Pink Roses

blooming branch...

Do you remember that tree branch I was obsessing on last Fall...the one I wrote about HERE, that I decorated with snowflakes at Christmas?  Well,  Elizabeth and I re-did the branch for Spring and I'm loving it!   We were inspired by all the Spring things we saw in Atlanta last weekend as we were window shopping.  I had a bunch of old crumpled tissue paper that was too pretty to throw away (I know I'm a pack rat)..3 different pink colors from Victoria's Secret bags, and the green from another shop...

We cut small squares of tissue and gathered them in the middle and then just scrunched them up to look like flowers.  We cut little rectangles of green and twisted both ends to make leaves.  Very loose interpretations of flowers mind you, so imperfect, yet beautiful and simple.

We used thread to wrap the ends, and tie them onto the branch.  We made some little buds for the ends of the branches...  Every flower was different, and we had so much fun sitting at the kitchen table, listening to music, and figuring out how to do this.  No right or wrong. No rules.

I put one of  Heather's glittered birds up in the branches too...(I need to clip that thread!).  I still have a few flowers to add...

I think some small branches would make a nice table centerpiece, blossoming out of a clear glass vase...very light and airy...perfect for Spring!

ribbon rainbow...

A few weeks ago I received an Etsy package in the mail from  Rebecca Sower ...100 yards of seam binding...1 yard each of 100 colors!

I had no idea how to store/display all this rainbow of ribbons, and then one day my Flickr friend,  Suzy (Bella Design), posted a picture of her studio, and she had ribbons draped over a hanger...brilliant!

I had this beautiful altered hanger that I got from the talented Tammy Gilley at Silver Bella 2007...

I've had the hanger on display just by itself in my studio for 2 years...

Now I finally found something "worthy" to be displayed on it :)...

This is making me SOOO happy, hanging on the wall of my studio!

with love...

He begged me before he left for college last fall...please don't send me those postcards like you send Elizabeth...

So I haven't, until now.  I just had to send him one for Valentine's Day, but I mailed it in an envelope so no one would see it.  And I sent him a gift card to his favorite hamburger place to make up for the fact that I broke my promise...

And I made sure that his card was the joker...

Never has anything been more appropriate!

Wishing you a Valentine's filled with love and laughter!

progress report...

I've been working on my fabric collage a little bit lately...adding a few bits and pieces from the stash I bought at the flea market, like this hank of embroidery floss that was tied in a knot...

And a twisty piece of hand dyed cheesecloth from my friend Joanne... 

I'm sewing on some of those tiny little pieces of tatting...

and that beautiful, but fragile, silk ribbon...

I didn't try to bleach out the age spots-I like it this way...

Stitching down all these little loops takes time...

So that's an update on the stitching...

Still a work in progress!

Artful Blogging...

I am honored to have this little blog of mine featured in the beautiful new issue of Artful Blogging.  When I started this blog, I had no idea anyone would actually read it.  I had no idea I was stepping into a world of amazing women, with such gracious and caring hearts.  Every day you come to visit and share ideas...you laugh with me, cry with me and pray for me...you "get" me.  Thank you for allowing me to share my life (good,bad & ugly) with you.

The greatest honor of all, is calling you my friend!

In book stores February 1, 2009.

busy hands...

The past few winters I have been in a bit of a "knitting frenzy", any time I had to sit and wait, I would knit.  I knitted scarves, because that was the only thing I knew how to do, and they took one ball of yarn...quick and easy.  I knitted enough scarves, that every human I knew had one...or two.   Enough already with the knitting.  Unfortunately, I still have a big stash of yarn-just one skein of each style/color...not enough to make anything other than a scarf.  So to change it up a bit, I switched to crochet...The scalloped cream scarf above just took a day...this granny square scarf is taking a bit longer...

This blue scarf said it only took one skein, but I ran out of yarn and it is a bit narrow.  It makes up for it in length though...it wraps around my neck 6 times!

I bought this book at Michael's and this is how I learned to crochet.  Her instructions are very easy.

Next project is going to be this flower scarf...

and maybe someday this shawl...

just keeping busy...

