It's September! Already?

I'm trying to think where the year has gone, so far.  So, I decided to look through some of my photos to see just what I've been up to.  One thing that was accomplished was the reorganization of my studio, along with fresh paint and new windows.  Love it!

Next, are all the new ideas for my shops and the craft shows.  One of which are the upcycled leather bags.  See them at http://www.franciebags.com/

Rose Bouquet

Made many flowers.  One customer asked me to make her a bouquet of a dozen roses.  Happy with how it turned out, so made a couple more.  These are only three of many photos, guess that's where all the time goes.

Plum Crazy!

A few weeks ago, my neighbor's tree was overloaded with beautiful, sweet plums.  You can eat only so many, so I decided to try my hand at plum jelly.

I followed the recipe on the pectin package, and to my surprise was rewarded with three jars of the best jelly I have tasted in a long time!   

!!Earthday!!

Coming from a "no waste, no want" family, I've always upcycled and repurposed.  Back then, it didn't have a specific title.  You just did it to get what you needed and in some cases "wanted".
So, it's no surprise that I am fascinated with the many beautiful fashions and articles created from otherwise "throw aways".
Today, I thought you might like to see a couple of my creations available at http://www.franciebagsetc.artfire.com/.
Until next time, I'll be reaching for the highest level of style and workmanship in HANDMADE.

Who'da Thunk?....these were once wool sweaters!

The pink bag is my newest addition to evening and wedding bags.  I just love when a 100% wool sweater turns into the perfect piece of felt for one of my bags.  This one is all hand stitched, (lining is machine stitched).  Even the rose on the front was made by me out of the same charmeuse as the lining.  This looks like the perfect Mother of Bride or Mother of Bridegroom bag.

I've also included a picture of another evening bag, work in progress.  I was fortunate to get a wool sweater in an ivory color, completely covered in hand stitched,(no pull out chain stitches), sequins and seed beads.  The pic is kind of what it will look like when finished.  I usually don't do more than one of a kind, but I have plenty of sweater for probably three of these.  So maybe I'll do these for a wedding party.  We'll see.

Until next time, don't dispose of wool sweaters.  There is so much you can do with them. 

Chicken Mole`--For a Cold Winter Day

I know I should be blogging about handbags and crochet, but today I'm making my husband's favorite meal, Chicken Mole`, and I wanted to share my easy way to prepare it.  This method is in no way meant to compare to any authentic recipe or come close to how my dear mother-in-law would have prepared it, along with her "to die for" hand rolled tortillas.
Nevertheless, my husband loves it.  Following is my easy recipe; which in no way lacks flavorful taste.
   Two large chicken breasts simmered in low sodium chicken broth.  I use the box of broth or 3 low sodium  chicken bouillon cubes in about 5 cups of water.
    Remove the chicken, when done, and shred in pieces with two forks.  Set aside.
    To the broth, add 1 pkg. of McCormick Taco Seasoning Mix (hot or original).  Blend with whisk.
    Simmer for about five minutes.
    Make a pourable thickener for the mole` with three or four teaspoons of cornstarch and a little water.
    Pour slowly into the mole` and use a whisk to keep it smooth.
    Put the shredded chicken back into the thickened mole` and boil uncovered for 5 minutes. That's it!
    Serve over your favorite Spanish Rice recipe.
    Scoop up with purchased 8" flour tortillas which have been browned on a grilling pan or skillet.
We usually have sliced avocado and cilantro on top but, with all the snow, the supermarket didn't have any.
      

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

It's a snowy Saturday, indeed.  We have 16" to 20" as of this morning and it's still snowing.  My husband shoveled the walk from the house to the truck.  Don't think we'll be going anywhere, just in case of an emergency.

The electric lines are really drooping, but as long as we have electricity, I'll just be content with my computer and sewing machine today.

Tunisian Crochet-Star Stitch

Wanted to share this summer top I crocheted for myself, using the Tunisian method of crochet.  I found this pattern in a leaflet from the year 1966!  The directions didn't refer to any style of crochet, only that an afghan hook was required.

