Fashion Friday: The Western Mermaid Shirt Goes To San Francisco!

Hi Gang..
Well, the crafty Mojo kicked in to high gear pretty much as soon as I posted (eek...) 2 weeks ago! and I have a lot of stuff to share... Must have been all those nice comments!
I appreciate you all so much.

Today, I start with Aquarium pictures and the second shirt of the Western Shirt Series:

The Mermaid shirt.

( click on photo to enlarge for detail)

Arty anemone photo for fun...

This is the same pattern as before but I used Heather Ross's Mendocino collection for the main panels. I don't remember the other fabrics name, but I like how the dark fabric framed the Underwater Sisters pattern.

that is a lot of water!

the strangely cute spiny lumpfish

We took the pictures on a family field trip to the New Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park.
I had been there on a field trip I had just taken with Sonya and her lovely youngster (Want to see pics?) , and was excited to go back with my big kid. He really enjoyed it.

The building is wonderful and organic, with a living roof.

We are also working on a fun Photo Scavenger Hunt for Great Buildings in San Francisco.
We got a deck of cards and we are trying to get a photo of Jacob with each building.

This is the Phelps House.
This is going to be a really fun project.

January Is The Monday Of The Year

Well, my blog reliability must be bad because people have started emailing to see if I am okay.
Sorry everyone. I'm okay. I'm not depressed, or quitting blogging, or anything. I'm just really, really boring, and I have been reluctant to share this unbelievably dull side of my personality with you all.
My muse, while she hasn't deserted me, she has been terribly busy trying to stay on top of the laundry, lose the 6 pounds that I gained and eradicate the enormous drifts of pet fur that have become the main focus of my day. (Quite frankly, it's astounding to me that all the animals aren't completely bald at this point.)

I have been doing the necessary. Last year ended up being very productive and that also meant that it ended with a remarkable number of unfinished projects as well as finished ones. So one thing I have been up to, is sorting through that quagmire and finishing what I can.I'm trying to get my self psyched up to finish the ones that will take more than 45 minutes, and failing. My Mojo...Where Has It Gone? Into the shallow end of homemaking. In all truth, I simply don't want to start any big projects because I finally got the mess from the holidays picked up.

How dull am I? I have a chore chart that I actually fill out for myself. I quite often vacuum more than once a day. Lately, I drop off more at the thrift store than I buy. Today, I mucked out the most disgusting previously frozen slimy leaf goop from a few areas in the old garden. Doing that, and installing some of those slider shelves in the "snack cabinet" in the kitchen were pretty much the highlights of the whole day. I've read a couple of novels lately, and they were only kinda good. Good enough to finish, but not good enough to recommend.

I am doing that new year reflective thing, where I ask myself where I am going with this bloggy thing, and my crafty thing, and my housewifey thing... Because I like to play this game with myself where I make plans, set goals and then let the winds of life toss me about like one of those crazy, flying, plastic bags. I don't know why I do that, but I always do.



In that vein, I've already started making plans to be done early with my holiday presents again. And I'm clearing out the junk. Still trying to live up to last years resolution. Hopefully I'll get my groove back and unleash the chaos and craftiness, off on to some odd tangent again real soon, or maybe all that is behind me and it's just tidy, organized and dull from here on out. (At which point, I really will have to reconsider blogging all together, because otherwise I could find myself brought up on charges for boring my internet friends to death.)

I just have to remind myself January is sometimes full of extra time and energy and the promise of a year of adventure... But sometimes January is just the Monday of the year, and it's hard to jump up and get going. But Mondays never last forever.

Thrift Thursday: Fine Found Art

Look at the $8.00 masterpiece
(Still life of roses snapdragons and honeydew melon? Be still my heart.)
I found, that fit in the previously thrifted frame, I already had.

Thrifty Kismet.

Sigh.
It just makes me keep coming back for more.

2008 The Year in Review.. Me Too, Me Too!!

My, My, but we all have been busy....
Well here is 2008.. in thumbnails.
And this is actually edited.

1. limoncello in the offing, 2. egg craft du jour, 3. needle felted bird, 4. Lace necklace: April Snowstorm side, 5. this is how we knead the dough, 6. Vote Pillow, 7. New vintage Knit Top, 8. nesting project: mid- century chair, 9. In the bedroom, 10. orchid under glass, 11. frida egg, 12. the antique sewing basket





1. detail, 2. lace necklace project revived: Garden Party, 3. robot needlecase, 4. New Vintage Project 14: wrap dress, 5. out of his mushroom, 6. Parliamentary Class Picture, 7. birdie bag back, 8. altered book, 9. egg craft gear, 10. cupcakes today, 11. Valentine Making.. Golden, 12. Violet in her birthday outfit..




1. pink pom sheepies, 2. Tarzan's social worker, 3. hey, you!, 4. fancy handmade bubble stuff, 5. blurry office chair, 6. pj top modified, 7. New Vintage Project 14: wrap dress detail, 8. blue flower utili obi- closer, 9. betty 25/365, 10. pompom chick, 11. freaked out, 12. my first quilt top



1. birdgirl, 2. white on white necklace, 3. New Vintage project # 19 saturated, 4. reap sampler stitched, 5. He was so little back then., 6. blog party, 7. Painted Peace O' Candy Tins, 8. potholder progress-August, 9. Augie's Got Stuff, 10. Needle Point Inherited, 11. cat burrito, 12. New Vintage Wardrobe # 20

1. 40th Birthday dress: New Vintage, 2. sushi cake, 3. Orange Gourd family and stuff, 4. lace crowns, 5. Bo Peep, 6. Houseplant costumes: Ferocious Ficus, 7. bowling bunnies, 8. toy, 9. seasonal seasoning, 10. future t-shirt tycoon, 11. gnewly painted gnome, 12. beehive frost goddess


may 2009 be as fruitful!

The Holidays Were A Happy Blur

So how were your holidays?

Mine flew by.. I had my computer with me on the road and was all delusional that there would be all this down time for posting and reading and sending my bloggy love out to all my friends around the world....
Right! Ha!

There was too much fudge to eat, gifts to exchange, hugging and kissing to squeeze in. Then it was time for eating. Nieces and Nephews to tickle and tease. Then I needed to eat again. Moms and Dads to catch up with, and eat with... all that good stuff.

Today I am filling up my 2009 calendar, rescuing my pup from the kennel, (he seemed to have abandonment issues...wouldn't look at me when I came to get him...then puked all over the rug when he got home.) and washing the clothes right out of the suitcases. Phew!

I am pleased to report that I made about 30 handmade gifts this year (batches of canned goods counting as one per variety)... And purchased only 5 new items that weren't books. And there were 5 of those, all bought at local independent booksellers... because I do feel compelled to support the industries that employ my friends and family members.

Like most house wiffey moms, I guess my real New Year will start on Monday. Then I do my traditional closet cleaning. This time with a twist. Giddy-up.

PS:
Hibiscus, Dear: For Needlefelting you must use roving... much cheaper than yarn. Try it, you'll like it!
Dot: I use Speedball stuff for my silkscreening. They do have a beginner's kit ( I bet Dick Blick carries it), and the Make Blog has a great video about silkscreening featuring the rather attractive Bre Pettis and Matt from Etsy. They have cool gear that isn't really necessary. We had best luck getting a local screen shop 'burning' the screen for us. We provided the art ( solid black on a transparency and the screen. We had a friend there, so we got it free... but I think the charge would be nominal if you called ahead and provided the stuff all ready to go. (Hmmm.. I guess a little tutorial with our home equiptment would be helpful....)