Trick or Treat!

Definitely a TREAT!!!




Happy Halloween!!!

Marilyn

It's a Circus Around Here!

It seems, recently, that many of my regular-blog-reads have noted how long it's been since they last posted.....and here I am thinking the same thing! What's up with that, I can't even explain.

I've been in the craft room and I've been makin' stuff...like these Itty Bitty Circus Book pages:


This is the last Itty Bitty Book Club Swap for a while. The head itty-bitty is taking some much needed time off--through the end of the year. Eleven swappers signed up for the Circus book and we were also invited to make more than one page if we wanted to. I always like a thick itty-bitty...hehee, I really like saying "itty-bitty". I found several great circus images out there on free image sites and decided to make three different pages (3 X 11).


Speaking of great images, for the backs of my pages I used three of them from the Logomachy Cards set I purchased from my friend Mary at her Green Paper Packages Shop. I added my blog information to them, but still a bonus page, don't you think? Mary also shares many wonderful free images on her blog, Green Paper.

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It seems like there is less of this

and more of this

in our backyard today! Raking vs. blogging.....I'll get back to you on that!

Marilyn

Number Twelve

Rick and I celebrated our wedding anniversary yesterday--our twelfth--and were we ever lucky to have the perfect-weather-day to enjoy it!

We took a day trip to St. Joe (St. Joseph, MO), Rick's growing-up town. I really believe the trees were at their peak just an hour north of us. We saw the most brilliant yellows and oranges! Isn't this one funny? Looks like a hairdo parted down the middle:)


We stopped at a nature park next to the Missouri River where the sun was glistening on the river and the leaves were rustling in the breeze, aahhh:)


There was a nice tree lined path for walking. This bridge crosses a babbling creek.


We ate a really wonderful Cajun meal and drove the beautiful boulevards to ogle lovely historic homes, including Lovers Lane...


How perfect!

Marilyn

Sinister and Sweet

"Sinister Bird"...the cutest one I've seen!
(6 x 6 inches)
from Katherine, Scootin' Annie

Katherine and I were swap-buddies for the Teeny Tiny Mini Quilt Swap. When she saw this tag on my blog...

...inspiration kicked in and "sinister" became our theme--a great one for October. It was a fun swap...thanks Katherine!

This is the teeny-tiny-sinister-mini that I made for her.
(6 x 6 inches)

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So, now, how 'bout some S W E E T !

These beautiful tags are from Karin, Creative Chaos.

Aren't they gorgeous?! And sweet...like Karin! I just adore them...thanks so very much!!

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Most of my time in the ol' craft room this past week was spent working on my issue for I Heart Zines 2009. It's a first for me--fun and a bit of a challenge.
But, Alma Stoller, the swap hostess (and another sweet and talented artist) provided a really helpful tutorial. I've mostly worked on getting my thoughts and ideas organized--ones that I'd noted and/or sketched over the past few months (an interesting variety of scrap paper, napkins, deposit slips, etc.)--but I've been able to create some of my pages too. I'll share more on my progress later:)

Marilyn

Summer at the Beach House

We've had some nice cool-ish weather here this week...and one very rainy day...but today was overcast and downright cold! I'm not r-r-ready for c-c-cold yet.

However, I did have a nice distraction from it in my craft room today. I worked on finishing quilt blocks for Sew Connected 2.

(10.5 x 10.5 inches)

The blocks are for Sonja. She sent the most beautiful fabrics and her theme is "summer at the beach house".

(8.5 x 9.5 inches)

That theme, and the lovely summer-y colors of the fabrics, made it easy for me to drift into my own little world with thoughts of sun and water and lazy days.

(10.5 x 10.5 inches)

Maybe I should make one of these quilts for myself. Then, when the temps are freezing and the snow is flying, I could climb underneath it and dream of the beach!

Marilyn

Getting Ready For December 20th

Completed, laundered and ready for...


...first daughter's baby shower last Sunday! It was a lovely afternoon hosted by one of her long time friends.


Can you believe this cake?! It was so adorable and also very tasty!


We asked grandbaby Cole to test out the Bumbo seat (I swear he gets cuter every time I see him)...lots of new baby things available that I've learned about these past several months. It's amazing, and they're all so cute and really some good ideas!


After we took the dozens of wonderful gifts back to first daughter's house, I asked her to pose with baby's quilt.


(By the way, she loves it!)

Marilyn

Where Did September Go?!

Yep, October already...reminding me yesterday that it was time to quilt the table runner I pieced a couple of weeks ago.

Fortunately it went smoothly and I was able to get it on the table along with my Vintage Spooky Tag Book...


...and, at least in the kitchen, there's a reminder that YES, IT IS OCTOBER ALREADY!

Marilyn