Jessica Flores Design

Fun in the Sun

  Here are some pics from our glorious day at the Briar Patch last month.  Gasp!  Has it been a month already?  I know, that greeting is becoming all too familiar here, but summer is flying by as usual, and there's just no time to blog!  
 There are vacations to be had, parades to watch and join, pools to float in, sprinklers to run in, weeds to pull, and fruit to pick!  
 Thank you to everyone who came out to shop from my wares and also Mom's fantastic creations, including this gorgeous new collage.  Don't ask--I've got dibs on it!  How cute does that look next to my yoyo posies?!

I have been finding some nooks and crannies in my busy schedule to create.  This fine little zipper pouch found a new home via the Briar Patch event, and I'm working on a few new ones with wristlets.

I'm really excited about the new farmgirl cards. Two designs are ready to print, and I'm hoping to debut four of them at a private trunk show in September.  This will probably be at my home.  If you're interested in attending, please send me a note.  It will be a great time to get deals on the summer items I need to get rid of, grab some new fall styles, and place custom orders for the holidays while browsing through my fabric stash!

Time for bed.  Tomorrow brings another play date at the sprinkler park and maybe some time at the sewing machine in the afternoon! 

It's Gettin' Hot in Here!

 Well folks, the Johnny Bob room is heatin' up!  We have no AC out here on the frontier, and my machine has been buzzing along to help fill the booth at this year's Briar Patch Folk Art Gathering in Plymouth this Saturday. Go check out their blog for more information.  I just finished sprucing up their site with a new banner, content and borders.  Mom and I will be sharing a space again to showcase our latest creations:  antique key pendants, collage cards, altered antique glass bottles, scrappy scarves, headbands, pillows, and these darling little triangle wristlets and/or coin purses made from oilcloth.  
Nora thinks they look like little scones, and I've promised her one after the show.  

I've also been collecting jars for a while to turn into gift containers. 
   I tried my hand at etching some of them, but I'm not sure I arrived at the look I was after. 
   Either way, these make a fun, affordable way to store your craft supplies, cosmetics, candies, or present a gift.  They make me smile when I look at the sun glittering through them on my window sill every day.  

I was hoping to debut my new set of Farmgirl cards at this week's event, but I just can't foresee how I'll find the time to finish them.  So many projects, so little time, so much summer to savor!  Maybe next show.  I'm shooting for ArtBeat in downtown South Bend and a private trunk show at my house later in the summer.  I've been tossing around the idea of these home trunk shows quite a bit lately, but I'm not sure I'm ready to become your next friendly Tupperwear lady just yet.  When I have a show on my radar, I put everything on the back burner and get disappointed in myself when the dust piles up, or time is lost with Nora.  I'm just trying to keep things a little more even keel, but a girl can dream!  Once next week arrives, I've got a date with a very weedy garden and some smudgy windows!  

Country Girl in the City

 
  Thanks to all of you who came out to see me at Urban Lily yesterday and purchase a thing or two.  We had a great day selling our wares, meeting new folks and chatting about future projects.   A special thank you to Amanda, who graciously opened her boutique to me for the day and made me feel so welcome.
  She even shared her mannequins!  Now I have a picture to share of one of my wrap-around tops!  Isn't that necklace adorable too?  If it's still there on my next trip, I'm going to have to snag it.  During the afternoon I was able to embroider the band of another one in black.  It's going to be a challenge to keep these available for my customers, though.  I want to wear them so badly myself!

I left all of my merchandise at the store, so you can check it out there anytime for the next couple of weeks.  Here's the really fabulous news, though, if you didn't get a chance to come out yesterday:  Urban Lily is hosting a "cultural bazarre" during South Bend's First Friday event on June 4.  I'll be there with even more goodies and will be joined by several other artists. We'll be set up from noon to 9 pm (though I can't guarantee I'll be staying that late into the evening.  It will probably be 6 pm for me).  Hopefully we'll have sunnier weather than yesterday (and smoother hair and table cloths!).  

Until then, I will be cleaning house, trippin' down south to help my little sis set up house in a new apartment, enjoying the beginning of "school's out!" days, and trying to stitch up some new headbands, tops, scarves, pillows and more just for you!  

You Are Invited

 I found this sweet little flier on my Facebook page this afternoon posted by Urban Lily.  Don't I feel special?!  Please note the extended hours.  We're also working on setting up a second showing during South Bend's First Friday event in June.  Stay tuned for details!

Freebies this Friday!

 

Just stopping in on this rainy afternoon to let you know about a special offer at my show this Friday at the Urban Lily in South Bend.  Stop in between 12 noon and 5 pm and receive a free yoyo posie with any purchase from my collection!  Amanda will also be offering a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate to the shop, so come on in and shop for some lovlies to make your summer wardrobe extra stylish.  

