Celebrity Pets

Being a animal lover I love seeing pets on blogs who are adored by their owners... In December I thought I'd try painting a few to see if maybe I might like to do pet portraits... I don't!!

But thought you might like to see the ones I finished with the photos I worked with... On top is Pat Winter's Angell. I had to combine 2 photos to get the whole head. What a sweetie!

Next is Cathy Kizerian's cat "Boomer" whom I met in person last winter. Lots of personality this one....

Last is "Brat" a beloved cat recently lost by Nicki. Painting a dog or cat is not a problem but trying to capture that animal's personality is..

Now that I've all that behind me I am stitching , stitching, and stitching...

Don't neglect to check out all the new buttons I uploaded onto my Etsy... now that it is all spiffed up!!

Birds and Bees and Ladybugs......

and a cottage or two... I got some loaded on my Etsy shop last night and will do more today... With the exception of the cottages, these buttons are all about the size of a quarter.

I'm hoping people are thinking Valentine's Day and secret sisters.....

I am finally getting a system for the repetitive part of the Esty posting.. But still I absolutely don't know how Pam Kellogg keeps putting up not only her stuff but her mother's also...

And hooray!!!! some one bought the little red barn so I get to paint another barn...

I'm the kind of person who just keeps banging her head against a wall and when it doesn't work I find another wall... But I have met my match with photographing these buttons... I started the day with great hopes but was never satisfied with the results.... It wasn't that much better than just plopping them on the scanner and in the end that is just what I did.. and will do until I can take a macro photography course.

I'm hoping it shows great strength of character to know when to throw in the towel so stand back... I'm throwing it... %$###%$*$#

Weather here going from 40 degrees to 3 degrees in 24 hours.... I love winter....almost as much as spring... In fact rather than going south for the winter, I would love to go north for the cooler summer..

A little turkey drama this morning....

At first light the wild turkeys show up waiting for DH to toss them some sunflower seeds..


Morris loves to rush out and chase them into the maple tree by the feeding area... This morning one was a little slow and Morris managed to snag a couple tail feathers... It surprised him as much as the turkey.. I am saving one to press and put in his "puppy book"...

So DH is tossing seeds when one of the turkeys in the tree drops a big pile of poop on his shoulder.. He tromps into the house totally indignant with the ingrate turkeys and shoving his befouled (pun intended) jacket at me...then asks if I wanted to take a picture of it for my blog.. Aren't you glad I declined and spared you that sight...
NOTE: The funny part here is not that he got pooped on but that he expected ME to take a picture of it.. I think if you can't figure out not to stand under a tree full of turkeys you shouldn't be surprised about falling poop....

Morris and I are walking again.. About 1/4 of the trail is still covered with snow drifts and a bit dicey to traverse, but the rest is open and smells of wet earth and pine needles.. My favorite way to start a day!!!

My Esty Makeover Quest

If you are an Etsy novice or thinking about Etsy this post might be of interest... I plunged right into Etsy when I didn't have the time to think things through and have been struggling ever since... At the beginning of January Etsy offered a Makeover Workshop and I followed along AND started researching similar Etsy sites.

1.Of course they emphasized the importance of good photographs but also the "number" of photographs.. I had one picture of the button front and one with the back beside a quarter. But as I looked at sites with lots of photographs I decided it does make a difference.. so to add interest I'm adding a photo of me painting buttons, a photo of the tiny brush and a photo what the button would look like beaded...or on a CQ.

2. Then they discussed "tags" (the way people find you) so again I start researching tags on similar sites. I discovered a lot better tags than I had been using. I wasn't nearly expansive enough. It pays to research.

3. I had been just grabbing images for backdrops for my buttons and NEVER happy with any of them... I spent a couple hours one day working up backdrops and trying buttons on them to compare. Anything too busy overwhelmed the buttons. I wanted real CQ and something elegant so in the end I opted for an off-white beaded CQ. Everything looks good on it but the chickens and they're not selling anyway...

