Easter Blessings Everyone...

Hopping down the bunny trail...Hippity Hoppity Easter's on its way.

My simple little decorations. 

Each item set out for me to enjoy.

Another side of my little display.

Can anyone explain to me how Chocolate Bunnies and Colorful Eggs came to represent Easter?

This is a lovely photo of Vera Bradley bags filled with flowers.  Looks like Spring and Easter all together.  In truth this is a fabulous give away offered by Vicki of 2bagsfull blog.  Many of you know this lovely lady and her generous donations she does such as the Pink Scarf Project.
May your Easter be blessed.
Sunshine Smiles as we have both sunshine and rain and Spring in our neck of the woods.
Happy Hopping...

Messy Creative Hands...

I have always adored those little peat pots made into cute baskets.  So here is my version for Easter.

For anyone who knows me, I just hate to get my hands messy...not even for art's sake.  But here I am all a mess with paints.  I used my craft and house sample paints.  The colors are such a pastel delight.

Here are my little finished baskets.  I gave some to my friends and kept one for myself.

Here is the one I made special for me.  A soft pastel blue with a little cutie riding a bunny.

Oh how fun!  Looks like Peter Cottontail is soon to arrive.
We are having Spring rain here.  Nice and refreshing and hopefully keeping the pollen in check.
Stocking up on chocolates and veggies for Sunday.
Happy Hopping...

Vineyards, Rain, Wine...

This is the get-away that Mr. C and I took last week.  We enjoyed our time even though you can see the weather was extremely grey and wet.  It rained but not so badly that we couldn't drive and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.  Vineyards are amazing in all stages of growth...from little sprouts to fully laden with leaves and grapes.

One of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen.  The sense of arrival is majestic.  The brick work stunning.  I would like to be the Princess in this Palace.

You can see from the front door the beautiful portico and vineyards beyond.  I can only imagine my dream car sitting here awaiting to take me shopping.  Yes, I do have a vivid imagination!

Inside is the most amazing woodwork.  I understand there is a master craftsman that only builds staircases for very high-end wineries.

Every ceiling is beyond spectacular.  The layers and lighting are truly beautiful.  More brickwork on a fabulous fireplace.  

I would be happy just to have this brick bridge.  The art of it is fabulous.  I do love brickwork.
Because it was raining so much we were not able to sit outdoors at the tables to eat our picnic lunch so we merely sat inside the car and enjoyed our nibbles along with these amazing views.   After all crumbs do clean up nicely.

This is another winery we visited.  Can you imagine they were offering tours outdoors even in the rain.  No thank you...especially for $20 per person.  Oh did I mention that wine tastings are not free?!!

Here is a statue of St. Francis.  I thought this photo was appropriate in honor of the new Pope.

Here is the friendliest and most knowledgeable  winery we visited.  We spent quite a long time here.

Mr. C and "Larry" got along quite well.  Larry was extremely fun and shared so much knowledge about wines and wineries and grapes that Mr. C really enjoyed.  He also liked some of the wines and we did purchase a few bottles.
All in all it was a wonderful short get-away.  In spite of the rain it did not dampen our spirits at all.

Now it is time to get in the studio and get my hands messy for Easter.   More on that in the next post.
Our weather is glorious.  Sunshine and Spring.  The yellow pollen is covering everything.  Flowers are blooming.  Actually the rain we had while we were gone really hammered my daffodils.  Some are not recovering as they actually got broken stems from the downpour.
May you have Spring and Sunshine and no more snow or storms.  Stay safe and warm no matter what Mother Nature gives us.
Happy Hearts are Creative Hearts...

Short Get-Away...

Mr. C and I went on a short trip.  About 3 hours from our home is the Jelly Belly Factory.  They give tours and samples of jelly beans.  Even though it was a weekday there were lots of kids of all ages.  Very hyper kids who had more than a few samples of the jelly beans.  No photos are allowed on the tour so I just took the two here.

Our past president Ronald Reagan really did put Jelly Belly on the map.  Here is the mascot ready for Easter.  I am not one to try many flavors so I stuck to my tried and true favorites.  Licorice and Sizzling Cinnamon.  Mr. C and I tried the #2 all time favorite flavor and we both decided we really like it...Hot Buttered Popcorn.  It really smells and tastes just like the movie theater popcorn.  So we had to get some of those for our road trip.  Oh and they also make tons of other favorite candies including fudge.  I fell in love with the chewy praline fudge and made that my choice for road trip munching.  Yes, I will need to double up on the exercise and smart eating plan once again.  How does one pound of candy put on five pounds of extra weight?!!
 

