Baby Lux Blog

I detoured to a couple local Seattle thrift stores after dropping Arlin off at pre-school. Seems like I get this itch quite often to wander through the isles brainstorming new projects and hoping to score some hidden treasure. I’m pretty disciplined, I never spend more than $10 dollars on any thrift store outing….unless it’s a sewing machine…then I might splurge. But that takes time…cause I always have to find a power source and plug it in and scope it inside and out. Most of the time, you can be guaranteed the sewing machines you see in thrift stores are missing components, or have broken parts or even rusted out from poor storage. I’ve spent a good bit of time studying sewing machines lately (because I’m nerdy like that!) but I feel pretty confident I’d be able to identify a quality find. I’m sure my collectors itch is bound to take over one day! I really want to find a vintage Necchi!

Anywho…I scored these items today. From the West Seattle senior center:

…a ladies vintage skirt hem marker….$5.00 I think this is so cool

a couple yards of microsuede in two different shades of taupe, perfect for pillow backs. Ready? I paid a whopping $0.40 cents for both!!! My jaw dropped at the register when the little lady told me my total. I just happened to hit their “50% off linen sale” still I was mind blown at the .80 cent price tag.

And from Seattle Salvation Army:

Richard Scarry’s “Best Mysteries EVER!”

a hard cover (I don’t really care for soft bound kid books) for $1.00. I love that Arlin digs Richard Scarry as much as I did when I was a kid.

And last share for today…I got a new ART journal.

this journal is perfect size (5.75″x 8.25″) for journaling on the go. I think my mongo-huge art journal is staying home this year when I head to Artfest (well, maybe it will hang out in the car:)) I’ve been on a journaling binge the past few days…I call it my free therapy!

a quote by Reinhold Niebuhr I got from a book I’m currently reading.

having fun making journal entry backgrounds by collaging misc. found papers some hand painted along with small random fabric bits sewn by machine onto a large piece of paper then cut down to glue onto journal page…

I’ve got lots more journaling to share. I’ve even been art-ing in Arlin Jack’s Doodle book too!

Had an itch to make another ticker tape quilt… this time around on a much smaller scale. And I must say it was much easier to maneuver on my machine and table.

A bright mix of fun scraps…turned into a dollie size quilt:

finished measurement approx. 21″x24″

front side a quilters 100% cotton- a white on white scroll mini print backside a pale yellow quilters flannel, cream thread top and bobbin

I’ve got another one in the making using a different color combo. These are a fun way to utilize scrap fabrics.

I’m off to bed earlier than usual tonight… you could say I’m plum tuckered after aiding Arlin and his handwriting of 16 plus Valentines Day cards for his preschool buddies…I’m quite positive the sugar intake from todays cookie decoration play-date didn’t exactly help our situation. We had to take a few breaks and regroup.

But he’s a rockstar! He finished all of them!

Arlin: “Mama, I think Valentines Day is cooL!”

Mama: “Yah buddy? why’s that?

Arlin: “Because you get to eat lot-s-a SugaR!!!”

Oh Lord….

Regina of Creative Kistmet is hosting a Baby Lux Design fabric flower broach GIVEAWAY!!!

head on over and enter to WIN!!………….. HERE

These fabric flowers are handmade one of a kind goodness. Measuring approximately 4 inches diameter with a broach pin on the backside you can pin em’ anywhere for fun! Hats, sweaters, jackets, hand bags, bulletin boards, you name it!

P.S. I’ve also added a SALE to the webstore! Buy any 2: fabric flower broaches OR fabric flower clips and save! 

My Mac finally bit the dust. A time where being “green” and using my computer it ’till the very end didn’t work out in my benefit. I kinda suspected it was on it’s last leg but refused to admit it…

I’m guessing it was just overloaded with too many pictures and a hefty music library from the last 3 years. And it wasn’t exactly the pretty white computer you might remember either. Let’s just say it was well loved- lots of scratches, paint splatters, gummy residue from old stickers etc. etc. Aw, it was a sad day. I was right in the middle of an email when it sounded like the motherboard jumped her tracks…literally I could hear clicking and screeching and then all the sudden complete silence and a sullen white screen. I knew right then it was gone forever. I lost over 10,000 photos. Seriously, I still get a little choked up thinking about it.

