Tying up Some Fun

I don't have a lot of time for craft projects these days, but I had a tie-dye kit that had been sitting in my closet for years and finally decided to put it to use. A friend and I dyed onesies and little t-shirts for the wee ones in our lives. We also used Rit liquid dye in buckets to make easy versions of the ombre clothing in stores this spring. Our favorites were the ones with the top third dyed blue, the middle left white, and the bottom third dyed green. In the wash, the dyes ran enough to dye the middle white section a lighter bluegreen. Easy fun!

Now it's time to get back to laundry and dishes...

A Tea Kettle From My Past

We've had sporadic internet problems due to a lightning storm, but we think (hope) the problem is solved now...so I'm back for Tea Tuesday! I have been rather obsessively going through closets and clutter these last few weeks. I even opened up the pile of sketches from Drawing 101 that had been taped up between two big pieces of cardboard for many years, sight unseen. (Drawing 101 was a very long time ago!) I enjoyed seeing the sketches again, and felt kind of sad that I haven't kept up with drawing, even if I have done lots of other arts and crafts in the meantime. I was intrigued by how many times the tea kettle in the bottom drawing showed up in the still lives - our professor obviously found it worthy of repeated attempts. The other images are also momentos of my past: the violin that I haven't touched in years, the Chuck Taylors that I wore in high school and college, my Great Uncle Louis who often visited for Christmas during those years. I kept these sketches, although many of them ended up on the curb (after being photographed if I liked them well enough - thank goodness for digital photography.) I was surprised that I finally let them go, since I tend to be very sentimental. But a big part of me is feeling that by letting things go, removing them from my home, I am making room in my life for new things.

A Surprise

I was delightfully surprised to find a complimentary copy of Somerset Life in my box yesterday - another one of my travel journals has been published. It's a lovely spread, pages 100 - 101. Thanks, Somerset Life!

T is for Travel: Georgia O'Keefe

Last month, my husband and I set off for our annual road trip north. Instead of heading straight to South Dakota, we swung west to New Mexico. I'd been wanting to see Santa Fe for some time and we both yearned to be in the true West again, with its dry air, varied landscapes, and huge spaces. We were not disappointed. One particular goal was to visit the Georgia O'Keefe Museum in Santa Fe. I have admired her work since high school and had only seen a handful of her works in person. The museum was our very first stop in Santa Fe, and I was treated to a few dozen of her paintings. I spent much time admiring a series of three seashells, the canvases only about 8x10 inches. Their smallness surprised me, given how bold her work is. And I was delighted to see her portrayals of cottonwood trees, landmarks in the West, and a favorite of mine. Outside the museum, I smiled to see lilac bushes blooming against the adobe walls in the town. (They don't grow in Houston.) The next day, we drove out to Ghost Ranch, where O'Keefe lived and painted for many years. My husband took these photos of the scenery at the ranch. The sources of her inspiration were clear. An artist/retreat colony is now found on the grounds, and perhaps someday I'll be able to return for a workshop. It was fulfilling to finally see these places, after years of wanting to. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to drink tea in New Mexico, but I'm enjoying my old standby jasmine vanilla now that I'm home.

New Article

I'm thrilled to share that I have a 3-page article in the latest issue of Somerset Memories of one of my travel journals! Page 118 if you want to take a peek next time you're at the bookstore.

January Garden

The last several weeks have been rather busy due to home improvements and a visit from dear friends. My garden has been thinned considerably since our rare heavy frost a bit back, but some things are pressing on in their lovely little ways. These diminutive wildflowers have popped up everywhere. My Savoy cabbages (not seen) and Brussels sprouts (second photo) are slowly growing and I look forward to preparing them for a meal later this spring. And, finally, for some reason I didn't believe the nurseryman when he told me the variegated wormwood (bottom photo) would take over, but now I see that he is right. One plant has produced a 4-foot patch of seedlings. They're pretty when they're small but not so much when they're mature. I will be transplanting them to a bare part of the garden!

