in the corner are a really nice touch }

 

 

{ off-kilter squares and frames again... i must really love this style! and I love the monochromatic palette... luv it! }

 

 

{ striped stripes on white... circles quilted on top... very pretty and simple }

 

 

{ pretty squares on white... and i am in LOVE with that striped edge! }

 

 

{ this is obviously a departure from the other quilts that peaked my interest. but... the idea is actually the same. that rich brown serves as a neutral base. and the pinwheels are a lovely modern take on the traditional idea... love, love, love it }

 

 

{ i can't imagine th work and time (and love) that went into this beautiful quilt top - the leaves are so pretty... and can you spot the little bird in the tree? so pretty }

 

So far... based on these finds... I have decided these things:

1. I will be using white as the base of my first quilt (since it's already my neutral color)

2. I would love to incorporate a striped pattern on my binding edge

3. I want to incorporate a small image (perhaps a bird or a toadstool) somewhere on my quilt top or back... and have that remain an icon of all my quilt work going forward

 

I am SO excited to continue my work on my first proper quilt... piece by piece!

If you have any great quilting ideas or inspirations of your own... I invite you to share them with me!

xoxo!

-h-

 

Cut, Piece, Pin, Sew...

So a couple of weeks ago, I took a Quilting 101 class (you can sign up for one of these classes at your local Jo-Ann's Fabrics store).

I was really happy to bust out my sewing machine... it hadn't really seen much daylight in the last year or so!

And I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I suspected the quilting process would be a bit too fussy for my liking. All the talk of cutting, piecing, and pressing had me thinking my impatience would get the better of me...

But, I actually enjoyed the process!

For my fabric, I selected a red scattered polka dot, a modern blue print, and an understated white-on-white striped print. I LOVED the combination. (And I realized that I'm currently obsessed with this color palette. Remember my compost pot from the Mad Platter? Same colors... but anywaaaaayz...)

The instructor, Miss Ginger, walked us through the process of creating a "monkey wrench" block...

 

{ my workspace with some of my pieces laid out... rotary cutter at the ready }

 

{ cut, piece, pin, sew, press... cut, piece, pin, sew, press... }

 

{ the block started coming together quickly }

 

 { the final block... the colors don't show up properly here (thanks to bad fluorescent lights and taking this pic on my iPhone)... I loved how it all turned out! }

 

I was encouraged by Miss Ginger to continue making more blocks... and I have done so... cutting and sewing in my spare time. I'm hoping to make more progress this weekend... and then I'll have to think about how I want to put all the blocks together.

SO excited! I'll let you know how the project goes. And I'm going to be looking for inspiration of modern quilt designs online for ideas of my finishing touches... and maybe for future quilts!

 - crafty h -

xoxo!

Beer Can Card Spinners!!

The day is steadfastly approaching...

The day when many will imbibe in green beer regardless of their ancestry.

In anticipation of that day... I introduce to you the newest addition to the shop...

 

Beer Can Card Spinners!!

 And for St. Paddy's Day, what would be more appropriate than Guinness?!

{ this would make a perfect gift for yourself or the man in your life! }

 

{ the size of standard wallets, a spinner keeps your IDs and credit cards close at hand }

 

 

For more information about the new Beer Spinner or to see what other goodies are currently available, head over to the shop!

 * * *

( Already have a purse?

Use one of my spinners to keep loyalty cards tidy + organized.

I keep one in my car for just that purpose - and it clears up some room in my purse.

LOVE that! )

 

xoxo!

-h-

My R + R Time

This past week has been very busy for me - I've been balancing a lot of things around my house and in my head... so I was ready for a break this weekend!

The hubs + I had a great balanced weekend of being VERY productive and throwing in a little R+R time in there as well. (For me, R+R refers not only to "rest and relaxation" but also to the two men in my life... my hubs Ryan and my dog Riley :) ).

* * *

The weather is changing and I'm starting to remember how much time I spend on our lawn and garden every weekend when things aren't closed up for winter. My daffodils and tulips have already sprouted above the ground... and there are hints of new green grass peeking through the blanket of brown that is currently our lawn.

