Patchwork Beauties

Color, pattern,and shape can be found in every aspect of our lives. This almost sounds like a lead in for a lecture on the basic elements of art. But instead it is an introduction to the two lap quilts I found on our holiday road trip.

This is going to go over the back of my chair to insure I am cozy while reading.

I just love anything patchwork and even though these are not antiques they are pretty. This one may be used as a table runner. It was quilted but there is no batting between the layers.

Patchwork pieces in

Red and Blue and another hue

Sewn and fastened together patiently

With faith, hope, and love.

 

 I'm in my chair under my quilt, a pumpkin muffin and a fresh cup of coffee...

And a book that's sure to make me smile and laugh.

Enjoy your evening.

Girl's Week goes to Chalkfest

Girl's Week took us to Chalkfest.  A wonderful creative adventure for all who participated whether artist or critic, visitor, or creative muse...

May your creative juices flow!

It's All In The Routine

Everyone needs a little piece of the outdoors to call their own sanctuary. My retreat comes in the form of a balcony off our living room.

I've had one week of summer break from school and I was concerned about what I would do with the lack of a routine. I know myself and I don't do well without a routine. So I took advantage of the foresight into the change coming and did some things I'm really enjoying. For starters I am up at 7:00am, I walk from 8am-9am, have breakfast, 30 minutes of  inspirational reading and meditating and then on with the rest of my day.

Some of the other activities include:

Cleaning, Decorating, and Putting on a Fresh Face:

I started by taking one area of the apartment daily and began a deep clean, then changed up the decor in simple ways to freshen the look for the summer.

The area I decided to work on first was our balcony.  I have a bistro table and two chairs at one end and a chair and small end table at the other end. The furnishings work for coffee, tea in the afternoon, reading, and writing but it had no personality so I found two crockery planters for $2.00 a piece and purchased purple

and yellow petunias. I placed one on each table.  In addition I found the candle touchier. It adds such fabulous glow in the early evening.  The last thing I'd like to do is a small outdoor carpet to tie it all together.

The next stop the office/ guest room.

Crafting:

The addition of items that are unique, pretty, or simply speak to me often requires crafting, painting, and refurbishing. My latest project is a triptych of funky 1970's buildings. Each is in a different degree of distress but I have begun to clean, repaint, and eventually I will frame them.  Notice the scratches in the roof; that scratch ran the length of the picture. Restoration continues!

I also came across eight wooden houses in different styles for .50 each. I am thinking about ways I can display them other than setting them on a shelf. Any ideas?

These are just a few of the Painted Ladies. I'm thinking a part of a collage? I'll update you on my decision later.

Hope your having a wonderful Wednesday, and now I'm off to plan dinner and catch an hour of reading.

Cooking with Tasha Tudor

Welcome! I am home and relaxing for a moment. Help yourself to a cup of coffee or tea and join me.

This little treasure is in fact an artful creation done by my friend Judy.  It sits on the counter in our kitchen by our coffee pot.  It tickles me.  I keep encouraging her to create mini versions for dollls and dollhouses and am selfishly hoping she will be inspired to do so soon. :)

I have been thinking alot about my blog and the things I have been sharing.  I'd like to do something unique for me. This may not necessarily appear unique for others but inspired by the fim and book, Julie and Julia",  I have decided to cook my way through Tasha Tudor's Cookbook.  I am going to do one meal per week using her recipes one at a time.  I will do the meal for Sunday's dinner and share the results in a post on Sunday evenings.

This beautiful cookbook was a treasure I uncovered at the bottom of a box lot at an auction I attended this past summer.  The box had books, paper products and a few pieces of pottery.  I bid $4.00 and the box of goodies was mine! You can only imagine how excited I was to uncover her book.

I look forward to your visits and to cooking from Tasha Tudor's Cookbook.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Queen for a Day Continues...

