I Like #31

Welcome to this week's "I Like"Thursday! 
*I Liked the flowering trees we saw on last weekend's walk around Annapolis. 

The town is so pretty anyway but with colorful trees it's magical. 

I sent a photo to my writing  partner Eliza, as a writing prompt and we both wrote a story to go with it. 
There is no limit to creative inspiration, right? 

Let's get started...
*I Liked also this little shop dog in one of my fave stores in Annapolis.

 She greeted us at the door, then rolled over for my husband. She's 11 months old, knows to stay inside an open door and is so happy it makes everyone who sees her smile.

*I Like reading these books right now.

Teashop mystery is for bedtime
 Reincarnation is for porch reading and
 beading with brick stitch is to inspire! And teach me something!

* I Like this post a lot. She shows a photo, split into colors and the quilt it inspired. Pretty exciting stuff!
https://factotum-of-arts.com/2017/03/31/re-engaging-mental-pathways-quilt-design-a-day/

*I Liked this dress made of tea bag papers recently seen at the Celestial Seasonings Tea Co.

* I Like these little travel containers from AAA.

They are just the right size and shape. I put the rest of my face cream in one for my recent trip and it's amazing how convenient they are! They hold more than you suspect, the lid pops off when you squeeze opposite sides so it's easy, and I'm still using the last of my face cream as it's easier to reach than in the original container!. They cost about 5$ for three.

*I Like the Creative Drive that takes over

causing me to forget my worries, my pains, and the desire to eat sugar. I'm in the throes of a purple circular frenzy right now. First thing I did after coming downstairs this morning, after turning on the coffee pot, was visit the design wall! Now that's a good obsession!

*I Like this Peep Quilt picture my friend Bonnie sent to me

yep, look closely... it's made of peeps. Yummmmmmm

*I Liked these barrel of monkeys seen on a recent trip to Frederick

*I Liked their people too

We chatted  about the challenges of old dogs and older people. I was struck by the love emanating from this couple... it was so large around them, I could almost see it, most definitely I felt the aura.

Also with them, was the woman's mother (who has Alzheimer's)

They related a story of the older pom on the bench, who recently had a major health scare. The gentleman said he was sobbing at the emergency vet's and luckily the doggie pulled out of it.

We discussed the challenges and exhaustion and constancy of caring for the infirm, whether human or dog.
 How it causes loving people to snap at each other.
How you love so greatly that your heart breaks some each day and how we must take care of ourselves as well as our loved one.

Do you ever wish it was socially acceptable to ask people you feel an affinity for, if they would like to be friends??? When we were children and met someone we liked, we just asked, "wanna be friends?" and then played together. Adults are not as easy to collect but I would love to be friends with these two very interesting kind people. We laughed at the same things, and got each other.

That's the human condition right? We can all relate.
You feel their pain don't you?

They are American, but were also immigrants
Remember we are all so alike.

Thanks for coming by!
For more good things this week please visit these people who wrote their own I Like posts!
As always, I welcome you all to write a list of random small things you liked this week, and I'll link to you too!
1.http://forestpoodles
2.http://littlepenguinquilts
3.http://imworkingonaproject
4.http://3poodlesandanana
5.maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com
6. https://craftscaviescontras  
7.https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/

linking up with  parties from my links page including:
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

Studio Tours #3 Monika's paper palace

Editor's note: I was amazed at the organization!
I asked how she did something, say felting, and Monika (blog) was able to go right to the area of felting supplies and show me a book she likes on it. The room is sunny, has colorful plants, fit Monika perches on a balance ball to sit, and she makes many things here alongside her two poodle guards. They also have a basket of toys and a bed in here.

While you're at the first image Monika told me she absolutely loves the flat files cabinet from IKEA as everything is visible when the drawer opens.

Monika is currently making Balms and Bath bombs as well as doggie treats we might enjoy eating too.

the red spots are actual rose petals!

