Sunflowery

 Jen and I teamed up to paint a porch sitter.  A porch sitter/leaner is a piece of wood that usually has a design or says something like welcome, home etc...it sits on your porch leaning up against the wall. 

I did the blue/green and then Jen painted a sunflower on one end and I painted on the other end.

It was a fun project! I think it turned out great!  

The sunflowers in all the sunflower fields were turning their heads downward from the weight of the seed heads.  

Grain harvest has begun and some of the bean fields are starting to turn color.  

Minnesota weather: High of 82F or 28C Low was 60F or 16C eh!

Long time friends Mike and Ginny from Iowa stopped by today and then my other baby brother and she who sees robins first, then nephew Josh came by with his new puppy who is really cute!

Supper was steak and a baked potato along with the first yellow pear tomatoes of the season.

Far Side

Old Craft: Potholders

 Yes several readers guessed correctly.   I am revisiting the old craft of making potholders that I enjoyed as a much younger person child.

Where the witchcraft comes in...there are several websites out there that have wizards where you can put in two colors and it will show you many patterns...one site has many potholder weaving charts in black and white so you can pick and choose your colors. 

 What fun!   At least I think so.  It gives my arthritic fingers and wrists a good workout!

I like the larger finished product of the Pro loom kit.  The potholders finish at 8 inches by 8 inches...a very nice size for potholders or for a spot to sit a warm pot on your table.

As I recall from the "olden days" the potholders were very small and if you bought some of the inferior loops they would melt if they got too hot.  I also recall that the loom was plastic and if you broke off any of the teeth your loom became useless.

I am using only cotton loops and the loom is metal.   So far so good.   I hope to make a few gifts.

I went to the Dentist...no cavities!  Yeah me!  

Far Guy sat outside for a short time, the air was less smoky.

Supper was pork chops and wild rice. 

Far Side

Old Craft

 Before I had surgery Sara at Punkin's Patch sent me an email...are you aware of the witchcraft!  I was and I ordered a kit. 

Can you guess what old craft it is?

It brought back some great old memories for me. 

We had another quiet day at home. Far Guy is just not feeling well. 

Far Side

Hanging in there

Far Guy is doing his best to do everything he should to get better. It all takes time.  He is tired.  I am tired. 

IF we were sloths we could just hang around in trees upside down eating the most tender shoots....they leave the trees to poop once a week on the forest floor...who knew?

 

The cloth sloth is now framed and at the consignment shop...I wonder how long it will be there? 

My other baby brother and she who sees robins first stopped by and had lunch with us yesterday, good to see them again!  They were out in Western North Dakota visiting Katie, Hunter, Gavin, Jordan and Aubrey. 

I made chicken wild rice soup...it was whats for supper yesterday.  Chicken soup makes everything better!

Far Side

Fabric finish

 Jen finished the Cloth Sloth.  It is a fabric collage.

A work of art! Lots of different designs and shapes in this one. 

Far Side

Cloth Sloth

 Jen has been working on a cloth Sloth. 

It will eventually end up on a canvas and go over to flippin happy home decor and more

It is very very cold here.  We ventured out for a quick trip to Hobby Lobby yesterday when it was just 2F or -16C.  I needed a skein of yarn to finish a project! 

I laid down in between loads of laundry and watched Peanut Butter Falcon on Netflix.  It  was a good movie I give it a 8 out of 10. 

We made lasagna for supper.  

Far Side

Valentine Boxes

 When I was a kid we usually got a shoe box or a paper bag to decorate to collect Valentines from classmates at school.  What fun it was to read all those Valentines!

This week in the craft room Valentine boxes were made.  Paper, boxes and feathers. 

A flamingo and a pikachu for Cee Cee and Hey Mikey. 

Valentine boxes have come a long way:)

Far Side

Dreaming of flowers

 Well... flowers and warmer weather for sure!  