It is 7:30 and I am on my second cup of coffee.  I would normally be at the door of my classroom greeting students as we settle in to begin our day.  However, weather has made it impossible for the school buses to run safely.  The roads are all ice covered and extremely dangerous to navigate.  So, I am home and need to decide how I'm going to spend my day.

I could spend the day being creative.  I have sewing projects underway, new dollhouses to assemble, button jewelry designs to execute, and fairy dolls to take off the sketch book pages and bring to life.

Then there is the whole organization project I have planned.  What"s a girl to do?

I could skip all the other ideas and write.  I love to write annd am in the midst of a project.

I am currently writing a story about a young girl who has grown up on a farm, lost her parents, and has to cope with the loss of her parents and the home she has known, moving to the city, living with an aunt and uncle she barely knows, and all the pressures that teens are confronted with today.

Or...

I could play with the dog and just do nothing!  I'll let you know how my day unfolds later.

For now let me wish you a day filled with activity you can immerse yourself in having the best day ever!

Frosty Morning, Hearts and All that Makes Us Unique

As we got ready to go to church and grocery store we had no idea what it was doing as we slept.  Much to our surprise the trees were glazed with ice and snow.  The ice was not heavy (freezing fog according to the weatherman) but it gave surface for the snow that appeared to look just like glitter.  So pretty...although sometimes too long winter does share it's beauty.  The picture does not do it justice.

As we arrived home our neighbor stopped over to deliver a package we missed yesterday.

The dollhouse kits have arrived! I can hardly wait to open the boxes and get started.

I think I will do the merchantile first.

The heart shaped boxes below were a purchase from a cute second hand store named "Ashury" run by the United Methodist Church.  I am thinking they will be the basis for a center piece for our table throughout February.  I be sure to share it when completed.

I have much to be grateful for and am going to do something that was suggested in the sermon today.

We are to be the unique person God created and share our unique qualities with those we encounter.

What makes me unique will be my meditation for the day.

What makes you unique?

"Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren't any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn't be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life's challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person."

                                                                                                        R. Buckminster Fuller (1895 - 1983)  

Buttons, Flowers, and Words of Wisdom

A beautiful mantra that will start my day.  I am posting this inspirational quote in a little frame and it will be at home on my nightstand.  So as I turn to get out of bed it will be there to remind me to live my day with grace, humility, and faith in all that is good...

This arty photo of a blume on my favorite plant caught my attention.  I'm thinking a large scale painting.  Something to consider.

And then there is my latest button creation.

My day was full.  Teaching, meetings, chores, cooking, crafting, prayer and a quiet moment of meditation, phone calls, and oh my I'm getting tired !  So as not to fill this post with ramblings I will acknowledge my gratitude for all the wonderful moments that made my day and wish you a terrific Thursday.

Dollhouses Come in All Shapes and Sizes

I have become infatuated with the whole idea of creating dollhouses.  I have just about completed my second house and am waiting for two one room house kits to arrive.  A surprise from Hubby John the other day.  He was watching me explore the net for a new project and low and behold he ordered not one but two!  I had showed him pictures of the kit done up and mentioned how it would be fun to create a mercantile and maybe a bakery. (It will have to be a fusion of French and Polish desserts and breads.I must honor both our heritages.)  The book pictured below is a find I picked up awhile back for 10 cents at our local Salvation Army.  I pulled it off the shelf last night to read a bit.  We are setting aside at least one evening each week where the TV is off and we read. (Loving it because I just don't get enough time to read for pleasure.)  Anyway, I was taken by the photo on the cover.  Transform a bookcase into a dollhouse; what a fabulous idea!  I will have to start hunting for just the right one.

I apologize for the picture quality my camera (or the operator) is just not working well.  The exposures just don't look focused and crisp. But you can at least get the idea.  Isn't it fun!  I can just imagine decorating for the changing seasons and holidays throughout the year.

This is another favorite.  Remember the old woman who lived in the shoe?  This is a permanent display but oh so cute! The entire scene is enclosed in a glass sided box that is a lamp base. I simply must go shoe shopping.

