I will be listing this set on Etsy. I lined both with the same red and white fabric.

My friend Marcie received her handmade pencil swap from me. Yipee! I made her a pencil tote, along with, yes......it does seem familiar right? It's my Library/Lunch Tote Bag from my tutorial. Ok, so I sent more than just pencils. I could not resist the fun little pens I found. I had so much fun doing my pencil swap. Thank you ladies for taking part in the swap. I will post pictures of the other ladies swaps if they share some with me. (hint, hint)

My friend Amanda was gifted the bag I made. I sent along a Bailey StuFFn of her own and some felt barrettes with vintage buttons. I have been promising her those barrettes for a bit. She is getting ready to have a baby! Best Wishes Amanda! XOXO (my my that blue bolt is getting some use huh?)

These were a personal order for someone. I can't show any favor cause I made them. LIES! They are so freaking cute. I love them. I am so proud of how they came out. I am just floored with my hands. How do they make such cute faces? The hardest part for me is selling them. I miss my dolls. I give all my dolls hugs and kisses before they leave. And some even dance with me. Sometimes we have a going away tea party. (sometimes they just can't wait to leave me and just hop in the box themselves, brats) I still miss them. Enjoy them MISS Lisa! XOXO

You know I can't show you what I sent yet. Naughty Naughty, quit peeking! Soon I PROMISE!

My friend Renae from My Little Raggedy Blessings has gifted me this sweet charming pin poke. My fancy way of saying needle and pin keeper. Its so adorable. In colors I love. My my what a treat for me and my eyes. Thank you so much Renae for thinking about me. She is just such a sweetie. I adore her creations. She makes the cutest annies. You should go take a peek at her Ebay sometime. I promise you she is worth the wait. Girl thank you so much for thinking of me. I adore the little puppy and button. They are going in my keepsake pile. The tin. Oh my word I LOVE that color. There are little odds and ends in there like eyelets and snaps. (yes SPOILED again, I know it XOXO)

Oh Looky what I have found today. It was just waiting for me. They have been out of my price range when I find them. But they are not even worth what some were asking for. $60.00-120.00. Some looked to have been left outside for a few years or they don't close properly. Some were just even on the hinges so you opened it up it falls over. This one is perfect. No rips and tears in the inside. Not totally crisp and clean. But I am not looking for that. It has a few knick and knacks here and there but thats ok. The trunk is solid. The hinges, the locks. Everything works great and with ease. Oh and its RED! I am going to use it for display but to keep all my doll shoes and dresses in. I have them in my fabric bin now. Yeah nice place to keep your toys huh? There is no maker on the trunk. The inside is a beige 50's space star print. $24.00 I had to have it.

I was on a hunt for some unbleached cotton. Which eventually just led me to asking someone who worked in there if they knew where it was. They just pointed to the muslin section. Nothing really said unbleached cotton. There was unbleached muslin. I found weavers cloth. I know that weavers cloth is used for things like embriodery and needlepunching. I purchased some and I also purchased some muslin. Some osnaburg muslin. Osnaburg has a loose weave in the fabric. I have a few ideas that I am going to use for these. Not what I used to use them for. This should be fun. Something new in mind. Oh I love it.

I received my swap from Niki. I am so in love with what she sent to me. I really love her choice of fabrics. Her creations will get plenty of use. My son was really interested in my pencil case. He thought it was a pretty genuis. I agree. Thank you again Niki. I totally love my pencil swap gift.

I have to get mine out this week. I am ALMOST finished with mine. I didn't tell my partner I have "her". I am naughty. I will post pics of what I sent, promise. Oh that candy is already gone. :P

My friend Shannon from cinnamon stitched primitives made this completely adorable yoyo mat in perfect shabby colors. I simply adore the two of those colors she has chosen. Oh Shucks you know I favor that pair. Bravo Shannon. I love the buttons. Those are great and a nice touch. Thank you for sharing your photo with me. I love seeing the creations you make from my pattern. What a treasure for me! You can visit Shannon on her blog. XOXO

I AM!! Every year we have a HALLOWEEN costume party and I am always trying to get into some kinda costume. I have no clue what I am dressing up this year as. So that is my goal. Like it is every year. I tend to stop working out Nov-March. I wish I would just keeping working out all year.

