The Quest and Baseball

Now who would have thought that baseball, our Texas Rangers, and my quest for wanting to find out what I want to do for the next say 20 years , art wise or any other wise,  would go hand in hand?   I was thinking this morning that is an unusual combination even for me. 

I just finished an different fun project, even for me.  I am in Artful Gathering, guess you know that by now don't you?   The second session is I think still open for a few more days, I have taken the second class with Pat Winter, the wonderful crazy quilting.  It is kind of up my alley with lots and lots of bling.   Now this is where the Texas Rangers come into play, like that? come into play?  We are not playing baseball together but while I watch them play ball in the comfort of my cool home with DH at my side.  I do my beading and stitches with my crazy quilting.  I made some more bees last night with some little beads I won at Pat's class.  I was excited about winning them.  So more bees added to my little hive of bees I have made.  I have used some and given more away so the older ones needed some more company.   I even sew the strips of fabric needed to make the Crazy Quilt piece by hand so the Rangers can help with that a sewing maching would  make that part go faster.   LOL, can you imagine those big baseball players sitting here helping me sew.  I just chuckle when I think of that, they are some big guys there, wearing their" costumes" that is what I call their uniforms and sitting there helping me?    Beltre, Hamilton, Elvis, now he would help me I think.   Only on the TV but I just had to share that.

OK back to Artful Gathering.  I am also taking or have just finished it with Nellie Wortman.  She does so arty different things so I thought I am on the quest so why not?   She is  a great teacher also and has shared her heart out with what she is doing. The name of the  class is "Not your ordinary photo album".   So of course that perked my ears up. 

We dealt with nails and chains and fun 'guy' things.  Once I was hammering and I thought it sounds like I am building a house in my art room.  Not really a house and I was holding the hammer like a girl.  Yes  DH says I hold a hammer like a girl.  How is that you ask?  I hold it close to the head of the hammer, he says I need to hold it at the handle end to have leverage.   Sometimes I do hold it so I can get leverage but I thought girl hammering is great for this project. 

The side view of the spine with do dads and beads

The front decorated with a fairy charm I had and made the little heart and the cover on the book had a gazillion layers on it.

The side view with a nail that yours truly nailed in. The back has several of the nails in it also  and the staple on the side was nailed in also.  I put wax on the sides, love that stuff it smells ever so slightly of honey.   Reminded me of the little bees I make. 

Here it is finished, the chain kind of got out of place it is suppose to be whooper jawed but after I saw it I fixed it and then tied some more fabric to it and at the top of the left wire. Can't have to much on these little things.    Can hang on the wall or sit safely somewhere, right now mine is on the wall in my art room. 

The book with the inside pages.  I covered three signatures with some fabric and I think have like 4 sheets of paper inside each signature. I am sounding technical now aren't I?   On the back page I wrote my favorite saying of "Be who you are and do what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"   Those that won a prize from me got one of the sheets with that on there. 

There you go another adventure on the quest of what I am going to do for the next 20 years or so.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.
                           xoxoxoxoxox Annette

One Man's trash is Another Man's Treasure

I have always heard this saying about "One man's trash is another man's treasure, BUT I have also heard one man's trash is still another man's trash.  So I guess it is how you look at it or if you are having a bad day it all might all  be trash.    Ever since I have started my new journey of  finding out what I want to do in the art world since retiring DH ( dear husband)  has been helping me with my journey.   We have started going to estate sales, now you can call them that but really glorified garage sales is what they are to us.   Big purchases?  Well if you call $5 a big purchase--yes.   Might even break the bank on this, well at one time when we were first married I guess it could.   BUT -- $5 back in 1961 was certainly more than $5 buying power of today.    I mean we could go to Kim's drive in and get two cheese burgers and fries and two soft drinks for $.99.   That was a treat and a treasure to us and we had time together.

I don't like to cut up DH's  ( Dear Husband's) mother's pretties but if I don't know  the people  it is fair game for me to cut up to my heart's content.  I guess like hunting for  chicken eggs in a hen house with lots of nests in them.  Not really hunting is it?  But we go to some of the sales and sometimes find pure treasures.   

I have been taking the class of Crazy Quilts with Pat Winter at Artful Gathering.  My second class by the way.

This sweet little clasp purse if one I just finished and notice the little bead bee is at the lower  left of the page.  He corrals the flowers so they don't go stray like a bunch of cattle or sheep.  Not having much to do with sheep I guess could just be cattle, but use your imagination of what he is doing. 

The Estate Sale we went to today was a house built by Frank Lloyd Wright and we were really excited to see his style of houses.  He was a great designer in his day and even today.    It was run down pretty bad but could see the lines of his design. 

