New Machine - Quilted Tote Bag

I got a new embroidery/sewing machine on Monday -- Brother Duetta 4500D. This is one fantastic machine. Push a button to thread it, push a button to raise or lower the pressure foot, push a button to cut thread, etc. You name it, it has lots of bells and whistles! Now there is nothing wrong with my ULT2001; it was serviced just last month and is in excellent condition. But hubby made up his mind that I should be upgraded to a newer machine so he started looking for the best deal that he could find. My Brother ULT2001 is for sale.





I just finished my first project tonight using the new machine. I have been wanting to take a baby step with quilting by making a quilted tote bag. I have been working on this tote all week whenever I had a little time to spare...getting the blocks cut and sewed together, then quilting it using fusible fleece for the backing, and finally actually making the tote. For my first attempt at quilting, I think it turned out pretty good.

I have a second project started, another tote bag and have the embroidery done on it. Since my new machine is a Disney machine, I embroidered Mickey Mouse. Robin has already staked a claim to it so I will finish it for her this weekend.

Luck, love and laughter,

Judy

Friday Sketchers #62

My boss has a birthday in a couple of weeks and I decided to use this week's sketch at Friday Sketchers to make a birthday card for him. The paper is from a K & Company designer pak. I used the old time car on the My World Cricut cartridge and used some Tea Dye Distress Ink to give it a more distressed or vintage look. Then completed it with a few buttons and a strip of grosgrain ribbon.

My boss and I are of the same Baby Boomer generation, although I think I have a "couple" of years on him. With that in mind, the verse that I used on the inside of the card says "Birthdays are good for you, the more you have, the longer you live."

I've got to spend a little time tonight straightening and putting up paper supplies in my craft room so I have space to work on machine embroidery and sewing projects. Plan to devote most of my time the next week or so working in that medium. So I may or may not be posting cards for a few days.

Luck, love and laughter,


Judy

Sketch Girl Sketch #1

My friend Carol (ScrapMomof2) mentioned a new sketch site on her blog. I just had to pay it a visit and check it out. This site will be posting a new sketch on the 15th and 30th day of each month. Ya'll pop on over here and check it out.

Here is the card that I made using the site's very first sketch.

Luck, love and laughter,

Judy

ICSketches #26 and Just Christmas & Birthday Cards Sketch #40

Both of these sketch challenges had great sketches this week.

I decided to use the sewing machine on the card using Dawn's sketch at Inspirational Card Sketches. I zig zagged around each of the blocks and also sewed the buttons on. I don't know why I have such a problem keeping my stitching straight when stitching on paper; I don't have that problem when stitching on material. Anyway, I used some coordinating paper that I got at Tuesday Morning, added some buttons, flowers, and brads.

Guess what? I won the drawing for last week at Just Christmas and Birthday Cards. I get a Forever Friends paper set and stamp. I'm excited 'cause I rarely win anything. For this week's sketch, I decided to do a Christmas card using cardstock and patterned paper from my scrap paper stash. I added a swirl cut on the Cricut and some self-stick gems for a little bling.

Today was my Friday at work. I am taking vacation days tomorrow and Friday and really looking forward to my extra long weekend.

Luck, love and laughter,

Judy

Paper Popsicles Card Challenge #9

I happened upon Paper Popsicles Blog today and decided to make a card using the sketch for card challenge #9. I love these bright summery colors in the paper that I used which I thought really lent themselves to the simplicity of this sketch.

I hope everyone has a great week ahead. It will be a short work week for me as I am taking vacation days on Thursday and Friday. Yeah!! Thursday morning I am going to an OESD seminar on machine embroidery hooping and stablilizing. It will be a refresher course for me but I always learn something new when I go to one.

Luck, love and laughter,

Judy

One Very Spoiled Dog

This is Annie hugging a pillow while she sleeps!

Luck, love and laughter,
Judy

Another Mickey & Friends Card

Last week Joy told me that I needed to start sending my 5 1/2 year granddaughter cards in the mail. She said Sarabeth told her that she never got any mail and that it had been a long time since her Nanny had sent her a card. Talk about putting a guilt trip on Nanny!

I found the patience this evening to do another cut using the Mickey and Friends Cricut cartridge and believe me it takes a lot of patience to work with all the tiny pieces that have to be layered. I made a Mickey and Pluto and used it to make this card to mail to Sarabeth just to tell her that her Nanny and Pawpaw love her.

I am using the Mickey card that I posted yesterday for Addie's birthday card. She will be 5 years old next week.


Luck, love and laughter,
Judy

ICS Sketch #25

Dawn has another wonderful sketch this week at Inspirational Card Sketches. Check it out here.


I just recently got the Mickey and Friends Cricut cartridge and used a Mickey cut on my card along with cuts from a couple of other cartridges. I am so pleased with the way the card turned out. Here is my take on her sketch.

Have a great day!
Judy

Card and Totes

Wow, I didn't realize that it has been two weeks since my last post. I guess the dog days of summer are getting to me. But I have a few new things to share with you today.

Tomorrow is my youngest grandson's 13th birthday. Jesse is our baseball player and I wanted to make him a baseball themed card. I took my inspiration for his card from this week's Inspirational Card Sketches sketch #24. I found some K and Company baseball themed stickers and combined them with solid cardstock to come up with a card for him.

Next is a card that I made using Just Christmas and Birthday Cards sketch #39.

My last card was made using Friday Sketchers sketch #60.

My sister-in-law asked me to make her two tote bags for gifts that she needed so I carved out some time to do the machine embroidery and make the bags.

Hope everybody has a great rest of the weekend.

Luck, love and laughter,

Judy