Apr9
Apr6
Easter Bunny!
Happy Easter Everybody!
Apr2
Celebrating For Cynthia!
When I posted this necklace on Facebook, an old college buddy identified it as, “For Cynthia,” what her brother-in-law thought it was called. I’m still smiling. Of course I had to ask my daughter’s mother-in-law, (I call her my sister-in-law. We share grandchildren, after-all!) Cynthia, what she thought. She said that’s what she thought it was called when she was a little girl, and it still made her smile!
Good old forsythia, or “yellow bells” as it’s called here in Western NC, is one of my favorite harbingers of spring!
Inspiration was two-fold. The flower was first, of course, and the second was a cherry blossom kit I’d purchased form Elizabeth Girod at Fire and Fibers: http://fireandfibers.com/item_2578/Cherry-Blossom-Necklace-Kit–Pink-Flowers-Tree-Branch-Spring-Antique-Brass-Picasso-Czech-Glass.htm
When I saw Elizabeth at the Intergalactic Bead Show in Charlotte a week ago, I bought one of her branches and told her about my idea. I had tiny yellow flower beads I had purchased several years ago from Bead Lush, a shop also in Charlotte, NC. The green leaf beads I found at Joann’s recently. I used 26 gauge brass wire to secure the beads to the stem.
Even though, I’m not a “yellow girl,” I think I have to keep this one for myself!
When I wear it, I can celebrate, “For Cynthia!”
Mar29
Crocus 1 Jigsaw Puzzle
Mar29
About Mama’s House
When my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012, she told me she was leaving me her most valuable possession, her house. She asked that I not sell it and not rent it. She hoped that I would move there. It’s a ranch house, and I made it fairly accessible when she shattered her ankle in 2006. My husband has MS, and she thought it would be a good place for us. She reminded me that it was part of Daddy’s family homeplace, (great-grandparents buried in a family graveyard nearby,) and he said it should stay in the family. I suggested my brother should have it, since he bears that family name, but she said he’d sell it, again letting me know she didn’t want it sold.
My husband wasn’t, and still isn’t, interested in moving there. What to do?
Enter Susan Sorrell. I had seen her on one of the craft shows I watch, probably Quilting Arts. I loved her work and was delighted to find she was from South Carolina. I started following her blog, Little House Art Studios. I was also jealous of Susan Sorrell because she had inherited her grandmother’s house and turned it into her craft studio! Bingo!
I have since friended Susan on Facebook and let her know she is the inspiration for what I’m doing with my mother’s house! I’ll also let her know I’ve blogged about her.
Mama’s House is only two miles from my current house. It is right next to the old community school I attended as a child and where I later taught for 25 years. It’s located in the middle of my peeps and my kids! Perfect!
To be fair, Mama left what little money she had to my brother, and my daughter, her only grandchild. Now what to do about restoring and maintaining the house? I had some ideas about that, too, which I’ll blog about in a future post! Till then, K<3.
Mar19
Just in time for Easter!
I just finished this glass gem necklace and posted it on the page, I Made This by Hand on Facebook. Look there for more details. It’s my first listing!
Mar15
Door Prize!
On my way home from babysitting in Charlotte, NC, I stopped by the Charlotte Quilter’s Guild Quilt Show. One thing I love about the Charlotte Quilters is they give you a prize, just for coming in the door! (As it should be, right?) A table near the door was laden with goodies like spools of thread, buttons and fat quarters. You choose your own!
I chose this fat quarter (a quarter yard of fabric cut 18″ x 22″ so it’s “fat” enough to use in many applications instead of being one long quarter yard strip. (I guess those are called skinny quarters, but I don’t really know!)
It’s green and has leaves. ‘Could be very useful!
Mar15
A New Magazine
I couldn’t resist a quick trip into Hobby Lobby as I passed through Mooresville, NC on Thursday. I couldn’t resist buying a copy of this magazine, either. I figured it was a cheaper (not much) knock off of my beloved, “Where Women Create,” but I was pleasantly surprised. There are Q and A’s with each crafter, of course, with sources for the storage items (or similar), and instruction for a simple project from each maker. The photos were all glossy and bright, too, unlike my photo of the cover!
I’ll take this down to Mama’s House and add it to my library. I am working on that library! I bought a monitor to go with my old Dell computer I moved down there. I hooked it up, and it worked! Now I’ve just got to get it mounted on its stand. (It’s surprisingly heavy!) My old keyboard and mouse look awful, so I need to shop for new ones. That should be a fairly inexpensive fix. I will report back.
Mar11
Well, Looky Here!
and it brought along a friend!
I think crocus are the perfect Easter flower! I love how they pop right out of the dead and the brown and the gray! That top photo should make a good image for my glass gems. Not bad for an IPhone 5 camera (I’m so ashamed, I don’t have the 6.)
I’m also curious. Saffron, a very expensive spice, is simply the dried stamens of crocus. Every year, I say I’ll save some and don’t. Maybe this year!
Mar11
Speaking of Spring!
Once upon a time, I don’t know how long ago, I found, and I don’t remember where, some beads that reminded me of Easter eggs and jelly beans. So, I made a bracelet:
I think the beads are dyed agate. They are simply strung on clear stretchy cord, and the knot secured with clear nail polish.
I dug it out, yesterday, and wore it with an aqua top. I wasn’t going anywhere special, just to pick up groceries and a pizza, but it just made me happy to wear it!