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.

Three year blogaversary at Trash to Treasure

You just have to visit Trash to Treasure, Lynn is having a wonderful generous giveaway. Check it out http://trashtotreasureart.blogspot.com/2011/11/three-year-blogaversary-giveaway.html . She is so talented, enjoy your visit. Blessings~Barb

The Cat and the Cake

A friend at work told of how she had decorated a layer cake for her daughters birthday. The family was enjoying the get together outside while a cat was eating the pretty fushia frosting flowers! The mom was upset that all her work on the pretty cake was ruined. But when she tells the story you just can't help but laugh.
I found a neat Vintage Cake taker at a second hand shop.... added some rubons and sprayed them with sealer. It was fun and she was so surprised when I gave it to her.

My fall artsy roadtrip full of happenstance!

 I  and my artsy friend Jane went on a Roadtrip to check out an art shop in Hastings, Mn.
 Friday October 14th!
 The day turned sunny and was full of surprises.
 I had heard about this shop from an artist I met briefly in Rochester.  " Betsy " and I  had exchanged emails and I sent her a message that I was going to take a fall drive and would like her to contact me of where her shop was and of where a good place to eat would be for my friend and I.
 I did not here from her ( she had been ill, that is why I did not hear from her ) but headed off to the two hour or so journey to Hastings, I or Jane had not been there before.
The minute we drove into town we saw a sign for tour times for the LeDuc Historic Estate.... If you ever go to Hastings it is a must to see.
It is so hard to write in a blog post of all the happenstance of the day, but after touring Estate we headed to the downtown area because all I knew is the shop was on second street. We drove down second and did not see the shop but did see a garage sale sign that said fishing, scrapbooking and kids stuff on it. Well we  had to stop at the garage sale and out from the house came " Betsy"!

That was the first of many happenstance moments of the day! We ended up with another  beautiful house and garden tour, great finds at the garage sale, getting to shop at the store when closed and under remodeling!
Best of all two new, very kind Artsy friends, Betsy and Anne..... they made our day!


  Here are a few pics of
fall at the LeDuc Estate.

                                                   Please do not copy my pictures, thank you.

                                                      Please do not copy my pictures, thank you.

    Please do not copy my pictures, thank you.

Fun Lizard Wiz

I am always trying to think up something new for my shop and this is my newest creation.
I used a dry stalk from a flower that I have planted in my yard!
See a seamstress smile using this funky tool.

Do you need a lizard in your sewing basket?

Fall Road Trip

 I made my first Treasury on Etsy to promote other shops... It was a fun Road Trip just looking for Fall items I like on Etsy.

Digging for Treasure!

 My hubby likes to go metal detecting but seems he never gets the chance.  Today was a beautiful warm sunny day, we went out digging for about 40 minutes. He found his first arrowhead, I found a tooth! Here is a picture of everything we dug up lots of pieces of glass and nails. We found an interesting clay item with a date on it.... all I can guess is that its a cap to an old clay bottle, we think from 1860's?