It's My Birthday and I'll Have a Contest if I Want To

August is my Birthday Month but I'm not telling you the day, that's going to be part of the contest. I'm going to make it an easy contest, lots of ways to enter because I really need to get my Deb Upcycles shop off the ground. The prizes are going to be a $20 and a $10 Gift Certificate to the shop. Twenty dollars will buy just about anything in my shop. So the first entry for the $20 you will receive is when you tell me what item in my shop you would get if you won. Just post a comment in the comment section.

Do you tweet? Follow me on twitter, https://twitter.com/DebUpcycles. Make sure you leave a comment  telling me you did and a way to identify your twitter. Or would you rather just Tweet? You can get up to 3 entries for tweeting this post, my shop or anything in my shop. Use #debupcycles so I can find it and leave a comment here to tell me about it..


Follow this blog and leave a comment that you did so. That one's pretty easy isn't it?

How about Pinterest? Follow me at http://pinterest.com/debupcycles/ for one entry (I'll even follow you back). Then pin up to three of my items for extra entries. Again, just leave me a comment and your pinterest name so I can verify it.

All verified entries will go into a hat at on Sept. 1st for a drawing. Winner will be notified, please leave a way to reach you. If the prize isn't claimed within 72 hours of notification another drawing will be held.

And that's it.... Wait a minute I never told you how to win the $10. That ones easy, for every entry you have for the $20 you get to guess what day in August I was born. If nobody guesses the exact day I get to keep the $10. If more than one person gets it right, there will be a drawing to determine the winner. We'll forget about what year, I don't even want to think about that.

Garden Harvest

Purty, ain't it? Homegrown and organic!

Fabric Samples Galore

  

The Upcycle Exchange was given what was described as a "truckload" of fabric samples. They posted it on Face Book and I dropped everything and ran over there. This is only part of what I came home with. There's very large pieces and also small ones, everything from cotton/polyester blends to handwoven silk. Lots of colors, textures, designs, patterns and more.

 

Of course I can make more pillow covers, some of them are going to make great pillows but the pattern on some just don't lend themselves to good pillows, either the pattern is too large, small or intricate. I've made one pillow so far, it's on the right. I have about 8 more of that type of fabric sample. A couple more in blue and then in purple and green. Many of the samples I have two or three pieces that are the same making it easier to piece out pillows.

There's also some pieces that are too small for pillows that I want to make drawstring bags of one type or the other. I've made a couple project bags so far and am intending on making more. Still working out how the best way to do it.  But I still need ideas. There's an awful lot of fabric here that I need to use up.

Do You Still Drink Bottled Water?

Just in case you haven't seen this on Face Book

OMG I Had to Pay Retail.....

I had to go to Hobby Lobby yesterday for some things I've been unable to find at thrift stores. The only reason I choose Hobby Lobby is that it was the closest to where I live.I hate shopping at regular stores (except maybe for groceries) but sometimes it's necessary. I keep giving away my pillows to friends and when I do I give them the inserts, so one of the main things I needed was pillow inserts. I got two new sizes to add to my collection at Debupcycles.

Just as a side note, I loved what it said on the side of the bag about recycling it. The only problem I could see was one of the suggestions on this huge bag that held a bunch of pillow inserts. Do you see it? They must be packing a lunch for a whole class of first graders or something.

One of the other things I needed was cording to make some small project and tote bags. I bought a huge stack of fabric samples at The Upcycle Exchange the other day and they are too nice just to use for gift bags and many are too small for pillows. I've been looking all over for cords to use in the bags and although I found a few things, I really had to break down and buy it new so I could make more than one or two at a time. I've only made two, the first one I'm keeping, the second one is to the left. I'll be adding them to my store as they get made.

I had a couple stained Christmas tablecloths I was planning on making something out of and yesterday I finally got moving on them, I think they came out beautiful! You can find them and other Christmas pillows in my shop.

Today I'm at work and brought a bunch of Hawaiian shirts with me to cut up. That sounds like a good project! Watch for the Hawaiian pillows in my shop soon.

From Old Curtains Come...

I was strolling through the thrift shop one day, in the merry, merry month of May, or was it March? Anyway I was taken by surprise by some very colorful curtains.

 The colors just screamed 70's to me although I had no idea how old they actually were. I swear I had sheets with this or a very similar print when I was a teen.

Anyway, visions of pillow covers and other things danced in my head and I decided to spend the outrageous price they were asking for them (I think they were $1 per panel, so $3). I put them away and forgot about them.

Yesterday I was looking for some Hawaiian shirts for some pillow covers I knew I had (Coming Soon!) and found them again. So this morning I cut them. I was even able to use the side seams for the envelope closure in the back. I sewed them up this afternoon and am so pleased with the results. The set made two 16" pillow covers and three 14" pillow covers with a nice piece that was too small leftover, to do something else with.

If you think you could give them a good home, they can be found in my shop at Deb Upcycles.

16" Pillow

14" Pillow

My Garden and Shops

Wow, I've got to start taking this blogging seriously again. Have a lot to say, lot of different things going on. I have a great garden this year, my new landlord actually built me a couple raised beds for it. I've been out watering it everyday because of the heat, not real efficient on the water conservation but I haven't had to buy many fresh veggies lately. What I do buy is bought at our Farmers Market. It's a little bit more expensive but it's local and organic. The money I've saved growing my own, covers the extra expense.

I've also been working hard on my Deb Upcycles Shop on Etsy. Made some more gift bags and a few more pillow covers. I'm working towards the day I no longer have to have a day job. I don't know if it will work but I'd love to try

I've added a lot more to my other two shops, Deb's Crafts and Deb's Patterns. Both of them are stocked with sewing and craft supplies I've saved from thrift shops and yard sales.