 

Happy 100th!

 Just after I clicked "publish" on my last post, I noticed a tiny little counter on my dashboard reading "99" beside the number of posts published to this blog.  Since then, I've felt a little timid about writing this auspicious entry.  I don't have an epiphany to share today or a sentimental journey through the last three years.  As much as I love this cozy little corner of my world,  I'm lucky if I find the time to upload one picture a week.  Today would be a great time to run down a list of resolutions for the next 100 posts worth of life, but I'd much rather resolve to simply live:  to soak up life without listening to that nagging voice in the back of my mind trying to find the words to describe the moment on the blog, or regretting that the camera is not at hand.  Remember that holiday not-to-do list from December?  I'm penning one for the summer.  

The one thing I immediately knew I would share on this 100th post is my very first sewing project.  
 Nora found this little guy upstairs at my mom's house while they were cleaning out my old closet.  I remember my grandma Ginnie helping me make him at her house when I was little -- I can't remember how old I was -- I can remember the names of 90% of the people I meet on a day-to-day basis, but ask me how old I was when I first went to summer camp or met my best friend from elementary school, and I'm at a loss. I do know I must have been older than 6 or 7, because the stitches on the edges are pretty darned straight and consistent in size.  Don't ask me exactly what kind of creature it is or why he's crying.  I don't remember being particularly sad when I made it.  

I'd like to think I've come a long way since that first project. Last week I made a special little tote for my mom for Mother's Day.  She needed a little something to take her knitting out in. 
Version two features one of the quilt blocks I picked up at the Country Living Fair back in September.  I was thrilled to get a call from one of my friends today who wanted to buy one of my scrappy scarves and see a few new bags.  She ended up snatching this one before I even had the chance to post it here.   
 The pattern was adapted from an Amy Butler design, and I've got some more alterations to make before I can claim it as my own and market them in earnest (I'm picky about the plagiarism thing). Look for similar ones at the Urban Lily show next Friday along with a darling new bag I call "Hazel Goes to Vegas."  

Thanks to all of you who stop in to read about my latest creations, encourage me through your comments and support my hobby with your purchases, however small.  There have been plenty of times when I've thought about packing all of the feedsack up and sending it to the Goodwill.  Just the moment I do, one of you blesses me with a compliment on a project or post or grabs something from my Etsy store.  You remind me to hold to a favorite verse from Proverbs: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick; but when dreams come true at last, there is life and joy."

 I'm counting on much life and joy in the next 100 posts.  I hope you'll continue to follow along.

Love,

Jessica

Urban Lily Show

I have some exciting news!  I've been asked to have a trunk show of sorts at Urban Lily in downtown South Bend on Thursday, May 21st.  Amanda has an original little boutique at 127 W. Washington full of unique fashions and accessories--think romantic bohemian with a punky edge.  You can find out more about it on Facebook.  The show will be held from noon to 5 pm, so come out and enjoy the city and this great shop, enjoy some refreshments, and shop some of my new creations, including this scrappy scarf, modeled by my lovely little sis and now available on my Etsy site. 
 I'm also hoping to have a couple of new bags, more scarves, aprons, and posies for your spring and summer wardrobe.  You can check out my adorable strapless wraparound tops too!  Heck, you could almost put together a whole outfit from my line.  Throw in some sandals and a skirt from the shop, and you'll be set to hit the town.  

And while you're hitting said town, you might want to check out a couple of my favorite spots to shop and eat:  JunkEvolution, Spark, LePeep and the Chocolate Cafe.  

Now, looking at my calendar, I'm realizing that this little shin dig is just two weeks away.  Yikes!  Better get to the sewing room right now!

Scattered

If there’s such a thing as crafting ADD, I’ve got it.  Just take a look around my house, and you’ll find the evidence.  
A gaudy scrap of fabric laid on top of my ironing board where I accidentally ironed the wrong side of the fusible interfacing to the cover and a pile of stuffing from a soft block gone wrong . . . 
 the block turned inside out at my machine . . .half of a sketch sitting at the dining room table next to my mug of pencils (see below). . . .

Last week I was on a rampage.  Over the weekend I made a couple of coasters out of necessity.  
 On Monday I finished the first of what I hope to be at least three wrap-around tops, started on number two (sorry, no pics, because I haven't found a suitable model yet), cut out pieces for the aforementioned set of soft blocks 
 , and painted three mini paintings.  


