{there are no mistakes, just beautiful reinventions}

{Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Art is knowing which ones to keep.  ~Scott Adams}

I have long since learned that this is the beauty of {ART}. There is no right or wrong. No proverbial black or white. We, as creators of art, are free to claim our mistakes as much more. We are free to scoop them up, recycle them, re-purpose them, reinvent them ... make them into something beautiful once more.

... but first let me take you back a bit ... 

I have long since been a lover of the primitive arts. Years ago I bought a simple set of directions, a rug hooking frame and some scraps of wool. I was literally {hooked} if you will! Armed with a new cutter and a notebook full of designs I began creating rugs. 

They took hours and hours and hours and hours to make, but they were {real}. They were going to last a lifetime. A craft of the past. When someone ordered a custom designed rug they were in fact getting an heirloom.

 ... fast forward ...

I recently started what was to be a miniature {rug} for a wall hanging. Somewhere along the way it dissolved into something smaller than miniature. A mistake. {or so I thought}. So I tucked it away for another day ... after all, the wool had been dyed, stripped and partially hooked. I could abandon it, but I have never had to heart to take a rug apart ... and so that day came. Last week, as I rooted through a cupboard I stumbled across the partially finished {miniature rug}. The colors were wonderful and since I have been a fanatic crazy woman making bags left and right around here I decided then and there it might not be a rug, but it could certainly be a bright and cheery panel on a bag.

... and so it was ...

I remounted it on the frame and finished the hooking. It was satisfying to be holding the hook again. Once it was complete I sewed it to one of the panels of a duck cloth tote bag I was working on ...

... a fresh and funky design. Birds, hearts, arrows, scallops, flowers ...

... as I am huge into {re-purposing} these days as well, I gathered up some cool vintage fabric my sweet, sweet neighbor gave me and used it as a liner for the tote bag. Some canvas straps, a shabby muslin ruffle and of course, a {great big huge ruffly silky flower}. I even threw in a hand dyed velvet center for the flower ...

...the reverse side of the tote is embellished with a tiny felted heart with wings ...

... and so there are no mistakes.

 Just {beautiful reinventions} ...

... and always a reason to {CREATE} !

Enjoy!

{linking up to some wonderful places here!}

{ muslin & leather plaquette cuff }

I love my leather cuffs, and I have many...but I am always looking to try something new with them...and so...

This is the latest. Another one of my coveted number plaquettes from my sweet friend Roben-Marie and her Art Goods Shop is front and center on this one! 

I criss-crossed walnut stained muslin to give it the look of cross stitched leather. 

Tied on a plaquette with more muslin and then finished it off with a mix of walnut stain and glossy mod podge. 

I went right over the top of the leather, muslin and all. It gave the muslin the look and feel of old leather. I LOVE IT!

{ I will be linking up to some of my favorite parties here ! }

Vintage Needlework Pillow

When a friend of mine received this awesome piece of vintage needlework for her birthday we all looked at it and said "pillow!" She had just finished her guest bedroom makeover and the vintage piece fit in with the color scheme perfectly. Take a look at the end result. Super sweet & SIMPLE!

I will try to link this up to some of my favorite parties this week, here! 

Collecting materials for the pillow was easy! We used muslin for the backing (it matched the color of the needlework fabric the best and seemed to be almost the same weight) and some old sheets that had this to die for ruffled edging...

 ...the piece of vintage needlework measured just shy of 18 x 18, which couldn't have been more perfect.

One of the standard pillow forms you can purchase is 18 x 18 inches exactly...

Using the square piece of needlework for a template, I cut the muslin for the backing, adding extra for the seam allowance. Then I cut the ruffled edge off of the sheets...

...Next I pinned the ruffle, needlework and backing all together. ( I cut my muslin to allow for a tuck in flap on the reverse side of the pillow...sorry I forgot to take a photograph of this.) Here are some photographs BEFORE I added a little something SWEET & SIMPLE!

..Lastly, I wanted to add a little dimension...( I just have too! ) ...and since I LOVE shabby flowers, I made one using some pretty white on white floral fabric and some beautiful, wispy organza I had in my stash. A touch of muslin to make a little rosette for the center, and a brooch clasp on the back so she can remove it from the cover for washing...(or wearing!)

To make the flower, I just stripped some fabric, ruffled each layer on the machine and stitched it all together! Super easy and the end result is sheer sweetness!

Sweet Ruffled Satchels

 I hope this week finds everyone rested after a long holiday weekend. My family and I were invited to the beach by a long time friend and we were blessed with wonderful weather, great company and each other. A much needed reprieve for all! It was while I was on this "mini holiday" that I realized I needed something small and light and summery looking to carry as a little "purse." I dug through a drawer deep in "carry all's" but nothing seemed right...so I survived the weekend with my Burt's Bees in my pocket and my money in my husband's pocket! Today I decided to remedy that situation once and for all. I found these adorable, plain duck cloth zipper "satchel's"{check out the beautiful tray Erin at Peony Wire Works created for me!} as my Olivia likes to call them at a local craft store. All they needed was a shabby white muslin ruffle and a twisted shabby rosette. I love the rope like handle and the overall simplicity of this little tote. It measures 6 x 9 inches. Perfect for the summer here and there's!

{check these "SWEET SATCHELS" on etsy}