Some wonderful quilt items

It's snowing outside, cold and wet so what better time to go internet browsing!  I decided to see what I could find in a team I belong to called Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team or BBEST for short!

Since we are experiencing above average snow fall for UK I thought I would turn my thoughts to finding quilted items whether they are useful or just really attractive and pretty.

 

Circles 'n Squares Small Textile Art

Liz Plummer, who hails from the UK,  describes this quilt as a small quilted wallhanging which  is a colourful, playful one which would look great in a child's room or to brighten up a gloomy room. Particularly if you like sweets/candy!

 

Another form using quilting is from Libertybelle's shop

 

Flower Fairy Fabric Postcard

This pretty fabric postcard is made with flower fairy fabric and has been embellished with cute little pink heart buttons. It is finished with lace and hand embroidery.

I don't know about the title of this one except winter flurries might be more appropriate!

 

 

Art Quilt Autumn Flurries

by Artmixter who explains that this hand dyed cloth is raw edge applique'd onto a rich blue velvet base, sprinkled with sequin leaves that spiral in the painted and stitched spiral of the wind, with a golden flower in the centre.

No amount of chat etc would allow this team to focus away from one important influence.......

.... that of chocolate!!

Karen Quilted and Beaded Bag in Chocolate and Blue

Chocolate brown and blue 100 percent cotton fabrics, long brown and pink beading, and silver metal accents make the Karen bag one you will grab often thanks to Kimbuktu

 

Since you now have the chocolate, how about a nice warm cup of tea?  The tea would have been kept warm by placing the teapot in this cute tea cozy by Nonnie60.

 

Quilted Mini Tea Cozy - Country/Folk Art Design

This mini-tea cozy was designed and sewn by Nonnie using a quilted cotton fabric in a country or folk art design. It was designed specifically for the nesting 2C pot and cup, which when assembled stand approximately 6" high. It also accommodates any 1C mini-pot. as shown in the main photo. It can also rest on top of a large mug to keep coffee or tea from cooling off too quickly.

Tempted yet?  Why not browse some more?  You will be amazed at the talent in this group!!!

A very auspicious day!

You can't help but feel the electric excitement that is not only engulfing America but the world too! Today will be one of those days which we will all remember. Today, the 44th President of America is to be sworn in. That in itself is important. However, more importantly, this is the first time that a black American has had the opportunity to enter the White House. I remember, not too long ago, all the demonstrations we followed on the news about the troubles in America. To think that a few years down the road the picture has changed. There will be many who are still alive and remember the dark days. Today, there is enlightenment for all of us, not just America! A new hope and a new adventure.

There will be many problems inherited and many more to solve but with resolution, integrity and a new hope these will be overcome in one way or another.

I tried to see if any of a team I am passionate about had any items to commemorate this special event and found the follow:

Barack Obama Inaugural Window Cling Suncatcher With Stained Glass effects

'The audacity of hope!
I made this window cling in honor of our newly elected president,' says the creator,

Clingingimages

No disrespect! However, you have to bring in the humour too, don't you?

Obama '08 - Lipstick on a Pig with Freebie

'Make a political statement or if you wish, remove the lipstick. Great fun and great for conversation,' says

Felt4Ewe

Patriotic Earrings

'These fun fun fun Patriotic Earrings are perfect for those who love America!' quotes Katz Kreations

This selection is from a team on Etsy called Boomers and Beyond Etsy Street Team or the BBEST for short! Just place BBEST team in your search and you will find the most amazing items from very talented folk! Why not go to their blog http://boomersandbeyond.blogspot.com where you will find postings on all sorts of subjects.

Enjoy the day for all the right reasons! There won't be another like it!!

It was really cold!

In order to blow the cobwebs my husband and I decided to visit Wakehurst Place which is not too far a drive from our house.  It was just a couple of days into the new year and the weather, though dry, was really cold!

