The List-Item #3

Bohemian Bag with felt rose pin attached

Leather & Lace Wristlett with velvet Roses and a Yarn/Ribbon Scarf

Felt Purse with Mermaid Pin

Large Cuddler Monster

Bag full of Felt/fur Monsters

Bag full of felt/fur animal babies

Cloth sock monkey

Large Rabbit Cuddler

2 year old Keepsake

OMGOSH and YEAH!!! I finished with item #3 on my list. I can take a deep breath....ahhhhh haaaaa (that was me taking a deep breath ^_^) I still have the others to do but those won't be delivered until after the first of the year. I think that _______ will be very happy with her mermaid bag. Let's just hope that it makes it until next year....you know how a 5 year old can be...plus they have a new puppy in the house....YIKES...but she asked for one and I just had to make her one. 

I had sooo much fun needle felting this one. I only stuck my finger one time and didn't even need a band aide. YEAH ME!!! This mermaid just took on the roll of a DIVA and that was kinda funny because that's what my sister and I call Ms. Savannah. (I think it's alright to post her name...I don't think she will be pulling my blog up anytime soon..hehe...althooooough she might....nahhhhh...she can't...can she?)

She is a full needle felt with a hand painted face. Green eyes like the sea she comes from and the eyelashes...well...that's her DIVA sign..HA!! She has a small pink quartz on her top and a pearl in her belly button. Her hair is cashmere wool.

The bag I made from felt squares and then placed a crepe lining in it. WOW....I had forgotten how much crepe likes to creep when you sew with it. I definitely had to remember what time of year it was....didn't want to end up on Santa's naughty list for my mouth and I sure don't like the taste of soap...YUCK!!!  I managed to get it placed inside the bag. YEAH ME again!!  The handle is some of my macrame knots using fringe yarn. Not an easy thing to do...I think I gained more fingers than I had starting out...or at least it felt like it. ^_^

On the front panel of the bag I stitched up a seahorse out of a piece of suede.....attached some of the fringe yarn that I made the handle out of, some purple fluffy yarn and a shell we found on one of our beach walks this past summer.

On to the next item...the large cuddle monster. The monster won't be to big but big enough to hold and it's going to have long arms so it can give the "Bestest" of hugs. This gift is for Josh, he was born with severe congenital hydrocephalus, brain damage, muscular dystrophy and is on the level of a two year old. They told my sister in law that he would not live past the age of 5, if she was lucky. Josh turned 24 this year. He is bound to a wheelchair and doesn't talk much or walk but he is the sweetest lil man in the world. He always lets folks know that he is happy to see them and will even throw you a smoochie or two and pat the sofa wanting you to come and sit with him. I am one of the few in the family that he can say my name...it's Gina to Josh and that is just fine.

Until next time....Merry Christmas Hugs, "Gina"

The List...Item #1

Bohemian Bag with felt rose pin attached

Leather & Lace Wristlett with velveteen roses & Earrings

Felt Purse with Mermaid Pin

Large Cuddler Monster

Bag full of Felt/fur Monsters

Bag full of felt/fur animal babies

Cloth sock monkey

Large Rabbit Cuddler

2 year old Keepsake

This is "The List" from my last post. My list of gifts I'm making for the kiddos in the family for Christmas. No names have been listed next to an item to protect the innocent..Ohhh noo wait I think that saying goes with something else. HAHAHA or rather HOHOHO!! I don't know which of my teenage family reads my blog on a regular basis so I don't want to spoil the surprise. That would be like unwrapping the gift and then wrapping it back up and placing it under the tree. NO FUN...well..ok...sometimes it is if the gift is for you and you have shaken it about 100  times trying to figure out what it is BUT these aren't for you or me so let me continue. I'm taking my list in order...not meaning that the first one is actually first or more important than the others, it's just the way I wrote it and I need to stick to it so I can get them all done. YIKES!!! There are only HOW many days remaining til it's time to rip all the paper off the gifts? I'm not going to think about that at this moment...I'm going to my happy place....and start on item #2. Oh yeah...Item #1 is complete...here it is:

