Tah AND Dah!!!!

And.....another landscape is finished!  Have I mentioned that I just might be a tad obsessed with old buildings???  There are worse things I guess.  

Just to refresh your memory, here is the photo I worked from (kindly shared by Dale Stewart - thank you Dale!!!)....

Barn in Alberta - original photo by Dale Stewart
Permission for use granted

And here is my quilted version...

FOR SALE

and a couple of close ups that I THINK you can click to embiggen....

THIS ONE IS FOR SALE - contact me, if interested!

Just a wee bit of trivia for you - it seems I've been giving you quotes since sometime in 2014.  Hmmm....maybe you're tired of them by now?  Here is another anonymous one for you..."When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better, and you start to attract better.  It all starts with you"

Done!!

Before I show you a photo of the latest finished barn, I have a question for you....

I'm looking for input and would like to throw this over to you for your opinions on the subject.  Most of us know there is always a debate over copyright laws and I'm wondering what your feeling is about using images that are found on the internet (particularly on Pinterest) as a basis for creating art - specifically things like abandoned churches and houses (barns, too, of course).  I live in an area where there are very few old falling-down churches because most have been converted to homes and thus don't have the look I like for my work.  I would love to branch out into doing other old buildings beyond the barns I have managed to source locally.  There are tons of images on the internet that are perfect but simply cannot be traced back to the person that originated them in order to seek permission to use them in my art. I know there is one school of thought that says that provided you use an image for 'personal use only' it's okay, but how does that apply if you make only one - but plan to sell it?  What say you?  

And now, here's the latest barn.....

FOR SALE

Finis!

The latest barn is done!  

SOLD!

Now I'm itching to start another one but I have a couple of other things that I need to do for the 'Crazy Quilt Quarterly' magazine so I will have to change gears a bit.  Never fear, there are more barns just waiting their turn!

Your quote..."Refuse to please others at the expense of your emotional well-being.  Even if it means saying 'no' to people who are used to hearing 'yes'.  

Finished!

Yesterday I finished the latest barn project and hopefully my customer will be pleased with it.

A couple of close-ups

(all pictures...I think....should be clickable so you

can see further details)

Terrible angle for the photo but was trying to show the lilac details

Today's quote..."Happiness is a choice, not a result.  Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy.  No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy.  Your happiness will not come to you.  It can only come from you"

Tah Dah!!!!

Over the weekend I finished the latest barn project.  This one isn't finished as a wall hanging because my customer would like to frame it.  

I think you can click on the picture to embiggen it

SOLD!

Another anonymous quote today.."Never make someone a priority who only makes you an option"

Another one finished!

Over the weekend I finished the latest of my barn series...

FOR SALE

This quilt measures approx. 28"x20" and is for sale.  If you're interested, please contact me!

Another anonymous quote..."Be thankful for all the troubles that you don't have"

Tah Dah!!!!!

Well, here it is.  Finished.  Done.  Ready to be delivered.

SOLD!

I think you can click on it to embiggen to show more details (if you so desire, of course!).  And below is the original photo I worked from...

I chose not to attempt fate by adding all the shadows that appear in the original - just a tad outside my current abilities I think!

Now it's on to working on another barn!  I think it will be this one...

It might be a little slow moving for a day or two - managed to do a number on my back last night so I'm moving slower than usual!

Today is another anonymous quote..."When you feel like quitting, think about why you started"

Finished - and Sold!!!!

The latest barn is finished - and, wonder of wonders, it promptly sold!  And....even more amazing....it could have sold twice over.  Still reeling from that one!  

SOLD!

Now, if I could only sell the crazy quilted one I'd be definitely over the moon!  

Today's quote is from Eleanor Brownn..."Clutter is not just physical stuff.  It's old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits.  Clutter is anything that does not support your better half"

A finished project!

Over the weekend I finished the crazy quilt barn landscape quilt.  Overall I'm pleased with it, but had I a chance to do it over I would choose to use a darker thread to do the machine embroidered seams.  Initially I didn't want the seams to be the focal point and take away from the barns....however, now I look at it I think it would have been okay to use a darker thread.  Next time I'll know!

FOR SALE

I think you should be able to click to

embiggen these so you can see the

details a bit better

And, just to remind you of what the original photo looked like...

