Surprise in the Mail!

Look what came in the mail?!!!! My dear pal in Malaysia knows how much I love owls & ordered this darling couple for our housewarming! Aren't they the sweetest?!!! I love them so much! You can check out her greeting card site here. She also does beadwork & bookmarks. She has way more patience than I do! But I love her work...and I love her! Thank you, sweetie, from both of us!

Oneness Project

Well, I thought I was well on my way with January's piece, but the paint I used on the canvas panel just wasn't cutting it. So until I could get to the store for a REAL violet color, I worked on the rest of the project. Each piece will have a stitched focal point on the painted canvas. So next I cut out the Timtex to use as my stitching surface.

Then I found a fabric that was kinda violet & used Wonder Under to glue it down to the Timtex. All you have to do is heat it up a bit with your iron & it sticks.

Next came more gathering of materials to use on the focal point. I want alot of texture, so I have beads, sequins, floss, yarn, etc ready to go! On the right you can see I'm also prepping the canvas for February's piece. It is a Royal Fuchsia.

Below you can see I've started work on the focal point & am deciding how I will place the vintage item on the piece. It truly will be a piece about Oneness since I'm using items from around the world! I have sequins from Malaysia, beads from China, Japan, & some Czech, paint from France, as well as floss, fabric from Hawaii, etc. (Also note the better color for violet!)

And even as I work on January's piece, I start collecting items to use for February's piece!

Amulet

Been working on an amulet for our new home...also started a talisman, but don't have a picture of it yet. But I've been having a problem beading the amulet. After washing & restuffing, I think it's too stiff. I've already broken needles on it. So not sure what I'm gonna do. It's all part of the process! So I'll work on something else until I have the answer!

Passing Time in NM in Winter

One thing that's really popular in NM is reading...which we've been doing alot of lately. But puzzles are something we can set out & do together as time permits. Here's one Ron finished while I was gone to see Gavin!

Now here's a crazy one! We thought it looked simple, but not all of the pieces interlock! Some just rest against each other & different pieces hold them in. I've circled a close up of how some pieces don't lock. There's another arrow to the right of the circle to show more crazy matches! Click on the pics to enlarge them.

This one was a pretty panoramic!

We thought this next one would be easy 'cuz the pieces were regular. But all of those orange flowers just about drove us bonkers!

But so far the worst of all has been this 3D puzzle! It's a pretty picture, but the 3D wiggles on each piece! We could only work on it for a little while before getting queasy! I don't think we'll do another of these any time soon! Plus in the picture on the right, you can see how the pieces fit weird! Cardboard on the bottom & the plastic 3D on the top made for a strange surface!

So, after that one, we decided that we'd stick to a simpler puzzle. Just a nice dog. Next time I think it's kitties!

Baby Blanket

So here's one project I couldn't mention I'd finished before...

a hand crocheted blanket for Gavin!

Hope it keeps him toasty warm!

Prince Gavin is Born!

My computer's acting sluggish, so I hope I can get some of this thru'! On my "bucket list" was to see a baby being born. Well, my goddess/niece was due on the 31st of January. So she gave me permission to be in the room. I flew out on the 26th, and planned to stay until February 4th...hoping that would cover days on both sides of the due date. Well my plane landed at 4:10 & my brother-in-law picked me up...poor guy! He had to give me the news that Gavin had just been born at 3:58!!! Missed it by a few minutes! Ack! But I did get to see his first bath & got a chance to hold him. Here he is above left. On the right is my little sister, his proud Grandma. Boy, am I gonna hold this over his head for a long time! :D LOL! The main thing is that he is healthy & in a loving home!

Welcome to this world Prince Gavin!