Do I have to come inside?

There can be no other occupation like

gardening in which,if you were

to creep up behind someone at their work,

you would find them smiling.

~Mirabel Osler

Mirabel makes a good point. Spending time in my garden brings me great joy. In fact, I do believe I could spend days out there. And that's just what I've been doing. But I guarantee you that if Miss Mirabel were to creep up behind me while I was trying to get out of bed first thing in the morning, I'm not so sure she would catch me smiling. In fact, I reckon she would see a much different facial gesture. More like shock. Shocked over wondering who traded my real body for this one that aches all over? And am I really that out of shape that days and days of gardening would render me feeling more like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz before Dorothy used the oil can?!

But I'll take the aches and sore muscles. It wasn't that long ago that I didn't think I'd be able to do ANY gardening this year because of my injured knee. So I'm very grateful for the ability to be out there at all.

I'm just so excited about all the new babies I planted this week. I have a lot more to go, but each little area I finish, encourages me to keep plugging away. The picture above is a retaining wall in my backyard as it looked today.

More garden pictures later...

Blessings on your day,

xo

Sue

p.s. I'm off to fix a cup of hot tea and snuggle up with my new issue of Somerset Life. It's hit the shelves!!! So many of the blogs (and their creators, of course) I enjoy and visit frequently are featured in this quarterly edition.

PINK SATURDAY...

Being a relatively newcomer to the world of blogging, I am continually discovering many fun things going on in blogland. I've also discovered that by visiting the list of participants in any given "show and tell" type of day I discover lots of wonderful blogs. So when I read about PINK SATURDAY hosted by Beverly, I decided to play along. Click on her name and head over for a complete listing of all those participating this week.

For my pink posting, I'm sharing some of my treasured vintage millinery.

This adorable little pink bird pincushion tucked inside this handpainted baby shoe is a creation of Laurie's. Check out her blog. She's forever coming up with all kinds of charming creations. She was also extremely kind and welcoming to me when I first entered the world of blogging.

And just for fun, I did a tiny bit of internet browsing on the subject of pink. Here's a little of what I found:

Bright pinks, like the color red, stimulate energy and can increase the blood pressure,

respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate. They also encourage action and confidence.

Pink has been used in prison holding cells to effectively reduce erratic behavior.

The pink ribbon is an internationally recognized symbol of hope.

Pink encourages friendliness while discouraging aggression and ill-will.

Since the color pink is said to have a tranquilizing effect, sport's teams sometimes

use pink to paint the locker room used by opposing teams.

Pastries taste better when they come out of pink boxes or served on pink plates
(it only works on sweets). Pink makes us crave sugar.

Pink is the color of happiness* and is sometimes seen as lighthearted.

The color pink stands for beauty*, grace* and goodness*.

(Main source of info: http://www.sensationalcolor.com/)

May your day be filled with lots of pink* ....

xo

Sue

Sew Vintage...

Knowing that many of us find inspiration in seeing the work of others, I thought today I would share something hanging in my closet. Hanging for years, I might add. Confessing to be one of the world's best (or is it worst?) PACKRATS I cannot part with these capris pants. I bought them in a little boutique in Naples, Florida back in hmmm, hmmm 2001. I told you, I'm bad. And the sheer torture I put the Mr. through in order to find these pants. This particular store had three locations in the Naples area and we went to each one of them. More than once. Big grin. Since they were "homemade" each pair was a bit different and before a women should be forced to choose, she deserves to know all her options. At least that rule is in my game book. In bold letters, I might add.

It gets worse. I finally made my decision and went back to the first location and the pants had sold. Oh no! Now my second choice wasn't in my size, but I bought them anyway and had to have them altered. Please tell me there is someone else out there like me!!! Pleeeeeze! I would hate to think I suffer alone in the area of indecision.

Anyway, I've digressed. (Another form of suffering I inflict on others!)

The pants as you will notice are all pieced from old tablecloths, vintage feedsack materials, and other vintage fabrics. Rhinestones in all different colors have been randomly scattered across the different fabrics. Some of the fabric pieces had even been tea-stained adding even more vintage appeal. The pants are much cuter on and I honestly don't think I ever wore them that someone didn't stop me and ask where did you get those? (I think they meant it in a good way???!) They were so unique and had so much character. I still love them. Although the waistband hits higher than what is currently in style. But I could always alter them...AGAIN.

Maybe someone with a stash of vintage fabrics might be inspired to create their own pants? Skirt? Jumper? Blouse? Back of pants... This fabric had definitely been tea-stained... Notice the little detailing at the cuff of the pants...

Happy, summer-filled blessings on your day...

xoxo

Sue

My new employee...

Meet my new employee. He recently turned 18 and needed a summer job. But when you wait too long to start looking, those temporary summer jobs disappear. Hence, I struck a deal with this young man. I asked him if he'd like to work for me. I rattled off a laundry list of things that needed to be done around here and he agreed to them all. I was tickled!

I completely severed my ACL, in addition to tearing another ligament in the same knee back in April. I'm doing physical therapy and will have the surgery to fix these owies in the fall. Meantime, lots of stuff I normally take care of just isn't getting done. But that's about to change...because I have a summer help!

Today we worked in the sweltering heat FINALLY planting some summer flowers. I won't put in nearly what I typically do because of the watering restrictions in our area. Next, he'll begin mulching all the beds. And as an added bonus, did I mention he has his own pick up for hauling all the bedding plants and mulch? We even agreed that there would be no impatient looks while I was shopping and choosing which plants were coming home with us. All time on the road gathering supplies counted as paid working time. He liked that...

I'm also offering full health care & dental benefits. I even agreed to paying for all his meals, giving him room and board, and a lot of hugs and kisses.

Have you guessed? He's my son.

I'm so grateful for this time I get to spend with him.

Hope you're all getting to spend some time with those nearest and dearest to you as well!

xo

Sue

p.s. I'll show some of the fruits of our labor in the near future!

Prayer Request...

Many of you know Cerri at Little Pink Studio. She has a prayer request posted for her mom. Go over and check it out. She is such a sweetie and no doubt the support from blogger friends would mean the world during a time like this...

Be Still...

Busy weekend at our house...how about yours? Do you long for more solitude? Down time? A more simple existence? More time for reflection?

I happened to catch an interview on TV this weekend with Jeff Foxworthy. It's interesting, isn't it, how often times we will be gripped by some thought, conviction, or situation only to be bombarded with material, from all different venues speaking to this very situation. In the interview Foxworthy was asked some reflective questions. In one of them, and I can't even remember the exact question, he responded by saying that our generation is so busy. We are bombarded with technology and so much information that as humans we rarely take time to be still. To reflect. But we need to...we need to purposely set aside times to be still. How true.

My own thoughts have paralleled this sentiment for some time. Having recently purchased this vintage card of a House Wren, I flipped it over and read the writing on the back. The words that gripped me were "He's in too much of a hurry to select a branch and make a solid, substantial nest..."

Ouch.

Then in Sunday's message at our church, one of the Scriptures used was Psalm 37:7: Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him, Do not fret..."

What does it mean to be still? Am I spending my time on the things that matter most to me? Am I so busy that I'm missing the important stuff? What is the important stuff? Where do I need to strike a more healthy balance? Good stuff to reflect on...

Thursday's Mantel Share

Warm greetings to one and all,

Kari and Kijsa, those darling, creative sisters are hosting "What's a Mantel to Do?" share day.Head on over and check out the list of other participants. And if you've never visited their blog, you're in for a treat!

The picture above was my solution to a mantel that needed to add some dimension, color, and texture to a room that needed it badly. As you can see in the next picture the room is "voluminous" (I looked it up, it's a real word!) Not only is it a two story room, but of the four walls that typically comprise a room, one is solid windows, the next turn brings you to french doors with a transom window above leading to the deck, then the mantel wall that is completely swallowed up by the fireplace and built-ins flanking it, and last, the fourth is open to the kitchen area. In other words, not much wall space to speak of. Hence, this precious piece of sheetrock needed to make a statement....This particular arrangement is probably 8 years old?? Maybe more. When we moved from the Midwest to Georgia, our packers (corporate move...otherwise I'm the packer) were having a cow concerning how to pack this baby up. I assured them that they didn't need to crate it (horribly expensive), they could just yank out sections and box it up in several boxes. They did, and it survived beautifully.

Sweet Dawn over at The Feathered Nest recently posted about being in the cake business at one point in her life. She said she made a lot of cakes and not much money. I had to laugh, because I can so relate. For several years, way back when, I had a side business of dried/silk flower arrangements. I echo the sentiments of making a lot of arrangements, but not much money!

This particular arrangement took almost a year to gather the supplies. After seeing this to-die-for arrangement at an upscale design center (that also had a price tag to match) I was determined to make my own version of that beauty. As no cameras were allowed in the store, I had to visit it several times and then run to my car and jot down notes! A regular spy, I tell you! Of course, as in any creation, it takes on a life of its own and my final product was quite different from the one that inspired me initially.

I am terribly sentimental...crazy things that have memories attached to them render them almost impossible to part with. In the picture above, the fuzzy looking item was once a bouquet of some exotic flowers that arrived one day from friends who happened to be former neighbors. We had shared some of our no longer needed furniture with them to outfit their new lake cabin. Hence, she knew I loved flowers and in keeping with her wonderfully creative personality, she sent these. They were some exotic plant that grows in like the rain forest, or something of that nature. It said that they were suitable for drying. So that's what I did and added them to my stash for my one-day-to-come arrangement.

Actually, the whole arrangement has many memories tied to it. The real hydrangea was from my own gardens. And I can remember who I was shopping with, or where I was when I bought many of the other items for this piece as well. But my little arrangement is being threatened of losing its spot by TECHNOLOGY! The Mr. wants an HDTV to hang on that wall. Oh dear....a decent size flat screen won't fit in the cabinet next to this piece. Oh dear again. I've appeased him a bit by surprising him at Christmas with our first HDTV and having it installed in our bedroom. Wasn't that clever of me? It quieted that talk down for a while...but every once in a while it resurfaces.

I included the picture (2 up) to say that I found when working with more earth tone colors in floral arrangements that including some deep blues or purples in your mix helps to make the other colors pop. But speaking of technology, that picture is supposed to have a landscape orientation but mysteriously moved to a portrait mode when loading.

Speaking of mysteries... if you look closely at the first picture, you will see some birds sitting on the mantel. I was quite tickled to find that my youngest, now 14 decided to do some decorating of his own. Throughout the house, on many of my little nic-nacs he's embellished them a bit by using bottle caps from his favorite drink...IBC Root Beer! Check out just a few of the sightings of his decorating hand...

And one last mantel story...Here are my little cherubs from way back in 1993! Hanging behind them is a Christmas sign that still makes me smile when I see pictures of it. I was at a craft show (remember those?) and came across this sign. The letters are all raised, painted in a deep burgundy and framed with an evergreen color... I was smitten. I came back to the booth many times to drool. I wanted it so badly. But it was $40 and that was $40 we didn't have to spend on Christmas decorations. I came home and mentioned it to the Mr. and he told me if I wanted it that badly, I should go back and get it. Awwww...that covered his leaving dirty clothes next to the hamper sins for the next 10 years. No kidding. I was so excited. Of course, the sale wasn't anywhere near my house, and it was held at the State Fairgrounds, no less. (Think: Terrible parking). I trudge back and head straight to the booth AND THEY ARE ALL SOLD OUT. I could have sat down and cried. (I was more immature back then--ha ha)

From my PREVIOUS thirty appearances in his booth, the guy recognized me. Imagine that. He took pity on me and said he would make another when he got home and send it to me. So now I had to pay for shipping on this oversized item. More guilt. But I hadn't come this far for NOTHING. Plus, ten years coverage on forgiving hamper sins needed an extension of years anyway, right? After many years of gracing the mantel in many different homes as we moved to and fro, the sign still sits in my basement. Too sentimental to part with it. Lots of memories attached to it...

And by the way, this WAS NOT the Christmas picture for our cards that year. I actually chose the one where oldest boy was smiling. But truth be told, this one was included in many of the cards of family and close friends as it captured this little guy's personality to the tee. This was the face anyone got immediately if you asked him to wash his hands for dinner, time to come in, time to take a bath, pick up your toys, no's to wanted toys, gum, candy, etc. when shopping at Target or the grocery store.

