Homegrown Hospitality

Monday Morning Color Play

There was a box of happy on my porch on Friday when I got home. Have you met PB & J from Basic Grey?  It is kinda dreamy.This is the fabric line and the colors and patterns, well...they make my heart really happy.  I know that sounds REALLY dorky, but it is true and for those of you who know that feeling of when you see a new paper, fabric or color combo, then you know exactly what I am talking about. Hello, I love you.With my practice of loving and working with color, I was able to grab coordinating marker colors from my bag.  Prismacolors - Peacock Blue, Muted Turquoise, Goldenrod, Burnt Ochre & Scarlet Lake and scribble out the color combination for something that coordinates with my project.and then I continued to sew, cut, smile, sew, cut, smile (while dreaming big dreams)and today, I am going to continue to cut, stitch, cut, stitch...
and dream about the day I can cut and stitch my very own fabric line...Remember, Dream Big Dreams and play with color at the same time.

Thank you Basic Grey...LOTS more to come...

Monday Morning Color Play

Ya know...you can doodle with fabric and thread, just substitute the paper for fabric and markers for thread.  This past weekends color play started with an idea which was spurred on by a phone conversation that I had on Friday.

I grabbed my scraps and started cutting letters.  Yes, I hand cut them, but you could use a die cutting system if you want.  I LOVE to sit a cut letters out.  For some reason, it is relaxing to me. 

I stitched each letter on with a coordinating thread.and just kept going until I got to the last letter...and I did not have room to finish.

whoops.

It read HANDMAD.Then, out of the blue, I got a great idea. I sat my stitching aside and doodled out the word and then colored it just like (well, sorta just like) the fabric that I had just stitched.  What a great way to create doodled letters. Use the fabric and the colors for your inspiration..duh! (notice I had not stitched an "E" on yet...)
Alright, so I went back to my stitching and thought (for reals) "What would Ma Ingalls do?" sooo I hand stitched another piece of muslin to the original piece and kept going. ( I know, I am a dork, it is ok!)

Then I cut out a really random flower, just like a doodled flower, a circle for the center and of course a leaf, and stitched those on. Then another flower to cover the blue paint that was at the top of my muslin scrap. (oh, and I did stitch on an E)I sorta completely LOVE how it is coming out and I love that it was a total game of picking out the fabric. The one I touched was the one I cut and stitched.  If I would have taken the time to sit and fuss over matching it, it would not have been as fun and I suppose it would have been too matchy.  I am finding that I am really becoming attracted to mixing patterns and incorporating more color to my work everyday. I am feeling a shift.

oh, and what is this HANDMADE thing anyway...

soon.

details soon.

Now go make something colorful!

Miscellany Part Two

The Miscellany continues, first by taking a doodle and mixing it up with media and now, taking a  doodle and mixing it with embroidery floss and fabric.

It started with me picking up markers that I am not used to picking up, coloring without lines and pushing myself outside my own comfort zone...and then taking the finished piece and looking past what it was, to create something else.
This is art from art and I am not quite done with the original doodle.  I have another idea...

I am hoping that my new way of making art form art inspires you to look at things just a little different, not just creatively.

And One Other Thing...

I Stitch.

I stitch when I don't know what else to do...when I have to wait...when I have open empty in-between time...to fill up my "Basket Of Happy"

The Ol' Basket of Happy is almost empty because I have been passing out little felt happy balls to those who either need something to hold onto, something to squeeze or, something to throw really hard at something, or someone...to spread a little happy...plus I am headed to my 2nd favorite place on Earth in two days

and in order to re-stock, I must use what I have...

In case you want to make your own "Happy Basket" of felt balls to, you know...throw..

really, all you need to do is cut some felt..stitch it
and stuff it! Happy Creating....

Work In Progress

Don't ever try to figure me out because it is impossible.  I, like you, am a work in progress and sometimes you just have to roll with the changes.

Just call me Simply Complicated,  I know.

So, first I was whining about Summer ending and now I am so happy to have Fall & Winter right at my doorstep..now if the 100 degree weather would subside that would be awesome!

Anyway...

Yesterday kicked off Soccer season so I made up a little "Center Console Stitching Kit" to carry around with me in the car and on the field and I got that ol' lovin feeling back...

So what is in my "center console stitching kit" you are wondering?  Right now it is die cuts of "Tattered Florals" in Muslin and cream embroidery floss..well and needles and scissors...and my glasses!!!

