Friday Finish!

 

Another week zipped by and I didn't get enough done, that seems to be the norm for me, these days. But, I just go with the flow and work on things for fun and eventually I will get to organizing and redoing my room so I can get back to my quilting.

This week I started a few projects and finished one. The design is a freebie offered, by the Old Tattered Flag. I thought it would be fun to try and wish I had added something to the bottom, but it does look nicer in person than in the photo. I will be starting gifts for next year and I also have so many things, that I think I may do some online selling this year.

And I practiced some ideas I had with the masks. I was trying to shorten the sewing time and amount by putting two steps together, but it shortened the masks, so they don't fit me right. They would fit nicely with woman, that have small noses, but mine is definitely too big. 

I took Nick to the fabric store a few weeks ago. I wanted to let him pick some fabric out and he wasn't interested in any of the fun prints, he kept going for the geometrics and strange prints, so I made him some with the squares that I had in my stash.

We got out a bit, last weekend. On Saturday I wanted to take a ride around a reservoir in Connecticut. We drive by all the time, but never around the backside. My instincts were right, no place to park or stop for a shot. But, we did find a nice park on the backside that had open water views, so maybe next time we can go again and catch the eagles.

We did get a nice walk in, nice paths through woods and along the water.

And fun things on the path, as well as an old graveyard nearby.

One thing we saw on the way down was lots of farms and lots of cows. Sometimes just a ride somewhere new and seeing new sights is all I need to lift my spirits.

On Sunday we spent some time at the beach. It was cold and the tide was just going out, but we enjoyed the fresh air and found a few treasures.

And on the home front, the birds are visiting every day. I finally caught a decent shot of the Blue Jay. 

And one of the female Cardinal. The Cardinals are shy, they feed from the side feeder, so hopefully they will come to the porch someday.

Anniversary Week!

This was not our best week to take off, it rained a lot of the time, so I was afraid to make any good plans, just to get washed out. If it was free, I might have, but for the cost of going to the island or Newport, I hated wasting money. Of course when we stay home, the sun comes out and when we go out, the rain comes, can't win.

We usually head north for the week, but with Moki on shots, I would have to pay more for our sitter or leave him with the vet, so for now, easier to stay close to home.

This year makes Forty Four years. It is funny to see how we looked then, Bill with his full head of hair, my dad told him he had to cut it, if he wanted to marry me, lol. That is short compared to the long mane, he had.

We spent most of our dry time, at the beach. The good thing was, we had the beach to ourselves, most of the time. Just being outside in the fresh air was a nice change.

Yesterday we got out late, after the rain stopped, but the fog was thick.

We did find some nice glass on Monday, we spent 5 hours that day, a bit of clouds and sun, so it was a nice day to hunt and enjoy the beach. We also walked the entire length of the beach, so I got some exercise too.

Yesterday we walked more, than hunted, but I did find some nice treasures. The blue piece is my favorite and Bill found a green heart shape. The oyster shell has two holes in it, not sure if it is natural or a piece of lost jewelry.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We finally have sun and heat coming in, but that also means, the crowds will be back.

Friday Workings!

This week I have been working on old projects and starting a new one. I have tons of wool, especially scrap wool, so I plan on using the wool that is not great for hooking or appliqué and making scrap rugs. I was gifted wool, years ago and decided to start with that and making a braided rug.

The great thing about braided rugs are, they are not hard to make and you do not need any tools, if you use what you have. There are various methods so it is a great way to use up junk wool and fabric scraps, as well.

I couldn't find my braid aids, but I did find an old set that was still in the box and it even came with a measuring tool and flat needle for threading. I get old supplies from friends and relatives, so sometimes I don't even realize what I have. It is a nice set and never been used, so I can use it for future rugs. For this one, the strips are too thin to get a nice braid with them.

This is what I have gotten done so far, a bit thinner than I like, but I have enough rolled strips to make a small throw rug, so once I use up this wool, I will finish it off and if I need a little extra, I know I have plenty of similar wools.

