The dahlias are in full bloom at the botanic garden.
The sizes vary, the colors are magnificent and it was a pleasure to walk around to photograph a few of them.
This is the Chilson Pride dahlia featuring white and lavender colors.
I spent a couple of hours walking the full length and back. Of course, most of the flowers are gone as the plants have been dead headed to keep the beds looking good.
I am heading out later in the mornings now that the sun rises later.
I have included cards received from my exchange partners, cards received from family and friends and some of my card kits which I made up to ensure they go to a good cause.
I refurbished those that needed new inserts, added a new card base in some cases and generally did what was needed so they would be useful again.
You may recall in my post last week that I had worked on the chair and tried to clean the seat. That was not successful so I needed to cover the seat.
My office chair has a new seat cover.
I searched my fabric stash for fabric that would be appropriate. It needed to be heavy and with the right colors. I found these one with a paisley pattern with a good variety of colors. There was close match to the back rest so I proceeded.
I used a piece of paper to trace the shape of the top of the seat. Cut it out and double checked and tweaked it a bit. I cut the side piece 4 inches tall to allow for seam allowances both top and bottom. I had to piece together 3 pieces to get a length of 60 inches. I sewed the side to the top easing around the corners. I folded over the bottom edge and sewed it down. I found some black elastic in my stash which was in several pieces. I concentrated on the corners but eventually I had enough to cover the full length. It looks good, it stays in place and it is removable to launder when needed.
Eliza Sommers is the central figure who has been adopted by brothers John and Jeremy and sister Rose who are English. They live in the port city of Valparaiso, Chile in the 1840s. John is a sea captain, Jeremy works for an import company and Rose manages the house.
She has an English upbringing with education, music, ethics and manners instilled. She falls in love with a young man who came to the house to deliver goods. It is a hot and heavy affair then he leaves for the Gold Rush in California. She decides to follow him but must go quickly and quietly so she arranges to stowaway on a ship with the help of a Chinese man, Tao Chi'en. He is a physician who has his reasons to be on a ship. They disguise her as a boy to get her off the ship and she continues that persona in San Francisco. They establish themselves there, Tao Chi'en a physician and Eliza as companion and assistant.
She decides to pursue her search for her lover in the midst of the gold rush and the chaos that it has created. She travels with groups for safety and follows leads when she can. She finds herself in an outskirt town and meets up with Joe Bonecrusher's travelling caravan of prostitutes and ends up travelling with them as cook and piano player. Eventually, she realizes she does not love him anymore. She continues to write to Tao Chi'en regularly and they maintain their relationship. The Chinese man misses his assistant and friend. He decides to go and see her. He finds her and she decides to give up her search and return to San Francisco with him. They set up his practice, have small garden to grow medicinal plants, and life is good. She is tiring of have to pretend to be man, she is exploring her feelings for Tao Chi'en and one day she pulls out the suitcase she took with her on the ship many years ago. It contains dresses and jewelry. She decides to dress as a woman with out the corset and asks Tao Chi'en what he thinks. He doesn't mind the new look and as far as he is concerned she is still who she has always been. She decides to stick with dresses. Very soon, after this the bandit, her lover is captured and killed. His head has been preserved so the bounty could be collected and it goes on display for anyone who wants to see this infamous gangster. They visit to see the face and she declares she is now free. They work together to save Chinese prostitutes and get them to a network which will give them a way to earn an honest living and a new place to live. Some go to Oregon, back to the East Coast and even some to Canada.
Another great book by this author. Loved it!
Look what I found hanging out a local pond. I discovered this pond when I took a different road the other day.
It is quite large expanse of water and was covered with ducks, Canada Geese, Lesser Yellowlegs, and this wonderfully grand Blue Heron.
It was reasonably close and a got a much better shot of it this time.
So excited.
It was upside down, so I have turned it right side up, applied a watercolor filter to it.
Like it a lot.
I chose a designer paper with a yellow stripe. I die cut the greeting from a piece of card stock in the same color leaving a good amount below the word.
I trimmed the designer paper to leave a small border on the chocolate brown card base. I adhered the greeting leaving the same border on sides and bottom edges. It was cut with the Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die.
I die cut leaves with the Tim Holtz Mini Tattered Leaves set and added some chalk to provide a bit of definition.
Sylvia - that dahlia is truly magnificent. It just inspires you to take a million pictures! So glad you were able to get such a terrific shot of the heron. Impressive work on the seat cover!
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