Getting a handle on things

These 24 handles took a lot more time than I'd have thought.  True it has continued to be just as busy in June as it was in May but they are small and simple. vbsigh 

Now to get the baskets made up and attached to them.  But as I was attaching the main body of the basket I see there are a couple of handles that are not right.  :(  An easy fix but ...  The good news is that I saw a neat idea for a vine with circle flowers for across the bottom which appeals as the coloured baskets are all dots.  I'll need to measure and see how I'm doing for size.  I expect I'll be making the sashing smaller.

I am considering a few options for the June fabrics but not really decided other than fast, quick, simple!!!  lol

I am rethinking the design for the Noah's Ark Hysterical quilt because I have discovered that I had started cutting the six inch half square triangles at a wonky angle.  These are old blocks and I must have been on a 'bust out of my rut' kind of tangent.  :O  If I re cut I'll have to make them quite a bit smaller.  I'm ready to pull up the gangplank and just go wonky because if I had a plan it is now off in some lifeboat somewhere!  :0

I am somewhat caught up on my DYLP but can't say that for the daily sketching for the Sketchbook Skool class. :(

This was houses with a flap that covers the calender and to-do list.

This week was gratitude and certainly an easy page that I need to finish up.

This current week is to add book text and I found a map page.  I may stop putting flaps in and just keep the emphasis on art as I'm not so good with a planner.  :{ 

But mostly I have been using my new hoe handle!  I have heard that bees are being compromised but they are sure abundant here even though I find it quite chilly out.  Notice my bought transplants look kinda limp.  The raspberries are just humming with bees but I can only see some leaves, no flowers.  That patch of purple thyme has about a dozen big bees all over it and they don't all look the same.  Some are huge and a few are pale and less fuzzy!  I hope they can handle their bucketfuls!

Re:

Goodness sakes!  All this fun I am having is starting to get a bit out of hand.  What a crazy month! But honestly, it isn't this month it is this life!  So if I want to continue to do it all:

RE: evaluate-
I need to go back to those words for the year- focus, find, fine tune, finish...  What exactly do I want to do?
Well,  I want to make things using fabric.  I want to journal.  I want to make art.

RE: Fabric-
 I like to support The Needle and Thread Network.  It motivates me to have something related to my first luv, fabric, on my worktable for Wednesdays.  I hadn't really planned to do a wall hanging a month but again, the focus and the making of something for my home quite fits in with my overall goals.  This month is a challenge time wise and I'll be happy just to get a top done.  Twelve focused projects just resonates with me!  I do better with a theme.   I am a tad exuberant so I try to not to stick my hand up for every quilt a long.  I have a few smaller commitments but I need to be focusing on fine tuning my skills not fiddling with those fun projects.  :O  I think the fabric part is good, I just need to rein myself in a wee bit!

Re:  Journal
I do like the Document Your Life Project (DYLP).  I need to fine tune my method. As I try to deal with all my stuff (clutter)  that overwhelms this designated workspace area I could combine my out of control lists, and bright ideas into this journal.  I swear, one extra big creative spark and everything will go poof! 
I  signed up for Sketchbook Skool, a six week course,  knowing this would be a crazy month.  So I am way behind on the practical although I have read all the theory  which, the truth be known, is my problem.  Just do it, don't study it!  sheesh  But I have made journals, used journals, and worked in journals.  This isn't too bad and again I can pull in the parameters a bit and get the daily practice more consistent. 

RE: Art
Which leads me to art and the whole mixed media realm!  It fascinates me and I so badly want to create stuff.  It is also the area that I need to get a grip on.  I am a technique junkie.  I never saw an art supply I didn't need to replenish or investigate!  My clothes budget has been hijacked!!!  I keep telling myself to take the free tutorials!  vbsigh   I am committed to a project this month involving Lutradur and the ...and then we set it on fire blog... .   It has been a bit time consuming but I am liking it and I'm thinking I may need a designated 'art' day for the blog so I can stay focused and actually produce something. The memory box will take several more weeks and then I should think of another series.

