Deck Gardening

Some of you asked about my deck garden, well, here it is. I am a believer that you can grow anything in a container given the right soil, proper amount of watering and good drainage in your pots. This is just the beginning as you can see. Most of the plants are just seedlings. I try to use the best potting soil. I don't use Garden soil...just doesn't work well in pots. Always drill extra holes in the bottom or sides. Now, I hope this year's garden makes me look good after saying all this! I do have a really large deck, so that helps. I also have a potted Crepe Myrtle that gives us pretty blooms in the summer. There are containers of herbs and containers not yet planted due to the rain. On the side against the house, I have an old wrought iron bread rack that hasn't received it's little plants, yet. And, I haven't touched the patio downstairs, yet. Good thing we have a nice nursery and Home Depot nearby. Good thing it's raining so I can work on my art inside. : )

Winging It

This is a little Fairy ATC I whipped up this morning trying to re-coop some creativity, thus the reason I call these "creativity starters". The image is from Artchix Studio. I cut it out and edged it with chalk. The word, also chalked, is an image from a box of 4500 words "Words To Go" by K&Company that I purchased at ACMoore (my new hangout, me and my credit card, that is : ) I don't remember who made the card stock, but the swirls are a stamp by Autumn Leaves. My scanner doesn't show, but there are bits of swirled fairy glistening glitter on the card. I do so sound like an advertisement this morning.

I am currently working on a plan to get back into the studio more and actually create. I think I have been in a slump lately. I have been studying different techniques and making sketches of new art work I want to create not to mention the gardening. Our deck garden is about ready to be launched into it's debut. I think we amaze (or entertain humorously) the neighbors at what we can grow in containers on our deck. I am talking veggies, here! I do throw in a few flowers to throw them off. When you first look, it looks like flowers growing in pots, but no, wait, is that a cucumber? And now, I have to stop to mow our lawn and finish the deck garden. Did I mention that we have a beautiful Japanese Magnolia surrounded with purple phlox blooming in a pot on our deck? Yeah, we do aim to please.

Note: I so appreciate your comments on my blog. I don't always get around to personally answering you and sometimes blogger won't provide an email so that I can. But I do want you to know, I love the comments, so keep them coming. I hope I can inspire at least some of you to want to create more. More later...

New Quilt

" Strawberries"

Here's my latest little quilt. I actually finished it two weeks ago and then lost it! I finally found it between two magazines that I had put in a cabinet. LOL! It is stamped with rug hooking canvas and the background has a stamped image I carved. I decided to take a journey on my machine quilting. I usually do curves or some sort of curve. This time I wanted to try straighter lines, so this one incorporates that adventure in machine quilting. I like this and will try to quilt more like this. The size is 7" x 8".

Strawberries is my abstract version of a field of strawberries. One day it is green and then suddenly it all changes into a beautiful field dotted with white blossoms, red and pink berries, and bits of gold. And because this quilt represents change, I am using it for the April theme, "change" for the Take It Further Challenge.

Time for an ATC

Here's my latest ATC, "sassy". I just finished my taxes. Hard to believe I was an accountant in my past life. I remember working long, hard hours and weekends until tax season was finished. I'm just glad they are done for this year.
I had so much fun carving my rubber stamps last week that I must find a way to put them to use. I have several quilt show entries that are looming so that would be a good way to use them. I find that I am slacking off on my duties of art quilter lately. I must have Spring Fever or something.