Today's quote comes from two favourite characters..."How do you spell 'Love'?" (Piglet).  "You don't spell it, you feel it" (Pooh).

Layering

The barn project is progressing slowly - with a lot of contemplation between every step.  I have to muster my courage a lot!!

Here's a closeup of the smaller barn...

Another anonymous quote for you...."A recent study has found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it"

Done! Finis!!

TAH DAH!!!

DONE!!

SOLD!

Here is the original photo I used as inspiration..

Today your quote is from Greg Anderson..."When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life"

Done!

The latest barn project is complete!!  Well, complete except for the label for the back, which I will work on next.  

This piece measures approx. 14 x 25".

The inspiration photo I used

Close-ups....

Today your quote is from an anonymous source once again..."Life is like a camera....focus on what's important; capture the good times; develop from the negatives; and if things don't work out, take another shot"

Beans and Barns

I haven't shared a recipe with you in a long time so I thought I'd share what we had for supper last night.  The cooler fall days are here and this was mighty tasty (and easy to make according to the resident cook).

BBQ BEANS and SAUSAGE

2 cans EACH of romano & black beans*

1 c. diced onion

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. maple-flavoured BBQ sauce**

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. chili powder

1 lb. kielbasa sausage - chopped up

Spray bowl of slow cooker with vegetable spray.  Combine all except sausage which goes on top.  Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.

* - you can use any combination of beans 

you like best

** - we like maple, but perhaps you'd 

prefer another flavour

There has been a bit more progress on the barn....

And here's another quote from Eeyore...."A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference"

I'd like to say....grass is a'growin'....but...

....if I do, I can imagine how many 'hits' I'll be getting on my blog and most of them won't be of the desirable sort!!  

I have spent the entire afternoon putzing with the grass area for my barn.  I have auditioned a ton of possibilities, all of which have been...ahem....mowed.  I finally came up with this...

....and out of complete and total disgust with the whole thing, I have decided it's staying.  So there!!  Of course there's still embroidery to be added to hopefully blend it in more.  No matter what happens I am NOT changing it again!!!

(oh yeah - there WILL be leaves on the tree!)

Today your quote is from one of my very favourite characters...Eeyore...."A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference"

About microwaves, barns and potions

Now how's THAT for a perplexing blog post title?!!  

Today I went back to working on my latest barn project and have, yet again, re-done the grass area.  For some reason it simply will-not-work despite my best efforts.  I had replaced the 'grass' twice over already and was on the third re-do, which I didn't remember to take a picture of (sorry).  

Here's the first effort...

Too much grass.  It took over.  I hated it.

Here's effort # 2...

After I embroidered on it for awhile it decided it was too bright.  Too garish.  Too spring green-ish.

Effort #3 (or was it #4??)

PRETEND THE PICTURE I FORGOT TO
TAKE  IS HERE

Please note that picture would show at

least two days worth of embroidery!!

Enter the use of the microwave....and paint....and green food colouring (which, btw, has dyed my fingers green....all ready for Halloween!).....and tea.  Add a dab of this, and a dollop of that....oops....throw it out because it turned a yucky shade of dog-poop-brown. Start over.   Insert piece of eyelet lace and brew it for awhile.  Squeeze out (more green tinge to my hands), rinse and iron dry.  

All that, to end up with....

(drumroll!!)

Effort #4 (or maybe 5, depending on your viewpoint)

One wonders.

Will there be an Effort #5???

Today your quote is from Albert Einstein..."Insanity:  Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Done!!!!

I'm sorry to say that my barn project is finished!  Sorry - not because I don't like it, but sorry because it's done and I can't play with it any more.  I had SO much fun creating this and I know I am going to be doing more, once I augment my stash enough to do so.  

First of all, here is the original photo I was working from...

You will notice I took a little creative license and left the people out and added a couple of horses to the scene.  I'm giving this as a Christmas gift and the people once owned two horses, so I thought it would be nice to include them.

Now, here's the finished piece...

SOLD!

The frame was a perfect thrift store find!

Close-ups...

I think you can click to embiggen them 

if you so desire!

(just don't look too close!!)

Earlier in the week DH and I took a little road trip in search of barns that I could create and I think this one will be next 'up' to play with...

These are the types of barns I'm fascinated with.

Today the quote is from anonymous..."The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg.  it's about what you're made of, not the circumstances"