Recent Reading

This book is cleverly written which leaves us with a major twist at the end of the book.

A tragic accident. It all happened so quickly. She couldn't have prevented it. Could she?

In a split second, Jenna Gray's world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever.

Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . .

I loved the living by the sea in a small cottage getting to know the neighbors and town folk.  Jenna working through trusting people again, going for walks and being in nature as a healing process.
 

Sylvia Compson is a quilter who returns to the family manor Elm Creek Manor in the south after inheriting it after her sister passes away.

She has built a business of providing quilting retreats at the manor where the guests stay and the Elm Creek quilters teach classes.

The Runaway quilt focuses on a journal Sylvia found in the attic of a early ancestor Gerda Bergstrom who lived at Elm Creek before the Civil War.

The Master Quilter brings another story of Sylvia Bergstrom Compson who marries her sweetheart.  The Elm Creek quilters decide to make her a wedding quilt as a gift.  The story has secrets, financial hardships, relationships struggles test the bonds of friendship.

I put a hold on this book at the library after I read a review from on of the bloggers I follow reviewed and highly recommended it.   I waited a long 6 weeks for notification that it was now my turn to read it.

I was expecting it to be good and it was terrific.

A story that covers 1913, 1975 and 2005 starts with a little girl sitting on a wharf in Australia with no one to take care of her in 1913.

The little girl does have a family care for her and when she finds they are not her real parents she starts the hunt.  When her father passes she finds has a fairy tale book which was in her small suitcase when she arrived in Australia. Eventually, she heads to England to discover the cottage during her time there. Her plans to move are interrupted.

When her grand daugther inherits the cottage she decides to visit England to find out more about grandmother Nell's family history and see the cottage and the secrets it may hold.  There is more there: The Blackhurst Manor, the Maze, the Walled Garden and the tiny cottage on the edge of a cliff.

I could not put the book down.  It is over 500 pages.  I did sleep but I finished it in 2 days! I loved it!

The layers of the  family  history is quite complex and I certainly will have to read it again in a while to absorb more of it.

Again, English and Australia settings are wonderful. Mothers, grandmothers, cousins and women are the focus of the story.

This book mark given to me by my painter aunt came in very handy with all the reading I have been doing.  I love the colors and texture of this piece of art.

It is becoming my regular bookmark in the book I am reading.

Looking forward to my next escape into a good book.

Christmas Card - Holy Family

I up cycled a commercial card front into a new card.

I trimmed the front leaving the square with the stable image and the greeting.

I adhered it to the front of a blue card.  I added a piece of silver glitter washi tape to coordinate with the silver greeting and scroll frame.

Another one for my card box.

Box of Cards - Donation

I am dropping off a box of 20 cards - mostly thank yous to The Compassion House which is where Mom stayed during her cancer treatments 2 years ago.  The need is mostly for thank yous but I included a few blank ones as well for any other need that would arise.

I am very grateful for the kindness and care the staff showed Mom during her time there.  It is a service so much needed as women go through their treatments while they are away from family and friends.

I was blessed to get some A2 envelopes recently for a very good price so it makes giving donations a little easier.

I hope this makes life for the staff a little easier with these at hand when the need arises.

Simple Sentiments - Thank You

I decided to add a few Simple Sentiments cards to the donation of Thank You cards.

These are created with some of my photos from photo calendars from other years.

This is a mosaic of a woman's face surrounded by green foliage.  The 4x6 photo was cut with the Sizzix Square Thinlits to 3 7/8 square.

The sentiment was printed onto the card base and the photo was adhered above it.

Quick and simple card making and great for a quick thank you.

I am adding these to the box of cards.

5x7 Photo Card Gift Set

Another set of 5x7 photo cards given as a gift to my aunt celebrating this week.

This is a NineBark variety called Summer Wine.  Love the way the leaves frame to the cluster of white pink flowers.


This is a still life I created a while with dried rose hips with grasses.



Tree Swallow                                                                                   

                            Yarrow                                  River Bank Grape

Gold Polka Dot HB

I made this card for my aunt who is celebrating a birthday this week.

I started with this die cut which I used a while back.  It goes really well on a 5x7 large card. The die is the Sizzix Flower, Leaves & Stem #4 which I cut the from black card stock. 

This is my last metallic Prima Flowers from my stash.  I guess I will have to cut them from now on.

I started with a black card scored and folded. 

I added a layer of gold polka dots on kraft designer paper from Recollections.

I added the die cut flower, the gold metallic, the small die cut all held in place with a gold mini brad.

I adhered the stem below the flower then added a ripped piece of black card stock to represent dirt.

Washi Tape Cards

Another set of cards, this time I used my Washi Tape collection.

I chose 1 colored tape and then added black and white ones on either side.  With different widths and patterns.

I cut a layer to coordinate with the colored tape. I adhered the washi layer to the solid layer.  I then adhered it to a black card base.

I punched a Stampin Up Modern Label in black and I added a SU Word Window punchie greeting.  It is adhered to the card front with 3D foam tape.

A couple of the cards have brads on the greetings. A couple of thank yous.

