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.

New Work!

"Inch by Inch"

This is my latest work. It is fabric "inches" mounted on stretched canvas (5" x 5") that I painted and stenciled. The theme for the Take It Further Challenge is "little details" so I thought a way to use my inchies would be great. I had made the "inchies" while I was visiting my daughter in California last year. They were for an "inchies" swap (1" x 1"). Not all the people who were in it completed their inchies, so I had this many left. They are fabric bases sandwiched with batting between the layers and beaded centers. The edges are buttonhole stitched. I finally found a way to display them and it creates a nice memory of my visit to California! It is always nice to have mother/daughter time. Sometimes it's the little things that count. I love the look of using the stretched canvas because it gives the piece a 3-D look.

Cherry Blossom Festival in DC

Wow! I had seen pictures on TV, but the actual sight of the Cherry Blossom Festival was awesome! The trees were spectacular! The blossoms were so thick, the branches hung down. We took the metro (crowded was the word!) to downtown DC and got off at the Smithsonian. Over a million people also went that day. I have never seen so many cameras, ever. We charged right into the crowd and when we got to the tidal basin, the trees were so beautiful that there seemed to be a reverent hush over the crowd. The trees were given to us in 1912 by the Japanese. There are over 3,750 of them (different varieties). I will add a few pictures of the trees, but I could not capture the magnificence of their beauty. If you ever get a chance to go, don't miss it. This was our first time to see it, maybe this year was just a great year for the blossoms, but we loved it. We walked around the entire tidal basin which includes the Jefferson Memorial and the FDR Memorial. Awesome sight to see!

After we saw the trees, we hiked over to Pennsylvania Avenue and had lunch. Well, our lunch was at Potbelly (one of my favorite places to eat) next to the Renwick. We went to the Renwick Gallery to see the new exhibit which was "Ornament as Art", a metal jewelry exhibit. After that, we walked across the street to the White House and took some pictures. There was a pick-up truck parked in the driveway which we decided might belong to the President. We couldn't tell if it had Texas plates or not, but it did look funny to see a pickup truck parked out front. As we got there, a group of people were exiting the visitors' gate. We found out later on the evening news that Laura Bush had held a High School reunion there for her Midland, Texas classmates. There was also a war protest going on right out front. The protesters are always interesting to see with all their signs and such. I just love all the interesting things we get to see in DC. There are so many more places and events to explore. It was a fun day!

New Camera & new Pictures

My new Baby

I have been having so much fun with my new camera, that I haven't taken the time to blog about it, yet.   Matt surprised me with this Casio Ex-Z77 for my birthday present. Wow! Was I ever surprised!  Don't you just love the color? It's a periwinkle blue, which is a purple/blue color. It takes photos in a snap. I have taken lots and lots of pictures of Emma as you see below. This camera has a Best Shot setting that gives you tons of options for taking good pictures. We took it to the Cherry Blossom festival this weekend in DC. It took great pictures of the beautiful trees with the blossoms. I will blog about that in a separate post. It takes movies with sound and has a special You Tube video setting (Haven't tried that, yet.) Anyway, I love this little, compact (fits oh so nice in my purse) camera.
Emma, age 9 months, my Sweet Baby

I can quickly take snapshots of Emma before she moves and makes the picture blurry. I'll be adding more pics of Emma later.

Happy Spring!

I forgot to say it on the first day of spring, so, "Happy Spring!" I just finished this little bird ATC. This is my first time to use gamsol and colored pencils. In case you don't know, gamsol is odorless mineral spirits.

It blends the colored pencils so you can achieve shading. Fun!

Crusade for Art

Here I am joyfully carving stamps and I find Michelle Ward's Art Crusade # 18 which is carving your own stamps! I love carving my own stamps! I am addicted to it! I can't wait till next month...stencils! I'm so happy she has this crusade I can join! There are others out there like me!

Freshly carved stamps. These will be used in my journals and art quilts. They work great with fabric paints

Here is how I transfer my designs: I draw or trace the design onto the back of a Post-it-Note with a 0.7mm #2 mechanical pencil. Then, I flip it over, sticky side down onto the rubber. Use a bone folder, edge of a ruler or whatever to rub the image (carefully) onto the rubber. Presto, your image is transferred. I use the pink and white carving material that comes in blocks. I also use the poly white erasers. Another hint, sometimes the material has a lot of loose, carved tiny bits that keep getting on your ink pad. I use cellophane tape to remove it. Just press it onto the newly carved stamp and it removes all those tiny bits.
Remember, I carved stamps and posted the fabric in this post? Fun!

