Woof woof........

When I first did the kitty portraits, my friend Helen in the UK complimented me on them and asked if I was going to do one of Cooper. We both thought a dog would be harder. After I did the lab puppy, I realized that it really wasn't much different. Then I offered to do her baby, Trevor. He is a golden retriever and has the sweetest face. She sent me three poses but I used the portrait of his face just because it showed more detail in the eyes and I think that I what shows their personalities. I hop you like it Helen...It is about an 11x 14. I have been matting mine in white and then putting them in a black frame. I will send it to you in the next couple of days....Melinda

three, two one.....

Three is how old our big boy Andrew is...He got his "monsta tuck cake" and for him, that was the best part of his "birday"...Then there are the three spooky pumpkins all lit up and scary, one for each kid. Then there are two aprons, one for a mommy and one for a daughter all done up in Christmas bling and last of all there is one...One green little cabinet card witch proclaiming "wicked" for all to see......

Silver belle journal pages and assorted stuff......

This month in our round robin journal project I had Miss Linda and her theme is "Silver Belle"...this was a struggle....I have always tried to use what is on hand and now it is a necessity...Unfortunately I had nothing that screamed out Silver Belle,...that and the song "silver bells would not get out of my freakin head for about two days....I finally just took out paper and blue and silver paint and went to town. I had seen an article in Somerset about fashion pages where you take a figure and then dress it using paper...so I tried it...I can tell it is a person, but my oldest daughter thought it was an octopus, so being me I put lips on the face figuring then you could tell it is a face. It cracks me up because almost every layout that I have done somehow involves blue, or it feels like it anyway and I am not a blue person. You can also tell the song "silver Bells" was running thru my brain cause the girl is in the city, You know, "it's christmas time in the city.." I have also been working on two matching Christmas aprons and they are done....I will show them when my swap partner gets them, until then they are a secret. Olivia helped with the sewing and she likes them a lot. She is pretty excited about getting her apron from our partners. I also got an award from Jean at http://thequiltingranny.blogspot.com/ We have one big thing in common....we both are raising grand kids. She has me beat though, she has three of them. She has been a great source of information and a support for me which I very much appreciate so Thank you Jean. You have to send this award to five people, one of them overseas...So I am sending this on to Sanna, http://sannasartmind.blogspot.com/ she is an amazing painter and a great friend, to Katie at http://ragamuffingal@blogspot.com/ she is a great paper artist and was the one who I exchanged wands with...mine is beautiful by the way, Also to Jessica, http://kidsnappingimscrapping.blogspot.com/ we have several things in common, she has a great sense of humor, loves buttons and makes sublime paper bag books and for my overseas pal I am going to pass this on to Dawn who put me on the Inspirational blog....This lady makes beautiful cards! go see...http://dawnscrafttime.blogspot.com Thanks again Jean!......The other picture is of my table all decorated for fall....My friend Cinda, bought me a box of cool little gourds and berries that I put in a cute bowl...the bowl is on a fall quilt table topper I made several years ago...Thanks again Cinda....

Apronology and a beautiful bracelet!!!

The kids and I went to Portland for five days and I just got back yesterday....It was good for all of us and we had a good time. I have just been playing catch up around the house and doing things that need to be done. Lat night I checked my email and was excited to see that I got one from Apronology! That is the new magazine by Somerset that debuts in February. I took a big risk for me and whipped up an apron and set it off and yep, I am going to be in it...well, my apron anyway but I bet when you look at it you will see me cause it is just my kind of thing. It was a big woohoo moment for me. I also have two bags ready to submit so now I am all excited about that. I hadnt heard about the apron, so I was hesitant. While I was catching up on my blog reading I went over to the "think pink" charms page and I saw the bracelet that Amber Dawn made and I just had to post it. It is soooo pretty....The think pink auction made over 3200.00 for Susan B Kommen...This was one of the prizes . Amber Dawn is also hosting the black and white charm swap and is looking for more people to take part. I am telling you, the charms you get back are beautiful, so come play....just click on the black and white charm swap logo on the sidebar for more info.....

recycled art..........

On Fabric atcs 1 to 1, the yahoo group, we are having a recycled postcard challenge.....I like doing this kind of thing and I do a lot of it anyway. I have been in the "use what I have" mode for a long time . I just threw a lot of stuff down on a leftover piece of fabric paper and put a piece of netting over the top and sewed it down. I really love the color in this piece...The atc is from another sample card of home dec braid and trim...I like the little metal circles...This may be my big accomplishment for the day...I am still in my pajamas and I don't foresee getting dressed and no one will know anyway!

Feeling better!

I actually went downstairs tonight and made a couple of cheerful pillowcases out of a couple different fabrics I had and I started another project to submit for publication...I can just show a little peek, but this is a bay yellow lab on fabric paper that is done with thread detail....It's my little baby, Cooper Roy......

happy October!

I have not been doing much of anything this last week as I got the flu bug from Hell......I am finally starting to feel semi normal, thank gosh.......I have tried, in my better moments to go and make a few things and I cant even seem to stick with one thing, so I think I just need to continue to lie on the couch and think about making things.....I did get this lovely award from Fannie at "Imagine, Create".... She has been doing some beautiful art quilts . Everything I see becomes my "new favorite" of hers. Right before I got sick, I free motioned this little witch atc on orange velvet so I thought I would share her...