Purple Cat Creates

Valentines Day 2012

2012-02-14T10:12:00.001-05:00

LOOK what I got! Beautiful tiny heart cakes - I can't wait to eat them!

I made my husband a card using images from my one of my favorite stores Papersource http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/new/index.html they always have fun stuff and lovely paper.

Here is the beautiful card from my husband

I made myself some flowering tea to enjoy while I work at home today! It's called Starlight Rose - delicate silver needle white tea leaves hand sewn around a tender rosebud. The soft, lucent liquor and subtle aroma of roses yields a smooth, mellow flavor illuminated by the calming benefits of white tea. Wow, what's not to like about that.

Isn't this lovely?

Valentine Charm swap

2012-02-04T17:07:00.008-05:00

The group that got together for the Christmas swap had so much FUN we decided to do a Valentine's charm swap. I've always wanted to do a charm swap. I had big plans for my charms I was trying to make polymer clay cake slices with roses on top. Well, they ended up being hearts with weird flowers on top. Making slices of cake proved to be much harder than it looked on the u tube videos.

Here are the wonderful charms I received. Leslie included some darling heart erasers that I also turned into charms.

I love, love, love this charm from Barb our hostess, she also included the bracelet for the charms.

Corrine had such lovely packaging I used her charm as the centerpiece of my necklace.

This artful heart is from Elizabeth.

Hope made this very sweet heart charm.

Leslie included a box with stickers, a paper heart, erasers and the most delightful bird sitting in a nest of eggs.

Here are my clay hearts.

Martha made a metal etched heart with a very cool ribbon.

Patti used a bottle cap for her very romantic charm.

Terry made a tiny collage heart which has another tiny heart attached to the corner of the card.

Vivian how in the world did you get so much in such a tiny package, charms, button, a tiny tin jello mold with a cute picture frame - I have plans for the tiny jello mold.

The packaging of the charms was just as wonderful as the charms. Lots of stuff to reuse in future projects. Here is the finished necklace. Definitely CHARMING! Thank you ladies.

Pin cushion doll

2012-01-20T16:17:00.001-05:00

When I was out and about today I stopped by the antique store in town. Once in a while I find something that I just have to have. Well today I found this really sweet pin cushion girl. I don't think anyone ever used her as a pin cushion. She now has a new home in my studio hanging from the ceiling. She has silver painted hair which looks original - I thought this was a bit odd.

Luck is with me in 2012

2012-01-20T16:02:00.004-05:00

My husband gave me a $50 VISA card he received as a rebate when he purchased a new phone and Michaels just happened to have 40% off plus another 15% off on beads. I now have some lovely beads for my Art and Old Lace quilt challenge project. I also spent some of the money on beaded trim at JoAnn fabrics which happens to be next door to Michaels. $50 gone in 30 minutes.

Oh and I won $20 from a random drawing at Retro Cafe Art http://www.retrocafeart.com/ I already ordered and received my wonderful assortment from Kristin. Wow, who knew that $20 could get so much cool stuff. Thank you Retro Cafe! Every Wednesday on facebook Retro Cafe has a drawing for $20 along with great contests and challenges.

The tiny brass bottle (on white lace) was described as a poison or perfume bottle. It is so cool. I prefer to think of it as a poison bottle and will be turning in into a necklace.

SNOW

2012-01-09T15:43:00.001-05:00

Our first snow - January 9. I'm working at home today - this is the view from my window. It was supposed to rain today - this is much prettier.

Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T15:39:00.004-05:00

Happy, Health 2012 to everyone. I just wanted to share some lovey pictures of my granddaughters from Birmingham, Alabama.

The delightful volleyball playing Miss Alex

Miss Campbell

Campbell is very artistic - we were completely surprised and delighted to receive a framed painting from her. I love her choice of colors and the balanced composition. Reflections of Trees and Moons. Amazing work, we are very proud of you Campbell!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T12:57:00.001-05:00

A package arrived today from Elizabeth http://elizabethcreates.blogspot.com/ Just look at these amazing COTTON fingerless gloves! Elizabeth has been making them in wool from old sweaters. She brought them for show and tell at our Art group Christmas Party. I asked it she could make them in cotton because I can't wear wool. She said she didn't see why not. So she went home and this is the very first pair! What a surprise. Just look at the wonderful colors and patterns in the gloves. I'm going to wear them later today when my friend stops by for tea.

It has been a wonderful December for art. The ornament exchange that Elizabeth organized (see tree beside me) was a big hit and we are all going to do it again next year. I will definately need a bigger tree.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my family and art friends!

Gray with a splash of pink

2011-12-19T18:47:00.000-05:00

It was a cold gray day (with scary trees looming). I saw this little splash of color in the garden and the day seemed to brighten a bit.

Old quilt scrap

2011-12-19T18:26:00.002-05:00

I found an old quilt scrap and added scraps of lace, buttons, beads, flowers and some embroidery. I wish I had a photo of what it looked like originally. I will incorporate this into a larger piece. But for now it's done. I'm taking a class next year on crazy quilting - I can't wait.

Art group Christmas Party

2011-12-19T18:22:00.001-05:00

Good snacks, excellent company, interesting conversation and show and tell, we all had Fun, Fun, Fun at the Christmas party. We had an ornament swap - everyone put their ornament in a brown paper bag then all the bags were put in a basket and you get to select one. As luck would have it no one selected their own.

Judy made double sided stars with buttons. She didn't realize that we were doing a one for one swap. So we all got a lovey star to take home.

Barb made angels for everyone. The angel is holding a book made out of a piece of coke can and has a button for the base and halo. Barb does a lot of art work with soda cans. She taught us how to cut, weave and sew tin cans. I put a piece of string around her neck and hung her on the tree.

Here is the ornament I received from Elizabeth in the swap. It is made from a small canvas and is double sided. I really love the collage work and the little bead hanging from the bottom.

These are all wonderful additions to my little Christmas art tree. Thank you ladies.

Easy and Fun to make

2011-12-17T14:45:00.002-05:00

This fun tree ornament is made of cut up pieces of old sweaters, a spool of thread, beads, a button and a piece of wire. It was a make and take project at the open house I attended at Artistic Artifacts http://www.artisticartifacts.com/ Two lovely young ladies showed us how to make them.

