Friday Finish!

 

Since I never got a chance to do any drawing at camp, I decided to whip up a stitchery from one of my photos. There are so many birds at camp, but most are hard to catch. I happened to spot a group of Goldfinches and caught one who sat for a few seconds.

I decided to make a stitchery from a photo I too, which you can see in the photo below. It is not as detailed, but perfect for a little pillow sachet. I would like to do more ideas with my photos and add sayings to them, for patterns.

During our walk, we saw a lot of birds and critters. The area is beautiful and even though the camp is full, the back areas are quiet.

I also got to paddle one day. I went under the bridge and around the corner, I spotted two Green Herons. 

And in the inner cove, an Osprey was hanging out on a post. We got a lot of walks in and even on the rainy day, we had breaks so we walked in the cove, during low tide. Bean loved that, could walk for miles and never go over our lower legs. This week we are resting, catching up around the house and planning our next trip. We want to take a week and head north, so not sure yet. I hope everyone had a good week and enjoying the cooler fall weather.

Friday Finish!

 I hope everyone had a nice week and are enjoying some cooler weather. We got a good amount of rain, so everything is greening back up and now we have warm sun and cooler breezes, perfect fall weather. I was still recovering from the flu the kids gave me, so I rested a bit and was able to finish a new piece, while working on my wheel chair quilt. I have a few more blocks to finish and then I can put it together.

This design is another from Kathy Schmitz. It was perfect for a gift box that is going out this month, something fun for fall and practical. It looks more wonky in the photo and I did cut off angle, but in person it looks straighter.

Since Alex and I had the same flu, we took them for a bit during the weekend to give the kids time to get things done at home. We spent one day at home, watching tv and Nick wanted to take photos of the birds, so we sat on the porch and took some photos.

Here is Nick's photo. He was using the kid's camera I got him, a few years ago. Maybe this year I can get him a better one, he loves taking photos.

And one of the cardinal, when he was sitting in the tree, that I took.

The next day I had plans to go paddling, but the boys asked if they could go out with us, so we took them to the beach. I think it did them good, they need more fresh air.

Nick loves the beach and digging holes.

Alex had fun, filling up the bucket and adding water to the hole.

I did some walking on the beach and found a few treasures, my first find was a light blue bottle stopper.

I had plans to take them out on my new board,  this weekend but it seems they have gotten sick again. We have a nice weekend coming up, so I plan on being outside as much as possible. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

 

A new month means a new design by Kathy Schmitz. This year she is doing another contest where we can make at least 8 of one type of item, from new or past designs. I have decided to go with hot pads, since they are fun to make, I have a ton of Insulation-brite and I will have gifts to give to friends and family members.

The original design is a robin, in red shades, I have gone with actual colors for mine. It also had a thistle type flower on some tops, but for some reason my brain stopped working and I traced them into smaller leaves. Mine is all leaves since I colored them before I realized my mistake. It still looks nice with all the green and the robin and I have a few nieces who love birds.

Last weekend we got a day with the boys. The weather was nice, so we took them to the Umbrella Factory, which is a throw back to the 70's. The boys got to pick something out in the shop and we walked around the grounds. They have Emu's and Chickens that roam about the property. 

We stopped at a couple of beaches and the boys had fun on one beach looking for treasures.

At another they enjoyed the playground. Nick ended the day, telling me he had a good day, which always makes my day.

And we got to spend a few afternoons at the beach. I enjoy the afternoons when the tide is just right to find treasures that get thrown up with the tide.

This week I will be getting ready for Easter. I have gotten the boys a few small toys and candy eggs to hide for our Easter hunt. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish and Fun!

 

Another week has gone by and I feel like I just started. I was able to get a few things done this week, one was the stitchery by Kathy Schmitz. She offered it along with the design for the monthly club and I thought it was perfect for the sewing room.

I also made some more masks. Some extra for Bill since he is working and does the shopping, he can use at least two a day. The others are for my son, he is using Gaters and they do not really offer protection. He has a larger round face so the mens didn't fit him. I went up a size and used blue jean fabric on two and black broad cloth on the others, so we will see if they are big and stiff enough for him.

Last weekend we took all the boys out, my son wanted to go for a walk and we ended up tiring them all out with a hike at Barn Island, for 4 miles. 

On Sunday, Bill and I went to the Patchaug forest in Connecticut. We took a new trail that took us down some old fire roads, then a path through the woods to the overlook. The cabin is a shelter for hikers, nothing fancy but nice when you want to get off the ground.

