Back into Customs....

Diposting oleh fawaid on Sabtu, 31 Januari 2009


It feels like it has been forever since I offered customs orders....and it probably has been. I used to only offer and create custom items but sort of got away from that last year. Well - they are back! I miss the creativity of creating something custom and unique just for YOU so I've just added Custom Shaggy Mosaic Jeans for Women to my website!

I am really excited to be doing these again. I would love to be able to create mosaic jeans for your little ones again but until we get the final word on the CPSIA law on all items for children under 12 I will have to hold off on those - or I'd be committing a felony!!! LOL.................. *sigh*............rolling eyes.


Until then, and I hope it's soon, I can create jeans for women and teenagers and with Spring looming on the horizon snatch up a pair of brighten up your wardrobe!

Read More

Measuring Spoons

Diposting oleh fawaid

I am a smitten kitten over these porcelain measuring spoons for a million reasons.


1.They are blue and white.
2.I've gone without any for two years.
3.They are solid enough to take a beating in the sink.
4.They make a lovely clinking sound against each other.

and last but not least....

5. Jim just walked into Anthropologie and bought them for me as a surprise, along with these darling measuring cups.... for no reason at all. Now I get to say thank you by getting Alice Waters in the kitchen tonight.
Read More

Ancestral Scrapbooking

Diposting oleh fawaid on Jumat, 30 Januari 2009

At Elmwood, there is a darling Victorian scrapbook that was assembled by a little girl and I think it was my great grandmother, Helen Robinson.

It has a burgundy leather cover and sweetly scalloped fabric pages. The scrap is a bit worse for wear but I love it just as it is.

My great great grandmother Ella had four children; Harold, William, Helen and Elizabeth. Helen, the oldest, was my grandfather's mother.

That's great grandma Helen, on the right. I come from a long line of hair bow wearers and scrapbook makers.

I adore how tattered her cutouts have become. Missing head and all, the kitty reminds me of Alice's Cheshire Cat.



Is that a blue velvet tam? I want it.




Aren't these wonderful? It's things like this book that argue a pretty convincing case for being a pack rat. 100 years ago all little girls made these and sob, I'm sure most of them got thrown away!

(Thank god, I uploaded these photos before this week's computer meltdown.)
Read More

New twist on an old favorite.....

Diposting oleh fawaid



I was very excited this week when I saw what Kris from SWAK had uploaded into the Brassy Apple Flickr Group!

She posted several photos of wheat therapy sacks she made from my tutorial for a teacher appreciation breakfast she did. What a great idea! and you'll never believe how many they made!!!!! I won't ruin the surprise. You'll have to pop on over to her blog to see. :)


She took it a step further for this Valentine's day and has created some super "sweet" gifts for her Mom and Mother in law. Check out these "love"ly therapy sacks.


Great Job Kris! thanks for sharing with me! I know they will love their gifts! and it won't add any weight to their hips either! (wink, wink!)
Read More

Stamp Collecting

Diposting oleh fawaid on Selasa, 27 Januari 2009

(My hard drive crashed. I lost all of my data. I had jury duty. Sob, Domino closed. I'm sorry I haven't updated in weeks, I've been pulling my hair out about other things.)

But one thing that will always cheer me up are stamps. I love stamps. I also love fountain pens, kraft paper envelopes, sealing wax and address books because they facilitate the use of stamps.

These new Poe stamps are about the best thing I've seen this year. He is so eerily handsome and dapper, I love him, I really do. Not to mention he lived and died in Baltimore, damn near invented the mystery genre and signed his name in gold ink on this stamp.


I suffered a 40 minute wait at the Park Slope Post Office to buy 3 sheets worth. I recommend you buy them online and spend the time you saved by reading The Tell-Tale Heart.
Read More

Love is in the Air......

Diposting oleh fawaid



Valentine's day is just around the corner! Are you ready for another sugar rush? I'm certainly not. We (or should I say I) have definately enjoyed the Holiday sugar detox. But Valentine's day is such a sweet day for all ages.

So with that in mind how about some "sweet" products?

If you are in the mood for creating alittle something sweet this season then my Be MINE" Applique pattern ebook is perfect! Several pattern options - and it's for girls and boys!!

If you are in the mood for something sweet and ready made (with no calories - HA!) then my Andalucia Skinny Scarf is perfect! Rich reds, delicate pinks and a simple design to sweeten up your wardrobe. Grab your spouse and ask them for skinny scarf this year instead of a box of chocolates. psssst! It's on sale too but only until Thursday evening - so don't miss out!
Read More

Grouped Reflection......

Diposting oleh fawaid on Sabtu, 24 Januari 2009

So after some fun comments to my Framed post I dug through my picture files and found some photos I took last spring of my grandma's house. She has a great collection of items from rugs, to mirrors, jars, etc and has a knack for displaying them. I've always loved her "stuff".

For those that love groupings here are some of her mirror groupings. I've always wanted a wall of framed mirrors just like hers. Someday............


Front entry.....


