Surprise Mail...

 Don't you just love to go to your mail box and find a wonderful surprise?  No, I don't mean the spider that scares you who is just trying to get warm inside a safe place.  Certainly not the bills that come way too often!  I am speaking of a package from a friend who sends you something out of the blue.  I love it!

 This is wrapped so cleverly in a sewing pattern tissue.  With a fabric strip tied in twine and a cute little stamped card.  I am totally intrigued...

 There was also a handmade card with a stamped bird design.  Beautiful.  Thoughtful.  Serene.

 I open to find a bundle of joyful fabric pieces.  All random sizes and prints.  Hmmm...

Here you can see the array of fabrics.  What a fun bundle this is.  Thank you Cory Dogwood.  You are the best blog pal a girl ever had.  Please visit Cory at her blog and see what she is up to.  Maybe I will need to find out how she makes her "ticker tape" quilts and use these fabrics to make one for myself. 
Even though Cory has a residence just a few miles from me and we must be shopping at the exact same local crafting store (Ben Franklin) I have never met her and yet we have been blog pals for two years.  I rather like the mystique of being a blog pal...kind of like years ago when I had a pen pal I never met. 
I adore your card and sweet bundle of fabric joy Cory Dogwood and I thank you sincerely. 
My ideas are beginning to churn on what I will do with all of these pieces.  What would each of you create?
Happy week to all...our weather is quite chilly and yet the sun is shining.  Rain is forecasted for the long holiday weekend.  Skiers will be headed up to the resorts and I will be staying home, warm and cozy sipping tea or cocoa.  Maybe stitching something...beading something...gluing papers...

Family Time...

I just love this photo of an unknown (to me) little girl. I have posted this before and unfortunately know not where I came across it so no credit is given...however, thank you. Somehow I relate so much to this little girl sitting patiently. I always wonder what she is thinking...

For me today is about the last minute cleaning and grocery shopping for you see company is coming. The fresh flowers are set out in the guest quarters. All appears ready for a nice relaxed visit. I will be welcoming my sisters as we have a reunion of sorts this weekend.

We may take a walk along the NID canal and do some laughing and chatting...

We may stroll through the back yard and do some remembering. Maybe we will sit by the pond and blow some bubbles and tell more stories.

We will definitly do some eating and reminiscing.

So if I am quiet on the blogging scene I shall be the noisy one in sister family time. I have always been the noisy one who gets shushed a lot.

I look forward to seeing my sisters and getting to visit. Let us hope "family dynamics" have taken a far away cruise and won't be here this week. As I age I find time with family is so very precious. Let nothing spoil this time together. Lets laugh and cry and share our love together.

May you each have a wonderful weekend...

Please be safe in the extreme heat some of you are experiencing. Keep hydrating...

Now I am off to finish up the last details...

Lace Envelopes...

Here are more of my little kraft envelopes. They are merely 2 1/4" x 3 1/4" so much too small for ATCs. I managed to sew some of my favorite lace around them. Then I took my heart punch and made some tags. They are colored on one side and plain on the other so I could write a thank you note.

Then I created some charms and attached them to the heart tags. This tassel is made of beads strung on beading thread. I sent this to a special follower as a surprise.

This charm is made from an old costume earring. I love the pearls effect and how it dangles.

This charm is a special mix of beads I bought in Rome Italy on holiday.

Each of these charms is attached to a lobster clasp and can be used for zippers, charm pins, decoration on curtains or pillows or anything else you can think of.

I just love the look of lace on the tiny little envelopes. The photos do not show that the lace continues on the flap to complete the look. Therefore instead of sealing the flap I chose to tie ribbon around the envelope to close it.

A little beaded surprise wrapped in tissue enclosed in a tiny lace covered envelope. Yum!

I still have a lot of these tiny envelopes so I shall be putting on my creative thinking cap.

Please share any ideas you might have for using them. I think I have a balance of at least 400.

I am still weeding, trimming and cleaning house in preparation of company arriving. The hours and days are passing so quickly. I must adopt the attitude that whatever I do get done will be far more than nothing. Got to get back to my duties as "daylight's a burning" so Mr. C says.

Happy Summer Creating...

Another Weekend???

This is a canal from the mining days. It is on part of our property and is owned by NID (Nevada Irrigation District) and they have easements to the canals and flumes as they maintain them.
Many people walk along the canals with or without their dogs. The walks are very easy as the canals follow a 1% slope. As you can see they are also extremely picturesque. We are fortunate to have this so close to us.

As a matter of fact that is our home in the background. What on earth is happening? A very large project to replace the old wooden flumes with new pipes which are much safer and easier to maintain...so we are told. This project should be completed by now but with our wet winter there were delays. Now this part of the project is on hold as the contractors are working backwards to address some sort of settling issue on the previous flume completed last year. We don't mind the delay however having a port o'potty and lots of debris and equipment as our entrance to bliss is getting a little stagnant.

The pipes don't look so large but as you can see both my husband and I had to venture in and walk through them. Kids will be kids as they say...

This is a view of the project in process before the delays. The old wooden flume built in 1928 will be torn down and the new pipe will remain. Oh the controversies that have ensued over this. Not to mention the lawsuits hampering all of this. Our entire county is rich with old mining history. I cannot even imagine the work and struggles the men and pack animals had to endure back in the olden days.

Here is my engineer, Mr. C, overseeing the entire project. He is completely able to understand every bolt and structure that is being used. Me...I just like to enjoy the progress.

Here is another view of the scope of this project. I like to call the excavator "Robisorus". It is an amazing machine that can do so many different jobs including tree stump removal. Yes, we have had loggers that came in to take out a giant pine tree. That is an entire story all unto itself.

And like all boys who love toys and adventure...Mr. C says, "Can we take it for a spin?"

I must admit I have been consumed with watching the happenings. Not much creating going on here. We are having the most glorious weather. Not too hot, blue skies and perfect temperatures. Just the right atmosphere for pulling weeds and triming and pulling weeds and planting some new shade plants and pulling weeds...you get the idea.

What is going on in your neighborhood?

Wonderful weekend to all...