4.They had a whole section on improving the narrative but I haven't got to that part yet...next week

My biggest challenge all along has been photographing the buttons... Some problems are inherent such as their highly reflective surface.. and also since they're round, unless you are directly over them they look oval.

Some time back I adapted this section of a photo enlarger and it works great EXCEPT the only way to check the reflections in the view finder was to stand on a ladder or set it all on the floor which is hard on my back and knees crawling around it.. So on my list for some time has been searching thrift stores for a small, stable, low cart on wheels and I found just the thing the other day.

This computer printer cart is the right height and not only has wheels, it has drawers... A girl can never have too many drawers... And weather permitting I can roll it out on the porch...which will make Susan happy! So I plan to use it this weekend to photograph all the buttons I've painted over the last week...
Last but not least I found a solution for another little but irritating problem... All my buttons have metal shanks on the back so they do not lie flat. I'd been using terrycloth but found something even better.... heavy rubber shelf matting with BIG holes is perfect for supporting the buttons for photographing and spraying with sealer... None of the above efforts are all that exciting but finding that many solutions to problems has really been gratifying...

Another adventure block possibility...

This is a man's silk tie and I've had it for several years and numerous times have hauled it out but couldn't get inspired.... But a couple days ago I received this hand dyed lace from a dear friend, Janet Popish (thank you Janet) and it sent me dashing for THE tie...





I've found an Art Deco image that suits it but I can also see a beaded iris as a focal point ... Would definitely bead the cloche.... Will have to think on it...

I have been diciplined about sticking to my goals for Etsy this week....such a self righteous feeling

Color Inspiration

For the April workshops I will have to make several blocks so have been looking for inspiration for color combinations.. And ever since I did Jeanne's purple and orange block I've wanted to explore orange some more...


Well here it is... This is one of my granddaughter Madi's photos she took recently in Morocco. Don't you just love the orange, rusty red, lime and a touch of blue? This combinations will really show off stitching and embellishing.. I will have to buy a piece of vibrant orange silk as I'm absolutely positive there's none in my stash... I also posted about the beads she brought me from Morocco which will go perfectly with this...

During her time going to school in the Netherlands she used every spare moment to travel. The two weeks after her classes ended she whizzed all over Europe all by herself... She is developing a wonderful artistic style with her camera and I'm so proud of her.. Below is a very moving shot of a nomad family... I'm assuming the mother is on the left and looks very young herself... But that baby is LOVED!!!

Best laid plans etc. etc. etc.

These two blocks were supposed to be the cover for my vintage featherweight which is left uncovered as I use it all the time... But somehow I got emotionally involved with making these blocks and they have become my very favorite... Now they've been done almost a year and I still haven't made them into a cover because I'd rather have the sewing machine getting dusty than these blocks... I just love all the robins on felt... especially the one eating the berry (upper left)

So now I've decided to combine them into a hanging and take them to CT in April as my show and tell... I've tried putting them side by side but it doesn't work so I am making them into one long piece. I'm thinking I might like to enter them in the quilt show this fall.

Now what to do about covering my precious, faithful, incredible sewing machine? I made these two fans as end pieces for the original cover and discovered if I would overlap them at an angle and then add a embellished border it would work as a cover and I can live with them getting dusty... and they seem to fit the personality of my little machine.

Buttons

Actually this was to be my Etsy week but got a late start because the barn took up so much time...so will go into next week also... I have been working on a data base and painting buttons including these four cottages which are 1 1/2". I just scanned these and they need a few more touches and some gold... The scanner does strange things to the MOP glow...

The one on the upper right is a special order but the rest will go on Etsy... I've started truncating the cottages to get in more detail and like the look...

