Happy Sunday, Everyone!

Happy Sunday, everyone!
Considering my sewing machine is a hot mess, I'm going to just do something for myself today. I want all of you to do the same. I don't care if you have a million obligations and things that need to be done - take 15 minutes, that's all I ask, and do something for yourself. Take a bath. Paint your nails. Throw away that pile of junk that's been sitting on your desk forever. Do something that makes you, and only you, feel good.

And if you feel like sharing, please do!

I'll let you know what I chose later today.

They're Here!!!

Oh happy day!

My new fabrics have arrived! How beautiful, right? They're by Laura Gunn's Magnolia Lane line. I just can't help myself... they're so pretty!!
But... my sewing machine...

It's pretty much still on the fritz. I've cleaned and oiled and practiced and it still just won't sew. I have changed the thread and the bobbin and it will sew a few straight lines, then for no reason at all go back to jamming the fabric into the feed dogs while getting the thread all wrapped around the bobbin.

I really have no idea what caused this catastrophe but I'm going to say that my machine needs to be serviced ASAP.


All custom orders will have to wait for a while to be made. I'm already backed up and have aspirations of making a little cape for a certain little girl so... looks like sewing is off the hook for a while.


Polymer clay... watch out... I'm coming for you!

Of course it would!

Well, the storm has hit my area. I'll shorten the "storm" to: the forecasts were wrong and it's snowing lots and lots. k.

this is, in no way, what the thread should look like
just in case you were wondering

After my two hour commute to work, hour stay, subsequent closing and over hour drive back I decided to unwind by working on that awesome soft feathery wonderfulness that is the custom commissioned mushroom zip top tote (quite a mouthful right?). I pin and tuck and get everything together. I sew one side of a zipper with no problems at all. Then, all of a sudden, my machine jams and I can't get the fabric out of the machine. It is literally pinned into the machine, the needle won't move up or down and I'm scared to death of ripping this wonderful fabric. I eventually get it out (in tact!) and open up the bobbin case to see what the deal is. After removing large quantities of thread that became tangled during the mush, I tried sewing on a scrap piece of fabric. Same thing happened. I took apart the whole bobbin-dealies and got rid of all fuzzies, pieces of tiny thread and anything else that could have possibly made its way into the case. I adjusted tension and tried different thread... and I can't fix it. I just can't fix it.

I am heartbroken.

I wanted to finish this bag tonight so I could send pictures to its commissioner. I wanted to continue to sew a nice raindrop pleated bag. Not tonight, my friends. I will be scouring for answers related to how to get my beloved machine unstuck.


Suggestions, anyone?

Please, in the meantime, share with me your recent projects...

Rockin Snowstorm in the Northeast

 Tonight, I started making a custom-commissioned zip-top bag in a slightly new design. I've got a bit more time to make it than usual so I have time to play around with the design to make it better and more efficient. So far, I have been quite pleased with the result.

In keeping the promises I made myself...

Out of the past three days, I have had the majority of two to myself. I used this time to try to renew my spirit as I have been quite high-strung and stressed lately. I got a lot accomplished but I can't help but think about all the things I did not yet get done. I'm going to try to make it my mission to focus on what was done, what was accomplished and what was good rather than the opposite.

This is my homage to happycat

It's not like I didn't get a lot done today while Mr. Gnome was out snowboarding with his big brother. In fact, I made myself a "feel good" list and on it is about 20 accomplishments for the day - including making a big pot of hamburger soup, scrubbing out my sink and renaming many of the files I had to recover on Friday when I had learned that my hard drive died while trying to completely reload my laptop (which was accomplished yesterday - bam!). Another of today's distractions was that of a fuzzy nature... happycat was SO attached today that each time I turned around - whoosh - there she was. Doing laundry, making dinner, scrubbing the sink, blow drying my hair, even (yikes) getting into the shower.

Tomorrow I get a girls' night. We work out and make dinner and all is right with the world. It really is true what they say: when you are in a stable, loving relationship your waistline tends to increase. Or maybe it's just the winter. Or my love of all things starchy, carb-filled and sweet. That and Mr Gnome eats all day. I kid you not. He eats seconds or thirds, and within a couple hours he's back to being hungry. I only wish I could eat like him... oh the feasts I would consume!

So, in keeping the promises I made myself, I am going to treat myself to a little mini-self-manicure while waiting for MrG to get home from his frosty trip.

