Paper Expressions

Project Video by ME!

Hi everyone

It was just easier to put it in a video to share than it was to write it all up and post photos!

 

Thanks for joining me today~!

I am off to look at my new Stampin Up order and do more sewing! I like  to sew in the winter-

Hugs

Gwen

Teaching My Daughter To.........

I tried for 26 years to teach her to make sew let alone make quilts- and now the month before her 27th birthday she finally wants to do it!

We had great Mom Daughter time today and fun in the process!  Here are a few photos and that is My Mom's old sewing machine she gave Katie years ago.

I am home now exhausted after 6 straight 8 hour work days. I am working at a box store to add more money to our homebuying pot as well as teaching and selling Stampin Up!

She fell in love with some flannel from the store where I work, and today I taught her to use the rotary cutter, ruler and mat I gave her for Christmas.  She is making a flannel rag quilt. I wanted her to start out with something easy- she is whipping right through it!

 

I am so glad to live within 30 min driving time so we have opportunities to do this!

I hope you are having a creative day also!

hugs

Gwen

 

 

Reminder

Copyright & Disclaimer    

I will be doing this 2 times a year at the advice of my business coach-

"This is my personal blog, I am an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, and I am responsible for its content. Stampin' Up! does not endorse the use of or the contents of the classes or services that I may offer here."

All content, including text, photographs, and concept design works, are ©Gwen Mangelson. They are shared for personal/ non-commercial use and inspiration only.

Thank you for your support!

Say What?

HI!

My name is Gwen Mangelson and I am a Stampin Up! Demonstrator. I teach people how to make paper craft items like cards, journals, boxes, scrapbook pages, tags, etc. This November will be my 14th year with the company. This IS a business for me, and the income it brings from orders/sales/parties etc... helps us pay our bills and enables me to bring out the creativity in others. (and in myself!)
The reasons I love Stampin Up! are because of the integrity of the company, the quality of the products and THE FUN! I love meeting/making new friends, sharing my love of Stampin Up! and bringing out creativity in people of all ages they didn't realize they have!

I started this blog 10 years ago to share that love and my love/passions for gardening, sewing, quilting, food storage and many other things!  I love all your comments, suggestions and support! I want to say thank you to each of you who come here to see what fun I am up to lately!  I know a lot of other demos only share their stamping projects, I like to share my life with you too- there is way more to me than begging for your business (but I am not above doing that either! lol)  and I know there are many dimensions to each of your lives as well and it's fun to share and learn from each other.

The New Holiday catalog comes out September 1. If you want one I need to know right away so I be sure I order enough of them.

My only request is that you place your order from that free catalog with me on my website .   I have to admit, as demonstrators it makes us sad when people ask for free catalogs and then order from another demonstrator.  This is a business for many of us, not a "hobby".  I know you understand and I appreciate that!

I wanted to tell you today how much fun I have sharing my life with you here, hearing from you and answering your questions!

In case you didn't know I have a Facebook Page - Paper Expressions

Here's a cute project for you to create and share! The Sentiment can be changed to fit the occasion.

Stamps
• Beautiful Bouquet Stamp Set

Paper
• Calypso Coral Cardstock
• Old Olive Cardstock
• Pool Party Cardstock
• Tranquil Tide Cardstock
• Whisper White Cardstock
• Delightful Daisy Designer Series Paper

Ink
• Daffodil Delight Classic Stampin’ Pad®
• Night of Navy Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Pool Party Classic Stampin’ Pad
• Tranquil Tide Classic Stampin' Pad®

Accessories and Tools
• Rhinestone Basic Jewels
• Big Shot™
• Bouquet Bunch Framelits™Dies
• Mini Treat Bag Thinlits™Die

 

Have a wonderful creative day friends! Thanks for stopping by!

 

 Please Click on the shopping cart to place your STAMPIN UP! online order. All orders are shipped using UPS directly to YOU!

Hubby Kay's Quilt

Yep, he is still at it.  Kay is putting quilt tops together in various sizes from Blocks my Mom started and never finished.

Here is his latest baby quilt, I thought you would enjoy seeing it

He is a great student and is really catching on. Now, if I could just use my own sewing machine............ lolol

hugs, Gwen

NINE Quilt Tops!

