Sylvia's Simple Shots

Farrier's Lane by Anne Perry.  Another Victorian Mystery featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt as investigators. They make a great team.

When the distinguished Mr. Justice Stafford dies of opium poisoning, his shocking demise resurrects one of the most sensational cases ever to inflame England: the murder five years before of Kingsley Blaine, whose body was found crucified in Farriers’ Lane. Amid the public hysteria for revenge, the police had arrested a Jewish actor who was soon condemned to hang. 

Police Inspector Thomas Pitt, investigating Stafford’s death, is drawn into the Farriers’ Lane murder as well, for it appears that Stafford may have been about to reopen the case. Pitt receives curiously little help from his colleagues on the force, but his wife, Charlotte, gleans from her social engagements startling insights into both cases. And slowly both Thomas and Charlotte begin to reach for the same sinister and deeply dangerous truth.

Another great book.

The Shell Seekers movie. The Shell Seekers is a 1987 novel by Rosamunde Pilcher made into a television movie in 1989 with Angela Landsbury as Penelope Keeling.

Shifting in time, the novel tells the story of Penelope Keeling, the daughter of unconventional parents (an artist father and his much-younger French wife), examining her past and her relationships with her adult children. When the novel opens, Penelope is in her 60s and has just been discharged from hospital after what was seemingly a heart attack. Penelope's life from young womanhood to the present is revealed in pieces, from her own point of view and those of her children. 

Much of the forward impetus of the novel involves the work of her father, including a painting called The Shell Seekers, given to Penelope as a wedding present.

A wonderful time spent watching a great movie.

Sewing Project - Wine Bottle Bag - Warm Florals

Here is the latest wine bag.

I loved the warm flowers on this part of the fabric so I cut it to make them the focus of the front.

I found a warm brown grosgrain ribbon in my stash that worked well which I placed at the top edge.  I layered a cotton twill tape on top of that to tone down the shine.

I decided to create an accent element with the same ribbon.  I cut it, sealed the ends with heat then I just folded it back and forth this it was wide enough.

I bought a couple of bags of buttons recently and this shell button was in there.  I stitched this whole element to the top left hand corner of the bag.  Done another one!

For information on "My Bag" Line: 

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The progress on the slow stitching scroll continues.

I found this button in a .50 cent bag of buttons when I visited the thrift store in Wetaskiwin while on a visit with my sister.

It matches really well the colors in the backing fabric of the scroll.

It is a shell button and measures about 1.25 inches across.

You can see a hint of the tie I created as well.

We had a good dump of snow overnight.

I was glad I did not have any place I had to be and could just hunker down till the roads were cleared.

I have simplified my method of keeping the bobbin with the matching spool of thread.

It is a simple elastic band about 3-4 inches long. I push one end through the bobbin then pull both ends over the top end of the spool.

The expensive gadgets I bought were a total waste of money.  Several broke the first time I put a bobbin on them.

This bands are cheap as dirt and can be replaced instantly should one decide to fail.

Happy with this new system.  Easy to add to the system as well as I have box of 100s at my disposal.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.  I have read several of her books and enjoyed them a lot.

The story of 4 Chinese mother and daughters in their early years and their later years.  It was a lot of characters to keep track of.

This one was a disappointment.  The conflict between mothers and daughters was not fun to read about.  I did enjoy the beginning and the end had some wonderful bits in it.

I found a tin at the ReUse Center for my ORTs.

Orts are the leftover snips of thread that remain when you are done stitching. They may be be tiny bits clipped when you run out of thread, or longer lengths you no longer need.

I love the green shamrocks on the lid and it looks like it originally held a wonderful confectionery.

As you can see the box is full of fluffy threads.

Perfect!

Cards - Gallery - B&W photo cards

I brought some new cards to the Art Gallery Gift Shop today.

I created a set of black and white images.  The photos are printed at a local photo developer and mounted to the front of a heavy 110lb card stock base.

The cards are A2 4.25 x 5.5 inches with a white envelope included.

The inside is left blank for a personal message.

In this image are the seashell with a black background and a grass seed head against a black background.

