Exchange Cards

I`m sending off cards to my exchange friends today.

For this card I used Medium Outdoorsy Olive card stock as the card base. The designer paper is polka dots by Imaginesce - Kewl Stuff - Hot Spots which I cut with the Stampin Up Sunburst thinlit. I cut my designer paper before I ran it through the Big Shot so it was the exact size I needed (4.00 x 5.25 inches).  It was adhered to the card front leaving a small border.

I then punched a 2 inch circle from Dark Outdoorsy Olive and a 1.75 inch circle from the same color as the card.

I added a copper metallic butterfly with the Martha Stewart punch.  It is held in place with a tiny copper brad.

This accent was attached to the card front with 3D foam tape.

This card features Kraft as the card base.

The sunburst is by Carta Bella - Beautiful Moments by Carina Gardner - Happy Thoughts.

The paper was cut to 4.00 x 5.25 then run through the Big Shot with the Stampin Up Sunburst thinlit. It was adhered to the card front.

I punched a white 2 inch circle then a Kraft 1.75 inch circle and added a gold metallic butterfly done with the Martha Stewart punch.  It is held in place with a gold tiny brad.

This layer was adhered to the card front  with 3D foam tape.

Spring Tea

My first tea on the balcony!

It was Earl Grey tea with savory tea biscuits served butter and saskatoon jam.

The teacup showed up Tuesday and I paid more than I usually budget but it was the perfect color.

As you can see it fits right in.  It is by Cauldon and it is a marriage of 2 patterns. The cup is pansies and the sauce is leaves but it works.  I bought a yellow one from the same company about 1 year ago. I think it has a tulip pattern.
I served the biscuits on the saucer of my heart tea cup set.  Made tea in the small true blue teapot and used a placemat I made myself which complements these items well.

The weather has turned and I am looking forward to having tea on the balcony for the next few months.
My Window Sill Art for today.  They are golden yellow grasses stems.  I found this glass cruet a few days ago which provides some variety of shapes I can have on the sill.
The sparrow was doing acrobatics on the bird seed bell in the crabapple tree this morning. 

I am glad I don`t have to stand on my head to get my breakfast.

The neighbour down the lane had some beautiful tulips on the front porch.  It is getting passed their season but the color was a breath of fresh air.

I wish you a happy day!

Sharing with
Bernideen
Ruth

Fabric Frenzy Buys

I attended the Fabric Frenzy in my area this past Saturday. This is a fundraiser put on by the Grandmothers for A New Generation (GANG).  This is a fabric sale which provides support for the grandmothers in Africa who were left to raise grandchildren when the parents died in the AIDS epidemic.

All the fabric is donated and the costs are very low.

I arrived at Noon following it opening at 9:00 am so most of the areas were picked over but I found what I needed.  They have a whole room for quilting fabric.

I exercised extreme discipline because the fabric was wonderful and the prices were crazy.  I had a list of what I needed based on the fabric I  had on hand.

My plan is to make aprons for our fundraiser for missions in the fall.

Top left: I had the yellow needed a coordinating pattern - found this rich dark floral
Top right: I had the bee fabric so I added a solid green

Middle left: I added the teal aqua leaf pattern to my teal solid.

Middle right: I had the solid warm pink so I added the beautiful pink and green garden floral.

Bottom left: I added this brilliant blue with red and green leaves to the solid red I already had.

Bottom right: I had the aqua solid so I added the patterned in pinks, green and blues.

I am very happy with my choices and am anxious to get started.

Ladies were walking out of there with large garbage bags of fabric. Amazing.

I am sure they did well. It will support women raising children to ensure their health, education and safety.  It is always held in April.

Sharing with Maggie at Normandy Life who hosts Mosaic Monday #82.

How To: Spinner Art

I'm starting to get some creativity back and this morning decided to create some spinner art for cards for the gallery, my exchange partners and classes.

I settled on the salad spinner after checking a few things on line. 

Pros: The mess is contained within the container
          You can spin very fast
Cons: You can't see the art as it happens

I see some recent salad spinners have a hole in the top where you can add water which would be great to allow you to add paint on the fly which I think would create a different look to the art.  Not buying a new one for this feature. 