You start by picking out a button and making a loop to hold it with the wire then start with smaller pieces of sweater thread them on the wire add beads on the wire after a few layers - I added some beads but you can't see them. Add more circles of sweaters gradually selecting larger circles. When you have a nice fat tree pick out a spool of thread put the wire through it and the wrap the rest of the wire around the spool and you're done.

Very easy and fun!

More Dolls

2011-12-17T14:34:00.018-05:00

I just made these two dolls - I am done making dolls this year. 17 total to give away!
This doll now has blue glass glitter on her wings and I'm thinking about adding beads to her skirt.

This lovely lady in her velvet dress was given to Judy Gula at our art group Christmas party. Judy has provided our group with a positive, supportive place to share art, take classes and buy all the cool stuff she has in her store. Thank you Judy. Visit Judy at Artistic Artifacts http://www.artisticartifacts.com/

The clothing for the dolls was created from dyed scraps of velet from Judy's. I am in love with dyed velvet.

Art Group Ornament Swap

2011-12-17T14:29:00.002-05:00

I have one more doll to give away. Our art group is having a holiday party and ornament swap tomorrow. This little lady will be going to a new home. I made 15 dolls for presents this year.

One of the ladies in the group posted a photo of the doll she received on facebook and someone commented that it has a face only a mother could love. I think her doll had a blue face. I thought that was an interesting comment. Sounds like someone trying to be nice. . . .

My fabulous ART tree

2011-12-17T14:22:00.000-05:00

Here is my lovely tree decorated with 13 days of handmade ornaments from our Christmas Swap. Thank you Elizabeth our hostess and all my new art friends. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Day 13 - Pat

2011-12-17T14:19:00.000-05:00

On the thirteenth and last day of ourChristmas swap Pat made for us a pin filled with lavender what a wonderful smell (my favorite) with an old fashioned ice skate decorated with roses, beads and lace. This is so beautiful and looks just fabulous on my art tree.

Thank you Pat. You can meet Pat here: http://www.gatherings100.blogspot.com/

Our swap is over for the 13 days of Christmas. I have the most amazing art tree. Thank you all once again for the lovely gifts.

Linda

Day 12 - Terry

2011-12-16T13:05:00.001-05:00

On the twelfth day of Christmas Terry gave to us a sweet package with owl stickers and inside there was a big blue bird with fancy tail feathers and cute eyes was waiting to hang on my tree. What a lovely birdy. Thank you Terry. You can meet Terry here: http://theravenswhim.blogspot.com/

Day 11 - Linda

2011-12-14T22:20:00.001-05:00

Finally Day 11 is here and everyone will open my gift to them! I wrapped them in pieces of material I hand dyed. Here is is group shot of the girls waiting on the garden steps. I took a picture of each of them outside then packed them up and sent them to Elizabeth to be sent to new homes.

I was wondering which one would make it's way back to me. Each doll has a token, mine says Cherish and each doll has a funny black glass bird. Buzzy is helping by biting the bird. What a talented guy.

The little ladies are made of painted and collaged alphabet blocks, a clay face, old door pulls for wings, an old earring for a hat and bits and pieces of fabric and lace for their clothes. The arms and legs don't always match - they were dug from the grounds of an old doll factory in Germany. I just happened to have enough arms and legs to make all the dolls. I hope you all enjoy them.

This has been a wonderful experience and it's nice to meet new art friends and get to know them through their art and blogs. Thank you ladies and Elizabeth for getting this great group together. We are lucky enough to have 2 more days of presents.

Day 10 - Terrie

2011-12-14T18:07:00.001-05:00

Can you guess what this is? It's an old tin clip that goes on Christmas trees, it clips on to the branch and you put a candel in it, yes a real candle - can you imagine lighting candles on a tree - Hello fire department!

This is the lovely gift bag that Terrie made for her special ornament.

On the tenth day of Christmas Terrie gave to us a wooden spool with Christmas music, glitter, beads and crystals. I love this ornament. It's the perfect addition to my art tree. Thank you so much Terrie. You can meet Terri and read about her design process here: http://lostartcreations.typepad.com/

Day 9 - Hope

2011-12-14T17:58:00.003-05:00

On the ninth day of Christmas Hope gave to us a perfect package of muslin, lace and a felt holly leaf. How festive.

This great pin was in the package - a hand painted face on wood. How lovely. Thank you Hope for this wonderful pin. It's on my scarf right now. You can meet Hope here: http://www.fibermixedmedia.com/profile/Hope

Day 8 - Corrine

2011-12-12T11:51:00.001-05:00

Isn't this a lovely package! And in this lovely package was the most fabulous garland.

On the eighth day of Christmas Corrine gave to us a wonderful garland with ribbons, buttons, fibers and colorful circles with paint, stamps and glitter! This looks so amazing on my little tree. What a fun surprise to open the package and see all the colors! Love it. Thank you Corrine. You can meet Corrine here: http://www.dosfishes.blogspot.com/

Day 7 - Vivian

2011-12-10T16:44:00.001-05:00

On the seventh day of Christmas Vivian sent us all the cutest snow person I have ever seen. I love the expressive eyes and funny mouth. The ruffly scarf and top hat complete the look. Now to the unconventional body I love it and definitely need to know how to make these. The package was clear and had crinkly white paper in it that made the snow person look like they had a round body - I was really surprised when I took him out and he had a stick for a body. Thank you, you are a clever girl Miss Vivian. You can meet the talented Vivian here: http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/

Day 6 - Martha

2011-12-10T16:34:00.000-05:00

On the sixth day of Christmas we all received a small white package from Martha with a big message, "wishing you joy, wishing you peace, wishing you love" This lovely glass ornament has the word JOY on the other side. This is just the perfect size for my little tree (which is filling up nicely with ornaments from my swap friends). Thank you Martha this really made my day. You can meet Martha here: http://www.m-is-for-martha.blogspot.com/

Day 5 - Patti

2011-12-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

On the fifth day of Christmas Patti sent us all an amazing package wrapped in a square of muslin with a great piece of fiber around it. Buzzy was up early and ready to assist. The cone is so beautiful, it's made of music sheets, cheesecloth, lace, pearl trim and some really cool gold and silver details. There is a sweet girl and her dog on the front with a great flower. I actually still have the candy cane and hung it on the tree. I also received a flower stamp and some gems. I think I'm in heaven. Thank you so much Patti. You can meet the lovely, talented Patti here: http://pattis-creations.blogspot.com/