But came to two conclusions.. First cottages will have to cost more because they require so much time but I like doing them. Second I will save all my 1 1/2" antique MOPs for cottages... I only have 52 left and the odds of me ever finding another source for these fantastic, gorgeous, beautiful buttons are astronomical... They are so wonderful to handle and paint on.

I am in the progress of painting more cardinals, blue jays, hummers, bees and ladybugs on the 1" buttons.......

The machines appear!!!

Remember this shot from yesterday and I told you the sewing machines were buried under even more fabric..?









I did not lie for here they are.... The machine on the far right is my 50-year-old Bernina I bought right out of college with money I earned cooking for forest service fire-fighting crews. It is a real work horse and sews beautifully but only does about 12 or so stitches other than straight stitch..

The machine behind is only about 20 years old and doesn't sew nearly as nice but has a zillion fancy stitches that I used to use a lot.
There were two sergers on the side table (one is in the house right now) ...one I kept threaded with stretchy wooly thread and the other with regular thread.. The blue machine in the back is a Sail Rite made for sewing heavy canvas for sail boats and is wonderful for denims....

Our warm spell is gone and it's snowing... Liz is coming back Thursday though and we will start on the long wall of shelves and bins... We will have to use two propane heaters though because we could barely keep it at 50 degrees with one big heater today...

"The Barn"

When we bought the farm in 1980 this room in the barn had all the milking stalls and a drain along the floor... It is quite large (about 12'x30') and when the nursery was running it was a work room in the winter and a tea room/gift shop in the summer with enough room for workshops during the week... Once we closed I turned it into a full time sewing area...making garden smocks, aprons, etc. which I sold at garden shows... I finally got tired of bending over sewing machines and quit.

Unfortunately I didn't quit checking the yardage at thrift stores and kept hauling it home and piling in this room with the plan to make totes and purses someday.. This is what it looked like yesterday... and my neighbor "Super Woman" Liz came and helped me today.

We got all the fabric folded and sorted on the rolling racks and actually found the cutting table. One rack has tapestries, one has cottons and one has home decor fabrics...

Even though we're having a January thaw, the wind was blowing and we needed the big propane heater. It's not the best place to sew as it is most often too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer...impossible to keep clean and of course, there's the mice...

But the light is incredible... and it is surrounded with old-fashioned rose bushes.

I need to replace the old wood stove with some other kind of heater.
Tomorrow we'll tackle this end of the room not seen in the tidy photo... it is where there are 5 sewing machines, ironing board and another big rolling rack... all buried in fabric.. Liz went home with lots of goodies.... If the weather holds and I can manage one more day this week it will be to tackle the long wall with all the shelves and bins.. If not I can live with what we got done...

I'm hoping the weather will be such that Cathy and I can work on projects out there in February... with lots of light and lots of gourmet coffee...

To Sell or Not to Sell on Etsy

This morning I received an email from a reader which included this question. "Over the years I have collected older household linens, primarily table linens... .I wonder if an Esty shop might be the way to go and if it is what to do and how to do it."

I sent the following answer and am including it here in case it would be of interest to others... especially the part about the "Shop Info" :

Well this is not just a quick and easy answer... The first step is to go to Esty and research what you have and see how it is selling and what for.. I just typed in table linens and picked a seller http://www.etsy.com/shop/TablesGoneWild?ref=seller_info If you go to the main page of any shop it has a column on the left hand side and one part is "shop info". There it will tell you when the shop was started, how many items it has for sale and how many sales... This shop was established in Sept 2008 and had only 23 sales but I thought her prices pretty high.

Another site came up with linens and other things http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZinniaSnipSnap?ref=seller_info
and it has been in business much less time...since Sept 2009.... and had 498 sales and I thought her prices were reasonable. But they may not seem reasonable to you... How dear are these linens to you?

But tables linens is a broad subject so you can define it more if they are printed linens, embroidered linens, fine linens, etc... I looked at a few sites because I have LOTS of embroidered doilies etc in the barn and am thinking of bringing them in... It seemed when I looked at those sites they were moving at about $8-10. Probably worth my time to sell them...