The weather was very overcast and grey but we didn't let that dampen our spirits.  We drove to Napa and visited the new Riverfront area.  The charm is always in Napa.  The drive is so beautiful through countless acres of grape vineyards.  All lush and green this time of year.

We didn't do much walking as my feet were exhausted from the tour at Jelly Belly.  I made the mistake of wearing new shoes and no socks.  Oh the blisters that were forming made me cranky and Mr. C was beyond reason as to why I didn't wear proper shoes.  This is an ongoing saga with me and shoes and blisters so there are no surprises here.
 

Here we are having a bench picnic along the riverfront.  Some cheese and pate with sourdough toast points and grapes.  Pretty yummy and rather pleasant surroundings.  Drinking of the wine will come later.  And of course fudge and Jelly Belly's for dessert.  I shall continue our short get-away in the next post.
It is always good to get home safely and sleep in our own bed.  Now to catch up with my favorite blogs...
The calendar says it is Spring however the weather is more like Winter.  No surprises again this year as the calendar does not reflect Mother Nature and what she does.  Sunshine Smiles everyone...

Spring Glitter Sparkle...

May your week be filled with Spring, Sunshine, Sparkle, Glitter and Smiles.

A tiny salt shaker.  Filled with glitter.  Corsage pins beaded.   Fun way to display glitter, sparkle and pins.

We have had glorious sunshine and beautiful weather.  Daffodils are blooming.  Flowering trees are blooming.  Pollen is really kicking the allergy medications.  Now we are expecting rain this week.  The rain will be wonderful for the plants and trees and it will also help knock down the pollen.
May you find your joy and be happy creating all that you love.  Lovely week everyone...

Wearin O'the Green...

'Tis the time of year when we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  Lots of wearing green in honor of the Irish.  Some ATC's that I made and mailed out.  Of course lots of people drink green beer and eat corned beef and cabbage.  I will be opting out of that tradition.  In the past I have even served and eaten green colored mashed potatoes.  That was fun but might have been a little overboard.  Everything we ate and drank was colored green!

The background paper is a very shiny green foil and therefore does not photo well.  I loved the foil paper and the green is bright and emerald and very happy.  The little images I fussy cut from one of the Dover "Royalty-Free" design books.  I bought mine from Barnes and Noble but I have heard that sometimes you can find them at sales.

I adore her skirt edged in clovers and that is why I added the clover charm.  Even my lace had green running through it.  So..."Top O'the Mornin to You" as my Grandma would say on St. Patrick's day.  It took me years to learn to reply with, "And the rest of the day to you."
Welcome to my newest followers.  I also must say THANK YOU to Carol of The Polka Dot Closet for her Dress Form Ball.  I visited every single attendee and had such a fun time.  Being part of her "Linky Party" also resulted in me getting the most comments I have ever gotten for a single post.  I love reading comments.
Now I shall spend my day cleaning house and doing laundry as we are having a surprise guest for four days.
This is also the beginning of Formula One Racing season and that is my favorite sport.  Thank goodness for DVR and being able to view it when time allows.
May you enjoy your days and nights and let your creative muse have fun and play.  I am staying calm and trying to enjoy the magic of each moment.  Blessings...

Carol's Dress Form Ball...

Our household is very excited this week as some of us are attending Carol's Dress Form Ball.  You really will want to click her link and see all the wonderful attendees.  Thank you very much Carol for hostessing this Second Annual Ball.  The beautiful white and blue carriage arrived to pick up Vintage Janey.  Here she is wearing her finery.  Vintage Janey is shy and didn't want you to see her undressed.  She is aging and there are bits of her that are a tad out of alignment and even a smidgen droopy.  So she prefers to wear vintage clothing from my Grandmother's Aunt Flossie.  The jacket is all hand sewn sequins and as beautiful as a mermaid could ever wish for.

Now we have a tiny tabletop paper mache torso mannequin.  This was purchased to display some jewelry pieces I create.  However it merely sat in the cupboard for a couple of years and never was decorated.  Then my friend Judy of jfabrications gave me the push I needed and here she is covered in pattern tissue.

Thank you Judy for helping me focus and finish this.  You will also want to see all of Judy's fabulous dress forms attending the ball.  Now meet Ms. Vogue.  She wanted so much to attend the ball however she had nothing to wear.  I told her a proper lady would not go in her foundation piecing.  So she put on her pearls.

