Creativity, Crafts, Books, Movies, Greyhounds & Favorite Things

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Guess who celebrates a birthday tomorrow?…NIKKI!  Nikki will be five years old.

What can I say about my sweet Nikki…

1.  I call Nikki my perfect dog.  She just doesn’t do anything wrong…ever.

2.  Nikki was a great “third” to add to the Freedom/Casper duo.  Even though Nikki is unassuming, she is very friendly when we have guests.  She comes over to greet visitors, but she isn’t pushy (like Freedom).

3.  Nikki was a winner.  She ran 75 races in two years.  She placed 1st in 8 races and 2nd in 9 races.  The funny thing…Nikki hardly every races around the yard.  Freedom and Casper will be running around like crazy, and Nikki just watches.  Been there, done that.

4.  Nikki was overlooked many times before we adopted her.  She’s so unassuming that she never stood out.  Thank goodness!

5.  Nikki is to hairy, what Freedom is to bald.  Nikki is the furriest greyhound I’ve ever met.  I call her my little bear.

6.  Nikki has tiny little feet.

7.  Nikki is the timekeeper.  She is the first to get-up, first to announce it’s time for dinner and first to start pushing for bedtime.

8.  Nikki is an “old soul” dog.  I suspect that she has the most to teach me.

Happy Birthday, my darling girl.  I love you so much, you make my heart ache.

Daily Inspiration

Put your ear down close to your soul and listen hard.

Anne Sexton

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Here’s what I worked on this past week:

I made folded petal flowers using a variety of materials.  I am particularly in love with the fleece.  It’s soft and holds it’s shape.

I finished my little country girl.

And, a few art journal pages.

Daily Inspiration

 

Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.

Anatole France

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Freedom:  I knew it!  I knew she wasn’t going to get our interview complete this week.  Where’s my hedgehog.  I need to chew on my hedgehog.

 

Casper:  She says the stress of cleaning our messy house to prepare for 24 Father’s Day guests has wiped her out.

 

Nikki:  I don’t know why she thinks it’s a big deal.  All she has to do is type.  Oh well, please tune in next Sunday and we’ll answer all your questions.

Happy Father’s Day!

 

My dad and his 3 daughters

Daily Inspiration

 

He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.

Clarence Budington Kelland

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I have been terrible about consistently responding to the comments you leave for me.  I got behind, then more behind, then more behind, then I’m a jerk.  I’ve gone back and reviewed all my comments so I can respond and beg your forgiveness.  I will respond promptly from here on out.

I had quite a few questions, so this week, I’ll focus on questions about my creative work.  Next week, I’ll answer all the other questions.  Let’s get started:

Puddles of We 3 Doxies asked me where I find the time to do all the projects I work on.

I have to say that creating things is a priority for me this year, so I try to work on something every day.  It brings me a lot of joy too, so that makes it easy (or at least easier).  My blog keeps me motivated too.  I like to have something to “report.”

Georgia Little Pea  of Little Dogs On Long Leashes asked me what I do with all the stuff I make.  Do I give them away as pressies (that’s Australian for gifts).

I’m saving some things to sell.  I just have to decide whether I want to have an Etsy shop, participate in art shows or sell to local boutiques.  I’ve sold a few things (very few).  If I don’t like something, I toss it out.  I really don’t give things I make as presents because I don’t think anyone would like to receive something I made. Hmmm…I really hadn’t thought about that until being asked this question.  I need to get me a little self-esteem.

Speaking of gifts, Patty of Two Greyhound Town asked me if I handmake my holiday gifts.

I present a pretty pristine image of myself on my blog, but I’m actually one of those people at the 24-hour drugstore on December 24.

If you read my blog even a little bit, you’ve probably noticed that I love to make fabric flowers.  Jay from The Depp Effect asked me what I do with all the flowers that I make.

I like to use them on my yarn vases, and I would like to do more canvas bouquets like the one in the picture.  I keep the ones that are not currently involved in a project in a large shoebox.  I like to have a nice variety available to play around with when I’m creating an “arrangement.”

