tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298631342024-03-05T07:26:49.722-08:00...........Fibresoul...............Sharing my creative adventuresGladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-86449144465664108662012-11-27T16:36:00.000-08:002012-11-27T16:36:14.745-08:00"Strange" Friends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a great friend who walks with me on a regular basis....well as regularly as I can make it happen with all the demands of caring for my parents! This friend is also one whom I travel with to quilt seminars. First time was last year and we discovered that we make great room mates, like to walk in the morning, like to keep working on our projects after class, and just generally, enjoyed the same things outside of the classroom. We walked miles along the California beaches at Monterey and loved every minute of it. (Except that her camera took better pictures than mine!)<br />
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Since getting home we've carried on walking in our local area. We both have dogs so we walk for probably a couple of hours, rain or shine. Her background is military and she is <i>a lot of years</i> younger than me, so sometimes it's a bit like going to boot camp when I walk with her! Last summer we walked when it was really too warm to be exerting ourselves like that, and when we got back to her house, we sat on the back deck, drinking water and just visiting.<br />
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Something she said about one of her other friends struck me as odd and I looked at her and said "You have some really strange friends." She looked at me and answered "Yes. Yes I do Gladys!" I laughed at that as I had asked for and deserved her quick retort! <br />
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But it didn't end there. About two weeks later, she came to my house and we were about to go for a long walk on the beach with the dogs. But before we left she presented me with a gift. A small art quilt made in honour of that conversation. It was so wonderful I had to go get Mum and Dad to see it as well. I was complimented by the fact that she used the technique in my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Embellishing+with+Anything" target="_blank"><i>Embellishing with Anything, </i>C&T Publishing</a>, to represent my hair. <i>She </i>was pleased with herself for accurately depicting my unusual earring! And the best part.....the pattern she used to quilt it is called "Bananas." <br />
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I was pleased quite touched that she thought to do that for me and it now hangs in a place of honour in my studio. Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-13440090810998782582012-11-21T22:24:00.000-08:002012-11-22T11:15:51.078-08:00A Mini Doll Exchange<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the two I sent to the USA and the UK beside the two I received. <br />
The theme I requested was "wild and crazy" woman! </td></tr>
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The group "Stargaze Tomers" on Yahoo is comprised of members all over the world. I am lucky to be one. The leader of the group is <a href="http://www.pmcdesigns.com/" target="_blank">Patti Culea</a>. I was lucky enough to take a class from her years ago and would do it again in a minute if given the chance. <br />
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The on-line group is a very creative bunch and every once in a while, a challenge or exchange is organized to get us active again. This time it was a tiny doll to be included in one of the "tome pages" which are the patterns we all have and got us united to begin with. The people who chose to take place were divided into groups of three. I was lucky enough to be assigned to an exchange with Patti herself and with Sue Crook, whom I have done exchanges with in previous themes. <br />
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I received a beautiful doll with hand dyed silk from Sue Crook with wildly colored hair. And her clothes are separate, not a part of the doll. A work of tiny and very specific art. The doll I received from Patti is made of painted silk and her clothes and hair are beaded. They are both shown in the picture above.<br />
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Patti wanted hers to be a garden fairy. Here is a picture of the back and front of the mini doll I sent to her. <br />
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She is about 5" tall, has jointed arms and legs is dressed in ribbons and lace and hand beaded. Her hair is mohair that has been dyed. Some of the lace she is wearing is hand painted (not by me!). <br />
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Sue wanted one that reflected the area I lived in. Here are photos of what I received and what I sent away to her. The area I live in has so many things to choose from to represent it.....skiing, fishing, boating, hiking, camping, cities, country.....snow, soil and surf all within minutes of each other. So I decided to go back to the beginning and chose to do a doll that represented the Haida who were First Peoples on the west Coast.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARyjwfb4T1YgtFdLp-w68v-yikWG29kT2aJb1Y9ylv6Jms8mfGNQbFJIWZ79Iy1GtgNpjOnwF3wwQw9IEN69zwGgc8FJRMvus1ja1Gn6D4GniRJM8McakqHO86Wj6tSObGygr/s1600/DSCN0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARyjwfb4T1YgtFdLp-w68v-yikWG29kT2aJb1Y9ylv6Jms8mfGNQbFJIWZ79Iy1GtgNpjOnwF3wwQw9IEN69zwGgc8FJRMvus1ja1Gn6D4GniRJM8McakqHO86Wj6tSObGygr/s320/DSCN0108.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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She is wearing a traditional button blanket cape, a cedar (silk strips) woven hat, and carrying a basket of shells (teeny tiny ones I found on the beach where I walk my dog.) Oops....I see she doesn't have the basket in hand in this photo, but Sue tells me she arrived intact. I spoke to a friend about the political correctness of making a Haida doll when I am not of that descent and was told that it was ok as long as it was done with respect. It was and here she is. </div>
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Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-38614212500186318142012-10-08T21:37:00.002-07:002012-10-08T21:39:30.507-07:00My 12 x 12 Challenge Group<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This post is a copy of my post to another blog which I take part in with a number of other art quilters. It is a challenge group where one person decides on a theme, and the rest of us design and create a 12" x 12" piece that is our interpretation of that theme. Go to <a href="http://www.upforachallengeartquilts.com/" target="_blank">www.upforachallengeartquilts.com</a> to see everyone's creations. Here is mine: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When this theme was announced, I had to go to the dictionary to look for meanings and interpretations. What I found was:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><b>Incandescence</b> is the emission of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Light">light</a> (visible <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Electromagnetic radiation">electromagnetic radiation</a>) from a hot body as a result of its temperature.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescence#cite_note-0" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> The term derives from the Latin verb incandescere, to glow white.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescence#cite_note-1" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup></i> <i>Incandescence is a special case of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_radiation" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Thermal radiation">thermal radiation</a>. Incandescence usually refers specifically to <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_light" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Visible light">visible light</a>, while thermal radiation refers also to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Infrared">infrared</a> or any other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Electromagnetic radiation">electromagnetic radiation</a>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Having read this there were multiple ideas swirling in my head. But that's normal. I'm an idea person, and seldom a completion person! How's that for True Confessions? However, back to the theme.....almost immediately I came up with this idea and tried to think of reasons not to do it, but nothing else came out of my hands so here we are. I started late in my attempts to do something to do with fire, which didn't work, and then finally got down to what I wanted to do in the first place. They say listen to your heart and I should have because I'm happy with and had fun making this piece. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I thought instead of light or the normal sources of heat, I thought of sex appeal, which is another elusive kind of heat. There has been of late, a lot of resurgence of interest in Marilyn Monroe, the all time sex symbol for my generation. Here is the picture I chose to use for a reference, found on <a href="https://pinterest.com/fibresoul/" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;">Pinterest</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Looking at this photo made me wonder what it was that radiated the sex appeal she was famous for. Was it the looks? There have been lots of women just as, or even more beautiful. Was it the body language? Or was it the diamonds? I don't know and probably never will, but I truly enjoyed interpreting this photo to my 12" x 12" interpretation of <b>Incandescence.</b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The project is worked on a black background which has a few sparkles on it. The face and hair are layer upon layer of chiffons, both polyester and silk. The face and shoulder are obviously carefully cut to indicate the appropriate shadows and shapes. But the hair I truly enjoyed doing. I just free hand cut teardrop shapes of all the colors of chiffon I had in yellow, pale yellow, glittery yellow and white and stitched down each piece as I went along, building up the shades and shapes and covering what didn't fit with a couple more layers. A really free way to work and I enjoyed every minute of it and am happy with how it turned out. The embellishments (did you know I love to embellish!!) are bits of treasures from my collection, a single earring, a strip off a dress from the thrift shop that I tore the diamonds off and kept, and a set of plastic eyelashes designed for Halloween but perfect for enhancing her sultry look. The binding is metallic fabric and that was a trick! </span></div>
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Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-47240786182395909452012-10-08T21:31:00.000-07:002012-10-08T21:32:12.080-07:00Spiders<br />
The other night I was laying in bed reading. A good book with a glass of water beside me. My dear husband was in the living room watching TV. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEyLPW4Xbt7cqqy3EIoM1Up5BWogNm9QvRlJczyeWxzePygpBn9hyphenhyphenUQro3eP0mOF10xX-Bi-zyvRxhmEjCCXR3AMqpPPX1WSjKwzkTSmoO81tLX_OvrpvOoPsXr8GI4Sl7Vts/s1600/wolf+spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEyLPW4Xbt7cqqy3EIoM1Up5BWogNm9QvRlJczyeWxzePygpBn9hyphenhyphenUQro3eP0mOF10xX-Bi-zyvRxhmEjCCXR3AMqpPPX1WSjKwzkTSmoO81tLX_OvrpvOoPsXr8GI4Sl7Vts/s1600/wolf+spider.jpg" /></a>Suddenly, with a thump that was perceptible in the quiet of the bedroom, there was what I now know to be a wolf spider on the bedspread, just about right on my right breast. I remained calm.....to a point......at least calm enough to think that I didn't want a splattered stain on the lovely pale turquoise matte lasse bedspread. I slowly reached with my free hand and folded the edge of the spread up over "him" and held my hand over that like a cage. <br />
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And then I yelled. I yelled BOB!!! I yelled again. I yelled "BOB, please come help me." I yelled again. I yelled "HELP". Finally my pleas for assistance got through the sounds of the television and dearest Bob leapt to his feet and came running in the bedroom looking panicked and scared and no knowing what to do. I asked him to get a Kleenex off the night table, and when I lifted my hand, catch the spider under there quickly and squash it.....without leaving a stain on the bedspread. <br />
<br />
He looked at me with an exasperated look and said "I thought you were having a heart attack or something!" I said I should hope not .... it took him long enough to get there! But he got the required Kleenex, poised in readiness, and waited for me to lift my hand. I did so very slowly and Bob was ready to pounce. <br />
<br />
When the cover came up.....no spider... OK, so NOW I'm not calm anymore. In fact I'm so creeped out that I want to cry. I leaped out of bed, looked all over the floor, checked the curtain, looked on the window frame, shone a flashlight under the bed.....nothing....anywhere! And to make matters worse, Bob is laughing! <br />
<br />
I continued to check around the room but to no avail. There was no spider to be seen. I climbed back into bed, Bob having long gone back to the TV show, and tried to continue reading. I never saw the spider but I couldn't read OR sleep either. Every hair that tickled my cheek or movement of the covers or slight sound and I was on high alert expecting that spider to be back. What a bad night. <br />
<br />
The next day I tore that room apart. I vacuumed all the walls, behind all the pictures, under the bed, in the closet, moved all the curtains, clothes, under the dresser, everywhere a spider could possibly be and found nothing. Dust yes, dog hair yes, popcorn bits yes....but no spider. Bob had by now named him Felix and was enjoying watching all the cleaning activity in the bedroom. Felix was never seen again. All I can hope is that I sucked him up the vacuum hose unknowingly. <br />
<br />
When I told my girlfriend about it, she suggested that Bob had Felix hidden in a jar somewhere for the next time he wants a room cleaned! Now I ask you, what kind of friend would say that??? One of my strange ones I can assure you! <br />
<br />
But when I was cruising through Pinterest the other day, I found this and I can assure you, it is TOO TRUE!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOgjJZEOYKlwheGPhdfU2wC_y5t1FCqF_S5mgGQkLMxAr6ik_YJNT0JSDgxZq2A-2sXAuaWpqTUPWDoyYccmu1rmVl6VMGLulD7UzyLQAf4AH1pYA_qhLQ9Vh1N9XropkD7NS/s1600/spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOgjJZEOYKlwheGPhdfU2wC_y5t1FCqF_S5mgGQkLMxAr6ik_YJNT0JSDgxZq2A-2sXAuaWpqTUPWDoyYccmu1rmVl6VMGLulD7UzyLQAf4AH1pYA_qhLQ9Vh1N9XropkD7NS/s320/spider.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-35523040964353655182012-05-30T22:16:00.000-07:002012-05-30T22:16:22.603-07:00It's all about the Chicks!<br />
Setting the stage: We have friends living on an island that we visit
occasionally. This week Linda had ordered chicks and my husband was supposed to
take them out to her. But he hurt his back and is laid up on some pretty severe
medications. Being the helpful sort, I volunteered to deliver all the goods
that had been ordered. When someone is coming in from town, everyone calls to
ask to have various things brought out to them....cigarettes, beer, wine,
groceries, baby chicks, chairs, all sorts of variety.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLMhDbI5wSj9qAah3-bIHFK8J3EF8peExv8Hipoj7tmSaLhpXLAvvKEpO-Mh_AvL4R8AvYH7dpHRsSR6n0kPwCUUb2uNoquYEWHLaRyNJfwcN7A7JKbcK7ohyphenhyphenUEefLSvRQQo8/s1600/chicks+in+dog+crate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLMhDbI5wSj9qAah3-bIHFK8J3EF8peExv8Hipoj7tmSaLhpXLAvvKEpO-Mh_AvL4R8AvYH7dpHRsSR6n0kPwCUUb2uNoquYEWHLaRyNJfwcN7A7JKbcK7ohyphenhyphenUEefLSvRQQo8/s1600/chicks+in+dog+crate.jpg" /></a>Now for the adventure: This past weekend, Linda had arranged with Bob to
bring in her baby chicks. But the chicks were not ready when he was supposed to
go in. he stayed home an extra day and that's when he hurt his back. So,
because the chicks were ready to go to their new home, and they are fairly
fragile at this stage....and Bob was not ready to go anywhere, I said I would
run that errand and go out to the island, stay overnight at Linda's and then
come home again. She was pleased to be having company and I was pleased with a
little mini-escape. We planned to do some kayaking. On the Friday, Mum and I
ran around doing the errands and picking up the various supplies always
requested when someone is coming from town......lettuce, fresh milk, plumbing
supplies, oil, cookie dough, beer, wine, cigarettes....always an interesting
list, but most importantly, the chicks!</div>
<br />
When Mum and I got home, I got the chicks settled in the dog crate with
water and food. I must say that both Mum and Dad enjoyed seeing the young life
and hearing the peeping. Dad was smiling and bent over watching them. Having
memory flashbacks to his time on the farm I'd bet, but he sure looked amused.
