Another Horse, of course!

 

While waiting for my yarn to arrive for my next 'drive Robbie crazy knitting' project, I decided to play around with a  paper I stenciled and dyed.  I added some white paint using a small stencil and I was quite happy with it.  In fact, I thought this would make a nice background but what could I add to it!  

As I was standing in my sewing room, I got looking at my horse hex pieces I did a few years ago and thought!  Why not another hex horse and use the paper for the horse!!  

This was the first horse I made.  I hand stitched the patchwork background, then cut out the horse pattern into the patchwork (yes, that was scary!).  I knew how many hex pieces I needed (3/4" hex) so once I made a hex square piece of fabric I just stitched around the horse. 

For the 2nd quilt, I took the horse patchwork I had cut out and started to make a larger hex background!  It was easier just to make the horse fabric!  HA  

Waste not, want not, right!  Well, I didn't have any leftover pieces so................

This was my hex pattern sheet but I was also lucky to have kept the original horse pattern I made from a free coloring page site on the web. 

So I cut out a template of the horse shape reversed and this was a smaller one than the hex horses.

I have tons of hex pieces in every color there is!  So I started to lay hex pieces around the 'paper' horse!  HA   I did like the white/peach mix on top of his back.  But nothing really did the trick for me.

As I was taking off the hex pieces, I liked the simple contrast of the white background around 'him'.

So in my stash I went.  I found this hand died piece I did awhile back - yes, I pulled out probably 20+ pieces of fabric but nothing did the trick!

So I bit the bullet and traced the horse form on top of the dyed piece.  I backed the fabric with a lightweight stabilizer because I was going to use an Xacto knife to cut out the horse but that was not  working so I just used scissors.  And, yes, I  kept the horse piece!  Who knows...horse #4 in the future!  Maybe with a hex background!  HA

Then the fun came playing around with which way to turn the paper to get the horse to look right with the white stencil marks.  

I'm still playing with this part as well as deciding how to cut most of the paper away because I'll be doing free motion quilting and perhaps some hand stitching on the piece.  I'm still working on that aspect of the project.  

And my yarn came so my sister and I are starting another project together!  So much fun to cry on her shoulder when knitting doesn't work out!  HA  And to be the little sister and allow my big sister to cry on my shoulder too!  Just wish we lived closer to do this project. The yarn is quite thin and 4 or 5 wraps, which should drive us crazy!!!  It's a light weight summer T (Miya Tee)...now to finish it for the summer!  DUH!  Why don't I make a sweater for winter...no pressure to finish this, right!

The Payne's menagerie!

 One of the reasons I love summer, no it's not because of the hot weather (not a fan) but because of the birds we feed!  This year is not exception!  We have 3 birds nesting about 5 feet apart under our deck! 

The first picture is a Dove nest!  I have to say she isn't that great about making a nest.  I told Bob she's a sloppy homemaker!  HA  

The 2nd picture is our robin, who nests under our deck every year...or at least one of their previous fledgings grown up come back to where they were born.  Yes, she has some of her nest laying around but at least she has a nest you can see!

The 3rd picture, which is hard to really see is a neat little Finch nest!  This is the first time a finch and dove have nested under the deck!  Today I watched one little baby robin finally leave the nest!  That will be sad but in past years the Robin has had more than one nest!

We place a hummingbird feeder out along with two separate bowls of jelly.  So far we are feeding: Hummingbirds, Chickadee's (yes, they eat jelly!), House finches, Red breasted Grosbeak, cardinals, Orioles, Doves...I'm sure I'm missing a bird or two.  I can see the feeders from our kitchen so they amuse me when I'm cooking or doing dishes.

I love the Orioles.  We've seen several males at one time and a female comes and goes.  

Now I need to tell my snake story!  My next door neighbor called me yesterday afternoon to say she had a snake caught in the dog yard under some plastic/straw panel they had laid down.  She didn't know what to do so I said I'd be right over. 

