Blue Jeans Purse

I've had a half-finished blue jeans purse sitting around for months. I was inspired to finish it by the people on the AGirlCanNeverHaveEnoughHandbags yahoo list. I lined it with some fun flannel-backed satin I picked up in the remnants bin. It's full of tropical drinks--one of my favorite things!

I need more embellishments, but don't seem to have the right stuff on hand. I'm trying to avoid a trip to the fabric store...I don't need any more stuff!!!!!

The handles are plastic made to look like wood. And I was fooled! I had to check and re-check more than once to make sure they were plastic. So wood-like...I got them somewhere locally.

I tried Tims...

...and am not quite sure I succeeded. A few weeks ago I bought Ricky Tim's "Convergence Quilts" book. Today I was finally able to experiment.

I'm not sure I like what I've come up with. Look up above...

The picture doesn't really show the colors right. The curves are two purples...not blue. The lime green is lime green.

Truthfully, the fat quarters looked great together before they were cut apart and pieced. Now I'm not so sure...

I can't decide if I want to go ahead and finish this as a quilt or if I want to cut this up for postcards.

Suggestions?

Summer Reading

I packed the carry-on tote full of books when we flew to KC. They were all Earlene Fowler books...I finally caught up with the series except for the latest book. I love Benni Harper and her adventures. And with the quilting link, this is the series for me!

I also came home to several books on hold at the library. I guess every one of my favorite authors is releasing a new book this summer. I fought the urge to but the new Stephanie Plum novel, "Eleven on Top," at the airport. I laughed out loud throughout the entire novel. Finished it in one night and re-read it before returning it to the library. I think I'm going to buy all the novels to read and re-read. I love Stephanie Plum. I also admire Janet Evanovich and want to write like her!

The next book was http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743250559/qid=1121376918/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/104-4282388-5691130?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 by Edna Buchanan. It was a good read. It has the same characters as her previous novel, "Cold Case Squad."

Now I'm reading "Velocity" by Dean Koontz and hope I finish this one. I haven't finished one of his novels in a long time. I'm not in the mood for the melancholy drama and long, drawn-out descriptions any more. Maybe this one will be different...

To make this art related, I picked up Ricky Tim's "Convergence Quilts" last night. I flipped through it, think I have a feel for the method and want to try it out. In a burst of soon-to-be-creative, I cleaned up the sewing area enough so that some sewing could be done if I find the time or the compunction to sew. I did mend a nightgown...something of a miracle since I'm not exactly a mender. But it's really really hot and I really really need that spaghetti strap gown.

I'll let you know about that Dean Koontz novel...

ArtRage

No! I'm not mad at art. Well, maybe a little frustrated after trying to use my new wacom pen and tablet with ArtRage. I felt more than a little incompetent. But I'm sharing the two things I did. Pretty funny, huh?

ArtRage is a free program that allows you to draw with pencil, marker, brush, etc. It's pretty cool. I heard about it first on the yahoo group everydaymatters.

Baseball Tournament #1

OK, this used to be a huge post about the negative things that happened at our first tournament. I'm erasing all that. Who cares how other people act? As long as Jim and I are being responsible parents and our children are being good sports, we can be proud of our part in the sport of baseball.

I think the team is disappointed because they lost all three games and all were called by the "mercy" rule. I've seen these boys play--not together, but separately throughout the season--and they are all good players. They were a little off this weekend. It was the first time they played together and they will develop that rhythm that comes after a few games.

This coming weekend is the Lombard tournament. I wonder if their baseball facilities are as impressive as the Mt. Prospect fields. The care that went into those fields was monumental. I spoke to the wife of the organizer and she said it was all due to the dads' hard work. They wet the fields, applied the chalk.

My favorite part is still the electronic scoreboards. It was nice knowing what was going on without having to ask the scorekeeper or the person sitting next to me all the time.

Boy! Am I Disappointed!

I made my first art doll from a pattern and absolutely love it. So I entered it into an on-line challenge. Where it has gotten exactly one vote--mine! lol Maybe it looks good to me because I am seeing it for real. And I think everything looks better in real life than in pictures.

Alas, it saddens me to think that no one else appreciates the beauty of my doll! :-( grrr

I think it's time to make another...