The other wall in the front entry. I love how she stacked two mirrors on top of each other and they reflect the wall of mirrors on the other side......

A little corner in the office......



Want more? LimeFreckles let me know that she posted a picture of her mirror grouping in her bathroom. Check it out here!


Do you have a mirror grouping to share? post it and let me know!
Read More

Framed.....

Diposting oleh fawaid on Jumat, 23 Januari 2009


I have a love affair with frames. All shapes, sizes, colors, textures, age, etc. I LOVE them! I could buy up frames everyday but don't. tee hee he. It's probably why I love buying old wooden windows too. It's a frame right???


I hit the jackpot at a yard sale - was it this past summer or the summer before??? can't remember now. Anyway, I bought a bunch of old but cool frames that I could just see the potential in. I've always wanted to create a collage on a wall of empty frames......but have yet to do it.........................they are still sitting in the garage.


My sister though however has created a beautiful arrangement in her home so I just had to share it with you! She placed all of her frames inside one large one. And if you can't find one big enough...... make it, of course!!! Decorative molding would do the trick and be a quick and easy project to complete.













Doesn't it look GREAT? I love the combination of all the textures, colors and how the different shapes play off each other and compliment one other. It's very easy on the eye yet fun too.
So anyone running off to create one of your own? Be sure to post and share on your blog and let me know if you do!!
Enjoy the weekend.....
Read More

Mommy dearest

Diposting oleh fawaid on Senin, 19 Januari 2009

Because I don't think my hastily mailed card will make it in time... Happy Birthday!

I am so relieved you are safe and sound after your big bang this week. You are my dearest and closest friend, I love you to pieces.
Read More

Suspended.

Diposting oleh fawaid on Sabtu, 17 Januari 2009

It's true, I got suspended for a day in the 6th grade. I poked Jake Kauffman with a pencil for saying something very rude about my mother. The pencil didn't even break the skin, but being a fiery Jo March type of 11 year old, I refused to apologize which sealed my fate. You should have heard what he said, though. Being a lady, I can't even repeat it.

Going through a pile of stashed shopping bags this week, I re-found these old silk suspenders I got months ago from an Upper East Side church basement with the queen of vintage herself, Miss Dana Gluck. Even better than finding a dollar in your pocket is finding forgotten vintage treats in the recycling.


I'd like to imagine they belonged to an uptown grandfather who wore them in the 40's to fancy business meetings around the board of directors table and his wife just now sneakily donated them for being too shabby.

From Suspension to Suspenders.... A Cautionary Tale of a Criminal Collector. a working title for my biography?
Read More

Feeling crafty?......

Diposting oleh fawaid on Jumat, 16 Januari 2009



Happy Friday! My kids are out of school today and we are at the beginning of a 4 day weekend - which means lots of time for activities, playing, etc.

If you are needing a new idea or want to create something this weekend - take a peek at this GREAT list The Long Thread Blog has put together - Top 100 Tutorials of 2008. It's a LOOoooOOng list so there will be plenty to choose from and lots to inspire you for this year.



I know how much my readers love tutorials and finding new crafty places to visit so I'm sharing this new find with you today. Enjoy! If you come across one you really love or try out give me a shout out! I'd love to know and stop by your blog to see pictures! xo - Meg.

Read More

Baffled......

Diposting oleh fawaid on Kamis, 15 Januari 2009



My mind is boggled by all this CPSIA talk about childrens toys/clothes and ESPECIALLY the effect will it have on retailers, re-sellers and small business like mine. I'm trying to make sense of it all...........I've been sad, frustrated, upset and have put several projects on hold because I might not be able to even sell them legally come February!!!


I've been gathering bits and pieces here and there but I feel like it's all a jumbled mess. Talk about how you can't hand down clothes to a neighbor, or create something handmade and give it as a gift. It just doesn't make sense???? And then for small businesses the testing to have done on our products to make them legal to sell is CRAZY!!!! hundreds to thousands of dollars for one product.


I'm not trying to be "Debbie Downer" here - just informed and to let you know that what I will be creating in the future may not include products for you sweet, stylish little ones. Still researching though and trying to be informed without being overwhelmed ;) It's tricky. LOL


I know businesses like Etsy, Ebay and your local thrift stores may be hugely affected as well. We'll see. anyone make any sense of this? Let me HEAR IT!




until then.......hold tight to your boutique outfits and products.


Read More

DisplayLink Customer Presence at CES

Diposting oleh fawaid on Senin, 12 Januari 2009

With over a dozen customers having DisplayLink products on display at the show, our presence at the show was quite significant. With all the products on display there were bound to be demos that stood out. Here's our vote for the best DisplayLink USB graphics demos at CES 09.

Sexiest Displaylink Product Demo



This one was a toss-up between the Samsung wireless Sidekick 19" 1360x768 monitor and the LG wireless W2286L 22" 1680x1050 monitor. If there has to be an absolute winner, the nod goes to the Samsung, because of the better presentation and collateral used in the demo. Both monitors use the Realtek radio to provide the WUSB link so should be getting the same throughput. With Asus also showing a WUSB monitor at the show, this will be an interesting space to watch to see how these get adopted in the marketplace.

