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Are you looking for me here at debhhunter.blogspot.com??? If so... you are behind the times. Catch all the new and exciting things going on at my new site... debhathaway.com.

You should be RE-DIRECTED in a few seconds.

Quilting, drawing, writing, musings, and more are a bit of everyday life. Find out what I've been up to!!

The Full Lowdown on Writing on Mugs with Sharpies!

OK all you PINTERESTers! I have been reading all the PINS about writing on mugs with sharpie markers and heating them in the oven... so I pulled out all of my markers and experimented.

First try was to use a regular black sharpie, let it dry, then following all the PINTEREST post instructions I heated it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Although it looked wonderful going in and coming out... if you used a scrubby sponge to wash it, the writing came off.

Next I grabbed an OIL BASED SHARPIE marker (purchased at Michael's)... and wrote on the mug. The ink flowed easily, the pen a dream to hold. Mistakes could be removed with a dab of nail polish remover on a paper towel. I let the mug dry over night and even though the writing stayed put when I scrubbed it... I baked it in the oven for extra insurance.

Lastly I tried a DecoArt Glass Marker (also available at Michael's) which are specifically designed to write on glass, porcelain, and ceramics. The directions read to let it dry for at least 8 hours then put in a cold oven, heat up to 375 degrees, bake for 45 minutes, turn oven off and let sit until cool... Then remove it. BTW I followed the same directions for the Oil Based Sharpie mug above. The paint seemed to drag as I used the pen and wasn't near as smooth as the Oil Based Sharpie. Although the finished project had a bit of a raised surface. The writing is permanent and didn't budge when I tried to scrub it off. I didn't try to remove mistakes so I am not sure the nail polish remover trick works with this, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't.

So... bottom line??? In the future I would recommend the Sharpie Oil Based Marker. I felt the ink flowed smoothly and gave a darker and thicker line.

GOOD LUCK! Let me know if you make anything with this technique... or if you have any other 'helpful hints'.

Necklace on a budget

I was in desperate need of a 'statement' piece to wear to a fancy party (for more info on that... go to www.debhathaway.com). With a very limited budget and only 24 hours... I was able to throw together a 'knock 'em dead' necklace for a total cost of $14!!!

Here's how...

First stop... Charming Charlie's. If you haven't been to one of their stores yet... I urge you to track one down in your area and go check it out. They have inexpensive costume jewelry and more... all color co-ordinated!!!

I found a bracelet for $10 that I thought would make a great necklace. So I bought it... then headed to Michael's Arts and Crafts and purchased extra chain for $3.99. Grabbing a pair of needle nose pliers... I combined the two.

Using the pliers I simply disconnected the excess chain on either end of the bracelet... setting aside the clasp. 

Next, using a tape measure, decide how long you need your necklace to be. Subtract the length of the beading. Cut new chain to the resulting measurement... then cut that into two equal lengths.

Attach a piece of new chain to each side of beads. Reuse the clasp... and attach to one end. Use one of the larger links from the original chain and attach to other end. Ta-Dah!!! A brand new fabulous necklace for the price of a bracelet!!!

Two Hours With A Stranger

I'm just zooming along with this needlepoint stuff! I actually finished this ornament in a reasonable amount of time. I guess getting stuck on a tarmac in Atlanta for two hours, with nothing else to do helped.

A-ha! Another reason to have a real book with you when traveling!! The captain pulled the airplane out from the building and got a warning light that the brakes were malfunctioning. Since we were no longer at the gate, no one was allowed to use their mechanical devices (anything with an ON/OFF switch). Not only did I have a book to read... while others could not use their eBook... but I had this needlepoint in my bag to finish.

Since the guy sitting next to me had nothing to do, I decided to stitch while he talked. Interesting fella!!! He flew into Atlanta from NJ for only one day. He hadn't seen his girlfriend in a few weeks... she was flying into Atlanta from Costa Rica... so he flew in to surprise her and take her out to dinner!!! Wow!!! Speak about a display of affection!!! Be still my beating heart!!!

