A new past-time

So.....all my life I have wanted to draw and paint.....and I always heard this voice telling me I am not good enough.......then about 2 months ago I realized - Hey that is my voice. So I gave it a try.....maybe I am not good at it, but I love it. I actually started following some art therapy blogs, joined a few free Ning sites, took a few free online workshops and I am loving it. First I started with flowers, then little girls, this past week I have been doing some collages. Indulge me (if anyone is reading this!) with a few photos:

My kids

Last night and today were great. My younger daughter came to visit us after work last night and today was her day off so she came again. She and my Prince love each other so much, it is fun to watch them together (she is 19 years older than him!) She asked me to make her some gifts to give her friend for her baby shower - she said that I would make something nicer than she could buy - what a compliment! I did get a little misty. I am making a towel set that has a monkey hood (jungle theme for the nursery) and a great wall hanging using applique that I found here... http://lellaboutique.blogspot.com/2011/03/baby-bird-stitcheries.html - I am going to make it with a Giraffe elephant and monkey instead of birds.

Have you seen the word art pictures that seem to pop up on blogs now and then- I found a website that you can make your own! You have to check it out! Tagexedo is the name and you can make your own pictures for free! There is no giveaway or anything, just something I wanted to share with anyone who may read this.

I finished the embroidery on the face for my Princess's doll - I'll post some pictures tomorrow, along with the progress I make on the baby shower gift....did I mention the shower is Saturday???

Blessings, Maria

Helloooo.....

The past few weeks I have been silent on my blog due to my health....my heart is acting up again and my back is horrible....the doctors were actually talking emergency surgery for the back, but luckily that is not necessary. There will be more surgery soon to stop more of the nerve damage from getting a lot worse but I have babied myself (kind of) and it seems to be calming down enough to hold off for a month or so to see if I have to take care of the heart or back first....Relaxing with my knitting and embroidery has made me very reflective.....When I started this blog I thought I would chronicle what the Prince and I made, but since I don't want to show my little Prince on the World Wide Web, I decided not to do this...then I started reading other blogs and tried to mirror the things I liked other people were doing. That started me trying to follow a lot of the same projects. While I love quilting (and I do!) I am not a "swapper" or a machine quilter...I more of a small project kind of gal. I looooved making my Irish wall hanging and for the past few weeks I have been having a ball making things for my Prince to play with. So from this point on, I am just going to take off the self imposed pressure to create masterpices and have fun creating what ever I feel in the mood to do, or to fill "special orders" from my son! I used to make dolls when my girls were young and made some money doing it too, nothing major but enough to help a little financially and have fun doing it. I have my Prince, my grandson and my nephew Big Brotha and now my niece Lil Sista to make toys for and that is what I want to do. I just made the Prince a monster truck play mat that folds into a back pack.

We have a new knitted teddy bear, a stuffed felt monkey, a squishy baby doll and pillow bed for our niece and our pirate doll that have been mde lately too. Next is a doll for my younger daughter (she is 23 an is still heart-broken over the doll that I made her years ago that her older sister drew on) and then back to the boys and our princess......Ahh I love these kids. My grandson will be home for the summer soon. He lives with my mom (God Bless her!!) and I miss him so much. The nephew and niece are my cousins children. I am 14 years older than her and she has always been so special to me so it follows that her children would be too. I am still busy with my BOMs from Lynn at Blue Bird quilts and Val Laird- those have been fun too! I hope you like the pictures! I am still trying to master getting them where I want them!

Maria

Spring and a hammock

Today the Prince and I spent the afternoon outside enjoying the beautiful day.

It not only felt like Spring - we found these crocus in the front of the house!

(I love his shadow looking towards the flowers)

There was a bee in this one enjoying the flower too, until I took the picture!

All the sun and gorgeous breezes made think of the gift I won from yesterday from

Marydon at Blushing Rose
so I tonight I ordered this folding hammock

with the $45.00 gift certificate from CSN.com
Isn't it great???? It folds for easy storage and comes with a cover and pillow!

I can not wait to sit...or more realistically watch the Prince and my hubbie sit in it LOL!

THANK YOU AGAIN MARYDON!!!!

Blessings to all,

Maria

I WON at Blushing Rose blogspot

Have you ever visited Marydon at Blushing Rose ? If you haven't yet, you really should. Her blog is like visiting a friend for tea. The soft colors, the soothing music and wonderful graphics she uses make me stop by to visit often! On one of those stops, I entered a giveaway she had and.....well the title of the blog takes away the surprise here.....I won! Yes me, I won a $45.00 gift certificate to CSNstores.com is that great! The funny part is when I visited Marydon this morning, I was so busy enjoying her gorgeous pictures of Ireland that I didn't even notice that I won.....Sad but true, my husband said I was sweet when I told him that part (sarcasm I think right?). Yes I scrolled right to the pictures and missed my name!

