Friday finishes!

 This week I made three new pieces. Two dogs and an octopus. I think the octopus is cute and if I enlarge it a bit, perfect as a pillow. The puppies are fun, since I can use fun fabrics with them. 

We haven't been able to get out, first I was sick and then the blizzard. We did lose power, but our solar kept up charged, until it came back on. It took days for the plows to do our roads, but we did get done sooner than most, since we are near a school. Now it is warming up, just enough to melt some of it. 

This is Bill trying to keep the main path cleared, while it was still snowing. By the end, it was up to his hips. It took days to clear out areas. I would love to go out on my CC skis, but the snow is too deep and with drifts, you sink up to your waist in some areas. Tomorrow we will go out for a ride and stick to the main roads. I hope everyone is doing well and not buried in snow.

Friday Finish!

 

As usual, someone got me sick, and we have horrible weather, so it's a stay at home weekend. This week I was able to make two more stuffed animals for the kids. And as usual, I cannot post my blog with photos, until I clear my cash and restart Safari.

It was a pattern I found online, they come in a set with a photo of the dog and the dog shape. I added a few of my own touches and a ribbon. I am not sure if ribbons are allowed, but I just tied it on, so it can be taken off. These are really fun to do and they work up quickly. 

Last week we were able to get out, when the weather was above freezing. Still a bit cold, but the bay side was less windy, so it was nice to get out on the beach for a bit.

The tide was coming back in and I spotted a group of gulls, trying to catch some food, on the rocks. 

I hope this finds everyone well and staying safe at home. It seems the whole country is getting hit with bad weather. Hopefully this will be the last of it and Spring will arrive soon.

Final finish!

 

All I got done this week is finishing my dog quilt. I added a saying and the stitching in a couple of leaves I missed. I used a chalk pencil to draw the saying on, so it's not perfect but I like how it brings a theme to the quilt, for summer.

Last weekend we took the boys out for birthday shopping and then to the island for some beach time. They ended up getting new sport sneakers and a soccer ball.

A few more sights at the beaches.

The next day, Bill and I went back and took Bean for a walk at the lighthouse. 

It was really foggy in some areas, it just hung over the tower, where I spotted the pair of Ospreys.

I was able to catch a few of the many birds, that hang out in the surrounding bush.

And as we were walking, we spotted a ship, coming in from the fog. We drove to the far end of the island and I was able to catch the ship as she came into the harbor.

Today we took an afternoon walk at the nearby park. It is a great place to get a longer walk in and Bean loves that it ends at the beaches. 

The park is filled with a variety of birds, but none would sit still or show themselves. In one inner cove, I spotted a few blackbirds, this one had a meal he found in the brush.

I hope you are all having nicer weather and can enjoy your weekend.

Friday - almost finished!

 

I worked on my wall hanging this week, something I started over 15 years ago. I can't believe how much time has gone by since I started some projects. I was planning on giving this one to a charity auction for our local shelter, so now I will keep it for now. 

I still have to put some detail on two leaves and I am thinking of putting a saying, Dog days of summer. I have quilted it and done the edge, but I can still work stitches without going through the back, since it is so thick. The bee and grasshopper are designs I got from Wee Folk Art. If you go to her appliqué designs, on page 11, you will see the grasshopper and the story behind it. I was the reader who asked for one.

I will take another photo when I finish the rest. I cannot remember where I got the dog from, the flowers are from books I have and the butterflies were probably from clip art.

This week we missed watching the Viking ship, as it left port from Mystic, so we headed to a beach, further down and were able to watch it as it was making its way to Newport. It will wait there until it is picked up by a cargo ship, to go to Norway. It was far away, so the photo is a bit off.

On the way to the beach, we stopped at the falls. Will all the rain, they are funning faster than usual.

Another day we went for a walk at a nearby park. The falls were heavy there, as well.

During our walk, I was lucky enough to spot another Ovenbird. I use Merlin bird sounds, which is a free app. It tells me what birds are in the area and when I say Ovenbird, I kept looking towards the sound, until I found him.

Today we took a ride around the beach areas, but most were too crowded to bother going to. We decided to stop at Black point, a nice walk along the cliffs and lots of birds. Of course they were all hiding on me, but I enjoyed the walk and the cool breezes coming off the bay.

