Manic Monday with GooseyLucy

Good Monday to all!

Here I am, back to blogging and featuring Linda Hux of GooseyLucy for Manic Monday.

Above - Blue Bird Pinafore

Below - Green & Orange Apron

Above - Quilted Christmas Stocking

Below - Dots & Ducks Pinafore

Linda offers full & half aprons, bottle bags, darling pinafores for little girls, scarves & hats, all handcrafted.

A note on the pinafores - they are reversible!

Lovingly & thoughtful, hand made items sure to please.

Linda offers free gift wrapping, too!

And her aprons are available in NFL fabric - just in time for SuperBowl Sunday.

Sewing for Your Favorite Nurse/Health Care Professional

Have you considered sewing for your favorite Health Care Worker?

Have you seen the prices for plain 'ol scrubs? for something baggy & with a drawstring waist?

Treat yourself 0r your favorite nurse, with custom made & personalized uniforms.

With such cute fabrics available & adding monograms to smocks, you can create an item that will wash better & last longer....

Patterns available at SewMrsP on Ruby Plaza

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My mother was a Registered Nurse in the days when she practiced health care.

She was a teacher, floor supervisor and set up the Visiting Nurse/Home Health care system in one community where we lived for some years.

She was in that "magical" generation which experienced first-hand cooking on a wood stove, horse drawn farm equipment, lamp light to the discovery of penicillin, the moon walk and the dawn of the age of computers.

She was born in 1917 to older parents and through her related stories I could reach out to touch the 19th century.

Amazing to me that three generations of long lived family members can breach 120 years of time....

When she went to Yale Nursing School in the late 30's the nursing staff/students were still making rounds into the poorer neighborhoods with a doctor.

When we lived in North Carolina in the 70's she was the supervisor of the Home Health program and administered to folks who lived so far up in the hills they were without electricity & indoor plumbing in the 20th century. FoxFire indeed...

She had gone "back to work" when I was about 5 years. Back then the full nursing uniform was cap, dress, white hose, white shoes, and girdle.

Her dresses had to be ironed and starched - back in the 60's the dresses were full-skirted.

For some reason, even when I was quite young, I liked ironing & pressed Mother's uniforms for her.

The smell of hot cotton & starch, the finished well-pressed item, is most satisfactory....

Handling these uniform patterns reminds me of her nursing days & my own stint as a lab tech. We had to wear white uniforms, look pressed & tidy even in the 80's and that was a chunk of money out of small paychecks.

Sew Mrs P with Vintage Patterns, Sewing/Crafting Supplies

Ta-da! Sound the trumpets!

Sew Mrs P is open on Ruby Plaza

That is where I have been working away for a month and neglecting the blog...

The number of files needing transfer is somewhat over-whelming...

The only thing to do is just to keep hacking away at the mountain

one at a time.....

I am figuring on another year to get all the files in one location (Ruby Plaza).

So! Sew Mrs P has Vintage & Newer Crafting & Sewing Supplies!

Patterns for the family, Crafting & Sewing Books, Buttons, Trims & other supplies....

The next couple of weeks I will be focusing on promoting the Sewing Shop -

then hope to return to featuring other shops/favorite artisans...

The patterns above are available at on Ruby Plaza....

Craft Thursday with Unique Handbags

Crafty Thursday with Unique Handbags

above - Small Zippered Hobo

below - phone sleeve

This is the work of Pamela Robinson of Unique Handbags.

She creates a range of totes, bags, phone sleeves, wallets using UPcycled/REcycled materials.

And these lovely leather cuffs....

Beautifully crafted items with many different themes & colors....

below - Applique Bird Handbag

Pamela is an artist/graphic designer - her ability to blend materials & design & a desire to UPcycle does indeed yield Unique items.

Pamela has a shop on Etsy and an extensive shop online as UniqueHandbags.net - which has not only a larger selection of handbags but also more jewelry, accessories for ipods.....

Custom orders are welcomed.

Find Pamela on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/UNIQUES-Handmade-Accessories-and-Gifts/251329511166?ref=mf

and her blog http://www.sewintoart.blogspot.com/

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Coming soon! Shopping Lists of Unique Items for that Hard-to-Shop-for Person!

