Mug Rugs and Teabag Holders

Hello there!

It's such a beautiful day to be sitting out on one's back patio, sipping on your favourite morning drink!

~DREAMING~

And NO, that's not what I'm doing! 

I'm happily picking out the next batch of fabrics to make my next MUG RUG!!!!!

I have a new LOVE, a new OBSESSION!!!!

Mug Rugs!

What is a Mug Rug?

It's a mini quilted mat (sometimes called a snack mat) that's bigger than a coaster and smaller than a place mat, making it the perfect size for that craving of a cup of tea (or caramel brûlée latte- my favorite) and a sweet baked treat!

It's the perfect size to be used in small spaces such as a work desk , nightstand or a coffee table with ladies gathered around having a TEA PARTY!!!

I've created this scrappy patchwork mug rug using Leah Duncan's #morningwalk fabrics. 

I love this fabric line.....it has such a soft romantic look.

In addition to this crafty rug mug, I've created a tea bag holder!!!

Yes, ever went to a restaurant and want tea, but to your dismay they don't have any herbal teabags, no caffeine free tea bags..........well now you can carry your own teabags in your purse properly stored away from being crushed amongst  the other contents in your bag.

Scrappy Patchwork Rug Mug and Teabag Holder
created by : Sand Dollar Design Studio

This item will be available in my etsy store on Monday along with a few different designs.

It's about my coffee break time!!!!

Until we meet again, have a "superfantastic ~ crafting" time.

~Happy Sunday~

Keshia!

"Let's save $1,378 by the end of this year with the 52 Week Money Challenge"

Are you are a spender or a saver?

Sadly I admit that I've always been a spender!!!!! But hey, all hope is not lost, as this year I've challenged myself to SAVE!!!!!

Many of you may have heard about the 52 week money challenge already, it's where each week you set aside X amount of monies for the entire year and by the end of the year you should have accumulated $1,378!!!! 

Now I've heard from a few friends who've completed this challenge last year and received mixed reviews from them. The biggest challenge was saving the larger amounts in the last two months which is actually SHOPPING TIME .....so I'm going to shake this up a bit differently.

Found on Pinterest

As you can tell from the chart above the amount gets larger by the week.....I'm not going to follow this!

Oh oh!!!!! Wait let me explain.....I'm still going to end up with $1,378 but I'll use my own technique. So instead of going from small to large increments, I'm going to mix it up a bit! 

Each week I'll chose what amount I want to pay, maybe even paying for 2 weeks at a time. This works for me as I may want to save or spend more in any giving week.

That being said, you should choose which way best suits your financial situation! And if this is not the right challenge for you at this time, you can also join me in the 365 days of pennies challenge. It's the same concept except you are saving a penny instead of a dollar a day!

See chart below.

Found on www.simplifiedsavings.com

I haven't decided what I'll do with my savings. I may take a trip to Paris.... Oh wait, think I'll have to save for two years for that trip......For now, I'll just get started and get to the end of the year....then make that decision.

It's up to you whether you physically save your money in a jar/piggybank (like myself) or save it in a saving account via your bank!

A friend told me about saving cans, the ones where there is a slot to insert your money and the only way to get it out is to cut the can, bottom line.....the can isn't reusable after getting your savings out!!!!

Welcome to Sand Dollar Design

Sand Dollar Design Studio: An Introduction

I'm fascinated by sand dollars, those neatly decorated sea coins, part sand, part shell, with their flowery designs, adorning the ocean floor.  Even after the creature inside the shell has lived out its life, the husk hardens, bleached white by the sun, retaining the ocean's spirit always.  They're almost fairylike.


Sand Dollar Design Studio is a one-woman outfit featuring hand-crafted jewelry, bags, and home decor, all inspired by the beauty of the beaches and seascapes of the Bahamas, my home. 

 Take me on an ocean's wave ride...sailing away.

Stunning hand accessories  that spins the ocean's sound while wearing it.

A Sand Dollar Design Studio Item 

Anyone who knows me know that I'm passionate about the color purple, so not only does this bag combine my favorite color purple with the bright ocean color of Aquamarine, this clutch was the very first bag pattern I created.


My home studio began as a hobby, and morphed into a home business when my accumulation of beads and fabric started getting out of hand: beading books practically breeding on the kitchen table, beads always underfoot, fabric sprawling over the dining area, and patterns stacked three feet high on every chair.  When hobbies start to take over the house, the only choice is to start selling the excess, right?

Even though my first trade show was a sad affair (fifteen tables in a stark white church rec room with fifteen long-faced vendors, no customers, and two or three dusty tumbleweeds rolling by), the creative spirits never left me.  "Stitch, bead, weave," the sand dollar whispers to me.  The sand dollar could just be a plain, flat disk on the ocean floor.  Instead, it bears a delicate design etched into its exterior with care, that takes it from a plain bottom-dwelling cousin of the sea urchin and transforms it into a beachside masterpiece that, for me, symbolizes the islands: beauty that is both detailed and striking.

When I feel something's complete, I like to take a step back, then look again and ask myself, what else can I add to this?  What would give it a wow factor?  What would make it extraordinary?


I invite you to follow me and to stop back in often at Sand Dollar Design Studio for beach-themed beauty featuring warm hues and ocean tones.  Stop in for shared patterns, favourite fabric designers and their new lines, and to follow my amazing creative journey.  See you soon!