Swap Fun

 

 

Natalea at Kandeland hosted a little ornament swap

that I participated in....

 

Thought you needed to see some SWEEEEET

ornaments today.

 

Be sure to click on the links and visit their blogs....

 

My photos do not do justice to any of these.

They are so perfect and so inspired!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Viv's Whimsy
This is such a delightful stocking...
everything created with attention to detail... the little face
is a split styrofoam ball.

 

 

Jeanne made these wonderful snow worlds in little jam jars.
French writing surrounds the edge and the top is decorated as well...
Magnifique!

 

Kimberly
 did this doll leg!
It is soooo delightful... filled with beauty...
I have a doll leg that I could do that, too!
 

Natalea

 made a beautiful fabric heart with

Joy to the World stitched on.

You know how I love fabric and stitching!

This is soooo special!

 

 

Sandy did the tree above and the darling framed image below.... love both!
She stitched the trees with sticks for their base... a lot of work getting that
tree shape...
And below is a delightful image in that sweet frame!

Patty did the beautiful spoon ornament below.... it is her usual exquisity!

I'm pretty sure that's not a word.... but I think I'm going to get away with it.

I made little snow worlds inside of watch case boxes that I order from Lee Valley.

Hard to photograph .... I used my Cropadile to make holes in the top to string a hanger through.

I think you can figure the rest out easily.

I buy little figures when they are on sale at Michael's (for train villages, etc.)!

 

I added words to the inside of the top with glue.

And I punch a hole in the bottom under the figurine

to hang something like a bell or drop through...

 

You've still got time!

 

Have a blessed Christmas....

Broken Hearts

 

Stephanie Ackerman created this.

 

Go read about it on her blog....

and you can take my image above by right-clicking, or

go to her blog and ask for the download...

 

either way....

 

share it with others...

 

It's going to be printed and sold with

proceeds going to help New Town....

 

 

 

Do All the Good You Can

 

 

“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” – John Wesley

(photo lifted from http://momastery.com/blog/'s facebook page)

QB5 Zine is Home

 This is a zine round robin swap we've worked on all of 2012! 

 We each started a zine on a topic we enjoy and passed it on to the others to work in...

They all arrived home this past week...

Mine was "Grandma's Photos".

(more here when I first sent it out)

Below is some of Carole's work...

she wrote a war time story with a photo attached...

She's an accomplished writer...

 Below is a spread done by Margaret....

beautiful colors and a Swiss touch... which I adore...

 Patty did the spread below...
.which also speaks to cloning mishaps.....

We do have a sense of humor in these swaps.....

 Negatives as a great edge to a page.....

 Another spread by Patty...........  love the fan deck of negatives..

and the bag on the left with a great

negative of someone that appears to be in a hospital bed.

 ... and it has this great metal Kodak clip ---

 and I'm quite sure this page is Patty's, too.....

possible QB5ERS in a prior lifetime....

 This is Nathalie's gorgeous page....

old negative strips woven into a great page with lace, ribbon, snaps and a photo of mother & child.....

 Here are some of the black and white pictures that came back......

 we traded photos...

 The zine standing

 

The front of my zine..

which I did

before I mailed it.

That's a huge accomplishment for me!

This cover image is of my mother's family.

My mother is the pretty one in the white blouse on her knees...

2nd row....

She was in her early teens.

She scratched out her brother-in-law from the photo

as he caused the death of her father not long after

that picture was taken....

Grandma's photos tell lots of stories...

QB5 Flags Received

 I have received two flags in our swap....

Above is the flag from Margaret.

It's soooo very lovely....

She and Patty are the Queens of layering.

I learn so much from them.

I love how Margaret used a rubber stamp on the background...

so I did that on the rest of the ones I made...

The pictures do not do justice to any of our flags...

nor do they capture the color.... maybe one of the other Bee's will (QB is Queen Bees)...

Below is Patty's flag she made for me:

You realize that it's fabric that has been gelatin monoprinted.

And I love how she wove the ribbons through the trim at the bottom!

Margaret... on her's..... had fabric (or dyed some?) to match the flag and made a piece to edge the bottom.

