Friday Finishes and Painting Progress!

This week was a mix of catching up around the house and lots of cleaning, mixed with some sewing and punching and a bit of painting. I love making small items, that work up quickly and I looked on Pinterest for a free patriotic stitchery. This one said free on the photo, but I could never find the original site, that it came from.

It was a fun little piece to add to my mini pillow collection.

I also was in the mood to punch something small and new. I actually made this in a day, as you can see, I was not paying attention and did the flag backwards, duh. I just made up a flag and added a whale, something fun and quick to do. You could add any shape or design to a flag, you are welcome to copy my idea, but you may want to do it the right way, lol.

I also got back to my painting. I realize I just have to make time if I want to do more crafting and then I take breaks to clean and get other things done. I also have to stop when my brain goes on hold or my vision goes blurry, but I was able to do some base coats. I will be adding more as I go, but I like to see how they look with the main designs, before I decide what I want to add. There will be a background coat, which will be sanded so some of the paper designs will show through. I like the idea of writing something inspirational for the lighthouse and something patriotic for the angel.

The lighthouse is my own design from a photo I took. The angel is an extra free design from Teresa Kogut's  Angel tutorial.

Talking about something inspirational, this photo was taken by a woman in our town, last week. This is the cemetery where Danielle was buried. A message of God's promise and I know she will be waiting for me, when my time comes. 

May you all have a wonderful weekend and find the blessings in each and every moment.

Camping Week!

Yesterday we came home from our camping trip and I hated leaving, but it sure is nice to be home and have the space and conveniences of home. Did I get any sewing done? Of course not, I was too busy going to the beach and just enjoying the views.

A few days we went up to the lake, where we also camp, to go for a swim and let Nick enjoy the shallow waters. The water is much warmer than the ocean, maybe next week when it gets hot, I will go in the ocean.

Nick loved the lake, I think he would have been happy to stay there all day, so I will need to find some last minute openings at the lake camp.

After the lake we took him to our camp for lunch and a little relaxing. Then we hit the beach and he loved that too. I was surprised how brave he was in the water and didn't mind the cold. He an Bean love playing together, and they both love to jump.

Of course we can't go anywhere with Bean, he wants to play with everyone and the kids love him.

When not at the beach, we relaxed at camp. We took a few walks and rode our bikes and Bean loved the extra large space to play in.

And most nights we had a bit of a sunset. The fog and clouds near the ocean, tend to obscure the sun, but on this night, we were treated to a spectacular display, in front of our camp.

And of course beach combing. The tide was out in the late afternoon, so we waited till the main beach closed and combed the beach with Bean. Later in the week, we went to the lighthouse when the tide was out early and found some nice pieces, washed up on the rocks. I was thrilled to find a marble, my first one. I keep the special pieces in a jar for me and some will be made into gifts and some into art. I have been getting ideas, and hoping to work on some this week.

I hope everyone had a nice week. I plan on starting my vacation, this week, when Bill goes back to work, lol. I have been cleaning and getting things done this weekend, so I can relax and work on my paintings too.

Sunday Finish!

I decided to make a quick little project for the weekend since we were home, getting ready for our trip. Am I ready, No! I still have to vacuum and do dishes, then not forget what we need in the morning, those things I need now, so I can't pack. And as usual, I am wondering how this is a vacation, lol.

I found this design online, it said it was free and it does look like a Cheryl Seslar design, she has a lot of freebies on other sites. Just a little pillow and it worked up quickly.

Today we went to my sons to pick up some wood and to visit the boys. Alex is really a sweet and happy child and loved sharing his toys with me. We took Nick out for a trip to the store so I could get some cheap water sneakers and let Nick pick out some presents to bring home, for him and Alex. He picked out two water pumps, something easy for Alex since you pull the top to get water and push to squirt, he loved it, though he needed help to get the water. They were having a blast getting wet in the heat.

