squirrel momma

Stickermania, Part II

I have two projects that I need to finish in the next week, so of course today I made stickers with my new Xyron instead. (Is it just me, or does that name sound like something from Battlestar Gallactica?)

I have to confess, I bought a 1.5 inch circle punch to make the job easier.  Way easier. It actually took me longer to find the squirrel on Dafonts than it did to make the stickers. Love, love, love my new toy.

Stickermania

You know your local grocery store is carrying the necessities of life when not only do they stock organic baby spinach, imported cheese and 99% butterfat ice cream, but also, for half the price of the craft store chains:

I had been eyeing the Xyron sticker makers for awhile, but I was skeptical. I mean, you drop a scrap of paper in at one end and it comes out the other, a sticker? How is that even possible? Well, take it from me, it actually works!  There are two layers of film in the machine, with an adhesive sandwiched in between them (where your piece of paper ends up).  When you remove the top layer, the extra sticky stuff not covered by your "sticker" comes off too, and you're left with a brand spankin' new sticker ready to peel off its backing, just like the ones at the store. For customer orders. Gifts. Envelopes. Shirts. Telephone poles. Payphones. Well, not payphones, as there aren't any of those anymore. But you know.

Trying not to get too giddy here. But...stickers!

Profound Thought of the Day

Sometimes it's a level playing field...

(Nut Boy at his second football game of the season. I will probably be scrubbing grass stains out of those white pants all the way till next Saturday, but they won!)

...and sometimes the home stretch is all uphill, right to the finish line...

(Squirrel Girl running at a state-wide meet held on the golf course at Michigan State University.  I think putting hills at the beginning AND the end was just plain mean, but her team won their division.  Good weekend for the squirrelings!)

Dietary Question

FYI:  more weedlings, seedlings and bats going up in the shop over the next week...

And now, a dietary question that was just posed to me by Nut Boy. If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?!!  Ha!

Fruit Bowl

A few more pieces for my fruit bowl...

Aside from a custom piece, these may be the last of the fruit and veggie pincushions for awhile (although I am dying to make a carrot, and a peanut), as I have to work on other projects that need finishing. Several people have asked about more seedlings, so amongst the back to school and fall sports madness I'm trying to get these guys done:

And then?  I'll probably notice the holidays are approaching, and go into full panic mode, involving lots of sewing while under the influence of chocolate and listening to mysteries on my iPod.

Might need to buy more chocolate.

Saugatuck

Last weekend we drove to Saugatuck, an artists' community on the shores of Lake Michigan.  While we waited for a table at our favorite breakfast joint we wandered down the street to grab lattés at an art gallery/coffee shop.

Then we wandered back to read the paper outside the restaurant. The great thing about Ida Red's--besides the absolutely decadent all butter, thick bacon, real maple syrup breakfasts--is that you can wait in their garden.

Then afterwards we staggered down to the channel to watch the boats go by. Boats with wheels...

Boats with bands...

And even boats with dogs for lookouts...

It really was a beautiful last day of summer, with perfect weather, and best of all when we got home everyone was so stuffed from breakfast I got away with making popcorn for dinner (albeit popcorn with Asiago cheese and my secret spice mixture). Which left me time to work on this guy:

Wish I could repeat it all next weekend!

Guts

Ever wonder what the inside of a VCR looks like?

Nut Boy did.  And now he has LOTS of extra parts for, uh, buildin' stuff.

Dynamic Duo

I suddenly decided that the world needs fewer of these:

and more of these:

Now, if all the sewers in the world--or even HALF the sewers in the world--have owned a tomato and strawberry pincushion at one point in their lives, that means there's something like 50 bazillion of those things on the planet, each one identical to the next. And 50 bazillion of anything identical (except, perhaps, chocolate truffles) is way too much.  

So, in my secret, underground, mad squirrel laboratory, I mutated them.  Gave them faces. Personalities. Minds of their own. 

Soon...soon...they will be ready for release upon an unsuspecting world!

(I probably won't be creating 50 bazillion of them, though.)

Driving Like a Cat

Have I mentioned that Squirrel Girl is taking driver's education?  In my state they start early--14!!!--but after driver's ed she'll be required to practice for 50 or 60 hours with a parent in the front seat before she's allowed to get a "real" license at age 16.  

So today Squirrel Girl is finishing up three weeks of classes at Jungle Survival Driver's Training. They emphasize defensive driving, with a jungle theme. A really big, over the top jungle theme.

Oh, but wait, it gets better!

Jungle themed cars! Now, at first I was rolling my eyes at cars painted to look like lions and tigers (that sedate rain forest one above is an older pic I pulled from their website). But then I realized how much other drivers pay attention to those jungle cars, which is a good thing to ponder when I'm sitting at home worrying about my 14 year old out with her instructor, driving on the highway for the first time. Hopefully she's learned to drive like a cat, alertly scanning for predators and ready to react with lightening fast feline reflexes...okay, okay, enough with that metaphor.

...

One last thing.  If you tried to download the free pincushion pattern pdf yesterday, you may have noticed a glitch.  All better!  

Hello!

Well, just from glancing at my TypePad stats, I can tell I have more than the usual amount of visitors today, perhaps thanks to my blathering-on-trying-to-make-myself-sound-halfway-intelligent-and-semi-interesting interview over at Sewn.  

So, hello!

And, er, would those of you in front mind just scooting a little closer to make room for those standing in the back? If there's an empty seat next to you, just slide over. Thanks...  

There. Everybody comfy?  

Hope everybody has entered for a chance to win Mr. Nutters (he can't wait to move out of this nut house), and is enjoying the pattern.  In case you haven't checked it out on Sewn yet, here's a sneak peek:

  

And no, Squirrel Momma is not rewarding herself with a day of lounging around and eating bonbons (well, okay, I'm drinking a frozen mocha, but I'm working hard while I'm doing it). Just finished this little Fibonacci the snail:

I winged it with the embroidery, and now I keep thinking it looks like wallpaper. Or toile. Or toile wallpaper (but in a good way). Anyway, with those things done, I am now staring at my project to do list, trying what is most likely to catch on fire if I don't start it immediately. 

Hmmm...I actually think a couple of items are starting to smoke...