Well, this is what I saw...this little garden snake...poor little guy's belly was swollen where he was wrapped in the plastic netting!  I asked Lori for a pair of scissors because it was obvious he was tangled up so much we needed to cut away the netting.  Which I did!!!!  It wasn't easy because it was so tight around his body I was afraid of cutting into him.  But it worked and he slithered away!!!  Poor little guy!  I'm not fond of snakes because usually they startle me but seeing this little one having an issue I felt so bad for him and so did Lori.  We now call ourselves the 'snake wranglers'.  HA

I'll have to make sure to keep my camera ready so I can take pictures of all the different birds that eat at the Payne's restaurant!  Or any more snakes!

Just stuff!

 Figure not point in me posting the 101 art projects I'm doing daily...not sure if you can see the posts we do but if you're on FB you can go here to see!  We're up to day 81 and this was my piece!  It's dyed, stamped, stenciled on 11.5"x14" layout paper.  

  I'm still trying to decide what to knit...so while I play with printing, stamping or making collages, I'm also thinking about what project I should do next!   Should I knit or quilt or ???Thinking of another horse hex piece?  Or another scrap piece I hand embroider Or???????  So many decisions to make, right! 

I am so excited to see our Orioles back!  The finches and chikadee's have been eating at our jelly feeders for over two weeks!  But the male and female Oriole's are back as of this week!  I love watching them!!!

Still no hummingbird's - yet!  But I so love watching these beauties!  

Both Amber and Nick's lacrosse teams made it to the WHAC final's.  So proud of both these kids....they've worked so hard to play and have done well. 

This was Amber's last year of college Lacrosse and bittersweet!  I know if it's possible, she'll be assisting some Lacrosse practice team somewhere!   This was Amber's last game with her dad and her Auntie Dawn.  

Nick did well in his freshman year too.  So exciting when the kids score!  I get to watch most games on YouTube and I do a replay when kids get a goal and send to them!  One of Nick's goals the announcer said "Impressive goal by #19, Nick S."  That was SO cool!  HA  This is our boy #19!

And I have to show some of my tulips that have bloomed...I still have groupings of others that have buds but not flowered yet.  I planted these last fall and they are a different variety of tulip..kinds strange looking but I think still pretty! 

They look sick in the photos but they really are quite pretty...just different.  

So that's my 'stuff' for now...at least until I decide what other project I am going to start on.  

SO BUSY!

 Grass doesn't grow under my feet!  This past month we've been working on getting our local library set up for our book sale, which was last weekend!  And it was a great success....lots of work selling books for 3 days but we may look at doing that again in the fall.  

We are also very organized now...all books on the shelves around the room are alphabetized by author!  The fiction books on the tables were put in boxes designated by alpha character so it was easy to find favorites authors.  We had lots of compliments on the way the sale was set up and organized.  

This is our storage room for our boxes, which are just placed on the tables if we don't have room for the books on the fiction shelves.  We had to move over 115 banker boxes to this area, which are stacked in double rows.  Our room is now empty and ready for meetings and programs.

One of our volunteers, Amy (who is also a bigger U of M fan than my hubby!) is a great resource and our book sale leader!  She's done so many book sales and certainly knows what works...she and I are both a little 'obsessed' about having things organized so we work well together!  

I'm also working on another knitting project.  It's a lace shawl from a book called Curls 2.  The author, Hunter Hammersen, has many books and her patterns are really quite pretty!  Should only take me the rest of the year to complete this one!  HA

So by next winter, I should have a shawl that looks like this!  HA  Fingers crossed!

And I'm still doing the daily art project.  We're up to 76 days as I write this post and so far I'm doing something.  Although, I did cheat a few days posting on the book sale prep and my new car!  This is a picture from an ad for Buick.  My car is also white and so good looking!

  

I am so happy...this was a quick replacement but I love, love my new car!  I traded in my Envision, which I loved!  This is also an Envision but the Avenir model!  It does everything!!, and I mean everything, except make my coffee!  It will parallel or back in parking on its own!  So many safety features, which is really nice for us old folks driving!  HA  Seriously, the safety features are so good for any age.  I don't see using the parallel parking or backing in feature but hubby and I will test drive this just for the fun of it!

