Coastal Road Trip...

Three days, Seven hundred Fifty plus miles later and this is what we did and saw.  Fair Warning: Photo heavy post.  Our West Coast Lotus club and an interloper 1964 Corvette went on a whirlwind weekend trip.  We made it three days however some had to do it in two days.  Can you read...EXHAUSTING?!!!  This is the famous Monterey Wharf and yes the weather was this beautiful. 

Lots of water in the bay and assorted boats parked in the marina. 

Our small private group of two Lotus Esprits and the Corvette are enjoying some excellent fresh fish at a lovely little restaurant on the wharf.  The salmon had just been caught earlier in the day. YUM!

Driving Highway 1 along the Coast to Big Sur.  It is amazing how we take for granted just how spectacular our country is.

We stopped to enjoy a bit of salt air and the most beautiful view.

This historic bridge is amazing and was at this same Vista Point stop.

No extra space for parking so we really packed the cars tightly together.  Mr. C's black Lotus with the Magnolia interior is the one we maneuvered next to the guard rail. 

Here is some of our group along side this very sporty Lotus Elise in the proper Colin Chapman British Racing Green with Yellow stripe.  Colin Chapman was the founder of Lotus Cars.

We have reached our destination for the Grand Tour of Hearst Castle.  It was a bit disappointing as our Governor Brown declared to close all the Visitor Center bathrooms and only have Port-a-Potties in honor of our drought.  The outdoor Hearst Castle pool was also drained and dry.  For the price of our admission to only see three rooms, out of 165 in the residence, I would think they could afford some water.

If you have never seen Hearst Castle it is spectacular.  Here is a link.

This is the "receiving" room where famous people would gather at the end of a day playing tennis or horse-back riding or swimming.

This is merely a glimpse of the most beautiful and amazing indoor pool I have ever seen.  For you architecture buffs this house was designed by Julia Morgan out of San Francisco. 

To end our trip we gathered for dinner at the Sow's Ear in downtown Cambria and enjoyed a wonderful evening of food, fun and laughter.  All in all our trip was far too fast and we feel like we missed so much.  Having time schedules and rushing is not the way to do this lovely Coastal trip.
Thankfully we arrived safely home.  Our Heat Wave continues with no rain in any forecast for our area.  Fires continue to be the news of every day and so far...we have been spared. 
I was able to sew two dresses and will share them soon.  While at dinner and telling my friends about Dress a Girl Around the World the lady and daughter at the next table told me they are just finishing their batch of 3000 dresses.  I was gob-smacked to say the least.  Upon more chatting it turns out she and her daughter and their church make all these dresses.  WoW!!!  She inspired me to keep sewing.
Blessings and thank you for your friendship.  I adore this blogging community we share. 
As June comes to a close I can honestly say I did find my JOY in each and every day...sometimes it was a little search but it was always there.  Now I shall see what July holds in store for me and what word might inspire me.  I am liking a monthly word as opposed to an annual word.  Life is ever-changing and I want to be flexible and tolerant.  Creative Bliss is my forever that I follow...

Protective Terry Pockets...

My daughter has a new adventure in her business medley.  Here is her link to Creative Resource Solutions.   She has invested a large sum of money and she needed a solution to taking care of the expensive equipment.  So...along comes mom.  I decided along with her input that she needed some terry cloth pockets for protection of some of the parts.  Lets see what I have come up with.  I began with thick plush spa white hand towels.  Then I added some stitching lines and Velcro. 

Here I am sewing this towel with Velcro tabs for pocket closures.  I wasn't a fan of the Velcro and terry cloth as they didn't get along very well.  The Velcro loops kept attaching to the terry loops.

Here is my creation.  I folded the towel from each end to almost the center.  Now I have double pockets on each end of the towel. 

Here are the laser panels that need protection.  I slid them into the pockets on one end and the Velcro will hold everything safely inside the protective pockets. 