Georgia Little Pea of Little Dogs On Long Leashes asked me if a particular flower I did during May was done on the flower loom. 

The answer is “yes.”  All the flowers I made for May’s “Try This” posts were made on the Hani-Ami Flower Loom.

Puddles of We 3 Doxies asked me if the flowers I used on this vase were beads, and Lynne of Dip-Dip and The Bridge asked me where I will put this in my house. 

The flowers are beads.  I made this vase as part of the Creative Color Challenge.  I plan to sell my yarn vases; I just haven’t figured out where I will sell them.

Carrie of And a Bowl of Oranges Too asked me if a the yo-yos I featured in March were sewn by hand. 

I do sew them by hand.  In fact, I sew all the flower I make by hand.  I like handsewing the flowers because they usually require only a running stitch or a tacking stitch.  Also, I only make a flower or two at a time, so handsewing is the quickest and makes the least mess.

Pauline of Journal Illustrations and Musings asked me if I made the cards I feature “In My Studio.”

I do make all the cards I feature.  I belong to two card clubs.  One of my clubs meets every other month.  We alternate between Stampin’ Up! and Close To My Heart products.  My other club meets once a month and we just use Stampin’ Up! products.  The main reason I’m in these clubs is because I love being with the other club members and I get to try things I wouldn’t fiddle with on my own.

Pip from Pip Gets Back In The Game was interested in the little paper purse I made at card club. 

This was made using the Petite Purse Bigz L Die from Stampin’ Up!.  I also purchased the adhesive remover that several of you commented on, from Stampin’ Up!.

Patty of Two Greyhound Town asked me how much painting experience I had before taking the How to Paint a Girl E-course.

I learned how to do the type of decorative painting that was popular in the 80’s and 90’s.  I even taught decorative painting in a local craft store.  This type of painting relied heavily on following a pattern.  That was the big difference for me with the How to Paint a Girl E-course.  It was much more original and freestyle.

Kat from Dog Gone Right asked if I took the picture that this creative color challenge is based off of. 

This is not one of my pictures.  The picture and the color breakdown is provided by Louise Gale of the Creative Color Challenge.  For the challenge, you can do whatever you want with with the colors…photography, painting, fiber, anything.

Pip from Pip Gets Back In The Game asked me if I knew of any good online photography courses. 

I took an e-course by Susannah Conway called Photo Meditations and enjoyed it very much.  It was not a technical course as much as a “heart and story behind the pictures” course.  I thought it was very good.  I don’t spend as much time on my photography as I should.  I am often shooting things at the last minute.  I say that because the course is better than my photography reflects.  There are TONS of e-courses out there, and I really enjoy this type of learning.  If anyone knows of a good course, please let Pip know.

Penelope from The Cat From Hell, after seeing a picture I took of some tulips for a “Daily Inspiration,” asked if they were mine. 

I don’t enjoy cooking, gardening or any type of outside work.  I like what results from cooking and gardening, I just don’t like to do the work.  Hey, I think we found where all the time I spend on creative pursuits comes from!

Daily Inspiration

 

To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.

Eva Young

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Back to finishing my “owl” and “girl” paintings, before I begin my Crazy Quilting 101 project.  This week, I finished my last girl.

Before

After

I have two owls to finish up and then I’ll start my crazy quilt purse.

Daily Inspiration

What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.

Gertrude Jekyll

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I’m putting together a “heirloom album.”  My husband teases me that the only things I get done are the things I blog about, so I’m putting the power of the “post” to work on this project.  Here’s what I’m doing…I’ll pick three items; the first week, I’ll tell you what I know and the next week, I’ll tell you what more I find out. I’ll do this “back and forth” during June and July. Here are the heirlooms I picked last week.  The text in black is what I knew; the text in red is what I found out.

McCoy Vase

This vase was my mom’s. She had a curio cabinet for special things, and I think this was in the curio cabinet. It is a piece of McCoy Pottery from the Blossom Time line. Blossom Time was first produced in 1947. Pieces were produced in matte white and matte yellow and featured a handpainted pastel pink flower. There are some rare pieces that had blue, white, or yellow flowers.

