New Paisley for January CQJP

I took off the old paisley and redid it... It is basically the same design only this time:

1. I did it on organza over interfacing rather than felt over interfacing
2. I used size 15 beads rather than 11s
3. I used fewer color changes
4. I made it smaller in size

I also added some more buttons and bling here and there.  Shirlee Fassell sent me some fantastic sequins and I will start adding them to paisleys and elsewhere.  Here is the before and after.

We are adding more help with mother's care so I am mostly sitting near her to fetch liquids, etc.  As I was getting ready to leave today she beckons me close and said...  "Your hair is messy!"

3/5 Art Challenge and Apology

3/5 Art Challenge and Apology
I missed day 3 and having to drop this challenge as my mother is in a health crisis.  I will end with two paintings I did for her from old photos.  In the first photo she is girl in the white hat on their way to pick fruit in Yakima.  In the second photo she is the girl on the right.  She is 95 and we don't expect her to last much longer now

Art Challenge Day 2

3/5 Art Challenge. Day 2 - I was nominated to participate in this challenge by my Lisa Boni I'll be posting at least 3 pieces of art every day for five days! I made dolls for myself when a child myself, dolls for my daughter, dolls for my granddaughters.

I made every part of the dolls including the heads. The top photo is "Mirth and Girth" Girth's head is sculpted from clay, covered in fabric and painted.. Mirth and the doll below have heads molded from clay and painted,  I liked making dolls to someone's likeness and the bottom one is my daughter-in-law.  When I began CQ I had all the stash from doll costuming.  I haven't made a doll now though for about 15 years.
There are a few older posts about my dolls.. http://olderrose.blogspot.com/search/label/Dolls

3/5 Art Challenge

3/5 Art Challenge. I was nominated to participate in this challenge on Facebook by my friend  Lisa Boni  I'll be posting at least 3 pieces of art every day for five days! For those who do not belong to Facebook I'll post then here also. 

I chose to do this as I can share some of my other work. At one time I was the graphic artist for the city's library system.. It was a great job. I got to do everything including publications, posters, murals, displays and even constructing puppets. The chickens were for a city/county display for backyard chickens and Jennie's logo was a private commission for a nursery in BC. 

Mystery tools identified.

Sally Grant asked me last fall if I'd help her identify something in a box of odds and ends that had been passed down in her family...   She had absolutely no idea what it was or what it was used for..  It took us a while to connect but I could tell her exactly what it was..


























It was a set of sterling silver ribbon bodkins.  And I could tell her how they were used and offered to find a approximate value for it.

She had no idea who the set had originally belonged to and could not even remember anyone in her entire family doing any sewing or handwork.

Even the original case is in fairly good shape considering that it is over 100 years old.

I did find this set on ebay for $383 and found two others not as ornate as Sally's in the $100-$200 range.  She is going to pass it along to her granddaughter and is delighted to have all the research to go with it..





AND...


in the process of looking for bodkins in antique sewing tools, I found a treasure for myself.  It is an antique measuring gauge with a sterling silver handle...and the price was barely more than buying a modern one... And it will be perfect for ribbon folding..  It does have an M monogramed on it which probably kept the price down but my middle name is Margaret.....and my mother's middle name is Margaret and my grandmother's name was Margaret.  And my granddaughter is Madison...  It  is about 100 years old also.....