What did we find you ask?   Well this lacy sweater, I can see it cut up and dyed to beautiful colors and applied to some crazy quilt squares and even some of my art journals. 

Below is some wiggly pictures of a silk vest for a whole $6, beautiful colors and designs.  I can see this cut up into pieces and added with some solids and taa dah Crazy Quilt.    

It even has some beads that I know can be used.  So this sale was a success.  So possibly it is true that the trash and treasure thingy is true-this time.

Well thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today. 
oxoxox   Annette

I've added another Blog !!!

Hi y'all, just a quick note that I have added another blog.   This one celebrates Crazy quilting and will have lots of goodies on there I just know it.   I haven't worked out all of the kinks yet but it is there. 
http://crazyquiltpassion.blogspot.com/  I have a link to it on here also.   It will consist, of course of Crazy Quilting and also members of Pat's class and links to supplies and whatever else we think of.  Scarey isn't it?   Please enjoy.   

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  

xoxoxox  Annette

Goat's feet and Crazy Quilting

Sorry I have been away from here for a few days.  We ran away for a few days and this post will wander I think even more than usual.  Sooooo hang on maybe even fasten your seat belts and here we go.

We usually go West and sometimes Northwest but usually West on our trips.    Once we strayed and went East but will do that one another time.   First stop was Vegas and went to several of the art galleries and at the Venetian they had the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit.  I do think I can safely say that man was way ahead of his time.  I think we stayed at the exhibit  over two hours ( they said it would take an hour ), so if you are there please go and it is there until October I believe and well worth the time it takes to go thru it.  After getting a good whupping there-food and other entertainment, food has gotten sky high there, just wanted to throw that into the conversation.  We went to North Vegas and got to meet  Mary Jane ,( art buddy and friend ) and hubby Jim in person and had a great visit.  I think Jim and Eldon got to say a few words.  Joe, MJ's Dad had some great stories for us and about Texas    Then we were off to Utah and went to a gallery group there and then to our beloved Sedona, Arizona.

This adventure in Sedona I do believe even Stevens  my Sky Diving.  I kid you not.   Nope I think it is even not even Steven but higher up on the scale of adventures so I think hubby is one up on me, not that we race on things we do, because most of them are together, but just wanted to say that.  

We met this lovely girl, well not a girl but seemed like it to us and got to visiting if you can imagine that.   Sedona is known for having the strongest energy vortex areas in the United States and there is one Bell Rock suppose to be the strongest but the most intense to get to.  Well, off we went to go climb it. Mountain climbers and hikers we are not.  Just to remind you of our athletic activities.    Now remember we are not spring chickens, in fact probably middle fall chickens.  Cluck cluck.   It was toasty but we had our water and got there nice and cool in our steel stallion.  Thank goodness for air conditioners.

Here is the view from the car of where we were.  Well, not we but one of us was getting up there. 

I climbed this rock and got to my nice flat rock and Nancy, the guide  was impressed that we got this part fine.  Then next there was this humongous  smooth rock in front of us, it looked like a giant hill to me.   It was just sitting there probably for a million years.  I asked her how are we going to get up that one.  obviously there were no steps and railings there.  She said climb it, I'll help you.  Well, I looked at my feet.  Nope, just human feet with tennis shoes on and hot ones at that.  I said no not me, I don't have mountain goat feet and I am not going a step further.  She and Eldon urged me on and no way Jose,  they said they would help me .  I would be a hindrance  I thought so there on the flat rock I stayed.  We were best of friends, the rock and I for two hours at least.   I did talk to a lot of people that got to our spot and asked how did they get there?  I told them and they would say forget it I am not going any further.   I told them they could talk to God just as well where I was as they could up there.   I also met a young man from Kentucky who had just moved there and he reads Angels and which ones that are around you.  We had a wonderful visit and ended with a hug.  He had the prettiest white teeth and dark ebony skin it just seem to glow and I swear he floated.  I could see him walking down the rock and I saw his feet move but he just seemed like he floated.  I promise, don't think I could make that one up. 

Another view of where I had climbed up this area.  Believe it or not somewhere down there is a parking lot.   Somewhere !!!

The foreground is the rock that became my best friend for a while.  I got to not only visit with humans but a humming bird came and visited me and we had a nice little talk and a lizard.  I didn't say much to him just watched that he and I were not going to share the same space.   I couldn't leave, I didn't have a clue where to go.  Oh I guess I could have wandered around for days and days and finally found the steel stallion but I was quite content there and it was peaceful

   

I added arrows so you could see where Eldon was going.  I used the telephoto lens here but they were a ways off.   They had water and Eldon did listen to his body and had some rest breaks.  My body would be screaming the whole way saying "what are you doing to me Annette?"  

