An other coffee cuff, this time I used some of the cloth paper I made, also via Quilting Arts magazine. An article by Beryl Taylor, its a mix of paper glued onto muslin/calico with a result that you can stitch into your favourite papers. I have a lots of handmade papers which I absolutely love and have wanted to use them somehow.
I do like the result.

Hospital Block.

My naked block ready for embellishing, the colours are not true to form, they are actually purples not blues. It is to have a heart theme.
Allie Aller has been blogging the blocks for wvweyone to see.

Coffee cuff - Have just recieved the latest issue of Quilting Arts with this pattern for takeaway coffee cup holder. I am a big fan of coffee, big big fan, so I wanted to run up a few of these for friends. This one is hand dyed silk with machine stitching. Needs a little tweeking.

The sun is finally shining in New Zealand and we have timed our holiday right. We are just leaving for a few day on the shores of Lake Taupo.
I will miss the Saturday roundup of Tast, but will look forward to seeing the progress when I get back.
Oh!!!! thank you all for the lovely comments, its such a thrill to get comments.
Gerry< I tried to post a comment on your blog about your beautiful new look, but just couldn't get it right.

Heart mark 2.

Another heart done in herringbone stitch. I also whipped this version and added beads. I really like the way it has stitched up. Didn't quite get it right at the top middle, but may be able to cover it over with something.

Tast: week 1 herringbone.
Sample 2, I am thinking hearts at the moment for a project I am working on so wondered what herringbone would be like worked into a heart.
I really like it, couldn't quite get the start and finish, so I had to improvise a bit.

Take a stitch Tuesday,
has begun, this week it is herringone, I love the layer upon layer. This is my first practice, looking forward to doing more. I love he curve shape that Sharon created, think I will have a play with that next. Pop on over and have a look at Sharon's site.

UFO/WISP.
It is the start of a New Year, new beginings, new hope. In that vane here is the first of my Ufo's. Two little blocks that started life as tissue holders, but didn't quite make it. So I decided to make them plus an other one into a little wall hanging.

We are running a summer holiday reading program at the library called with the theme of don't monkey around with african animals etc. I don't have a monkey stamp but did manage to pick up some wooden stamps from "trade aid" here in New Zealand and really wanted to make the kids something with them. I was thinking of a bookmark or a badge of some sort so needed to play around to come up with something. I am a magpie at heart and love all that glitters so wanted to use the angelina. Now I just need to come up with something for them.

On an other note I haven't done any stitching for weeks, and am starting to have withdrawal. Still I am the only one who can fix that.

I have been playing with Angelina fibres. In fact I have played a few times but not with much success. Vickie over at www.ribbonsmyth.com told me to use stamping ink with the stamps and now look at the results. Also when using angelina you need a low heat on your iron or it takes the colour out of them so I guess I have always been to gentle while using them. This time I pressed really hard and used a metallic stamp pad, only had pink, so they are all pink but I love it. Whereas before I had tried the rubber stamps with no success what so ever and even the wooden stamps didn't work too well for me, but this time I got it. Fantastic

Thinking of 2007.
If you are reviewing this year and starting to think of next year take a look at
http://inaminuteago.com/blog/index.php/take-a-stitch-tuesday-challenge/
Sharon's challenge starts on the 2nd January and it is going to be good. Nip over and have a look, then COMMITT yourself.

Bath bombs, I love soaking in a long hot bath especially with some nice smelly bits in it. I am making these for little gifts for Christmas.

Got a bit carried away with the colour in the round one, but at least I am recording all in the journal so hopefully won't make the same mistake next time.

These are lip balms that I have been experimenting with. The base is bees wax or macadamia wax, with shea butter and a few other things. This is my third try, first time they were rock hard. 2nd time, still way too hard, this time, about right. As I am getting older and my skin is drying out I am needing all this extra moisture. I have been making my own moisturiser for 6 odd years, but this is a first for me. They don't look much like anything in this photo, but they are Latte flavoured with cappucino mica balm and caramel flavoured with chocolate coloured mica. Given one to a friend to try out, need constructive critisism, but then maybe a friend is not the right person for that job!!!!! Nah, I think she will be honest.