*Sigh*

Onward and forward though! I’m learning how to navigate the hub’s Mac (which at the rate I use it or mess it up as he’d put it ) I’m sure it will become mine in no time. While without a computer I’ve been sewing my heart out! Reading a handful of books, journaling and dealing with some changes around the house.

first share: a wonky log cabin quilt in progress…

debating on quilting this….I may hold off and take it to Arizona to quilt on my Mom’s new “cream of the crop” long arm quilting machine. She’s staring her own quilting business. More on that exciting news later….

It’s nice to be back!

With all the snow and freezing rain our pup Otis has been a little hesitant to wanna venture outside for potty time. It’s silly what a heat hound this dog is! He literally lays sideways on our floor heat registers. And if we light up a fire in the fireplace he’ll almost sizzle his whiskers off he gets so close!

I bought a doggie sweater for him last rain season but French Bulldogs are kind of tricky with sizing. With their stout chest and rather portly measurements the generic “medium size” dog gear doesn’t work out so well. So, I knew I’d either have to pony up and pay boutique prices for a “french bulldog” specific rain coat or make my own.

Done. One old pair of hubs swim trunks upcycled into Otis’ new, cozy, hip rain coat….

I utilized to 2 scrap pieces of fleece by zig zagging them together in the center to add warmth instead of  quilters batting. Shh, don’t tell Otis it’s pink.

straps are all ready and pinned into place next part is adding the backside fleece in which I used a very boy-ish charcoal grey color…

sewed on velcro onto the wide chest and belly strap for easy on off.

it even has a handy pocket on the back so Otis can now carry he’s own poop baggies and we’re never caught leaving home without one.

Otis loves it! And now he can venture out side for potty time- Hoo-RaY!

It’s snowing in Seattle!

Well… not at the very moment but it has the past 2 days.  Moving from Denver it’s pretty funny to hear people’s reaction to snow around here or should I say “feather dusting” of snow! Any who, my days lately have been full of coloring with Arlin, watching movies for the 2 and 3rd time and playing in the snow….because his preschool has closed because of this so called nasty storm (tehe-tehe) and of course trying to squeeze in some fun sewing in between Baby Lux orders.

I took an old sweater of mine that somehow ended up with two pretty big snags/holes on the back and a mystery pink stain across one of the front pockets into a new fun infinity scarf…

I just jumped right in and started cutting before I thought to take a picture…and sorry no along the way pics either. I grabbed a pair of scissors and this sweater and sat in front of my serger and went for it. No measuring or straight edge rotary cutting just eye balling it and having fun. I wanted it to be chunky and textured so every edge is serged and  I mixed up sections between the cable knit parts, the narrow ribbed sleeve cuffs, the wide ribbed waistline and the useable flat knit back pieces.

Here’s what I got. It’s really cute, and makes me think my sweaters in my closet may not be safe Wish the picture was better to show you the definition. I snapped it with my i-phone and uploaded it to flickr from my phone first time I’ve tried it and something fishy is going on with the resolution because the pic looks much crisper on my phone…anyone have experience with this?

it’s that time. where I get giddy in antcipation for ARTFEST!

Just sent in my balance payment. I am really looking forward to seeing my art pals again. I have an awesome dorm buddy this year too!

sewing ripped papers onto a playing card (from a deck of cards) then covering with packing tape to protect

it’s a rarity that I send a non decorative letter envelope or package. I’ve always believed packaging is just as important as what’s on the inside.

it’s time to start brainstorming my Artfest trades. I can’t hardly believe it’s the last year of Artfest…I suppose I am very fortunate to be a few miles away from Teesha’s Art Annex though. So, I’ll still be able to get a yearly dose of art workshops in, just not in Port Townsend with all my pals there at the same time.

sewing on paper yesterday. I have a bin full of ripped out magazine pictures and old book pages with text. Sitting at my sewing machine I  rummage through with scissors in hand and just start sewing. It’s messy fun.

and it makes me feel totally sane for keeping every scrap piece of failed art. See…. my creations don’t always work out the first time around but they do eventually. I’ve started several paper projects that don’t get finished, they all get thrown into a box. Rummaging in this box is a fun way for me to create “unplanned” art, which is totally what my brain needs every once in awhile. Freedom to sit down and NOT have to say “O.k. I’m gonna draw a bird today….”

