Fall accessories

I am a big fan of thelittleprints accessories by jody mcdowell. Last March, my sister bought me a beautiful headband from her shop (see below) and just a couple of days ago we did a trade!

What did I get? Well, this lovely little black brooch which will be adorning many a winter cardigans this season.

If you are looking for something to wear in your hair while the leaves fall down upon you or you need something dashing to decorate that winter cardigan, look no further!

jody just restocked her shop with the most amazing fall items! Go take a PEEK right now and buy yourself a special fall goodie! The teal/orange headpiece in the center photo is my Fave!

Costume idea board

I'm starting to collect some reference images for my Halloween costume. I tend to have two or three costume ideas each year and I have the hardest time making up my mind. This year I am determined to not get distracted by another costume idea and stick to ONE and ONLY ONE idea. To help me with my goal, I plan on working on my costume a couple of hours each week from here on out. This also means I won't be scrounging around at the last minute to put my costume together! Here's hoping I actually meet that goal!

 So what am I going to be? Well, a "Knock Out" of course. Or a boxer, in more simple terms.
My goal is to employ a more vintage/classic look. I was originally inspired by classic tattoo/pin-up designs, like the ones above.

I'm not really into the whole single piece jumpsuit thing so I plan on making a pair of boxer shorts that aren't too short and pair it with a nice simple tank top. I like how the girl on the left in the photo above is wearing simple sneakers and ankle high socks. I might incorporate that look into my costume instead of knee high laced-up boots.

I already have my vintage boxing gloves! I got an amazing pair in pretty good condition for only $10 bucks.

 The plan is to cut my hair a couple weeks before Halloween to a shorter length so I can try to do a finger wave with it. I think it will add a nice touch of glamour to the whole outfit.

The zombies have arrived!!

I just bought this book and I am so excited!
When I saw it on the shelf, my jaw dropped and I was like, "OMG!!" I really had to take a second to calm myself down. It is amazing! Next week I am totally getting my zombie doll making on while watching Dawn of the Dead.
You can watch a fun preview of the zombies in the book below.

When Art meets Plush

I came across the Craftiest Bastard Contest the other day on Etsy and started peruse some of the vendors involved in the competition. I was automatically drawn to Brian Gubicza's illustrations. They are just so darn cute! And I love his Free Mix & Match Game on his website.

I also discovered that he and his wife design and create handmade plush toys for children. Their company is called ZOOGUU and I'm loving some of their latest plush designs!

These two took plush crafting to the next level when they were commissioned by Etsy to redesign three of their corporate office spaces this year.

My favorite room has to be the giant plush office (seen above). You can view more photos of the designed spaces HERE. They also created a villians room and converted a conference room into a space station. Space station photos can be found HERE at their blog.

Hands down, these guys win my vote for the Craftiest Bastard competition!

Related links:

Zooguu's Blog and Website

Brian Gubicza's Blog and Website

Crafty Bastard Event Page

Thrifted Finds

Scored some amazing finds at a garage sale a couple weeks ago.
Got these two goodies for all under $3 buckaroos! Farm theme pyrex dish. Love the color and the design. I'm thinking of tracing the rooster design and using it as an embroidery pattern. I also nabbed this amazing vintage blue floral fabric. I tried researching Indian Head Mills Inc. on the web but couldn't find any history on the company directly.
Does anyone know of any good textile/fabric mills history sites?

Shopping for swatches

I have been obsessing over handmade fabric designs lately on Etsy and I must buy some! I am so darn indecisive so you must help me choose which one to get!

This ghostly design by Cate Anevski is so soft and pretty. I have been wanting to make a curtain to go over my kitchen sink and feel like this might be the perfect print.

Love, love, love this nun print by My Paper Crane. It would make a perfect lining for a pouch or purse. A lovely floral print that might make a good bow tie fabric. Designed by Apples & Eggs. How funny is this cat fabric by Milk Tooth! I have no idea what I would use it for but I want it! Perfect fabric for a kids room or some fun throw pillows. Designed by Christiane Engel.

Most of these designs have been created at Spoonflower. It is such a great fabric design site. I'm planning on designing my own mustache fabric soon.

New Items

I still can't believe it's already September. I have been trying to set some serious crafty business goals for myself for the next couple months, which means my work load is never ending. Between trying to catch up on consignment orders and stocking up on fall inspired items, I barely have enough time for anything! I did however finally have a chance to post my new Halloween cards in the shop. Take a Peek!!

Staff Art Show

I discovered some great pieces in the staff show taking place at the college I am working at. I was elated to see a small series of embroidered "papers" created by a new employee. It's really hard to believe that her embroidery is not on real paper but actual fabric that she sewed to look like actual paper.

My friend Donald, who is an avid knitter, is working on a 4-part series of soft knitted sculptures which are each based on a season. I've seen 3 out of four of his pieces now and they are so amazing! I can't wait to see the whole complete series.

There were many other great pieces in the show, including this lovely screen print by my friend Brian Schuck. He is another artist who has incorporated embroidery into some of his pieces, specifically in his "Fables" series. You can see more of his work HERE.

7 Things

Jody of the little prints recently passed on The Beautiful Blogger Award to me which means I finally have a great excuse to share 7 of my favorite blogs with you! I'm also suppose to share 7 little fun facts about myself with you. So here you go!

1. I was born in a small town in Texas called Seguin, which is the pecan capital of Texas and holds the world record for the largest pecan in the world. Just in case you wanted to know.

2. I have a love/hate relationship with the sun. I prefer sunny days, but I hate, hate getting tan and of course, I tan really easily. So my preference for pale skin is really hard for me to achieve.

3. Joy Division is one of my all time favorite bands. I plan on getting a portrait of Ian Curtis (the lead singer) tattooed on me someday. Yes, I'm serious.

4. I love tiki drinks almost as much as craft beers! Luckily, I live in an area that is home to the mai tai and has several fantastic tiki bars around.

5. One of my biggest regrets is not having the time to ride horses anymore. I started riding English when I was in high school and had to quit when I left for college. I swore to myself at the time that I wouldn't become that lady in her later 20's teaching herself to ride again. Unfortunately, I have only been on a horse twice in the past 10 years.

6. I may be opening up a second Etsy store which will allow me to explore and cultivate my new found love of succulents and vintage ceramics.

7. Halloween is my all time favorite holiday, which means this blog will be taken over by Halloween schtuff once October roles around.

Okay, enough about me. Now onto the fun part. Here are some of my top favorite blogs. This little list is in no particular order.

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1. I go by Katie - I first started following Katie's older blog called Bara Litten. Then I discovered later that she was the genius behind Darlingtonia Moccasin co. To say the least, she is a very multi-talented lady.

2. Small stump & studio choo - I never thought of including raspberry branches in a floral bouquet until I started following this wonderful floral blog.

3. Super Duper Things - a super cool lady from the UK that makes super cool stuff.

4. Maggie Makes - One of the most creative, generous ladies in the blog world. Karen posts a new free tutorial every month for people to download.

5. button candy - Even if you are not obsessed with buttons, you should check out this blog.

6. doe-c-doe - If you are an embroidery/vintage fanatic, you will want to check out this blog.

7. That Kate - I just discovered this blog today and I love it! So many purty pics of this ladies many adventures.

For your viewing pleasure

Another image for you to enjoy.