Thump, Thump, Thump

Hear that sound, that's me patting myself on the back. Sometimes you deserve to give yourself an "atta girl". Why, you may ask? First off because I got 15 comments on my last post and I am doing the happiness dance (looks a lot like the cabbage patch, but I digress). Seriously though, I am so pleased to think that people actually take time from their day to read anything I post. I even got new followers. Thanks so much, I hope you will continue to visit.

One of the things I have been working on is a table runner. I have been trying to teach myself quilting. I have been sewing since my first little card that had holes in it that you ran a string up and down through (remember those?). I wouldn't say my sewing skills are expert, but I'm pretty good....but I am geometrically challenged. I persevered and came up with this.



Straight lines and angles and triangles and squares when doing quilting have to be spot on. Since my cutting mat didn't have any numbers on it and I was using a wonky ruler, I ran into lots of trouble. I do like appliqué, so I had no problems when I cut out and sewed (by machine) the little cats.

This little set was going to be for the table in my kitchen, but the Hubby liked it on the dining room table and since you can see the purple from there, I think I'll leave it there.


Back to the quilting, the mats and rulers at JoAnn's have so many numbers on them that I don't understand at this stage of the game, so I knew a trip to the quilt shop was in order. We have a very nice one nearby.

When I entered the shop, I thought I was in a spa. There was soft quiet music tinkling and each themed room of supplies let to another just as lovely. The owner silently made her way from the back of the shop to greet me and to show me around. She quietly explained each room to me and let me look around. After checking out things very quickly, I found her and started to explain my situation, beginning quilter needing classes, etc. She was very nice and tried to answer my questions, but she was so quiet and whispery that I felt like I was intruding. Now I don't smoke, and I don't drink and I lead a fairly simple life, but compared to this chick, I'm rowdy.

Short version of this is that I will probably be able to get some fine fabric and supplies from there if I choose, but if her own demeanor is indicative of the type of patrons that she has, well she wouldn't know what to do with me. In the meantime I keep blundering on and doing what works for me and yesterday I struck gold.

Little play on words there, the hubby and I went last week to hear Gold Heart, a bluegrass and gospel group comprised of three sisters and their dad. Since we try to support young artists and musicians, we bought CD's and DH even bought me a shirt. I really liked it but the sleeves were too short, so I put on the old thinkin' cap and decided to make the sleeves longer.

DH supplied a black tee-shirt and I cut it up and using the new shirt as a guide line, cut out sleeves, sewed them together and added them to the existing sleeves. This was not quite as easy as I have made it out to be, but it was well worth the time.



This way it has a layered look and is extremely comfy and I am quite happy with the results.


So if you are ever hesitant about purchasing something, remember what Stacy and Clinton say, things can be altered. If you don't sew there are shops that do altering.

Well, that's it for today. Enjoy your weekend and remember if they are ever in your area, check out Gold Heart. You'll be glad you did. In addition to being incredibly talented, they are sweet girls and have their stuff together. Refreshing and reassuring that there are still lots of good kids out there.

Happy Friday!

Doodle Face

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I have this challenge that I engage in with myself every post. I try to hold off making a new post until I get 10 comments. Well, sometimes that just isn't possible, as I am sometimes just plain bored seeing the same old picture showing up for days at a time. Ahhh, is it just me that checks my comments all day long? Do you do that, too? I digress, anyway I am still trying to learn to quilt, so I don't really have any thing to post, except this little girl. She is drawn in my art journal, which is 9 x 12, so that gave me plenty room for wackiness.



Sometimes I just have to doodle a face so I can have something to color. There are so many talented artists out there and in my head, I think I can use some of their techniques and come up with really cool stuff. Well, this time, what was going on in my head, just didn't make it all the way to my fingers.

That being said, I just like to experiment with different pens and color pencils and such. I like to see what one color looks like next to another and what will happen if I layer this color over that, and so on. I am not trained in art, other that high school, but I do have a lot of books with color wheels and the like, but sometimes I just need to get the pencils and draw and experience it myself. It doesn't have to look like someone, it doesn't have to look real...shoot, it doesn't even have to be very good. It's just something that I have to do.

