where's my Blogs?

 today when i signed onto my blog to add a new post i found all the blogs i follow are gone? vanished, disappeared and i am not sure why or even how to get them back. needless to say i am not happy. computers are suppose to make life easier at moments like this i beg to differ.

very little cross stitching this past month even thou i do have a class coming up in April with Sherri Jones of Patrick's Woods. a beautiful Sewing Box. i need to get busy...
i have been busy making gifts these past few weeks for two little ones i love who are turning "1" this month.
first was my doll for sweet Ruby. i have just finished a little photo album for her to always remember her 1st Birth Day party. i rarely do scrap booking, yet i tend to collect allot paper and trinkets for it.

as you can see Ruby has a fantastic happy personality and this was when she was shown her birthday cake.

yet

when her own personal cake was given to her she changed her point of view.

 i love the green eggs and ham sayings so i added them to a few of the cake pictures.

She did not like it here or there, she did not want it anywhere, except her hair!

it was fun finding things to incorporate in the book and

to draw a few bugs and birds to add to the finished book.

 i made my first ever fire breathing dragon for Otto's first Birthday.

this dragon has two different sides to him or her, it turned out to be soft.

 hopefully he will be holding it at night and dreaming magical dreams

i am now off to find all the great blogs i love to follow, if you happen to stop by please leave a comment so i can add you to my blog list. i wonder if i pressed the wrong key??

oh well have fun creating

miniatures and collecting

don't you love miniature things. i can't seem to walk away from them no matter what they are. i love these small but life like veggies. i need to find a perfect tiny basket or bowl for them to sit in. i think they are made of glass they are very light but they do break easy.

and then it gets even smaller, green apples and a small bunch of beets plus the avocado from before. they do look good enough to eat.

 this little tin chest looks like it has traveled all over the world with all the stickers the family as put on it to remind them of the places they have seen.

and last but not least i thought i would throw in a picture of some of my other collections. miniature chairs are another little item i love to find and of course anything to do with sewing. some i have made, some were made by special friends and some bought.
i love working in my sewing/craft room looking at all the incredible gifts that have been made for me, they inspire me to keep creating and to share what i have.
i find that crafters/stitchers have such giving hearts and are always willing to share there knowledge.
enjoy and share your creative gifts.

My first handmade Doll

i have been busy making a birthday gift for Ruby who's party is this Saturday, she will be "1" and i have been busy making my first rag type doll for her. i have learned allot as we all do when we start a new project with no pattern and just tons of ideas floating around in our heads.
 i wanted her to be toddler safe so no buttons or anything that would cause harm. all soft and easy to love and hold.

i made her wink and she has red stripped hair that is stitched close to the head with a nice little spit curl.
i gave her a choker necklace,
which i must admit was because when i stitched her pretty little head on it didn't look like i wanted it to.
lesson for next doll.
but i am still happy with her

she also has alphabet undies and i stitched Ruby's name on the dress pocket. the clothes can all be removed and who knows if she really enjoys her i will make more clothes for her.

 i remember when my daughter was young my Aunt Ruth made her an incredible doll which has long pig tails and a dress, underclothes, a coat all removable and made with such craftsmanship.

My Aunt Ruth was an incredible seamstress and i credit all my interest in sewing to her inspiration. she would make clothes for my sisters and i and spend afternoons teaching me how to sew on her Singer machine.

 i miss her and her amazing talent and warm heart.

i hope each of you have someone in your life that has inspired you to create.



she also has high heel boots

an old project finished and credit where it is due.

i started this a few months ago and finally i am done. i love it.
most of all i love the picture with my mom, my aunt plus a friend of theirs.

not the best picture but you get the idea. a black shadow box, 3 friends, i added my mom's pearls and some old lace with a few old buttons and hat pins. i love the black and white feel and all in all i am proud that it turned out exactly like i dreamed it. don't you love the polka dot skirt and what a great smile!

a little better close up of the friends. my mom is on the left and my aunt ruth in the middle. 

my aunt ruth is one of the reasons for my being creative. she was an incredible seamstress and would occasionally make clothes for my sisters and i. plus she taught me how to use a sewing machine.

 i love her and miss her.

sometimes when you have a chance to look back at your life you realize all the gifts that each individual gave you. i have been lucky, an aunt who was so creative and gave freely, sisters who encouraged that creative spirit in me and friends who enjoy what i create and most of all a husband who always gives encouragement to whatever project i have in mind.

and now on to the next...

class, tea and stitching

what a great 4 days i had this past weekend
arrived at my friends Beth's house snow all around, beautiful to look at not fun to drive in..
woke up early Friday for a class in Issaquah,WA. "Exploring Elizabethan Embroidery" we spent the day learning or practicing stitches taught by Lucy Barter.
Lucy lives in San Francisco, CA. and is the representative of the Royal Academy of Needlework.
Lucy graduated back i think in 2004 and is involved in designing children's clothes besides her wonderful stitched pieces and her classes. She has a studio called "Forever Embroidery:
She started the class with us drawing a design on a piece of linen, she did bring motifs that we could copy if we liked. our first stitch was Blackwork. i have to admit i have never done this before and enjoyed the process. next we tried long and short stitch, detached button hole which i love and have done before.
we talked about seeding, speckling, fly stitch, bullion knots, couching, raised stem, ceylon, corral oh my!
we then went on to plaited braid stitch with gold thread. great looking but i really wanted to throw my hoop across the room gold thread is not easy to work with.

of course Lucy makes it look easy.

Lucy Barter shared some of her beautiful works of art.

i spent all day Saturday stitching at Beth's with her stitch buddy from South Africa, Leslie and we celebrated Beth's real birthday with a delicious chocolate cake her hubby bought!
Sunday was the annual Northwest Sampler Guild Tea at Mercer Island. A full house and a great lunch with Lucy Barter talking about how she got to where she is and about  conservation work that she has done.
NSG tea always has a challenge and this year was "Trees"  which basically means you had to stitch something with a tree in it. 

trees are a wonderful thing to stitch.

i am back to stitching a little and hope that if i don't get to crazy my wrist won't act up again.

 i am trying to stitch with a frame, i think the stitching in hand has caused allot of the pain.

i am busy working on a new piece and it needs to be done by the end of April. 

 Sherri Jones of Patrick's Woods finishing class called "A Blue Ribbon Sewing Box" if you ever get a chance to take one of her class do not pass it up. she is so creative and unique.

till next time

Be Creative