Winter Warmth - part 2

I made some great progress on my stitchery today! Depending on how late I want to stay up, it's conceivable that I can finish the stitching tonight.

I'll need to wash it before framing, so that can't happen until tomorrow at the earliest.

I love this progress, though. I decided to give the cup a green background in half cross stitch rather than black full cross stitches. I'm liking it. The cup will 'pop' more once the backstitch is done.

I'm glad this chart is so pleasant to stitch. I was not expecting to enjoy this design.

Final Start

Today I began the last of the patterns in my 2006 Cross-stitch Calendar. A little steamy somethin' somethin' in a pretty flowered cup.

It's stitching quickly. Hooray! I'll be satisfied when this annual goal is complete.

The Artist's Way

I'm still in the midst of this course and loving every minute of it.

I was happy to see this quotation by the author of The Artist's Way on Instagram this morning. It's exactly how I feel.

I'm always amazed at the artists who work in the midst of chaos. Have you ever seen the tables and floor of Project Runway at the end of a workday? Total pigsty! One of my most prolific artist/quilter friends works this way, too, with piles of fabrics and trims surrounding her. It's her source of inspiration.

I'm the opposite. Such piles make me itchy. I need to have clear spaces in which to create. I'm freer to make new and fun and beautiful objects if my home is tidy and my workspace is clean.

There is often discussion about this topic in artist groups I frequent, and I tend to be in the minority. People say that if they waited until their workshop and home are clean, they'd never get around to creating art. My thought is that, as an adult, I get to choose how I live. I'd rather live daily with order in my life. It helps keep my mental health healthy!

It's nice to know this mentor feels and works the same way I do. I'm not a Lone Ranger in my Studio ... because there is room for more than one person there!

Bud Vase

My Bud Vase stitchery is finished, framed, and ready for display.

Once again, I used a simple square frame from Dollar Tree to hold the stitching and the mat that was included in the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar.

The chart called for four small buttons. I looked, but in my stash I didn't have four tiny buttons that matched. So I turned to my bead stash and found these gold flat beads. I attached them with for small stitches to hold them in place in the corners.

Ta Da!

With this piece done, I have completed 11 of the designs. One more small stitchery to go and I'll have completed goal Number 1 of my 18 in 2018 goals. I'll have an update on the entire list in three or four days.

Throwback Thursday - 1998 (Part 1 of 4)

By 1998, cross-stitch had become a real passion. I still preferred to stitch small pieces. They worked best while raising a busy family. My attention span could keep up with small projects. Overall, I completed 22 cross-stitch projects that year -- nearly two per month!

January 1998 started out by doing the finishing work on the 1997 family Christmas ornaments. Like I said, busy family life.

1. Jeanne's snowman is called The Weather Outside by Sue Hillis Designs
2. My elf is called Elfie by Twisted Threads
3. Jodie's Angel is a Holiday Arches design by Alice Okon
4. Dale's Penguin is also a Holiday Arches design by Alice Okon
5. Julie's dog is called Puppy Card (designer not named)

I finished these ornaments as small stuffed pillows, four with satin ribbon hangers. I'd learned to make cording by this time, so used that technique to make the hanging cord on the elf. I used the same colors of floss for the cording that I used in the ornament.

Since I was in the mood, I stitched an ornament for 1998. This was designed by a fellow AOL stitching friend and given to me as a prize for a contest. With this design, I learned several specialty stitches. 

1. The "A," "B" and "C" are four-sided stitches. 
2. The tree is done in cross-stitch, but the ornaments and star are stitched one thread above the green Xs. 
3. The red bands are Herringbone stitches. 
4. The fancy work on either side of the "1998" are three variations on a herringbone, and called a herringbone cluster. A BIG challenge! 
5. The red square dots at the bottom are rice stitches. 
6. 1998 is backstitch

The next chart I stitched was a freebie from Twisted Threads called Aerobic Sitting. It's part of Emerson's Listen Honey... series which Ruth Sparrow converted into stitchery charts.

I recently came across this piece and displayed it again.

My next finish was a pretty bookmark for a Secret Sister in a stitching group. It's called Violets So Fair. I found the chart in a Leisure Art's book called Sweeter Than the Rose, part of the Christmas Remembered series. I love how delicate it is and how I finished it with long fringe.

The 1990s was a decade when lots of my stitching friends were having babies. I made this bib for one of my stitching group buddies for her baby boy. The chart is from designer Sharon Perna from a book called Cross-Stitch A Beautiful Gift.

With babies on my mind, I stitched another bib for another of my friends from the stitching group. The pattern for these little ducks in a row were also by Sharon Perna from Cross-Stitch a Beautiful Gift.  Both bibs were stitched on pre-made terrycloth bibs from Charles Craft that have a panel of aida fabric sewn into the front of the bib.

