Paintings that Fly

LAUREL HAT UPDATE

2012-02-16T20:36:00.003-05:00

The Laurel Hat is finished! It still needs to be blocked but I am happy with the way it turned out.

THIRD HAT OF THE YEAR

2012-02-03T11:16:00.001-05:00

This hat is Jared Flood's LAUREL hat. I took a class about a year ago, never finished it! So, I decided to pick it up and try again. Here it is so far. I have learned alot about bobbles and cables and rounds and markers. Here is the pattern if you would like to try it. It is really a lovely pattern and I can't wait to finish it!

DRAGONFLIES HAT FINISHED!

2012-01-28T16:26:00.002-05:00

I LOVE this pattern! You have to really pay attention while you are knitting but it turns out perfectly! The yarn I used is Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino which shows off the stitch definition. It is a lightweight hat which will be nice for the cool Springtime. The pattern is Dragonflies Hat and can be found here.

JUST OFF THE NEEDLES

2012-01-24T23:49:00.001-05:00

Just finished making another Marian Cowl. It's a fun knit on size 17 circular needles. I love the Seafoam color of this one. It reminds me of going to the beach. I used only one skein of Bernat Roving (from JoAnn's) in color "Low Tide". And, it is just as soft as it looks!

FELT HEART WREATH TUTORIAL

2012-01-21T12:59:00.001-05:00

I cut a heart shape out of foamcore board. Total height = 8". Remember HOT GLUE IS YOUR FRIEND! I have made pillows with these little felt petals but I stitched them together. This time I decided to cut the prep time and use hot glue.

I squirted a blog of hot glue and then pressed my fingers into the center of the petal and slid it close to the previous petal.

I cut approx. 3" circles of felt.

I folded them in half and then in half again, securing them with a blob of hot glue instead of stitching. This seemed to work out just fine.

Here I am pressing the petal into place and waiting for the glue to dry a few seconds.

You can make it as full as you want. I had room to add about 2 petals side by side on this wreath. Keep hot gluing petals all around the wreath.

And voila! You have a mini Felt Heart Wreath to enjoy......even on a rainy day!

Gettin' Ready for........

2012-01-19T18:11:00.001-05:00

my CRAFTERNOON that I'm hosting this Saturday. I've invited several people over to do some Valentine crafting. Thought I'd put a quick little preview up. The first is a quick little Valentine's Day garland that can be hung from a window (please don't pay any attention to the ugly poles in the background) or it would be cute hung from your mantle. I used several different papers, printed music and then stamped letters onto the last layer and joined it with ribbon.

We are also going to make these Sweetgum Ball Glitter Stars. I made them in silver for Christmas but thought a bunch in red would be pretty for Valentine's Day. (note to self: Save these for next Christmas!)

And last but not least, a Felt Petal Heart Wreath. I haven't quite finished this one yet, but I guess that's the whole idea of a Crafternoon.....to learn, swap ideas and play around. I needed a base for my Heart Wreath. Joann's was sold out of the foam wreaths (which cost $4.99 and I didn't really want to spend any $$$). So I found a piece of foamcore board which I had bought at a damage sale for 47cents . I cut it into an 8" heart shape and hot glued the felt petals onto the base. I'll hang it with a sheer ribbon - maybe in my kitchen window!

WOODSTOCK LEGO CLUB

2012-01-16T22:04:00.003-05:00

Our first LEGO CLUB at the

Woodstock Public Library

was a HUGE success!

The theme was

ROCKETS, SPACESHIPS AND ALIENS

Our next meeting is Sunday, February 19 and the theme will be HOUSES, BUILDINGS AND FORTS.

PET BUDDIES NOTECARDS

2012-01-14T19:28:00.002-05:00

I am mentoring a high school student this semester for her Capstone Project. She wants to major in Art and has asked me to help her with some art projects to benefit PET BUDDIES which is a non-profit helping low-income families feed their pets. They have helped Ashley and her family feed their four pets and Ashley wants to "Pay it Back" now.

Today we are working on designing stamps and printing notecards to benefit PET BUDDIES.

First, draw the design. Next, burnish the drawing onto the stamping material.

The graphite transfers easily to the rubber stamping material.

Cutting out the design. Remember to cut away from you!

Here is the finished rubber stamp.

Making a few test runs to see if there needs to be any tweaking of the cutout.

And here are the finished notecards with Ashley's design which she printed herself!

She's looks pretty proud! She did a great job and I hope she sells a lot to benefit PET BUDDIES located in Woodstock, GA. She will probably sell them for $1.00, so let me know if you would like to buy some and help her make a contribution to PET BUDDIES.

PLAY-DOH, DRAGONFLIES AND HEARTS! OH MY!

2012-01-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

I'll have to admit that since my kids have grown up I haven't been in a toy store for a long time. Since I am starting a LEGO CLUB at my library I decided to browse Toys 'R Us to check out their current stock of LEGOS. The last ones I purchased are probably 15 years old now. But as I was wandering around the store I came upon this wonderful NEW Play-Doh! M E T A L L I C Play-Doh! Why didn't they have this when my kids were little? I really want to go back and buy some just so I can play with it myself! What a great idea!

And, I love the Star Wars LEGOS! Darth Vader, Chewbacca and Hans Solo! We really need these for our LEGO CLUB!

On to the Dragonflies. I've started a new Dragonflies hat using Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino. It is 55% Merino wool and 12% Cashmere. The last Dragonflies hat I made used a thicker yarn (worsted) that had a fuzzy quality. This is a DK weight and is so wonderful to knit. I am making the size Large so it will still be slouchy but I think the pattern is showing up better in this one. Also, after making the first one, the tricky lace pattern is going much smoother now! I'm actually getting the hang of it and ENJOYING it!

A cute little Valentine's present I found on ETSY is this package of VALENTINE SOAPS from the LoveLeeSoaps.etsy.com shop. I love the conversation hearts made into little 1" soaps. You can check out their shop here.

DRAGONFLIES HAT

2012-01-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

I finished the Dragonflies Hat to wear with my Bella's Mittens. I found the pattern on Ravelry. It was the first time that I had knit "lace". It was challenging for me but I learned a lot about different stitches and how to read and interpret the pattern. I started out making the Large size, but I made a mistake and torn it out. I decided to make the Small. This yarn is really stretchy, so if I had made the Large it would have been gigantic! I still need to block it, so maybe the pattern will pop even more then. But, all in all, I am real happy with the way it turned out and should keep my head toasty.......if it ever gets cold around here!

I figured out that you NEED to put markers between each set of stitches on each round. If you make a mistake you can figure out which set has the problem instead of tearing out the whole row.

I also covered above and below the line of instruction that I was on because several times I starting stitching the instruction above. Live and Learn.

By the time I got to the top of the hat I had the pattern and tension figured out. Now I can't wait to make another one.

STARTING A LIBRARY LEGO CLUB

2012-01-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

I am starting a LEGO CLUB at our library, the Woodstock Public Library in Woodstock, Georgia January 15th. We will meet the third Sunday of each month. I have researched the idea and found that hundreds of libraries across the country have also started a LEGO CLUB. You might ask what do LEGOS have to do with reading and why are there toys in the library? We are trying to attract those children who have outgrown Story Time at the library. Playing with LEGOS offers something imaginative, creative, physical and mechanical. Promoting play in the library also contributes to early literacy development and increases attention span, creativity, logical mathematical thinking and problem solving. Below is a display we set up in the children's area. Within the first few minutes we had children gathering around the display.

My children loved LEGOS and since I used to work for LEGO, we had a rather large collection in our downstairs "LEGO CLOSET". I know how much my children loved LEGOS and spent hundreds of hours building their masterpieces. Most of these have gone into our library collection. I know many more children will benefit from playing with these LEGOS too!

This is a photo from the Waldinger Library at one of their LEGO CLUB meetings. I hope to post some photos of our first meeting on January 15th with many children playing with LEGOS in our library!

1st Knitting Project of 2012

2012-01-03T10:18:00.000-05:00

My first knitting project of the new year is a hat to match my Bella's Mittens. This hat is named Dragonflies Hat and I found the pattern on Ravelry. It was designed by Joji Locatelli. It is the first "lace" piece I have knit so it is fun and challenging at the same time. The pattern is coming together so I can actually see the dragonflies. It only has a total of 43 rows of lace but I am going slow and counting twice -- after my Bobble Beret debacle! I'll post another photo when I'm finished.

NEW YEAR'S BIRTHDAY

2012-01-02T10:24:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to my oldest son!

He was born on New Year's Day

31 years ago in New Jersey

temp was -10 for 10 days!

He has been such a joy and is so much fun to be around! He's my daredevil

so I knew he would like to try something new

on his birthday.

