Imagine my surprise to find I’d been nominated for the Good Neighbor Blog Award!  Katherine from Pillows A-La-Mode (an awesome site) requested nominations for someone in the blogging world that you would most want to live next door to!  The winner was a fabulous blogger, Crafty Staci, that you will certainly enjoy reading.  And to the person(s) who nominated me, I send my deepest gratitude!  I consider myself fairly new to blogging and as they say in Hollywood, “It’s an honor just to be nominated.”  Amen to that!  Just for being nominated, I get to display a Good Neighbor Award button on my blog, and you will be seeing that just as soon as I learn how to display it. 🙂  Yep, I still have lots to learn about blogging, my friend. So in this world of widgets, buttons, and stats, please just bear with me!

This is Wednesday night and Saturday is my trunk show at Tina’s for Artwalk Galveston.  As noted in my last blog, I thought my fall collection was finished. 🙂  Oh, silly me!  They had requested 15 bags and I had 16 bags.  But when I mentioned that there was not an Anny Bag in the collection, I could read the disappointment in their faces.  While I consider the Anny Bag as something more suited to a Spring/Summer collection, apparently the customers have been requesting the Anny Bag, so… In the last four days, I have designed four Anny Bags!  Sleep?  What sleep?  I needed to find fall/winter type fabric that would also be able to drape for those ruffles.  I am pleased to say that without shopping, I managed to come up with the fabrics and trims I needed.  (That should tell you something about my stash.  Shh! )  Anyway, today I planned to make the tags (see previous blog) but after lunch, Tina’s called.  The newspaper needed a photo preview of my presentation by day’s end.  Whaaaat??  I know NOTHING about photo shoots.  So you should have seen me schlepping bags and lamps all over the house trying to figure out what to do next.  Too much light!  Too little light!  Too many bags!  Too few bags!  Too much background distraction!   I was mainly working with two coat racks.  After taking about 30 pics, I decided less is more, and since they just wanted a sneak preview, here is the photo that will be published:

Bag #16 is a pattern I designed called the Jenny Bag.  (Publishing it is on my “to do” list.)  🙂  Here it is, fashioned from that sumptuous copper velvety fabric from Cowgirls and Lace, and the Roma Deco upholstery fabric I picked up in L.A. in silver and gold tones.  Embellished with four glass beaded tassels, and a beaded golden applique, I’m not sure what to name it.  Any suggestions?

So…the four Anny Bags.  The first is created mostly from velvet and a leopard faux fur.  (Can you tell I relish that copper fabric?)  I had purchased the leopard flower but added a brooch from my stash from Trims on Wheels for the center.  This whole bag is so velvety smooth I could just eat it up!

THE FANCY ANNY

The Western Anny was fashioned from faux leathers and a furry leopard print.  Yes, I had these western looking leather straps in my stash from Cindy’s Button Company.  The fringe completes the western look.  Would you believe the beautiful dangle on the front was from a broken necklace?  Don’t you just  love repurposing!!  Yeehaw!

THE WESTERN ANNY

The Autumn Anny (sorry about the pic lighting) is actually made of gold, tan, deep red, and rich chocolate brown floral linens.  The linens were purchased from various sources but worked well together.  The trim features alternating glass gold beads and silky tassels.  The tan leather strap was another past purchase from Cindy’s Button Company.  There is a gold brooch flower pendant that I’m making into a removable pin that has the same beads as the trim but it isn’t in this picture because I haven’t quite finished it.  Last minute idea.  Yikes!

THE AUTUMN ANNY

I had fun choosing fabric for the Denim Anny.  After pairing two shades of denim with a blue leopard, I spotted a feathery trim from Mood Fabrics.  Perfect!  But, I’ve also been saving this sequined/beaded applique in shades of blue that I discovered last summer at the Pasadena Flea Market in L.A. where a lady was selling vintage fabric items.  It made the perfect focal point!  I wanted to leave the edges on the denim ruffles raw.  If I tried to hem them, they wouldn’t drape,  plus I just think it works as a fun denim look.  After washing, they came out nicely frayed, so I sewed an invisible row of stitching just above the fraying to lock it in.  I honestly don’t remember where I scored the handle fabric.  It was funky and totally matched the style of the denim look but the back was a little wonky looking.  The fix?  Take a navy webbing from my stash and sew the two strips back to back.  Voila!  Handles!  Dang!  My Job Is Fun!!!

THE DENIM ANNY

So, I now have one day left to make five tags, which normally I can finish two per day. Okay then…  It’s all a learning experience right?  Everything needs to be turned in Friday for readying the display and pricing.  Think I’m going to have to shift some priorities tomorrow…

But Hallelujah!  On Friday morning,  Jen, Madison and Gracie arrive and I will be basking in goodness and laughter and fun!  They are my good luck charms for a Successful Artwalk Show!  Hope to see you there!