Dear Friends,

I have to apologize for my absence; I have been really sick with some crazy bug that just won't go away! AAACK! But as a quick update, my daughter lost her first tooth! What a joyous moment. I'm not sure why, but I was just thrilled about it. She's getting to be such a big girl!

In sad news, we said goodbye to our good friend and companion kitty Otto this week. He was just getting old and having some issues. It was so hard to say goodbye, but it was the right thing to do. We hope he is frolicking in the summerlands with our other beloved pets that have graced our lives in the past.

My beloved Mother-in-law and her wonderful husband are here for a visit and so I am further distracted having fun! My Mother-in-Law and I took a really great class on how to print fabric using a technique called "Thermafax." It was great fun, and I'm very inspired to start combining my love of drawing with fabric! Stay tuned for some designs.

I promise I haven't forgotten about my blog; I will be back soon. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this new little bag that I've made. The fabric is from Anna Maria Horner's Drawing Room collection. It reminds me of a henna tattoo. The lining is a Civil War reproduction fabric.

A Cool Damp Place

I have a few friends who are artists in Australia; I am worried about them and their fellow residents who are going through the worst bush fires in history. As the news is now reporting, it is believed that the fires were set intentionally, and more than 130 people have lost their lives.

To respond to this, I am going to donate 10% of every sale that I make for the rest of this month to the Australian Red Cross. If you want to donate directly (every penny counts) you can donate online here.

Vroom-Vroom

I made a series of my Tomboy wallets in this great Vespa Scooter printed fabric, and soon after, I got a nice shout out from a fellow blogger, Scarlett Design. Thanks, Scarlett! Scarlett is also a wonderful artist and has two Etsy stores: Scarlett Made, where she sells her great hand knit items, and Scarlett Design, featuring beautiful note cards. Check her out!

Balancing Act

I am full of excitement and plans right now, which means I'm INSANELY busy (but in the best possible way). I made a decision early this year to get serious about growing my business, BCharmer Designs, and I had the amazingly good fortune to meet Pam Corwin of Paper Scissors Rock on Inaguration Day. This woman is a phenomenally sucessful business woman and so of course, I attached myself to her like a barnacle to a rock. I have already learned so much, and I feel empowered towards success! Then I got an e-mail from a gallery/boutique owner in New York yesterday that was interested in showing a BCharmer Collection in their next rotation. So on Valentine's Day, and again in March, you will be able to see my work in person at the Genuine Artikle Gallery and Boutique in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York! Genuine Artikle represents street based artists in the underground scene and always has a varied collection of paintings and handmade goods that are unique and hip.

With all of that happening, I am pressed to remember to keep my balance. Balance requires practice and focus and so I turn to my little talisman, Ganesh, who watches me work every day. He is a great reminder to remember that there are other things in my life that also are important and that the whole package is the key to my success.

And for now, I'm off to eat a little, and sew a lot. Here are a few photos of my studio space; I always love to see where people work!

Sunshine in a Bag

Well, I FINALLY finished a bag to sell (it's on my Etsy site now) and I feel so good! I'm hoping to have two more finished in the coming days. But for now, let's just enjoy one at a time. This one is made from heavy weight cotton twill and canvas. The pretty parts are from Anna Maria Horner's fabric lines. It has NINE pockets and a key fob to keep you organized. Plus it's so pretty to look at!

New Girls

I am excited to tell you that Brian and I are adding to our family! No, not in that way; we're not planning any more children, but we're planning for three CHICKENS! Brian is going to build a sweet little coop, and I've been researching breeds. I think we've settled on three breeds and I'm hoping to get one of each. They are: Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, and Austrolorp.

We've been talking about getting chickens for some time now, but the timing was never quite right. Now that Bronwyn is a little older and more stable, I feel ready to embark. I'll definitely keep you posted as we go through the process.

In other news, I'm reading a really great book right now: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. It is a memoir that was written after Jean-Dominique suffered a massive stroke that left him intellectually intact, but completely paralyzed physically. His only way of communicating was to blink his left eye. I'm half way through the book and it's really an inspiring read.

A Sunny Day

Well, I just finished watching the inaguration of President Obama and I have to say I feel inspired and calm at the same time. It's a sunny day here, the first in a long long time, and so that feels extra good. I just finished working on a new table runner/kitchen towel, which I think reflects the positivity of the day.

Also, I got another great feature in another blog dedicated to Moms who are also designers! It's called Designer Y abd you can see the little feature here.

I cut out three diaper bags last night, and am excited to get started on them. I will show pictures when they're finished.