Tragedy in Connecticut

Is the world just going crazy?  Are we doomed to keep repeating these tragedies?  Is the Age of Innocence never to be again for our children?  Must we live in continuous shadows of terror?  We don't need to fear outside terrors....we are doing a pretty good job of creating fear within our own borders!

I am such a firm believer in gun control...my father was a hunter...he enjoyed the male camaraderie; the thrill of the hunt; the bird dogs we had through the years were family pets as well.   I know there are those who think any animal kill is inhumane, but I cannot fault this desire to hunt as I have seen it up close to be a sport that CAN be enjoyed and yet be respectful and compassionate of the life of the animal.

But this crazy notion to think that EVERYONE has a right to have and carry a gun...concealed even...is just insane.  I found this poster on FB...look closely at the small print and please act!!

If you cannot read the small print, it is an address and phone number to the Handgun Control, Inc. office.  I have added the link to the website of the Brady Center for Gun Control for more information.

The First, Last and Only.....and Zentangle #99

Okay..this is 12-12-12...and I am blogging for that one and only reason....almost!  I want to have a blog with this date on it!  I have recently had a yen to do some journaling...have even made a new journal..painted pages, stitched, ready to go....but for some reason, I have to start new things of this nature on "special" dates..first of the month...first of the year...etc.  So this was to be my journal for the new year, 1213. Then when I was sharing this peculiarity with my Creative Crones, Beth who is the star "journalist" in our midst, reminded me of  this magical date!!!  Therefore, this journal will be dedicated to DATES!  Starting with today!

My daughter got me a copy of "Journal Fodder: 365 Days of Journaling" by Eric Scott and David Modler...and this one MUST begin on January 1!!  So I will just have to get myself another journal going!!!  The book is month by month, so I think I will make 12 small journals..then put them altogether at the year's end.

And this week the Diva gave us the challenge of doing a Loop Border on the tile.  Go to her website to see what that is all about.  Here is my tile:

Zentangle #99

Next week will be the Diva's 100th challenge...she has promised something special!!

Creative Crones of studioQ-December Meeting

Today, my studioQ art group met....we usually meet on the last Monday of the month, but since the last Monday of November was the Monday after Thanksgiving and the last Monday of December is New Year's Eve, we decided to combine the two months into one meeting...today.

My Challenge Block - "Wish Upon a Star"

Our challenge for this month 12 X 12  was "Wish Upon a Star".  I chose to use a paper pieced pattern for my challenge.  And somewhere years ago, I had started to collect Star patterned fabric....so this was a perfect opportunity to use of some of it...and I probably have enough left to make a couple dozen quilts!!!!  I need to quilt and embellish the block to finish it.

Beth's Challenge "......Star"

Kay's Challenge "...Star"..the top-wool applique; bottom- done with her handdyes from our last meeting

Rhonda's very abstract  ".....Star"

Lynn did a journal page for her "....Star" challenge

Three or four years ago, one of our members had started a "Block of the Month".  She got the center finished then decided she didn't want to finish the rest...so we all took a block, were going to get it finished, sell it and use the money to go to lunch!!!  It took all this time to get the blocks completed...I have had it for several months to put together, then pass on to another crone who does embroidery, and then our long arm quilter will do the quilting...someone will add the binding and off we got to "market"!!

Here it is on my design wall!

A Team Effort!!1

Open House for the Holidays/Dare #34

     Tomorrow we are hosting the neighborhood Open House..for many years, we or someone of the neighbors have opened our door to our neighbors.  We are in a community of about 14 homes...all ages; on 2 to 4 acres of land each.  And, even though we do not see each other very often socially,  there is not one neighbor I would not hesitate to call on if in need!  Not only is it a beautiful neighborhood physically...trees..open spaces...it is beautiful in spirit!!

Each year, my husband makes his now famous chili!  This year he made two batches as he found a new recipe to try...one a little milder (my choice) than the hotter (his choice)! And each year, the neighbors bring a snack to share and a sweet treat to "exchange" with the recipe.  We usually have sugar cookies for the kids to decorate and all sorts of beverages provided by the hosts.