I have to thank Marydon again - I am thrilled to have won and I do love her blog. Please visit her blog to say hi, you can use the button on the sidebar or the link above.

If you haven't visited CSN - go there too they have great items and free shipping!

It was a gorgeous day here today. The prince and I went to the park near our home and to our great surprise there were other people there. We live in a small town and the park is tiny so we are usually alone. It was a lovely day. The mom and I had common interests (sewing, jewelry making and crocheting) and she has 3 boys of her own, 2 of which are near my little guys age. We exchanged numbers and e-mails so we can plan to meet another day. It has been 8 years here and besides my neighbors this is the first person who has been so friendly. Most people here in the village have lived here FOREVER (families whose great grandparents grew up here) so we are the newcomers and "outsiders"...she lives here about 8 years too, so she forgave my being new to town! LOL.....Between the giveaway and the new friends it was a great day.....You may say the luck of the Irish smiled on me!

Blessings to all!
Maria

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I know I should have waited to take a better picture when this is fully finished - but first of all I AM SO EXCITED that I am almost done and more importantly.....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Blessings to all,
Maria

Another Hobby!

So I decided I must have ADCD (Attention Deficit Crafting Disorder)...Yesterday I went to get another yard of the fabric I had run out of and needed to finish the Irish Wall Hanging and there they were....Knitting Needles. I crochet and love it, but all the times I have tried to learn to knit was a dismal failure. Well there was a sale, and I already have yarn (though to celebrate my trying again I did buy 2 skeins of a very soft beautiful yarn)...these are the excuses I readied for hubbie....Guess what - I FINALLY DID IT! I CAN KNIT!!! I went on YouTube.com (I find so many helpful how to crafting videos there) and I finally understand and I love it.....Even more than crochet! So now my WIP pile will grow and grow and grow! As for the ADCD, I hear the only way to treat it is with lots of fabric, yarn and time......
Maria

One step closer to hanging over the mantle

Here are the pictures of the blocks for my Irish Heritage Wall Hanging (click on each image for a better view!) My hubbie loves it and since he is the Irishman in the family (along with my Prince of course) I am happy! It makes me feel so good that he takes such an interest in what I create, he is such a good man...I think I'll keep him! I am going to work on the sashes and the triangles today and I hope I have more progress to post tomorrow........

While I was happily sewing along the plumber spent the better part of the day earning his $450 yesterday. It seems that there were roots growing in our septic lines that had to go. It was so necessary but I keep thinking imagine all the fabric I could have bought! Or as my little Prince was thinking how many Legos or monster trucks would that be!

On a much more serious note, I am sure like me, you are praying for those poor people in Japan. The devastation is just unthinkable. The pictures are so vivid, but I just can not imagine how horrible it must be for everyone there.

Maria

Must post pictures soon and Busy as Can Be!

My back has been a nuisance again and I think there is more surgery in my future soon...but I have been embroidering! I am making a St. Paddy's Day wall-hanging for my very proud to be Irish hubby! I will post pictures this weekend! I am pretty proud of it since I have designed all the embroidery myself! I have also finished the Retro 9 BOM block one and started on block 2. Oh and I am still working on the Consider the Lilies by Val Laird too! Along with my back issues I have Carpal Tunnel - so I work slow - LOL!

I have a new niece. Of course that means sewing for her! I started a doll and birth sampler pillow.

Look at this great stitchery from Debbie at Busy as Can Be http://busyascanbe.blogspot.com/2011/03/another-free-stitchery-giveaway.html - just post her button (see it on the side of my blog) and she'll send it to you - so sweet!

Pictures soon!

Bee in my Bonnet

Have you ever visited Lori Holt's blog? If you love applique and just reading fun posts check her out. I just added her button to my blog.....I am getting good at this!

She is having an awesome giveaway (yes I found another one!) so visit when you can!

http://beeinmybonnetco.blogspot.com/2011/01/celebrating-my-new-look-with-giveaway.html

Fun Day with my 4 year old

Well, I did manage to applique a few leaves on my block but my boy wanted to do projects too! He is always busy with me when I craft anything. I love the time we spend like this and have sworn I will never choose sewing over playing....... So we spent a great day decoupaging wooden boxes I bought really cheap ($0.25) at Michaels Craft Store about a year ago oh and did some finger painting too. He made his grandma and big sister Valentines cards from hand prints and then sat down and "embroidered" with me. His father rolls his eyes when our boy wants to sew but I remind him of Rosie Greer (for my young reader he was a BIG burly football player from the 70s) who knitted!