Beaded Christmas Tree

Well, the fun is over for the day, time to get on with getting the washing in and doing the ironing etc etc. This little tree was fun to do. Also got this in a kit.

As I was beading this afternoon I realised an other creativity stopper for me anyway, is a mess. When I am working I make a dreadful mess, there are always so many things to get out and look at to see if it is the right thing for the piece. So I am going to do a Pat W http://gatherings100.blogspot.com/

and tidy up when I finish for the day, or the job.

Star/snowflake.

I picked up these little kits from my friend yesterday at the craft fair and have been making them, really easy to make and fairly quick too. I adore christmassy beaded ornaments

I have had an other day organising my work space as I want to have pens, papers, crayons, paint, anything that can make a mark ready for keeping a visual journal.

Sharon
http://inaminuteago.com/blog/index.php/archives/2006/12/01/visual-journals-a-link-round-up/

has been sharing on creativity and yesterday on visual journals, I think we all see the need for these to capture our ideas. I for one never think I have any ideas but that is because they come and I promptly forget them, if I was using a journal that would not happen. It is very interesting as I keep going back to what Sharon has been saying and mulling it over in my mind.
I think I have no ideas, therefore I am not creative but reading this post and some of the others I am starting to see that my thoughts are not entirely right. Sharon and others are talking about the process and that process involves discipline. What is discipline really!!!! It is exercise, exercising our creative muscles. What is journalling, nothing but exercising those muscles again.
What is the process? What are the things that hinders me?
Needing to get it right first time is a biggie!!
Not letting myself play and explore, or even letting myself play a bit and then hating what I have done and being very critical of it, instead of enjoying and learning the process. Why do I not like it. Is it because I think others won't like it or think it childish.?
Who cares, no-one but me.
Which brings me back to the topic, Visual journals and why I never stick with one. Am I trying to do things that others will approve of, instead of letting myself go and learn?
Somehow, I think that is a key!!!!. But is this my journey or someones elses? Its mine and the journals are not for anyone else to see. Its about my learning process and catching those ideas that are there.

No Stitching done for days, infact I don't think I am going to get to lesson 4 before lesson 5 comes out, but not too worry. I have spent the night rearranging my room to try and make it more user friendly rather that a storeroom, which it still is technically. Hopefully this will work better for me. Having the space is so important. Oh yes I spent some of last night moving my junk from the lounge so that you can now see the floor in there. Such a good feeling although I am knacked at the moment.
I keep thinking on Sharons post from Sunday and mulling things over in my head. Knowing that it is important for me to have and use that space. Brought my lap top in here too and am determinded to be in here first thing in the morning with my coffee in my hand ready for the day. Not too stitch though, but at least to get my Bible study done. And the bonus is everything is at my fingertips instead of wandering back and forth to collect what I need. Tell you what I am a slow learner.
On a lighter note, I work for the local Council/library. We had a Kindy visit today and I made bookmarks for the little ones, quite a thrill I might add, doesn't take much for me to be excited. Anyhow, they came to visit and I handed out the bookmarks to them all, then they went back to kindy. Round about lunch time a little fella came marching into the library with Mum on one hand and the bookmark clutched in the other determined to join the library and get some books. I was really blown away Soon after an other little boy came in with his bookmark waving it at me. His Mum was already a member so he was just stocking up. They both made my day.

A really exciting thing has happened for me. I am the recipient of a Scholarship to study Librarianship next year. I just got notification at the weekend, so you can see why I need to be organised next year and always of course.
Also want to get my wisps worked on next year, so I have made a decisions not to work on making things for other and hence stress to get it right, BUT to work on things and then I will have things ready for others when the time comes. Fun without the stress.
Thats all for now folks.

