hey bu dee

me_camera.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so yes mb, to answer your question, i am growing my hair out. i desperatly want cute maintenance-free hair. and my evil plan is working. i'm thinking by christmas it'll be just a long as i want, and i might have the courage by then to get some chunky highlights. for now though, i'm pretty psyched that getting the back cut once a month means 5$ haircuts. totally in my budget.

so by this time tomorrow i'll be on a ferry headed straight for block island. i couldn't be more excited. i could try, but it would be difficult.

currently reading a book called "mr darcy take a wife". oh. my. it's splendid and i'm completely hooked. it's a continuation of the pride and prejudice story, so it's darcy and elizabeth married, very romantic. and it's quite long. i don't think i've ever conquered a book this big, but i'm determined. i'm thinking of a handmade gift for the girl who lent it to me.

had a dream i found a door to heaven lastnight here on earth, in the desert somewhere. but i didn't want to walk through it. i kept repeating the names of all the people i still needed to witness to. like my neices and my grandmother. my heart aches for them so much. i have so much to do. i guess we all do.

and on that note everyone have a good holiday weekend. i'll be back wednesday to tell you all about my adventures. until then, live long and blog.

paint it black

paintitblack.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

so our newest adventure as a married couple just trying to cover our nut is an investment property. my husband and a partner bought a property about 3 weeks ago and ever since our lives have been filled with work! it's not so bad, right now it's a mess just because two apartments opened up and we're trying to get them re-rented asap. SO. my week has been insane. sunday we cleaned like i said before {roaches, yuck} and then tues it was back for cleaning and lastnight painting. and i've been fighting off a cold {thanks to sheer exhaustion and stress i'm sure} since sunday. these late late nights are NOT helping.

also not helping: getting home late only to pull up the sewing machine and try desperately to finish my 'block island' bag. it's about done, one or two more stitches and a tiny bit of hand sewing. now to find the time to finish it between now and leaving for the c.t. tomorrow at 6pm...

{oh, and must get my current mullet cut off before holiday weekend...}

head over heels

headband.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

i took this photo to show you all two things: 1-i've perfected the headband design and should start selling them soon {they're interfaced for durability and a bit shorter than the last version}, 2-this wicked awesome vintage fabric i scored at the thrift store. i love it so much i've already designed a couple of bags out of it, including my current project of a camera messenger bag...pics as soon as i can get it finished.

ps: there's two fabric card holders in this fabric available in the shop...

swap this

so what do you want to swap?

cards? stickers? or maybe we could all make multiple items of the same thing and just send them off? or maybe something fall themed? a sampling from your etsy shop if you have one? fabric? {a resounding no from everybody, boo} wands? {krazy krista} dishtowels? thongs? ok, maybe not one of those annoying copy this letter 10 times and add your name and you'll get 329 pair of undies. seriously. has anyone actually ever gotten more than 1 dishtowel? i'm still blaming my 8 years of bad luck on breaking the thong chain. shame on me. anyway, i think i used the word thong way too many times in one post. i wonder if it would affect my blog's rating...hmm...a "G" to "PG13" in one post. score.

long time no blog

okay, so it's only been a weekend, BUT there's so much that happened that i want to tell you all but no time to do it! a little about sewing, a little about catching a cold, a little about cockroaches...

so here's the thing i'm looking foward to the most this week: BLOCK ISLAND! yes, we're heading home for the holiday weekend and we've planned a trip with some friends to block island, rhode island: only one of my most favorite places ever. my first and only visit was last summer with the renowned and loved krista over at morninglorykitsch. and being a native you'ld think i would have been more familiar with the island but alas, i had never ventured on the 45 minute ferry trip...and of course now i want to go non-stop whenever we're in the area. what's not to love? sand, sun and cliffs, lighthouses and clam cakes, salt water taffy and touristy boating shops. mopeheads {justin will be driving this time krista, not me} and stuffed quahogs. ugh. can't wait. did i mention saturday and our 4-hr road trip can't come soon enough?

FREE SHIPPING!

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can you see it, teeny tiny there. well, i'm having a sale. again. ha. enjoy!

fresh on my mind - a fabric swap idea

anyone with a sewing machine interested? i was thinking of project pouches containing two quarter flats, an embellishment {ribbon or buttons} and an instruction sheet. i think the max would be sending out 5 swaps each, since the fabric could get a bit costly. anyway, anyone interested? let me know, if i get enough interest here i'll coordinate it all next week....

it is so not crooked

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i swear, it's hanging straight.

but here's my extent of creativity lastnight. i spray painted a matte to match this awesome blackapple print from etsy. i seriously love this print and couldn't be happier that it's mine. i think i'll go with all pink accents around it {sorry jen}, maybe some paper covered squares or some fabric circles hanging arbitrarily. who knows. right now, it looks a bit boring but i'll work on it. this is my crafty crap room that i revamped this weekend, only to find myself left with one completely blank wall. i'm thinking magazine holders {blueprint, real simple and body&soul} and maybe some sort of hanging ribbon holder...

so, let's see the links and the crafty goodness creative people.

a bit of creative sunshine

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on a dreary rainy day.

this little tote is a back-to-school gift for my neice. i made them each one but this is by far my favorite. i used vintage fabric from a thrift store and hello kitty ribbon for handles. the inside is flannel so it's soft and cozy. it's also filled with lots of back-to-school goodies like heart erasers and multi-color glitter pens.

do something creative today. whether you have five minutes or an hour. an even bigger challenge is to blog it tomorrow and comment me the link.

ah, nature, how you handle life with your butt in the air.

