MCFH: Collection

My Cozy Fall Home, Day2: Collection. 

I’m not much of a collector, since with a large, creative family, our home already has plenty of clutter and cleaning challenges.  But I do I have a 'thing' for useful ceramics.  In fact, an e-friend coined my addiction "Vesselarianism," as I love pitchers and mugs, as well, but I'm most drawn to bowls. (I wrote about this previously in My Not-so-secret Problem: A Bowl Addiction.  More and better photos can be found there.)  I am tempted to buy many, but budget keeps that to a minimum.  I also like to limit my collection to pieces that mean something to me.




The white and green bowl is one I had made especially for bread baking, although, these days, with so many of us watching carbs and gluten, it's primarily used for produce.  The eggplant purple ones (my favorite color!) are part of a larger set made for me by a friend.






I have to say that my favorites are the smaller bowls made by my Princesses Bossy and Artiste,

while I also have a special fondness for the delicate, flowered bowls brought home from Japan for me by Princess Sassy and Prince Steadfast.

Silent Night

Silent Night... All is calm, all is bright... 

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

We’ve been without internet for days, so I’ve missed several themes in My Cozy Winter Home. 

Today we’ll just go ahead and wrap up with 
‘Sparkle,’ 

...some ‘Tradition,’ 

...‘Nativity,’ 

and ‘Stockings’ all at once!

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas with your loved ones!

Make This

Day 17 of My Cozy Winter Home: Make This.

I made these holiday pillow covers (and the table runner you can see in posts on Day 3 and Day 9) using kitchen towels and tablecloths I found at a discount department store, and cut into pieces, as needed. 

This gave me more yardage and in a good variety for less money than I would’ve spent at the fabric store, and included some embellishments, like embroidery and appliqué I would’ve had to add myself. 

If you’re at all hesitant about combining prints, using an already-coordinated set, like the towels, can give you a good start. I’ve sewn for years, but the runner and these pillows would be very beginner friendly with their straight seams and quick result. 


My favorite pillow is the one with the lettering. I closed that one with a zipper partly camouflaged in the plaid on the back. For others I used an even easier method... The backs are in 2 pieces, each about 2/3 the size of the back, set so they overlap. The pillow slips in, then the overlap keeps the pillow inside with no extra closure necessary.

Growing Christmas

Inspired by a pin from moderndayquilts, a great project to combine my fallish and Christmas moods, I have trees sprouting on my design wall!

Scribbling Out Ideas... Why Not?

I have a million ideas I'm waiting to sew out, but when this one popped into my head, I decided to jump in and try it. With life distractions, it took 'only' 3 days to actually get it done. But that's good for me, and, more importantly, it worked!

I thought I was done with machine embroidery, because the styles of designs didn't suit my needs, and anything original took a lot of work.  My time to create is limited, and I'd rather sew than fuss. 

A terrible photo of a beautiful (and huge) machine in the midst
of a terrible mess... or maybe we'll call it a creative flurry.

But then Hubby and I happened upon the Brother Dream Machine 2 at SewExpo last March. --An event we attended knowing I would not be buying a new machine.  But a sucker fanatic for all things related to Computer Aided Design, as he sees in his shop tools, he encouraged me to watch the demonstration... and then consider buying the machine! 



He knows that I've been yearing to design my own stitch patterns for years, and have given it a good try with previous machines, which all fell short of glowing claims. (At least did so for those of us suffering from terminal impatience.)  It just might be the machine I've awaited for years that will help me bring those stitch designs in my head into reality.

"Stamp" options.  These can be resized,
stretched or narrowed, combined, or
portions erased. Besides stamps,
other options include lines, free-hand drawing,
or scanned or imported line drawings!

I scanned the fabric pieces I'd placed on hooped, sticky stabilizer.  On-screen, I placed a few circles from the machine's built-in 'stamp' files in its "Design Center," edited stitch and size, and I got the 'scribbly ' look I was hoping for.   

This is an onscreen scan of the hooped fabric,
so I can size & place the stitching correctly.

Stitch choices.  I used 2nd from left, and
left them all the same default color.

