Chatbug Karen at Winding Threads

Four Foods on Friday 94

Karen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:49:55 +0000

Here it is Monday and I am doing the meme Four Foods on Friday! That just means I have been sewing!

Thanks Val for these great questions.

Four Foods on Friday

1. How do you make mashed potatoes?
I make them from scratch. Peel then boil potatoes. Drain and add milk and butter. Use the small electric mixer to mash.

2. What do you wash pots and pans with?
Most of my pots and pans are Celphalon and require a plastic scratcher pad so they don’t get scratched.

3. Name something red in your refrigerator right now.
Texas Chilie

4. Do you prefer to use boullion cubes or the boullion powder mix? I have only ever bought the cubes. I don’t know why!

VisArt

Karen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:03:49 +0000

I am so strange. Hubby and I were looking for a place to eat ice cream while shopping on Wednesday and I decided to venture in to a clothing store to see what was new and exciting. I didn’t find anything I had to buy but I did notice all the huge buttons on everything. I kept looking at the buttons while thinking how great they would look on a purse creation!

Buttons excite me these days. They certainly add something to a creation. Viktoria of VisArt makes beautiful buttons. She is a polymer clay artist with an excellent eye for color. Look at these beautiful creations.

I don’t even have to buy clothing to purchase these buttons! You can see more of Viktoria’s creations at her Etsy site, VisArt.

Tweeking Patterns

Karen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:58:01 +0000

I have been tweeking a purse design to make the size bag that is most popular with my friends. The charm bag seems too big but when I cut it down, it came out too small. Here is what I came up with over the weekend.

Au Natural by Marcus

Kashmir II by Moda

Tonya tweeks blog designs over at Lucky Girl Designs. I wonder if she ever gets as frustrated as I have been over these bags. LOL

She Did It!

Karen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:49:06 +0000

I am so proud of my daughter. It is a mom’s right to brag on her kid, isn’t it? Well, I am going to brag on Stacy. She graduated from college! Yahoo!

She is just like her dad when it comes to hobbies. They talk about sports teams, target shooting and cooking together. Their conversation usually goes right over my head. LOL

For father’s day, Stacy sent her dad a new cooking apparatus. I am not sure what it is but I reap the benefits of the food he prepares in it. She gets her frugality from me and checked out coupons and promos before making her purchase. We love great cookware sites. Cooking.com coupons make everything so much more affordable.

Anyway, I am so proud of my daughter. She is an excellent marksman, cook, video gamer and all around great person. Way to go Stacy!

Tweety Bird

Karen — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:36:27 +0000

A friend asked me to make a bag for his daughter who loves Tweety Bird. Here is what I came up with.

At first I was going to make the whole bag out of Tweety Bird fabric but then my eye wandered over to some Batik fabric I had laying in my stash. It seemed like a better bag to make and one she can carry well after her teen years. What do you think? Should I have made the whole bag with the Tweety Bird fabric?

I just listed this bag on my Etsy site.

Oranges, Browns and Yellows

Karen — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:06:41 +0000

Fall is the time of year for color changes. This is a bag I made for a friend. She loved the fall colors. I think I need to make a few more of this bag. The fabric is Kashmir II by Moda.

I added to my ever growing fall decorations with this wall hanging from the Haunted Hollow fabric line. I purchased the panel from Poppies Garden on Etsy. She was so nice to include a nice selection of beads for me to use as embellishments.

I don’t know why I have so many decorations for fall. It must be my favorite season.

I purchased this collar for my GrandDog, Chandler. I hear he loves it. LOL

Woman Banned from Fabric Store

Karen — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:09:07 +0000

I wish that were the case.

When I last visited a casino, I noticed a sign that noted a policy for gamblers. It stated that if you wanted to be banned from a casino, to help with your addiction, you could sign a paper stating you did not want to be allowed to enter the establishment. I might need to sign a policy at each fabric store I try to enter.

I bought this fabric on Wednesday. I couldn’t help it. I felt the fabric. I may have even sniffed it. The colors sucked me in. I had no control.

Elegant, Simple and Timeless.

Karen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:23:07 +0000

That is how gemmologist, Annette Piper, describes her choice of how jewelry should be. I have to agree. Unlike jewelry that comes and goes as the fads change, her jewelry is timeless. She has a keen eye as she makes her own jewelry. Visit her website to see what I am talking about. You won’t be disappointed. Here is one example of her beautiful jewelry.

I don’t know how she keeps up! While reading her blog, Under the Loupe, I discovered she has three children!

Teaming Up to Fund Research

Karen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:51:53 +0000

I have mentioned before how Cyro-Cell is advancing in getting the word out about stem cell research. I know that stem cells have proven to be invaluable in treating over 75 diseases, and have been used in over 12,000 transplants worldwide. C’Elle would like everyone to understand the importance of collecting potentially life-saving stem cells found naturally in menstrual blood.

I just recently became aware that Cryo-Cell is making a difference through their C’Elle Creates Cancer Donation to help fund cancer research and how stem cells can be used effectively in breast cancer treatment.

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I thought it fitting that Cryo-Cell International, Inc. is partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the potential utilization of menstrual stem cells to treat breast cancer.

For a limited time, you can be a part of a Cyro-Cell Breast Cancer Donation of $50 to the Susan B. Komen Foundation when you enroll in the Protect Baby + Protect Mom service.

Cryo-Cell is determined to make a difference. Learn more about their company and stem cell research at their website, www (dot) cryo-cell (dot) com. You only need to read the testimonials to determine how your life might be affected in a positive way.

October is Breast Cancer Awarness Month

Karen — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:05:16 +0000

Do you have a habit? I think we all have habits. Some habits are good and some are bad. I’d like to tell you about a good habit. When you click here at the Breast Cancer site, you help fund mammograms. Yes, a simple click is all it takes. When I forget to click, I feel as if I missed something that day. Yes. My name is Karen. I click at the Breast Cancer site. Every day. Do you click?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One of my fellow blogging friends is a wonderful jewelry designer. You can see her creations at Michabela Creations. She recently had her beautiful earrings chosen by Keith Lissner for his runway show! How exciting!

Check out her featured items that, when purchased, a portion of the proceeds go towards the support and treatment of Breast Cancer patients.