deniseclason.com Blog

Hi Everyone!

I thought I would share with you some of my designs that have been in the latest magazines and newsletters:

1. Create & Decorate, “Garden Applique” in their April 2010 issue! This wallhanging is made from a repurposed linen shirt and some of my stash! The buttons are some of my antique collectables! Just love the quote, too!

2. Crafts’n Things Newsletter, “Patchwork Frame” March Newsletter. This is a FREE online pattern! This design was made for a Michaels’ demonstration, so all of the supplies can be found at your local Michaels stores! Fun and Easy!!!

3. Crafts’n Things Newsletter, “Victorian Boot Pin Cushion” March Newsletter, This is another FREE pattern! I wanted to let you know that the turquoise pin cushion was one of my grandmothers, who passed away at age 93, just last year. I loved it so much that I wanted to remake it into more current prints. You will love this fun and easy pattern. It is approximately 13″ tall and makes a great gift! It lies down or can be hung up for use!

4. Creative Home Arts Magazine, “Quilted Wall Pocket” FREE Online Pattern, This is one of my most favorite patterns/designs! I bought the tin and had it in my closet waiting to be used. It was originally pink! I painted it and destressed it for a softer yellow look to go with the prints I used. The green check is a repurposed shirt as well as the buttons! Please enjoy!

Please enjoy! They are all fun projects to make, great for home of  gifts!

Denise

Update—My tote sold for a winning bid of $101.00! Congratualtions to the winner!

The 4 weeks of tote tuesdays made a whopping total of $15,649.00!!! Great work Virginia! Check out the final information on her site, Virginia Spiegel.

Today is Tote Tuesday and MY custom, one-of-a-kind Amber Tote is up for bid (a design from my Quilted Bags and Totes book), as well as one of my Quilted Bags and Totes books! AND….that’s not all–there is also 9 Fat Quarters, designed by BJ Lantz, AND…that’s not all, there is a bag full of my Stitchin’ Up the Pieces buttons up for sale!!! The tote is approximately 13″ . 17″ x 4″.

The bidding starts at 11:00am EST! Make a bid and watch the excitement as the day unfolds…Will we reach the $10,000.00 goal to earn money for The American Cancer Society???

Here are pictures of what I put up for bid:

Hi Everyone,

It’s time to do the Block of the Month for 2010! 2009 was a lot of fun and this years will be even more fun! This year we will be doing a MYSTERY! We will be making 12″ blocks, without knowing the name of the block! At the end of the year, we’ll learn how all of the names relate to each other, like a puzzle! Each month you’ll learn the name of the previous block! So, Here is the FIRST mystery block!

Denise Clason's Mystery Block of the Month #1

If you want to join us, for FREE, click on my link: Denise Clason’s Yahoo Group Join us and have a blast seeing what others are doing with the same block! It is amazing how one block can be made to look so different because of the different prints!

This year we’ll be using up all of our favorite scraps…those pieces we just HATE to throw away…! you know how quilter’s are! Each piece has a place in a quilt!

Hope you join us!

Denise

Hi everyone! I’ve decided to help earn money for The American Cancer Society, by donating a custom made tote bag, called, The Amber Tote, a design from my book, Quilted Bags and Totes! I will also be donating 9 fat quarters from BJ Lantz’s “SoHo” collection AND one of my BOOKS and to make it more sweet—some of my Stitchin’ Up the Pieces buttons!

Check the Tote Tuesday Blog, tomorrow and the next 2 weeks for other totes to bid on, plus MORE items! Tote Tuesday ends March 2nd, 2010! Click on the image, below, and BID. My tote, book, buttons and fabric will be auctioned off on February 16th! Be sure to check it out!

You may have the opportunity to win a Quilted Bags and Totes book as well as the 9 Fat Quarters from BJ Lantz's SoHo Collection!

Custom made bag by Denise Clason, lined with pockets! There is a hard base for support, too!

To make things even sweeter! I’ve also included a bag of my Stitchin’ Up the Pieces Buttons! Valued at over $60.00! Here is a picture:

You may have the opportunity to win the above totebag as well as the book and 9 fat quarters! good luck!

Let me know how you like the auction!

have a great day!

Denise

www.deniseclason.com

www.twitter.com/deniseclason

www.facebook.com/deniseclason

I made aprons for our son and son-in-law.

Matt and his apron, he picked the fabric! It's fun to have him home, because he wants to cook things he has learned at school. Time time we had his omelets!

Our SIL loves to sail, as well as cook, so this apron was perfect. Each colorful square is a flag, which depicts a certain message while sailing!

Make-up bags for our daughter and her sisters-in-law (her husband had 3 siblings visit this year and it was fun to have more children/adults around).

