Friday This and That!

This week I have been working on my quilt panel, almost there, so hopefully I can have it made into a pillow, next week. The weather has been hot, way too hot or humid is more like it, so my energy level is down and even with the air conditioner on, it only cools down certain areas, so I am limited on what I can do.

One thing about a not so great week is receiving gifts from friends. My friend Kelley Belfast made me a whale rug for my beach room and surprised me with a wonderful heart rug. The whale is perfect to hang on the wall, but I think I would like to frame it somehow, either a barn wood to place it on, that way I can use rug pins and not hurt the rug. Or a frame that would look good against the barn wood wall, will see what area I want to place it on and then decide. The hearts will make a nice table topper, it is a beach room, but also filled with heart items, so they are both perfect.

The whale rug is 23" x 16".

I also was able to get out as the tide was going out. My Sister in laws beach is rocky and on an island, so lots of glass gets trapped in the rocks. I even had double the help, and with the showers that day, we had the area to ourselves.

Bill and Natalie found me lots of big chunks and I found some fun shaped rocks.

I am not sure what I will do with this rock, I may paint it. Can you see what it looks like? It has more definition than shows in the photo.

A fun fact about my SIL's house, it was in the movie, Moonrise Kingdom. In the movie, two kids run away and the local police are looking for them, so they stop at her house to ask if she has seen them. And standing there on the porch with my SIL is Bruce Willis. The movie is shot in Rhode Island, some on the island and some in the boy scout  camp where we hike.

And another fun thing I did this week, shave Izzy, haha. She lets me shave her top areas, she does like to be groomed, but she was not too happy when I started on the back end.

I had to coax her, tell her how beautiful she was looking and I was almost there. Today I got more underneath, and smoothed out the choppy areas, so just the longer hair on her belly is left. Now if I can find a way to get her to roll over so I can get that, she will be all set. She pukes up, all over my house and this is one way to stop that, so well worth the trouble.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

This and That Tuesday!

It has been another one of those weeks, hopefully things will settle down now and I can try and relax again. It was also stressful for Bean, he hates loud noises and having an air show with jets, did not help. He kept trying to run to the car and get in, I guess he thought we would drive him to the beach and the noise would go away, lol.

Another thing that happened was with Alex. Last night he got into his brothers hot sauce and had a reaction. I am not sure of the details, but his dad had his surgery this morning, so I haven't been able to talk to them yet. I am glad it was not a bad reaction and this way they can figure out what he is allergic to, so it won't happen again. I am almost suspect that he rubbed it into his eyes, it seems the rest of him is ok.

Today I decided I needed a fun day, so we went to the beach. This is my favorite spot for now, but I know more people will find it as the summer goes along. It is mostly rocks, so not a great beach site, it is just one section in a row of sections that go for miles, so lots of room for the regular beach goers. We enjoy swimming there as well, the other sections are sandy and start out shallow, so you can play in the waves without going too deep. It is a bit warped looking, not the actual layout.

And of course my favorite pastime, beach combing. We found a lot of nice larger pieces and old pottery. Some is just laying on the beach, some we dig for and some washes up with the waves. Tomorrow looks like rain, so a good day to find some more glass jars, I am almost out of room, for all the new pieces.

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;)

Monday Finish and Finds!

This past week I was working on some small stitcheries offered by Theodore Cleave. She lists free stitcheries from time to time and I still have to make my garden ladies into a quilt.

This was one of those stitcheries and I reduced it, so I could make some small lavender pillows to put in my wool boxes, yes, I have quite a few of them. This was fun and quick to do and I did two different types. One is basic stitching and the other I colored. I think the coloring makes them fun. I use Faber Castell watercolor markers. They go on nicely, are steadfast and archival.

These would make nice gifts for friends too, especially filled with lavender. You can find this and other freebies on Theodore's Blog, by typing in free in the search box. This one is found on the second set of blog posts.

This weekend I was planning on starting my new paintings, but life got in the way, lol. Saturday Bill had to work, so we went to the beach in the morning which was perfect, since the tide was low. I got a nice stash of glass and a few stones, upper left pile in the photo. Then they cancelled, so we could have gone out again, but I was too tired. Sunday they cancelled again, so this time we went to the island for more beach combing. The problem was, there were scattered clouds, so one minute the sun was out, the next it was snowing. It was a bit tougher with the wind and snow, but with no one at the beach, we were able to find lots of old glass and stones. This time we dug into the piles of stones and found some nice ones hidden underneath. The piles on the lower, left and right, are from Sunday. The larger rocks are for painting on.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and hopefully Spring will be here to stay.

Friday Finish and Works!

This week Kathy Schmitz gave us an extra, free pattern for those who are in the club. She had made it up for the club and realized we would like to make it now. It was a fun pattern and worked up in a day, I think I might make more. Actually I wanted to make a boy bunny and she gave me permission to redo it as a boy, but I found one of my old patterns and made a couple to work on this weekend. I think it will be fun to make little cut out bunnies for the boys.

