New Spoonflower Fabric!!!

I had one of my designs printed up on Spoonflower fabric again!! They do such a great job!!! You can see every little pencil line. I had the print done mirror image, and I think it's kinda cute!!!
If I can bear to cut into it, I almost like the crosshatched pencil backround better than the 'shrooms!! It would look nice in a quilt!
LOL

Another Facebook Page!

Yikes, I REALLY must be nuts!! But,I'm gonna give it a try. I set up a FB page for my business, Ooglebloops.
It will connect folks to this blog and keep everyone updated on what's new in the Etsy shoppe.
So,if you are on Facebook, please, drop on in - become a fan, pleeease!!! At least, I'll have one fan!! LOL I may even have to have a giveaway for those who sign up to be fans!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fulks-Run-VA/Ooglebloops/108542090378?created#/pages/Fulks-Run-VA/Ooglebloops/108542090378

ABAA Seashell Challenge

A rainy day here on the farm - I could have been doing soooo many other things that needed to be done indoors. But, I chose to whip up the latest challenge from Awfully Big Art Adventure with things I had around the house.

All these items, with the exception of the inks used, are thrift store finds!
The green frame seemed perfect for this project. The vintage starfish brooch had been waiting for a new place to "hang"! The backround behind the starfish is the cardboard from a Puffs Plus tissue box, with blue vegetable netting for water. The vintage gummed label 'needed' my little seashore sketch with the title typed on my own vintage typewriter.
The strip of hooks holding the tags is from a corset or girdle - it was left behind on one of the wagons at the auction I went to over the weekend. I saw it and knew it would be perfect for hanging tags on in some future project!

I have a alphabet set from Stampin' Up, and used upper and lower case on the inked tags. The tags and strings were distressed with Tim Holts' "old paper" distressed ink. I also used generic $1 ink pads, and Anne Griffin Chocolate ink.

I suppose I could fancy it up more- but I'm done - less is more for me in this project!!You can click on each picture for a closer look.This piece will be available on ETSY today!

And, now, on to things I SHOULD be doing!!!!

Tea on Tuesday

It's Tuesday and time for tea with Kimmie and Patty, and whoever else wants to join the party!!!
I started out with tea on the front steps, and then the rains came - again!!!!
So, I grabbed my favorite pottery mug and scurried back inside.
This is my little reading corner, in the guest/computer room. I am drinking Yogi green tea triple echinacea. It has in it, among other things, organic green tea leaf,lemongrass, spearmint,echinacea root,licorice, elderberry, and kombucha.

The tag on the tea bag imparts the wise words: Wisdom, character, and consciousness conquer all.

This mug, made by Bay Pottery, Broadway, Va was the one that started me on my thrift store search for pottery! It was a mere 50 cents, and I've been hooked ever since. I'm not just hooked on Bay pottery, but all kinds- my kitchen cabinets are starting to overflow!!I love the look of mix and match hand made pottery in a place setting.
(By the way, EVERYTHING in the reading corner pic, was "rescued" from a thrift store or yard sale!Except for the little heart quilt on the wall - that is the first quilt I ever made, I had no clue what I was doing -don't look too close!It is made from all the dresses and nightgowns I made for my daughter when she was little)

I hope you all decide to join us for Tea on Tuesdays- just show us what you're having and link us up!

Another Giveaway!!!!!

Another GREAT giveaway at Yellow Bird Art

They just got back from Market and have alot of fabulous things in the giveaway!!!But HURRY!! It ends TONITE!!!

Fantastic Artist

Just a quick note - I discovered this fantastic artist thru Art Propelled's blog

When you go to this artist's website - make sure you watch the little video - she creates amazing creatures!!!Susan Valyi uses vintage shoe lasts as the basis for all her creatures and soapstone, bones, glass, driftwood and all sorts of found objects! Unbelieveably cool!!!

New Quilt for my Collection!