My finishes for the week are quite motivating as well.  awk!  Just finish something!!!!

So I need to do some readjusting, some reorganizing, some redeeming (time), some readjusting, some re... Well, you get the idea.  I could do mixed media Mondays, fabric mid week and finish up with journal projects.   That leaves two days to procrastinate.  Another REally big problem!  

Okay, time to RE turn to regular scheduled programming!  ;^)

Documenting Life

I have been documenting my life each week.  I think a bit more forethought would help.  lol

But then that would mean doing only one thing at a time.  I am now behind on my sketchbook class not to mention the three other projects.  The yard is drying out and I can see some dandelion leaves. :O

This past week featured a favourite quote and DD#1 and I were talking about old letters and cards and my need to throw away my old diaries.  :(  She said, "We truly do need the gift to see ourselves as others see us." and I thought that was very profound.  I'm meditating on it!  ;^)  Too late for the diaries though!

EDIT:  DD#1 says SHE was quoting Robbie Burns!  ;^)

This is this week's and I'm learning to add old scrap pages to save some time.

Because my life is always busy!  Documenting sometimes is just about the blurs. But I am now older and wiser and know that some opportunities only come once in a lifetime.  You can quote me on that! 

Lo the winter is past...

Remember that buried fence!  The snow has been moving down and back pretty rapidly this week.  Some snow and rain forecast for tomorrow but I'm believing we are over the hump.  Welcome Spring!

I am away at Sketchbook Skool and it is not too bad.  No detentions and I'm trying to do all my home work.  We aren't allowed to rip out any pages but I'm hopeful that the end the book will be better than the front.  ;^)  I am no sketcher but I'm finding that everyone has their own unique way of seeing, interpreting and then expressing what appeals and it can be very ordinary things but they need to be something the sketcher actually connects with-  my doll's glasses,  my very comfortable flip flops.

 (I understand 'thongs' is no longer politically correct).

I'm starting to make the DYLP my own and finding my groove.  This week was monochromatic.

The April showers wall hanging is about ready to have the strips attached.  I wonder how much it'll shrink on the sides.  :O

I have long wanted to do something with my grandmother's book that she pasted newspaper clippings of poems into.  I also found a sure fire cure for diptheria!  I found some newspaper quilt block patterns also.  I thought they were my mum's but she'd have been seven years old when they first began to be published and my mum didn't make any quilts.  My grandmother again.  She died when my mother was a teenager.  I wonder if she took this suitcase with her when she was in the hospital?   The wooden stationary box was my mum's and I always coveted it.  She kept odds and ends of old jewelry in it and obituary notices.  ??? Anyway, I'm combining an old idea and some new insight with a new to me technique and I'll be posting all about it next month. 

So as you can see, I have lots of reasons to spring ahead!

Take a deep breath!

First I will exhale and catch up on the finding outs and the finishing ups.

I am happy to report I have edited out two pieces of furniture and I have some bare walls and better yet bare floors.  The dust bunnies that were reading my books have to find another library. lol  I dispersed the books to pertinent rooms, put brown paper covers on some to eliminate visual clutter and boxed up those who might better bless somebody else.

Disregarding the future of  'when we...',  I repositioned the stove for an outside vent,  made the fridge a bit handier and have commissioned a long rolling counter that the kitchen table can butt up to or run alongside.  Best event was adding some more colour.  Who knew the Rooster's red coffee pot would be so affirming!  I'll refinish the wee coffee bar and make a more colourful teacup wall hanging!  I'll leave some space between the upper cabinets and above the big farm sink (which is patiently waiting in the basement)  for a colourful apple or two! ;^)

I think I need a couple more glass shelves for glasses.  They aren't so handy to the fridge anymore but what the hey!  I can possibly spruce up the aqua paint on that old cafeteria table and refinish this old wood unit a similar red to the hutch or even an espresso stain.  I'm short and pouring water down into the coffee pot without standing on tippy toes is a bonus!  lol

I did work on the Irish Chain and as I was finishing up the straight line quilting I got to thinking that I might want to consider the less is more principle.  I think the curved echo in the coloured triangles would be too much.  But I went ahead and I practiced some free motion leaves.  When I drew in the actual area I saw how small it was.   Hmm, maybe a shamrock?  Four leaf clovers were too big and the three leafed clover was pretty tight.  Sew...