So for that reason, I am posting was I am calling Doodle Face. I will issue a little challenge. Start to doodle and then make the shapes into a face. That's all a face is anyway, just a bunch of shapes drawn together. So folks, show us your Doodle Faces.

I have to go now, there is a gnat flying across in front of me and it's driving me mad, I tell you, simply mad.

Have a good evening.

Pictorial Quilts

They are called either pictorial quilts or sometimes landscape quilts. The book that inspired me to try one is Pictorial Quilts by Carolyn Vosburg Hall. While this is an older book that I got from the library, it certainly has inspired me to try my hand at this type of art. It most definitely has inspired me to get my hands on other books of this type.

Enough chatter, here is my first attempt at a pictorial quilt.

Click on picture to see details

While it is not a traditional quilt (using pieced together pieces vs appliqués), it is pictorial. This is my house in fabric and thread. I spent about thirty minutes in the piece goods shop picking out the fabric and then the next day I took the picture and traced the picture to paper that I cut the fabric pieces from. I used WonderUnder as my adhesive, but it does make the fabric pieces very stiff. It took me two more days to appliqué and stitch the pieces.

I "framed" it in long strips of some of the same fabric that I used to make the house and the backing is a plaid fabric that went really well. I am thinking of trying another method next time, but anyway I had fun making it and I know another one is in the near future. This was supposed to be a practice piece, but I got into it and went on and did a bit more detail than I had planned.

So that's my first pictorial quilt. I've got my thinking cap on already to come up with the next one. Any ideas? Let me hear!

Just another Manic Monday

Man, I had forgotten about that song. Used to love it. Hope everyone had a great weekend and is getting ready for an even better week. So maybe the first day of the week is a bit manic, that's ok with me. Mondays always help me get motivated.

Motivation wasn't my problem this past week or today for that matter. I wanted to do one last project before I put moved my sewing machine off my table. I literally move it from the table to the floor and keep it there for convenience. That's what I love about a portable machine.

I had seen some patterns and even kits at Jo Ann's for strip quilts, but since quilting used to be all about using up scraps and fabrics that you had on hand, I went that route.

First I cut my strips 2" x 21" and sewed them together...


Then I cut them into 3" strips going the other direction...


Then I flip flopped the direction of every other strip and sewed them together again...

(Keep in mind that I really don't know what I'm doing, I'm just going for it)

Then I sandwiched a no longer being used dish towel between the front and backed it with this piece with solid blue and stippled it with black...

Then I bound it with strips of one of the front side fabrics...

As you can see, I ended up with a nice size quilted mat for my kitchen table. Now I'm sure it would look a lot different if I had purchased specific fabric or even the strips already cut and sewed them into more traditional quilt squares, but I was just messing around.

Speaking of messing around, after cleaning my studio and even vacuuming the floor, I got out all my polymer clay. I spent several hours playing with it. Just sorting it into groups of conditioned, unconditioned or new and scrap clay. Playing with clay is a lot like sorting beads or buttons. It really gets you in the mood to move on to a new project. (By the way Kristen, I am getting a lot of use out of the clay and things that you sent me, thanks again!)

My newest project was learning to do more with my extruder. If you want to use an extruder and learn new techniques-take my word for it and get a Makin's Clay extruder. I think I may have posted on this previously, but there is a world of difference in this wonderful tool and the little cheap-o junkie thing that I had before that had a little plunger on it and was absolute murder to push the clay through.

This is a wonderful tool and I am having a ball with it. I ordered mine online and it was worth waiting the week that it took to ship. Anyway I have been doing multi color "snakes" and placing them on unbaked clay beads and then baking them. Such fun and the colors are just fab-u-lous.

The method I am using requires you to cut different color circles of clay and stack them together and form a little loaf that will fit in the tube of the extruder. I found that if you use metallic clay as part of the stack, it hardens the Sculpey III up just enough for it to have a tiny bit of crack to the strands and they look like leather and are really easy to work with.