Up even further, they would wave so I could see them.  Eldon had on a green shirt and could find him except when the trees or scrubs were in the way.   I kept thinking be safe Mr. Eldon who would be my soul mate if you didn't come back?

Eldon going up and fixing to climb to get to the spire.   This is where when I told people where to go they just threw their hands up.  

There they are, made it to the top of the spire and then meditated for a long while.   The people in the foreground were from Kentucky and Tennessee.   Two 18 year old cousins and the mom of one of them. The other mom visited with me.  The made it to the top with our guides help.  I could hear her yelling the instructions to them and up they went.

Kind of a close up of them, they say there is usually a man playing a flute up here but guess he was tired or all fluted out.  Don't know but he wasn't there.    After meditating they safely came down and I was awfully glad to see hubby safe and sound.  I know he was proud to have achieved this accomplishment and I certainly was proud of him.  It wasn't a race or didn't have to prove anything to anyone he just did it.  

From my safe flat rock I also viewed the mermaid formation.  It is all beautiful and red and just  feels good and peaceful there. 

Now you may ask, or not, what do I do when we drive?  We have a nav system but the lady on there does not like how we go and just yells at us and says wrong way or you have to make a u turn, she gets turned off.  I am the navigator, map in hand or the shotgun rider of the steel stallion.   Now when we travel and I have us in the correct direction, I think, I do hand work or draw or something like that.  Sometimes we solve the problems of the world or just talk about what is going on around the area as we go thru it.  I am taking the Crazy Quilt class from Pat Winter and I had put this one together so I could sew beads on it while traveling.  So here is a peek at the almost finished purse.  It is magenta but for some reason that color is a tricky little thing to appear the correct color in photos.   

There you go and thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.
xoxoxoxoxox    Annette

When is a Bee Cute?

Hello and here we are in the month of July.   Kind of the middle of the summer in my mind.  When we had children in school it is the month  before that they start band practice and Fall sport practicing.   So if we were going to do anything like a trip better do it in July.  

The pretty birds are out twittering and  chirping and gathering bugs to eat.  Yum, well it is  to them anyway.   Soon the beautiful dragon flys will be out.  I love watching them flit around with their iridescent colors gracefully dancing around like they do.    Now when they are out they come pretty close to me and like they are saying hi Annette, what's up with you?   If the could talk  that is.   When I mow the back yard, whizzing by in the riding lawn mower I do wear goggles in the summer just in case we have a collision.   Not that I go that fast  on the lawn mower mind you, but you know that could hurt being hit by  bug in the eye.  

There is one bug that I want to have no contact with, the bees.  I know they are good for us pollinating the flowers and building their little hives and making honey for us.   Well, not the killer bees which when we lived in Seminole there were instances of those nasty ill tempered things attacking and killing small animals .  I have gotten more and more allergic to them as I get older to the extent that benadryl and I are best of friends.  An exterminator once told me that cold fingernail polish remover poured on the bite, be it mosquito, bee, scorpion  any sting and it will remove the pain and swelling.  Well that is a  bit of news that works 100% guaranteed.   I have used that treatment many times.

In taking my Crazy Quilt class we have learned to make bees.  Cute little things and so habit forming to make.  These bees I don't mind at all and will add a wonderful touch to many things.  I purchased some clear, yellow and black beads and after a few minutes one of these little cuties appear. 

Here are 11 of them that I made last night, their feelers, antennas or I call them antlers are a tad long maybe not sure.  I really haven't look at them that close.

Each little bee is a tad different but they don't seem to mind nor do I.  Looks like they off in flight here.  Well a few are flying against the crowd but guess they don't want to go where the others are.

There you go and thanks for stopping by to see what is going on in my world today.   Have a safe and fun 4th of July . xoxoxox

The Saving of the Cardboard Tube

Good morning/afternoon to you.   Here it is the almost last day of June 2012.   Remember I said time flies when you are having fun or getting older?   Now where does that put me?   I am getting older and having fun so time is blowing my hair back.  You have seen the advertisement when the lady is running in a field of beautiful flowers and the sun is shining down with a beautiful glow on her and her beautiful hair is flowing behind her haven't you?  Well, trust me that is not me but time will blow your hair back.  

