Discovery & Autumn Decor...

 Continuing in my Discovery Journal with Roni of Ink Stains I am pleased with these two pages.  This time I did not concentrate on some new undiscovered technique.  I merely selected two pieces of cardstock.  This top photo is really poor as it does not show the cloud themed blues in the paper. 

 This blue cardstock is just a great shade of true blue.  I added some direct inking from the stamp pad.  Both of these pages really take me more into the "discovery" angle of this journal.  I discovered it is very difficult for me to focus.  I am always doing too many things at once and these pages really brought that forth.  I "discovered" some old stamps I forgot I owned so I used them and that was fun...mouse and butterfly and dragonfly.  I used a playing card to represent my favorite number...5.  Mostly this exercise got me to thinking and I do believe that is a huge part of my "Discovery Journal" that I am making.  As the days fly past so quickly what is it that truly makes me happy and what is it that I still wish to do?  Ahhh...discovery...

 I am not one for decorating my home even though I love how others go all out.  Mr. C is a year round Bah Humbug and does not enjoy any holidays so I keep it to a minimum.  Many years I don't put out anything.  This year I wanted to visit with my little treasures I keep in a box.  So many of my things have a very sentimental value to me and I treasure them.  The black with orange cat is something my Grandma crocheted and made decades ago and I just keep it because she made it.  There is a skull ring that Mr. C found in the desert many years ago when he took me for a dirt bike ride to an old abandoned talc mine.  We both laugh every time we see this ring.  It brings back memories of a great weekend together...and he almost bounced me off that darned motorcyle (I was much younger and lighter back in the day).  :o)

Here are my Halloween treasures...some old some not.  Many of these are just small momentos of years past but I like them and they each have a wonderful memory for me.  When I keep my treasures small and in one area it isn't so bad for Mr. C and that way I can still enjoy them too. 
I think this is why I truly love to see and enjoy all the fabulous decorating so many of you do and then share through blogging.  I never really cared much for Halloween as it was SCARY to me.  Now I see that it is so many more things...glamorous, funny, glittery, themed i.e. fairies or wonderful witches.  I am entranced just looking at all the amazing things you each make and decorate with.  Thank you for sharing such wonder.
Our weather is gorgeous...some sunshine, some cooler temperatures, some refreshing rain, some glorious colors emerging on shrubs, vines and trees...all giving infinite inspiration and I am truly grateful.
May you each enjoy much creativity in this the Autumn of the year...

Snow and Easter Eggs...

Well it is snowing here again. The weather reports said a chance of rain early afternoon. Hmmm...by 9:30 am we had an inch of snow and the snowflakes were huge and beautiful. As the day has progressed the weather has turned to all wetness...rain, sleet, hail, snow, slush. I want to thank each of you for your wonderful comments on my last post. I have had some really good visuals of projects you have sewn. I have also had some really great laughs over some of the antics that led up to sewing something or not sewing something. Thank you my wonderful blog friends. You really make my days so interesting and happy. Now for Easter eggs...I love to hard boil dozens of eggs and then color and decorate them just like when I was a little girl. My mother would boil one dozen for each of us and an extra dozen just for breakfast. By my count that would have been about 7 or 8 dozen eggs each Easter. We had a giant old library table for our dining table as it could accomodate so many of us. Lots of layers of newspaper and plastic cloths and every fun color you could imagine for dipping and rolling and coloring our eggs. We used stickers and crayons and lots of imagination. Even mom would color a dozen eggs. I think she had as much fun as we youngsters had. Maybe that is why I always enjoyed coloring eggs when my daughter was home and then when my granddaughters were visiting. Now there are no eggs to color as Mr. C won't eat hardboiled eggs, deviled eggs or eggs-a-la-goldenrod. My girls are 500 miles away. I do miss the fun. This year I am going to try to color a few with beet juice, which will make them so softly pink, from my canned beets I love to eat, the water from boiling artichokes which makes a lovely greenish blue aqua shade and some brown onion skins for the creamy tan colors. I think that ought to satisy my creative need to color eggs. At least my girlfriend and I like to eat egg salad sandwiches so the eggs will not go to waste. What are you doing for egg coloring? My daughter will at least carry on the old family tradition of eating brunch consisting of eggs-a-la-goldenrod. Such good comfort food. I made this lace bunny for my sister who is having her birthday Saturday and we are celebrating on Sunday with a day of shopping and lunching. This will be her Easter decoration from me. I am really having fun making these. No two alike but all with the same ideas. Happy creating...

