Sometimes You Need a Moment on a Monday

Country peach herbal tea and a little stitching with sparkly aida cloth and pretty variegated DMC floss. That's how to make the most of a Monday!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Sunday Threads

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

Herb Plants on My Greenhouse

Over the winter I had started a teeny tiny Italian parsley plant on my greenhouse sunporch. In spite of what a bitterly cold winter we have suffered through, and my greenhouse is not heated, this parsley plant has grown quite healthy! Yay! (this thing was so tiny, no kidding)

Tonight I'm snipping some to toss into a pot of hot linguine with a little butter, Italian dressing, splash of soy sauce, fresh tomatoes, a little garlic, and parmesan. Yum! Quick and easy meal--that's how we roll!

There's actually a little dill plant growing in there too. I'm dangerous, the way I toss seeds around!
Last summer I rescued a tiny rosemary plant from the garden and brought it in for the winter. It's getting bigger too. So glad. I love rosemary!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Grow

Art Journal Friday - Me an My House

As a dollhouse lover, (I recently updated my Victorian dollhouse and made it a Scrapbook Dollhouse project - click here to see it) I love making little houses of all kinds. When I was little my teacher taught us how to make an origami paper dollhouse out of a sheet of 8-1/2X11 paper, and I must have made a zillion of those! The perk was being able to draw and color in your own furniture! So any chance I get, I'm making paper houses in the pages of my art journal.

Good Witch Bubble Wands

When I think of being a little girl, carefree in the warm summer sun, blowing bubbles and laughing - it makes me happy. There's no reason not to keep doing that, right? 

Bubbles also make me think of Glinda the Good Witch--she always arrived in a bubble! Ever since I can remember, the Wizard of Oz would come on TV once a year, and it was a big big deal! We got to eat on the TV trays in the living room, and I would perform the whole movie for everyone after it was over--well, my seven-year-old version anyway. Of course, now we can go to Oz whenever we like! I need to plan a special evening with the family to do that!

So as I'm making dozens of bubble wand necklaces from wire and beads in my stash to sell at craft fairs, I'm going to call them Glinda's Magic Bubble Wands...or something fun like that!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Bead Something

When You Don't Feel Dapper...Craft Something! WOYWW 251

Happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk Wednesday! Today I'm featuring my constant companion, "helper" in the craft room, napping partner, gardening guardian, and second shadow, Minnie. Adopted from the streets when she was four-months-old, she is about 13 now and although she can be quite bossy of everyone in the family, she knows how to get her way!

Supervising in my crafty corner chair while I'm diecutting

Back to my desk though--I didn't feel like I got a lot done over the weekend. Did not feel that well, and barely got the grocery shopping done with hubby (I was ready to have him push me in the cart that day). But then, Sunday night I perked up! Watched Once Upon a Time with my daughter (oh that wicked witch!) and went to town making mug rugs, earrings, rings, and tags. Go me. Here we're approaching mid-week, and I'm still going!

I came across this one-hundred-year-old book of quotes I bought at a Friends of the Library sale. It's in good condition, but I'm really wanting to ruin it for art journaling or an altered book. I can't decide! I paid 25 cents for it.

Now I'm off to see the loveliest deskers in the world!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch Happy

Tag Tuesday - My Secret Garden Tag

So today's Tag Tuesday theme is Keys and Locks. But, I am so anxious for gardening season, my tag took a Secret Garden direction--imagining my amazing cutting flowers, humongous tomatoes, award-winning pumpkins and gorgeous basil and thyme. Ahhh. Naturally, a garden like that needs a locked gate!

Visit Tag Tuesday here. You can see what all the keys are unlocking on today's tags.
My garden gate key hanging on the tag is wrapped with wire and beads--some of you may know I'm kinda obsessed with wire and beads lately! I finished it off with a Mudd brand clothes tag. Clothes tags can be so cute these days--especially the ones from the junior department, and my daughter is trained to always give me her tags and never throw them away! Poor thing.

So what do we use all these tags for? They are actually little pieces of art! I plan to sell a lot of my tags at craft fairs. You can hang them in a room, frame them, use them to add to a gift or just stick them in your art journal or on a scrapbooking page. I do love using them in scrapbooking. Participating in Tag Tuesday is a great motivator to use up my scraps and get a lot of tags done! Happy Tuesday!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Garden

You and Me Cards

I love the idea of making a pot-o-tea and stitching away the afternoon with my bestie Helen. Especially since she moved away and I miss her so! She's making me a pink sock monkey (now that's a best friend). She's a music teacher, an amazing wife and mother, and back in the day we were show divas! Well, I guess we still are--we'd do a show together in a hot minute. Hopefully, after working on my blog, I've managed to get this card posted and in the mail to her (along with a little gift)!

I love "You and Me" cards and I must make more! This one has not only cardstock, vintage sheet music, an embossed tea pot, sewn buttons and ribbon - but also some machine stitching. So fun to make.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch for Your Friend

Sunday Threads

Your promise revives me;
It comforts me in all my troubles.
Psalm 119:50

I Made a Pin Board!

