So, What Happened To M-T-W-Th-F?

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I last posted!

Where has the time gone?!
Well.....I must admit I've spent a lot of time visiting blogs that are participating in One World~One Heart. The last time I checked, there were 781 listed!

I think I've visited 275 to 300 of them and have already discovered LOTS that I want to revisit. It's unbelievable how many talented and friendly bloggers there are out there, and thanks to this one blog event, there's opportunity to find them.

I've also been creating artist trading cards for a "Women" themed ATC swap. I do enjoy making them...it is interesting to me, though, how some come together fairly easy and some not so easy. I don't know what makes the difference--I just try to go with the flow.





And I'm working on tags for Karla's Puppy Love Tag Book Swap. I've finished the backgrounds so far.

Next comes the really fun part...adding the puppies!

Marilyn

My Heart Is Filled With Gratitude

I have been completely giddy over the response to my One World~One Heart giveaway in the previous post! Your generous and encouraging comments have been a heart-warming and humble encounter and my gratitude is immense! It is yet another wonderful thing to come out of the One World~One Heart blogging event.

Because of the positive response to my QUILTY removable comp-book cover, and because it was so fun to make, I sewed up a similar cover and listed it in my Etsy shop. The fabrics in this one are also colorful and vibrant with lots of purple.

Front:

Back:

Inside front:


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That's what I had today thanks to my thoughtful, creative and amazing hubby! And next weekend, we'll celebrate both of our birthdays (his was 12/26) with our incredible kids...don't you just love to stretch out the partying:)

Marilyn

One World~One Heart Giveaway

(Feb. 12th) THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by to play!
The WINNER has been announced HERE.

(CONGRATULATIONS, CARYL!)

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(Feb. 11th)***THANK YOU, COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED...THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH***




It's here! One World~One Heart!

Lisa "oceandreamer" Swifka, (A Whimsical Bohemian), is the woman behind this brilliant blogging event. She started out two years ago with the idea of bringing people together from around the world who might not have a chance to meet otherwise. The first two years were wildly successful!

Last year, I was a new blogger and One World~One Heart turned out to be the perfect experience for me. I was introduced to new blogs and wonderful people...connections were made and many turned into friendships.

This year, I'm excited to be participating with my own giveaway...
a Composition Notebook/Journal with a removable QUILTY cover (removable, so you can put it on your next journal when this one is filled up).




For a chance to win, just leave a comment ON THIS POST only. The drawing is open to EVERYONE...please be sure there is a way for me to contact you if I draw your name. The giveaway will end February 12th when I announce the winner. I

If you would like to know more about this incredible, worldwide event, click the One World~One Heart logo at the top of this post for information and also to find a list of all the participants.

Thanks for your visit here and enjoy your journeys elsewhere...it's a wonderful world out there!!!

Marilyn

Project Improv

Just last weekend, I signed up for Project Improv on Jacquie's blog, Tallgrass Prairie Studio.

I really have to thank Jacquie, and good timing, because it was just what I needed to quiet the scattered, restless crafter in me yesterday! I needed something I could get lost in, something spontaneous, something with no rules. Improvisational quilting was exactly what I needed.

There are two parts to Project Improv...one is to provide a place of support for one another (127 quilters at this writing) to quilt improvisationally, without patterns, to explore possiblities outside of our comfort zone.

The other part is collaboration. Each quilter who joins the project commits to making one 12 1/2" improvised "log cabin-ish" block to donate to a charity quilt. There are three color schemes to choose from...red/aqua, blue/green or orange/pink. I've chosen red/aqua for my block.

The deadline for the blocks is April 1st, so I have plenty of time...isn't that what I always think? LOL! Nevertheless, yesterday and today, I played around with some batik fabric scraps from my stash and made eight different 6-inch blocks, like these...



Most of the fabric was already cut up into strips so all I had to do was sit and sew...free form...it was great!


Then I sewed the eight blocks together and I'm thinking I'll make it into a table runner or wall hanging.

Yep, this was really fun...and I think I'm hooked!

Marilyn

Scatter-brained!

ADD-crafting is alive and thriving again at my house this week! I simply cannot get focused!

My head is swimming with ideas and I've signed up for a couple of swaps so it's not that I'm out here floundering with no direction. It just seems that the things I've picked up to work on, quickly become unsatisfying.

I started a couple of stitching projects...

Blech! Maybe another day...or never:) I think it's the thread colors I chose that I don't like.

And I was pretty excited about this crochet project...

I've been seeing some really cool knitting going on in blogland. Specifically, socks. And I've been seeing some really cool sock yarn in one of my favorite stores. But I've resisted the desire to try it myself because my craft room is already full of supplies for plenty of projects and I'm trying to be more disciplined at using what I have. I've also resisted because the sock patterns I've seen use four of those double pointed needles and that really intimidates me.