One Simple Decoration...

One simple decoration.

Brings joy and peace to this holiday season.

The angel is a metal yard stake that I simply did not want to set outside to rust.

Her metal post is way too boring so I merely took some graduated sizes of ornaments and stacked them on the metal post.

Now it is sitting in a lovely large vase in the dining room.

I not only love the simplicity of this decoration I love the jewel toned colors and the shimmery silvery color of the angel as she watches over us.

I like to think this angel is reminding us to stay calm and enjoy this holiday season for all the reasons it truly represents and not the commercial overdone frenzy and stress we sometimes get caught up in.

May each of you take time to relax and enjoy the simple things.

Happy Holidays...

Finished Fabrics...

It is hard for me to realize that two months ago to the day I took these photos. I have already shared a sneak peak on this blog to allow your minds to be curious. Now I can honestly say my girlfriend/creative Saucy Chick Lorraine and I have completed this project. Well almost.

Each year we participate in a wonderful small boutique that is held at a local elementary school. Whatever gets sold we automatically donate 50% to the school for the kids and their programs. We always laugh when we are making items for this sale as we know the prices must be super affordable and therefore we mostly donate our time, materials and just know we are helping the kids. LOL Sometimes we say, "let's just make this and put a couple of dollar bills in the package and sell it for 50 cents". It makes us happy to do this and I believe this is at least our fifth year of participating.

So here are some photos of the finished DECORATIVE TOWELS.

Super cute chicken fabric. This would be great in a kitchen. Good hostess gift for that dinner invitation you accepted. Notice the button detail in the top corner of each towel.

This is some fabulous chili pepper fabric and the photo really does not show it as vibrant as the colors are in person.

Ahhh...the sports theme fabric. This would make a great hand towel even for the college dorm.

Here it is shown hanging on the towel rod. Think coach, golf player, car buff, teams...

With each towl we have added a fun item such as a tiny basketball ball, a small kitchen whisk, a small bottle of hot sauce with the chili peppers. You get the idea.

All in all we are making 31 of these assorted fabric adorned towels. Hopefully they will sell out at the school sale. It is always held for two days in early December. The kids get first pick on a Friday to purchase holiday gifts for family or friends. Then it is open to the public on Saturday. We Saucy Chicks usually purchase items late on Saturday just before pick up time. We want the classes who have made things (i.e. bookmarks, cards, frames, etcetera) know that they made sales as well.

We still need to complete 11 towels and package them however we know we will get them done in time now that we have completed 20. It feels so good to get something accomplished.

I hope this gives an idea or two for you to make for your gift giving. We have sewn the fabric but if you do not sew there are wonderful iron on ways or even washable glues on the market.

Happy creating...

Winning and Receiving...

I received this package in my mail and was most anxious to open it. I had gotten an email from Amy of http://www.rubymoonart.blogspot.com that my name had been chosen to win her pendant giveaway. I was so pleased and surprised. I don't enter many giveaways as I really try to be very careful not to get greedy. :o)

As you can see Amy really put a lot of time and work into her lovely gift. The box is decorated with vintage wallpaper and text. She included a note of Congratulations!

This is my wonderful pendant that Amy made and so kindly offered. This is actually the back and I think we can all use some Dreaming. The soft pink is very dreamy.

For the front of the pendant the phrase "Believe in yourself". Now that is a wonderful reminder that I especially need.

Thank you so very much Amy. Your attention to detail and complete pendant and gift box are wonderful. I shall cherish this and always be reminded that we are each unique and creative.

Please check out Amy and her blog and etsy shop.

Happy creating...