If you are interested in learning more about polymer clay and especially extruders, check out Cindy Lietz at Beads and Beading. She is a super lady and I always love her work. You can learn a lot from her.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure I will have something new to post in a few days. There is something so enticing about cranking soft clay through the extruder that it just makes me want to sneak back down to my studio and start something else.

We'll talk soon.

District 9

Went to see District 9 (click here for official site) today with the hubby and our mutual BFF. BFF and I really loved it, hubbs not quite as crazy about it as we were.


Anyway, here we are standing next to a promotional sign for the movie. Aren't we just too, too cute?

Seriously though folks, I made a little quilted project that I will post later, but until then take care and enjoy your weekend.

I love purple...

Have I ever mentioned that I love purple? My kitchen is light shades of purple. My room as a teen was purple with a purple crushed velvet bedspread. I would wear nothing but purple, but I do try to work in other colors. Anyway, all that is leading to my current project. I had forgotten how much I love to sew and I can't seem to put my machine away to make any jewelry or polymer clay. I just want to sew and sew!

Sew, here is what I did last week and over the weekend. (When I wasn't eating donuts, that is.)

I picked out some really retro, 70's looking cotton and made an over sized top to wear with jeans. To stay with that retro look, I added white hem tape as the trim.

I have some beautiful fabric that my uncle, God Rest His Soul, brought me from his mission trip to Africa. I haven't wanted to use it, but I did cut off a strip and made it into a pretty cool head band.


Here is the close up version...

I sewed elastic onto the back of the headband and it could actually be used as a necklace, if I were so inclined.

And last, but certainly not least, I created these little fingerless gloves/gauntlet type thingies.

My hands freeze when I work at the computer or if I am sitting around reading. I have a pair of black lace fingerless gloves that I wear, but they just aren't very warm. So I had a remnant of fleece tucked away which worked perfectly. The fun thing about fleece is you don't have to hem the edges unless you want to. At first I didn't stitch the edges, but it had enough stretch that I decided to do a ruffle edge. To do that, you stretch your fabric as you zig-zag it and it ruffles. Such a neat trick. For the embellishment I cut out several of the flowers from the retro purple fabric and combined them with hand made polymer clay buttons for a one of a kind look.

Well, that's my art for today. Hope everyone is off to a great start this Monday. Enjoy your week, stay cool and creative and we'll talk soon.

Anniversary Sweets

This is how we celebrated the anniversary....


The hubby is a big fan of the delicacy referred to as donuts. I usually stay away from them because they make my tum-tum hurt. But....it was anniversary day and these are "cake" donuts versus "yeast" donuts, which I really do like, so I agreed.

Now are you wondering if we made these last? Well, no we didn't. I fixed a pot of coffee and he got us a couple of small plates and we went for it. On the left, we have dreamcicle, in the middle we have maple icing and on the right you have cherry cheesecake. Believe me, by the third donut, I was almost shaking and my teeth were on edge, but I did it. I get sugar overload very easily. They were good, but no more for me for quite a while.

Well, that was our anniversary celebration. Thanks for all your well wishes. Hope you enjoy the upcoming week. Later this week I'll post my latest creation, they're cute, but sorta kooky. Till then, stay cool, calm and creative.

The Best Day Ever...

In honor of the most special event in my life I am re-posting this. I know you won't mind reading it again...


Please join me in celebrating the Best Day Ever...
August 8, 1988

I don't have an picture from the actual wedding, but here we are soon after.

The wedding was a spur of the moment thing. One of the girls I worked with convinced me to go ahead with the plans that my sweetie and I had sort of talked about. I said to her that morning, when I looked at our office calendar, "ahhh, I wanted to get married today". She said "Well, the boss is on vacation, so we have most of the day to plan it out. Call your sweetie, go get the license while I find a preacher". No more encouragement was needed. We did get a parking ticket while we were obtaining the license, but other than that everything went off without a hitch.

