Friday Finish!

 First I wanted to say, I have not gotten any emails from the postings. I do enjoy reading your comments and hopefully I will figure out how to get them back, so I can respond. 

I needed a wreath for the front door and the ones in the stores, are just too cheesy looking. I have so much fabric, that I thought a rag wreath would be perfect and a good way to use my Americana fabrics. I used a wire wreath and cut the strips into 5" x 2" pieces. I made up three stars and sewed them up around the entire edge and cut a slit in the back. That way it kept the shapes better and no one can see the sewn up slit. The bow was an old piece of heavy ticking. I attached the items with a jewelry wire. Something fairly easy to make and a great way to use up fabric.

Last week we had a nice walk at the farm sanctuary. This time they had goats in a closed in pen. They were fun to watch and seemed to have fun watching us.

This one wanted our attention and followed us around.

And this one was just silly looking.

And this was was just too cute and pretty, makes me want one.

At the end of the field is another path that leads to saltwater inlets and a bay. I spotted a few shore birds in the inlet.

And a lot of Yellow Warblers in the trees, in that area.

I also got myself a new car, so I could get out more by myself. A Ford Bronco sport, so I can park easier and use off road if I want. I parked behind the old mill which is now home to different artists. The waterfall runs down the path in and goes to the larger pond.

I had no idea where the troll was, but when I got on the main path, I noticed a new path, so I went down that. It was a nice walk through the woods and then I noticed little foot prints on the trees, so I knew I was going the right way. It was fun seeing him and finding new paths to explore later.

I hope you all had a nice week and enjoy your weekend. We have a heat wave coming in and of course Bill has to work, so I will be getting things done in the trailer to get ready for camping, on the holiday weekend. 

Friday Finish!

 

This has been a busy week and I am exhausted. I made reservations at a camp in NH on a river, so I have been planning and packing and keeping up with the house. I made time to finish a painting I started awhile ago. Unfortunately I lost the instructions, so I just went by the photo and then added a couple of whales. The original was on a shorter board and my canvas was larger, so added to it. 

I do not have a steady hand so I am a bit messy, a bit wonky, but I am happy to have finished it. It's been a while since I did acrylics, so need to hone my skills so I can finish another I started.

Last weekend we went for a walk at the ocean park. It has longer trails and less people on the backside, so we enjoy that section. It used to be an air force training field in World War II. This path is what is left of the old runway.

Most of the other trails are overgrown and lined with all types of vegetation for the wildlife. We spotted this Snapping Turtle on my section.

Tomorrow is our 50th anniversary. I really wanted to rent a place on the island, but missed the opportunity to get an affordable place in time. The area we are going to has places I want to visit, and we have a river site, so hoping to relax and enjoy seeing some new things. We will be there all week, so next week I will share some of our adventures. I also have my art supplies and embroidery supplies, so hoping to spend time making up designs and stitching them, while I relax.

I hope everyone has a nice week and not affected by all the storms that have hurt so many. We are lucky to have good weather this week, but it will be hot, even up north.

Friday Finish!

This week I worked on finishing another small table mat. I used different precut mini blocks to make it, using some patriotic and others to match, with matching colors for the border. 

I also got in the mood to do my own painting. I used a photo I took on our trip. I did an outline of the main pieces and then made a mess of it. I wanted the background to be faded like the photo, but it came out too bold. After I watched a video and saw what I did wrong and what I can do next time, a learning experience. I also overdid it on the bird and my paper starts to degrade with too much water. I am used to doing acrylics where you can paint over things but not with watercolor.

We got in a lot of walks and sightseeing in the nearby areas. One area has a nice cliff walk, with views of the bay. And after, we walked at fishermen's beach, and a foggy day by the light.

We also enjoyed the birds and wildlife along the way.

We also walked along the fishing port, fishermen working on their boats.

I caught this guy in the parking lot. He has a filleted fish and swallowed it whole.

Another day we went to the ocean beach. Last weekend they were closed so not as crowded and I spotted this Mockingbird hanging out in the nesting area. 

And always a lot of birds in that area to enjoy.

And this pair in the reeds.

And finally on our last night, a sunset.

