Finished Products!

A few days ago I showed you some of my projects. I have finished some of them. There they are:

Will be listing them in my shop in the next few days!

Alaska . . oh Alaska!

'Colors of Alaska' by nowilk11photos on Etsy

I have always wanted to take the Alaska cruise up the coast from Seattle northward. I'm not really much of a cruise person, but I would love the stops and scenery on this cruise. My son took this cruise on his honeymoon and my daughter has been on it. I've wanted to go to Alaska since I was a kid. My uncle moved up there when I was young and I never got to visit. My cousin would send a picture or two, once in a while. Then another uncle and aunt traveled up there a couple of times on the road thru British Columbia and Canada. Back then, it wasn't much of a road, very primitive in places, so I always thought it would be better to see the sights from a ship and it's stops along the coast.

I've presented several pictures here, all available from Etsy sellers. Check them out!!!

12 X 12 Tile of the largest glacier in Alaska

from Etsy shop phototiles

Since I am a private sort of person, I have sometimes fancied myself living out in the "wilderness"--instead of a Jeremiah Johnson, sort of a Jenny Johnson! I like solitude. Pictures of all the solitude and beauty are so calming to me.

"Three Amigos" by

maggiesfarmproducts

This post was for the Etsybloggers Blog Carnival.

Discouragement . . . .

I've not written in some time now, I guess I had a little disappointment in life. It kills creativity! I am feeling better now and need to get back into things that are my life. There are sewing projects to do, jewelry items that are begging to be finished, and, of course, there are those TAXES to be done! It's that time of year.

Here's what I will be working on today:

Necklace to be finished, and earrings to be made, since the supplies arrived in the mail.

And then, there is this very interesting project. My daughter-in-law, Beth, was given some quilting supplies and unfinished work that belonged to her great aunt. Beth gave me this project to try to finish if I wanted. It intrigued me, so I will try. It is so different to try to do something that someone else had the inspiration for. Looks like a lake scene. It is currently partially sewn and pinned together. We'll see what I can do with it!?!

Of course, we will return to Abby's story very soon, watch for it!

(If you are new or have not kept up, you can start with the Jan 4th post.)

Abby's House Guest

(This is part of an on-going story that I write from time to time in this blog. If you want to "ketchup" start with the January 4th post.)

The house had never been so "lived in" in such a long time! Toys on the oval rag rug between the wing chairs, and in the chair. Sasha didn't know where to plop herself down in the evenings. Crayons on the kitchen table with lots of artwork tacked on the refrigerator and on the walls. Dishes in the sink--not rinsed and put in the dishwasher. Towels and pint-sized clothing items to pick up from the bathroom floor, guest towel to hang back up on the rack and shampoo lids to return to their originally planned positions.





It wasn't Patricia's fault at all, there was just so much activity right now with the beginning of harvest season. It was nice having little "Patty" stay for the week, but we had been running all week and things needed to get done! New laborers were showing up needing direction. The storefront was opening this weekend, shelves still needed to be stocked and new applicants for the sales position were arriving in response to the sign in the shop window. Last minute deliveries needed to be signed for, and in the midst of all this, a house guest from Thomas House! Whew!

"But, then, I knew if I was going to do this, the only time for it was before the harvest season, I just didn't think about it being the last week before the season started!" Abby argued to herself, "And, Patty had been such a delight! But my Paddy was a little confused having a "Patty" around; they have had so much fun playing in the yard, hunting for caterpillars and bugs between doing the chores. I'd call out "Patty" and they would both come running!" She smiled at the thought as she picked up the toys from the chair and placed them in the small cupboard. "I'd do this again . . . next year--next spring or after harvest season."

Necklace????

For the last several weeks, I have been accumulating the necessary beads and components to make myself a necklace. I've been looking forward to creating a beautiful piece. Today I started it . . . and stopped creating it! It just wasn't turning out like I intended. Has that even happened to you? I'm sure that it has. We have a definite creative idea in our minds, but translating it into being is another story! So . . . . I am turning my work into a bracelet that I will eventually put up for sale in my design shop. Oh well . . . .