OK back to reality here my friends,  I have been taking the classes of Zinnia's Artful Gathering.  Now their second sessions are fixin to start and if you are so inclined please go there, a little clickie thing is on my side bar, and sign up for a class.  I have finished my wall hanging with Pat Winter's Crazy Quilt 101 and I have just finished up my last two bracelets with Mary Jane Chadbourne.    Remember we morphed from wood to a beautiful bracelet.

Mary Jane is also a wonderful teacher, I love her method of teaching, she explains it wonderfully and then you go to town creating and cutting and glueing to your hearts content.   I think collaging like this is like when we were in kindergarden, we were not inhibited and just did what we felt like doing.   This to me is, what Mary Jane is helping us do, just create and let our muses flow.    I even found a wonderful cardboard tube to put my bracelets on to do some of the finishing sprays on.   Now that discarded tube has a new lease on life and has cheated the deadly dumpster one more time.   No trash bin for the tube.   Sorry got a little carried away there.

So on with the showing of the last 5 bracelets. 

The domed bracelets with some bling also or as grandaughtere use to say lights on them.  The whole process was fun. 

The flat bracelets with also semi bling and some hand drawing.   On both I did some squiggles and even a couple of my original drawings.   I just played.

Now I have to admit when I first started making the bracelets I thought my goodness Mary Jane this is a lot of work to make these.  At the end of creating them  I thought Mary Jane this is nothing but pure creating fun.    See I even talk to my teachers when they aren't around.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  Have a safe weekend and see you in the next post here in blogland.

XOXOX

Annette

Silk Ribbon and Beads

Do you ever just stumble onto something and think where has this been all my life? This is just up my alley and here I am semi ancient and just learning it and playing with it.  What is it you ask?  Crazy Quilting with Pat Winter at Artful Gathering and Mary Jane Chadbourne with her beautiful bangle bracelets.  That is another post coming soon, I am so impressed by both classes.  Anyone really knowing me knows I am not impressed easily.   Session two is fixin to start soon and has lots of art forms that might attract one of your fancies.   Or you may make a great discovery as I did.    I beleive I have mentioned how good of a teacher Pat  and Mary Jane are?   After several weeks of their tutorials I am invinceable-almost- in both of these forms of art.  Well, invinceable may be a stretch, but grandson did give me permission to run with sissors after he said Nana you just jumped out of a plane.  So maybe that is a good word to use.

I have two friends Anni P and Janet G that do fabric art and embroidering and I know they would love this also.

I showed you the kit I purchased from Pat, she didn't know me at all or even from Adam but choose colors with the tealish blue that I would have picked.   Is that lady looking into my brain, oh that is scarey for her I do beleive.

I do highly reccomend taking on line classes, they are great and you can do at your own pace.  No races, no who can get finished first or who can jump the highest or run the fastest.  Just piddle along all you want.

For those who might have forgotten what the kit looked like------here it is.  

Here is the journey my little project consisted of.   Now I was suppose to make a purse but chose to make a wall hanging so I could enjoy it everyday.   Pat taught us so many stitches and of course the bling is perfect for this Texas girl.    I whipped out my handy dandy sewing machine and went to tow sewing little pieces of fabric together. 

The little butterfly was already done but what  a perfect touch and just look at the beads and stitching. 

The little fargo roses, even after practicing these little critters came out differently every time, I guess like mother nature roses.  

More pearls and beads.   Can't get enough of the bling I do beleive. 

I don't know about you but this is the only type of spider I will allow anywhere around me.  Just a cute little beaded one with gold web.  The rest of them can be squashed flatter than a flitter.  Gone, dead, off with their heads.  They are food for someone like flies and scorpions but go away little spiders. 

I hope you are not getting bored, I just wanted to show you all of it up close and personal.  I did most of this at night while watching the Texas Rangers win and lose.  Boooo on the losing the games they did though.   This is perfect TV creating, well unless you drop a bead and Jewel the furbaby sees it and thinks it is food and you have to beat her to it to pick it up.  Just a little Jewel note there.

One more pretty corner, I did later add some more to this corner but you will see it in the finished piece. 

Now this corner I think I got carried away and just encrusted it forget the emblishing with this stitch, the more the better. 

The center of the art piece, a tad dark to bad I don't know a good photographer.  I might have to fire myself.   Sorry a little jockularity there. 

Here it is the finished piece, I was going to hang it in our bedroom but I couldn't enjoy it as much as when I hung in our bath room.  On the girl side, Eldon did enjoy seeing it and looking as I progressed with it but don't think it goes with the deep sea fishing photos on his side of the bathroom. 

So there you go, Crazy Quilting and I have figured out how to combine it with my journal making .   Grandaughter even wants some of these pieces.  

Well, thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.  

xoxoxox

Annette