Snow Day

The two words every kid longs to hear. 

I was shocked when the call came through at 5:30 this morning. 

I figured we'd maybe have a 2 hour late start but CLOSED.  Really!?!?

We are 5 houses from the edge of our school district...if we were on the next street, the kids would have had school on time, no delay today. 

Weird, huh.

We got rain then sleet then snow then freezing rain then sleet again then snow. Needless to say it's very heavy. Check out my neighbors Spruce tree. 

Another neighbor has a tree leaning down into their driveway.

Our dogwood looks pretty encased in ice.

I wanted to take even more pictured but it's rainy-sleety again and I didn't want to get my lens wet.

It's so pretty out and warm.

 

Early for Tea Tuesday

...with my coffee. 

Another busy morning but I'll be back to check in with my tea friends over at Kimmie's later today. 

I have a workout, babysitting and knitting group on my morning schedule after I get everyone out the door. 

What are you doing today?

 

Postcard Challenge week 8

 Darcy picked Cuba for this weeks challenge postcard and it definitely proved to be a challenge. 

I know so very little about Cuba...other than what I remember from history class about the Cuban Missile Crisis and Fidel Castro. 

Oh yeah and that Cuban cigars are illegal in the USA. 

None of these proved to be great inspiration. 

So I ripped a page from an old atlas...

Thadeus writes:

Greetings Maggie. Hope this finds you in good health. I took your advice and looked at the bigger picture. It is exactly that which brought me here to Cuba. A powerful "friend" sent me here on an errand of sorts. I hope it is not a fools errand. At least the weather is nice. I do hope we can meet and discuss our common interest in the near future. We both should have some time if all goes as planned very soon.
Take care, Thadeus

 I did have an old postage stamp from Cuba so that clearly made me giddy to use. The postmark was on it from a weird direction though so I improvised. :)

Here is the accompanying book page.  

Pretty simple in design this time... but it seems to have yet another grainy photograph...

hmmm...wonder what that is all about.

 

Did you know...?

That today is George Washington's Birthday? 

Little J did...found on the fridge this morning.

I also thought I'd share another

 American Girl sleeping bag.  

I can't stop sewing. 

 

Sewing like crazy...

I've been sewing like there is no tomorrow. 

I've managed to make a tiny dent in my fabric stash. 

Little J picked out colors for her American Girl doll sleeping bag. Her doll came with a lavender outfit so she has decided that lavender is "Rosie's" favorite color. 

I have one more ready to go and 2 more that are just in need of finishing.   

I'm partial to this red patchwork one myself.

(esty)

Postcard Challenge week 7

Darcy threw out Wales for our place of origin this week. The only reference to Wales that I knew for sure were Welsh Corgi's.   My BIL and his GF have one. She is a very sweet dog that often comes to visit our house.

Maggie writes:


Thadeus-
I thought you could use a bit of whimsey in your life right now so I painted you a Welsh Corgi. They are odd dog but I fear if it weren't for how much I travel, I'd be bringing one home with me tomorrow.
Do take care and try to look at the bigger picture-literally.
Warmly- Maggie 

Hmmm--
Their relationship must be getting closer. She has dropped the more formal Margaret for Maggie.

Here's my page with a bit of rusted lace tablecloth sewn down as the pocket.

I thought I'd show you that I've gotten caught up with the rest of my pages as well.





Spain...

Brazil...

China...


I'm doing my best to make it around to see everyone's postcards but this week I had a bit a of delay in even posting. The video card in my computer went out. At least Mr. G was able to replace it and we're back in business.


 

Valentine Tea

I'm having a sweet treat with my tea before heading next door to babysit for a couple hours. I don't think I've even seen her since Christmas. Funny how that is in the winter...everyone drives straight into the garage and shuts the door. No lingering around outside even with our mild winter.

Maybe that's why we spend so much time outdoors in the summer!

<3

Happy Valentines Day!

Stop by Kimmies to see what she and the rest of my blog friends are up to today.

 

Doll sleeping bag

 

For Christmas this year, our daughter received an American Girl Doll. She's been wanting one for years. My only issue is that all the American Girl brand accessories are really spendy just because they have the logo. 