Day 4 - Leslie

2011-12-10T16:19:00.000-05:00

On the fourth day of Christmas Leslie sent us all a cup full of happy vintage snow people. They have a tree, some decorations, bells and are delighted with their red cup. How cute is this? I continue to be amazed at the details on each ornament I receive. Well done girls. Thank you so much Leslie. You can meet Leslie here: http://brierdesignstudio.blogspot.com/

Day 3 - Elizabeth

2011-12-10T16:12:00.000-05:00

On the third day of Christmas our lovely hostess sent us all a cone filled with candy. Yum. The cone is made of hand dyed and sun printed fabric, it has lace buttons and a piece of beautiful green velvet on the inside. The candy was gone in a flash. Thank you Elizabeth for getting all 13 of us together and arranging this swap. You can meet Elizabeth here: http://elizabethcreates.blogspot.com/

Day 2 - Mary

2011-12-10T16:08:00.000-05:00

On the second day of Christmas Mary sent us all a small round ornament with tons of detail inside, trims, beads, glitter and two little angels wishing us Peace on Earth. It is hanging from a velvet ribbon with an angel. How lovely. Thank you Mary. You can meet Mary here http://myonceuponamuse.blogspot.com/

Day 1 - Barb

2011-12-10T16:02:00.002-05:00

On the first day of Christmas we all received a fabulous package that has a glass ornament with a snowman floating inside and a cuff bracelet with lace, buttons and snowflakes. What a wonderful way to open the Christmas Season. Thank you Barb for the beautiful present! You can meet Barb here: http://www.123lavenderlollipoplane.blogspot.com/

Christmas Swap - December 1

2011-12-01T08:05:00.003-05:00

We are all waiting for the package of goodies to arrive in Canada at Martha's house before we open present #1. I did open the box and am so looking forward to opening them!

The package has arrived in Canada and we are all set to open Package #1.

Rusted Lace

2011-11-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Wet the lace with water, ring out excess. Place in white vinegar just to get it wet, ring out. Place rusted objects on the lace or wrap lace around rusted objects. Place in a plastic baggie - check from time to time to see the color change some will be subtle some will be very bold. remove rusted objects and rinse out vinegar with water and a little soap. Put it in the dryer or hang it to dry iron if needed. Very cool. This works best on cotton.

Christmas Art Swap

2011-11-28T14:36:00.002-05:00

My box with 13 presents arrived in the mail today. Buzz can't wait to help open it. If they all get to their destinations on time the plan is to open one present each day starting with package 1 on December 1. One will be mine - I wonder which one came back to me. I will have to wait until day 11 to find out.

Goodies from Kat

2011-11-28T14:32:00.001-05:00

A box of goodies from Kat http://www.kathlynjamesavila.com/ The scraps of fabric and lace will be used to make small crazy quilted items. I am just getting interested in crazy quilting and embroidery. I am very luck to have such a generous friend.

This funny little clay peep was also made by Kat http://kathlynjamesavila.blogspot.com/ I just love all the colors and how she balances on her tail. If you lift her head off you will find a compartment for storing precious things.

Barb and her Harley

2011-11-27T16:17:00.001-05:00

Barb rode her Harley to our monthly mixed media art club meeting. I just had to take a picture of her all dressed up in leather with her red Harley and matching red helmet. The goggles add a nice touch. She just learned how to ride and I think she is very brave.

I ride a 50 cc scooter and thought that was cool but not as cool as a red Harley!

Ms. Inspire

2011-11-27T16:06:00.003-05:00

This little lady Ms. Inspire with a bird nest on her head was given to my friend Kat. She is made of old alphabet blocks, a drawer pull for wings, some lace, ribbon, and beads finish off her look. The arms and legs came from Germany where they were dug up from around a demolished doll factory.

I made this card to go along with Ms. Inspire - it's a scrap of an old quilt that I added beads and lace to.

A message from Annie

2011-11-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

1836 - 1938

Shall I voice the Great Message at 102

By personally adressing each one of you

Love all within and without your door

That is all there is - There is no more

Annie M. Emery

This lovely lady was given to me by my friend Kat. Annie was found in a thrift store over 30 years ago by Kat and is now with me and will have a place in my studio for as long as she likes.

13 Days of Christmas Swap

2011-11-06T12:26:00.001-05:00

I was asked to participate in a 12 days of Christmas swap - except there are 13 of us so we get to have a lucky 13 days of Christmas swap. My 13 gifts are made and at the house of the hostess - I am day 11. Our hostess Elizabeth Woodford http://elizabethcreates.blogspot.com/ will unpack and repack boxes for all of us and send them back with an assortment of goodies. On December 1 we will all open gift number 1, on December 2 gift number 2 all the way to 13. So every day we all get a hand made surprise gift from our art friends. I am planning to post my gifts on my blog.

Here is my package for day 11 - I wonder which one will make it's way back to me. All mine are just a little different.

Art and Old Lace - inspiration

2011-11-06T12:07:00.003-05:00

I stopped by the antique store in Falls Church, VA to look at the linens and sewing supplies. On the floor I found a box filled with pieces of old lace. I dumped it out and looked at each piece. I heard a very loud voice in my head say you could use this for your next art quilt challenge project Art and Old Lace. I took the whole box to the counter and asked if it was sold by the piece or the whole box since nothing had a price on it.

It was my lucky day the lady behind the counter said I can price each piece you want or you can buy the whole box. I stood at the counter going through the box once more thinking how could I possible choose just a few pieces. I looked up and she knew that the whole box was going home with me. So now I have tons of lace for the project and have to come up with an idea. I also found this photo of two girls in lace dresses that I bought for inspiration.

Fall in Virginia - The Local Market

2011-11-06T11:54:00.002-05:00

The fall weather in Virginia is sunny and crisp, leaves are falling rapidly. A perfect day to go to the Local Market in Falls Church, VA http://www.facebook.com/#!/thelocalmarket where all items sold are made within 100 miles of Falls Church. We have tried the bread, cheese, organic butter, cookies, frozen pasta, honey and the most amazing brownies ever. Oh, and I did bring home 6 apple cider donuts which taste of sugar and cinnamon and smell Divine. They lasted about 12 hours tops. I love this market.

Power Suit - Art Quilt Opening!