Went to an auction yesterday and there were some lovely quilts there. I don't really have the patience to hang around all day at an auction, so, I bid on one that was on the first wagon load of stuff. More on this auction on my other blog
I'll be running right over there to write all about it, after I post this one!!

The quilt is machine quilted, not hand, as I would have liked, but it is feed sack, with a white feed sack backing. The words on the back are faint, but can still be seen. It is kind of neat, and probably the only one that would have been in my price range!!!My husband about had a fit, and kept trying to take the auction number away from me!!!Oops - forgot to turn this picture upright!!! Oh, well.............

This quilt was made by the wife of the elderly man who used to own our property. She died several years ago, and he died just recently. It's kind of sad tho', when your life, and all you were, ends on an auction block. But, we accumulate so much stuff in our lives, and you can't take it with you..................

(Another blogger mentioned having trouble setting pictures on Blogger, the way she wants them - don't feel bad - I can do it on Wordpress, but not here, for some reason!!!)

Pink Saturday

Mrs. Shenk's beautiful peonies- I am waiting for mine to open!!

I collect vintage knicknack shelves and repaint them. I've kept a few, like this one that hangs in our guestroom/office !!
Eventually that room will be pale pink and cocoa brown, the colors of the shelf and my Frankoma rose bowl!

Cool New Site

A long arm quilter on Facebook(Matt Sparrow from Canada), has set up a new website where quilters and craftspeople can sell their items.
If you have too many quilting books, patterns, fabric, or want to sell some of the quilts you have created- you can list them on this new site - and there are no fees!! Very cool!!

The site is called Thread My Needle

The Lonely Easel

Well, since my first attempt at sketching in a long time(see previous post), the pad and pencils have been active every morning!!!

I received lots of kind comments on my sketch, and find myself now, early in the morning, with tea and pencils in hand.Love my colored pencils!!!

I found a cool vintage easel a few years ago, in a dusty corner of an antique shop. I have a friend who does pleine aire painting with a similar easel, and a mom who used to do lovely oil paintings. I thought if I brought this easel home and set it up with all that was needed to create, it would inspire someone to sit in front of it.

Well, this has been a lovely vignette, but a very lonely one!! No one has been inspired to sit and create.The friend lives too far away, and mom doesn't paint any more. I haven't really done anything with a paintbrush except paint furniture or walls!

Until now, that is......!

I feel like I am getting warmed up, with pencils in hand every morning! But, being of scattered mind, I wonder how long this will last! There is always another artistic endeavor that will veer me off course!

But, for now,I am happy drawing and/or doodling.Tomorrow's project is sketching the little angel wing begonia cutting on the dining room table.

Yesterday and today's project is a little mushroom "art" - 'shrooms- this is going to be my next spoonflower fabric design. We'll see how it goes.................

This Is Tuesday, So It Must Be Time For TEA!

Today's tea is pretty uneventful. I was up really early, staring at the one lone bearded iris left on the counter. Yellow doesn't "paint" well, so I thought, why don't I try to paint IT! Well, not paint, exactly, but colored pencils.

I haven't really tried to sketch or draw in eons- zentangling doesn't really count!
Obviously, I need alot more practice, but sitting peacefully and sketching, for the amount of time it took to drink the tea, it's not too terribly bad! Definitely not a Wyeth or a Van Gogh,......lol! I may have to make this a morning ritual, from time to time!

The tea is Stash's Earl Grey Black, the mug is a handmade redware cutie that I discovered at the thrift store. Not the fanciest mug in town, but I love the sentiment.

Visit two other Tuesday Teas
Kimmie from Art in Red Wagons started this tea party, Patty from Magpie's Nest, and I joined in. There may be more party-ers out there - but we need a link to know who you all are!! The more the merrier-it's still Tuesday if you want to join in- and there's always time for tea! Mark your calendars - and meet us here every Tuesday for tea!!!!

One Can Never Have Too Many Aprons!!!