Not thrilled with my finish, so I may do two more, a boy and a girl in the method she used, as bowl fillers or shelf sitters. I used my Faber Castell art marker for the yellow and for the pink, I used my watercolor pencil. I was worried about it running, but I just dabbed my brush in the water, then dabbed it on a paper towel and it blended the color without going out of the lines.

I also made up some more stocking blocks. They are fun to do and I know I can actually put this together and finish it, so a good project to get me back into quilting. I am not sure on the middle stocking, maybe too bright, it is a gray check and my sewing skills were lacking this week;)

And I have been playing with my beach finds. I like trying them on different backgrounds and taking a photo to see how I like it. This way I can keep playing, until I get the look I want. I do like how it looks on the patterned paper, but I think the blue is too dark, so I will have to look for some lighter barn wood papers.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. We have nice weather and of course Bill has to work over time, so no beach combing. I think I need a break and it will be nice to relax and work on my projects. The angel and dog wings are brown sea glass, that we found last weekend.

Pebble Art for Nick!

Saturday we had a beautiful day to get out and comb the beach. The tide was out, so I was able to get a lot more glass and rocks for my collection. The bad thing was, the tide was coming back in, so I had to run out and grab before a wave came in and hit me. Another bad thing was, Bill went one way with Bean but wasn't paying attention and Bean came back to me for play.

Try bending over to grab rocks and glass, while holding onto a dog collar, every time someone came too close, not fun and it didn't help that Bill had the leash with him. I did luck out though and found some nice big chunks of sea glass, as well as smaller pieces to use in art.

I tried some shapes with what I had found, just some ideas to see what you can do with them.

Sunday was a rainy day, so a good day to stock up on supplies with coupons. I found these rustic pails to use for storing my rocks, that way I can have small, medium and larger ones, separated. Bill made me a base for my cubbies, but, I saw it and it is huge and too wide. After a while, he says, oh, I closed the wrong end, that's why it is too big, duh. So, he took off the siding and is redoing it, so it fits right.

I also bought a bag of black stones. I thought they might be fun to use since they were flat and smooth, but only half of them are, the rest are round and fat. But, I payed a few dollars with a coupon, so worth it to have the good ones. It was a good way to practice and see how it worked.

I got some mini canvases, this one is 5" x 3 1/2". I colored in the background, but watercolor pencils didn't work too good and since they are cheap canvases, I couldn't wet it as much, without ruining it. I think I like the plain white ones better, at least until I can make better backgrounds. I used tacky glue which was also a pain, especially with small pebbles, but it holds nicely. I penned in the seagulls and added jute for an edge. I decided this is Nick's piece; it represents all of us at the beach.

It was fun to try and get some practice with store stones, before I use my good ones. This one is a bit too much in a small space, I do like the simpler ones and will save more detail for larger canvas. I need to find a tiny pebble for Bean's nose.

This is something fun you can do or an activity with the kids. Most craft stores carry the smooth pebbles and I found that AC Moore had the best type and lowest price. You can also find smooth stones by the river beds, the tumbling motion will smooth them as nicely as the ocean.

Beach Combing for Art!

This weekend was warmer but it was windy, so beach combing wasn't as easy. The tide was also out earlier, so we go there as it was coming back in, but still lots of shoreline to explore. I got a nice amount of glass and some stones, so building up my stash of glass, a bit at a time.

We got quite a few large pieces this time, the large heart rock is 3" wide, to give you a perspective. The heart will be painted and hidden, hoping to finish a few to hide before Valentines.

The wind got so bad, I decided to give up, since the wind was blowing the waves back in, higher than normal. Another reason to go to this beach was, to go to the lighthouse to watch the moon rise. It was daytime, but I just wanted to see what it would look like as it rose above Newport. We waited over a half hour and no moon, the fog took over, so I gave up. I found a spot on a cliff side, with a rock ledge to protect me from the wind. At least I got to enjoy some relax time while enjoying the views.

Sunday was a rainy day so we decided to go shopping. I hit the jackpot this time, I found a motorized, ride on firetruck that blows bubbles marked down to 15.00 dollars. Alex will love it and I will save it for his Birthday. I also got myself some art supplies, so I can start painting more angels and other items. Luckily the rain stopped when we got down the Watch Hill, but it was definitely foggy.

The boardwalk is desolate in the winter, but it is so calm and peaceful when it is shrouded by the fog.

We enjoyed a ride around the ocean loop and came out to Atlantic Beach, a long strip of beaches, hotels and amusements, but nice and quiet in the winter. This is a beach that has high banks, so the rocks get thrown up and tumbled, so there are a lot of smaller, smooth stones, which is just what I was looking for.

We found a nice amount but gave up with the rising tide. I was looking for stones that I can use as heads and bodies and as you can see from the photos, this is why I am collecting them. I have seen pebble art in the stores and they charge a fortune. The rocks are free and what you can make is only limited by your imagination. It is like a puzzle, you just play with them and see what you can make. You can also go online and look up beach, pebble, art and you will find lots of wonderful pieces to inspire you.