Hubby Kay and I have spent the last 9 days putting together blocks my Mom sewed but never put into quilt tops due to her dementia and alzheimers.    From these blocks "so far"  we have put together 9 quilt tops in various sizes and we are not done yet! lol

I am not sure why I feel the "need" to do this but since I do. My sweet hubby is doing the sewing and I am organizing the projects.

In the mean time I work on unfinished card kits-  watch for that post coming this week!  woot~

here are some photos of the tops 

The first top is mine and I made it about 28 years ago and this last week it finally got the border! lol and then we realized we have one blind fish-  ugh!

thank goodness Mom had sewn these into 12" squares  but its gorgeous, I wish she had had enough of either the white or the pink for a border but it's not going to happen~ this is a twin sized top


This one is gorgeous in person.  Again, crib size and the top was already together I just added the border-  there is enough of the green for binding and in my Mom's traditional way will have just regular muslin for the backing.

These next 4 quilts are all of the same fabrics, I found all them sewn just not into tops- so 3 baby quilts and a twin- not bad Mom!

This 4 patch started with just 2 blocks sewn together. My hubby sewed them into 4 patches and then into this queen size top and I am debating on a border. One of the fabrics in the patches has enough yardage for a border and binding-

The funny part about these fabrics is that I see so MANY of the fabrics I sold in my quilt shop I had back in the mid 80's.

Most of the time I am enjoying working on the things Mom left behind and the rest of the time I am sad. Sad that I really didn't realize how bad she was getting, how many unfinished projects she had that I could have helped her with and just plain sad because I miss the Mom she wasn't able to be the last 15 years of her life- not the one I remember.  Alzheimers is a horrific disease.

Now to find someone to machine quilt them and put them away for her posterity,

hope your day is amazing and creative!

Gwen

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Knee Deep

That's right! I have been knee deep in projects for the last few weeks.  I am half way through organizing my sewing room- here are a few updated photos.  I took all my fabrics off the shelves, sorted by color and I am putting them back.  As you can tell the bottom shelf is mostly empty and that is where all the blues will be put.  The top shelf is bolts of fabric for quilt backing that I bought at half off, and battings.  The 2nd shelf is all my cowboy fabrics-  yep a lot of them, they are my favorites!  3rd shelf is lights, pinks and greens.

The tubs with the white lids are my Mom's stash- well SOME of her stash- sigh! Working it into my already full room and storage is be coming quite the project and taking weeks longer than I had anticipated but well worth it!

Now, don't gasp... I am throwing away a lot of scraps, projects that will NEVER get made/finished and re sorting my many many did I say many, tubs of supplies and re organizing/condensing them.   I can't wait for it to be all done!

 

This amazing Shelf I asked for as a Christmas present in 2015-  YEP  I said 2015

I  love my husband, but he is an engineer after all and tends to "over think" some projects.    He antiqued the shelf itself to look like aged barnwood and used rough cut lumber for the bottom part on the wall.  I found these great star shelf brackets at Hobby Lobby adn they work perfectly. Of course I took this before I put all my stuff on it.  I will share that photo when the room is finally all done.  I love it, it's beautiful in person and the pegs allow me to hang all kids of goodies!

This week I also taught myself via a you tube video, how to cut VINYL with my Silhouette Cameo.  Ok, so I have been so busy cutting cardstock and I just didn't make time to learn before now.  And now I know what to do!  Here is a photo of a project that I cut and put transfer tape on that will go on painted wood in the fairy garden.

I have more projects to share tomorrow!  key word-- scrapbook pages

I hope you are getting a lot done too. 

Our weather is unseasonably warm here this year.  I would love to be snowed in like many of my friends and family. Stay warm and safe everyone!

See you tomorrow!

hugs

Gwen

 

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And Here It Comes...

This could not me more true this weekend!!!!

Our internet is acting up thanks to all the wind which leads me to ask why underground cables are affected?  But every time it rains or the wind blows hard like it has been we either lose or have intermittent internet and yes, we have dsl-  ugh    but, I love my country home so I am "dealing with it" as AT&T told us we have to.  I just wonder why in the last 2 years it has gotten so bad-  I don't think whomever repaired the cut fiber optic lines did a very good job!

We have plenty of foods, water, and back up heat/electricity if we need it. We made a run for fresh fruits and romaine lettuce earlier today and if people wait till evening to shop there may not be much of a selection.

Please stay home if there is bad weather where you are too.   I am going to the studio to cut out skirts, pants and work on quilts for the weekend.

