Christmas Greetings

It’s looking a lot like Christmas inside, outside and on the Web.

And in the mail.

This year’s fabric postcards.  

Question:  Do you have/make odd sewing decor?  I’m just looking to confirm my weird.

I’ve tossed my snipped thread tails in these jars for quite a long time.  A few bits of ribbon and bobs too.  And on the left is the oddest.  I think they are called dog ears.  The bits that stick out when sewing crosswise...like from pinwheels and half square triangles.

Back on the normal front of life is my calendar journal.

Too much personal stuff to cover up.  I just want to get back to life being all fun and games on a daily basis.



I’m working on a Christmas quilt and pillow that I am not thrilled with.  It’s hard to finish a project that isn’t turning out as hoped.  But I refuse to store it unfinished!  They will get done.

Fall Postcard Sewing

It’s that fun time of year for sewing!

Fall!

I’ve made a few Fall fabric postcards

This design is a pattern from Bloomin’ Minds called Online Company

I shrank the design to fit a postcard.

This design is a pattern from The Whole Country Caboodle called Scarecrow & Friend

I shrank the design to fit a postcard.

A quilt on Pinterest inspired these next postcards.

I cut bits of scraps and then treated it like a puzzle fitting bits and pieces all over a base fabric.

That was somewhat tedious to do so I tried just cutting strips and weaving them together over the base fabric.  While it turned out similar, I don’t think it looks as creatively fun.

Hmm...maybe these two are more on the Halloween side than just Fall with the purple added in.



My September calendar journal...

Happy Fall!

Paper Piecing Fun

I couldn’t seem to get enough of paper piecing with my Chillingsworth quilts.  So I kept on sewing neutral strips.

I have a love for grunge.  But sometimes I don’t like the design of the grunge.  Like on this table top.

I set out to cover it with the paper pieced strips and text sashing.

I love all those precise seams!

I don’t save my empty thread spools these days.  

SO much is plastic in this modern life.

(That is my portable design wall behind this little table)

This mat is very busy for this use and doesn’t make me love it.  At least not for this purpose.  But it will do until I decide on something else.




July’s calendar journal also is not a favorite to look at.  But there’s always next month for aesthetic improvement.

An Owl’s Nest

June weather is finally here!  June is when we finally get nice weather for the outdoor activities...like cycling!

But today I’m talking about May.

I made an art postcard for an artist friend’s birthday.  Similar to one I’ve made before but in different color inks.

My May calendar journal.  Sorry, lots of personal stuff I don’t care to share.

On May 1st we took a walk to see the owls that are again nesting in a old building inside a boarded up vent that leaves an outside cubby at the upper portion of the building.

Mama Owl and her two babies.  Bunch of sleepy heads!

The next visit we made to observe the owls, the babies were out exploring the world while Mama was napping...again.  I was surprised at how large the “baby” was.

Sadly, the babies were found dead a couple of weeks later.  It is believed they were electrocuted.  Must have been a power surge through the lines.  I hope Mama will return again next year.

May 31st was my first bicycle ride of 2020.  I’m so excited!

Be safe and stay healthy.

Calendar Journal and Stuff

This is my buddy, Bolt.

He hangs out at the end of a branch pencil and watches me do stuff at my desk.  He’s the quiet type.  Just watches.  Even though I talk to him all the time.

I have a new “stimulus” camera to play with.

Do you play the piano?.....no?

Apparently no one at this house does either.  It looks like it’s almost on its last leg.  

A postcard I made for Postcrossing.  Just to show I’m not sitting here doing completely nothing...sometimes I do a thing.

April has come and gone.  Since it was my first full month of Sundays, I should have labeled everyday “Sunday”.  Ha!

April is my birthday month so I documented that it was “my COVID-19 Birthday”. You know, not everyone gets a COVID-19 Birthday...at least I hope not anyway.

So now I’m going about my May days and wondering if it will be another month of Sundays.  Fine by mine me, I love it.

Calendar Journal

This is quite an interesting and terrifying historic time to be documenting my daily existence.  It’s mind-boggling that the entire world is experiencing a pandemic of COVID-19.