If you decide to do this, Esty is pretty good about helping you get through the steps of setting up of a shop... Just don't expect to do it in an afternoon as there are lots of steps... I had a glitch with the shipping which I finally figured out... I find the photographing and listing steps VERY tedious but I have been selling right along. I know I could do better if I set up a database to let customers know when I add new buttons and by getting more new things painted and presenting them better. That is what I'm working on this coming weeks.

I set it up when I was rushed for time and now I need to go through and make some changes and reevaluate... I'm still pretty new myself so not the best resource but I think doing the research is the most important first step...
I ALWAYS check how long a shop has been in business and how many sales... When you find one having a high rate of sales within the area of what you are selling ....look at their items, photographs, prices, and the shipping prices and use them as a guide...

Etsy Work Week

My life is settling finally for the first time since August and I feel like I can catch up on things now... I didn't think the headaches after the concussion would EVER stop but now 5 months later they are rare. My Mom is moved for the last time and her man friend passed away. It's all adjustment now.


High on the list this week is paying attention to the Etsy thing. They suggest a photo of oneself creating so here I am painting on my buttons with my vintage magnifier...


With Photoshop magic I was able to make my sagging chin disappear and thought about smoothing out the wrinkles but even Photoshop has its limits...



Here is a photo of the size of my brush.... a 20/0 liner.

I've used "panic" backgrounds for the buttons... none of which I was happy with.. But this week I'll take time and try several things to come up with something I really like. I keep thinking lace but when I've tried it was too busy for a background... so will play around with it a bit...



2010 was a very trying year but the shining star of the year was Morris... He has brought me endless joy and without him I would never find my way... When he is one year old this spring I am putting all his blog posts into a book for him.


2011 is starting out great.. I'm so excited about the suffragette quilt, the trip to Connecticut, my buttons in Pat Winter's new magazine, the AAQ entry and an upcoming visit from my stitching confrere, Cathy K. Better get out there and ring that bell...

Pictures and decisions for blocks

Initially I planned to do the foundation and lace work for all nine blocks at once... but I have decided to work on just three blocks at a time to make sure there is some continuity in the embellishing but still have a feeling of making headway... So having made that decision, I chose the pictures for blocks 4 and 9 to work along with the center block and aim to have the three done to take back east in April..



For block #4 I am using shots of suffragettes who were arrested and jailed for demonstrating.. Along with those two pictures I'm using the one with two young women holding a poster. This is probably the most widely used picture of women demonstrating.. I will need to do color adjustments yet in this one to make it sepia..

For block #9 I am only using two images (yet to be color adjusted) but I must have this woman who is standing so proud ... Don't you just LOVE her...? The other photo is a group of women from Bellingham WA demonstrating.. I do have a better version of that photo to scan... Do look at the expressions on their faces...Are they determined or what?? Of all the photos I have these two best captured the spirit of the suffragette movement.... "pride and determination." Let the stitching begin!

And of course the hats!

Red Barn Button and Scone Tip

I just loaded this little red barn button on Etsy... It is just a little bigger than a quarter...about 1 1/2" There's a fine line between what sells and what I like to paint.. I like to be doing something different all the time so I hope barns will sell.

My buttons on crazy quilt projects are going to be included in Pat Winter's new magazine and I'm so excited. I'm working on photos for her. My old camera is having a focus problem on close-ups and I expect my new camera anytime...like TODAY...

I've also ordered some new 20/0 brushes so I can get some buttons painted before the new magazine comes out. Also need to get the whole Etsy thing better organized...

Now for a scone tip: When in a rush I use Costco's scone mix....this morning I made apricot-walnut scones.. Instead of adding 3/4 cup water as it calls for, add 3/4 cup whipping cream... I know, I know...not a low fat scone but the flakiest, most tender scone you'll ever have. Since I'm the early riser in this marriage and DH is the sweet eater, I love to have something warm from the oven for him when he gets up. He is from the old school when the highest compliment you could pay a man was that he was a "real gentleman." He is and I appreciate it.