My memory of such parties from when my mom and dad would throw them is a bit different.  In the '40s and 50's when they would have a party, they would all dress up...cocktail dresses, suits and ties, etc. (we are more the jeans and Christmas t-shirt crowd).   And again, my mom....hostess with the mostest...would elaborately decorate the house...all her own work or directions to my dad.  She would come up with the most interesting hors d'oeuvre...and this was a hard working/ hard drinking group of people!! Adult parties only!!!  We would be ushered off to bed, but usually peeking out the door to see all the elegant trappings the women would wear....until we got caught!!

There was this one friend of theirs who had my sister and me terrified!  She had a real gravelly voice...and loud!  A large woman with a very commanding appearance...she was a cheek pincher, too...all affectionately...but still when Frances spoke...we listened!!  As I grew into adulthood, I realized she was much more bark than bite!!

And I finally finished the Dare Challenge for this week from the Bright Owl.....

Dare # 34

Christmas Shopping...my way!!

I spent a couple of hours doing my Christmas Shopping today.  I have most of it finished...just a few items to pick up for the stockings and a couple of surprises for the grands.   Back to Christmas memories...I already made mention of my mom and her crazy Christmas Eve shopping...I have been almost as guilty as to waiting until the last minute.  But with the coming of the Internet, all I need to do is to make sure I get my orders in so that I can get everything mailed to me in time!

My whole family is really into the idea of Amazon.com wish lists...everyone will list much more than they are going to get...leaving a little element of surprise...sign on, make choices...then just click-click and it is done!!  Now to those who love shopping....the search for the perfect gift...the triumph of matching the gift to the person receiving...will not understand my absolute love of this method of shopping!!  The gifting, although fun, is not the greatest part of Christmas....the family, games, laughter, food, friendship, etc. mean  more to me.

I always thought my mom would love the Internet...she had such a curiosity of life and would love to be able to Google information...but I don't think she would like Internet shopping.  The search and discovery; the finding the "just right" gift was what she enjoyed most.  And then the wrapping!!!  I'll save that for another post!!

Christmas Wreaths

Cellophane Christmas Wreath-circa 1940-50

When I was a kid, my mom was a decorating genius!!!  She LOVED Christmas and all the traditions and glitter that went with it.  She had a wreath like the one above in every room in the house.  How we kept from being electrocuted,  I will never know as she had extension cords all over the place...and she kept the wreathes lit all night long from the first Sunday of Advent until after Christmas! These cords would not have been the heavy duty type with great safety outlets like we have today! And no such thing as smoke alarms!!

I didn't know how dangerous this could be...I just knew I loved going to sleep in the warm glow of a red bulb.  It cast such a dreamy quality all over the room..and they would be hung behind paper window shades at night...another fire hazard!!  But we all survived...and the wreathes are a memory I will cherish, but not try to replicate!

More Memories-Christmas Stockings

A Needlepoint Stocking

When I was a kid, Christmas stockings were a big deal!  I think my mom would add things to her stash all year 'round to surprise us with at Christmas.  Our stockings would be almost the high light of the morning...full of really neat stuff!  My sister and I kept up this tradition with our kids....we never lived in the same town with our families but we would get together at our mom and dad's.  I would always have my kids' stockings at our house, but then they would get another one at "Grandma's" with their cousins.

My sister, being older, was to become a Grandmother before me..when her first grandson was born, she decided to make him a needlepoint stocking.  But before she could finish it, she became ill and was unable to do any kind of needle work...so I volunteered to finish it for her.  It came out so cute, I decided that I would make one for her second grandson....then the third...then a couple of granddaughters...eight in all!  By then I was a Grandmother so I wanted to make one for my first...then my second!  As time went on, I felt I should make the stockings for my husband's side of the family as our nieces and nephews were beginning to have children!!

All in all, between both sides of our families, I have made seventeen needle point stockings...the oldest grandchild..my sister's...is now 29 and the youngest and most recent is now two!!!  Some of the older grands are now having their own children, but I decided that generation would just have to get their stockings from somewhere else!!!!