At the store Nick saw this chair and wanted us to sit in it. We also had to get inside a beach tent and sit on little chairs to hide from Grandpa, the things grandma will do;) We will probably come back once in awhile to dump dirty clothes and get new ones and maybe cooking, we did make kabobs tonight so we have leftovers for tomorrow. I may not post till next weekend, but if we decide to come home for a night, I will post some photos and hopefully at the end of the week, I will have a new design to share.

Change of Plans!

My husband was given two weeks for recovery before he went back to work. Originally we had planned on taking our anniversary trip this coming week, but I cancelled it. At the time we had no idea what would happen and I had to make a decision so I didn't lose my down payment.

The other day his supervisor calls to see if he was planning on coming back or still taking his vacation since it was already planned and they did have a replacement. So, now our vacation is back on and no place to go. We have done stay at home vacations and those are fun, but when we came back from the beach yesterday, I checked the campground and not only did they have an opening, but on the spot we have always wanted and it is never available. I took that as a sign that we should go camping.

This is the campground near the ocean. The bad thing is no dogs on the regular beaches, but there is one that is dog friendly. This is a photo from April, so it looks dismal without the trees in bloom, but that is our little trailer to the left and the new site with the arrow. It is a huge space and no neighbors close by, so great for Bean too. It will be a nice place to just relax and enjoy the views of the inlet.

Of course we got to enjoy some beach time this week. Yesterday we found a nice batch of treasures and not too many people on the beach.

Today it was rainy, but we took a chance and went down to shop and then hit the beach. The rain stayed away and we got a little drizzle, but it was a nice day to just walk on the beach and no one was around, so I was finding glass, laying on the beach. It was nice just walking and not bending so much. We will be camping on Monday, so I may post some photos later in the week, it will all depend on what day we come back. I am still working with a neighbor who might watch the kitties, otherwise we will have to come back to feed them and clean up the litter.

I have been getting lots of ideas for my glass and pebbles, so after a ( hopefully) stress free week, I can get back into creating again. I will bring my art supplies too, so maybe I can do a new summer freebie for everyone.

This and That Tuesday!

It has been another one of those weeks, hopefully things will settle down now and I can try and relax again. It was also stressful for Bean, he hates loud noises and having an air show with jets, did not help. He kept trying to run to the car and get in, I guess he thought we would drive him to the beach and the noise would go away, lol.

Another thing that happened was with Alex. Last night he got into his brothers hot sauce and had a reaction. I am not sure of the details, but his dad had his surgery this morning, so I haven't been able to talk to them yet. I am glad it was not a bad reaction and this way they can figure out what he is allergic to, so it won't happen again. I am almost suspect that he rubbed it into his eyes, it seems the rest of him is ok.

Today I decided I needed a fun day, so we went to the beach. This is my favorite spot for now, but I know more people will find it as the summer goes along. It is mostly rocks, so not a great beach site, it is just one section in a row of sections that go for miles, so lots of room for the regular beach goers. We enjoy swimming there as well, the other sections are sandy and start out shallow, so you can play in the waves without going too deep. It is a bit warped looking, not the actual layout.

And of course my favorite pastime, beach combing. We found a lot of nice larger pieces and old pottery. Some is just laying on the beach, some we dig for and some washes up with the waves. Tomorrow looks like rain, so a good day to find some more glass jars, I am almost out of room, for all the new pieces.

Friday finish and fun!

This week is like a vacation, except for the relaxing and having someone else do all the work for me, lol. I have been working on small items and hand stitching, but larger projects, so they will take time to finish.

I did make a little lavender sachet with a design by Kathy Schmitz, for the stitchery of the month club. My mind and hands are are bit off this week, so my stitching is a bit wonky, but it is always fun to make something new and quick and I love coloring them in. I used my knobby yarn for an edge.

On the fun front, we got out each day for beach combing and walking. One day was for Bean, we took him to two dog beaches and he loved being able to play on the beach and he even made a new friend.