I expected the machine to sew each circle in its entirety, one at a time, but, because I had designated them all in the same stitch style and color, it was interesting to see how the software in the machine designed its own efficient path, not recognizing or having regard for shapes in the same way I do.  I could've designated them each their own color, even if I used the same thread in the machine, if it had been important to me that it sew in separate circles.

From screen view to reality!

It's simple, but a start. My husband said, "Did you want it to look like a little kid drew it?" 
Pretty much, yes.  :-)

He doesn't quite understand my love of modern design and quilting... Yet.

Word.

I am a word person.  Specifically, as an INFJ (one of the 16 Meyers-Briggs personality types), I am a written-word person. Don't ask me to actually speak words.  And I don't just mean in front of large groups.  I mean almost anything spontaneous... smaller groups... unexpected phone calls... leaving voicemail messages... small talk... 'greeting those beside you' in church... If you know me well, and I mean WELL, you might think I never shut up.  But that's for a 'lucky(?)' and select few.  Want me to write, though?  I'll spill everything.  (This can also be interpreted: My blog posts will rarely be short.)

Writing is a tool for me.  I can explain my thoughts better...although it will take some time because of a LOT of editing.  It can also be a way for me to rid myself of thoughts that whirr around in my brain, knotting my stomach and using my energy.  If I can write things down... often the things I want to tell someone with whom I may be frustrated... I am as free, and as bitterness-free, as if I'd said them.  I think it's because I feel burdened to remember these details or sharp bits of wisdom if they only exist in my mind.  If they're written down, I can access them if needed.  Usually, that need to share, though, evaporates when my mind releases them to a page.  If they are things that really should be shared, writing them first gives them better organization that I just might remember when I need to speak.

My Etsy Finds

I also love to hang words around my house...whether it's on artwork I create or in things I purchase.  I like to share bits of wisdom, inspiring song lyrics, and Scripture with my family in this way... hoping they will give us all some things to think about, and make a difference in our decisions and approaches in whatever situations we face.  I have long wanted to do this, as taught in Deuteronomy 11:18-20:

So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates...

Lyrics from favorite songs incorporated into
artwork or laid over a faded photo using
PicMonkey, then ordered on canvases.
(Songs by Miranda Lambert and Casting Crowns)

As much as I love words, I have been frustrated by the advice by so many authors and bloggers to choose a "Word of the Year."  Maybe it's because I love words so much that choosing one is impossible.  Maybe it's because I am a frustrated perfectionist and I'm afraid of getting it "wrong," and I will drive myself crazy second-guessing that focus as other ideas pop into my head.  I think it's because, to almost every question in which there is a choice, or encouragement to choose one favorite answer, I want to clarify, "In what situation?" I see many sides to everything.

Words on which I hope our family will focus.
This set hangs in our kitchen.
I also created these images in
PicMonkey and ordered canvases online

Honestly, my first reaction to choosing one word to describe my life is "TIRED."  This, of course, somewhat misses the boat in determining a motivating course or theme to one's year.  So my next reaction is "Survival."  Also, not that optimistic...

Most people choose and share 'their word' at the first of the year.  Oh, well.  Since it's now August, giving me adequate time to sort through all of the possibilities that have occurred to me over the first 2/3 of the year, I have settled on "Peace."  This encompasses a lot of areas, and is a much more positive spin on, and actually helps with "Survival." 



I first focused on the idea of "Peace" three years ago, when, in remembering his mother during a memorial service, a gentleman spoke of the 2 words his mother had personified..."Grace" and "Peace."  I thought it a wonderful legacy, and words by which I hoped my children would remember me some day.  So far, sadly, as my INFJ worrying seems hard to hide, I haven't made much progress toward a peaceful countenance. I was further reminded of that goal, though, when God led me to my own big lesson in peace this year, which I will share in another post.

I'm pretty sure I'll need the time to develop "Peace" more thoroughly in my life, so it can be my word for next year, too.  (And maybe some after that!)  So, there.  I'm now running 4 months ahead!