I love the star stitch used, hadn't seen it before.  Only wish I had used a better yarn, but wanted to see how it looked and fit, first.

Felted Sweater Bowls

I love making and selling my felted sweater bags, but sometimes it's fun to dabble in other ideas for upcycled wool sweaters.

Remembering a millinery class, I thought, "Why can't I do something similar with wool sweater scraps?" We would stretch wool hat forms over a block to get the desired finished hat shape.

That's when I decided to try making little bowls.

A square piece of felted sweater was wet and dipped into a fabric stiffener that I purchased some time ago.

Plastic wrap was used to cover a glass bowl, and the stiffener soaked wool was stretched over the plastic wrap, smoothing all wrinkles and adjusting the top gathers.

White string, wrapped several times around held the gathers in place.

It took forever to dry indoors even with the use of a hair dryer every so often.

When it finally dried, the stiffened string was carefully cut and the bowl removed. Trim the top with scissors, and finish with some trim and a felted flower, of course.

Shown are two I kept for myself. Several others were sold at a summer craft fair with potpourri included in a small cellophane bag.

Try one!

Work In Progress

Thought you might be interested in seeing what I try to accomplish in between business, hubby, and home. This sage green sweater, I have been doing for about two years, now. I only have one and one half sleeves to complete and would really love to wear this. It is a nice cool cotton and would be great in the Spring. If it gets done, I'll post a completed picture of it.

See you next, time.

Valentine Listings on FranciebagsEtc

Just can't believe February 14th is fast approaching! Just listed several items suitable for Valentine's Day. I've included two of my felted sweater wristlets to show you. It's time to think about listing Spring and Summer, but I still have many Fall and Winter items I'm going to list this week on http://www.franciebagsetc.artfire.com/. There's still more cold weather to come, in many parts. Plus; hats, scarves, and wool sweater bags sell at the Craft Fairs in very hot weather. Soooooo--we will see?

Art to Wear-Evening Bags

If you're one of the lucky gals looking forward to attending a formal Holiday party, or wedding, check out the embellished, crocheted evening bags I just listed. http://www.franciebagsetc.artfire.com/. Truly, art to wear. All done, by hand, by me. Listed at reasonable, introductory prices.( for you to get to know my work) And, as an added bonus, Free Shipping until the end of this year.

Two of Several New Listings on Artfire

Well, I just finished giving out candy to the last Halloweener. Most were dressed as Twilight characters, this year. Now for Thanksgiving and Christmas, for me. Just listed some new upcycled sweater bags, and thought you might be interested in viewing two of them.

Penn Twp. Fall Festival

Kudos to all who were involved in preparing and promoting this year's Penn Twp. Fall Festival. Quite a feat! Again, met very nice people, sold a lot, ate a lot. What a beautiful park. Two long days, for me, but it went so fast. On my list for next year. Such a good feeling seeing everyone try on my hats, scarves, and handbags and then purchasing them. The tents were provided by the Township, which was great. And my totes, etc. were even transported to our truck by a parks employee after the show. How great is that!?

Another Evening Bag Sold!

Just sold a felted bag to another alteration client. I decided to use my lighted china closet as a display case and it seems to be working well. I always liked this design, it just needed the right person. The vintage handle still had a "Joseph Horne" little hang tag on it when I bought it at a yard sale. Thought you might be interested in what it looked like, so I included the photo.

Featured Artisan

This week's featured artisan, http://Crochetedlittlethings.artfire.com has some really cute items perfect for gifts. There are so many, but one I liked was the pink cupcake pincushion. It's worth the time to visit this neat shop.

FARMERS & ARTISTS-NorthWestern PA

Beautiful, hot and sunny, three days. This weekend, my husband and I went to the Conneaut Lake Art Fair. How pretty all the white tents looked lined down the boardwalk. Bought a beautiful pair of aurora borealis earrings from http://www.classyladyjewelry.net/. They were designed from vintage crystals and tiny pink rhinestones.

Then down to the Market House in Meadville, PA to buy fruits and vegetables from some local farmers. Got organic lettuce and zucchini from Troyer Farms, Earth Friendly Produce.

