Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are getting ready to depart for our annual epic road trip to see Mike's entire family. We're having Thanksgiving dinner in Philadelphia which is hosted by his Mom's side of the family, his cousins Merrie, Robin and their families. Then on Friday we head to Ocean City, New Jersey for an annual family reunion with Mike's Dad's side of the family. On Sunday, we will visit my brother Gary and his family for the day and then we'll drive home on Monday, hopefully avoiding traffic. If time permits, we'll stop in New Jersey and visit our friend Phil and eat some Dim Sum and possibly stop in Connecticut and visit my friend Rebecca and eat at Rein's Deli!

It will be lots and lots of driving, driving, and more driving, plus eating and more eating! Packing all my comfy pants! I can't wait to see everyone!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Forecast: Jewelry Making Weekend Ahead!

This weekend I'm taking two jewelry making classes. Today at 10 am, I'm heading to PFlora Metal Arts in Canton, MA (my new happy place) to take this class.

The name of the class is "Nailed It" because we are using manicure art to make the impressions. That's all I know right now. There is still one space left in the class if you are an early riser and live nearby. Here's the link.

Tomorrow, I'm taking a private class with a group of friends down in Plymouth at The Art Shoppe. We'll be making the Sea Wave Copper Bracelet. I've taken one class here before just to check the place out and the instructor was great.

This class is only $30, and we have a few empty seats, so give me a call or email me if you want to join in the fun. The class starts at noon.

Mike is looking forward to playing his guitar this weekend and we're also meeting some friends for dinner. The Pug Boys are wondering if they are getting jewelled collars for Chanukah this year.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

There will be beads...

This year I have had my own personal art renaissance. For many, many years I have devoted myself to sewing and quilting, but this year has been different. I've taken several different art classes and opened myself to new experiences and techniques. Marion and I started beading a year ago this past May, and it is a new hobby that I thoroughly enjoy. I also found a great art workshop near my house and have been taking lots of jewelry classes there.

I still like to sew and will continue to make quilts but thought you would enjoy seeing some of my newer endeavors.

Here's what happens when you combine two of your favorite things: beading and pugs!
 

This has been about six hours worth of love so far. It uses tiny, tiny size 15 seed beads. It is also dimensional, with several layers of felt to give it shape. Isn't my pug darling? It is intended to be a pin (brooch), but I want to try and put it on a large cuff bracelet.

This is a beaded embroidery kit that I bought on Etsy at The Lone Beader. Owner and designer, Diana Grygo, sells finished beaded dog and cat jewelry along with kits for her embroideries. I noticed that she lived nearby and reached out to her through Etsy and took a private bead embroidery lesson with her.

She invited me to her apartment and I was stunned and amazed to see the beautiful beaded "paintings" that she had displayed throughout her home. Diana works only in size 15 seed beads and creates large portraits of landmarks (the Citgo sign in Boston, the White House, and many more), vehicles, as well as pet portraits. I was so overwhelmed, I didn't take any photos. She is currently working on a beaded scene of Moscow. It is magnificent.

In addition to beads, there were babies!

Meet Pat's new twin granddaughters born on October 30th! Just in time for their first Halloween. Juliette is on the left, and Kerstin is on the right. So cute! I wish I could snuggle one right now!

BatMan enjoys beading too!

Thanks for the warm welcome back: Mary (glad you are safe from the fires in CA!), Colette, Mari (waving back to you and wishing I could see you at Thanksgiving), Lee Anna, Jenny, Julie and JulieRose!

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Brown Baggers Take Rhode Island

Greetings Dear Blog Readers,

I hope that you remember me. I always find it ironic when new readers sign up when I haven't written for a while. Hopefully I won't disappoint them!

The intrepid Brown Baggers spent last weekend in Middletown, RI sewing up a storm. 

Nancy D. assembled a colorful quilt made from a previous year's birthday blocks.

Joanne S. was making a disappearing hour glass from a Missouri Star Quilt tutorial. You cut up the large block in the foreground (the hour glass) and reassemble it into the star block.

Joannie showed off one of her Bali Bedrunner blocks. Don't be fooled. She assembled it before the weekend... you may have seen it here...

Sally was working on her Double Wedding Ring quilt. It has a soft grey background that really makes the colors pop!

Joanne S. added a binding to the colorful quilt that we made for Emma, her great niece and our junior Brown Bagger quilter.

Kim G. made pillows with photos transferred to fabric.

Here's a close-up of the photo.

Cordula put bindings on three quilts. She made this quilt with scraps from pillowcases. The fabric features Volkswagen buses.

Marion finished the top of a t-shirt quilt she is making for her grandson Wyatt.

Cordula added a binding to this quilt too. She likes this pattern so much that she's made it three times.

Finally, Cordula also put a binding on this quilt. This pattern is Alba from Kaffe Fassett's Quilts in Italy book. I love the autumnal colors. We all really admired this quilt. Although this is not my usual color pallete, I may have to copy Cordula's. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, you know.

Here's a close-up.

Joan S. made a potholder out of leftover quilt blocks.

I worked on a very old project that I started in 2002 at the Houston Quilt Festival with Charlotte Angotti. I finished five more blocks (for a total of nine) out of 30 blocks. I have finished making all the star pieces and sorted them into block packages. This quilt will have pieced sashing and a pieced border so it will be a long time before I finish it! Good thing I still like the colors!

Marion assembled her birthday block quilt. It is the same as Nancy's in the top photo, only Marion has made hers tall and skinny. Both Marion and Nancy D. plan to add outer borders to this quilt.

Jo Anne E. created this original design for a table runner.

On the design wall, you can see Nancy D.'s Double Wedding Ring in progress. It is all pastel 1930's prints.