So that's it for a quick update!  I'm still here...still busy...still enjoying life!!

Easter 2022

For the first time in three years, my family was able to get together, except for Amber.  Sniff, sniff...she had homework and was cooking dinner for some of her freshman lacrosse teammates who couldn't go home.  As well as, the cafeteria at school was closed on Friday so unless the girls have a stove or cooking abilities in their dorm room they would go hungry!  Amber was being Betty Crocker for the day because her apartment has full kitchen so she and her roommates do a lot of cooking!  Such a sweet girl!  She was with us in spirit!

And my grandson, who I also adore!  Nick is growing into such a great young man.  I just love this kid and I was so happy he came home and was able to spend time with us.  Braylon, his BFF, had to work but I'm sure we'll be seeing her and Nick this summer.

And, yes, for my followers I am wearing my knitted Lace top!  I am very happy with the results...it was worth all the effort!

 And the men in my life!  My son, SIL, Bob and Nick!  For once we had a really sunny day but it was so sunny we didn't know where to take the pictures.  We were all squinting out on the deck so off to the front door!  Which worked out well.  Except Bob and Jeff's glass both turn dark in the sunlight!  This was taken with Darrin's apple phone and I have to say it is really a good camera!!!

My daughter, Dawn, made her famous crustless quiche and overnight French Toast! Both of these dishes are awesome!!!  I made Naan egg sandwiches, baked egg muffins, devil eggs, muffins (store bought - I cheated), bacon, sausage, hash browns, kale salad (w/avocado, pecans, apples, cranberries, roasted chick peas, shredded carrots and crushed pita chips) and fruit w/yogurt.  Yes, we certainly had enough food!!!  

You can see we're all eager to eat Dawn's Overnight French toast and Quiche!  I actually forgot to take some of the french toast but she did leave a container for Bob and I for breakfast this week!!!

Kale salad in the background and devil eggs...Leftovers will make good egg salad sandwiches!  HA

Fruit with yogurt...always good for breakfast!

Egg muffins in front (mushroom & bacon and roasted veggies and cheese).  

The Naan egg sandwiches are in the back.  One had cheese/spinach and the other was just the egg and spinach.  These are really good and easy to make.

I almost forgot to take pictures, hence, food was already dug into and you can see we're all eating!

 First, Amber gave grandpa this mat!  She and he go back and forth about different drinks...this is so appropriate!  HA

 

AND look what the kids gave me!    Dawn gave me this pot of pansies.  I love yellow flowers and these are perfect.  After my mum passed away, I had some pansies in a planter at the front of my house.  It was in November when mum died and very cold and snowy.  But there was one pansy flower that lived until mid December.  I  kept saying it was my mum because she also loved yellow flowers.....something I won't forget.  

 Kris gave me my favorite candy and yellow tulips!!!!  I'll be sure to plant these this summer!  

It was such a wonderful day for me.  I know the kids are always so busy with work, kids, lacrosse games, etc. so I hate to bother them.  Maybe that's what makes these times more special.  Either way I am thankful for today!!!

Day 48 thru 53/101 Days of Art

 I am actually enjoying the 101 Days of Art Facebook page!  First off, it gives me that nudge to do some type of art work, hand work and even knitting.  Plus, you get to see some really cool art work being done by those who have joined this group.  So here are my latest pieces....I'll be posting on some other projects that I am planning on working on...until then.....

DAY 48 - starting a small topper for my friend

DAY 49 - 5"x8" paper collage

DAY 50 - finished large disperse dyed block

DAY 51- free motion quilting started

DAY 53 - disperse dyed quilt topper finished.  18"x18" this is a gift for my friend who turns 85 on April 23!  Donna is my walking bud and good friend.  Such a lovely lady that I was so fortunate to become her friend.
On another note...I'll be preparing for my kids to come to our house for Easter!  I'm so excited to have them!  The past two years my daughter and DIL have brought us dinner for Easter!  It's 'mum's' time to give them a slight break.  My daughter is making her famous overnight french toast and a crustless quiche...the rest I'll be having fun making!  Love having them around...Happy Easter to all.