I bound it up. I'll throw it in the wash, add a hanging sleeve and call it done.  I have my fabric cut for April Showers so as to be ready for next week.  Perhaps it will more readily accept some free motion stitching but I'm thinking rain is kinda linear.  oops!  May Flowers are coming!  ;~)

The block of the month called for more little yoyo flowers.  Not.  I was checking out old shows on The Quilt Show and Judith Montano inspired me to do some silk ribbon flowers.  I'd forgotten how much fun silk ribbon embroidery is!  :)

I have been kinda busy doing the cleaning and not writing about it but the DYLP is caught up for this week.  It has finally dawned on me that the extra leaf on the right should be flipped to the next set of pages. Oh well.  I'm starting to get the hang of layering.  Phew!  Good thing because...

I started Sketchbook Skool this morning with much fear and trembling.  A waste of time because of course the whole faculty and the classmates are very affirming and encouraging.  I do think these next six weeks will be life changing!  :O  I may change my sketchbook to a soft cover and a lighter weight paper as we'll be near Staples tomorrow.  The size is good.  I learned cursive with a dip pen but if the skill needs revisiting I'll stick with the uniball or pigma pens.  Pencils are not allowed as we need to really commit to the line.  eek! 

There is a hint of spring in the air.  I'm hoping winter doesn't blow back with any kind of bluster. We had snow last night.  But I won't be holding my breath!  ;^)

documenting/organizing and then...

The prompt for week 13? was to have someone draw on your page and then add to it.  I only know one willing drawer, Eliana.  so...  But her brother wanted a page, too.  The more the merrier!

I thought I had taken a picture of their start but it seems not.  Josh is learning his numbers and is a detail/tool kind of guy.  He did move out of his comfort zone and added a caterpillar.  Eliana is all about random and every colour and quick.  She also seems to like working small.  I was tempted to just leave them.  I did a bit with coloured circles and maybe should have left off the graphite pencil. I highlighted their names.   The paint pen triangles were an after thought as I thought I needed an accent.  I like it!

A bit blurry but Josh's page opens to reveal the to-do page and the calendar page.  I used up an old rub on and added some parts from my part cutting frenzy.  Sometimes I may add an envelope or pocket to the to-do page.  I'm trying to stop writing things on scraps of papers and keep things in one place.  We'll see how creative and practical works out.

And now I'm off to get some sewing done so I'll have more to show for wow Wednesday!

Breaking into a sprint to cross the finish line

I quilted the leftovers for a wee mat!  If I can find the right thread I believe I have a plan for the big wall hanging.

I styled the big chest which the Rooster needs to turn his glue and his attention to.  I will antique the left hand birdhouse.  No screen door because to have it swing into the landing would wipe out the light and then wedge itself into the slope for the upstairs stairs.  To swing into the kitchen makes no sense with the chest there.  A louvered bi-fold door would work.  sad sigh

Then I put masking tape where two Ikea ledges would go and yup!  It works. This arrangement will cover the worst screw holes until I can get to Ikea,  patch the worst and mount the shelves.

Across the way is the Rooster's command centre. One of them anyway!  He has all those six baskets holding six aspects of his life.  lol

I wanted to show the entrance mat.  It ties most everything together and all I have left is to figure out the shade of paint I need.  Most satisfying Saturday as I 'shopped the house'!  This hall feels so much lighter, brighter, wider!  Now if I can figure where to stash the extra chairs we regularly need! ;)

I haven't intended to be posting on the weekends but this was all about finishing last week's goals. 

