Spring Break!

"Give me insight into today, and you may have

the antique and future worlds."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are off to celebrate Spring Break!  The next few days will be some fun photos!  

Enjoy!

Revolution!

"A revolution is not a dinner party, 

or writing an essay

or painting a picture

or doing embroidery."

-Mao Tse-Tung

my interpretation....

"A revolution is a yard sale,

fighting the crowds

or finding great deals

and purchasing a box of embroidery floss for $1."

-Alexa Lett

Bathroom Signage!

Every bathroom should have this simple...very explicit signage, with the spinner apparatus.  Upon going to the bathroom are you unsure of your purpose?  Is it necessary to give a spinner a twirl and determine your purpose?  Found this clever most descriptive sign...no doubt this has to be a southern thing.

Plaid Notebook!

My latest SCORE was this beat up, tattered and torn plaid notebook!  A recent pop in to an estate sale landed me this fabulous piece of teacher-rific, organized seasonal goodness!

No doubt the former owner and creator loved her job.  She obviously taught elementary children and believed every holiday should be celebrated with songs...poems...and tradition.  

Who knew the Red Cross had a song?

Loved this cover of the two lambs!  An the date of the cover was my birth year.  

What a ko-ink-a-dink!

Yes...it is an illustrated page of "Fun With Fingers".

Adorable!

Handwritten notes to "Mister Rabbit"!

Now we have the all time Easter favorite..."Little Peter Rabbit"...

and the "Hot Dog" song.  

Nubby notebook of Spring freshness!

Float!

"When the tides of life turn against you

and the current upsets your boat,

don't waste those tears on what might have been,

just lie on your boat and float!"

-anonymous

Just a little piece of art to float us into Spring!

Wood Puppet Goodness!

I found this great wood-like puppet at a yard sale.  My 9th sense (the sense that tends to create my own version of the reality, and has no foundation from which to base this series of self-determined facts) feels an elderly man sitting on bench near a shade tree solving world peace and whittling on piece of branch, ended the afternoon with this little primitive piece of creative goodness.  With the aid of my beaded wire hanger, and one of the mass inventory of stitched hearts, accompanied with a few words, only enhanced this little jewel.  

Now....the crowning glory...it is reversible!  

This side reads, "get one then have one"

and this side reads, "get one use it".

I thought it was interesting....my husband immediately...without an iota of contemplation asked, "who is going to turn it over and read the other side? What is the point?"  Well....I'm not sure any one is going to turn it over...but, without an iota of hesitation I replied with, "I like it.

 Enough said.  

Embroidery Goes Mobile!

This little sampler took approximately one evening of American Idol and six volleyball games.  Have you ever sat through a volleyball tournament?  I do that a lot.  The hardest part is really getting into the stitches and a volleyball comes soaring at you at what feels like 122 miles an hour.  First movement is:  protect the art with your hands and throw your foot up to punch the ball...then go back to stitching.  It definitely keeps your peripheral vision on its game and tightens the thighs.  

The beauty of stitching...it is mobile!

Handmadeness!

Fun necklaces...all handmade! Felt with a word and a vintage bauble hanging from the bottom.  Simple, but glisten with "handmadeness".  My word....just made it up.  

Scarf Today!

What I had planned creatively to do today was completely blown off the "to do" list by a need to make a scarf.  The diversion all began on Monday when I went to see the fabulous new "Liberty of London" line splattered all over the television and now the retail floor of Target!  I do love when someone in the "buyer" community of said large retail establishments actually tip toe into buying stylish...colorful...and fantastic home...clothing...and accessories!  The commercials were appealing...but, the stuff in person was even much better.  There are so many reasons why I liked it...the first and strongest reason, was the cavalier approach to pattern.  They put anything and everything together....loved it!  Color was oozing from the serving bowls on down to a scarf.  Thus, the hiccup in plans for the day.

For some unknown reason I feel like I have to be given permission to put some things together.  What I think is awesome makes my semi-conservative daughter and totally white oxford, khaki pant wearing husband cringe in disgust.  So, I often tame my combos in fear of teetering too far on the edge of an LSD  induced color explosion (less the LSD).  They do not always appreciate my taste.  Needless to say, the inventory of "Liberty of London" product was almost non-existent.  Somebody sure did love it...so, I woke up with renewed color combos dancing in my head.

Below is a roll of fabric I recently found at The Salvation Army store.  The fabric was about 12" in width and there must be 50 yards of it.....oh what to do?  I've been wondering for about a month what to make. So... today I decided to make a scarf.  Rolled out two strips of 10' fabric...sewed them together.  

Dipped the fabric in warm water and twisted the fabric into a long snake and clumped it all together with a rubberband....threwit in the dryer to create the wrinkled texture.

My favorite part was picking out the trims. I only wanted colors totally unrelated to the fabric.  Only trims that had no relationship with the type of fabric.  Color and texture!

This is it....a krinkled, colorful scarf!  

Thank you Liberty of London....for the inspiration.

Conception to Completion!

I am filled with oodles of Spring inspiration...and yes, it is full of color.  Currently, my love are this itty bitty hearts all made from itty bitty scraps of fabric.  Can't wait to share the many artistic places they are going to find.  

Everything is in mid-finish....nothing is getting completed.   Check back tomorrow for some completed goodies!

"Long is the road from conception to completion."

-Moliere

Self Portrait!

"Every portrait that is painted with feeling 

is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter."

-Oscar Wilde

How do you see yourself?  This is a self-portrait of my little friend.  She did this in little slivers of tissue. She was only about 10 years old when this was created.  I just love it!!  It proudly hangs in my home right next to the waaaay over priced portraiture created by a local photographer.  Frankly, I see the real person through this face a wee bit clearer.  Her head surrounded by the green tissue polka dots is my very favorite.  It all makes me smile.

Recently had someone visit my home and commented about the two being displayed in close proximity...I wasn't sure if she thought this was a good thing or not? 

 I quickly informed her of the right answer.  This one is waaaay better.

Blue Bird!

"Never look for birds of this year

in the nests of the last."

-Saavedra

The "bird" is infiltrating everything as of late...blue ones, pink ones, green ones!  I love making little birds!  It must be spring in my head....because, it is not in the air.  Look for more to come.....

Brain Explosion!

"What is second sight? a gift? a training?  Or is it

simply that suddenly within the brain a thousand

impressions, ideas, sights, and smells coincide

to provide an impression of what is to be?

The mind gathers its grain in all fields, storing!

-Louis L'Amour

This worn...tattered...loved....and broken little doll head very adequately represents my head sometimes.  My noggin' often feels just like it is going to explode.  It wants to paint, sew, glue, hunt, gather and execute...simultaneously!  This explosion of ideas and stuff shooting from the doll cranium

 seemed to somehow help release some of my own internal exploding qualities.  

Let your brain absorb....then let it out!!!