I love Valentine papers and colors...just had to dip into my stash and make up this sweet little pocket in my PL book.  I'm doing the smaller book this year and it's so much easier for me!  I can't believe I'm actually up to date and forging ahead with the next holiday.  Goodbye big cumbersome PL book!  2014 brings the smaller, more do-able version!  Hooray for simplicity!

Starting a new class!

at OnlineCardClasses...Stenciled.  Just watched the videos, printed out the PDF and I'm ready to play with stencils, inks, embossing powder, and mists!

And I'm back with my first stenciled card using a few ideas from class.  So many things to try!

and then an attempt at the embossing technique...didn't go so well.  I'm wondering if embossing powder has a shelf life and if mine has exceeded it.  I could not get areas to emboss.  So after a third try I just cut away the areas of embossing that looked okay and hodge-podged a card together with the remnants...not a keeper...

Going thru my FB groups this morning and found a post by LindaAnne with pics of her wonderful DecemberDaily 2013.  Clicked on her blog and found such great pics, ideas, and lots of journaling!  I am sorely lacking in the journaling department...just never know what to say.  For now I have to just let the pics tell the story unless I insert a word or two, otherwise I'd get nowhere getting my PL and DD pages done.  So, anyway, going thru LindaAnne's blog I came across a little freebie (she has more!) that I knew I'd want to use pronto, speedy quick!  Love the little Polaroid frame template she is giving away...I was able to use in PSE9 without any problem whatsoever and here are my results from one photo:

see the little gray line to cut out around!

Sorry about the blurriness...too much morning coffee in too short of timeframe...

The last few days of 2013...

It's been far too long away from my blog.  With the new year about to begin I'm feeling that I should begin again on this blog.  So many things I want to do this coming year, so many things I don't want to forget...I can record it here.

This past year has been a very busy one...a granddaughter who turned 10, another who turned 1.  A daughter's wedding preparation for January 2014 and another daughter's new pregnancy.  A lot of wonderful things for 2014 already in motion.

And so it begins.

A few things on the list to (try) do these last few days of 2013:

Finish up December Daily - print pics, insert in page protectors, journal and embellish
Card challenges...maybe start one or two of these...could be fun
Cut snowflakes for the upcoming wedding on my Cameo
Take down Christmas decorations/tree - planned for Jan 1 during football game(s)
Get busy with some knitting projects

Enough for the next few days?  Yep, probably.  So let's get going.

Wedding FaLaLaLa

THURSDAY, 3 NOVEMBER 2011

Wedding FaLaLaLa

Beautiful! An absolutely wonderful wedding on the beach followed a short time later with a superb reception back home...

Lovely, absolutely lovely...

Flowers for the 4th

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In Progress

Inspired by an email this morning...happily clicked over to the ScarletLime website and watched a few new-to-me videos by Christy Tomlinson on masking/ stenciling (scroll down to the 3 videos on this). Yep, grabbed my attention, went to my craft store for a few new goodies and spent a bit if time on this:


And this:


Ah, the fun!!! More tomorrow, have to add some squiggles and words.

By the way, pick up some paper doll books! Awesome to work with (I think!), inexpensive and I may, just maybe, I will add my husband's head on top of the paper doll for his Father's Day card.

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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mail Day!

An exceptional mail day today! A package from Sarah, LadyDanio on Ravelry/Etsy, arrived! Take a look:




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It's arrived!

Such excitement over a phone...but yes, that little iPhone box was quite fun to open!


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Is this not the most beautiful globe lamp? Happened across it just last night on the Apartment Therapy website and I think it's just incredibly beautiful...you have to check the post from Shannon South, the designer of this...there is an awesome "lit" photo that captures the doily shadows floating across the walls and ceiling...love it! I do think I will have to try this on a smaller scale...make a frame and build upon it with doilies...

Random surfing...

Happened upon this clip on another ROD'er's blog...I've never seen this sprite of a girl...have you? Love her style!

The best class in the world!

Remains of the Day
Way back in October I signed up for the Remains of the Day class with Mary Ann Moss...an online class with oodles of videos, and an overflowing cornucopia of creativity...I spent many nights glued to the videos, absorbing, sifting, contemplating my journal...
Soon I was putting together pages and pages, layering this and that, adding embellishments and so on...
Then the usual happened...the need to do chores, go to work, sleep...and then: the Holidays were upon me...
But now!!! Yes, now, with the arrival of 2011 there will be time, yes indeedy...

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Happy 2011 !!!

