More Journal work

"all night the sound had come back again, this quiet, persistent rain"

Blues

I've been working in my journals a lot this month.  I joined the Roses on my Table group Journal Journey and also the Strathmore online workshop with Traci Bautista.  It is fun, something I have always wanted to be better at.  Not sure if I am getting better at it but I'm having fun with it.

The January journal prompt was New In My Life.  Above are my first couple of pages in my new Strathmore Mixed Media journal.

I also made another quilt top out of mostly plaids and striped fabrics from my stash.  Now I need to sandwich it up and quilt it.

I did a trade with another group of online friends.  We all made prayer flags for each other and these are mine, hanging in my messy studio.  Thanks friends!  I love them!  (the friends and the flags)

Remember last summer when I posted this photo of my house and yard?

  This is what it looked like last week when we had about a foot of snow.  It isn't a black and white mode photo although it does seem to be.  Note the tree that came down, narrowly missing the house and deck.  The birds are enjoying having it so close to their suet feeder on the deck.  They feel safer coming in for feeding.

Sorry I haven't been visiting blogs much lately, let alone posting on my own.  Been trying to spend more time in the studio and less time online.

Hope you all are enjoying your winter.  Or summer, for those friends from Australia and other parts South.

Be well.

A look back

Today, January 6th, would have been my 39th wedding anniversary. I have spent two hours this morning searching for wedding photos and these are all I can come up with. The above one is me, preparing to put on my wedding dress. I was (gulp) 18 years young.

Here is my husband, who was in the Navy at the time so he wore his dress uniform to be married in, he is kissing my Mom. We were young and poor so we didn't have a professional photographer, just relied on family and friends to take and share photos with us.

Here are members of my family, waiting for the ceremony which was at a little place called Chapel of the Chimes and performed by a Justice of the Peace.

As you can see, I didn't have any family members who were professional photographers or even very good photographers. That one is my Bridesmaid Ellen and of course, me. I wasn't pregnant, just foolish and in love. Danny was about to be shipped off to some where so of course we had to get married. That's what we did back in those days.

We were married about a year and a half and then Danny was killed in a civilian accident. He was 22 years old. I often wonder what my life would have been like had he not been killed. He came from a family of 13 children so I likely would have had some children with him. As it is, I never did, not by him nor anyone else.

Happy anniversary, Danny. RIP.

Christmas gifts

Now that Christmas is over I can show some of the gifts I made and gave away. First are these old wooden spools that I wrapped with fibers and beaded on. I saw them first at Leslie's blog, MarveLes Art Studios.

I've saved wooden spools since forever, finally I found a fun use for some!

They were fun to make and fun to give.

Here are some finished ones with hangers on them.  I thought people might be able to put them on their Christmas trees.

I gave this Dooleybobber #17 to my friend Maggi at To Dream to Stitch, over in the UK.  She didn't receive it until after Christmas even though I sent it 12-12-2011 but that's okay, as long as it arrived safely.

Here are some close ups.  The green and purple "beads" up there are sari silk strips wrapped with kunin felt and zapped with the heat gun to melt the felt.

Last but not least are these bottle snow people.  I used Starbucks frappachino bottles.  They were kinda fun to make too.   Heck it's all fun!  That is why I do what I do.  I guess I will get back to it now.  Hope you all had a lovely holiday season.  What are you planning for 2012?

Be well.