100th Post Giveaway Announcement

I am doing a giveaway in honor of my 100th post. And YOU could be the winner! Just leave a comment and I will place your name in a jar. On February 1st a name will be drawn from the jar and that Lucky Person will win a prize!

The gift is a packet of vintage papers, music sheet, album page, pressed florals from my garden, silk flowers and small floral & miscellaneous shapes for you to use in your artwork. Here is a peek at what you will be eligible to win:




DRAWINGS AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY MONTH!!!!


Then, IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN SOME FUN ITEMS....visit my blog on a regular basis and leave a comment on each post. Every time you visit a post and leave a comment I will place your name in a jar.(Only one comment per post, please) The more posts you comment on the more chances you have to be a winner. On the first day of EVERY month I will draw a name and that Lucky Person will win a prize.

The prizes will be different each month.

Possible prizes you may win are:

Vintage Papers
Original artwork I create
Fiber fused fabric I create
Original patterns for various items
Packaged fibers
Book or magazine
Miscellaneous fabrics
Miscellaneous ephemera items
And much more.

In December I will draw a name from all those who have visited my blog all year and left a comment at least once every month.

Every time you leave a comment on a post your name will be placed in the drawing.

The more times you visit thoughout the year the more chances you have to be the big winner!

I am excited to hear from all of you and to see who the lucky winner of the first drawing will be!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

January 22, 1966


Forty-three (43) years ago today I married my high school sweetheart. My, how time passes!

I remember our meeting so vividly. We were in the school cafeteria when I first saw him. After that day we both sat in the same place everyday stealing glances and smiling shyly. Finally, after a couple of weeks a mutual friend introduced us. I was 15, a junior, and he was 17, a senior.

After our first date where we went sleigh riding, there were several more dates over the course of 3 years then we married.

Sometimes as I remember those days I think.."My! How young we were." Now 43 years later I think..."My! How old we are and how many years have passed....OH, so quickly!"

I would guess many would ask, "How have you made it last?" My reply would be, "With a lot of hard work, being friends, and knowing that love changes with the years. It grows from passion to a soft gentle understanding"

I tell everyone that we have grown up together. We were such kids when we married....18 and 21.

There were tough times and good times; sad times and happy times; quiet times and noisy times; lonely times and times together; angry times and laughing times. I could go on and on as I think we have faced every trial a married couple could face. But the one thing we were both committed to was making it work and not giving up. Making it work was hardwork sometimes and at other times very easy.

We have always been able to talk to each other. Our life goals have remained focused on the same dreams and throughout the years we have worked to accomplish those dreams.

My dear husband was in the military for 40 years and fought in 2 wars so as you can imagine we spent some stressful times apart. Thankfully he returned safely home. And the last time he went to war he served beside our middle son. What a sad time that was...having my husband and son in harms way yet bittersweet knowing they had one another.

He has now retired and I am hoping to join him soon. Then, finally we will be able to travel to those far away places, build more dreams and enjoy our final years together.

My anniversary message to him is:

"Thank you for loving me...in good and bad times. Thank you for sharing all these years with me. Thank you for being the father of our children. You have always been a wonderful role model for them. I am proud of our very loving and responsible sons. While we faced some tough times throughout the years we have emerged stronger and loved more. Thank you for always supporting me in pursuing my dreams and making many of them realities.

I Love you, my darling husband."

Making Valentines

Yesterday, I started trying to do a little bit of artwork. It is difficult since I can't use scissors yet. I have given it a couple of tries but just am not able to squeeze the scissors.




Prior to my surgery I had signed up for a swap of Valentine cards and needed to get them complete. After a little struggle I finally finished them. I am still unable to work on anything too small due to lack of using the fingers. I love creating with silk flowers so it seemed appropriate to use them in the cards. Here is the result:













Once the outsides were completed I worked on the insides. The lace and buttons are vintage. I bought the lace at a flea market last summer and purchased the buttons from a vendor at International Quilt Houston in November. The hearts are cut from fabric and attached with a fusible web. Printed the wording for the cards on the computer. Stamped the heart and lips on the envelope with a stamp I purchased for $1.00 on clearance.














Here they are ready to mail:






Simple and fun! Hope everyone likes them!

Sharing Nature Gathered Challenges

During the past few months I have had the privilege to be part of a collaborative art group where we do a monthly challenge creation. Each month has a theme for the inspiration we use to create our works.

I thought I would share some of the works that I have created during these challenges.

December's theme for our challenge was "Reptiles and Amphibians". I created a fiber fused chameleon that I have named --- "Hidden".



