So much for a weekly Blog update

t's been a very busy month preparing for the

BUST HOLIDAY CRAFTACULAR

 on Dec. 6&7 this year in Greenpoint Brooklyn!

http://bust.com/new-york/bust-magazine-holiday-craftacular.html

 425 Zippers have arrived

 Printed a batch of my holiday tea towels

 Sketched Monster Dolls, hopefully next update I will have actual samples to show

 Lots of designing going on, this is a card holder inside & out

And lots of new fabrics being printed

One step forward...one step back...or is it the other way around?!

My sewing machine is one of my most treasured possessions as it was the first "major" purchase I made when I started working...you can guess by the photo how long ago that was! It has served me well for 40+ years but I had such a hard time making the 2 samples above that I had to bring it into the shop. He pretty much told me to put the money towards a new machine with metal gears... so now I have a new machine with metal gears & I also spent the money & repaired old faithful...we've been thru too much for me to toss it now!

 

 I had several "OH NO" moments this weekend...After a productive day in the printshop I banged one screen into another & poked a hole in it....ARGH!

When reclaiming a screen the power washer sprayed back on me so I took my glasses off & put them in my apron pocket....when I put them back on they were bent out of shape, they wouldn't even stay on my head, this is the best I could fix them without completely snapping them..."OH NO"! Guess I'll be getting new glasses this week.

Busy Busy Busy!!!!

I've been very very  busy...screen making, printing, sample sewing, logo tweaking, website designing... oh & I ran a 20 mile ultra marathon!

My website is up so go ahead & check it out. A special thanks to Joe Molinari who created it.

  http://margarts.com/

Since I've been so busy I'll be posting to my facebook page daily & I'll update my blog weekly.

IPAD mini case made with my original hand screen printed fabric,
 foam to protect your device, a two way zipper & a soft furry lining

I got some very good input from some very talented friends as to the readability of my logo,
it was great advice, so thank you Gina & Scot!

Made my first samples of my holiday tea towels & I love them!

Little by Little....

Little by little a little becomes a lot! This is my mantra, my way of life, maybe the best advise I've passed on to my kids. The big picture can be so overwhelming sometimes but if you consistently do a little bit at a time, put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving forward you can accomplish a lot!

2 color screen print created using china marker on acetate

A Tedious Task

Label printing takes time, a lot of time, aligning the labels for printing, then letting go of perfection, not to mention heat setting them all. A tedious task for sure but so worth it in the end!

"Fab" Boxes

Experimenting with different weight interfacing.

I made these boxes made from my screen printed fabric....oh the possibilities!

My totally awesome TOTE...if I do say so myself

This is my go to tote. There are so many things I like about it; I made it from a linen cotton blend so it's light weight but strong, it can be folded up & kept in my purse so I always have a tote when I need one, it has long handles so I can throw it over my shoulder keeping my hands free, it holds a lot & mostly it looks good doing it! Here's a sneak peek at one of the prints I'll be making it in for the upcoming holiday shows.

Count Your Blessings

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I last posted! The past year has been a busy one with lots of ups & downs and like most people I often need a reminder to Count my Blessings!

I Wish I had a Wishing Tree

 This past weekend in order to avoid a block party I took a drive to Stockbridge Ma. I happened upon the Berkshire Botanical Gardens which are beautiful & I came away with a ton of photos & a very long "wish" list for my garden. In the children's garden was something I had never seen or heard of; a "wishing tree", it stopped me in my tracks. I absolutely loved it. It was magical. The wishes ranged from silly to serious. I added several myself, I hope they all come true especially the one about wishing I had a wishing tree!

Galvanized Garbage Can Planter

Lots of new things in my garden this year & this would be one of my favorites. I was inspired by where else - Pinterest, you know how it goes one link leads to another & I came upon the blog  ilovethatjunk which featured a vintage garbage can planter & the minute I saw it I knew I had to make one. I didn't have acess to a dented old can which I would have loved so I went to Home Depot & bought a new one.
1. I drilled several holes in the bottom of the can for drainage. 2. Cut a circle of filter fabric & put that on the inside of the can. 3. I filled about half the can with empty water bottles to take up room & keep the planter from getting really heavy. 4. Because my yard is hilly I used a level before adding the soil - I used Miracle Grow Container Mix. 5. Add Plants, I used Elephant Ears, Calladiums, Colieus, & several different Sweet Potato Vines.

I love how it turned out!