We were going to go to town today and play bridge but we're having a "significant snow event"...expecting 9" by early afternoon... Good day to stay off the roads.

And you thought I was kidding...

One day last spring Morris and I returned from our walk in the woods and sat on the porch gazing out at the garden.... I suddenly realized I couldn't see my bell as it was all overgrown.. Not only I couldn't see my bell, I couldn't even remember the last time I rang the bell.. I believed when we closed the nursery was the last time...years and years. Since customers were spread throughout the garden I rang the bell one-half hour before closing so that they could start checking out... I loved the bell and I loved ringing it

In early days all churches and towns had bells... They were rung on all special days and occasions. They were rung as alarms and to celebrate joy. What a terrible shame to have a gorgeous bell and not ring it. So all summer and fall we rang the bell every day at the end of our walk... We're not walking in the snow now but we ring the bell when we finish morning chores... How lucky I am to have my great big, beautiful, cast-iron bell.

Center Block on Suffragette Quilt

I suppose since this is the most joyous block I should save it until last in the sequence....But since I am a big believer in "eat dessert first", I will start with it... I have so many wonderful pictures and it's difficult to settle on just the right ones... Of course the one on the left has always been the hands-down winner for the prime spot on the quilt... I have several others with women voting but the words "WAY OUT" are the greatest... And of course the hat is to die for!


I think awhile back I showed you how I edited this picture in photoshop... The hat cast a dark shadow on her face. I cut her face out, lightened it and put it back... Magic!






The joyous women celebrating was harder and I had it narrowed down to two photos...both wonderful. But the deciding factor here was the horn. Besides eating dessert first I'm also a big believer in ringing your bell, banging your tambourine and blowing that horn....

Rather than a banner in this block I will use this Susan B. Anthony quote: "Men, their rights and nothing more; women their rights and nothing less." I will also use her image on a cameo for this block also..

I mentioned I had padlocks for every block and on this block the padlock will be open and a vote will be the key... And there will lots and lots of wonderful seams and I get to use the fabulous bow parts Susie W. sent me....well she actually sent me lace bows and I made them into parts... You will love them... Thanks Susie

Found it!

Super sleuth Cathy K. found my light at http://tinyurl.com/2bgub2n and I immediately ordered 2. It will be perfect to take to the Adventure in April... The ones at Office depot were similar but had a bulb not LED.. The LED uses smaller batteries and lasts longer on the batteries... HOORAY.. Thanks Cathy.. Why is this light NOT included at the Ott Lite website??? And why did it not show up anywhere when I typed the model #? Well the model number on the bottom of light (CDO007) apparently is not the model # they use and the one they use is NOWHERE on the light.

Need help finding Ott Lite

A gal in my sewing group bought this little Ott Lite at a JoAnns in California this summer.... It is very small and weighs only 10 ounces... It only slightly larger than a small water bottle and it folds up and fits easily in a large purse or small tote. It is portable and battery operated although will adapt to DC... It would be PERFECT for traveling.. It does not have a regular bulb but has these LED lights . The model number is CDO 007 and it is Ott-Lite brand... The problem is I cannot find it ANYWHERE. It does not exist at OttLite's website nor at JoAnns nor anywhere on Google...

So if you are going to JoAnns in your area would you see if they have one and I would gladly pay for shipping etc...? Now this is NOT the larger heavier battery model with a bulb which I have seen...

Now speaking of orange... My delightful oldest granddaughter just whizzed in Friday from finishing college in the Netherlands and picked up her car which had been stored here.. She's off to her new internship at a Mariott hotel in Florida...traveling from Washington state to Florida in mid-winter... She left right away between storms here and hopefully gets south between blizzards.. But while in Europe she spent a few days in Morocco and bought me these beads and look at all the orange... I need to make a block to take to Sharon Boggin's class in April and will use these beads as inspiration, embellishment, and colors for the block.. orange, purple, aqua and lime green... Not my usual palette...but aren't they lovely???

