Hand Stamped Christmas Cards

I read this little bit from the book "101 Ways to Enjoy God" by Candy Paull.
Create Something Beautiful for God. God created you in his image.  Your creativity is a gift from God, and the way you use your creativity is your gift back to God.  Home crafts, fine art, beautiful music, useful objects that are well designed and well made are all expressions of the creative spirit .Whatever you make, create it for God's glory as well as humanity's use.  It can be as simple as an arrangement of flowers for your table, or as complex as an exquistely crafted piece of furniture.  Whatever you create, make it something that satisfiess your heart, takes your best effort, and becomes a worthy offering to God.

I will honor you as long as I live, lifting my hands up to you in prayer.  Psalm 63:4 NLT

So tell me, two things:  1.  Which is your favorite card I made up above?  and 2.  What do you like to create?

Pink Saturday-Two Favoirte Quilt Books

Thank you Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday  http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/11/pink-saturday-november-27-2010.html

stop over to visit all the other's who are joining in today's fun.  I am show casing two favorite books today, "Quilts en Provence" by Kaffe Fassett and "Material Obsession 2" by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke.  The photography is beautiful in the books and the patterns are fabulous, please let me know how to get another two hours into my day just to work on making these beauties up.  Have a great Pinkie Day!

Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade, "Tom's" Portraits

Happy Thanksgiving to you, thank you for stopping by and visiting, pies in the oven so I have a few minutes before heading over the river and through the woods to my "sister's" house.  I took the photos off the TV and thought they came out pretty good, so I thought I'd share the highlights of some of the floats and balloons.  Also a few portraits of Tom Turkey around my house along with antique postcards.  I am so thankful for so many things, mostly I praise my heavenly Father for His grace, mercy, provision and protection! 

Shhh...Xmas presents for Family

Starburst Hotpads for my sisters, cousin and daughter, it's a secret that will be kept because unfortunately they are too busy to be interested in blogging at this time in their lives. I saw this over here http://plus3crochet.blogspot.com/2010/11/green-one.html and it looked sooo cute I had to try and they whip up very fast.  If you haven't visited Casey at  plus 3 crochet you must stop over.  This pattern can be found here:  https://www.ravelry.com/account/login and there is a utube video on sewing the starburst together. See below.

Autumn Hues



Gerber daisies, carnations and mums...beauty abounds in this pretty color combination and design of each flower.  I love fresh flowers in the house for each season to match the candles and the seasonal decorations.  Have a beautiful day!

God's Protection

Deer, 8 pt. buck, hits me-8:15am {running late to work}going 65 mph on the thruway.  To say I was in a little shock is an understatement, I never saw him coming and just felt a huge boom on the drivers side of the car, hit by my front tire and driver's door.  Policeman said it was amazing that the glass didn't break, etc, one of the bigger "ones" around.  Truly a miricle, I was uninjured and my car was repaired.  I've seen 3 more deer in go in front of me in the last 3 weeks and heard of 3 people dying from car accidents with deer.  Praise God for his protection.

Psalms 34:18-20 The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking; he rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins.  The good man does not escape all troubles-he has them too.   BUt the Lord helps him in each and every one.  God even protects him from accidents. {The Living Bible}

Turkey Trail Mix

Thanksgiving is this Thursday, so I will be busy this weekend making some of these up for all the kids and if the adults are lucky them too.  I have these stamps, but if you don't you could just as well type them up and print them out and use stickers.

This is the back of the tag.

Here's the little ditty the front says:

Turkey Trail Mix

There once was a turkey names Jerome

Who always got lost on his way home

One day he confided in Fred, his good pal,

who told him to follow the old "turkey trail".

"Just leave behind a peanut or two,

Small marshmallows and a chocolate clue,

Some pretezel sticks to find your way

Back home again for lThanksgiving Day!"

