Oh, to be a princess......

I got the best book and have had so much fun looking at it! It is called "Crowns and Tiara's". I saw it, and had to get it off Amazon. Once I got it and paged thru it a couple of times, I got all kinds of crazy ideas spinning around. I am a child at heart still and what little girl doesn't like a crown now and then. Saturday I hit the mother lode of all garage sales and got all kinds of crafting loot! (I guess the stars were aligned in my favor cause this usually does not happen!) When I was paging thru the book and looking at supplies needed I realized I didn't have a lot of them...rats! After the garage sale I had pretty much everything so I came home went downstairs and a crown was made....Olivia adores it and wore it all day on Saturday..She is envisioning it with a princess skirt for her birthday party. We will see if she gets one!

Cupcakes (kinda) and the color blue..

The cupcakes are more little bottlecap pincushions...I think they are so cheery and cute. I really don't know any embroidery stitches and am probably to lazy to learn, so they are simple and sweet...These are for a swap where I will get three in return. I also have a friend who had surgery and she loves the colors blue and yellow about as much as I love pink! She also loves cabinet cards so I altered one for her and am going to mail it out. This lady, I thought was of the homely sort and she actually looks better altered....I love the saying about the shoes and if you look close, you will see a pair of shoes on the card. Today I made a list of things I want to get done and it is huge! I would like to say that it is mostly art and sewing but I think household chores are dominating the list. Better get going on it!

sewing and fishing.....

Today was opening trout day for fishing in our lakes here so the kids and I went. We had a blast and caught a whole bunch of trout. Andrew was just screaming with joy he was having so much fun....He screams' "pish on, pish on!"...Liv was the official netter. We came home all tired but I still managed to sew up a couple of things. I made an embellished postcard for a trade on Fabric ATC"S and an itty bitty 3x3 for my new blog friend Pearl. Both are all fabric and incorporate some felting around the images. I like how they turned out and there is that pink again..What do you know. We may go do some more fishing tomorrow, so time to go burn some zzzzzzzz's....

This is my 100th post....

Woohoo! I have stuck with this blogging thing, way longer than I thought I would. Especially with all my distractions. I wanted to do a giveaway but I am going to do it when I have planned it. What is planning you ask? I don't really know, that is why there is not a giveaway now. I have been working on two big quilts and hope to get them done soon and I cleaned the pigsty downstairs...(the art, sewing and laundry room)..it was so bad I didn't even want to go in there and try to find something to work on. YIKES! Last night , after I had cleaned up, I made another dress postcard....Here it is. She (the postcard) is called feminine...

Showcasing my Itty Bitties.....

A while ago, I was making three by three fabric collages for a swap on Fabt Atc's one to one...I made ten sets and got nine sets in return by nine very talented women! I have been trying to think of a way to display them without putting them on a canvas. This is my solution...It was very easy to do except for pushing the little eyelets thru the fabric! My fingers are so sore it is hard to type. Thank gosh I got a cropodile to set the little buggers. My theme was garden and my preferred colors were pink and green though I was open to artists choice. Aren't they beautiful little pieces of scrumptious fabric art? Thanks to Scary Cheri, Sanna, Liz P., Marva, Lera, Debby W, Judy S, Denise, and Peggy R! If you click on the pics, you can see a close up!

Baby quilt finished...

This is my plan...I am going to make baby quilts with unique colors and high quality fabrics and sell them with matching bibs on Etsy...Try anyway....I figure not everyone wants cutesy patterns these days for the little ones and if I keep the price down? I am going to make four sets and then put them on...I can always sell them around here but I thought I would give Etsy a try first. This one is corals and browns with cream and brown borders and backing...It is really pretty...I would like it for a baby..Andrew felt the need to model the quilt for the camera and of course, Where one two year old is, the other is too...(Cooper)

New postcard and a lisp for Liv....

I made another postcard using the dress theme. I like this one even better. Tried to stick with the colors black and beige but a red heart and some inked lace snuck in there. Liv went to the dentist and she went ahead and removed her loose front teeth...she looks so cute. The holes in her gums kind of freak me out though. I just dont look to close. She is showing off her "tooth holder neclace" in the picture. She asks me a zillion questions about the tooth fairy trying to find out if I am the tooth fairy. I have learned the art of evasiveness that is for sure. She tries to stay awake to catch me, but can't..haha....Andrew and Liv and I also made it to the zoo on Friday and had a great time. The highlight for Andrew was when the elpant' turned around and went " poopoo dis big!" Oh, the joy of being two! Everything is exciting.

A quick post...I think, anyway

It is Spring Break here on the Island and unfortunately, the kids are sick again. If this darn weather would just warm and dry up for a while so we can get well! We were going to do some camping, but I don't dare take them out like this. We are going to the zoo in Seattle on Friday and I have been keeping them occupied with crafty things.. I decided to start scrapbooking again. I take a lot of pictures and I haven't done any in a long time. Probably since I started sewing. I really do it for the kids and grandkids. I come from a scrapbboking family on my mothers side. I know so much about them because it is all documented. I have never even seen a picture of my dads father...Kind of sad really. My great grandfather was the first scrapbooker and when I was a kid I would spend hours looking at his "books." He used Paris "match" magazines as his canvas and I suppose they were more altered books than scrapbooks but they told his views on the world, pictures of things that interested him and things about his family....My Grandma was next in line and she had books for everything....I am showing a picture of my Grandpas world war two scrapbook. I even have the Western Union telegram that he sent her when my mom was born. What a treasure these books are and how lucky I am to have them! I had someone tell me they don't scrapbook because everything will be outdated soon...Well, gee, that is half the fun when you are looking at an earlier generations memories. So that is what I did today....I did a couple of layouts and let the kids cut and paste and embellish too...The postcard that I am showing is all fabric and it is part of a dress series that I am going to do...There is going to be a trade on my fabric atc group and I wanted to do something different. I ran out of timtex, or I would be working on the next one now...It is going to be in pastels...Well Andrew wants to "sit in lap" time to go for now...

