Santa Cookie Plate and Christmas Ornaments

 I decided this morning that I've put off posting long enough.  Things happen and I just can't get in the mood to post... what kind of nonsense is that???  lol  Anyway, I got up this morning at 5:15am and decided I needed to do something besides sit in my chair.

I found this cute dough roller at the Dollar Store the other day for $1.59...lol  I knew it was not going to be "professionally finished"... more like raw wood.  But I love it anyway.  And...a sweet friend of mine brought me some air dry clay a few days ago...sooo ... this morning turned out to be "the" morning.  

I'm sure that if I make a few dozen more Santa Cookie Plates and Christmas ornaments I may get good at keeping the thickness uniform,  but that's definitely not the case today.

I have about 5 pounds of Air Dry Clay around here somewhere..put away where I can "always" find it..just can't find it today..sigh  Or last week or the week before .. or any time I've spent hours looking for it. 

But I am truly enjoying this idea. Last year at Christmas, I dehydrated oranges to hang on my tree.  I will do the same thing this year because I truly loved the stained glass look of them glistening on the tree.  

What I didn't realize when this bright idea struck was...those beautiful little flowers...get clay stuck in them.  Then you spend 1/2 hour with a toothpick and a good light to clean them out! However, I find that it's worth the time.  And.. if you spray it with your Pam cooking spray it doesn't stick.  But.. I'll have to tell you later whether the oily spray caused problems in the drying process...fingers crossed here. 

Now comes the hard part...waiting for them to dry.  I'm sure I'll wait at least 2 days before I start painting them.  I used the screw on lid from my canning jars for the circles.  I just cut the pear (that was supposed to be a bell until I realized I liked the pear) using a sharp paring knife.  And that little bitty thing on the right center is just a blob of clay with my thumbprint in it.  

(Have you ever thought about the fact that we have no idea what our grandparents hands looked like except in memory?)

I'm considering making a set of these for each of our children.  I would like to think that all my grandchildren would have at least one thing that is personal to me...whether it be something hand written, a Christmas ornament, a thumbprint, a book mark, a painting..whatever. 

It's been wonderfully cool here in SW Oklahoma for the past few days.  However...we are still waiting for appreciable rain.  If it doesn't rain soon, I'll have to water the mint and get the rest of it harvested and dried so I'll have winter tea.  I'm not sure how to shut down the sage for winter...harvest it all but a few or just cut the stem down and water it good for the winter... hmm.. must ask Barbara. 

Have a good day today.  Keep your loved ones close and try to spend at least a few minutes today doing exactly what you WANT to do instead of all those things we HAVE to do each day.  Hugs...

The Garden, The Shawl, and Lunch

I think the garden is almost finished for the year.  The okra is still going strong but is putting on very little okra.  However, I did get enough to cook up the other day...

We're only about 3 days away from Daylight Savings Time ending.  That means cold weather is near.  And look what my sweet DD knitted for me.  :)

This is the softest, warmest and most adorable shawl I've ever had.  It will stay on my office chair where I sit right under the air conditioner vent in the summer and just in front of a window in the winter.  Thank you, Paula.  It's perfect.

Had lunch with my buddy Pat B. yesterday.  I stuffed myself with 1/2 order Roast Turkey Fuji Apple Salad and  1/2 Chicken Salad Sandwich.  Oh My Goodness!  Top that off with Sweet Tea and a Cobblestone goodie.. and needless to say, I had to bring the Cobblestone home... Very nice visit and catch up time since Pat has been gone for a while visiting her sweet daughter and family with the  newborn grandson.

It evidently rained again last night.  I opened the front curtains and blinds this morning for Sam and there was a shiny sheen on the road, the drive and the grass.  We so need all this rain, but am getting a little tired of the gray days... and the fact that Sam has to be carried out to do his business since he cannot possibly get his feet wet.. :/

Looking forward to working on The Big Blue Quilt today.  The only thing I got done on it yesterday was to rip out the parts that I had sewn in wrong.. :(   Perhaps I can get the body of it finished today and decide on a border and binding..

Hope you have a wonderful day.  Sing a little, smile a lot.. :)

Tablet Weaving Links and a Fun Afternoon... Tablet Weaving

There's nothing quite like trying to teach something you haven't done in a long time to find out how much you have forgotten..lol  And that's what happened Saturday afternoon when Carol arrived for a tablet weaving lesson.