2011-10-23T12:10:00.013-04:00

The quilt above is by Cyndi Souder http://www.moonlightingquilts.com/ it features her father and also served as the theme and inspiration for the Power Suit challenge. For a list of the artists and information on the challenge visit http://www.powersuitquilts.com/

Working together, Cyndi Souder (http://www.moonlightingquilts.com/) and Judy Gula (http://www.artisticartifacts.com/) developed a theme, packaged swatches, and offered them for free to interested quilters. Distributing challenge packets at quilt shows, lectures, and online through their blogs and websites, Cyndi and Judy invited quilters to express their take on Power Suits through their artwork.

Amazing, WOW, blown away, proud to be part of the show. The opening was fabulous. Just inside the front door there were drinks, snacks and a table to sign in and get your artists name badge. There was a CD available with all the quilts and artists statements. Then hanging all around were 18 x 18 art quilts all made to the theme of Power Suit. Lots of superheros, cards, men and women in suits, abstract and traditional designs. It was always interesting to look at the quilt and then read the artist statement to get some insight on the thoughts that went into the quilt.

Of course everyone wanted to see their quilt hanging in the show and how everyone interpreted the theme Power Suit. What a wonderful show. We got to vote for the quilt that made you think, made you laugh and best in show. It was very hard and to vote for just 3 quilts. This was my first challenge art quilt and show so I was very excited.

On opening night Cyndi Souder and Judy Gula talked about the Power Suit challenge and how exciting it was to receive 107 quilts and presented the next challenge - Cyndi had received lots of lace and still had plenty of sample books so the new challenge "Arts and Old Lace" was born. The packages just flew out of the store. Everyone was already planning their next quilt.

Here is my artist statement:

Victorian Power Suit - Power Suit - my first thoughts were of Queen Victoria and her spectacular dresses and jewels, and then I saw this amazing portrait of a Victorian woman with a stunning butterfly mask. I love the chaos of collage, the freedom to create layers of paper, cloth and found objects - every element chosen has a story to tell.

After her morning French lesson Edwina know to friends and family as "Birdie" put on her best butterfly mask and leisurely strolled through town to the portrait studio showing everyone what a beautiful, vibrant, charming. powerful woman she is.

Here is a picture of the mask before beading:

After beading. I had a wonderful time hunting down the perfect colors and shapes of beads to complete the mask.

Quilt under construction - I used the black and gray wool samples to piece the backgound, added lace, ribbon, buttons, butterflys and used the neck ties for the skirt.

Power Suit Art Quilt Challenge

2011-10-05T11:14:00.005-04:00

I'm part of something BIG! Little did I know that when I accepted a challenge package that more than 100 artists would respond. Here is the website that talks about the challenge and lists the artists http://www.powersuitquilts.com/ The opening reception is on October 22 at Artistic Artifacts www.ArtisticArtifacts.com. The quilts will be displayed through November 23, 2011. I will be able to post a picture of what Power Suit means to me on October 23. Stay tuned.

Here is what we received to work with:
Each artist received a free packet of materials containing fabric swatches (wool and cotton samples), a necktie, and some random buttons. They could use the fabric we gave them, supplement with their own fabric, or use only their own fabric.

Read about how this challenge got started on Cyndi Souder's blog http://moonlightingquilts.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/power-suits-an-art-quilt-challenge/

Prayers on 9/11/11

2011-09-11T13:53:00.002-04:00

This angel hangs from the ceiling of my studio reminding me that God has a plan for all of us. My prayers go out to all who lost loved ones 10 years ago in the terrorist attacks on our country. I saw pride and grief on the faces of the family members at the opening of the 9/11 memorial in New York when they saw their loved ones name, touching the stone, leaving roses and flags, making a rubbing of the name. It is a beautiful memorial and it was nice to see the new buildings going up showing the world that we do have spunk and spirit and we will rebuild and be stronger. Thank you to all that keep this country safe and to those who go into burning buildings when the rest of us are trying to get out.

Earthquake in DC - #2 for me

2011-08-24T16:00:00.007-04:00

Earthquake #1 for me was on July 16, 2010 - the house shook for a few seconds in the early morning. No big deal I got up and went to work. I thought it might have been an earthquake and the car radio confirmed it. No worries.

Earthquake #2 August 23, 2011 - I was downtown DC in my office on a conference call. It felt like someone was shaking the back of my chair. I didn't know what was going on there was a pause in the shaking then the 11 story stone building started shaking - by now someone on the call had said Earthquake and I thought well yes it is. I didn't scream or run I was more curious - but at the same time my legs were shaking and I swear my knees were knocking together as I stood up to look out the window. I could see people coming out of the building across the street. They did not seem to be in a hurry. So I hung up from the call and went to find my co-workers who were looking out the window bewildered. While we all knew what happened we had no idea what to do.

One of the managers came over and said I think we should leave the building so we did. By that time people knew that it was a 5.8 earthquake (the folks with iPads had information). But being East Coasters we had no idea what that meant or what to do. I called my husband he was OK. All the neighbors came out of their houses wondering what to do. After that brief call phone service went down for a while. I stood in the shade, bought a bottle of water from a street vendor and sat on the steps of my building. After about 30 minutes of trying to decide if I should get on the Metro - I decided to take a chance. What made up my mind was the thousands of people standing in the park and walking in the streets. The Metro was open - I waited a very long 8 minutes for the train and got on. It was crowded and could only go 15 miles an hour but it was moving. Every time it stopped in a tunnel I worried - especially when it went under the river. When we got above ground I felt much better.

There was damage to buildings all around Virginia but no loss of life. We were about 80 miles away from the center of the earthquake in Mineral, Virginia. I now know the first thing you are supposed to do in an earthquake is get under something and get away from windows. I will be better prepared next time. . .

Perfect day for scooting

2011-07-17T09:27:00.001-04:00

Before riding scooters you must use Anti Monkey Butt Powder or guess what you will get a red sore monkey butt. I haven't been riding much - weekends have been very, very hot. Saturday was a perfect day - we took a ride around town and put 17 miles on the scooters. I am working up to larger trips. The little bikes will reach 40 or so going down hill but that's about it so you can't be in a hurry.