She is a star!

Liv had her first music program last night in the high school auditorium. The place was jam packed. Her class came on and did their three songs and she was a total diva...I was so surprised to see her so outgoing and bubbly! She was in full dimple mode, dancing and I could hear her singing even. At the end, the teacher told the class to take a bow and Olivia actually left the risers and came front and center stage and bowed...by herself...She brought down the house...I don't know what possessed her, but it was adorable. She told me going home in the car she was the star of the show. How do you argue with that one? She was so excited to wear her new dress that night. It is a jumper that I made her from Kaffe Fassett prints...It is really adorable on her and she was so pleased with it. This is the little girl who wouldn't wear a dress a year ago. It is a nice change...I tired to get pictures at the concert, but it was so dark and I was too far away. I did take some photos of her before we left. The other photo is an atc I played with the other night and then a blank atc background. I have been doing a lot of atc's on painted muslin backgrounds and they are so pretty (I think anyway) that I thought I would show one...I am sending this on to a friend in the UK to play with...That is about it for now!

New atc's....

I have been palying with fabric dyes and watercolors on muslin and layering them up with little bits....Here are some of the results.....My eyes are ready for some Spring color!!!!

This winter has almost killed me!

Holy crap is what I have to say about that! I am recovering again from pneumonia and tonsillitis and am kind of hopeful that this is it until next winter when I am going to get every preventative shot known to the medical community! It is all those first grade germs Olivia brings home I am sure.....In between my royal patheticness (not sure if this is a word but I like it anyway) we have been selling girl scout cookies, I have been volunteering as an art teacher at her school and I have been sewing off and on. It just has depended on whether I can get out of bed that day. My cherry trees have buds and I know the warm weather is right around the corner....and by the way, Why is Easter so darn early this year????? I thought I had all this time! Wrong! I need to go to the big city (haha) of Oak Harbor and make an Easter Bunny run......As far as what I have been sewing....I made four big pillows for my couch out of dupioni silk and hand dyed batiks and I have been putting together my shophop quilt and embroidering the names of all the towns on the blocks...It is a big quilt and really bright and fun. I tried to stick with primary colors when making the different blocks. There are some mistakes, I am not using a pattern, just making it up as I go, but I think the charm it has will overrule the boo- boo's....that is me, always the optimist. Andrew, as always has been my little helper....He puts pins back in the pincushion and lays on the quilt blocks with cooper....We have been doing a lot of reading. I read and he talks to me the whole time......I just finished "The Kiterunner"...man, what a book! We are talking heartstrings here...I was surprised a lot at the twists and turns and I read so much that I very seldom am....well, the couch is calling so good night for now!

Rose Belle quilt....

Well, she is all done and it only took me almost two years....(sarcasm..) The gerber daisies are an add on by me because the hat that was supposed to look like a rose in bloom, just did not..... and the rose that is covered now in free motioned daisies did not look like one either...I think she is a pretty little thing with her painted face and bright colors. She is going to hang in Olivia's room with her sister, Miss Poppy Belle.....

Let them Eat Cake!

I finished my work in my altered book and I just adored doing the Marie Antoinette thing...Anyone who loves pink, cake, shopping and her kids is ok in my book! Speaking of cake, today I went down to Langley and had the best cake...yummmm. it was a sponge cake layered with cream and strawberries...I have lost my appetite lately for regular food but still am loving on the sugary and sweet things....No girl scout cookies though! We are all sick of them in this house! Liv is selling them for her Brownie troop and dummy me bought a butload of them...I am tired of every flavor....I read back over my blog last night and I had to laugh...{several times}..Some of the projects that I were sure would be done, and said they would be, still are not....some of these are from a few days short of a year ago. On the other hand, I have made a ton of things so I am cutting myself some slack. I am working on an old project right now...One of the "Belle" quilted wall hangings....I pulled it out last night just wanting something mindless to work on and got the applique part of it done. It is really pretty and I am not sure why I haven't finished it by now...I was thinking about it, and I bought it one of the last times I was with my grandma and I think it makes me sad. In fact I am sure it does. She was always so excited by everything I made or was going to make....Usually, if I start something, I finish it.....it may take a little while, but I will get to it. Anyway, I am pretty sure I will have it done by tonight. The last day of the sew expo is tomorrow and I really wanna go, but I still am not feeling all that good...I am sitting here trying to decide as I write...The ferry is such a pain but there are treasures there just waiting for me to buy them....We'll see if I make it.

Another altered book.....

This is the cover for my altered book this year...It revolves around recipes that you build your theme around. I had fun doing the cover for it and have done the two inside pages as well, but they are drying yet......I started by scrunching up all kinds of papers and using diluted glue to make a base. then I gesso'd it and painted the chef lady over it...well, trial by error once again. I used some paper that had a waxy finish......it does not work at all....I would paint and pieces kept popping off the page, darn it. the good news is you can scrape it all off and start over. It is a good thing I enjoy crumpling and gluing.....I am looking forward to doing a Marie Antoinette themed layout with a cake recipe for "let them eat cake"....It is just such a great line even though the poor girl never really said it. Now on to better things....Project runway is on tonight...Yipeee! I hope Chris March gets to the finale over Rami and all his draping nonsense.....I got over draping and polyester a long time ago.....sheesh.....I better go take more cold medicine so I am up for the show!..cough cough

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....