Itching to sew

Amy's Butler's Style Stitches

I came across this today while browsing on Amazon - a new Amy Butler book that's all about creating bags!  I love Amy Butler fabrics, but for some reason, I have never taken the plunge and made anything with AB fabric (and so it sits in my stash...)  Probably a.) because it's expensive, and b.) because it feels extra special and I don't want to screw it up.  If you know me at all, you know I can sew my little heart out for everyone but me.  Every project I've ever taken on for myself (dresses, tops, etc.) has ended in disaster!  But this might just inspire me to try again.

But what inspired me most was the video that introduces the book and Amy Butler herself.  Some great insight into her creative process and surrounding oneself with beautiful things to inspire creativity.  Love it!

Two places at once on May 14th!

Deeds & Petunia will be at two fantastic upcoming events on May 14th!

Seattle Vintage Wedding Fair

Artisan Sale in University Place, WA

At the Vintage Wedding Fair, I will have samples of all my custom made-to-order bridal fascinators, veils, corsages and boutonnieres (you can place an order right then and there and they will take 3-4 weeks to deliver right to your door), some ready made veils and fascinators for sale to take home that day, as well as my new Do It Yourself Birdcage Veil kits in ivory and white!  There will be an amazing selection of local wedding vendors, complimentary champagne, and the first 25 guests receive goodie bags - all for just five bucks!

The Artisan Sale is a free event hosted at Brassfield's Salon, and will feature some of my more casual designs - flower and feather fascinators and pins with vintage button and jewelry details, headbands and new DIY fascinator kits.  There are loads of talented local artists and crafters selling all kinds of goodies, so don't miss it.  Come say hi to Bailey, my cutest ever (and first ever!) Deeds & Petunia representitive!

Shop Revamp and Upcoming Events!

Hello friends!  If you visit my Etsy shop, you might notice this announcement:

Hello! The shop is on vacation until 4/28/2011. We're getting ready to bring you NEW made-to-order items for your wedding including vintage style veils, fascinators and accessories! Check the blog for sneak peeks of what's in store next week - www.deedsandpetunia.blogspot.com

All orders placed before April 20th will be filled and shipped as promised. Please remember, all items are MADE TO ORDER by hand, so please allow up to THREE WEEKS from your purchase date before they are ready to ship.

Please message us in the meantime, we will still be checking our inbox and responding to your requests!

 Truth be told, I'm not REALLY on vacation (I wish) but instead finishing up last minute details for new shop listings and cranking out tons of pieces that will be for sale at TWO very exciting upcoming events!  So, you can still get in touch with me if you need to, I will still fill your order as promised if you placed one in the last month and it hasn't shipped yet, but I need a break from the wonderful flow of sales I've been getting to play catch up!  I'm only one woman, after all.  ;)

Events!  Both are on the same day, May 14th!  How am I going to be in two places at once you ask?  Well, I'm not.  I'll be at the one in Seattle, the Vintage Wedding Fair, and will have a representative at the other, the Artisan Sale at Brassfield's Salon in University Place, WA.  Most of the wedding goodies will be at the Vintage Wedding Fair from 12-5 PM, and I will have some sweet little pieces for sale just in time for Mother's Day, Prom, Summer, etc. at the Artisan Sale.

Thanks for your patience!

LOVE foil tags - DIY project to dress up your window sill

The photo shoot yesterday was awesome!  So many creative women working together to create beauty.  I can't wait to show you what's in store for the zine.

I came across this project over at Charcoal & Crayons and fell in love with her little BLOOM tags!  It's such a creative use of materials, and would make adorable, affordable table centerpieces at a wedding! 

I contacted Andrea to see if we could include the DIY in the wedding zine.  I was so inspired, that while I was waiting to hear back I decided to have a go at making some tags, but with some different materials.  I decided it was time to use the copper foil that's been sitting in my drawer for about three years.

I'm pleased to announce that I'll be including Andrea's project in the zine (yay!) 

I thought I would share my project inspired by Andrea's here.  Just to warn you, copper foil is kind of dangerous to work with because it's so sharp!  So please exercise caution.

LOVE foil tags

You will need:

Foil sheet kit with stylus tools, such as ArtEmboss (available at craft stores)
Cheap Scissors - the good ones will get dull with this project!
Xacto knife
Rotary cutter with pinking edge or scalloped edge scissors
Rotary mat or scrap of cardboard
Baling twine (don't forget your wire clippers) or baker's twine
4 small Orangina bottles, labels removed, or small vases of your choosing

Cut 1 to 2 inch squares from the foil sheet using your cheap scissors.

Next, use the rotary tool or scalloped edge scissors to trim away along the edges.  Be careful - the foil bits are very sharp.  I had a few get stuck to my fingers and now see that they nicked the skin.

 Now, on a piece of cardboard or your rotary mat, take your metal tip stylus and trace the a letter onto each of the foil pieces.

Trace over the letters with the wood tip stylus (a bit thicker tip.)  You might have to do this a few times and press fairly hard.  Turn the piece over to see how it looks to decide how much to do it.

Embellish how you wish using your styluses - I just did little dots with the metal tool along the edges!

 At the center top of the front of each letter (you'll be poking through front to back), use your Xacto knife to carve a little hole by pressing and twisting the knife until it punches through to the mat or cardboard underneath.  Please be really careful when doing this!!!  The hole doesn't have to be very big, just large enough to fit the twine through.