November's theme for our challenge was "Fauna". My inspiration was a very grumpy cat that frequents our pasture and yard -- "Lost Kitty". This was painted on fabric with dried lavender and yarn felted into the painting.



October's theme for the challenge was "Field Notes". As I searched for inspiration I spotted several empty bird nests and realized that with winter on the way the tiny birds were beginning to fly south...I would miss them terribly. Appropriately this is "Notes of the Empty Nest". This has a fiber fused background with painted overlay, real twig and nest.




September's challenge was "Flora" Using pressed flowers and foliage I created the fused picture "Flowers from My Garden".



August's challenge was "Entomology" so using silk flowers and pressed leaves I created the field of flowers with a dragonfly. This piece is has no name. Perhaps by the time it goes on display for our art show in Vancouver, Washington I will have a name for it.




July, our first month of the challenge, began the adventure by using the theme, "Birds". My creation is a painting of a vermilion flycatcher on canvas which I fondly refer to as "Early Morning Song".



To see the beautiful works of the artists in our monthly challenge group please visit our collaborative blog - Nature Gathered.

Our monthly challenge will continue through June 2009 so please continue to check Nature Gathered as each artist posts a creation. In August 2009 the original works will be on display at Sixth Street Gallery in Vancouver, Washington.

Word for 2009

On Sue Bleiweis' Yahoo Group for Fibre & Stitch there has been a lot of discussion regarding a word to challenge ourselves with for 2009. After giving this much thought I have decided that I need to have two words - CREATE and BLOG. I just couldn't give one up for the other.

I want to be able to create every day and to blog at least once a week. I tend to let other things in my life interfere with my achieving both on a regular basis.

Webster's Unabridged Dictionary defines Create as:

"...to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not ordinary processes;....to evolve from one's own thought or imagination, as a work of art;....to cause to happen; bring about;...."

Of course, the word Blog is not found in my edition of Webster because blogging is an activity that has come about in more recent times. Thus, I offer my own definition:

"Sharing thoughts, ideas, creations and feelings via the internet. Keeping in contact with cyber friends and meeting new friends through words, pictures and sharing images of creative projects."

What will be your Word for 2009?

Please share your word with others through the use of your blog or email.

Visit Fibre & Stitch, the on line zine for creative ideas.

STITCHES REMOVED

....today.

I have always been able to tolerate a lot of pain but this ordeal with my hand has been the pits! Today was no exception. I felt like such a wimp today when the nurse was removing the 8 stitches in my hand. The pain was excruciating!

As the tears rolled down my cheeks I apologized to the nurse for being a baby and she said, "I was in the operating room and knowing what was done I can really understand why you have the pain."

I was so happy to get the ordeal over. Now I have a brace that I will wear for 4-6 weeks. I can move my fingers now so hopefully I will be able to do some art in a few days.

Tonight I have taken a pain pill and am going to settle down and read a book or catch up on some magazines.

Thanks for all the emails with kind thoughts. I really appreciate hearing from you.

SIX DAYS HAVE PASSED

It will be a week tomorrow since the surgery on my hand. I never realized how much I would be handicapped without the use of my right hand. I can't open anything,can't fix my hair, can hardly put on my clothes and worst of all I am unable to do any art. Tuesday I get the stitches out and hopefully will go to a brace but the doc tells me no repetitive motion (whatever that means) for 4-6 weeks. For right now I am not to even use my fingers.

My dear husband tried to curl my hair but failed miserably. He has otherwise been taking very good care of me. It is the pits not to be able to do the smallest things.....like butter my toast.

I am so anxious to get back to work and back to creating. My mind has been going wild with ideas and I want to get started doing something.

THANKS to Tracie for taking care of class proposals....See why I love my dear daughter-in-law?

THANKS to Jane Eileen and Susan Moore for keeping our INchie group creating those marvelous one inch pieces of art - I have the GREATEST Yahoo group!!! Love you all!!

WELCOME 2009

As 2009 begins I remember all the wonderful times for years gone by ....and dream of new memories yet to be.



When I was a child I believed in the power of dreams, the fun fairies have everyday and always wished on the first star I saw as the sun closed its eyes at the end of the day.

Those things have never changed for me....I am still following my dreams and as many have come true I seem to find new ones to guide my way. The fairies found in my garden give me joy whenever I feel sad. And I still wish upon the star.....

I hope I always hold to these childhood beliefs as I look forward to 2009 with dreams,fun and wishes within my heart.

May all of you have a BLESSED and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!