May Snow

This is how the deck looks now. It just stopped snowing. Can this really be MAY?

I was hopping to have Calendar Girls out here on Thursday. I made reservations for Doriola's instead, this morning.

It's a Good thing Warren brought the Nasturtiums inside!

Broc thought he wanted to go out on the deck. This is a far as he got.

He said something like "Ank!" & changed direction fast!

Silk Paints-Dynaflow

I took a silk painting class just for the fun of it, at Blaine's Art Supply a couple of weeks ago. The teacher, Francine passed out this sunflower pattern for those who wanted to use it.

I decided to just wing it & drew these funny looking dragon flies. I had fun playing with the paints & resist.

I also did this raven, but I'm thinking I will do more on this one when I get inspired & have the time.

I've spent my last 3 days off cleaning & organizing. The spring bug must have bitten me. I've cleaned out a space in our unfinished utility room, & set a table right next to the sink, so I can pain or dye right there. Now all I need is some time!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers or not!

Creative Play Day

Today was a fun day at my quilt guild. Rene Haag, local business owner of Blaine's Art Supply came & demonstrated several different products on fabric. She also brought artist& silk painter, Francine

to help demonstrate. 

My son's girl Barb came along with me,

& we had a great time playing.

Afterward we went home, & I showed her how to use the sewing machine. She's never sewn before!

She stitched down this little applique' block,

then put this wool design on the back side that she felted herself. Now it's a little double sided piece of art from her heart. She gave it to me in thanks for showing her how to sew.

Below is the bag that I did at quilt Guild. The grapes are a monoprint from an Encaustic wax, that after it cooled I over-sprayed with inks & dabbed with paints, & pens.

It was so much fun, I signed us up for a silk painting class on Saturday!

April Showers-Snow showers that is..

 We haven't had as much snow this year as last, but Warren did have to snowblow the driveways again this week. He makes it so neat & tidy.

I finsihed up 2 little dool quilts for grand-daughter Zoe, who is turning 2 the end of this month. She loves covering her baby dolls up will little blankets, so I thought I should make her some little quilts.

My youngest son's girlfriend is visiting this week. She came down & played in the studeo with some needle felting & some fabric. I may make a quilter out of her yet/

Warren is back to clearing the deck. It snowed the day after he cleared it the first time.

Broc is getting a bit tired of snow too. He longs to go out & lay in the sun, on the deck. Only a few more weeks....

PS...Meet Big Berta, my new stove. Isn't she a beauty?

Springtime in Alaska

I felt good to have a day off today. I stayed home & worked a while on Jan's quilt. I'd done the boring part, of in the ditch around each block, now I'm background quilting in the white areas. Click on the image to see it better. I've been tired, & not getting much done, but 3 down, 6 to go on these backgrounds.

Warren & Broc were tired today too. They deserved a nap after.....

shoveling 3/4 of the snow off the deck. Warren tries to get it clear so we can enjoy it sooner.

I made these fritatas from a Weight Watchers recipe. 2 points each. They are yummy!

I changed it up because I couldn't find the artichoke hearts. Substituted tomatoes & green chilies, made them lighter with Egg Beaters & less egg. Tasted great. Had a few with a nice salad for dinner. Freezing the rest to be popped into the microwave whenever I need.

Quilting & Embellishing the Crazy Remixed Round Robin

 I have finally spent a weekend getting into the studio.  This little pin & earrings were sent to RVQuilter,

as well as this flower pin. I am sorry for being so late!!

Remember the Round Robin? Here is what it looked like after making all the rounds & coming back to me.

I felt the original light square that I had printed looked like a big bright hole, & was reading too heavy with the darkness in the top & right. I carefully removed the black lace applique' (which Mary G told me it was OK to do- she had just basted it in place), as well as the copper leaf, & set them aside to be put back on after cutting the top apart. I was careful in how  cut the light green gauze area too, because I didn't want to undo any of the hand beading in that area.

Here is how it looks now, after I've quilted & started to embellish. I replaced Mary's leaf & turned the lace into a rose, & put it on the upper left.

I have started the embellishing by using some of the special buttons I have collected over the years, just waiting for the right place to use them. I love this Raku button. It's a little work of art all on it's own.

The bee is enamel.

The triangle are polymer clay.

This hand is ceramic.

Here's a close up of Mary's leaf & the rose.

I will continue to do hand embellishing on this until it feels done. Next I think I'll do some embroidery stitches. I may wish I'd waited on the buttons, but oh well, I'll manage somehow!

Thanks Nina Marie for inviting me to be a part of your circle! Sounds inspiring!

Going a little Crazy

I haven't had much to blog about lately. I hadn't been in the studio for 3 weeks. I caught a bad cold, was quite sick & had no energy to spare. I stayed home from work 3 days last week, & did nothing but watch TV. UGH!  Finally I'm starting to feel better. Yesterday we went & saw "Oz". It was a really fun movie. A good nod to the original "Wizard of Oz". We loved it. We also "Jack the Giant Slayer", another fun movie. I expected it to be pretty hokey, but it was great.

Today I decided to work on my Round Robin piece. This was my own to begin with, & the Calendar Girls added to that light green block that I had hand printed, there in the upper right.  I felt something else needed to be done with this, & decided to take a page out of Rayna Gillman's book, & here is what I did....

 I started cutting, & sewing, &...

this is where I ended up. The size is a better size for me, & it's more my style. Plain crazy!