She has made me cards and felted this Cole poodle for me...

She painted a watercolor of Cole for me, but doesn't know how good it was. I have several really clever cards she has made as well. Those lucky poodles are the recipients of her special doggie treats that she could easily sell.

So grab a cup of tea and enjoy her answers to my questions!




1. How long did it take to set up your studio?
Years! That room was a storage room for excess furniture for the better part of 10+ years. I didn’t get serious about it until the past couple years and that has brought me such joy. My only regret is not doing it sooner!

2. Did you change or tweak it to work better? How?

The room has gone through multiple tweaks trying to make it more efficient and with each tweak, it seems to be an improvement. Now if only I could cull some of the extraneous excess. There way too much stuff in there.

3. Music, TV or no noise?

Music only or NPR

4. Do you crave any snacks when working or stuck on a project?

I often nosh when creating. I hate stopping for lunch and starting up again and need to keep the good juju flowing. ;) I pretty much always take some water or coffee in there and sometimes that is all I need.

5. Do you schedule work time or is it according to mood/inspiration more often?

My creative process can’t be forced.  The mood has to be spontaneous. It has to feel just right in order for any art magic to happen.

6. Is there a machine, or tool you would like to have?

I just purchased a laminating machine that will make intricately designed die cuts much easier to adhere to greeting cards though I’m still trying to figure out my die cutter machine I bought last year that I had to have! Thank goodness my daughter can provide me with various groovy die cuts from her die cutting machine that work for greeting cards. LOL

7. What kind of sewing machine do you have? Iron? Lights? Satisfied with them??

I have a simple early 1970’s vintage Brothers machine. Doesn’t do anything fancy, but that bugger can sew! I love it, even when I try to lug it out (they don’t make ‘em like that anymore!) My Rowenta is in this studio as is my circa 1967 ironing board which squeaks like a banshee. 😆

8. What do you like best about your studio? Least?

The room faces south so the light is the best quality. I have a number of houseplants in there (two Christmas cactus bloomed again recently and I love looking at the gorgeous coral ad hot pink blooms while I’m getting inspired. Plus the fact that it’s at the opposite end of the house, away from the TV, news broadcasts and people. The dogs curl up in the room and I go about my creating. It’s paradise. I lose track of all time when I’m in my groove.

this is Elsa, the blond bombshell proving blonds really do have more fun.
For more studios look here
1. Cindy's quilting and beading Studio tour interview-with-artist-studio-tour
2. Mary in Colorado  2017/04/studio-tours-marys-studio-in-colorado

next week, Polly's Perfect Quilting Studio! 

The latest hexie stars

I'm piecing these hexie stars by hand.

Hexies? How hard could they be??? Really difficult as it turns out.

I prepared lots of papers and fabric scraps from my scrap bins to sew on the trip but I didn't work on them.

the block measures 5" each side, and fits inside a 9 inch square when pieced

Look at those happy piggies! And I've used that black fabric with colorful bits many times.
The background is a mix of cream prints.

Remember I made them larger, then traced off outside triangles to print by themselves. (The pattern includes all shaped pieces) (http://nelliesniceties.blogspot.com Pattern source)

Since I make lots of blocks, and you can't remove the outside papers til you sew around them, I needed lots more white triangle paper pieces. Having a sheet of those pieces ready to copy --on thicker paper --really helps.

I also make lots of components then arrange them into a star, sew that, and use it to audition backgrounds.

look at this colorful one... the color challenge at So Scrappy this month is to use multicolored scraps

One of my bee mates gave me this strip once, and it's just wide enough to place the template on it so the dots go across . I am in LURVE!!! I want yardage of it now, but alas it was a leftover, throwaway scrap.

That's the thing about scraps... they look like waste but when sewn into a block look terrific!
That center? Long ago I entered the Hoffman challenge every year. That center was the fabric the year I did a woman's hair from that fabric, cutting tendrils out, and curls. She looked out over a horizon with a sunrise.