Cut a length of twine about 4 inches long.  Thread through the hole and tie at the top of the tag in a little knot.  Wrap around the neck of the Orangina bottle or vase and tie in a neat bow if using bakers twine, twist and clip to desired length if using baling twine.

Fill with water and flowers!  Make sure you check your spelling.  ;)

A little extra tip - to get the labels off the Orangina bottles easier, soak them in hot water for a minute or two and the label and glue will come off much easier!

Some more ideas!  You could also do one for initials (J+K for example), Spring, your child's name, your cat's name, something romantic in French (ooh la la) or whatever else you can think up.  Happy crafting!

Cuteness overload.

Oh Linus!!!  You're so cute it hurts!!!

Meet Little Linus

We're in love with a little white ball of fluff.

It was one of those cosmic connections.  I met Linus through my friend Laurie who runs the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee (which is a kitten-tastic blog!  Kitten-tastic is my new favorite word.)  I didn't have any plans of adopting a kitten prior to meeting Linus, but after I met him, I just couldn't get him out of my brain.  I just knew he had to come be part of our family.

I worried that it might be too soon since I'm still getting over the passing of Mr. Jones.  But Linus is the sweetest little bundle of joy.  He just has so much love to give, and he loves to be cuddled more than anything.  I didn't realize how much I needed a cat to cuddle!

He loves my girls and follows them around everywhere.  They're so great about calmly interacting and gently petting him (he's so tiny!) playing with him, feeding him and even cleaning the litter box!!!  (Woo hoo!)  They're excited to have a little companion to snuggle with (those other two cats are anything but snuggly...)  Last night they left Linus snoozing quietly at home to run an errand to the grocery store.  In the car they shouted"Linus!!!", a la Braveheart, over and over in excitement (Linus snoozed quietly at home.)  Apparently this is what happens when 5 and 7 year olds have to practice restraint.

If felt like the Universe knew this was how it would all work out.  Welcome to Smith Manor, little Linus!

Among The Mossy Evergreens...

Thanks for waiting!  I hope you enjoy this little taste of our photo shoot in the magic woods.  This is just the beginning!  Be sure to check back here for more sneak peeks and news about the zine, and be sure to sign up as a follower for the big giveaway that's soon to be announced!

A big, heartfelt thank you to all the incredibly talented handmade vendors and generous businesses who participated in the photo shoot.  Please visit their shops, blogs and websites to see more!  And especially to Dee Jones of Open Door Photography who shot these magical photos.

Photography - Open Door Photography

Upcycled Dresses -  Dee Jones

Ring Bearer's Nest - MacKensley Designs

Jewelry - Parisienne Girl Designs

Cupcakes - Hello, Cupcake

Garters - Swan Clothing

Food Courtesy of Metropolitan Market Tacoma

Flowers courtesy of Metropolitan Market Tacoma, Designer by Anna Stahl
Invitations - Big & Mighty

Veils, Hair Accessories and shoe clips - Deeds & Petunia

Place Markers - Simply Pretty Prints

Farewell, Sweet Friend

Jones, 2007-2011

It's taken me a while to write this because it's still so fresh.  My sweetest little furry companion, John Paul Jones, passed away last month.  He was very special to me.  Always willing to let me hold him, made the best kitty muffins ever.

When we rescued Jones from the animal shelter, he was a mere 6 months old.  The shelter was overloaded with cats, and they were literally giving them away.  We looked and looked and looked at the sea of felines, and were debating about who to adopt.  No one was tugging at my heart strings in particular.

Strrrrretch...

Oh, I give up.  This is comfy enough.

I hardly noticed the cages sitting in the hallway where we were discussing.  Suddenly I felt a little paw claw my behind.  There was our little orange boy.  He was stretching out his paws as if to say, "hey.  What about me?  I'm super cute."  Right then and there, he chose me.  It was destiny.

The rest is history.

He and I had a special bond.  Shortly after we adopted Jones, my other cat Pip (an indoor cat) somehow got outside and never came back.  I was heartbroken.  Pip lived with us while we were stationed overseas and came all the way home to the states from England with us. He was my first kitty baby.

But Jones helped me get through it.  Every night he'd make muffins on my bed and curl up at my feet.  He let me know he was there to love.

Camouflage Jones

Jones was a funny little guy.  He had the tiniest ears I'd ever seen on a cat (we always joked that they never grew in,) as well as the longest tail and legs.  He had a baby kitten meow which he seldom let out, except when he wanted to go tromping around the neighborhood in the wee hours of the morning (but to no avail.)  He'd stretch out and whatever position he landed in, that's where he'd stay.

He LOVED the snow.

He loved our dog Francis.  He was often found curled up next to Francis in the dog bed.

He really loved Peppermint the cat.  Peppers and I don't have the most lovey dovey relationship, he saves that for Dad and the girls.  It's okay though.  Jones gave me more than enough snuggles.

Love at first sight...

Mr. Jones didn't mind being carried around like a baby and being kissed constantly.  He was a rag doll and a lover boy, but only for me.  The kids would always cry about Jones not letting them hold him.  I secretly loved that he was mine all mine!  Bad Mommy.

Jones got sick with an autoimmune disorder that affected his red blood cell production and caused his rapid demise.  We tried to treat it, but he was just too sick.  The night before he died, he pawed at my face just like the first time we met at the shelter.  I knew it was goodbye.

Farewell buddy.  You were such a blessing and a wonderful companion.  Your life was cut way too short.  I hope kitty heaven is full of mice and birds to catch, canned tuna and muffin-making blankets.  I miss you lots.  Rest in Peace, little friend.