DAY 52B- yep more feathers

Karen Stiehl Osborn

 I'm not sure when I first met Karen, not in person but through the Internet!, but seems our first contact was either participating in an  ATC exchange or through a dog blog/Facebook page, etc.  But I have followed her on FaceBook for quite sometime.  First off, Karen is a dog lover and rescuer of dogs!  She has taken in and fostered so many and given them love, found homes and even made their last hours as peaceful as possible so they knew they were loved at the end. 

Karen is also a wonderful mixed media artist who works in layers and layers of paint and paper! I think she also has worked her magic on fabric as well!  But I am so hooked on her layering of papers for a collage piece!   Karen has a web site but not sure how much she updates it but you can see some of her wonderful work in her gallery.  I took this picture off her FaceBook page!

   Years ago I ordered some of Karen's journals to give as gifts and to keep one for myself!  Of course, right!  Turns out this journal is currently being used to keep a log of my hubby's health issue since he was diagnosed with Lymphoma!  Actually, from the time he told me he "has a lump" I have documented every test, surgery, etc.!  I love to journal so I have many around the house (dogs, myself, etc.).  It's funny, Bob will ask me when he had a procedure and all I do is pull out this beautiful book by Karen and tell him the date or answer any other question he has!  I love the colors on this journal cover Karen created!  Isn't it beautiful!  I love these colors

  This is a postcard  I received from Karen when hubby was first diagnosed.  That was so sweet of her to even send a note!  I keep it as a bookmark in Bob's journal.

I am always amazed at how she layers so many different pieces of paper, inks, paints, etc.  They just all seem to go so well. 

This is a card Karen made that I recently received!  How cool is this too!

She just has that talent for blending shades, layers that end up just going together so well!  

This is a 4" x 4" layered piece Karen sent me!  I just love the texture of all the layers!!!  And, again, how she can blend the colors to make a great piece!!!

Such a talented lady and since she is across the country I doubt we'd ever get to meet in person but I feel I know this lovely, talented lady - and so happy we connected via the Internet!  

Thank you, Karen, for brightening up my days by seeing your daily work on FaceBook and in my sewing room!  I have a little corner with Karen's pieces along with "Bob's" journal & bookmark!

Stop by Karen's FaceBook page or on the gallery in her website! 

Day 39 - 47 101 Days of Art

DAY 39

Still working away on my knitted lace top.  I finished one sleeve, picked up stitches on the 2nd sleeve and now it's knit, knit, knit!  Then I can block and wear on Easter!  That's my plan...until then I'm still playing with other art techniques.  

These are some older stamped card stock that I cut and use for my cards. 

DAY 39 cards

I cut and insert the card stock in these photo frame cards.  I like to have cards that I can just grab and send to my friends!

DAY 40

Day 40  I showed my finished disperse dyed quilt.  

Day 41 - Since I had some extra disperse dyed blocks, I decided to make a small topper for one of my buds!

DAY 41

DAY 42

Day 42- paper 5"x8" collage.  

DAY 43

Day 43 - Final layout for small quilt topper.  Now to start some hand embroidery and then free motion quilting.

DAY 44

Day 44 Paper collage 5"x8"

DAY 45

Day 45 - another 5"x8" paper collage

DAY 46

Day 46 - Yep, another collage!

DAY 47 - 1

DAY 47 - TUB TO HOLD PAPERS

DAY 47 - decided to reorganize my painted/stenciled/etc. papers.  I did this about two years ago and it was time for another reorganize time!  I have large cellophane bags that I put each colorway in.  

So that's what's keeping me busy...in addition our library is preparing for our 3 day book sale the end of April...so it's back to helping out a few hours a week.  Until then...it's knitting and embroidery work for me!