Glitter Cards - Thank You

I created these card with glitter card front which I water colored with Stampin Up Watercolor Crayons.

I coordinated the card with the largest flower and I added a quarter sheet insert.

I will add these to the selection for my upcoming project.

2019 Photo Calendars

My 4x6 Photo Calendars are ready for sale!  The calendar contains thirteen 4x6 photos which come with a clip to display it on a wall, bulletin, or file cabinet.  It can also be placed in a frame for an custom presentation.  The central image gives you a thumbnail of all the images in the calendar.

The Pretty Petals calendar features wonderful flower photos from my photo collection taken in 2018. Roses, lilies and a few different blooms grace the pages of this calendar. 

The Nature calendar features birds, animals and insects from my 2018 photo colletion.  The cutest squirrel, exquisite butterflies and a beautiful sunset are some of the images in this calendar.

As always there is a tea calendar. This year it is the Tea Pot Calendar featuring some of my tea pots and a few new ones acquired or borrowed to add some variety. 

An the fun calendar this year is Monkey Moments where the monkey is up to different antics and situations.  He is trying his hand at travel, gardening, painting and much more.

This Morning

It was a foggy morning.

I can`t see the end of the bridge across the river.

Great to get a few pigeons taking off!

It rained most of the day yesterday and it was cold this morning (6C) compared to +30C for most of last week.









Water droplets were everywhere.

Check out the thorn hidden mostly by the water drop.

This is Japanese Bayberry - Rose Glow one of my favorite bushes.  You  don`t the color here but it is great.




All the spider webs where highlighted with dew drops this morning.  It was spectacular.




This is a droopy rose with wonderful dew drops all over it.

I love the upcoming rose buds.

You can see the foggy morning still hanging in.

This is a pink cosmos which is called Cupcake which is a double bloom.

I found a nice collection of leaves too.

Sympathy Cards

I made a few sympathy cards for ladies who lost their mother and grandmother this week.  They have been card club participants so I will be giving cards in their time of need.

I chose greens for this card. Olive card with a swirl pattern designer paper.  I added 2 Impression Obsession Pine Boughs in dark green and light green.

I added a large butterfly cut with the Sizzix Winged Beauties in an olive card stock.

I used my large greetings with a sympathy sentiment.  I added them to blue card bases and added coordinated butterfly punched with the Martha Stewart punch.

The funeral for a lady who has been part of our congregation for many years is today.

One Sheet Wonder - Card Set 4

Another set of cards on which I used this swirly pink burgundy designer paper.  Paper cut with the OSW1 plan.

On this card I changed things up a bit and trimmed the one piece to 4 inches wide added a coordinating piece at the top and bridged the join with a strip of blue card stock. 

Punched the butterfly with Martha Stewart Butterfly from the same color as the top piece of paper.

Adhered it to the card front with Bling Zot.






















You see the long strip turned over on the card to the left and the full 4.25 piece used in the one on the right. 

One Sheet Wonder - Card Set 3

I selected different designer for this set.  Lovely tropical floral pattern in warm tones.

This was cut with the OSW2 layout out plan.  I chose this seafoam green card stock and pea green card stock for this set.

I adhered the paper to the bottom edge of the card and then added an ivory strip at the join.  I created the butterfly with the Martha Stewart Butterfly punch in pink card stock.  Adhere to the card front with a Bling Zot.
















This landscape card got a pink butterfly and the portrait on the right a rust colored one.

The Craft Kingdom - Project 3 - Toilet Paper Roll Flower

I was inspired to try this craft after reading a book called The Craft Kingdom.  You can check out the website and the toilet paper roll wall decor video is featured there.

I did not want to do home decor so I decided to do a flower.  I will share my up and downs on making this project.
Of course, collecting toilet paper rolls just happens.  I stored them until I had enough. I thought I was going to make 3 flowers but in the end I did not. More about that later.















I flattened the rolls then I cut my pieces 1 inch wide which generally gave me 4 per roll.  I discovered later that they don't all have the same diameter so pay attention if it will matter for your project.  You will see that my flower petals are longer than my leaves pieces.  I was lucky I noticed before I painted.

I elected to paint my pieces and decide they should be under coated so my yellow would be vibrant.  I used white paint for the first coat.  Be careful how wet you make these because they can fall apart when wet.  I painted the outside and the inside.

Once dry, I painted them again.
I then applied 2 coats in the same way in yellow for the petals and green for the leaves.

The challenge came when I assembled my flower. Hot glue does not stick to acrylic paint very well so the flower would not stay together well. I had to add some double sided tape to have it hold. Next time: Either assemble with hot glue then paint it OR assemble with double sided tape.  I mounted my pieces to a green bamboo skewer. I glued a brown button in the center of the flower on both sides.  I loved using sand in a small vase to have it stand.

On the left is the introductory page to this craft in the book.

This wall art in the book is very pleasing and the color comes from the different brands of rolls which are used.  In some the cardboard is darker and others lighter.

She has used that to her advantage in the placement of the pieces.  For me color did not matter as I painted them.

I hope you are having a great summer and enjoying craft time with the kids. Try this one out for a good time and a super cute project in the end.