Mum was amazed that there was one voice in the 30 birds that was continually
louder and more aggressive than the others. The chicks settled well for the
night.<br />
<br />
At 7:30 a.m. Bob had me up and rushed out the door. I wondered what the heck
I was going to do with the extra time as it doesn't take me that long to drive
there for a 10:00 a.m. pickup. (It does for him, but he has been teased about
his green truck being a turtle shell!) The last phone call I had with Linda the
evening before was that the pickup time would be 10 if I didn't hear from her
again. So....since I had been kicked out of the house with all the supplies
loaded in the car, I drove north, stopped at Sayward Junction for a leisurely
tea, and carried on. The logging road is nicely graded and not too many
potholes, so even tho I take it pretty carefully on that part of the road, I
made good time. I arrived at the wharf, pulled up close so as to unload before
parking the van....and the fun began.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">I got out, walked around to the
other side and opened the door to check the chicks, except that the other side
was locked. I walked back around the vehicle, opened the door, pushed the
unlock/lock button and walked back around to the other side. Still locked. It
wasn’t till the second time I returned to the driver’s door that I realized
what I’d done….left the keys on the seat and locked myself out of my van.
Arrrgh! I stood there wondering what to do. It was very sunny and I was worried
about the chicks locked in the closed car in the sun. Not to mention four cases
of</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">frozen meat! My phone doesn’t work out
there so I had no way to call anyone. I waited till 10 hoping Linda had a phone
and was mortified that I would keep everyone waiting. But 10:00 o’clock came
and went, as did 10:15, 10:30 and 10:45. By now I’m really worried about the
chicks. So I decided I had to break a window. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">I found a rock that was ragged and
started trying to break the little window by the rear view mirror, thinking it
would be the cheapest to replace and the easiest to drive home with it missing.
I beat on that window with everything I had for about 20 minutes. All I
accomplished is severely scratching the window. Not even a crack or chip! I
stood there puffing and wondered what to do next. I wandered around the parking
lot looking for a piece of steel rod or something. I couldn’t find anything
even remotely useful. It was so silent. The water was like glass, not a sound
anywhere…..but suddenly a big machine in the dryland sort started up! AHA!!! A
person who might have a phone….I can call a towing service and get this opened
perhaps. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="float: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">Still no Linda
so I walked over to the big yard where they were piling up logs and stood in
the middle, trying to make myself obvious so I don’t get run over. The man
continued to pile logs for about 5 minutes and then I guess he figured I wasn’t
going to go away so he drove over close to me and slowed down his machine,
looked down at me and said “Do you need help?” (Duh!) I said:</span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85SRV4xuO1JI_JAaP1UFWz9yfx-10QWzrBPFlcoMnJxUxVa2YqXW2GjbCXzlJItLlDQXEt0oXuyOzAajJpV_rwEpcl4LHUfRyckRplZuT-KWx8oHHJSaygOTYQbN6j06gG5hJ/s1600/logloader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85SRV4xuO1JI_JAaP1UFWz9yfx-10QWzrBPFlcoMnJxUxVa2YqXW2GjbCXzlJItLlDQXEt0oXuyOzAajJpV_rwEpcl4LHUfRyckRplZuT-KWx8oHHJSaygOTYQbN6j06gG5hJ/s400/logloader.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">“I was wondering if you would have
a crowbar or something that I could break into my car with….I’ve locked myself
out.” His lips were twitching and his eyes sparkling and he shut the machine
off and got out and stood on the deck. I said “It’s ok if you laugh! I feel
pretty stupid!” He laughed then, jumped down from his machine and asked what
kind of vehicle I was driving. I said and explained about the chicks inside,
and that I had tried to break the window but wasn’t strong enough with just a
rock. He smirked again. It’s ok. Smirk all he wants…I needed his help. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">Now this is when you believe in
angels unawares and all that stuff. Not only is he the only person within miles
on Saturday morning, but he says “Let’s try another approach. I used to run a
towing company in McNeill so let’s see if we can get the car open" OK. I’m
very hopeful as I walk back to the car. He arrives shortly in a little “golf cart”
and he has a big screwdriver and a selection of wires with him. After looking
inside to see the setup of the vehicle, he put the screwdriver in the top
corner of the driver’s door, with a sock between it and the pressure point, and
asked me to hold it forward at an angle “like this”. I did that. He then bent
the end of one of the wires, poked it in the gap formed by the screwdriver,
pushed it forward inside the car and then maneuvered it around until he got the
button and managed to click it, successfully unlocking the car! I was so
excited I turned around and hugged him, completely throwing him off guard, and
said thank you thank you thank you! He was grinning and laughing at my
excitement. But the alarm was blaring loudly so I opened the car, grabbed the
keys, pressed the button and shut off the noise. Phew. Silence again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";"><br />
I had picked up two 8 packs of beer for Sheila, who is helping Linda cook for a
logging crew right now, and I opened the back and said “Do you drink Beer? I’d
like to give you some I’m so grateful. It’s warm but I’m just so happy that you
got that open.” He took the beer with a big smile on his face, set it on the
seat in his little cart and took off back to work. I couldn’t believe my good
luck in having someone with those skills right there when I was desperate. I
also wondered why ever lock the vehicle. Except for the alarm, there’s not much
to it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";"><br />
Now, back to business. Linda is still not there. And I am grateful because now
I can put everything down on the wharf and be ready. I did that. I left the
frozen meat and the chicks in the car which I’ve now parked in the shade, and I
took the chairs, the pipes and nails and plumbing supplies groceries and my
suitcase down to the wharf. But while I was doing that I <em><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">dropped</span></em> the other 8 pack of
beer for Sheila. They rolled all over the place and were dented and scratched.
One can was leaking so I put it in my tea mug to contain it, thinking Sheila
will be laughing when I give her a cup with a leaking can in it. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">I went back up to the van, opened the
box of chicks, put the top off my thermos in their box with water in it and
made sure they were all ok. I enjoyed watching them peep and drink and jump in
and out of that little bit of water. I had the windows open and it was
pleasant, but still no Linda. I began to think something was wrong so decided
that I would wait till 2 p.m. and then go home and see what I could do to set
the chicks up for another delivery time. After watching them settle down again
I decided to go down to the wharf and get my book out of my suitcase and sit
there and read. I left the van open for air, with the chicks in it and headed
for the wharf. </span><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvAhEIoVlyoTeUTyNII_tV92m60eW3M3-0FQyKdrNKRSghVjYC91r2VussOxgLuT1pqlj4X-5EdYnN1O1pkrlt-le54E0XbNXqR0frKVoyd9C0XKzjYXgrv4GZS5BfjlbxOiy/s1600/raven+in+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvAhEIoVlyoTeUTyNII_tV92m60eW3M3-0FQyKdrNKRSghVjYC91r2VussOxgLuT1pqlj4X-5EdYnN1O1pkrlt-le54E0XbNXqR0frKVoyd9C0XKzjYXgrv4GZS5BfjlbxOiy/s1600/raven+in+tree.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">I’m five steps
down the ramp and a giant Raven flies away with a chicken filet out of Len’s
groceries! I got down there and looked and the bird had pecked through my cloth
grocery bag, through the plastic shopping bag, and through the plastic wrapper
of the meat and had shredded one chicken breast all over the wharf and was
happily eating it! I was horrified as now they are short one chicken breast! I
was so annoyed and then realized that the chicks are peeping in the van with
the window open and I wouldn’t put it past the two ravens swooping overhead to
go for them too. So I covered the groceries with my suitcase and a chair,
sprinted up the wharf to get the chicks, and sprinted back down again with the
box of chicks in hand. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">Darned if the
Ravens aren’t in the groceries again from another angle and this time they have
a big peck hole in his steak! But now I’m there to guard the stuff and I sat on
a chair, with the chicks on another chair, the groceries all covered up and
read my book in the sunshine while I waited for Linda. The raven swooped
overhead for quite a while knowing there were snacks there, but I didn’t move.
They sat in the tops of the trees and squawked at me, but they weren’t getting
any more out of my stuff! I soon got warm enough that I decided I would just
drink the beer that was in the leaky can! So now Sheila has 7 beer where she is
expecting 16!<u1:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></u1:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20yaTLdPQ0g5lu930ZLRiKaHQVfi-5Phlz5C2b3PQsDpgcbAlUKE_ZVifESRdHfTE-CFD3eA78ZQg9YYaL6aDE2DlVIF8_lZ9sgONJKV2HQT-9tnmCJMcBK3gZlD9UQiaSe8e/s1600/dozer+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20yaTLdPQ0g5lu930ZLRiKaHQVfi-5Phlz5C2b3PQsDpgcbAlUKE_ZVifESRdHfTE-CFD3eA78ZQg9YYaL6aDE2DlVIF8_lZ9sgONJKV2HQT-9tnmCJMcBK3gZlD9UQiaSe8e/s320/dozer+boat.jpg" width="239" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">Linda showed up at
12:00. (She got confused because she said 10 the evening before, but in the
morning she read my email which was sent much earlier in the day, suggesting
12:00 noon so she came for noon). She was pleased to see me and had Len with
her to help load things in the boat. I went and got the frozen meat out of the
van and we took off. We chatted happily, and took a little cruise past the log
sort on the other side of the hill they are logging. </span><span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">The dozer boat was
fascinating to watch, but I think I would probably be squealing and crying if I
was in it! Linda headed back around the point and we got about half way up the
channel and suddenly both engines stopped. Linda looked at the fuel gauge and
sure enough …. Both tanks are empty. Linda was furious that someone would dock
the boat with no fuel in it, and furious with herself for not checking before
she set out. She phoned Sheila in the kitchen to tell her to send someone out
with fuel, and Sheila just started laughing! So we all laughed. What can you do!
We drifted a bit and each drank one of Sheila’s beer. We drifted towards a
semi-abandoned float house and Len calmly tied us up and we waited there,
enjoying the sun and the calm water. I’d have been terrified if it had been
rough! Pretty soon one of the men came around the corner and poured 5 gallons
into one tank and we limped to her place on one engine. </span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">We unloaded the groceries and Len
and I took them up the ramp while Linda went right over to their fuel dock to
fill the boat. Sheila, who turns out to be someone I knew years ago is laughing
so hard by the time I explained all the things that happened to her beer and
why she got one scratched and dented can that she can hardly stand up! That’s
one that I’m never going to live down. During the 24 hours I was there she got
a lot of pokes in about her missing beer. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">But that’s not the end of the
adventure. Linda came back from the fuel dock, and we were outside by their
fire pit. She was carrying the box of chicks and said she was going to go right
up and put them in their house. She almost got past us and I noticed her hair
was all wet and asked her if she had gone swimming or something. She started
laughing and said “I was hoping nobody would notice. I did the pike pole
landing as the boat drifted away from the dock and I didn’t stretch far enough
and fell in! Just like you see on TV! Luckily it's a nice day!” </span><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">She soon came back down, we
finished preparations for dinner for all the loggers, and then she and I and
her grandchildren went up the hill to look at the chicks…….most of whom had
found a way out of the house so we had to find the hole, plug that and put them
all back. Great fun for the kids catching little chicks! </span><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times","serif";">By the time dinner was done and
all the loggers left for their cabins and the chicks were finally safely in
their new home I was exhausted from all the excitement and I went to the little
room that Linda had prepared for me and I read for a while but soon fell
asleep. We planned to do some kayaking the next day, but when we got up it was
raining so we just visited. After so many calamities in one day, I am wondering
if I'll ever be trusted to make the run for the team again! </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-31841805327937978982012-05-16T10:12:00.000-07:002012-05-16T10:12:25.831-07:00Toopy - A One-of-a-Kind Toy!Life has been hectic lately, and the needs of two elderly parents have largely taken over. Actually, we are getting settled in. We have doctors, dentists, eye specialists, other specialists, new wills for British Columbia and all those "moving" things just about completed. It's only taken six months! <br />
<br />
Through all of this my creative muse has been on hiatus. I've struggled with wanting to do some artwork, but most times end up just getting through the necessary and not getting to the art! <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbndtmyDgYisobczbRaBIbqMfKyScLXJ-mw4xcaXXkTihjZFlTphY66zrmTj-xFSKNfotweq_8F3TlnPt0jmW2jOFbRZ2uNhyA4NttzqON8u1qRcClZFjPQkk7x521txB7xOKw/s1600/Toopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbndtmyDgYisobczbRaBIbqMfKyScLXJ-mw4xcaXXkTihjZFlTphY66zrmTj-xFSKNfotweq_8F3TlnPt0jmW2jOFbRZ2uNhyA4NttzqON8u1qRcClZFjPQkk7x521txB7xOKw/s1600/Toopy.jpg" /></a>However, as they say, I digress. I have been busy with something creative. My youngest grandchild is a boy, age 3. His dad, my son, called and asked me if I would make him a stuffed toy of his favorite TV character because they couldn't find one anywhere and they had been looking everywhere! He got me with the plaintive words....."you know Mum, like you made me a big stuffed Gumby when I was little?" Oh all right, I'll try. Who is this favorite character? A distorted looking mouse whom I've never seen either! So I had to google for an image. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWY8Ml8JJxJFlaRN1qhbHPEEUe82DmSNfYyLuewI4SWh002MjiHJ_2pmoqlOUy4LoPS1FRvn-kIBiopWdsKyBfD2ZKwqxa6VsTMaNazYWsGfMrWI6zpCR1bC5LArJ6y9NFCWQ/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWY8Ml8JJxJFlaRN1qhbHPEEUe82DmSNfYyLuewI4SWh002MjiHJ_2pmoqlOUy4LoPS1FRvn-kIBiopWdsKyBfD2ZKwqxa6VsTMaNazYWsGfMrWI6zpCR1bC5LArJ6y9NFCWQ/s200/IMG_0979.JPG" width="200" /></a>I got several and set out from this picture to create the toy. I made a prototype body and didn't like the shape of it so re-designed that part. The legs, arms and feet came out perfect first try. This picture includes the rejected body shape, and the stitched feet, ears and hands.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCVevG-QCoTjkI8ZwXuI1kZfJSod2gPiCr_a26N28ALIWG1eFDfdwdaI0p_-A2loA8JmCaVbM7_QbabLNB_qf4ZPimcAuH0idTh-KEvXCPkiyYjxkmXTmfTvZHF8-DqQNDrjg/s1600/IMG_1490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNCVevG-QCoTjkI8ZwXuI1kZfJSod2gPiCr_a26N28ALIWG1eFDfdwdaI0p_-A2loA8JmCaVbM7_QbabLNB_qf4ZPimcAuH0idTh-KEvXCPkiyYjxkmXTmfTvZHF8-DqQNDrjg/s200/IMG_1490.JPG" width="149" /></a>This photo is of the finished pieces. I sent it via phone to my son for approval and he loved it....but his suggestion was to send it to them just like that to see what his son said when he opened the parcel. Needless to say I desire to freak the kid out with a decapitated Toopy!</div>
