nanandbags

Shutterfly +felting=xmas cards

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Finally it is DONE! YAHOOOO - If you would like a personalized card from myself and the Aine - please email your addy at [email protected]. Nan and Aine

Pugs, cats and you like me, dontchya?

It is official. I have a store facebook page!  I have a goal of getting to at least a 100 *likes* by the end of this week so please pass this link around to anyone you know!   Thank you in advance!

One of my biggest goals is to get my website together and get my portfolio in gear. Just going through the pictures that I had I realized....

I seriously need a photo booth/thingy/that professonals use!

Speaking of pictures here are a few things I made this weekend.

This Puggy Ornament is going to Green Mountain Pug Rescue's auction! YEA!  It is 2.5 inches high and 1.5 inches round. It was so fun to make and I hope it makes loads of money for the rescue! The last one I made for DFW rescue made $50.00 for the rescue! Yea! Btw - did I tell you? For every pug item that I sell from now until the holidays - I am donating $5.00 of that purchase to a pug rescue of your choice. I am sorry but the best way to see my pugs is to go to my facebook page or look on my flikr or this blog. I am happy to state that most of my pugs don't even make it to my etsy. So if you would like a specially made puggy - please feel free to contact me! Or contact AINE. She gets so lonely when I needle felt. It is hard being a model. Very hard. So she would appreciate your emails. :)

These little guys are going to a craft fair tomorrow. 

 I love puppets and I will be making more of them. Also cats have been requested so I am practicing as much as I can. Especially when you see pictures of this little guy - who is beggin to be felted!

I mean seriously. IS HE NOT THE CUTEST KITTY EVERRRRRRRRRR!?!  Ugh Want to eat him up - and I am alergic to cats!

OH! Also I am quite interested in 1000pugs.com.
If you have any puggies that want to be photographed, my friend Donna and I are trying to get 50 pugs to wrangle for the Milwaukee Pug fest next year. Please email me if you are interested.

So much fun new stuff coming!  Hugs all! Nan and zzzing Aine

 

Craft: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

I read Craft all the time. What is your Craft 5,4,3,2,1? Mine is below!

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of:

1. My needle felted royal wedding pin cushion ring.

Who knew two obessions -anglophile(lover of all things English or British -btw there is NO SUCH THING as a Britophile!) and needle felting - could collade into a wonderful mashup of goodness? This was probably the quickest needle felted project I have ever done. I needed a pin cushion, I needed it now and oh wait - Prince William just got engaged to Kate and she has Princess Diana's ring?! SWEET! ta daaaaa!

Yep, there is a reason why there is a little CNN in the left corner. It made it to CNN.*squee* And than the interviews came in for USA Today and BBC and BBC again. Who knew a fascination with craft and royalty could bring this much fun? I still have to pinch myself, I sincerely never thought I would get this much attention. Definately the highlight of my summer. 

Two Mistakes You've Made In the Past

1. Stay true to what you like to do. Don't cave to the popularity of another craft. This is the hardest thing to figure out when you are Crafter - what the heck do you like to do?  It is especially hard when you like a lot of different crafts. It took me a bit, but realizing that I could focus on one piece of the collective pie -could actually free your mind a bit. And it did... which shocked me. lol.

2. Remember *why* you went to this craft. Yes -I would love it if my wee little shoppe could be the next big thing - but you know? The organic growth of my shoppe is okay. I am a super Type A person, so to not be all Type A about my craft was like *whoa*.  But than I remembered WHY I went to sewing, multi-media, card making, crocheting and finally needle felting - the process of creating kept me sane. It was the balance in my work and my life.  Any success from this was a bonus and even more appreciated when it happened!

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. Did I mention I am a Anglophile? LOL I create British Inspired goodies with an American Accent; as I say in my Shoppe.  Even though I do adore and will claim that I am Anglophile to the day I die, I love my country too. And I love especially the differences between the UK and the US. It is the nuances not only in the language but between our two cultures that I find facinating. It is those little bitty details that inspire me to create pincushions in the shape of Tardis's or Georgie,the Tea Party Baby Elephant. 

2.Geek. *points to the above tardis pin cushion reference*  - Need I say more? Who else would want a Doctor Who inspired pincushion except a geek like me.

3.Humor. I made a cat with a fez once. This is before the 11th Doctor Who and his infamous Fez.  Yep. My humor is kinda quirky. And if you know about the Doctor Who Fez reference? You my friend, are a geeky fun person like me! YEA! Go us!

Four Tools You Love To Use

1. Needle Felting Thimble. Never felt without it. I have worn it out and I need a new one. It has saved me from buying stock in band aides. For reals.  

2. Franny my dressform. Franny is named after my Grandma, Fran -an amazing seamstress. My Grandma is no longer with us but Franny helps me out anytime I need sewing help ;)

3. My artbox/sewing box. It basically keeps my needle felting tools organized. If not - ugh. 

4. My iPad. Besides being the BEST INVENTION EVER, you never know when inspiration strikes - hence having my iPad ready - always helps me sketch things out before I forget the idea. 

Five Inspirations

1.PUGS. Especially my little Aine. I mean, will you look at her cuteness? How could one not be inspired?!  