Before I forget again, thank you all for stopping by and leavings comments about my precious boy. Thanks

Now back to what is creativity? Sharon has started something really intersting and I have been trying to ponder on it all when I get a chance. Her 5 objectives are all ones that speak to me. I have never seen myself as a creative person, I can make things with my hands but lay a blank something down in front of my me and my mind is the same... blank. I tend to get very frustrated and have not really come to grips with it yet for myself. Are we born that way, is it a gift, is it learned? I don't know, please enlighten me if you can.
I am on the last third of my life and want to spend that time productively.
What do I know about myself, well I have discovered I am lazy, especially since starting this course. I have my own space to do things but I always bring what I am working on into our tiny lounge so that I can watch TV at the same time, also at the same time creating a mess. As I said the lounge is tiny. Since losing Callum I need to keep my brain occupied all the time. So I tend to read a lot now, esp as I work in a library. I nearly always make things for others, very rarely myself. And I am starting to wonder if that maybe stiffles the creativety, as you always want to get that right, no mistakes, perfect etc etc. I hate making mistakes, although I now know its how I learn. I want everything to be perfect first time. Doing my sampler for the course I have spent more time unpicking that doing actual productive stitching, why? it just doesn't look right.
I want so much to learn, anything and everything, the only trouble is my brain at the moment is not retaining too much. That has always been a problem with me but at this time of my life, hot flushes aside, I am forgetting things as quick as I read about them.
Thats enough negative, where do I go from here. The visual journal is essential. I did one year at art school a while back and we were marked on our journals. As I cannot drawI always had a struggle with them. But can see and do know how important they are. I am one who always thinks I don't have ideas but as Sharon has explained, we do have them but we fail to capture them. I has lunch with my friend today and as we parted a thought came into my head about how important she was to me and instantly there was an idea with that.Thankfully I had the sense to write it down as soon as I got back to my office.
Discipline is an other big key for me, I waver from being extremely disiplined to being the exact opposite, consistensly is important for me.
Using my own space instead of just storing my stuff there.
I have still much to think on if I want to making lasting changes in my life. I like Rissa' comments too http://blog.prettyimpressivestuff.com/
Is it all a hobby or am I an artist, phew big word!!!!!
On that note I will leave it for today.
I spent the weekend making soap so I am off to check on how it is doing and will post a photo of some of it.

Any one who hasn't read Sharons post this morning http://inaminuteago.com/blog/index.php
needs to pop over there with a cup of coffee and spend some time.
I was in two minds about signing up for the class just because of its proximity to Christmas and all the things that go with that, making gifts, functions just to name two. But I couldn't bare to miss out on the opportunity, after all I did the first one and learnt so much. Also the class was bursting at the seams with content and I knew this one would be the same. As it is of course and such a valuable resource that you know you will be going back to it again and again.
The frustrations set in though as you want to get into it and when you see the work that others are doing and achieving, I for one tend to get a bit down on myself. After reading Sharon's post I have realised that others are in the same boat, life gets in the way, and this lead onto priorites.
Of which I have been thinking a lot of lately, as I am going to be studying next year, working fulltime, doing a bible study, hope to be able to catch up on wisps, stitch of course, oh and cook clean etc. So obviously priorities are going to be important to me. Sharon has 5 priorities.

1 How the process is prioritised,2 Allocating regular time,3 Making a space for you,4 The habit of regular work5 Catching your good ideas when they come by using a visula journal.

Lots to think on and I am going to have to leave it there for today. Do read Sharon's blog she has invited us to comment. I am a lot more to think about and want to get an action plan formulated, but have to go for the moment

Its a year since we tragically lost our youngest son in a car accident. This is a roadside cross that some of his classmates have erected in his memory at the site of the accident which is about 100m from our house.
A lovely caring and touching thing for these kids to do. A whole year has passed!!!!!
I started this blog just a few weeks before his accident, I had to mention it, I know we don't get too personal but I wanted to share how marvellous people are.

More Christmas Earrings

Aren't they yummy, just love that glitz. So easy to do and less than an hour to make. Great little gifts. Of course I need to come up with a way of attaching to the ear! but I am sure they will work out fine.
Thank you all for the lovel positive comments on my work on Sharon's class. I really appreciate you taking the time to post a comment.

