Ms. Ellaneous crafts a life

It's the little things...that I was too busy to post on Friday, Sunday edition

So these "little things" are from the entire weekend really, and have some really "BIG" things included, like celebrating A1's sixteenth birthday.

Starting,

 

and finishing A1's Nook cover. A project I have been stressing over all week.

 

 

 

Finally figuring out my new sewing machine, I am extremely challenged when it comes to anything mechanical/related to "modern" technology.  It was quite a feat for me to sit down and figure it out.

 

A lovely table set for "High Tea",

 

and finally, dishes cleaned and ready for our next tea.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful long weekend!

FO's

Finishing, finishing, finishing.

 

A1's Birthday "High Tea" party invitations.

 

Part of the takeaways, moleskine notebooks, hand stamped and painted.

 

Ribbons glued on pots, waiting for flower soaps and washcloths.  Finally, something for the craft fair.

 

The Spring/Summer painting for over the fireplace.  Unfortunately, it's not quite right and needs a companion piece on either side.  It's bugging me but I think it has to wait until after the tea party and the craft fair.  I guess I'll just have to look the other way when I enter the room.

Of course, I have started a whole new round of projects since I took these photos yesterday.  I can't even post my usual "sneak peek" pics though.  That A1 is a clever girl and she would figure out all of her surprises, so, those pictures will have to wait, but the studio is buzzing. 

Why I should not be allowed on the Internet.

I'm sure I have recently bored you with my never-ending list of things that need to get accomplished in the next few weeks.  I could go back and look but all my energy is being used running that list, in my mind, over and over again.  That being said, I did find the time to browse my favorite craft blogs yesterday and became obsessed with This project.  After seeing this project, I arranged a drop-off point for my youngest daughter's sleep-over dangerously close to a Michael's, sub-consciously...of course.  I thought I would just dash in and look.  Two minutes later I had all the yarn and luckily enough, a set of size 35 rosewood needles waiting at home.  (I acquired the needles "free" at Webs after spending an enormous amount of money on my Green Sweater yarn.  It was one of those things, I had a choice and was going to take the 13's but at the last minute went with the enormous 35's.  It was project premonition, I'm a great believer.)  So, now I have this...

I even had to get an old knitting bag out, that I made years ago, to hold the huge quantity of yarn.  I love this bag and am happy to have it filled with yarn again.

I have no idea what I am going to do with this rug after I'm done but I'm making it and in turn NOT making the other things I need to.  Sigh.  Sometimes I just can't control my project impulses.

It's the little things...sunshiny Friday edition

I'm beginning to look forward to "It's the little things, Friday".  It feels like a good way to end the week.  I'm realizing that "little things" are really the BIG things, when you get right down to it, like having G home after a long week away, finally being able to look at the front of the house without feeling like a landscaping slacker,

 

(G planted phlox and grasses so I don't have to weed all the time)

having the ability to custom design and print invitations for your oldest daughter's sweet 16 High Tea,

(I'll share the finished product soon)

having a new book full of ideas and techniques, just waiting to explore,

 

(That's Amy Karol's Bend the rules with Fabric.  It's been out for awhile and I can't wait to find some new ways to create)

having fresh paint drying on a new project,

 

or meeting a kindred soul at the Barnes and Noble.  Little is big and big is little, I must remember that.  Wishing you a weekend full of little things! 

In progress.

That pretty much sums it up.  Projects in progress.  Parenting in progress.  Life in progress.

Everywhere I look, there is something that needs another layer of paint, yarn to be wound for knitting, forms to be filled out, laundry to be done, clothes for camp to be ordered, children to be consoled, homework to be monitored.  In the midst of all of this, I am trying to remember to breathe, to stand in the sunshine for a minute, to laugh at the sheer absurdity of all that needs to be done. 

 

 

Even sitting in the center of "in progress" there is peace to be had.

Recent celebrations

Last year we finally started to landscape the front of the house, after three years of living here.  So, for Mother's day I wanted another bit of landscaping, a flower bed underneath the studio windows.  Ever since we moved to "the country", I have had visions of a long stretch of orange day lilies, just like the ones that run along the fence at Not that W's Farm.  We are trying to be fiscally responsible so we didn't want to spend that much money.  You've heard of "Design on a dime", we designed on no dime.  We dug the bed, filled in with some left over topsoil from the back, and lined up rocks from the old barn foundation.