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Then there was the head connection. The skinny neck caused considerable deliberation on construction techniques. It went together the first time with a piece of flexible PVC pipe inside, but I felt it wasn't cuddly enough and didn't like it. So I took it apart and tried a different approach. At this stage a friend of mine came to visit and she told me "Put it together and call it done! It's for a 3 year old and it will soon be covered with bodily fluids and bits of food!" Good point!! <br />
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But I got this far, Mum knitted his little sweater and then the head got attached. But there was one more detail. See that little tail in the photo above? I couldn't figure out if it was a twirled tail or a "stack of donuts" or what! I decided the best way to solve that problem was to try to find the show on TV and actually watch this guy. I didn't know what channel it was on or what time. <br />
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And at this point I had to go to Victoria with my Mum for several specialist appointments which we grouped into one week. Victoria is a lovely city and the weather was spectacular. We went to each appointment, shopped and wandered around a little, and in the afternoon came back to the hotel room for Mum to have a little rest. Some days I walked to the used book store, others I was reading. Mum likes to rest with the TV on. She was surfing through the channels looking for one of her favorite shows and what pops up? Of course...."Toopy & Binoo". So we watched it. We watched TWO episodes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSE2MYa6ZZlX0FDImjUeZY80ZhcmGF_9r5hMJ3sTL5PukoJEnrKq5oWR58PTsLFLDrny1JMR4AQ5FWKKSyN9JTlZAc-1cyu1yxYoxSX98tknzjzf5gtv4Bnr7Ov1xyY-fpdXxt/s1600/IMG_1002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSE2MYa6ZZlX0FDImjUeZY80ZhcmGF_9r5hMJ3sTL5PukoJEnrKq5oWR58PTsLFLDrny1JMR4AQ5FWKKSyN9JTlZAc-1cyu1yxYoxSX98tknzjzf5gtv4Bnr7Ov1xyY-fpdXxt/s320/IMG_1002.JPG" width="320" /></a> I had the most spectacular view of his tail when he turned around and wiggled it beautifully so I now knew what I had to do! But....I must admit to wondering what my life had become when I am in a hotel room in Victoria, watching "Toopy & Binoo" AND being <em>excited</em> about it! </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR8PJFoj8v_6QcTgyDgbSroWbKfkTDgh1TDKOgYLsv0iUq7NQhPolYM_oW8OYK1tcjNfq0f2-dYKwMwZCBZVV0C_ICIGpPnbbtaSE21Olr-004ktLhCIiu3B4oAOJcpgPKoZx/s1600/IMG_1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR8PJFoj8v_6QcTgyDgbSroWbKfkTDgh1TDKOgYLsv0iUq7NQhPolYM_oW8OYK1tcjNfq0f2-dYKwMwZCBZVV0C_ICIGpPnbbtaSE21Olr-004ktLhCIiu3B4oAOJcpgPKoZx/s320/IMG_1001.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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Here's the finished product.....going to the post office today.<br />
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And there's a label where his heart would be that says "Made with Love by Grandma". The sweater also has a label inside it that says "Made with love by Great Grandma". I am hoping that my daughter-in-law takes a video when my grandson opens his parcel!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjeOip31lHWFpRAYRlinqlFGsEv2F9LXcRYaa4S03yJpCqUSCuixoTUKV1thsuLzFKOeutcol0I_gwg6X8IVJx0unGAYFGc4YZCg0e2dRi4R7SrJu_TropKo9uMOJHUccEW3P/s1600/IMG_1003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjeOip31lHWFpRAYRlinqlFGsEv2F9LXcRYaa4S03yJpCqUSCuixoTUKV1thsuLzFKOeutcol0I_gwg6X8IVJx0unGAYFGc4YZCg0e2dRi4R7SrJu_TropKo9uMOJHUccEW3P/s320/IMG_1003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-51533172329902531272012-03-26T17:52:00.001-07:002012-03-26T17:57:07.199-07:00Day Two at Asilomar - Empty Spools Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69UcwpoIwp8-kqRlFn6i9MiHIIM7c9wmf6swPNXpxZiDqDBkJSX7AGdtO3bLGz_FfZ7KKErSbgwCcHUgeUB_jSXYsnEBRcIY-dUbFE7PCvmEhQcNTBgKLEaM9qzW1aIPZ6Npe/s1600/IMG_0585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69UcwpoIwp8-kqRlFn6i9MiHIIM7c9wmf6swPNXpxZiDqDBkJSX7AGdtO3bLGz_FfZ7KKErSbgwCcHUgeUB_jSXYsnEBRcIY-dUbFE7PCvmEhQcNTBgKLEaM9qzW1aIPZ6Npe/s320/IMG_0585.JPG" width="320" /></a>Day Two and I can tell you that "This is a fabulous experience"! This morning we thought we had our alarm set for 6 a.m. to get up and go for a walk on the beach before breakfast. It went off at 5 a.m.! YIKES! My room mate got up and did her morning preparations....when she came out of the washroom she said "Aren't you getting up to go for a walk?" I said "it's only 5:00...it's still dark out" and buried myself in my bed covers again! She looked out the window and promptly got back into bed as well. The clock alarm went off again in 15 minutes....Don't you just hate "snooze" when you don't expect it?! The alarm on my phone, which is the one we had set, finally went off at the prescribed 6 a.m. and we got up and headed out to the beach. It was wonderful to watch the sunrise, the birds, the waves.....and then we got to quilt all day!!! </div><br />
There are so many great teachers here and so many friendly people. I'm not surprised actually, every quilting conference I've ever gone to is like that. Everyone is welcoming, lots of teasing about being from Canada, and the teachers mingle with the students at meals and spare time. The program is incredibly well organized, keeping us busy and entertained every minute of the day! Check this out: <a href="http://emptyspoolsseminars.com/session1.html" target="_blank">Empty Spools, Asilomar, California</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6grNXjPM_Gq5sopO036Jtz1y-mdqJkvZckwJDOAdQr_WrY4mrYZlyhshagX_opsitOQYG71fAW9DWi96WXsGba-0U1dxRkN-qWO8EcN7Crw9fE7rHhuCUODb41AzXA4oS7QnJ/s1600/IMG_0580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6grNXjPM_Gq5sopO036Jtz1y-mdqJkvZckwJDOAdQr_WrY4mrYZlyhshagX_opsitOQYG71fAW9DWi96WXsGba-0U1dxRkN-qWO8EcN7Crw9fE7rHhuCUODb41AzXA4oS7QnJ/s320/IMG_0580.JPG" width="320" /></a>The first class you see listed is the one I'm taking. Portraits with <a href="http://esteritaaustin.com/" target="_blank">Esterita Austin</a>. She is a delightful teacher, great sense of humour, really knows her stuff, and is very enouraging. Today we sketched our photographs into patterns, had them enlarged and got started cutting fabric. I have a feeling I may be re-cutting tomorrow, but here's a look at what I've started. <br />
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The photos I brought were not considered acceptable as they didn't have the right amount of light/dark exposure or shadows so Esterita took my photo herself, ran it through photoshop last night, and this morning we all got started working up our designs. Great things are expected for tomorrow....like sleeping IN!Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-28539139771282284452012-03-26T17:27:00.000-07:002012-03-26T17:27:33.434-07:00Empty Spools Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24ZysqrAaWpPo5meWXwo9xpqm4reLPZ0lueg9WFTjzd2IkyJob4QFk21ZRmH3Q-GorBvK-Vcy87sakrugT32pyUTWQJ8z3nn2HGUr10EChap7AdxkUiIudiNWXs5wk4tzze19/s1600/IMG_1362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24ZysqrAaWpPo5meWXwo9xpqm4reLPZ0lueg9WFTjzd2IkyJob4QFk21ZRmH3Q-GorBvK-Vcy87sakrugT32pyUTWQJ8z3nn2HGUr10EChap7AdxkUiIudiNWXs5wk4tzze19/s320/IMG_1362.JPG" width="239" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've died and gone to heaven! Yesterday I got a ride with my friend Karrie and her husband to Nanaimo, where we caught a plane to Vancouver, then from Vancouver to San Francisco where we stayed for the night in the San Francisco Westin Airport Hotel. It was a fabulous place to stay, seconds from the airport and had a pretty fountain with PALM TREES that were healthy and tall and beautiful! My camera didn't capture their beauty in the dark. Karrie and I had arranged to meet at the place where the shuttles for the hotel take off......unfortunately we didn't know there was four of them. Of course I did not end up at the one Karrie did, but she found me....Good idea to travel with someone younger than me....! <br />
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This morning we got up at some ungodly hour in order to catch the last flight of our journey. A 20 minute flight from San Francisco to Monterey, California. But it was worth it. Upon arriving here.....here being the Asilomar Conference Center. </span><a href="http://www.visitasilomar.com/"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Asilomar Conference Center</span></strong></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> where the "Empty Spools Quilting Seminar" is being held. I'm taking a week long class here! What a wonderful and unexpected break from my daily routine!<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Once settled in our room we went for a tea and then a walk on the beach. It is so fabulous I want to live here! We walked for almost two hours and I didn't want to go back!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfxDvcnSbMtUdR4y_qcrnkehtAVjfPpmpUpJibtakZnvXAHj5oY1ezrCYNRM6WlyxHs6pHAxNS2YRiGqZ8RWP-vXE52w641FB7m6CChxLqN_BipUsNChYO7dWYA01vsZ2JRA-/s1600/IMG_0547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfxDvcnSbMtUdR4y_qcrnkehtAVjfPpmpUpJibtakZnvXAHj5oY1ezrCYNRM6WlyxHs6pHAxNS2YRiGqZ8RWP-vXE52w641FB7m6CChxLqN_BipUsNChYO7dWYA01vsZ2JRA-/s400/IMG_0547.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now, later in the day, all the other participants in the Quilt Conference are arriving and the "Meet and Greet" is happening in a few minutes. Off I go!</span> </div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-8212716665409471442012-03-05T00:15:00.000-08:002012-03-05T00:15:01.316-08:00Finding Time for Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyAjjz8nVuwBHtuTCfP6aTRrK1m1qYNR_Na-FxLt6VpFT-K-QSDPqaAOLjjfM99REB7vrtuz98X6EDs0C4sdnaQREM9xmzz6LqUrn05ilVlyo2xHQQay9zk9JXnRrv98CfAmj/s1600/IMG_1277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigyAjjz8nVuwBHtuTCfP6aTRrK1m1qYNR_Na-FxLt6VpFT-K-QSDPqaAOLjjfM99REB7vrtuz98X6EDs0C4sdnaQREM9xmzz6LqUrn05ilVlyo2xHQQay9zk9JXnRrv98CfAmj/s400/IMG_1277.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My newly discovered Driftwood Shelter! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've been a little overwhelmed lately by my mother's multiple medical appointments and haven't been doing anything in my sewing room. I've taken my knitting to waiting rooms, my beading to a friend's house for a day together, and have worked on a little 12 x 12 challenge. Not really finishing anything as successfully as I did in January, but the days are full and busy. <br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJhpvMqMuk4poE7oj1dsFlR3RCcwmsGAvtp8d_wfNfZz12o1il70ZywwVKjRcFU4ivc_3v4SYYxrZtv7POoqZoRxghPhk8fs_8sRv2KLfdYmY-ndgS-R6SO03SUhmOuzbHjos/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJhpvMqMuk4poE7oj1dsFlR3RCcwmsGAvtp8d_wfNfZz12o1il70ZywwVKjRcFU4ivc_3v4SYYxrZtv7POoqZoRxghPhk8fs_8sRv2KLfdYmY-ndgS-R6SO03SUhmOuzbHjos/s320/IMG_1278.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two socks on Two circular needles.....the plan to <br />
have them match exactly isn't working!</td></tr>
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My caregiving shift seems to be from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with little breaks here and there throughout the day. By the time I sit down in the evening, I am tired and not feeling enough creative energy to work in my sewing room. But still feeling that I want to do <em>something</em> that is a bit creative. Often my mind is caught up in the day's conversations and frustrations....the most difficult part of this new "career". Sometimes I knit and watch TV like the little old lady I can be at times, and sometimes I doodle.<br />
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BUT, I am lucky enough to know Donna, who has letters after her name. She is a CZT or Certified Zentangle Teacher. Try googling "zentangles" and you'll be amazed at this art form that doodling has become. Here's a link to the main site of the people who started this craze. <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/" target="_blank">http://tanglepatterns.com/</a><br />
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When I feel the way I've described above, I sit in the evening and try a zentangle. In no time at all I am totally focused on the drawing and have forgotten anything else. I go to bed satisfied that I did a little something artistic and much more relaxed than I was when I sat down. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmFSg34oMa-8QvWrQva1wK4Z5LGuANEg2cqtOztXZZMU3Mi3nyX1kWvxfbiDQtUrsqLtv4zWZ2CxUVmCjFdvK8W8u6FgCqZCSXh-Rs_OU2sttSj82JRUccXQmQGj1aSrWmhmF/s1600/Opus_VIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmFSg34oMa-8QvWrQva1wK4Z5LGuANEg2cqtOztXZZMU3Mi3nyX1kWvxfbiDQtUrsqLtv4zWZ2CxUVmCjFdvK8W8u6FgCqZCSXh-Rs_OU2sttSj82JRUccXQmQGj1aSrWmhmF/s320/Opus_VIC.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
Another friend, Joan, travelled with me to Victoria to attend the doll club meeting. Just to stay in touch with everyone we do this three or four times a year. While in Victoria we did a bit of shopping and I have to thank Joan because she came up with the greatest idea. I had told her how I've been doing a bit of zentangling in the evenings. She also knows I take my dog for two hour walks to the beach a couple of times a week. She suggested we go to the art supply store, Opus, <a href="http://opusartsupplies.com/locations/victoria" target="_blank">http://opusartsupplies.com/locations/victoria</a> and get an Art Bin, a small journal and a couple of pens to keep as a kit in my backpack, which I always take with me in case I find a good heart-shaped rock to bring home (I collect them). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We did purchase that little kit and today for the first time I went to the beach with it, and a little thermos of tea and a protein bar. Tuffy and I walked fast and furious to the end of the beach, collecting little items for inspiration, when lo and behold, there is a little shelter built of driftwood! I hunkered down in there, (it was drizzling rain) got out my kit and my tea, and while listening to the music of the waves crashing on the beach, I did a zentangle, sipped my tea, and just generally totally relaxed with my dog sleeping beside me. It was wonderful and I'll be doing that again. </div><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW2lWPi5FkwRjlZ_K83RAoABNbcyjkJuFm-NNFjUzqvCRb_UjJ0qbyejFZM5wupRSPdWqzJvY0C1KDx05kzgc6hNFlgBqCuW83-fsX2ES9Mit7UfS7L8WjV9GHiALTWBVLqc5/s1600/IMG_1274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyW2lWPi5FkwRjlZ_K83RAoABNbcyjkJuFm-NNFjUzqvCRb_UjJ0qbyejFZM5wupRSPdWqzJvY0C1KDx05kzgc6hNFlgBqCuW83-fsX2ES9Mit7UfS7L8WjV9GHiALTWBVLqc5/s320/IMG_1274.JPG" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach Tidbits used as Inspiration</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