IMG_8496_butterflySM.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

ok, so the craziest week is over. and to cleanse myself of my stress and negative energy i reorganized and relaxed all weekend. a nature preserve visit, some fabric shopping,sewing and a nap. cleaning the fridge and completely reorganizing my crafty crap room. it was very refreshing to look at so many things around me in a new light. i feel revived and ready to take on this week.

the coolest thing had to be standing 5 feet from a wild deer. and getting all my laundry put away finally.

and the weiner is:

drunken_pouch.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

embee! big shocker there miss a million questions. BUT you did win with "what do you want for your birthday?" a quality inquiry if i do say so myself.

so here's your prize. well, one of them. i call this drunken squirrel. yep, brilliant me sewed this shroom fabric upside down. i think it gives it character! anyway, it'll be filled with tons of fun goodies and mailed soon.

PS: thanks for all the lovely books and music. i'm looking forward to reading the "girl's guide to hunting and fishing". and "how to pee standing up". all things i need to learn more about, from a witty angle.

you will be sorry when i'm big

COUSIN JEN: what is up with that wonky baby toe of yours?
hey! i have ugly feet. i'm well aware.

DAISYGIRL: How long have you had a store on etsy and how did you get the idea to have one?
actually, i told krista to start one to save money for our girl's trip last year, but then i thought, why shouldn't i sell stuff too?? so a couple of weeks later i opened my shop and thanks to all my lovely supporters it's been a grand experience.
Oh yeah, what did you end up doing with the in-laws last weekend?
honestly, we hung around much of the time. one day we spent by the lake, the rest we watched movies and went shopping and ate out. good times.
How did you come up with the name tinkerwiththis? Did it hit you like some epiphany at three in the morning?
not really. i just wanted something that said a bit about me and had some attitude. so it's my nickname plus a little jab. like, i dare you. to mess with this. that kind of thing.

STARSPRY: Where does your inspiration come from to make such great stuff?
from everywhere! it's inspiring to read all the blogs or surf etsy and see what other people are trying. in fact, i saw that patchwork belt on someone's blog and thought it would be fun to try.

EMBEE:
what size shoe do you wear? 7
when are you going to make a baby so that other people on the airplane can hate you for having a screaming kid? never.
what do you want for your birthday? (don't think we don't know.) a puppy.
what is the weather like today? today? or the day you asked me?
do you floss first, or brush first?
i hate flossing, but if i do it's floss, then brush.
do you like onions? sometimes.
how about garlic? i think i'm allergic.
i'm tired now. me too.

holding up the pants

green_belt.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

busy at work, busy at home. tonight i'll be stamping a couple of custom shirts, lastnight i made myself this belt using scraps i bought from kungfugirl {addicted to her pouches, have three more on the way, not sure what i need them all for yet...}, and some i had laying around. i'm pretty happy with it except i made it a bit long, it's an easy fix but maybe i'll just send it to my pregnant cousin who's getting fat fat fat. she's up to 105 pounds people!

anyway, no time to answer questions, will do tomorrow! keep em coming.

ETSY ANNOUNCEMENT: a butload of handy holders added and a couple of other additions, check it yo.

what inquiring minds need to know {the long version}

ok, for the next few days i'll just be answering some of the questions. keep em coming though, contest ends thursday at midnight.

1: what kind of camera do you use?

a canon digital 20D. {went with canon since i already owned a couple of very expensive lenses...} i LOVE it. the quality is amazing although the auto settings keep things a bit dark. i'll fix that by using manual and overexposing one-two stops. also, the built-in flash creates a yellow tint on indoor photos. BUT alas, i have photoshop and can fix almost anything. so i'm lazy, shoot auto and then fix later...

so no, jen, all those modifications, including black and white were made in photoshop. i create the glow by duplicating the image layer and blurring it, then setting the layer mode to overlay or soft light. so there you have it. all my photoshop secrets.

2: how many guys total did you date before meeting said hubby?

disqualified. kidding. you would have gotten a larger toll had you asked how many i kissed {jamie, adam, derek, ricky, oh the list goes on and on}. in all i didn't actually DATE that many. three in high school, one before hubby, two-three inbetween hubby. and then hubby. oh, and there was this one horrible first date between hubby breaking up with me and asking me to marry him. that's another story involving drooling, drinking and honey mustard. none of those on my part.