I think it turned out AWESOME...well maybe I should say "I think it turned out BOHEMIAN".. LOL.  I do think that ......oops.... I almost slipped and said WHO. Silly me...although I do believe she is going to like it. It is a really BIG bag. I did the strap so that she can put it over her head and wear it crossed over her. You can get more in your bag carrying it like that ya know. Ahhhhh...brings back my gypsy days. Those were the....ok no time for past stories...maybe another time. I used a vintage rose tapestry fabric and a matching striped fabric. The back of the bag is the rose side...I thought the stripes leaned more to the Bohemian look. I attached two roses at the base of where the strap is attached on each side. One made of felt and the other left over fabric from the bag. I made a small flap and attached a pretty vintage button so that she can close it and feel safe about what's inside. She is actually getting two gifts in one. See the pretty bunch of felt and fabric flowers on the front of the purse? Well, it's a pin. I loved big bags when I was a teenager and always attached a pretty pin with beads on it...gives it that "look". As with mine, she will be able to remove it and wear it on a jacket, sweater or shirt. Do I rock or what?  I may be old but I'm a gypsy old!! Here is a closer look at the pin.

Now...on to item #2. It's going to be a very busy weekend my friends....VERY BUSY and I LOVE it!!!!

Until next time.....meaning when #2 is complete ^_^....Hugs, Regi

It's Monday Doodle Time!!!

I can not believe that the Chazman kept the same doodle snack bag all week long. Keep in mind that these are just plain old paper bags. Not very thick and they have gone through the abusive "open and shut" of a young child getting his snack out each day.  I think he pouted a bit this weekend because he wasn't going to be able to take the Izzie Lizard to school again this week. I had asked him to decide just what he wanted on his bag for today and he never would answer me. This morning though was a totally different story and he informed me that he had  NOT been pouting....he had been thinking. Ri iiiiiight!!! He said that he really wanted the lazy frog. OMGOSH....had we seen a lazy frog and I had forgotten. Am I really beginning to lost it? AM I.......ummmm What were we talking about? OH YEAH...the lazy frog. HA....haven't completely lost it!!!!

Chaz sits down at the computer and pulls up our photos. It seems that he has a VERY good memory and went directly to the "Lazy frog".

I can't believe that I had forgotten about this lil guy. I have used him in one of my blog post. I told Chaz that it would be a rough drawing since he had pouted taken so long to decide and I only had about five minutes. He said that it would be alright...he just wanted his mommie xoxo doodle bag cause it made him feel like I was there with him. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww....what a sweet child and he is MINE!!!!!  Not one of my better doodles but this one made two hearts smile today.

So...what made you smile this Monday morning? Remember...even what seems to be a small, tiny thing to one can mean a really big thing to another. Make someone smile today!!!!

Until next time..............HUGS,
Regi

Paper Bag Monday....

I can't believe that yet another weekend has come and gone. Why is it that the week seems to just drag on by but the weekend seems to fly on by? Guess the saying is true....."Time sure does fly by when you are having fun". Hope your weekend was a FUN one.

Sunday nights are when the Chazman and I sit down and discuss what he wants doodled on his snack bag for the week. Can you believe that a rough and tumble boy can take care of the same old paper bag for a whole week? I guess he really loves them!!! He still wanted his beach theme but something a bit different. He wanted beach creatures in this one. So here is what got doodled this week...............

Chaz said this morning when we were packing his snack that he wished he was really looking out this window. He would even gladly give up his crab catch to the parrot...LOL!!!!

Until next time.......Hugs!!

Regi (and the Chazman)

Paper Bag Monday....

It seems the theme for the remainder of this month is going to be 'At the Beach". That's what the Chazman wants, so that's what the Chazman gets!!!