This is the very heavy base unit which I did not make anything for as it has its own sturdy handle for carrying.  Here is her link for this Renua Nlazer adventure she is now representing.  And I am very proud of her for passing all of the training and testing.

Here is the terry protective pockets with the laser panels on one end and the cording in another pocket on the other end.  One towel will hold two panels and cord units.  She has eight panels and therefore I created four double towel protective pocket sets. 

Here is her canvas bag that she will carry all the parts and things needed to go along with the base unit.  I will say the unit and the bag are both quite heavy so she will be getting her daily arm workouts just carrying these.

Here is the bag with all four pocket sets fully filled and ready for business.  I am happy to say my daughter was very pleased with my terry towel protective pockets solution.  Now let me cheer her on to a successful business venture.  I am so glad I was able to help her out in my own way.  Now if I lived closer to her I could let her give me the Nlaser treatments and see and feel results just like she has found to happen on herself.  However her high school girlfriend has volunteered to be her tester and testimonial.  You go girls...
Summer is here and in full bloom.  The heat is wonderful.  Maybe just a little less hot would be good.  Still waiting for much needed moisture. The Air Tankers are flying far too often and working way too many fires.  Thankfully none are terribly close to us...at this time.  My prayers are constant for a safe and fire-free year. 
I am spending time indoors sorting and organizing during the hottest part of each day.  My donation piles are growing and I am finding clear space in my closets.  This is something I really need to do but never enjoy.  I like donating but I do not like missing my clothes when I go to wear them, can't find them and then remember I gave them away. 
Summer Sunshine Smiles to all my favorite friends on this hemisphere...and...Winter Creative Bliss to all my favorite friends on the opposite hemisphere.  I adore each of you and I look forward to reading your comments you take your precious time to leave me.  Thank You...

Sewing in the Red...

I have been very fortunate of late and am spending more time in my sewing room.  The other day Mr. C came to me and asked if I had any Red fabric.  Hmmm...what type and how much?  He didn't specify but I did ask what he needed the fabric to do.  Oh...Red for a Flag.  Well once again I shopped in my fabrics and Yippee...Red fabric.  I decided it would work and I got busy right then.  Since I had no real idea what he really wanted or the sizes I just began cutting based on his vague request.

Here is my Mr. C approved Red Flag.  It is over 5 feet long and is about 12 inches wide.  This is not your normal flag.

He did tell me he needed it to have ties for attaching it to a very tall pole.  Done.  Now when he goes to Bonneville with the Bub Seven Motorcycle this Summer to once again try for the World record he can attach this flag to one of the many wind stations along the 11 mile course on the salt. 

Here is another photo of my pre-washed fabrics and while I have red thread on my machine I have cut this really fun fabric into another Dress a Girl Around the World this time in a size 3-4.

Here is the back of the dress.  I remember buying this fabric long ago for the little one inch smiley faces.

Here is the front of the dress and I LOVE it.  This really brings a smile to my face.  I was able to place the pocket right over the same square and match up the triangles.  These dresses are truly fun to sew.  I think of the little girl who may receive this and I imagine how her eyes light up with the fun fabric.  This makes my heart sing with JOY.  I do hope you have checked out the link for Dress a Girl Around the World and joined us in sewing one or many.  Now I am off to shop my fabrics for I feel I might just have another dress to sew. 
This being Father's Day Weekend I wish all a wonderful love filled family weekend of JOY.  I surprised Mr. C yesterday with a day trip to Truckee where we enjoyed a beautiful drive and cooler temperatures.  Eating lobster roll lunch out on a shady deck while getting away from the chores and demands of home.  We are very blessed and know that our families will be calling on Sunday to wish Mr. C all the best.  I saved a bit of his surprise for Sunday.  Today he is working (volunteering) in a very dirty hot barn to prepare and ready the motorcycle for Bonneville.  He has been spending many hours all ready and there is much more to be done. 
Sunday is also the official first day of Summer.  We are also celebrating the two year anniversary of Mr. C's trauma accident.  A nice quiet day at home taking it easy and spending time together.  Not quite as grand as last year when we celebrated his amazing recovery and continued life at the top of the Eiffel Tower watching the sunset.  I appreciate the juxtaposition from year to year.  Feeling grateful for the life we have.  Continuing to focus on the JOY of everyday in June...

