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More Freestyle Embroidery...

 
  Not sure how the idea popped into my head, or somedays if there's even much working up there in my head {please say you can relate} but I decided to cut one of my vintage feathered friends in two and carefully glue him to my sampler. VOILA! It worked!

Also added some more sparkles...a chandelier crystal and an old vintage rhinestone necklace that I sewed on using invisible thread. Love using that invisible thread for items where you don't necessarily want any thread to show.

Still have lots to add before I'm finished but here's a photo of my progress...

And speaking of stitching, some time ago I had bookmarked a webpage found here of a darling saying. Never did order it, but when JoAnnA at Moss Hill Studios did a post using this same darling saying, it inspired me to put the quote in stitches.

 
 

It's still a work in progress...haven't decided if the old victorian die cut of the birdies will be staying, but for now I think so.

I wish I could take credit for the creative idea of stitching the piece of notebook paper. But even more importantly, I wish I could remember the couple of different places on the web where I've seen it done and give proper credit. Unfortunately, I never wrote it down. If I find out, I'll come back and update my post. 

Oh, and before I forget {remember the head issue I mentioned earlier!} the fabric for this little piece is from an all natural cotton batting.

Wouldn't this be a fun anniversary card? Or even a birthday card for someone special in your life.... 
 

The Lenten Rose

 
The Lenten Rose. What an undemanding little beauty who will readily adapt to drought conditions, too much rain, thrives in the shade, loves the cold, and is a perennial to boot. In reality, it is a member of the the buttercup family. However, because of the appearance of its flower buds, it was given the distinct honor of bearing the name rose in its given name.

They are hardy in zones 4-9, and sometimes you can even get away with success in zone 3.

While their colors are quite diverse...from a deep maroon, to pink, to white, to yellow, and more, my favorites are the following....

...these little freckled face darlings. Seriously. Don't they put a smile on your face?

 

 A mature plant can have about 50 flowers per plant. I doubt if mine will ever do that well as the soil conditions where mine are planted is not good. In my yard, the Lenten Roses started flowering in Feburary. Eventually, all the flower heads, regardless of their original color will turn a green.  
 

I recently read that all parts of this plant are toxic. So probably not a good choice for anyone with little ones or a pet that likes to chomp on garden plants. Sometimes I wonder if animals "know" since the deer and rabbits that normally feast on local gardens don't touch these flowers.

With Spring well underway in our area of the world, everyday it seems there is a new bush, tree, flower peeking out to greet all who will take the time to look. Despite the fact that this is our 8th Spring in this area of the U.S. I am still in awe of the beauty that comes to visit this area. So much so, that despite the fact that I can't wait to get to the ocean for our spring break, there is a piece of me...

....that hates leaving this area for a week...

...because I don't want to miss a single day of soaking up the Spring beauty. 
 
 

Goodwill Shopping

 
  

...I had no intentions of going thrift store shopping...not even an inkling to do so...I promise. But when I arrived at my original destination that morning, the store didn't open until 10. For some reason I could have sworn it was 9.

Forced to find something to do for an hour, I remembered that Goodwill had a store nearby. Did I call to make sure they were open? Of course not. That would make sense, wouldn't it?!

 

Lucky for me, being an early bird for my first errand I hit the proverbial jackpot at Goodwill. The entire grouping of these old yummy tarnished silver service pieces had a price tag of ten dollars! Six pieces! Ten dollars!

The little tray is even monogrammed in the center and I love the reticulated edge.

And these three trays...THREE DOLLARS for the lot!

Of course, other stuff jumped in my cart as well. Deals too good to pass up. Like a beautiful Ann Taylor sweater, 100 percent wool in a dreamy chartreuse color. Brand new condition and just my college-aged daughter's size. She even liked it, which is the best news as it can be hit and miss on picking out clothing for her.

I really need to be getting rid of stuff NOT adding to my overgrown stash. But those good deals are hard to pass up, aren't they?

 

Freestyle Embroidery

A work in progress....

Still stitching away on my freestyle sampler from an online class I'm taking from this person. Still not too late to take the class! You can join at any time since it's a work at your own pace sort of event.