Playing with points from lesson 2.

Just been having some fun with points, using beads a few sequins and french knots. Used a variety of threads and just went for it, thinking of a floral arrangement as I went.

I love the weekend when you have some time to play and not have to rush. Especially this weekend as we are having a lot of rain. Having said that yesterday was fine and we got a lot of gardening done. It is supposed to be late autumn but we had snow last week. Guess you have to expect that when you live on the central plateau. I have lots and lots of annual seedlings planted and they are not doing to well with the copious amounts of rain and lack of sun and warmth. You just never know what the weather is going to bring here in the middle of the North Island New Zealand, mind you we are at 619metres above sea level.

Stepped running stitch on WOW block.

As I said yesterday I love whipped and wrapped stitches and this is going to be one of my favourites. Tried it on my wow block but it was way too big for my liking, it is not out of place on my block as it is a reasonable size but I do tend to like more delicate dainty things. So I decided to go with it and add a few bits drop beads, an other of my all time favourites. They were to big to add in each space so I added them every second one with rice and little pearls also. I also wanted to add some art glitter on the running stitches. In hindsight!!!! don't you wish hindsight was really foresight? guess we would all be so wise we would be boring, HUH? As I was saying with the benefit of hindsight the glue and glitter should have been added before the beads. And as you can also see the glitter is all over the place instead of just on the glue. I will brush the bulk of it away shortly once the glue is dry. Whether it will still show up on the stitches is an other matter. I love all that glitters, just a little magpie really. Do any of you use glitter in your work. Would love to hear or see about it if you do. Anyway all in all it looks ok.

Christmas earrings.

I managed to buy these lovely little balls last year but due to all sorts if things never got round to doing anything with them. Should have put something into the picture to get perspective. They are about an inch or so round. Got the balls in all sorts of yummy colours. I am traditional myself and like the reds, green and golds etc etc, but lots of others like all the other yummy colours. Wants to make lots for friends. Only got 2 pairs done so far, so I need to get a move on.

Progress on 1st Sampler

Stepped running stitch. I don't know what it is about wrapped and whipped stitches but I just love them, this one is done with a small running stitch in pearl which is threaded with a lovely chenille fishing thread, with a few beads added.

Underneath is my attempts at portugese stem stitch. I have stitched and unpicked this stitch quite a few times, infact for most of last night. Decided to start again today, you can see my attempts on the left where I have still got it wrong, then wallaa!!!!!! I finally got it. So instead of unpicking the left hand side again, I thought it would be better to leave it as a learning experience.

Lesson two is out and full of information as always, but I need to get on with somemore practice first.

Christmas time.

Not the best photo yet again but I have been working on these balls for Christmas presents. Got the pattern from about.com. They are really quick to make up and I love to make little gifts for Christmas, and I especially love beaded balls

Sharons Class over at www.joggles.com.

I have decided to do my samplers in a format that I can make into a cloth book. This is the start of my borders. Left hand side is just plain old stem stich that is whipped, not that you can see that, but thats what it is. Done in a pink crochet cotton and whipped with fine fool, me thinks its appletons but not sure as it hasn't got any label on it!!!!. The top is guilloche stitch. Which has 2 pink pearl cottons the french knot in the middle is fine wool as is the green straight stitches.

I have decided to stick with pinks and greens as I have the most variety of threads etc in these two colours. The fabric looks like aida and it has that weave, but it is soft and I have no idea what it is or what I bought it for. Don't know what the count is either, and these old eyes will go cross eyed trying to count it so I will leave that. It is much smaller than 14 though.

http://www.ribbonsmyth.com/2004_finished_blocks.htm These are two of my blocks from this series. They were meant to be made into a kimono, but for some reason, I didn't get my blocks the correst size. I loved everything to do with them, so I decided to make them into smaller hangings. I am really pleased with the finished products. I have made an other hanging with 2 other blocks that go really well together but the last two blocks are the ones that are odd shapes. Not too sure what to do with them at this point. Think I may just trim them up and make an other hanging. Vickie has stopped the embellishment clubs for the time being.