Dress a Girl...

Have you heard of Dress a Girl Around the World project?  I have known of it for some time and have always wanted to participate but was not keen on finding an unknown group who live too far from me.  Well, now I have committed myself to making these adorable sundresses.  This one is the beautiful creation made by Donna of Brynwood Needleworks.  For lots more information please check her blog link.  Donna has graciously offered to be an Ambassador and put out the request for any one who wishes to join in.  No she doesn't live close by...in fact on the opposite coast from me.  However I couldn't resist because I admire everything Donna sews and more.

This is a little Humanitarian Doll that can also be made and sent along.  I am not this far yet even though they look very cute and simple to create.  This reminds me of the hundreds of Comfort Dolls I made and donated to charities a couple of years ago. 

So after reading all the information and requirements I "shopped" my personal fabric supply.  I made a few selections not knowing how many dresses or which sizes I will be able to make.  I chose really fun fabrics and bright colors.

Here are my first choices washed in super hot water to pre-shrink the fabric.  It was a perfect day to dry them outside and my tea cart was very helpful in this process.  The elephant fabric is vintage from when my daughter was little and this piece is the only bit I have of it.  Not very much at all.

And I am happy to show you the little sundress I made with this fun and bright vintage elephant fabric.  This is a size 1/2 to 1.  Thankfully my elephants ended right side up.  I was sew excited I forgot to pay attention to the direction when cutting and sewing.  Whew!  I think some sewing Angels were watching out for me on this journey of Dress a Girl Around the World.  If you think you would like to join us and sew some dresses please check Donna's blog for details and FaceBook link to a special group page.    I already have my next dress planned and this time I will be able to make a larger size.  They need up to size 14.  All the guidelines and dimensions are on the website.
Thank you Donna for facilitating this wonderful project.  I am very thankful my Grandma, mom and older sister taught me how to sew.  Sewing is my all time favorite creative hobby. 
I am not even going to tell you the heat wave we have been having...I recall already sharing that with you in a previous post/s and I don't want to bore you and send you away.  For you see I am quite fond of my followers and your comments and I would miss you terribly.  So stay with me please and see what else I have been up to.  I can honestly say I am finding my June JOY in so many ways and I do hope you are too.  Creative Bliss Abounds... 

Granddaughter's Wedding...

I am so proud of my beautiful Granddaughters.  Amber is in the orange lace dress and Amy is in her veil and preparation robe.  Two sisters sharing love and support on Amy's wedding day.  Mr. C and I were able to attend and I got to spend extra time with my daughter and granddaughters before the wedding ceremony. 

Here is Amy with her father walking her down the aisle.  It was a backyard wedding held at the groom's parents home and done very well with lots of fun and laughter.  No over the top outrageous spending of wasted money...but done with lots of family and friends love and generosity and a good amount of money just to be certain everyone had a wonderful time. 

Here is Amy in an epic moment of being introduced as Mr. and Mrs.!  My daughter Jenifer is in the blue dress clapping.  Amber is next to her sister with the teal dress, unfortunately her back is to the camera as she was always making certain everything was in order...after all she was the Maid of Honor and she wasn't going to let anything spoil her little sister's big day.  Congratulations to Amy and James and may you forever share your lives with love.  I am feeling very blessed. 
Mr. C and I are now ready to tackle our home projects once again.  We have a nice mix of Summer fun and work. 
Not only is California in its historic worst drought ever it is extremely hot!  Our temps have been in the triple digit 100+F which is not normal. Many of our landscaping plants are begging for water and the sun has burned several of them to blackened crisps.  Mr. C is outside working on the drip system to be certain nothing perishes...especially our well as it tries to provide precious water.  It seems so strange to have so many people across this world who are flooding and then us who are drying up.  I pray the water gods balance everyone out very soon. 
I am continuing to find JOY in every day of June.  My Creative Bliss may need to switch from actual crafty bits to reno work but I know I shall enjoy all of the end result.  Blessings to all...

