Where oh where have I been?

No where.......................I have been staying close to home. I think I was mentally exhausted. I have been reading and sitting in front of the TV zoning out. I have been stopping by all your blogs. But I just could not bring myself to leave any comments. It seemed everything out of my mouth was negative. I needed time to dwell in my pity party. Last Saturday, I decided it was time to put my big girl panties on and do something. I needed to get out of the house.I needed inspiration and to do some retail damage. That is just what I did. I went to the vendor sale at Art Unraveled. And boy did I do some damage. To my wallet that is. I have never been before. Next year, I will be first in line. So much fun. Reading blogs you get to know these great artist. You learn about their lives, family,pets,likes, dislikes. You share their ups and downs and you start to form friendships. But it isn't until you hear the sound of their voice and see their beautiful faces that you can say you know them.

The first vendor I went to was Beth Quinn. I had been eying this in her Etsy shop and when I saw it, well lets just say she had me at pink vintage earrings.
This next purchase is by the fabulous Tracie Huskamp. Love her birds she hands paint. This one has lace for the wing and it spoke to me. "Buy me!" And I did.

This doll I loved when I first saw her. Of course her hand necklace is what caught my eye. She is from Figuratively Speaking.
Lot of goodies from various booths. These should kick start me back to creating
This wonderful print is by Raina Gentry. Another one of those pieces that spoke to me . It said "I will look good in you living room. Who cares what your Visa card says." I have a few more goodies to share with you at another time.

Another Crazy Week

I have been in Calif for the past week. The estate sale was last weekend and did not go as well as we had all hoped. I still have items that are pending sale. There was so much left over, but not enough for me to stay and hold another sale. The carpet got installed. All the items that did not sell got donated and the the house got listed, with an offer already on the table. Sounds good, right? Only one major problem. My sweet little mom fell and broke her foot and her ankle. I was not with her at the time. I was on day 2 of packing up everything in the house, so the carpet installer could come in. When I got the phone call. I had not showered in 2 days, was wearing the same dirty clothes. I don't think I had even brushed my teeth. Off I went to the ER. And wouldn't you know it, the cutest damn DR in the world was attending to my mother. He looked like a soap opera doc. I'm sure he took one look at me and wondered what rock I had crawled out from under. My hands were so dirty I didn't even want to shake his hand. But there lay my poor little mama. She was in so much pain and so upset. Thank God for good meds. They still have not put a hard cast on. The swelling has not gone down. She won't keep her leg elevated, because she doesn't think that is lady like to have her leg up in the air. I just have to laugh. If I don't I will be curled up in the corner crying.

I will leave you with 2 more quilts. Both of these were made by my great grandmother. The first is a double wedding ring quilt. Click on the picture to see all the detail. I love the colors of the old fabric. It is so soft from being washed so many time. I used it on my bed when I was a teenager.
The next is a twin size. Each block is a state flower. Only 48 states. Alaska and Hawaii were not states at the time she made it. The quilts have held up very well over the years.

The Sin

I have committed what some of you might consider a sin. Now not a sin of great proportions,but none the less................................one that takes me awhile to work up to doing. And is done with some regret. What is this horrible thing I have done???????????????????????????













That's right ladies and gentlemen I have cut up magazines and tossed the remains. The remains were tossed in the recycle so I'm saving face in that regards. With bringing my mothers treasures home I have run out of room in my little abode. So rather than throwing out my husband and children, (although the thought did cross my mind) I committed the selfless act of throwing out something dear to me. Yes, I'm ashamed to admit I am magazine junkie. An addiction I'm working really hard to control. I will sometime stand in the longest line at the store, just so I can flip through the pages of said culprit. I have also been know to go to Barnes and Noble and sit for hours in one of their comfy chairs and read stacks of magazines. Just so I can get my fix of the latest copy of what I used to buy. How do I feel now that I have torn and tossed these beauties. LIBERATED!!!!!!!!!! Now don't get me wrong I have not gone completely out of my mind. It will have to be a cold day in hell before I toss my Home Companion or Somerset's. So I challenge you all to join me in the cleansing process.
Best wishes.

A Big Thank You and Quilts

Thank you all for your kind words and well wishes. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. The blog world is amazing. Total strangers can come together and support each other. Through that support friendships are born. I feel very blessed to have each of you in my life. And would love more than anything to meet each of you in person.