2. Illustrators Gemma Correll and Nikki Schulmann. You have seen me go on and on about Gemma's work. I mean - her tea towel was part of the 2am welcoming committee at my Royal Wedding Party.

Nikki - I dont think my blog readers have heard me mention her. My husband and I received her calendars and we fell in love with her illustrations. For my birthday one year, Joe(my late hubby) got me all of Nikki Schulmann illustrations he could find. Than all of a sudden it seemed like she disappeared off the net. I am so happy to hear that she is back on the net - this time doing quilts!  Her mastery of detail and colors is amazing. Her prints hang in my studio and inspire me all.the.time. 

3. Antiques and Antiques Roadshow.  I would love to be one of the Keno's assistants. Just saying. But no - it is the crafting around a particular antique that I adore. Like my latest obsession with Automata. When you see something like this, anything is possiable. 

  

4. History(ALL countries history I am interested in -from their clothing to why they became amazing at xyz) and architecture. Or in this case,

an architecture of a hat. LOL

5. My family and friends. Who else lets me needle felt their dogs decked out in Cub gear?  

Btw everyone - this is S&P named after my sister and brother-in-law that just turned a big bday and oh btw part2 - they are both CPAs. Get it? S&P - S&P 500? Oh and did I mention they are die hard Cub fans?

So there you have it! Welcome to the world of Me. Please tell me what your Craft 5,4,3,2,1 is!  xoxo Nan and Aine

Balls!

 

My pug friend Amanda wants to make felted ball garlands so I volunteered to figure out what needle to use. :)

*squee* I love felting

Oh by the way please forgive me if the video sounds like SNL's "sweaty balls" skit. Definately was not meant to....

xoxo Nan and Aine

 EDIT!!!  Here is the work in progress....

Whatchya think?

 

Happiness comes in packages and pug armies

Crazy busy but I have to tell you all of some exciting happenings!

1. I am raising a(making a felted)PUG ARMY as my bestie T calls it.  So excited about this! One I am particularly excited about for pug rescue. I hope I can find the proper items to make it work.  Who knew a little hobby of mine and love of pugs would mesh together so well?! *squee*

2. BBC Radio contacted me and they are sending me the recordings of my interviews! As soon as I get them - i will figure out how to post them!

3. OMG I got this AMAZING package from edwoodpugz  that will get a proper video showing because pictures cant do the lovely package justice! *flails* IT ROCKS!

4. My Adobe Illustrator class is FANTASTIC! I can't wait to get the software!

5.  Did ya'all see this?  I love the last line. 

Sorry but Got to run! xoxo Nan

Mo Knows

I wouldnt be anywhere without my friends and family but especially  my beloved friend Mo.   MO guess what?! I PUT MY BIG GIRL PANTS ON!!!  

*squeee* I signed up for something that I kept on putting off for a while.

I am taking  Adobe Illustrator  at the School of the Art Insititue  of Chicago Continuing Education Program so that I can master this program once-and-for-all. Big bday gifty to me. :) This class will also  help me with another personal goal that I have been brewing. ;)

This is going to be a busy month - I go to class at night and Ms. Aine has to have her schedule adjusted.  That means me, my car and my life needs to be uber organized. Shoot. Mo can you come to Chi-town and manage my life for the next two months? :)

Classes start next MONDAY! ACK! *does happy dance* Oh shoot! I got to get my student id.  Omg I have a student id ya'all.  think of the glorious tech that I can buy!!

Nan and zzzzzzzzzzzzz Aine.

 

Lucky 7: Needle Felted PUGs for Pug Fest!

Oh do I feel like a proud puggy momma in this picture. I have finished a lot of my pre-orders and now I am off to finish the silent auction puggy for pugfest!! Sorry for the lack of detail - my camera's battery just died! So Photobooth had to come to the rescue! xoxox Nan and Aine



  (This is the puggy that is going to silent auction! I have to dress him up, he is nakers at the mo. )

Royal Wedding Needle Felted Kate Middleton Pin Cushion Ring (or what I did this weekend)

Yea!!!! I finally needle felted! As you know I love pin cushions so Kate's/Di's engagement ring just inspired me to finally make one for my finger. I really like finger pin cushions. I made a shamrock before but this one was way fun! I love how the glittery bits worked out well!!! *does happy dance* It is like I have my own personal (fake)Princess Di ring. lol

I just love this color! And yes this is one of my collectable tins -je adore.I.be.an.anglophile.

This is the height of recycling. I can't stand it when my finger gets stuck by pins. But this time I corrected that. Let me know if anyone wants the pattern on how to do this!

Also on the royal memorabilia front! Check it out, Paper Dolls!

Also on the check it out front, I finally got my mani/pedi - Yea!!!! So love mani/pedi's.

Gregish brown for the fingers

Kelly green for the feets!-

Okay must get going....Aine is a cuddly little zzzzzzing puggy and looks like she needs a snuggle. Xoxox Nan and Aine
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

huge update at www.theportobelloroadshoppe.com!

Yahooo! holiday items are up at the The Portobello Road Shoppe!


Got to get back to it! hugs!-

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

YEA! Go Vote! Treasury

I am so happy that Georgie, The Tea Party Baby Elephant made another Etsy Treasury!

Thank you Knitty Vet!

 

Now go out there and VOTE peeps!  Am Off to felt! YEA! HUGS! Nan