3: did you leave PCC or get booted?

if anyone doesn't know what this school entails, look it up, then you'll understand. pensacola christian college. or pensacola concentration camp as we used to lovingly call it. skirts to the knees, nobody out of bed after 11pm and no dating off campus, ever. yeah, scary. so the answer is no. i didn't get kicked out. shocker i know, but i managed to stay under the radar. i even went to a movie with a boy! egads. for that alone i could have been booted 3 times over. {not to mention the time i parked my car in the sammy's strip club lot by accident} but i chose to leave on my own. i think deep down i was really just scared to host my own art exhibit my senior year.

that's it for today! crazycrazy busy but i'll have a shop update tomorrow with a bunch of handy holders...so cute. i may have to keep one or two for myself, and maybe one for a prize....

contest rules and regulations {and some photos for you}

some pics from the weekend. didn't think i needed to include any photos of the pounds and pounds of food we ate. pounds. must hit gym. surely.







contest time, woot. i'm making a huge store update sometime this week so the prize will likely be something along the same lines...so to qualify, just leave me a comment with a question you've always wanted to ask, or always wanted to know about moi. yep. me. what do you want to know about the tink. or about what i make or sew or create or wish or dream or you get the point..

have at it, contest closes at midnight on thursday and i'll announce a winner {and said prize} on friday!

holy big post batman

goodybox.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

well since i'll be out of commission for the next few days {family visiting, yah} i thought i would overload you guys with things to discuss in my absence.

1: scraps purchased from kung fu cowgirl. best etsyer that i've dealt with so far. not only did she round these up for me to play with {yummy japanese fabrics that i can't afford}, but she sent extra goodies along with them! i really need to make her something fabulous as a thank you...

2: saturday, walking trail by the lake.

3: japanese fabric pouch purchased from kung fu cowgirl. go see her shop now! it's filled with cute fun little stuff and she's having a pouch sale, 3 for $12! except you jen, since you can no longer shop...

4: preview of fun necklaces soon to be in the sto'. as soon as i can find my drill bit....arg.

5: cute pouch i whipped up lastnight using said kung fu cowgirl scraps...i need to perfect my technique {and get a zipper foot for my machine} but this one holds my checkbook perfectly! yay for me.

6: fabric for my first project out of the amy butler In-Stitches book. can't wait to get to it...

7: finished mother-in-law gretta bag with matching fabric card holder. first time using magnetic snap closures and boy are they simple. also tried some different handles...pretty much just glad i got it finished in time...

ps: you know you've watched too many british films and read too many british books when you hurt yourself at home and go hopping around the room yelling "bugga bugga bugga!"

have a good weekend guys!

line em up

wonderful weekends that is. the weather was perfect and everything we did was fantastic {even buying new bath towels to match the remodeled bathroom yesterday}. friday night {after the softball game, church won their division, husband's the coach, woot woot} i made this oversized pocket-filled samantha bag.

sadly you won't be seeing samantha in the shop, because my gosh she's expensive and time consuming. high maintenance i would have to say. BUT i love her. saturday she joined me on the beach {lake not ocean, boohoo} and i must say she came in handy. enough room for suncreen, water bottle, book and magazines. here's a view of the inside with the secured magazine pocket.

luff it. nothing like reading about how to get a firmer butt while sitting on your squishy one in the sand. and here's a photo of me pre-tan friday night. not a fan of being in front of the camera...well, unless it's in front of my mirror in solitude.

prepping this week for the mother-in-law on wednesday and fun adventures to follow into the weekend. what to do what to do. thousand islands? skaneatles? boat tours? wine tours? outlets?

hope everyone else's weekend was just as fun!

egads

stress stress, stress stress stress. is it tomorrow yet?

august banner creation

oh right, the banner above {all but the doodling, yay skulls} has been designed using a free scrapping kit from here. if you have photoshop it's a whole lotta fun. if you don't, you can't create cool banners like me. ha. enjoy!

sewing like a pro 101

okay so lastnight at walmart {egads yes, i shop at walmart BUT they have goats milk which my husband and our trusty cat that's not really our cat loves.} i picked up a couple of PATTERNS! yes, it's time to branch out in the sewing realm and attempt clothes. really cute summery clothes. {and some fun baby stuff for all you prego ladies.} i just keep seeing all these sewing blogs showing off their goods and i'm in love. to make something you can wear? unbelievable. i did make a skirt a while ago but by my lack of photo shoot, you'ld realize i'm ashamed at my attempt.

another online inspiration is the flickr in-stitches group started {yes?} by kelli over at african kelli {must change your misspelled name in my link...so sorry!}. i love the creativity of these people. oh, and did i mention In-Stiches by amy butler is the ONLY sewing book i own. seriously. i need in on this sew-along....

so this weekend i plan to make use of my fabric stash and new patterns and hopefully have something photo-worthy to show you next week. and a mother-in-law gretta to finish for her arrival next weekend. wahoo. she's always so fun to spend time with, i guess i lucked out that way.

wish me luck!

bag lady in the making

barbs_bag.jpg, originally uploaded by tinkerellen.

whipped this reversible babe up lastnight for a coworker's 50th bday today. she absolutely loved it! i think tonight i'll get started on a giant messenger for myself, with loads of pockets and cuteness.

worked out last night again, this time it was video land for me. self's "best butt ever" DVD. it's pretty swell. i sweat like a hog. it was hot.