On our last day, I paid for the night so we could stay the day. But, I woke up sick again. I guess I overdid it and it came back at me. So this week I went back on stronger meds and rested more, so feeling a bit better again. Lesson learned, if you see mouse droppings, get out and get a mask on.

While Bill got the trailer ready to leave, I sat and enjoyed watching the birds in front of our camp. I finally got photos of the Yellow Warblers, which never stay still.

And this is the one I did a painting of. It sat and sang for a while, a nice way to end the weekend. 

This weekend we will spend time with the kids. Birthday month, so tomorrow we celebrate Ivy and Bill's and next week is the boys. I hope everyone had a good week and enjoy getting out this weekend.

Friday finish!

 

This week I worked on a simple table topper for the summer. I have had the sheep fabric for years, and thought it was perfect for a little table I have to keep snacks in. I also got out to the trailer to check it out and get it ready for a trip I planned for next week.

Well, not sure I am going now, not since I walked in the trailer and looked around. Since I broke my foot, I hadn't been out to the trailers myself, so this was the first time I went in the new one. I started to notice little black spots, mouse turds. Then I noticed them on the top of the bed, and then found them in the dish drawers. I started looking everywhere and luckily they didn't go in any of the top areas or clothing cabinets, but what I found was, their nest, in a little drawer. It is the one my husband uses for some shorts and bathing suit and he left them in there and they had made a nest in there. 

Then I looked around and could not figure out what they used to make the nest, until I opened the hidden storage under the bed. They had chewed a hole in a quilt and used the stuffing from inside. As I was taking things out to clean, I noticed a horrid smell in the bathroom and it wasn't until I lifted the garbage can with a swing lid that I found the mice, both dead. They jumped on top and fell in and couldn't get out. So, I have sprayed everything down with bactroban and letting it sit till the sun comes out. Then I have to clean every surface and open windows to air it out. Luckily the smell is gone, but I read up on sanitizing and following those steps. It is going to take me awhile to do all that cleaning, so leaving on thursday seems too much. The Rv is also a mess, seems the workers who installed the new generator made a mess, so that has to be cleaned too. 

So, not too happy with all that and that someone who said things was fine, did not look in every space like I said. So, for now I am just going to take care of me and work on projects and getting my rooms redone so I can be more organized and enjoy being in them again. 

And I finish another painting. I find it hard to follow her directions, but I try and do the lesson parts and a bit on my own. The next one was another sunflower, so I skipped that and am onto a rose. I will keep the ones I don't do for Alex, he loves to paint and I can teach him a bit with watercolor painting.

Last week we went for a walk at the farm sanctuary. Lots of birds, but none wanted a photo, but I was able to catch a funny pair of swallows. Another swallow kept going to their nesting box and they were getting upset. It finally left and the two were happy again.

We stopped at the beach and walked a bit to see if the piping plovers were nesting behind the fences. I took photos and realized when I saw them, I realized I had spotted a group of Killdeer. It is a protected area, so I guess they are using it too. We also spotted an Osprey and a Willet. 

The other day I was watching tv and I heard a loud thump on the back door. I found this poor guy on the porch, who was stunned from the hit. I watched him until he finally moved and then he jumped over to the rail, and eventually a tree, then off to the trees where they stay. I was so glad he was ok, I love seeing the Orioles come to the feeder, they are so beautiful. I have stickers on my windows, but when the sparrows dive in, they scare off others who fly into the window on occasion. 

So it was a week of good and bad, among other things, so for now, I will just relax and decide if I can ever sleep in a bed that had mice pooping all over it, even if I clean it, lol. We had a tent trailer that happened to, and they ate through the mattresses, we sold it. I hope everyone has a nice Mother's Day, another holiday I avoid, but I find a way to enjoy the day in other ways. It looks like warmer weather and less rain next week, so I hope you all have better weather and we can all enjoy some time outside.

Final Finish!

 

This week I finished my wall hanging. I had a few touches I wanted to add, one being the stars I forgot. I also added some buttons to the flowers. Then I finished with an outer stitching on the edge. I also started a punch needle piece, that I started years ago. I had it in a hoop and left it on and crushed some of the floss areas, so I took those out and doing a bit at a time. Another project I found, is an old quilt I made a long time ago, so I just need to add a backing and do some quilting, to finish it. 

