Birdhouse Gourds and a barn along quilt block

I saw the cutest barn blocks on Pinterest. Lori Holt is doing a Barn Along. I am behind but I like them so much I am sure I can catch up. The block on the barn wall is made with 1 1/2 pieces. I haven't done anything that small in a long time so my first block is a little wonky. I still like it though. There are 12 blocks in all and each are 14 1/2 Square. My favorite one that I saw is a barn with a silo. I have a lot of scraps to use and I like that about it too. I re- met my Grandaughter Haylie day before yesterday. It was so wonderful I couldn't sleep that night. She is 10 and the last time I saw her she was almost 4. She is my son's child and he and mom are divorced so it made it hard for me to see her. She is a lot like me...She loves art and has a room full of art supplies. She also likes to write stories. I just am so excited and she was ready to come over right that second. Both Haylie and Olivia were excited too to have a girl cousin. I sent her a letter today and did a little mail art. I also finished three birdhouse gourds. I really love painting them. I had bought three of them at a garage sale. I wish I bought everyone of them that the lady had. I am growing my own and I think I am going to have a ton of them when the growing season is done. I especially like the little sea otter with the seaweed. My favorite though, is the funky chicken I finished today! I used primary colors and polymer clay. He looks so happy outside! I still am really struggling with this cough. I don't have pneumonia anymore but I am just wiped out from coughing all the time. It keeps me up all night and I just hate it. I cleaned the bunny cage and was so short of breath I thought I was going to pass out. arghhhhhhhhh..... I feel like it has ruined my summer with the kids. Well probably because in a way it has darn it. Happy Summer all!

Christmas in July and August.

I participated in Val's Christmas in July swap. For me on the receiving end it was in July. For my partner Jill, it was unfortunately today that she got her package. I have had pneumonia along with the cough that never ends and just wears me out. I am thinking if I get rid of it by October I will be lucky. It makes it hard to do anything and I HATE it. Emphasis on the HATE! Anyway so Jill sent me some of the coolest stuff. I love the Holiday Journal with stickers so I can personalize the tabs. She used manila envelopes and then covered them with scrapbook paper for the inside and the back inside cover. I think it is so cool. I have made journals but the pockets really add to it. She also sent me some Christmas recipes. I love new recipes and food is one of our traditions. If I find something really good it becomes a part of the dinner every year. She also made me these pretty and delicate paper ornaments. I have a pink tree and these will look so pretty! She knows about my love of all things chicken, especially my real ones so she sent me a little felt chicken ear bud holder and two cute chickens to live in my garden. The kind that don't eat it! Jill told me that she loves bird ornaments so I made her some for her tree along with some birdhouses. I saw these cute little birdie tags on Pinterest so I made a few. Last of all, because she waited so long I made her a quilted Table Topper with vintage and reproduction fabrics. I liked making this a lot. I just randomly put it together working on it a few minutes at a time. All wrapped up and off it went. WooHoo! I have so many things flying thru my head that I want to do so hopefully the cough will leave soon! Happy Summer....melindaxoxoxoxo

What you can do with an old suitcase.

Being the Pinterest addict I am, I am on it a lot. I love seeing the DIY section. I saw a pin where someone was making pet beds out of hard sided suitcases. I decided I wanted to make Thomas and Bobbins (my cats) a bunk bed using a suitcase. I found two with no problem. I got them for 2.00 a piece at a yard sale. I have seen even more since. Taylor is going home on Friday and since she has been here she has accumulated a lot of stuff. I knew her two little carry-ons weren't going to hold everything so I started thinking I wood find her a suitcase. Then I remembered I have two of them. In the garage. Gathering dust. Ok back on Pinterest. Can you redo a suitcase to use? You bet you can. This is the ugly old thing I started with. Fortunately though ugly it is sturdy. I remember using an open Samsonite as a kid with my sister to jump in. Like a trampoline. The inside was in pretty good shape except for the top half so I took out the vinyl and used it for a pattern. I save the trim and used it after I recovered the top. I put in a little lavender sprig to make it smell pretty. I taped off all the metal parts and spray painted it a soft lilac color. Then I just used Mod Podge and fabric and covered the front and back. I used two different fabrics just because I could. I put a vintage "Aloha" postcard on it and a tag that says "Always on my mind, Forever in my heart." I always tell Taylor Aloha, not goodbye. Unfortunately Taylor won't be able to come and stay anymore. I told her I will always be here and when she is an adult and makes her own decisions, we will pick up where we left off. Her mom has verbally attacked me three times so far due to her mental illness. This last time she sent the cops who promptly left after a hearty apology. They say "no good deed goes unpunished." Sadly that has been the case. I love her and I made sure she had a good summer with fun and love and family and that is all I can do. That and hope I made some kind of difference in her future life. On the other side I did another purple fabric but it is softer. Almost Shabby Chic. I did a "T" monogram because she says she can never find anything with her name or initial. I love how it turned out and the hardest part was probably just taping it off. After Olivia saw it she promptly brought in the other suitcase and gave me a meaningful look. I also made a wreath out of moss and burlap and some natural floral things that I found at a yard sale. The whole thing cost me a 1.00. It is in my entry way and I like it a lot. It has been a trying week! I have pneumonia and my heart is feeling trampled on and crushed. I still would do it all over again for Taylor though. I am just sad that I have to say "Aloha". xoxoxoxo melinda