Thoughts of a Grasshopper

I totally CASEd this from one of the Artisan team members.  There are a lot of details which make it a nice card.  I also like cards that use the designer paper since I tend to get it but rarely use it.  I had to re-stamp my deer for the die because I huff some air onto my acrylic block before putting on a stamp to help it stick a little better.  Well, I huffed too much and stamp slid around the first time or two of inking up and stamping.  The image wasn't lining up with the die well at all.  They lined up better the next time. Stamp Set:  Dashing Deer CS:  Cherry Cobbler (8-1/2" x 5-1/2"), VV (4" x 5-1/4"), Mossy Meadow (3-1/4" x 4"), Festive Farmhouse DP (3-1/2" x 4-1/4"), Wood Textures DP (3/4" x 7/8") Ink:  Mossy Meadow, Cherry Cobbler Dies:  Detailed Deer thinlit, Stitched Shapes framelit EF:  Tin Tile Dynamic Misc.:  Pearls, Linen Thread, Frost White shimmer paint, dauber On the very vanilla, you will want t...

It has been a busy month with a lot of company and travel.  When I got back from a trip last week I was updating my bullet journal and trying to get my bearings on what is coming up that needs my attention.  As the week went on, I discovered I overlooked some things that needed preparation, but it is under control and I'm back in the groove of things. One of the things I was on top of is that I will be sending out our Christmas cards in 5 weeks.  I did get the Timeless Tidings project kit and knocked out the 20 cards that came with that.  It is nice to feel you have a jump start like that and know that you are 1/5th of the way done making Christmas cards. Last night I opened a bottle of shimmer paint.  I haven't used it before then and I'm thinking I probably could have used it a better way but it is nice to explore options with it.  I simply poured it onto a hard plastic mat I have (the stamp-a-ma-jig placement mat backside) and spread it around a li...

I started this quilt April 5th and finished it July 31st.  I started with cutting the fabric and on April 7th I had the circle done, minus the very center that just needed two circles cut for it.  It sat for 11 weeks before I had time to work on it more.  I spent most of the day into the wee hours of the morning cutting the fabric for the backing and sewing the strips together.  It was crazy to think that these simple strips took 12+ hours of pressing, cutting, sewing pressing, sewing, pressing . . . It sat a few more weeks before braved attaching the circle to the background.  That part seemed a little intimidating to me.  One part of me wishes I attached it so the lines pointed to the corners and another part of me is glad it is the way it is and slightly offset. A little more sitting and waiting before I got it layered, quilted and bound.  I stitched in the ditch so that I would detract from the circle.  This is 48" x 48".  I l...

So, it's no surprise that this is the only picture from the baby shower, right?  Yep.  Once again, I didn't give a thought to the camera, but hey, you can see a couple of hot air balloon paper lanterns and balloons so that counts.  This isn't even everyone that came, just who was left when the thought came to take a picture. We went with a hot air balloon theme for the baby shower.  I ordered some paper lanterns from Amazon.  I made a hot air balloon centerpiece with a small basket, round paper lantern, dowels and ribbon.  I never did find a bear small enough to fit in the basket of the centerpiece.  I ended up filling it with clear marbles. When guests arrived we had a scale to weigh their purse.  The heaviest ended up winning a prize.  We also played an emoji baby phrases game that I bought off of Etsy.  I was originally going to do the children's books game but that seemed too easy with the emojis.  Another game was everyo...

I'm happy to say this is my last Bench Pillow (wall hanging) to make . . . at least for now.  There are 3 I haven't done: 1. A penguin with two snowmen for January.  Where I live in New Mexico we don't get much snow, if any.  If it does snow, it is gone by noon.  I miss snow! 2. An umbrella with rain boots for April.  I like it but our rain season starts mid-June and ends in September.  However, someday we will move and I may see rain in the spring. 3.  A Happy Birthday one.  This one I intend to do, I just don't know when.  I feel I have to wait another year because some of the kids had their birthday this year.  I guess it can wait and I can focus on other projects. Let me just say for this watermelon wall hanging, I adore the fabric ric rac I made for the larger watermelon.  This has nothing to do with my skills, it was all in the directions, but to loosely stitch and then pull and have that happen.  So cool!

I went to workshop in Elephant Butte area.  I learned a lot and met new (to me) people from all over the state.  There was a skit on Women Suffrage, a presentation on the Elephant Butte dam, information on the Santa Fe trail work and preparations for the 200th anniversary, information for meetings, etc.  The above picture is of those that did a skit on "protocol".  It had to do with what we wear with our pins, how to wear them, etc.  The woman on the far right was a hoot.  I don't know if she put balloons in her leggings or what but bum was sticking out so far as she paraded around the room getting a lot of laughs!  While entertaining, I learned from that skit as well.

Pioneer Day was held in the east mountains.  They planned on 300 people attending.  I would say they got that as people came and left although most were there early on because the food was planned at the beginning. There were games for the kids and a ball game for anyone that wanted to play.