This picture may be too dark to see it very well. It is two RR's I was in with my Crazy Gathering mates. The bottom one was the Bead RR that Karen South posted lots of pictures off
http://karensouth.blogspot.com/The top one is the Victorian Tea Party block that my Dear Friend Judy organised. http://creationsbyjudy.blogspot.com/ I love these two blocks even if they are akward shapes. They, or at least the first one didn't, it was meant to be portrait, but somewhere along the line was transmorphed to landscape, hence making the other one the same. I have finally ( an other ufo) made them into a wall hanging. Just need to make some kind of cord to hang it. Don't you just love getting those UFO's finished? Quite often they don't take too much time either. Why oh why do we do it?????

My WOW Block


I don't know what I am doing wrong but this picture keeps loading the wrong way up!!! It is on its side, you can tell by the beautiful face that Juliette made, poor thing is lying on her side. Anyway, I just don't know how to rearrange the photograph, bah humbug.
Isn't it beautiful? Some of my friends from Crazy Gatherings worked on this. Now desisions time, what to do with it? Any ideas anyone?

FINALLY FINISHED

This is the block I started for Sharon's last class "encrusted crazy quilting" a finished ufo, Yahoo, only several dozen to go. The class was a big learning curve for me and I am looking forward to the next one "personal library of stitches"

Finshed Cafe Au Lace Block.

This was what I was working on when I started this blog. It was going to be the first of several. Didn't quite make it, but on the positive side, this one did get finished!!! Hows that for the glass being half full instead of half empty.!!!!!!I finished it in January, just found a picture of it when I was trying to tidy things up on the computer. It was made into a cushion for a Dear Friends birthday.

I have been finishing a few other UFO's but just can't seem to get a good picture of them, have asked DS if he would take some tomorrow.

I have been doing some changes on my blog today and have spent ages trying to recover my password!!!!! I even wrote it down would you believe, phewey. Must just have been a typo. Hopefully it is all sorted out now.

This is an other button, these are fun to work on and fairly quick being all of 2 inches.

I have had a busy weekend, gardening and lots of other domestic duties. Have also had another go at making soap, had a try 3 years ago, not with the greatest successthough. The soap was ok but does need some tweaking. I will try to blog the journey of my soap making adventures. Made 3 batches today, the first one is a recipe I got from About.com soap. The 2nd two from an ebook I bought today of the net. They have to be left for 24 hours before cutting, so we will see what tomorrow brings.

JULIETTES WOW BLOCK.

This wow RR has been such fun, stitching without green has been a challenge but at the same time interesting to see what we could come up with. I have got to say how much I like the white on white (cream etc) there is an elegance about them, a beauty all their own, they have become a favourite. I enjoy RR's finding it easier to do work on someone elses block rather than my own work.

I HAVE TO APOLOGISE TO PAT, Pat I am so sorry for calling you Pat Winer. You are not a winer Dear Friend, far from it. I checked the post before sending it but obviously not well enough. All credit to Pat, even after calling her !!!!!!! and telling my deepest darkest secret she is still calling me a lady. How is that for a friend? You are the bestest Pat.
I am also racking my brains to think of 4 more weird things. Even asked DH and my eldest son and still haven't come up with any. What a boring old so and so I am, not giving up just yet, the weirdness is there, honest, and when I get my menopausal memory back I will be able to enlighten.

This is one of my button covers for the competition over at Silk_Ribbon_Heirlooms@yahoogroups.com
The button is about my son Callum (see earlier entry) the heart is for my heart, his name is Gaelic and means Dove . His nickname was "Pink" and the Dove is holding a pink tear.
The competion is a great idea for me as it makes me do something.

