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Saturday, September 30, 2023

watching paint dry plus a quilted finish!

aqua landscape 14" X 20"
This is one of two small improvisational quilts finished this month.
 

last week I showcased the first one, so I'll now share some close ups of what I see as an abstract landscape. 

I started by making sections, triangles turned into geese, and a zig zag section. Squares. strips. and at the end, some applique, raw edge freely cut out of yellow scraps. Fit sections together like a puzzle.

I now see mountains, water, sky...the strong squares remind me of land, the triangles at the bottom here remind me of rapids. On the right to me it looks a bit like a boat. 

boat

a few crystals in flower centers. The petals are free to lift up and create texture. Metallic mylar turquoise threads for most quilting, white in flowers and around rapids. 

it's hard to see but I quilted on some of the glittering sheer (prom dress fabric) over sections, kind of see the glitter above. I did a quick machine binding.


I always turn abstracts around to see what I might see. This looks a little like a tree to me. 

I talked to Joy at thejoyfulquilter and she said to enter this in her table scraps challenge this month, as it has "Z" zig zags and "P" it's pretty! 

Now for some paint on paper...

more abstracts... which are difficult for me. I like to have some natural figures when I do abstracts but this was from a class online. We start by writing on paper, then gluing torn items onto that... 

I used tissue boxes, napkins, magazines, glitter table top sequins and more. Then continue with paint, finishing with gold inks, and white and black gel pens. 


 

I got some new white posca pens and you shake them then depress the tips to start paint flowing... usually. This time I gently started to depress it and ink poured out!!! OMGosh! All over the green paper used to start pens. 

In order to use that, I tore it in half and began painting it to make cards.

I turned the card over to clean my brush between colors, and boing!!!that taught me the value of letting the paint move and blend. It looks like lovely mountains and water!
inside of the card, where I cleaned my paint brush between colors

 I found a quote to write on the card, as these were originally meant to be "permission slips for art" 

As if we need permission to create! 

"There is no right way to make art. The only wrong is in not trying, not doing", Lisa Golightly

I went on to make another one, with the white ink blobs...


paint blobs turned into roses...

the message on the inside was the quote: 

I have permission to take care of me. No one else has the right to say  otherwise. | Words, Quotes, Inspirational quotes

 disappointed in the Zen creativity workshop this week presented by Kate Ward

now in the free classes, you can't access patterns needed without signing up with the teachers for ongoing emails. Hmph, this is a change. I no longer sign up with random people as unsubscribing is not usually as easy as they say. Many times lately I un-sub. they say I'm un-subscribed, and the sales emails continue. I repeat the process, the emails continue til I block them or mark as junk. 

The classes offered by Tam are great, not like that, and I'll start them tomorrow. Can only do so much.

 

Note:  this creativity online workshop (free) through Liz Kettle embroiderer...

https://programs.hobbyscool.com/art-handmade-registration/?affiliate=textileevolution


linking with 

https://thejoyfulquilter.blogspot.com/2023/09/september-2023-abc-table-scraps.html

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

https://songbirddesigns.blog/monday-musings-6-26-23/ 

finished or not

off the wall Fridays

Thursday, September 28, 2023

I Like Thursday # 369 herbs, decorations and a handsome SPOO (standard poodle)

 

welcome to this week's list of likes...starting with decorations for changing seasons... 

I'll share more next week. 

let's start with my two workshops... I'm painting and sewing and making art because of the last three workshops. Free and online. I gave links last week...

Reading: 

finished this one and really enjoyed the audio version, with great accents! Love this author.

finishing this one finally, the library took it back and I've waited many weeks to get it back: 

 

On TV

Dancing with the stars returned to broadcast ABC, and I'm ecstatic! Survivor and Amazing Race returned last night, yea!! Bachelor ( for first time, a 72 year old man looks for love again after his long time wife died a few years ago) and Bachelor in Paradise. 

I am grateful for a cable company that records shows at my request, as these are all on three nights, and I don't want to watch them all at once, and can stretch the fun out over the week. 

Our prompt this week:

about Herbs and spices...do you grow any? how do you do it? pots, inside or out side? all year or in summer. Do you dry them for use later?

