Happy Valentines!

This weekend, I had to take it easy. At least it was snowing and the roads were horrible, so I didn't mind staying home for once. Since my arms are still a bit sore, working on my regular stitchery was a bit tough to do, so I made up a small quick project to do, just in time for Valentines.

I have a draw full of pre-cut pennies, so I picked some out and that saved on cutting them out. I picked a scrap piece of wool that is too thin to hook but has a nice purple hue with specks of colors thought and red hearts. I finished the smaller pennies with a simple wheel stitch to turn them into little yellow flowers with a triple french knot on top.

This is an easy project to do and you can make them in any size, using those little scraps of wool that you just don't want to throw away, turn them into pennies. If you have never made one, there are tutorials online and you can find circle templates to print out and trace. Freezer paper is the best for cutting out pennies, especially when you are making a bunch. I did get a circle cutter, still need to try that on wool.

And the winner of the pattern giveaway is..........  Lauren, of Rugs and Pugs! Congratulations Lauren, please email me,  your choice of pattern. I am hoping to get my runner finished this week, now that my arms are feeling better.

Friday Finish, and Giveaway!

This has not been my week, or more like, my worst one in awhile. Bill was sick, then I got full blown flu so we were both sick, who takes care of who? LOL, we all know the answer to that.

Bill started to feel better and he did a few things, like take the dog out to play and stare at his computer, but I did get him to go shopping and make up a chicken fry and we made burritos, not the smartest thing to eat when you are sick, but Bill is limited in his cooking abilities. After that I decided rice was a much better mix with the chicken and much easier on my system.

So, two days of misery with the flu, mostly laying on my chair and sleeping, and looking forward to the next day when I would have more energy to relax and sew. Well, that night I had one of my old spells, when I was in the bathroom and ended up crashing my body into things as I tried to stay upright long enough to get back to the bed. Never made it, whammed my hip and whole right side into one doorway, whammed my left side on another door and Bill finally found me on the floor.

So, My body feels like it got  hit all over with a baseball bat, my motions when I am like this are in high gear, I thrust forward or sideways at high speeds, so not much that doesn't hurt, at this point. For now I am waiting for the main trauma pain to subside, then I can see if anything is really hurt or just needs some rest.

I had two things planned for this week, flu killed it for two days, now I can barely move my arms since my shoulders took the brunt, so resting them and just light typing today.

I received my new design from Kathy Schmitz's One Stitch Club and wanted to make a few things for my Christmas box. I did get one thing finished, a snowman dish cloth. This is a fun one to do on a  dish cloth and I was also thinking, what if I add another to the other end as a runner, maybe some simple trees on each side to balance it out, what do you think?

My other project will be a runner, but I just got it started before I crashed. Not the best photo, but my new flash is being buggy, maybe it was the discount batteries, Bill bought;)

We got quite a bit of snow, I was disappointed tonight, beautiful full moon to catch right after the sunset, but my bones can't take a car ride and the roads are still covered, so not worth the risk. The good thing is, Bean was in heaven, he got to go out with Bill and catch snow, that he was shoveling.

And for putting up with all my rambling, lets have a photo contest. The winner gets any free e-pattern from my ecrater site, even booklets. Name this photo, add a funny caption, you decide. I will pick a winner on Monday night.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend was cool so we didn't get to spend a lot of time outside and when we did, we basically froze. One of the things I wanted to do was, check out the state park at the south end. I camped there when I was younger, but now it is so popular it is hard to get in.

The campground is on a salt water inlet, with views and close to the beaches and ferry, so it would be a fun place to stay. I did check online and can get in, in early spring, but once the weather warms, it is full up, so maybe i will try for the fall.

The nice thing is, you can still park outside the gates and walk around before they open. It would have been nicer if it wasn't so cold and there was still snow on the pathways, so we couldn't explore the old fort.

It is a really nice park, the sites are spaced nicely and on some you can see views of the ocean. Another nice thing is, they have a hill with a lookout so you can go up there and enjoy the views and I know it would be a great place to watch the sunset. They also allow dogs, which is a big plus.

I am standing on the platform which sits on an old bunker. The bad thing is, you are on the water, but I didn't see any place to put a boat in, but there is a launch across the inlet.

The hill where I was standing, this area was an old fort, so there are still a few underground forts but they have them closed off now.

We took a ride down to the docks and enjoy the views and as always, plenty of seagulls waiting for scraps.

The coast guard boat, heading out.

We drove around the loop to enjoy views from different areas and headed home. Since it was sunny out, I wanted to catch a sunset, so we headed to the lighthouse in Jamestown. We stopped in a different area and I caught some shots from the cliffs, sadly it was muddy and freezing, so I think I will sit in the car next time and get out to take shots;)

Then we got home and Bill had the chills, and he was sick and soon after it hit me, so Sunday was definitely a day of rest, at least for Bill, lol. I made tacos since it is loaded with antioxidants, nothing like hot peppers to kill a flu. I also loaded us down with vitamins and herbs so Bill was ready to go back to work today. I am fighting it, so hopefully it won't get the best of me.

Bean and Moki love the couch and usually sleep at each end, but sometimes Bean just wants to get closer and cuddle. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Friday Finish!

This week I worked on a  new punch needle piece. My friend gave me a few from her old stash and she knows I love patterns by Brenda Gervais of Country Stitches. The bunny was a perfect one to do for spring.

The original pattern is set on a wooden board, but I wanted to do something different and make mine into a pocket. I like how it came out and it looks nice hanging from my peg rack. I added a thicker piece of wool yarn around the edge and used that as the hanger.