Yesterday I decided that I'd try to make a sleeping bag for her. I grabbed my box of blue scraps (once intended for a boy quilt) and started piecing. 

With a few measurements of the doll herself, I decided on my size.

I'd say it fits pretty well.  

Little J liked it a lot with the exception of the colors. I figured that would be the case so this one will be a gift and I'll be making another in the colors of her choosing.

I got to go crazy with my free-motion foot. 

I had to stop after breaking 3 needles and read up about what in the world I was doing wrong. 

Turns out I was moving my hands to quickly and pulling the needle out of alinement so it would smack down onto the footplate and snap.

 

Postcard Challenge week 6

 

This week Darcy announced that our country was Belgium. Again, I know I have some fun stuff from Belgium but I can't find it!! I looked in the nooks and crannies of my art zone but apparently in the 6 years since I put together that book, my leftovers have crawled away.

Instead, I decided on a watercolor. And now that it's complete..I'm so glad I couldn't find my goodies from Belgium. :)

On the back of the corner Chocolate Shop postcard Thadeus writes about his current situation in Belgium. That he's renting a room from an older couple and had come to a standstill in his research.

He feels that the piece he is working on is the key to the puzzle.

I've also completed the page that will hold the postcard.

I've added a couple extras to the story... just for fun.

Missed Tea Tuesday again

Gosh, it's already Wednesday evening! Time seems to be getting away from me lately. 

I did want to show you why I missed tea yesterday. 

I was learning to knit the top onto a kitchen towel. Isn't it sweet...the towel I mean. It's a vintage towel from the box of linens I've been working through.  It  now hangs proudly in my kitchen.

I also wanted to show you that I've started on the pages for the Postcard Challenge. 

This is the page for France.

I made a pocket to hold the postcard from a label which I believe is from some sort of alcoholic beverage. Beer, ale, wine or spirit...not sure...

I have a couple of extras laying beside that I plan to include once I put the page in it's proper place in the book.

I also have my postcard for Friday completed!!! 

Of course, I can't show that now. 

But I must say,  I do love it!

Hopefully, I'll have enough time after my volunteer duty in the school library tomorrow to complete the page to hold said postcard before posting it on Friday morning.

Postcard Challenge week 5

 

For this week our challenge, hostess Darcy, picked France as our country of origin for the postcard.  

I couldn't lay my hand on the leftovers from the altered book I created for my BIL after one of his trips to  Europe. I know I had some good pieces. 

UGH! I need to get organized.  

I ended up going with a map of Paris hand marked by Maggie with her favorite places.

 

Maggie mentions how worried she was about Thadeus and goes on to say she has the papers he sent separately  in a safe place. 

Those must be some valuable papers...

or dangerous ones.

Since I got my sewing machine back, I've started working on the pages to hold all the postcards. This is my title page. I've blurred the title since it would give away too much about the direction I'm going.

This is the first pocket page that holds Maggie's card from Austria.

These two pages will be sewn back to back with a piece of muslin that will connect to a second set of pages that will eventually become a fold in a signature.

I need to get to work on the next several pages to get caught up. Then I plan to make each page as I do the postcard so I don't fall behind.

But that will have to wait until next week. It's birthday weekend for my oldest, so it's busy, busy, busy!!

Creative ADD

I've been all over the place lately when it comes to creativity. 

I think I may have Art ADD (attention deficit disorder). 

Ok...some might argue that I have ADD in other areas of my life as well but the Art ADD is self-diagnosed. 

I blame the other on Motherhood. Children steal you're ability to keep a clear running thought in your head. :) But I wouldn't change a thing.

Anyway...these are the things I've done in the past week.

I papered our recycling cabinet to match the fridge.

Knitted another dishcloth on the loom...

Knitted a cowl on the loom...

Miniature terrain on a recycled CD...

Another terrain piece...

And last night I started another twirly crochet scarf because my elbow was hurting from the repetitive motion of the knitting. 

Crochet seems to work my wrist more and doesn't bother me.

In addition I've been washing and ironing my way through a large box of old linens. Deciding what is decent enough to save and use and what I can use in my artwork. Vintage linens and fabric are part of my idea for the Postcard Challenge book.

So, yeah...definitely Art ADD.