And here's the results. Can you recognize the shape of the rock used as a template, the driftwood, feather shells and waves? This was a delightful exercise and such a peaceful way to spend some time on the beach. It took about 1/2 hour to draw, and then we walked back home to prepare dinner.....refreshed and smiling, and with a tired out dog! All in all a great day! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwdRbZbqjVU9N1Bkw5Rwxmh43mdfxUvzLsCDwl3pSVKPp0S4k00KKsNyu2u5HqZMouJX4Z86qssBRKE7MwPOhd1gvZVcnzK-HV4TUY5b7P0xqcp_KtNq1XgNqtFMetsIkFSq2/s1600/IMG_1279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwdRbZbqjVU9N1Bkw5Rwxmh43mdfxUvzLsCDwl3pSVKPp0S4k00KKsNyu2u5HqZMouJX4Z86qssBRKE7MwPOhd1gvZVcnzK-HV4TUY5b7P0xqcp_KtNq1XgNqtFMetsIkFSq2/s400/IMG_1279.JPG" width="298" /></a>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-26540207361823452112012-02-09T23:24:00.000-08:002012-02-09T23:24:49.083-08:00Finishing things!Early in January I got together with my friend Joan and we decided this would be the year for finishing things. Joan loves to journal and does a spectacular job of it. I haven't done any of that yet, other than this blog! She gave me a beautiful small notebook which is divided into sections with lined paper, graph paper, plastic sleeves for photos or samples and some dividers in random places. I decided it would be my journal of my "Finishing Adventures of 2012". <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d_Ccbaeqh07oBTMlyvFmatrqd2Qzc4ssJZvHVRZYnzoanTiv6m6r04v7vQBhB8P1_FqtZg3Q2PJGDwc6SNj_ZI4VpsfyllO1Ogc7L1SU4gtARqSFFM9g3KWdy5TsdqrR0Pir/s1600/IMG_0481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6d_Ccbaeqh07oBTMlyvFmatrqd2Qzc4ssJZvHVRZYnzoanTiv6m6r04v7vQBhB8P1_FqtZg3Q2PJGDwc6SNj_ZI4VpsfyllO1Ogc7L1SU4gtARqSFFM9g3KWdy5TsdqrR0Pir/s320/IMG_0481.JPG" width="282" /></a></div>We sat down on our regular Friday stitching day and began our lists. She had gone through all her unfinished objects (heretofor referred to as UFO's) and listed them. So while at my house we went through my cupboard of UFO's and listed them in my journal. Even I was horrified at what I had in there. If I finished all the things in there I would have an entire closet to put to better use. I think there's a fine line between storing and hoarding and I may be on the verge of crossing it! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQVPZohVrMMxBJQ5nLmvGY6JnOts5k5K3lzMyDYiOUek0R_BK_KrzV3sYKwtITgocmkiA3PHx2g-Og4Db3AbcU9AKRUTyDk2tmouZ3VrBzMWNb5FNH_brFObjc0cMioV_vBSW/s1600/IMG_0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQVPZohVrMMxBJQ5nLmvGY6JnOts5k5K3lzMyDYiOUek0R_BK_KrzV3sYKwtITgocmkiA3PHx2g-Og4Db3AbcU9AKRUTyDk2tmouZ3VrBzMWNb5FNH_brFObjc0cMioV_vBSW/s200/IMG_0483.JPG" width="200" /></a>My book is now divided into types of UFO's. Unfinished quilts, unfinished dolls, unfinished paper projects (handmade books), unfinished knitting projects and unfinished art trading cards! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvsDnkIe01cgvBsFXfQPPlykFl-YHoJM3YoS78rr9h5v9Mo87c0jQAptJP9vzFeGXxR_ykLWKR6mX6EzUsoqclj7rtLe4zJiqTiNvE1nEQWzXEMn09LJNWpav-hzp7DXZ4uWv/s1600/IMG_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvsDnkIe01cgvBsFXfQPPlykFl-YHoJM3YoS78rr9h5v9Mo87c0jQAptJP9vzFeGXxR_ykLWKR6mX6EzUsoqclj7rtLe4zJiqTiNvE1nEQWzXEMn09LJNWpav-hzp7DXZ4uWv/s200/IMG_0477.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Throughout January I have been applying myself to finishing things. I have finished a felted purse....it had been in my closet for at least 3 years and it needed a button sewn on it!!!! WHY do I stop when I'm so close? But it's done now. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_YFuNOyctCUsVouzKV8mXOgbYR29FBctXov0CXLF1jlNIEBDcf-Giy0INfyuxa7DW47lEmwElLkWJtheNdwl8DUFZzEF-xqAvwMP6WO1XM_XhLmT0Abd_IZlK02m1Nzyxyfi/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_YFuNOyctCUsVouzKV8mXOgbYR29FBctXov0CXLF1jlNIEBDcf-Giy0INfyuxa7DW47lEmwElLkWJtheNdwl8DUFZzEF-xqAvwMP6WO1XM_XhLmT0Abd_IZlK02m1Nzyxyfi/s200/IMG_0479.JPG" width="200" /></a>I then got out a doll that I think I started at least 15 years ago. She's lovely and just needs her clothing completed. I had started to make a skirt of leaves with decorative machine stitching on them. The silk I was working on had bunched up and I didn't know how to fix that so into a box she went with all her parts and pieces to await ...... well, to await more knowledge I suppose. This month she emerged and I was amazed at how much I've learned in the past years and how easily I could do that stitching now that I know what supplies to use and how to use them! I've got the stitching done now and am adding beads to the skirt petals....beading is another skill I've learned since starting that doll. I'll be going to the doll club meeting in Victoria next week and I intend to take her with me. Some of the members were in that class when I took it with Patti Culea, and I'd like to ask if anyone can remember how many years ago it was! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbr5q3Ki-FezBxQiDBNencVDYHIS8HNgh8VYlbMYgZ1dan_oJZ2Tp9qGYG0ZR2R4yN-uJUTLNVql-1tehTHT3TotKEPp0AKD5L2BdtEBjk8Jxdkr5KnqiUpa2L1WpkvVqK05PT/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbr5q3Ki-FezBxQiDBNencVDYHIS8HNgh8VYlbMYgZ1dan_oJZ2Tp9qGYG0ZR2R4yN-uJUTLNVql-1tehTHT3TotKEPp0AKD5L2BdtEBjk8Jxdkr5KnqiUpa2L1WpkvVqK05PT/s200/IMG_0478.JPG" width="200" /></a> Another thing finished in January is a knitted collar which I'm very pleased with. It was started in a class at Needle & Arts in Campbell River <a href="http://www.needlenart.com/" target="_blank">http://www.needlenart.com/</a> with Miriam Leth-Espensen from Santa Fe, New Mexico. I love the way it fits and believe I will do another. It would make a lovely gift for someone who doesn't knit and it's so simple! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdpz3C1xO11ih_upZE35XNSuGKQQruWSkAjKDI3b3y_xofrUy5S1aQZVhHK4rdoTXQoQozfXcD24pP7EZkvUcJNn7xBbEwDb2wVNOMQ7ONvlg18lp9gphcvxDtZ1r0w69DDcZ/s1600/STA_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdpz3C1xO11ih_upZE35XNSuGKQQruWSkAjKDI3b3y_xofrUy5S1aQZVhHK4rdoTXQoQozfXcD24pP7EZkvUcJNn7xBbEwDb2wVNOMQ7ONvlg18lp9gphcvxDtZ1r0w69DDcZ/s200/STA_0476.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
This is a pot holder that has been on the shelf for a number of years.....I don't dare guess how many. I don't even think I made it....it's folded squares and all it needed was a binding! It's done now and crossed off the list! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEuGQlW2T8Rv3QJKBDpIOC9C9MKFYh00hwoDm4Xj0LYNMDBBmZiEknSc9_iPTGVsmqQmQmTTw67P2hM8mUZv8xeX5pmyklmlghHzq3utlubTU2WQcnFSmqbw6_8zZQjvwbSxy/s1600/IMG_0480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzEuGQlW2T8Rv3QJKBDpIOC9C9MKFYh00hwoDm4Xj0LYNMDBBmZiEknSc9_iPTGVsmqQmQmTTw67P2hM8mUZv8xeX5pmyklmlghHzq3utlubTU2WQcnFSmqbw6_8zZQjvwbSxy/s320/IMG_0480.JPG" width="319" /></a>And last but not least, while at a retreat with my quilting group in April of 2011 I put together a kit quilt that my mother gave me and asked me to make for my sister to hang in her office. I'm not a Halloween officianado, but I was willing to sew it together and finish it. Mum had used the center panel to translate into graph work and knitted a sweater for my sister in the intarsia method, which incorporated these designs. (My sister works is a pediatric heart specialist) Mum does this in her head, without even drafting it out on graph paper! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3P8YNXyZj5-cUqjwuFgqDMUaCyi12TTj_6m8BtSLor1Ibkop4dmzfgBP1Td4Wv3zJaAWTxAetTKynLgPVoZLl-WJyX2zeuNt-xqIweTuIf3YgjJfykjKvsHbayMeUuj8IS88/s1600/IMG_0482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3P8YNXyZj5-cUqjwuFgqDMUaCyi12TTj_6m8BtSLor1Ibkop4dmzfgBP1Td4Wv3zJaAWTxAetTKynLgPVoZLl-WJyX2zeuNt-xqIweTuIf3YgjJfykjKvsHbayMeUuj8IS88/s320/IMG_0482.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So this January I got out that quilt top, basted it and proceeded to quilt and bind it. Yahoo....another finished project! And the last step for January is to enter in my little journal of UFO's, what I finished, when I finished it, and any notes I think appropriate. The only appropriate note I can think of is "Why the heck didn't you go all the way to the end before you started the next thing!!!" See that big word at the bottom of the page????<br />
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I can hardly wait to see what February brings!Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-31245365218630226792012-02-04T12:01:00.000-08:002012-02-04T12:01:01.692-08:00A Tea Flower Ceremony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgntSpc52xgk0HkYvS6KocBCM4zdQw1ZaKclSxpi8wkF1koKC1BFiB43Pvv9goL1CjRkS8kgAweX7_32g_2VtRkQgrp7qzk3C9CDMwzDl7iXINRARrbNELFYBOAJdHoOpljFbf/s1600/IMG_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgntSpc52xgk0HkYvS6KocBCM4zdQw1ZaKclSxpi8wkF1koKC1BFiB43Pvv9goL1CjRkS8kgAweX7_32g_2VtRkQgrp7qzk3C9CDMwzDl7iXINRARrbNELFYBOAJdHoOpljFbf/s320/IMG_0471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>My mother, father and I were having dinner together the other evening, as we do every evening now that they live with us. it was a quiet meal with not a lot of conversation. I cleared the table of the main meal and brought out dessert and as always, a pot of herbal tea. Only this day the tea was different. We had a coffeemaker that stopped working and I had thrown out the body of it and put the pot in a box for the local thrift shop. Mum saw it there and brought it back into the kitchen. She told me she had a tea flower that her granddaughter gave her and she needed a clear pot to put it in and wanted to use the nearly discarded clear glass coffee pot for that. <br />
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Now you should know that Mum has downsized considerably in this move, and can't let go of a lot of things she has. So when she can't find a place for them she brings them into my part of the house and places them somewhere. I find little surprises in the oddest places. Some I leave there and some I put in the box for the thrift store. I've found that once Mum has actually gone through the motions of moving something out of her space, she will often forget about it. (Altho I have gotten into trouble the odd time because we "can't find" something she knows she brought over to my house!) But this time it was worth it......<br />
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But back to the tea. Mum brought her little tea flower over. It's a tight little ball of tea leaves. This one was called <em>Sunset Oolong</em>...."Wild oolong leaves and orange lily offer a golden full-bodied flavor with hints of peach, some caffeine. Brew time 3 minutes." It was from Spice Merchants . <br />
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We put the little ball into the pot and topped it up with just-boiled water. And then the three of us sat and watched the little thing unfurl. I must admit to having had thoughts along the line of "what has my life become?" But little by little the leaves rehydrated and spread out and lo and behold, we had a lovely flower floating in a pot of tea! We poured three cups and it was surprisingly tasty. I had seen these little balls in the tea shops in our area, but never before appreciated the zen quality of the tea ceremony using one of these. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fYw2k9_paNEwXpjmid4FEHTUnxIVi5Gn6s1z1DM4wSsXBkGOoktN6jodQpK0dXjrdqMqY-vaKd-4szHs1YITDy3GHIgrF9s4alX0TQ5FNDyCWS-BAEfI8acXvrQKr6Jqd_9-/s1600/IMG_0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fYw2k9_paNEwXpjmid4FEHTUnxIVi5Gn6s1z1DM4wSsXBkGOoktN6jodQpK0dXjrdqMqY-vaKd-4szHs1YITDy3GHIgrF9s4alX0TQ5FNDyCWS-BAEfI8acXvrQKr6Jqd_9-/s320/IMG_0474.JPG" width="320" /></a>My natural (or destructive?) curiosity overcame me when we were done tho. I got out kitchen scissors and dismantled the leaves. It was interesting to see that it was constructed like a bouquet.....many long tea leaves, a lily flower which still had it's stamens, and what I think was a strawflower in the middle. I can't imagine making these and wondered how it gets dried into the ball shape! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLXt6yH6VkHJENpMl7xamqmw2CQBid7G1YzmbghCulYgu-F1PumDb_zRiOiICQ-rvyQbsBJDKijvnlcR1-ZrpQEIJhpB3FV4GprucV1N__wOFoPfMq19-Rvv54YGVpDG9OZGM/s1600/IMG_0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLXt6yH6VkHJENpMl7xamqmw2CQBid7G1YzmbghCulYgu-F1PumDb_zRiOiICQ-rvyQbsBJDKijvnlcR1-ZrpQEIJhpB3FV4GprucV1N__wOFoPfMq19-Rvv54YGVpDG9OZGM/s320/IMG_0473.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>But what started out to be something I thought laughable was actually pretty interesting and educational as well as tasty! Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-17851628877134874912012-01-21T14:05:00.000-08:002012-01-21T14:17:54.977-08:00Zen Doodling"Zentangling" has become a very popular form of doodling. Check out the "home site" for this new art craze at <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/">http://tanglepatterns.com</a> There are many blogs on-line also that have photos and descriptions of other "tangler's" pieces, as this one is going to do. My friend Donna Pepper is a Certified Zentangle Teacher and treated a group of us to a class. It was amazing in that it made a group of very close friends go from chattering and laughing to total silence the moment we started to concentrate. I can understand why it's called "ZENtangling" by that experience. <br />
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Zentangles can be done in a book or journal (one of the participants has a fabulous collection in a little book and they are incredible) and can be any size you like, but the typical is a 3" card referred to as a "tile". Donna gave us each a few tiles and a pen (pencils and erasers not allowed), and started us out on the essentials to begin our very own tile. It was great fun and I loved it.<br />
