Piece a Split Link Quilt! Print Your Own Fabric Labels! Make a Scrappy Coil Bowl! The Easiest Pegboard Project Ever! Embroidery a Painted Elephant! Make a Felt Polar Bear! The Right Way to Fold a Quilt! Old Chest Decoupage Do Over! Yummy Sangria! Make an (2024)

I just want to wish you all a very happy new year, thank you for subscribing to the blog, and wishing you every creative opportunity in 2015. Follow your intuition and your dreams, my friends. xoxom

Little Janiewatched, fascinated, as hermother smoothed cold cream on her face.
“Why do you do that, mommy?” she asked.
“To make myself beautiful,”said her mother, who then began removing the cream with a tissue.
“What’s the matter?” asked Little Janie. “Giving up?”

Artists or art that turns me on and feeds my muse! Like it or dislike it, what about this art inspires your own art or creativity? Painting by artist, David Foley.

Look around you. Design is everywhere! How can you incorporate the beauty that surrounds you into your art or craft? Vegetal Cathedral in Italy.

It’s only January and if you’re like the rest of America, your skin is starting to feel that ashy dry. Time to whip up some homemade lotion bars, isn’t it? Here’s how you make a batch. You won’t be sorry. Here’s the recipe:

http://www.beetsandbones.com/homemade-lotion-bars/

Here’s a cute little Winter Berry crochet cowl for you to work on during the boring winter months? Yes, cupcake, yet another cowl to add to your crocheted cowl collection. Will the next pattern for crocheters please step forward. Here’s the pattern:

http://stitchandunwind.com/free-crochet-pattern-winter-berry-crochet-cowl/

INGREDIENTS:

flat-leaf parsley
marjoram
tarragon
chicken
kosher salt
egg whites

FOR THE FULL RECIPE, CLICK HERE: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/salt-roasted-chicken

It’s a clock. It’s a door. It’s a clock AND a door! Yowl!

Yes, it’s 54º here on Pickle Road but that doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way for a very long. Quick, kiddo, run to your sewing machine and make a cuddly warm Ear Warmer Headband. Put it on: Your ears will thank you. Take it off: Your hair will hate you(butyourneighbors will think you just got lucky!) Here’s how:

http://crazylittleprojects.com/2013/01/diy-ear-warmer-headband.html

For well over 2 years, I have been posting up to 20 links per day or every other day, on theMark Lipinski’s Fan Pageon Facebook. Of course, in Facebook’s never ending quest to make lots of money, Facebook seems to have abandoned their mission of a real social networking site and it has become more about Facebook revenue.

Several months ago, Facebook, without warning, had implemented a new business model. As a result, the vast majority of “LIKErs” who have been faithful readers of this Fan Page have been blocked from receiving my posts, time and time again, from getting all or a few of the postings onto their timeline feed.

The reason is, Facebook would like pages like,Mark Lipinski’s Fan Page, to pay money every day, and on every post, in order to advertise and lure readers like you, onto the Fan Page.

With out “BOOSTING” a post, only about 5% of people who clicked LIKE on the Fan Page are actually seeing anything I post — and it could be random – sometimes you get a post, and sometimes not. Basically, it sucks for all of us. I am finding that we are all better served if I posted my tips, ideas, links, and jokes, etc. to my blog. You can subscribe to my blog (only if you wan to) and get an email each time I post a grouping of ideas, links, etc.

I AM NOT shutting downMark Lipinski’sFan Pageon Facebook and you are welcome to follow methere, too. What I am doing is putting everything that used to be on theFan Pageindividually onto my blog, AND there will be a daily link to the idea blog on theFan Page, just as there were multiple links to the various blogs that I’ve always linked to in the past. It’s not that different, really. It will save me a lot of time, and guarantee those who want to see the creative posts will actually get to see them. And Facebookers, will STILL have to click on “GET NOTIFICATIONS” in your Facebook Settings if they want to see what I post on Facebook (sometimes that works, but not all of the time).

Actually, my new model gives you at least TWO ways to get all of the ideas, etc. PLUS you can PIN them and they will be TAGGED so you can find them again in the search bar even years later. – through theFACEBOOK FAN PAGEand YOUR CHOICE (not mandatory) to subscribe to the blog and get email postings that way.