It's Here...St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patty's Day is here...when I woke up, I actually forgot it was my birthday...but maybe it was because we celebrated my birthday on Saturday at Tyson's mall. My husband and daughter cooked up a nice surprise for me at the Coach store. They schemed together to have a new purse waiting for me to pick up. Here is the pretty box below with aqua satin ribbon (quilt fodder, of course). Then, the purse inside...it even comes with a drawstring satiny bag for storage. Cool! Anyway, it's my first Coach bag. I think this would make a nice tradition every year. (hint...for hubby reading this). I also had a huge slice of my favorite double chocolate cake at Gordon Biersch. Oh, and we had pizza and salad, too. But the cake is the yummiest!

"The" purse

I received a really cute card from my friend, Susan...it has a Boston on it! Also a cute card from my daughter and a cute froggy fabric ATC from my cyber friend, Diane. It's a nice day. I am going to do a bit of shopping today for fabric.

I am so into crocheting while I watch movies on TV, now. I just figured out a cool hexagon pattern and I'm making a new afghan using pottery barn colors.

Vintage Fashions & Sleep

Emma asleep under the sleep inducing afghan. It's almost instant sleep for her when the afghan touches her.

Vintage Fashion ATCs

These are Vintage Fashion ATCs I made for a swap. I had some scrapbook paper with these tiny vintage ladies on it, so I enlarged them and used them on an ATC.

Emma (our Boston Terrier) and I were lazy today. We laid on the sofa and watched chick flicks. We were wrapped in the sleep inducing new afghan that I crocheted. I haven't crocheted an afghan in many years. I forgot how warm and cozy they are when the weather is cold outside. Above is a picture of Emma asleep in the chair with the afghan. Of course she has her little chew bone nearby just in case she needs it. Emma will be 9 months old next week! We will both have a birthday celebration!

Journal Quilt

Mom & MeMom & me (detail)

This is a journal quilt I made using the theme of "What are you old enough to remember?" from the Take It Further Challenge. I found this challenge hard to start as it brings back too many memories. This quilt is a picture of my mom and I shopping. I remember we would always dress up for the trip to town. My mom sewed most of my clothes, thus the sewing notions attached to the quilt. I remember the sound of the taffeta full skirts swishing as I walked. The plaid fabric on the side and bottom are taffeta. I remember the photographer who would snap our picture on the sidewalk...this is one of those pictures. I'm so glad my mom bought this one! I remember her black and silver scissors which she used to cut fabric and paper dolls for me from a newspaper! I remember how much I wanted to sew and iron just like her. I did sneak to the ironing board one day to iron my doll clothes...I still have the scar where I sat the heavy iron down on my hand. It burned all night and she kept a bowl of ice water beside my bed to soothe it. I remember the large flower prints on our drapes which is similar to the background fabric in the quilt. OK, I could go on and on with remembrances but I must stop because I have to iron...ugh...I hate ironing! But I love sewing and cutting paper with my scissors!

Party Dresses!

Here they are! Party dresses! These are made from sturdy cardstock using a vintage dress pattern. I traced the dress pattern and enlarge to the desired size (4"x6"). I then traced the pattern to clear template plastic so I can make more later. What fun it was to embellish the dresses! I guess I was imagining that three sisters were going to a Spring tea party. (It's a Southern thing) So, I had to use flowers, velvet ribbons and of course, a tulle overlay. The cardstock is Wild Asparagus. I like to use this brand because it is so sturdy.


I just have to make more of these! And if I can just find the pattern for my wedding gown (35 yo), I think it would be fun to make. I really wish I had saved my old patterns. These three are going for a swap. I just have to make more.
I can't believe it's March already...my B-day is coming up on St. Patrick's Day. I even bought a St. Patrick's Day T-shirt this year. I need to work on taxes today so I don't have to worry about them on my b-day, but I may just have to run out for more cardstock. : )

Stamping Fabric & Carving Stamps

This is the fabric I stamped using a stamp that I carved. I have found that I love carving my own stamps! If you click on the scanned picture to enlarge it, you may be able to see the white berries I added using the eraser end of a pencil. This is just done on some unbleached muslin and I used Jacquard Textile paints, undiluted. After several tries of painting and dabbing, I found that a sponge brush worked the best to dab onto the stamp. After one good stamp, I immediately stamped again to get a shadow effect on the fabric. Then, after it dried (and it did dry fast), I heat set it with an iron. I didn't even put a pressing cloth over it because I was in a hurry. There was no bleeding onto my ironing board cover. The picture below shows the stamp I carved using my Speedball carving tool. I won the tool in a drawing at one of my art groups one year. It has interchangeable blades in all sizes. The block I use to carve the stamp is made by Speedball, too. I buy them in a local art store or they can be ordered. They feel just like an eraser and are very easy to carve. I draw my image onto paper using a pencil. Then, just lay it on top and rub and the image is on the rubber, ready to carve. I also made some small ones using the white erasers. Fun!
After I carve the image, I use a regular ink pad to stamp it onto paper. This method shows you where you need to carve more rubber away so it won't stamp onto the fabric or paper where it shouldn't. If you look at the stamped image I did on the paper, you can see some spotty ink that shouldn't be there. After using the textile paints and the dye ink pad, my stamp was no longer a pretty pink color...it become permanently stained, but still works just fine. I mount it on a clear 1/4" acrylic block that my hubby cut from Plexiglas we bought at the Hardware store. He cut several sizes so I can use them with different stamps. The repositionable dry adhesive roller tape is great for holding the stamps onto the acrylic.
Now I have to find something to make from this fabric. I really like it and may just keep it like it is and add a border...instant art quilt. It would also make a nice pillow top.
We had a great weekend with our son and his girlfriend visiting us from Ohio. We went to DC (Metro trips) for two days and saw lots of good sights and museums. They are fun to hang out with. I don't think I cooked at all while they were here. It was a fun time!

