Changing the Mantel

 

 It seemed to be 'changing the mantel' time over the weekend.  I finally took the 'snow scene' print from off the mantel and that means other things get changed there too.  Well, taking that winter print down led to this Springtime print....you know how it goes.  Especially when I'm in the mood to do some 'piddling' around the house.  I think I am a champion piddler!

 

So, here it is closer up.  Several vintage clocks on the mantel...well, except the one with the bells.  It isn't old, just looks it.  It does work...paid $1 for it a couple of weeks ago at the flea.  The rest are vintage.

 

 A closer view....a vintage postcard placed on a small guitar part...I have no clue what it is except it has something to do with guitars and I knew I could use it for a postcard or photo holder.  That sweet little bird is a flea market item....the little sign in its beak says "Wish."  By all means! 

Also, there is THAT mirror!  I found it at the flea too.  It was standing on end in the corner of a booth.  I have a small mirror collection, so immediately was attracted to it - loved the shape of it.   I always love oval shaped frames and such and even though this isn't oval,  I could imagine it on my mantel, placed horizontally. So, I took a closer look and discovered it was a mirror off a BUS!!!  It's heavy, but I picked it up anyway and took a good look...then decided I was right...it should go on my mantel.  It makes me smile to know what it really is and where it has found a new home.  The old navy man would be shaking his head about now and then laugh out loud!!!

 

Another look at that print.

  

A closer look at the bird...so sweet!

 

 I managed to get a photo of the print without the frame.  Now, what do you see when you look at this print?  If you have read my blog with any regularity, then you know I see Pink French Knots!!!  Just saying.  Seriously....I just LOVE old prints like this!!  I can imagine myself standing right there on the path...

So, until the mantel cries out for changing again...this is it.  Hope you enjoyed seeing it.

Wishing you a lovely new week!

Until next time,

♥♥♥

Grape Hyacinths on a Spring Morning

 

  

  

 Grape Hyacinths on a Spring Morning

Food for my Soul

Just saying.

Until next time,

♥♥♥

 

On a Quiet Saturday Afternoon

 

  It's a quiet Saturday afternoon here.  So, here's some 'quiet' photos to share.  On Thursday, I went over to daughter Kelly's house to walk her dog.  She is very busy showing property these days (a wonderful thing!!), so I went to take Miss Trixie for a walk.  While out on the walk, I saw some lovely blossoms here and there on the driveway and the yard.  Curious, I picked up a few to check them out and thought they were very sweet, but I wondered where they were coming from, as there are none like this in Kelly's yard.  I brought some home.

 

I have some tiny vintage doll glasses....and thought 'wouldn't it be cute' to put these little blossoms in one of those glasses.  I could enjoy them for a day or two.  This little glass is about an inch and a half tall.  Yes, so cute!

 

 Well, on with my story.....while still walking the dog on Thursday, it finally hit me where these blossoms were coming from.....across the street.  They were from the neighbor's Bradford Pear Tree. Well, yes, I've said many times I'm blind as a bat and this is just further proof.  I guess I had never seen any of those blossoms 'up close and personal' before. 

 

And, they still look nice today.

 

Here they are over my kitchen sink....where I can enjoy them...I'm thinking they will cheer me the rest of this weekend (and maybe you too).  The little things of life can add so much to day!

Until next time,

♥♥♥

 

A Surprise from a Teenager

 

One night I received a text from Gracen, the teenaged daughter of a friend.  She was looking for someone to help her with a class project.  "Would I mind helping her?"  Well, given that I have no teenagers in my life these days, I know her, and she asked "just right," of course, I told her yes.  Seems she needed to speak to an "artist" and that's when I wondered how I would possibly be of help and what did I commit myself to do.

It was to be an interview kind of thing...with her asking ME the questions, and me, giving her whatever answers I could.  It was kind of awkward, as I hardly consider myself  "a real artist" even though I enjoy playing with the idea.  All kinds of questions, how did I get interested in art, did I study it, how did I determine what kind of art I wanted to be involved in, how long have I been creating my art, how did I handle art and raising a family, anything I could tell her about making money from it, do I still make art, and so on - many questions.  A lot of them I had never even thought about.  Wow! 

So, Gracen finished her project, thanked me and life went on.  Til last week, when I received this lovely Thank You note from her.  Isn't it sweet?

  

And, on the reverse side of the thank you note was this lovely Certificate.  Gosh, I haven't received a Certificate...well, I don't even want to think how long it may have been.  It's adorable.   THANK YOU, Gracen, for thinking I might be able to answer your questions...makes a seventy year old feel pretty good!!!  I love my new treasure!!!