Chicken Pin Cushion (doreen speckman’s pattern) for our daughter. I wrapped it up sitting on a nest…only appropriate…don’t you think? haha

Erin's Chicken Pin Cushion

I also made a large baby quilt for our grandson! I also made this quilt earlier in the year…just had to tie it. (I’m not wonder woman!!!  I have to spread things out or I’d never get them done. haha)

Ryan's Quilt, our grandson

As well as a twin sized quilt for our college son!

Matt's Log-Cabin Quilt, Luckily, I had already made the top a couple of months before December, so I just had to "tie" it.

I made a few little beaded key chains, too. We had a fun year…and come to think of it…I had all of the supplies at home already!!! I only had to purchase the yarn for the turquoise and brown quilt! The quilts were a little more fluffy from tieing them, than if I were to machine quilt them. So, they are really cushy and cozy! (as my daughter says!)

I would love to hear your comments on what you made for Christmas! Have a happy NEW year!

Join my Yahoo list! We are doing a “mystery Block of the Month” this year! http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/deniseclasonstudios-quiltinggroup

Denise

Remember when 1999 was nearing the end and we all worried about the new 2000 year ??? Were you worried about losing everything on your computer, because it may not recognize the 2000 number? I remember that! And I can’t believe that it is, now, 10 (TEN) years later!!! Where have the years gone!?

This will be fun—–Please leave a comment about what you did the last 10 years that really made a difference in how you are going to live the next 10 years and the person who leaves the 10th comment will win a handmade gift from me! The 20th comment will also win, etc! This will be a lot of fun! Please mention what part of the world you are from!!

Now, what happened in my last 10 years, that made a difference in how I live the next 10 years? It was when I joined The Society of Creative Designers. This was an organization for designers to learn more about how to make a business with their creative designs. Such as; how to get published, how to be professional, how to present yourself, how to sell your ideas, how to demonstrate, how to teach, etc. I could go on and on…In the last 10 years I’ve learned a LOT on how to grow and work a business. Now this society has merged with The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA).  There are many more designers and many more opportunities for designers!

so—in my case— the last 10 years has prepared me for the next 10 years in my business. I’ve become smarter about how I want to run my business and lately decided that I would LOVE to license my art and manufacturer product designs. To get me started on this new adventure, I’ll have my first booth at the CHA show in less than 2 weeks! I’ll show my art to thousands of people who attend this trade show, as well as many VIP’s who have been invited to attend and look , specifically, at the License & Design section…where my booth will be…

If you’ll be attending the CHA show…please stop by and say “hey!” my booth is #2645!

Have a great day! Back to work!

Denise

Hi Everyone,

We are doing another Blog Hop using the Business Card Holder ScoreBoard designed by Eileen Hull and made by Sizzix diecut machines! You will be amazed at the creativity of my business friends and what they did with their business card holder scoreboards! check out their links, below! Thanks Eileen for including me in this blog and sending me such fun products to work and design with!

I think this is a very creative way to showcase your business cards. Especially if you are in a creative industry, such as I am, you’ll want to show just how creative you are when you pull out your cards to give to a prospective client! I used beautiful prints, that were given to me, by my designer friend, Brenda Pinnick; some ribbon I had on hand and a few old buttons. I keep telling my husband it is a good thing I like to collect things, it keeps me from going out and buying new! :O)

Here are the instructions for the Business Card Holder by Denise Clason!

BLOG HOP to these great blogs!:

Jennifer Ellefson

Korie B.

Violette

Karen Burnisten

Candice Windham

Bonnie Bruns

Eileen Hull

Debra Quartermain

Ann Butler

Niki Meiners

Enjoy!!

Denise

Hi Everyone,

I have a friend, Eileen Hull, who has designed some wonderful Scoreboard pieces or “dies” for Sizzix die cutting company. (I am not an affiliate of Sizzix, but have received product to create this project.)

This is a blog hop showing how to make a creative Notebook Pocket using her scoreboards. There will be a list of other friends, who are part of the blog hop, below. Be sure to visit their sites to see what else you can do with this scoreboard!

I decided to create a magnetic pocket, repurposing the magnets you get in the mail for advertisements, from realtors, cruise companies, etc. I created this pocket using fabrics, but you can also create this project using papers, you’ll just have to “cut” at the folds for bending and gluing with paper glue, instead of Fabric Tac by Beacon Adhesives. (I am not an affiliate of Beacon, but do receive product to design with.)

Here is a photo of the finished pocket, below! 

Hi Everyone!

For those of you who own my Quilted Bags and Totes Book, you’ll be excited to see that I’ve re-created several of the bags in the book! If you don’t have the Quilted Bags and Totes Book, well… you’ll want one, now!