"Quilting" ATC with a mini-quilt

This is my version of the theme: "Quilting". This one is for a swap. I decided to make an actual quilt to glue onto the ATC (altered trading card). I have a queen sized quilt made from this fabric so I decided to use the left over pieces to make this ATC. I tried scanning it, but it kept moving around on the scanner. I then tried taking a picture with my camera but Emma was jumping up on me blurring most of the images. So I just gave up and went with the pictures I had taken. Hopefully this picture will give you the idea. The scissors are stamped with black ink and then outlined with Gelly Roll glitter pens. I cut out a spool and wound green thread around it.

It's a very cold day here in Virginia. We even had a bit of snow last night. If you look closely, you can still see some on the ground. So different from Ohio with our usual foot or more of snow. Because of the tiny amount of snow, it makes it more difficult to shovel your driveway and sidewalks. It just freezes and makes ice if you don't remove it. Last time it snowed, we left it thinking it would melt, but no, it froze and we had more snow on top of it which made it impossible to shovel. Now that I have learned the secret of shoveling in Virginia, we won't be the "only" house in the neighborhood that didn't shovel. But tomorrow, we are suppose to have lots of ice, freezing rain and snow. I'm so ready for the beach.

Paper Dress

Here it is, my vintage paper dress. It is one of the three I am making for a swap. We are suppose to use a vintage dress pattern and make our own version of it. No faces, arms or legs, just the dress. This is tons of fun! I use to love paper dolls (OK, I still do...I got The Lennon Sisters for Christmas last year). I cut the dress from sturdy scrapbook cardstock and made a net overlay for the skirt. The buttons are tiny rhinestones. Fun!
The next thing I am going to do is use the pattern (from the 70's) of my wedding gown and try to re-create it...too much fun! If anyone tries these, I would so love to see them, so leave a comment. Advice: Never act your age, always find time to play.

Valentine Flowers

My Valentine brought me this beautiful bouquet of roses yesterday. It even has a beaded tie around the vase (future quilt use) and the vase was wrapped in pink, printed pelon fabric (future quilt use). They are so pretty that I just had to share!
Tonight we are going out to a movie and maybe dinner. I spent the afternoon cleaning and clearing the clutter in my studio. I have several projects to finish for quilt show entries coming up soon. So, I'm off to do some planning and creating.

Winter Storm

We are currently having a winter storm like a lot of the country. What to do when you are stuck inside? Well, I am crocheting when I'm watching the news or American Idol. (Yes, I'm an AI fan) My daughter and her friend are crocheting so much in California that I have caught the fever, too. This is going to be a throw for the family room sofa. Emma really likes to lay on it while I'm trying to work on it. She is all into staying warm during these icy days. As you see in the picture below, she is all snuggled up in her little bed in my studio. She will be 8 months old on friday!
I also made a card today for my Valentine. Isn't it sweet? I hope he doesn't read this blog today before I give it to him.
We had a great 35th anniversary this past weekend. I always get a card and I've saved all 35 of them. Hey, pretty soon they will be vintage!

I'm currently working on the cutest paper doll dresses! I'll post them when I'm done. I still love paper dolls.

Painted Clay Creations

I couldn't think of a title for this post, but maybe it's because I'm listening to a Sci-Fi book on my MP3 player as I type. I love mysteries and this mystery turned out to be a Sci-Fi, too.

This picture is after the air-dry clay dried (the next day) and was painted. First, I just used regular acrylics, but it seemed to rub off. So, I used the Lumiere paints (dry brush) and they really adhered. You may see these little buttons and charms in various future quilts. My favorite is the rectangle one with star fish (of course).

The long leaf near the top is from a stamp that I carved from an eraser. On the flip side of the eraser, I carved a flower. That's another fun thing to do. I have a bunch I carved from wine corks, though I don't know where I got the wine corks : )

Clay Buttons & Charms

Today, I played with air-dry clay and polymer clay. The first picture is the ones I stamped and shaped out of Creative PaperClay. The picture shows them drying on a piece of paper. When they are dry, I will paint them and use them on my quilts. These are polymer clay buttons I made and painted with Lumiere paints.

This pewter one is my favorite.