Name tags

Hi Friends,

Yesterday we spent the day finishing and shipping all the Christmas gifts and cards. Whew! All will be to their recipients before the 24th, so good job!

Here is one of the things we made... Yes, I said we.  He was roped into it, and I think he enjoyed it, too.

We stamped with a brown ink using our thumb prints, then drew on some reindeer horns. The noses are sticky "jewels" and eyes are sticky  wiggly eyes - Voila!

An out of focus (sorry) close up. I think the grandkids will love them. The eyes move, and so it could be a game to make them look as funny as possible.  If you do this - don't do like I did... write the recipients name on the back first! It'll be easier that way.

Sew I'm back to sewing - I have another gift project in mind, but it's not for a birthday or Christmas.  I'll show it when it's been received.

Hugs & Happy Christmas,
Terri

a card and little plant progress and links to the Jelly Roll Races!

Hi Friends,
I took a picture of a card - again - I know...   So lets go right to the pictures, shall we.

This is the lower left on the envelope... I know he's a grown man, but he likes Harry Potter, too, and shouldn't the joy of childhood continue into adulthood?  Lets allow ourselves some fun.

Here's the card.  I figured anybody could use a little Felix Felicis, even if they are lucky enough to be having another birthday.  This is the block I showed on yesterday's post. Dolls up nicely... You wouldn't believe how long it took me to put it all together.

 Now to the plants!  These two tiny sprouts will be massive Elm trees some day. Our trip to Colousa was wonderfully productive. There are two others, too, that sprouted.  We will have to make that trip again next year.

This is one of the nicer Catalpa trees  I started last year for the trick or treaters.  Most of them were not chosen because by the time Halloween comes around they've dropped their leaves, and it looks like the batty old witch is trying to give away dead plants.  I want one in my yard, but the hobby doesn't want to mow around it.  Guess I'll just get it a bigger pot.

I promised another blogger that I would help them find the Jelly Roll Quilt directions on line, so I'll do that and come back with that info.... Just talk amongst yourselves.

And here it is a link to the site with a You Tube video of the races on it.

http://blog.heirloomcreations.net/?p=1897

This should show you how to make a quicky jelly roll quilt, and if you buy the right colored JR you can have your gift done in no time.

"Well, I'm off" - as my hobby sez every time he leaves the house.  He's good at giving me all the straight lines I can handle.   I'm going to do some laundry now... ho, hum.  Then I'll hit the sewing room for some excitement.  Maybe I'll work on my jelly roll from Sheila's Pay It Forward. It's been calling to me.

              

                                          Come back to see how it works out.

Terri

#70

This is my 70th post... not  a giveaway type blogiversary or anything, but a nice round number. Thanks for stopping by.

Today I proclaim how lucky I am.... again!  My friend, Sheila, from Sew Cook and Travel sent me a Pay It Forward gift!  It is so awesome!
Well, here's a thousand words...

What she did was wash, iron and cut fabrics into 2 1/2"  widths for me to have this rainbow jelly roll. I am so impressed with her generosity!  And there are instructions for a quilt along with it.  It is called the Jelly Roll 1600 quilt, and some places call it a Race Quilt.  You can find out how to make one at www.heirloomcreations.net.  It is an ingenious technique. (I had to use the search on that site to find it, and don't remember really how I got there, but once you are there you'll find a YouTube video to watch and see them being made and modeled afterwards.)  Anyway, I thought I might just make one like it... sounds easy and quick, and I have been considering making something like it since I made binding last time. I love the look of the diagonal seam and with the lovely rainbow colors Sheila made up for me it'll be gorgeous!  Thank you Sheila!!!!
   Now, I can't promise such a lovely gift as Sheila gave me, but I would still love to keep up my side of the bargain and give 3 participants a gift each, too.  If you would like to receive a mystery gift in the snail mail and then Pay It Forward to 3 lucky recipients, just let me know.  I have a year to get you something, and you have a year after receiving a gift from me to send something to your recipients.
Write me a comment saying you would like to do this.  Everybody likes to get a package in the mail!

Other pictures...
 
 This is a close up of a hug - as close as I can get to you~  I wanted to show you the "background" of the Hugs and Kisses Quilt that I'm still "working" on.  I put working in quotes cause I'm fooling around a bit now. I got a gift and card off to my daughter in time for her birthday this week, and I'm rewarding myself by playing. I needed a break from the XXXs and OOOs. I'm working on a Felix Felicious block from the Harry Potter patterns.  They are free from Sewhooked and friends Here and Here. I'm thinking that for THE movie coming out in July - the last one - I'm going to use one of the paper pieced patterns and apply it to a T-shirt for me. That way I'll be in style for the show. I just don't know which of the patterns.  I have a Whomping Willow already done and since my #1 grandgirl used to call me Grandma Willow, from Pocahontas movie, that could be appropriate. There are just so many patterns from which to choose! (Gotta use the good grammar in case my daughter reads this.)