Who knew that mantels could hold so many memories...

I'll look forward to seeing what the others have posted. But a big thank you to Kari and Kijsa for hosting today!

Will work for flowers...

'Tis but a little faded flower,
But oh, how fondly dear!
'Twill bring me back one golden hour,
Through many a weary year.
~Howarth

If you wish to see any of the photos in more detail, click on them to enlarge.

Back on the power tools this week. Working so I can have more flowers! FINALLY I made that flower press I've been thinking about for some time. For more years than I can count, I've pressed flowers and leaves. After distressing, inking, and embellishing, my newest creation is ready for business! I cut out quite a few, including a "travel size" (this one happens to be 12" x 12") to accompany me on future away trips. I often collect flowers and clippings from our travels and incorporate them into photo layouts as little souvenirs from our time away. My children have teased me on more than one occasion after viewing photos of a recent adventure about taking more pictures of flowers and nature than of people. Sometimes, I'm guilty as accused. To apply firm pressure I mounted four glass knobs to the press.

Below are some flowers I've pressed in the past. Many of these are years old. Some, even over a decade! As long as they are stored out of the sun, they will retain their color and last a long, long time.

I have a stash of old postcards that I've attached dried flowers to and cut into the shape of a hang tag. I use a variety of methods to attach them. Diamond glaze by Judi-Kins is one of my favorites. The tag above was dipped into beeswax...the flowers hold up well. You can totally immerse the flowers or press them in while the wax is still hot.

On a 12" x 12" sheet of acid free paper I let my imagination go one day and created this page. The cheesecloth and flowers were all secured by pouring a layer of the thick embossing powder and then melting it with a heat gun. In some areas I reapplied the powder several times to build some dimension to those areas.

A close up of the same page...

Our family spends a lot of time up in the mountains of Western North Carolina. For those who are familiar with this part of the world, you know that the area is filled with rhododendron. One fall I noticed all the beautiful patina on the rhododendron leaves that had fallen to the ground. So I gathered a bunch of them and pressed them. I wasn't sure if they would work as the leaves are very waxy. Much to my delight, they pressed beautifully! Below are a couple of pictures to show how versatile and fun they are to incorporate into some pieces of art.

This was a piece of 81/2" x 11" paper where I applied a bunch of the alcohol inks made by Ranger. I actually stitched the rhododendron leaf to the page and rubber stamped on it as well.

This is a photo of the backside of a card I made for a special friend I've known for decades! Yes, I'm that old!!!

Below are two more pics of pressed flowers that were incorporated into the same "collage" card.

One year, my creative sister, "wrote my name" using little violas and framed it in an old victorian frame. It was darling. The possibilities of incorporating pressed flowers are endless! I would love to see how others have used dried/pressed flowers.

Wishing you all a day filled with contentment..

xo

Sue

Creating Memories...

Creating memories...or recapturing those from days gone by. Such were my intentions when I recently sent this birthday card to a favorite Aunt. For years, I have invested a lot of my "creative time" in making cards and similar pieces to send to someone who is special in my life. There is something about homemade cards that touch a soft spot in my heart. They have a way of saying, "You are so special and so worth my time..." Personally speaking, they are a sibling, if you will, to receiving a handwritten letter. So personal, and often cherished by the recipient. But that's a whole other post...

Over the years my sentimental creations tend to follow my latest passions, and incorporate the trends I'm using in my other artwork. Lately, I've been hooked on using digital to begin a card and then embellishing with trinkets from my stash. The possibilities for mixing these two mediums are endless. But the consistent theme for me is to incorporate a photo of the person who will be receiving this creation.

The picture above is the birthday package I mailed to my oldest sister this year. Since I have an Epson printer that will print on oversized paper, I'm loving using the 12 x 12 format to create a card.

This was a creation for my mom's birthday this year...a priceless picture of her as a baby.This is the inside of that card...I printed many old photos of her from years gone by and incorporated them into the card. This meant a lot to her. Exactly what I was aiming for...to bless her day.

A card I made for my daughter to commemorate her 18th birthday...It totally captured her growing up years as she was forever being a mommy to one of her own babies...

