Is it wasting time or is it fun?

I don't know about you but I seem to collect software that lets me be creative.  I also enjoy making my own software!  I do have a few programs that I sell.  Anyway, I have software to assist in:  Stained Glass, Cross Stitch, Quilting, Paper piecing, machine embroidery designing, and the list goes on and on and on....
I seem to spend more time designing than actually creating....so am I wasting my time?  Should I make a pack with myself to create everything I design, one design at a time?  I bet you understand.  I have made things I've designed and I have designed things I hope to make, so maybe it's okay and maybe it's just part of the process.
I'm going to show off the Ruler Bag again (It's one of the boutique workshops we did) so I can show you that I did use one of my many programs to create something and then actually used it to enhance something.
I digitized the 2014 Quilt Show logo using Embird.  I love that program, paid a fraction of the price that the quilt stores charge for their over priced digitizing software.  I purchased it a few years back and the day I loaded it on my machine I digitized a design for a tea towel.  To me, well that's an accomplishment considering all the nightmares I heard about that "over priced" program!  If you want to digitize designs, I suggest looking at Embird, is is awesome and easy (most important)!
Anyway here is the bag I made and placed my newly digitized quilt show logo on! I also got a little fancy and made prairie points using a technique from a book I purchased a while back.  "Lined Prairie Points"

Make a purchase and you might win a beautiful handmade Quilt!

During the Peace Love and Sew Tri-County Quilt Show the boutique will have drawings throughout each day and a final drawing for an awesome handmade quilt!  To enter the daily drawings and the final drawing come by the boutique booth and make a purchase.  Each purchase of 10.00 gets you entered in the next drawing.  If you spend 20.00 dollars you get two entries and so on!  Then there will be a final drawing where all entries from the daily drawings will be entered into the final drawing for the Quilt.  5 of us are making the quilt and here is my row to give you a sneak peek!
Some other drawings we will have:
A couple baskets full of sewing goodies
A CD that includes all the original patterns we will be selling at the quilt show
A few different sewing bags
A light box
And much much more!
So be sure to mark your calendar for the Peace Love and Sew Tri-County Quilt Show in 2014.

Light Box Raffle for the 2014 Quilt Show Boutique

So we decided to do a raffle to raise some money for the 2014 Quilt Show Boutique.  We are hoping to raise 200.00 to go toward supplies for the boutique projects that we have been busy making in our workshops.  We have been working on "Sewing Room" themed items and we hope we will have good luck selling all things sewing room related.  We do have a couple things that are not sewing room, the ladies had to twist my arm to get me to agree though :) .

So I searched high and low at all the hardware store that I knew about for the opaque plastic for the top of the light box and well I ended up having to custom order it on line.  Then I purchased a florescent light fixture that didn't include the cord (for crying out loud) so I had to wire the darn thing.  This ended up being okay because the cord needed to run through the box anyway.

I had fun making this and I'm at this very second putting the clear finish on it.  2 more coats to go before I can post a picture with the white opaque plastic in place.  But for now here is the box....it is complete...I hope we get some interest so we can raise some cash!  This thing is a dream for anyone that needs to trace.  It is a full 21x27 1/2 inches....I WANT ONE!

Raffle tickets are $1.00 if anyone is interested.  We will have a couple places in the greater Houston area where tickets can be purchased.  Let me know if you are interested and I'll tell you where you can get some raffle tickets for this beauty!

Update:  No raffle for the Guild :(....  We didn't bother asking about doing a raffle, we never even thought about asking....and well, the guild is only allowed 2 raffles a year because of their tax status.  They don't want to waste one of them for this and I don't blame them.  But the great news is Quilt Works is going to either sell it for us or have their own raffle for us.  Can you believe it?  Wow the ladies at Quilt Works are so awesome.  We sure couldn't be so productive without them!  THANK YOU Quilt Works !!!

The 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

That is the law and anyone who does not follow the law should be imprisoned.....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tiffiniy-cheng/restore-the-fourth-amendment_b_3544740.html

So nice to have a garden!

Our garden boxes are doing so well this year.  We are getting so many vegetables I'm having to find ways to use all the produce.  Tomatoes, wow they are going crazy and even with all the birds pecking at them we still have more than enough.
I made pasta and meatballs last night and the sauce was completely made from produce from my garden.  It's a great way to use up all those tomatoes close to going bad.
I stewed about 15 tomatoes with garlic and salt and pepper then ran them through a sieve.  I then added a shredded carrot, one stock of fennel, one onion, more garlic and herbs, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley,  and cooked most of the day.  Then I put it all in a food processor and processed till smooth...oh how tasty was this.  The meatballs, well I used the 1170 meatloaf recipe (halved) and just made them into meatballs instead...oh so yummy too!  Here is the result:

After eating this delicious creation I sat out on the porch and enjoyed the rest of the day.  It was another scorcher today but it was cooler by this time.  With a big glass of homemade lemonade and the beautiful wild flowers right in front of my view, who could ask for more!