Still finishing up the red stars and this time I mixed fabrics in the star, keeping backgrounds the same.

Ditto. I think this is a fine background for poinsettia fairy, don't you?
Only four blocks finished so far but you get the idea

Once again, something from nothing. The concept for me, unlike modern type quilters, is to vary the backgrounds. I do not want to lose the overall hexie lines so I am not piecing stars into "Kona snow" or just one background. I want to see the individual blocks this time.

After all, they weren't easy and I worked for it!!
Linking to superscrappy and sewcanshe
as well as these parties 

I Like #30 Boulder edition

Welcome to week 30 of I Likes! Boulder CO edition.

We spent 5 days checking out CO as a future home and today's post is picture heavy... grab a cuppa tea and join me...

 I'll start with our last day visiting the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)  which was in a modern building designed by I M Pei.

Look at the sculptural lines within the building. I want to work there and I'm not even a research scientist!

But my husband is.... and here he is against one window. That view is real y'all. Imagine spending your days working here to bring knowledge to the world.
Climate is worth studying. Knowledge is important.  Please respect nature before it's too late.  

Next "like" is chocolate!

 * I Liked this chocolate store's offerings...and the store was dedicated to chocolate.

Now That's a "chocolate cake" !!
and I Liked these "chocolate labs"

Well the labs were sold out but there are chocolate cows, pigs, ladybugs and many other cuties.

* I Like this sculpture... a blown glass bowl put on a piece of wood while the glass was still hot and flexible so it molded to the wood. Cool!

*I Liked this table inlaid with turquoise! Want!

I saw it in Estes, and I must have gotten altitude sickness as it is a way cute mountain town, and midway through, walking through town I ... wait for it.... "lost my will to shop" That's when you know I'm not well. 
But I did not lose my will to photograph beauty so enjoy these few pictures of the town

It was surprisingly warm as flurries of snow fell.

 *I Liked the Celestial Tea Factory

holding onto my cup of tea!

Now THAT's a cup of tea!
They have lovely artistic teapots and samples of many teas to enjoy while you wait for a tour.
We waited for the tour but when they gave out 50 hairnets made with some toxic smelling chemicals I had to bow out.

The factory was quiet for Sunday anyway...


Note these lovely teapots...

Read some of these fortunes and see the little man on top? Each teapot was unique and artistic... little useful sculptures. 

* I Liked this woman's hair... a lot!

She was minding her own business at a cafe table and I had to ask about her teal and purple hair!!!
Covet!
Kayla laughed and said she was just in NYC and was stopped every block by someone loving her hair!
The answer, she said was to bleach her brown locks, then use toner, then color for glossy results!

*I Like looking at possible homes, and the agent Kelly Moye was awesome in her choices for us. At the favorite house I saw this gully across the street with painted stones

I spoke to the owner who said her daughter painted them, also the tree branches on a dead tree behind the house. Wow, automatic Artist Friends!

  *I Like shopping with friends

*I Like visiting with friends

*I like taking spousies with Boulders in Boulder

on a boulder in Boulder's pedestrian main street

full of shopping and restaurants and performers

 Please enjoy this video... this young man who must have been quite young with an enormous future ahead of him, was one of many street performances we watched.
ENJOY!
(If it doesn't open, see it here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LykmzidT8KI)

Now that you've seen some of my Likes for the last week, Please visit these fine folks also doing posts about things that made them happy this week! As always, if you do an I Like post for Thursdays, let me know... and you'll join a great community here!

1.http://forestpoodles
2.http://littlepenguinquilts
3.http://imworkingonaproject
4.http://3poodlesandanana
5.maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com
6.https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/
7. https://craftscaviescontras  
8.http://www.mmmquilts.com/2017/04/i-likelove-2.html

linking up with
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

Colorado pet visits

On our recent trip to Colorado we had lots and lots of fun pet meetings, from puppies to dragons.
This little girl was Laila, a doodle meeting up with her peeps at puppy play sessions in Broomfield CO. I sure wish we had these controlled play sessions in MD as we are set to get our new poodlepup in a month.

