Introducing.....

 "The Three Churches of Mahone Bay"
(Nova Scotia)

FOR SALE
SOLD (Thank you!)

and here's a couple closeups...

And, never let it be said that Resident Chef
isn't a romantic, if his putting these
in my hand is any indication...

They're Cheerios, but it's the thought that counts!

- If you have a die cutting machine, perhaps you might like to try THIS.  I wonder if there's a go-around for the machine and maybe if the same process might work using a rolling pin and lots of pressure.  

- There's an interesting article HERE about ice dyeing yarn.

- Have a peek through the gallery of THIS incredible artist (and take note of some of the raw materials she uses)

- And look at the amazing creations of THIS artist too!

Today's quote..."What money can buy:  A bed but not sleep; a clock but not time.  A book but not knowledge.  A position but not respect.  Medicine but not health.  Amusements but not happiness.  Acquaintance but not friendship.  Obedience but not faithfulness. A house but not a home"

Nearly done, but not quite

 The landscape is nearly complete but not quite, so I'm going to make you wait to see it so you can get the full effect all at once.  So...next 'up' on my dance card, is to make something out of these fabrics....

- THIS might intrigue some of you.  I'm thinking in terms of trying it in ATC size.

- There's a fun Christmas in July Mystery quiltalong starting HERE.  And, if you like mysteries, perhaps THIS one might intrigue you as well.

- THESE just made me smile! Be sure to scroll down.

- Have a peek through the gallery of THIS artist!

Today's quote..."Easy to spot a yellow car when you are always thinking of a yellow car.  Easy to spot opportunity when you are always thinking of opportunities.  Easy to spot reasons to be mad when you are always thinking of being mad.  You become what you constantly think about.  Watch yourself"

Just a whippin' along

 Another hmmmm - I received a rather 'different' comment on my last post and I published it, but I'm afraid I'm rather suspicious that it might have been generated by Artificial Intelligence.  It might be legit but I have my doubts.  Whoever it was repeated my words pretty much verbatim and it raised some red flags.  Maybe I'm just overly suspicious?  (if you're interested in reading it, scroll down to read the comments left on my last post).  

I've been going slightly cross-eyed attempting to whip all those stitching lines into shape in the water area of this landscape.  I'm nearly done so there no doubt will be a small celebration.  There's still some 'bumps' but I have an idea of how to camoflauge that.  I hope.

I know it's hard to see in the photo, but I have been doing 'something' with the water.  Still have the trees and the sky to quilt so you can likely still see the basting threads in those areas.

- THIS intrigues me - fun use for scraps!

- And you might want to explore that site a bit further by going HERE  There's lots to see!

- There are some fun ideas HERE for using vintage books.

- If you happen to like the idea of a poncho and would like one in a classy design, how about THIS one.

Today the quote is from Barack Obama..."The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something.  Don't wait for good things to happen to you.  If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope"

Hmmm....

 Do you ever find yourself wondering why something that starts out perfectly flat ends up not so much?  I quilted water 'lines' into the water area of the latest landscape and for no known reason it didn't end up flat at the end.  Hmmm.  Bother (to quote a certain well-known bear).  So, now I'm attempting to whip the lines into shape (literally).  We'll see if that helps.  Either way, the stitching needs more 'presence' to be noticeable so whipping it is.  Yawn.

Illustration from Piecework Magazine

- THIS looks really pretty, although I could be entirely swayed by the colour!

- There's an interesting article HERE re yarn substitution/weights.

- THIS looks like a fun way to use yarn stash AND would make fun gifts too.

- And, just for fun, maybe you'd like to play around with THESE!

Today's quote..."Negativity is contagious.  Unhappiness is contagious.  Fear is contagious.  But so is happiness.  So is optimism.  So is love.  Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you and strive to be a reflection of what you want to receive"

Another update

 What Goes Around Comes Around - OR - How Things Can Sometimes Bite You in the Arse - - 

Well, did you wonder if I was getting a little ahead of myself when I hit 'publish' on what should have been my Friday post and had it go live on Thursday instead?  I used to laugh at my elderly dad when he would say that he had to look at the daily newspaper to know what day it was.  And now, much to my chagrin, I find myself often in the same quandry.  Oh well, better early than not at all, right?