See you on Monday!!!

hugs

Gwen

WHAT A MESS!

So, I have probably mentioned in the last 2 years that I acquired about/over 20 tubs in various sizes of fabric from my Mom before we moved them to the facility.  I had them in a spare bedroom under some work tables. But, last March we had a great guy live with us for a few months so I had to move it all out of the room (everything).  When he and his new bride moved into their own home, I turned that room into a Family History room.  Now, none of the fabric will be put back in that room as it is full of tubs, boxes (from mom and myself) of family photos, some stuff sorted for each of my 3 kids to scrapbook for them from their lives and give to them (someday).  Because I have an Accucut machine it is on one of the tables in the family history room as I have no where else to put it to use it.  Anyhow-

I am sharing because I know that many of my sewing/quilting friends are in a similar situation.  I am on the hunt for ideas on how to organize all this precious fabric.  If you have any sites, Pinterest posts etc... or real life suggestions/photos feel free to share!!!

I realize that just "tidying" it all up will definitely help! I am also going to sort out certain fabrics to go with my myriad of patterns or should I say "plethora" of patterns. So when I grab that pile, all the fabric and the pattern are with it for the project. A lofty goal for sure.

Hi, My name is Gwen and I am a quilting/craft pattern, fabric sewer & collector. It started 48 years ago when I was 6 and my sister taught me to sew. I have tried to tell myself not to buy anything more until what I have is sewn, but there are so many "new" ideas available and so many I plan to do!  Oh and let me not forget to confess, I LOVE FABRIC. And I do sew clothing stilll, I even have several things I need to get made for myself to wear!    In my early mid 20's I had a quit shop.  Can you believe I still have fabric in my stash from that shop? lolol   It will be the FIRST to get sewn up this year. (she says hopefully) 

I really, really, don't want to have to move everything out of the room, sort and put back, but as I look at these 2 photos full size here on the computer, I feel that may be the best way.  Sigh. And it is probably a good idea to do that and clean it all, dust, vaccuum, and start over- Anyone feel up to a challenge? I have a guest bed and bathroom for you and I will feed you! lol.  I am seriously missing my Mom and my Sister. They were always great at helping or giving advice.  You never realize how important family really is until they are gone.

Here are my January 2017 photos . I have 2 other shots I didn't even bother to take that would be taken towards the door from the hanging baskets. I just forgot. I better do that today so I can see "all" the difference when it's finally accomplished.  Sigh

My best scenario is to sew at least half of it up as fast as possible.  Have sewing machine? Want a service project? lol come on over

I have a few memes I want to share that fit me pretty well, I hope you enjoy them too!

As those of you who have been following my blog for the last 10 years have come to see, Sewing is my first passion followed VERY closely by paper crafts and gardening.   I feel I am a seasonal creator. In the winter I love to sew/quilt and to work with my papers and Stampin Up products. In the summer I love to garden.  Sometimes it is just plain hard to do all of them.  When I was raising kids I made time to sew, raise kids, work a cattle ranch and a 2 acre garden, put away food for the winter and more.  Now that I am 54 and no kids at home some days I wonder just what I did for the day! lol  I sincerely apologize to anyone who was my peer,  that I just didn't understand their predicament.  Isn't it interesting how life changes and we learn our elders were right in the things they warned us about when getting older!

Well, that is enough for now.  I hope that you have a fun and creative day and that you share your organizing ideas, tips etc in the comments section or post them on our Facebook Page!!!

hugs to all

Gwen

 

 

 

 

 

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Life Happens

My sweet friends, life has a way of happening to each of us. Yesterday my husband lost his job. We have no idea where or what we will be going/doing as it is still to early to tell.  He has such a specialized area of work that there are only 1000 or less jobs of his kind - and finding one available will be quite the trick.

I will be ramping up my Stampin Up! and Thrive Businesses to help with the paying of the bills. I appreciate all who are already my customers and business partners and I am just saying this in hopes of finding people who want a Stampin Up demonstrator and or Thrive distributor not only in my area (Southwest Missouri) but all over the nation.  I will be putting more classes together (for both businesses).

I have a LOT of retired stamps for sale here at my home. Over the weekend I will be adding even more as I transition to the new 2016-2017 Catalog.

Your prayers will be greatly appreciated as always.

hugs

Gwen