Looking forward to a year of peace, contentment and good health.


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*Sigh*
Could it really be all this time since I've posted??? So much has gone on...but nevermind...we will start anew and possibly with a smattering of pics from the past year...but soon, yes, soon, an updated post with the current projects and delights.

I've just updated my Etsy shop by deactivating a Snippet Bloom and sending it over to the HeartsForHaiti Etsy shop...I've been keeping an eye on that shop, buying up from various Etsy donators and now giving one of my blooms for listing. I think it will take a day or so before it's listed...I hope it sells quickly and adds much needed dollars to the cause. My little sweet Savannah's birthday is today, and I can't help but be overwhelmed, thinking how much we have in our life here...and how little they have in Haiti. I have been donating here and there, when I can, since the earthquake...and I know many of you have as well...but we need to keep donating...so please, do your part, as you can...this will take time, money and thoughts of goodwill and prayer.

Here we are...almost the end of January 2010 already! I have oodles of pics to share, projects done recently and not-so-recently, stretching back to Halloween. So, here's the update for January:

While skipping merrily along in blogland, came across a few pics/posts referencing button bouquets...what an addiction this is proving to be! Here's a first-run trial of a little Valentine's Day Button Bouquet...going to add this to my Valentine's Day tree with some others...quick, easy, inexpensive, so many uses! Could use the sweet little bouquets on packages, tied around a greeting card, adorning headbands, well, you get the idea...have a go at it, you'll love them! Many, many references and tutorials on the web, check it out!





Just a sampling of packaging, I love to try new ideas out, and this little gift was for my hairdresser...(contents: Snippets Bloom, available on my Etsy)


January 24, cast on for a scrap-yarn blanket...working with an anything-goes palette...different fibers, different colors...from a Ravelry pattern find "Sediment Scraps Blanket".

Up-close, a new spin, various fibers, and sequins...I love sequins!

Super sweet baby sweater! Buttons are still not attached, as I'm still deciding on which buttons to use...I don't have immediate plans for the sweater, so I'll probably let it be until I have a baby gift deadline.


And! Finally I'm updating with pics of Halloween costume extravaganza! Picture of the headpiece...


and of my sweet Winter Fairy...

Holiday preparations have begun...this little village (more pics to follow) complete with sketched Santa and his helper :-)

To start with, some October delights...



Lovely isn't it? Zig and Zag Blanket using sock yarn scraps...ahhhhhhh....



October. Already. So much that I want to accomplish. I need to make a list...next post I'll start in on that. For now, a couple pictures to share from this week...

This weekend ventured out to a small Fiber Festival outside of Marshall, MI...and met Dani (of Pumpkinhaus) and Emily (of Bricolage Studio)...from Dani's booth I picked up one of her lovely little yellow spindles, and two delicious handspun yarns...

from Emily's booth I treated myself to a pair of fabulous little ear ornaments and also a cute little crocheted basket to hang from my spinning wheel...

I also had purchased an e-book from Lee Meredith of Leethal (on Ravelry)...here's the link to her e-book Game Knitting. And let me tell you, I'm having such fun with this! I started last night using Desperate Housewives as my gameshow of choice...and I need to start lists for others I watch...should I intermingle my shows with my projects or have a designated project for each show??? Hmmmmmmm......without further delay, here's my DH project...



In betwen knitting I've just gotten started on the Halloween 09 costume for Savvy...can you guess what she will be this year?

Created with dumpr.net - photo fun


Well, isn't this neat??? Found it on GardenBell's Flickr pics...just a photo manipulation using my pretty little Zig and Zag Blanket photo...

Silly me...while scrolling thru my blog I realized I had never posted photos from my Milkweed Shawl! I am so very pleased with it...there was a lot of new techniques in this shawl for me...lace, yes, I did it!, blocking with wires and pins!, knitting with sock yarn on larger needles (a'la lace style)...and I did it all! Quite impressed with myself :-)



Okay, now I see why I never posted a pic...I don't have a shot of it off the blocking wires...I'll take care of that in the next few days...lovely it is!

And, I have a couple other spindle yarn photos to share:

This one just started on my new spindle addition, a Trindle...



This delightful spin...



from these two single plys...

Wow! Hard to believe that it's been about 6 weeks since last post! Must get up to speed...the h-o-l-i-d-a-y-s will be here before we know it...yikes!

Current works:



*Spinning, spinning, 2 spindles in progress and wheel spins...I am so pleased with my handspun collection...growing by leaps and bounds!



