Headin' Home to Iowa

I won't be posting for just a little while since we're heading back home for a family wedding & the highlight of my trip...................to see my 82 year old grandma. That woman is absolutely awesome!! All of her funny little quirks, habits & values, I SWEAR, I take after her :) (I wonder if it's possible for a granddaughter to take after her grandmother?) I did have the wonderful opportunity of my grandparents living right next door while growing up so I guess I can see there being a possibility.



I also took advantage of while I'm gone, my sewing machine is in the shop getting it's 1st year checkup. This worked out perfectly, since I didn't know how I was going to be able to be without my sewing machine for a week. :)



A small favor of those reading my blog.................I'd really love to change my blog background, but haven't really found anything that fits me. Everything I see out there is either too formal or Shabby Chic so this has me toying with the idea of hiring someone to design it for me if I can't find anything out there on the internet. If you have any suggestions for background sites or someone who can create a background relatively inexpensively, please let me know!!



Thanks & have a great rest of the week!!!
(Adriana will be flying back to Iowa with me, so maybe she'll have some interesting pics to post here when we get back.)

Halloween Goodies

I LOVE Halloween!! I think it's my most favorite holiday & to help celebrate Halloween, I made a couple of Halloween Mini Wallets for my shop.

The first mini wallet was made from recycled Halloween Plain M&M wrappers.







For those that prefer peanut M&M's, the wallet below was made from recycled Halloween Peanut M&M wrappers.





Interiors of both wallets were made of hand dyed bamboo (LOVE that orange color).


No calories were gained by me (having to eat the M&M's to get the wrappers) they were happily donated to my DH's co-workers, who were happy to receive them. :)

I'm Going to be Published, TWICE!!!

Remember this...............

© 2009 Tracy Borders

Sandra Salamony was seeking submissions for her new book, 1000 Artisan Textiles. I submitted Green Apple Martini & it was accepted!! The book is slated to be published May 2010. (I'm not sure if I can wait that long!!)

I also have another piece that is to be published in Marion Barnett's new book, Exquisite Evolon. The publish date for that is right around the corner. Sorry no pics to show of that piece yet, I sent it out the next day after I completed it & didn't have time to photograph it. Marion promised me some digital photos.

I am hoping to add a third piece to my "being published" list this year. I submitted art work to Greencraft Magazine. The deadline was last week & I'm waiting to hear back. Sorry, I can't go into detail with what this may be (don't want to jinx it) but will tell you it's for Greencraft Magazine, that's totally dedicated to art made from recycled materials & it's something I've never created before. :)

Fingers & toes are crossed!!

For Michele & Michelle

I made each of these wonderful cyber friends mini wallets (I hope they like them).

For Michele, I made her wallet from Torrefazione coffee bags.

I'm not sure I've ever worked in white before, so this was a new experience. I really like how it turned out except for the smell. I washed the bags really well before using them & in all of my handling with them, after they were finished, they still smelled like coffee (I'm not a huge coffee fan).

I made this mini wallet for Michelle from Lay's Salt & Vinegar potato chip bags. Michelle saves wrappers for me & I bottle caps for her, so as a thank you, I asked her what she would like to have her wallet made from, which was the Salt & Vinegar chips, her favorite. I was a little unsure of myself when I first started as I didn't have much for Salt & Vinegar bags to use, so I was actually impressed that this wallet was made from very little "material" & with it being another color I generally don't work in, I really like how it turned out.

Each of the interiors have hand dyed bamboo poplin & on Michelle's Lay's wallet, I went even a step further with recycled materials. The clear vinyl covering came from clear curtain packaging. (I knew there was a reason why I kept that empty packaging!)

40............sigh

Yes, I am 40 today or as I'd like to say 20 (times 2). :)

A very wonderful friend of mine, Michelle, made these fabulous things for me for my birthday (they're SO cool & they're in my favorite color!!)

40 tudes is a little journal that she made using painted interfacing & on each page is a different technique that Michelle likes to use in her art. Also, on each page is a clear little sleeve that I've been told that are for me to put pictures in of my party that we're having tonight. Michelle has said that she'll be posting on her blog more info about this wonderful little piece if you'd like to know more.

She also sent me these earrings that were made from a Fresca can. (Aren't they great!!)

Make sure you go over & check out her blog & see what she's been up to lately!!

Thanks Michelle, I love them!!

I had planned on doing a giveaway drawing for my birthday, but I've been so busy working on creating a piece to submit to Greencraft Magazine, I didn't have to the time to create anything. After I submit to Greencraft Mag, I'll do a giveaway, maybe a journal from Cheetoh bags or a mini wallet or maybe both :)

Crisp bags from the UK

My wonderful friend, Lynda, sent me a huge envelope full of Crisps bag wrappers to use in my mini wallets. It felt like Christmas in August!!

I thought I'd share a few pics so my US friends can take a look.

They have flavors like we have in the US, like the Salt & Vinegar, BBQ & plain salted, but there were some that seemed strange like the Chicken & Onion, the Prawn Cocktail (no, I'm not kidding) & then they have interesting ones like the two below.

These bags above are beautiful!! I'd be interested in seeing & tasting the 8 other flavors :)

Thank you, Lynda, for sending me these wonderful Crisp bags, I can hardly wait to start using them to create my wallets!!