We also took some short walks up paths on the other side, to see what they were like. I will definitely want to come back to the boardwalk when the flowers are in bloom. The long trail with the pines goes for miles, so we may try more of that path, the next time.

At home I have been enjoying the birds. I got a new feeder for them, so hopefully I can get clearer photos of them. It is one of the joys I can enjoy at home. A Tufted Titmouse, a red Breasted Nuthatch and a Downy Woodpecker.

And the leaves have fallen, which is Bean's favorite time. It is useless to rake with Bean around. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay safe and enjoy some adventures of your own.

Vacation in the fall!

 

We were able to take a few more drives this week and enjoy seeing some new places. Our first stop was a pond in Connecticut. When we got there I saw plenty of parking and a dirt road so we parked there and noticed a lot of old cabins. I assume when the state took over the property, the cabins were part of an old camp.

When we got to the end of the road we found a wonderful park with plenty of parking and a beautiful spot to picnic and enjoy the views of the pond. We will have to bring the boys here some day, I think they would have fun, running around.

Our plans were to go to the Connecticut River for a walk along a bike path, but as usual, we got off the beaten path and found places along the way that we stopped to enjoy. We never did get to the river but we enjoyed a stop at a town, we were passing through.

There was a nice park where we enjoyed views of the town and the foliage lined hills, along the way.

A train came by as we were walking in the park.

Since it was getting later, we headed back home and a spot I found on the map. It was a place called Eagleville pond, but no eagles. We did get to see a blue Heron.

Today, rain was predicted. I was almost out of apples so we headed to the orchards. We got two large bags full and since we had time, stopped at the hill to get a little upward hike in and a few views. I wasn't up to the full hike to the top, so maybe next weekend when more color comes in.

Tomorrow will be another day and I am not sure what we will do, it all depends on the weather. I hope you are all having a nice week and enjoyed following along with me as we explore new places in our area.

Friday Finish and Giveaway!

First I want to say, I hope all of you in the storm's path are safe and stay safe, clean up is where a lot of accidents happen. I am posting early, just in case our power goes out. We are at the end of the storm, but it only takes one power line to hit the whole area.

Another thing I was wanting to ask, are any of you having a hard time posting in the comment section. I cannot comment on a lot of posts, unless they have a security button, so I do read the blogs and keep up, but cannot comment.

So, what I am wondering, for you that have a problem, what computer are you using and what browser. Trying to find a common denominator and hopefully we can fix the problem. I am on a Mac book pro with safari.

This week I have been dragging, camping and the boys wore me out, lol. I decided to do some simple stitcheries from Kathy Schmitz's monthly club. I reduced the designs and some of the stitches and made a little sachet and Christmas ornament. I have two more to do, but I got distracted this week.

My distraction is a new design, I got inspired finally!  A fun new design for Halloween with a nautical theme.

So, now for the giveaway. Please leave a comment if you can, if not, email me with the answers to my question and I will put the names from the comments and emails into a drawing. The winner will get a copy of my new design, which is a Pdf file, so open to everyone. I will pick a name next Friday and announce the winner, that night.

Friday finishes!

It has been a long few weeks, but my sister left this week and I can finally relax and hopefully get better. My visit to the doctor revealed congestion that is causing me to feel wheezy and out of breath, so he has me back on medicine. I have been resting and getting a few things done, but just having time to myself, has helped and time to create again. I think as artists, we need to create, it is what keeps us happy and healthy.

Bill has the week off and I am still undecided on what to do. Go to NH and hope the foliage blooms this week, or stay home and enjoy our area while the weather is good. I know we will have a pretty good week, not so sure what the weather will be in NH. I guess I better make up my mind tomorrow if I want to make reservations.

One thing I got to do this week, was make a new stitchery. The design is by Kathy Schmitz for her one stitch club. I admit, I was hoping for a halloween piece, but this was a fun one to do. It seems to be popular, since my nieces love it, and I am making them one with a lighter background and more color.

This piece I made using my coffee stained muslin. I love the dark color, but you cannot trace on it, with the light pad. So, I got a piece of my Sulky Solvy and traced it on that. It is easy to trace on and you can use it in a printer if you want. It sticks well, and be repositioned if it is not centered. It does stay on while you are stitching, which is another plus.

Here is how it looked after I stitched it. The bad thing is, it is harder to stitch through. The gummy back also gets on your needle, so harder on your hands and joints, to push the needle through.

And here it is, after I washed it off and made it into a pillow. I was not happy with the results, I see quite a few gaps. Not That I don't have some when I stitch, but areas that looked stitched on the paper, were actually empty.