Now, for you who visit this blog...yes, I know I was supposed to have a tutorial in March.  Well, don't you, too, feel the month has gone by way too fast?  So, I'm promising to have it in the first half of April, and I'll do the beading tutorial in the last half of April.  I'm working on it!!

Thanks, always, for your visits! And, wishing you some sunshine and fair weather.

Until next time.....

♥♥♥

"Home Sweet Home Pincushion"...Making Another Appearance

 

This is the newest issue of Piecework Magazine (March/April 2015).  I found it yesterday at my local Hastings, as I looked for a selection of magazines to take home.  It was a very nice surprise to find my pincushion, HOME SWEET HOME, shown within it's covers once again.

 

The article featuring pincushions highlights the newest pincushion contest at the magazine and shows the pincushions featured in their 2008 Pincushion Contest.  Mine was one of those.  

 

Well,  how nice to see it there!  Here is the real thing, placed on the page of the new magazine and you can see it right there to the left, as it was in 2008.  Cool.  (By the way, this pincushion is four inches square.)

  

 See....what fun and how unexpected!

  

This is page 12,  telling about the new contest and highlighting the 'old' entries too.

 

A close-up.

 

If you make pincushions, you might want to make one and enter it in the magazine's contest...you never know, you might see yours in the magazine...maybe even twice, as I have.  It's always nice to see something you have made in a publication...especially one like Piecework!

Hope you are all doing well...see you soon with another tutorial this month!

Until next time,

♥♥♥

A Little Book Bag

 

And, how did this little bag end up on one of my posts intended to be about hearts during the month of February?  Well.  There IS one heart on it!  Other than that, it is what I made yesterday.  As you know, I haven't sewn much the last few years and getting back 'into making' is taking some time.  I'm a bit shaky with a needle, as you will see, but it is kind of a cute project.   I guess you could say "a little project with a heart!"

  

This is how it all began...a little fabric gift from a friend.  I LOVE this piece of fabric, so I'm showing you both sides of it.  A tiny bag, about 4" x 6."  I looked at it a good while...over several days, wondering what I could do with it.  I wanted it to "say something."  And, I wanted to make something that didn't take the rest of my life.

  

But, what?  (Here is the other side of the little bag...love this fabric!)

  

So, this is what I thought it could "say" after deciding it would make a nice Book Bag for my little Moleskine notebooks...also a gift from a friend several years ago.  I have been drawing my beaded edging patterns in these little 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" notebooks.  Mostly ones used on my pincushions, and it seemed to make sense to make a bag to keep them together.  And, so here we are!

  

 Of course, I had to add a heart!   And, French Knots are an easy way to make a heart.  I have not, it seems, become too shaky to make French Knots, but the Backstitch words...well, it's obvious I need to practice those.  And, I will.

  

I thought you might want to see some of my beading sketches.  They aren't great, just enough to help me remember exactly what edgings I have done.  The one above is a tassel.

  

I'm not much in the drawing department, but these are just to remind me of what I have done, not to be great drawings.

  

Here's another....I wouldn't even need these if I still had all the pieces I used these on...but they are all living with other people, so it's nice to be able to see what I did in case I want to repeat one or two of these edgings someday.

  

 I used a piece of vintage linen for this little 'cuff' on the bag.  I love this Needlelace edging.  One of these days, I want to make this myself...done with maybe Perle Cotton...and a suitable embroidery needle.  Oh, if there is something with a simple scallop, I'm just a fool over it!!!

  

Here is a piece of that linen left over and available to use on another piece of work.  And, I will use it.  So sweet!!

  

And, here is my 'shaky' Backstitching.  Evidently I was shakier stitching these than I was making the Giveaway words.  Some days you have it, some days you don't!  Just out of practice...but willing to spend more time getting back to my old ways!!   I like the little bag....

Hope you are safe and warm!

Until next time,

♥♥♥

 

Valentine Giveaway Winners!

 

Congratulations!!!  We have our four winners of my Valentine Giveaway!!!   Thank you all so much for commenting on my Giveaway blog post.  I plan on having other Giveaways throughout the year, so if you didn't win this time, please try the next time.  I appreciate you all very much.  So....here are the winners:

 

#1

GISELA

 

#2

CAROL

 

#3

 JANE S.

 

 #4

JODI

 It was my pleasure to do the Tutorial and also to make these four pincushions for you.  I hope you enjoy them for a long time to come.  Thank you, all of you, for wanting them.  I am now going to email each of the four winners and again...CONGRATULATIONS!!

Until next time,

♥♥♥