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So I decided to try it at home.....in fact....finish the piece I started in that mini-class. Now I'm wondering if I missed the "zen" aspect altogether because the piece I did is so uptight and strangled that it doesn't look like I relaxed or got into the zone at all! Too many tiny little squiggles, too much black.....I think a psychiatrist might have fun analysing this one! I don't remember what mood I was in when I tackled this one, but I do believe I'll have to try again....or then again, perhaps I should just stick to stitching! Here's my first tile (she says unhappily)....and I know the photo isn't in proper focus, but figured it shows well enough how badly I did~! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSxLkIp95d6nGX2aSICxDqbrzjk5UV5qspLoW786jWW8qysRTT8kOrAu6DC8HJinX-FXgLZQOHmGLJNajg34Sf_nczFWz-SQlCLjz5eIGKeoaaR5G9ayozzpfnTXcjRPgO7R6/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSxLkIp95d6nGX2aSICxDqbrzjk5UV5qspLoW786jWW8qysRTT8kOrAu6DC8HJinX-FXgLZQOHmGLJNajg34Sf_nczFWz-SQlCLjz5eIGKeoaaR5G9ayozzpfnTXcjRPgO7R6/s400/IMG_0466.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-57134933826441435382011-12-24T14:38:00.000-08:002011-12-24T14:40:24.767-08:00Pennant Exchange<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5eRdAAjtWol7JCVl9GXvwPI4Q8DEM0GZd8T6cojVxGoBeMy_tlUYUgL37VUHnjKixkiekxgI9KfudRyLTMa27-i1VDSt5X0j8mhlUa0u-U7ypli70yFStuSGjgvNEbdA5Jw9/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN5eRdAAjtWol7JCVl9GXvwPI4Q8DEM0GZd8T6cojVxGoBeMy_tlUYUgL37VUHnjKixkiekxgI9KfudRyLTMa27-i1VDSt5X0j8mhlUa0u-U7ypli70yFStuSGjgvNEbdA5Jw9/s400/IMG_0376.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>The online group I belong to, Stargaze Tomers, with Yahoo, occasionally does an exchange. Last spring Patti Culea, leader of the group <a href="http://www.pmcdesigns.com/index.php" target="_blank">http://www.pmcdesigns.com/index.php</a> organized an exchange of pennants. I volunteered to take part. This was just before the insanity of construction started and I had fantasies of being able to sew while the crew worked. Needless to say it didn't work out that way. The deadline was August and I missed it by a mile, but I did finish. The picture above is the five that I made. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The photos below are the ones I made paired with the one I received from the person I exchanged with. Some beautiful work by some very talented people. My chosen theme was "trees" and you can see that reflected in each pennant I received. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK2WZPWh7iyErPKEKLvlZ7swlF9Hv7A6tCHX7ccxgp-N8cPzupl9dNNUHZyz5Oe6IY7eDUBIoFpv5kAdxHBkNbSyF_y5VQmF1w7JKPIkbIH2h70b3AzH2svzZhgz20WiJesjE/s1600/Patti+Culea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK2WZPWh7iyErPKEKLvlZ7swlF9Hv7A6tCHX7ccxgp-N8cPzupl9dNNUHZyz5Oe6IY7eDUBIoFpv5kAdxHBkNbSyF_y5VQmF1w7JKPIkbIH2h70b3AzH2svzZhgz20WiJesjE/s1600/Patti+Culea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK2WZPWh7iyErPKEKLvlZ7swlF9Hv7A6tCHX7ccxgp-N8cPzupl9dNNUHZyz5Oe6IY7eDUBIoFpv5kAdxHBkNbSyF_y5VQmF1w7JKPIkbIH2h70b3AzH2svzZhgz20WiJesjE/s400/Patti+Culea.jpg" width="300" /></a>This is the set exchanged between Patti Culea and myself. Patti's theme was Steampunk/Fantasy and I had a lot of fun looking for charms and decorations to do that theme. It has a real watch face, new charms, a piece from a broken digital camera, and rusty lock washers for goggles. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdIroKan0GzLgOwMhyO_JcZvsQ0qjM26s8urfrvVzBEHqBodrhWFzNgcnafC4I6eIHJ6wKUqxdoJB07V-1UU43kLV-IhjA0d4sZNsDjbPicSWSYU7esUVt4ehr_aDfXxww65c/s1600/Kari+Curley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdIroKan0GzLgOwMhyO_JcZvsQ0qjM26s8urfrvVzBEHqBodrhWFzNgcnafC4I6eIHJ6wKUqxdoJB07V-1UU43kLV-IhjA0d4sZNsDjbPicSWSYU7esUVt4ehr_aDfXxww65c/s400/Kari+Curley.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> This is the set exchanged between Kari Curley and myself. Kari's theme was "pink" and this one is done on tissue paper fabric (tutorial at <a href="http://www.joggles.com/">www.joggles.com</a>) with a stamped and stitched face. There is tattered lace covered with puff paint, a technique taught by Eileen Neill of Qualicum Beach. It is quite heavily beaded but unfortunately does not show in the photo! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpBwPkViLfU85KdQI7BEM_NKwEXY0lN_6MjZfn387QzNtsdhKvYPM6f5K6-YuknkDlFOpIbgYzWpJ5-WacLfqep1kcckMw56cER1-eOsgKl6SGIcKHHiWNlCb-TvArYAi5hRz/s1600/rayna+shone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpBwPkViLfU85KdQI7BEM_NKwEXY0lN_6MjZfn387QzNtsdhKvYPM6f5K6-YuknkDlFOpIbgYzWpJ5-WacLfqep1kcckMw56cER1-eOsgKl6SGIcKHHiWNlCb-TvArYAi5hRz/s400/rayna+shone.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This set was exchanged between myself and Rayna Shone. I did not get hers before I made the one I was doing for her, but was pleased to see that she does "crazy quilting" because mine turned out looking that way too! It is a transfer image at the center with some of my own tatting for trim and hand painted fabric. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">The fifth one I did and mailed was a "cat" theme and is paper pieced in the tail, has google eyes and a mouse charm hanging off the background. I haven't received a pennant from this participant yet, which makes me feel not so bad for being as late as I was! </div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-67655773318731010232011-11-21T16:39:00.001-08:002011-12-09T14:11:10.841-08:00A QUILTED ROCK!An idea was formed when my friend Angela and I went to a rock show last March. I love rocks, and always find it intriquing to see what people can do with them. But I keep telling myself I have enough interests, and I don't have room, time or finances for more.....but these are rocks and I love them. So I bought some pieces, with a new idea forming in my mind. <br />
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This particular rock show had a lot of <em>slices</em> available for sale. I couldn't help but see pictures in them and thought it would be fun to find a way to incorporate the slices into a quilt. I purchased four, thinking that I would experiment with them. The idea percolating was to extend the design in the rock out into a surrounding quilt. <br />
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It is always exhilarating when the idea in your head comes out of your hands. This slice of stone is actually called "Ocean Picture Stone". (I had to take it to The Rock Shop in Courtenay, BC to have it drilled because I don't have the correct tools....I'll be getting them because this was FUN! The owner told me the name and that it's from mainland BC and is getting hard to find.)<br />
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I spread out the fabrics I thought would go with the stone and blend the colors and this is what came of it. I've used a mixture of commercial solid colors, hand dyed fabrics by <a href="http://www.ionnequilts.com/" target="_blank">Ionne McCauley</a>, and some of my own hand painted fabric. The funny part is that the quilting design in the "sky and water" area came from the pocket of my jeans! Inspiration can be found anywhere! <br />
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I have spoken often of the group in which I am privileged to be a member. We had another "retreat" this past week and it was again, wonderful to be with friends for three days and catch up with what is going on in their lives, as well as share what is happening in mine. We met at a new location this time, <a href="http://www.honeymoonbayretreat.com/" target="_blank">Honeymoon Bay Lodge</a> Lodge in Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island. It was sooooo comfortable, luxurious and absolutely perfect for our group. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a gathering of this sort. <br />
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We stitch and quilt and inspire each other, share finished projects at our "show and tell" evening and in the last two gatherings have instigated a 12" x 12" challenge. Last time the theme was trees and the work submitted was so varied and intriguing....so many different ways to interpret trees. <br />
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The winner of the "Tree" challenge set the theme for the next one. This time we were to produce a 12" x 12" piece with the theme "Ocean".<br />
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Lo and behold.....I won first prize for the 12" x 12" (and it WAS a challenge for me to make it the right size!) I will be doing more of these with the other slices I bought, and I'll be looking for the next rock show I can go to! Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-76211272371396771152011-11-18T18:56:00.001-08:002011-11-19T16:41:45.981-08:00Next Chapter......Well, It's done. Mum and Dad are officially living in the addition we spent all summer building and life is wrapping around that change. There is a song called "Rescue Me" that I recall from my teen years......what does that say? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQHrnXYIibKdKOHDjeRN43LA_upWz7C9wx8XS-4MVg0cG3iwDkJhlzcPyM3LCNNCUR48M149evaYME0VtLVzbDekCHK7QOvfVptjbUGiwuaY0YUgU4xoE7ykG-3cCOSjuC8am/s1600/Mum+here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQHrnXYIibKdKOHDjeRN43LA_upWz7C9wx8XS-4MVg0cG3iwDkJhlzcPyM3LCNNCUR48M149evaYME0VtLVzbDekCHK7QOvfVptjbUGiwuaY0YUgU4xoE7ykG-3cCOSjuC8am/s320/Mum+here.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Actually, it's going reasonably well. I am adapting to conversations that repeat themselves and repeatedly loop. I am understanding that conversations like "I don't believe I remember where I put my teeth" and "where did I put ****?" are going to be commonplace now. My sweetheart has been home this week and he's been a boost to my daily routine as well as my spirits. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1-lS5hKK9WgUEc-GVVEiKu2R7i8I2mNBAHyQsgLXrJv0BranZt4KBv8uKCXwsJFgmSNiXD7Le7iGVKjvSPgahscnH-Qr6BET3SCNPebnSlUG5tYB4fU7cElR3P0QuL965O1x/s1600/IMG_1060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1-lS5hKK9WgUEc-GVVEiKu2R7i8I2mNBAHyQsgLXrJv0BranZt4KBv8uKCXwsJFgmSNiXD7Le7iGVKjvSPgahscnH-Qr6BET3SCNPebnSlUG5tYB4fU7cElR3P0QuL965O1x/s200/IMG_1060.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
Life changes when you live with your parents. It's difficult to see them have problems with things that seem simple to me, but are a hurdle to get over for them. Dad has been enjoying raking leaves every day to help me out and says he loves it here because he feels useful and is enjoying having a yard he can putter in but is not totally responsible for. After 7 years in a condominium environment, he's enjoying feeding the birds and having a back yard fire with nobody to say he can't! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQswpp2-NBdrKlr97FCWu121EBCDd71C_DMuRczTRs424QaNLPnVNEsHr8yRqGZum2wH5l5GdtiS0yjVNUpzpcCusp6PKBQ_TYmlIY8woOvQE52ZIgbJV73LjzYwQqa1ieo6c/s1600/IMG_1099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQswpp2-NBdrKlr97FCWu121EBCDd71C_DMuRczTRs424QaNLPnVNEsHr8yRqGZum2wH5l5GdtiS0yjVNUpzpcCusp6PKBQ_TYmlIY8woOvQE52ZIgbJV73LjzYwQqa1ieo6c/s320/IMG_1099.JPG" width="239" /></a>Mum's attitude is yet to be determined. She hasn't committed herself to whether it 's good or bad yet. Here's hoping she decides good! We've done a lot of running to town to get things they need to get settled....part of that is Mum's gradual withdrawal from the privilege of getting on a bus and going to West Edmonton Mall. But as long as I'm willing to drive her to town, there should be no problem. For me, the hardest thing is the "pace". I have to be careful not to appear to be rushing people that just don't move at the same speed as I do anymore. But.....someone may do this for me someday and fully believing you get what you give out, I'm being the most patient person I can possibly be......Wine helps!<br />
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But there's one personality in our home who is adapting well. Our cat! Another lap is always welcome! Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-82020977417731275752011-09-25T21:08:00.000-07:002011-09-25T21:08:50.259-07:00The "Up Side" of a West Coast StormWe've officially reached autumn, my favorite season. But it has come in like spring.....srain, rain and more rain! Strangely warm temperatures, but strong winds and the sound of the rain on the skylight is constant patter, with the odd interruption when someone up there dumps a whole bucket right over the house! Or at least that's what it seems like! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsHbUUHBWPScnV6LBxkwrN-bfai2tT9nr7FDNs_hRRERhwl0egcdX2xvdYIKM54JpM2LIOv4lLhygIN_6Y8655MIYOTkp_EoeLZfj7dEP5tGrLZqDTseey2vfPLoMy7ocXvpp/s1600/IMG_0262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsHbUUHBWPScnV6LBxkwrN-bfai2tT9nr7FDNs_hRRERhwl0egcdX2xvdYIKM54JpM2LIOv4lLhygIN_6Y8655MIYOTkp_EoeLZfj7dEP5tGrLZqDTseey2vfPLoMy7ocXvpp/s400/IMG_0262.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
However, remember the back yard that was all dirt in my last post? It's since been hydro-seeded. We watered for three days and the rains came. We haven't had to water since and the yard is such a lush brilliant green everywhere! How lucky is that!! Here is a photo where you can see the green if you look past the carpenter's saw on the deck! He was busy putting trim in the addition as I was going around catching up on my "progress" pictures. <br />
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But we had a break in the rain and our dog needed a long walk. Without his exercise, he turns into a bad dog.....or should I say a worse dog! He makes the cat's life hell wanting to play with her and she's a cranky old lady so it's all bad. Off we go to the beach. What a delight it was to be there on this post-storm afternoon with the sun shining! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRCP0gNg7BoHeVp5mjdZ5tCzGwIDtzkaEkiK3_YMuyweQz7P0Lv2dJ2VuZc3dLxSmaSKuXLliHzvoBpYRiJIDFC_2xH6pPXW9k-0GV7zULpObNW4wI3XXZchRAs64rY3raiAi/s1600/IMG_0979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRCP0gNg7BoHeVp5mjdZ5tCzGwIDtzkaEkiK3_YMuyweQz7P0Lv2dJ2VuZc3dLxSmaSKuXLliHzvoBpYRiJIDFC_2xH6pPXW9k-0GV7zULpObNW4wI3XXZchRAs64rY3raiAi/s320/IMG_0979.JPG" width="320" /></a>First of all, I really do prefer the beach during or just after a storm. It is so much more interesting and beautiful. This walk was no exception. As we walked down the path, there in the field were a group of Canada Geese. They were just standing there and I stood there and watched them. I wished I had a better camera for this picture, but I took this one with my phone, and then just stood and admired them. Even the dog snuffling around didn't bother them. And my error, I was so entranced just watching the geese that my picture completely cut off the mountain range in the background! <br />
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When Tuffy and I emerged from the park trails and came out onto the beach it was absolutely breathtaking. The sky was whipped clouds with feathers on them, the water had all kinds of whitecaps, the sound was delightful......water lapping on sand, mixed bird calls, wind in the trees.....just generally a stunning day at the beach. My favorite birds are the sandpipers. They dart about so quickly and usually if you move they pick up and fly off in a cloud of feathers all together, travel 5 feet and settle on a new piece of sand until they feel the need to flit away again. But this day was not calm enough for them to be darting around on sand and they were playing in the updrafts at the edge of the water. My walking there and them squeaking and enjoying their play allowed me to be closer to them than I've ever managed, but of course no picture as they are just too fast for me to capture. The sandbar a few feet out from the beach, actually at the mouth of the river, was literally white with seagulls just sitting on it! Usually they are up and floating and diving in the wind too. Here is the view from where I was walking along the trail at one point. <br />
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Even tho I haven't had a chance to be creative in my sewing room for quite a while, I'm still able to appreciate the beauty in our corner of the world. But I have to admit to looking forward to getting back behind my sewing machine! </div>
Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-22801594153133110642011-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:002011-09-08T00:00:13.865-07:00An Indoor AvalancheWe've had an incident! I may not have mentioned this before, but perhaps I have....I admit to a pretty overwhelming book fetish. I LOVE books. I have a great collection of books on all the things I'm interested and they need a place to live. <br />
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<a href="http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/images/products/expedit-bookcase__0092721_PE229443_S4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="EXPEDIT Bookcase, white Width: 72 7/8 " Depth: 15 3/8 " Height: 72 7/8 " Max load/shelf: 29 lb Width: 185 cm Depth: 39 cm Height: 185 cm Max load/shelf: 13 kg " border="0" height="200" id="productImg" src="http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/images/products/expedit-bookcase__0092721_PE229443_S4.JPG" width="200" /></a>When we lived in the biggest house we've ever lived in, I purchased an IKEA unit to store them in because they had outgrown the other bookshelves I had. This is a photo and link to it as it's the best storage system for books I've found to date! <a href="http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/80208652">http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/80208652</a> </div>
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Now, we've moved again, to a smaller house, and that storage unit was relegated to holding fabric in what would, for other people, be the master bedroom! this left my collection of books with no place to live. </div>
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There WERE plans. My dear husband was going to build bookshelves in the extra wide hallway, or on the biggest wall of the living room. The problem was that I couldn't decide where I would like to have them! So the plans waited till I made up my mind. The books remained in boxes. </div>
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But then when we got settled in just a bit, I wanted to refer to one of them and I couldn't find them. By then Bob was away and I dare not try building so I solved the problem by buying three plastic storage units from Wal-Mart. I brought them home, assembled them and proceeded to place my books on them. It was a delightful evening sorting, finding and fondling some of my favorites all over again. This solution worked well and I still haven't decided where I would really like to have them permanently.....well I have, but I'm not allowed to take over that room too! So it's now a waiting game! Bob has some idea he should have one room in the house that isn't consumed with my sewing possessions! </div>
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But who would have guessed that these units wouldn't hold books for more than 9 months? Two days ago I went down the hall into my sewing room and I noticed that the one shelf was leaning out from the wall. I pushed on it and it swayed dangerously. I thought I should find something to wedge between it and the wall to hold it in place. There was nothing around and it was dark out, so I decided that in the morning I would go out and find a piece of 2 x 4 and wedge it into place. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7PCJ009wBMfglXD5f2vhpiKxXUvRuiYwJ83_eMKxjoj7EAbxnPNFzKpy1s8kpVDKTlAeYYwbp4parrVmz5RYIW50mwrJQB5DAL5HoqVuoNtznGrgLnVk47PRhx6UDwu0fttD/s1600/IMG_0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS7PCJ009wBMfglXD5f2vhpiKxXUvRuiYwJ83_eMKxjoj7EAbxnPNFzKpy1s8kpVDKTlAeYYwbp4parrVmz5RYIW50mwrJQB5DAL5HoqVuoNtznGrgLnVk47PRhx6UDwu0fttD/s320/IMG_0176.JPG" width="240" /></a>It wasn't to be. I was in bed reading a couple of house later and heard a strange sound. It got louder and more staccatto-like and ended with a clatter. I got up, looked out my bedroom door into the hall and this is what I found! It seems the plastic corners that the posts are inserted in separated and split and the books very gradually and gently slumped onto the floor and the broken unit fell on top of them! No books were damaged at all. Needless to say I now have the two remaining units braced against the opposite wall in hopes of stalling their demise!</div>
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The next morning I restacked the books on the floor, removed the broken plastic, and went straight to my computer and ordered another IKEA unit! I guess I'll be sorting and purging books some time this fall, an activity I actually look forward to! </div>
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Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-64367185790217639422011-09-06T13:19:00.000-07:002011-09-06T22:07:02.904-07:00Appreciating Retirement!I'm smirking today. It is my first day of retirement that I am actually appreciating being retired! It's the first day of school, and I'm NOT THERE! How wonderful that feels, even though, instead, I'm raking rocks! Amazing the things that can make you happy. <br />
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Our addition is going well, in fact drawing to a close. I never thought I'd see the day and there were some days I never thought I'd survive! Needless to say, any kind of textile creativity has lain by the wayside over the past six months. Altho there's been a bit of other kinds.....design decisions, paint colors, and deck designs! <br />
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My retirement started out with three weeks in my chair with my foot broken. Then I flew to Edmonton because my Dad broke his hip. I was there six weeks. Then my Mum had a heart attack. I was there another two weeks. These incidents resulted in them asking to move to my house so I've been working on making my house bigger since about March. The paperwork is overwhelming, the permits and inspections seem a bit like make-work projects, but the contractor has been fabulous and my experience with construction has been a great one. I'd recommend Denise Mitchell Interiors in Campbell River, BC to anyone, and 2 Hills Renovations as a contractor extraordinaire! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ImonronW77uU9FohPeeoelvxgqRLEAcstLqxBADV1_396fg7Dmyplb6wvtGaQqkAUQ04jPChMAYrGf9GAh-gWW57hTrmYlCETClADBSO9xFsII5WQg-cQGyvr1i8jMqq8s4C/s1600/IMG_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ImonronW77uU9FohPeeoelvxgqRLEAcstLqxBADV1_396fg7Dmyplb6wvtGaQqkAUQ04jPChMAYrGf9GAh-gWW57hTrmYlCETClADBSO9xFsII5WQg-cQGyvr1i8jMqq8s4C/s320/IMG_0138.JPG" width="320" /></a>It was a sad day when they took their tools and <br />
left, with the only things left to complete being done by other trades. The foreman, Dave, was here a lot and we got to know him really well. A wonderful thoughtful and talented man. Very attune to the people who will be living in the addition and made several improvements for their benefit. He will be coming back for one more day, finishing up the front door and handrails on the deck. As he was packing his tools I said "This feels something like ending an affair!" He grinned and said "True, but I'll be back for a quickie!" Needless to say he's just as fast with the sarcasm as I!! <br />
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Above is a picture of he and Bob preparing to install a new picture window in our very dark living room. A project I came up with in the midst of everything else! A woman's prerogative right? <br />
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Now, on to more appreciating retirement....and raking rocks! I'm preparing the area where a new septic field was installed to be hydro-seeded at the end of this week. I'm hoping it's grass before the winter rains hit so that we don't have two little dogs in the mud all the time! Here's what I'm fixing up. It's all covered in and back-bladed, but I'm raking it to level it as much as possible and get rid of the surface rock. The idea is that if we can turn it into grass quickly, we can fill potholes and patch next spring when it's all settled a bit. Wish me luck! <br />
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<br />Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-37391797220106156982011-08-30T23:06:00.000-07:002011-08-30T23:24:59.958-07:00A Twisted Sort of Good Day<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">I got up this morning with a plan. It’s my constant error to think things will work out the way I planned! My <u>plan</u> was that I would: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"> Take the dog for a walk <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"> Go to a Dr. appointment<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"> Buy some paint<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"> Go to the farm market<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"> Go see my friend Joan<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;"> Go to Costco and get that laundry sink that looks perfect! <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">Not such a ridiculous idea right? Except that when I got up, there were already 4 people working in my yard. Two carpenters....pardon me....5 people....and three furnace people in the crawl space. By the time I’d had my shower (always a little unnerving to shower with three men yelling at each other over their stereo right underneath you when you’re naked in the shower) and got ready to go, there were two more people in the yard....one running a backhoe. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">“So” thinks I....with all the gates open, trucks and backhoes all over the place, “the safest place for my dog is not to be left at home running unsupervised.” So I took him with me. We drove up towards Campbell River and the Dr. Appointment and the paint store, and I stopped on the side of the parkway at a pullout that has a delightful gravel path through the forest, with a bridge over a stream, where I can let him run loose. We walk for about half an hour, turn around and walk back to the van. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">But, when we got close to the van, he decided he didn’t want his walk to be over so he ran past the van, right across the highway, and onto a path on the other side. I called him and he sprinted a little further. I yelled at him. He went even faster. I ran across the highway. He spun around and wiggled his tail and acted like “Isn’t this fun Mum?” Now I’m mad and I want to go back to the van, get in and drive away as if I’ve never met this little monster. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">Right about then a big delivery truck comes along the two lane section of the divided highway.....stops in the middle of his lane, and out gets a very tall, very BIG man with a shaved head, ZZ Top style beard, and a sleeveless undershirt with cut offs and work boots. He squats down in the middle of the other lane like a gentle giant and coaxes my rotten dog over to him, scratches him and grabs his collar. I’m thrilled, but embarrassed and feeling angry at my poorly behaved dog. I get up to this man who I would guess is about his mid-30’s, and tell him how much I appreciate him catching Tuffy for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">But he is not to be deterred in his mission. Right there in the middle of a two lane highway, with traffic passing us and staring (I’m now ready to crawl under the truck and hide)....he proceeds to give me a lesson in training my dog. He says....and I quote.....”You need to pinch his ear like this, and then mount him. You know .... in a sexual way (my comfort level is plummeting about now).....twist the ear and mount him so he knows who’s boss.” I figure I’m not going to escape without doing what I’m told, and he is BIG, so I twisted Tuffy’s ear and squatted on him. By now I’m wishing I had a bag over my head. Tuffy yelps. The big guy says “Good. That yelp is what you want to hear. Now put his leash on him.” I replied that I didn’t have his leash....that was the problem! And I picked Tuffy up under my arm rather like a sack of potatoes and thanked the guy again. He said “Good luck with that.”, got in his truck and drove away. I’m left hiking along the side of the road back to my van which is sitting there with the door and the hatch open and there’s no denying I’m with this stupid dog! I stuffed him in his dog crate, got in the van, started the engine and did a U turn onto the road to get to the Dr.’s appointment. (and not an appointment serious enough to warrant all this embarrassment either!). <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">I am now driving down the four lane highway that passes through to the center of Campbell River. I’m angry, embarrassed and frustrated. I’m drawn out of my reverie by flashing blue and red lights. Yes.....he does the dreaded U turn and is after ME! I put my signal on and pull over, wondering if I can pay my fine by giving him my purebred registered monster. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">He pulls up behind me and I wait and wait and wait. Finally he gets out of his car, walks up behind the van staying behind my tail light (if I HAD a gun I’d have used it by now....on the dog). The officer approaches my window and tells me that he clocked me at 95 kmh. I tried not to be the stereotype that says “Really? I find that hard to believe.”, and just tried to look ashamed....which I was! He asked if I was in a hurry to get somewhere. I replied that no, I actually was just shaken up because I’d just had to chase my dog down the highway and a delivery truck stopped and helped me catch him. I was just distracted because I’m mad at my dog. He very professionally points out that this is not a reason to be doing 95 in a 60 zone and looks into the van to see the dog. I said “He’s in the crate at the back now.” He takes my license and insurance and goes back to his car. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">I wait and wait yet again. My cell phone rings. I don’t know if I should answer it right now and think probably NOT is a good idea so I let it keep ringing in my purse. My anxiety is mounting while I wait. Now I’m mad at the dog AND worried about what this is going to cost. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">The officer comes back to the window with papers in hand and says “MRS. LOVE.....” I did my best imitation of a contrite driver and he proceeds to tell me again how fast I was driving. He explains that this offense is punishable by having my vehicle impounded for up to 30 days (I couldn’t help thinking that Tuffy would have starved to death in the compound by then so..... TAKE IT ! ). Then he adds that I can also go to jail for up to 8 days and the fine is minimum $300.00. I’m sure I went white right there in front of him. Who am I going to call to come spring me from jail? Certainly not my kids, who would never let me hear the end of it. Not my husband who is in his own little world on his island. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">And then he adds.....and this is when I know I am blessed....”I’m going to give you a verbal warning today, but I note that you have lived in the area for long enough to know that this is not a place to be driving at 95 so you need to keep that in mind.” I almost fainted! He said goodbye and drive <i>safely</i> and I thanked him very much and took off. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">And then I realized I was speeding again!!!! I couldn’t believe I was so silly! I was over 60 before I got to 5<sup>th</sup> gear! So the rest of my day I drove with cruise control on.....which took more concentration than was safe, but at least I wasn’t speeding! So silly me and my stupid dog got home without further incident, and I feel like I should just stay right here and not go anywhere for a while. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt;">When I got back the electrician was here putting plugs and switches in the walls that are painted, and when I told him my excitement of the day he said I should go buy a lottery ticket! The guy on the backhoe said I must have really dazzled (I loved that word) the policeman because the guy he knows that got pulled over for that got 8 days in jail, his car impounded and the fine was going to be “discussed”. And then when Kurtis, the 23 year old kid that is the hardest worker around heard about it, he looked me right in the eye and squinted and said “It’s because you’re a <i>girl</i>!” I laughed and said “No Kurtis.....I think it’s because I’m 63 and have gray hair instead of 23 with blonde hair!” He laughed and said “You might be right.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Right or not, I’m just glad that I’m not in jail, don’t have a huge fine to pay, and that I must still have what it takes! What a day! </span>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-35949507552821584792011-08-18T12:43:00.000-07:002011-08-18T13:04:26.208-07:00What kind of Quilter am I?<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The following contains excerpts of an excellent newsletter from Quilt University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <a href="http://www.quiltuniversity.com/">www.QuiltUniversity.com </a> A great place for on-line classes if you haven't discovered them already. </span>I have put the parts from their newsletter in <em>italics</em>, and I <u>do</u> have their permission to repeat their thoughts here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it was a great thought-provoking and introspective article.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If I asked what kind of quilter you are, how would you answer?</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> A dear friend of mine told me I couldn’t call myself a quilter until I had at least five unfinished projects under the cutting table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that is true, I think I qualify to be three quilters by now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Can you remember when you actually finished one project before starting another?</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> I don’t honestly think I ever did!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he fabrics and patterns became very insistent, shoving each other and jostling to the front of the line, screaming "me next!!" That was pretty hard to resist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Soon my sewing room had UFO’s everywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">At the same time, there were new books, each one showcasing beautiful projects and new techniques. How could I keep quilting if I didn't learn it all? I became a technique junkie, afraid I might miss the one magic trick that would change my quilting life forever. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
Pretty soon, I began designing my own quilt patterns. <u>This came as much from a personality flaw as from any great urge to be a designer. It seems I am constitutionally incapable of following directions for any length of time.</u> </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Have you recognized yourself yet? Let's look at some other kinds of quilters. First, there are those who are just stopping by, trying this as they have tried decoupage or knitting. They usually move on after a quilt or two. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">This was not me.....I got into quilting because four friends that I made lace with challenged me to take it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said I was not good with math, not good with color, and I couldn’t afford it......I was right on the I couldn’t (or shouldn’t) afford it!<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
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Then there are those who see themselves as part of a great tradition. They are interested in making a quilt for each member of their family because that's what grandma did. They often stick with traditional patterns and methods. A subset of these quilters are the ones who are driven to recreate quilts from the past. They often search out vintage fabrics to work with. If old fabrics are not available, they buy reproductions. They want their quilts to look old. They value the historical aspect of quilting above any new explorations. </i>This is most definitely NOT me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Some quilters just like to sew. They enjoy handling the fabric and seeing the patterns. Their real love is the process. They like to keep their hands busy and making a quilt gives them an outlet and produces a useful product. </i>This description is definitely a part of me!<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
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For some, their favorite part is the quilting. They lavish endless hours on marking and quilting, taking up to a year creating tiny little stitches. They are creating heirlooms to be kept and treasured. </i>NOT!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
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Then there are the explorers. They want to learn it all, do it all and then change it all. They use a bit of this and a dab of that, mix it with their own ideas of what a quilt should be and add new depth and richness to an old tradition. They often become teachers because quilting has taken over their lives. They need to support their habit, but they also feel driven to bring others into the fold. I'm not sure if this is an urge to share or a variation on misery loves company, but nothing makes a teacher happier than watching a new student share her addiction. </i>Now we’re beginning to describe my quilting life!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
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Finally, there are those who make art quilts. Sometimes they are explorers who have moved in this direction. For others, they were artists in another medium and have moved to fabric from painting or drawing. Some even come from dimensional art like sculpture and they experiment with ways to make fabric dimensional.<br />
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</i>So, who am I? Like many, a combination of most of the above!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This summer we’ve been working on an addition to our house which is for my parents to live in, which you’ll know if you’ve read my earlier posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week the electrician found a wire that was live in the crawl space, but not connected to anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In order to fix that, he needed to get at a plug in the back wall of my sewing room, behind my fabric storage unit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He asked if I could move all that out of there while they had lunch so that he could access it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said a bad word!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I did it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in these photos you can see the results of my obsessions.....it takes great organizational skills to keep all this stuff where you can find it when you need it......and I don’t have them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Here's a little video to show you just how it looked! </span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwNOS9UbdUIIkVjIq_G1ST9j7gFvDOjDQ42ww5ICTyVtWIPO0TcJ7Bya7gzPhiR8zZRcQqL3-uekV4' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, the happy outcome of this rather frustrating day was that everything got tidied up and reorganized and I actually got some sewing done this week, as opposed to painting, staining, digging, sweeping and all the other construction related interruptions!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-61034894576790628132011-07-17T22:04:00.000-07:002011-07-18T10:06:09.443-07:00Following my Dreams......<strong>I've been absent from my blog. I apologize to anyone who is following it. Retirement is so busy! I don't know when I found time to work! But, I'm not really retired.....I've just changed how I'll be spending my days! </strong><br />
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<strong>I found a quote taped to the counter in the used book store I frequent and I loved it for it totally describes my life since retirement.....and as I think back, perhaps my life in general: </strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: red; font-family: inherit;"><u>I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they are going and hook up with them later.</u></span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Mitch Hedberg) </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This quote sums up my life so perfectly I think it should be my mantra! </span></strong><br />
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<strong>My Mum and Dad had a terrible winter....Dad broke his hip and Mum had a heart attack. I stayed with them for quite a while in February and March, as I explained in previous posts. However, Dad has asked if they can come and live with us as they are finding the winters where they are to be more and more difficult. He phrased it like this: "You are going to build a studio at your new place aren't you?" He was teetering on the edge of his hospital bed at the time. I replied "Yes, but not for a couple of years because we have to save." He then said "If we help you out with that, could we live in it until we kick off?" I said yes, my husband said yes, and that's why I've been absent! Needless to say, it has somewhat changed my retirement plans!</strong><br />
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</strong></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>DESTRUCTION FIRST! Removing this part of the deck gave me a one inch hole in my shin from a rusty nail..... Luckily, my granddaughter is more coordinated! </strong></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYhENmHzmP-jA031f4hhCzhPu6SOJq0a4KbGxJUJS8UY6qCMw3bihh48r55nPMcuX-OKqvHFlHYWaUmKCkuiV5TCvOdrrYbNT0NTBeBF9ECjwktvEgTYNKD-3F7R2ccf6EYE9/s1600/IMG_3090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPYhENmHzmP-jA031f4hhCzhPu6SOJq0a4KbGxJUJS8UY6qCMw3bihh48r55nPMcuX-OKqvHFlHYWaUmKCkuiV5TCvOdrrYbNT0NTBeBF9ECjwktvEgTYNKD-3F7R2ccf6EYE9/s320/IMG_3090.JPG" width="240" /></strong></a><strong>We've been building an addition on the house which will be home to Mum and Dad as long as they live and then my studio when they "kick off" as Dad so eloquently put it. I've been busy shopping for finishes, cleaning up the construction site, painting tar on the foundation......just generally helping out in any way I can. Phew! These people start so early in the morning! </strong></div><strong>However, I've been blessed in the designer and contractor that I found. <em>Denise Mitchell Interiors</em> came up when I 'googled' "renovating a Pan Abode". Here is what I saw: </strong><a href="http://www.denisemitchellinteriors.com/photo_gallery.php?gallery_id=27"><strong>http://www.denisemitchellinteriors.com/photo_gallery.php?gallery_id=27</strong></a><strong> I could not believe my luck when I read about that project and then saw that she is located in Campbell River, about half an hour from my home! I called her and the rest is history. Denise and her team got us through the process of designing the addition, getting the permits and all the stuff that would have had me screaming in frustration before anything got started. I'd have offended the inspector badly enough to not pass any future inspections before we got to the starting point! I can't say enough enthusiastically good things about my dealings with them. </strong><br />
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<strong>Now a combination of teams like this is when you realize that God is looking after you.....they are so good at what they do, so caring about what they are doing, and so thoughtful about who they are building this for that I am amazed each day. While I expected and had heard that building and renovating can be an experience that invokes stress and arguments..... to date I must say that I look forward to each new step in the process. Dave Hunt is so incredibly thoughtful about us as the customer and my parents as the incoming residents that I am amazed each day at his knowledge. Heis such a patient foreman and explains whatever I ask about, Steve Hills is the contractor. The two of them have worked together so often that they tease and hassle each other and make each day fun, whether it's hot and sunny or pouring rain! They often make me laugh at their antics, but they make the entire project a pleasure.</strong><br />
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</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhJvsliquc2aRug-o7qrSOo9trstivF0bUBhHypbBxQqxsDoY589UorUDHO6QQiv7P2-F-01dDT4GG1vJqnqnk0jPIqTesl42VsA5MA_QliJKjAcOgUcLXii-99A-0hR0Rjqa/s1600/IMG_0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong></strong></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhJvsliquc2aRug-o7qrSOo9trstivF0bUBhHypbBxQqxsDoY589UorUDHO6QQiv7P2-F-01dDT4GG1vJqnqnk0jPIqTesl42VsA5MA_QliJKjAcOgUcLXii-99A-0hR0Rjqa/s1600/IMG_0799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhJvsliquc2aRug-o7qrSOo9trstivF0bUBhHypbBxQqxsDoY589UorUDHO6QQiv7P2-F-01dDT4GG1vJqnqnk0jPIqTesl42VsA5MA_QliJKjAcOgUcLXii-99A-0hR0Rjqa/s400/IMG_0799.JPG" width="400" /><br />
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</strong></a><strong>Here is where we are today....a view from the back yard. I think this week brings roofing.....altho I'm not sure. I'm just glad that today blessed us with some sunshine after three days of torrential downpours.....at least I think that's what it was...... yellow, warm, bright....no water falling from the sky...that's sunshine right?</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>And with that little bit of sunshine today....my creative muse is back....look for great things happening! Hopefully some finished projects!</strong> </div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-79960201084863828902011-05-28T11:05:00.000-07:002011-05-28T11:18:41.394-07:00Liquitex Playtime on a Rainy Day<strong>Rain. More Rain. We've had enough Rain! But there's a pleasant side effect. Even here on the coast where we are supposed to be used to rain, we get tired of it....and then we stay inside and do something else that pleases us. My house is clean, the floors are washed, I baked, and then decided I'd do something in my studio. </strong><br />
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<strong>I perused the situation in there.....had a look at a number of different projects on the go. Several quilts ready to be quilted, but I didn't feel like getting the table cleared and set up for quilting. One project on the design wall, which is arguing with me so I didn't want to tackle that one. Some dolls I could finish. Some mending to do. Some hand stitching to do. And amongst all these started projects I couldn't find anything I wanted to do so I started something new! Well....it's better than retail therapy isn't it? </strong><br />