I just received my goodie in the mail from Linda of Fiber Fabrications !!
She makes neat little aprons out of jeans, and this was the only bib apron in her Etsy shop. Plus, it had frogs on it - and I love frogs and toads!!!

It is even cuter in person, if that's possible- made of khaki denim with a blue jean pocket, vintage buttons, and froggy floral ruffle. So, I now have a new favorite apron to join my collection in my pantry!!

The tag on the apron was attached with some of her impossibly soft alpaca yarn, in a dyed peach color! I may have to buy some of that too!!! LOL

Thank you, Linda!!!!

My Book Arrived!!!

Remember a couple of posts ago ? I mentioned my brother went to Angela Cartwright's book signing?
Well, my book arrived yesterday!!!
Woohoo!!!

It's a great book - very inspirational - with great art, quotes, and

gardening info throughout!

















There were also 2 bookmarks, with AC's art on the front and all her info on the back. Even the bag from Zinnia's, the shop where the book signing was held, is great!!!
Thanks again, dear brother..........................

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"You can never get a cup of tea large enough, or a book long enough to suit me." C.S. Lewis

Nature Prints

I have some purple/black bearded iris in a canning jar on the counter. They are beautiful- I "saved" them from the post office- with permission, of course!!! Their tall stalks had been broken and their blooms dragging in the mud. When I go back to the post office today, I am going to check and make sure none of the brilliant yellow ones have broken- or they will come home with me also!!! :>)

I noticed, as the day long blooms start to wither, they cry huge purple tears on the counter top.
I thought this might be a good opportunity to see how the blossoms might work as a dye. So, I dug up some felted wool, and put some spent blooms and the wool in water. The water turned a pretty shade of blue! In order to have the color set into the fabric, I thought I might try boiling it to see what happens.

The pretty blue, when boiled, turns the fabric to a not so attractive earthen shade of yellowish brown. Not quite the color I was looking for! I'll have to do a little reading on dying to see how to set color.

This morning, there was more iris 'blood' on the counter, so I grabbed a piece of watercolor paper, and my rubber gloves (iris blood stains), and started dabbing away on the paper with the limp bloom.
Now you see why things don't get done around here - I am SO easily distracted!!!

It actually turned out quite nicely-the photos don't quite do it justice. I'm thinking more "spoonflower" fabric with this one!!!

Free Purse Patterns!

Someone on Facebook alerted me to this great freebie from Quilting Arts!

Just click on the link below and get a free download of 7 neat purse patterns. You can also get a free issue of Quilting Arts Magazine! WOOHOO!

http://quiltingarts.com/7-Free-Quilted-Bag-Patterns/

"Life in My Studio" is Having a Giveaway!!

You definitely have to visit this blog and enter her 200th post giveaway!!! It is a beautifully altered basket of goodies. Very generous and a lovely blog too!!!

http://lifeinmystudio.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Tea

I was setting up my tea, and trying to decide which one to have, when it dawned on me. Today is my daughter's birthday, and she loves tea- so I set it up for her. She was surprised as she staggered upstairs, bright and early, to grab a quick bite before heading out to work.
Katie was an avid fox hunter before we moved here, and her trusty steed got too old. I have been collecting hunt items for quite a while. So, what better breakfast for her than a hunt theme!
With all the teas I have in the house, her favorite is plain old Red Rose tea, straight up!!! Add oatmeal, and some dwarf lilacs, and she was good to go.
Happy birthday, Katie G!!!

Be sure to visit Kimmie for links to other Tuesday morning teas!

Pin Cushion Swap

Check out this blog for a cool pin cushion swap - http://creatingbythelake.blogspot.com/2009/05/pincushions-for-my-first-swap.html

I just signed on - I love making pin cushions and one can never have enough of them, I say!!!!

Coming soon - a post with more pix of felted wool goodies to tempt you into signing up for my woolie round robin!! I just KNOW you'll want to participate!!!

