…or Quilter! This engaging story chronicles Honor Bright’s journey to Ohio in 1850 and brings the quilts she makes vividly alive as well as the slaves she helps to freedom. Honoré this one may get you reading fiction again! ♥
Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category
Q is for Quaker
Posted in Books, Creativity, Friendship, Just for fun, Laura, Lifeology, Quilting on March 6, 2013 | 1 Comment »
L is for lovely
Posted in Beauty, Books, Creativity, Family, Holidays, Just for fun, Laura, Lifeology, Love, Photography on February 27, 2013 | 4 Comments »
Isn’t this gorgeous!? Bonnie made this flip book and somehow Jeff was able to convince her to let him give it to me for Valentine’s Day ♥
Check out Paper Schemes for more of Bonnie’s creations!
I’ll share again once I’ve added photos…
J is for…
Posted in Celebration, Christmas, Creativity, Family, Friendship, Gratitude, Holidays, Kathy, Lifeology on November 25, 2012 | 1 Comment »
…Journal Your Christmas! Yay JYC! Thirty+ days of documenting the reclamation of our holiday from prep-joy to post-joy and peace (and recovery). Can she do it? Yes, she can! Of course, that’s what I said last year. Solution? I just moved the front page for 2011 (which was just lovely – I’ll post a pic soon) to the back of the album and made room for pics from the Big Events of December 2011 to follow. Now while I await the creative nudge from Shimelle for the front page for 2012, I have papers/theme ready to go. I just need to find 1) a single embellishment to feature on each page through-out and 2) “Christmasy” numbers from 1-31. There is that other problem, of course. What do I do about those absolutely must-have vintage Christmas papers showing up on Scrapbook.com for this season. They call to me. Help.
The JYC 2009 cover’s verso…a first…and last…attempt with ModgePodge. What was I thinking? I HATE to get my hands yucky.
I love the “fussiness” of my Christmas albums. I don’t embrace physical sparklies much in my regular life. But they seem to be my default setting for this annual album.
Zzzzz…
Posted in Creativity, Honoré, Just for fun on September 6, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Presenting P…
Posted in Creativity, Honoré on August 21, 2012 | 5 Comments »
According to Wikipedia, ”a pangram (Greek: παν γράμμα, pan gramma, “every letter”) or holoalphabetic sentence for a given alphabet is a sentence using every letter of the alphabet at least once. Pangrams have been used to display typefaces, test equipment, and develop skills in handwriting, calligraphy, and keyboarding. In English, the best known example: ”The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” contains all 26 letters – count them, you’ll see. And a quick google search will introduce you to the world of pangrams that you never knew existed – at least, that’s the way is is/was for me. I bet you are wondering: so how did I glomb onto a pangram anyway?
Well, actually, it was quite by accident. After we three decided our plan for our “talking/sharing points” on the blog for the rest of the year, which is, in case we haven’t shared it: alphabet soup . Each week, we’ll select a letter and write about it and we decided that, like eating alphabet soup, we’d each choose whatever letter struck our fancy…so, the wheels started turning in my head and I started making notes, brainstorming blog post ideas for each letter, etc. Yesterday, August 20, I was reading this blog post (read down) and being intrigued, did a little exploration, i.e., the google search and decided that I’d do the letter P ! So, that’s how I got from there to here.
Yesterday, I also decided to put together a new cart I’d purchased to house the many products I have for my myriad projects. Of course, to add a new piece of anything in my studio means that I also purge and re-organize - an ongoing, seemingly endless pastime in my life. And in so doing, I found an alphabet puzzle (from Williamsburg) made from a copy of an alphabet print made by Carrington Bowles in 1782.
image source: fineartamerica.com
Perfect, I thought. I turned the pieces over so the plain backside shows and each week, I’ll select a puzzle piece and proceed from there, except there are some weeks that I’ve already planned the post…but that’s probably OK since we have fewer than 26 weeks left in the year, which the alphabet in the 1700s had only twenty-four letters.
I think I’ll also try Daisy Yellow’s drawing exercise…and perhaps, post here along with my letter…
Cheers~
V is for VUGS
Posted in Authenticity, Celebration, Creativity, Friendship, Laura, Lifeology, Relationships on August 16, 2012 | 1 Comment »
I’m thinking back to the year 2005 when I attended AssistU’s online training program to become a Virtual Assistant. In an email to my trainer instead of signing ‘hugs’ I said I’m sending you virtual hugs and so ‘vugs’ was coined. I’ve become the ‘vugs’ gal ever since. 
Last year our annual AssistU Homecoming event was held if San Diego and one of our VAs took my vugs a step further and it became ‘vugs to hugs’ because we were meeting in person and could hug each other’s necks. The virtual relationships and bonds I have built over the past seven years as a VA have astounded me. People want to connect. People care. People reach out. People are willing to be authentic and vulnerable even though they haven’t met you face-to-face. People are amazing.
Today I am celebrating the letter V for VUGS! And I’m winging a vug your way which I ask in turn you give away as a hug to the next person you see!
My dear hubby made many of these signs as gifts for my fellow VAs after the 2011 Homecoming. This one was received by the lovely Tami Savage.
A is for…
Posted in Creativity, Honoré, Just for fun, Learning, Lifeology, Quilting on August 14, 2012 | 2 Comments »
…alphabet soup. do you remember eating it as a kid and trying to find the letters that spelled your name? did you ever?