Telling Vignettes

I was sitting at the kitchen table, reading my devotional, Holley Gerth's What your Heart Needs for the Hard Days, a daily habit I started about 3 weeks ago.  I say 'daily habit'... I read one segment a day... and I've read about 7 so far, so you can see how the 'daily' thing is going!

Anyway, she was giving me new insight into the 23rd Psalm... how the green pastures aren't just clean, cool, and refreshing, as I'd imagined, but for sheep they're also sustenance/food. And since these life necessities are offered, we don't need to worry so much, and can rest in that promise. I was staring off, thinking about this new idea when I brought my gaze into focus, and saw this counter.  Not happily, I realized it was a vignette representative of my life right now...

First of all, it's messy, disorganized, and like many areas, rooms, and surfaces of our home, there are things there that don't belong.

Other things evidenced in this scene:

• We have medical and dietary issues going on in the family that often mean different meals for each person.  For this, I am sorely unprepared (I keep not thinking ahead and having to 'punt' at each meal time), as well as the whole individual meal situation being frustrating, inefficient, and expensive.

• Unpaid bills and pieces of mail with which I know not what to do taunt me.  I am in charge of mail, bills, and all things paperwork around here.  I've done it for 32+ years, but it's not my strong point, and it's all catching up with me.  The balls I used to juggle so well, to keep everything up-to-date and to know where everything is, even if not filed neatly, are all falling around me.

• A box from a charger symbolizes our (over)use of technology.

• Pet care items remind me one dog needs grooming and all our pets need shots.

• Food items and gadgets show the projects my family starts, but leaves me to clean up.

• The stack of books represent all those I mean to read but haven't, and the notebook is full of lists and project ideas yet to get past the 'write-it-down-before-I-forget' stage.

After stewing in frustration and overwhelm for a moment, uncharacteristically, I decided not to let that counter view define my day. I decided to unfocus from that, and, instead, "be present" for myself and my art today...To let my soul breathe...thank you, Emily P. Freeman! (You don't know Emily, her blog, or her books?  I highly recommend any.)

THIS is the type of vignette I'd prefer to represent my life...  

...A closeness to God and His Word, and letting my creative projects out of the notebook and into existence!

Today, I decided to take a Bible verse Prince Go-for-It and I had briefly discussed earlier, and make it into the wall canvas that had drawn itself in my mind.  







Unfortunately, my mind didn't create a background for it, so it is an example of my long-fought weakness in reaching design 'completeness' in my projects.  But I was pleasantly surprised that my rusty lettering skills still served me pretty well, and I'm attempting to be less 'neat' and less of a perfectionist, so this project certainly fits that bill!  

I enjoyed myself and it was relaxing.  A win for today.  --Not that it made the pile of bills disappear or the countertop properly organized.  Somehow, I want to simplify to be rid of that first vignette and live more often amongst the second. 

It doesn't seem like accepting a gift should be so difficult, but worry, busyness, and living in constant crisis distract us. Taking time to let my creative ideas come to life is a way of accepting the gift offered in Psalm 23... a version of 'lying down in green pastures and restoring my soul.'  

Finding my Way

I ordered myself 2 new books a month or so ago...I knew I 'shouldn't' because I had so many others waiting to be read. But I needed to understand more about my NEED to be creative and make art, and the voices in my head (mine and others from my life) getting in my way. I made myself a rule... Actually read the first one, Art & Fear, without stopping...that is to say, without getting distracted by starting to read anything else.

Art & Fear. For me, like taking a class for $7

I'm glad I ordered it and I'm glad I dove right in. I got a lot out of it. I loved reading it as much as if I was going to a really good class, so sticking with it took no particular discipline. 

Finding quiet time to read and absorb was the biggest challenge, but that's what alone-time in the car... with only the light from my phone during Prince CuddleBunny's baseball practice... is for!

Besides a lot of underlining and taking notes, in beginning to feel ok about my own ideas, I sketched right onto the pages! I have so many projects in mind, I hope I remember them all. I suppose only that ones that should will get lost in the shuffle and process.

