Happy New Year's Eve...

The last day of 2009 leaves us with a Blue Moon and the first time that we will have a full moon on New Year's Eve in 19 years!

Love and Blessings to you and yours in 2010.

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The loves in our lives. To the memory of Pebbles and Cookie.

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Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

Oprah Winfrey

Inspiration... 850 post!

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Inspiration found around the house, seen and observed.
Try something new next year, anything new, challenge yourself and just do it!

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.
Anaïs Nin, Diary, 1969

Art around the house....

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We have collected art here in the southwest when ever we have gone to Art Festivals on found street painting.

Colorful and bright!

Boxing Day

The day after Christmas is always fun...it sort of winds down from all the Christmas activities and is a day for visiting and here, shopping. It was a very fine Christmas. We were invited over to Sue and Dave`s with a total of 12 friends sharing a wonderful Christmas dinner.

2009 has been very good to us, as we have our loving family, friends, good health and happiness.

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Christmas Eve..

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We hope that where ever you are you will be filled with warm winter love!

A glimpse of winter....

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Just a few of the winter things that I wanted to share with you. They make me happy!

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.

Edith Sitwell

Fabric cuff bracelets...

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I found out how to make the fabric cuff bracelet in this Somerset magazine.

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I sit outside in the sunshine doing a little bit of hand stitching each day. This is 1/2 a collar from a linen blouse that I are re-using. I love the feel of old linen and how easy it is to machine sew and hand sew into something new.

Woodland Christmas....

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I made this Woodland Santa for Cindy several few years ago.

Jim cut the base and made the frame out of wood that I made a soft body for.

I was given Tim's Moms fur coat which I used to cover the body of the Santa.

I had some old horse bridle parts that were the right size for a belt.

Jeremy had lived in New Zealand with his dad when he was 12 for a year.

He brought me back a sheepskin rug which over the years it sort of fell apart....but it made the best beard and hair!

Over the years I have made at least 20, and they are all celebrating Christmas in wonderful homes!

Recycle, Re-Use, Re-Love!

Brooches..

These are some of the brooches I made from several felted wool sweaters, velvet, and wool cashmere.

The "girls" came over on Monday and we had fun making all different kinds.

Below are the samples I made for the class!

Play, craft, read, bake, walk, garden, dream, run, excerise, swim, eat,bike, work, But always have fun.(in what ever order you like.)

Don't stop living!

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Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.

Samuel Ullman

Postcards

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These lovely Christmas Postcards remind me of a gentler time!

Some of the messages on the back are so touching.

My collection continues to grow.

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Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say.

Sharon O'Brien

Nelson Snow

Cindy was kind enough to send me this photo of her cedar trees on her deck all decorated and snowy! So happy that my pal has snow for her and Emmy Lou to play in.





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Winter season

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Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.

Edith Sitwell

Snow Cottage Carvings...

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Cindy and I were so lucky years ago to meet Dave Francis in Castlegar BC.

We got to see him carve at his home. We knew him before he became a really well known carver of these wonderful Christmas Santa's.

I have about 10 of his carving back home in BC which I plan to bring them down here for next Christmas. Cindy has a great selection of his carvings as well.

Check out his website: http://www.snowcottagecarvings.com/

He will be in the 2010 issue N0v/Dec issue of Woodcarving Illustrated

We are so proud of you Dave for the wonderful carvings that you create! You keep the spirit of Christmas alive with your work.

Rustic Christmas Ideas

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I think some of these ideas would be fun to make and be part of our Christmas Celebrations!

www.potterybarn.com

Advent Calendar

Saw this Advent Calendar on the 7 Gypsy web-site and thought that I would share it with you. Good instructions on how to make one of these.

I really love the vintage look!

http://sevengypsies.blogspot.com/

Pottery Barn

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Yesterday, Sue, Karen and I went shopping at Pottery Barn and a few other places to get some of our last Christmas gifts.

I locked my keyes in the car, probably was in a hurry to get to the store...the day was saved by Sue and her BCAA card.

Car door opened, keyes returned!

Lots of crafting to do in the next couple of days as it is really cool here again today with frost this morning...however, the sun is shining and all is good in my world.

I hope all is good in your world as well.

All things glittery

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These pretties were found on-line and in catalogs.

Festive season!