With a generous contribution from Not that W, we threw on some of her compost and planted the very same day lilies that I have been coveting for lo these many years.  I'm so happy.  I hope they survive the transplant.  Think rooting and blossoming thoughts for my day lilies.

In other celebration news, it's Earthmama's birthday today!  Between painting for my house, I managed to make her a few presents.

These were inspired by her favorite colors.  I made these as an experiment, but I thought she might like them.

I also gave her four free mornings, where B and I would read books, have tea parties and swing.  This last gift was a little selfish on my part.  I just want some super cute little girl time, but don't tell her, I'd like her to think I'm being all generous.

Today...

I was possessed by the painting spirits, pulled out some canvases and slapped on some paint.  I'm using colors I don't usually use and techniques I don't usually use.  I decide to revisit a painting I did awhile back and update the technique.  Instead of using a pepper for printing the initial shape, I decided to haul out some linoleum and carve my own leaf and flower.  I bought the linoleum about 15 years ago when I thought I might try my hand block printing.  You just never know what you might find in The Closet!  Besides a few near misses with the carving tools, I'm happy.  It was fun.  This is the canvas with the background color and leaves.  I'm going to try the flowers tomorrow.

I also tried to paint a birthday present for Earthmama.  It didn't quite work out, so I appropriated the canvas for "fooling around".

It turns out, I was happy with the results, so I decide to paint two more and switch out some of the "art" I have in the living room.

I like the way it looks all abstract from far away and flowery up close.  We'll see how long it lasts.

I ended up finishing A3's quilt on Friday after an emergency run to JoAnn's for batting.  It turned out just the way I wanted it, loose and cozy with flannel on the back.  It was such a satisfying project.  I did cheat by buying already cut squares of Moda fabric.  I've never made any kind of quilt before so I thought I would give myself a break.  A3 loves it and all the other children have started to design their own for me to make ASAP!

It looked so pretty blowing in the breeze on the line.  Ahh, the joy of fabric.

It's the little things... again

I'm thinking about making Friday "It's the little things" day, for awhile, at least.  Today, some of the little things that make me happy are...

painted pots ready for ribbon and soaps,  (I'm finally trying to make something for the upcoming craft fair)

the possibility of a quilt in a day,

and finding a bag, that you have been thinking about but thought you lost, in the bottom of a box when you were looking for batting, that you actually don't have, making it impossible to finish your quilt in a day.  At least I found my bag! 

I hope everyone is enjoying the little things today too.

Things I've totally forgotten to blog about...

but have been meaning to for days.  Reaching way back to two weeks ago, my Green sweater.

It's done!  The unfortunate thing is, it seems to grow when worn.  I haven't worn it, but A1 has.  She looked super cute and a little 50's retro when she left the house.  When she got off the bus she looked a little Flash Dance, after the splash.  I'm still not sure what to do about that, maybe the washer and dryer.

I also finished the baby gift for A3's teacher.

A3 wanted to give her teacher something too, "Since almost all the presents are for the baby."  We decided on a "Bundt cake" soap and a washcloth.

(We're almost there reader, hang in there)

I was asked, by my dear friend SM, to make three sheep for her "Trash to Treasure", Cystic Fibrosis fund-raising event.  I think I have made three sheep for this event for the past five years.  I always ask, "Don't you think people are getting sick of the sheep?"  "Shouldn't I make something else?"  She always says, "I want the sheep."  So every year, she gets the sheep.  I am not one to argue with SM.  This year I added some flower soap/washcloth painted pots, and a dishcloth/ "Bundt cake" soap package, just for giggles.  I am honored that there was a little bit of a bidding war over my things, and that they had their own table.  I felt a little bit like a rock star.  Maybe a one hit wonder with the song, "I always bring sheep".

While I was making flower soap for "Trash to Treasure" I made some extra for a craft fair at Not that W's farm in June. 

She has a lovely farm and now a new business, RED HEN FARM.  She specializes in children's birthday parties, organic eggs, the most delicious blueberries and a whole lot more.  I'm terribly excited to be at her Open Farm and Craft Fair.  More about that later.

And finally... a new necklace from jewelry artist Nicole Nicholson Murray.  I love it and keep it hanging on my "inspiration" board because it's so pretty.  I wore it to the CF event and received many compliments.  Check out her Etsy shop!

Okay reader, you made it through "Projects of the recent past".  Congratulations.  The saga continues tomorrow with "To sew or not to sew?"