Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Off to Hershey

Much of the past few days has been spent packing for Hershey, PA and Quilt Odyssey. I have one class on Saturday, Dancing with the Stars with Linda Ballard. It's a mystery and, let me tell you, quite a challenge. On one not-too-busy morning I had the entire staff of Burkholder's Fabrics in Denver helping put the fabrics together. This isn't my first mystery quilt by far, but it's the first with so many instructions as to color, texture, scale and value.

This is the third year we have taken our granddaughter and stayed at Hershey Highmeadow Campground. I tell everyone, she comes along to entertain Opa while I'm at the show. Five days of fun in the campgound and at Hershey Park. (I don't know who is the bigger child.) She has been a tremendous help, first in packing and then in loading the motorhome. This is no small task.




This is the view from the motorhome down the steps to our home. The door is at the far end of the porch. And to a seven year old, this was fun!! Oh, to be young again.

So from Arianna, Hans and me, bye for now. Talk to you next week.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Another Text card

Wow! The Blog Hop was fantastic! I learned a little more about this technology. (Thanks to Kim I found out about moderation, turned it off and now have comments. I didn't think anybody liked me! ) All kidding aside, thank you all for your warm welcome to the Blog Hop. And to put the icing on the cupcake, I won one of the prizes Nicole gave away. Thanks Papertrey!

I didn't think you could post more than one project for the hop, so here's the other one I made while working with Background Basics: Text Style.



I stamped the daisy from Floral Frenzy on the back of an acetate sheet (used one that the stamps come on). The card is a tri-fold and on the inside right flap I attached a Kraft panel stamped with Text in Dark Chocolate. I used the largest Spellbinders oval and cut through both the Green Tea Leaves paper and the Rustic White cardbase, sandwiched the acetate, and edged with some cotton braid and finished with a small bow. The button is an old white one from my stash, colored with Copics. (That idea came from Lauren Meader. Buttons are on my wish list.) Inside I used the sentiment from Floral Frenzy - like a flower our friendship continues to grow. There's lots of room to add your own note. (You can click on the image to see it larger for more detail.)
I enjoyed this challenge and loved the idea that I finally had the right supplies to complete the card. I look forward to the next one and all the new goodies I can add to my stash!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

My first PTI Blog Hop

I've followed the Blog Hop for several months, but this is the first time I've been able to participate. My blog is quite new and I'm learning with every post. I created it just so I could be a part of the PTI Hop. I love sharing my projects and hope you enjoy them too.
I was having so much fun preparing for this that I made two cards using Background Basics: Text. It was really difficult choosing one, but here goes:



I had this vision of old love letters. I have samples from my Grandfather from the early 1900's and I wanted to get that faded, muted, sepia toned writing made with an old dip pen. I stamped BB: Text on velum using a combination of Chai and Chamomile. (I know they aren't intended for stamping, but they're great colors. I hope I didn't harm my stamp.) The ink doesn't get absorbed into the velum like regular paper and I got the effect - sort of fuzzy. The edges were distressed with Chamomile. The flourish and flowers are from With Sympathy. Sentiment is computer generated. (not as pretty as PTI) Card base is Kraft, layered with Pure Poppy and Rustic Cream. The string wrapped around the letters is DMC Perle Cotton #8. It's another great fiber to work with. It's twisted so that it doesn't unravel like floss. Not as many colors, though. It's all in what you want your look to be. Try it in your buttons!

Thanks for visiting. Hope you like my contribution. I'll share the other card tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

And now some Ink

I've played with stamps for a long time, but only became a serious stamper about a year ago. I had found the clear stamps and really liked how I could accurately place my image. Last fall I bought my Cuttlebug and started making cards. I would have loved to take some classes, but again like so many other places, our local stamp store closed. When I found Papertrey Ink at the beginning of this year, I learned how to combine the two. This is one I completed today, the first to use PTI stamps colored with Copic markers. I'm in love!!



Vintage Picnic was from last month's release and I had to wait for the right markers to arrive to complete it. The paper came in yesterday's mail with my order from the July release. Put it all together and here it is. (Click on the photo above to see better detail) I can't wait for the day when I can sit down and have all the supplies I need to complete my card. I'm ordering hard and fast, but there's always something else I want. I am hoping to be able to participate in this month's Blog Hop. That is the main reason I created this blog. So, stamping friends, stay tuned.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Thirty-nine and counting

No that's not my age. That passed several years ago. Today is our Wedding Anniversary. My dear husband Hans and I were married 39 years ago today. I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to my "Silver Celebration - Baltimore Style" and tell you a little about it.


Back in 1994 my local quilt shop Quilts and Crafts in Manasquan, NJ (sadly, closed for many years) organized a year-long Baltimore Album group led by the very talented Joanne Belson. She had studied with Elly Sienkiewicz and we worked our way through the Baltimore Album books, planning, drafting, and learning new techniques each month. I decided to make mine in celebration of our up-coming Silver Anniversary - a wall hanging, nothing big, nothing too involved. After all, it's only 36 inches square. Well five years later it was finished.

The center block is 15 inches square. All the flowers were based on ones from the the Dimensional Applique book. The basket was woven and appliqued from silver ribbon and cording. The Album is three dimensional, my own creation, and holds photos and dedication.


 All the bordering blocks are 7.5 inches square.



Writing was done with artist's acrylic ink and an old fashioned dip pen.



Lots of berries, not always round and only 1/4 inch in diameter. I used needle-turn throughout, even on those little guys.





Paper cuts technique, cut like a snowflake.



Reverse applique, one of my favorites.



Strings on the lyre were embroidered with metallic thread.



This was a challenge to design our own block based on the Baltimore style.



Lots of fabrics with silver.



My other favorite. The daisy was appliqued using the Broderie Perse (sp?) technique. Then the butterfly was appliqued using needle turn and then embroidered with black floss.






I entered it in the first NJ State Quilt Guild show and it was awarded first place in its category and was chosen to be one of a handful featured in a documentary produced by NJ public television. Truly this was my fifteen minutes of fame. The following year it hung at QHC in Lancaster. What a thrill!

I hope you enjoyed this tour. Stay tuned for what might appear for our Fiftieth!!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Never say never

That's a favorite saying of mine. I've told our sons that many times and continue to remind our grandchildren of the same. I swore I would never get into blogging, at least not my own. I do read others but felt maintaining one would just add more time at the keyboard. I would much rather use that time to be creating something. I always love to be doing something. I just can't sit still. Any evening I will be working on a project, be it applique, punch needle or other embroidery. At other times it will be machine piecing or quilting, scrapbooking or stamping and making cards. There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all I would like. But then that seems to be a common "thread" that is stitched into all crafters. I hope you can visit back often and that I can share with you some of my completed or on-going projects. The quilt in the header is recently completed from a pattern by Pat Sloan in her book "Crooked Cabin Quilts", photography by me. I hope to change that out often and will link you to Pat when I figure out how.

Thanks for stopping by. And please, come again.