Anyway... any time I look at this piece I will remember this guy and how sweet he was to make such a grand gesture... AND to tell me about it. He's such a 'peach'. Now... tell me... where can I find a guy like that?

Finally Finished!!!

A few years ago I took a trip to Hilton Head, SC and was so excited to see the Harbour Light... the iconic symbol of Sea Pines.

Imagine my surprise when I learned the lighthouse was not an old relic who helped navigate war ships at sea. There was never a light house keeper, or any stories of maintaining the light during storms. No, this lighthouse was built with private funding, started in 1969 and finished in 1970.

I'll admit, I was disappointed. I have seen so many 'real' lighthouses up and down the coast... and after paying a small fee to even enter the area, I was really taken aback when they charged yet another fee to walk to the top of the lighthouse to look out over the shops. Actually... I laughed. It was ridiculous!

Later that week I was in a  needlepoint shop searching for a canvas that was local to the area. I settled on the Harbour Town Lighthouse as a reminder of how funny I thought the whole thing was. When I got home I tucked it away to do 'later'.

So much happened since that day... including selling most of my possessions and packing up the rest to move. I honestly thought I lost the canvas in the move. I was bummed.

A few months ago I unearthed it... and let out a cheer! Whoop! I brought it along with me on my trip south and worked diligently until it was finished. I finished it TONIGHT!!! Take a look!

If you look very, very close you will notice I used beads on the star, and sparkly thread to help make the lighthouse shine. Now I have to finish it off into a pillow.

Now that THAT'S done... I'm on to my next project.

I-Scream!

I-Scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!

I wanted to become proficient at painting birthday cards with birthday cakes on them... but after only painting a few cards I got bored... so I reverted back to my comfort zone. Birthday candles and Balloons were the designs that flowed freely from my brush.

Until I got bored... Again.

I had to ask myself... what do I think of when I think of birthdays??? The answer was clear as day...

ICE CREAM!

So I put my mind on cruise control and let the scoops flow off my brush. Maybe it was just that it was hot outside... but I think I did a pretty good job.

Double Wedding Ring Quilt Challenge

It's time to do something I have NEVER done before... enter a QUILT CHALLENGE!

The New York City Metro Modern Quilt Guild (say THAT three times fast) AKA... NYC MOD
is hosting a Quilt Challenge using the traditional block Double Wedding Ring. The challenge is affectionately called... DWR Challenge and you can find the 'rules' HERE.

Housesitting in the south for the past month has left me at a bit of a disadvantage. All of my tools, fabric stash and supplies are back home... but I didn't let that deter me from starting the challenge. As a matter of fact... it forced me to search out quilt shops in an area I wasn't familiar with. Oh SHUCKS!!!

It took three shops to find my mecca. The first two shops were great... but focused more on traditional quilting like Civil War fabrics and such. Totally not me. The third shop was the charm!

From the moment I checked out their website I knew I had found my 'happy place'. The actual store is just as thrilling!  Intown Quilters located in Decatur, GA carry an entire section of my beloved designer Kaffe Fassett... and if that alone wasn't enough to get my creative juices flowing... then the adjoining wall displaying almost every Kona Cotton color certainly had me doing cartwheels!!

In my dreams... if I ever owned a quilt shop...this is EXACTLY the one I would have. Bright, cherry, full of fun fabrics... and a wonderful staff!

So... I'm drooling all over the Kaffe Fassett fabrics and the light bulb pops on... I'll make the Double Wedding Ring Challenge out of Kaffe's fabric!!! Yes!!!! Mixing traditional blocks with new ideas is what Modern Quilting is all about!!!

I rushed back to the house and just couldn't go to sleep (or eat) until I cut out my blocks. It took F-O-R-E-V-E-R to position the design in the same manner as what was in my head. Finally by midnight I was happy with the design. Now... to sew it all together.

Here is the beginning of the layout.

A bit bright huh! Well... that's Kaffe for you. 

Keep an eye on this site for updates. There are three different categories for the challenge and I intend to submit in each of them. I'll post pictures as I move along.

You can read the original post on my other blog... Deb Hathaway.