I have returned to the pottery studio this month but have had to use a different, much softer, clay and have found it rather a struggle - although today I threw the largest bowls I've ever managed (still not really that large!) Loved ones are having babies right and left, so I also have several small sewing projects in mind. And for craft group next week, I found this lovely wreath project. Can't wait to put it together!

Life as a Christmas Elf

Today I mailed off my last packages. Here are a few things that I included as handmade gifts, some of which might be quick for you to make as last minute gifts if you need ideas! (If you're a family member and have secretly discovered my blog, I guess your surprises are ruined! ;-)

Desk calendars for those with office jobs (4x6 inches), using wallet-sized prints of my flower photos and free yearly calendars downloaded on the web.

Beaded earrings - copper, glass, minerals, sterling silver.

Guilty pleasure - pretzels in almond bark with sprinkles.

Typed, printed, and bound booklets of the favorite family recipes my MIL wrote out by hand for our wedding.

Herbal sachets (many of these are for my own closets, fabric stash, etc.) They do contain lavendar, but also whole cloves, thyme, mint, and rosemary. They smell wonderful! I tried out a few decorative stitches on my sewing machine for embellishment, and even broke into my vintage hankie collection for a few of them.

I also did some simple scrapbook pages, easy cookie cutter clay ornaments, pottery for one lucky person, and made a pile of photo notecards. I haven't been able to craft much this year with study and travel, so it has been rather fun to get back into it. The hardest part of Christmas prep remains: cleaning and straightening my house before visitors arrive! I hope your Advent season is going well.

Advent Calendar

We're back from yet another trip, this time to attend the wedding of my husband's sister in Ohio and then to celebrate Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania with our good friends and adorable godchildren. But more on that later! I've admired the envelope-type Advent calendars that I've seen on many craft blogs (the envelopes are often clipped clothespin style to twine along a wall, etc.) and so I decided to whip up a quick one to take to our godkids. It's pretty self-explanatory from the photos, and it was a lot of fun to make. Using a packet of 20 icon cards about the life of Christ as the envelope inserts (available from the Greek Archdiocese website) was a good way to keep the focus on the reason for Christmas. For the other 5 days, I inserted photos of my husband and me and included little notes to the kids. There are countless ways to vary this idea.

I'll be trying to whip up some more Christmas crafts for gifts in the next week or two. Will you be crafting?

Impressions

I have been playing with solar print paper this week, trying to capture my ornamental grass before I chop it back to move it to a different part of the yard. I love the way the paper captures the grass so accurately and magically, the process set in motion by the bright sun. Even after the grass is bagged and gone, its delicate seeds will stay with me, captured in blue tones. It's easy to jump from noticing actual physical impressions to thinking about things that have left an impression on my heart, soul, and mind, leaving wispy traces to remain long after the events themselves have occurred. I was reminded of this yesterday at the pottery studio as I was playing catch up on glazing after my absence to study and travel this fall. The staff there uses Pandora to provide our soundtrack. All of a sudden an old Paul Simon song came on, one that I hadn't listened to in many years, and it immediately took me back to high school, when I listened to it often. I suspect music leaves such traces on many of us - along with countless other things in our years.

Capturing any impressions yourself lately?

Late August Impressions

There have been things I've wanted to share, but suddenly blogger won't let me copy and paste from Word, as is my usual m.o. for longer posts. Has this happened to you? So I'm just stopping by to share some simple pleasures I've squirreled away this week in between long study sessions. These $6 roses to start with. A late afternoon weekday matinee by myself, much needed escape from the books - Julie & Julia, which left me dreaming about roast chicken and beef stew. Playing with solar print paper in the backyard. Selling some old bookshelves through Craig's List - cash! 99-cent French bread from Whole Foods, toasted with butter - butter nearly rivals chocolate as one of my biggest temptations. Drinking the looseleaf jasmine & vanilla tea that my sister sent me this spring from the little organic grocery in our hometown, nibbling on small squares of dark chocolate with it while I study. Getting my first glazed and fired pieces back from pottery class. A hilarious package from my sister that left me giggling all day. New-to-me books from PaperbackSwap, setting them aside to read once this exam is behind me. Anticipation! Neighborhood children back in school, which makes afternoon shopping much quieter. A sleepy dog, who gives me something cute to look at while I study.