If you will remember his bag from last week that I doodled there was a tiny boat in the background. This week it is sailing by closer to the shore. The beach ball game was stopped so the kids could wave back.

Until next time.....HUGS!!

Regi

Frogs & Lizards and Bears....OH MY!!!!!!!

Frogs & Lizards and Bears...OH MY....my sister in law is going to get me...LOL!!!   She is the grandmother of the lil man this gift is for and she so doesn't like outdoor critters...of any kind!!  What lil boy could resist a back pack with all these critters on it? It's big and roomy and could even hold a small Tonka truck or two.  Hey, I just made my first "man" bag. Ok well not really but it is for a lil man, so that should count.

I love buttons and am quite happy that I have been collecting them for umm about a hundred years now. Well, maybe not that long but I do have some old ones. I have had these really neat pearlized ones that I have just been waiting on the right project to use them with. I think they made awesome frog eyes.  The lizard's buggy eyes are bright green beads with a french knot in the middle. I made sure that they were sewed on tight and even gave them the "CHAZ" test. If he couldn't pull them off, I know that Tyler won't be able to.

I'm enjoying making all the children's gifts in the family this year. Most have come to expect a handmade item from their somewhat quirky Aunt. I have a few that look forward to it....or so they tell me!!

Thank you for stopping by and come back again. Until next time,

Hugs,

Regi

The Pillowcase bag/purse

A few weeks ago, I had no choice but to clean up my studio and in doing so I discovered I had carpet on the floor that I hadn't seen in awhile and to be honest had completely forgotten about. I so hope that I'm not the only artist that gets so involved in designing and crafting that even I could get lost in the room at times. While cleaning I found one of my notebooks that I keep design ideas in...you know the one...it lays by your bedside table so when one of those ideas "POP" in your head you can jot it down or for some of us it is the muse that starts singing so loudly that it's amazing she doesn't wake up the whole house. Mine is the latter one...there are some days I would love to let her go visit another artist for a day or two. She sings almost constantly!! Anyway...what was I talking about? Oh yes...the notebook.  This one had been filled up many years ago and stored away. I'm so happy that I started flipping through it. I found my pillowcase bags I use to make. I first thought about this large bag due to my love of Mary Poppins (which I think I have stated in another post or two) To have a bag that was large enough to carry so many prized possesions. I made a smaller bag for one of my nieces so she could put her ballet items in it when she went to practice. It didn't need to be one of the large ones just yet as she is only four. For some reason my camera has lost some of it's photos and that was one of them. I'm sure it had something to do with the person holding it at the time they disappeared. I'm not very good with the technical/mechanical things in life but I try. I did however get photos of the bag I just finished for my great niece. Our lil princess...I started to put Diva but wasn't sure she would understand what that meant just yet. You know, one of those 5 year olds that sometimes makes you think you are talking to a little woman at times. So cute and sweet and hands on those hips kinda lil lady!!!  Here are some photos of her pillowcase bag. It's a Christmas gift so shhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Every Princess has to have a castle. One that has a beautiful garden growing up it's towers. I know in the photo it's probably hard to see but the dote over the "i" in Princess is a tiny sterling silver dragonfly. Now what castle wouldn't have a dragon flying near by...even if just a small tiny one.  Her handsome Prince, well not so fast there..she is only 5...so I figured she could just enjoy the frog for now. He will entertain her with his balancing act on the big ole ball. Fairy godmother is close by though with her magic wand for when our lil Princess has outgrown the frog. (Poor dear....should I tell her that most of them stay "frogs" even after fairy godmother does her thing...LOL...sorry my male followers...I just couldn't resist)

I hope you enjoyed looking and thank you for dropping by. If anyone would be interested in making one of these very simple bags just drop me a note and I will email you some directions. They are great for girls or boys. Matter of fact, I've already started designing one for my three year old great nephew. You will have to check back later to see how it turns out. Until then,

Hugs,

Regi