"Boy Look at Me Now!" says the orange patch...

Remember the purple block with the orange patch? I feel a bit guilty because I'm always talking about working in harmony with other stitchers in a RR.. But this orange patch just started talking to me and when bits of fabric start talking to me I listen. I had decided to embrace the orange and along with purple I just used the the oranges and rusts from the triad on the color wheel.












Then I added a lot of ribbons. rick rack, and braids. Isn't this a fun and festive block just doing seams...? Did I ever use a lot of the templates on this... and I had sooooooooo much fun doing this block.. I do admit the flowers "borders" on being a motif... but it is attached to a seam... Note: I wanted you to notice how adding that purple ribbon to the tiny upper right corner patch strengthened that corner.. otherwise I would have had a triangle patch with 1" sides... Adding the wide seam also brought even more into the block...

Wall Thing and Wild Turkeys

Carol S. was the first to mention the wall storage thing and asked for dimensions...It is 18" wide and 48" long the the pockets are 3" square. There are about 100 pockets... I had no way to contact Carol directly but if she doesn't want it, it goes to Kathy aka The Mad Stitcher... It was intended for earrings but it would be great for findings, charms, jewelry parts etc. that we use in CQ.. I just don't have the wall space anymore.

Food is scarcer with all the snow for large birds like the wild turkeys and they have been coming to the house for sunflower seeds and the remaining crab apples on the trees. Obviously Morris and Molly delight in watching them forage and strut...Morris used to be frightened of them but not so when he learned they will fly into the trees if he appears..

Jeanne's seams only block...

Last night I put tape, braid or ribbon on all the seams...Remember she just said no lace and no beads. I'm REALLY going to have some fun with this block inspired by embroidery from India..



First I could see I was going to have another tiny corner patch difficult to seam... So I edged it with a piece of ribbon the same color (see arrow) which I will embellish and bring the tiny corner into the block. Two pieces of braid on here I bought in a sari store in Auckland NZ years ago so they have a special meaning to me.

What I like about putting braid or a ribbon on a seam is that you are really creating another seam to embellish.. Even though there will be no motifs I hope to create a very richly embellished piece...

I just love everything about embroidery work from India... the abstract flowers and animals, the color, the paislies and mirrors and the incredible richness of it... (totally encrusted).













I found a picture of a small piece of Indian embroidery using the colors I chose and set it against the purple for you to see. Aren't the little fat paislies just precious? Somewhere I have some of those little shisha mirrors as we used them in a challenge last year.

"In the very near future" List

I am addicted to lists... I suppose it goes back to my teacher training and having to make lesson plans... I have master grocery lists, travel lists, gardening lists etc... I do not do a day planner or daily list...this is my "in the very near future" list... I've tried every kind of way of keeping a list but this is my favorite. Years ago I acquired a 4 x8" notebook with the spiral binding on the side.

I just love it and when I get to the end I just turn it over and go back the other way... I can hold it in my hand easily, it never gets lost and it's easy to make the list progressive.



But when I filled the notebook I couldn't find another one with the spiral binding on the side... Lots of long narrow one with the binding at the top though... So I bought a 6x8" notebook and used the paper cutter to trim it down to "4...













Now with altered art and paper art being so popular I've decided to decorate mine the next time I make one and I found a cool site that does just that... http://www.spotlight.co.nz/inspiration/projects/custom-made-notebook-1/ And I think they would be a great gift....

And this is a test to see if anyone reads the entire blog post. I have this wall thing with about 100 pockets. I used to keep earrings in it and I don't need it.... The first person to speak up and say they want it gets it... I will not be back until later today to post the winner.