Sugarbug

I have not dropped off the face of the earth!

sugarbug — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:08:49 +0000

Although it does seem like it. I haven’t been all that excited about my blog. I took a little break that has turned into a 3 month vacation! I amtrying to figure out where I want this to head. It saterted out as a simple way to document my crafts, but I want it to be more. And I want it to be me and not a copy of other blogs that I love that inspire me. I will hopefull start after I get back from visiting my parents in NY. I am only bringing my son and leaving baby girl with Papa. I need this break! I’m hoping to come back with clarity and new ideas.

In the meantime, here’s a great giveaway over at Pink Petunia to tide you over!

See you in a couple of weeks!

Maybe I should change the name of this blog…

sugarbug — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:48:25 +0000

…to Just Giveaways. Not mine. All the other super talented crafty women out there, who won’t stop tempting me with all their handmade lovelies and bundles of fabric. Here’s nother one from See Katie sew. She’s giving away a flat rate box stuffed with gorgeous fabrics (like these) for her 2nd Blogiversary. It doesn’t get much better than that, especially since it’s Christmas gift crunch time. Of course, I have waited til the last month to start-again.

So stop by her blog (and tell her I sent you-you know how it goes) and maybe one of us will get lucky.

Since I am still sans camera (the one I borrowed is not cooperating) I probably won’t be posting all that much. That, and I should be busy sewing! I wish I couls show you pictures of all the Dia de los Muertos stuff we did yesterday. We baked bread, made tissue paper flowers, decorated paper skulls and I made a banner with this great Alexander Henry Day of the Dead fabric. It looks very colorful in my living room right now. My husband is half Salvadoran, which makes my kids 1/4 Salvadoran, which is enough to want them to know a bit more about some of their traditions.

*UPDATE* I’ve found another great giveaway over at one of my favorite sites- Simple Mom. One reader will win a customized high-resolution digital photo card file of their choice from Chickpea Designs. You can also win a set of personalized photo stamps. Very cool.

JCasa in my Casa?

sugarbug — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:29:34 +0000

So, I’m really loving the work of this woman right now. Her Boyfriend Neck warmers were the inspiration for my latest quilt, and I recently participated in her Scrap Challenge where I came up with this. Now she is giving away a mini quilt like this one..

I think her mini quilt would look lovely hanging next to the one I made for Audrey. I’m thinking Pink, Red and brown….

I am still camera-less, but hopefully will have my hands on one today. I did find, while cleaning out our one closet, my father-in-law’s Yashica Electro 35.

This is the camera he had with him in Vietnam. This baby has seen much. I’m pretty sure it’s in working order, but as I haven’t touched a film camera in like 20 years, I’m not even sure where to start. There’s something about film and having to do all the settings yourself. Like the difference between sending an e-mail and a handwritten letter. It’s just more. I remember my photography class in High School. I would spend hours and hours in the dark room. The whole process fascinates me and as much as i can appreciate the ease in my life that has come from technology and all things digital, I miss the hands on. So here’s to film cameras, record players, handwritten letters and handmade bread. When you think about it, isn’t this what drives the surge in crafters nowadays? The slow but sure demise of needing to work with our hands? We’re steadily being robbed of the process.

If anyone out there has any suggestions for my new foray into film, I’d be most grateful.

A “Fabulous” Giveaway!

sugarbug — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:19:07 +0000

The amazingly talented girl at Grosgrain Fabulous is finally heeding the call of the masses and opening her own online store. But still, she is going to keep up with the great giveaways. This week it’s almost too much. Not only is she giving away 3 reversable skirts, but also 3 matching reversable shirts. She’s even throwing in 3 pairs of matching socks! So go take a look!

Auction for Dan-Take 2

sugarbug — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:57:23 +0000

Okay, I’m still camera-less, but I got a friend to take some pictures of the 2nd quilt and I am offering it up for auction for Dan’s treatment. The first time I offered this up, I didn’t have it completed and there were no pictures, and of course, no one bid on it. I’m going to try again.

It’s made of natural linen mixed with salvaged hand-pieced quilt blocks, backed with a thrifted sheet, and bound with fine wale corduroy. It’s perfect for any baby boy on your Christmas list.

The bidding will go until midnight on OCTOBER 31ST. As before, to bid, just leave the amount (in whole dollars) in a comment on this, or any future post before the deadline. Again, to read about Dan, and why I am holding this auction, go HERE.