Below are just a few of my mom's quilts. I have well over 50. They range in size from bed size,lap quilts, wall hangings, pillows, clothing. Even doll quilts. I cherish each and everyone. All total I have no idea how many she has made. She has giving them as gifts to family and friends. I have taken a few to her room. She always asks me who made the ones in her room. When I tell her she did, she laughs and says well I did good work.
The below are miniature quilts. I probably love these more than the full size. I don't have the patience's to work on anything this small. The pink one on the bottom left corner only measures 5X6 inches. Each little square is only 1/4 inch. You can click the picture to enlarge and see the details.

Wall hanging. This one is my husbands favorite. Probably because it appeals to his engineer side.
I think this one is one of her first. It is a twin size and is all hand quilted.
I love the yellow and red. The pattern is called Turkey Tracks
The above 2 she had done for my kids one year for Christmas
The cross stitch blocks had been in my baby blanket. She had taken it apart and was going to remake it for my son. He is now 18 and she never finished it. Oh don't we all have a stack of unfinished projects.

I'm Back

Sometimes we have to do things in life that really suck. The past 2 weeks was one of those for me. My time was spent going through all my mother's possession's. Making the decision what should be kept and what will go in the estate sale. I have been putting this off since January, when I placed her in assisted living. Her home, my childhood home has been sitting there waiting for me. I felt guilty going through all her belongs, glimpsing at letter and cards she had kept. Sorting through photos. Some of people I had no idea who they were. Making piles of items to give to family and friends. For as long as I can remember my mother kept a journal. I had no idea that after my dad died, 17 years ago, she was writing letters to him every night. I only read parts of a couple of them, but enough to figure out what she was doing. I wept. I felt like I was invading her personal space. I may regret this later but I threw them out. She was a very private person and would have never wanted me or anyone else to see them.
I have brought home quilts that she she had made, old books, glass ware,old linens,antiques. I wish I could have brought more. But at one point I just had to detach from everything,or I would have been renting a semi to haul it all back. Not to mention a warehouse to store it all. My little house is bursting at the seams as it is.
Not only did I sort through everything. I also had the task of getting her house ready to go on the market. Crummy time to sell a house, but I don't want to be a landlord 500 miles away. My husband and kids were with me. They were a huge help. Stripping layers of wallpaper, painting, yard work and general cleaning. The estate sale is the weekend of July 26. I will not be there. I do not want to see the people that will be pawing through her beloved treasures. It was very hard for me to leave the house knowing that it would be the last time I slept there. 46 years she has been in that house. The sad part is, her mind has slipped so far back that she thinks it is her childhood house. She didn't know who my kids were. My heart ached, but they were so sweet with her and started telling her stories and brought out pictures of when they were little. Then she finally remembered.
Sometimes life just sucks.

I'm Out of Here

I'm leaving for California tomorrow. I will be gone 3 weeks. I have family matters that I need to attend to. At least it will be cooler.

Bees Wax Collage

So what would you do if it were 115 degrees outside? I'm sure the first thought that comes to mind is move to a cooler climate. Believe me if I could I would. 20 years in the desert and summers are getting harder to handle. I have told my husband that when I grow up I want to be a Snowbird. For those not familiar with the term Snowbird, it is someone who comes to live in the desert during the winter to get away from the snow. Once the snow melts, where every they are from they get the heck out of Dodge and leave us desert rats to sweat it out all summer and usually fall.
Okay I got off track. Well, what else would you do but melt wax, in a crock pot.
This is what I spent Sunday doing. I love Sundays. Hubby always golfs. Yes even when it is 115 out. That doesn't stop them. I have to admit that when they don't golf I'm a little disappointed. It messes up my whole routine.

Found this plaque at Michale's for .50 cents. A little paint , paper,wax and embellishments and presto

Heart in Hand. The heart and wings are a transparency with alcohol ink. Grunge board has also been waxed. It is hard to see the hand in the photo. I may have gotten to carried away with embellishments. Do you think? Click on picture to enlarge.I find I have to photograph them at an angle or I get a glare.
As much as I like the shabby chic look I just don't seem to pull it off very well. I'm just not a girly girl. But I loved the image of the girl and wanted to do something with her. The flowers and butterfly are cut out dipped in wax and then glued on. It gives a 3D look.

This is for a dear friend. The party umbrella I found in a parking lot. Before starting this great adventure of using found objects. I would have passed it by.
Again grunge board has been waxed. Large paper clip has had alcohol ink applied . A chopstick had been glued in place
Enjoy your week.