Best Explanation and Collateral for a Demo



The Asus booth had both a three-screeen Displaylink monitor demo as well as a wireless monnitor demo, and the USB monitor demo had great signage as well as a rolling flash demo and a super-stretched Excel spreadsheet. Congratulations to Asus for showing people how easy it is to connect and display with USB graphics.


Most Impressive/Imposing Demo


At the IOGear booth, the main live demo was a laptop connected to two large 720p TVs using their WUSB-to-VGA adapters. With a single host transmitter they were sending the video signal to both receivers attached to the VGA inputs of the TVs. The TV on the right was running a video as the one on the left had a large Excel spreadsheet and a window that they were moving from one screen to the other. Everyone would at first think the TVs were running a regular video loop like so many of the other TVs on display at CES, only to be surprised when the mouse on the laptop would move a window from one to the other.

Read More

Arm Warmers - Tutorial

Diposting oleh fawaid

These take me back the days of attending elementary school sporting my leg warmers. :) tee hee hee. Let's update the look and purpose! This tutorial is quick and easy and is a great project to get your kids involved with too!


Take the chill off of the winter season without over roasting your kids in a bulky sweater or too many layers. Or if you kids are like mine they are cold one minute and "So HOT" the next they are running to change into a tank top! Here's the solution - pair a t-shirt up with some inexpensive arm warmers! So easy to slip them on and off quickly. When you are done upload your photos to share in the Brassy Apple Flickr Group!


Supplies:
A pair of long socks (or tube socks) Pick out your favorite pattern/color, etc

Sewing Machine
Scissors
Thread
measuring tape (optional)

Step 1: Pick out your favorite pair of socks. They can be Holiday, solid colored, patterned etc. Make sure to buy the Knee Length or Tube Sock style.



Step 2: Measure the length you want your arm warmers to be. You can measure out how long you want them to extend up your child's arm by placing the sock on their arm and eyeing it out. You want the sock to reach to or just past their first knuckles.



Or you can measure with a tape.


Step 3: Measure and cut off your socks to the desired length. Be sure to cut from the toe end. We want to keep the other finished end in tacked.


Step 4: Turn your socks inside out and find the "heel" spot. *(note: some socks are made without a built in heel. If yours do NOT have a rounded heel in them please proceed to step 7)*

Pull the heel up as shown in the picture making sure the other sock fabric is seperated. We will be sewing and cutting the heel out to create one long tube.

Step 5: Pin the heel area as close as you can to the "bottom" of it to create a straight "tube" when it is sewn together and cut off.

Step 6: Sew a straight line across the bottom of the heel to shut it and cut off the excess.

Step 7: Turn your socks right side out and lay them flat placing the "heel" seam on the underside. This will ensure that the seam isn't on top of their arm when they wear the warmers. Cut a small slit for the thumb. **One slit on the right inside and one slit on the left inside. ** See pictures below

Cut your slits on opposite side of each other so the heel seams remain on the underside.


And you are DONE! Slip them on your cutie and enjoy! Toss in the wash when they get dirty, slip them off for meal times, etc. Have fun and get creative with yours!

Be sure to upload your project photos into the Brassy Apple Flickr Group!

psst! if you are thinking really creatively - what about making a pair for your baby's legs?? they can crawl around in a onesie, protect their little knees and keep a bit warm too! whatcha think???

Thanks Kari of Ucreate for featuring my tutorial.
U Create
Read More

DisplayLink and Windows 7 at CES

Diposting oleh fawaid on Minggu, 11 Januari 2009

CES brought a host of announcements of new monitors, docks, and adapters--from the likes of Acer, Samsung, and HP--adding the simplicity of connecting their devices with a simple, inexpensive USB cable: all enabled by DisplayLink technology.

Once you've gotten used the simplicity of needing only a single USB cable to dock all your laptop's devices, or gotten used to a futuristic desktop extended across two, three, or even six displays with the same cable -- it's hard to go back.



Of course, another little announcement at CES 2009 was the public beta of Windows 7.

So, not wanting to put any Windows 7 enthusiasts through any withdrawal pains, DisplayLink made preview drivers available this week, just before Microsoft's official release of the beta. We've been working on these drivers for several months now, and these are the same drivers shown at CES. There are still some months to the release of Windows 7, and these are early, preview drivers only... but DisplayLink is working to insure that the "it just works" simplicity of USB is matched with updated drivers when this new operating system hits the streets.



These drivers support
  • The full Windows Aero experience for Windows 7
  • The new Windows 7 Display Screen Resolution panel, with better control over extending and duplicating displays
  • Support for the new "Windows-P" as a universal key combination for switching into and out of projector mode
  • Up to six screen-real-estate-expanding displays for multitaskers using Win7, all from one USB cable
If you're a Windows 7 Beta user, you can get an early peek at DisplayLink's Windows 7 drivers at http://www.displaylink.com/win7
Read More