Yes, my sweet friends, twenty one years ago today, we said "I Do" and promised to love, cherish and obey. We meant it then and we mean it now. We got married in a little wedding chapel. I wore my favorite denim skirt and top and pinned Baby's Breath in my hair and carried some fresh wildflowers. (Sandy thought of everything). When we went to pick up Denise, to go along as our attendant/witness, she was wearing a yellow terrycloth tank top with matching short shorts and flip flops (she was the singer in the band Sweetie was in) and had already gotten a wedding cake for us that had little gold rings on it (there is still a piece in our freezer, we have taken it whenever we have moved). I carried my sister's Bible and wore my Mom's long forgotten wedding band. I have no recollection of what he wore, but we went to the Sizzler afterwards and had dinner. I am a little sad to admit that we didn't think to tell either of our families until it was over. We were more impulsive in those days.

I have to let you all know, I was crying as I wrote this originally. I am so blessed and fortunate to have him in my life. We have been through tough times just like anyone else, but we made it this far and we will make it through anything that comes our way. He is the love of my life and I will never stop thanking God for allowing me to spend my life with him. I remember I couldn't stop crying as I typed and guess what... I am crying again, as I re-post it. Whenever I blog, he gets his guitar and plays and sings songs for me as I type, I don't think he realizes how romantic it is. He and I aren't big party people, and we still haven't decided how we will celebrate. It doesn't matter what we do, as long as we are together.

I can't think of a better way to share my joy with all my friends, than through this little blog. That is why I am posting this happy, grainy picture from so many years ago. Hope you like it.

To help us celebrate, please kiss that special someone and say "this one's for Susan and her Hubby".

Well, today's the day...

Yep, it's reveal day. I know that you thought I'd never finish, but here she is. I took my time making her, spending about a week on the entire project.




The pattern, by Deanna Hogan, was a bit hard for me to understand. Perhaps because this was my first real attempt at someone else's pattern. That being said, I must say that every thing fit together perfectly. For me, having copied a pattern from a magazine, I think this is fantastic. The pictures and the directions for the shoes didn't really make sense to me, but I followed them exactly and they turned out perfectly.

Since we all loved her stockings, I know you will love the little shoes. Here is a close up of them.

Even though it's not perfect, here is a close up of her face...

This was such a good experience, that I just may continue along this line of art for a bit.

Well, on to something that I have been hesitant to share with anyone, but I'm going to anyway. The little kitty that we got last month, while absolutely adorable in his photos, proved to be way too active for me to keep up with. Since art is what I do, I was spending most of my days in my studio. As you can imagine, it is filled with way too many booby traps for him to stay with me. That meant he was staying upstairs by himself. He wasn't getting the exercise and one-on-one contact that a growing kitty needs, so after discussing with the hubby and praying about what to do, this past Saturday I decided to let him go live with a family that has kids. Their little 9 year old had been longing for a kitty, so she is going to have a ball with him.

My only regret is that this was a quickly set up meeting and while I am convinced this is the right place for him to be, in the excitement of the moment, making sure they got his vet records and his carrier, food and litter...shoot, we forgot to exchange personal information. I'm sure he will be much happier now and I'm sure you will understand my decision.

So hang in there with me and help me remember that this was for the best. I think I was trying to recapture some of the joy that we experienced from the twenty years that we raised and adored our three cats. So I'm back to empty house syndrome and I know I'll be fine. I just wanted to share this with you, who other than my hubby and sister, are my closest friends. Thanks for listening.

That's it for today. If you have any favorite cloth doll artists or patterns, please clue me in. Thanks and have a great week.

Another peek and a surprise package

My sister sent me a package of goodies from the West Coast. Books and yarns...


and over in the corner that is hidden in this shot is a box of ...


Feather yarn!! There is also flax and recycled silk and lots of other luscious yarns. Great gift and looks like lots of fun.

I have also finished my doll. Now I am working on the clothing. I am using a free pattern from the Doll Crafter and Costumer's magazine. (I'm not pushing this link, it was just the only one I could find with the front of the magazine on it). In this issue, is a fall themed soft doll and that is what I'm working on. This is the first doll that I have made from someone else's pattern. I have certainly learned from this project, being a dressmaker and not a quilter or doll maker, I was unaware of the use of freezer paper for transferring patterns and pressing them to the fabric. That is a neat trick.

