Mixing Up the Mixed Bag Even More!

It's a really good thing that I settled on the name Bev Ann's Mixed Bag!  Because here I go again, changing directions.  I just simply love to do too many different things!  I guess if I would do them all on one piece of art at a time, I could call it mixed media and be done, but I'm way too scattered for that. Ha Ha  That would be much more simple, but not me!

So this month I will be saying good by to Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator.  I should have made this decision a long time ago, but just couldn't let go.  When I lived in town I had such a great group of ladies in a stamping club.  It was a blessing and I sold enough to make it all worthwhile, at least it paid for most of my stuff!  I was never a super seller demo like some of the women I follow, but it was fun.

Now I live out in the country too far from my ladies and so it's just me.  I have too many other interests now to spend my money just on stamps and paper, so the end comes on the 30th!  I have begun selling retried stamp sets on ETSY, with great success, so I'm also paring down the stamping stuff.  After all, there's only so much room and I need to add my new tools!

For as long as I can remember I wanted to cut out wooden decorative yard pieces.  I got the chance to do a few last December, when I made the awards for the winners of our neighborhood lighting and decorating contest.  I made a tree and a Christmas light bulb. I really want to do farm animals - sheep, cows etc. to scatter around my back yard, but before I get to that here come some Halloween decorations!

 A week or so ago I saw a cute witch shoe wreath and some witches legs in a pot  on Pinterest and decided to try and make some.  My amazing husband took me to get the plywood and I drew some patterns and I started to cut them out when he said, "Do you want to go in town and get a jigsaw that sits on a table so you can feed the wood and not be balancing it and holding a saw in your hand?"

 I said, "Yes".  So we closed up the garage, jumped into the truck and headed the 25 miles into Lowes!  We got a scroll saw and got home, only to realize that I really needed that jig saw.  So we jumped back into the truck and he took me back and got me the other saw too!  I told you I had an amazing husband!!!!!!  He added in a palm sander and a few other little treats and we headed home to set up my work area in "man land".  Guess it's "couple land" now, but I'm not saying that to him!  Just thankful for the space and to be working with him so close by.

Sunday after church I began to cut and before I knew it I had three sets of legs and three shoes all cut out!  And my arm didn't feel like it was going to fall off from holding that vibrating hand saw.  The funny part was I used all three of my saws on the legs!  It's not a very good picture of the shoe, but I'll have more pix next time.

So for now I close! I've got painting to do and I want to have these ready in time for Halloween.  I've got other projects going right now too and I'll be showing some of them soon.  As I said at the beginning, I chose the perfect name for my blog!  I know some of you follow me just because of Stampin' Up! and I will be sorry to lose you, in fact, I hope I don't.  I hope you will enjoy my new adventures and look forward to the surprises over the next months!  In fact, this isn't my only new equipment, I got a Silhouette Studio a few weeks ago too, so new projects are everywhere!  Wow, I sure wish I had 36 hour days! Bet you do too!

See you soon!

Play Day

What a wonderful Saturday spent mostly in my craft room. I began the day working on a jigsaw puzzle, OK, so that's not really creative, but it was relaxing. And then I headed up to my craft room, I mean studio (sounds so much more grown up) and began to play.

I already posted my first project, a small watercolor in my art journal. My next was another small watercolor, this time for a card front.

I practiced free motion sewing and quickly learned that I need lots of practice if I'm ever going to complete a small quilt project.  I want to make some wall hangings, but believe me it may be next Christmas before I've mastered this and can actually do something I would be willing to show!

And then I decided to make another felt iPad cover. I made one several months ago after my iPad slipped out of my arms and shattered! Real bummer by the way! :-(





This is the beginning, some solid felt and beautiful wool roving and my fabulous needle felting machine. The next picture is of roving and embellishments to add to cover



And now the final pictures and I'm pleased.


Love the butterfly and all of the sparkle.  Unfortunately the sparkle doesn't really show up well in the pictures, but there's lot of it!  I especially like the three crystals for the butterfly body.  These are so much fun to make and easy too!



I can't remember when I've had an entire day that I could spend playing with my crafty stuff.  It was so nice to just do and not feel like I was rushed.  We all need those days and I'm so thankful Saturday was mine.

Here's hoping this inspires you to take a day and enjoy creating!



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