Rikki’s Bag is a favorite in the book. I changed the look by using some prints Brenda Pinnick sent to me. Her fabrics are to die for and need to be in your stash! The collection is called, “Opulance” by Henry Glass & Co.

As you can see, her fabrics make a great looking bag! The size is perfect for make-up or any other objects you want to keep organized. Great gift idea! 

5.5″ x 8″ x 5″

Aren’t these just great Opulent prints by Brenda Pinnick!!! I love them all!

Allie’s Purse is on the cover of Quilted Bags and Totes. This bag is made from printsndy Pierce. They collection is called, “Decora Flora by Mitzi Paxwell” her daughter’s imaginery friend. (so cute) and made by Camelot Cottons.

Allie's Bag by Denise Clason

Another great bag, notice the use of trims! I love trims and this bag shows them off! 8.5″ x 15″ x 3″

Decora Flora by Mindy Pierce

Aren’t these great prints by Mindy Pierce! I love how the colors all work together!

Amber's Tote by Denise Clason

Amber’s Tote is a GREAT bag for gifts! It is 16″ x 12″ and sew easy to make! Notice the use of trims, again!

You can buy a signed copy of the book by visiting my Denise Clason’s website!

SoHo by BJ Lantz

This is only a portion of the SoHo collection. Find the rest of her fabric collection and others on BJ Lantz’s website.

I hope you enjoyed seeing new ways to make bags! Please contact me if you are interested in my Quilted Bags and Totes book!

Have a great day!

Denise

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by the Sizzix Blog Hop! Just a little intro here… Scoreboards are a brand new kind of die designed for Sizzix by my designer friend, Eileen Hull. Her ScoreBoards are cut and scored from matboard to make boxes, totes and folders.  As the ship date for the dies gets closer, Eileen realized that the best way to show them off was to ask some of her designer friends to play with them and see what they could whip up. I was delighted to be included with this fabulous group of designers! Just wait till you see what we have done! Follow our Blog Hop (see links, below) to see what other designers created using the Cupcake scoreboard die!

one of the eight ScoreBoard dies will be featured

on our blogs so you can get a peek at the dies...

THIS week is Blog Hop #2, using the Small Cupcake die!

Check out these other blogs who made designs using the Cupcake die:

Lorine Mason

Brenda Pinnick Fanatics

Laura Bray

Barbara Matthiessen

Jennifer Ellefson

I decided to create a Cupcake Pin Cushion---

I used another friends fabric, BJ Lantz, to decorate the bottom of the cupcake and her coordinating print for the top of the cupcake. The button on the top is an antique round buttons, too perfect to leave off!

I glued the cupcake to a painted terra-cotta tray, so that the pin cushion will stay put when in use!

Pin Cushion made from a scoreboard cupcake, designed by Eileen Hull for Sizzix.

Isn’t is CUTE! This is what you’ll need to create the pin cushion:

Cupcake Pin Cushion

by Denise Clason

(1) small scoreboard cupcake from Sizzix, by Eileen Hull

3″ x 6″ red print

10″ square green print

6″ red rick-rack

(1) 3/4″ round button, red

(1) 4″ painted terra-cotta tray

3″ x 6″ heavy weight fusible webbing

(1) 2 oz. bottle Fabric Tac by Beacon(r)

Sharp paper knife, Excel or Exacto, cutting mat

Heavy thread, large needle

Stuffing

Instructions:

1. Iron fusible webbing to wrong side of red print. Remove paper.

2. Press onto the right side of the cupcake scorecard. Be sure to place a paper underneath the cardstock while pressing fabric onto cupcake, to keep fusible off of ironing board.

3. With knife and cutting mat, cut off excess fabric around the cubcake scorecard. Be careful while cutting, go slow! Remove excess fabric. Gently bend the cupcake to make a circle.

4. With the Fabric Tac, overlap and glue the two ends together. Secure with a clothes pin or heavy clip. Let dry.

5. Fold the green print in half, and then in half again to make a square. Cut a semi-circle around the raw edges to create a circle of fabric.

6.  With needle and heavy thread, make running stitches along the edges. Gather the stitching. Leave a hole large enough to stuff with stuffing. Pull stitching tight and tie a knot.

7. You may want to stitch the opening closed and then push the needle up through the top center of the green fabric, put the button onto the needle and push needle back down through the fabric. Pull gently to give it a slight “tuck.” Tie a knot at the end.

8. Put Fabric Tac around the inside of the cupcake in a few places. Push the fabric top into the cupcake base, moving the gathers and tucking in where needed.

9. With the Fabric Tac, glue the rick-rack around the bottom of the cupcake.

10. Glue the cupcake into the tray. Let dry.

Enjoy! Follow the Scoreboard  Blog Hop!

Denise

www.deniseclason.com