Last week's DYLP pages turned out well.  I used the gel medium to adhere the dark navy branch.  The over flap with the long strips of paper for journaling work great!

This week's prompt is to collage a recycled item.  I put a watercolour page inside a cd envelope and I have the backgrounds drying.  My flap will be a scrapbook paper. 

Gosh., Monday is only a few rotations of the clock away!   But I finished!!!  pant, pant

These boots are made for walking

As I surveyed the mess in the playroom I decided to tackle the 'next thing first' wisdom.  I grabbed my DYLP and caught it up.  I realized I was using my daytimer as a diary and not as a planner which means I was double entering again and planning was back on scraps of paper.  grrr.

So I put those walking boots back on and started again!

Ideas are not my problem but remembering them and doing them at the right time needs planning and it actually saves time when I am doing 'just in time delivery'! lol  I am back planning and I even got my 'puter desk cleaned off, again!  lol

I think I have a general plan for the DYLP and doing the preliminary on the pages on Sunday night has me ready for the daily entries.  I need to keep a place cleared for working/journaling in it daily.  Having it at the ready and happy with the way it is going means I can dance through it in the Ruby Slippers instead of stomping through in my mud boots!  I do like a skinny sheet of loose leaf or two depending on what's noteworthy that I can attach to a slim flap which leaves the 2 page spread for art! The journaling is easier when I'm not confined to square footage!

I got a head start on the weeks ahead as I tried a technique I'd seen while cruising my blogs. Not wanting to hide my circles I will put the flap on the other page.  I have my little flap ready to adhere and a slip of paper to remind me of the plan. :)

I had started with gessoing the pages but then decided to skip that set as the monthly tab's position bothered me.  I thought they were dry enough for my feeble attempt at keeping them separated.  NOT!  But happily they weren't totally stuck and I really hope next week's prompt has something to do with texture 'cause I got a lot of it!

Speaking of texture...  During a coffee run I glanced outside and saw SPARKLES!
 

 What great hoar frost!  I balanced my cup on the stair post, skipped outside in my flip flops and used my zoom to record the sparkle!

Today I am changing back into my 'boots' and clearing a space for the DYLP where I can have daily access and then moving on to the next thing which is sewing.  Here's to a sparkly day as I kick up things in the playroom!

The S word!

Snow!

My goodness, if I get off the path to the chicken coop I have to wade through waist high snow drifts!  The three calves are not impressed.   Large areas of the fences are buried and the sheep will be going wheresoever they want if they decide to lift their heads from their hay bales long enough to gaze around!  Lambing starts this month because the ram decided to set his own schedule!!!  :O

A short visit but we packed a lot of stuff into the time we had.  The arrival of MORE snow sent them back on the highway early.  It is turning into a long season!

Scheduling

I'm still in class and I do luv my water brush. It is very portable but I will be looking for another container that is a wee bit deeper.  This is actually my applique container.  One lesson was an exercise in using limited colours.  And just why can't a sky be yellow!  ;~)

I am continuing to add recipes to my cookbook.  I googled some smoothie ideas and decided to shake things up a bit more.  The bread section is actually the biggest part of the book. 

I gessoed my binder and sprayed over my happy lady!!! S'nice!  I will probably find more recipes but the book is basically done.  Now to get some smudges on the pages.  lol

Wish I could say my wall hanging top was together but the table is covered with mixed media stuff and the last few triangles require a math style thinking cap. ;~)

The new day timer is working great and I  got this week's DYLP pages finished up.

The coming week is a flap on a flap and I wasn't going to do flaps all the time but as I was doing this one I started thinking that my diary of each day could be behind the fold over page. It might be more visually pleasing. Something to consider for the following week.

So this week has been sweet and kinda salty.  A nice taste sensation that makes for some lip smacking.