 I don't have much success growing anything in Colorado, but always try Basil at least. This year it did not thrive but I've added into many dishes this summer. the nicest was on home made pizza... basil leaves just under the cheese... delish. The ground seems to be inhospitable so I grow what I can, in pots. We have a large raised bed for veggies. I only try growing them in hot weather not inside. I have tried drying the basil but it has little flavor afterwards. 

larger raised bed holds remains of basil and tomato plant

I do love fresh ginger, and orange and lemon peel. I grate the fruit and freeze the rind for all baking. I put orange peel as well as fresh grated ginger in sweet potato casseroles. I use the peel in lots of baked goods. I put ginger in chicken salad, in soups, in casseroles, and want to try making ginger syrup to use in drinks. 

I love fennel but can't find it in our stores here. I've never lived anywhere else where I couldn't find groceries. 

grasshoppers are numerous right now...

 We both like okra and tomatoes made from an old Tampa recipe from Gasparilla cookbook


weeks of 85F but cooler at night temps causing trees to color up

then one jealous poodle photo bombs my fall pictures...
Hey, Mama! what can you be taking photos of? I'm the big attraction around here!
boring! where's my pink ring toy... I left it here somewhere

Here it is, put down that camera and come play with me!

 saw this on google images...

I have permission to take care of me. No one else has the right to say  otherwise. | Words, Quotes, Inspirational quotes

gotta try this easy fast chicken flauta recipe using oven not frying

https://whattocook.substack.com/p/chicken-flautas-and-roasted-corn?s=w&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

and this easy peasy iced cream made with 3 ingredients... cream/sweet condensed milk/vanilla ext. 

https://wondermomwannabe.com/sweetened-condensed-milk-ice-cream-recipes/

Milo's Moment


the pawrents think I'm allergic to salmon... sheesh! Luckily they made butterscotch icing this weekend to go on the banana brownies... I helped by cleaning up the icing beater! 

LeeAnna here, I love the offset spatula I got for icing situations!
found the recipe online:
recipe: sue moran

finished two small quilts, one shown last Saturday's post, and one to share tomorrow  hopefully

Now please visit these people to see what they liked this week!

grammajudyb.blogspot.com

 
               friday smiles at a stitch in time

 


Saturday, September 23, 2023

quilting art... this week's creativity round

 

welcome to this week's creativity round up... I spent more time with needle and thread this week. 

The turquoise/aqua color palette sang to me, of peace, comfort, soft beauty and clear skies. This little improvisational piece is finished, and fits my bedside table beautifully. 

it started with the 4 log cabin blocks... tiny scraps and color variations, one sewn to another, round and round then trim and sew the 4 blocks together. I had little triangles in the box, so those were done in an improvisational way. Flying Geese.

I wanted color balance  so I continued to add triangles from the white/beige box. There! They are just about long enough to go with the center. Add in two turquoise scraps following the curves of the geese

lots probably too much quilting for a 12" X 20" piece and it's done. Bind with another strip from scrap box...

I also nearly finished the quilting on the other turquoise piece too...

The challenge color of the month at RSC is to use Aqua scraps this month... and I'm happy to say I sewed  and sewed and the level of scraps left is still high! 

I am always amazed at the beauty in tiny pieces of fabric sewn next to each other. 

Little steps... add this to that, vary the lines, use all shades together, vary the sizes and this piece turned into a landscape to me...reminding me of lakes and mountains, of grassy banks, and gentle breezes...

Like putting together a puzzle, like fitting in mosaic tiles, like dabbing on dots of color....

I am deciding if to add or where to place the bits of blowing petals. I'll stitch over them with a gold metallic thread. Both pieces were totally quilted with sulky mylar hologram thread and they gently sparkle when the light hits it. 

I just need to put on the binding, and finish (over-)quilting it and this will be finished. 

I was inspired to use my yo yo tools this week by a free workshop this week...

I had them for years...Y E A R S !! and finally used them... and am working on putting them onto this: 

so many decisions when you work in an additive way. Design as you go along. 

I think some beaded beads in the centers would be nice. Maybe antique buttons to tack them down to a quilted tree... 