These all have 3 inch casings at the top and I'm going to string them across the window in my art room!

Have you made prayer/blessing flags?

Have you done gelatin monoprinting?

QB5 Flags

The QB5 is swapping Prayer/Blessing flags now...

This is the one I made for Carole!

The wonderful thing about these is that Patty made all the bases for us...

by gel printing fabric....

 can't wait to see them all!

First Birthday

My granddaughter turned one this past week!!!

and,

yes,

I made the tutu high chair skirt as seen all over Pinterest!

Whyyyy did I eat so much turkey and dressing?

Whyyyyyyy?

And now I have to shop?

..... just in case you feel overwhelmed.....

here are some of mine (and  my granddaughter's) favorite etsy shops....

Reusable Snack and Sandwich Bags for your kiddos!

This is my friend Candice right here in Kingwood, TX!
(Sorry.... I just realized she's closed til January! You will have to try later.)

 Kiwi Carole's Shop "Roses Under My Pillow"

Vintage goodies and other special items from my friend Carole in New Zealand!

 Ruby Floy which is my friend Nathalie's shop.......

so much vintage stuff....

 you should check it out.

Swiss Paper Plus which is my friend Margaret's shop.

 Great stuff from Switzerland!

 Messie Jessie which has beautiful fabric and paper dresses

and other wonders. I love her stuff! She's in the UK.

 Charlotte Lyons You know how awesome her stuff is!

Cari Kraft a Silver Bella friend....

 has some great supplies you may need!!!!

Hope you survive Black Friday here in the U.S.

Thankful

A week from today is Thanksgiving here in the United States of America.

I have a lot of friends that are doing 30 days of Gratitude
 and
 posting it on Facebook every day this month.

If you don't do a gratitude journal..... maybe just this week you could try it...

Every day write down at least one thing you are thankful for.

You are making lists every day this time of year anyway....

add some things you are thankful for........

it will bless you....

try it and see....

A Few More Quilt Festival Pics

Do you see what those are?

  and this is a different quilt (below) by the same artist....

and it photographed like it was different colors...

but in person the one below looked to be one color...

My shot of the description of the top quilt cut off the edge....

but it's twist ties!

The poppy quilt above.......  description didn't explain the background...

I'm guessing the artist wrote in white on the background, 

it wasn't stitched.

I'd like to think it was cheater cloth.... but we all now it wasn't!!!

And, yes, this one looked like a photograph...

I don't think there were as many art quilts as in the past...

I like art quilts....

and

for your shopping pleasure...

Some of my favorite vendors....

 Handbehg Felts

Mary Flanagan Woolens

Pink Eyed Sissies

I failed to mention last post that
this was the 26th year in a row for
BFF Virginia and I to attend together!

More 2012 International Quilt Festival

 Here are a few shots I thought you'd enjoy...... this is a denim quilt.... note the jean waist bands.

 The one below was interesting......... especially from a distance.....

 I love quilts that are cut in strips....

I think I might have one or two unfinished that I could just stop now and cut in strips and call done!

I would've shown you some better examples of that IF photos were allowed.....

It amazes me which quilts you can photograph and which you can't....

 .....look at these two with their ziplock bags peeking out....

...... I have a few more pictures to show you......

................... next post...........

International Quilt Festival 2012

Do you know what is SOOOOOO amazing about these photographs?

The fact that they exist!

98% (my estimate) of the booths at Quilt Festival
have signs that say "No Photos".... which I do understand.

Most of us there don't need a pattern to make some of these things.

But we do buy patterns because we need them quite often and because we can't remember!

This shop (Handbehg Felts)
encouraged us to take pictures
 and go to their web site
download patterns and buy supplies.

I really appreciate that!

I love their stuff!

more pics tomorrow....
including two cute bag ladies...

Happy Halloween!

I hope you have a sweet Halloween......

I hope you have electricity and water and are safe....

Tomorrow I go to International Quilt Festival for the 26th year in a row!
Report will follow!

Happy Fall Weekend!

Happy pumpkin time from my sweet granddaughter!