Another little item I want to share is that I have joined another blog group...It is "Bead Journal Project". (Notice the new logo on my sidebar/left. ) I love beading...and this looks like a perfect opportunity to stretch my wings in that direction.  I have really enjoyed doing the zentangle challenges and am going to finish out the year with the Diva's, but, although I will continue following them and occasionally doing the challenges, I am ready to move on with other challenges.

Christmas Memories and Zentangle #98

The First Sunday of Advent

Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent..we are new members of the Unitarian/Universalist Church...and are throroughly enjoying the experience.  Both of us have gotten somewhat fed up with "organized religion" and have been looking for something a bit different, which we have found with UU.  We love the complete acceptance of all beliefs, races, political thinking, tolerance of all...creed, color, or sexual orientation!  

And this is our first experience with Christmas in a non-denominational setting.  Although the "birth of Christ"is not the main focus....the waiting for something and being open to change seemed to me to be the point of the Reflections (not sermons, just personal thoughts given).

I come from a Catholic upbringing and I do have some great memories of growing up in that church even though I have become somewhat disenchanted as an adult.   As a kid myself, Advent in the home wasn't that big of a deal...just on Sunday at church.  I loved the readings we would hear; and the idea of "preparation"   I did really like the idea and tried to set up the symbolic Advent Wreath with my kids...when I would remember!

So for the rest of this month, or until Christmas, I am going to focus on what is happening in the present and give my own "Reflections" about memories I have of times past!  As well as my usual postings of Zentangle challenges!! And other stuff!!

This week's zentangle challenge from the Diva comes from another designer Donna Hornsby with her tangle "Keenees". To see how to draw this tangle, go to her link.  And look how early I am!!!  This challenge just came out today!!

Here is my Challenge for the Week:

Challenge #98-Keenees

Zentangle Challenge #97

Happy First Day of December to everyone!!!  That means only 24 days until Christmas!! Wow!  Where has this year gone???  I guess I better get busy on my Christmas shopping!  I am not one of those persons who has all their shopping and wrapping done by Thanksgiving...more like a "finished on Christmas Eve".  I have become an internet shopper though...Bless Amazon.com!!!!

I remember my mom shopping last minute...she never wanted to disappoint any of us so if we should happen to mention something we REALLY wanted a day or two before Christmas, she would try her best to either make it or buy it!  I grew up in a very small rural town in Illinois....everyone knew everyone...and many a Christmas Eve she would be tromping through the snow around the square, getting last minute gifts. She was even known to call a merchant at home to ask him/her to open up a shop for a late purchase! And because she was well known and well loved, they would accommodate her!  Can you see that happening today????

But my real reason for this post is to enter my Zentangle Challenge #97.  This week the Diva challenged us to create a tile without using a "string".  A string is a freely drawn line on the tile to create sections to help define areas to design.  I like doing without a string once in awhile....more freedom to create.

Zentangle #97

Dare #33

Today is "post the Dare challenge day"!  These challenges are my television-watching activities...I just cannot  just sit and watch television...I have to be doing something!
And, of course, sometimes I kinda doze with pen in hand!  Sometimes you may see an occasional "whoops" mark on my zentangles...those are the dozing times!  Some of my really heavily inked works are due to the dozing and the need to cover up!  But other times, I just change my original plan to accommodate the "whoops"....can be a real creative challenge to test my skills!!!  And then there is the dangerous, permanent pen marks on my clothing!  I am a very casual dresser, so jeans and t-shirts don't seem to mind a little additional design factor on them!

I actually am not sure why I got off on the above explanation, as this Dare challenge doesn't seem to have any examples of said "dozing" trend!  But in the future, look close..you may see some!!  That is one of the fun challenges for my husband....to see how well  I have concealed the "whoops"!!!

Dare # 33

Returning to "Normal"

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and extended family!  The turkey was one of the best we have cooked..don't know what makes the difference...we do about the same thing every year!  Everyone is healthy...the weather was perfect...fun times: eating-playing games-watching football-a lot of laughing!!