Now, it off to the field to help the husband plant some trees.......................

I Have a Wonderful Brother!!

A couple of months ago, my brother and I were talking "blogs" and among other things, Angela Cartwright's name came up. Partly because I follow her blog, partly because my brother has been a fan, and lives not too far from her neck of the woods.

Brother mentioned that he thought AC would be at a book signing near his home, and if he could, he would try to go.
Well, the whole family went, he bought me her latest book, she signed it, and graciously posed for a picture with my family!

Can you tell by my beaming brother, that he is standing by his childhood dream girl? Lost in Space, 4-eva!!!!The woman on his right is his grown up dream girl- his lovely wife!
Did I mention that I have a wonderful brother??? Can't wait to see this book!!!

(You can click on Angela's name to read her blog, and Brother to read his.)

Got my Fabric!!

Someone on Facebook mentioned an online company that prints your own designs on fabric- http://www.spoonflower.com

Of course, I had to check it out and used a photo of mine for the design. I only got a fat quarter of fabric - just to see how it would turn out.
I was in my car one morning and was admiring the frost designs on my windshield, and took a picture of the frosted glass with the sky above. I arranged this picture in a repeat pattern, and sent in the order.

My fabric came very quickly, nicely wrapped in tissue.

I love it!! - and am going to get another yard with one of my own designs.Now I know how Pat Sloan feels!!!

Now, what to do with this piece of fabric!!!!

Tea Party Tuesday

Kimmie from Art in Red Wagons is inviting us all to have tea with her on Tuesdays and to share with all. I see Patty at Magpie's Nest has joined the party with an exquisite cup and my favorite flowers!

As I am running out the door ( and forgot about this until just now) I will share a pic of a typical "tea" for me!!
It is usually in one of my many handmade pottery mugs (not made BY me, mind you, just collected by me!)Mint tea is always a favorite, but I've started mixing the loose leaf teas to make my own blends!

I am either sitting at the computer with my tea, or at the d/r table watching the wild birds soar in for breakfast at the feeder. When it's not raining, me and my cuppa are at the barn!

Next week, I will be more prepared, with a fancy cup (or maybe another 'fancy' mug) and a neat tea!!

Please click on Kimmie's link above, and join the tea party!!!

"Down Sizing" in the New Economy

Downsizing is occurring everywhere- people are being very careful where and how they spend their discretionary income - if, in fact, they even HAVE any discretionary income!!!

I know I have stayed home more, made less trips to the supermarket, used more coupons, combined errands to town with the hubby to save gas, and am trying to become more self sufficient. Growing our own food, bartering for other stuff, cooking from scratch, have become more commonplace in today's world.

Ten job slots in our county sheriff's dept were eliminated due to state, county and federal budget cuts. Unfortunately, one of those positions was my DH! Thank goodness he has a pension, but it will be tight for a while without that income.
We are becoming more creative in trying to make the best use of our income!!!

With people spending less, online shops like eBay and Etsy are finding business is very slow. Thrift stores are finding a rise in sales, altho donations may be down a tad. Antiques shoppes, unless they are in a very upscale neighborhood, have seen sales drop.

I have had to downsize in my little antiques booth. Sales have come to an almost screeching halt, and I reluctantly decided to rent a booth for half the price. I was not ready to totally throw in the towel yet! Afraid that I would not be able to fit all my inventory in a smaller space, I was pleasantly surprised to find that was not the case!!

With DH's assistance, we managed to get all the stock dusted, moved and set up in under 3 hours!We still have to go back and put up some small shelves and hang pictures on the wall- but done for now! I can continue rescue and refurbish fabulous finds and pass them on to others!!! Or, at least have a cheaper place to display them until people are able to spend again !!!So, if you see something you just HAVE to have, I do mail!!! You can click on each picture for a closer look.

The new location is at the other end of the shop in a back room,not in the main aisle like before- but the booth is well lit, in a finished area, that needs no extra TLC from me. The previous booth was raw wood, with an old window whose frame and torn roller shade had seen better days!!!