Today is another nice day - I'll be scootin.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-19T12:04:00.001-04:00

I was driving to work on Friday and on the radio daughter's were talking about memories of their dads from their childhood. When I woke up today I started thinking about memories from my childhood. One is baking peanut butter cookies with my dad and learning how to hold the mixer all by myself. It sure seemed heavy at the time. I was very proud to have mixed the cookies by myself. We also made fudge together, it was always put on a special buttered plate (it had to be that plate) and I always got to eat all the fudge from the bowl and spoon. My dad cooked all the Sunday dinners and they were fabulous. He was also a master at bar-b-queing. For a retirement present his office had a stainless steel grill made for him. Summer was not complete with out a bar-b-que party where ribs with his secret sauce recipe were served. The sauce simmered all day until it was just right. Obviously, the way to a little girl's heart is through her stomach.

We also traveled to Germany to see my grandparents. It was a grand adventure. I remember getting a traditional green wool hat and collecting pins from the places we visited. I still have the hat and memories.

Happy Father's Day to all father's everywhere who teach us how to live and love and be better people.

Fractured

2011-06-12T14:17:00.002-04:00

I put this mosaic up in my new studio and thought it would make an interesting self portrait photo. I really like the one with 3 eyes.

All Moved in

2011-06-12T14:12:00.000-04:00

My new studio is ready!!!! I have two tables, lots of lamps and storage. My first project is going to be crocheting a black and white beaded necklace.

Sam's Farm, Falls Church, VA

2011-06-12T13:56:00.002-04:00

On an overcast misty day I went to Sam's Farm to buy plants for my containers. I like to buy coleus for the shade containers. I walked around and enjoyed the garden statues and found areas of the garden center that I never knew existed. When I got to the back of the property on a hill I saw an apiary. I was totally surprised. What an interesting time I had. I ended up with lots of coleus, French Lavender, parsley, rosemary, curry (this is the greatest smelling herb ever) basil, tomatoes, Citronella geranium, eucalyptus, persian shield and Mezoo trailing red dorotheanthus (this is supposed to like full sun or full shade how can you go wrong with that?) I even bought a jar of honey from their apiary. When presented with so many plant options I kind of go blank, but think I ended up with a good variety. It's been a few weeks and all the container are doing great. There are even a few small tomatoes.

I know you are wondering - OK what would someone do with that? Just in case you can't live without if for $1150 plus tax and delivery you can have one in your yard.

I found this cute wire chair plant stand at the garden center too.

I totally want a hillside of budas

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-30T08:28:00.001-04:00

I was looking for information on Sam's Farm in Falls Church, VA and up popped this video. I thought it was very appropriate for Memoral Day. http://youtu.be/9wwoe7BHFLc
Truman Price plays an authentic 1852 Oregon Trail fiddle tune along a portion of the Applegate Trail in north Corvallis, Oregon on June 4, 2005. Videotaped by Bob Zybach and Josh Meredith.

Thanks to all who have ever fought for our country and to the friends and family who support them.

Garden May 2011

2011-05-29T18:36:00.003-04:00

The farm and garden at Amateur Hill

Three tiny tomatos

Tons of unripe blueberries. I pruned the bushes - they seemed to like it.

I wonder if I will ge a few this year.

My favorite - bleedng hearts

Large hosta

Peony

Peony - very short season

Azaleas - pink, red, white, coral and lavender

Can you find the farmer in the picture?

Jack and Morgan

2011-05-29T17:54:00.001-04:00

Jack is 2 and Morgan is 10. We had a wonderful day celebrating their birthday's. Brother's and Sister's - Anna, Aidan, Morgan and Jack.

Empty Studio

2011-05-29T16:37:00.000-04:00

Here is my new basement work space. I'm moving in. Only unpacking what I need, The rest is staying in plastic bins. I am combining two rooms of supplies into one. The hard part is sorting and selectively unpacking.

Farmer's Market

2011-05-29T16:25:00.001-04:00

It's strawberry time at the market. The smell of fresh strawberries filled the hot still morning air. The crepes with Nutella (a hazelnut chocolate spread) and fresh strawberries looked amazing.

Experiment - Sun Prints

2011-05-29T15:28:00.001-04:00

I have a few packages of very old treated fabric used for sun printing. The package said if the fabric has turned blue (and it had, very blue) that it was old but would still work you just need to rinsed it well and let it soak for a while in clear water. I rinsed it and rinsed it and soaked it which did bring out some whites. I'm not sure if the images are permanent so I will use the fabric in projects that do not have to be washed. It was a fun experiment. I used some fabric that I had sun printed in a quilt and the images washed out and part of it turned yellow. I do learn - thus the non washable projects for this batch.

Judy's Altered Minds - April 2011

2011-04-17T19:28:00.000-04:00

Our monthly meeting of Judy's Altered Minds art group was today. Judy is at the beach for some R&R. Elizabeth opened the store so we could have our meeting. A small but lively group brought all their projects to share. We really enjoy seeing each other, all the different kinds of work and sharing ideas. One of the projects Elizabeth brought was her tattered roses she made into hair barrettes. I immediately fell in love with one. It's wonderful, special fabrics, lace, beads what more could you ask for?

Next month Elizabeth http://elizabethcreates.blogspot.com/ is going to teach us how to make the roses!!!!!!

The Garden 2011

2011-04-17T19:15:00.000-04:00

This year I trimmed all 10 blueberry bushes. Here are some early flowers that will turn into blueberries. The birds usually get them before I do.

Beautiful spring flowers and colors.

A rock I painted to look like a turtle. This guy has been out in the garden many years.

and a very weird Bunny - it was just too cute, I have to have it.

Birthday Girl

2011-04-17T18:55:00.003-04:00

It's my birthday. It is a milestone I've been looking forward to - I now meet all the requirements for a full federal government retirement . . . so I can retire anytime I want. But I will definitely be working for a while longer, I'm very grateful to have a job. Just knowing that I don't have to wait years to qualify for retirement has taken a giant load off my mind.

I received some wonderful birthday cards, and some birthday greetings on Facebook this morning. My beautiful grandchildren will be calling and singing happy birthday to me later. My husband got me a way cool rabbit with a basket of bunnies and inside the basket was a silver bracelet with enamel hearts probably from the 40's. It is so me.

After watching my husband and Angelo (our friend and all around handyman) move all my art stuff from the 2nd floor to the basement this morning (very sad) we went to Home Depo to look at carpet for the upstairs. We also went to lunch at a cool fish market (very happy) and had the crabcake platters. Instead of birthday cake we opted for four slices of key lime pie made by the owner Martha. What a delightful birthday. The weather which has been cold, warm, sunny, rainy, windy (you name it) was beautiful for my birthday - it was sunny and 84 degrees.