I like to try out new recipes every once in a while. Since I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and my husband's birthday on the 21st I was in the mood to try something new. When I found the recipe for Fig and Balsamic Glazed Quail in this month's (Dec 2011) Southern Living, I knew I wanted to try it. I called Kroger to see if they had quail. The guy in the meat department had to check and came back and said, "Ummmm, actually we do!" I said, "Save me 8".

The glaze is made out of fig preserves, red wine, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and pepper. It had a rich, wonderful sweet and sour taste. The quail was a lot smaller than I had imagined, but they actually had a fair amount of meat on them. I was afraid they would taste gamey, but they had a nice duck/chicken taste and the fig glaze was perfect!

I also had Hoppin' John's for good luck in the New Year, Greens for $$$$, buttermilk mashed potatoes (since my youngest just had his wisdom teeth out a couple of days ago), and glazed carrots.

The glaze for the carrots consisted of chicken broth and a jar of hot jalapeno pepper jelly.

I know my son doesn't like cake very much. So, I decided to try Bananas Foster. Years ago (1986) when we lived in Greenville, SC, our neighborhood had a New Year's Eve potluck dinner. One of our neighbors, The Gibbs who were from New Orleans made Bananas Foster. First you make a syrup out of sugar, water and egg white. As it boils, you skim off the froth, see below.

You slice the bananas and poach them in the syrup, add rum, and light it. Everyone says, "Oh Wow!" When the flames die down, you scoop up the bananas, sauce and pour over vanilla ice cream (or in my case vanilla fozen yogurt). Yummy!

Watching the flames !

Perfection!

Happy New Year to all and I pray you all have a very healthy and prosperous and Blessed year ahead!

NEWBORN MITTENS

2011-12-28T21:34:00.000-05:00

Pink and blue mittens for my niece's twins who were born at Thanksgiving. I made them to match the socks below. So much fun making these little mittens.

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

2011-12-23T00:47:00.001-05:00

One of my mother's friends

allows us to tour her

home every year to enjoy

her decorations........

Every square inch is decorated. There is at least one tree in every room and even the banister is transformed into a Wonderland.

The dining room tree is completely white this year. She does change them around every year.

Some of the decorations on her kitchen countertop.

My great niece came with us and could not believe her eyes when she walked into Mrs. Goodheart's house and saw all of the decorations!

I love the snow village in the den with all of the houses and accessories. I have one of the original Snow Village houses.

Her kitchen decorated...

Stairs.....

This tree has ornaments on it that belonged to Mrs. Goodheart's mother and grandmother!

Notice the tea service matches the picture on the front of the book!

The master bedroom tree.

My great niece couldn't believe all of the houses in the basement.

And here we are in the foyer.....

This is the Christopher Radko tree filled completely with CR ornaments from top to bottom! It was absolutely stunning!! Mrs. Goodheart (that's her real name) loves for people to come by and visit her home during the holidays. It just puts me in the Christmas spirit when I see her house and I'm so grateful that she allows us to visit and take photographs in her lovely home! Enjoy and have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS CRAFTERNOON

2011-12-20T21:53:00.001-05:00

Every year I mean to make Gingerbread Houses. This year I bought a kit from JoAnn's and invited my great niece to help us decorate our Gingerbread House.

The masterpiece............

Luckily I read the instructions the night before. I found out that you have to make the frosting and put the house pieces together 3 hours before you want to decorate it. I did not read all of the frosting instructions..........or I would have put the piping cone INTO the frosting bag instead of sitting on the counter!

I piped the frosting onto the edges of the pieces and held them together with heavy cans until the frosting was set.

Tai is five this year and had so much fun decorating the Gingerbread house. I squirted the frosting onto the roof and let her decorate one side at a time.

My daughter, Kelly, helping "glue" a peppermint onto a window.

And my son, Ben, made snowmen for decorations.

Tai adding peppermint around the front door.

I think this will become a family tradition. I'll buy many gingerbread kits next year! I think everyone wished they had their own to decorate.

Next, we decorated Christmas beaded necklaces. My husband had drilled little holes through these erasers that I found at Dollar Tree.

Add string, fun beads and presto........

fun stringing......

beautiful necklaces for Grandmother and her Great Granddaughter!

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LITTLE LIKE CHRISTMAS

2011-12-17T20:10:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share a few holiday decorating photos from around our house. I was asked to paint angels on several mirrored ornaments. They are to go to caregivers and say "I can see an angel". I used a glossy slick pen for the angel and glitter glue for the halo.

I made yarn baskets for Christmas presents for my friends at the library. A lot of us knit and have fun sharing patterns and our latest projects.

I wanted to try a "woodland scene" for my mantle this year. My son cut a pile of branches off our Leland Cyprus and another pile of branches off our Curly Willow. I put them in my "vintage" bicycle basket. I call it vintage because I actually used it when I was in college. I had the glitter deer, I added silver pinecones, birds and found these cool feathered balls at Walmart!

In the background you can see my glittered sweetgum ball stars made with toothpicks and tons of hot glue.

And this is the nest we found in our Christmas Tree this year. Luckily, the critters were long gone!

One of my vintage elves. On. A. Shelf.
I remember decorating with them when I was little. They came attached to Whitman's Chocolates.

A little deer diorama sitting on my window sill with a bottle brush tree (from Walmart) and the most beautiful Christmas card from my husband's aunt. Aunt Margaret is an artist and usually paints oils. I love her winter scenes (wish I could afford one). The last few years she has had them printed on Christmas cards. I need to frame this one fast!

CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY

2011-12-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

Sunday was our annual Children's Christmas Party at the Woodstock Library. This year we had the wonderful harpists again. Their harps are absolutely beautiful and all of the children were amazing. People sat around the fireplace, listened and were mesmerized.

Face Painting - moustaches are in!

Santa and Mrs. Claus took time out of their busy schedule to visit us. The children were very excited!

I was able to gather all of the part time staff together for a group photo.

The children came dressed in their finest and enjoyed making crafts.

Making a Rudolph ornament.........

A visit with Mrs. Claus

One of our little elves, Emily, helping the children make Rudolph ornaments.

Debby and Asha getting ready for the party.....

Lisa and Debby pose with Santa....

Fun with stickers......

The dulcimer was back. The music was so relaxing and beautiful.

Making a Snowman bookmark...

Face painting...

The parents were encouraged to bring their cameras.

And after a long day of sitting and listening, Santa enjoys listening to the harpists before his long trip back to the North Pole.

CHRISTMAS ERASER NECKLACE TUTORIAL

2011-12-11T21:46:00.001-05:00

I needed a cute and fun necklace to wear to our library's Children's Christmas Party. I didn't want to spend too much money because let's face it, where else do you wear an eraser necklace? But I wanted something festive and quick to make.

I found this 12 pack of Christmas erasers at our local Dollar Tree. Total $1.00!!!

I thought I would use an upholstery needle to string the erasers. 1) It's REALLY hard to push a needle through an eraser. 2) When you do get it through it compresses and doesn't leave a hole. So I asked my dear husband if he could drill a little hole. One Dremel + One Very Helpful Husband = Perfect little holes in my erasers.

Add plastic beads and pearls........

And string them as you please.........

KNITTING BASKET ORNAMENT

2011-12-09T11:05:00.001-05:00

CUTEST

ORNAMENTS

EVER...

I found this cute pattern on Ravelry here if you want to make your own miniature knitting basket. You could fill it with all sorts of things........candy, presents, gift card, etc. You can knit one up in about 30 minutes, wrap a few scraps of yarn into balls and make your knitting needles out of toothpicks. My LYS really needs a whole tree full of these! Merry Christmas and keep knitting!

YARN BASKET ORNAMENT

2011-12-02T12:55:00.001-05:00

Total size about 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" = TOO CUTE!

Knitting needles are toothpicks!

MORE BELLA'S MITTENS

2011-11-30T11:04:00.001-05:00

I just love making these mittens. Partly because of the cables but also because this yarn, Vintage Chunky by Berroco is so soft and warm. If you want to make these mittens here is the pattern. You only need two skeins of yarn and a couple of nights in front of the tv. Hope it snows soon!

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE

2011-11-23T19:26:00.001-05:00

and the Pilgrims are all in place..............

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE....

2011-11-22T22:06:00.001-05:00

Ingredients purchased for the Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake - check!

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE.....

2011-11-21T13:23:00.001-05:00

table is set..........check

BELLA'S MITTENS FOR KELLY

2011-11-17T10:26:00.001-05:00

I just finished another pair of Bella's Mittens for my daughter. I LOVE this pattern. You can whip up a pair in just a couple of days. I love making cables and this horseshoe cable is instant gratification. Every time I knit a cable, I thought, "Wow, I love how this cable looks, I'll just knit another one." And in no time, the mittens are finished. I had never knit mittens before this pattern and was intimidated about making the thumb, but the directions on this pattern are excellent! Come on cold weather!!!