I am using my hands to turn the wool under, as I go, so slower going. It also twists as I braid, so I have to untwist it, as I go, so that slows me down, but also gives my hands a rest.

While I was looking for the aids, I found items I had forgotten about. To finish and paint the floral rug, or sell to someone else. The cats would be a fun one for the kitty bowls. And, it is one rug the cats won't claw at. The dog piece is another oldy, I really need to clean out my supplies, lots from the 80's.

And we got to spend time at the beach on the weekend and a few days during the week. The glass photos to the right are from my favorite beach, we found some nice treasures. The smaller photo on the left is from a local port beach, not a lot of great glass, but a few fun finds, a domino and an old local beer cap. Now I need to make time for working on some art pieces I have been thinking about.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish and Fun!

This weekend we got to enjoy time at the beach and time with Nick. He loved visiting his Great Aunt,  especially her new puppy. And of course there is nothing better than exploring the beach with Nick.

It was a beautiful day on the beach and lots of sailboats enjoying the breeze. Grandpa and Nick were being silly.

Nick found a shell tree and added his own shells.

And he loved exploring the beach, he even found some glass for me and a few hidden crabs.

And we had a nice haul, lots of larger pieces too and some fun new shapes.

And that gave me inspiration to make some new things. I used a couple of the larger pieces of glass and painted some nautical designs on them. I used acrylic paint and a coat of gloss over the design to protect them. I left the rest alone, so the frosted glass shows. I like the idea of mounting the larger pieces and working on some ideas for ornaments I can give as gifts.

And used some of the rocks to paint more smile rocks. We will be hiding them this week, when we go camping. If you want to know more about my group, you can visit at DSmiles4Miles on Facebook. The heart rocks are something fun and easy, that anyone can do.

And after all that work of hunting on the beach, we took a swim. Nick loved bobbing up and down on the waves. We will be camping locally, our cat sitter isn't feeling well, so we will stay close to home. That way we can come back every day to take care of the kitties. I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Camping Week!

Yesterday we came home from our camping trip and I hated leaving, but it sure is nice to be home and have the space and conveniences of home. Did I get any sewing done? Of course not, I was too busy going to the beach and just enjoying the views.

A few days we went up to the lake, where we also camp, to go for a swim and let Nick enjoy the shallow waters. The water is much warmer than the ocean, maybe next week when it gets hot, I will go in the ocean.

Nick loved the lake, I think he would have been happy to stay there all day, so I will need to find some last minute openings at the lake camp.

After the lake we took him to our camp for lunch and a little relaxing. Then we hit the beach and he loved that too. I was surprised how brave he was in the water and didn't mind the cold. He an Bean love playing together, and they both love to jump.

Of course we can't go anywhere with Bean, he wants to play with everyone and the kids love him.

When not at the beach, we relaxed at camp. We took a few walks and rode our bikes and Bean loved the extra large space to play in.

And most nights we had a bit of a sunset. The fog and clouds near the ocean, tend to obscure the sun, but on this night, we were treated to a spectacular display, in front of our camp.

And of course beach combing. The tide was out in the late afternoon, so we waited till the main beach closed and combed the beach with Bean. Later in the week, we went to the lighthouse when the tide was out early and found some nice pieces, washed up on the rocks. I was thrilled to find a marble, my first one. I keep the special pieces in a jar for me and some will be made into gifts and some into art. I have been getting ideas, and hoping to work on some this week.

I hope everyone had a nice week. I plan on starting my vacation, this week, when Bill goes back to work, lol. I have been cleaning and getting things done this weekend, so I can relax and work on my paintings too.

Not much Monday!

This weekend went by fast, and one day was rain. The good thing is I got some shopping done and one thing we bought was a sink for the basement bathroom. I want to use my room to paint in, but no place to get water or wash my brushes, so hopefully it will be done before the summer is over;) I looked at sinks and they were all small and then I saw a laundry room sink, it is just the right size with a large, deep basin. It will also be great for rinsing wool when I get back into dying.

