Fabric and paper flowers

   I saw this craft on Youtube and totally fell in love with the flowers. Then I saw that the projects were 2 years old. I just have to face it again that I don't keep up with all the new trends in clothing or crafts. When it comes to electronics it is even sadder, I'm usually 10 years behind.
   I started with one flower as practice and then made another one and then the third, which I then started to call them sunflowers. I went scrambling through the kitchen drawer because I knew at some point I saw some old coffee filters. Low and behold they were there and they were brown ones. Yippee. I stamped a coffee filter like I was told on Youtube and let it dry, I cut out the circles and sewed basting stitches onto the paper. The next step was to bunch up the stitches, and it worked.  I found my buttons for the flower centers and then thought I needed to try a stamped doily flower. I didn't sew this one because once I cut out the circles there was no place to sew. My husband asked me what I was going to do with the flowers, and I really didn't have a clue.
   The next day I thought I should make a wall hanging with my cute little sunflowers. I love the fabric I used as background and then thought it needed a border. The sunflowers didn't do it for me. Boring...I knew it needed leaves, but I felt to lazy to make them. Finally I got around to an idea for the leaves but they didn't work out how I planned. I wanted bulk and a 3 dimensional look so I backed the leaves with felt to make them pop on the background fabric. Finally,I liked the leaves and flowers but I wanted to add some sparkle and beads to represent flowers sparkling in the undergrowth of leaves. Man oh man the creative process is sometimes slow.

36 years and love is in the air

For our 36th anniversary we went up the mountain with our little Daisy to a campground I found on the internet. We had a wonderful time and some great new experiences.

 These are my little Lilly and Felix  for a Facebook group, they are paper dolls that traveled with us.

 Mimosas for our celebration.

 Trout from pond to table. We didn't eat trout but they were fun to watch.

Joe making decaf Mocha

 We will go here again for other new experiences. Lots of lakes and hiking trails.

Book Haul 6/28/13

Went to a thrift store today after many months of not checking any out.

Love Alice Hoffman books

Always need a good joke so this book may help me out

The Four Agreements is manna for the soul

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a book that has been on my want list for a couple of years.

Boys oh boys be good

A few days ago I went to a place called Preston Castle. It was built as a reformatory for boys 12 years and up in 1893. It is huge and falling down. I dis-pare of how they can ever restore it. It is a monumental task. It housed boys with no homes or families, or boys that were truant and boys that had committed crimes from 1893- 1950's. It was like a little city with dorm buildings and church and shop buildings for boys to learn trades. I personally think a lot of bad things happened there but no one is telling those stories. It is believed to have ghosts and there were 2 murders there that they know of. Unfortunately I cannot see any ghosts in my photos.

Scully is Lilly's little Steampunk brother.

Today I was hopeful to get ink for my printer.....But NOOOOOO. I did go to buy it but then the printer wouldn't print the yellow and then it wouldn't print the black. Yikes! this is a new printer, so have I worn it out already?  I guess I will go back to town tomorrow and buy some more ink and see if it will work. I did get a paperdoll printed before half of the drama started happening. I found it challenging to make steampunk clothes for a boy. I think he came out pretty cute.

I was packing some little toilet paper roll scrapbooks to take and show friends on Tuesday. I am heading out for a day in the Gold Country on Hiway 49. It should be fun and it will be with some of the same people I went to the Bay Area Gardens with. The little scrapbooks are of the garden trip so someone may be interested. 

Anxious to see  what kind of photos I can get on this next day trip. 

Haines another way

Today I thought I would make a computer piece of art. I saw something somewhere that made me think of the falling down barracks in Haines. Last night I stayed awake trying to think how I would do this PSP mash up of photos. I like how it has come out but my husband doesn't like the pencil creations from the PSP filter.

 All the flowers are from gardens and fields around Haines Alaska. 

I also worked on a flyer for our local travel club.

over and out for today.....

Miss Lilly and Lulu. Flat Fanny 2013

Every year a bunch of us have been inspired to make Flat Fanny paper dolls to take with us throughout the summer. We then take photos of our travels with the paper doll. In the past I have had Elpha-annie (named after the witch in the book and play WICKED).

Here is Elpha-annie in Haines Alaska with us....

This summer I have made a cousin paper doll for Elpha-annie and her name is Lilly. If you look you will see lilies on her hat. Lilly is Steam-punk and has a miniature pet elephant named Lulu. Some company wanting me to send them money sent me Lulu on a greeting card and I just loved it. I am so happy to have figured out what to use the elephant for. I think they make a great pair. 

This is a traveling altar that I change when I feel like it. I got the box at a thrift store and love that it is wood and had a latch and was big/small enough to take places if need be. 

Lilly and Lulu are in front of three Haines photos and I have a little drawing I did of our travel trailer at Haines also.  Then I have some treasures from our cruise sitting in the bottom of the box

I am looking forward to see where Lilly and I go this summer.

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