I think I am finding MY voice... Or, actually, understanding that MY voice, expressed MY way, is all that's needed for MY art. It's not more or less than what anyone else can produce. I can't control how others will respond, so there is no value in worrying about it. As the author explained, all artists are different in what they have to offer and how they express it, but we're all the same in that we can only produce our true and best art, at least figuratively, alone in a room, and with who we are as individuals as the source. It's about accepting myself, which isn't a new concept in the self-help world, and, certainly, something I'd heard and read before, but maybe I am just starting to 'get it.' At approximately 56 and 11 months... Better late than never.

I felt sad to get to the end of the book. I've experienced that before, but this is a first, I think, for non-fiction! I went back through it to review my underlines and notes, to better imbed what I'd found important. 

Ha!  I just noticed that the title is printed
on the mailing label.  So much for my surprise!

I highly recommend this book for those with a yen, even a mostly hidden one, for being creative! Art can be a lot of things, and I think a lot of people have an artist in them, waiting to come out from behind all sorts of negative comments or perceptions, a view that such things shouldn't be an important priority among life's demands, or a lack of confidence. Artists aren't born great, and they're not more special than you are. They just get in and DO. --And practice, and fail, and do some more.

Now I get to open the envelope that has locked the 2nd book away from my view ever since it arrived...I don't even remember what it is! It'll be a surprise gift to myself.




This post includes Amazon affiliate links.

Say it Now

It's not great to think ahead about the death of a loved one.  But it was so sad that I wrote a tribute to the things my mom gave me and meant to me in my life only after she was gone.  I decided that wouldn't happen with my dad, and I set out to do something about it.  It was a good exercise in using my grief for good, and distracting myself, too.


I LOVE the hand-painted, subway sign I ordered from CantonAntiques on Etsy, and have hanging in my kitchen.  I didn't think I could afford a custom one for Dad, and it was more heartfelt to put in the effort to make one myself anyway.

I started by making a list of the special memories and things Dad had done for me and our family.  Then I hit the internet for "DIY subway signs."  That's when I found this post by TemptingThyme.  The examples looked just like what I wanted, and the instructions were helpful.  

This technique used PicMonkey, which is a fun and free photo editing site. (To tell the truth, I splurged and paid the small yearly fee, so I could get more fonts and effects.) The funny thing is, for this project, it's not about editing a photo, image, or document, but covering an image with a solid color, and customizing the sign with text in colors and fonts of your choice.  I have to say it was quite rewarding.  I won't 'reinvent the wheel' by repeating the instructions you can follow on TemptingThyme.

After creating my 'masterpiece,' I saved it to my desktop, and placed an online print order with FedEx printing.  Click on "Set your own Print Options." Upload the image, and you'll likely get a message that says "this file contains non standard print size," and you can click on "review options" to choose a standard size or stay with the original.   If you choose one of the preset sizes, you will be able to preview your project.  For Dad's I chose 11 x 17", and hit "convert."  You can always trim if your project doesn't cover the whole sheet.

 I recommend specifying a heavier weight paper (32# or 60#) to prevent wrinkling hassles when applying the project to a board.  To do these prints in black and white are about 42 cents (!!!), and in color, less than $2.50.  You might be able to do the printing yourself, but only if you have a laser printer.  InkJet ink will bleed when you apply a finish.



I mentioned a board, and didn't explain where it came from...   I had Hubby cut and glue 3/4" boards to create a base of the proper size.

My print had a white background, so I painted the sides of the boards with white acrylic paint, and let it dry.  That didn't take long...A half hour, at most.

  The gluing/finishing process was the hardest part.  I used matte ModPodge.  I applied it to the board with a foam brush, and let it dry until tacky.  I applied the printed paper, smoothing as I went, using a dough scraper as a squeegee, to avoid any air bubbles.

On my first attempt, following instructions I'd found elsewhere on line, I waited only about 45 minutes before applying the finish coat of ModPodge over the whole project.  The paper stretched and bubbled (see pic above), and eventually scratched and tore as I worked to try to smooth it (see pic to the left).  Thankfully,  Hubby had made 2 boards, and I started over.  This time I let it all dry overnight after applying the paper to the board.  The next morning, I did 2 finish coats and the result was much smoother.