Yesterday and today was our day. Most of the regular beaches are open, so no dogs allowed. We also need a break from having our arms yanked off. We went to Jamestown and did some more glass collecting, then we drove over to the point and enjoyed the views. Newport is across the way, might be a destination for next week.

Then we went to the lighthouse and got a nice walk in. There is nothing more relaxing and invigoration than walking with views and fresh sea air.

The boat coming out, is a beauty. I would love to be able to be out on the water all day, and of course stop at the islands and shorelines for beach combing.

Today we went to the ocean beach and of course, scoured the beach for glass. Most of the main beach was crowded, so we went to our favorite spot to look. We did find some nice pieces to add to the collection this week. The pile on the right is from our local beach, the middle is from Jamestown and the left is from today. Not a bad haul. I even found some more pebble shapes to use.

On the way out, I spotted this nest in the sanctuary, across the street, so we stopped to look. She has two babies that I can see, not sure if there are more. I hope you had a wonderful week and have a wonderful weekend.

Monday UFO Finishes!

First I want to thank everyone for your comments and support. I have been trying to keep up by mailing each one, so if I forgot someone or you are a no reply, I do read all the posts and appreciate each one.

Today I decided to do some old pieces, that were sitting in a box. I wanted another pillow for my chest and knew I had a star piece and found the perfect one to offset the square pillows. It was a block for a nautical quilt that I was making and now that I have seen the other blocks, I will not finish, I will start over.

I realize how bad the stitching was on the appliqué, bad choice of backgrounds and the lighthouse is crooked, lol. I rather chuck the ugly blocks and make a new one. This piece was good enough to make a quick pillow and nice to have one more thing out of the box.

The pillow is 20" long and I stained the light fabric, when I finish stuffing it.

While I was going through the box, I found two more pieces I never finished and I had the perfect use for them. Two more lavender sachets. The pattern is from Sandra Cadwell of Babycake Designs. I won the design, years ago. Then I made these two pieces, years ago and they have been sitting, ever since.

I colored them in and then stitched around them, I like the outline look with color. Not sure how I colored them, looks like marker and maybe some watercolor. These I did not wet since I am not sure what is on it, and for sachets, they will be fine. I was thinking, this design is so fun, maybe I should paint it on some rocks.

Speaking of unfinished pieces, this is another one, I did years ago and it has been sitting in a closet. I have given up using hooked rugs in the house, the cats destroy them. I am not sure if I should continue with my rug hooking, I need to cut back on things, or I will never get anything done and I still want to quilt and sew, as well as punch and needle felt and now painting and rock art. I really have a problem, lol. So, I may start selling off my rug equipment, I have regular hooking materials, punch rug and locker hooking supplies. As much as I love them, there is not enough time in the day, so I may sell all or keep some to make small rugs and mats.

This rug is 52" x 24".

Friday Finish!

This week has been a whirlwind of activity and stress. One thing that helps me to relax is working on a new project, one that I can finish and enjoy for the season. I saw a photo of one of Cheri's old patterns and loved it and thought it would make a nice pillow for the summer. I tend to go with Americana now and keep it throughout the summer.

I printed the photo and recopied it, into a pattern. Then I changed the saying and kept mine simple without the extra stars and stitching. I also used fusible so I could stitch it, raw edge and when it was finished, I added a bit of walnut stain.

If you like the design or want to join Cheri's group, you can go to Quilts by Cheri: Friendship Group. It is a wonderful group of ladies and and a way to keep Cheri's memory alive, with friends and the love of stitching. I have put the design I used, on the group.

I want to thank everyone for your comments and prayers. I tried to answer comments, but Blogger is not sending mail to me, so I may have missed some. Bill is doing well, he had a 90% block in his main artery so it could have killed him, but he went to the clinic just in time, they gave him nitro and sent him to the hospital and with treatment and a few stents, he has no visible heart damage. My son will be having surgery next week to remove one of his thyroids, and hopefully he will not need long term medicine.

I hope  you all have a wonderful weekend. I plan on resting and visiting the kids, then we can get out next week without the crowds.