CAPSTONE PROJECT

2011-11-12T12:57:00.001-05:00

Seniors in high school now have to participate in a Capstone Project in Cherokee County. The students choose a subject that they are interested in pursuing as a college major or they may choose something that they have always wanted to try. I am mentoring a high school senior from Sequoyah High School who wants to major in art in college. I am teaching her the basics of several mediums. Below we are working on watercolor.

Learning wet on wet method and how to add texture and shadows.......

and this was her first try at watercolors.......I think she did pretty well!

MY LATEST OBSESSION - MITTENS

2011-11-09T19:13:00.001-05:00

These mittens are called Bella's Mittens and the pattern can be found for free on Ravelry here. I've wanted to make them for a long time and now that it's getting colder and the leaves are changing I thought it was the perfect time. I have always loved cables. I took a knitting class about 30 years ago. We had to pick out our own pattern and yarn. Of course I didn't know what I was doing then. I probably picked out the hardest pattern and most expensive yarn. I never finished the sweater and didn't pick up knitting again until about a year ago. I learned a lot making these mittens. The instructions were very easy to follow and I think they are so cute. The designer, Marielle Henault of subliminalrabbit.com, copied the mittens that Bella wore in the movie TWILIGHT.

The mittens are nice and long and will easily go over a sweater or sleeve. I love the look of the big chunky horseshoe cables. I think you get a lot of bang for your buck.

The pattern calls for you to use the Magic Loop method with a circular needle. I decided to knit mine on size 8 double pointed needles. Mainly, because I don't know how to do the Magic Loop method! By using the DPNs, I think I knitted my gloves a little looser. Many people have said the pattern knits up too small, but mine turned out perfect!

Below you can see how I have started the thumb gusset by moving stitches onto a holding bar.

Here I have finished the top of the mitten and now going back to knit the thumb.

And, here is the finished mitten. Now bring on the snow!!!

CARMEN'S COWL

2011-11-07T12:56:00.001-05:00

After changing the buttons 3 times, I am finally satisfied with the cowl I made for my friend Carmen who owns Izumi Thai restaurant in Woodstock. She asked me to make her a black one after seeing me wear my camel cowl. She had asked for black and sparkly - like diamonds, but not diamonds. I found this perfect and SOFT yarn at The Whole Nine Yarns in downtown Woodstock. It has just a little silver sparkly glitter running through the yarn. Since Carmen is from Thailand, I thought the buttons reflect designs you might see on Thai embroidery. I think it will look perfect on her and I hope she loves it! See below for a close up of the buttons.

I found these wonderful buttons at Joann's. They were made in Italy, but are so lightweight that they don't pull on the yarn. The cowl is very lightweight and the previous buttons I had purchased kept pulling and distorting the shape. These are 1 1/8" in diameter and will stay buttoned and look perfect on petite Carmen.

NEW KNITTING

2011-11-05T13:46:00.001-04:00

My wonderfully talented sister in law was visiting last weekend from Tampa. She knits, she crochets, she sews, she smocks, she embroiders, she can do anything! All I had to do was just mention that my daughter wanted a certain hat that she had seen on ETSY. The ETSY owner wasn't offering to sell the pattern. So, my sister in law just came up with her own pattern - here is the chunky slouchy hat that my daughter wanted. My sister in law knitted it while they were driving up from Tampa. Beautiful, huh? Note to self - send my sister in law a photo of what I want for Christmas!

Here is what I have on my needles. It's another Shawl Colored Cowl. I wore mine to our favorite restaurant, Izumi, the other night and the owner asked me to knit one for her. She wanted black with little sparkles in it. I found the perfect yarn at The Whole Nine Yarns in downtown Woodstock, GA.

You can see it has just the right amount of sparkle. Not too gaudy. I found some little crystal buttons and will post a photo once it is blocked.

PRINCESS LIBRARY DISPLAY

2011-10-30T19:51:00.001-04:00

A new library display we added today at the Woodstock Public Library. When Linda asked some of our youngest patrons what they wanted in the display cabinet they said "Princesses"! Linda outdid herself making this castle out of old pizza and shoe boxes cut and painted to look like a very fashionable princess castle. There are even balconies with princesses in the windows. Look for the mirrored window, the drawbridge made out of tongue depressors complete with Snow White on the top balcony.

Princess Castle with lots of tiaras, princess wands, princesses and GLITTER! Oh, and of course Princess Books!

JUST IN TIME FOR WINTER

2011-10-28T21:23:00.001-04:00

Finished another "Shawl Collared Cowl". I really like this pattern because it knits up so quickly and it looks great in any type of yarn. I made this one for my mom. It's starting to get a little cool here in Atlanta and she will love wearing this to keep her neck warm in church, at the movies or just sitting at home.

I just finished this "Marian" cowl for my daughter. I used just 1 skein of Bernat Roving yarn in color "Putty". It was knit in the seed stitch on size 17 circular needles and was so much fun to knit. It's big and chunky and the perfect accessory with a tee shirt and jeans. This yarn is so squishy and lightweight that you hardly know you have it on. It's like wearing your favorite blanket around your neck!

SCARECROWS IN THE GARDEN 2011

2011-10-24T11:27:00.000-04:00

SPOILER ALERT*****if you're planning on going to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and haven't seen the scarecrows yet, don't look at my photos. But, if you aren't able to go this year, browse and have fun.....

What could be more fun than the combination of little Hobgoblins, a Chihuly glass sculpture and world renown gardens? We visited the Atlanta Botanical Gardens annual Scarecrows in the Garden this weekend and were enchanted with the scarecrows along with hundreds of little children all dressed in their finest Halloween costumes! I think this says it all........a princess, Snow White and Captain America enthralled with the fountain and Dale Chihuly sculpture in the Rose Garden.

And of course, the Venus FLY Trap was my favorite. Notice her eyes, hands and feet have already turned into a fly.

Day of the Dead scarecrow

And look closely and you will see all of the shells........yes, it's "Shell yrl" scare Crow!

And a Jack Sparrow Scarecrow

Love the Hippo Bride. Most of the scarecrows are in the South Gardens are you walk through the forest. Be sure to go up and down each trail because they are tucked in all around the garden. In most cases you can walk up to the scarecrow to look at it closely.

or take your photo next to one!

The flowers were beautiful too! This is near the waterfall gardens with the beautiful hand-forged iron gates.

Me and Coco Chanel Scarecrow.

This scarecrow was made entirely out of s*#%$&@ pulled out of Nancy Creek. Wonder how that worked out for the person who lost the bathing suit top?

And this one made me think of my niece who is expecting twins in December.........

Look who we ran into .......

This is the pond and bog garden in the Children's Garden area. Most of the scarecrows here were made by elementary schools.

This was a clever one ANDREW LLOYD WEBER made out of a weber grill.

The Rose Garden

There were lots of activities for the little ones including storytelling.......

This little mermaid reminded me of Bette Midler, The Divine Miss M! She was waiting in line for a seat on the train.

This little UPS boy was all decked out and even had a package to deliver. They are SO fast! It think the lollipops help.

a little giraffe wants a bath in the fountain.......

Looking towards to Fuqua Orchid center and the main lawn. To the right were train rides, to the left were pony rides. Oh to be four again!

This fountain has always been one of my favorites. I love how the water cascades over the sculptured faces.

And this little Ladybug was taking a break with her juicy cup. By far, there were more ladybug costumes than anything else. Good for a garden, I guess!

This Raggedy Ann and Andy were Ginormas! You can see their faces through the mesh hearts. Cute little damsel getting her picture made.

And we saw Snow White and Captain America on the pony rides.

pitcher plant in the bog garden

and the reflecting pool down the stairs near Piedmont Park

Who knew they had a train in the garden?

A cute little fairy taking a break from the festivities.

Another beautiful Scarecrow in the Garden. They said that there are over 100 scarecrows mingled throughout the garden, but only until October 30th! Quick, so see the scarecrows!

SHAWL COLLARED COWL - Again

2011-10-15T14:04:00.002-04:00

Well, I love this Shawl Collared Cowl pattern from Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting. This time I used Misti Baby Alpaca Hand Painted Chunky yarn. I LUV this yarn. It is so soft, warm and drapes so pretty. I'm using buttons again from thewoodlot.etsy.com. I still need to block the cowl so I haven't sewn the buttons on yet, but I couldn't resist posting a photo of the outcome so far. I think it will go with everything in my closet!

And yes, it is as soft as it looks!

GLENRIDGE HALL - PLEIN AIR PAINTING

2011-10-14T16:43:00.000-04:00

It was the perfect Fall day here in Atlanta and my outdoor painting group had an outing planned to Glenridge Hall in Sandy Springs. It is just off of Abernathy if you live in the Atlanta area. The home is located on 47 acres and is absolutely beautiful. You could paint every square inch of the place. It reminds me of the secret garden with secret sitting areas and passageways all over the grounds. Here is my set-up and beginning of my watercolor.