Since the weather FINALLY feels like Spring may be coming after all, I'll quit with the words and let the photos do the rest of the talking so I can run outside with my canine friend and soak in some more sunshine...

 
  

...hoping the sun is shining in your world today as well....

this, and many more blessings wished for you all...xo, sue 

touch someone...

 
I stand in awe of those who seem to be able to create one wonderful piece of art after another. And if that isn't enough, they actually POST these creations to their blog for the rest of us to enjoy! One such artist is a blogging friend, Patty, who sent me this little treasure a while back.

 
Look at all the intricate details that went into this little postcard...she has a gift for taking found objects [think candy wrappers, pieces of napkins, rusty pieces squished by car tires,  you name it, she uses it!] Don't miss the muffin tin liner at the bottom of the card...see what I mean?!

 
   ...or the fun presentation that my eyes beheld when I opened this adorable little package....

Despite the fact that it has taken me way too long to post the pictures of this adorable piece, i was so touched when it arrived in the mail. It now lives in my art room, prominently displayed, and continues to send warm fuzzies to my heart everytime I see it.

Thank you Patty for your warm, kind heart and for touching mine when you sent this little treasure my way!

Junk or treasures?

Someone in my family who shall remain nameless recently came upon this "photo shoot" sitting on the kitchen counter. As I busily scurry about putting the final touches on our dinner I see this puzzled look on his face. I offer up, "Aren't those the coolest things ever?"

Response: "If you say so. But what is it? A nativity scene?"

Seriously.

How does one respond to such a comment?! The only way you can. You find the humor in it and you laugh. He has many other redeeming qualities so you just have to let some things slide. My "junk" purchases will probably never be a source of excitement for him! But for those who enjoy these little treasures you'll get it...

 
  This little metal beauty measures five inches tall. At one time it was obviously attached to something. Maybe a piece of furniture?

 
I just loved the details and chippy paint on these two beauties...$10 for the pair.

 
The metal arms I am guessing once belonged to dolls? They are very heavy and I'm guessing very old.

 
Ten dollars for her too! Not a chip, crack, or flake! Is she not awesome?! She measures about nine inches across!

....and then he asks, "What are you going to do with these things?" 

  To which I reply... "I don't know yet."

...with the puzzled expression still perfectly in place he slowly shakes his head and asks about something he's really interested in, "What's for dinner?"

Just another example in life where one's man's junk is another girl's treasure...

A Winter's Day...and Free Images!

I don't think of all the misery but of all the beauty that remains.

~anne frank

OKAY. There is a certain beauty to it. But it's making me miserable. There. I said it. I am so done with winter.

Trick question for the day: Can you identify someone who needs to LIVE the words so eloquently penned by Anne Frank and not just quote them? 

The photo above was snapped from my family room windows this morning. Our hot tub water is gurgling because the freeze mode protection has kicked in. More accurately stated, it's been running all winter long. Typically it only kicks on a few times each winter.

However, I received a pass on having to show up for jury duty today. Tomorrow might be a different story. But yesterday was an emotionally tough day. I didn't get chosen for a particular case. It was a gut wrenching case. The kind that made me physically ill just listening to the allegations leveled against the defendent. Yet, I am grateful to live in a country that affords its citizens the right to a trial by jury.

Wanting to focus on something else to stop dwelling on the sadness I feel, I started sorting through some of my old Victorian cards. There is a certain innocence captured in the art from this era that appeals to many of us. These four little beauties could be used for so many projects...bookplates, placecard holders, address labels, cut out the girls and use their images in your art journal, etc.....

Please feel free to save these to your computer for your own personal use. They are only about 2.5" x 3.5". But just for fun I printed one that was 5.5" x 8.5" and the image was still quite crisp. I've also had good luck with enlarging images on my copier/scanner/printer that I eventually use in my journals.

  

I'm off to finishing up my wild rice soup for dinner. There's nothing like a pot of homemade soup on a wintry weather day.

But still dreaming of Spring,

xo

Sue