Now to get back to a few projects...my Crones challenge: "When You Wish on a Star";  my new group-Art Quilts Around the World- challenge: "My Profile"; and our bed quilt which is from Karen Stone's "Unusual Lone Star" pattern (this has been a long term project!).  I also want to get some journal covers made for some gifts for Christmas.
And one of my daughter's just gave me a set of India Inks and pens for my birthday (a hint-hint gift!) which I am anxious to take a stab at!  Along with a couple of wish list books..Sue Bleiweiss's "Sketchbook Challenge" and "Journal Fodder: 365: Daily Doses of Inspiration".  And my other daughter gave me  a gift certificate to one of my favorite fabric shops!  Do they know their mom or what???

I have made blocks for a "Sandy Relief" that Michelle Foster of Quilter's Gallery has been promoting.  I made12 blocks and sent them to someone else who will add them to others and make the quilt.  Then it will be sent to the East Coast to help someone after the hurricane.  Here are my blocks:

12" blocks-totally from scraps

If you are interested in participating, this is an ongoing project and you can find out more by going to the Gallery link.  The blocks are very easy and really help with the scrap bag stash while helping out others!

Thanksgiving 2012

Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all my friends, old and new!  Wishing you the best!

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!!!!

This is a zentangle challenge I did a year or so ago, and thought my little turkey would still be appropriate this year!  Pumpkin pie in the oven, silver polished (thanks to my buddy!), bread crumbs drying (again thanks to my buddy), rolls baked, cranberry sauce cooked,  jellos made....now to make a cherry cobbler and get apple pie out of the freezer.  Later on today, will get  ol' Tom (although I think it is a young tom) out of the fridge; chip out the  bag of giblets; cook them with eggs for my giblet gravy which I will make tomorrow after Tom is roasted.

We are having 14 people and have a 22 lb. turkey to serve!  Everyone will be bringing all kinds of food....I think we will have enough....and then some!

I wish everyone, everywhere would be able to have this magnificent feast with us....or one like it where ever they are!  It might be a little crowded to have everyone in!!

One Zendala/Two Challenges

This week, being a holiday week, I decided to do only one Zentangle/Dare and hopefully fulfill both challenges at one time.  The Bright Owl has produced some really stunning mandala designs to complete "zentangle way" and I really liked the Diva's "Zinger" challenge so I used the mandala given to us by B.O. and included Diva's "zinger":

Dare #32/Zentangle #96-Zinger

I am going to have to use zinger again..I really liked drawing it!  Now to bed because tomorrow I will start the marathon cooking episode!!  Pumpkin pie, cherry cobbler, cherry jello,  rolls, get turkey cleaned up and ready to put in oven early Thursday...we are having 14 over for Thanksgiving dinner, so I want to have as much done ahead of time as possible, so I can enjoy the company!  Also tomorrow, table setting, clean house, get out all dishes/flatware needed.

Challenges Posting

Today, I am going to post both my Dare Challenge and the Diva's Zentangle Challenge on the same blog because I am  little pressed for time.  So....First my Dare Challenge...

Dare Challenge # 31

And for the Diva's Zentangle Challenge, we are doing a challenge in honor of Mickey Mouse as the 18th of November is his birthday.  Coincidentally, my birthday is also the 18th and although Mickey is somewhat older than I am, we have been celebrating together for a very long time!!

Zentangle Challenge #95

TVQG Monthly Meeting

Today was my guild's monthly meeting...good see those whom I only see once a month! Our speaker today was Susan Cranshaw...a designer, art quilter and fellow Texan via the East Coast.

I had purchased one of her patterns from a quilt shop a couple of years ago...the Horned Toad...mainly because I wanted to make some items for TCU (Texas Christian University) which is my S-N-L's alma mater, located here in Fort Worth, and has a very loyal fan base...oh, and the Horned Toad is their mascot!