Moving the Studio

2011-04-17T18:44:00.001-04:00

It seems like an insurmountable task - pack all my art and art supplies, take all my treasures off the walls, and move the tables and supplies from the second floor to the basement. I packed up the hallway studio but most of it just went into the bedroom studio. The 2nd floor is getting painted and rooms are being shifted around. The plan is to set up the studio in the basement and have a guest room, office and reading room on the second floor. The basement is very small and dark and full of stuff that needs to be thrown or given away. So before the studio gets set back up the task of cleaning the basement looms large. I am hoping to have a very, very organized and consolidated new art space.

Moving update - After 3 trips to Staples for plastic bins it's all packed, 3 tables, 2 floor lamps, 4 table lamps, rugs, and bulletin boards have all been moved to the basement. I've had that art room for about 18 years; it eventually spilled into the hallway to create another studio. It started out life as my sewing room where I made baby quilts for all the grand kids, then it worked into a greeting card, polymer clay, jewelry, journal, beading, collage, mixed media whatever I'm interested in at the moment room. The plan for the new space it to keep it mostly in clear plastic bins and just unpack what I need for my current project.

Learning a new skill

2011-03-28T15:25:00.002-04:00

At the March 2011 meeting of Judy's Altered Minds - a mixed media group that meets monthly in Alexandria, Virginia we learned how to crochet beads on wire to make necklaces. After three frustrating hours of learning how to hold a crochet hook and crochet with wire and beads I finally got it. Everyone said it was because I was left handed and I was learning right handed. I'm proud to say with the most patient teacher in the world that wouldn't give up on me and a very nice lady sitting next to me I now have a new skill! I think eveyone I know needs a beaded necklace. I can't wait to bring them to the next meeting for show and tell.

Can weaving and Stick man

2011-03-28T15:12:00.000-04:00

The background is two arizona tea cans (they have great colors) and some ladybug fabric strips woven together. The stick is a present from my husband - he thought it looked like a man. I do too.

Things nightmares are made of

2011-03-28T15:02:00.001-04:00

This very scary cat was a Valentine's Day present from my husband. It holds matches. I think it might be planning to set the house on fire.

ATC's March 2011 Judy's Altered Minds group

2011-03-28T14:59:00.000-04:00

We made ATC's out of last months project using crayons, paint and paper. Now that I know I can sew on paper I can't stop. Here are the delightful ATC's I received from the talented artisits that attend this group.

Morgan's Dinner Party and Show

2011-03-28T14:53:00.001-04:00

Morgan invited her grandparents to a dinner party to celebrate all our birthday's. After a day of working with her grandma at the bookstore she came home and prepared dinner and put on a show The Moosewood Honest Pretzel cookbook was used for the delightful dinner of homemade tortilla chips, guacamole, home made salsa, torn tortilla casserole and to finish the meal berry much shortcake. The show had dancing, magic and a dramatic performance complete with costume changes. We were very impressed with the energy and creatativity it took to cook and put on a show (oh to be 9 again). Very well done Morgan!

There were a few moments of panic when we were worried that the marker Morgan used on her face was permanent! All is well the mustache and eyebrows washed off just fine.

Inspiration

2011-02-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

I went to the antique store in town to look for gifts. I brought my camera along and took a few photos that I thought would inspire me to start my next project. I am drawn to collections of items, glasses, clothespins, rolling pins, spice containers, buttons, rusted tins - when they are grouped together their shapes and colors appeal to me.

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-13T12:51:00.000-05:00

I made my valentine a card this year and used our pictures from when we were young children. We didn't know each other then but I like to think that if we did we would have been valentines and made each other paper cut out hearts with Be Mine Forever on them and put them in each others shoeboxes at school.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

Plastic bag

2011-01-22T16:35:00.001-05:00

I received this plastic bag purse from a friend at Christmas. And I thought I went overboard when making collages. This is so great - the more stuff the merrier.

Barb's weaving class

2011-01-22T15:34:00.002-05:00

At the monthly meeting of the mixed media club at Judy's Artistic Artifacts Barb showed us how to weave with aluminum cans. I used diet coke and mountain dew cans for my first weave. The minute I got home I sewed it together. I couldn't wait to see what it was like to sew on aluminum. It worked great, the needle punches through the aluminum very easily.

You can also use punches to punch out shapes to add to your artwork (the flowers in the sample Barb brought were punched out of cans and embellished with buttons). Since the class I made two more pieces. The Arizona Tea cans have great colors. I'm not sure what I will do with my pieces, they remind me of folded gum wrapper purses. I think I tried every decorative stitch I have on my sewing machine.

Morgan's Lasagna

2011-01-22T15:14:00.003-05:00

We have a new chef in the family, Morgan made her first lasagna using Mollie Katzen's recipe in the cookbook Honest Pretzels. The Honest Pretzels cookbook is made especially for new young cooks. It has step-by-step photos for kids to follow and instructions for their parents or assistant chefs. I heard that this was the best lasagna ever. I can't wait to be invited to dinner.

I am a fan of Mollie Katzen http://www.molliekatzen.com/about.php check out her website and fabulous recipes.

Kat's new work

2011-01-17T16:49:00.000-05:00

Kat brought her amazing, fabulous mosaic pieces to the December meeting of Judy's Alerted Minds group. I'm in love. I adore the little creatures. You lift up their heads and their bodies are containers for your precious items. Kat has a new website with more of her art http://www.kathlynjamesavila.com/ take a few minutes to visit her site and enjoy her beautiful work.

Christmas Card

2011-01-17T16:35:00.002-05:00

Here is the Christmas Card I made for my husband. I had fun making this card and adding the fat little elf.

Buzz is guarding my new old sewing maching. My husband found it all rusted up and not in working order. He took it apart got all the rust off each tiny piece and put in back in working condition. How cool is that?

Christmas pictures

2011-01-17T16:25:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful Grandparents Christmas Eve at Catherine and Andy's house in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The sock monkey Jack-in-the-box was a hit with all. Jack really loved the post office box that was delivered on Christmas Eve.

Since I don't do much in the way of decorating for Christmas it's always nice to have a great meal on special Christmas dishes, see the tree decorated with miles of presents beneath it and have excited children awaiting Santa's arrival. It's all about family this time of year.

Buzz the salad eating cat

2010-12-29T21:03:00.002-05:00

Every night Buzz would carefully pick out the pieces of lettuce he wanted from our salad bowls when we weren't looking. Now he has his own bowl of salad and prefers spring mix.