This view is of the front of the house but doesn't show the right wing! I am walking from the caretaker's cottage. I love to walk around the grounds when I first arrive to take photos. I am usually there in the spring -- so this was the first time I had been in the fall.

Below is the side porch where we eat our lunch. We usually paint for a few hours, grab our lunches and relax on this porch with it's original wicker chairs.

There were a lot of bees out today.

This is a shot of the backyard. To the left of this photo is a HUGE chess set. The flower gardens wind around to the left and the right. The most gorgeous turquoise wrought iron chairs are on the patio at the top of these stairs.

A shot of the chess set.

These steps are leading down from the rear of the house.

The turquoise chairs. They must have 30 of them!

Here is another wrought iron settee hidden behind some plantings.

I am standing at the rear of the house looking down to the lower gardens.

Looking back up towards the back of the house.

This fountain is located in the front side of the house close to the caretaker's cottage. There is also a lake, a koi pond and many more paths and gardens on the grounds.

Another shot of my little table where I spent the morning painting in the most beautiful spot. I hope you enjoyed my photos of Glenridge Hall.

SHAWL COLLARED COWL FINISHED

2011-10-12T14:10:00.000-04:00

I just finished the SHAWL COLLARED COWL by Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting. It was a fun and quick knit. I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky yarn in eggplant from JoAnn's and the buttons are from thewoodlot.etsy.com.

This one is for my daughter but I like it so much I think I'll start knitting another one. It is 80% acrylic and 20% wool so it will feel warm but easy to wash. It finished out at approximately 10" at the widest part by 26" long and will look cute by itself over a top or sweater or under a jacket.

HANDMADE WOOD BUTTONS

2011-10-08T18:27:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to find in the mail today my order from THE WOODLOT. I ordered handmade wooden buttons for the eggplant colored cowl that I am making. Aren't these buttons just to die for? I took the photograph on the stump in our backyard where our oak tree fell after the Labor Day tornado. The artists who make these buttons live in Canada and use fallen trees on their land to make these wonderful buttons. You can find them at thewoodlot.etsy.com or thewoodlot.org. They make jewelry, toys, etc. but the buttons are my favorites. I will be ordering some more! Check them out.

SHAWL COLLARED COWL

2011-10-06T10:32:00.000-04:00

On my needles is this yummy cowl. Pattern is the "Shawl Collared Cowl" by Alana Dakos of Never Not Knitting. I'm using Lion brand Wool-Ease Chunky yarn in Eggplant. With 50% coupons, I got 2 skeins from Joann's for $8. I ordered some chunky wooden buttons off of ETSY made from branches. Hopefully I will complete in a day or so and I'll post a finished photo then..........

HALLOWEEN MUMMY TUTORIAL

2011-10-02T19:28:00.000-04:00

Mummies at the Library! That's right. In honor of Halloween I wanted to bring some fun decorating into the library. I had to tie in books with the decorations so I decided on the theme "Wrap up with a good book". Our library usually doesn't decorate for Halloween but I thought I'd give it a go, hopefully we won't get any complaints.

This was my inspiration...........I think it is out of this month's Country Living magazine.
A co-worker brought it to me and said "Isn't this cool?" I thought, I can make that!

I used mostly things that I had on hand. We did have on hand wood poles and bases that had been used in a previous display. I found these cool styrofoam skulls at Wal-mart. I had some large sheets of (purple) foam and cut them in the shape of a body using a matte knife, but you could even use a large sheet of cardboard or thin plywood.

To add some dimension to the bodies I taped plastic Kroger bags and newspaper to form arms, legs and abdomen areas.

I had some butcher paper that I cut into 3 to 4 inch strips and wrapped around the body forms. You could use crepe paper or old sheets. I couldn't find my hot glue gun so I used plenty of clear packing tape.

I then covered the entire area with cheesecloth soaked in starch. I made sure to leave room to add a book later under the hands. I let it dry for the afternoon on the deck.

When it was dry I added some spider webbing, a few spiders and a book. Presto - a mummy!

The mummies' new home - Woodstock Public Library for the month of October. They've got a good book to read and look happy, don't they?

A NEW SKYLINE

2011-09-21T20:53:00.001-04:00

The sunset tonight.

September 4th we could only see a forest of trees.

September 5th after the tornado, we have a completely new skyline.

We can see the beautiful sunsets of Fall again.

The birds are finding new homes in the poplars that are left.

I even saw our pileated woodpecker again.

I love the colors of Fall and I love

our new skyline.

CUTE BABY SOCK PATTERN

2011-09-19T11:29:00.001-04:00

Just finished the pink pair of baby socks

for my niece who is having

TWINS!!

I love this squishy yarn. It's a washable wool and so comfy and soft. These will probably fit a one year old with little chubby feet. Can't wait for baby time! If you want to try this pattern I found it at this site. It's a basic sock pattern but only takes about 2 hours to knit up this size.

ARTISTS' WEEKEND AT LAKE CHATUGE

2011-09-17T13:11:00.000-04:00

My friend Susan invited me for an artists' weekend at her cabin in the north Georgia mountains last weekend. Both of our husbands were out of town and we decided to drive up and paint a little. When I walked out onto their back porch this is the view that greeted me..................

Every square inch of her house looks like it stepped out of Country Living Magazine. All I had to do was point and shoot!

The butterfly bush even has a beautiful view!

We pulled out a table and our watercolors and started painting Lake Chatuge. It was originally dammed up after WWII to make electricity to power the nearby aluminum plants which were needed to make more airplanes.

Susan has the most gorgeous view of the lake! They are situated at the perfect angle to miss the unattractive buildings and lights of the gas stations, etc. The only building you can see is a quaint little church with a white steeple breaking through the treetops.

This sign welcomed me on my arrival!

The next morning we woke to beautiful spiderwebs sprinkled with droplets of dew.

I was hoping to see a REAL bear.

But only saw this little wooden guy outside of the guest bathroom window.

The haze quickly burned off into the most beautiful blue skies.

Don't you just love her red painted porch and matching adirondack chairs?

Vintage sign at the top of the stairs. Notice the yellow heart pine floors!

A Caribou head her husband hunted on one of his trips to Canada.

One of the many stained glass windows hanging in the upstairs hallway window. She found about 20 of them for $25. each in an antique store near Young Harris.

We took a break from painting and visited a few shops in Hiawassee. This is the 5 & 10 cent store. Now where else can you find bolo paddles next to quilting supplies and teaberry gum?

I should have picked up a couple of these aluminum ice trays.......the good old fashioned kind!

....and corn cob pipes......

hat pins.......

and laying behind the counter was this high school yearbook from Hiawassee High School. Priceless! They were having a reunion and looking up friends!

Look at this beautiful cash register! I asked if I could take a photo and the owner said "Come on around back and pull the arm." So I did and out pops the cash drawer. Only in a little town! This is a vintage National Cash Register circa 1891! She said the National Cash Register company has been hounding them to buy it back, but they keep refusing! This store had everything you could possibly need!

Next we travelled up to Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia. This is the view from the top lookout point looking down on Lake Chatuge and the surrounding areas.

On the way back down the mountain we stopped at a fresh vegetable stand. This table of honey was just glowing in the sunshine!

We bought fresh vegetables for dinner and I had to buy some of these peaches to take home with me.
They taste as good as they look!!!

While in Hiawassee we stopped at the cutest Cupcake Shop with the most delicious cupcakes EVER!

Another view of Lake Chatuge from Susan's deck.

This is the Harvest Moon near Chatuge Dam.

Pink skies at night.........

The sunrise early the next morning.......notice the cloud cover just under the outline of the mountains.

This is a straight out of the camera photo of their back porch.

A pillow Susan made ......

Her collection of cameras......

Vintage jars........

Colorful caps......

and the perfect ending to a beautiful weekend.....

LAKE CHATUGE notecard # 2

2011-09-15T18:12:00.002-04:00

Lake Chatuge notecard

2011-09-15T13:42:00.001-04:00

Last weekend my friend invited

me to her lake "cabin"

on Lake Chatuge

to paint.

(More photos

to follow)

It is such a beautiful place

quiet,

peaceful,

beautiful!

I did a quick watercolor

today to thank her for

sharing her

little piece

of Heaven

with

me!

LABOR DAY TORNADO

2011-09-08T10:27:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning to the sun rising in a

pink sky,

the birds were singing

the first time in three days,

and very thankful that our family

is safe and sound.

This Labor Day 2011 turned into a REAL Labor Day of laboring with a chain saw!

An F1 tornado blew through our neighborhood in Woodstock, followed Noonday Creek and skipped up to Canton and damaged over 600 homes which will cost in the millions.