At home, I have enjoyed all the birds and so far, just sparrows with young, who are quite annoying and noisy. I did spot the House wren making a nest in the old bird house. I also got two blueberry bushes and so far they are doing well with the replanting. I also noticed strawberries on the bushes that Ivy gave me a few years ago, so I am cleaning out the area to give them more room to spread and a fence to keep the critters out.

I hope you all had a nice week and not in the paths of the horrible storms. This weekend is birthdays for everyone, but taking it easy this year. 

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finished the sashing and started working on my wall hanging. Hopefully I will have it done next week. I also got a new mold to try. I have seen this pairing in wood and loved the design, so it was fun to try in resin.

You have to mix the resin properly and I think I didn't get the ratio right for the hardener, my piece is still too soft. The arm and body start to sag down if I leave it up, so hoping if I let it sit, it will harden up. I also tried a little dye which was fun. I got the cheapest type since I am experimenting and maybe not enough, learning as I go. I wanted to make the lady, look like a mermaid, maybe a bra top for the next one, lol. I have tons of small browns, so perfect way to use it on the dog. Later I will add a sea glass eye. 

Over the weekend, we spent some time at the beach. It was a bit chilly, but fun to walk and find a few treasures.

On Sundays we like to go to Connecticut, since hunting is not allowed on that day. We went hiking at a park near the Hatchery, but no eagles. It was a beautiful walk and lots of woods, so we did see a lot of Woodpeckers. There is a stretch on the water, but no warm enough to stand still for long.

During the week, the kids came to visit, while the parents had a day out. The boys are always a joy to have and they both enjoyed working on a puzzle. 

Nick gave the thumbs up, after Alex put in the last pieces. I hope everyone had a good week and not the bad storms coming in this weekend.

Friday Finish!

 I can't believe it is July, already. A holiday weekend coming up and I have no plans and no plans to go out in the traffic and crowds that will be hitting the beaches. The kids have been sick all week, so we won't be able to get together. 

I keep busy at home, always something to do and working on projects in my spare time. I am almost finished with my seaport applique, and all I will have to do is the accent stitching and I will be done. I decided to make something quick, I can always use more lavender sachets and I love the simple and prim designs by Deborah Cade. 

We spent a few afternoons at the beach. It seems there are more people now and less glass, but still a nice place to walk since it has a Long Beach. We enjoy watching the boats and wind surfers and of course, finding treasures along the way. I saw a little head sticking out of the sand and pulled out a gingerbread man.

This week I have had a lot of activity with the Baltimore Orioles. The youngsters are coming out and this particular one was full of energy and was picking on its sibling.

It is hard to tell the sex at a young age, but the males will turn a beautiful orange color. This guy was enjoying a mouthful of grape jelly.

Last night, one forgot to follow the others home and decided to hide out on my porch. It hid beneath the feeding basket and fell asleep for the night.

Another regular visitor is a chipmunk that lives next door. He scurries under the fence and comes to fill his cheeks. The other day, Bean scared him when he went to chase the squirrel, this little guy was at the feeder and started running and Bean chased him. This week I have been training Bean to not chase the chipmunk or the bunnies in the yard and he will stop when I say no, so that is good. He won't hurt them, he just stays on their tail till they clear the yard.

Happy Canada day to my friends across the border! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend.

Friday Finish and Finds!

 

This week I got two free designs from Theodore Cleave Designs. I receive her newsletter and she offered them if you emailed her, so I couldn't resist. Her designs are fun and whimsical and a joy to make. I still have a bunch of stitcheries that I need to make into a quilt, from years ago.

These are nice since I can work them up into pillows and they will be nice as gifts or for sale. I went with a black outline and bright colors, perfect for Christmas.

I also spent the afternoons at the beach, the tide was midway most of the time and the waves were high and powerful, so not the easiest way to find glass, but I found quite a few nice pieces.

Most of the time, the beach was empty but a few people came to enjoy the beautiful weather on some days. Today while we were there, they were having a wedding on the beach. On this day, we had a sky writer who did some music symbols over Newport, where they are having the folk festival.