Cold front coming down from Canada of all places, go figure!
We will need to put on some long pants and sweaters for a few days.
We went into the golf cart parade yesterday in our community We decorated the house and then the golf cart, which means a festive start for the season.

Off to visit Shannon for a few days and finish off my Christmas shopping. I will leave you with some images of my faourite store, Domestic Bliss!

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Tempe Art Festival

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We had such fun at the Tempe Art Festival. I was doing all kinds of looking for Cindy for when she comes down in the spring. It is held twice a year, and I will be posting more photos over the next few days in between crafting!

Thanks to Sue for driving us all there and to Sue, Karen and Moira for the fun we shared!

Happy Birthday, Brad

Jim's son Brad!

Yesterday was Brad's birthday! But we didn't have internet or phone service all day so I could not post his birthday wishes.

His wife, Carmen sent us these photos last week of Brad putting up the lights on their home in Calgary.

It also would of been my Dad's birthday!

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Today we are off to the Tempe Art Festival. We go to several in the 6 months that we are down here and I will be doing some research for Cindy when she comes here in March!

Thinking about Christmas...

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With the Christmas Golf Cart parade here on Saturday, I have been thinking of getting out the Christmas Decorations and starting to make the house more festive. I will let you know how that shapes up.

To my brother Heinz and sister-in-law Marlene, just 2 more sleeps and 2 more day shifts until she retires after 28 years as an RN.

This will be the first time that they will be able to travel and stay dwon here in the south for more than 6 weeks.!! Let's hope the cold and snow will stay away from Williams Lake until they leave on Friday!

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images from Martha Stewart and Better Homes and Gardens

Happy Birthday, Christa!

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Happy birthday dear friend!....Hope you day is filled with love, laughter and lots of phone calls!

I miss you!

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Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.

Author Unknown

Cindy's work... 825 Post

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These plates and mugs are the pieces that Cindy took out of her Kiln the other day. She is back doing wonderful work after breaking her wrist last year.

Her new slogan for some of her plates are -

"What happens at the cabin, stays at the Cabin."

Good one, Cindy.

Who wouldn't want one of her wonderful pieces of art!

Happy Birthday to my brother, Harry

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Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.

Scott Adams

Talent...

My very talented sister Caroline's newest painting of a racoon!

Beautiful work, Caroline!

AZ. Hike..

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Jim and I went on a little hike up this hill looking into San Tan Regional Park. Beautiful day, a mite windy but it was lovely to walk in the cool weather.

Handknitted scarf..

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I recieved this beautiful handknit scarf from my dear friend, Frosso. She took it along on her holiday to Mexico, so it is well travelled already!.

Thank you darling Fro for this lovely gift...I will wear it for many years to come!

Cookie and Pebbles..

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This a a lovely book with simple instructions to make some pretty amazing little friends! I bought it on line at amazon.com. It arrived in about 4 days!

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These two are the ones I made yesterday. Pebbles is the larger white one with the handknitted pink scarf and Cookie is the one with the blue scarf and swallow pin.

I finished off both scraves so it was a fun learning process all around.

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Christa got an early birthday gift of her Itouch and last night we had fun over skype setting it up! What fun she will have with that on her and Mike's long trip between both of their homes every weekend!

"Hope"

This is a photo of "Hope".
Caroline and Larry fostered her from the SPCA, where she and several other dogs came from the Brockett Native Reserve in Alberta!
She now has a forever home with them! Caroline says that she is a lovely dog and starting to be less timid. So proud of you Caroline to save and love another dog.


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Knitting practice...

Last night I decided that I wanted to learn to knit.

My Mom knitted so beautifully and I am sure that she tried to teach me many times. She always said that the tension should be in the wool, not in me.

This is my practice work, and I am not at all good at fixing mistakes.

I will learn.

There are so many helpful website that have videos where I can learn from.

I have had this magazine for some time, as well as some wool and #10 needles.
copyright 1979!

My new felted brooch that I finished off yesterday and the ones from the class by Betz White..I am going to make a few more with Christmas colors!

Happiness in having 3 birthdays to celebrate today!!

My sister Evelyne enjoying their place in the Baja.

My dear friend Shannon enjoying her birthday here in sunny AZ.

Our friend Leighton flying his helicopter somewhere in BC.

Sening the 3 of you love and happiness on your special day!