   

I’ve been thinking about the boutiques I need to follow up with and spring and summer shows on my radar, and I’m getting nervous about not having a full booth, so I’m trying to create like mad, because I know spring is coming, and I’m going to want to dig in the garden, and Spring Into Art is going to demand lots more of my time until the middle of April, and I hope to get all of my spring cleaning done by the end of May, and I just don’t have the guts to ask my doctor for a prescription, (although I did make kind of a freudian slip about Xanex when I took Nora in for a bad cold last week.) 

Anyway, is it totally weird that I love this piece of wallpaper torn from my old bedroom wall?  My mom’s been remodeling the room, and when I saw a piece of it clinging to the scraped up wall, I took it home and started sketching an inspired damask pattern.  
 If I ever get back into using Spoonflower, it would be a beautiful pattern to have printed onto some yardage for a bag or apron.

So, THEN I was at work on Friday and our Tech Services girl passed me the new One Yard Wonders project book.
Working in a library, I see a lot of craft books pass through, and I’ve ordered a few that have not panned out to be so impressive.  But THIS one is a gem.  It is jam packed with ideas that I can’t wait to try, including a special little ditty for Mom’s B-day (or maybe Mother’s Day) a halter top, something to transform some of my bags into ultra-organized survival kits, and a pattern that would be perfect for that conundrum of a man-tote that I’m trying to design for my hubby to haul his satellite radio stuff to work in everyday.  He spotted this piece in my collection 
 and actually asked me to make him a bag out of it!  I am not kidding. This is going to be my biggest challenge ever.  

Oh, yeah, and after looking through new said project book, I’m getting a little paranoid about people ripping off my totally original (or so I think) ideas and making butt-loads of cash.  I just about died when I saw the hanging organizer complete with grommets resembling my very own beloved pattern. Ah, well, as my pal, Lindsay pointed out on her blog-- there are no new ideas.  But there will soon be more hours in the day!  I’m thinking about heading into my chaos room with a pot of coffee (oh, darn, I still need to make that coffee press cozy!).  You may not hear from me again until June. . . O.K., so I lie. If I end up making Nora an Easter Dress, you’ll just have to see it!

A Baby Gift

 

Sewing for babies is so much fun!  I picked up a copy of a great little book of ideas at Barnes and Noble a few years ago on the bargain shelves, but haven't had a chance to use it in a long time.  So, I was happy to hear that we would be throwing a shower for my co-worker, Jen on Saturday--and then I was even more happy to hear that she's expecting a girl.  Come on!  You know girls are so much more fun to "bedazzle."  

My mom had just made a double-sided little "minky" blanket with ribbon tags for a friend's baby in Mexico and had some of the ultra-soft pink stuff left over.  It was just enough to pair with a favorite piece of flannel I had, which was covered with bugs, and the rainbow of colors made it fun to pull out bits and pieces of all kinds of ribbon from my stash to make my own "taggie blankie".  

 

But I needed a little something else to complete the gift, so I browsed Etsy for a little while trying to find an idea to rip off--ahem--I mean to inspire me.  I ended up coming back to a soft stuffed block from the Baby Gifts book.  Then Etsy helped me jazz it up with its own ribbon tags and jingle bell inside.  It is a complete sensory toy (well, except for the smell, but I decided to ditch the idea of stuffing it with mashed bananas).  I used as many different fabrics as I could to create a touchy-feely toy--corduroy, satin, flannel, cotton, and terry cloth, plus the ribbons.  

When I laid it on the bed to take the photo, I decided that my next one must include a scrap of bumpy, soft chenille--vintage of course along with natural bamboo filler--a true eco-toy!

Whirlwind

I am grateful this morning, after a day yesterday paved with many speed bumps and pot holes.  I am blessed to have a husband who makes homemade perfume with my little girl when I'm out for the day, takes her to the movies, and dines on Chic Fil A.  I am blessed by the many kind words my customers share with me when they visit my booth, I am blessed by the fellowship of other creative souls, and I was tremendously blessed by a very special wedding in the middle of my whirlwind day yesterday.  My friend Rachel married Peter, her "pearl of greatest treasure", in a spirit-filled ceremony that brought the roof down with praise and worship.  It was an amazing place of rest and renewal in the middle of a very hectic day for me.  Praise the Lord!

I'm preparing for my return to the French Market at Meadowbrook farm this morning, stocking my purse with cold medicine, bundling up in a few layers, and getting set to put the booth all back together again.  The junk evolution team sold like gangbusters yesterday as a result of their MAD design skills and great prices on a barn stuffed to the gills with gorgeous vintage finds.  It is like flipping through the pages of Country Living as soon as you step through those red dutch doors. You've got to get out there today from 12 to 5 if you know what's good for your country-lovin' soul!