Have a great day! Blessings, Michelle

Church-On-Line

Praise God for technology!  The church I attend offers the ability to watch church on-line.  So, if you are sick or unable to get to church you can still hear the Word.  http://www.thechapel.com/index.php
"This is the message you heard from the beginning:  We should love one another." 1st John 3:11
Blessings, Michelle

Alpaca Farm

Alpaca Farm in Lockport, NY. About three weeks ago when I was at a local farmers market I saw a lovely fleted hat on a child and commente to the mother, asking if she'd made it and she no, she got it at the Alpaca Farm in Lockport...well I was stunned an Alpaca Farm so close to me and as a knitter, I knew nothing of this, oh could that be. The day I visited they were closed, so I did not get a real tour or go into the shop, I'm planning on revisiting soon, more to follow. Enjoy the photos.

Isn't she lovely, she was so curious, came right up to me.

Blessings, Michelle

Vintage Charm-Bloggers Quilt Festival

Sunbonnet Sue...this is an all time favorite pattern.  I  have to admit, I did not personally piece/applique/or embroider stitch this quilt.  Nope, my part was more of a rescue of a vintage top that no one ever finished.  These poor old tops just need me, so I adopt them {by means of some green paper electronically on e-bay, usually}.  But, I am a good mama, I take care of any boo boos {repair rips holes tares}, I feed them stiches with my long arm machine, and then I give them lots of hugs and love.

I wanted to get this photographed in natural light, and the ground was all wet, so hence, the feet sticking out from my unhappy assistants.  I believe this was probably pieced as a top for a bed because of the direction of each block, especially the top row center two block that would be directed toward your face if you were lying down, I love how each corner and side is turned.

I fell in love with this one especially because of the pink sashing, I love pink and yellow are two of my favorite colors.  Yes, sometimes there are little stains, but I accept them with their little flaws, as I am not quite perfect either.

I used a basic off-white colored thread to blend in and not take away from the piecing, and found a sunbonnet sue pantograph quilting design to repeat the appliqued block design.

The attention to detail is evident in the hat stitchery, each hat has a slightly different stitched design and I love the accent black thread color.  I treasure the time that someone put into piecing, applique and stitching these.  I don't know where I'd find it.

I used a lovely fabric from Philip Jacobs that I seemed to fit perfectly, very vintage feel I thought and I love the print and colors.  {In ase any of you are wondering, no I didn't get the binding on, I just ran out of time, but that's for the next generation to do, right}

A little history on the Sunbonnet Sue.   In 1900, American Bertha Corbett Melcher published a book called The Sunbonnet babies.  her illustrations were used to decorate household items, such as china, and became the basis for what is commonly known as Sunbonnet Sue.  Sunbonnet Sue, her brother Overall Sam, and many relatives, including the Colonial lady, were most frequently used in the first part of the twentieth century.  They experienced a revival in the 1970s and 1980's when quilters used both traditional patterns and fabrics as well as moderrn fabrics with new variations on the pattern, sometimes placing Sue in politcal  and social settings, such as running for political office and mountain climbing.  Sunbonnet Sue Quilts are great examples of folk-style applique.
Thank you to Amy for again hosting this wonderful on-line quilt festival, I hope you enjoyed your visit and will continue to visit the pariticipants.  http://amyscreativeside.com/

Vintage clothespin bag

Friend, new friend, how sweet is that, I have a new friend.  Her name is Deb, maybe you've met her, you can find her over at http://homespunliving.blogspot.com/.  Go check out her blog, I first met her via "Artful Blogging" magazine, she was featured in it, and I noticed her address said Lockport, NY, oh well that's pretty close to me...maybe we will meet one day.  All along following her blog, next I pick up the book, "Blogging for Bliss", yes I found her there too.  One day, I'm checking out her little on-line store

http://fireflyfarm.freeservers.com/ and find these really cute vintage clothespin bags she creates...and I HAVE to have it, I fell in love, it just spoke to me.  We meet in person and I get this lovely bag and then look at the gift she gave me, an awesome little zipper bag with crocheted doily on it and a handknit dishcloth, well I was completely surprised and blessed, she even wrapped it with a country brown paper and string....homespun indeed.  I love my new things...I've even started one of the dishclothes myself and have my needles and yarn in my new zipper bag {she has the pattern on her blog}.  Thank you Deb, I look forward to our new friendship.