Snowflakes

Art day with the Grand Kiddies!  We are doing snowflakes.  I got most of my supplies at the local dollar store.  I chopped up Christmas greenery sprays for accessorizing.

Gesso works fine for whitewashing the clothes pins.  We didn't paint the flat side as they are glued together.

The glue gun works for the spokes but the string glued better with the tacky glue.  My little glue gun doesn't seem to get real hot so it will work for the wee ones although I've enlisted their mum for helping.

I was happy to have helpers.  Josh's sore neck turned out to be a sore throat and he faded rapidly.  Poor guy!  Eliana  LUVED the hot glue gun which doesn't work very well but enough to make her want to glue anything and everything. :)  Jolina was just happy to be in 'school'! 

They each made two.  I neglected to get close ups, I was busy, don't cha know, but they turned out quite well.  As I was leaving I almost stopped to take a photo from outside as they looked so COOL!  ;^)

Happiness is...

figuring out what makes one happy!

I do really like to make my own journals.   Lots of creative play time!

But, I don't seem to have as much fun filling them.  I can't find one, even a bought journal, that is actually finished.  Half way is the most I can do and the fun left about a third of the way through.  hmmmm

The Rooster wanted a chocolate cake.  So Monday I pumped myself up to get creative! 

Then I turned to the cook book (journal?) I'd made for my gluten free recipes and...
VBSigh- Its not finished either.  I Googled and the resulting recipe had to be modified as I had no baking cocoa.  I'm not a very creative cook/baker modifier.  Although the Rooster ate it I'm deciding whether or not to add it to my book.  :(

I attended the local craft show a few weeks ago and I did notice that in the midst of all the multitude of 'Buy Me' items there was definitely a lack of cards, stationary, and  note books!   Aha!   Happiness just  may be making journals rather than filling them.  Now that would make me happy! 

The calm before the storm

HA!  That just means I've been sluffing before the deadlines hit the top of the list.  The fluffy stuff is not too deep for wading easily along the path.  But soon I'll need to start shoveling.

 I got this Drunkard's Path project put together.  I was thinking a table topper but now I'm thinking pillow. It is only 18 inches square.  Amazing how these projects shrink up!

These are cut and being a bit bigger should sew up rather well.  Fall is done but...

And then this plan is gonna be Fun!  All the solids are in the washer as I type so I can get cutting next week.  This will be a lap quilt I'm thinking and I really liked Vicki's layout using graduated fabrics.  She also mentioned using five values rather than three and that makes more sense for transitioning.   I have a die for the small size and will need to draft a pattern for the bigger DP blocks as this uses two sizes.  I also have more Bali's to choose from in my stash.  :O  

I have been focusing on updating the ol' wardrobe and I have a hot tip on a jean skirt so I'm off for a visit with the grand kiddies and hopefully acquire my last wardrobe addition.  Then it'll be back to dealing with the storm that has occurred in the playroom! I've certainly been mixing media!

For more Drunkard's Path ideas check out Field Trips in Fiber's Cross the Drunkard's Path Quilt Along.

Before the path freezes

We are into winter here. The path will be requiring regular shoveling.  :O

Before travel gets 'interesting',  I brought the youngest grand kiddie for her visit to Gram'elle's house. She didn't seem too very interested in the mechanics of blog writing.  :O

She did perk up considerably when we played with the Drunkard's Path blocks I'd unearthed from the wip pile. 

I don't know if I'll make it bigger but I'm sure I can find something for the last two corners. hmm, I can see I need to study this a bit to get everything oriented.  Grand kiddies could (?) be my distraction but then paths do get kinda twisty all on their own.  lol

Jolina and I are off to the city and then I'll be home alone for a while.  I hope to hunker down and get some sewing done so I can show some finished projects for Vicki's Cross the Drunkard's Path Quilt Along.  Hmm, I might need to stop at a quilt shop today because she has an amazing layout on today's post.  :)  Hi ho, hi, ho, its down the path we go......

The fact is...

I am working on my November Journal.  The first pages were hard to fill because this month I'm focusing on the book, The Happiness Project.  What to put???  I so HATE analyzing myself!

