Saturday, May 21, 2011

Needs a Name




I have found a new passion or a new craft to be passionate about, Hand Dyeing fabric! I suppose it is natural since we have now dyed about 800 tie dyes that I start dying fabric but it started when I bought white fabric to make Tie Dyed Napkins. I have been working on the napkins but I needed a way to use up the extra dye we made, I hate throwing it out and it only stays potent for a few days. So one night I grabbed some white fabric and dyed it up! Voila!

So then I had this oh so fabulous fabric and I NEEDED to use it right away but what do I want to make?

The vibrant colors kept making me think of things, like this one made me think of the Night Sky...



This one brought Lush, damp Moss to mind...
Oh this one made my mouth water... and this one made my mouth pucker. Then I knew what I needed to make... a Wordy Quilt. A quilt for me with the words in the bright hand dyes and the background entirely white and the words will be what color they are... but not like blue or green but like plum or seafoam. I couldn't figure out what that would be called so I Googled it and found "descriptive color words; words that are secondarily used to describe color but primarily used to refer to an object or phenomenon. There... that's what I mean ;0)




yummy Tangerine.

Midnight and Moss



As I went along I realized there are a lot of "food color words" so maybe I will need to make two quilts one "food colors" and one for the rest?


Do you have any descriptive colors to suggest? Or how about a name for the quilt? hmmm...

Things I have been working on...

Hello all!
Chimney Season has started again for us so I am busy during most week days but I have been able to get quite a bit done in the project department anyway. I have finished two more Hallowistmas Houses for Tonya.

In usual "Me" fashion I started yet another new project even though I have a box full of Unfinished projects. Actually it all started because I decided to go through my scrap tub. You see it was overfull, flowing out onto the floor. The best thing to do was sew a few of them together for something...maybe a pillow. I do love to make pillows. A crazy quilt type pillow with random embroidery scattered about.Yeah!

I am loving it already.

I quickly put together a couple new pillows...me with the pillows again...I know but these two are going to be out on the "back patio pew" once it stops snowing. Yes...we are still getting snow.

I hand dyed the mottled solid fabrics myself!


here are the backs...oh so bright.

and this hideously ugly frame, which I got for free because it was partially burned in a house fire, is going to be transformed into something incredible...

The plants behind the frame are our tomatoes patiently waiting to go back outside when the sun comes out. My tiny house becomes a nursery in the spring. I have a few more things to show you but I need to take some photos first.


Have a great day...I am quite sure we will have many more! ;0)


Friday, May 13, 2011

Workin' Girl

The last two weeks Rugby has been a workin' dawg. Up until then her time was often spent like this... "Hey Rugs! We are goin' to sweep some chimney's today, wake up!"

So now I take her for a brief walk every hour and she spends the rest of the time in the car. We are constantly coming back to the work truck to get tools etc. so she gets frequent visits and has fun watching the birds, squirrels, and today I am pretty sure I saw a weasel...maybe... I saw a small flat headed critter that looked like a weasel. I gotta look it up and see if they exist here. ;0)


The best part of the day according to Lady Rugglesby is lunch, by far the greatest thing that happens. In the shot above Kevin has just pulled out a roast beef sandwich. Look at her eyes...

Look at her body! He he... this totally cracks me up.
She is "sitting pretty", something she does EVERY time she wants food so... she does it a lot.

"Oh my...that looks good. You're gonna give me some right?"


Look at her TAIL!!! She loves her lunchtime so much. He he :0)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Bloomin' Snow!

On Mother's Day I awoke to a few inches of fresh snow, so I ran out and cut the Daffodils that had bloomed before the weight of the snow crushed them.


Then I was blessed with even more blossoms from my hubby, he is so thoughtful sometimes. ;0)


They smell WONDERFUL...
and they make me miss my Grandma Ruby.

My Mother's Day was topped off with a nice chat with my Mom, the original movie "Mildred Pierce" with Joan Crawford and a dinner that included THIS amazing flower. Yum




I hope you all had a great day on Mother's Day.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

The Morgue Unit

I am back to work as a chimney sweep for the summer and today I had to go into a condo I call the Morgue Unit. I dread going into this place like none other. There have been worse places I have had the misfortune to work in but this one actually scares me. I get a bad case of the willies, the first time I cleaned this chimney I was shocked. Now I guess I am just stunned. I can't believe anyone would decorate their vacation rental home this way. I wonder if it is a place they rarely visit or do they spend long spells of time sitting under dead animal heads. When I enter the front door I am greeted by this fine fellow. Whoa...just got a chill up my back ...


This one is in the living room...

and so is this one...


I see these three beauties going up the stairs to the loft. The one at the bottom has amazing curly horns. Just Gorgeous.





This one is very unusual...The horns are straight and very long and he has a beard.Stunning but I can't look for too long. Eww
Did you ever go to Disneyland and see "The Bear Country Jamboree? That strange Winnie the Pooh ride is in its spot now. Well if you did than you will know what I mean when I say this Incredible massive creature below (water buffalo?) could start talking at anytime and when he does I will jump out of my skin.

This little baby makes me so sad... and scared. It looks like it could, no...it looks like it should stand up and dart across the room. I am afraid it will!
It's whole little body is there!


Oh boy... this one is right above my head while I vacuum and shovel the ash out of the firebox.
Poor baby is peeking through the stairs at me...eek...I gotta hurry and get outta here.Shiver.


Whew...I am glad I won't have to go into that condo again for two years. Shake it off, Shake it off
The stuffed head of this fellow didn't give me the willies...


He was just two doors down and made me feel much better.

Smile...Shiver ;0)

Sunday, May 1, 2011

April Photo Hunt

I have been participating in a photo scavenger hunt challenge but never posted about it because I kept failing. Every month a new list is posted of twelve things to photograph within that month. Postcards from the P.P. started it and I read about it through Thimbleanna and took the bait. I can do it right? not as easily as I thought. It takes discipline man. I started in February and I didn't succeed in getting all the shots in time until the month of April although to be honest I didn't take that last shot till May 1st.
Here are my April photos

A Church- I grew up just down the street from this church. A Cross- I bought this Rosary when we visited the Santa Barbara Mission while on our honeymoon. The cross behind is craved into the church pew I have in my backyard. . A Sculpture- A ceramics project my son made.




A set of keys- He he ;0)


April Showers- Taken from the inside of a car while in a car wash.



Breakfast- My Hubby's breakfast.


Eggs- Malted Eggs, yummy


Something Yellow-A fuzzy chick perched in freshly bloomed Crocus flowers.


My Camera. Humble but fabulous!


Something to do with Shakespeare- A Super sized book I inherited which sits in mixed company.


Something to do with St.George's Day- I had to look up St.George for this one, never heard of him. This shot represents the flag.



Funky Shop sign- Super funky. Here is the list for May!



a butterfly


a bicycle


a red door


a cartoon character


an emergency vehicle


think vintage!


something blue


a street light


texture


a sign of the zodiac


an interesting local building


a portrait in black and white





I wonder where I can find a red door?


Hallowistmas Duplex

I just realized I never posted about latest block for Tonya's Hallowistmas Quilt so here it is... It is a Duplex!


The festive little ladies that live here have decorated their yard with a Halloween sign and some bunting.


The night sky is crawling with iridescent spiders which you can experience up close by stepping out onto the balcony!

I am having so much fun with this, I have another one in the works but I need to find out when the deadline is 'cause I think it might have been today. ;0)