I did work a bit on my Laurel Burch panel. I decided it is going to be a bolster style pillow. If it fits, I may use it in the trailer for the dining table. We need a couch more than a table, so I will put it down and use the pillow for the back area, so we have a comfy spot to sit while we watch the one channel we can get, lol.

I am hand quilting, keeping it simple by following the gold lines and some of the insides of the leaves and leaving others, as is. It is more of a project to keep my hands busy when I have down time, I find it relaxing and I don't have to worry about getting up for supplies, just a needle and thread.

Sunday was a cloudy day and foggy at the ocean, but a great day for the beach with no crowds. We get a discount season pass for the state beaches, being old has its benefits. And it has its disadvantages. What was supposed to be a walk on the beach, since the tide was high, ended up in a treasure hunt, so my joints are paying for all the bending. I got some nice pieces and I am sure I could have gotten more, but rain was coming in and we had to miss the full low tide.

I need to have Bill get some of the old boards I have been saving. They are from a bureau that belonged to my grandfather and was falling apart, so I saved the good boards. I think they would be perfect for making beach art.

Weekend Wanderings!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, mothers day can be bittersweet for so many of us. My son and family came over on Saturday, and of course we cooked for them. He doesn't quite get the concept of the holiday, haha. They did bring me some flowers to plant in my garden, so that was nice, and of course spending time with the boys, is always fun.

We spent the day shopping and had no luck and since we had some free time in the afternoon, we took a trip to the beach. The tide was almost in, but we still found some treasures on the beach.

On Sunday we went back, one more time. Camping starts next week, so the park will be open, but you have to pay to get in, so I doubt we will be back, until the fall. It was cloudy and cooler, but a great day for searching, since we hit the tide as it was going out.

Of course Bean loves it when we go to the beach. It is his favorite place and he can go off leash if there are no people around. He is fine with other dogs, but he wants to jump on everyone he sees and not everyone he sees, wants to be jumped on. He spends his time staring at us, until we throw a rock, then he pushes it across the beach, until he hits the water. Then he is back, until we throw another. He is easily amused.

Today was cleaning and catch up, a little bit of sewing on the baby quilt. Hopefully I will find time to get my canvases ready for painting and maybe some beach art.

Monday Works and Wanderings!

This weekend I was able to get some more of my quilt done. I am doing a simple black stitching around the edges and in the larger solid blocks, I was thinking of adding a stitched heart in the middle. Then to attach the back, I will do a tack in the middle of each heart.

I might just stick with a simple border stitch on the outer borders. It is not a the best quilt, as you can see by the crooked piecing, so I don't want to spend too much time on fancy stitching.

This weekend we got out for some beach time. The tide was higher, but it was going down, so we were able to enjoy walking on the beach and watching the seagulls fight for food. This guy wasn't going to share his dinner with anyone, and swallowed the whole fish.

Even though the tide was higher, it was down enough to find glass. We walked to the far end where it is rocky and found a few nice pieces, then on the way back, we searched on the newly exposed areas and found more. This beach had some nice pieces of pottery, as well.

Sunday was a cloudy day with predicted rain. I decided it was worth going to the beach, even if we could only spend an hour, I just feel so much better at the ocean. The tide was higher so we dug in the piles of stones and found quite a few nice pieces.

I circled one stone, at least it looks like a stone, but something made me keep it. When you put a light under it, it is green. You never know with older, thick glass. It is so dark it looks like a stone, but one indicator for me is, when it starts drying, it gets the salt specks on it. I am glad I didn't throw it back.

I also collected some tiny bits to put in my wave. Some stones go into the garden pile. When I find things, I can't always tell how they really look until they dry, especially the white stones. I think I need to bring a flashlight with me, for next time, I could be passing up old glass and not know it. And I think I need to get more glass jars to store all my treasures;)

Weekend wanderings and finds!

This weekend, we did our usual beach combing. I want to take advantage of the good beach while I can, in a few weeks the campground will be open and they charge 20.00, to use the area. The campground has beautiful views, but a bit crowded for me and hard to get in.

