Friday Finishes!

I received my issue of Primitive Quilts and Projects and I loved the hooked rug by Mad Hen Primitives. I decided to try it with punch needle so I reduced the design to make a pillow. I was trying to keep it toned down and similar colors, not sure if I really like how it came out, but not too bad.

My arm has been bothering me more this week, so I don't have the control I would like and it tends to make me stiffen up, so my punching gets tighter, as you can see by the various blobs of hoops that got smashed into it;)

I used two pieces of rug yarn and twisted them as I whip stitched it on. I also gave it a light coat of antique stain. It is a 6" pillow and I think it does look better in person than in a photo.

I also have plans to get out this weekend, warm weather and the leaves are turning, so we are heading up towards Massachusetts and hopefully hit the foliage. I wanted to have some rocks to hide as we travel, so I whipped up a quick batch. I do think the ghosts are fun and they are easy to make, maybe I should see if I can find some more of those shapes and make some for next weekend.

I did try a new pen, it is the same brand but it was a brush tip. I found it hard to see where I was going and it doesn't dry like the thin pen, so I couldn't clean around it without smudging it. I do like it though, for rocks it would be nice to color them in but they are not cheap, so I will stick with paint.

If you are interested in making your own rocks or other items to hide, for others to find, you can join my group on Facebook, DSmiles4miles.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I plan on enjoying the nice weather.

Halloween Fun!

This week I worked on finishing my candy corn rocks. I love the simple rocks with fun faces and this is a fun way to make something that fits with the season. I have decided on a group name so I could add it to the rocks. It will be called Smiles4miles! This way, anyone can join in, and no limitations on where you live.

I still have to work on the Facebook pages and I plan on doing up some tags that you can print out. They will have the group name and a saying, so all you have to do is print them and add them to your pieces. This is for any crafter or artist and you can also join in to learn and explore new ways to help others.

On the back of these rocks I put smiles4miles and since some were larger, I added, smile at the next person you see. I thought that would be fun and on the tags I usually add a similar saying for those who find the items, so they can pass along an act of kindness.

I still have to put on a few coats of finish, but I had to get the name and writing on tonight, then I let it dry a day, to be safe. It is windy and rainy today, so I will have to wait for better weather, to spray outside. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon, then I can drop a few on Sunday.

I will also be doing heart pillows, another way to join in, sewing offers lots of possibilities, especially with the holidays. If you want to join early, you can go to Smiles4miles on Facebook. I would also like to hear your thoughts and ideas. I want to keep it simple, fun and a compassionate group of artists and crafters. Hopefully I can get all the information and files done this weekend.

I also needed to make something new, every so often I like to try something that I can do in a day or two. I actually made this in an afternoon, and it does look it, lol. I was trying to follow directions on YouTube and they tend to talk a lot and I get impatient and start scrolling through fast and working on mine and the next thing I knew, I was off on my own in the wrong direction.

I wanted to do sculpting, but with their method of using yarn for the sections, my area was too small, so I just did a bit and made it goofy. I had fun making it and it does look better in person, I couldn't get an outdoor photo and flash really brings out the fuzziness, that isn't there. I learned what I did and didn't like, while making it, so I may just try another, or maybe a pumpkin head doll, we shall see where my mood takes me.

I definitely went whacky on the top, reminds me of Miss Piggy, lol.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Of course I will be outside as much as possible, some nice warm fall days and the antique barn is having their annual sale and raffle. We won last year, so maybe we will get lucky again.

Halloween pieces!

This week I finally found my pattern that I won from one of Stacy's, Buttermilk Basin, promotions. It is from the series Wool Crazy for October. I wanted to make it easier, my favorite way to say I am lazy;)

I had a large piece of stiff Eco felt in black and I thought it would make the perfect background for the cat. I wanted to hang it on the wall, so the stiff felt was a good base and I found it easy to sew though.

Instead of making the whole kitty in patchwork, I just added a few pieces for fun, and kept it close to the original.

Here is my version of the kitty. Yes, it is a bit crooked;) I had to use the phone, need to charge my camera batteries.

And here is the original pattern.

Another thing I did, was paint more rocks. I know, I said I wasn't going to do anymore, but when you spend a week at the beach, it is hard not to collect rocks.

The problem is, the group I belonged to is not what I thought it was. I am seeing more people making rocks for themselves, wanting the attention for what they paint and a lot, I feel is inappropriate. The group is about making rocks and leaving them, to brighten someones day. I do not see how making rocks with advertising, especially one that had the back end of a man's butt crack for plumbing is something you would put out for kids to find, as well as creepy designs, that does not say happy or smile to me. The thing that got me riled was when someone posted a photo of rock art they made, not to give, but to keep and it was done by copying a design on the internet.

So, I left a nice post about copyrights and that Pinterest is a place for inspiration, not a repository for free designs. I was being nice, not mentioning designs being used and said that people should be careful and check the source of the designs to make sure they are not from artists who are trying to make a living with their designs.

Well, not the reaction I expected. The remarks were nasty and I was basically called a bi.... and Pinterest is for people to find designs and I could see I was not getting through to them and going nowhere, so I deleted the posting. I didn't need to hear that kind of negativity or meanness from a group who states they are there to make people happy. Then I quit the group.

Now here is where you come in, I am wondering if I should start a new group. I have been wanting to do something like this, I love the idea of leaving gifts for people to find, like when I did pillows for Christmas. If I do a group and use RI in the name, it is just for my state, so maybe a name that anyone can use and add their state abbreviation, or country to that. My original idea was SmileRI, and using a heart instead of a dot above the i. Then when you make something, you can put the name on the back or on a tag for sewn or handmade items. It will be for the joy of giving and  the fun of seeing the person who finds it.

For now it is an idea, and I would like to know what others think, if there is enough interest and I can work out the details and set up the site on Facebook. Please let me know your thoughts and ideas that you would like to see, in a group like that.

For now, here is what I am working on. I thought it would be a quick project but the orange did not want to go on nicely, so I have been putting on coat, after coat. I will be putting silly faces on them, so that will have to be done and then the finish, so they will have to wait till next weekend to get hidden.

They are not perfect in the color bands, but I think they will look fun with the faces. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.