Quiting: Birds in Fall

 Well,  Fall of 2011 we were in Fla and I heard about a bus day trip to a great quilt shop and I thought for $18 why not and get to meet some new gals.  I don't need any fabric so I'll just go get inspired to use what I have and enjoy the day.  The day was going great and everyone was so excited and buying like crazy and I was enjoying the shop.  We had a nice lunch so now I'm up to around $30 for the day trip.    Before I know it, gals are say.... you haven't bought anything?   Well I have a lot of stuff at home.    Then I felt guilty and in a panic, 45 min. before the bus is to leave I decide to shop.  I found a Valori Wells pattern, Annie (which I didn't buy but got approximate lengths of fabric for).   

 Gosh I only need some bird fabric and about 9" of about 9 batiks.  No problem, 3/4 yard because I'm making a wall hanging, and some batiks so off I go quickly shopping.  Needless to say you can see below that I ended up adding the cream and the light tan to the right and 6 more batiks when I got home.  But all in all the day was a good day and it ended up costing me $100 for the day.  The day that was just for fun, no buying.    Yep the bird fabric and 9 pcs 9" of batik ended up being around $70.   

Around August, 2012 I decided I needed to force myself to sew once a week and I started a quilting bee, Busy Bees that meets every Thursday and we sew most of the day.   After working on various other mini projects I decided to pull out the batch above.  Now my addition batiks came from another road trip (just going to look) to Wytheville Va with one of my new bee gals Becki to Batik sale.  I might buy a few pieces =  $60 I believe. 

SO now I have enough batik choices and no excuse, start the project.  Annie is a throw but I want a wall hanging and for sure I don't cut straight and don't sew straight but here goes. 

This is about 5 bees and I'm almost done except for the sleeve on the back.  My thanks to my hive for helping me get thru this as I don't work like most.  I'm a cut and sew as you go gal.  No pre cutting and stacking for me in case I don't like it.  So.... it took me way longer but I like it and pleased.  Now where to hang it. 

It's finished.

Click on picture to enlarge it.

Hope you like it.  I'm pleased with my accomplishment.  It does lay straighter than this but angle of camera.

Thanks for stopping by.  Let me know what you think?

Pinterest..... is my new pleasure

I mentioned how much I'm enjoying Pinterest.  Sometime last year in January, 2012 one of my stampers, Susan Kelley told me about Pinterest.  She said it was the coolest thing, like a bulletin board of things you like.  I thought how interesting.  Well it is but you just don't get it til you sign up and have your own boards.  Here's mine is just a year.   http://pinterest.com/jlocreations/     Boy have I had fun.    I think we should start a Pinterest club.

What it did for me is make me feel good about things I might want to do, try.  Photos of things that were just pretty, color and if I was blue, Pinterest gave me lots to look at.  Feeling so good I had been gradually weening myself off Wellbutrin antidepressants and viola, a year later my feel good drug of choice is Pinterest.    I'm hoping 2013 will be less daydreaming and more using.  I have so much stuff in the way of supplies, fabric, etc.  I've set a goal to try to starting using down many of my supplies.  Ok, so you might not be able to tell a difference if you come visit but it's a start. 

I also discovered Zentangle last year before Pinterest.  While I'm having fun and mine are not too bad (really no good or bad in Zentangle), I'm just amazed I had never heard about it and the images on Pinterest are just wow's. 

So if I'm having a down day now, I just go to Pinterest and look up one thing and that takes me to another and another and before you know it I'm smiling over recipes to crafts to just funny pictures. 

Here's hoping you have a wonderful day today and that you are having fun in life.  Don't leave it all for your senior years.   

February Stamp class projects & Supply List

Joan Lowder's February 2013 class projects & supply list below.. 

Lovely Lilacs is a sign of spring

Sets: Heaven Scent (retired); All I have Seen (envelope) retired; butterfly from Bloomin Marvelous (2013 SAB)

Cardstock: Wisteria Wonder (2011-2013 in color), W. White

Ink: Wisteria Wonder, Always Artichoke, Concord Crush (Retired), Pretty in Pink

Accessories: Stampin Dimensionals, daubers, snips, Big Shot, Embossing Folder “Woodgrain”,
Instructions:  Cut Wisteria Wonder down to 4 x 5 ¼” and run thru the Big Shot with Woodgrain embossing folder.

Stamp Words on Scraps of W. White in Concord Crush or Artichoke. Your preference. Fussy cut around the words. You’ll only pop dot the back of the right side.

Lilac stack: White 1 ¾ x 3 ¼”. Layered on top of Wisteria Wonder 2 x 3 ½”, layered on top of W. White cut 2 ¼ x 3 ¾” . (personally, I’d cut the white piece for lilac out of the back piece and save paper)

On white scraps I stamped the butterfly from Bloomin Marvelous in Pretty in pink, fussy cut out.

Sturdy Oak Tree

Sets: Lovely as a Tree, 3 little words

Cardstock: Card is River Rock. Front is Soft Suede, W.White for the tree, white scraps for words.

Ink: Early Expresso, Crumb Cake, River Rock

Accessories: Paper snips, Embossing folder “Woodgrain”, Big Shot, yarn or ribbon, daubers, stampin Dimensionals, Tombow glue to hold ribbon in place

Instructions:  Cut the Soft Suede 4 x 5 ¼”; Cut the white for the tree 2 ¼ x 2 ½:; River Rock 2 ½ x 2 ¾”
Stamp the tree in E.Expresso on White with 2 ½, horizontal. Stamp the words in E. Expresso and cut out with a punch or fussy cut with snips.

Daub around the edge of the white w/E. Expresso. Lightly dust the edges of the white with the tree as well as the words with Crumb Cake . Lightly daub River Rock over the tree if you want a bit of color.

Bloomin Marvelous

Set: Bloomin Marvelous (2013 SAB), Sincere Salutations, Best Yet (retired) , For words in sq. scallop I liked : Natural Beauty, Sage Advice (both retired)

Cardstock: W.White on a Rich Razzleberry card.

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Wild Wasabi, Black

Accessories: Stampin Dimensionals, Reinstones or pearls, Square Scallop Punch, snips, Tombow Glue just in case.

Instructions:
2 pcs. Of W. white (for front and inside), 4 x 5 ¼”
Stamp words on W.White , about 2 x 10” & punch out with Square Scallop Punch out of works,, set aside
You’ll have enough what left over to stamp a quote for front of card.
Stamp 4 flowers in Rich Razzleberry on white scraps (about 1 x 5 inches) and cut out
Cut: Wild Wasabi, 3 pcs 1 1/2"” x 1 1/2" pcs to back the sq. scallops pieces with words.
Apply something to center of flowers if you wish.