OK - back to the regularly scheduled programming and here is the latest on the landscape...

And - for those of you who haven't asked Mr. Google about the Three Churches of Mahone Bay, check  THESE

- Here's a tip that we just tried and find it works - if you have strawberries (should work for raspberries and blueberries too) that tend to go bad quickly, put them (unwashed) in a sealed jar in your fridge.  They keep for a long time without moulding...bonus!!

- HERE's a fun project you might like to try (thinking of you Liz!!)

- And THIS looks intriguing!  No real how-to there, but I'm sure Mr. Google would be happy to help.

- THESE are really pretty!

Here's your quote..."Don't ever save anything for a special occasion.  Being alive is the special occasion"

Better!

 I'm sorry that I totally forgot to take a picture of the offending building that I ended up tearing out and re-doing.  Some would say that was just as well.  And...here is the current state of affairs...

- AND - just to send you right 'round the bend (I'm happy there)...how about checking THESE out?

- And if the above link didn't send you into orbit, how about checking some of the links found HERE?

- Oh, and then scroll down through  THESE  

(are you sensing a theme here?)

- And how about spending some time watching THIS?

- And HERE is another crazy-making thing (or then again, maybe not?!).

And, instead of a quote...

I hates-zzzzzz it

 Yes, I am not a happy camper with the current landscape.  For some reason the yellow church is giving me fits and not being in the least bit cooperative.  All buildings need a fresh paint job now and then and this one is getting it, like it or not.  

In the meantime, on another front, some of those blocks I showed you earlier are being put together...

- if you happen to have any old windows kicking around, perhaps one of THESE ideas would help 

- HERE is another fun project you might want to try over the summer

- And how about trying THIS technique?

- Or THIS one?

Here is your quote for today..."Everyone has two eyes, but no one has the same view"

And....another beginning....

  Remember last time I sent you to Mr. Google on a quest to find out more about the 'Three Churches of Mahone Bay' ?  Well, a new landscape has begun and I must say, as I always do, it's now at the stage where it looks like something the cat dragged in.  I have faith (misguided as it might yet prove to be) that it will get better.  There's been quite a lot of fussy cutting to add the trees and the rocks.  Now it's on to trying to create the churches themselves.

- THIS looks like something that would be fun to try.

- THIS is a pretty wrap/shawl/scarf design.

- THESE are intriguing!

- If you enjoy iced tea, perhaps some of the variations found HERE might be of interest.

Today's quote is from Morgan Freeman.."Some of the best advice I've been given:  don't take criticism from people you would never go to for advice"

Happy birthday to Canada!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
CANADA!

Another recipe and a tiny reveal

 How about I really go overboard and share what we had for supper last night?

CASHEW CHICKEN

1 ½ lbs chicken breasts    Pepper

¼ c. cornstarch                  2 T. olive oil

¼ c. soy sauce                  ½ c. chicken broth

3 garlic cloves, minced     1 T. brown sugar

1 T. hoisen sauce              1 tsp. sesame oil

1 c. whole unsalted cashews

    Cut chicken into 1” pieces. Season with

pepper.  Toss with cornstarch.

Add olive oil to large skillet over med high

heat.  Once oil gets to smoking stage, add

chicken in batches.  Cook until golden brown.

Whisk remaining ingredients & add to pan

with cashews.  Toss until thickened.  Serve

over rice.

adapted from a recipe from therecipecritic.com

******************

Remember all those squares of fabric I showed you earlier?  Well, I now have one to the stage where you can see where I'm heading with them.

Only 79 more to make!!

********************

While I'm working on those, my brain is percolating over the next landscape.  If you ask Mr. Google to show you pictures of 'The Three Churches of Mahone Bay' you'll get an idea of what I'll be working on.

***************

-  THIS would be fun to make and comes in a range of sizes to suit everyone.

- THIS is an interesting bag with a little different twist.

- Have a scroll through the interesting designs found HERE. (just click on the 'x' to remove the ad if it shows up on your screen)

- If you burn jarred candles, perhaps THIS hint (and tips for upcycling) might be of use.

