Vanessa's Wedding

Etsy's blog, the Storque, has featured some great wedding articles. This one takes the cake. Vanessa, the editor of the Storque, has published an article about her own wedding that includes great pointers for those of us looking to serve brides with what we make. Much to my delight, and this will not surprise you, it also includes a link to a contest that Martha Stewart is running now! Can some of you help me out with this by commenting here about which item I should enter in the contest? I am wondering if I should enter my set of bridesmaids clutches or the yellow one with the vintage pin. Martha is looking for a craft to feature on her show, and since I sell the pattern to make these clutches, I think it's a great entry. My quandary is that in the last 6 weeks, I have sold three sets of clutches that look just like the set in the photo, plus another set in a different fabric that I have yet to make and photograph, so I know it is popular with modern brides. I think the yellow one might appeal to Martha's own style though, even though it has not been as popular on Etsy. Let me complicate it for you now. The set I will be completing this week is in a gorgeous new fabric that has peacocks and lacy designs in teal and bronze and green. maybe I should wait and enter that set? I will post a photo when I get them done. Now I have got to go sew. Please let me know what you think and if you are going to enter anything in the contest.

Martha Shakes Her Head and Says Tsk Tsk

My mama gave me a great calorie saving tip from a Weight Watcher's friend of hers. Instead of the oil, water, and eggs in a cake mix, use 12 ounces of soda - club soda or soda pop, and bake as usual. It makes the cake very moist and a little sticky, but it tastes great. I had a dream the other night that Martha Stewart was in my house and she was looking through the pantry. I wondered, what can I show her that she'll want to put on her show? She interrupted my thought by asking, why do you have cake mixes? You know there are recipes for cake. I answered, because sometimes I am in a hurry. She said, why would you ever be in a hurry for cake? When I told Rory the dream, he asked why do you use cake mixes? I think it runs in my blood. When my mom was growing up, her mom worked at the flour mill and brought home cake mixes for the family to test. CakeMix=Mama. Now CakeMix+Soda=LighterMama. But maybe that disqualifies me from The Martha Stewart Show. Oh, well, I love my mama more than Martha.

Sibling Rivalry - Martha Stewart Style - Part 1

My sister actually buys Martha Stewart's magazine, so she's got a leg up on me. When we were visiting over Thanksgiving, I was oohing and aahing over the many cool projects in the November 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living. (Some projects still available at the marthastewart website which she doesn't want linked to without permission; thus no link here. The lamb may show as first published in 2006.)


When I came to the beaded monogram to decorate Christmas packages, I said, "Let's do this together tomorrow." She looked at me like I had just spoiled her big surprise, and said "No, I'm doing it." I asked her a question about the gauge of the wire, and she said "I am not telling you anything about wire gauges."


So the first monogram I made was for her. I can hardly wait to mail it.


But then again, she made this adorable lamb, using the pattern in the magazine. So I'd say she wins this round. I'll bet the next time I go over there, she hides Martha Stewart Living.




I heard that felting wool sweaters in the washing machine can really clog up your pipes unless you put them inside a pillow case first. I seriously considered not telling her this tidbit...
Not really.

I love you, Carol!