I started a new puzzle, worked on my crochet projects...one is out for a trial by a little girl and the other needs a bit of an adjustment...so I will work on that.  

One of Jen's small stone creations. 

Far Guy gets to visit the NEW hospital today for his infusion.  He has heard from the nurses that the infusion rooms are all individual with private bathrooms and big screen tv's...parking is already a nightmare over there.  Good thing I just drop him off and pick him up. 

Still cold...our high yesterday was 10F or -12C   our low was -13F or -25C  with a real feel of -30 most of the day yesterday.  We might bust out of the deep freeze on Friday..maybe.

How cold is it?  Squirrels are throwing themselves at the electric fence to warm up:)

Far Side

 

Creating Fun Stuff

Jen had a couple of projects happening.  These are wall decorations.

Far Guy helped Jen by dipping the individual pieces of wood in food coloring.  I love the way it turned out...so vibrant!

This is one I helped paint, in this photo you can see how the wood pieces stick out at different levels. 

Jen took both pieces plus a few other creations over to the shop in Grand Forks. 

Fun Stuff! 

Still very cold here.  

Far Side

Stones

 Making art...

with polished stones...artwork by Jen.

Far Side

Don't forget your hat

 or mittens or scarf or extra heavy parka or below zero boots and maybe even a blankie! 

The deep freeze is here.  40 BELOW zero windchills...uffda...such is life in the frozen northland.  What happened to Global Warming?  Apparently it does not apply to Minnesota.  The only good thing about the cold weather is that it is making good ice so the fishermen can get out on the lakes without drowning. 

I heard there were sundogs and saw photos on Facebook...I was not going to venture out for a photo.

Far Guy and I attended at Virtual Craft Get Together sponsored by the VA.  They mailed us supplies.

They are Gnomes...you need the cardboard from a paper towel roll or tp roll, yarn, a pine cone and something for a nose.   The yarn is measured and then cut to length and wrapped around a small ring of cardboard from the paper towel holder, turned inside out and then you tie off the pom pom add a hanger, glue on a pine cone and a nose and VIOLA you have a cute gnome.  Perfect little project on a cold Winters day. 

Christmas card report: 10 more are done drying the total is now 117.  One more productive day and I should be done...but tomorrow is filled with many appointments and errands. 

We got the Christmas letter printed out..not without some drama...upside down a couple of times as the paper was all mixed up....must have been the Christmas Elf:)

Far Side

Sunflower scrubby

 I had this wacky idea to crochet a sunflower scrubby. 

Who wouldn't like a bit of sunshine in their kitchen anyway? 

This was one of the rejects, the brown area is a bit large....but it does resemble a sunflower.  I perfected the pattern after I made this one. 

Far Guy was feeling much better yesterday..we even went out for supper...the first time in a very long time.  We are packing up a few things to take home with us the first part of next week.

Far Side

A different craft

 Quilting without sewing is what daughter Jen said. 

Yes but at the end you have to sew down the strips.  So I will just remain an assistant!

I helped her create this piece of art this week.  Mosaic fabric art.

The design is drawn on the paper...then you apply some kind of paper with sticky stuff onto fabric, then you cut the fabric into a million strips, pull the backing off and apply the strips to the design.  I was a stripper...ya know pulling the backing off and I designed those mountains off to the left...the ones that look like pointy boobs.  When the pattern is completely covered you hang it in front of the patio door to see what areas you missed.  Then it is pressed ...the iron heat activates the sticky stuff on each small piece of fabric, then Jen sewed straight lines all over the piece.  It is quite a large piece even if it looks small on the floor.  Andy will make a frame for it and it will be for sale at Flippin Happy Home. 

Far Guy had a pretty good day yesterday, and he has a Doctor's appointment today. 

Far Side

Art

 Some great art is being created here.  Jen and Andy have a outlet for whatever they make at a local shop. 

I help with painting, it is something I enjoy. 

These are two projects that went out the door earlier this week. 