*Zig and Zag Blanket...ah, this is such a treat to work on! Each and every color change is so invigorating! Very difficult to put it down...keep wanting to knit one more row and get to another color...

*Learning to make pom-poms! Followed this post here...

*Halloween costume in the making...pics of supplies soon, then you guess what it will be!

*Recycling a wool sweater...then over-dyeing it...can't wait to see what happens...destined to become a hat.

*Snippets...more in the making...new colors, new trimmings...soon to go to Etsy.

Some projects getting done. Yes, a lot of little things needed finishing, and one by one, it's happening. I'm glad. I've finished up a garden of Snippet Blooms.
Here's one of the blooms...



Two are sold, 4 are/will be added to Etsy. I really enjoy the process of doing them, manipulating bits and pieces of fabrics, one of my loves.

Some knitting coming along too. The Milkweed Shawl is currently on hold. I really want to get back to it, but it's a tough knit for me...the lace pattern is no longer repetitive, it changes every couple rows, so it requires much concentration from me...not always able to concentrate like that, at least til everyone's in bed for the night. So, I needed something that wasn't so restrictive for a bit: started the Aestlight Shawl KAL (via The Backwards Loop/Ravelry)...in a Miss Babs sock weight yarn, Ironweed Days colorway, purchased from a fellow Raveler's stash...now I'm almost (4 rows away) from being done with the inner garter stitch triangle section. Ah, I will be glad to be done with that portion and move to the first border section. I'm going to have to figure out how far I can go with my skein of yarn...before switching out to a complimentary color (awaiting Miss Babs' word on that one). Oh! And I have blocking wires now! Had ordered them from KnitPicks when the Milkweed Shawl was started...so they'll be used eventually anyway!

Beginnings of Aestlight Shawl...

I am so entranced by this:



I've longed for a Blythe doll for many years now...just could never justify a doll and clothing collection in my ummm...*later* years... but now, well I must give in to the need! She is on her way to me and I should have her in my hands this next week! Possibly crazy/silly of me, I know, but exciting!

I had to have her though, and now I have my sweet granddaughter to share her with...she'll be very well dressed and much loved I'm sure.

A little trial from BigHugeLabs...mosaic maker...

Wednesday's update on my current work, a custom Snippet Bloom:

Bloom in progress:

A better evening last night, making up some Snippet Blooms for my Etsy shop...I (hooray!) sold a custom bloom a couple days ago and am making up a few for my customer to choose from. I'm having some trouble sending out messages via etsy with clickable pics though...very frustrating, but I've inquired on a few etsy forums so I'm sure it'll be figured out one way or another...In the meantime, I'm posting the two Snippet Blooms here...

Hectic, stressful past few days. I came home from work today and the house was quiet but I really needed to de-stress a bit...so headed up to my spinning wheel and did a quick little spin. I love the state of being I can get into when I'm not overly concerned about fiber thickness...just kinda let my hands do the work and let my mind recover from the past few days...
This is about 60 yds, and I have more of the roving to spin...but I needed to spin and ply, just needed the end result to calm my soul.

Time just goes by so quickly in the summertime doesn't it? I think it's been only a few days since I've posted, and wham! Days and days have gone by!
Here's a sneak peek at a project I start tomorrow! The Milkweed Shawl KAL is beginning July 15...and I bought some lovely yarn from Stef at The Backwards Loop...take a look:



I am planning on the extensive use of lifelongs along the way...I just cannot "unknit" lace patterns...no way, no how...I'd have to rip the whole thing out...so, luckily I found a fab way for using lifelines...a fellow Ravelers hint...

So for now I'm off to wind the yarn for this, get my needles out and ready to cast on. I'm about half done with a little shrug for my granddaughter, pics to come of that soon.

My "miraculous" Mara shawl is all but done! And I love it...I have a few ends to weave in and then I'll do a nice blocking this weekend...but I do love it...so soft and squishy! I only call it miraculous because I think if I would've been doing this alone I would have given up in frustration and frogged it long ago. I don't know why, just had a lot of issues with the yarn-overs...I think maybe because of course being a shawl, the triangular nature of the pattern, along with the yarn-overs maybe compounded the problem. But because I did this via a knit-a-long on Ravelry, well, that saved me...so nice to have the online knitting community to bounce questions off of, what a difference it makes! Ah well, all is good now, I'm so happy to have the shawl off the needles...so without further ado here is my Mara shawl...



now I'm awaiting my yarn for the next KAL I've joined...this time the Milkweed Shawl by Laura Chau...can't wait!