So I had an old poster-board size frame and decided to try this quick and easy craft. I needed a pin board! I want something to display some of my craft ideas - but also use to display earrings and other handmade items for sale at craft fairs.

Isn't it cute? All I needed was a piece of foam core board - which I had one stashed...modpodge and my scraps. I modpodged scrapbook papers, an old vintage pattern cover and actual pattern pieces, clothes tags and other purchased-item tags (I hoard merchandise tags by the way--no one in my house throws their tags away, especially if they are cute!) and I think there's a show ticket in there and a cute business card, plus some diecut fabric hearts that were lying around.

Now I can keep going on my earring production -- knowing I have a cute way to display!

Tags cut out of scrapbook papers to package my handmade earrings!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Bead

Art Journal Friday - Cuppa Thankful

I seem to get a lot more art journaling done when I just splash down some paint, then go back later and doodle a little, glue some paper, and then finally the journaling just happens. I used metallic watercolors to lay some different shades of gold onto this page. The next day, it suddenly came to life with this purple-haired lady who seemed to be thankful for everything. I love a lady in a paper dress! She inspired me that day to do a whole other craft project!

Craft Show Diva ♥

I never imagined that I would get to be in a live studio audience for the taping of a craft show! So when that opportunity arose, I couldn't miss it. A talented DIY/Crafter right here in the Ozarks has started a new craft show called FYI Guy. You can visit his website at FYIGuy.com. It is updated often.

It was so fun to see Jeremy's amazing set, all decorated with his crafty creations! They pulled together a small live studio audience, and a few lucky people actually got to go on the set and do a craft with Jeremy! I didn't get to do that (I think I was a little intimidated)--but maybe I will another time.  I have to say the ladies from the audience were not all crafters, and Jeremy turned them into crafters right before our eyes! Jeremy is very frugal with his crafting, but his ideas are so creative. Being in the audience was really fun, but it was also a long afternoon. Being the audience was its own job! We had brought seat cushions to be a little more comfortable, and they taped three shows. But we got a lot of breaks, and they gave us snacks, and everyone was having a blast. Jeremy is so witty and great on camera, and I think we laughed all afternoon. I can't wait to see more of Jeremy's craft shows, live and in person! What a treat.

Darling daughter and I posing in front of Jeremy's flip-flop wreath!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Craft

Ear Candy On My Worktable--WOYWW #250

Happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday No. 250! Woo hoo! I send out a big hug and thanks to our delightful hostess for this fabulous linky party, Ms. Julia Dunnit and her blog, Stamping Ground.

Visit the linky party here. And if you've never joined a linky party, Julia has all the instructions. And then you too can see what your crafty tribe members are working on all over the planet.

Now, onto my worktable. Look at that huge space! Wow! I was actually cleaning up and rearranging a bit after a two-week long dabble in my bead stash! But it's very fun because I'm learning to make bubble wands and earrings for my spring and fall craft shows. I also did quite a bit of die-cutting to make tags for the earrings and get a nice stash of die-cuts going for a line of sewing-themed cards I'm making too.

Now I'm not a jewelry maker, let me make that clear! But I keep piddling around with this stash of beads I have and realizing how much fun it is to play with beads and wire. Oh so fun. And fast too--that's important when you're making things to sell at a craft fair.

AND look...I shopped at Joann's Fabric & Crafts store and got this tote bag for a dollar! I'm now addicted to that store--I'll probably go there with coupons in hand every week for the next few months! Oh dear.

Happy WOYWW lovely deskers. I'll be 'round for a look at your desk soon. ♥

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Shop

Today's Tag Tuesday Theme - Spring Flowers

Happy Tag Tuesday! I love the theme today, because I'm really longing for flowers in my garden. However, I also had to incorporate the thought of being in my sewing room and stitching up happy floral fabrics into curtains, pillows, and table runners to make the house brighter!

Visit the Tag Tuesday blog here.

Oh, who am I kidding. I found the Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz die on clearance at JoAnn's that I've been wanting forever - and just had to use it! And yet, I do love the thought of finding some gorgeous floral fabrics to ring in spring in my sewing nook. And by the way, why haven't I been going to JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts? I think I love it more than Michaels, and they let you double coupon! I was a very happy girl in that store. 

Happy Tuesday!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Stitching in Color and Fabric Scraps

Lately I've been practicing some of my embroidery stitches on pieces of felt. Embroidery helped calm my nerves through a tough time this winter. It's so expressive, yet so comforting. It's also social, because I'm not following a pattern, just making up my own thing, so I can visit and stitch at the same time. On these pieces it was fun to use fabric scraps and buttons too.

I finished another little patch -- so I think these are going to be little art quilts eventually. 