…august is h-o-t! and dry. we awoke to the sound of rain this AM; it’s always good when it rains and this year, especially so…
…absent-mindedness. I plumb forgot I was ‘posed to send the current issue (Aug/Sept/Oct 2012) of Artful Blogging onto my friends, especially Laura ’cause her letter to the editor is published in it! isn’t that cool!!! check out the issue at your local bookstore.
…art journaling. this year I’ve been taking a lot of fun art journaling classes and next week, I’m taking a class with Tim Holtz, undoubtedly one of the best known designers/creators of mixed-media paper craft projects. I’m excited.
…accomplished! in this post I talked about completing a long-overdue quilting project that I’d hoped to finish by end of July. well, I didn’t quite make that deadline but I am so-o-o happy to announce that as of yesterday, August 13, I finished and sent it to the quilter. Hoo-Ray!!!
The quilt was a 2010 block of the month club I participated in; the quilt was designed by Sue Spargo.
So, what’s on your A-list?
Cheers~
recent reads…
Posted in Books, Creativity, Honoré, Learning, Lifeology, Summer on July 16, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Summertime is lazy time…uninterrupted hours filled with books and magazines to read, movies to watch, music to listen to, and lemonade or iced tea/coffee to drink… At the least, we generally fill our weekend dance cards with these activities. Being in protirement, I am lucky enough to have the summertime way of life pretty much 365 days of the year, if I chose. And I do!
Most, if not every morning, I start my day with morning solitude and quiet time – MSQT; I have written about it before here. This summer, I find my days are starting a little later and MSQT, lasting a little longer (partially due, I think, to the unrelenting heat we’ve had). Thanks to my iPad, I can read and listen to music anywhere in the house. But, I usually enjoy MSQT in the Great Room (family room), and quiet as it’s kept, I still do a lot of my reading the old fashioned way: paper printed books and magazines.
These days, my reading focuses pretty much on creative pursuits that I am dabbling in: quilting, knitting, art journaling, etc. I seldom read fiction. I find that I am interested in reading about the author’s process as s/he pursues her/his art. I learn and am inspired as much by the author’s reflections and sharing as I do from the passages dedicated to technique, how to, instruction.
Last week I read and fell in love with a delightful book: Doodling in French by Anna Corba. I don’t fancy myself a doodler – and neither did she – and I’m certainly not a sketcher but I was intrigued by the title. The author, an artist known for her collages coupled with simple line drawings has traveled extensively to France. This little book demonstrates how to draw French iconic items, e.g., le croissant; la tour eiffel (Eiffel Tower); le chien (a poodle), etc., and then use the drawing as part of a collage. Filled with clear diagrams on how to draw the items, this book is also a treat to look at and [it] invites you to pick up a pencil and try your hand. Inspired am I? I’ve already come up with an idea that I will eventually create into a mini quilt using both paper and fabric…
The other title that garnered my attention is Gwen Marston’s 37 Sketches. Gwen is a quilter of renown fame, best known for her liberated quilt-making techniques. The book is a compendium of 37 small quilts – the largest is 11.50 x 13.25 inches – Gwen made in 2010, as she practiced techniques and experimented with ideas. She refers to each quilt as a sketch. Dynamic is the word that came to my mind as I read. And, I am going to make some sketches, too! What better way to practice technique and bring to fruition my own ideas? Click here to read more about the book and here to see an exhibit of Gwen’s sketches.
Both these titles have, as the subtitle of Doodling in French says, inspired me with joie de vivre. Can’t wait to start but I will have to ’cause I have a few other things in process and first, I have to make room for these two new activities. TBC…
What’s on your recently read and/or to read lists?
Cheers~
take twelve
Posted in Connections, Creativity, Just for fun, Laura, Lifeology, Nature, Photography, Summer on June 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Mission: take twelve photos on the twelfth of June 2012.
Mission accomplished: during yesterday’s neighborhood walk I captured these shots of our community which speak louder than words:
A couple weeks of daily downpours sprouted these lovelies in our yard.
First leaf on newly planted Mahoe tree!
Sunflowers border our community garden…my favorite flower!
I recognize the corn, green beans, and tomatoes!
Drinking it in…
This made me laugh out loud: ‘Chubby Checker’ corn row…twisting and shouting it’s way outta the ground.
beautiful rows of _________???????
Awwww shucks…nothing sadder than an empty mailbox…
Our community has been hit hard by the recession…
…more and more of these signs are posted every month…
Then there is this to grin at! “How much is that doggie in the window…?”
Home sweet home…#96
i smash it all
Posted in Books, Creativity, Family, Friendship, Just for fun, Laura, Lifeology, Memories, Photography on June 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
These random items were saved and stuck in my Smash Journal willy nilly. Ticket stubs for movies we’ve seen, my #s from blood donation, note from hubby with kinda creepy grin, the stamp and return addy off of my love letter to myself, a fun math game, and an inspiring note from my CrossFit coach!
My ‘love letter’ to myself, part of the menu from an ice cream shop in Vero beach where i had the best brownie sundae EVER! The single movie stub from Jeff while I was away. And a note from my dear co-worker Lucy thanking me for my help. It’s a memory keeper, a treasure book, a lifeline, and a love fest all wrapped in one binding. I adore smashing!
Read more about my love letter to myself at HungryforLifeblog.com click on the photo to follow the link.
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