Now that the weather is getting colder.... we have had such a lovely fall, the itch to make artsy items is pulling even stronger
 I came across a great craft supply site. If you use my link and purchase something I will get a money off coupon to use on my next order.
This site also lets you use craft store coupons. I have ordered three different times in the last six weeks and have received my items in a timely manner and have been what I expected. What I do like is the have videos on how the use some of their items, The ken oliver color burst powder is amazing.   Go to this link and check it out.
http://blitsy.com/ref/ewj7yp

 If you use my link and purchase I will get a discount on my next purchase.  Thanks

New Mail Box

My husband the talented carpenter he is saw a picture and made this from just looking at it. I love my new mail box. Hope it survives the upcoming winter and the snowplow!

M is for Merriment

Merriment is................
 Celebrating with young and old!
Just love the tender sweet moment, smile and the socks!
Great Grandpa Everett with little Emmett on December 29th 2013
Blessings and Smiles to all in 2014

Favorite..... Fall season and leaves.

 Its a beautiful fall Sunday, celebrated our class reunion yesterday, my best friend came and her twin sis.... Had so much fun visiting with everyone.

  Made this card when I RSVP for the class reuinon, just love the imprints that you can make with leaves.

:



Aniversary

   Its a beautiful sunny fall day and I am lucky to have the day off.
Our Wedding Aniversary today, plans to dine tonight at my favorite resturant in Rochester.
  We planted our  vegetable garden very late this year, July 4Th! We planted our favorite flowers from seed
 in it also. Now on our aniversary I have our favorite flowers to pick.  Kev likes Zinnias and my favorite is Bells of Ireland, they have a spicey fagrance I love and my favorite color now is green.

  I love to take day road trips with Kev and gave him a mug from Cabin Coffee, we went to the one in St. Charles MN about one month ago and he loved the coffee. So I made him a card and wrote we should do road trips this next year to get to all of them, there is one in Wisconsin and six in Iowa!

 

Another cloudy day!

1.  The weather has been rainy almost every day, for the last three weeks, and the  report is for it to continue for another week!   The puddles in our driveway make

   the birds happy!

I have been on vacation,  not much of a

chance to work in the flowers but picked some. 

Had fun  in my art room with a block of wood.

Having fun with my paper wall tape with holes!

 I had taken a class and the instructor used this tape that was used by carpenters. I found it in her shop but it was $11.00 , plus shipping. So I went on a search in the building supply stores and no one had it! Then I found it on a bidding site and I went a little crazy and ended up with an entire box. Just playing with it on my canvas I used it three different ways. I place the white tape on my canvas, the craft color backing I also put on my canvas with matte medium, and then used some more as a stencil with white gesso. I love the texture of the tape, it feels like watercolor paper with holes all over.

I had fun using it on a paper bag as a gift wrap. I plan to

use it in my stash art journals, and may try it as tabs in them also.

Is it May?

 What a different view inside my dining room to looking out my window.
Got these lovely tulips given to me for my Birthday.

 Wow, what a record breaking storm for May 2nd, 2013 in southern Minnesota!

I felt sorry for the birds and threw some seeds for them to eat.
The Robins were walking on the sidewalk close to the house
and hiding from the snow under the Adirondack chair!

Vintage linens~repurposed materials~thread~ Heavenly Inspiration

 I was heavenly inspired to make this baby baptismal blanket. It was my first attempt working with an old piece of linen.

 

The piece had beautiful lace on the edge, I am sure in its first life it was a table cloth. Nicely square with only one small hole and a few other weak areas.

                                                                                                                                                                            It turned out so soft and perfect for whom it was made for.

And I made a little keepsake sack.

Spring ~ Chia Seeds ~ Birthday!

I have been into eating Chia Seeds lately..... you know when you get older, eating healthy becomes more important.
  I eat them in my Oatmeal in the morning. My latest is eating them as a Crunchy Banana.  Just dip  the banana into the seeds.A day off work, browsing a magazine and eating a healthy snack! A great Birthday. Can't wait to eat out tonight with my dear hubby at my favorite resturant.

 Chia seeds are a source of Calcium and Iron, a high source of Fiber, and provide Omega-3. Chia seeds also contain protein, vitamins and minerals and a host of antioxidants!  Besides I like the crunch and how they form a gel around them when the get soaked in something.

Winter is for making more quilts!

Winter is for making quilts, it has been snowing every Monday for I think seven in a row come tomorrow! So I should keep on quilting, my funky quilts using repurposed materials. Oh how I love the hunt at the second hand shops!

 The five shown above are baby quilt, the wild one below is a lap quilt.

Thank you and gift note card in one

 It is fun to send a Thank You card that is also a little treat for them to pass on to someone else. I made the card and the inside wrote a thank you message on the back of the tag, also telling them to clip the tag off and they have a note card to use.

I made an envelope and the extra envelope fit nicely inside with the card.

I love how the bird stamp looked sketched. My back ground coloring was made by putting drops of  bottled Distress Inks on a non stick sheet and then placing my paper over, then lift and dry. You never know what you will get. I think the colors I used were iced spruce and scattered straw. I made a few sheets while I was at it so not for sure those were the only two colors.

Giveaway

http://www.theplaidbarn.com/giveaway/

Simple Curtain with a window pane surprise

 I made these simple curtain using the cloth weaving technique. I like how the light shines in, and love the look from the street. Looks like window panes to me.

Dharma's Art Day

The second year of getting together for a Day of Art.

  I had given my nieces daughter, Dharma a gift card at Christmas for another Afternoon of Art. Last years was so fun and Dharma brought her stash journal that she had made last year.  It has some cool pages of keepsakes and memory items in it. So fun to see she is using it. This year her little brother came, George, he took a long nap while we were putting our wood and bead dolls together. We had fun, even lunch was a work of art, with homemade icecream shakin in a bag and fresh peaches, raspberries and strawberries. It was a yummy day!

Perfect Aniversary Tulip

 Was picking flowers to give to my in-laws for their wedding aniversary and came across a double tulip.

                                                 Two flowers on one stem.... HOW PERFECT!

Card Swap

Joined in on a Card Swap for March, the theme was Sympathy or Condolences. I had to get someone to a appt. so I just dropped off my 12. I just could not resist having some fun packaging them. I can't wait to see what the ones I get look like.

It's March and Hot in Minnesota

I just can not believe how warm it is outside. As you can see from the pictures I have been going a little crazy making these Raggy Quilts. They are so fun to make and thought it would be a good project for WINTER?!?! But we really have not had a winter! We have been having such warm and calm weather, the tulips are coming up.

Cloth Weaving

Just wanted to share what I made from the last on-line artsy class I am taking.

It is called Cloth to Cloth and this is the link to Jude Hill's Spirit Cloth. http://spiritcloth.typepad.com/

I have followed her for several years by getting daily emails of her posts, she is so talented with a style I love. She hand stitches her beautiful works, but I used my sewing machine and enjoyed how quick it went together.

I like how the light filters in on my cloth weaving valance I made. I used an old peasant style skirt I used to wear, backing is an old sheet ripped into squares and then the other strips are a neutral cotton I already had.... It was so fun and little measuring, just my style!

Happy 2012

Wow was it ever windy here yesterday. It was a great day to sew on paper and torn cloth, one of my favorite creations of late is Lunch bags!

I have given some as gifts, made of unused sewing pattern paper, torn cloth, gesso and lots of THREAD. Just my style no measuring or pins needed.

It was a great day to be at the sewing machine, out of the wind. Wishing all who browse on my blog many blessings in 2012.