Christmas Box Exchange

2010-12-28T14:59:00.003-05:00

At the December meeting of the mixed media group and the quilt group at Artistic Artifacts we had a box exchange, I decorated an animal cracker box and put some of my favorite items inside.

This box was made by my friend Kat. We are trying to work out a way that we would get each other's boxes next year. I just love her box.

The box I received had some pretty floral fabric ribbon, buttons, charms and thread. I am going to use all my items in one piece of art.

Steampunk Bracelet Class

2010-12-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

I took a class on making a steampunk bracelet. The teacher's sample is shown above. I was on the waiting list and received a call two days before the class that there was room so I grabbed a few supplies and off to class I went. The coolest thing was learning how to etch metal. I was hoping to have a finished bracelet but cleaning, etching, stamping metal, cutting and filing takes a long, long time. We all got to use some specialized jeweler's tools. I think I might use the pieces for necklaces instead of turning them into a bracelet. The pictures are from stamps and the center link is a watch part. I had no idea it took all day to make a few tiny little squares.

Another mermaid

2010-12-10T16:19:00.001-05:00

Another double sided mermaid - made for a wonderful, unique friend.

Christmas Doll fabric

2010-12-10T15:52:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Joan sent me a special package of festive paperdoll fabric. I think I will incorporate some of the dolls into the cards I'm making.

Bird necklace

2010-11-26T12:31:00.002-05:00

This fun necklace was the project at the November meeting of Judy's Altered Minds group. We used images on Transfer Artist Paper (TAP) ironed them on Lutradur then sewed them to a piece of canvas and embellished them. A silkworm cocoon was used to hold the fibers that dangle from the necklace. A fun day was had by all (except the silkworms had a rough day).

Buzz loves salad

2010-11-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

Buzz loves a good salad, the crunchier the better.

Birdman

2010-11-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

I planned on making a vaiety of birds this year but this is the only one I have. Instead of being a local artist this year I will be supporting local artists.

Best Intentions

2010-11-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

A month ago a friend of mine asked, "Are you going to bring me some items for Christmas sales?" I said I had something in mind and was planning to bring some items in. Well, it's a bit late to start now. It took me all weekend to get one mermaid done (double sided) and I wasn't even planning on making mermaids. I have one doll (I made that a while ago) but THE PLAN was to make birds this year. I have 1/2 a bird made, I can't figure out how to attach the head. I have a lot of raw materials (maybe too many) and my workspace cluttered it self up again.

A Gift Horse

2010-10-24T17:09:00.003-04:00

A beautiful day to be out and about and have lunch with Julie and Judi. Judi went to visit her sister Joan and Joan sent me this lovely gift. The box is very cool and when I opened it almost everything was there to start building creatures. My husband said he remembers these toys. There was one head so I made one of the creatures on the box (it kind of looks like a horse to me). When I looked at the back of the box I saw the inscription. To: Ronald Barkman From: Wilber Christmas 1941. I bet Ronald spent many hours playing with this toy. Since it said it had a playboard I bet you got a piece at a time and built a creature.

Kind of like the game I remember Cootie

Calipers

2010-10-17T21:39:00.002-04:00

What is a caliper you ask - well you can read about them on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliper

I saw them in a box with other rusted items and they looked like people to me. I can't wait to see what they turn into. I got all the grease off them and sprayed them with a clear coat. Now they are ready for my next art project.

Painted Bedframe - DONE

2010-10-17T20:48:00.000-04:00

Three cans of different colored spray paint and my masterpiece is finished.

Here is the old IKEA headboard.

Here is the new and improved headboard:

New Blog Look

2010-10-17T09:44:00.002-04:00

Thanks to a very talented Finnish designer that has free backgrounds, headers, and tutorials for all to use called *Cute n Cool* blog stuff http://blo64rt.blogspot.com/ my blog has a new look. I must say I did have a fight with blogger to get the sidebars changed.

Colors of Fall

2010-09-25T10:56:00.002-04:00

I just had to stop the name PIGBOY WILLY'S PUMPKIN PATCH drew me in as well as the beautiful colors of the mums. I didn't go for the traditional yellow, rust or lavender - I bought the red ones. Even though it was 97 degrees outside, I was pretending that it was a cool fall day.

As I was putting the mums in the car I noticed the back of the stand with hay bales, a green wagon, dried corn stalks and a bright yellow outhouse. What else would you need at Pigboy's?

I was also fascinated by the pumpkins with the bumps on them.

Bedframe

2010-09-25T10:47:00.000-04:00

This very cool bedframe just had to come home with me. I put the seats down in my car and it just fit (not a quarter inch to spare). I thought it might be dirty so I took the windex to it and to my surprise the dark parts are gold paint. It looks to be full size. I think I will spray paint it a creamy white. I scored it at Artistic Artifacts http://www.artisticartifacts.com/ flea market/yard sale. Thanks Judy for letting us preview the sale!

Dremel 101

2010-09-12T21:11:00.004-04:00

First you find typewriter keys for sale that have the shanks left on them - then you drill holes in them. Easy enough you say. The keys were easy to find on Ebay. Drilling holes in them not so easy. Then you shut your cat out of the shop for fear of him distracting you when you are using a dangerous dremel drill. Next you put on gloves, eye protection and ear protection to shield yourself from metal shavings. Then you look at the thermometer which says 80 degrees. Hot, safe and cat free you start drilling. The drill skips and the drill bit is loose. What's a girl to do?

Every 20 minutes I went upstairs to whine to my husband that nothing was working. He would come down to the shop and fix whatever needed fixing. He also got up and went to Home Depot at 6 am to buy me dremel drill bits. The drill bits get dull and don't cut through the steel after a few uses. So we went to the local hardware store (on the scooters) and he bought me 6 more drill bits.

I'm getting good at changing bits and the drilling is going a bit better. I'm going to give it another try tomorrow.

Get Well Cards

2010-09-06T23:08:00.007-04:00

My very talented granddaughters made these cards for me! I was very excited to receive them. Getting art from my grandchildren is the best gift ever. Campbell made me a very colorful card full of get well wishes. She has a very good eye for color and design.

Alex is studying Thomas Edison in school right now and made me a fabulous phonograph.

