Month: September 2014

Knitting

Mixed Media Monday

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MOJO

I haven’t posted any mixed media stuff in a while, mostly because I was in sort of a creative slump, totally underwhelmed by all of my efforts to kickstart a new project.  I suppose you could call it “just going through the motions”.  But, I kept on creating and you know what?  It seems I got my mojo back!  I actually did the “fake it til you make it” thing and got my “creative feet” back under me.  If you’re a friend of Jimmy or a friend of Bill, you’re probably familiar with this process and have used it a few times yourself.

WEEK 40 THE DOCUMENTED LIFE

This week’s prompt was to use three colors you don’t normally use. I chose orange, yellow and brown and when I started laying down the first layer, I thought it was the ugliest thing ever.  But I kept on working with it, adding some three dimensional doodads and some stickers that continued the color scheme.  Then, suddenly, my project didn’t seem so ugly to me anymore.  In fact, I kinda liked it, I kinda liked it a lot!

Acrylic paint, spray inks, stencils, stickers, a bit of washi tape, hand drawn flowers that I colored with gel pens and cut out, homemade stickers and a doodled circle fold out

Sorry you have to stand on your head to see them. 😕

 *MOMM

Here’s a look at a project I’m doing on my own.  It’s not quite finished.  I think it needs doodads.

*My own mixed media

To see things in the seed, that is genius.  Lao Tzu

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Knitting

It Takes 2

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SCENES FROM A PARTY

The Sprout is two!!!

Princess Dress Cake

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Mmmmmmm Pink Icing Mmmmmmmmmm

Cousin Love

Best thing about close cousins?  Being best friends!

 Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared.  Buddha

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Knitting

Seeing Red

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RED

I’ve started three new projects this week and it’s easy to see their common thread – red.

 

Hermione’s Half Blood Prince Socks

Stash yarn – no ball band

Mercerized cotton

Sockhead Hat

Malabrigo Rios

Ravelry Red

Simplex Shawl 

Frosting Worsted

Delicious Yarns

Cherry

and

Sweets Worsted

Delicious Yarns

Red Velvet

This is a Yarnbox project.

What can I say?  I love red!

Roses red and violets blue and all the sweetest flowers, that in the forest grew.  Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Birthday Sprout, Booklove

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ON THE NEEDLES

 Sock.JPG

Feuillettes

from Red Bird Knits

Lorna’s Laces Solemates

Watercolor

Several years ago I took part in Red Bird Knits sock club and received this particular sock pattern.  I long ago forgot what yarn was included, but I picked up a couple of skeins of Solemate a few weeks ago and it seemed to be a great match for this pattern.  Solemate is to die for, so soft!  I glad I bought a second skein because I’m already thinking about my next project using it!

BOOKLOVE

TWO

Our sweet Sprout turned two yesterday! All the grands are especially amazing and Miss Annabelle is no exception.  In a nutshell – you always know where you stand with her.  She either loves it or hates it and wants you to know it in no uncertain terms.  She’s a snuggler, a giggler and has had us right where she wants us from the very minute she was born.  She is a joyful blessing!

GREEN GROWING THINGS

Our flowers have never looked so good!

The Norfolk pine I’d given up for dead has come back with a vengence and has doubled in size!

I don’t know what this is called, but the hummingbirds love it!

Impatiens has nearly taken over our flower bed!

ALL BETTER

As you can tell, I can once again post photos and this makes me happy.  Happy is good.  Mr. Iknead was getting tired of hearing me talk ugly to my iPad.

Linking with Tami, Frontier Dreams and Ginny’s Yarn Along.

Life is change.  Growth is optional.  Choose wisely.  Karen Clark

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Knitting

Small Potatoes

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OH MY ACHING INBOX

Know what?  In the grand scheme of things, whether or not my internet is or is not working just really isn’t a big deal, it’s nothing and I’ve spent waaaay too much time and energy fussing and fuming about it.  I’ve been too busy bitching and moaning to do things that, to me, are much more important – like reading other blogs,commenting and responding to the comments others leave for me.  It’s not about pretty postings and perfect pics, it’s about community, connecting and communicating and really, it’s all good.

Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are.  When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.  Lao Tzu

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Knitting

Still????????

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C’MON REALLY????

Still having upload issues and have to do things the long way around.  Just so you know, if you look under “patience” and “frustration tolerance” in the dictionary, you DON’T see my picture.

 

Look familiar?  This is the single pic I was able to get posted.  

My butterfly bushes are attracting hummingbirds.  We’ve seen a couple buzzing around, sometimes the hover in front of the french doors like they’re looking in.  Who knows?  Maybe they are.

 

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Still with upload issues.  I was able to upload a couple and when I tried to save and publish this post, the pics were lost.  I sent the Blogpad help guy a couple of screenshots.  He said that the iOS8 update “broke” some Blogpad functions.  His exact words – I swear.  They’re working to fix it.

Jeez.  A blog w/o pics is, well, kinda boring.  Maybe today’s the day it gets fixed.

Be as you wish to seem.  Socrates

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Knitting · Mixed Media Art

MIA

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MIA

I’ve been missing in action this week, due mostly to two things – an annoying upper respiratory bug that’s just severe enough that I have next to no energy for anything.  When I don’t feel like a trip to Hobby Lobby or Michael’s, I’m feeling puny for sure.  The other thing is that thanks to Bigmommy, I’ve become addicted to Two Dots, playing this game instead of catching up on blogging, art journaling and the infinite number of other things I’m usually engaged in.  I did get some spinning done this week, not enough to make a dent in my spinning stash, but enough to need to ply and free up a bobbin or two.  So, in case you’re wondering, that’s what I’ve been up to.