I have been using pearl cotton #5 flosses, because I love just knotting them around a floss holder (either a metal ring, or I also have actual floss holders, a lamb and a peacock) and by cutting the skein in half, all I have to do is pull out a strand and it is ready to go, it's the perfect length and there's no separating to do.

This basket-o-happiness goes all over the house with me.

Here's how all this doodle stitching started.

It was just a few basic stitches: straight stitches, French knots, satin stitches, and lazy daisy flower loops. But then it turned into its own little tapestry.

I love stitching in words that are a little hidden.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch Happiness

Sunday Threads

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Art Journal Friday - Doodles and Lists

Art journaling is such a simple, creative outlet. Today I wasn't making anything in particular--just covering a page with thoughts and lists, watercolor, doodles, old dress pattern paper and a page from an old music book. Very therapeutic! ♥

A Craft Show from Stash--WOYWW 249

I don't know about you, but I think when your stash gets to a certain point, it's time to start creating inventory for a craft show! Happy What's-On-Your-Workdesk Wednesday--visit the fabulous linky party right here!

I feel so thankful to have had some great quality time in my crafty corner. I've been catching up on my tag-making, designing some cards for a future craft fair, and now my latest obsession is making these adorable bubble wand necklaces. Visit The Frugal Crafter blog to see her wonderful how-to video. Once you start making these things, you can't stop!

I have quite a stash of beads for someone who's not really a jewelry maker. Lots of beads and jewelry-making tools have been given to me, and now I'm finally putting it all to use! These bubble wands are just waiting for their ribbon necklaces to be added, and then they are good to go...ready to dip into some bubbles and blow! I hope these are a hot seller at the craft fair--of which, by the way, I have no idea when or where. I just know in my mind I'm going to find a craft fair somewhere this spring!

At this point I've made so many bubble wand necklaces, my daughter picked one out already, and I had to make a special one (a bit more manly) for hubby, with copper wire and some nice silver and turquoise beads. He loves it! And since he liked it so much, I'm also making some for the nephews with blue and green beads--they still like the simple past-time of blowing bubbles in the wind. I do too! Now onto some earrings and cards. I can't wait for Dancing with the Stars to start next week, Call the Midwife, Mr. Selfridge, and Once Upon a Time is already back--ahhh! too many shows I like! Happy Wednesday lovelies!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Bead

Pretty In Pink on Tag Tuesday

Happy Tag Tuesday everyone! Today's theme is "Pretty In Pink" and you can see everyone's magical pinkness over at the Tag Tuesday Blog right here.

I am having lots of fun with those old vintage file dividers I inherited. They have been cut into all sorts of shapes and sizes, gesso'd, and made into tags, art journals, and little pieces of art. I'm thinking of making some little mixed media pieces for a craft fair this spring too. Today's tag started with a piece cut from one of those file dividers. Some of them have metal tabs at the top--those are fun to paint and tie ribbon and beads on. But this one was just plain.

I got a great tip from the Frugal Crafter, and I use the cheapest flat white paint for my gesso. Works great! Then I added a piece of jar art vellum, a few buttons, and some words and ribbons. This might have to hang in my kitchen for canning season!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch in Pink

Sunday Threads

Be very careful about what you think. Your thoughts run your life.

Proverbs 4:23

The Best Thing About Winter - Starting My Seeds for the Garden

The last few weeks, I've slowly begun starting seeds. Once upon a time I lived in a much smaller house, I didn't have a greenhouse/sunporch, but I did have a sliding glass door in the dining room. Every year I had an amazing kitchen garden, right outside the kitchen door. It was diverse with herbs, veggies, and cutting flowers--just like my gardens are now. My family got used to the idea that from late February through mid-May, the dining table would be covered with trays and pots of starts for that amazing kitchen garden. Yep. That's how I roll. Only now, it's the sunporch that's covered with trays and pots, and that's just fine with me. It's my baby garden, enjoying its infancy, and I can easily take care of it, my job, my family, my house, and my crafty career! My motivation is that this:

Leads to this:

And that's what I call Garden Bliss. Reaching the point where I have enough fruit on the vines that I am able to fresh-preserve, toss a salad, make bruschetta every night, and have a good ole bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich that tastes like heaven! That's why I encourage everyone, whether they've dabbled in gardening or don't know a hoe from a shovel, to buy a few packs of seeds, get a couple of seed starting trays from Wal-Mart, and then all you have to do is fill the tray with warm water, the pods swell up, stick a seed in each one, put the clear plastic cover on it, and set it somewhere warm (even your dryer--it doesn't need the sun yet). When the starts pop up and you see those little green babies, take the lid off, and put it in front of a south-facing sunny window. Come May, if you don't have a garden, plant it in the sun in a big pot outside when the danger of frost has passed.

You could end up with fresh bowls of tomatoes and bunches of basil to enjoy all season. I live in the Ozarks, and this past season, I was picking tomatoes, herbs, flowers, squash and pumpkins right through November!

A bowl of bliss.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Grow