Years back, I took a course from a company called Hems and Hers, which was basically a shortcut course for sewing with knits. It included many, many hints that were used in commercial sewing factories and that enables me to make the doll clothes look very professional. For instance, the artists says when making the pantaloons, to run the waistline elastic through a channel, but I've been sewing elastic onto the fabric for many years and that looks so much better.

Anyway, while I work on her outfit, I will give you a sneak peek of her body. She just won't show her face until she is properly attired (and who can blame her?)


It's been fun sewing her and outfitting her will be just as much fun.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Take care and stay tuned for the reveal!

I can't think of anything to say...

I know we all get blogger block sometimes. It seems to have hit me. I honestly can't think of anything to say. Perhaps it's because I'm starting another project and have really thrown myself into it. I'm not saying exactly what it is, but here is a peek...


I will leave you with a quick picture of our crazy kitten. He is growing like a weed and has bouts of insanity followed by periods of being the sweetest creature you have ever seen.

Well, that's it for now. If I think of anything interesting, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'll be working on my project, tossing paper balls for the kitten and being the domestic specialist that I am.

Take care and have a great day.

Do you say "tote" or "carry"??

I remember the first time I heard someone say they "toted" something somewhere. I thought it was such a great word. I love words that have a funny sound to them...like laugh and sausage. I digress, sorry.

Any who, I wanted to say thanks for all the sweet comments regarding the accidental piercing of my index finger. I was totally amazed at how quickly it healed. I still have a tiny bruise under the nail and the nail is definitely cracked some, but after two days I was back in fine shape and tackling another project.

I have some lovely vintage table cloths that belonged to my grandmother. I wanted to get some use out of them so I used one of the largest ones to make a baker style apron for my sister. The other half of the cloth was really stained with what looks like tea. That must have been where the kids sat for family get togethers. I used parts of this to make a tote bag. This was a beautiful table cloth, printed to look like it had been cross stitched.

and the other side...



If you can sew a bit, making a tote bag is a simple project. I didn't use a pattern, simply because I have watched so many craft shows that I new how it was done. There are lots of commercial patterns available ( Our local JoAnn's has their Butterick patterns on sale this week for .99)


or you can get instructions on line. In fact, Butterick has a great website with free projects, that you need to check out.

Speaking of JoAnn's, in addition to getting 10 patterns yesterday, I bought sewing machine needles~(Yeah, I know, I'm a glutton for punishment)~I bought a pack of quick thread machine needles that are just the bomb!

You just slide the thread down the side of the needle and it has a tiny, tiny slit in it that pops the thread right into the eye of the needle. I don't know if I have ever mentioned it before, but I am extremely farsighted. I can't see close up at all without my specs and even with them, trying to use the needle threader on my machine has to be done by "feel". So if you are like me and have to use more than the sewing machine light to sew, do yourself a favor and try these needles.

Hope everyone has a great week. I have to go for my "lady's wellness" appointment tomorrow and we know how much fun that is. Then on Friday, I'm off to the hair salon. Can't look scraggly while growing out the silver locks. Other than that, life goes on.

Well, that's all for today. Take care and do something fun!

Tip for the day

One quick tip...when using your embroidery presser foot, with your feed dogs lowered...



BE SURE TO TURN OFF YOUR MACHINE if you have a bobbin jam.

Yep, I just pierced my fingernail with the sewing machine needle. Doesn't hurt yet. I don't know how deep it went, but it did bleed some and I cleaned it and put some anti-bacterial oinkment on it, so it should be fine.

My fault for doing something on impulse. Have a great weekend!

Bottle caps

As I mentioned in the last post, working with 2 part resin always interested me. I got a taste of it in one of the books by Sherri Haab. Such a great artist and writer, you must check out her stuff. In addition to doing my reading, I also watched a three part video, by John W. Golden on YouTube. I combined his instructions with some of the things suggested by Sherri Haab and decided to take the plunge into the mixology of resin.

I got my supplies from Art Beads.com. I chose the bronze bracelet with oval shaped blanks, thinking it would be large enough for me to put some original art in and pour resin over the top.