I also finished the ties on my quilt, now I just need to trim the edges and add binding. The triangles are done with hand stitching and then I used the ties along the middle of the strips. 

You may remember the post were I showed you my messy rooms. Well, now I am thinking it would make more sense and be more efficient to change the rooms. I hate to move my beach room, which was my daughter's room, but it is longer and I think it will hold the machines and table much better than the more square room. So, I am measuring and thinking it out and if I do that, the beach room will be upstairs and become a guest room and the small room will be my room to relax and create in, as well as a play area for the kids. I can get floor couch chairs that make into beds so they will also have a place to sleep when they visit. You can see the rooms on this post, what do you think?

It looks like a cold weekend, so no walks, but hopefully we can get out and enjoy some time outside for short periods. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had a nice weekend, though a bit cool for long walks. One thing I love to do is shop at the antique  thrifts and Saturday was a good day for the barn and a visit to Chepatchet which has several antique stores and a primitive store.

With all that shopping, I didn't get much, but I treated myself to an angel valentine doll. This one hangs on the wall, but I put her on the table for the photo. She looks good, either way so once I get more decorating and cleaning done, I may give her a space of her own. For now we are keeping the main wall free of decorations so maybe, just maybe my husband will clean it up and get it repainted so I can put up my easter decorations.

I also found a plain wooden boat for a dollar, I will sand all the varnish off and remake it into something for my beach room, maybe add some fabric sails.

When we were in town, I saw a step falls but it was impossible to get a photo from the right angle, too much brush and slopes. I did see a small falls on the other side and I loved how the water at the top was smooth as glass but whorling so that the shadows looked like an art painting.

On Sunday we got a late start and headed to Woodstock Ct, for some more shopping and to visit Putnam for some photos. We always try and take a different route to find new sights and on this trip we stopped at a mill. It looks like this one is still operational.

In Putnam we found a parking lot across from the falls, so we took a walk over and I enjoyed watching the falls. With the snow and then rain, they were running, full force. It was too cold for me, to take a walk along the river, so we went back across the street to check out an antique store.

Well, it was not a store, it was an antique mall, four floors of booths and in areas, whole rooms with glass cabinets, filled with goodies. It was so overwhelming, I don't think I saw half of the things, lol. And so big, we spent hours just walking and looking. I saw a lot of nice things, but prices that seemed to be inflated compared to what I have bought. It is well worth a visit if you are in the Putnam area, they do have a lot and there are other stores in the area, as well as small shops and restaurants.

Since we spent so long in the store, I decided that I wasn't up to going up to Woodstock and doing more shoppng. But, I did realize that we were were about an hour away from sunset and if we headed back down to the ocean, we could just make it, lol, yes, we drove an hour back down and went to Barn Island, since it was the straightest point from where we were.

It was a beautiful place to enjoy the sunset, but no place to stand, so we had to go out on the marshy point and walk carefully along the thick tufts to stay out of the muck. The sunset is always the most stunning when it falls below the horizon and a beautiful way to end the day. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, filled with your own adventures.

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.

Weekend Wanderings!

We were blessed with beautiful weather this weekend, so I took full advantage and got in some outdoor time. On Saturday we went to Groton and headed to the point to enjoy the views of the Long Island sound and watch the ferries come in and out.

It was foggy over the ocean and the ships were hidden until they got closer. The smaller ferry coming in from Block Island, passing by the haunted light house.

In contrast to the fog, the river side was sunny and blue. The main ferry, heading to Long Island, as it passes the house on the rocks.

We headed to Bluff point for a hike and encountered more fog, with sun on the inland side.

Once we got the the point, we enjoyed some time on the beach. The fog was lifting, so we got to enjoy the  beautiful views.

We took the full hike, which is 4 miles and a few stops so Bean could enjoy the beach areas.

Sunday was another beautiful day and so warm, I had to take off my coat. We went to the Barn Island  Reserve and got to enjoy the full walk. The walk goes along the salt water marshes and through the woods. You can see the path to the left and the wooded areas, then it continues on around that entire area, off in the distance.

The trail ends at the old farm homestead, stonewalls and cellar holes can be found in the wooded areas. We ended at the entrance to the farm, where we turned around and got to enjoy going through the areas again.

As we came back to the area, that shows the view, I spotted a heron feeding in the marsh. I found a pathway to the edge and was able to get a few shots.

Here he is showing off his beautiful wings.

And this is what he looks like, when he is not  hiding his face. Someday I hope to catch one in flight, they are so beautiful but very shy.

I hope you enjoyed going with me,  on my walk. Today is a rest day, I always over do it and wear myself out, but well worth it. A nice surprise came in the mail today, from my friend Laurie. She sent me a beautiful tin adorned with a beautiful punch needle, perfect for storing my supplies. In the back you can see the felted backing she sent, I love it and imagining a beautiful felted scene to make for my beach room. There is also a tiny hat that I can use on one of my characters, a proddy flower, a scrap pile made into a rose shape that has a ball of yarn in the middle and I forgot to add the other gifts, a hand made button bracelet, handmade soap and some teas to enjoy while I create. I feel spoiled but it was a nice pick me up on a down day.

I also took this photo with my new 55mm lens, and I am not happy with the results, time to take it back, they are going to hate me, lol. I want the one I had, but a better one, so I will just wait and save up for a quality lens with anti shake, I realize I need that with my nerve damage, if i want to get clear shots. 

I hope you are all working on fun, new projects. I have my quilt to finish and working on a punched piece for a lap project.