The Horned Toad

They are not very pretty fellows but have an interesting history and have come close to extinction. The design that Susan created is much cuter!  I have made a tote bag for my daughter to carry to football games and a couple of mini wall hangings....

Tote Bag

Susan has many other patterns in her Texas critters series...longhorn cattle, hummingbirds, armadillo, road runner, and several landscape/floral scenes.  Because I enjoyed her Toad so much, I decided to also purchase the hummingbirds and road runner.  We have both birds around here so I thought I would like to have them done in an art quilt...a triptych perhaps.

I don't usually buy patterns because I like to make my own, but her designs are so well done, I think to try to do my own would be like trying to reinvent the wheel!  And half the fun is to select the fabric to be used....that is what makes it my art! (Kind of!)  I have created a link to her website where you can see her work and also purchase items from her if you are interested.

Creativity Abounds!

Two weeks ago, my Creative Crones group met and we had such a great time...revealing our latest challenge, dyeing fabric, and eating!!  I had taken a dyeing class a few years ago but never did any thing with what I had learned except purchase dyes and fabrics to dye!!  So our getting together got me inspired to do more the next day at home.

My fabrics on the line

And here are some more that I did at home along with some wool roving I was trying to dye... the roving is OK but I want to try some more to get more vivid colors.

Hand dyed fabrics

I love the process, but I will say...it is a lot of work!!!  The dyeing part is really fun, but the getting set up and all the rinsing after is a pain in the ol' keister!!  I will do it again, but is more fun to do as a group activity!!!

Then the following Sunday, we met our daughter in Dallas at the Arboretum to view the Chihuly blown glass exhibit.  It was absolutely fabulous!!!  The exhibit was to have ended early November, but because it has been so popular, they are extending the date to December 31.  If any one is any where near the area, and have not seen the exhibit yet, I highly recommend visiting it!

Glass reeds "growing" in water

A glass plant

Closeup of glass

This is approx. 20 feet high.

Closeup

A water fall and glass 

Chihuly glass work

And this is just a small portion of the exhibit!  Much of the beauty was the setting...nestled among the plants as though the glass was a part of it!

#94-Socc and an Exciting Invite!

This week, being the first week in November, the Diva gave us a tangle from the UMT list.  That stands for Use My Tangle and zentangle creators can enter a tangle they like to be chosen as the one for all to use.  This tangle comes from "The Bright Owl" who also gives the DARE Zendala challenges!  Here is my tile....

Challenge # 94-Socc

Here is the Bright Owl's instructions on how she created "Socc":

And today I received an invitation to join an internet art quilt blog, Art Quilts Around the World...I am very excited about this...I am a big follower of the "Twelve X Twelve" gals who have had an international blog/challenge for quite awhile and have always thought it would be great fun to belong to one!

I probably gave my response so quickly that I have scared them off!!!  I just knew without having to give it much thought that I would enjoy being a part of this group and their challenges!!  Here is a link to the blog so you can check it out!  And almost as quickly as I accepted their invitation, I heard back from the gals in charge and am already listed on their sidebar!

Houston Quilt Show/Colouricious Booth

I did not get to the International Quilt Show this year...but I had a little quilt that made it there!!  Last year at this exact time...my daughter and I took one of the ONE DAY Bus trips.  We had a great albeit very tiring time....and I wish I had gone again this year...I'll start thinking towards next year!

Anyway...while we were there last year..we visited the Colouricious Booth which is an English vendor specializing in wooden stamps as well as many other fiber arts things.  They have a fascinating website and blog which I have linked to so check it out.  But back to my story!  While talking to the lady in charge and being interested in her blocks, she gave me one block with the  condition that I would make something with it for her to have as a demo for this block.

My stamp from Colouricious

A few weeks before this year's show was scheduled, I remembered I had told Jamie at Colouricious I would make her something...so I got the stamp out and for some reason, every time I would look at it, the little Camp Song "In a Cottage, In a Wood"  came to mind!  So I decided to print off the lyrics, stamp the cottage on, and create a forest around the cottage.  I knew some one from my guild would be going to the show, and sure enough, after I put out a request for a deliverer, one of my friends volunteered to deliver it for me.