But stumble through it we did.  I did so much enjoy Carol's company and I hope she has as much fun with table weaving as I have had.  We may get together again soon for some real weaving fun.. :)

If you are not familiar with tablet weaving, here are a few links for you:

This link is the exact one that I used to learn to card weave (tablet weave) .  The Ancient Craft of Tablet Weaving by Shelagh Lewins was my "go to" page during my quest to learn this wonderful art.

Phiala's String Page    was another great resource that I used in my quest for knowledge.

If you would like to buy cards instead of making them, Halcyon Yarn has them at a reasonable price here.

I must say here that I am in no way affiliated with any of these sites in a business way or a personal way.  I am however very grateful that they have taken the time to share with us their knowledge.  As for Halcyon Yarn, I have ordered many things from them and have always been satisfied with both the product and the customer service.

It's cooling down into the 90's this week.. hopefully into the 80s next week.  Would love to have some rain, but guess that will have to wait.

Have a lovely day and give lots of hugs all the way round.. ;)

Today In My Life.. 02/28/2013

Today is:  February 28, 2013

I got up this morning:  around 6 or so to take the dogs outside.  What a joy they are!  I don't think I have mentioned Sam and Katie.  They love to get us up in the morning.  ;)

This is Katie.. She weighs 4 pounds and is all lady.  This is Sam.  He weighs 10 pounds of all boy!

I am hearing:  a small cacophony of sounds as Sam barks at someone walking by,  the heater is softly blowing warm air, the tinkle of glass as my sweet DH is getting his cup of coffee.....

I am thinking:  or not..lol  This is one of those mornings where my brain goes ADHD...lol  but I must get another cup of coffee.. brb...

As I look out the window:  the sun is shining at last.  The forsythia down the street is in full bloom and is absolutely lovely.  Forsythia has a wonderful meaning for me.  When I was 18 and living in Okmulgee, OK  my kitchen sink had a window over it.  Each morning doing the breakfast dishes I would look out that window.  We had a 13 month old son and a brand new baby in December.  It seemed that winter would never end and one morning in February  I looked out that window and there it was... a huge, huge spray of the most brilliant yellow blossoms looking back at me through that window.  I remember I could hear Jim playing in the living room and Phil cooing in his bed... I hear those wonderful sounds and see that window every time I see a forsythia.. 

I am thankful for:  my sweet DH who tolerates all of my hobbies... Today the dining room table is quite covered with watercolor stuff... and stuff... I think he wouldn't say a word until he found himself walking thru nothing but a tiny walkway in the house..lol  I must say that I appreciate him more and more.  I love him very much.

The current book is:  one that I got for my Kindle.  It's a freebie from Amazon and I'm finding it quite good..    Sacred Treason by James Forrester.  This is the first book of a trilogy, and I'm reasonably sure the other 2 won't be free..lol 

The family:  is growing..

And may I introduce (drum roll please!)  my first great granddaughter Elaina.... She is such a little beauty.  I only wish that we lived closer so we could cuddle her more often.. ;)

We are looking forward to welcoming another great grandchild  in May.  This one will be a grandson and I cannot wait.. :)  I had best get started on his christening gift.. ;)

Creatively:  there hasn't been much happening this week.  I have started  naalbinding  a simple scarf using the Oslo stitch.

I wanted a soft flowing scarf this time so I used a wool/silk yarn that I bought from a friend of mine.  It is hand spun and I love it.  Using the small needle instead of my naalbinding needle seems to let me hold my stitches smaller.. I don't know why that is since my thumb doesn't change sized regardless the size of the needle...lol 

Plans for the rest of the week:  had best hurry since this is Thursday..lol  I will continue naalbinding on the scarf in the evenings and I will try to get the other view of the old rusted delivery truck done.  Every time I decide I will paint something always comes up.. what's up with that? 

Free pattern for the week:  Over at Fabric Follies Two there is the cutest baby hat pattern.  Very easy and warm for the little one.  I'm sure I will be making several of these.. ;)

Hopefully the weather here in North Texas will warm up a bit during the day.  The nights for the next few days will be very cold, but eventually Spring will be here.. ;) 

Have a wonderful day.. :) 

Handmade Journal Handy..

Back in 2006 I decided to try my hand at making my own book.  I have since learned that this is not the "exact" way to do it, but I love my little book just the same.