I have been watching what I eat. Trying to only stick healthy choices in my mouth. I use the treadmill everyday. 40 mins of cardio and then I weight train. This week I am adding lunges squats and some sit ups. I am just toning and shaping up making things go back in their place. Or trying to anyhow.

This is my 4th week.

My hubby has actually been motivated by me. He does not need to loose weight. The man has been thin all his life and has some kind of MAGIC gene that don't let him gain any. (it looks like my sons have been given this gene too) WHICH MAKES ME crazy cause they can eat anything. UGH LUCKY! But he notices that I get up early. (I just wake up its never planned, I cant sleep in EVER) But I always take advantage of my mornings. I am a morning person and have the most energy in the am hours. Now that I am working out I am getting even MORE ENERGY and getting LOTS of things done. He says he wants to get up early and enjoy his mornings. I said COME ON!! He wants to get into shape. He has pains in his back and shoulders. AND THERE IS NOTHING BETTER for ya then to WORK OUT to help relieve all that and MAKE IT GO AWAY. They call it physical therapy in medical terms. I call it WORKING OUT! And if you did it once in a while you would not be all tense and LOCKED UP. Working out takes away STRESS and promotes good feel good vibes in you that last for hours. AND help you NOT TO FEEL OLD. YOU REST, YOU RUST!

I love the morning hours. Up before anyone. Before the sun has time to heat everything up. Before the honking cars and the hustle and bustle of city life. ITS JUST QUIET! And its me and the morning. God and I are out there having conversations. The birds come by to say hello. Morning is the BEST time of the day for me. Oh I love it and adore and take EACH MOMENT in.


I have set up my back porch into a mini gym. I have my treadmill out there and my work out bench and weights and etc. I have my ipod on and I just go to town. I take and set aside about 60- 90 mins a day 5 days a week just for me. ITS MY TIME. ALL FOR ME!! And I LOVE IT!

I need to costume hunt. I may end up sewing mine this year. Oh my who or what to be. Oh the choices. Last year I was a pin up girl. Military (Army) hehe! Fishnets and all. Oh my!

Next sew on your side panels to the front panel.

Then sew on your back panel.

This is how it should look with all four panels sewn. I then went to my sewing machine and sewn the bottom of this so its closed.

Here it is sewn shut. Next you just stick your hand inside and give it a little push till it boxes out. It will form triangles on the edges. Sew each side on the triangle part going up and down. Then cut off the triangles. See next photo for example.



The top red fabric is how your fabric will look before you cut off the triangles.

After you cut off the triangles and turn the bag right side out, you will have then created the look you see on the bottom in aqua. That is how a box bottom is made.

You will need to do sew the lining the same way and then insert it into the bag. I then folded the fabric and ironed all the way around the bag. I did this for the lining as well. This helps to even the fabric all the way around the bag. Don't sew just yet. We need to add the straps, button and cord.

Take the straps and iron them into two parts.

Then I folded it over again, ironed and then sewn straight down so it would not open. Do the same for both straps.

You will need to line up your straps and pin them in place. I sewed on a large vintage plastic button in the center of the bag on the front panel. On the back panel I sewed the elastic cord. Make sure you sew them on at this point or you will see your sew marks afterwards. Sew in between the layers. Sew the button and the cord in the middle of the handle placement. You are then ready to sew everything in place. You will not be able to use your sewing machine to close shut the area where we sewed on the large button. You will have to use some needle and thread and just hand sew a straight stitch using small stitches.

Have fun making this. Feel free to make them and sell them and tell them where you got the pattern from. ME! Anniescupboards. Oh and you can gift these as well. I am. I am gifting BOTH of these bags! I hope they like them! XOXO Enjoy!

If you would like to make this bag use the following method I just taught you and use these measurements. Cut 2- 16" long by 12" wide for front and back fabric panels. Cut 2- 16" by 5" wide for side panels. Cut 2- 18" long by 5" for straps. Use the same measurements for the lining. Happy Sewing!

and she shared some of her work with me. Look what she has been doing with my free yoyo circle mat/pad pattern. I love her jar with the yoyo's all around it. She chose really great colors. I am so glad your having fun making fabric yoyo's! XOXO

Come peek inside!

Oh my LOOK at this view!

Yummy!

I found Amanda!

Oh Fun. I want to come play.