One of the views we had promised ourselves was that of a huge tree near the main house which had been decorated with loads of light bulbs which were to be lit every afternoon just prior to the closing of the park.  We got there around 3.30pm to walk around a little whilst waiting for the lights to be switched on.  Boy, was it cold! It was OK at first as we were well wrapped up and the sun was still throwing its last rays on the house and surrounding areas.  Amazingly, there were still a number of visitors walking about looking like us, waiting for the lights to be switched on!  Here you can see a view of the front of the house from across a lake with about three quarters of an inch of ice.

Even the birds were finding it hard work.  At one stage we saw some seagulls fighting over some bread that had been cast on the ice only to be slithering all over the place!

Ducks and moorhens were trying to manoeuvre across the ice to reach the bread that visitors had thrown for them.  If you look closely here this moorhen has found a large crust!

All this was all very well but when were the lights going to be lit?

 

Here the sun was shining on this tree and creating a lovely pink colour accentuating the branches towards the top of the tree.

Finally!! The lights were switched on!  It was hard to photograph since the sky still held the last of the daylight.  Still, you could see vestiges of the moon to the upper right and judging by the clear blue sky with not a cloud in sight we were due for a very cold night.

Best to return to the car to put the heater on and whilst driving home we looked forward to a hot cup of tea and the remainders of the Christmas cake to warm us up!

Nearly the end of the month and....

Yes, it is nearly the end of the month and the 30/30 challenge is nearing its end!

Di's 30/30 challenge has quite a number of us participating.  Each of us setting ourselves different targets which we hoped to achieve during the month of October.

My goals were:

1. To create an encaustic painting to enter into a competition on ArtScuttlebut.com  Here is my entry entitled Celestial Magic.  It has been created using pigmented beeswax which was then hot air blown.  To enhance the painting I used my trustworthy iron, hot stylus and tissues.

The painting has been created on canvas as a support and is painted around the sides, top and bottom so is immediately ready to hang.

When you view the painting from the sides you can see the whole subject which makes it rather fun!

 

 

2.  My next goal was to continue using the Wii sports.  This I have done using it to play tennis which is a game I love.  In addition DH and I have taken many walks through local parks to enjoy the beautiful foliage at this time of year.

3. My third goal was to create something every week and this week I have had my encaustic paints out again.  This time to create a painting using one of England's oldest monuments, namely, Stonehenge.  Each year during the summer solstice the druids come from far and wide to celebrate the season. 

This particular painting evolved from a greetings card I was trying to create for my DH whose birthday is on Saturday.  He loves the wax art so I began and the first picture that emerged was this one of  a landscape scene.  I wasn't too happy with it so carried on and then Stonehenge was born! 

 

 

 

 

So you can see the different processes and how a painting can evolve from card to canvas.

All these paintings are created by me but under my 'other' personality!  On a Whimsey where I only have encaustic art.

In addition I have managed to keep up my new blog A Precious Memory where I have written some of my father's memoirs of a dark period in his life.

And so, my friends, I feel that I have managed to acquit myself reasonably well by 'just' keeping up with my self set goals.  Now with Christmas just around the corner there are plenty more challenges.  Thank you, Di, for making us get up and get on with things.  It is always easier if someone goads you into being more productive.

A new blog!

Whilst going through some paperwork the other day I came across a manuscript of my late Dad. Having been an avid diarist all his life he took it upon himself to record in retrospect his experiences during his internment in Japanese POW camps in Indonesia during WWII.

He had always wanted to prepare these words with a view to recording them in a book but just never got round to doing so. It was with this in mind that I thought I might attempt to use his words but in a blog format. I must say, he would have loved to have done that himself. He was always one to try out new technology!

Rather than intrude on this blog with a subject that needs to be recognised in its own right I decided to start a new blog devoted to his manuscript. There I will transpose his words in the original format as much as possible and hope it will be of interest to others.

Certainly there will be aspects that are not widely known to the younger members of our society and I am sure he would be pleased to help nuture a better understanding of how things were and how we should move on to try and better ourselves.

Without further ado, I invite you to visit http://apreciousmemory.blogspot.com where I hope you will find something to hold your interest.