My New Baby Boy

Well he's not as new as all that. Zeus is 18 weeks old and growing alot everyday. He joins his big sister,Skye, short for Blue Skye who is almost 7 years old and the constant companion of my DH. I was lonely around the house without Duke, who we lost last spring at the age of 15. He was my Christmas gift, and I adore him.


He has a friend in my son's new puppy, Derby. He is a beautiful black lab with excellent hunting lines and lots of energy.

Fiberart for a Cause-Collage Mania

This is my entry for the Collage Mania, hosted by Virginia Spiegel through Fiberart For A Cause. See the others here:
Bidding begins in May.

It is entitled "Growth" and honors my father in law, Jim Baldwin who passed away 4 years ago this April from skin cancer. He was always planting "seeds" among his children and grandchildren that are only now sprouting. Thanks Grandad!

6 Months later

Well.....many things have changed in the last six months.

My MIL has been diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gehrig's Disease. We have a new puppy, long haired german shephard boy named Zeus. He will be HUGE and I just adore him. My niece is to be married in June and wedding plans for my son are in full swing.

Busy with many new ideas for the wet studio that will be finished this spring out in our storage building near my husbands office. I will be working at the studio in the morning and for him in the afternoons, when they need me. Can't wait to get it finished.

This new chance to get my hands dirty will facilitate my development of my new classes. I've been asked to teach a sewing class...whatever that means. don't know whether I want to or not yet. Need to spend more time in my our studio first.

This years goals are in writing for the fist time so maybe I will be better at reaching some of the. I'm so easily distracted right now. I purchased two books on organization for the creative brain. This should help.

Working on taxes is next.

Whew! Just under the deadline!

I finished the quilt for the Breaking Traditions: With One Voice Challenge. I am honoring The Young Americans.

This group, of which my daughter is a member, brings the youth of the world together through their Music Outreach Tours. Through out the US, as well as in Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and Australia, groups of YA's work with young people in an intensive three day workshop and at the end produce a one hour show highlighted by music, dance and theatre staring the local talent.

Music is the universal language and these workshops bring out the talent and self-esteem lurking in the midst of teenage angst.
They're work with disadvantaged and troubled youth are particularly inspiring. Directors Milton C Anderson and Bill and Robyn Brawley produce a great group of "teachers" in a fun, energetic and dynamic environment sure to change the world, with one voice!

Antique Shop Open!

Yeah! My last two weeks have been possessed by the hugh job of setting up an antique booth in an antique mall
one and one-half hours away. Yesterday we installed it all and I must say it looks splendid! Much more work to do but in 2 weeks when I go back, I'll make those changes and it will be fine.

I leave for California on Tuesday to help my daughter move to her new house. My son, yet to find a job after graduation from college last spring, has agreed to go with me. I am taking all the things my daughter has been unable to take on flights when
she has been home these last years. We should have quite a time driving across the country through this heat! 105 today with 80% humidity! Enought to kill you! Warnings all over the media and airways. Hope no one dies from this blast of the eternal furnace. Now I know how a lobster must feel being boiled alive!

Missed the journal quilt project again this year. Had every intention of finishing my project for the contest, as always life got in the way. The antique shop was just to good to pass up. Ron and I have wanted to do this together for 20 years. I look forward to great success! Quilting will have to wait.

I am planning to offer to teach a class this fall or winter at the local quilt shop. I think that "Making Your Own Mark" will be the course. Creative cloth type course. Haven't got the details worked out or the projects completed yet. Maybe postcards will be the outcome of the cloth. We'll see....

Postcards

Well I'm home from Michigan and got 12 cards ready for the mail yesterday. The Art2Mail Challenge I've entered is almost finished. 6 more left and I already have the base fabric done for those. I have two quilt challenges that need to be finished by August 1 and August 30th so I will be crazy in the studio until then. Also an antique shop has dropped into our lap. This is something we have always wanted to do so, I will have it up and running by the end of the month. With a trip to Cali planned for the first week of August to see the DD, I will be swamped. Nothing like burning the candle at both ends. So much for retirement!

May Flowers & Fun

Can't believe it's May!  But the flowers are lovely.  Took all kinds of pics yesterday before the thunder storms so I could prove that they existed.  Here are a few.

I have begun painting some old dryer sheets mounted to freezer paper for stablizing. Works super.  Using twinkling H20's paints from my scrapbooking stuff.  will spray them with a acrylic coating so they are washable.  Intend them for some more postcards for the exchange.  Many layers will be added to the next ones.  

Sold a bunch of cozies late last month and had to get them out before going to work for my husband's company for a couple weeks.  Good way to make some bucks for summer splurges! HA HA  Will have the Cinderella dress done next week for a customer in Arizona.  Should be cute...she's a singer and does Cinderella birthday parties for little ones...great part time job for her!  

Son's college graduation is this Sat and party is all ready to go...hopefully!  Daughter's home from Cali for the affair and her boyfriend's band is playing 4 concerts here in Nebraska for various activites and selling their new CD...band's name is 

Rally for One...check them out here