It washes off easily, but it did leave some residue, so I had to rinse it longer than they said and more than once. I can still see a bit, that didn't come off. Someone did mention that washing the fabric first, makes it wash off easier, so I guess I will have to try that.

Another project I worked on was, painting glass jars. Bill has been getting yogurt in jars and they look just like candle holders. I didn't have time to shop for sea glass paints, so I tried my own. I mixed sea foam green with antique decoupage. Painting it on, left streaks, with brush and a sponge brush, wasn't happy with the results. Then I remembered I had a small sponge and tried that. I like the look of sponging and it has more of a beach look. After the paint dried, I added a light coat of gloss to seal it. I was thinking I could do little sailboats with glass or I may try painting a design on this set.

And if they have a candle in them, the design or glass would light up. This is with a tea candle, but I did not paint the insides, so you can burn a candle in them. Hopefully this weekend, I can find some frost paint and I also read that enamel is good, as well. It is a great way to reuse the jars and something anyone can do. You could also decoupage paper designs from your computer or ones that are found at the craft store.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Weekend finish and finds!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. I woke up sick yesterday so no dinner with the family, Bill and I took it easy and he took me to the beach for a little while. There is nothing like fresh air and hunting for glass, to take my mind off my misery.

It is also a new month which means a new stitchery from Kathy Schmitz, from her One Stitch at a Time Club. I still need some more sachets, so I made another with this design to place with my wools. It was nice to have something small to keep my hands busy while I rested.

Of course I got out for some more glass hunting. It is the best time with all the winter storms and before the crowds hit the beaches. We did have the kids over on Saturday for a fish fry, and when it was time to go to church I opted to stay home, I guess I was getting hit with the bug and didn't realize it. But, I enjoyed the time with the kids and beach combing, so it was still a good weekend.

The two larger rocks at the bottom left are green, one is a lime shade and one an olive, but the years of tumbling has made them dark to the eye, but you can see the colors when they are held up to the light. You would be surprised at how many I find, just laying on the ground, people do not realize it is glass, especially with the brown. The yellow glass was a rare find for me.

Friday Finishes!

This week I did some rocks and a stitchery and actually cleaned up my sewing room, so I can get to all of those projects I have been wanting to do.

I had four rocks that I base coated, so it was worth finishing them, for now this will be the last batch. I am having a hard time keeping my hand steady for small areas and with the rough surfaces, it just take me too long to do a decent job. I have been wanting to make heart pillows for breast cancer and I have a few finished mini stitcheries that I can gift with, so between that and Christmas quilting, I think I will be busy enough.

These were done with some free clip art images, that I found. I like to make items that make people smile and hopefully these will. If you are interested in joining my group on Facebook, it is called DSmiles4miles, no pressure, just a group for those who want to make things for others and spread happiness to others.

Another item I finished was a little pillow for cat lovers. It is a free design from Quilts by Cheri, a Facebook group. I think it is a great gift idea for a cat loving friend.

And a reminder to find joy in your life, even in the simple things.

We are getting into the colder temperatures now, but we still plan on exploring, just less time outside. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wandering and a Finish!

I actually got some sewing time in, this weekend, and I spent a little time working on my painting. I realized I was trying too hard and the little painting is not a good size for the tutorial, so at this point, I am just going to paint it and finish it, then work on the large one with the video tutorial.

I did get to finish my piece for the One Stitch at a Time Club. I love doing the monthly piece, they are wonderful designs and work up quickly. I made mine with lavender so I can place it with my wools to keep the moths away.

I realized when I looked at the photo, that I missed a few pieces of two leaves, duh to me. I can go back in and fix that. I pull the thread through from the side seam and that way it goes in and stays put with the knot.

The green and yellow threads are Cosmo threads, that I ordered with my winnings. I got patterns, but I wanted to try the threads. I have to admit, they are wonderful to work with and I am getting tired of my DMC, twisting and catching and having to pull out and fix them. It seems the quality has gone down, do others notice that?

This weekend we got out for a bit and enjoyed a visit to the island and hit our usual parks for some short walks. We enjoyed views from the cliffs, the boats are starting to come out on the weekends.

We did a little cliff climbing to enjoy the solitude and views in a hidden area.

Of course we had to take Bean to the other side, for a play on the beach. It was high tide so we stayed in one area and let him play, while I looked for sea glass and heart rocks, much better to find it at low tide. The cormorants were hanging out at the rocks.

We had the kids over for Mother's day. Bill did the cooking and Billy surprised me with a new light pad. I have been wanting a new one and this one is large and skinny, perfect for my new patterns. I already have two done on backing that I can work on this week. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

I stole this photo off of amazon, it is a 20" long, great for those oversized patterns. It is a huron, adjustable light. I am not sure if it really has more light than my old one though, I still have areas that are harder to see but I may be doing something wrong, will have to test it more with different fabrics.