I am not good at judging the sizes of jewelry findings and such from pictures online, and I was surprised at the size of the individual ovals. Make sure you know what you are ordering. My fault for ordering the smaller blanks. The DH thinks they would look really good with tiny flowers placed in them. Looks like we are going to make an artist out of him yet...

Anyway, since the bracelet blanks are so delicate, I decided I'd better practice on something much bigger. I chose pop bottle caps. I gathered together all my supplies...

which consisted of copies of original "inchie" art, a circle punch, Mod Podge and a brush.

In John Golden's videos, he stresses using enough Mod Podge sealer. My impatient ways made me use less than was needed, but it worked for experimental purposes.

First I coated the inchies front and back with the Mod Podge...

While that was drying, I took the plastic inserts out of my used bottle caps.



This was very tedious and probably dangerous, as I was using a kitchen knife and pliers, so I would suggest getting bottle cap blanks to be used specifically for art projects.

When the art was dry, I cut it into circles. I started off using a circle punch which was the perfect size, but it broke on me after the first punch. That's what I get for dumpster diving. Anyway, the inchies are hand cut and ready to glue in the caps with the mod podge...

The tutorials stress the importance of making sure the seal is complete around the art, once it is in the cap or blank, otherwise the resin will seep under and make the art look like it has a wet spot on it. This is true. Believe it and make sure you use plenty of Mod Podge and make sure it is dry before using the resin.

I didn't take a picture of the mixing of the 2 part resin. Mainly because it was so simple. You use the cups included with the product. They are marked in fractions of an ounce, with the full cup being one ounce. Easy...half part A, half part B. Then you mix it gently for two minutes. You then have about 45 minutes to either pour it as is, or mix glitter or a coloring agent into it.

The product that I used is Ice Resin from Art Beads.com. It is jewelers' grade resin and is super clear and very low odor. I did this project outside, due to the numerous warnings I had heard and read. Using this brand, you could easily do it inside with ventilation. It was so easy to use, that I was a bit disappointed. I thought it would be more challenging than that. Now granted all I did was mix it and pour it into bottle caps...

It poured easily, not glumpy at all. I am looking forward to doing something a bit more complex with the resin. Michael's has molds made for this purpose and I have some molding putty that I could make a one of a kind mold out of, so perhaps in the future I will go that route. But remember that it must be a flexible mold, and you must use the proper release (don't ask how I learned this part). Anyway, I let them cure overnight (they were solid after several hours, but I didn't touch them at all.

They ended up looking like this...

This is a yucky shot, they actually look just like they did in the "just poured" photo, but I wanted you to be able to see the art. They are so shiny, they look liquid. It cured really, really clear but you will notice when you click on this photo that there are some "wet" spots, hence the need for extra care when sealing with Mod Podge. I will probably highlight the edges with gold leaf pen and use them as embellishments of some kind. This was lots of fun, but if taking the time to make beads and embellishments from resin isn't your thing right now, check out these really nice pendants, for a quick and easy necklace... or just pick something something more in your style from here, and you are on your way.

I, also, got a container of jewelry cleaner, by The Bead Smith. I like to try new items and thought this would be interesting in that it is a spray versus a "dip" type cleaner. After soaking my fingers while holding my ring to spray it, I read that household gloves should be used. ( rinse, rinse, rinse delicate fingers) The cleaner did the job, but nothing that the other dip and rinse cleaners couldn't have done. For me the spray was not a plus, but my rings are clean and that's the main thing.

Oh, and on another subject...I took the camera back today. It was not worth the money that I put out for it. The eye piece was too close to the body of the camera and the numbering system within the camera wasn't to my liking. I take shots, then load them on the computer and then put a clean chip back in the camera. This dang thing applied the same numbers to the next batch of photos, so when you went to load them into say, folder "kitty kat" you got the message that that particular number photo was already there and did you want to replace it. Yikes, no go, not how I like to do stuff. I very carefully repackaged everything and had the Geek Squad check it out and got a full refund on everything, used chips included. Way to go Best Buy!