Still, the sock yarn intrigues me, and I thought, why not use it to crochet one of those little bags that I made with the soy yarn. So I bought one skein of sock yarn at JoAnn with my 50 percent off coupon and I think the bag will turn out fine, but I'm going to let this be a project that I work on while I'm watching television...

Because I realize, as I'm writing this, that I'm feeling the need for some spontaneous, impulsive crafting! I've been trying to channel my creative urges into two very quiet, meditative activities this week. Noble arts, for sure, stitching and crocheting...but I think my restlessness is a cry for something less restrained.

I think I'll go try to throw some paper around--cut it, glue it, paint on it--get messy! Or run some fabric through the sewing machine in a haphazard way! Maybe I've found some answers to this scatter-brained condition of mine? Wish me luck:)

(Do you have times like this in your creative life? What do you do?)

Marilyn

The Blogoversary Giveaway Winner is...

First, I want to thank all of you again for making my first year of blogging the wonderful experience it has been. Your comments this week were a true reflection of your incredible kindness and encouragement. Thank you, dear friends, one and all!

Soooooo.....this week, I numbered each comment as it came in. Then this afternoon, I entered that range of numbers into the amazing and magical Custom Random Number Generator.....


And the winner is.....#4, the lovely and talented Michelle, 3rd Eye Muse, who said:
"HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY! thank you for your generous and happy spirit ... and for offering such a FABULOUS giveaway - who couldn't use a lucky cat?!?
(fingers crossed)"
Thanks, Michelle! I'll email you for your address and your prize will be on it's way to sunny Florida, *sigh*.
Again, thank you all for playing...and for enduring my game-show announcement of the winner--you'd think I was giving away a million bucks, and I wish I could:)

Have a lovely weekend!

Marilyn

First Quilt Block for Sew Connected 2

Today, I finished my first quilt block for the Sew Connected 2 Flickr group. The group is a virtual quilting bee consisting of 16 quilters from around the world. We will be creating 16 quilts from January, 2009 through April, 2010--one quilt for each of us!

Each month, everyone sews a quilt block for one group member with fabric the member chooses and sends to us. The completed block is mailed back to the sender who ends up with 16 quilt blocks (in just one month) to sew together into a beautiful quilt!

January blocks are being made for quiltinkimmie. She chose wonderful batik fabrics. The colors are so vibrant!

My month is coming up soon--April, 2009--and I've already started gathering fabric for it. I can't help it...this is too much fun!

(Remember, every comment made on any post this week will be entered into a drawing for my One Year Blogoversary giveaway.)

Marilyn

Craft Room "After" Pics AND One Year Blogoversary Giveaway

The week before Thanksgiving, I started painting my craft room. I'm not sure what drives me to start a big job like that right before the holidays, but it's not the first time I've done it, so there must be some related reason.

I can now report that I'm finished. The painting went relatively fast considering the amount of stuff I was working around. But it was that stuff that made the job last well over a month. A freshly painted room stirs up the organizing side of me and so I did. And, before my next flurry of a project puts that stuff back on every available flat surface, I photographed it so I could remember that once upon a time...







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One year ago today, I started this little blog o' mine. I pretty much just jumped in without really knowing where it would lead. One year later I can say that it was a good idea. I've met many new and interesting people, made friends and experienced things that I wouldn't have otherwise. And I've had a lot of FUN, thanks to all of you!

So, to celebrate these good things and to thank you for making it so, I'm going to have a drawing next Saturday, January 10th, for this embroidered dishtowel that I've whipped up for the occasion.

The embroidery patterns are ones from Sublime Stitching (I love their patterns) called Sushi Bar. I chose it for my blogoversary giveaway because of the Lucky Cat...Meneki Neko, Japanese "beckoning cat". A Meneki Neko is said to bring in good luck and visitors by beckoning "Please come in. You are welcome!"


To enter your name in the drawing, just leave me a comment, on this post or any post, between now and next Saturday (1-10-09) at noon CST. All comments will be entered. Be sure there is a way for me to contact you if I should draw your name:)

Thanks for celebrating my one*year*of*blogging with me--you're the reason it's a celebration!

Marilyn

Happy New Year

Yesterday, I received this New Year's wish from Inspiration Peak and would like to make it my New Year's wish to you also...

May peace fill all the empty spaces around you
And in you, may contentment answer all your wishes.

May comfort be yours, warm and soft like a sigh.
And may the coming year show you that every day
is really a first day, a new year.

Let abundance be your constant companion,
so that you have much to share.

May mirth be near you always,
like a lamp shining brightly
on the many paths you travel.

May you be true love.


Author Unknown

Marilyn