The kids art spinners are kind of cool and they run into $40-$50 range. Salad spinner around $10.

I used 4x6 photo paper as a I have good supply of those and for making cards the are the perfect size. 

Supplies:

• a plastic tablecloth to keep table clean
• a salad spinner
• 4x6 photo paper
• a collection of liquid acrylic paint
• water
• small containers to hold the paint and a place to thin it
• double sided tape

 I selected my colors and placed a few drops in each container.  Generally, I added the same number of drops of water as the ink did not spread if it was too thick.

Into the process I decided on 3 containers.
1. color one
2. color two
3. combination of the 2 colors






I used a bit of double sided tape on the center spindle to keep the paper flat to the bottom of the bowl.  I gently pressed the sheet of paper onto the tape so as not to create a mark on my paper.

Sometimes the paper released early and I would open the spinner to find my sheet against the side.

Apply drops of ink on the paper, close the lid and spin.  Open the lid and see what happened.  Repeat process until you are happy with the results.  Thin the color to add shades of the same color.

I also splattered a few with the same ink with a toothbrush and knife to add more dimension to the art.

Ta Da you have art!  The sheets are placed on plastic to dry.  When dry, they can be pressed under books to flatten them.

This is a great process and I just loved it.



Keep an eye for the stuff that I make with these wonderful papers.

Recent Photos

I found this bird seed bell hung in the crab apple tree at the park today.  The sparrows were having a good feeding and the pigeons where on the ground picking up the scraps.



The flag at the Legislature is at half mast to remember the 16 members of a junior hockey team who died in a bus accident on April 6th in Saskatchewan. Over half of those on the bus passed away.  Several are still in hospital in various conditions. #humboltstrong

Here's my Window Sill Art this week.  I added some dried cone flowers and some rose hips to the small vases.

I soon will be able to wash the windows and there will be green leaves on the trees.

We held our Welcome to my Kitchen fellowship get together today.  We welcomed 2 new members and were 17 in attendance.

I had a few great cups of tea.

Our snack maker provided a fruit crumble, raisin scones, lemon tarts (delicious), fruit and cheese.  We did some de-cluttering and raised some money for missions.  Our book exchange saw some new to us books and others were taken for the month. 





We had a great devotion on Freedom from Depression, prayed for those in need, and signed 3 cards for those who are undergoing surgery in the next few days.







I brought home a beautiful blue dish towel, a puzzle for Dad and a loaf of home made bread.  It is all good.

Recent Photos

It snowed again yesterday, but not as bad as in the eastern provinces.  No huge problems here in my area.  I should have taken a photo yesterday when it looked like Christmas but I was in the middle of a calendar photo shoot and missed the opportunity.  More about the new calendars to come.

A Drifters and Dreamers Romance is a good way to start on this book.  The story's main character is a woman doctor in 1917 Named Addison Carter. Just graduated and headed to her first job in Oklahoma but she is rejected because she is a woman.

She is rescued by a woman with a brother Tucker who has just fallen off the barn roof.  He broke a leg and cut a hand pretty bad. They don't have a local doctor and could she come and help.  Needless to say she stitches him up and then is hired to care for him for 6 weeks.

The house is a bachelor mess which gets cleaned up, meals are prepared, chores on the ranch are done and Addison is happy to serve.

I won't give it all away but it was a great way to spend a cold afternoon.

I was in to help a friend clean up computer stuff and found a box of old 3.5 inch diskettes.  These were of excellent quality.  The diskettes I destroyed but the cases were headed to the second hand store until I decide to see if I can use them to package a collection of Photo Art I am working on.  Think it is going to work.  More about those when they are ready for craft sales.

Sharing with Maggie at Normandy Life who hosted Mosaic Monday #81.

Recent Photos

My window sill art for this morning.  It's nice to spend a few minutes putting together small arrangements to enjoy through out the day and week.  My trip to the thrift store added the small green vase to this sill.  You can check out this post for the details on how I discovered this art.