The drawing inside looks just like me. The writing on the T-shirt says, Embrace Yourself and I just have to type the bottom part out:

G R A N D M A L I N D A

r e w i e i r o n e e m

e s e c a n t v t a l a

a p s e r d i i e t i z

t e o i f s n r g i

c m n u t g e h n

t e g l i s t g

f c t f

u i u

l n l

Campbell's birthday

2010-08-07T11:07:00.007-04:00

Campbell is 9 years old. She loves to make cupcakes with her dad and sister Alex. When I found that out I gathered up some cupcake stickers, stationary, bandages and lip gloss in cupcake shaped containers. I also found some colored pencils that have different smells I remember the rootbeer and watermellon pencils the most. We had to smell all of them.

Campbell picked out a very cute polka dot cake and got a beautiful bike for her birthday.

We received this note written with one of the smencils from Campbell on her new stationary!!!!

Alex and Campbell enjoying a day of beauty!

August 6, 2010

2010-08-07T09:02:00.003-04:00

We were married 27 years ago on August 6, 1983 in Washington, DC. Our children Catherine and Brendan now have families of their own and we have 7 beautiful grandchildren. Looking back through photo albums it's been quite a journey to get here. We appreciate all that has been given to us over the years.

My husband has a favorite place to shop for unique gifts for me. This beautiful necklace has quite a story. It started out tarnished with a garnet in the shell. He saw it and thought nothing but a freshwater pearl of just the right shape and color would work. The day before our anniversary it was rushed to the jeweler and the pearl was mounted in the shell. What no one anticipated is that the jeweler would polish the silver! When the jeweler saw the expression on my husband's face he said don't worry it will tarnish again. My husband found some paper that feels like silk - he was so proud of the beautiful package he made. We had a wonderful dinner, delicious cake and watched an interesting independent art movie.

New thrift store

2010-08-07T08:56:00.000-04:00

I discovered a thrift store where are the proceeds go to a no kill animal shelter. I found a cool bunny thermometer (bet you've never seen one of those) and a cat tea pot. The cats head comes off and the tea pours through the fishes mouth.

Buzzy was adopted from the Fairfax county animal shelter. He is very comfortable in his new home.

Doll going to Texas

2010-08-07T08:49:00.000-04:00

This doll and one of my hand dyed doilies are on there way to Texas to my art friend Chaska. She just happens to be teaching an Icon doll class right now. Stop by her blog http://www.artalchemystudio.com/ and check out her lovely art.

Finished Bead Sample Book

2010-07-23T12:35:00.000-04:00

I'm calling the beaded sample book done. The whole spine of the book is supposed to be fringe. Since the fringe I started is very dense, I think the whole book would be way too heavy with all that fringe. I may add a few more rows but for now I just added long fringe from the top of the book. This was a fun project and I learned a lot on new stiches.

Dye Day

2010-07-18T13:59:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday in 95 degree weather I spent 3 hours in a warehouse at Artistic Artifacts learning how to dye fabric. Here are some of the amazing results. the fabric must be cotton, rayon or silk or the dye will wash right out of it. I had a few pieces of trim that ended up white. I can't wait to use the fabric in my next project.

Beaded Book Sampler

2010-07-18T13:31:00.004-04:00

I took a class with Liz Kettle at Artistic Artifacts called Bodacious Beading. The Pink book is one of her sample books.

The finished project is a sample book of different stiches. You get a good start on the inside of the book and have to finish the outside at home. There are tags that you put in the book that describe the stitches you learned. Liz said that everyone finishes the book because they want to do the fringe beads on the spine. Here is my book in progress. When the book is finished the whole spine of the book will be covered in beaded fringe.

The orange hand dyed fabric was a gift from Chaska and the mask on the front was a gift from Joan. I love to incorporate gifts in my projects.

A present from Joan that saved my life is this needle threaded. It really, really works. You put the needle upside down in the white tube, lay thread acress the threader, push the button down and the thread is pushed through the eye of the needle, you pull the loop of thread, pick up the needle and it is threaded. How cool.

Sea Babies

2010-07-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

A few years ago a was lucky enough to attend a mini workshop on felting. I was so excited to finish this piece I framed it and hung it in my studio. When I look at it I think about a long white beach with birds playing in the waves at the shore line.

Quilt book reception

2010-07-17T13:40:00.002-04:00

I attended a book signing and reception at Artistic Artifacts http://www.artisticartifacts.com/

for Mary Keer's book "A Quilt Block Challenge: Vintage Revisited" All the ladies pictured have quilt blocks in the book. I really like the one that said, "PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES AND DEAL WITH IT"

July 4, 2010

2010-07-17T13:22:00.001-04:00

On the 4th of July Julie, Judi and I went to Chart House in Alexandria. Virginia to have brunch and celebrate Judi's 50th birthday. Chart House overlooks the Potomac River, we had a nice window seat and a fine selection of food. After brunch, even though it was very, very hot we walked around for a few minutes and took in the sites of people celebrating the 4th of July. Boats were headed downriver to find a spot for the evening fireworks at the Washington monument.

A rare bird

2010-07-16T21:30:00.001-04:00

I found this little guy in the birdbath. I looked him up in the bird guide and found that he is a very rare sweet potato bird.

Made just for me

2010-07-16T21:21:00.000-04:00

The fabulously talented Laura Michelle made this glass candel holder just for me. She asked me what colors I liked and designed it for me. I've never worked with glass have you?

Turtle Beads

2010-07-16T19:39:00.000-04:00

Every week at work we have vendors selling jewelry, purses, pictures, clothes etc. I found a very cool turtle bracelet and thought I would take the bracelet apart and use the turtles in some art projects. I bought the turtle bracelet and put it on right away. The lady said she goes to China twice a year to pick up stuff. I started smelling fumes coming from the bracelet. I thought I was nuts. I put it in a plastic bag and brought it home where it spent several days in the sun. It still smelled. I then put it in bleach and water for a week. That did it. It must have been sprayed or dipped in some kind of sealant. Now I have a whole bunch of bleached turtles to work into my art projects.

Earthquake in the Washington DC area

2010-07-16T19:28:00.003-04:00

5:04 a.m. I was sort of awake - still in bed. The house shook and vibrated it sounded like a large semi truck was outside the house. My first thought - It's an earthquake. My second thought - We don't have earthquakes in Virginia - I must have heard a very large truck driving by the house. Driving to the metro I heard that there was an earthquake. How very strange. My first earthquake experience.