I may not have finished my blocks but I had a much better day with my little guy. I will take pictures next time!
Maria

Almost Done with 2 of my BOM blocks!

Besides posting about all the giveaways I have been sewing! I am just about done with my Retro 9 January block and my Consider the Lilies January block....just in time for the February blocks! I am also just about done with an apron I am making....I have always loved aprons. They remind me of being a little kid and wearing my grandma's. They had a drawer full in the kitchen, some were full, some were like tops with snaps and some just half aprons. She had some everday, holiday and some "fancy" for when she cooked with company. The ladies back then knew how to do things right! So in her memory, I am making my own collection this year.
Maria

Fire Hooping??? The Quilty Home!

Jen at the Quilty Home celebrated her 30th birthday by offering her followers a gift!

http://thequiltyhome.blogspot.com/2011/01/whats-all-hoopla.html?showComment=1295966472291#c6196776903756749176

Which is so nice BUT - she not only quilts (and hula hoops) she FIRE HOOPS!! Yes just like you see on TV! Check it out!

Maria

Blushing Rose Blog

Visiting Blushing Rose's blog is like taking a small restful break in my day, the music, the beautiful inspiration sayings and the feeling like you have just stopped to have tea with a friend fills me with a peaceful feeling. Thank you Marydon!

There is an amazing giveaway there right now too. A gorgeous teacup and saucer with a tea cozy (even a sachet of golden sugar). A bonus to visiting and having a small escape from the day!

http://blushingrosetoo.blogspot.com/

Freckled Whimsy is having a giveaway REAL link!

http://www.freckledwhimsy.com/2011/01/happy-1st-birthday.html?showComment=1295820261143#c4122853848100597121

Why can't I get this right!! Here is Freckled Whimsy's link!

Great Day and Freckled Whimsy Giveaway

What a nice day I had. We picked up my step-children and went to visit my mother-in-law. Our nieces were there and I made a birthday cake for my brother-in-law's birthday. I have to say I am blessed with the nicest MIL anyone could ever wish for. My husband has 6 brothers and each are nicer than the next. I did marry the best though! Our son is 4, my girls are 23 and 25 and my step-children are 13 and 15 so we have each age group covered LOL! My son had a blast with our nieces who are 6 and playing hide-n-seek with my BIL (who is 47!)

Got home and just about finished my Retro 9 BOM's 1st block - YIPPEE!

If you haven't already done so - go check Karrie Lynn's blog - it is her 1st blogiversary and she is having a GREAT fabric giveaway today - drawing is tomorrow (Monday) so hurry!




Talk to you tomorrow!
Maria

Link to Stray Stitches

Boy I need to get better at this! Here is the link....I hope! LOL


http://straystitches1.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-giveaway-time.html

Some stitching and check out Stray Stitches Blog!

I finally found some great projects that I can do without pain! Blue Bird Quilts Retro Nine Patch BOM and Val Laird's Consider the Lilies BOM (and I just picked out the fabric for Jenny's BOM at Elefanz - Givin Thanks!) I had been a little blue because my health issues had seemed to really put a crimp in sewing/quilting on a machine since the pressure of using the foot pedal caused pain but these projects are great! I can do them by hand and even with the carpal tunnel, they have been pain free so far! YEAH!!!

There is a great giveaway going on at Stray Stitches...follow the link to read all about it!

Oops - here is the link!

http://sewplicity.blogspot.com/2011/01/fabric-giveaway-2-yards-from-michael.html

Another great giveaway!

Jennifer from Sewplicity is having a wonderful give-away! Follow the link!



What pretty fabric - good luck!
Ria

Leona's Quilting Adventure!

Leona has a great quilting blog here......



She is celebrating 300 followers with a giveaway, $25 to Fat Quarter Shop! Thank you Leona! You just need to be a follower - new or old to enter! Go visit!

I just won on Val Laird's site!

I just won this great pattern.....

http://home.exetel.com.au/val_laird/index_files/Page848.htm

from a giveaway on Val Laird's blog. Val is a very talented designer and she has also just launched a new FREE BOM.....

http://val-laird.blogspot.com/2011/01/free-pattern-launch-consider-lilies.html

Val lives n Queensland Australia and luckily was not affected by the tragic flooding that is going on now, but there are so many people whose lives where devastated. She has a few links on her site that will bring you to pages to help them.

Enjoy your day!
Maria