Well, that's it for now, there is a kitten climbing up my chair so I have to go. Take care and don't be intimidated by what you may have heard, my experience with 2 part resin was easy. In fact, it was so easy, it's just ...A Walk In The Park.

Love ya!

Let's try new things...

It's been quite a while since I used the embroidery module that goes with my sewing machine. A "while" meaning about 8 years. So I got out all my manuals and my threads and such and made this little piece of embroidery.


It took about 45 minutes from the time I got all the supplies ready and figured out how hoop the material (several attempts) and started. It was fun. I have lots of designs available and can easily purchase software for others. I am happy with the result and will probably make this into a small pillow/pin cushion.

Speaking of trying new things, I have been wanting to try making resin jewelry. I have always been so intimidated by the process, but I went ahead and got the supplies to do some. So that will be my next project. You apparently need a great deal of ventilation, so I will probably do it outside. I went on YouTube and watched several video tutorials and have decided to just go ahead and do it. I will keep you posted of the procedure and the results.

That's it for today. Take care and have fun!

What was in that box?

You may remember that I mentioned that we went to the thrift store to donate some things, and a very generous lady gave the hubs a box for helping her carry stuff from her car. It was a box of children's books from days gone by.


I never read The Happy Hollisters when I was young. So you can believe that I am going to read all of these. The woman that gave the books to us, said they were hers when she was a child. There was apparently a Weekly Reader book club and she got most of them thru that .

I was read to each night before bed and then after I got old enough, I started reading my own books. They started me off on The Bobbsey Twins, and then I went on the the "Little Eddy" series and moved on to Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and then Cherry Ames. Not quite what kids read today, I guess, but I loved all of them. They were good clean fun and almost always had a positive message worked into the stories. Maybe that's why I have always had such a positive attitude about things.

There are also some horse books, a book about a dog, some other mysteries and yes, even several Trixie Beldens.


What a nice gift to just hand over to someone. I could have never parted with such a box of books. I have a few of my own childhood books, but not this many. These will hold an honored place in my collection of really good stuff.

Thanks to all for the kind and encouraging comments on my new camera. I am slowly learning all the ins and outs. I'm not used to using the viewfinder and I keep leaving my nose print on the monitor. I will be trying out all kinds of stuff, not just photographing the kitten. I had done some pretty nice shots in the past, but now with the computer photo programs that are available, I can be creative, in an "outside the box" way with the camera.

For instance, start out with a simple close up of the hubby's acoustic, then just add a computerized glass bubble and you get this...


I know this may seem a bit silly or simple to the computer artists out there, but it's a start. If you have a favorite photo program or a favorite effect, let me know. I have seen such cool ones. Like the ones that look like you have written in the snow or the sand...where do those come from? I'm still fairly new to all this stuff. I have been using a home computer for about seven years, but have never really learned to do anything super cool.

My sister is sending me a goody bag from her favorite fiber and yarn store in CA, so perhaps soon I will have that to share.

In the meantime, have a great weekend and if there are any Big Brother fans out there, be sure to let me know. The new season started last night and it looks like it's going to be fun.

Well, that's all for now. Take care and be creative, whether it's in the kitchen, inventing a new dish, or getting out your stash and working on your favorite crafts. Shucks, for that much, you can get creative by just folding the bathroom tissue into a point, like they do in the fancy hotels. Creativity is everywhere. You just have to let it happen and enjoy.

Took the plunge...

Well, the hubs and I did a bit of shopping today. He and I used to be quite the amateur photographers. We both had nice 35MM sets. Then came the digital age and we both love the ease of a quick point and shoot that you can load to the computer immediately. Since having a new kitty we realized that the current camera wasn't catching the really fun stuff. I think this is mostly due to "lag" in the auto focus, or something.

for example...

So we figured in order to catch the action, we would need to upgrade to an SLR digital. The shutter in an SLR is mechanical versus electronic, so you don't have to wait on the electronics to decide if it's "OK" to take the picture.

So we did our research and decided on a Nikon SLR D-60. It is quite a hefty piece of equipment, and wow, I'd forgotten how good it feels to have a heavy camera in your hand. And having a nice eyepiece to look through instead of using the screen. So far, I like everything about it. It's been a while since I did any serious photography, so I may have to hit Barnes and Nobles and get a couple of new photography magazines and who knows, maybe look for a class or two.