- THIS little fellow simply made me smile.

Today's quote..."Maybe we ought to live for the small things - like wet nose puppy kisses, rainy days with good company, the quiet calm at night and the sweet smell of rain, because in the end, that's the stuff we will remember....the love we felt, the memories we made and the happiness that filled our hearts"

A recipe - who knew?

It's been awhile since I've shared a recipe and we just discovered this one and really liked it... 

                                RANCH POTATO SALAD

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & chunked
1/2 c. chopped English cucumber
1/4 c. minced red onion
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. ranch dressing
S & P to taste

Cook potatoes in salted water about 12 minutes.  Drain and cool.  Toss with remaining ingredients and chill at least an hour before serving.

- THIS is another bag pattern that would be useful and fun to make.

- THIS is so pretty - I won't be attempting to make it though.

- You might be interested in making one of THESE.

- Crocheting some of THESE would be good for stash busting.

Today's quote..."It's better to be your genuine self, and have fewer of the right kinds of people in your life, than it is to surround yourself with those who only accept you as long as you conform to their idea of who you should be"

Ta Dah!!!

 T'is done!  The buyers requested a wind-blown pine, some birch trees, water and a canoe so hopefully I've given them all they asked for.  This one ended up measuring 27x23" and included applique, machine and hand embroidery, organza, paint and colored pencil.  

SOLD!! 

And...remember those two fabrics I showed you the other day?  They have been reduced to this...

Now, I wonder, what do I plan to do
with them next?

- I found the creations by THIS artist to be quite interesting...and beautiful.

- THIS would be a fun bag to own - and would make a wonderful gift too (note: you can click to download the free pattern and you might have to create an account, but there are tons of free patterns so it's worth doing)

- Some of THESE are really clever!

- THIS is a great thing with lots of uses.

Today's quote...."You may not always see the results of your kindness, but every bit of positive energy you contribute to the world makes it a better place for all of us"

ummmm -

 Two days of not being home much means not a whole lot to report re the latest landscape.  I've highlighted some of the grass area and added the small clump of bulrushes and put a bit more detail into the pine tree.  Kinda yawn-worthy but for lack of anything better to show you, this is it....

- I don't dare try THIS in an apartment (the neighbours would probably have a fit!) but some of you might like to give it a try.

- THIS would be fun to make and useful too.

- If you're a gardener (or even if you're not!) making one of THESE would be fun to try.

- And....because this is a full-service blog....how about THIS?

- THIS looks like a great tote bag design.

Today the quote is from Maya Angelou..."Do the best you can until you know better.  Then when you know better, do better"

One step forward, two (or likely three) back

 

Yes, the landscape is being worked on, but as it says above, it's been a slog.  For some reason everything I attempted to do yesterday was a waste of time and ended up being torn out.  Did my thumbs in by making altogether too many French knots that got taken out again - three times.  Fourth attempt?  Well, suffice to say it's not sticking around either.  Sigh.

- If you happen to have an old suitcase taking up space in your closet, perhaps turning it into one of THESE might make it useful again.

- THIS is a rather nice shawl pattern that would be nice to have on hand for cooler nights.

- HERE is a fun summer project that would make wonderful gifts (not that I'm EVER thinking of *that* date in December!)

- And THESE would be fun to make too.

Still the same, with an exception

 The landscape, at first glance, still looks the same.  However, it HAS been quilted and I'm currently working on completing the rock area with a trapunto technique.  Sadly that doesn't show up in photos, and the only way you can tell it's been done is if you run your hand over it.  Ah well, it was a fun exercise anyway.  

and, here's a closeup so you might be
able to see the trapunto (click to embiggen?)

Please ignore the basting threads!

- Perhaps you might like to give THIS a try.

- THESE would be fun for summer (And would use up sock yarn stash as well).

- THESE would also be fun to make for your garden or balcony.

- And HERE is another fun thing you might like to try.

Today's quote..."Worrying about how things will go wrong does nothing to help things go right"

Same...or...different?

 I know it doesn't look much different but trust me, it is.  The water, the birch trees, and the base of them has been quilted.  Next 'up' will be the grass and then I'm toying with maybe doing some trapunto in the rock area.