52Q:week 2

This was the question last week for the 52Q challenge, and I just had the time to do it today.  It's kind of ironic, that during a week when my life saw so much change, I had to answer...am I afraid?  My answer is "yes", right now I am.  But if you had asked me last week, or last month, or last year, the answer would have been "no".  Change has always been a good thing in my life, new people and places, new ideas and inspiration...but I realize that I like to hold onto the old, and just add to it.  I don't like big, drastic, sudden change.  I like to play it safe.  My hairdresser knows to only cut off an inch at a time :)

My tag this week is fairly simple: some printed cardstock, a few typed words, and a ticket from the hospital parking lot where I parked everyday.  A reminder of why I said "yes" to being afraid.  I'm sure that will change, but for now it will be a little time capsule of how I was feeling. 

It's not too late to play along if your interested...you can find details here:  52Q...

so sew...

Well, it seems I wasn't the only one inspired by Rebecca Sower's blog  post, way back last September.  She wrote about her "idea cloth" which was a collage of stitches and trinkets, and I thought it was just breathtaking.

As I was getting supplies ready to take to Silver Bella last November, I gathered several bags full of my favorite ribbons and trims and treasures...not knowing exactly what I would use for class projects.  I used some of it, but ended up bring home several ziploc bags filled with "my favorite things".  

I also saw lots of collage bracelets from Rebecca's class at Silver Bella, like Andrea's, and that got me thinking...

So I started a little fabric collage myself...

This week Heather blogged about the gorgeous piece she made and is going to frame.

And Pam showed the piece she is working on, which is, in true Pam Garrison style...unbelievable.  Mine is in the beginning stages and I would say more fabric collage than stitching...here are a few bits and pieces I am planning to add...

This will definitely be a work in progress, and I am trying to stick with a pink and cream and brown color theme.  I used a linen damask napkin as my base-it is 24" square, perhaps I should have started smaller.

Right now I am sewing on my larger pieces of fabric and ribbon and lace, and I plan to add my stitching after that-like the icing on a cake!  I'll post more pictures in a few weeks, or months, as it progresses.  Just another little peek as to what's inspiring me this year!

52Q...

Emily is having a year long art journal challenge over on her BLOG and calling it 52Q, which stands for 52 Questions.  Every week (Sunday or Monday) she will post a question, and that will be our challenge to journal about for the week.  

She did this challenge 2 years ago, and it looked like lots of fun.  She used a deck of cards as her base and made a cute little fabric carrying case for them. 

This year she is using manila shipping tags, and writing her question on the front, and doing her journaling on the back.   I am going to do the same thing, since I already had a box of tags from the office supply store.  The tags are a nice size, and heavy enough to embellish/paint/collage/stamp...whatever.  I also like the idea of being able to tie it up with bunches of ribbons and charms and junk!  You could also use cardstock, index cards or envelopes. 

She likes to keep it small, so you don't get overwhelmed and quit ...does she know me?:).

Here's my first tag: (I just started yesterday)...I made a few brush strokes with craft paint...

...and used a black pen to doodle and write the question of the week.  This only took 5 minutes...I love working small!

I am thinking of making a cover for this little tag book, maybe out of chipboard.  It's not too late to join in on this project...once a week is not  impossible...and SHE provides the inspiration for FREE!  There's also a FLICKR group for everyone to post their projects each week...another way to meet some crafty gals, and get inspired...(go check it out).  I'm looking forward to being a part of this, and watching my book grow each week. 

Visit Emily's BLOG and come play along!

vintage button swap...

I participated in a "Vintage Button Card Swap" at Silver Bella, and I wanted to show you the beautiful cards I received.  I am always amazed at  the different ways you can interpret one theme. The cards below are from:

Heidi Gordon and Ali Gripp

these are from...

Heidi Woodruff, Elizabeth Shea and Sheila Rumney

the cards below are from...

Hope Wallace, Stephanie George Hirshberg and Amy Powers

these are by...

Joanna Lewis and Stephanie Rojas

and last but not least...Julie Baxley

Thank you to Ali for organizing this swap, and thanks to all who participated...I will cherish these little works of art !