I plan to walk down the 1998 memory lane some more next week.

Feathering Her Nest

Through my bedroom window, I spied this robin gathering twigs to build her nest. The photo's a little fuzzy since I shot at a distance and through the glass. If you look closely, you can see her mouth full of building supplies.

Update on My Bud

Vase, that is.
Bud Vase

Merely need to finish the border.

Dancing in the Dark

I have a weakness for decorative glass serving pieces.
My rose bowl looks like it's juggling spheres of light.

#cornerofmyhome

Viola Returns

The first of the violas that I planted last year has made a return visit. Two blooms are holding up in the breeze.

Up close, I can see the pollen that will bother my eyes in the upcoming weeks. I also see the intricate veining and vibrant colors.

A third bloom will soon join her sisters.

Skeletal Heart Leaf

A remnant from last Fall and Winter, greeting me this Spring

A Rocky Start

Go to the water.
Sit quietly on the river's edge.
Stack stones.
Anger and frustration will dissipate.

Do it for you.
Do it for your family.

Back At It

I'm getting quite close to my goal! I started this chart from the 2006 Cross-stitch Calendar a couple days ago.

It has a very limited color pallet which should help me complete it lickity split.

Rock Flower Portrait

An online friend of mine told me about making flowers out of rocks. I loved the idea, so while I was down by the Spokane River, I gave it a try.

It was so cute that I decided to frame it.

I left it there on the beach so that a fellow beachcomber walking along could enjoy it, too.

Anniversary Cake

For our 27th wedding anniversary last Friday, I made a vanilla bean bundt cake to share with Dale and our daughter Jodie who was visiting for the weekend. It was my first attempt at a ring cake like this. I didn't let it cool enough before trying to remove it from the pan, so it broke a little. Nothing a little icing can't fix, right? Just glue it back together!

The cake is really good. It has a texture like a pound cake, but with lots of vanilla bean flavor. Because vanilla is one of Dale's favorite flavors, I added some extra homemade-by-daughter-Julie vanilla extract to the mix. We served it with a dab of Cool Whip.

Yum!

I don't experiment much in the kitchen except with baking.

Playing with Found Objects

During a recent walk in the park by the river shore, I found items along my path that I turned into mini works of art. Art being in the eye of the beholder, of course.

This lure became a fish blowing bubbles.

This rock that someone set on a picnic table grew a face of pebbles, branch fragment, and pine needle.

I hope they cause the next park visitor to smile. 

Easter Eggs Rock!

Or is that ... I found a rock painted to look like an Easter egg! So cool. Vibrant colors, shiny and smooth.

It was hidden in a knothole in a pine tree at Kiwanis Park in Post Falls, Idaho. I'll re-hide it this week so another person can have a little fun. This makes me want to paint more rocks myself!.

Stumpy

My favorite tree stump at Kiwanis's Park was singing its colors this morning.

27 Years

... of smiling by his side
... of creating a family
... of making each other laugh with a turn of phrase
... of raising daughters
... of facing the world together
... of setting aside time to be a couple
... of being there for each other in life's fires
... of taking a deep breath when we made it through
... of looking forward to this Chapter Three

"We found love right where we are."

I Am Light

Inspired by India.Arie

Workshop Time!

Spending the weekend learning from Liz Gilbert, Martha Beck, and 600 SoulSisters.

My head may explode. 

My heart, too.

Packed

and ready for adventure.

Off to listen, learn, get inspired, and meet my tribe.

Spring Snow

I watched the snow fall while eating my Cheerios this morning.

Hooray for April.

March Goal Update

Here's how I'm doing on my 18 in 2018 goals. I didn't complete many goals this month, but I've a bit of steady progress.

Goal 1: Finish all the charts in the 2006 Cross-Stitch Calendar.

I completed King of Spring.

Goal 7: Special Christmas ornaments for my daughters

I made the patterns needed, and completed the supporting structure of 20 pieces. I've gathered all the rest of the materials.

Goal 10: Make a pattern from my favorite t-shirt and use it to make some shirts

Pattern made! One-and-a-half shirts complete.

Goal 12: Read Finding Your Own North Star

I'm about 3/4 through the audiobook now.

Goal 13: Do the course The Artist's Way

This is where most of my creative goal energy went in March. I'm 3/4 of the way through this 12 week course. One of the exercises in March was to find a photo of myself when I was a little girl and recall what some of her big dreams were. Then to "talk" to my younger self.

This is Little Mimi. I took some time to edit this old photo to remove dings and scratches. I'm so pleased with the way it turned out. I printed the new version of my photo.

Goal 18: Go on a retreat

I'm half-way packed. I leave later this week.

So I'm satisfied with my progress of 18 in 2018 and look forward to making more.