Mandalas Made From Electronic Components by Artist Leonardo Ulian

Tanzanite Sapphire Diamond Gold Ring,$19,000

This is the Split Links quilt. Easy to make. Good to give away as a fast gift. Here’s the pattern:

http://ideas.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk/make-split-links-quilt/

HeelsDesigned byChloé

https://www.shoesofprey.com/shoe/1MbQcG?gallery=1

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

unsalted butter
unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
molasses
light-brown sugar
eggs
milk
fresh ginger
flour
baking soda
salt
ground ginger
cinnamon

FOR THE FULL RECIPE, CLICK HERE:

http://www.marthastewart.com/338997/chocolate-ginger-cake-with-bourbon-sauce#Heavenly%20Holiday%20Desserts%7C/274405/heavenly-holiday-desserts/@center/276958/holiday-entertaining%7C338997

Turn this inexpensive SPONTAN Ikea magazine rack into a holder for your large mats and rulers! Nifty, right, dumpling?

Get yourspontan here (spontan, LOLOL): http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20118174/

An assortment of red pin cushions (these aremade by Mercedes Urosa Alejandrino). I’m inspired to start digging for red and white fabric, aren’t you?

Speaking of colorful embroidery…. we were speaking about colorful embroidery, weren’t we? Here’s a pattern for a fabulous floss painted elephant. What a nice way to start the new year, needle in hand and color everywhere! Here’s the pattern:

https://corvustristis.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/painted-elephant/

Fisher Price Little People Play family Grandma sewing machine utility chair

http://ebay.to/1DbqhxG

https://theslowstitchingmovement.wordpress.com/2015/01/01/12-ways-plus-1-to-improve-your-craft-and-your-life-through-slow-stitching-in-2015/

For the last several months, Meg Cox, Liza Prior Lucy, and I have been working on putting together an event to celebrate your creativity and how to enrich our lives and fiber art through The Slow Stitching Movement.

I can’t tell you how excited we are to invite you to the first ever . . .

APRIL 21 -24, 2015

This intimate, inspiring retreat will include 3 full days of skill-building tutorials, lectures, trunk shows and more, but most of the time, you’ll have a chance to work on your own projects in a stunning, relaxing setting that encourages your unique slow stitching journey and sharing your time with like-minded old and new friends.

Our retreat will be held at the picturesque Lambertville Station Restaurant and Inn, situated on the banks of the Delaware River, where the food and service are as outstanding as the inspiring views from our glass-enclosed ballroom retreat space.

Located in charming Lambertville, New Jersey, you’ll find a wide range of restaurants, world-class antique emporiums (amazing for patchwork inspiration), welcoming art galleries, unique shops, and parks. Just a short walk across the The New Hope-Lambertville Bridge is historic and artsy New Hope, Pennsylvania, full of boutiques, galleries, one-of-a-kind stores, cafes, and restaurants. Be sure to bring your camera!

During the retreat, international quilt teacher and designer,Mark Lipinskiwill give his lecture “The Slow Stitching Movement: Creating, Promoting, and Sustaining a New Vision in Quilt Making”, why he started The Slow Stitching Movement, and how retreats such as this onecan help quilters slow down to deepen both their creative skills and satisfaction levels.

Mark will also share his secrets to daily process journaling for increased creativity, developing your legacy project, and will share the current projects he’s working on, and resources that inspire him.

Author/journalist/teacherMeg Coxwill share her slow-stitching projects and inspiration, and give a humorous but practical slideshow on how to take better photographs of your quilts.

Renowned crazy quilting guru and authorAllie Allerwill join us on our retreat as our special guest teacher, offering multiple tutorials on making fabric flowers and combining both machine and hand-stitched embellishment. Allie will also give a trunk show sharing some of her prize-winning quilts. She’ll be selling and autographing her two books, as well as selling “squishes”, special bags full of silk, velvet, ribbon and other scraps so you can practice some of her embellishing techniques.

Nationally known teacher and authorLiza Prior Lucywill be on hand as well, offering a tutorial on paper-piecing hexagons. And, she’ll be selling Kaffe Fassett fabric, and special kits for an optional retreat project.

To keep the group small, and give everyone plenty of room,thisretreat is limited to just 30 people!

TheSlow Stitching MovementPodcast’s are sponsored byAurifilandGloriousColor.com

The designer of this project calls it “The Easiest Pegboard Project Ever.” A fast trip to Ikea or a cheap frame store can get you started on your merry and happy way. Check it out:

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-easiest-pegboard-project-ever.html

Just cut and paste this into an email or post on your Facebook andTwitter pages:

I LOVE this blog and think you will, too! Check it out: https://marklipinskisblog.wordpress.com

About these ads