What simple pleasures have you had lately?

Clues

Where have I been and what have I been doing? I'm a visual person, so sometimes it's good for me to take photos to remind myself of what's keeping me busy. I've finally started reading for my (extremely overdue) graduate exam in English - at top are just a few of the many books I need to work through in the next couple of months. The biggest challenge has been finding a good place to study. But I am enjoying the topics. (And peeking from underneath the books? The tv guide...there's just something about Texas summers that leaves me listless by the end of the day.)

Speaking of books, I’ve finally joined paperbackswap and wish I would’ve joined ages ago when Mimi first told me about it. Are you there? Do you want to be buddies? My nickname is meadowlarkdays – please look me up!

I’ve also joined postcrossing this summer and received my first batch of international postcards today. It’s a unique project and I’m looking forward to more of it.

I don’t think I’ve even mentioned that I’ve been taking a pottery class (throwing on the wheel) for the last five weeks. My sister made this lovely mug for me for my birthday – isn’t it pretty? None of my current projects have been fired yet, but I do need to dedicate a post to the small hand building projects that I made in May in South Dakota in the class with my sister. She’s the one who inspired me to finally pursue this interest!

Finally, my membership papers for The Letter Writers Alliance arrived today! I love snail mail and am looking forward to exploring the possibilities here.

What new things have you been up to?

Summer Wedding

We had a little adventure this last weekend, taking off to Cincinnati for my husband’s brother’s wedding. The first and foremost thing for me was dealing with my flight phobia again. I still depend upon sedatives, but it seems like it’s getting a bit easier. I even find myself regretting not flying for seven years – think of all the other places I could have seen and how much more often I could have visited my family in that time! But better late than never.

The wedding was a brilliant celebration, held in a lovely old church which is now the Bell Event Centre. Our new sister-in-law is a delightful young woman. We visited with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and I even met some of my husband’s relatives for the first time. I ran around taking lots of photos. The food was fantastic, the new-grassy band was a pleasant change from typical wedding music, the bride was beautiful, and the venue spectacular.

We also snuck in a whirlwind tour of the Cincinnati Art Museum. I easily could have spent a few more hours there if time had allowed – a gorgeous old building with a large collection. Visiting these old eastern towns is always such a shock to my western eyes – so many big, old buildings, both beautiful and run-down.

Any weddings for you this summer? Any new sights? Please do share.

Recent Paper Crafts

I don't have much to say today, but I thought I'd share a few more projects. I hadn't rubberstamped in a while, but the neighborhood craft group wanted to learn some techniques, so I designed some simple cards for them to copy. It was fun!

Also some scrapbook layouts of winter events - it's really hard to photograph a layout!

This layout was inspired by one of Ali Edwards'.

Sewing

I wanted to share a few of the projects that I've worked on in the last month or so. Sewing still remains rather frustrating to me and at times I continue to wonder why I torture myself so! First is a tote bag adapated from Last Minute Patchwork & Quilted Gifts. I made three of these, two for gifts. My attempts to attach snaps with my Crop A Dile were not successful, so I just sewed some ribbon inside the top in order provide a way to close the bag.



My little nephew up north recently celebrated a birthday and I sewed two owls for him, adapted from some free patterns on the web. Apparently he has joined the owl craze that is sweeping the nation.

And lastly, I took a binding class at a local quilt shop a few weeks ago and started out small with potholders, also gifts. I really don't like to bind, but it's nice to finally know how to do it!

Any projects you'd like to share?