Well, that's all for now. My next post will surely have some different photos in it and I will also be showing you the wonderful box of goodies that we got from a lady at the local thrift store. She was hesitating about donating something, so when DH helped her unload her trunk, she decided to give us this particular box. I think you will find it fun and interesting, so stay tuned for that.

Amos just commandeered the keyboard, I think he wants to make a post, so I'll finish up here.

Have a good....for goodness sakes, he's crazy...get down from there....Gotto go. See ya soon.

Back to the old grind...

We hit our local flea market on Saturday and I bought some art. Some would call it outsider art, some would call it drawings, some might be at a loss for words. I like it very much. The artist is local, a veteran and quite a talker. I like to support our local art community, but for me that means buying original art thru the flea market and yard sales. I'm not crazy about going downtown to our artsy section where the artist rent really nice spaces and have spent as much time decorating their shops, as on they have on the art that they produce (notice I didn't say create). Don't get me wrong, I realize that if you make your living thru your art sales, that presentation is the key. It just seems that the artists villages in most downtown areas are so similar. I'd just as soon go back in an out building and step over chunks of wood and cans of paint to see what someone is working on. I guess I'm just not a gallery type person. All that being said, here are the drawings we bought.

The hubby liked this one because of the farm animals.

I like the water wheel and the stone structure on this one.

We also attended the local tea party on Saturday. I hate it that "they" always refer to these events as protests. To me protests conjures up images of ratty haired ne'er do wells, trying to start trouble at events that they aren't really passionate about. This was a very friendly gathering of like minded people from all political parties, just trying to find a way to do something about the things that are important to them. I am not an activist, in any sense of the word, but attending a peaceful meeting and listening to speakers is something I can do. Here are some shots of the folks in the crowd.

Just everyday folks from all walks of life.

Patriots come in all ages. These young gentleman were there to listen and to learn to form their own opinions.

After we came home we had yummy hamburgers and chips and watched tv as the fireworks boomed around us. Our neighborhood is located in such a fashion that we could hear several events going on. The kitty was a bit startled at first, but with a bit of consoling, he settled down and wasn't bothered at all.

And, speaking of the kitty, we decided on a name for him. We had been thinking of biblical names, so to quote Jerry Reed, we "named him after a man of the cloth"; we call him Amos Moses



Amos, with the help of his Mommy and Daddy, has started his own blog. He is off and running (in more ways than one) and I hope you will come by and leave him lots of comments. That way he will be encouraged to give you updates on a regular basis. Anyway, his blog is called Amos Says... so stop in and say hi and watch his new video.

That's it for today. Hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day weekend. Get back into the groove and have a great week!

It's finally finished!!!

I have finished my handbag. It took about 1.5 yards of fabric and 3+ spools of thread and about 50 yards of clothesline, but I got it done.

The leather handles were purchased at Black Sheep yarn shop in California, but you can buy them online at places like this. I have had them since October, but the purse I was knitting, just hasn't progressed as quickly as I had hoped, so I took them to JoAnn's and found some cotton fabric that I really liked. I even made a pocket for the inside. I am quite happy with the end result. Check out this version.



The holiday weekend is almost upon us, so I had the hubby run me by Michael's to get some front door decor appropriate for July 4th, but everything was kinda of cheezy. So I grabbed a grapevine wreath, some red and white silk flowers, a spool of ribbon and came up with this....

I guess I'd better show you a close up version, but first promise me you won't gasp at how squirrelly my brickwork looks. That's another story for another day. Anyway here is another look at it.


I have no qualms about mixing faux "silver dollars" with big old red mums. What ever has the right colors is what I'm looking for. Anywho, I like for things to be a bit kicky.

We did decide on a name for the kitty, but I'm going to make you wait for the next post for that.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and remember to stop and think about what living in a free country means to you. Think about all the brave men and women, past and present, in your family and in mine, who fought so gallantly, so we could all live in this wonderful country.

Let freedom ring!