After Peggy delivered it, she emailed me a picture of Jamie of Colouricious with my quilt....she seemed to be very pleased to receive it....chances are, she probably forgot that she had even given it to me a year ago!  But I would not have felt right keeping her/my stamp without at least attempting to give her something back!

Jamie of Colouricious with my little cottage quilt!

Dare Zendala Challenge # 30

This week, the Bright Owl gave an interesting challenge...not only did she create a zendala pattern for us to use, she challenged us to use zentangle patterns that, by name, begin with the letters...P-I-E!!!  Which she aptly determined  would help us to begin the big November celebration....Thanksgiving!

Ironically, as I was reading her blog on the subject, I had two apple pies in the oven...one for eating NOW and one for freezing for the Thanksgiving Feasting!!  When we visited NW Arkansas a couple of weeks ago, my brother in law had brought us a bushel of Jonathon apples from Missouri.  We can never seem to get very good apples here in Texas and Missouri Jonathons are the best, in my opinion!!!

Apple pie...love those Jonathons!

And the zentangle patterns I chose to use are: Pais, Ixorus, Echo, and Eyelet.

Dare # 30

And I have created links for all four of the tangles I used which will show you how to draw them and give you a opportunity to see a few other "zentangle" blogs!! Enjoy!

Two New Zentangles

This week I am going to consolidate the two challenges I follow:

Dare Challenge # 29

This is my Dare challenge from the Bright Owl who is having a bit of a challenging week so I hope she is doing much better by now!

Zentangle # 93 "Bunzo"

And my challenge zentangle from the Diva who gave the tangle "Bunzo" to do.  Bunzo is the center tangle and if you would like to see how to make it...go to her link as she has the directions for it there.

I really admire both of these ladies for always getting the challenges out there for those of us who follow them to do.  Both of them are very busy in their own rights with jobs, school, and family and to go the extra time for zentangling is very worthy of praise!  My hat is off to both of you!!

Quilt Festival

Today is the last day to enter Amy's Creative Side's Fall Quilt Festival.  It is a Virtual Quilt Show which I have decided to enter.  I had a hard time deciding which quilt to enter because I can enter only one but I finally decided to enter my "Ra, the Sun God" as it is probably my most unique quilt.

"Ra the Sun God"

"Ra"...was created after I took a class with Larkin Van Horn, a very talented Beader/Fiber Artist from Washington State whose work I have long admired.  I absolutely love her beading and aspired to create a work of art with her "medallion" technique.  The Quilt is 23" X 24", is machine pieced and quilted by me, and the design is my original.  The cabachon face at the center of the quilt is actually one of Larkin's which she kindly gave me when I was taking her class here in Fort Worth.  The strings of beads hanging down on the left side of the central figure are free standing; the rays are cut from some of my own hand-dyed fabrics.  The work is faced rather than being bound.  I think the Art Quilt, Wall Hanging or the Two-Color Quilt categories would be most appropriate for this quilt.

I had entered in the annual Quilt Show of Trinity Valley Quilters' Guild, Fort Worth this past month and was very excited to have placed 2nd in the Art Quilts Category.

Challenge #92-Stripes 2

This week the Diva has a challenge that uses stripes.  We did one like this last year and I was tempted to just pull up my old one....but decided that would be cheating!!!  So here is "Stripes 2"!!

Challenge # 92-Stripes 2

On a different note...I really like Amazon.com..I had Kindle Fire for less than a year, and I had a several episodes with it freezing up, loosing my apps, and the last straw...I could not open any of my books!!  So after communicating with Amazon support, they offered to replace my Kindle with a new one...which came within five days of our latest conversation...and I know I may suffer a little from the "Big Brother" syndrome/conspiracy theory, but I am glad to say they have all my data in "the cloud" so I was able to transfer everything with no problems!

Now I need to get ready for my studioQ meeting on Monday...we are going to be dyeing fabric and there is a certain amount of preparation..and I need to finish my latest 12" challenge!