This belonged to my paternal grandmother.  She had a set of two.  She gave one to my mom (her daughter-in-law) and one to my aunt (her daughter).

President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy Pitcher

I remember this as one of my mom’s knick knacks. I think it used to be in my parents’ bedroom. Originally, this item was sold in gift and souvenir shops between January 20, 1961 and late November 1963.

My mom and her sister (my Aunt Alma) each purchased one of these at a store called Inwoods in the early 1960’s.  There were other items offered with this same design, but they both liked this little pitcher.

Green Plate

This plate belonged to my parents. I believe they received it early in their marriage.

My mom got this from one of her sisters (maybe my Aunt Christine).  She doesn’t know how old it is, but remembers that it has been around as long as she can remember.  I need to take it to an antique dealer and see if they can give me more information.  If anyone knows about glass, I would appreciate your expertise…even if it’s just a guess.

Daily Inspiration

 

Memory is a child walking along a seashore.  You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things.

Pierce Harris

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This month, I’m making flowers and showing you how special they can look, made out of different materials.  This week, a folded petal flower.  This is a fun and easy flower to make.  You may recognize some similarities to last week’s 5 petal flower.

Start by cutting out 5 circles.

To make a petal, fold a circle in half, then in half again.  To secure the petal, you can use fabric glue or make a small tacking stitch.  Make four petals.

Glue the petal wedges on to the fifth circle.  That’s it!  This would make a wonderful embellishment to anything that is handled because it has a nice sturdiness.  Here’s what it looks like, made from other materials.

Cotton

 

Netting (this flower has 8 petals)

 

Fleece

 

Vinyl

Since you’ll be able to see both sides of the material on each petal, make sure you like the effect.

I’ll be adding “centers” to all my flowers during the final week in June.  Something to consider when deciding whether to use glue or a tacking stitch to secure your petals…If you use a tacking stitch, your center will need to be large enough to cover the stitches.

Daily Inspiration

 

 A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.

Lao Tzu

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I don’t have a subscription, but I often treat myself to the current issue of Vanity Fair.  It never fails to make me feel unsophisticated, uneducated and a complete country rube, but it’s always entertaining, informative and the pictures, stunning and intriguing.

The present Vanity Fair magazine has been published since 1983.  The original Vanity Fair magazine ran from 1913 to 1935.

They had one cover with a greyhound…the October 1926 cover by Vladimir Bobri.

Daily Inspiration

 

While there is perhaps a province in which the photograph can tell us nothing more than what we see with our own eyes, there is another in which it proves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.

Dorothea Lange

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Here’s a peek in to my studio:

I made several of these 5 petal flowers from different fabrics.

I did a couple art journal pages.  I’m using prompts from Art Journal All Year E-Course from Red Velvet Shop.

 

I finished two dishcloths.  I am a member of the newly formed Blogville Ladies Crochet Society, where we’re learning to crochet.  Everyone is welcome to join in; you just need to want to learn to crochet.  I made the yellow dishcloth using a size K crochet hook and the green dishcloth using a size H crochet hook.

Daily Inspiration

 

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.

James Thurber

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You all leave me wonderful compliments about the projects I’m working on every week.  For that, I thank you.  Those compliments inspire and encourage me.  Now, I have a compliment for all my pet blogger friends who write hilarious, insightful blogs for and about their pets.  This is a unique talent, and you bring joy into the world.  This is a talent I don’t have; however, I’ve been told many times how much everyone enjoys hearing from and about Freedom, Casper, Nikki and Twinkie.   So, here’s your chance to hear from the four-leggers in the house.

Ask Freedom, Casper, Nikki and/or Twinkie a question (or questions).  You can address the question(s) to all of them, or you can ask them a specific question individually.  They’ll review your questions, and I’ll turn the blog over to them next Sunday.  So, what are your questions?

Daily Inspiration

I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat.

Edgar Allan Poe