My husband and I were in the CAR in a TORNADO! We were on our way back home from JoAnn's and when we turned onto our street the tornado swooped down across our street and our car. I have never been so terrified, we were in a complete white out, trash cans flying through the air, trees bending down to the street, snapping and blinding rain. We pulled into our driveway and my husband said "Watch out for our tree" I said "It's already on the ground".

Fifteen minutes later, we were walking around observing that things were hanging upside down

and at odd angles instead of their usual upright positions. There were large open spaces of sky, where there used to be green leaves.

It looks like we are growing a telephone pole farm instead of a lush grove of trees.

Looking up, our tallest trees are missing something...............they had been sheared off in a matter of minutes.

Our beautiful chestnut tree twisted and bent with such a force. Just Sunday I watched the squirrels running up and down grabbing nuts to hide.

Such a force of nature........a tornado........to pull a tree apart.

After the tornado all of our neighbors gathered into the street, checking on each other, walking around in shock looking at the damage. I heard some kids say "It's like the snowstorm". During the winter the whole street gathered to slide down our frozen snow covered hill. Monday we all gathered outside again.

We are very grateful that our lives and house were spared. The line of trees taken out by the tornado were within 20 feet of our deck. We have a completely new view now. But as I was walking around taking photos this morning I heard the birds had returned and were singing. The sun was shining in different areas in our back yard but it is a beautiful day. There is a lot of clean up, cutting down, throwing out, moving around but I'm glad to be able to do it!

ITTY BITTY BABY BOOTIES

2011-09-03T15:45:00.002-04:00

On my needles.................

I started a pair of itty bitty socks for my niece, she's having twins.

A girl AND a boy.

The pattern is a basic sock pattern I found called North Country Cotton Baby Socks.

I haven't knitted in a while and since the days are getting a little shorter

it's getting a little cooler outside

and college football starts today

I just felt like picking up some yarn and making these cuties.

They look large int he photos, but they are really just a little

larger than my key. They were so much fun to make

and I hope BABY "B" and his mom will love them!

Now on to a pink pair!

BANNED BOOKS AT THE LIBRARY

2011-09-01T12:30:00.001-04:00

I've been working on a new display for Banned Books Week at the library. BBW takes place the last week of September but our display will be the entire month. I wanted to highlight some of the banned books that most people take for granted. Just think, if some people had their way..........you would not be able to read these books. Can you imagine............not being able to read "Gone With the Wind", "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Harry Potter"? I got all of my information from the ALA (American Library Association) website. I made color copies of book covers on my copier from books I own.

Our First Amendment gives us the freedom to choose what we want to read. That's the point.........our CHOICE. We may not want our children to read some books, we get to choose, thanks to our First Amendment!

I made very simple flames that represent the burning of books out of toilet paper rolls and construction paper. I will place them between the banned books on display.

This is a close up of the library card generator I downloaded from the internet from blyberg.net. I added the titles of books, authors and the reason the books were banned or challenged.

I also made a chain link out of aluminum foil that I plan to use in the Young Adult area around "banned" books. Another quick, cheap and easy idea.........

COMFORT FOODS

2011-08-29T18:52:00.001-04:00

CHICKEN POT PIES AND SOUR CREAM CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE

HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BREAD

2011-08-20T22:28:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time since I've made homemade bread. I remember making a batch of sourdough starter about 25 years ago. I made sourdough pancakes and bread for a while. A few years ago I bought another package of sourdough starter but when I mixed the packet, I left it in the garage too long and it turned into a stinky brown liquid. I have had one package left in my pantry for a long time and decided to try it again, this time with better luck.........

This is the Goldrush Sourdough Starter Packet.

You start out by mixing warm water with the magic sourdough particles, flour and water.

I put a reminder on my frig so I wouldn't forget to add to my starter.

This is what the started looks like after 24 hours.

And this is after 48 hours. It is really pungent by this time.

Follow the directions and make your dough.

Let it rise

divide and conquer.

Here are the finished the loaves. It took a long time to make but I'll have to say it was worth it in the end. You just can't beat hot and fresh sourdough bread.

PAPER MACHE TUTORIAL

2011-08-02T22:58:00.001-04:00

This is a paper mache piggy bank I made for a library display featuring novels about money. Most of the materials I had at home. I found the gold plastic coins and oversized paper money at Party City.

I started out with round balloons. Tape them together using masking tape. I only had painter's tape around. I used toilet paper rolls for the legs and taped them in place.

I tear up newspapers in about 3-4" pieces and dip them into wallpaper paste. Be sure to scrape most of the paster off of the paper before you apply to the form so it doesn't take too long to dry. Sometimes I will dry with a hair dryer. Keep applying pieces of paper mache all over the form.

Let the form dry between layers. You will probably need to add 3 to 4 layers to make it sturdy.

I added a tail using a wire and wrapping newspaper around it.

The nose is made using part of a toilet paper roll. I taped it on first, then added paper mache around it.

When the newspaper is completely dry, I paint the entire form with gesso. This will seal the newspaper and serve as a base for your paint.

Now, start painting your precious little creature!

My finished display "MONEY MONEY MONEY" featuring all sorts of books about money.

Jekyll Island Morning Glories

2011-07-30T19:26:00.002-04:00

One rainy afternoon while in Jekyll I decided to start a little watercolor painting from a photo I had taken on the beach. It was of a pink flower that looked like a morning glory, but I'm not sure of the correct name. It was such a bright pink and just stood out from everything else on the beach. I just sketched it from my computer and enjoyed painting while it rained outside.

JEKYLL ISLAND TEXTURES

2011-07-30T17:07:00.002-04:00

SUMMER ZUCCHINI

2011-07-19T12:31:00.004-04:00

My son brought me a huge zucchini from his garden the other day. It reminded me how much I miss really fresh vegetables. We had a large garden about 30 years ago in Greenville SC and had fresh vegetables all summer.

I cut it open to make some zucchini bread. It sparkled like little diamonds.

The recipe called for 3 cups of shredded zucchini. I had just enough.

And here is the freshly baked Zucchini Bread. I got the recipe from a 1982 cookbook that my mother in law gave me. Here is the recipe if you want to make some for yourself.

makes 2 loaves......so you can share this yumminess!

3 large eggs
2 cups brown sugar (dark)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 cup salad oil
3 cups zucchini, peeled and grated
1 1/2 cup nuts (I used walnuts)
2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine eggs and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add salad oil. Stir in dry ingredients which have been sifted together. Add zucchini and nuts. Stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned. Bake at 350 degrees.....

Here is my son about 28 years ago holding another huge zucchini in our garden.

THE AMY BUTLER WEEKENDER TRAVEL BAG

2011-07-12T23:08:00.000-04:00

OK, I've had this Amy Butler Weekender Travel Bag pattern in my sewing room for a long time. It seems to move around from my desk to cutting table to shelves to fabric shelf to hiding under my watercolor supplies, to my knitting stash and then to my bag of toilet paper rolls that I'm sure I'll use someday. I keep thinking I REALLY SHOULD MAKE THIS BAG. But it's just too intimidating. I started reading blogs with pointers on the WEEKENDER. I broke down, ordered some Amy Butler fabulous fabric and started cutting it out today. Already, I love it. I'm pretty sure I'll soon be saying I hate this, but for now I'm still in la-la land and can't wait to start on it tomorrow. Stay tuned................

AUBURN'S POISONED OAK TREES

2011-07-10T22:42:00.000-04:00

I travelled to Auburn this weekend to help my daughter move into her new apartment. We took a break and drove downtown. I wanted to take a photo of Toomer's Corner and the oak trees that are rolled with toilet paper after every winning football game. They were poisoned several months ago by a crazy U. of Alabama fan. So far, they are still standing. The oak tree on Magnolia was looking a little yellow to me and the one on College has lost a lot of leaves but they both had new leaves. The specialists say now that they just may survive.

These signs were posted in front of the trees.

I was surprised to see so many people there doing the same thing I was.......taking pictures of the oak trees. I thought it may be the last time that I'd see them. You can see from this angle that they have lost several branches.

The roots are massive. It would be such a shame if they died.

ANOTHER LISETTE BLOUSE

2011-07-04T21:23:00.000-04:00

I made another Lisette blouse today for my daughter. This pattern is Lisette's Market Blouse Simplicity #2211. I think it turned out so cute. The darts make it a little more fitted. The short sleeves have a little gathering so they are very flattering. The faux placket makes for no buttonholes or zippers. I was looking for an Anna Maria Horner fabric or Amy Butler fabric for this blouse. Everything I found was too busy. I decided on this piece of Michael Miller fabric that I bought at Red Hen Fabrics in Marietta. It has a little retro feel and I liked the scale. I thought Kelly would like it to wear with jeans or a skirt. Plus it's a great summer weight for a fun easy peasy summery blouse.