Studio Play Time...

Hello June and A Swap For All Seasons.  I had such a fun time creating this little fabric sampler banner for Sally Annie of this blog.   I asked Sally Annie what she liked and then tried to incorporate her likes into my little bit of art.  This is the finished piece I mailed to her and she has now gotten it and let me know how much she likes it.  Thank You Sally Annie. 

Here it is in the designing phase.  There is no paper allowed and it must all be hand or machine sewn.  I put a few extra stitches into this just because I was having sew much fun creating such a happy home.  The sky piece is fabric that I Gelli painted and it looked like wispy clouds floating in the blue sky I love so much.

I also had time recently to create six necklaces for a December Charity function raffle I support.  The theme is always Black and Red so I made each of these in those colors.  I honestly can say when the attendees buy their $1 raffle tickets they will get a really good selection of items to choose from. 

I had fun creating these and know they will help support Christmas gifts for less fortunate children and also Scholarships for High School students.  I love supporting good causes.  By making things all year long I don't feel the crush or pressure of having to make everything during the most hectic season of the year.  Into my special gift dresser to await their debut.  I have each necklace mounted on nice sturdy mat board for safe keeping and interesting presentation. 
Our Summer weather is very warm and still very dry.  The days are wonderful and filled with lots of Summer activities.  Farmer's Markets are in full swing.  Lots of community events are happening.  Visitors from all over are coming to the Chamber for information and directions.  I spent a very busy day there today and love helping out and meeting people.  I also get to do lots of office work too so that allows me to use my skills I have honed during my "working-for-a-living" years.  
I think Mr. C and I shall go for a walk.  The beautiful blue sky is calling me.
June is thankfully allowing me to find JOY in each and every day...from the most mundane to the most interesting to the most unexpected...JOY is part of each day.  Creative Bliss and June JOY to each of you.  I am very grateful for your friendship and inspiration.  Thank you...

Handmade Gifts...

This is a gorgeous gift I received recently from my dear friend Theresa!  She has no blog.  Her talents are many and she is amazing.  This gift was so unexpected and I was truly overwhelmed.  This is a hand felted and beaded clutch envelope purse.  The funny thing is that I didn't even know Theresa does felting and beading.  I am so very grateful for not just this gift but for the friendship I share with this wonderful woman whom I have yet to meet in person.  Thank you sincerely my friend!

Along with the felted work of HeART Theresa gifted me with a lovely hand made card and Tag in the style of T!m Holtz.  I will be able to add these to the beautiful hand made book she gifted me with and I shared on this post. 

Here are some simple little hand made gifts I have sent out.  Angel earrings on a tag with fabric sewn to it. 

No scraps go to waste at my home.  I sewed them to manila tags and then attached some ceramic heart charms I put together.  Off in the mail to surprise some of my faithful blog readers.

This little boy on Toile just begged to be a tag with heart charm.  He arrived safely at his destination.

Here is another idea I like to do.  Simple piece of fabric attached to a card as the background for cut outs.  Nature theme here.

Here is the inside of the card and another little bird attached to offer a beaded dragonfly charm to the recipient.  This has also arrived safely and was very much appreciated by the birthday girl.
My love of hand made gifts is truly a gift in its own right.  I love to give and receive what someone has spent time and thought and talents to create.  Do you like to receive hand made gifts?  
June is here and moving briskly along already.  I am going to find JOY in every day of June.  I can't slow down the clock however I can be mindful and enJOY what each day holds for me.  This will be a very busy month as Summer seems to be here.  Mr. C and I have a lot already filling out our calendars.  I will have no excuses not to find a lot of JOY in every day this month.  I'll be sharing with each of you along the way.  Creative Bliss and JUNE JOY...