I hope you all had a wonderful week and fun plans for the weekend. 

Friday Finish!

 

This week I finished another pillow with the monthly design by Kathy Schmitz. The original design had a date and it included a grouping of designs you could add. I loved the cat and dog and thought it would be a perfect gift for my cat sitter. I made the dog a bit more pointy to look like Bean and faces, since the original was blank.

I added lavender, she asked me for some more lavender pillows and she just had some minor surgery, so a happy present while she recuperates.

I also got a chance to make a few masks for the boys. Nick wanted some crazy colored fabric, so that is what he got.

We also got a chance to spend time on the island. We took the RV so Bill could sit and enjoy the views with a few walks along the paved road. Of course I spent the majority of my time at the beach. I got a nice little stash to add to my collection.

The lightening wasn't great and I was getting tired, but I took a few quick shots of the action going on in the marsh area. There is an Osprey nest there and he was swooping back and forth, looking for fish, but too fast to catch him as he got closer.

I hope everyone had a good week and have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

I hope everyone's week went well, with all the bad things going on in the world right now, we all need to find our peace and joy, in our own lives. For me it is crafting and watching the birds in my yard.

This week I finished a Christmas stitchery, made from a freebie by the Facebook group, Love and Hugs from Australia. When I saw this design, I thought of my pet sitter. Since she lives with her parents to help them out, this is something she can put in her room, without taking up too much space. I added my own touches and glitter threads on the clothes and borders, but it doesn't show in the photo.

I also too the time to work on my painting. My brain and arm are not in the best of shape, so I have been base coating to see how I like the colors and something I can change if I want. I have some plans to change it up, but I never know how it will turn out till I am done. The colors are flat looking so I put the photo into a sketch filter, for fun. Once I get the face done and the rest of the colors, then I will decide if I want to change anything. This will be for my bright, happy, room, so I want to keep the colors more bright in this piece.

I am still trying to get a photo of the hummingbirds. This female spent the week watching the feeder and chasing off all the other hummingbirds. She has even buzzed me a few times, since she is getting used to me, being on the porch. Of course I couldn't get the clarity I wanted with he constant motion.

And then I decided to change my settings to get better motion shots and of course, the birds decided to stop moving. With the action setting, I don't get the clarity on still shots. This time the male has taken over the watch and chases the others away. I think I need to get another feeder and put it to the other side of the yard. I think with all this heat, there are not as many flowers and they are all coming to the feeder.

Have a wonderful weekend and may you all be blessed with good health and happy moments in your life.

Friday Finish!

I hope everyone had a nice week and enjoying the summer as much, as is possible. I didn't get much done while we camped or during the week, it was mostly catch up when I got home, but I worked on my quilting and finished another little pillow today.

This is another design by Deborah Cade, and I made up two more to do later.

We had a nice time camping, but it was hot. The campground has a pool, but you have to sign up in the morning to get a time slot, so we were able to take a swim on the second day.

This is our spot, right on the river and surrounded by woods and lots of birds, a peaceful place to relax.

Of course being on the river means, I am on the water as much as possible. It is a small river but deep and it leads to a pond. The pond is full of lilies and plants, but the main passages are easy to paddle along and all deep water.

The area in front of me is all state forest, so a lot of wildlife and birds in the area. I had a hard time getting photos since they were camera shy, but I finally came out later in the afternoon and sat in the lilies to catch a few photos.

This Great Blue Heron was there when I went out each day, I was lucky enough to catch him on the hunt and catching his dinner.

Lots of turtles and dragonflies in the lilies, such a calming place to sit as they flew around me.

And on the way back, I caught this Redwing Blackbird, who had made a nest along the river banks.

It is a nice place to camp and they have activities every weekend. For the fourth they had a wonderful Southern country, rock band and a parade of golf carts on the fourth. Most people didn't wear masks but we kept clear of others and stayed away from the other events, but we will definitely camp here again, everyone was friendly and nice.

This weekend we will rest a bit and catch up on things, but also get out a bit for a day trip. The Ocean beaches are so crowded, you cannot move without people so we will stay away. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and you and your families are blessed with good health.