I’m still loving my inks and pens that use them.  I am now a new fountain pen addict.  I found these TWSBI ECO fountain pens.  I am a fountain pen dummy and I’m sure they made these TWSBIs just for me.  How kind of them.  Especially love that I can get them with an extra fine nib.

I’ve used my glass dip pen and my fountain pen for journaling during March.

I’m not one of many who are going stir crazy at home.  I LOVE staying at home.  Right now it’s a trial run for retirement.  I may not return to work I’m loving it so much.

I’ve plenty of time for getting some months ahead ready for journaling.  I thought June turned out especially bright and happy looking.

I love that postage stamp of those happy ladies.  Thank you Sheila for sending that with so many others...so long ago.  I love pawing through those stamps.

It feels a little strange for a perfectionist to embrace some sloppiness.  Hey wait!...that’s not sloppy, it’s artistic!  Oh, so that’s how I’m okay with it.  Yay!

Not all the months turn out so pleasing to me.  Once they are written all over they always seem to look a little better.  In any case, I love this simple calendar journaling within a 1-1/8 inch or so space.

I wish the world safety.

February Paper Crafting

Because it’s February, there was some heart themed paper crafting happening.

I only made two Valentine cards.

For Postcrossing, it is a bit rare that people will gladly accept handmade postcards.  Most want “real” postcards.  What?...what isn’t real about a postcard of any kind if it can travel through the mail?

I got lucky with a couple of Postcrossers that were open to handmade postcards.

I always have a grand time playing with hearts.

January 2020

Pen & Inks

I am newly obsessed with a ...

I mean hopelessly obsessed.

I’ll let the pen and inks do the talking.

The pen is so pretty!

I know that eventually I will figure out a way to break my beautiful pen so I better get a backup soon.  I think glass dip pens are going to be my new thing to collect.

The pen and some inks are a Christmas gift.  I don’t know how or why they thought of it as a gift for me, but I’m over the moon with it all.

I can’t seem to think of enough things to write or people to write to.  Life has become so electronic.  So, thinking about writing (I always have lists going) but I leave them behind....a lot!  I also don’t carry a big purse anymore.  A small snap wallet tucked into my pocket is perfect.

I see that could use a good washing!

Sometimes I just think of one thing that I hope when I’m in a store that I remember I want it.  Yeah, doesn’t happen.  So I cut 2 pieces of mixed media paper and a piece of scrapbook paper to make a tiny book to write those “one things” in.  

Then when I’m at the store I can pull it out.  See what it is that I think I want to remember to get.

It fits right into my little snap wallet.  Perfect!

I wonder what took me so long to think of that!

Here is my December calendar journal.

Just above December I tested to see how the pen inks would write on my journal pages.  I’m happy they take beautifully.  January is already started but I’m figuring how to use the dip pen and inks for February.

Write to someone.

Everybody loves personal snail mail.

It’s Christmas Time!

At the end of last year I found a facebook group challenge to work on and post a Christmas gift every week.  And magically by December you would be well on your way to be ready for Christmas.

So I challenged myself to work on “something” for Christmas each week of the year.  It could be cards, gift tags, gifts, decorations.  I couldn’t be limited to just a gift as I certainly don’t need that many gifts.

I made a few Christmas cards.

Paper cards and fabric postcards.  I saw the washi tape tree idea on Pinterest.  What a fun card that was to make.

I wondered how the lettering would come out by cutting it with die cutting letters.  Worked great.  They are pretty narrow.

Also a die cut “jingle all the way”.  Embossed stamping for the paper cards.

I managed to create a few gift tags.

If my local kids don’t take them for keepsakes, I take them back and use them again the next year(s).  After all the tedious work, it’s great to see them again and tie them to a gift the next year.  

I also made four very cute money gift envelopes.  But they were sealed in their shipping boxes before I remembered to take a photo of them.

I turned the challenge to a personal challenge as I can’t post stuff on facebook that I don’t want people to see ahead of time.  I managed to make something for Christmas during 26 weeks out of the 52 week year.

Here’s how November went for my friends who enjoy seeing my journaling calendars.

I wish all my friends and followers a very Merry Christmas

and a best ever New Year!