I also found another punch needle piece, the exact same one I just did with the sheep. Well, now I have two and the first one is one I like better. It is narrower and better contrast, so that I will keep to make a key rack with and the other will be fixed and sold.

Last week I was able to get a few good hikes in. One place we went was a pond walk. It goes in and out of woods, along the pond, into a farm field and back around the pond. With all the wind storms and flooding, there is also a lot of downfall.

We were sitting on the deck, overlooking the pond and I spotted this guy. A Great Blue Heron, too busy to notice me as he was fishing. 

And a few birds that I spotted; a Hairy Woodpecker, a Black Capped Chickadee and when I got home, I spotted our first Hummingbird.

Our next hike was two new areas. The first was an old road that went along fields and I did notice after, there are lots of trails on the other side, so something to explore another day. Down the road, we found another trail but no parking spots. Luckily I have a trail finder and found another parking spot, on the opposite side. 

It was a beautiful place to walk, lots of birds that I couldn't catch and it opens to a field, where you can do more birding. Another place to come back to and explore more of the trails.

On the way in, I spotted this bird and grabbed a shot, before it flew away. I had to do a lot of editing to get it to show up better, but a first for me, an Ovenbird. 

I hope you all had a good week and not too much flooding this week. Lots of areas here got flooded, so we won't be able to hike in a lot of areas, that are swampy. I also got my garden started and need to do some shopping for more plants, so hoping to get that done this week, while we have nice weather.

Friday Finish!

 

This week I wanted to work on a new project. This is a design by Cheri Saffiote and perfect to add to my Summer decor. The original design is four blocks with the same design, so I made mine into a smaller wall hanging and added the saying. I realized after I took the photo, I forgot to add the stars. I have mini star buttons that I will add on.

Last weekend was Alex's first communion. He looked so cute, all dressed up.

And a family photo at the altar.

One afternoon we walked at the local preserve. It is a nice walk through the woods and down to the bay.

On Sunday we went to a local park that had a grand opening with giant trolls, made from found materials. 

And a second one, hidden in the wooded area.

Today Bill came home early, so we headed to the bird sanctuary. It is nice to walk along the paths without the weekend crowds. We got to see the Ospreys, hidden in the back area.

A first sighting for me, a Common Yellowthroat.

Lots of Catbirds in all of the areas, so there are always a few who will come out and pose for me.

A few more of the birds and critters that I could get a shot of. Most were busy flying back and forth and always in tree areas, so I couldn't focus in on them. I hope you have a good weekend and can get out and enjoy nature in your area. With the warmer weather, a lot of birds are coming in and you never know what you will find, if you look up.

Friday; Will be working on!

 I am still working on my hand quilting, but finally at the top design. Once that is done, then the border and putting it all together. The next quilt I want to do is one I made years ago and planned on doing fancy free motion on. 

The fabrics in this quilt were gifted to me by Barbara Brackman. I made it with a center design, thinking it would go on our bed, but it would need more edge, to do that. I will finish as is and it will be a summer, Americana quilt. I am going to have to decide on the quilting, maybe not too fancy, but it will be machine quilted. There is a darker red, solid border on it.

This weekend, we enjoyed time with the kids. We had a fun Easter egg hunt. 

I also got a croquet set and the boys enjoyed playing a few rounds with me. 

Over the weekend we were able to get out for a bit and enjoyed a ride around the beach areas. I got a surprise when I saw two birds, fighting in the sky. I was able to get a quick shot before they flew off. A juvenile Eagle was trying to get a fish from an Osprey.

We also found another Osprey couple, who made a home near the ocean road. The male had a nice catch and the female was upset that he was eating without her.

He finally flew up and gave her the rest.

Today we spent the afternoon on the island. I never get sick of the view from the cliffs.

And we found a bit of beach treasures today. I really need to start making things with all the treasures. I hope you all had a good week and get to enjoy the solar eclipse. I got some glasses so I can watch it this time.