I made this recipe tonight (from Vegetarian Times) and it was fantastic!!! A little bit of work but SO worth it.

“Chard & Tofu Wontons in Sambal Sauce”

Wontons:

• 2 tsp. roasted sesame oil
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 4 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves
• 6 oz. baked soy-seasoned tofu, chopped
• 1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
• 1 12-oz. pkg. wonton wrappers
• 3 green onions, chopped, for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnis Sambal Soy Sauce 

Sambal Soy Sauce:

• 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 6 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. sambal oelek ( I substituted Go-Chu-Jang and only 1Tbs.)
• 4 tsp. organic maple syrup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

Directions:

1. Bake Tofu: heat oven to 375 drain and press tofu to rid of excess water. Slice 1/4″ thick, in 1/8 cup of soy sauce (I used Amino Braggs- a healthy substitute for soy sauce) brush both sides of tofu and let marinate for 10 minutes. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place tofu in oven for 30-35 minutes (or until crispy on edges) flip tofu half way through your  cooking time.

2. To make Wonton filling: Heat sesame oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped carrot, and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add chopped chard, and cook 5 minutes, or until wilted, add cubed tofu and mix throughly. Transfer mixture to food processor, add white pepper and soy sauce (tamari) and pulse until finely chopped. 

3. Set 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. Spoon 1 tsp. tofu mixture in center of wrapper. Brush wrapper edges with water, and fold wrapper into triangle around filling. Press edges to seal, and place on lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

4. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook 10 Wontons at a time in boiling water 90 seconds. Remove from pot with slotted spoon, and place in bowl. 

5. Make the Sambal Soy Sauce: whisk all ingredients together in small bowl. Top Wontons with Sambal Soy Sauce, and garnish with green onions and cilantro.

 O.k. now for pictures and some tips:

1 bunch of chard (discarding stems and spine) chopped is pretty much exactly 4 cups.

one block of tofu is 12 ounces, for this recipe you only need half a block of firm tofu. I only baked it for 25 minutes and it seemed to be crispy enough.

sauteed the carrots for 3 minutes, then tossed in my washed chard right on top. Took about 4 minutes for it to wilt. The I tossed in the baked tofu I cubed after it baked.

food processor time (I’m loving my Vita Mix my Aunt Patty sent me! we’ve put it to serious use the past month!)

adding a tablespoon of low sodium soy or Tamari sauce and 1/8 tsp crushed white pepper

I used Nasoya wonton wrappers and couldn’t get over how easy they were to work with (I’ve had a few failed wonton attempts in the past) With a finger tip lightly drizzle water only on the very outer 1/4″ edge (but not too much)

place about a tsp. of the tofu chard mixture in the center of the wonton wrap

fold up corners making a triangle and press edges together

make sure both sides are sealed up.

line them all up on cookie sheet or flat surface until you’re ready to boil them. I experimented and made 2 batches boiled and another batch I baked per the wonton package instructions (oven at 420 for 8 minutes) It’s crazy how different the outcomes were. Hub and I preferred the boiling method…but the baking is def food for thought down the road maybe just different stuffins’

Super delicious, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and green onion and paired with a smooth glass of red wine. (or in my case, water!)

I’ve been lucky enough to get these handmade creations in the mail over the holidays from some old and new ART friends and I just have to share!

Janne Robberstad: for inspiration you can always count on Janne’s art blog here –she blogs about something, whether it be jewelry assemblage, costume making, painting, or journaling (just to name a few) and she blogs almost everyday! from Norway.

a three dimensional house crafted out of book pages and colorfully hand painted

Deidra Doan: a talented artist in several art magazines for creating lovely art dolls. I adore her oil paintings…Deidra’s blog here

a sweet hand painted mini bristle brush christmas tree diorama

Regina Lord: who I tease is the the new age “martha stewart” (and I admire) Regina does it all! Amongst being a Mama of two handsome lads. Regina’s blog here.