Friday Finishes, Yes, I actually finished two things!

I finished the piece I was working on and the piece I finished earlier. The old houses is a design by Primitive Spirits, gifted to me by a friend. I loved the design and had thought I would mount it on wood and add nail hooks for a key holder, but I changed my mind.

I remembered I had a square box and it was the perfect size for this piece. The box was gray, but I painted it white, then sage green and sanded it down. I was hoping for more white to show, but my hand is still messed up, so not strong enough for heavy sanding. I ended up antiquing it to match the piece. The punch looks lighter than it is, it is more stained than shows, so it goes perfectly with the box. I think it would make a nice gift and something they can use to put items in.

The second piece was a free design by Julie of The Old Tattered Flag. Another design I loved when I saw it and the perfect gift for a friend who has a birthday coming up. I like making pillows, they are small enough to fit anywhere and go nice in settings. I also remembered why I don't use java stain on punched pieces, it leaked out and the hidden colors like green, came out. I had to rinse it a few times to get it out, but it left some darker staining.

Today was one of those days when I felt overwhelmed with all I had to do. We are heading to camp tomorrow for a 3 day weekend. I had to cook food, clean up all the messes, pack clothing, laundry, clean house and finish some rocks to take with me, but I got most of it done. Just a few more dishes and I will vacuum and tomorrow I can get last minute things done. The nice thing about camping nearby is we can leave later and only a half hour away. We are camping at the state park on the lake with a spot next to the boat launch, so I plan on relaxing and paddling and getting some bike riding in, this time.

I wasn't doing very well with my painting last week, so I took a few that weren't too bad and finished them up quickly. Not the best, but I am sure, whoever finds them will have fun and that is what counts. I can do the rest, next week, to take on our next trip. Then that will be it, I have lots of quilting and things to make and the holidays will be here before I know it.

I hope  you all have a nice weekend, and prayers for those in the hurricane's path.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend we got a bit of rain, so I used the time to get things done and when the rain stopped, we took a trip to the lighthouse. It was perfect timing, not too many people and the perfect place to hide my rocks. The bad thing was, after I left them, carloads of families came in and when we got back from our hike, all the rocks were gone. One couple found the funny face and posted, but no word from the others who found them.

This time we walked along the rocks and just enjoyed the views. A fog bank came rolling in.

With the end of the rain and bits of sun, it was also a good time to enjoy the beauty of nature on our walk.

This butterfly has the strangest face, it reminds me of a bunny.

A strange flower along the cliffs, no idea what it is. It was a perfect day for walking, but Bean was upset that he couldn't run down the cliffs to the water.

On Sunday we went to the forts again. It is a large area with several parking areas and beach ways, as well as view points, so we can always find a spot without the crowds.

We enjoyed watching the boats coming in and out of Newport. We also went to the launch and beach so Bean could play a bit. The problem was, there were more people, paddlers and divers and two dogs fetching balls in the water. Bean got so excited, he jumped in and started paddling out to them, luckily he was on a leash. I don't think he realized how far out and deep it was and it was the first time he ever went over his head on purpose, to swim. I wish I could have videoed him but I was too busy holding on to him and not getting pulled in, lol.

We decided to take him to his Aunt Natalie's so he could play off leash. He got to have fun and we took a dip. The tide was out though, so between the reeds and all the gunk from boaters, it wasn't as nice, as it usually is. But it is still a nice quiet spot to relax with Bean and I got lots of rocks to paint. I spotted this bee on her flower bush, I think he was full up on pollen. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finishes!

This has been a rainy week so it was a good week to work on some new projects. The first one is a free design by Cheryl Seslar. I have had the pattern for years, so not sure where I got the free one.

I wanted to have fun with this one so I used more color. I will make it into a mini quilt and it will go into my gift box.

The second piece I made is from another design I found on the internet. I am not sure who the designer is and the site is in another language, so I hope it was free. I just loved this one, love the saying and the cute angel, just brings a smile to my face and hopefully the person who I decide to give it to. The photos are not the best, so hopefully I can get some nicer ones when I finish them.

I added a few fun touches on this one, the hair is done with a chain stitch and the stars are an addition. I also used batting on this one, that way I get more depth in the piece, the raggedy ann is done just on the cloth and a looser weave, I think I prefer the muslin for stitchery.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. We have rain on and off so hopefully we will get some breaks and out for a few walks.

Friday Finishes!

I am slowly getting back into creating again, sitting and relaxing is just not in my nature. Relaxing to me is working on projects while I watch tv and with the cold weather, I will be doing more of that for a few more months.

I wanted to try a punched kitty, like the ones I did with cross stitch. I used one of my cats for this piece to see how it worked. I am not thrilled with how it came out. I used 6 strands on all of it and a higher height for the designs and face and It came out too sloppy looking and the design is too big for the area. So, I will make some new ones with new ideas and designs that I thought of, while I made this one.

I was thinking of making a pair and they could be used as Christmas ornaments or stand alone. If you have any ideas of what  you would like to see, in new patterns, let me know and I will see what I can create. If I use your idea in a pattern, you will receive the pattern for free!

I am also fighting off lyme symptoms again, so my joints and nerves ache, which makes it harder to do nice work, but I will still create. And my brain is on hold most of the time and I just noticed, I forgot to add his bell in the front, duh. I think for the next kitty I will make a collar to go around his neck.

I also finished another block from the garden stitchery. Only one more to go and then I can decide on borders and how it will go together. It takes me longer to stitch since I mess up a lot and have to take it out to fix stitches that are spaced apart, ones I didn't notice at first;)

I hope everyone has a nice weekend. I am hoping to get out and enjoy a ride to the ocean, even if I have to sit in the car, it is nice to just be at the ocean. We may get a warm up, over 40 is going to feel warm.

Friday Finishes and Winners!

This week I actually finished two pieces. The first is a stitchery by Woodberry Designs. You can still visit her page and download the stitchery if you would like one.

My sister redid a room in her apartment with a garden theme, so I thought this would be a nice piece for her new room. I like the saying and it is garden and sewing, so something from me to her since she lives far away.

The original is done in red work, but I liked the idea of using some basic colors on my piece.

The second piece was something quick and easy. I wanted to make a mini americana quilt for my bunny, just for fun. I used up scraps in this piece and hand stitched it with black pearl cotton. I sprayed watered down walnut stain on it, when it was done.

And now for the giveaway winners! The correct answer was B, the story goes that the couple were not allowed to get married so they eloped and paddled away in a canoe. They paddled into the ocean, and when they saw the river, they paddled up and landed at the fresh water brook. The local indians befriended them and eventually they built a home and farm in the same area.

Donna G. gave the correct answer so she is the winner of one epattern and the random number generator picked #11, which is Julie Fukuda. Ladies please email me with the pattern of your choice from my ecrater site.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!