Technical Difficulties

Whimsy Space is having technical difficulties-my computer is in the hospital. Hopefully, I will be back up tomorrow night or so!

Library Loans #6

I am taking a break from home decor books for a bit and I thought I would hit something really inspiring.  I just love this book, I learned how to solder jewerly from it and I oogled each page for many hours!
Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander

  The crafts are all soldered glass pieces and they are challenging yet informative.  Some of the tools she uses are totally impractical for the beginner, like her glass cutting machine!  However, she does review glass cutting, soldering and collage basics.  The pictures are beautiful and the crafts are inspiring.  The author seems like a real person, I love the band-aid on her thumb in a few pics-because let's face it we are dealing with glass and hot pokey things!

This book is published by North Light Books and I have really enjoyed each book and I actually own quite a few.

Check it out!
Call No: TT910 .A54 2006

Flights of Whimsy-Come stroll in my Garden

Come to my garden, its a really fun place

of flowers and whimsy-even- Queen Anne's lace

Come to my garden and stay for awhile

You'll find that it's small, BUT not short on style

Come to my garden and go through the pink door 

A new adventure awaits- as you look and explore

Come to my garden-you might spy a gnome or a fairy or two

But now that I have a dog, always check your shoe!

Ok, so poetry is not my thing, but it keeps me busy.  Yesterday I had two happy discoveries in the backyard.  First, I found a banana slug!  I couldn't believe it, I have never had one in my backyard before.  Next,  to my delight I notice my son's favorite flower popping out of the ground-the I Can't Remember flower!  My son was so sure this was the real name of forget-me-nots that this how we now refer to them.  I remember planting the seeds this summer and here they are, looking so cute. 

 I can see that they are being well tended by our gnome friend!

Easy Peasy Placemat

So now that I have an amazing new dog, I have to have amazing new things for me to make for her.  What better way to welcome her into our family than a new placemat for her food!  I know that was the first thought you had too for things to make for her...

 As luck would have it, I happen to have oil cloth on hand in a stylish zebra print-going for an animal theme here!  So I cut a 14"x20" rectangle that will be the mat and 1" strips- 1" longer than all sides that will be the trim. I have no idea if this is standard or not, I never have an actual pattern, it just seemed like a good size and I did make sure that both bowls fit before I cut.

 If I had more oil cloth I would have cut a continuous strip for the entire perimeter of the mat, but I didn't so I sewed the strips together, then trimmed the seams down.

Then I folded the strip in half down the center of the strip (I think that is lengthwise) and placed the edge of the mat in the fold of the strip.

 Then I sewed the strip to the mat.  At the end of the strip, I folded in the end so it didn't have a raw edge (sorry no pic) and I am done!

Seriously, it took longer to write this post than it did to make this mat! 

This week I am linking to:

A Tourist in My Own Town

Now that Razzie our Golden Chow has joined our family I am going for walks everyday and to my delight I am rediscovering my town!  Today I took some pictures along our walk and I was struck by how much is around me!  I felt like a tourist, but realized that was what I needed, a sense of gratitude and awe at the beauty that surrounds me on a daily basis. 

 When we parked the car, the red-wing blackbirds were chirping away and I noticed a few other shore birds playing in the stream that trickles into the ocean.  The fog was still hanging overhead.

 Here's my girl appreciating some public art!

 A sweet little snail was going about his day when Razzie ran by, it was clearly shocked (have you ever seen a shocked snail?) and pulled its antenna in, it regained its composure and kept on its merry way.  Of course Razzie had no clue it was even there!

 There were so many surfers out this morning, I didn't think the waves were very big, but every now and then something spectacular would happen!

 A hummingbird takes a little rest.

 I finally snapped a pic of one of those red-wing blackbirds.  This photo is untouched, those wings are really that red!

Having a dog in our lives has been so wonderful. It's getting me out of the house and into fresh air and new experiences.  I am surprised at how many people commented on my dog as we walked along; one woman stopped running just to chat for a few minutes!  She was with her rescue dog too!  I never would have had that experience without my little Razzie by my side.

12 for 2012

This weekend I stumbled upon a blog challenge on SewHooked to complete 12 UFOs in 12 Months .  UFO's are unfinished objects.

Although I am a little late in joining this group, this actually has been my goal since starting this blog in January.  So far I have 4 UFO's completed.

Over the next 9 months I hope to finish at least 9 of the following projects:

1. Bathroom rugs-started in 2009
2. Way to hide the heater register-started in January
3. Kid's bathroom started in June 2011
4. Quilt top started in 2007
5. Emily's quilt started in 2009
6. Hall Tree-Started in June 2011
7. Kindergarten quilt
8. Kids unfinished scrapbooks-started in 2004 and 2006
9. Bookcase-started June 2011
10. Birthday Gifts for niece and nephew
11. Using my free paint from ACE
12. Baseboards for office-supplies sitting in garage since July 2010
13. Communion Dress!!! Due April 29
14. Toddler bed transformation-supplies sitting in garage since 2010
15. Gift Wrap Station-supplies gathered since 2010
16. Thread holder-supplies gathered since Feb
17. Bench cushion-supplies waiting since 2009
18. Bar-half started since July 2010
19. Kitchen cabinet-designed and waiting since July 2010
20. Fix Family room curtains -not happy with them since 2010
21. Fix office curtains-not happy with them since 2011

This is not my entire list, but to save myself from further embarrassment, I will stop here.  I have no hope of completing all of these projects-most are put off because I didn't like them!  However, I do hope to complete at least 9 because I really do like to finish things and it does feel good to check things off a list!

If you would like to join click here to see the initial announcement on SewHooked.

Paper Dresses Wall Art

A few years ago a friend of mine gave me tons of patterns.  I decided that I did not want to use any of the patterns for sewing, however, I had an art project in mind that I thought could work.  Well at the time, my inspiration only led me to this...

A mod podged background of pattern pieces.

I thought adding a little dress or two would be a fun idea since the patterns are for dresses.  So I created a little pattern on plain paper, then transferred them to pattered paper.

I added a few details.

One sweet little dress added.

 Then I embellished a ribbon and added it as a frame and applied a little button in each corner.

This week I am linking to: