Long time no see!

I think about posting, really and then I just don't. My computer has been acting a little crazy, so I haven't been on it much which I guess is as good as an excuse as any! I need to go get a new one I guess....sigh.... I hate setting them up and getting everything on it that I want. I definitely have got my moneys worth out of this guy though. Life is crazy here but what is new? Where to start? Olivia's mom took off with her to Portland against my wishes and dumped her down there for a week while I worked with every agency in both Oregon and Washington to get her back. The laws in both states suck as far as protecting children go. Children are considered their parents property and the law is for the parents rights until the child is GRAVELY harmed and there is proof...Is this screwed up or what? I do have her back and I am going through the court system to make sure it doesn't happen again but what the heck is wrong with this picture? I don't really want to go in too much detail but I was ready to lose my mind with anxiety over this one, I tell you. She is doing great and aside from being shuffled around, she wasn't hurt or anything....she is happy to be home. Daniel was in a play so we were involved in that, two birthdays, and company last weekend and now sore throats and earaches for everyone! I tell myself that this is all part of life, but I need to have a couple of really boring days to recoop......

I have been sewing and doing some art type things though not as much as I want to. The two year old no longer plays quietly at my side in the basement when I create....He rips and tears and turns into a whirling dervish. {the proof is in the state of the basement. it's ugly!} I finished my sisters quilt and made it a label from an old photograph of us....I took a picture of the picture than printed it on fabric.....I call the quilt, "Cynthia's May Garden"....Her middle name is May and the flowers in the fabrics are Lilies of the Valley which is Mays flowers....I also made giant tags using my cricut machine to put on the bags that I sent...I love this little machine...The kids love it too and make a lot of cards and stuff for school. I have been also working on my altered book and a spread in Caryl's pink and orange book....Mine isn't done yet, but hers is so I will include a picture...lastly, I have been working quite a bit on a Western Washington shop hop quilt and it is turning out really nice....I have a lot to do yet, but it is shaping up...I may post pictures of a few of the blocks tomorrow.....

little pieces of art......

I actually got four little pieces done today.....Andrews Auntie, bless her heart, came and got him today for an overnight stay so I could have a little time to myself. Liv was in school most of the day so it was a really great break from my normal routine...Or what has become normal anyway. I actually slept this afternoon.....by myself! What a treat! Then I read for a while, I just started a book called " the rise of Venus", and went for a walk with the dog...Tonight I went down to the dungeon to await "Project Runway" and made two postcards, a bottle cap pincushion and a fabric atc with a paper image....It doesnt get much cooler than this folks....The little pincushions rock! I think it' s so sweet looking, just like a little cupcake and it really is made using a soda bottle cap...Amazing what people think of...I normally will handsew NOTHING, but this is just plain fun. I am going to get some little tiny cupcake papers and put them in the papers....Why? Cause it would be cute, I think....The postcards are for a swap...They are "something with L" cards.....Lemon lime florals are what I am calling them...I just doodled with neocolor crayons and my sewing machine and they evolved....I like em, nothing fancy....Now off to bed! Again, by myself, oh bliss!

Ok, I am not SUPERMOM!

I am going to be honest. The kids are driving me nuts tonight and I mean nuts....Andrew has a cough and a runny nose again and is crabby and whiny and Liv, is just being an annoying six year old. Sometimes I want to go make something so bad and it is just down right impossible! There they are whining and wanting to help and just being kids..So is it that I have no patience today or is it them? It is me...I am on overload and not getting out of the house enough. My oldest daughter is going to school and working so she hasnt been around to help out and I guess I got used to it. I called her and begged her to take the little troll tomorrow for a couple of hours...Even just to take a walk is a big event here lately....So now that I have shattered the image of the perfect grandmother....I did make an altered book spread for Barb .b. Her theme is vintage with dolls....I layered this one up big time. She also wanted sepia so I tried to really keep it in that color spectrum...[It took me all day because of the aforementioned kid issue...] I also am showing a picture of a 3x3 made for Sanna that has grown on me...I usually dont work in blues, but I like the softness of this piece. So I guess now, with Andrew on my heels, I will go clean up the paint, paper, brushes and assorted rips and tears from the kids helping...Bless their little hearts...I love them so much!

One Block Wonder Quilts.....

I was in the store tonight where we are having a showing of the "one Block wonder" quilts...Beth teaches the class and it is jam packed every time. I know I have talked and talked about this quilt, and I finally remembered a camera to take pictures....The centers of the quilts are from one fabric and then they are put together in hexagons making them look like a kaliedescope...You never really know how they are going to look when you pick the fabric. That is half the fun of the quilt...The first one is mine....I really played with the borders and it actually is hung on its side...it will either speak to you or it won't. I have had people who adore it and then I have had traditional quilters who dont like the mismatched borders...The second is my friend Laura's...She used an asian print on a black background...I love the ORANGE! It has grown on her. For a while she wasnt feeling it at all..The third is Nancy's...I love this quilt...The colors are so me, I hinted I would trade but she didnt take the offer...hehe....and the last one is Beth's...she is who teaches this class...You would never believe what the whole piece of fabric that this was made from looks like...It actually is from what I consider to be a homely piece of tropical stuff and it made a ROCKIN' quilt! Just thought I would share!!!!

Cool Clock and a few hearts.......

It is hard to believe it is February already! That means it is almost spring! I am so not a winter person. Usually by January I am about tired of it for sure....I keep looking at the weed festival in my front yard and wishing for nice weather so I can go get rid of them..Why does the pretty stuff all die and the weeds do just fine? It has been fairly quiet around here...We are all still recovering from our bout of viral pneumonia. I forgot how when you have kids, the germs just get recycled and passed around. I went to a consignment store the other day that sells all kinds of good junk and I got this really cool clock...It is a signed oil painting that some guy made and then someone made a clock out of it...It is framed with some kind of rusted metal...not the "faux kind, the real stuff...It fits right in with the hodgepodge style in my bedroom. I just thought it had a lot of character and it was cheap too! woohoo.....I also made a couple valentine ATC's...One is painted batting which I am really liking the looks of...it is all fuzzy looking. The other is a off a fabric collage sheet that looked really washed out when I got it so I painted and dyed over the top of it then thread painted the bird..Gotta have some vibrant color, or I dont like it. That's about it..just finished a huge project for a lady that I was paid for, and now I am looking forward to doing some of my own stuff again....

fishing, shopping creating......

Three of my favorite things! I was gone for five days last week for an impromptu getaway. Our little family went on a mini fishing holiday..The kids had a great time and what little troopers they are. The kids and I spent one day on the water, we are talking the "river wild" and cold as heck and they loved every second. I had them so bundled up with life jackets on top that they could barely move but they were warm! We didn't catch any fish that day but Everyone did on the days we didn't go...The other days the kids and I shopped, watched movies, ordered room service and just hung out. It was very relaxing. They are so easy and fun to take and it is good to know, cause we will be doing some traveling this summer. Since we got back, I have been pretty sick with a chest cold..cough, cough...but I am still trying to get everything finished that I have started. I finished my friend Teddi's bag....I love it...gotta say....( I used Kaffe Fassett fabrics), I have been quilting my sisters quilt and also trying to finish my 3x3's for the swap on Fab atc's....I only have six more to go.....In between that and lying in bed I have become the mad Internet shopper! My oldest daughter, her boyfriend and my oldest grandson, Daniel finally got their own house.......Can I hear you say hallelujah? ( I am screaming it and dancing a jig!) So I am redoing their bedroom....I bought a new bed and comfy mattress (not online) and then I bought some stuff on overstock.com...It is going to be Olivia's big girl bedroom with a queen size bed cause I am tired of sleeping with her and Andrew in a full size bed....I am hoping that Andrew will sleep with her and I can have a bed to myself! We will see......The three by threes pictured are a set and the theme is nature in the spring.....I used a whole lot of different things on them, paint, dimensional paste, thread snarls..etc.....Today I hope to get the other six done and stay off the shopping thing! Better go get busy!

A New Year and New projects.....

For once, I have an excuse for not being a good blogger. Andrew, the two year old has pneumonia. He has been quite the handful, the poor little guy. We are talking full whine mode and who can blame him? He has been pretty miserable, but is finally on the mend. As far as New Year's resolutions go, I just made one and that is to recycle more. On the island, we don't have pick up with the garbage so you have to make a trip to the recycling center which so far, I have been doing. I am trying to do more green things so when these kids grow up, they still have a nice planet to live in. I do recycle things all the time in my fabric and paper art but I think most of us do. I am excited about 2008. I have closed a few doors on some old business and am ready to move forward. I am feeling happy and loved by all the people in my life and that is a great feeling. My little sis Julie is going to have a baby, her first so I am excited by that and anticipating making some baby quilts...The last few days I have been working on more of the little three by three fabric pieces for our trade on Fabric Atc's.....It is nice to do something small after working on some pretty big quilts. I did finish the queen size One block wonder quilt and it is hanging in our store. I will try to take a picture of the finished product and post it soon. I had to laugh when one little old lady came in and told me that the quilts made her sick to her stomach when she looked at them....they really have a kaleidoscope effect and I guess they could do that to you....Anyway, I digress....back to the three by threes...Each of ten people chose a color or theme and then we all make them a pair to all be displayed together....The ones I am posting a photo of are "fall colors " and sea water or aqua green...Can you tell which is which? Sure hope so......

On to better things!

Christmas is over! Whew! It was a great one here, but I am glad to move on as the title implies. I haven't taken the tree down yet, but more out of laziness than wanting it up. The kids, pets and family members all had a wonderful couple of days. We cooked like crazy, baked a ton of goodies and of course there were presents...lots of them. I got totally spoiled! In fact, too many things to mention. Two unusual gifts that I got that I am just crazy about are an Aerogarden that grows a garden on your kitchen counter and a cricut that is a cutting system for scrapbooking, cards and that kind of stuff. I planted my Aerogarden on Christmas day and the two basil plants sprouted today. Exciting stuff! For me anyway...Andrew was just wild about his big boy bike from Santa Claus.....He has been on it nonstop. He even tried to put it in the bathtub with him. I have been busy working on a quilt for my sister...The one who likes fairies...Well, I finished the top today. I used a "nine patch pizazz pattern and altered it a bit. The fabric is really pretty with a great feel to it. I am going to quilt it and mail it off to her this week. First I have to quilt the "one block wonder" quilt...We are having a show of them at the fabric store in January...It has been our most popular class and a lot of them have been made. I am going to call mine "over the wonder"...mainly cause I am personally sick of looking at it! haha....It is the most work I have ever put into a quilt. I posted it when it was on a design wall totally unfinished and that is about it. I will post it in all it's wondrous glory before I take it into be hung. We are having an "itty bitty" swap on my fabric atc group....I am not sure if the name was made up by someone on our group or elsewhere. What they are is a 3x3 fabric collage. People ask for a theme and everyone in the swap makes them two in their color and theme an then they are all displayed together. Mine are called "Rabbit, Moon" and " nesting.....just little bits of fabricy stuff with a little paper.....I have a lot of things due by the end of the month, but there is nothing unusual about that. I went to a quilt store today with a friend and made a conscious effort not to by stuff for more projects. I ended up with a book and stuff to make another purse and a quilt pattern. I am hopeless I guess......

Time with the kids.....

It has been a fun and crazy few days....We are officially on the countdown to Christmas now. Santa Claus is mentioned daily at this point (sometimes as a threat...) even by the two year old. We are making presents and doing holiday type things and reading Christmas stories and singing Christmas songs. This for me, is the fun part of Christmas if you don't get all stressed out about it. (and I haven't...) I did some serious Christmas cleaning the other day and it was cold out but nice, so I left the big sliding door open and Andrew played on the deck with Cooper and Thomas for two hours. He is so good about playing right in front of the door where I can see him and he can keep an eye on me. I got the cutest picture of him riding his worm. He is built like such a bruiser, but he really is just a little guy. I wish I could keep him right at this age for longer. I think he is the sweetest little guy ever......Yesterday I took them to a big Christmas light show in Stanwood Washington. It started at 5:30 pm and was worth the drive! We saw Santa Claus and Liv rode a pony and they both went in a petting zoo....Andrew still is very wary of Santa but he wants that bike so in the picture it is the three of us. He just couldn't do Santa alone yet. We were so bundled up, we could hardly move and good thing too! It was really cold and wet. We got home really late and woke up really tired. Today I made gummy candy shish kebobs for stockings and some angel/ shell ornaments. The heads are wooden beads...Pretty easy to make. Then after a nap, I went to Livs school and her first grade class made candy houses. She calls them bringerbread houses.....I love when they mix up words...it is so cute and they grow out of it too fast. This was a great project. They made a base out of the kids milk cartons and then covered them in white paper and masking tape and then using white frosting as the glue, you adhere 5 graham crackers, cover that with frosting, then decorate with candy. She is thrilled with it and even though it is home now, the house is still intact. (because it is out of reach at her request) She is hoping it will stay that way until grandpa gets here to see it!

The twelfth day of Christmas!

On Tuesday night I just went crazy sewing...I guess I was in the right mood and nice and relaxed because I got a ton of stuff done...I finished a purse for my sister Julie, another hanging atc ornament, finished three more stockings, I made a tablecloth out of this really soft flannel with red barns and deer and snow and a border of an old fashioned red with holly and I finished piecing a quilt! WOOHOO! If I could do that all that time. wow! I love the purse and I think my sis will too...I had never used bamboo handles before and made up a way to tie them on. What the correct way is, I am not sure but the colors of the bag are so bright and cheerful, that I think the knotted ties go with it. The quilt I started last Thursday at work. It is a wall hanging from the book "Cool girls quilt" and I thought it was so cheerful and we have these great new autumn fabrics so I decided to give it a whirl. It is really unusual because the blocks around the appliqued flowers have a sewn pleat of fabric down the center....It gives it a really cool 3d look. I haven't done applique in a while and I was kind of rusty but the more I did, the easier it got. I am going to quilt and bind it tomorrow. I might piece the back out of the leftover fabric too. I haven't decided for sure yet though. I got three different magazines this week...all my faves...Quilting arts, Cloth , paper, scissors and the Sew Somerset issue. I have been poring over them, getting inspired to try some new things. I have decide that I am going to submit a couple of things to Sew Somerset. After all, it is what I love to do! the deadline is the last day of January, so we will see....I would love to be a part of it though. In January I am taking a garment fundamentals sewing class and I am going to make another fur jacket...the right way! This is going to be really scary for me because I am used to making things work and not always in the right way. I am still scarred for life by my Home Ec sewing class when I was fourteen....Speaking of making it work! Project Runway tonight! Oh yeah, and I was brave and ventured out among the hoards to a Seattle area mall to shop. It was crazy and hot and I am almost done! I took Andrew the two year old troll with me and he was a darling little angel. Santa Claus waved at him and he about had a heart attack. He was thrilled until we got too close and then he was just terrified..Oh the fickelness of two year olds. He still managed to holler across the distance at Santa that he wants a bike though....as he clutched my pant leg. We are going to do our Christmas baking here soon. The kids, big and little all know that I do it every year so they are all excited about "helping". I am not sure if I am excited by that or not but I am sure it will be fun. Messy but fun. I usually get out of control and make way too much and many things but it is only once a year so what the hey......and they all manage to get eaten and I give away a lot. yummmmmmmm...

I hate sewing fake fur!!!!!!

Stacie wanted a fake fur coat for Christmas so I decided to jump on this one, Miss talented sewer that I am! Wrong! This was a giant pain in my bazooka I am telling you! I knew it stretched, but I did not know that it GROWS and GROWS....it turns into the big brown fur blob...I also cut the sleeves off too short which resulted in the different colored fur cuffs but I think that was a happy accident. I would say I am furred' out, but now Olivia wants one. The good news is, I learned a lot from my mistakes and the next one will probably have a whole new set of mistakes...Things are pretty quiet around here...Mainly because Daniel, my eight year old grandson has had a sore throat! Haha! I asked him how he was today and he said " a little good." Why a little good? Well, cause it's better than saying a lot bad..Mr optimism himself. I am also posting a picture of a couple of ornament Atc's for a swap on one of my groups...I think they look like little shopping bags. Well, guess that is all from Melinda's house of chaos tonight! HO_HO_HO!

Getting ready for Christmas!