 As I was gathering things to take to the Ingram Art Show I came across this little book and decided to take it with me.  What a wonderful thing that turned out to be!

It occurred to me that several of my relatives that I had not seen in a while were there and this was the perfect time to have them write in my book.

 Signing the poems that they wrote.. ;)  The bird is taken from a photo of Squirt that Aunt Edna sent me..  Didn't quite get it, but the gist is there...lol
 (You may have noticed that the poem is scrambled.  This is to protect their intellectual property.. )

 When I put this book together I wanted to put things that were special to me into it... like this poem written by my Aunt Betty.  I thought I wanted things to be perfect and then somehow they didn't come out as perfect as I thought I wanted them to be.  Now as I look back thru the pages, they are exactly as I wanted them to be.  I would encourage everyone to make their own little book and put in it whatever they find special to themselves in it..

Now I realize it doesn't have to be perfect or perfectly thought out... it just has to be you.  Mine is just a collection of little ditties that I thought were good.  There's a notation that my first great grand daughter was expected.. another for the day that she was born.  Now there will be another notation about my first great grandson that will be born in May.  Another about my oldest son making the Dean's Honor Roll in college.  So many things...

And the opportunity to have my family write in my book was just too good to be true. 

Another good thing from the Ingram Arts and Crafts Show... ;)

Have a wonderful day....

Today in My Life ... Sunday, June 24, 2012

Today is:  Sunday, June 24, 2012

I got up this morning:  at 5:45.  Awake as if the sleep had been really good.  Pushed the button on the coffee pot, opened the blinds, turned on the computers, run my hand across the counters thinking how fortunate I am...

I look out my window:  and realize that I really need to dead head my roses and get my mint and lemon verbena planted!  As in .. TODAY!  

I am thinking:  that the bandages in my groin from the cardiac cath and the tape burns will have to come off today or they'll drive me nuts... ;o)  I'm allergic to the tape they used and it left a huge seeping burn area.. ;o(   However... it's dry now and time for the bandage to come off.....!!  ;o)

I am thankful for:  the fact that the cardiac cath shows only a 30% blockage of the stent.  Very happy result!  ;o)

Plans for the rest of the week:  include finishing several of the project I've started and put aside.  I am determined to NOT start anything new until these are finished... (hmmm... wonder if that will hold true..lol)  But I will try...

The third CESI injection will be Friday.  That will be the last for this series.  I just wish I had known about these earlier in my life....

Creatively:  there hasn't been much happening.  I have been doing some mindless knitting in the evening and come up with some cute hand towels for my bathroom.  I love them.  They feel much better on my face than the terry cloth towels. 

And a "Thanks, Pat!" goes out to my buddy for bringing me a huge plastic bag of this wonderful cotton yarn.  Plans are to use it on my rigid heddle loom and make some small blankets.. but if I don't hurry up and finish some things I have started, it will end up being knit up into small things I can make in the evenings... lol

Happy thought:  that will continue to make my happy all week.  Two of my sons called this weekend and I think I have not laughed so hard in months!  What a joy! 

My online friend Judy of Apron Strings and Other Ties That Bind   has been doing some really pretty embroidery for her crazy quilt squares.  Among other things.. ;o)  Take a look and say hello.  ;o)



 

Rain, Rain....

It began to rain yesterday and is continuing today... I love the soft sounds of the rain on the roof. It was pretty to watch this morning on the roof of the shop while listening to songs of the birds. Have I said I love spring???... I tried to get a pic of the splashes that were so vivid on the shop roof...it came out so-so... if you click on the pic you can see a couple of splashes and the bubbles...

This has been a week of some very good ups and some very terrible downs... "Life is what happens when you are making other plans"...ughhh I've always found that John Lennon line somewhat comforting... It always seemed to remind me that there is a randomness of events in a person's life... along with a randomness of whether it is good or bad... Well..today I don't like it...

Remember my first hand weaving that was done with my hand spun Icelandic wool...Well here it is after being made into a small change purse. It was hand sewn with needle & thread. I had to make the pattern myself since I bought the clasp at least a year ago and it didn't have a pattern with it.

I have some cotton thread ... larger than #10, but came from a thrift store, so no info attached with it.. It is a bit more difficult to weave, but is coming along great. Who knew that green thread is self striping???