New Year, New Products!

Hello my long lost followers!
I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. With the holidays, my sister's baby, trying to adjust to going back to work on a daily basis after having so many days off and some of those other cogs life throws in one's wheel - I'm finally getting back into crafty-mode. I've received several requests from my website (http://www.crimsonphoenixdesigns.com/) that I am positively THRILLED about.

I know money is tight after the holidays so any new bag I make I will personally calculate a price for. If you order more than one bag, you will receive a discount. I am also offering first-class shipping. This does not get to you as quickly as priority mail but I know some of you see the $5 shipping and have second thoughts. Just let me know if you'd like first-class shipping and I will get you a quote. I shipped a bag to Canada the other day for a mere $2.02!!!

What would you like to see, fellow bag-lovers? Please let me know. I can't make bags without you.


------Warning: Personal stories below. If you're interested in products-only information, this is where your ride stops. Please be careful exiting the tramcar.------


Mr. Gnome and I have had our bouts with the difficulties of life over the past few weeks. Everything from work woes to getting stranded after believing we just had a wonderful evening... it has been trying.

We have been saving money so we can buy a home, rather than rent the one we are in now. We would love nothing more than a nice, victorian-esque or old stone farmhouse on a little plot of land to call our own. (My love of creating doesn't end with fabric - I love gardening and planting and all kinds of get-down-and-dirty-outside hobbies). I also have this desire for a goat. And an alpaca. And a llama. And a horse. Ok maybe that's going too far for now but you can see my point. I aspire to have more than a small home with a tiny backyard which only has room for one flat of flowers and a couple of tomato plants. I want to try my hand at corn and pumpkins. I want to have the opportunity to have a goat, even if I don't believe my life will truly ever be ready for it. I just want something to call my own. (and, universe, a fireplace would be great. kthx.)

We also have similar cars, but different years and styles. We have since found that as soon as something goes wrong with one of our cars, the other will break within 6 months. We've had flat tires, broken windshields, a broken sunroof, several windows that will not go (or stay) up (some of these are still not fixed), an ignition in need of replacement and that's not the last of it. Yes, all, this has been within the past 6 or so months. We would love to just get different cars but a car payment is one of the last things we need right now... and with our cars needing so much work, we couldn't get a different car as an even trade. And the last time one of the cars broke down, we just got done meeting our realtor for the first time and were feeling super good even though we found out our dream home has gone from "available" to "pending"... til we got out to the parking lot and my car wouldn't start. I'm not a person that is super spiritual or into all the happenings of the universe, but I know a sign when I see one. And I believe that's a sign. Of what, I'm not sure... or maybe it's a test... to see how much I can handle... to keep me grounded and my head out of the clouds (clouds? you're unclear of what I mean? please see paragraph above this one. llamas? yeah there you go.)

I have been having some medical issues as well; issues which I will not delve into for the whole world to see, but just know they have not been minor scrapes and bruises. And an internal organ which I have not-so-lovingly named "Vlad."

These issues, along with several more I am not yet ready to share with the world, have been making me feel quite overwhelmed and in need of a mental vacation. As much as I try to be a nice, easygoing person, I am at heart a wound-up worrywort of the largest proportions. I also like to make lists and have plans and these issues.... well they have thrown lots of cogs in my wheels and almost stopped them from moving altogether. It seems there have been issues for me every few days and sometimes I simply can not handle all of these things at once.


So now that you have an understanding of my last month or so, I'd like to apologize for my lack of crafts and posts and new items. Sometimes, you need to be in a good spot in your life (or day) to feel that creative juice flowing and, followers... it hasn't been flowing. No amount of yummy Kona coffee I ingest has been making it warm up and thaw out. It has been frozen solid in my rigid, stressed out body for several weeks and for that I apologize. However, my snow day today has been (I believe) the start of my inspriation to get back behind that sewing machine. I hope to get some new products out to all of you very soon. I need to sew. I need my hobbies. I need an outlet for my hostility, my anger, my love and all things in between (Mr. Gnome can't take much more of any of those things!)

So, please, if you would like to see something, do not hesitate to make special requests. Happycat will gladly field your requests and give them to me in the order in which they came... or she will print them and sleep happily on the paper... either way, I will find them.

I wish you all the happiest of Fridays and a fantastical weekend.

All my love,