Summer Primitives Ahoy!

Summer is in full swing and finally my jet lag is wearing off enough for me to enjoy it!

Somewhere between the unpacking and sleepy haze of the past week I was able to finish up a few summer projects to offer on the Early Work Mercantile for July.  I've discovered dolls are so much easier to complete when they are half naked.

Sam and his clams emerged in just two days from idea to final stitches.

I have been making these starfish for years but have never offered them to the public until now.  Made of vintage linen they are pure sun bleached summer breezes.

Swing by the Early Work Mercantile to see all the fresh offerings for July 1st from the best prim artists around! Then skip over to By Your Hands to visit my shabby chic alter ego on Up-Cycle Nation Monday.

For such a sleepy girl, I sure have been busy!

LOVE  &  NAP TIME!

Anchors Aweigh!

This is it!  The graduation weekend is here! Family has arrived, rehearsal is done, the big show is tomorrow morning and then I have officially reached that pinnacle of raising a teenager: the high school diploma!  The chains of high school drama, district boundaries, and attendance mandates have been flung off and the brave new world seems suddenly wide open with possibilities!

My daughter has already been to 90% of the US and Canada so when thinking of the ultimate graduation celebration destination we chose Thailand.  This time next week my daughter and I will be somewhere in the sky jetting off to meet Hubby who will be working in Bangkok.  Hubby has filled our heads with the sights and sounds of this exotic city and we are ready to leave behind the familiar for the great unknown.

With a 22 hour flight in my near future I have planned a very special anchor project that travels light with minimal fuss.  Yep- it's time to unfurl the travel cross stitch pack and needlework my way to the other side of the world.  In prep for a November art show in Galveston, I have designed an historical sampler centered with a giant anchor and southern charm.  (Sneak peeks to come in future posts.)

Anchors are iconic coastal life and ring in the summer with a promise of new memories and colossal adventures.  Now that Baby Girl is 18 and a high school graduate, a new chapter in our relationship begins.  I see her as a young adult about to set out on her life journey- one that includes the dreams of far off places, making a difference and discovering a new world to call her own.

 

LOVE  &  ANCHORS AWEIGH!

Busy Hands

Even though Baby Girl is only a few days shy of 18, when she is sick at home snoozing the day away on the couch, I can't help but pass the day by her side. I pull up the work basket, put on an animated movie and stitch as she sleeps.

So many projects needed just a few final embellishments: an eye, a snout, a few color touches.

I wasn't sure about Bubbles' snout- but with a few tips from my bestie, Ashlie Blake of Painting Bliss- he will soon suit my fancy.

The sheep chose just the right vintage leather glove for their faces.  This morning, now that yesterday's rain has passed, they are in the garden choosing their legs and then they will be ready for their Etsy slots.

I even had time to start another whimsical work.  I've ben wanting to do a pillow version of my mice using the dreamy alpaca roving I picked up on my trip to Connecticut in March.  It is like sculpting with buttah!

This wee piece will travel with me as I like to always have a project on hand.  Traffic jams, Starbucks drive thru lines, prescription pick up waits- all good times to punch in more wool and fill my need to never waste a second in this creative life.

 

LOVE  &  BUSY HANDS

A Good Punch

Nothing beats stress build up like punching the @#*! out of something.  What do I do with nervous energy? Needle punch punch punch punch punch! And I make a living mess while I do it!

My work table is a scattered array of roving, notions, and wool scraps at the ready.  I have fallen in love with Wisteria threads roving!  It adds just the right hues to every project!  I love to use non-traditional backgrounds when needle punching. Old woolens, linen napkins, and painted cotton lend themselves well to my schemes.

Perhaps it is my New England upbringing that has me so thrifty (ahem- "resourceful").  I believe every scrap, every cast-off has value and deserves a chance to shine again before truly hitting the trash.

Bubbles the piggy has become one of my fave de-stress characters.  His bubbles are made from old sweater wool ringed in alpaca roving. I am playing in my dye bins to mimic the color quality of the Wisteria threads- but I am no match.  Not yet anyway (insert evil laugh).  I used a backdrop of wool up-cycled from a thrift store suit atop a layer of cotton batting. The fibers, when condensed through the punch process, give the bubbles dimension.

 

Mini punchers are my latest craze!  Old sweater wool molded into tart tins, sugar bowls, anything kitchen- then embellished with roving for a lasting pin keep treasure!

The old adage is true: when you're looking for something you can never find it.  Even when just last week the item was EVERYWHERE!  This week I received an order for 10 tins, and of course the constant supply has fallen off the earth.  I've been scouring the antique stores, thrift shops and garage sales to no avail!  So back I go to my punching, needling out the stress and keeping the faith that new tins will emerge before the deadline.

 

LOVE  AND  A GOOD PUNCH!