Friendship freebie!

Today I am celebrating friendship!

I love my friends and I really appreciate each one....there is nothing like a kind word when you are feeling low.

Friends make us laugh, help us get through life, and show us a different point of view!

This would make a sweet tag for a gift or fun insert in a card.

Plus it would be great to stitch up and frame it.

*Please note that all freebies are for you to use to make finished goods (no mass producing) and gifts...they are still legally my designs. 

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Last week I was in Seattle...had lots of fun.

I thought I would share a few pics with you!

Above is the city skyline as we just got on a ferry to Bainbridge island. 

Pikes place market!

The smells are terrific. 

Even the fish are cool.

One place throws the fish around...the crowd always loves it. 

My hubby and daughter in the Space needle dinning area.

While you eat...all the tables go around very slowly...so you get to see all around the city ...so cool!

I love the space needle....it doesn't matter how many times I see it....it is just great! 

I was at an antique mall....and just loved this display of spools!

They were expensive...so I just took a pic...lol.

It is super hot again here....time to hit the pool!

Have a great weekend!

Come to the pin me linky party!  Come the party bunch!  Come to Home matters linky party!

Where bloggers create 2012

Yay!  It is a 4th annual Where bloggers create blog hop....where we can show you all our studios!!!

The lovely Karen Valentine hosts this big party!!!  Go to her blog to see everyone else's studio....so much fun and gives you great ideas!!! 

Let me introduce myself to you....if you don't already know me.

I'm Shirley Hudson of Hudson's Holidays Designs.  I design craft and quilt patterns. My projects range from stitcheries/embroidery, wool projects, pin cushions, wallhangings, quilts, and everything for every holiday. Currently I have over 180 patterns in my line.  I also create art via paintings and digital artwork.  I have the best job in the world, and I am very grateful for it!  My husband and daughter mean the world to me and I love them dearly!

Above is the quilted wallhanging on the passage way to my studio.

This is a cool little shelf I got at a flea market....it is perfect near my mailing center! I did some collage work on the painting on top...."One day at a time".

I love Pom-poms!!! It is almost like candy.

I keep my pins with stamped sayings near by for Mannequin pin cushions.

I keep a printers drawer full of odds and ends near my glue gun....to embellish projects.

Here is a painting I am working on...from an old book page.  It is a trick or treating princess.

I like keeping my fav stamps in a large bowl...handy!

When I am using a paper punch....I keep them organized by putting them in a muffin tin.

I keep my paints in this old shelve from goodwill.

This lil letter organizer is perfect for tags.  I keep my Titanic sculpture my daughter made me on it.  I also have my lil Anne boleyn painting on the top too.

This is hard to see...but it is 4 loaf pans joined together...great for organizing.

I love creating with inexpensive items...like party streamers!  I keep all my colors in baskets.  I like to paper craft alot!

Here is my cubby hole display...chuck full of my junk...I mean stuff!  Here is a large mannequin from my mannequin pattern.

I have so many things around I don't know what to do with it at times.   There are strawberry pin cushions, mice pin cushions, party hats, bowl fillers, etc....

"Life is good" Party hat adapted from my festive party hats pattern.

True love....for kitties.  I like big eyes!

My daughter models my hats....she has big eyes!  She has an art table right next to mine.  She is going to high school this year...yikes!

This is a cigar box covered in old book pages....with a lil Marie Antoinette.

My bloom painting and a love jar.

Here is my idea section...just an old fence with clothespins holding up all my favorite stuff. I had a postcard done of my designs that I sent to lots of quilt shops...worked real well...used vista print...cheap and easy!

More items on my idea fence....I love looking at it.

Here is a fairy like mermaid above my desk....made by my pal Sue Burger.

I have to keep thread at my desk cause I am always sewing up something while my computer fights with me. It is finally winning...going to need a new one soon.

I found his Eiffel tower mug at a thrift store, perfect for pens, brayers, and pencils.

Thread for my sewing machine...I love having lots of color choices.  I keep my light box here to transfer embroidery designs.  

My shelf by my sewing machine has lots of buttons, dolls, a crown, chicks, and threads.

I love this flash card sign I made.

HOOPS... I love framing stitcheries in hoops...so cool!

My mom....she was lovely!

Mr. Winter...I never made him into a pattern...he is one of a kind.

This is a new project I am working on.....not finished yet.

Please click on this link for more pictures of my STUDIO.  Some of my studio really hasn't changed much...so I wanted to link up to the other pictures.  My studio is my whole basement....nice a cool in summer, cozy in winter.

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

Happiness...

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.

Just had to share that with ya!

The above pic is from a Shabby Chic tutorial on my etsy.

Vintage planter pincushion tutorial

Isn't this a cute pin cushion?  Today I am going to teach you how simple it is to make a sweet pin cushion from a thrift store or antique store find. 

This is my little chick planter I got at an antique store....it was super cheap...$1.50.  These planters are often at thrift stores....for a dollar or two.

Here is a super cute elephant planter on Etsy....from lostlakevintage.  This would be a great one to use for someone who collects Elephants!!  What a fabulous gift.

This sweet planter on this Etsy site  ...only $4.00

Here is a sweet patchwork Dog...so adorable.....and who doesn't like dogs!

The planter I am using has a smallish area to plant a plant....too small in my opinion...lol.

To start....all you need is a 7 inch circle...you could use a plate as a template.  Cut out your circle from cool fabric...I had fun looking at my fabric to see which choice to make.

Using strong thread....stitch a gathering stitch all the way around the circle about 1/4" away from the edge.  Pull up the gathering stitch and stuff the circle firmly with polyfil stuffing.

You don't have to gather it too tightly....just knot off.

Hot glue a circle of felt to cover the bottom.

Fill inside planter with fabric scraps if the inside goes pretty deep....then insert gathered fabric circle on top.  Glue in place.

I used pretty yarn to go around the planter edge...you could also use lace, ribbon, or buttons....just hot glue in place.

I had little chips on my planter...I decided to glitter the chips up.  This paper glaze is nice to use for glittering...but any clear tacky glue or white glue will work.

I glittered up his beak and used pink glitter on his cheeks....why not huh?

I hot glued buttons to his eyes and found a pink ribbon laying around.

Here I added the ribbon,  threaded on a spool of thread to the side and also added all kinds of pins.  I even  added buttons by sticking a corsage pin through buttons and then stuck the pin in the pin cushion. 

This is so cute and simple.  You could also add more embellishments....like fabric yo-yos, old jewelry pieces, felt or ribbon flowers, and buttons.  These would make great craft show sellers, gifts, and is a great way to reuse an object that gets no attention anymore. 

This was so fun to do....I felt like I was playing...very fast too.

Have fun finding a planter to re-do!!

come join the party at Whipperberry