These two pictures (above and below)  are of my "card" to my DD.  (She doesn't read this blog all that often, so she will probably get it before she sees it here.  The little flags are diamond shapes cut from decorative papers, and the letters on them are from a sheet of Scrabble letters that I've had for eons.  I just happened to have some lovely waxed linen in her favorite color for the string and voila! a card.  Magic. (Who says I'm not a witch.)  It says Happy Birthday and her name, but she can turn it around and use it year round for a little joy.  (As you can see the little trees and stars are still living on the design wall.  I just haven't put them together yet.  You run out of steam after a while.  I think it's going to be a UFO before too long.)

And what post of mine would be complete without a few pictures from the garden?

The chives are blooming again... this one has a Lady Bug on it!

They planted themselves from a potted plant on the patio, and have been doing better here than ever they did there.  They are smack up next to my yellow rose, which looks terrible right now.  We had a lot of rain the past few days, and the roses all are showing the signs.  The sun beats on the beads of water, and burns the roses, and of course the rain and hail beat off most of the petals.  And here to prove me wrong...

 are the dead roses.  Thought you'd like to see all the blooms.  When you get near  they buzzzzzzz.  The bees are enjoying!  I'm just happy we have them around!

And here below is a close-up. Smile pretty!

So that wraps it up for me....

Don't forget to leave a comment saying you want to Pay It Forward.

Hugs,

Terri

Finally a card! and more flowers

Hello again friends,
I finally made a card and took a picture of it before I sent it off!!!!!!!  It's one of my stars made for that wall hanging I started a while ago. I used double sided tape to attach it to the back of the window that I cut on my Fiskars cutting tool...(I don't know how else to discribe it.) Anyway, I then attach the whole thing to the front of the card.

I linked this one up to Cas-ual Fridays

Here is how I did the inside.  It was done with my computer word program... word works, I think.  Lots of fun to do.

And now some more bloom'n plants from my yard.

This is my fabulous Japanese (or Chinese) Maple tree that we bought about 10 years ago for $1.49.  It was only about 2 inches tall then.  Now I'd say 10 foot.  Anyway, it is blooming - aren't they lovely blossoms. I sure hope I can get some seeds from it.  Wouldn't they be marvelous to share with the Trick or Treaters?

This is a Vinca... lots more flowers, but I wanted to show you a close up.  The leaves are shiny and it is a wonderful viney ground cover. I've got some started for Halloween, too.

Here is the last of the China Berry Bush flowers. It liked to bloom during the rains, so I never got a really nice picture when there were lots of blooms. Here, too, I'm hoping for seeds.

I know I've shown my Golden Delicious Apple blooming before, but I just couldn't help it.  It is covered with flowers and I had to be slow and careful while taking pictures under it - violets are coming up below - the bees are bussssssay!  Last year we only had a few apple runs for the deer... This year we will be bringing all the fruit that starts to rot to them.  Saves putting it into the landfill, and here the summer is so dry that our grasses in the woods have already started to go brown. (It has already grown to maturity since it starts to grow in December when the rains start up.) So when the deer have little to eat we bring them our yucky apples and they love them! 

I wish I had smell o'vision on his computer so I could send you a whiff of blooms!  Heaven on earth!

This is my shamrock.

Don't you just love the unexpected flowers that come up in the grass. Here are some little purple ones... don't know what they are, and that is some of the beauty of wildflowers. 

These are the Violets that live under my apple tree. I did get my hair caught in a branch as I stood up from taking this picture.  Lucky I didn't anger any bees.

Our Lilacs are on the verge of blooming, just not all the way at once!

And last but not least, the Lavender - blooms all year long here.  We have it  taking a big piece of our veggie garden... I'm thinking of just planting the whole thing in lavender and not having to pick beans all summer. Nothing else appeals to either of us.  Beets don't do to badly in this plot, but the carrots are gnarly because of the roots from nearby trees and all the rocks.  We have had tomatoes, but only a few on a bush that cost more than a few fruit - so why not just buy them from the store.  What do you grow in your gardens?

Well, we've come to the end of the pictures for today.  I do want to let you all know that my Dear Daughter made it through her double mastectomy surgery and is resting (Ya sure!) at home. Thank you for all your prayers and your concern. She has been remarkable through all her ordeals... we are so happy for her, and so proud of the way she has handled this all!  

So, on that happy note... have a fabulous weekend!

Love to all of you, and to yours,

Terri