Landscape of the Soul

Lake Tahoe Winter by NaturesViews

Choosing a title from another blogger, 'Landscape of the Soul', I did some thinking. What Landscape gives my soul flight? Where would I feel right at home? I've actually lived in so many different places, where would I like to go back to or recreate? That's an easy question for me, although I should explain why.

I am a mountain girl. I love the trees, the solitude, the mountain views, the snow, the animals and birds, and even, at times, the insects. I do not feel comfortable in the flat lands. Once when I lived in the Texas high plateau, a friend said to me, "I just love the view." I said, "What view? Flat land as far as the eye can see and sky! No trees, no nothing!" My friends in the flat prairie lands love the openness. To me it feels exposed and lonely. I love the cover of the forest, the coziness of it. I love the scampering of a squirrel, the fluttering and chirping of the birds in the tree tops, and even the buzz of the insects, as long as they are not the biting kind. There seems to be so much more life in the mountain forests.

I really do not feel so much at home in the city either, I guess I am shy at heart and find it hard to socialize with people. Don't get me wrong, I like people, but have to work at the socializing bit. Just give me a hot cup of tea, and a good book outside in my Adirondack chair underneath the pines. Solitude with the buzzing, chirping and scampering "floats my boat" so to speak!

What landscape makes your soul fly to new heights?

PS . Please visit Pat Adams Etsy shop NaturesViews and you will see what I mean about the outdoors and mountains! She captures it!

Seattle and Occupations . . .

I've been gone for a couple of days. Took a little trip to Seattle for my husband's job interview. We have family up there, too, so I visited and had a great time. We also looked around for an apartment, to see what the costs would be if we moved. Now it's time to wait . . . second interview will probably take place next week, meaning another trip north.

In the mean time, I need to get to work at my occupation--creativity!!! I've got lots of "anything bags" to list on Etsy, some more new jewelry for my design shop and I'm working on some awesome coffee cuffs--a wholesale line for brick and mortar stores. I have a box of cuffs ready, but have not designed the display card holder yet. Also, my husband and a friend are making some display stands from some handsome looking wood. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

The Winners are . . .

February 1st is my grandsons 7th birthday. I had asked him to pick a winner for my giveaway and he was only too happy to participate! So, he came over in the evening and picked the winner from all of your entries in one of my handpainted angel bags.

And the winner of a $25 certificate, good in either of my shops, is:

Audrey Friesen! Congratulations Audrey!


Audrey sells on Etsy as Audrey's Country Crafts.


I also decided to give the angel bag away,
so I picked a winner:

Sheila C.
Sheila has a wonderful blog. It has a great name: My empty nest is full of cat hair! Check it out!


And as I promised I chose a winner with the most interesting comments. So many of you had wonderful comments. I loved reading them and getting to know you while you got to know Abby! But I had to chose one!

I chose Edi of 'memories for life scrap books.' She has a blog and an Etsy shop. She's won a zipper pull of her choice from my Design shop (or an $8 gift certificate if she prefers.)



BTW- this is Padraic, we call him "Paddy."

Commenters Giveaway and . . . an Award!

I want to thank everyone for participating in my giveaway. Thanks to all of you new followers this month! So many great comments this month. I hope you truly enjoyed reading about Abby and her life. I will still be writing from Abby's point of view, but not everyday. She has a few new adventures for you, keep tuned in!!!

Later this afternoon, my "birthday-boy" grandson, Padraic age 7, will come over to pick a winner to my contest. He will draw a name from the "hat." I will post his picture and announce the winners tomorrow, Tuesday.

. . . . in the meantime, I have won an award!!!

MysticWind and Liz's Wares have given me an award! Wow! What an honor! The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity & creativity inspires others in the blog world. The rules for accepting these award:

1) Put the logo on your blog or within your post.
2) Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
3) Link the nominees within your post.
4) Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5) Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I agree with Karen of MysticWind, that this award should not be a chore, but an honor; so I too would like this to be optional for the acceptance part. I have chosen 12 blogs that I really enjoy. Hope you do too! Here are my picks:

Marlene's Musings

Laura Trevey

SquirrelQueen

NICO Designs


Sunshine Daydreamz


Boutiqueaholic


Country Dreaming

Story Beader

Splendid Little Stars

Musings

TulipsTalking

CoffeePotPeople

There are so many really good blogs out there, visit these and in the process, you might find a few that you like too!