We left our hotel Sat morning headed to see this group and learned a lot from the people while remembering what it's like to have a wee doggie. Better have another cup of coffee. Do you have puppy groups where you live, just for the purpose of good play in a safe place?

We landed in Denver on Friday night and headed for Monika and Sam's place for some poodle time.

They met me at the door with lots of pets,
"She really needed a poodlepet", said Sam
"I liked her" said Elsa, "She smelled like Salmon"
I forgot to pack their bones so I brought them salmon left from my dinner plate.
(I'm not above buying friends) (I know a poodle's love of fish)

Sooooooooo
"are you going to eat every last crumb of that homemade chocolate cookie Mr. Drew???"said Sam while Elsa just made herself visible to help with clean up.

These two were as loving and beautiful as you expect them to be and more. Monika and Wayne take such good care of them.




What a beautiful family and we had a great time laughing and talking.
While Drew and Wayne played guitars, Monika and I went to her studio (her tour next week!)

Huh?!?!  you ate it ALL???

Monika and the two poodle tour guides showed me the creative place where Monika paints, felts, makes glittery and papery art as well as concocts her healing salves and yummy dog treats. 

All too soon for me, it was time to go check in at our hotel and we said our farewells

 "Sigh... must you go?"

We were able to schedule one more evening together on our short 5 day visit but rain and traffic interrupted the planned dinner. Still Monika and Wayne forgave our tardiness and we spent another evening of lively conversation over dinner at their place.

On Saturday we were able to see Mary, Ben and Paul's refinished home in downtown Boulder. Lovely! It comes with their cat Fetcher who greeted us warmly.

While we stood outside getting our bearings, several neighbors walked by and asked "is that your cat? We love him!" I mean, Fetcher is so social everyone loves him. He's so social Mary and Ben ran into him at a neighbor's house up the hill when they went for a party once! The kids at that house introduced them to their own cat by saying, "and this is our cat!"

I finally got to meet Spikey who's activities I follow on Mary's blog. The unaware might not realize how connected this kind of pet can be but he followed me with his head and eyes, and I got to watch him catch dinner (crickets)
SNATCH!
GOBBLE!

and am told by Paul, he feels quite soft, the spikes feel more like feathers! He is a glorious color and incredibly interesting to me. I don't know why, but I could watch him for hours. It feels primal.

There are no lack of dogs in Downtown Boulder. I almost got my fill, if possible! I loved one musician's puppy who mostly stayed in the open guitar case while his dad played.

we even spotted this bear.... at Celestial Seasonings Factory showroom!
 Just outside the factory are large open fields of prairie dogs. There is a bit of a struggle going on between developers and nature advocates on this issue of prairie dogs.
Having no dog in this fight, ahem, just a figure of speech, I enjoyed watching them scamper freely about.

There are real bear, mountain lions, snakes, and assorted other wildlife sharing everyday life in Colorado.
People are aware and respectful of nature here.
I love that.
I'm not sure how people began to think they were the only important part of nature, but we should wake up and realize we are only a small part, and do the most damage.

We're going to miss clean air and water when it's gone.

(the quote says:
"The present never ages. Each moment is like a snowflake, unique, unspoiled, unrepeatable, and can be appreciated in it's surprisingness" Gail Sheehy

We went up into the mountains on Chautaugua and in Estes (rocky mountain national park) but did not spot wildlife as it is still a bit early for many animals. It's been warmer than usual however so we heard bears and others were already waking. I only saw horses, cows, and I pined for an alpaca.


I may have decided to find a home on 2 acres if we do move here, so I can have a small pack of two alpacas, a poodle and two persons.

linking to among others http://abcwednesday
http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/
saturdays-critters-