This card features a flower called Astrantia major "Alba".  It features a beautiful bokeh background.

It was photographed at the botanic park.

I brought 2 of each of these 5 designs. 

I also took the opportunity to bring home cards which have been sitting there for a while.

The card on this left in this photograph is dried grass in a snow bank but it could as easily be sand.

The one of the right is a cloud shelf where the clouds are heavier and darker.

It's been so long since I had been through the process of updating stock at the gallery.

Now that I am retired things are a little different in my record keeping.

Everything changes.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I took a visit to the St. Albert Botanic Park this week.  The flowers are all looking good. 

This is a White Geranium.  It may get overlooked with the dahlias, roses, and other garden flowers.

I think this one turned out really wonderful.

The light purple veins with a subtle green center and the light play on it was really good.









This shell chime is one that my sister made for me many years ago.  It hangs in the corner of the bedroom by the window.  It lets me know if the wind is picking up outside when the window is open in the summer.

It clinks away quietly when there is a small breeze and I really enjoy it as I lay in bed in the morning before I get up. 

Filling my gratitude journal today.



This shot reminds me that the large light in my kitchen is working again.  It was not cooperating for several days this week and with no window it was dark in there.  I have the light under the stove fan but it was not the same as the large light.

I put new daylight fluorescent tubes in the fixture and it is bright again. Yeah!

I last replaced those in October 2009 so I think that excellent value for the $10 it cost me.

I take things for granted so much.  That when I flip the switch light will appear.  Again, grateful.

A new deadbolt in the door. 

Yes, I replaced it in January and the locksmith drilled it out yesterday to get me back into my place.   They have you over a barrel and instead of picking it drilling means they will sell you a new deadbolt as well.  It is what it is.

I had purchased the door knob in the satin nickel on Saturday to match the deadbolt. This type of handle matches the ones I put on the inside doors about 10 years ago. I was intending to put it in myself but the young locksmith offered to do for me.  It was a quick and easy job for him as he chose the pieces he needed from the package.

Again, I am so grateful for the good people in the world who extend themselves to help others.

My mosaic this week is downtown buildings.

I took a long walk downtown this week as well.  I captured some of the architecture of the buildings.  On the left is our Art Gallery.  Randall Stout, the architect chosen to design the Art Gallery of Alberta building, took inspiration from the city’s unique northern environment and urban grid. Stout juxtaposed angular windows against a winding 190-metre steel ribbon that references the forms of the North Saskatchewan River and Aurora Borealis.
In the center is the Gibson Block Building built in 1913. The Gibson Block Building, also known as the Flatiron Building, is a large wedge-shaped four-storey brick building constructed for commercial use on four city lots at the eastern edge of Edmonton's pre-World War One commercial core.
On the right is the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in the Quarters area of downtown.  I love the glass facade which captures reflections beautifully. 

The Flickr Macro Monday challenge this week was Numbers. The acceptable ones were Roman or Arabic.  On the left, I have chosen Rummikub tiles in three colors. 

Check out my Flickr Photostream SMDPics to see the one I submitted.

 I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #89  and Mersad who hosts Through my Lens #249   

Have a safe and healthy week.

Mosaic Monday - Hearts & Green

Valentine's Day is just around the corner so I thought I would include a heart photo. I set up a glass heart dish I received from my parents upon graduation from college.  I placed a couple of paper heart doilies inside and a circle doily on the blue placemat.  The bird is a stuffed wool bird made by my niece as a Christmas Ornament but it adds just the repetition of red I wanted.


Did the ground hog see his shadow?  It's an early spring they say!!! Either way spring is coming.  I decided to add some green living thing to my collage today.  It's a devils ivy that my sister started for me and it's still alive after at least 6 months which is a good record for me.  I placed the yellow pot on a doily, glass plate and one of my large yellow chargers.  The colors coordinate very well.

A collage of stones and shells.  I have a small collection from travels to Florida and Nova Scotia.  Remembrances of warmer weather which will soon return here.

Sharing at Mosaic Monday hosted my Judith at Lavender Cottage.