GREEN GROWING THINGS

My flowers continue to come on like gangbusters, thanks to our milder summer and Mr. Iknead’s faithful watering. I took some time last evening to take some random photos – I needed some fresh air after being inside all week nursing my cold – so I’ll share some of my favorites.

The colors on this begonia are stunning and as beautiful on the underside as on the upper, which I’d show, except Flickr is having some issues.  Apparently no one can upload photos on the planet, judging from the topics on Flickr help.

Frustrating.  I hope tomorrow it resolves.

Age is no guarantee of maturity.  Lawana Blackwell

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Knitting

Thriftin’, Pawpaw and 2/4 grands, TDL

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WHERE’VE I BEEN

Last Thursday, I invited myself to Stuttgart for a visit, mostly to help out Bigmommy a little and just to spend a little QT with the Papoose and the Sprout.  I got to see the Papoose’s school and was fortunate enough to get the grand tour. Very exciting stuff!  My sweet son in law shares my love of rooting around thrift and antique stores, so Friday morning he, the Sprout and I took a field trip and did some thrifting.  I’ve collected blue and white pottery for just about forever and scored two new pieces and yet another hippie purse.  Say what you will, Bigmommy, about me being an old hippie, but because everything old is new again, I’m on the cutting edge of today’s fashion. ; p. So there.

These are in great shape, the spigot button sticks but will work perfectly after a little WD40.

These were both made by the Marshall Pottery, Marshall, Texas

Love everything about this!

2/4 GRANDS

You can tell he doesn’t care anything for them!

The only thing that could possibly make him happier would be to have all four in his arms.

THE DOCUMENTED LIFE

This week’s prompt was to somehow incorporate a feather.  This is my take on it, along with an e.e. cummings poem.

Modeling paste, peacock feather stencil, Derwent Blocks

Acrylic background, watercolor feathers

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.  William Blake

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove and Babylove

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ON THE NEEDLES

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Knit Vested and Stylish

Quince&Co.

Lark in Twig

So, before Mr. Iknead and I took off to Mt. Magazine last weekend, I did a stash dive and came up with ten (!) skeins of this lovely yarn.  I’m a little embarrassed to reveal that I’d completely forgotten about this little bit of stash enhancement.  Obviously, I’d bought it with a particular project in mind, what with ten skeins and all, but as for the planned project, no clue.    Anyway, I started  cruising Ravelry for patterns and settled on a  sweet and simple vest from Redheart.

Vested and Stylish

Redheart

Sorry sbout the crazy photos, my phone battery bit the dust and photos taken on my ipad are HUGE. We’re charging, by the way.  The pattern and the Lark yarn seem to be a perfect match; I love it when a plan comes together! 😉

WEDNESDAY BOOKLOVE

I just finished Anthony Rapp’s memoir, Without You.  This is another happy discovery, Mr. Rapp was one of the lead characters in my all-time favorite play, Rent.  FYI, he played Mark, an aspiring filmmaker.  A good read, especially since I love Rent so much, of course, it was loaded with Rent references and bits of insider trivia.  Next up is Lucky Us, by Amy Bloom, a book I know next to nothing about, other than the synopsis sounded interesting.

GRANDBABY LOVE

New Kid on the Block

Charlee Faith, who is all of one month as of Monday.  Beautiful, right??

She’s #4 in the grandbaby line up and I’m here to tell you, the grandparent thing?,  it never gets old.  Ever.

I’m linking today with Tami, Yarn Along and Frontier Dreams.

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.  Michelangelo

 

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Knitting

Love in the Library

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READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

I’ve been burning up our local library’s downloadable collection more than usual these last few weeks.  My most recent read is Mambo in Chinatown written by Jean Kwok, a book I checked out because the title intrigued me.  For the longest time, I only read nonfiction, history and/or bio/memoirs mostly, but lately I’ve been branching out into fiction and (this is my dirty little secret) YA.  I love my library, I love that it’s right around the corner from my house and I can walk there.  I love it that the staff seems to always have time for a quick book discussion or recommendation.  I love that I can settle into a comfortable chair and knit the afternoon away without odd looks or feeling that I should move along and free up space for “real readers”.  I love seeing my tax dollars at work!  I love my library!

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.  Buddha

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Knitting

Infatuated!

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OFF THE NEEDLES AND I CAN’T WAIT FOR FO FRIDAY!!!

I’m calling this bag Infatuated bacause…I’m infatuated!  Felting is finished and it’s sunbathing dry.

Infatuated_Bag.JPG

Infatuation

Noro Kureyon 352 and Cascade 220 #7801

Designed by Irina Poludnenko

It has a lot of fuzz, but I expect that will diminish with some patient lint brushing.

Mixed Media Art · The Documented Life Project

MOMM, The Documented Life Project

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TDL

My Documented Life art journaling has continued, though I’ve been wrapped up in a couple of huge knitting projects, not to mention awesome family things.  There have been a couple of TDL entries that didn’t melt my butter, but they were OK and I actually started getting into them as I worked.  This week was #36 and the prompt was black and white.  Here’s my take on it –image

This is one I really wasn’t “feeling” while I worked, but I ended up loving the vintage look and the sort of restrained style.

I used black and white gesso, wallpaper look tissue paper, butterfly stamped borders, a large handwriting stamp, white stamp ink and a picture of the Eiffel Tower.  It has a old fashioned travelogue vibe, don’t you think?

MY OWN MIXED MEDIA

I enjoyed the black and white so much, I did one on my own –

Indulge

Black Gesso

White Gelly Roll pen

The creative is the place where no one else has ever been.  You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.  What you’ll discover will be wonderful.  What you’ll discover is yourself.  Alan Alda 

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