Unfortunately, after days of curing, and after it was in my dad's possession, a few air pockets formed. I used 24 or 32# paper, but there was also 60#, and maybe I should've used it.

--But my dad doesn't mind the little bubbles.  He said it was nice and commented that I'd remembered a lot of things.  It may not sound like it was a big reaction, but I think I heard a catch in his voice and spied moist eyes, which means, with a man who loves gifts but is a little tough to 'wow,' this was a success.  :-)  He's told me since that a lot of the staff in his assisted living facility have commented on what a really nice gift it was.  --I don't say this to brag, but to be thoroughly thrilled that he likes it so much and is feeling appreciated.  

I know I've been a little vague about the directions, so if you get lost after visiting TemptingThyme, PicMonkey, and/or FedEx, please don't hesitate to contact me for further help.

Mostly, I'm saying that if you have someone you love in your life who means a lot to you, and you have certain reasons you are thankful for them... TELL THEM.  Somehow.  You don't know when the opportunity will be lost forever.

My Kiddos are Ringing my Neck

From when I was very young, I remember loving a ring my grandmother wore.  It was a simple design with 6 stones of different colors, mounted in a straight line.  Each stone represented each one of her children... my dad, my aunt, and my 4 uncles... using their birthstones.  So since I was little, I dreamed of having a ring like that.

I have kept my eyes open, and there are very few options on which to display 8 stones, especially anything with the simple, clean lines that I'd want to wear, and in a ring.  I began to consider other options.  One day, I think I'd like a ring that has 8 smallish diamonds, mounted in a row, to wear on top of my wedding ring stack.  But I'm not seeing anyone interested in buying me diamond jewelry anytime soon, so I decided it was time to gift myself.

Thanks to Bluff's Edge Handcrafted Jewelry, I found an answer.

Alicia, the designer/artisan/owner of Bluff's Edge, and I have never met, face to face, or even actually talked.  We have had written discussions through the Gardenweb Kitchen Forum and on email for years now.  I helped her by making drawings of her kitchen, discussing options, and giving opinions

(I always love to do that!) when she and her husband built their family home.  Like with a few others from the forum, we began to talk about our families and other aspects of our lives, and really feel like friends.



I was so excited for her (and a little envious) when I found out she was making jewelry, and was planning to start her own business.  

Source: Bluff's Edge Etsy Shop

When I saw a photo of the necklace she could personalize with special words or the names of loved ones, I contacted her and we started discussing a design for my own "mother's necklace." 

Source: Bluff's Edge Facebook photos

The original necklace she showed was a single ring with 4 words or names.  But she also had a double-ring design that wasn't personalized.  I decided I wanted a mix of the 2.
















The 4 oldest princesses and princes are named on the top ring, and the younger 4 are on the ring that hangs below.  








Since I sang them all "I'll be Loving You Always," when they were babies, I had that inscribed on the back.  "I'll be loving you..." on the top ring, and "...Always" on the bottom.

I chose a long (30") chain for good scale and balance with the 2 ring-set, and a casual look I can wear everyday.  




It may sound pretty hokey, but I almost teared up putting it on for the first time.  











I find that I often hold the rings, and even thread my fingers through them.  I love wearing my kids around my neck and holding them in my hands throughout the day.  The day is just not quite right if I forget to put my necklace on!

There is a cool, custom, metal tag at the clasp,
and the items arrived in a very cute, custom gift box.

This Christmas I am going to try to stick to buying gifts made in the USA. Items from Bluff's Edge Jewelry would certainly fit the requirement, and be special and beautiful, too.  If you might be interested in a gift for a loved one (or yourself!), Alicia is already urging potential customers to order early.  She needs time to get all holiday orders done, while also preserving family time.  

Tell her RHome410 sent you!  --If you order, I don't get a cut,  I am just excited for Alicia and love my necklace!

I ordered these earrings from Alicia, too.
She showed copper ones with rust-colored stones or beads
on the Bluff's Edge Facebook page.  Since those aren't really my
colors, I asked if she could do silver with black.  They're wonderful!

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