BIRTHDAY DINNER

2011-06-28T23:15:00.000-04:00

We went to Vingenzo's restaurant in Woodstock tonight for my birthday dinner. It was spectacular, as usual!

We started off by splitting a Caprese salad. Isn't it beautiful? See that mozzarella? It's made right there in the restaurant!

Tonight the special was homemade fettucini. Yes, they make their pastas right there too! I chose the Alla Sorrento.

And here it is. I can't even describe how delicious it was! The perfect blend of cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil and cheeses.

Here is Michael, the owner and chef who designs the menus each night. I ordered Pistachio gelato for dessert. They were completely out but Michael went into the deep freeze to get some for me. I am so glad he did. He makes all of his own gelato and he even roasts the pistachios. It was to die for! If you are near Woodstock stop in for a wonderful meal at Vingenzo's behind the downtown gazebo. You will be glad you did!

FINISHED LISETTE PORTFOLIO TOP

2011-06-23T19:33:00.000-04:00

I just finished my Lisette Portfolio top I made from Simplicity pattern #2245. It was just the easy breezy summer top that I was looking for! It was really easy to make, the instructions were very clear and I love the little details, even though it's hard to see on the patterned fabric.

LISETTE PORTFOLIO TOP

2011-06-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

I've been in the mood to do a little sewing lately. I want to make a few cut summer tops so I scoured the internet to see what people liked and what was EASY. I came across a MADE BY WENDY top that I really wanted but it is no longer available. Then, I found this Simplicity Lisette pattern. I stopped by Joann's and picked up the pattern and this batik fabric.

I cut it out this afternoon.

And started sewing. I still need to add the sleeve cuffs and neck trim. Stay tuned and I'll post the finished top tomorrow. So far I really like the way it is coming together. Although the fabric I chose doesn't show off the details, it is constructed nicely with a little gather in the front and just one button in the back.

MOSAIC

2011-06-18T19:50:00.000-04:00

CLEANING OUT THE FRIG

2011-06-17T15:35:00.001-04:00

Today is the perfect gray, cloudy day to do a little cleaning in the kitchen. Like........clean out the frig! Not one of my favorite things to do but I sure do love it when it's finished. So I go about emptying everything on the shelves, throwing away leftovers and empty containers. Then I come across this....

I know it's been a long time since I cleaned out my frig, but really, I'm not that bad. Am I? Surely someone brought this package of cream cheese over for Easter or Thanksgiving and just left it in my refrigerator. It was hard enough to patch the stucco on the front of my house or maybe the cracked driveway. Guess I should throw it in with the spackle box in the garage. Well, the garage will be next. For now I have a clean refrigerator.........and I found a bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio that I didn't know I had. Guess it's 5:00 somewhere!

I GEEK BARBIE

2011-06-16T13:12:00.000-04:00

BARBIE & KEN REUNITE

2011-06-10T18:07:00.001-04:00

COMMUNITY GARDEN

2011-06-09T19:20:00.001-04:00

I drive by Woodstock's Community Garden everyday and I keep meaning to stop by and take a few photos. Each February city residents can sign up for a 20' x 20' plot for $25 per year. I heard that there is a waiting list and all of this year's plots are taken. I'm lusting over the fresh tomato and bean plants, the squash and corn. I saw trailing cucumbers, tomato cages and beans tied to lattice. It looked just like a spread out of Southern Living. A little oasis in the middle of the city of Woodstock among the highrise condos, restaurants around the corner and railroad tracks. Go see it......it's just down the street from Dobbs Road and Hwy 5.

2011 Summer Reading Kick-Off

2011-06-02T00:01:00.002-04:00

2011 Summer Reading Kick-Of, a set on Flickr.

Photos from our summer reading kick-off party for One World Many Stories at the Woodstock Public Library today. The puppet show was great and everyone had a wonderful time! We had close to 200 people a the show, and afterwards in the children's department!

ANOTHER NECKLACE

2011-06-01T10:55:00.000-04:00

I can't get enough of these necklaces! I took beads, string and "pirate compasses" to my library so all 11 of us could make a "Novel Destinations" necklace to promote our summer reading program. We just hired a new employee who will start the end of the week. I had one pirate compass left so I went ahead and made her a necklace from the "left-over" beads. I love how it turned out and the color combination. It may just be my favorite!

NEW YORK CITY TRAVEL JOURNAL

2011-05-31T22:04:00.000-04:00

I just finished making a New York City travel journal out of 140# watercolor paper and watercolor illustrations along with some hand carved stamps for my mother. I used one 22" x 30" sheet of Fabriano hot pressed watercolor paper, cut it and sewed it to make the journal. I lined some of the pages to make it easier to write and journal. She and five friends are leaving for NYC in the morning for a five day trip to see four plays and tour the city. I know she really wants to see the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero. My husband and I were in NYC two years ago and I took many photos. I used my photos to paint the illustrations in the journal.

One of the plays they will be seeing is JERSEY BOYS.

One day the tour guide will take them on a tour of Broadway. When my husband and I were there, I think we saw David Letterman's studio around this street corner.

I've been playing around with carving my own stamps. Below is a NYC taxi.

And some of NYC's famous bagels. One of my photos was the inspiration for this hand carved stamp.

I have a collection of snow globes and I bought this one on our trip.

Radio City Music Hall is one of the landmarks I'm sure they will see.

And, this is one of the bagel stands you see on many corners selling their bagels and hot dogs.

Below are some of my photos from my trip in 2009. I love looking up and finding something unexpected.

We were at Ground Zero when the Ladder 10 truck pulled up. Those guys are true heroes!!

A carriage ride in Central Park?

And, I happened to catch this little girl on her way out of the American Girl doll store. This looks like a commercial I think with her big bow, doll and shopping bag and turning the revolving door! So NYC!

I captured these Chinese women in a park in ChinaTown playing mah-jongg on a hot Sunday afternoon.

I love walking the streets and finding REAL people doing REAL things in the city. These kids were enjoying a cool dip in the Washington Park fountain.

Had to get a photo of the famous bagels on the street. I liked all the color of the soda cans in the background.

And all of the excitement, lights and color around Times Square at night is a must see!

MEMORIAL DAY AT WOODSTOCK CITY PARK 2011

2011-05-30T14:47:00.000-04:00

Hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Day and remembering all of our vets and soldiers for serving and many for giving the ultimate sacrifice so we can be free. It's a beautiful day here in Georgia and our little town came out in full force to honor our heroes.

One of our veterans of WWII giving ME a salute. It was a hot day and these guys came out in their uniforms and were so proud.

Tessa Basford, my next door neighbor and one of our City Council. To her right is one of our State Senators, Chip Rogers.

Laying the wreath to honor those fallen.

The honor guard from Etowah High School.

Woodstock lost a soldier this year to the war in Iraq, Gary Lee Nelson III, who was only 20 years old.
His name was unveiled on the memorial today.

Talking to some of our veterans.

Gary Nelson's family was at the Memorial Day Celebration. They were honored along with their son. It was very sad and very moving.

Tessa and her daughter Katie who also spoke at the Celebration service.

A wall mural of Woodstock, GA on the back side of Canyon Burgers.

I LOVE LEGOS

2011-05-27T21:02:00.001-04:00

I love legos! My boys love legos, I used to work for LEGO, Inc.. We even have a room devoted to legos, in the basement closet adjacent to my sewing room. My youngest son used to play legos while I sewed. I recently saw a cafe that had a kid's room where the walls were lined with legos. How cool is that? It's Cafe Boocah in Brooklyn, NY designed by I-Beam Designs in NYC. I also saw a post where a library has "Lego Afternoon" where kids and parents can build little creations out of legos at the library. What fun! That is one of my goals.........to design and sell the idea to our library for a "Lego Afternoon". Below are two photos of my LEGO closet.

Below is Cafe Boocah in Brooklyn, NY. They've lined the walls with lego foundations and the kids can create to their heart's content.

And this is a photo from the El Dorado County library used with permission by glitzypursegirl of their Lego afternoons. There's a video here . Now, don't you want to pull out your old legos?

MUNCHKIN GROCERY CART

2011-05-25T15:04:00.000-04:00

Bad idea - To go to Kroger on a Wednesday when it's Senior Citizen Day. I always get bumped into by other carts or almost run over in the parking lot by people forgetting to look in their rear view mirrors.

Good idea - These cute little munchkin carts Kroger just received yesterday. Perfect size for a quick run into the store, no holes in front for all your veggies to fall out of and they turn on a dime.......good thing, because I had to weave between all the senior citizens........Yea, I know, I'm one of them, or soon to be. And......I know it's lame to take a photo of a grocery cart in the Kroger........ :)

BAGELS ANYONE?