Last, but certainly not least, we always stop at the same roadside stand in Linesville, PA for the best all white, sweet corn. This is the corn I freeze for our traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. Every year it's the same question, "Is this the corn from Linesville?" My answer, "Oh Yes!"

Featured Artisan-Shops with Less than 10 Sales

Take a look at these beautiful hand dyed wools, yarn, and fibers. Such gorgeous colors! http://fibercycle.artfire.com/. I have not tried the Nuno felting, but have seen some felted scarves that were as fine as gossamer. These fibers seem to be just the ticket.

Irwin Heritage Days, 2009

What a great job by all who put together the First Annual Irwin Heritage Days, 2009! I know this event will be huge next year.
There was great entertainment, juried crafts, great food, friendly people. Oh, and don't forget the cheesecake "to die for"!
The oppressive 90 degree heat on Sunday, did not deter selling my crocheted hats and scarves. Some people are thinking ahead.
I know I am one vendor looking forward to next year.

Lovely Jewelry!

Everyone who checks out this blog, take the time to visit http://jewelrybyFyfe.artfire.com/ It is well worth your time.

Canning & Freezing Season has begun!

Today I started "putting up" a few jars of hot bananna peppers from my husband's little garden. This year, he only planted hot peppers, tomatoes, bell peppers, and cilantro. The oregano comes up every year. He planted WallaWalla onions, which I really like, but they didn't come up because they were planted too late after we bought them, I think.

Each year, I do his favorite hot peppers and I freeze bags of spaghetti sauce from the tomatoes that are leftover after we eat many, many, tomato sandwiches. This means most of the tomatoes for the sauce are purchased from PA farmers.

I don't know how many people do this, but we just love toasted bread with butter, sliced home grown tomatoes, salt and pepper sandwiches. If the bread is homemade, that's even better.

I've included the photo of two of the jars, just because I think jars of home canned fruits and vegetables are so pretty.

SOLD--My Favorite Evening Bag

I just sold my favorite evening bag to an alteration client. Helen purchased it for an aqua dress she just bought. I'm so happy it has a happy home! Helen is impeccable in what she wears, how it fits, etc. I am proud to have her wear one of my bags.

Creative Person In My Life-1

The first article in this series showcases the carpentry work of my first son of two, Robert, (Bobby to me). He and his fiancee, Renee, have been working non-stop, remodeling their lovely ranch-style home, in anticipation of their June 27, 2009 Wedding Day.

Robert works full-time, attends college part time to upgrade his degree in art, works tirelessly on his home, golfs, runs, and much more. Where does this generation get their energy and motivation?

Recently, Robert changed an ordinary cement block basement area into a laundry room, office space, and full size bathroom complete with a corner shower stall. He did an amazing job!

I have included before and after photos. I'm so proud of all his achievements, thus far.

All The Creative People In My Life

Visit my blog often. I'm working on blogging about "All The Creative People In My Life". Everyone has some degree of creativity. I do handbags and crochet, others decorate their homes beautifully, lanscape their lawns, or build bathrooms. I'll be featuring someone every so often along with a photo very shortly.

Featured Artisan

Hooray! I'm featured artisan, Marie Santiago, FranciebagsEtc, until Friday on http://handmadenews.org/. View the article and leave me a "thumbs up". Beverly at http://designsbcb.artfire.com/ did a great job. So many talented artists and crafters connected to this.

Visit stratagemjewelry.com

Met two of the nicest girls at a vendor show several weeks ago at Trax Farms. Their jewelry is beautiful, done perfectly. Just thought you'd like to know.

Visit Franciebags.com

Hi, just added new hObO handbags to my website. Take a look, when you get a chance. Visit often, and tell your friends. Thank you.

franciebagsetc

Buy Handmade

New Handbags on the Way

Hi! I'm working feverishly trying to fill my new Franciebagsetc.artfire.com shop with new handbags and accessories. Can't wait to get them on there. Between learning the computer and growing my Franciebag business, my mind and fingers are getting a workout. But, I'm enjoying this and look forward to the new year.