This little pumpkin got hooked up the other night. He is now sewn and stuffed up. For some reason I like this guy's smile!

 

 Here is the back of the hooked cat from the last post. I have tried out several different label makers. These are from a company called "It's Mine".

 

 Working on my Visual Journal pages...I seem to like to draw and design more than actually write...plus I have lots of other art projects going on that are always calling my name...

 

I made some more drawings with my Sharpie...then I try and go back and color them with colored pencils and hopefully do some writing! Here is Miss Kitty.

 

We are finally getting some nice tomatoes from our little garden. So fun to eat vine ripened and fresh produce!

I finished hooking Mr. Primitive Kitty last night and today got him sewed up and stuffed. And once in the rug hooking mood I also got this little house wall piece finished up. I will iron the edges back and stitch it to a piece of black felt and make a wire hanger for it.

 

And for your weekend...some pretty flowers from our trip to Berkeley last Friday.
Make time for some art for yourself this weekend if you can!

Bird Bag

I'm not sure how long ago I started this bird purse. It is definitely a "slow cloth" project.. I keep re-discovering it and work on it a little bit and then it gets tucked away for future stitching. This time I think I will try to finish it up and actually make it into a bag.

 

It has been very hot here this week and Henry keeps trying to find new places to cool off. This one isn't working too well...his rear end is hanging off the bookshelf! 

Below are a few pages for my little journal. Still need lots of work, but having fun with the doodling. Tomorrow may have to be a beach day...way too hot to get much done in the house! 

 

Berkeley Roadtrip

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 A bunch of random photos of our trip this weekend. Had fun window shopping and had a little time to check out a couple of stores. Mostly got Jason moved into his new home for the school year and spent the afternoon with relatives in Woodside and San Mateo.

 

 The Crate and Barrel Outlet had several bins of Marimekko fabric pieces for 25 cents each...couldn't resist picking up a few to play with. Jason shopped for things for his new home.

 

 Ici is the best ice cream spot in Berkeley. We each had to try some of the delicious flavors after our dinner at Tacubaya.

Jason and Justin in front of the Big Sky Cafe in San Luis Obispo on the way up.

 ;

 This is the Westminster House where Jason will be living while attending the University.

 

Yarn Bombing is alive and well in Berkeley...Fourth st.and Delaware.

journaling....

I actually got a little work done in my visual journal this week and hope to do some more on our weekend trip to take Jason up to Berkeley for college. Plans to visit with my aunt, uncle and cousin in San Mateo and check out some shops on Fourth St. in Berkeley..and that great ice cream shop on College! A busy day today getting last minute things for Jason to take with him and Justin got in some hours at Art From Scrap working in the retail store. I found the fabric above....can you guess what I am going to make with it?

 

Wonderful day at the beach with the girls! Syd worked on her Visual Journal exchange with Tara and Colleen stitched yoyo's for fiber jewelry and kites flew behind us. I had to take a dip in the ocean to cool off. We have been doing a Summer Girl's Movie night on Wednesdays and saw "Eat, Pray, Love" last night and all enjoyed it.
Well, off to pack for the weekend...see you next week!

What moms do...

This morning I found this little note from my son Jason on the kitchen counter. The boys had taken off early for a day of fishing at Lake Cachuma. We haven't had a "real" oven since last Spring when our re-modeling began. So I made this apple pie in a smaller tin and cooked it in the toaster oven. It is supposed to cool for 3-4 hours so I hope it is ready when the boys come home later today. I used the recipe in Joy of Cooking so I think it will be tasty.

 I mostly prefer to make apple crisp if I am in an "apple" mood because I like the crunchy sweet topping of a crisp. I think my favorite pie to make would have to be pumpkin and hopefully I will have my oven back this fall so I can bake some!

 

 I haven't hooked any cats for quite a while and I drew this guy months ago so I got a start on his face last night, hooking until 1a.m.  I think I need to do a little tweaking now that I see it in the morning light, but it's fun to get back to some cats for a change of pace.

 

 And another pumpkin in time for fall sales...

 

 And another bird to cut out and stuff...a bit smaller than my other birds....

 

And here we have Henry taking his nap after a day of chasing a chipmunk around the living room yesterday. Sometimes I  wish the cats weren't such good hunters! Justin finally rescued the poor chipmunk who spent half the day under a bookcase, a time in the bathtub, under the dining room table and under the Laz-e-boy!

New bird

 A new little blue bird I hooked up the other evening. Still needs some kind of legs and feet...will have to do that later.

 

Finished up this little hooked owl and it is already flying away to Grace in Texas!

Hope to get some more things put in my Etsy shop soon.

 

 Some more little felted wool sweater owls that I am working on...

 

and today I got in a visit with Pepa at the Coast Collection - 220 W. Canon Perdido in Santa Barbara. Lots of great deals on art supplies, jewelry, beads, vintage textiles, art and lots more. Go check it out if you are in the neighborhood!

Rug hooking again...

I've been missing working on my rug hooking so I started this little owl last night. Hope to finish him up this evening if all goes well.

 

Managed to get a little work done in my small visual journal. Even got some more water color pages started-I think this is going to be fun.

 

An odd two sided "stuffie" I made last week inspired by Teesha Moore's post a few days ago...and she was inspired by Denise Litchfield in Australia who had her work in the last "Stuffed" magazine.
My art buddies, Barbara and Syd and I all signed up for the next Jude Hill online class, "cloth to cloth" and are looking forward to that in September.