Spring is in the air!

I love this time of year where we live it is absolutely gorgeous. I know the heat will be here soon but for now I can't get enough sun. I have my garden planted, lawns are greening up and there is a newness about everything. I just wrapped up my latest give away, I hope you entered! It was so much fun I will be doing one each month so check back often. The warm weather inspired my painting which feels like spring to me. I painted, sewed and made this cute bookmark for Cathi Early who won my first give-away! Congrats Cathi!

Today I took some time to just enjoy the weather and the yard. The trees budding up and the daffodils blooming really inspire me! 

 Tiny reminders that spring is here for us, but sadly the east coast is still under tons if snow if freezing conditions. Jennifer and I are praying for all of you in this cold weather. We often talk about how hard it must be to be handicapped in those conditions, I can't imagine having to try and clear the walkway of snow to get Jennifer's wheelchair out to the car, oh and then clear the driveway etc. I am always so thankful I don't have to deal with that and I admire those who do it everyday! So to spread some sunshine here is another tiny reminder that spring is approaching! Hang in there!

 Randy disturbed a nest of baby cotton tails while working in the yard and they scattered! I caught one.

I think I might have to paint this!

Happy First Day of Spring!!

Well it has arrived after a very odd winter for sure. Cold, warm, cold, warm and now cold and warming to a nice 70 today as if to say I am here. The trees are all blooming I even have fruit on some of my fruit trees already. I hope this last frost hasn't robbed my of my summer harvest. I have been talking to my mom about the garden again, seems almost a daily thing we love to do waiting on spring. We love to pour over seed catalogs together and order all sorts of odd and fun things to try and grow each year. She now lives in a much different climate than I do so we order far different things but when we visit each others gardens we are always taking cutting. There is always that hope that we can get that plant to grow where they say it wont! Its the fun, the challenge, the sharing of the garden that I will always remember when I think of my mom. For as long as I can remember I have been at her feet, planting the pansy in the hole her hoe dug for me. Watching, learning, loving that time with her, the smell of the soil, the reward of the harvest or flowers.  It is a special gift I am handing down to my kids and grandkids along with the knowledge of where food comes from.  So often these days kids don't know how we get our food or where it comes from, basic information lost to a concrete jungle. Last week as we were helping and watching Randy digging around to roses to fertilize and mulch the twins saw some earthworms, "LOOK NANA, baby snakes!" I have my work cut out for me!

Easter/Spring fun!

I love to decorate, both my house and for all the holidays. I also love to have family and friends over and set a formal table, serve a huge meal and fellowship. This year I made this little quiltlette (as termed by Jane LaFazio) for this little wire hanger I found at Gingers Quilt shoppe. I painted the fabric with many different methods, using paints, inks, glue, tape, stamps LOL and anything else I could grab. I think it turned out great! If I do say so myself. I can only say that because it was just a miracle it turned out at all. I hated it at the beginning. Originally I used glue as a resist, not realizing that I would have to soak it for hours to remove it. I have since learned what kind of glue washes out easier. So in my frustration I decided to leave it, as I painted over it I loved the way the paint seemed to light up as I painted over it. I then decided to bead it, ok that didn't work out very well. Just incase you don't know, a needle will NOT go through dried glue. So I embellished with beads around the glue, in areas that I could and the glue wouldn't effect the overall design. This is one of my samples for my "Fabric Playday" class I teach. I am happy with it and used it for Easter with my bunnies. LOL