Here is GiGi in her ball gown.  Sadly I explained to her that she will be working at the ball attending to the ladies and their needs.  After all GiGi is a proper French Maid.  With great dignity she understood and is just ecstatic to be able to be at Carol's Estate and enjoy all of the beautiful surroundings and happenings and see what the Ladies of Finery are wearing.
Now I am off to enjoy the ball from here.  I shall be a voyeur and secretly wishing I could be there all dressed up and dancing the night away.
I must hurry as I am late and the ball has begun...

Another Pink Scarf...

In my sorting of supplies I unearthed a bag of yarns I had purchased at a specialty shop last Winter in Bakersfield while Mr. C was working.  I didn't find any pink yarn however I did have some lovely pastel Italian yarn remaining from making a scarf last year.  Hmmm...I also had a brand new skein of dusty rose yarn that somehow fell into my shopping cart one day a few weeks ago.  So on the worktable were the two yarns and a crochet hook.  I introduced them and a lovely dance ensued...yarn over, hook through, yarn stitched...and so it went.

Here is the result.  Another pink scarf for the cause.  This might be one of my favorites so far.

Here is the same scarf in less light which more closely shows the dusty rose coloring.  I can only hope and pray that the recipient of this scarf knows that I put peace and hope and joy into each stitch.  Someone asked how many scarves have been donated and I do not know.  It must be a lot with so many kind and generous people making them after seeing a post here or there.
As I type we are having rain and hail.  Snow is still predicted for us later today.  It rained all night with a good steady amount so we should have some good news for our water table.  Our region had the smallest amount of rain since something like 1920 for January and February.  That is a record we do not need to hold.  I am enjoying the rain as I do not have to go out today.  It is also helping to wash off some pollen that covers everything in yellow this time of year.
I feel blessed to be able to sit here at my computer and enjoy reading blogs I follow.  I must admit that I am limiting myself more and more to spend less time wandering the world of blogs and internet sites.  I find I am able to accomplish more with less time on the computer.  Hmmm...
I also feel blessed that I can be in my sewing room and studio creating and finishing up some projects.  I continue to ponder my path of creativity.  What do I really enjoy making or doing?  Why am I doing something?  Is it benefiting anything or anyone?  Am I just wandering aimlessly through my days?  Maybe I am maturing?  Oh heavens no...my little girl still loves to twirl and I have a lot of joy still to experience!
After all...My Heart is Happy because I am Creative.
May Creative Joy Fill Your Heart...

Found, Organized, Happy...

These shelves hold things I make and either gift or offer in my etsy shoppe.  Somehow things just get really shoved around and messy.  It is difficult to store some items and even more difficult to keep them all pristine which is why they are behind glass doors.  I have already taken out lots and edited this remaining stock.
Since I have my etsy shoppe on vacation hold things are merely pending.  In fact I am not certain if I want to reopen my shoppe.  My sales were so nominal that I wasn't certain I had the right mix of offerings.  So I continue to ponder my options on etsy.  I welcome any feedback or tips you may have.

Here I have edited and organized my stock onto one shelf instead of two.  I have left the top shelf empty for a while just to be certain of what I will fill it with.  Trust me I have no lack of STUFF to fill it full.  Meanwhile I find things I either forgot or couldn't seem to find when I needed them.  Amazing how I can be so happy just by finding what I already have.

This is what I hadn't been able to find for quite a while.  I knew I had it but it was buried under lots of things. This is a fabric roll I made for transporting jewelry to shows and for keeping the jewelry safe and clean and untangled.

Here is the roll opened up.  I have room for earrings, bracelets and necklaces.  The necklaces actually fit down into the long pockets they are resting upon in this photo.  Even Mr. C was pleased to see these creations.  They bring back wonderful memories of trips we have made both near and far to acquire special ribbons, beads, charms and trinkets used in creating this jewelry.  I can assure you that the roll is now safely placed on the shelf and ready for gathering an ensemble together for shipping...just in case I sell something.
It feels good to find, edit, organize and display my lovelies.  Time well spent.
Our skies are overcast and we are hoping for rain.  Our temperatures are cooling down also.  March came in extremely calm this year.  We really need the water.  After all we are still in Winter.  I am so very happy that the days are staying lighter longer.
Creative Hearts are Happy Hearts.  I keep saying this because I really believe it.
Welcome to my newest followers.  I really enjoyed the Madame Samm  Sew We Quilt latest blog hop.  If you want or need any inspiration you will get plenty when you follow any of her hops.
May you spend your time doing all you enjoy...