Sometimes I'm silly...but the history with this sister who was three years older than me was filled with many stories of purposely trying to get each other's goat. I'm sure we were the only siblings on the face of the earth to experience such moments. Grin.

So with a little digital touch-up, her annoying baby sister disappeared from the photo!

Yes, I've earned the title among the five sisters (and one brother) as Sassy Sister Sue. For the most part, it is a title I wear with honor! Actually, it is one of the things I so enjoy about my siblings, we interject a lot of humor into our gatherings. Lots of reminising of days gone by with each telling the same story but adding their own twist. You know, telling a story in such a way as to reflect most favorably on oneself.

I share the inside of this card that was in the Mother's Day card I sent to my mom one year. The poem is precious...

Another shot of the same card...

With Father's Day having just passed, I found myself looking through cards and letters I've saved from my own dad. It was my first Father's Day without my dad. Understandably, those old letters and cards are even more priceless to me now.

It is precisely why I love sending a piece of my own heart to others by sharing something I've created with them in mind. In fact, in my craft storage area, I have little bins and buckets with people's names on them. When I come across something (a picture, an embellishment, a poem, etc.) that has their name all over it, I drop it in their bucket. So the next time I want to make something for them, I have some items that will be personal to them.

Hope you are all having a blessed day...

xo

Sue

Share time...

This little birdie and several of his friends

(following my post) are offered up for your

personal use!

Dear Friends in the Land of Blog,
Life has a way of altering one's plans to be a faithful little blogger. Doesn't it? Being in the throngs of another glorious summer and all its distractions can add to that mix as well. While I so enjoy what my brain believes is a more laid-back, mellow season of the year, my body tells me there is still plenty of go-go-go.

Hearing that the Gross National Product of our country (for those who slept through Econ, like me for instance, it is a measurement used to determine the fiscal health of our nation) depends on robust consumer spending, my patriotism sent me off to do some antique shopping lately! Feel free to use this line when it suits your purposes. Copyright free.

Actually, that is only partly true, if I were to be totally honest. Part of my out and about was due to lots of chauffering with time to kill in between drop offs and pick ups, and I needed some fun distractions. Just seem to be caught in one of those seasons where the plates of life are especially heavy, with no end in sight. Lots of stuff coming from many directions that can bog down one's heart. Times where you feel you are being tested to the limit. We all seem to find ourselves in that place, more often than we care to as we journey through our allotted days.

But just as physical exercise strengthens our body's muscles, I know IN MY BRAIN (limited as it feels at times), that hard times strengthens our faith, our character, and our need for others. I also believe it helps sharpen our sensitivity to others when they find themselves on the shores of rocky times. Having tasted firsthand what even a small gesture of kindness can do for a weary heart, hopefully it spurs us on to offer timely doses of encouragement. A favorite passage of mine in Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life--"God never wastes a hurt! ...The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life---the ones you've wanted to hide and forget---are the experiences God wants to use to help others."

For me, those types of sentiments offer hope and encouragement. So I hope if you're struggling with your own heavy loads that it will offer you some encouragement as well. Something good can and will come from having walked (crawled?) along the hard roads of life.

And speaking of encouragement, it is one of the reasons that the land of blog and my affection for such a place, continues to attract me. While initially drawn in by the wealth of creativity, I've found it to be a place of encouragement as well. Some, and bless their hearts, have a way of sharing their life -their joys - their successess -their struggles- in such a transparent way that it blesses and encourages me deeply. And like me, they often express how much their times of creating becomes a therapy of sorts. I can so relate. So I guess we shouldn't be surprised to see the intertwining of real life and art. For many, the two are inseparable.

Hence, in an effort to share and give back to the land of blog, I'm posting these darling little birdies from my personal collection. Please feel free to copy them for your own personal use. The copyright dates (had to use a magnifying glass!) range from 1918 to the early 20's. So these would be deemed to be in the public domain. I have eight more that came in this grouping and I'll eventually scan them in to share as well.

You should be able to click on the images to enlarge and then right click to save them to a file on your own computer. Having said that, it leads me to a question. Does anyone know why some of my images can be enlarged by clicking and some can't??? I've looked through my settings and can't seem to find a logical answer in that venue. Help!

Blessings on your day...
xoxo
Sue