I am working on a series of "themed" shopping lists to help shop for a special item - whether holiday, birthday or "just because".

These lists will be permanently displayed on the left side bar & updated as needed.

These lists will be shops & vendors I have admired & have good reputations/wonderful quality products.

Manic Monday with Sisters Of The Moon

Manic Monday + Halloween = Sisters Of The Moon Design

above - zombie skeleton hands hair clips

below - corset skirt Golden Memories

above - Victorian Princess arm warmers

below - Adult tutu Midnight Black

Halloween today & I am finishing up the Steampunk/Goth/Tribal inspired series for Boo! week with Sisters Of The Moon Design, a mother & daughter team of professional seamstresses who produce a variety of Unique Tutus, Hair Falls & Alternative Clothing.

There are items ready to buy & they will gladly do custom orders.

Note - they do produce tutus in Children sizes....

Their items fall into Dance, Steampunk, Alternative Clothing, Couture Noir, Noir Edwardian & just Fun, categories & all beautifully made. Be sure to check out their Hair Falls & the Enchanted shop has layered collars & Wedding Veils!

The team has several shops - the main link will take you to the SistersOfTheMoonDesign.com site

this will take you to one of their Etsy shop (where the photos came from)

www.etsy.com/shop/SistersOfTheMoon

this will take you to their Etsy vintage shop

www.etsy.com/shop/sisoftmoonVintage

this will take you to their Enchanted shop for more fantasy inspired pieces

www.etsy.com/shop/SistersEnchanted

Also, find them on Facebook as Sisters-Of-The-Moon-Designs

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I will certainly have more Steampunk & Noir Edwardian clothing & jewelry vendors to feature!

This Thursday will be another craftsperson/artisan feature.

Heading outside today to work on the shrub beds before Winter is upon us.

Over-grown items need moving, "stuff" needs a clean-up, more mulch is needed.

Beautiful day with mild temps - it will be nice to leave the computer alone for a day!

Halloween Thursday with Dark Fusion Boutique

Halloween Thursday with Dark Fusion Boutique

"Welcome to Dark Fusion Boutique- clothing and accessories designed by

Lucretia*Renee of Serpentine- Theatrical Fire Fusion Bellydance located in Portland,

Oregon."

"Her clothing design style has become an elegant yet edgy fusion of fetish, tribal

bellydance, goth, burlesque, circus, vaudeville, and steampunk."

Visit Dark Fusion Boutique's Beautiful Etsy shop & Facebook page to view more of these gorgeous photos & products.

Products range from full Tribal/Fusion/Dance outfits to individual, well-crafted pieces.

Dark Fusion Boutique on Facebook - www.facebook.com/darkfusionboutique

Dark Fusion Boutique on Etsy - www.etsy.com/shop/darkfusionboutique

note -sentences in quotes directly from Dark Fusion Boutique's Etsy shop

Steampunk Jewelry by tasherajean

Halloween Tuesday =

Tasherajean, Steampunk jewelry queen

Welcome to the world of tasherajean...

below is 'Arthur' the bat

of industrial vintage watch parts...

"ta-sher-a (tuh-share-uh) noun. 1. The fusing of neo-victorian gothic design with the allure of mechanical instruments meshing with high-fashion. A truly unique, one of a kind, piece of wearable art."

(direct quote from tasherajean's shop announcement)

above

"Identical Antique Hand Engraved and Etched Pocket watch balance cocks- in gold tone

10k Gold ear wire

Vintage Swarovski rhinestones"

below

'Oscar' the Owl necklace

Vintage pocket watch parts & Swarovski rhinestones

and tasherajean makes Christmas ornaments!

the themes range from conventional Santas to Retro Kitsch, cute puppies, children, all from authentic vintage images mounted to wood...

I have a great deal of admiration for those who UPcycle what most folks would simply discard. Imaginations & dedication, the common factor is "green" crafting and a belief in the old adage "Waste Not, Want Not".

Tashera's unique theme is "Beauty in Chaos"

as she wrestles that chaos into wearable art....

Also, Tashera has a shop with DeviantArt

www.tasherajean.deviantart.com

Halloween Week with Zombie Ranch & Vampie Oodles - Oh My!

IT'S HALLOWEEN WEEK!

and i am featuring Steampunk, Goth, Couture Noir style shops this week.