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<strong>So I decided on a journal page. 8 1/2 x 11 for size. I've had an idea percolating at the back of my mind after seeing all the eclectic funky houses in my Mum & Dad's neighborhood (see my post of March 2, 2011). I thought why not do a small version of it and see how it works. Well....it wasn't long before I was buried in scraps and having scads of fun with my machine. </strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU_FqhyphenhyphenwJD7cUFEHEEJyN8d5UQJfyzdOqjx2xMxdAG3yRI3GU6bejqGeCTR8CLGUOhzjqGkne7SbNXrkafzVN0t3ekEDo8yLNnM1MRr6JzG2HNaGA8hDAb2DA9VqgCBL5pPau/s1600/IMG_3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlU_FqhyphenhyphenwJD7cUFEHEEJyN8d5UQJfyzdOqjx2xMxdAG3yRI3GU6bejqGeCTR8CLGUOhzjqGkne7SbNXrkafzVN0t3ekEDo8yLNnM1MRr6JzG2HNaGA8hDAb2DA9VqgCBL5pPau/s200/IMG_3015.JPG" width="200" /></strong></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzkM2qHFw3s8tsMCH1OgbhhGysEonvHnUuC-HfHsKGljQQy3oYdfeqqV-ZowrkOHCi7XBRIVbf6ubT01VZkekIkAgWPG-Pks9qdV3MOCEgTydg_fRZFAf-6iADNO6CmxmMu6W/s1600/IMG_3017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyzkM2qHFw3s8tsMCH1OgbhhGysEonvHnUuC-HfHsKGljQQy3oYdfeqqV-ZowrkOHCi7XBRIVbf6ubT01VZkekIkAgWPG-Pks9qdV3MOCEgTydg_fRZFAf-6iADNO6CmxmMu6W/s200/IMG_3017.JPG" width="200" /></a><strong>I had a piece of fabric that I scrunched up, dampened and painted with Liquitex Inks. The experiment was to see how much differently/the same it worked like fabric paint. Here are some photos of the results. It seems it worked very much <em>like</em> fabric paint in this method. </strong></div><strong><br />
</strong><strong>This piece seemed like a good choice for the background as I wanted to portray bright sunny skies but with lots of snow and ice on the ground. I used it so that the darker green areas got covered and the white/pink/light blue areas showed. It has a little bit of Liquitex pearlescent medium in parts, and I hoped that would be the sparkle off the snow. </strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7EFolNcNHNcavna0spoM3pJGtNDhv5k2HDU6sgLOq1pZ1Wkb6jpsC3ml6AzPpc6IK1UPIV-_mlIcC0tConoM84hY32JUTjyXAvWcrsB1vNknpdIa1EQsCo25HpQkW2aZhqMx/s1600/IMG_3018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><strong></strong></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7EFolNcNHNcavna0spoM3pJGtNDhv5k2HDU6sgLOq1pZ1Wkb6jpsC3ml6AzPpc6IK1UPIV-_mlIcC0tConoM84hY32JUTjyXAvWcrsB1vNknpdIa1EQsCo25HpQkW2aZhqMx/s1600/IMG_3018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7EFolNcNHNcavna0spoM3pJGtNDhv5k2HDU6sgLOq1pZ1Wkb6jpsC3ml6AzPpc6IK1UPIV-_mlIcC0tConoM84hY32JUTjyXAvWcrsB1vNknpdIa1EQsCo25HpQkW2aZhqMx/s400/IMG_3018.JPG" width="400" /></strong></a><strong>Next to the houses. I used only scraps and most of them in the shape they were already, just trimming here and there. These were glued down on the background with a bit of UHU glue stick (I'm not a fan of fusing). From there I proceeded to stitch the pieces down with satin stitch. It wasn't long before I was trying out the variety of stitches my little machine offers as embellishment. Here are the results so far. I should iron things before I photograph them!</strong><br />
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<strong>I have another piece of fabric done while I was playing around with the Liquitex Inks. This one was a "mono print". The inks, thickened a bit with the opalescent medium, were painted onto a big ceramic tile. When I was pleased with the arrangement of the colors, I put a dry piece of pfd cotton on it and rolled it with a little brayer. It was left sitting there for about 5 minutes and then lifted. Here is what came of that experiment: </strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod5L569_Gbdphtk2-d-DaeE4HtujBdUDdCGYnTGJnk23pGN8NGWwxn4KhC2axXq_MS_h6fONzWx_UjbS6LQzDqFpev4ZVb3YcgAVVLmT0-hLKSgsnS4-xml44tpSubNrhwI6A/s1600/IMG_3012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod5L569_Gbdphtk2-d-DaeE4HtujBdUDdCGYnTGJnk23pGN8NGWwxn4KhC2axXq_MS_h6fONzWx_UjbS6LQzDqFpev4ZVb3YcgAVVLmT0-hLKSgsnS4-xml44tpSubNrhwI6A/s320/IMG_3012.JPG" width="320" /></strong></a><strong>I plan to cut this piece and use the brownish red piece on the bottom to add a "sidewalk" to the bottom of my little "cityscape", and then will quilt the little journal page. When that's done, I will do a bit of hand embellishing with beads and buttons and whatever else I can find. All in all, great fun on a rainy day! </strong></div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-86840215256242145362011-05-21T08:59:00.000-07:002011-05-21T08:59:12.751-07:00Mother's Day at the Beach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqui1mK-m7am1CzHfRjtsd7rU3QLQx70cXRCFbPLTrtQ0bVBCPOYlFSnBQymlh7kzHMAFfnpLyA70Oi0sTxCXvH26qFfbsMAJDpMmYF8usGVOJRTIfvQBEssCIVyxW4Mgv-7j/s1600/IMG_2923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; height: 484px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 520px;"><img border="0" height="480" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqui1mK-m7am1CzHfRjtsd7rU3QLQx70cXRCFbPLTrtQ0bVBCPOYlFSnBQymlh7kzHMAFfnpLyA70Oi0sTxCXvH26qFfbsMAJDpMmYF8usGVOJRTIfvQBEssCIVyxW4Mgv-7j/s640/IMG_2923.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<strong>I heard from all my children, still children in my mind despite their mature ages, early in the day. I called my own mother, age 82, and she was already out with my cousin but I had a delightful conversation with my Dad! He was home fielding all the "mother's day" calls. I puttered around in the house and noticed the floral delivery van going up and down our road 8 times before I set out to walk the dog.</strong><br />
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<strong>So, all that being done, and being on my own for the day, I decided to take the dog for a walk on the beach. Such a privilege to have the beach accessible on a daily basis. I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a thermos of tea, my sketching kit, and off I went with the dog. We walked a good long way until I decided on the picnic table I would rest at with my sandwich and tea. </strong><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEbOYXS9K620Cdgugc6EmyPbjjFsLo3c99bjoOFXT_J8gWc_zudzzW9J29t_PWX931ME6vmCiYiZYcM32nt_j8hMZPv8DBetU-cBlNB8RPzH97Ag6LfrIe5wTYqr-QJ5SZyYx/s1600/IMG_0584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEbOYXS9K620Cdgugc6EmyPbjjFsLo3c99bjoOFXT_J8gWc_zudzzW9J29t_PWX931ME6vmCiYiZYcM32nt_j8hMZPv8DBetU-cBlNB8RPzH97Ag6LfrIe5wTYqr-QJ5SZyYx/s400/IMG_0584.JPG" width="295" /></strong></a><strong>It was a beautiful sunny day. I passed evidence of other peoples' exuberance, in the photograph above, and was such a delight to be able to spend my time in this way. Tuffy and I sat at a table, munched on our snacks, sipped on our tea, and sketched in my journal. I'm not a dedicated journal keeper, but this particular day it was a pleasure. Here's a photo of my inspiration.... not anything at the beach, but something that has struck my heart with it's simple beauty. They are "Pink Fawn Lilies" </strong><br />
<strong>and there's a huge patch of them behind our fence, growing wild, as well as a bunch of them scattered along the trail I walk with the dog in the morning. Here's more information on them: <a href="http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/education/ecomap/georgia_depression/2pflilly.html">http://www.sierraclub.bc.ca/education/ecomap/georgia_depression/2pflilly.html</a></strong></div><strong><br />
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<strong>When I got home I sent an email to my three sons telling them how lucky they were. I had seen the floral delivery van going up and down our road about 8 times before I went out with the dog. My youngest son replied that he couldn't afford it this year, but that he would like to take me on a vacation for Mother's Day some time soon. Nice.....let's make it tropical with a swim-up bar! Number Two son said he had weeded the flower bed in his front yard and thanked me for the incentive to get that done! Number One son cracked me up. His response was "Are you guys under surveillance? If I saw a floral delivery van going up and down my road 8 times, the last thing I would be thinking of would be mothers!" Now <u><em>that</em></u> made me laugh!</strong>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-2720289906523781872011-05-16T14:15:00.000-07:002011-05-16T14:16:28.030-07:00Art of a Different Sort....with Rocks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-kOaJDfVBmucGccoDuJpFVsS_r1HUf7VaR7jzzHc0Kkeh7p9IOn0DBInl3UbpkmurpdouO3N9lkK2nU9LuRoEX2XjrM5AddEhXWEmjd45poWDF5d5vOxL9On2PgEXuuSkE1u/s1600/IMG_2928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-kOaJDfVBmucGccoDuJpFVsS_r1HUf7VaR7jzzHc0Kkeh7p9IOn0DBInl3UbpkmurpdouO3N9lkK2nU9LuRoEX2XjrM5AddEhXWEmjd45poWDF5d5vOxL9On2PgEXuuSkE1u/s320/IMG_2928.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><strong>We have finally been blessed with some decent weather, which instantly takes me outside into the yard. Being a yard we've only lived in for one year, there is lots to do! The house was neglected and deserted for about five years before we bought it at a bargain price. The yard was a disaster. It is a conglomeration of buttercups, dandelions, moss, fuzzy fernlike ground cover and one really obnoxious weed I can't identify but let me tell you it STINKS when I pull it out! But this is a picture of our "Pink Champagne" clematis in bloom already!</strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nc9XwlRTtcif9JFZSasn7X-GuJ9-voSnE-2YsKBPXWBS8hQV8kR2O5oeGDwqnC3A5RwWkA-fu-zMVCq2JhJ6bZ_vLy0SZS9osXi73GiIw2R124TAR0gp3uAJubpr1NYrCX6k/s1600/IMG_2927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nc9XwlRTtcif9JFZSasn7X-GuJ9-voSnE-2YsKBPXWBS8hQV8kR2O5oeGDwqnC3A5RwWkA-fu-zMVCq2JhJ6bZ_vLy0SZS9osXi73GiIw2R124TAR0gp3uAJubpr1NYrCX6k/s320/IMG_2927.JPG" width="320" /></strong></a><strong>I've been mowing, weeding, shaping beds, planting, moving dirt to fill low spots and pruning. But there came a point where one bed is almost complete, which brings me to the point where I absolutely HAVE to embellish it with some of my rock and pebble collection. So.....having reached this point, I had to get the buckets and bags of rocks that I moved with us (yes, I move my favorite rocks from house to house, and I know where I got them all!....call it an obsession!). I think it interesting that this one looks like a paw print, but I didn't realize it until I photographed it! Remembering my special dog, Buddy, subconsciounsly. </strong><br />
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</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XFDak_aZEz53KhSF5jTTMoSk5KlKwp7_JX0IWh6n5gdkAtOuj1Ii1JFCkY07FPrlOWqzHIi2PjjK_ShIS_ogxKGcn6-PJ4v51Q6kGqzKhp_FqVxfpADsTmIHErz6MT4eJKRL/s1600/IMG_2925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XFDak_aZEz53KhSF5jTTMoSk5KlKwp7_JX0IWh6n5gdkAtOuj1Ii1JFCkY07FPrlOWqzHIi2PjjK_ShIS_ogxKGcn6-PJ4v51Q6kGqzKhp_FqVxfpADsTmIHErz6MT4eJKRL/s320/IMG_2925.JPG" width="320" /></strong></a><strong>But my collection was in a state of disarray having been left in storage over the winter in their various containers. There was nothing to do but pour a glass of wine, sit down in the sun, and sort my collection. My husband thought I was nuts. Of course I had to have some water to wash them off and new containers to sort them according to my plan....the really black ones will go in the bird bath, the olive green ones (quite rare) will be in a bowl that is featured in the garden, the red ones we got in Montana , on a very special vacation, will be kept separate, the weird shaped ones will be used as features, also in the garden, and the flat ones I can't resist picking up will be little "cairns" dotting the landscaping! I've sprinkled this post with photos of my afternoon of sorting and organizing.....if there's a rock lover out there that sees this post, I know they'll understand! And here's a photo of my collection of heart shaped rocks, begun when I lost my dear friend "Buddy". A Rottweiller who wanted to be a lap dog! </strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong><br />
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</strong></div>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29863134.post-89871938999819058992011-05-06T21:49:00.000-07:002011-05-06T22:00:55.080-07:00A lesson in contrast well learned! Liquitex Inks!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>I was working on a project using Liquitex Inks. I've had it in previous posts. I finished it!!! Did you read that correctly???? I FINISHED IT!!! Here's a close up photo: </strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY5ZhuoTbptTveYE5l9i9vtYVqZCdYwPwVXFCUz3UMrQmq-Z-djc2uqqLxwCpAoBRG8-wXmPlkdqVOA6ymM0B5PT_g66XUHtn-nSpqSQbfoiB7e7npBqeVDSBCnngRT6js-MO/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoY5ZhuoTbptTveYE5l9i9vtYVqZCdYwPwVXFCUz3UMrQmq-Z-djc2uqqLxwCpAoBRG8-wXmPlkdqVOA6ymM0B5PT_g66XUHtn-nSpqSQbfoiB7e7npBqeVDSBCnngRT6js-MO/s320/IMG_2920.JPG" width="320" /></strong></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong></strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>And then there's "Show & Tell" at our groups recent retreat. It was set out on display with several other 12 x 12 "tree challenges". I was HORRIFIED !!!! There is my beautiful and well loved project looking bland with no focus. The color of the tree I chose to put on the inked silk background doesn't show from 10 feet away. Talk about a lesson in looking at things from a distance as well as right at arms length. The little tree I chose to put in there fades into the background and is lost! Here's a picture from a distance. See how the tree is lost on the horizon? </strong></div><strong><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BNRVdBzeOwSdHck6LcQPelurfY95-7zwwFA4NsLTAd265DRChOO8aNADhOymNu25qAb5ixP2DfTe0OeWE-NOBkgi15odI53RnNP-H6JgS8dMuD-l8fypQ4YeAanz3YiHX-fA/s1600/IMG_2869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><strong><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BNRVdBzeOwSdHck6LcQPelurfY95-7zwwFA4NsLTAd265DRChOO8aNADhOymNu25qAb5ixP2DfTe0OeWE-NOBkgi15odI53RnNP-H6JgS8dMuD-l8fypQ4YeAanz3YiHX-fA/s400/IMG_2869.JPG" width="300" /></strong></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>So my only recourse is to replace the tree with something that offers more contrast. Oddly enough, when I was working on it I made two little thread trees. The one in these photos, and a blue one. As soon as I saw the tree was not enough contrast I decided I needed to replace it with the darker one I stitched at the same sitting. But.......I can't find it!!! I've cleaned my entire studio and organized all my supplies, UFO's and threads. That darker trees is not to be found. So, now that I've wasted more time than it would take to stitch a new one looking for the one I have already done but can't find.....I'm stitching away making new one with more contrast. And here I thought I'd tidied my studio rather well!</strong></div><strong><br />
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<strong>A good lesson learned about stepping back and looking at your work from a distance. Or perhaps it's a lesson in needing a bigger studio so that I CAN step back to look at it.....either way, next post should be the finished project with a tree that shows from any viewpoint! *sigh* :(</strong>Gladys Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03836742004372478797noreply@blogger.com0