I also finished up my Scrap Challenge project hosted by JC Handmade. It was really great to see all the things people came up with. I even got a few ideas for Christmas gifts.

I’m pretty pleased with how this turned out. I really didn’t want to make a quilted anything. I think I have quilt burnout, but after wracking my brain for an idea, and coming up with her name, it all fell into place. Seriously, after seeing what the first person to finish came up with... I mean, really, how do you possibly follow that up??? I am totally copying the idea, by the way, and making one for my own living room!!

As an aside, I got a very positive response from my wall hanging and thought that maybe I would see if anyone was interested in having me do a custom one for them in time for Christmas. Just send me an e-mail..

Now, it’s off to making the girl’s Halloween costume…

Houston, we have a problem…

sugarbug — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:15:52 +0000

Well, folks, it’s official. I am camera-less. Not only will the second camera not hold a charge, it won’t take a picture. It has gone to the digital camera place in the sky. A new one is not in our budget right now, so I am at a loss. I am going to try and get my friend Ann over here with her camera, so I can at least get a picture of the finished quilt on here, but I’m not sure when that will be. I was thinking lately that I needed to take a blog break. Maybe this is the Universe trying to tell me something.

In brighter news- I’ve won some stuff. Me! I honestly never win stuff, so this was a treat. First, I won the Green Kitchen cashmere kids apron that I wrote about a little while ago. Then, the next day (!) I won Free Fabric Friday over at Sew Mama Sew- a Moda “Recess” charm pack. Thank you to both of them!

The Auction has started! Really!

sugarbug — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:57:11 +0000

I know it’s a lot to ask- bidding on something sight unseen, but I’ve been trying to get a picture up of the quilt- really! The girl broke our one camera-jammed the lens- and the other one won’t hold a charge. Seriously NOT the time for technological malfunctions. I’m going to have to find a place with good light where I can leave the camera plugged in. So please stay tuned. The quilt turned out better than I expected. I was worried. This quilt almost drove me Kookoo bonkers. Nothing seemed to line up and there were puckers aplenty. I know now what I want for Christmas- a walking foot! But luckily, I didn’t prewash the linen, so it has a wonderfully wrinkled, organic feel to it. If it wasnt for such a good cause…:)

2nd Item up for Bid Almost Ready!

sugarbug — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:13:07 +0000

It’s all ready to quilt. I should have it quilted and the binding finished by tomorrow. The patchwork is all hand-pieced, salvaged from a vintage quilt I picked up at an estate sale, combined with new linen, backed with a plaid, with a blue fine-wale corduroy binding. It is crib size. I think I actually like this quilt better than the last one. Must be the linen.

*UPDATE* It was brought to my attention that I forgot to say how to put your bid in. Just leave the amount you would like to bid (in whole $ amounts) in a comment on this or the next post. Make sure there’s an e-mail or web address where I can contact you. The commenter with the highest bid at 9pm (California time) October 15th wins!

Sorry to those of you who came by from Sew Mama Sew. We went to a wedding this past weekend, which threw all my crafting time out the window! If anyone wants to start throwing in bids now, feel free. It will “officially” start tomorrow and continue until October 15th. After that, I will be auctioning off lots of smaller items. There may be some bags, scarves. We shall see.

You can read about Dan and his ongoing treatment HERE. You can read about how I know Dan, and why this is a cause close to my heart HERE.

Someone commented, and offered a suggestion as to doing this auction on a larger scale- having other crafters also donate items for auction. I love that idea, as the more help for Dan, the better. Unfortunately, I’m not really sure how to go about doing that. If anyone out there has any information on how to facilitate such an undertaking, I would much appreciate it!

I’ll post again when the quilt is finished!

First Auction Finished!

sugarbug — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:49:53 +0000

I big, huge THANK YOU to Amy, who generously bid $100. I will be sending the quilt off to her soon. The next item up for auction will be here next week. This time it will be a more boyish lap quilt. I was inspired by these scarves from JC Handmade.

Stay Tuned…

Green Kitchen Giveaway

sugarbug — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:45:58 +0000

Michelle over at Green Kitchen is giving away this adorable kids’ apron- in cashemere! Good luck! The link is to a tutorial, so if you don’t win, you can make one for yourself!