2011-05-24T11:59:00.000-04:00

When my husband and I visited NYC a couple of years ago I took tons of photos. I even took photos of the street vendors selling their famous bagels. This hand carved stamp was inspired by one of my photos.

.........just in the mood to make an Artist Trading Card.................

MORE TRAVEL STAMPS

2011-05-23T12:39:00.000-04:00

........a couple of more stamps I carved. My mom is leaving for New York City for a Broadway play trip in a week or so. I'm making her a travel diary and decided to carve the taxi stamp. Here is a preview...

WOODSTOCK FARMER'S MARKET 2011

2011-05-21T11:15:00.000-04:00

Yea, the Woodstock Farmer's Market is back! This morning my son, Ben, and I drove down early to check out all of the booths. I bought some yummy jelly from Bettie's Blueberry Jams & Jellies. I bought Raspberry Beet jelly, Blackberry jam and Muscadine Grape jelly.

And, oh my, is the Raspberry Beet jelly delicious!!! Note to self "Buy more jelly from Miss Bettie!"

HAND CARVED STAMPS - Novel Destinations

2011-05-19T16:48:00.000-04:00

I hand carved some "travel" stamps today to use at our library's adult summer reading program titled NOVEL DESTINATIONS. As each patron reads a book, we stamp their passport. I thought it would be fun to have some interesting travel stamps. I sketch out my drawing on grid paper, cut it out and press onto the carving block. I burnish with a bone folder which makes an exact copy of my drawing onto the carving block. I then carve with my speedball carving tool and print. I like to use permanent ink like StazOn.

NOVEL DESTINATIONS DISPLAYS

2011-05-15T21:33:00.000-04:00

Here's the iPhone display for the Young Adult Summer Reading Program. Hopefully we will get some curious teens looking at the display.

Our NOVEL DESTINATIONS display at the Woodstock Public Library. This is the second year that adults have participated in the Summer Reading Program. The adults will receive a Passport to record their books and continue their journey. Below we have a globe with an airplane and train attached, a car, ship on top of travel photos and maps on the table. The faux vintage suitcase with travel stickers is where each adult will attach a short review of a book. Hopefully we will have a lot of interest and adult participation.

Sally making her "Novel Destinations" necklace to promote our Summer Reading Program.

WE HAVE AN APP FOR THAT

2011-05-15T12:10:00.001-04:00

Here is a display I made for our Young Adult Summer Reading Program. It displays all of the categories that they need to fulfill for the summer reading program but displayed on a fun iPhone. I used a black foam board, printed out app buttons and found images relating to the topics from google images. Hope this will get the young adults' attention!

NOVEL DESTINATIONS - LIBRARY DISPLAY

2011-05-14T20:43:00.000-04:00

The theme of our summer reading program at the library is Novel Destinations. We will be putting up the display tomorrow and I made a faux leather suitcase out of an old piece of brown poster board. I distressed it, cut the top so it looks like it has an handle, added faux leather reinforced patches to the corners with brads and topstitching with marker. I downloaded vintage travel stickers and glued them with matte medium. All in all, I think it turned out pretty cute.

NOVEL DESTINATIONS NECKLACE

2011-05-11T21:04:00.000-04:00

A friend wrote about the Pirate Party she had for her two children and the very clever pirate necklaces they made out of little plastic compasses. That got me thinking. Our library is having a Summer Reading Program themed "Novel Destinations" for the Adults, "You Are Here" for the Teens and "One World Many Stories" for the Children. I thought we could use the same little compasses (50 cents each from Wal-Mart), add funky beads to make our own necklaces to wear to our kick-off party. So, here is mine..........

Children's Book Character Costumes

2011-05-09T22:59:00.000-04:00

More Children's Book Characters costumes for National Children's Book Week. Below Debby as Where's Waldo, Kathi as Rapunzel, Lisa as Pippi Longstocking, Linda as Amelia Bedelia, Emily as Emily Elizabeth & Clifford, and Debby again as Eeyore.

NATIONAL CHILDREN'S BOOK WEEK

2011-05-06T15:06:00.001-04:00

May 2-8 is National Children's Book Week. At our library, we decided to dress up like some of our favorite book characters. I chose Rapunzel, although the children called me "Tangled". I made my own long braided Rapunzel wig. I combined ideas from Made by K and Family Fun to make my own wig. Here's a quickie tutorial if you're interested. I bought 3 skeins of yarn at Walmart. I wanted my "hair" to be about 90" long so I found a table about that length. I wrapped the yarn around the table about 18 times and then I tied off the top. I then cut the opposite end.

I made about 12 bundles of the 90" (I ended up cutting some off, so you could start shorter for an adult size) lengths of yarn.

I read on a blog where someone used old pantyhose, cut the legs off and tie the hole closed. I didn't have any pantyhose, so I used one of my husband's old pitted out T-shirts. I cut a sleeve off and stitched a running stitch around the "cut" edge and pulled it tight. ( I'm still not sure which is worse, having pantyhose crotch or pitted out men's T-shirt on your head.)

I drew a line down the center of the "cap" where a part would be from front to back bottom. I started sewing at the back bottom. But, if I had it to do again, I'd start at the top so there would be more "hair" in the front. I used an upholstery needle with a large eye and some of the yarn to sew the bundles to the cap on the line I had drawn. After you sew the first one, place the next one about 1/2" above and sew in the same manner. Continue until all bundles are sewn onto the cap.

I added bangs to mine. There is a lot of yarn so you just have to comb it with your fingers, pull it to the side and braid it.

Add a tiara, and Voila..........Rapunzel......

And here's our Story Book Crew at the Woodstock Public Library, Woodstock, GA. Pippi Longstocking, Where's Waldo, Emily Elizabeth & Clifford, Amelia Bedelia and Rapunzel (Tangled).

ART JOURNAL CLASS - PART 2

2011-05-03T17:37:00.000-04:00

I met with my Outdoor Painters Group today and taught them how to make watercolor Art Journals. They all loved the idea and jumped right in. We had a nice time visiting since we haven't seen each other in a long time. Inez and her daughter Diana let us make a mess on her back porch. If you'd like to make a 16 page journal out of a 22" x 30" sheet of watercolor paper check out Teesha Moore's site. That is where I got the idea and she has some awesome journal pages too!

ART JOURNAL CLASS

2011-05-03T08:27:00.000-04:00

Below is the beginning of my new Italy Art Journal. We travelled to Italy a few years ago, I saved tickets, maps, receipts, photos, scraps of everything that I will incorporate into my journal. I'll also add watercolor sketches of many of my favorite photos from the trip. Below is one from our first day in Lake Como.

I'm off to teach a class on how to make an Artist's Journal..............

ART RETREAT JOURNAL COVER

2011-04-25T13:36:00.000-04:00

This is the cover of a new journal I'm making for a class I am teaching soon. Twice a year my Outdoor Painting Group goes to Monteagle, TN for a painting retreat. I'm teaching them how to make artist's journals out of a 22" x 30" sheet of watercolor paper. These are great to take along when you travel because they are 8" x 10", but you can cram a lot into them because counting fronts and backs, you have 16 pages to play with.

I HEART WOODSTOCK TOTE

2011-04-22T15:41:00.000-04:00

Today I made this super cute tote out of muslin and lime green seam binding. Lightweight but sturdy enough to hold a bunch of books, magazines, newspapers and art supplies. This is what I had in mind when I designed the "I Heart Woodstock" illustration.

I used my illustration, flipped it and ironed it on using a fabric transfer from Office Depot. I have lined all of the seams using a kiwi green seam binding to make the seams extra sturdy and very neat and professional looking.

Here is the finished bag.

You can see the pocket, just the right size for your library card!

The perfect little lightweight summer tote for going to the library, summer concerts or the grocery store!
I'll be selling them at my etsy shop paintingsthatfly.etsy.com.

AWESOME STAMP

2011-04-20T16:36:00.000-04:00

I want to show you this awesome stamp I received in the mail today. I ordered it from NoteTrunk's etsy shop so I could stamp my name and etsy address on the back of my cards. I just LOVE them! Check out their cute stamps. They have a lot of stamps for the bride to be, etc. It's exactly what I wanted, they were so easy to work with and my stamp came incredibly fast!!!

and it comes in this cute little muslin bag......................

WOODSTOCK MOURNS

2011-04-14T11:40:00.000-04:00

A young 20 year old soldier from Woodstock was killed in Mosul, Iraq April 5th. His body came back home today and the people of Woodstock lined the streets with flags and prayers for him and his family. The soldier's name is Army Spc. Gary Lee Nelson III. He attended Woodstock High School, just like my kids.

Below, a little cub scout gives out American flags to people lining the streets.

Just a few minutes before the hearse carrying Army Spc. Nelson's body is to arrive, a car stalls on the street. With no hesitation, five guys jump off the curb to push her car across the street to clear the path.