Manic Monday Offering up Zed's Zombie Ranch

and

Vampie Oodles

Two separate shops operated by the same rather eccentric threesome.

High quality metal & leather work.

1st photo - Witch Parking Only

2nd photo - Zed's Zombie Ranch T-shirt (isn't it a killer?)

both from Zed's Zombie Ranch

3rd photo - lovely Hand Sewn Black Leather Fingerless Gloves

4th photo - Hand Sewn Leather Gaiters

both from Vampie Oodles

Vampie Oodles specializes in leather accessories for those who favor Steampunk & Tribal - the items also work well for historical reenactment costumes....

Zed's Zombie Ranch has T-shirts & decorative metalwork featuring skeletons, Big Foot, Zombies & other critters...

Well established shops with excellent ratings -

and...

be sure to check Vampie Oodles for some AMAZING Tribal jewelry & Vintage pieces! A word of warning - if you see something you like - buy it! don't wait - the unique pieces are OOAK....

This gorgeous item is a traditional tribal necklace from Nepal.

Vampie Oodles can be found on Facebook as https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vampie-Oodles/270994467683

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Tomorrow - encounters of the other worldly kind....

Vintage Kitchen - Recipes & Kitchen Ware

Collection of Antique/Vintage Biscuit & Cookie Cutters

at The Jolly Monger

Isn't this cute? Vintage brown glaze over terra cotta made in Japan

Continuing to work hard at adding the Vintage Kitchen Ware items to The Jolly Monger.

I need to take the time to photograph the aprons....

I don't wear aprons but do note that aprons are back in favor these days....

Some memories i have of rural Vermont from the 60's is of the farmer's wives

with their bib style aprons - some being held to the chest with safety pins...

Most of the women wore housedresses, thick hose & sensible black shoes & many were outstanding cooks that grew up cooking for large numbers of hired hands on

wood-burning stoves....

I am going to start a series of Vintage (mostly so) Recipes...

these are "tried & true" - some i have made, some not....

"Keeper" Cole Slaw

makes 2 quarts

3 quarts shredded cabbage

(for this recipe we hand cut for longer pieces)

1 1/2 to 2 cups grated carrot

1 cup sugar

mix the above together & let sit covered, overnight in the refrigerator.

next day -

boil together for 1 minute

1 cup salad oil

1 cup vinegar

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon celery seed

partially cool & pour over cabbage mix.

Refrigerated this keeps for 7 to 10 days & improves the second day after making.

Chopped onion, celery can be added...

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Spiced Grape Conserve

my parents' neighbors made this from their own grapes - i loved it!

excellent compliant to pork roasts....

8 pounds purple grapes

3 cups cider vinegar

tie in a cheesecloth bag the following:

4 sticks cinnamon

1 ounce whole cloves

2 blades of mace

Remove & *set aside* grape skins.

Cook pulp in vinegar with spice bag, until grapes are soft.

Remove bag & mash grape pulp through sieve, being sure to remove seeds.

Add skins, bring to boil &

add 4 Pounds White Sugar,

Cook until thick.

Put in glass jars & seal.

Next Vintage Recipe will be my mother's bread recipe.

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This coming week will be Halloween themed

with Goth, Steampunk & Couture Noir shops & items -

How fun!

Also, I will post my own ghostly experiences & tales from friends, spooky books & movies...

Photographing on Gray (fabric, days, moods...)

It is a rather Gray day today - literally & mentally

so i thought to post about photographing on gray

as a background....

I had several plates i wanted to shoot - lighter colors needing something

other than a white background so i tried a medium gray sheet....

am not too pleased with how "depressing" the atmosphere of the photo is...

this is re-touched

this is un-touched & the light in the studio was high afternoon....

i tried red on gray - good contrast

this photo is un-edited....

but compared to using a white background

the whole mood of the photo is different....

several white milk glass bowls

while the above is a good photo & all i did was to crop, i am thinking i will

use another background....

i need to try a couple more colors...

a good background not only contributes to the subject being photographed

but can lure or turn away a viewer.....

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am going to keep expanding my social networking by looking into some of the

"extras" that will re-tweet for you by scheduling times...

what the world needs now is more Twalk from this Twit....