I was just playing around, I want to try a bird piece and something simple to start with. I like the idea of painting the background with watercolor and adding a quote or word to the upper corner. I played in photoshop to see who it would look, and like the color better. I also want to use a small piece of glass for his beak and maybe wire legs, still playing and thinking.

I hope you all had a nice weekend and remember, even in the gloomiest days, you can find joy and creativity in the simplest of things.

Friday Finish!

This week I wanted to make a piece to go with a basket I bought. Since it goes in the beach room, I wanted to do a beach theme and I wanted it to be my own design. I used a photo I took from a kayaking trip and modified it a bit for the design. I also did it in 6 strands, so not a lot of detail though there is more than shows in the photo. I guess it is semi-releastic.

I had to redo a few colors, some got lost with the same color values and I really didn't look at the sky before I finished it, otherwise I would have made the clouds better, but it will do for now. I attached it with double backed tape, so I can change out the design, in the future.

Here is a closer look at the punched piece. I do like how the seagull came out, simple enough to do in 6 strands, but enough detail to look like a real seagull.

Another thing I got this week was, a new table. It is a grayish shade and rough wood, so it fits in nicely with the beach room. The reason I loved it was, it has a tray style top, so it was perfect to display the rock and shell collection and place the candles and painting with them. Not the best angle to get a nice shot, but you can see how the room is coming along. I may change my mind later, but for now, it makes me happier to go in the room and now I can get to painting the walls. After that, I will start work on the mural.

I am also getting ready for out trip, though I am not really ready. My brain has been on hold lately, I cannot concentrate or think too long, so I keep busy with other things. Luckily Bill has the weekend off so he can help with packing and cook dinner and I can concentrate on making sure we don't forget anything and make more cookies. Today I made two batches and I need at least two more, I eat a lot of them;)

I found this photo of a trip we took to New Hampshire with the kids. We hiked along this trail and I want to go back and try to hike to the waterfall. It is 3 miles one way, so it will depend on how I feel and the heat. We will at least stroll along the river trail and just enjoy the walk and the views, I know Bean will love it. The trail is wide and easy, so I could do it on our bikes, but I have not had time to train Bean with a bike, so just walking for now.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend. We should be in New Hampshire monday night, so as long as the Wi-fi works, I will be posting from there.

Monday Finish!

I actually finished something, and I am pleased with how it came out. I wanted to make something as a gift, as a thank you, instead of the usual card and this is what I made as a thank you. It really touched me, how many reached out and still do to be there for me and I want to do something that brings them joy, as well. I plan on making more things and things that have meaning to each person, so a bit at a time.

The design is by Jenny of ELEFANTZ and she has more designs for free and sale on her Craftsy Store. I have made her original design in a small quilt and when she offered the design in a stitchery, I thought it would make a wonderful pillow. I liked the appliqué bird on the first design but that was too large, so I modified the designs and made it into a pillow size. I would like to make it smaller, so maybe I will move the words so I can enlarge them and do it in a smaller version with the appliqué.

The finished pillow is about 8" x 7". I stuffed it with stuffing and added lavender inside, as well.

I have been shopping and looking for things to decorate the  beach room. I still need to paint it, but it has been so hot, I just can't get into painting walls, so hopefully I will have more energy when we get back from our trip, next week. I found some stones and sea glass and jar candle holders. I plan on putting the heart stones and things I have collected on a candle box and then the candles, but I am still looking for the perfect sized box. I did find a beach style table with a lipped top, so maybe I can get a table in a white shade like that. I have a small white side table, the white crates and a tan chaise, so I want to keep with the main colors and a mix of blue/greens.

Here are the jars, I was trying them with the stones and glass. The stones in the glass heart are the ones I have collected this summer, so I want something I can put them in and see the different hearts and colors. If you like the jars, I got them at Pier Imports, along with the stones and glass.

Do It Yourself?

I want something to put in my beach  room to hold some of Dani's things and for a bowl to hold the heart stones and things I collect on the beach. I like the idea of a ladder shelf, but I haven't seen any around here and Bill saying he will make it, doesn't mean I will get it, anytime in the near future;)

So, I decided to make a crate shelf and do it myself to save money. I used coupons for the crates and paints, but it still adds up and then there is the paint brushes and sandpaper. Never mind the painting and the hot sun and then sanding and the hot sun and trying to antique it, in the hot sun, lol.

Well, with what we spent on items and the work involved, I think it would have made more sense to buy finished crates at the home store. It did not come out the way I wanted, it is too thick, I wanted a white washed look. I had to give up for the day and I will see if I can talk Bill into sanding them more and then I can do a better edge stain on them. I just wanted a hint of stain and the wood to show through. It still looks nice though and maybe I will just use, as is and keep my eyes open for a nicer beach style shelf. Not sure if this is practical for the items I will put on it.

Here is a close up of the wood and painting. I put some of my stones and the heart ones in a heart shaped bowl, that she had. Today Bill was going to put in the new fan light, but he didn't have time to finish. Adding a few things to the room makes it easier for me to go in and work on it.