Oh, and speaking of the Tattered Florals die, a while back I adhered "Heat-n-Bond" to a ton of my felt scraps and adhered those onto a large piece of felt and created this 

and cut more flowers from it...

I know!

What am I going to make with these?

I do not exactly know, but I have a few ideas....

Happy Sunday!

Bigz Die - Tattered Florals

InLinkz.com

Completion & Casseroles

By now you know my OLW (one little word) for 2012 is PRACTICE and so in honor of me and my word, I practiced finishing things (because I have so too many "works in progress") by getting all of these hearts stitched up.

and instead of adding them to my "Basket of Happy" they have their very own place and I call these my "Casserole of Love".  

The name "Casserole of Love" might sound corny, but corny or not, anytime someone needs a little love, I am ready with a casserole..and hey, when I offer someone in need a serving of love and show them my casserole, it is bound to create a smile...

try it, you will see.

The "P" Word

One of my things, you know, the "P" word (PURPOSE) is to "inspire" others.

BUT but the other "P" word is PINTEREST and the inspiration that comes from that PLACE is something I can not describe.

Actually, I can use the word "Over-Stimulated" to describe myself when I am on the PINTEREST site, which usually results in  falling off my axis, losing all focus and ending up a bigger Whirling Dervish than I already am...

anyways, in my quest to only visit PINTEREST in 15 minute increments (75 times a day!, just kidding) I came across these which I instantly wanted to make, like right then because I knew I had loads of the PERFECT fabric from the napkins I made almost five years ago (can you believe it has been five years, eeek!!!) ..

anyways.....
in my PURSUIT of PRACTICING all kinds of things this year, I waited...until yesterday, which really was only two days since the day I saw them, but, I did not POUNCE on them as if I was Tigger. 

 to be continued....

All of the Above

WARNING: A LONG ONE...Grab some coffee, tea...or drink of choice.

We all have a specific "purpose" and several years ago, when I not only "heard" that, but took it SERIOUSLY did I "get it" (no, not "my purpose" but the entire scope of what it means)  

I was EXCITED to know WHAT my purpose was, because I never really "knew" what I wanted to "be" when I grew up besides a wife, a mom and a PTA member (hold your comments !!!!).

Insert screeching breaks....

Ummm...It is not like you stand in line, wait your turn and then be handed a slip of paper that tells you what your Purpose is and, "Duh"...it's not really what "we want to be"... (I thought I had to figure it out...)

 

NOPE.

Our individual purpose is "what we were created to be" and up until a handful of years ago, did I REALLY get it...and I had to "grow through" what I had to go through* to understand it all and now I get it. I mean, I got it...

My Purpose, that is...

and here is the thing, everyone else around you may be able to "see" it and "know it" and even tell you what "it", your purpose is, but until you REALLY get it, you don't...

Oh, I hope I have not lost you because here it is:

I am starting to feel, think and see things differently than I really ever have before and with that, I have to say...

It's not about scrapbooking...(duh)

or doodling.. (eek!)

or making things from paper..(drat!)

or baking things from dough and batter..(whatttt????)

or stitching things from felt...(gulp!)

or painting, stamping or really anything thing else....It, MY PURPOSE is about inspiring, influencing, teaching, reminding and loving all of the above and creating a community around it.

Insert falling confetti, letting colorful balloons fly, blowing party horns, clicking heels like a leprechaun, lighting fireworks..

It only took 42.75 years to figure it out..now I have 42.75 years, give or take, to work it. 

 

Thank YOU for being part of my PURPOSE!

amen.

Practice:Process

It is Saturday, January 21..5:15am...it is raining, it is quiet...everyone is asleep (even coco) and I am working, thinking, listening, doodling, reading, absorbing and something just clicked...a big click....I want to shout..LOUD...but I can't...because it is 5:15 and it would mess up my quiet and for sure wake up the dog, and then he would whine for a bone, and then it would just go a tad downhill from there...so for now... lucky you..you get my silent shout!

Fastfoward...7:30 am

Dog is awake...so is the Valentine..still raining, coffee pot empty...still raining...thoughts down...dreams spoken...doodle doodled and just so you know....I am getting it..seeing more of the big picture

and along with that...YOU are a HUGE part of my process...

So thank you! 

Practice:Finishing

Today I have made a list, set a goal and have a plan to get it all done! 

I am going to PRACTICE stitching this

with these

while PRACTICING my laundry skills by folding these

and FINISH the day by having it all done and put away!