Holidays are here again!!!

I'm so excited. After missing last year's Bazaar Bizarre. We've made plans to go this year!
Taking Sam along with us, should be a fun time up in the city, as always. 

For more information, please visit http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/sanfrancisco/

I'll post pictures in a couple weeks! 

Happy Holidays! 

shen  

nutty holiday season.

The crazy holiday season is upon us again. Things are nuts, and even though I wanted to try and blog at least once a week, I have pretty much stuck to it the best I could. Thanksgiving has come up so fast, and with me concentrating on trying to finish certain items, I feel swamped. I'm not even going to cook this year. Last year, I made an awesome turducken, but this year, I convinced the husband to eat out. So reservations have been made, and this year Thanksgiving is stress free! YAY! 
We'll be going to a local all you can eat buffet restaurant for dinner. Tatami's in Cupertino claims that we will have lobster, turkey, roast pig, and all the sides, PLUS my favorite.. SASHIMI & SUSHI!!!!! wooohoooo!

So no crazy grocery shopping, no getting up early to slave away in the kitchen, no dishes to wash or dirty kitchen to clean... 
It's all so easy, and I feel so guilty. I guess we shall see how I am feeling when we are sitting at our table.

With that said, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 
I have to listen to this song at least a dozen times the week leading up to Thanksgiving.. 


Enjoy!






shen  

Why I do what I do...

Crafting, regardless of what the project may be, is my coping method with life. It’s my “quiet time”.  Even when my surroundings are very much chaotic. When I'm concentrating on making something, my mind is clear, focused, and undisturbed. With all the craziness around me, and being in a world of open-endedness this is something I have complete control over. From start to finish, it's something textile, concrete, solid, that I have my hands on & I'm working to complete. If I don’t have a project going, I feel…empty, useless, unproductive… I’m happy when I’m crafting, and the same goes for cooking and cleaning. These are all set steps to get to a final finished vision.

Having the etsy shop open for over a month now has been exciting. Even when I’m just answering questions from random users, it gives me something to do. I like it. Being able to day dream, and figure out the next list of projects to do keeps me occupied. I’m so excited when I make a sale. I honestly think to myself, “SOMEONE actually liked it enough to buy it ?!?! from ME ?!?” I hope that that feeling never goes away.

Life is good. 


Just a snapshot of the current projects...

Click here for more description

shen

holy moly!!! fabric insanity!

There's a local fabric shop here in San Jose, right down the street from the San Jose Flea Market, which I would like to add is another excellent place to go for crafty goodness. 
The fabric shop is called  Fabrics R us... and oh my goodness, you have no idea how awesome this place can be. Not until I started sewing and really getting into it, that I realize what a haven this place  actually is. Yes, it doesn't have the cute little prints like Joann's or Hancocks. But they have tons and tons of other fabrics, all kinds of silks, dupioni silks, polyesters, cotton blends, fleeces, sequenced fabrics, sari fabric...... the list goes on and on. It's definitely worth the trip, and if you take your time to sort through everything you'll come out on top because the prices are excellent as well. I can't wait to go again. I think I'm gonna make some curtains some time soon. 


Check out their reviews on yelp too:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/fabrics-r-us-san-jose

The specific review that hits the nail on the head is a review by a yelper Marlyn A.. So if you go on yelp and check it out, look for her review. 

Don't expect superduper excellent customer service, you basically need to know what you want because they're not going to cater to you all day. 
 
Here are some pics from my little visit...

The selection is so large that there are a few more shops in this strip mall.

You can always ask for help to get pointed in the right direction.

Tons of notions to sort through, including buttons, lace collars, fasteners.

oo! look at that rosey 3d magenta, now image that in several assorted colors! fun stuff!

A sequenced mermaid's dream! isles and isles!

upholstery fabrics can be found here too!

Ton & Tons of threads and ribbons... 

I also love the fact that they tear the fabric from right off the bolt. There's just something primal and not to mention SEXY about that sound of that awesome ripping of cloth. 

Just thinking about it, I need to go again. oh man... I NEED to go again. 

eeeee! i have goosebumps.  

Happy Halloween!!! 
shen