I finished this book this week.  It is about a female war photo journalist who followed in her father's foot steps.  After her father passes away she goes through his large collection of photos to produce a book of his work.  She discovers some interesting photo which leads to the secret the family and friends have been hiding from her.

The locales of Venise, Nice, and New York make for some terrific back stories.  Who would not love to live in a large house in France with a house keeper.

The relationship with the 3 sister was interesting but I found the love relationship was to tumultuous for me.  He is a war correspondent as well which adds wrinkles.






This morning was a breakfast of yogurt, rolled oats and saskatoon berries.  I had some Rooibos Chai tea steeped in a cute leaf green tea pot.

The green plate under my cereal bowl is very old and dates back to the 30's  by the Stanley Potteries in England.  I bought it because it reminds me of dishes my Mom had when I was a kid.

I was very fortunate to put away several bags of saskatoon berries last summer.  Delicious.

The white tea cup and saucer is by Johnson Brothers - White Regency.

I have 4 set which can easily be paired with my Blue Nordic or blue "Hunter".  The Rooibos Chai is a great tea and I discovered in my cupboard a bag which is several years old but having been stored in Tupperware still tastes great.

Sharing with
Jann at Daily Cup with Mrs. Olson who hosts Share Your Cup #288
Bernideen who hosts Friends Sharing Tea
Ruth who hosts Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Terrifc Tulips

The tulips at the Conservatory were gorgeous today. Only had a bit of battery power left but got a few good shots.  If I want tulips it has to be now. 

Recent Photos

I read this book on window sill art from the library on the weekend. I just happened upon it last week and I am so glad I did.  She has a blog with her photos.

I was out for my first morning walk since the fall with a temperature of -8C so a tuque, gloves and a good coat were in order.  The sun was out and warm.

Having been inspired by the book I was on the hunt for plant material.

I found this dried hydrangea but it is in a building's flower bed so it was off limits.










I headed into the river valley where I would not have worry about picking dried weeds.

Some of you will have plant material readily available because you have a garden. 

Some of you already do this I am sure.

That book inspired this photo which is Windowsill Art. 

I used a trio of narrow necked vases and I created have a small piece of art.  I know I have dirty windows and when spring really arrives I will wash them.

The author recommends this process as a meditative exercise.  I support the concept.

I was working on another photo challenge and decided to use the few weeds I had picked. This mosaic is the result.  I am happy with it. You can check my Flickr here.

Sharing with Maggie at Normandy Life for Mosaic Monday #80.

Through my Lens 40 hosted by Mersad

Apron - Adjustable with Casing

I made another apron today so now I have a sample of the three designs I have researched.

This is an adjustable apron with the tied going through a casing along the curve of the bib.  This is the style of my current apron.

I chose this bold striped cotton fabric in red, ivory and white stripes for this side and a black poly cotton for the reverse side.   I placed a seam offset to the left of center and ensured the stripes were maintained across the apron. I chose to top stitch the seam and the outer edge of the apron in black thread.

I added black patch pockets, a towel loop in the center between the pockets and a hanging loop on the accent at the top of the bib. 

The corners of the pockets are well reinforced with a triangle of stitching.


I will have to decide which design I will use for my new apron.  I have not yet decided the fabric yet.

Easter & Tea Today

I see that I have not set up tea in a long while. It is the pits to be sick and just have no energy for the extras.  I am feeling better just in time for Easter with extended family.

We have a tradition that plan a get together for Mom and her 6 girls on the Saturday of the Easter weekend.  Everyone brings their projects, we share, eat potluck lunch and supper, visit, and generally have a great time.  A few things had to change since Mom & Dad are in a new place but we had such a great time.  We had grand daughters and  great grand daughters drop by for a visit. A grandson and his family came for supper.  We were 30 for supper.  The men join us for the meals and I picked Dad up and made sure he was on time for eating.  Mom was thrilled.