Friday Finish!

This week flew by, seems I spent most of it, cleaning and shopping and getting ready for my new project, but I was able to make the newest block by Suzy's Sitcom, Words to Live by. This is a fun one to do and I think it will make a nice gift, so it keeps me motivated.

I also started my canvas boards for the painting class, that I won. It is offered by Teresa Kogut as part of her courses, Gather, Dream, Create. This one is called Angel Strokes and she also has one that offers several others. Of course my boards are different sizes, one is slightly smaller than the original and I also made a mini one for practice. I also cheated and used art pens to trace the designs, so they are wobbly and messed up, but paint will cover us those mistakes;) I am not at my best this week, so I will let them sit till next week and then start painting. The weekend is here and time for another adventure.

I took a photo at my art table, I think it is time to finish my room and start decorating the rest, so I can enjoy using it this summer. The room is a lot cooler and will be nice since I won't have to use the air conditioner. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, filled with adventures and creativity.

For some reason things look crooked, so I have to look at it, maybe we hung up a crooked, or the wide angle made it look off. You can see the mini board in front of the larger one.

Friday Finish!

Not a lot done this week, mostly resting or more like, saving my energy to do what cleaning and cooking I can, so not as much crafting. I have been reading tutorials on watercolor pencils, I would like to express my creative side in paints and work on new designs that way. And of course, dreaming of warmer weather.

I finished another stitchery from Suzy's Sitcom, called Words To Live By. It is a fun stitchery to do, and lots of stitching, but mine is reduced in size, so it takes me longer to make smaller stitches and not mess up too much;) I am also using 3 strands of floss to make the design show better and be stronger in a quilt.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, we have one partially nice day, so hopefully I can get out for a short walk before the rains come.

I took a phone photo, so not the best quality shot.

Friday Finish!

This week I decided to make a new project to keep me busy while I rested. I have been taking double doses of D3 and I would say that it works much better than any other medicine. My symptoms are bearable and it is boosting up my immune system so I am fighting off the bug, so hopefully I will be able to get out and enjoy another weekend.

While I rested I made a new punch needle, the design is by Lori of Notforgotten Farm and was offered as a freebie to the Facebook groups.

I love the saying and it is a fun design to do, though mine came out a bit wonky. I also think I need to replace my needles, I have been using them for years and I think it is showing in my work.

I also received a box of patterns from a friend, so I am working on another punched piece of an easter design. Our weather has been weird, sunny, then raining, then cold, then hot and yesterday an ominous cloud came rolling over and the next thing I knew it was hailing. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

I took a quick photo to try out my new lens. Yes, I took back the last one and got a new one, lol. This one is 24mm-70mm and better than the one that came with the camera, but not the best one. The best also has a higher price and weight, so this one is just right for me.

Friday Finishes and Fotos!

This week was a slow one for me, I think the holidays wore me out and I just need some rest time. I love to do simple projects while I watch tv when I am resting, so I worked up a few stitcheries this week.

The first is from Kathy Schmitz's One stitch at a time club. The sample was done as a pin cushion, but as usual I changed it and added some words for fun. They will be fun to use as bowl fillers for Easter.

The second was a freebie from Kathy, Strawberry pincushions. The only thing I did different was to change the topper, keeping mine simple and more prim. The colors are off, it is darker and done on tea stained muslin, but I had to use my zoom to get photos tonight.

Another thing I did this week was take back my wide angle lens. I decided I would be better off with a zoom, so Bill took it back and ordered the zoom and I got that, this week. The problem is, I went to take photos tonight and realized the wide angle was on the camera, ughs, I took back the wrong lens. I cannot believe they didn't check the box, I could have put junk in there, for all they knew. So now I have to get up there and give them the right lens and hope mine is still there. 

I took a few photos to try it. For some reason, no birds were around when I wanted them to be, lol. But, a woodpecker was busy in my neighbor's tree so I took a few shots. He was a good distance up and the limbs made it hard to focus well, but I think it came out nicely, considering.

I also tried taking photos of Bean, but he does not stay still. I got one as he was coming back with a stick. I cropped it to close up and I think I got nice definition for a crop of a zoom. Usually if i do this, all I get is a blurry object and Bean was in motion. Hopefully we can get out on Sunday, seems we have a storm coming in tomorrow. We will need to get out and get supplies and things before it hits. I hope you all stay safe from the storms and enjoy your weekend.