I HAVE BEEN TAGGED:
My Dear Friend Pat Winer has tagged me, as everyone can see I have not been here in a long while but have been thinking everyday of returning. So thank you for that , and thanks also for calling me a lady, me a lady!!!!! I don't think so, just ask my kids, they would tell you a few home truths. But really Pat I am so flattered that I am sitting here smiling, almost!!!!!! I said almost, believing I might be a lady, well I know I am female so that is a start.
I can't think of 5 things at the moment but I will tell you the worst as it comes to mind without any bidding. Sorry, this is not nice so you may want to start reading an other blog at this stage.
Here goes,
as I am getting older and things don't work as well on the inside I get flatulence. It is most disturbing as it comes out at the most inopportune moment. Like the other day I was talking to one of my eldest sons friends who I hadn't seen for a long while and I sneezed and out it popped. Pat talks abouth going red when she was little. I have always done that too and was a red beakon at that moment. There nothing else can shock like that. As for the others I will think on those as I have to go work now.
Just popped in a photo of a the WOW round robin that I am in and is just finishing.
So nice to be back on deck

This is the other one which belongs to Nancy Coombes, she was ok with other shades of white so I used mainly creams. Doing the beading, spider web and of course the Nancy Eha spider.

I have a fear of trying new things!!!!!bah humbug Why? It is such a pain being stuck in my comfort zone, I long to soar, the fear of failure rears its ugly head yet again!

Mind you maybe trying new things is not the best idea on someone elses block.?????

I have been having a lot of fun this weekend working on white on white round robin blocks. This one belongs to a friend Kimber, she only wanted white, no cream. So this is what I came up with. It is a challenge not using any green, I always enjoy adding green, leaves stem etc. I chickened out and didn't add any sre, but really leaves, would have looked ok in white.

This is an other block that had to be done in a hurry, it is for a friend in the States and it had to be posted before we went on holiday. Pinks and greens yet again.

This is a block I had to get done in a hurry, it has to go to the States so it needs to be in the mail. It is meant to be an autograph type block but the only things I could really come up with quickly, was the dove, representing my precious C allum, pink heart, and the pink block of course.

It is ages since I have blogged, been seriously lacking inspiration and motivation, it just seems easier to blob out infront of the TV with a glass of wine in the evenings, very numbing.

But onto a cheerier note. We have just has a lovely holiday in Melbourne Australia with our other two sons, and it was really lovely. Just being with the boys was a real tonic. This empty nest thing is the pits.

One of the highlights for me was meeting up with Linda of http://chloesplace.blogspot.com/

Linda has written in her blog of our visit. It was so good to catch up with an other CQ especially such a good one. I got to see her finished block from Sharonb class and believe me the pictures do not not do it justice. Also got to see her first 2 Waggas/Woggas. Hope you are all checking out the progress on these wonderful block, check out the history of these marvellous things. I have been to Wagga Wagga. My BIL was in the Airforce and was there for a while. As a complete change of topic, it was while I was there as a teenager that I read "The Five Chimneys Of Austwich" I knew nothing of this time in history and I could not put the book down, and can still all these years later, vividly recall some of the things in that book.

I spent my teenage years in Australia,attending Thebarton Girls Technical High School in Adelaide and Prides Business College, then we took off to Sydney and Hobart. At 18 I left Aussies fair shores for Dear Old New Zealand, so it is interesting that my eldest son is residing over there now.!!! Which is fine with me as long as he comes home again.

Is there anyone else going through the Empty Nest thingie that may have some words of wisdom for me? I would love to hear them.

I want to thank the ladies who have stopped by and sent me comments. I really appreciate you for doing that, thanks so much

Close up of centre of the block. I am really enjoying this, and starting to get the feel for the encrusted look. Still lots to do on this. BUT!!!! I need to get outside of the square so to speak, out of my comfort zone. What am I trying to say.? Stretch.... I have to try things that scare me. Sharon suggested we do samplers and I think this is agreat idea and need to start one. Especially with stitches I don't normally do. I am really pleased that I signed up for the class as I was never quite happy with my CQ and didn't know why, but now I am starting to see, yeah!

Progress on my block for Sharon's class

More RR work, this is an other friend's block. Lita's block is stunning, gorgeous rich colours. I did the seam with the sequins and rice pearls and the one below with the ribbon ruffles.