Zen stitch starts next week, alongside a painting workshop. I am mid abstract painting workshop now with Laly Maille, so I'm putting down my needle for today and going to paint. 

And bake bread. The temps are predicted to be 77F instead of 85F like it's been and will be for weeks because it's now hot in the front range of Colorado. When we moved here a few years ago it cooled off first of Sept and snowed by Halloween. I think, if we are kind to Mother Earth she'll be kind to us. I want to protect nature, it gives so much to me.

here's to lots of time to create this week for all... getting lost in creation makes me a better person

Zen stitch workshop (free) through Kate Ward coming the following week

you can get all the details over here

and painting workshop thru Tamara La Porte (free ) overlapping the same week

linking with

design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts

https://songbirddesigns.blog/monday-musings-6-26-23/ 

finished or not

off the wall Fridays


Thursday, September 21, 2023

I Like Thursday # 368 spices poppies and a poodle

Welcome to this week's list of likes... starting with flowers

My wildflowers didn't really bloom well this year but look what just showed up! A poppy in the most glamorous shade of salmon pink! Ooooo I want a dress this color, and a garden full of them this color

I like to paint, I shall attempt to paint this soon! 

The prompt for the I Like Thursday people this week is: 

"Favorite herbs/spices    Your most used spices or herbs... what do you seem to use over and over?

how do you store spices and herbs? jars they come in, special holders, etc.

I LOVE fresh ginger, and keep the root in our fridge, along with fresh garlic cloves, and love Basil especially home grown


Milo: Mama! I sniffed it, it's not my fault you couldn't take the picture quickly enough!"

 I mostly store them in original jars, in a drawer near the stove. I use them in lots of dishes, and now that I cook all the time, they are up to date and fresh! I often use garlic powder, paprika, oregano, basil, cinnamon, and pepper.

Our prompts for the next coming weeks involve how we use them, what we make with them, and if we make more exotic dishes that we didn't grow up eating. Stay tuned and join us if you want to, I can send you the upcoming prompt list! 

Fine Dining

We still get grocery delivery, and there is always something sent out of it's expiration date, this week it was egg whites with only one week to go. Crikey, lots of eggs to use in one week, so I baked dog cookies, and made a quiche. We had lunches for 3 days and it was great! I used this simple crust recipe from Nana...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHUwGaJD2pw&t=76s 

and this recipe with more veggies added, for the quiche: https://www.myfoodandfamily.com/recipe/213138/egg-white-quiche-with-spinach-mushrooms-and-feta

TV is about to be great... coming soon, The bachelor is 72 years old this time! and dating age appropriate women, Bachelor in Paradise, Survivor, Amazing Race, Halloween baking show, and more!

Painting workshop online from Laly Maille starts Friday... I'm not comfortable with abstracts but looking forward to this one.


something I painted last week:

and sewing is always fun, what I'm working on at the moment

Reading on audio books:


 while waiting for her 3rd in the school by the sea series, I'm listening to this wonderful story of a woman who is a 3rd generation pilot in Scotland... and the interactions and demands she has in life, Read in a charming Scottish accent, I now talk like her!!!

just finished a LOVELY novel of two girls who try to reclaim a life after Nazi's ruined theirs... and then found out the author mentioned it's about her mother's life. Recommend.

 

On E Book... still reading at night...love the series of Beryl and Edwina mysteries

Murder Cuts the Mustard - Ellicott, Jessica 

Watching on Youtube... yea! Time Team has a whole new series on youtube! Watched three so far. 

I love history so I really liked the way this was filmed, and the content, and went on to watch some others after it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MHIjO2aaWU
 what was everyday life like during the time of Jesus

Milo's Moment:

Milo: my ears are still hurting and Mama is trying to be a nurse. I told her even if I'm allergic to some foods, give me what I want, since my ears hurting so much all the time anyway. She says, it could be even worse buddy, I mean. What kind of logic is that?? We is all hurting some ways, so might as well have some cookies, right? amiright? 

now please visit these friends to see what they like this week. I hope to see Wilbur, and Brian, and Pixie and some critters who I don't know their names...all the fun friends here!

grammajudyb.blogspot.com

 
               friday smiles at a stitch in time