- There are some fun frugal decor ideas HERE.

- For those of you who don't sneeze every time you get near lavender, perhaps you'd like to try making THIS.  

- There's an interesting article HERE about natural dyeing with plants.

- If you have an abundance of lemon balm in your garden, maybe one of THESE ideas will interest you.

- And maybe you might like to try THIS.

Today's quote..."If we could spread love as quickly as we spread hate and negativity, what an amazing world we would live in"

Might as well

 I might as well just direct you to re-view the photo in my previous post because the landscape doesn't look much different.  All that's been added is a whole lot of basting in preparation for the quilting step.  Very yawn-worthy and not worth showing you again.

Instead, I'll show you what came in the mail this week and let you wonder just what I might be making....

- If you've followed this blog for very long, you know I have a fascination with dragons so of course I had to share THIS link.

- THIS looks like a fun technique to try.

- And THIS is another one!

- Have a peek through the galleries of THIS artist.  I really like her use of colour.

Instead of a quote, I thought I'd show you this...

Embiggening things

 I know it might be hard to tell from this photo but I've embiggened the canoe so it has a bit more 'presence' and I'm happier with it.  Resident Chef has pronounced it better too.  The eagle-eyed among you might also notice that the 'grass' beneath the pine tree has changed as well.  Upon ponderment I came to the conclusion that grass doesn't grow beneath pine trees because the fallen needles tend to smother it.  Next I will be working on the shoreline beneath the birch trees.

We had an exciting weekend and, after a year and a half of not being able to get together for one reason or another, we got to celebrate our oldest grandie's 9th birthday and also exchange our Christmas gifts.  The birthday party was held at the waterfront in their city and it coincided with the airshow so there were a lot of people around.  On the way home Resident Chef spied two juvenile moose close to the road (I missed them because I was keeping an eye on the truck that was parked on the side of the road, obviously watching the moose).  On the way up in the morning I lucked out and saw my very first bluebird.    It's a conservation area that is known for them so I was happy to finally catch a glimpse.

- HERE are some fun ideas to use up fabric scraps.

- THIS would maybe make a good gift for the Dad in your life.  

- HERE's another good use for scraps.

- THIS artist works with paper to create some pretty amazing things.

Some more additions

 Yes, there were more additions to the landscape, but I have to say Mama Isn't Happy.  It's back to the drawing board when it comes to the sizing of the canoe - I think it should be bigger so I'm going to make another one and then test fit it to see if I like it better.  What say you?

- I can't imagine doing THESE, but find them interesting.

- THIS might be a fun process to try.

- Some artists choose the most interesting substrates to work with as you can see HERE.

- There's a very thought-provoking article HERE - certainly gave me lots to ponder!

Today the quote is from Tasha Tudor..."I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing.  Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife.  It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it.  You aren't stupid because you're a housewife.  When you're stirring the jam, you can read Shakespeare"

Still playing

 There's been some progress on the latest landscape as you can hopefully see from the picture...

Can't tell you how many hours went into cutting out all those itty bitty individual birch leaves!  And then how many more hours went into placing each one with tweezers.  Sometimes I think I'm nuts!!

- Have a peek at THESE!

- There are a number of interesting techniques to play with HERE. (and, if you click on the 'older' category at the bottom it will take you to even more)

- Have a peek through the work of THIS artist (and note what he uses for raw materials!)

- If you're interested in eco-printing, perhaps THIS article will be of interest.

Today's quote is by Zig Ziglar..."The Three C's of Life:  Choices, Chances, Changes.  You must make the choice, to take a chance, if you want anything in life to change"

Just playing

 I've started playing with the new commissioned landscape as you can see...

So far, so good.  Now I have to start adding the things in the foreground and then it will be time to quilt it.  At the moment I'm cutting out what seems like thousands of little itty bitty leaves...can't say I ever make anything easy!

- I could spend hours looking at the works by THESE artists...so much inspiration!

- THIS looks like something that would be fun to try.

- HERE is another artist that's worth checking out.

- Have a peek through the works of THIS artist too!