I'll give it another month or two, and see how business fares in this new location. Fingers crossed!!! We can only go up from here!!

May 1st Disintegration Collaboration Reveal

In January, Seth, of The Altered Page, had an idea to put a bundle of objects out in the elements to see what would become of it over time. This idea took hold, and over 120 folks around the globe decided to participate!

Some of the bundles were art in themselves, while some of the bundles were unassuming, even nondescript, but became art when weathered. Some bundles will be just a pile of stuff- until given new life in an upcoming art project.

Mine did not disintegrate as much as I thought it would- despite exposure to all types of weather- and the efforts off my local birds!The local map faded, and melted together in spots, the drum cover was already rusty, so no change there. The hand dyed wool remained the same, the twine, just a little frayed, and the denim material - a little mildew and bird seed hulls! If anything, a testament to the strength of jeans- no real deterioration by weather!!

All of the participants have until August 1st, to give new life to their bundles, by using part or all in an art-full project. Stay tuned!!!

One of the collaboration participants, Kimmie, of Art in Red Wagons
gave a very insightful depth to this project with her words. Be sure to click on her blog to read about her bundle, and see her beautiful photos.

There is more to this group who joined Seth in this project- more than just putting stuff outside to weather the elements. The weathering did develop a camaraderie of 'art-full' souls- something I would not have expected - or thought of - until I read Kimmie's words.

So, thanks, Seth, for developing this project, and thanks, Kimmie for opening my eyes!!!

Tags, Tags, and More Tags!!!!

In my "spare" time, I sit and doodle, or zentangle!! So, I am putting that doodling power on tags - be they gift tags, bookmarks, or door hangers. There are 100 blank tags in a pack, so what I don't use in the shop, falls under my doodling pens!!

I found this wonderful site - http://www.spoonflower.com
You can get your designs printed on fabric!!! I did a fat quarter with a snowflake photo I took a few months ago. I am waiting to get it in the mail!! If the fabric looks good - I may have to try some of my doodles on fabric - how exciting is that - to have my own design on fabric in my own quilt??? I guess Pat Sloan knows that feeling very well!!!
Anyway, here are some of the tags I've been working on - I have re-discovered my colored pencils - I may have to invest in a few more!! Those, along with pigma pens, and jelly roll colors - I'm having a ball!!

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Thought for the day:

"Color in a picture is like enthusiasm in life."..............Pablo Picasso

ABAA Photo Challenge

I completed another ABAA
(Awfully Big Art Adventure) challenge. This was a photo challenge, inspired by a guest artist. Click on ABAA
to read all about it!

I decided to combine the photo challenge with another, to create a junk journal. I wish I could remember where I saw this junk journal challenge!! If anyone out there knows - leave me a link??? Thanks!!

This junk journal is far from completed - but far enough along to pose for a few pix!! It will be a work in progress, since it is, after all, a journal!!!

I made the pages out of assorted colored paper of varied shapes and sizes. There is black, white, and plain old paper bag brown. The covers are cardboard from a cereal box, gessoed and painted. I punched holes and bound it together with colored ribbon.

The cover quote, which everyone attributes to Maya Angelou, is, surprise, not original to her!! If you read the fine print in the beginning of her book, this quote is from Paul Laurence Dunbar in his poem "Sympathy". The little pocket on the second page of my journal holds a little card telling the reader its true origin.

My favorite page so far is the back cover - I found a reprint of heirloom flowers in one of my stashes, and the green paint matched it so well!!
I have some tiny feathers (donated by my own bird crew) that will eventually refeather the little parrot - making him a tad more visible!!
So, here is is - in no particular order - since I haven't quite figured out how to control placement of the photos on 'blogger"!

Now I see that they ended up last pic first, so I guess in the future, I must load them in reverse order??
Well, another challenge completed - thanks, ladies of ABAA!!!