I sell crochet scrubbies there and small crochet purses.  Keeping busy keeps me out of trouble. 

Someday maybe I will go over to the shop and take some photos...I will have to ask permission first. 

Far Side

Gathering

 We had a gathering at my baby brothers lake home for our Mother's birthday.  My sister and sister in law did most of the cooking,  some of the cousins brought food to share.  I made vegetable beef soup.

The women sewed and worked on crafts and the men talked.  My baby brother and his wife have a perfect room to set up tables for sewing machines for everyone who wants to sew.  They can sew and watch the birds out the windows.

It was a good gathering to celebrate Mom's 94th birthday on Friday and then again on Saturday.

Mom at her sewing machine.  She still has a bad cough. She was sewing together quilts squares made from my Dad's shirts.

Here are some of the other projects the gals were working on.

Christmas ornaments out of buttons.

A blueberry quilt.

Another quilt.

Donation blanket for Gillette Children's Hospital....fleece blanket with crochet edge. 

Potholders

I did not get a photo of one of the gals potholders or the gal who was working on a baby blanket. 

 It was a very nice gathering.  My Mom enjoyed visiting with everyone.

I worked on some embroidery and helped a gal rediscover knitting. 

Far Side

Retreat

 It is fun catching up with the gals, hearing about their jobs and children and seeing what they are working on. 

Sarah and I went out to breakfast and then to Hobby Lobby.  I had an afternoon nap.  I am making slow progress on the Christmas cards.

Red card stock waiting to become a card. 

Far Side

Tiny Mistakes

 I started a new project, first transferring stamped images to dish towels, and then embroidering them.  

I was rocking the project and then bam...some small words were transferred with my image.  Huh...well ya big dummy everything that is in the image will transfer with the heat of your iron. 

Oh well I can always use it myself ...or cover it up.

Some little cross stitches covered it up quite nicely. 

Far Side

Tiny Stitches and more

 I am trying to keep my fingers moving and exercising the dexterity I still have.  

I am doing a blanket stitch around some dish towels.   No not all my stitches are perfect.

Yesterday I made it to Ben Franklin for some embroidery floss and a few other supplies.  I also got my Driver's License renewed, had blood work at the clinic and a mammogram...yeah me.  I stopped and visited with my Mom at the Nursing Home.   Came home and had a nap.  I am making some progress on my list of things to do.  

Far Side

All about the math

 Decisions, decisions.  Craft retreat is next month.  I usually do Christmas cards.  That is all about the math...how many cards.  With the price of folded cardstock I can cut and fold my own. How many can I get out of a 11 X 17 piece of cardstock...four is the number Far Guy and I came up with.  Then there is the decision of metallic or matte cardstock.  Oh and the envelopes should they be metallic red or elegant white lined with red?  How many pound paper should I strive for 73? 81? or 105??  How will my design fit on the card...will it look good?  What will the card say inside...should I try embossing something...or is that too card fashion forward for me? 

Glitter on the cut out...no maybe sequins...or some of the rub on jewel tone stuff Far Guy uses sometimes.  

Am I rushing the season a bit?  Perhaps.  Have you any idea how many tiny bits of paper have to be punched out for my design?  That should keep me busy for just a few days. 

FYI we usually send out about 125 cards....all crafted one at a time...by elves....HA!

Far Side

Quiet Weekend

 More scrubbing of floors and some crocheting. 

The weather may have been 70 F or 21 C.   Cool for July in Minnesota...but I like it:) 

I finally got some watercolored/stamped cards done and off my desk.  I finished watching the 10 seasons of Bringing Up Bates...I have been watching it since last winter...back to Outlander I guess...maybe I should start Grey's Anatomy from the beginning.  Regular TV has nothing worth watching.  A movie I watched recently was Captain Phillips and I thought it was very good.

Far Guy is not feeling great so quiet is a good thing.  Our next two weeks are very busy with appointments, so it is rest while you can!

Far Side