Author: denise

I have done beadwork for over 25 years and got so interested in jewelry design that I took two metalwork classes at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee from wonderful teachers Deborah Lynn Gold and Marjorie Simon. I can't choose a favorite medium. I love sculptural work and adore forming and fabricating metals, but three-dimensional beadwork is more colorful. I sew a lot! Lately I've been making lots of purses and wallets as well as upcycling used clothing into new items. Lately I've gone back to sewing and refashioning cast-off clothing–mostly men's shirts, into girls' clothing. I also enjoy making handbags and wallets. They are really fun to put together–like a puzzle.

Necessary Wallet

I finished my latest Necessary Clutch Wallet from Emmaline Bags. I love this pattern and this wallet. It has so much room for stuff in such a small place. I carry one to match my Summer purse. I can save all my receipts and store my coupons in one pocket. It will hold my iPhone and change and bills and checks and my Square card reader… so much stuff!

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I mean, look at that. Isn’t that cute? I know. I didn’t match the stripes, but I would have had to waste fabric and I have a really hard time with that. I love the fabric. It looks like tiles. It’s so bright and cheerful! Isn’t that pattern great?

Look at all these pockets.

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There are lots of card slots for credit/debit cards, gift cards, business cards, etc. The fabric is Fiesta Tiles Royal which you can find here. I have on affiliation with Fabric.com, just a customer.

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I made the coin pocket in a bright coral orange so I can see inside easily.

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This is the outside of the wallet opened up.

August–Ugh.

August is looming like a vulture.

Ah, Tennessee in the summer. I hate Summer. It’s July 31st. August is looming like a vulture with its draining heat and humidity. UGH!!! Did I mention I hate Summer?
Vulture Silhouette clip art

I don’t get people who like heat. My family loves heat. I love Winter. I hibernate in Summer where there is air conditioning. I remember the days before air conditioning very well. We all stayed up until it cooled down enough to work, then we slept afterward and napped during the heat of the day. School started after Labor Day–with all the huge windows open.

Maybe that sleep schedule is what lead to my sleep disorders, or maybe my sleep disorders are why that crazy schedule worked for me. My dad also worked swing shifts of one week days, one week evenings, one week nights. We all tended to keep his schedule during Summer so the whole family got messed up. Dad also did a little sleep walking. Once, he, a VERY modest fellow, got up around midnight and, in his boxers, went to the well-house and was tinkering with the wires. He told us he was trying to fix the short in it. Mama got him to go back to bed. There actually was a short in the wiring. He had no memory of this the next day.

Anyway, my point is that it’s 9:00 AM Sunday morning and I’ve been awake since 8:30 AM Saturday morning. Not sleepy.

Better…

I’m better. Health-wise. My knee surgery is a success and physical therapy is going well. I caught a horrible cold–with complications. As my mother would have said, “I felt like the dead lice were falling off me.” I’m not sure what that means, but it’s about as bad as it gets. Finally I called on Sunday and she called in some antibiotics. I feel SO much better. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to take unnecessary antibiotics, but there is a point when a 61-year-old knows she has an infection and the nurse practitioner should listen.

Needless to say, I haven’t done much in the way of artsy stuff lately. My stock is getting low, though, so I need to get busy. Now that my sewing machine pedal leg is almost healed I think I can get back to work soon. Wish me luck.