I'm in therapy!  Well, not exactly.  But I should be. ;^)

Then I read Vicki's post on Quilting Without Abandon.  Darn it.  That is me.  So I laid myself down on that couch and ... 

 It is a start!  Made my head hurt and my heart race but it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what makes one happy and then 'abandon' one's self to it!  Should it?

Next page!  One question is what did you do that made you happy when you were a kid.  A dip pen makes me happy!!!  :)  Cutting and pasting does, too!

 I  also found some blocks for Vicki's quilt along so that was encouraging.  I do believe arranging quilt blocks makes me very happy!

And of course art class with the grand kiddies who are waiting for me to get there asap!  Whatever they do, they do with abandon!  And that's a fact!

A place to remember

The Rooster has a little black book.  He has had one for a long time.  It held important information concerning breeding dates, which ram went where,  ewes and their lambs, and successful pairings, etc.  Spare pages began to hold other info such as serial and parts  numbers.  The flock is gone.  The black book remains because the memory wanders off just like the odd sheep who tries slipping under a fence.

I am Queen of the Slips.  Slips of paper that is.  :(  I have tried day timers and annual journals but my attention span seems to last six months and then I'm back to scribbling on slips of paper.  :(   Now the slips piles of paper are threatening the kingdom.  :(  Time to abdicate! 

I don't have a small shirt pocket so my book must be bigger.  Perhaps if I incorporate various kinds of slips I won't wander off looking for options.  I luv themes.  I can do a book of the month and play at the same time.

So:

My fall scarf is the theme.

I coloured the cover and began to add layers. 

 

I gathered an assortment of papers from my stash.  Before stitching the papers in I added some details with stencils.

I added layers of text and texture to the pages.   Lots of fun!

 Some pages turned out good, I thought.  I even left space for documentation. :)

Some pages turned out bad but I think I can help them with some journaling additions and there is always gesso! :(

Some are ugly from when a thought was acted on too impetuously.   :O This was a image transfer whose black background proved troublesome.  The solution was evn moreso!  :( But its never a mistake and there are always creative opportunities to pull out of the bag of tricks. Or so I want to believe.   I debated moving into my default setting which is to start all over.  But November is marching along and this is a journey!  Hopefully I'll remember where my luggage claim tickets are soon.  ;^)

I also need to remember that my style is unfolding. I'm reminded of the slogan Calm Down and Carry on!   I get that less is more when it comes to the variety and number of options.  I had way too much fun trying too may things.  I am recognizing continuity.  Now I need to learn subtlety!  :O

I don't imagine this particular journal will slip anywhere.  It is pretty busy which pretty much guarantees visibility.  Perhaps I should jot down some restraints for next month on the last page as a reminder of what not to do.   you know, the what ifs...

Oh!  And I may need a reminder to post the rest of the story when this month slips from the calender. 

A Month to Remember!

The second month of fall has been revealed by a stiff cold breeze that tore off the October page.  The first month was a swirl of leaves and smoke as we stripped the first layer of forty years of Stuff from the yard site.  Feels good.

Now to tackle November's list.

I read The Happiness Project.  In fact I am passing my first copy around.  I think I'm generally a happy person but there is always room for more happiness and that takes some thinking and doing.  So I bought a second copy and I am going through the book again with an highlighter and with some specific goals in mind.  The first month is Boosting Energy- both physical and mental aspects of energy.  I'm all for that although I'm tweaking her plan which is what will make us both happy.  LOL 

Both my DD's and I have been talking lots about food.  In the manner of KISS, I'm going to try the 100 days of mini pledges from 100 Days of Real Food.  And, once again, make a conscious effort to drink more water.  First week is to add at least two servings of fruit and/or vegetables to EVERY meal.  I had carrots and parsnips and onions for breakfast and I'll sip on a shake during my work through lunch break!  ;^)

Because I have lots to do!

The new monthly journal is ready for assembling and documenting as soon as I insert the project page.

I want to get my needle felting project completed.

I have been a slacker in the Drunkard's Path project and hope to stagger back on the path asap!

The school project/job is not short of ideas.  There is an interest in knitting!  The grand kiddie also has an ambitious project to make a 'dress' for her mum.  :O  I need to dust off some old and forgotten skills!

It looks like a memorable month!!!