Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween.

We had friends over and made stew and an apple crostata, drank wine, played Risk and watched one really really really scary movie. We got only about a half dozen knocks on the door from little trick-or-treaters, but they were traveling in large groups this year - I hardly have any candy left. All in all a very enjoyable night!

I can’t believe it’s that time of year again - my orchids are all in bloom. I must be treating them well, as they are loaded with blossoms, pressed up against the windows to gather the light.

Orchid

Violet

Christmas Cactus

Can you believe that it’s November already? Neither can I.

Thank you to all the wonderful people who visited my shop this past month. I’m thrilled that so many of my needlebooks and taskets will be given as holiday gifts this year.

I’ve added my hand embroidered ornaments to the shop now. If you’re looking to decorate your tree with something made by a real person, topping your gifts with something that can’t be bought in a mall or giving friends a very special handmade gift, I hope you’ll consider these ornaments that I’ve lovingly made. : )

Have a wonderful weekend everybody!

Jenn : )

Hello everyone!

I’ve had a busy time over here - getting out Issue #1 of my newsletter, shopping for birthday gifts for friends and family over the weekend (now I’ve got to box them up to take to the post office tomorrow) and yesterday I made cupcakes for Josh to take to work with him (Carrot Cake Cupcakes from Ina’s “The Barefoot Contessa Parties!”)

All this time I’ve been working on a secret embroidery project. I’ve been so excited to share it with you, but I’ve been waiting until I had them all finished. So, without further ado, here is my latest project: hand embroidered bookmarks!

Ginger Kitten,

Cinnamon Kitten,

Sugar Kitten,

Pepper Kitten,

& Nutmeg Kitten.

Word-Bot,

Page-Bot,

Type-Bot,

Ink-Bot,

& Chapter-Bot.

I’ve just finished a *huge shop update* - you can check them out in more detail there.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a terrific day!

Best, Jenn : )

Jenn fact: Whenever I make a sale and need to go to the post office, or I need supplies and need to go to Joanns = I walk. Walking is really my main (and sometimes only) form of exercise. And I walk ALOT.

I just recently replaced my sneakers and I was pretty shocked by the difference in condition of the old pair vs the new pair.

(Click on photo for a horrifying close up - eeek!)

See where the heels have worn away? I sure knew when I’d stepped in a puddle!

Poe gives the new pair her seal of approval!

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In other news…

I was very flattered recently to be asked to do an interview by Suzanne (her Etsy shop is BlissCandles).

I hope you’ll check it out *here* and also take a look around her blog: MustLoveEtsy, where Suzanne has interviewed many Etsy artists and craftspeople, who create a variety of handmade items.

A big thanks to Suzanne for inviting me to do this fun interview!

I hope you all have a terrific day!

Jenn : )

This year, I’ve gotten it in my head to start preparing for the holidays early. I know that I’m going to be very busy as it gets closer to the end of the year, who knows what the economy will bring, and with many friends and family on the other side of the country - it wouldn’t hurt to start setting aside gifts now.

Last year, in keeping with the Buy Handmade pledge, we did alot of our shopping on Etsy and local small businesses. This year I’d like an even greater percentage of our gifts to be handmade - including some made by me!

Not too long ago I posted about this great canvas fabric that I purchased at The Quilting Loft.

The one on top is called “Sprig Canvas Green: 2007 Jessica Jones for J. Caroline Designs”.

The blue and green is called “Peapod Blue/Green Circles: 2007 Jessica Jones for J. Caroline Designs”.

Both of these fabrics had washing instructions on the bolt,

and the clerk recommended serging them before washing.

Here is what I did with them:

I cut them…

I stitched them…

I ironed them…

I pinned them…

And by the end of the day I had made four Market Tote bags!

Two will be Christmas gifts for my mom and two will be gifts for my grandparents.

They hold alot!

Two in this gorgeous green sprig pattern.

And two in this eye-catching peapod pattern.

The pattern I used was fantastic.