Hope you are having a day filled with discovery, creativity, and fun!

Tiny Little Faces

I was at the Saint Vincent DePaul Store today and found these beautiful little tins.  They are about 1" in diameter and have such pretty pictures.  I am sure inspiration will invite creativity and who knows what they might be transformed into.  Time will tell... 

Magnets, pendents, pins, ornaments, ring boxes, oh my the possiblities are endless!

What would you create?

And the House Becomes a Home...

As you can see the decorating has begun.  I have the major pieces in place and it is now time to make curtains, and add those little touches that help make a house a home.  The kitchen cupboard needs dishes and maybe some fruit for the little silver plate.  The livingroom needs a reading lamp, and the bed needs pillows and a coverlet.

Notice the little visitor on the railing...

The bench for ready for the garden.

The neighbors have come to pay a visit.  It must be a very chilly day.

The mail box is hung and the vines have begun to wrap the porch rails.

These little pots (1" tall) will hold plants to flank the porches.

And as you can see the coach has arrived at the house could he be bringing news from a far off friend?

And the house begins to become a home!

Buttons, wire, and a little creativity...

This was really a fun project.  Buttons, chain, wire and "Wa La"...funky jewelry.

Button Jewelry what a cool idea!  As you may have read earlier I made an awesome purchase of a ton of buttons.  I wanted to do something with them I've never done before...hence the jewelry experiment.

The above picture is the first necklace and earring set I've created.

It looks lovely on a black sweater.

My second piece is a bracelet.  I'm not quite sure if it's finished.  I may add a few smaller buttons for a fuller look ...I just don't know.

I think the next piece will be muticolored.  A long piece that can be wrapped around multiple times.

If you had a ton of buttons what would you create?

My "Painted Lady" Dollhouse

Happy New Year!  I am bound and determined to finish All the projects I have started and there are many!

The first project on my list of many is the dollhouse I started and have not had the free time to complete.

With time off school for the Holidays I whittled out two days to work on little else but the dollhouse. It was a bit of a challenge in that there were no directions just the pictures of the parts and pieces. 

The box offered one suggestion, "Use the picture on the box as your guide."  That was it!  Not one other instruction offered.  So I got started by punching out every piece. (there were tons of them!)

Once all the pieces were punched out and identified I began painting.

I used three shades of blue, two shades of brown, and white.

Once the paint was dry I began assebling and gluing all the pieces together.

It began to take shape.

Some hours later the "Painted Lady" emerged.

                            With the exterior completed I will begin the process of furnishing the interior.

The rooms are not as large as I thought they would be but I think I can still come up with a cute finished house.  The remaining furnishings may require another house, Oh My!

As soon as the interior is completed I will be sure to share it.

How do you make your house a home?

Hundreds of Buttons

Button, button, who's got the button!  I do!   Yesterday I took a couple hours and went not to the "After Christmas Sales" but to my favorite second hand shops.  With my favorite coffee in a cup-to-go I kissed hubby and headed out the door.  I was at our local Salvation Army store and found a rusty tin filled with buttons.  Being a sewer and a crafter this was a real find.  The sweet lady working sold it to me for a $1.00!  I was thrilled.  Now, as you can see by the photo my treasure was a mess of dirt, pins, tacks, and other assorted sharp things along with the buttons.  Not to worry!  I seperated the buttons by color while using a magnet to capture the pins,needles, and assorted sharp pieces.

The old muffin tin came in handy to keep the colors seperated.  After seperating them I gently washed my

little treasures and laid them out on a couple of old towels to dry overnight.

There are so many opportunities to come...embellishments, scrapbooking, sewing, quilting, and possibly some button jewelry.

I especially love the collection of white buttons- the majority are shell and glass.

For a wonderful collection of tutorials on Button Jewelry take a look at the following site:

http://crafts.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_to_Make_Button_Charm_Jewelry

Here's wishing you a creative day!