Things I'm Working On

 This week I have been working on some patchwork-covered journals.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who keeps a notebook in her purse all the time; for shopping and to-do lists, art ideas and inspiration.  And who wants a plain old notebook when you can have a little bling?

Woven batiks and a few beads:

Random strips and squares in blues and greens:

And here's the back view:

This is one of my favorites so far - pastel batiks, buttons and rhinestones:

A close up of the buttons:

And the back view:

Another small journal featuring a filigree flower.  The flower was originally a brooch but the backing was broken off when I bought it.  I've been hanging onto it for months, knowing I'd find the perfect place for it!

Some of these notebooks will be going in my Etsy store - reclamationtextiles.etsy.com and I may put one on eBay.  I'm also currently working on Christmas ornaments for dog and cat lovers, a steampunk Christmas ornament, a unique jewelry idea, and more.....  So many ideas, so bad at time management!  I haven't worked on the Under The Sea piece for a couple of weeks - I am feeling "stuck" and need to work the problem out in my head before I continue.  I'm not happy with the sky fabric - I need to either add a sheer layer on top to tone down the color, or rip it out and replace it with something calmer.  I am pondering the best way to fix this problem, and I'm sure the answer will come one day soon, and I'll get back to stitching on that.  

*Basement Update:  The restoration company came in and removed all the flooring downstairs.  Three huge fans have been drying things out and I am hoping we can choose new flooring soon.  I really want to get my house back to some semblance of order, but it sounds like the insurance companies and restoration people are busy all over Alberta with the stormy summer weather, and ours is one of many, many wet basements.  So we wait.

In the meantime, I'm off to reboot the laundry and plan this week's creative projects!  Happy stitching everyone!