A group photo. There were 10 of us in attendance but Joan S. left before we took a picture. I'm kneeling at the front left.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Pugtastic Tuesday: A brief note from Elvis

Woof, woof! My Mommy has been busy travelling the past two weeks. Last week she went to Missouri to see some new clients and today she is going to Arkansas. I'm happy to stay at home with my PugDaddy and my two brothers.

Don't worry, Mommy has not run out of pug collectibles to share with you. She will be back soon because that's what she always tells me when she leaves.

Pugs and kisses,
Elvis, Mommy's #1 Baby
I will be Sweet 16 in October!

P.S. If you look at my handsome photo, you can see my look alike pug wind spinner (yes, we have a fawn one like LarryPug and Caesar too) and my look alike pug flag in the waaaay back.

Card Making Class at The Paper Source

Lately I haven't done much quilting. I just haven't had the time or the inclination. Instead, I have been trying a ton of other crafts this summer.

This past Saturday, some of my friends and I took a card making class at The Paper Source in Dedham. The class was taught by Katie, who was an excellent instructor. We used rubber stamps, markers, paint, confetti and much more! Our favorite new toys were the sticker maker machine and the heat embossing tool. We had so much fun. Of course, Julie and I used lots and lots of glitter!

Here is Marion rubber stamping.

Joannie using the heat embossing tool.

Kris and Julie

Trying some water color spatter techniques using a water-filled brush pen.

I also enjoyed writing with the glue pen and covering my writing with glitter. Check out the neat tray in the foreground. It acts like a funnel, so you can re-use your glitter and not waste any. Of course I bought one! And a glue pen too!

Kris, Julie and Joannie

Kris with some of her cards. The llama is made from wrapping paper that we ran through the sticker machine.

Julie with one of her cards.

Marion with two of her cards.

Kris, Julie, me, Marion and Joannie with some of our cards.

We will definitely be making some more cards together soon.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Pugtastic Tuesday: Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Aspirational pugs:

As seen on Etsy. I never wear necklaces, but since the artist does custom work, perhaps she would make me a bracelet? Just in case you are thinking of buying me an expensive gift...

Here are my real-life best friends.

Caesar

Elvis

LarryPug

Not too much sewing going on. I'm meeting up with my family in NYC this weekend and I had high hopes of bringing everyone a new Aunt Nancy pillowcase. I've cut out a few but I may be passing out IOUs.

I bought this cool fabric at Mardens the last time I was in Maine. It is a Riley Blake print. It is perfect for my pre-med niece, Rachel and science-loving nephew, Ben. It is also appropriate for my microbiology major nephew Josh (although he won't be in NYC--other side of the family). Don't worry, I bought enough for Josh too...

My friend Julie has asked me to make her leopard print pillows for her new boudoir. Obligingly I took her shopping and we purchased fabric yesterday.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Pugtastic Tuesday: Pug Bags

Hello Dear Blogging Friends,

Today I'll share some of my pug-themed bags with you. This is what I could grab quickly this morning in search of a post. There are definitely more pug bags floating around in my house.

LarryPug is always happy to pose for the blog. Here are two cool shopping bags from TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I have a couple of the pug in sunglasses. My friend Sue bought me one and my friend Deb mailed me one from St. Louis. The shipping cost more than the bag, but I love that about her. I have such generous friends! And you can never have too many pug shopping bags! Right, LarryPug?

Here is LarryPug with an ancient, but never used pug purse (or as we say in New England, pocketbook, pronounced pock-a-book). I have it hanging on my closet door. Too good to use!

Here's a close-up.

My sister-in-law Diane sent me this bag. I've had it for years and I keep it on my nightstand. These two boys looks so much like Romeo and Elvis, the original pug dynamic duo.

My friend Eleanor, the great shopping bargain hunter, fought against her natural urges and paid FULL PRICE to buy me this adorable pug dop kit. I LOVE it!

This cute bag was a gift from my sweet friend Carol. As you can see, you can never have too many put bags!

I bought this little pug wallet online somewhere.

Not a pug bag, but a new pug collectible that I picked up at Hobby Lobby.

He is small but mighty.

I've been having computer problems, so you may receive this post twice.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy

Roundup for the Week ending July 22nd

Nothing super exciting happened this week, but I have little updates to share with you.

I ran into my friend Maria and she gave me this cute photo of Baby Ava sitting on the quilt that I made for her.

Ava is already seven months old! Isn't she adorable?

I did actually finish something. It wasn't this week, but a few weeks ago, and it is actually quilted.

This was a kit (one of two) that I purchased from Nancy's Notions. The tree is pre-fused and all cut out. You only have to iron it down to the background and add binding. I did actually quilt some of the branches. The photo above is from Nancy's website, but mine is fairly identical. It was a nice, mindless project and I will probably give it as a gift. It will be a pretty table-topper.

My friend Logan turned five! And so did Prince George. Do you remember when they were born?

Here is Logan, far left, at his birthday party. He loves art and rainbows, so his Mom, my friend Anna, made him a rainbow art cake!

Here are Logan and Cameron with their baby sister Adalynn.

In honor of Logan's fifth birthday, I made him five pillowcases. This may become arduous when Logan turns 27...

There are monster trucks, dinosaurs, sports, Thomas the Train and rainbows. Of course, there is also a pillowcase for Cameron too.

I started a quilt for my co-worker Lauren who is getting married next month. Lauren wanted a grey quilt with a modern feeling. I offered to make Lauren a lap quilt as a wedding gift and she was very excited. The next day she came into the office and told me that she had spent the whole night looking at quilt photos on the Internet. Fortunately the quilt she chose is very simple, made of large squares in two shades of grey, plus white.

Thanks for visiting!

Pugs and kisses,
Nancy