It all makes me think of one looming task that is just around the corner: Mowing our lawn in the humid summer heat of Columbia. UGH!

I love gardening... but usually only when the weather is fantastic! So I'm going to soak it in over the next month or so before the seemingly endless 90 degree heat hits us!

While taking care of a dizzying array of errands this weekend (to include a little lawn work and gardening), I did remember to do one thing that was "leftover" from last week's to do list...

I stopped by The Mad Platter and picked up our painted pottery!

I thought our pieces turned out really well...

 

 

{ I can't believe all the detail he added into this cute guitar shaped dish! }

 

{ he even added knobs and a whammy bar... it looks like a great wood grain finish to me! }

 

Then there was my work... I painted their "wish jar." Instead of wishes, my little jar will serve as a repository for kitchen scraps that are on their way to being composted in my garden...

 { the colors turned out exactly as I'd hoped! }

 

I used a white paint with specks in it for the toadstool "spots"... the little specks came out and look like little pieces of dirt on the 'shroom - too cute! Once home, I added little pieces of adhesive-backed foam to the lid so it won't make a giant clatter each time I open + close it...

 

 

{ the cute little lid with foam around the edge }

 

We had such a great time - and in these days of immediate gratification, I have to say it was kind of nice to have to wait a few days before being able to see our finished work product. It kind or reminded me of the "old days" when you had to take your camera film to the shop and wait for it to process... you couldn't WAIT to see how your pictures had turned out!

 

And now it's back to the grind... as there is always more to accomplish and never enough time to do it all!

xoxo!

-h-

 

The Mad Platter - Before Pics

I have been wanting to drop by The Mad Platter in Columbia for quite some time now...

It's a neat little place where (for a very nominal fee), you gain access to their glazes, equipment, and friendly staff to create your own painted pottery masterpiece!

We finally put it on our calendars and dropped by this evening for a little painting fun...

 

{ this shows about half of their blank pottery pieces to choose from - there were SO many it was hard to pick just one! }

 

{ the other end of the studio housed a sink and brushes... and the pottery painting mantra of "dark on light" posted on the wall as a reminder to newbies like me }

 

I really struggled picking a piece that I wanted to paint. I was hoping to find something that could serve as a compost scrap bin for our kitchen... but nothing was jumping out at me as being the perfect size and shape.

And... I was tempted by adorable garden gnomes and garden stakes!

I finally settled on their large "wish jar":

{ he may be a little too small for my original purpose, but I fell in love with his pudgy shape and cute lid! }

 

{ meanwhile, the hubs quickly chose a guitar-shaped catch-all dish }

 

Then we got busy picking our glaze colors and planning out our respective designs.

I was originally going to put a simple leaf on the "label" of my wish jar... but I couldn't find the perfect one.

That in and of itself was fairly surprising when you consider their GIANT WALL OF STAMPS!

{ that is a LOT of stamps, people! }

 

And I wasn't up to free-handing a leaf under time pressures. So with the supportive advice from my friends, I changed my design plan from a leaf to a compost-friendly toadstool... (which had to be created freehand anyway - oh well) and this is what resulted...

 

{ the green bits are supposed to disappear after it's fired... }

 

{ here he is with his cute lid on :) }

 

The hubs worked quietly and diligently and finished his complex design before anyone else...

 

{ not bad at all! I love the whammy bar and volume knobs! }

 

We got a later start than we had intended, so it was a mad dash for me to finish before they closed up shop for the night! I was getting sloppy and throwing glaze onto my jar in the hopes that it would come out with a strong color. Hopefully they'll come out of the kiln ok!

 Here's the unfired piece our friends worked on together... they were working with different glazes than us. I have a feeling theirs is going to be INCREDIBLE!

 

{ it looks like burnt orange and rust but will come out with completely different colors - so cool! }

 

It was SO much fun... I'll definitely go back soon. (Especially since that little garden gnome that I didn't pick this time is floating around in my head now...)

Our pieces should be ready Wednesday evening. I'll share the final fired results with you all after we pick them up!

 

 {  Local flock: Head to The Mad Platter for more information  }

 

xoxo!

-h-