You must go check out this very inspirational  video!       It makes me want to go give someone a compliment or at least smile at them.  I love being around happy people. They are so contagious! My grandpa was one of those men. He could find something happy and funny in the simple things or events that others would consider a burden. He would retell the story through his eyes. Many times he’d get to laughing so hard that you couldn’t help but laugh too. It usually ended with tears running down your cheeks, your stomach muscles aching and the feeling like you have been shot a big dose of feel good.  I also loved watching funny movies with my mom. She would get laughing so hard that I enjoyed watching her more than the movie themselves.

I’ve been working with happy colors and mix media these last couple days.  I love simple, silly, happy. One of them is this tea cup. My favorite time to hold a warm cup of tea is when the house is silent. I’m sitting alone looking out the window thinking of what the day will bring. Don’t get me wrong, it’s also wonderful to share with a friend as you chit chat away. I have couple more of this type of artwork in progress. A row of house and one involving clothes. They need something more to them. I’m just not sure what. I’ll stare at them a little while longer and see what they tell me.

OK…go out today and smile at some one. If your snowed in like us, then fill your house with laughter.

Here’s wishing you a wonderful Happy Chinese New Year.  We celebrated it today and the kids made a gift for you. Enjoy.

P.S. Click on the triangle in the lower left side, not the center one.

 
I’ve had a few questions as to how I did the circles. It’s rather simple. I just cut a few circles, well some what circles. There was no pattern to make them even. Just grab the scissors and have at it. Lay them on the white quilt square in the order you want and sew them on. I sewed them on with brown thread in a circular fashion.  I did sew most of them fairly close to the  circles edge and the ones that I didn’t I’ll get when I quilt it. I’m wanting it to get a little raggedy around the edges when it’s finished and washed.

It’s sort of crazy, happy, bubbly, any thing goes kind of quilt. As you can see from this one totally random little fish that ended up on it.  I think he’s happy there.

Pulling out this quilt top has me in a “bubbly” mood again.  I love circles so I made a quilted wall hanging that is dominated by circles. I just have to attach it to a frame and It’s ready.

This post became this quilt top. Three layers pinned just not quilted. While I’m finishing up things left undone I think I’ll finish quilting it.  I named this one my bubble parade quilt.

 

 I love the feeling of new beginnings in January. It feels like a starting point and the only way to move is forward. One of the things I have been wanting to do for a while is post about things that were WIP that once done… Slipped my mind and I never shared. My new habit will be to try not to show any WIP, only finished projects. I also want to get caught up on some of the things in the past.  Clean the slate so that I don’t have that nagging feeling.  Sorry if I was driving you crazy with that. I know looking back, I was driving myself crazy with doing it. My first “Finish the Post” post will be about my daughters room. 

My daughter had come to that age where she’s wanting to express herself. Not wanting to wear the cute bows in the hair, gives you that ”you have got to be kidding me” look when you see the cutest dress. While I don’t feel kids should be given everything they want and when ever they want it. I do feel having your own little corner is not asking for to much. Everyone needs a little spot to call there own and for it to actually feel like “It’s You“.   She picked out the paint. Blue was no surprise as she has never been a big fan of pink. I did personally have a hard time painting over the old pink painted walls. She is happy with her rooms, so I’m happy. And I think the room turned out pretty cute. 

I let her take the reins of decorating. I would ask how about this or that. I would get yes or no. Nah, was answered more often but I did get my way on a few things. One was my childhood antique cast iron bed. My mother had bought it off of our wonderful elderly neighbors when I was only a couple years old. They owned an antique furniture restoration business. My mom stopped by their workshop one day and instantly had to have it. The neighbors were the kind you always wish for soft spoken, caring and friendly. They even planted a small sapling for me on the day I was born. It’s a beautiful shade tree now.  I sleep many years in that antique bed covered in this quilt. A gift from my grandmother. I wanted to give my daughter similar memories. So I started on a quilt for her. I picked blues and browns with circle covered fabric as the dominating print. However, that came to halt when she came home from a shopping spree with some family members, her new bed spread in hand. Picked personally by her. It was easy to put the unfinished quilt on the shelf for a rainy day project. I do plan on finishing it before she moves from her polka dot room into the next stage of her life.  Not all the quilt fabric is sitting patiently waiting to be turned into something useful to comfort you at night. I took some of it and covered her cork board.  Can you tell she likes horses?   Her touches that she really wanted was the fluffy fur covered chair, fluffy fur rug, the horse bridle hanging, colored Christmas lights nite-light. solid white curtains. I tried so hard to convince her to let me embellish them to not prevail. I guess the saddest part is she growing up, mind of her own, not my tiny little girl any more. The room project was a happy and fun one. Who doesn’t like to redo a room once in a while. It just confirmed that she doesn’t need to hold my hand so much anymore. It could have been worse, At least she wasn’t asking to paint the wall black and put up posters of her Movie Star crushes and favorite bands.

Here is a couple samples of my sister’s art she has been working on.  She accidentally left them at my house the other day. I hope she doesn’t mind but I wanted to share her gorgeous work. She took a break from the more slightly cartoon fairy tale theme she was doing.  Portraits are what she is best at and enjoys the most. She’s a natural, it comes so easy for her.  She has been thinking about turning them into prints and selling them.  I hope she does.  She hasn’t decided how the best way to go about having them printed. Does anyone have any recommendations on that?  Speaking of printers, Have you heard?

Prints and Printers go hand in hand, sort of like a boyfriend and girlfriend. Cookies and Milk.  Ok, Listen up everyone. Molly is having a give away, a printer! Can you believe it. An Epson artisan 800 printer to be exact. 

 I debated about linking. Less number of entries gives me more for a chance…lol.   No, but seriously how can you pass this give a way up!  So head on over to MollyCoddle and enter for your chance. Best of Luck to you.

Happy New Year!

I know, a wee bit late. The Christmas holiday running, entertaining, and family gathering ended just this Sunday for us. I plopped down on the couch Sunday evening and let all the excitement drain from my limbs.  It was exhausting to either be some where or having someone over non-stop since the day before Christmas but I loved it.  There was great news from a family member. They could never have children and really wanted them.  Then to her surprise and ours…she going to be a mommy.  There was many hugs and tears and of course everyone reminiscing about there mothering experiences.  I’m not sure if we helped her or scared her half to death.

Then my sister and I decided to spend the new year doing what we want more of in the year 2009. So we rented a very funny cheese movie, laughed a lot, eat Chinese food wanted a good fortune and crafted the new year in.

My choice of weapon was embroidering.  I needled a little cowboys bases on a doodle I seen in one of my sketch books.

Then embroidered a random page of cute silliness. Ranging from pink slippers, stack of tea cups, happy whale, apples and red bear wear a black dress.

Well, I’m off to visit many of my favorite blogs. So I may be stopping in to see you soon. I think my bloglines is up to 4,000. Seriously! You ladies have been utterly busy! I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight with all the new ideas and inspiration floating around in that head of mine.  But motivation usually does make me sleep deprived.