Thanksgiving is done and I am tired of turkey and pumpkins so now the time has come to focus on Christmas. I like Christmas better anyway! The kids are getting all excited and letting me know what they would like to see under the tree. Andrew is the only one who really doesn't care. I have been making gifts and stockings. A few years ago, I made stockings for pretty much everyone I could think of. I have the best pattern in the world....they take about fifteen minutes to cut out and stitch and they are fun to embellish too...A lady a few years ago showed me how and it was just a word of mouth thing. If anyone would like directions, just email me and I will be happy to share it with you. The kids no longer have their stockings so I am doing a major stocking replacement project. I try to make them in fabrics that the kids can relate to and I like to mix patterns, but they would be beautiful in velvets or satins or something fancier. I also finished a big lap quilt for one of my friends. I made it to go with her bedroom...she has a beautiful satin duvet cover in a gold tone so I picked fabrics based on that. I also made two big pillowcases to match. I am happy with how it turned out. I used a "nine patch pizazz" pattern. I bought the book and it is pretty cool.....It sure makes up an easy quilt. I am using it to make a "fairy " quilt for my sister too...I also have a purse almost done, a fleece/ fur jacket and two quilts ready to quilt. We will see what I get done before Christmas...I have not done any shopping yet and actually, I am not all that excited about it. I like buying the gifts and giving them but figuring out what to get is a little overwhelming right now. I have turned into a hermit and hate leaving the island to go into Seattle.....(want a little cheese with that whine?) I know, I know.....there are worse things than traffic and hordes of people pushing and shoving and way to warm stores....I am resolving to post more on my blog...I really do like to talk to myself you know...We will see if I can manage it. Well, off to my sewing room and my favorite tv show tonight! Project runway!!!! I love this guy named Ricki that cries over everything.....I don't think I have seen him dry eyed yet! It is hysterical....

busy week........

I have been busy around here this week! Besides working at the fabric store, I have been getting ready for Thanksgiving and have started on some handmade Christmas gifts. Last year I made my brothers and sisters gifts and I think I am going to do the same this year. So many people sympathize as far as me having the little kids to take care of and I have to say, I really have grown to love having them here. Once the initial adjustment happened, it just gets better and better. They make me laugh and they fill up my heart. I am amazed by something they do or say every single day! Yes, my house gets ripped up and I gotta do ten tons of laundry but my life is richer because of them. Now the teenage years? Lets just hope that their mom and dad have it together by then because I would not look forward to doing that again! As far as creativity goes, as usual I am working on several things. I am trying to finish up some quilts, making a new purse for me out of some really funky and bright fabrics and I made a new Christmas quilt and pillowcases for my bestest friend in Portland. She has asked me for the last two years, and I finally got it together and got busy. I am going to quilt it tomorrow and then I will take a picture. I also finished the top to my "One block wonder" and man, it is a wonder it is done. It is the most work in a big quilt that I have done but sooooo pretty. I don't really have a purpose for it...Seems like it was too much work to give away though. I may just have to admire it for a while and then pass it on. I finished the last of my "Color me silly" groups altered journals. This was for Heather Holst and her theme is the forest. I loved working in it because I always loved the woods. My sister and I had the ocean and beach in front of us and the woods behind us and we would play for hours in our secret place in the woods. We even got chased by a bear one time but our dog saved us...but that is a whole "nother story.....Heather's book is now all done and tomorrow will be on its way home...Mine is still lost in Canadian customs somewhere. I am thinking it is like a time capsule...it could be a month, a year, a hundred years but eventually I am sure it will show up! I have faith....really. In the meantime my lovely group members are all sending me 8x8 spreads on friendship. We as a group are also doing another round robin altered journal go round. I am going to do a book on altered family recipes. It should be fun....The pictures I am posting are of the forest layout, and Andrew and Cooper hanging out...Note Andrews socks...I think he is sooo adorable with his little mismatched feet up in the air and the last photo is Olivia and Andrew eating Halloween suckers on the kitchen floor....I also have to share that I am sooooo excited for this Wednesday night and the PREMIERE of PROJECT RUNWAY as I am a die hard fan and I hope there is tons of drama and fights and beautiful clothes! If you havent seen it, it is on Bravo....watch it, it is some rockin tv!