The bags were fun to make and not difficult at all.

These bags are reusable and washable, so my relatives will not only have a handmade gift from me, but they will be helping the environment by not using plastic or paper grocery bags.

By following the easy, step-by-step instructions, before I knew it - I had made French seams! That’s a technique that I’ve been hearing alot about but I had never tried before. Now I know how to create them and they are wonderful!

I got this great pattern from my friend Ginny and she has made it available to everyone through her iSew shop. I made the very basic bag, but her pattern also includes instructions for various pocket sizes and an additional exterior decorative band.

So, if you’ve been looking for a gift for that hard to buy for person - well, get ‘em going green with a gift of a reusable Market Tote. They’ll thank you, and so will the environment! : )

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Just one more quick note: I am getting ready to send out Issue #1 of my e-newsletter,so if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up!

Cheers!

Jenn : )

I love this time of year,

when the little pumpkins make an appearance at the grocery store.

I always buy some, and I look for the littlest ones.

Do you remember The Great Pumpkin from the Peanuts comic strip?

Have a great day!

Jenn : )

Gosh, it’s been a while since I’ve posted!

There’s lots going on over here at the Maruska house… I keep meaning to do a blog post.

I now have a list of things to remember to share with you guys.

So.

Let’s get this party started!

Here are a couple of sewing projects I’ve been working on.

I have 22 of these little flower needlebooks that I’ve been creating.

I’ve made so many of these books in preparation for the upcoming holiday season.

I hope that folks like them as much as I do. : )

Right now I’m a bit obsessed with these wee tiny flower buttons - aren’t they cute?

You’ll see those in many of my new embroidery designs.

Here is a WIP that I’ve had for ages: these bunny embroideries.

These will eventually be needlebooks for my select sewing sets.

There will be a needlebook with matching tasket and pincushion.

I’ve very happy with how these came out. : )

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Conversation in our kitchen yesterday afternoon:

Josh: “Hey, have I shown you this computer game that I’ve been playing?”

Me: “No.”

Josh: “It’s pretty fun. And really cute. I bet you’d like it.”

Me: “OMG! I HAVE to put this on the blog!!!!!!”

This game was created by the California Milk Processor Board (the “Got Milk” people) as a cute way to promote… milk. The graphics are fantastic. The story is fantastic. And I am completely head-over-heels in love with this game.

It’s been out since 2007, so maybe many of you have already heard about it.

But for those of you who haven’t, I introduce to you:

“Get The Glass”

Simply click on the dice to roll them.

Keep your wits about you.

Try not to get sent to Milkatraz!

And enjoy!

I’ll see you again soon!

Jenn : )

I have been in blogging limbo,

unable to publish any new blog posts since the beginning of the month. : (

So I have said “Goodbye and good riddance!” to Blogger,

and am now moving everything to WordPress. : )

Yay!

I’ll be taking this opportunity (with the help of my wonderful husband, Josh)

to update my blog and maybe do a little re-designing.

So keep checking back - I’ll be posting regularly again SOON!

Have a great day,

Your friend Jenn : )

I have so enjoyed reading about all of your childhood companions!

I am so glad that I did that post - it’s been fun reading all of your stories.

Ginny has just done a blog post about her childhood friends

and her very first sewing project. So sweet!

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I’ve titled this post “Jumping the gun” because I’ve been working on two new taskets and I’m so eager to share them with you, that I’m blogging about them before I even have them photographed for the shop.

My photographer is super busy at work,

so it may be a day or two before I can get these listed.

I made them using two super cute Japanese canvas fabrics.

This one has robots!

And this one has sweet little birds.

I just can’t believe that each little bird has an orangey dot on it’s face -

and here I had this fuzzy orange dot ribbon - they go perfectly together!

And I’m loving this blue/orange/white color combo!

This is one of those projects that just called out “Make me!” and I had to do it.

: )

Hope you have a great Monday!

Jenn : )

Jenn : )

Stay warm and cozy, all.

Jenn : D