I could see his family's faces as they passed and I could tell they were so thankful we were there waving our flags and showing our gratitude and appreciation to them. I can't even imagine what they are going through at this time.

There were countless police cars and veterans on motorcycles. I could see the streets were lined with people on Towne Lake Parkway and Main Street all the way to the funeral home.

LIGHTS CAMERA READ

2011-04-11T20:10:00.000-04:00

LIGHTS, CAMERA, READ is a new display I made for our library this week. It is based on books made into movies. I found a director's chair at home that my son received as a high school senior. I recovered a Georgia Tech megaphone with craft paper and wrote "ACTION". I had a metal calendar that I had painted with blackboard paint so I wrote the words LIGHTS CAMERA READ. My daughter had an original large popcorn container from when she went to see the movie "Titanic". I made a clapper out of a Lowe's paint stick which I painted black and white stripes. I also used a heavy piece of cardboard from the back of a watercolor pad and painted it with the blackboard paint. I painted "director, camera, production," etc. I also found an old hat my boys used in Boy Scouts that I hung on the back of the director's chair. All in all, I think it turned out pretty cute for 0 $$$. We found a lot of books to display and a lot have been checked out so far.

NEW NOTECARDS IN MY ETSY SHOP

2011-04-09T22:46:00.000-04:00

I added a few more cards to my ETSY SHOP this afternoon. I printed these on heavy cardstock, include a white envelope and enclosed each one in it's own cellophane envelope. I'm experimenting with color combinations. I can always print them in any color and sell in any quantity.

I HEART WOODSTOCK

2011-04-02T18:52:00.001-04:00

Just received my new notecards I had made from my watercolor painting of downtown Woodstock. They turned out really nice and are printed on heavy cardstock with a slight sheen. I include a white envelope and they will be packaged in cellophane. I will be selling them for $2.50 on etsy. Let me know if you want some, and you can have them with no shipping charge. I'm still working on putting this design on a book tote.

WOODSTOCK GEORGIA LANDMARKS

2011-03-30T15:10:00.000-04:00

I added a few more landmarks to my Woodstock painting. I'm trying to decide if I want to add a title to it or not. I originally had wanted to put "I heart my library" across the top. I think I will leave it blank for a while and decide later.

I HEART WOODSTOCK

2011-03-29T12:55:00.000-04:00

An update on my little watercolor buildings of Woodstock. I still plan to add the train and depot and Betty Boop that is outside of Hotdog Heaven. I'll probably add some people walking their dogs or riding bikes too.

A NEW PROJECT

2011-03-28T19:21:00.000-04:00

I'm starting a new project painting landmarks of our little town, Woodstock. I want to turn it into transfers for tote bags or cards. This is just the preliminary drawing. I post new photos as I add more figures and buildings.

MORE JOURNAL PAGES

2011-03-26T18:39:00.001-04:00

I love these Caran d'Ache Neocolor II wax crayons. Their color is vibrant and you can use them either as a wax crayon or add a wet brush and it washes just like a watercolor.

We just finished our 24 week Bible Study (The Great Adventure-The Bible Timeline) this past week. I wanted to add some of the scripture verses to my journal pages.

TOILET PAPER ROLL PEOPLE

2011-03-20T20:20:00.001-04:00

You want a fun inexpensive art project for the kiddos? Well, grab some toilet paper rolls and acrylic paint and whip up some TOILET PAPER ROLL PEOPLE.

Before my daughter left to go back to Nashville, we pulled out the paint one more time. We first painted the rolls with white gesso. Then cut the tops for a crown or add a brim for a hat.

I think it would be a great project for MOTHER'S DAY.

I saw this idea on Alisa Burke's blog. Also, check out here and here.

CREATING AT THE COTTON MILL DELI

2011-03-18T12:38:00.002-04:00

Kelly and I went to the new COTTON MILL DELI this morning to continue working in our Artist Journals. It's a great little coffee shop if you haven't been there. It is located in the old Neon Zone and has a nice selection of breakfast and lunch items, plus free WiFi. We had a breakfast bagel and a coffee cake cinnamon muffin. We shared the place with a group of knitters, a business meeting, a landscape crew and a few other people just hanging out. See our pages below:

ART DAY

2011-03-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

Today my daughter and I made Artist Journals out of a 22" x 30" sheet of watercolor paper. First we cut the paper into 10" strips, folded, stitched with linen thread and then painted each page with watercolors. Later we started with images we cut from magazines to make collage borders. Next we will continue with the collage adding pen work and lettering. Then it will be ready for us to journal in. The finished size is 8" x 10" and includes 16 pages. The perfect journal to take along while you travel or go to the coffee shop. They are so much fun to make.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

2011-03-17T22:52:00.000-04:00

When the kids were little I made GREEN pancakes every St. Patrick's Day. My daughter is home from Nashville this week so I made them again.

COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES

2011-03-12T19:03:00.003-05:00

CLEAN SHAVEN!

2011-03-10T22:24:00.003-05:00

My son, Ben, shaved his head to raise money for St. Baldrick's Foundation and Cancer Research. He said there were about 200 people at Ri Ra's Irish Pub in downtown Atlanta getting their heads shaved. He was representing his fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau and together this location raised over $100,000 tonight. I'm so proud of him!

NEW STAMPS

2011-03-06T13:59:00.003-05:00

I carved a couple of new stamps today. I wanted a curly fern-like stamp. Then I looked up and saw all of my paintbrushes in a coffee can and decided to carve a paintbrush stamp also.

I made a new Artist Journal out of a 22" x 30" sheet of watercolor paper. I've used watercolors to paint each page, then I will add collage leaving room to journal.

Paintings that Fly

LAUREL HAT UPDATE

THIRD HAT OF THE YEAR

DRAGONFLIES HAT FINISHED!

JUST OFF THE NEEDLES

FELT HEART WREATH TUTORIAL

Gettin' Ready for........

WOODSTOCK LEGO CLUB

PET BUDDIES NOTECARDS

PLAY-DOH, DRAGONFLIES AND HEARTS! OH MY!

DRAGONFLIES HAT

STARTING A LIBRARY LEGO CLUB

1st Knitting Project of 2012

NEW YEAR'S BIRTHDAY

NEWBORN MITTENS

CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE

CHRISTMAS CRAFTERNOON

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LITTLE LIKE CHRISTMAS

CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY

CHRISTMAS ERASER NECKLACE TUTORIAL

KNITTING BASKET ORNAMENT

YARN BASKET ORNAMENT

MORE BELLA'S MITTENS

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE....

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE.....

BELLA'S MITTENS FOR KELLY

CAPSTONE PROJECT

MY LATEST OBSESSION - MITTENS

CARMEN'S COWL

NEW KNITTING

PRINCESS LIBRARY DISPLAY

JUST IN TIME FOR WINTER

SCARECROWS IN THE GARDEN 2011

SHAWL COLLARED COWL - Again

GLENRIDGE HALL - PLEIN AIR PAINTING

SHAWL COLLARED COWL FINISHED

HANDMADE WOOD BUTTONS

SHAWL COLLARED COWL

HALLOWEEN MUMMY TUTORIAL

A NEW SKYLINE

CUTE BABY SOCK PATTERN

ARTISTS' WEEKEND AT LAKE CHATUGE

LAKE CHATUGE notecard # 2

Lake Chatuge notecard

LABOR DAY TORNADO

ITTY BITTY BABY BOOTIES

BANNED BOOKS AT THE LIBRARY

COMFORT FOODS

HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH BREAD

PAPER MACHE TUTORIAL

Jekyll Island Morning Glories

JEKYLL ISLAND TEXTURES

SUMMER ZUCCHINI

THE AMY BUTLER WEEKENDER TRAVEL BAG

AUBURN'S POISONED OAK TREES

ANOTHER LISETTE BLOUSE

BIRTHDAY DINNER

FINISHED LISETTE PORTFOLIO TOP

LISETTE PORTFOLIO TOP

MOSAIC

CLEANING OUT THE FRIG

I *GEEK* BARBIE

BARBIE & KEN REUNITE

COMMUNITY GARDEN

2011 Summer Reading Kick-Off

ANOTHER NECKLACE

NEW YORK CITY TRAVEL JOURNAL

MEMORIAL DAY AT WOODSTOCK CITY PARK 2011

I LOVE LEGOS

MUNCHKIN GROCERY CART

BAGELS ANYONE?

MORE TRAVEL STAMPS

WOODSTOCK FARMER'S MARKET 2011

HAND CARVED STAMPS - Novel Destinations

NOVEL DESTINATIONS DISPLAYS

WE HAVE AN APP FOR THAT

NOVEL DESTINATIONS - LIBRARY DISPLAY

NOVEL DESTINATIONS NECKLACE

Children's Book Character Costumes

I GEEK BARBIE