Amazing Fashion Event in San Francisco!

I have been invited to show my handbag collection at this event!
Pease come by!

Chillin' Presents
Saturday December 1, 2007
60 Fashion Designers
80 Artists
40 Filmmakers
Music by:
KrisX, Russell Vargas, Laron, didje Kelli, Dirtyhertz, Taj and Dave Madix

Where: Mezzanine (444 Jessie Street) (www.mezzaninesf.com)
When: Saturday Dec. 1 from 8:00pm -2:00am
Cover: $6 before 10:00pm $7 after
Must be 21+ ID

How To make a BOX WREATH -Part 2

Are all your little boxes wrapped and the smallest of them ribboned? Takes a while--don't do it all in one day.

After you have many (about 100 boxes in various sizes) wrapped, separate them by size. The largest of your boxes will be the base, and the medium the second layer, on up.

Now you will need:
one round styrafoan wreath form (any size) covered with ribbon (so that it looks pretty and will last a long time)
a box of silver small-headed straight pins
hot glue gun
extra boxes (wrapped or not)
little decorations (such as tiny jingle bells, little alphabet blocks, or decorative "toys")

To wrap your wreath form in ribbon, use a solid color, like white or red. I think plain, inexpensive non-wired ribbon of about 1 inch thickness works best. Using a straight pin, fasten one end of your ribbon to the form. Then wrap the ribbon around the form, overlapping with each roatation. (See photo--this is a aquare form, but the idea is the same). Once you have wrapped the entire form, secure the last pice with another pin. You should only have to use two or three pins to wrap the wreath--the fewer the better.

I suggest leaving a ribbon tail for hanging. Fold it back and forth and secure it with another pin to the back of the form.

Next week we'll be ready to build the wreath!

How to make a BOX WREATH -Part 1

Each Halloween, my mom and I get DOTS candy and my father eats them all. Then we wrap up those little boxes for our CHRISTMAS BOX WREATHS. OK, so we're instigating the future recycling, but you can also use the boxes make-up pencils come in, matchboxes or small jewelry boxes.

You need A LOT of boxes, so what we do is keep a bag in the closet and each time a small box comes our way, we put it in there. The largest boxes you need (for the base) should be about the size of a cigarette box, and the smallest (for the top) about the size of a Dots box (2.5 x 1.25 x 0.75).

We also save small leftover bits of wrapping paper. Plain paper or paper with a very small print works best. When you tear open your presents this year, don't throw out the paper--look for tape and rip-free scraps big enough to cover those little boxes. And, of course, save your ribbon. I shouldn't even need to say THAT!

The first step the the BOX WREATH of your dreams is to cover all those little boxes with paper. The large base boxes don't need ribbon. Get to work, and Part 2 will be here in a week!

Crazy Quilts

Crazy Quilts aren't recycling, in that you're not usually using post-consumer products. But you do use the scraps of projects that you would otherwise throw away. Inspired by a piece of one of my great grandmonther's crazy quilts that has been framed, I kept all the scrap pieces from the wedding purses I have made over the past year. Now, I have made a crazy quilt wedding purse. (Perfect for a green bride).

Have scraps? Have embroidery thread? You're all set.

You can use a backing fabric (and sew each irregular shaped piece to the backing fabric) but I did without. Using a machine or handstitching, piece your scraps together. (It's OK if they don't fit exactly together, you can cut them down, or sew them with uneven seam allowances). One way to make a "pattern" is to group your pieces by similar color. Mine is all white and cream colored pieces. You can also simply go "crazy" and sew them together any which way. Once you have a large enough piece of quilt, add interfacing or a backing--a perfect place to use recycled fabric (such as from a dress that has had too many wearings). The next step is to embroider.

Although many machines have decorative stitching, true crazy quilts are hand-embroidered. Simple patterns will do, but change your color or your pattern with each turn of the quilt. This is what makes it a true crazy quilt. Some beginner pattern ideas are: stars, small flowers, zig-zag patters, swirls, or overlapping loops. My first ideas for my own embroidered designs came from textiles. Look to your fabrics for great embroidery ideas. And, if all else fails, you can find books on embroidery at www.Etsy.com. Go crazy!

It's hard to recycle on Halloween...

These are the things you can recycle on halloween: your costumes (a bear? No, I'm a MONKEY this year) your candy serving bowls (don't give in to those evil Crate and Barrel sales) your decorations (don't buy new ones unless something is broken; it's all the same stuff every year anyhow--but more on this later).
So, no recycling tips today yet. But, a great idea for pumpkin carving! (Don't let those poor pumpkins rot in their patches; if they're already picked, they might as well be carved!) This is an adoarable pumpkin made last year by my friend Yvonne. On it, she has carved "boo" in adorable rounded letters. Another idea is to carve your house number into your pumpkin so that local children know you're open for business.

And... remember that White Elephant Sale? Great place to get new (used) holiday decor! What's old is always new again in the holiday decoration world.

The Ultimate in Recycling

This is my baby... Sassy. She is the ultimate in recycling. I got her from the East Bay SPCA. I found her through VirtualPetAdoptions and she has been the love of my life ever since... and of my husband's as well. She was a show cat (and man, does it show). But now, she just shows off for us. Buy a recycled pet!

Creative recycling at the de Young Museum

If you live in San Francisco, you may already be turned on to Friday Nights at the deYoung. It's five dollars, there's a no-host bar, and live music... and creative recycling! This activity is great for kids, but they let anyone do it.

Using their left-over flyers, old catalogues, magazines, etc., and glue sticks, the de Young volunteers create a collage heaven. Here are two examples from a recent night at the de Young... and here's a shout-out to them for creatively recycling.