One sister brought her Christmas Tree hanging, Mom had a baby quilt, another sister was working on a quilt for a grad gift, a grand daughter brought her abstract art which she will be in a craft sale in a few weeks.  One granddaughter was working on shadow boxes with hearts for care workers.  One of the new babies made an appearance which meant Dad got to see him which was great.

This teapot napkin holder was a find by my sister and she gifted it to me.  It's great because it can become my summer holder which is not breakable.  It can go out on the balcony with no concerns.  Love it.

We took a walk to the local thrift store in the afternoon.  I continue to add to my cobalt glass collection and this tea light holder was perfect at .50 cents.

It is a Tulip Tea Light Holder by Partylite. It needed a really good washing but as you can see it is shiny and sparkly now.

Mom found something she was looking for, my sister and her daughter chose tops with the kind of fabric she needed to make flowers.  I forgot to take a photo.

I found a couple of fleece items for more pot protectors.

This trivet fits right in.  It was a gift from a friend who made a trip to Hawaii in February.  I love the turtles!!!  My favorites in the sea.

The blue color of the letters worked really well with the blue in the napkin I used for a table cover.

The sunflower blue and yellow napkins were from the same sister as the napkin holder.  Works perfectly into my kitchen color scheme.

I was able to quick set up tea today with these wonderful gifts.

The tea is Earl Grey wit a bit of honey and cream in a yellow mug.  Yummy.

We had quite a few leftovers from our potluck on the weekend.

One of my contributions was drinks.  I brought my 12 cup coffee maker, my stainless steel tea pot ( no worries about that one breaking), honey, white sugar, brown sugar, a variety of tea, cream and milk.

There was juice for the kids.

Birthday Gift and Lunch

I prepared a gift of greeting cards for a friend who celebrates her birthday this week.  There are so few people who still do cards.

I am taking her out to lunch as well so we can get caught up on our Easters.

As you can see I chose a card which connected with her love of strong coffee instead of a birthday greeting.

I was disappointed to see that Coffee Loving Card Makers have not hosted their Spring Blog Hop yet.  Is it coming?

Maybe this long winter has affected their timing.  It sure has affected mine.  When it is -17C in the morning on April 06th that means it is still winter in my books. 

Produce Bags with Clips

Produce bags was one of the other sewing projects on my to do list.  I did a bit of research on the internet and one of the important things I learned is that what ever bag and closure I use will add weight to my produce and cost me more.  I am very tired to have a stack of thin plastic bags in my house.  I generally collect 10-15 of those during my regular grocery shopping.

I wanted something that the store clerk can easily open if they want to check the code on produce.  These clips are heavy I think so I am hoping to find silicone ties.  I guess I could use store twist ties if I wanted.  I will look for reusable silicone bag ties.

I chose sheer drapery fabric in hopes that they are see through enough for codes to be discerned. I cut several sizes with sides seams and the fold at the bottom which makes it stronger. I made french seams on the sides and a simple hem at the top. 

Looking forward to seeing how these work.  I will post and update once they have been put through their paces.

Shirt Apron

I thought I would take up a suggestion from a friend to make a shirt apron.  This is an apron made from a man's shirt.  I was out yesterday to my favorite thrift store and I purchased a XXL men's denim shirt.  I brought it home and washed it and today I made an apron.

You will find many tutorials on line on how to make one of these.  We take advantage of many of the parts of the shirt.  We keep the collar, the side seams, pockets, and the bottom hem.  Basically, you cut off the sleeves and the back.  Trim the front to angle from the collar to under the former arm hole which is hemmed.  I used one of the sleeves to make the ties and the other to make the two large patch pockets.

I left several buttons open at the top to allow it to come over my head.  I have sown down the button strip from the 3rd button to the bottom edge to stabilize the front so it will act as a single piece.












I made sure that the stress points on the apron are reinforced to ensure a long life of protecting our clothes while cooking, crafting or creating.

On the right is the extra stitching in the corners of the patch pockets.

Here's the reinforcement on the attachment of the ties to the apron.  It helps a lot to have kept the double seam on the side which provides a strong point to support the back ties.

The ties are about 23" long which is plenty to just tie at the back but not enough to bring back to the front.

A great project!