I love ribbon ruffles, I get them from Vickie at www.ribbonsmyth.com her prices have got to be the best and the colours are to die for. They make lovely rolled roses, especialy with the dark edge, yum.

This is my work on a friends RR block
Sandra Sews.url I love cameos even if they only resin. I also did the 3 seams to the right. Now why is it that I have no trouble (usually) deciding what to do on and RR block. BUT, when I get to my own blocks!!!!! I get stumped.
My block for SharonB class, sat and sat, I didn't know where to start, till I took Sharon's advise and simply started?

Last one.

This has to be one of my favourites as I love daisies. This is also someone elses design.

Next one, I cannot take any credit for these as they are all designs taken from books. These two are from Joan Gordons book "The Silk Ribbon Embroidery Bible"

These little pictures are thank you gifts for some of our friends for their help to us last November. Callum was called Pink by his friends, so these are all pink and his name Callum, which is Gaelic, means Dove, hence the little doves in the pictures. I really enjoyed making these. I have never been much of a pink fan, I think I mentioned that already. I think it stems from having red/auburn hair, my Mother never let me wear pink in any form. I am loving the colour now.

I have so enjoyed hearing from so many of you talented ladies. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Its so good to know you are all out there. While I was away I did manage to get a few things done. This is a block that is going to be part of a quilt that will hang in the Arlington Breast Cancer Research Unit in Texas. My Dear Friend Barbara Blankenship from cqmagonline organised it. It says "His Banner over me is love" a scripture from Song of Songs, there are 25 blocks and each one of finished and backed and tied together with gold ribbon and beautiful folddr dior roses. Barbara has just about finished assembling it and it goes in the post today, Monday

This is for my 2nd class with Susan sorrell also at www.joggles.com and I am equally excited about this too. It is very different for me and once again it has a pink theme. My son Callum was called "Pink" by his mates. This, at this stage is meant to be a broken heart and the bit at the top is supposed to be the word pink, not that you can see that at the moment. I want to have some text at the right hand side and beyond that I am not sure. Not that you would believe by these two pieces but I am not and have never been a pink person, but me thinks I am getting to like the colour.

I decided on an other colour scheme for Sharon"s class. www.joggles.com and as pink is the current theme with me I have decided to go for pinks. I prefer the look of this block and know that I have embellishments to go with it. The class is prgressing really well, Sharon is a great teacher and I am enjoying it very much. Living in the country I don't have the chance to take classes so this is the next best thing for me. Infact, I think it is better

It is a long time since I have posted to my blog, the reason being, that it is too hard to look at the picture of my son. We have the same picture on the shelf at home but I find it hard to look at that also. Time will change all this of course. But the reaon I am back blogging is that I have just enrolled in two classes at joggles and am very excited about them both. This picture is my first CQ block for Sharon's class. I have used colours or a combination of colours that I would never have used. Gone for triads on the colour wheel. Red, yellow and blue.Tend to go for beige/cream/gold most of the time but I want to expand my horizons. I find peicing extremely difficult to do and as usual I am not happy with this. But I am posting it here for feedback. So please feel free to comment, thanks

I am not sure what the protocol is with answering comments on blogs but it was nice to recieve so many comments from people for our loss. Thanks!!!!
I have been wanting to make small wall hangings for my family members, little memorial thingies with pictures of Callum in pink with some words and things. I started to print the pictures on fabric yesterday and started rouching some ribbon and realised that I just can't do it. I can't keep looking at his picture!!!! It hurts too much. I thought this would be good to do, healing for me. Also bought scrapbooking things and can't get onto that either. I hope I will be able to do it later, maybe when it is not so raw.
I am in an RR with some close friends so I will look forward to working on those. Not like I don't have heaps of UFO's but I am best when doing something for others, don't seem to get things done when they are for me.
On a good note, I just recently bought Carole Samples Book on CQ and her set of templates. Looking forward to working with these. I read about them on Sharon's site, in a minute ago and loved the idea.