It is always good when I can hit the tide at the right time, when it is going out, I can stand at the edge of the rock piles and grab the glass that gets thrown up and find some hidden under the piles, you can find more, as well.

During our shopping trips, I got some shell lights for my beach tree and I found these smaller bottles that are perfect to help separate the glass by size. I have a large one for the big pieces and one for the tiny pieces, so these will be for the medium sizes, I just threw some of the glass in, that I found this weekend.

On Sunday we took Nick out for a hike. He loved exploring the buildings and climbing on the rocks. We had a nice view of the pond from the tower.

Nick was curious about the little bunk houses, not so sure I would want to sleep in one. 

This is a camp for boy scout troops. It is a big area and they have several buildings, including an area for services.

The building actually leads to a larger amphitheater, where they have gatherings and services.

This chapel was used in the movie, Moonrise Kingdom. It was filmed in Rhode Island and this camp and the surrounding forests were we hike, were also part of the movie. My Sister in Law had a small part, Bruce Willis knocked on her door, looking for the kids. They wanted authentic, older homes and hers is off the main road.

It was fun to spend some time with him, but he got tired easily and wanted to go home. I think we need to get him out more, he is spending too much time in the house;)

Weekend finish and finds!

We were supposed to be camping this weekend, but it was windy and cold yesterday and today we got rain and wind, so I cancelled this trip. Hopefully the next one will bring us better weather, not fun to camp if I am stuck in the trailer all day.

I wanted to try some wool starfish and I love how they came out, but I couldn't get a decent photo, you can never get the look with wool and floss, especially with flash. I modeled them after real starfish and the actually colors, and I had the perfect lime green in my thrift stash.

I added a little stuffing and used a colored blanket stitch to mimic the border color on the starfish. They are easy to do and would make fun bowl fillers too. You can just draw out the starfish by hand or use a coloring book template, then have fun with the colors or look at real starfish online.

On Saturday we took advantage of the beautiful weather. I was surprised that there weren't that many people at the beach, but that means more glass for me, lol. We hit the tide just right and even when it goes out, the waves come up at different heights and crash against the slopes, and drop glass off. I was able to walk up and down a section and catch glass as it was swept up, so I got a nice haul this time. Bill was too lazy to bend, so he sat in the rock piles and dug for glass, he found me the pink heart. Some of the larger pieces are around 3", so you can tell what sizes they are.

My big find was the round one in front, that is a cobalt blue glass, a rarer find. We also did some shopping and I got a plastic container with compartments, so I am putting some glass by types, then I can bring it upstairs and play with design ideas. Another great find this week was a large white, rusty pail, with a blue lip, the perfect garbage can for my beach room.

Beach finish and finds!

I wanted to try some starfish in punch needle, so I looked online and found some pretty colored starfish that were not too detailed, perfect for punching. The yellow and gold one needs a better eye, maybe I will just do a large french knot. The blue one has main dots and lots of little white dots, but I just did a simple punch going up, so it is not exact, but close enough. There are lots of fun starfish and beautiful colors, I may try some larger ones and try more detail.

And we went to the dog beach, and found some nice glass. The glass on the right side is from the dog beach. Then we got out early and hit the island and I found more glass, a lot more glass. All the glass on the left is from that beach.

Today I just wanted to get out and enjoy the nice weather. One more day, then more cold coming in. So, we went back to the dog beach, I figured we could just relax and walk and if I found anything, that was a bonus. Well, we hit the beach at the right time, it was all over the place, I found big chunks just laying on the beach. So, I have a lot more glass, lol. I guess it is time to start making things with them. I do keep the best, older glass in a heart shaped bowl, those I keep to look at. I like the ones that are a bit clearer and flat, they will work nicely in art pieces.

It is hard to see, but that blue piece is in the shape of a fish, even the markings on the bottle, made an eye and fin, definitely making something with that piece.

And, I finally put up the lights on my netting. I got fake sea glass and bottle lights. They are heavy, so I put up some cast iron holders for the netting, and that holds the weight of the bottles. Now I need to get started on some pillows and a quilt, as well as, art work for the walls.