My Inspiration Today

inspiration (ˌɪnspɪˈreɪʃən)
— n
1. stimulation or arousal of the mind, feelings, etc, to special or unusual activity or creativity
2. the state or quality of being so stimulated or aroused
3. someone or something that causes this state
4. an idea or action resulting from such a state
Collins English Dictionary

 Inspiration comes today from a pretty Gerbera daisy in a grocery store flower arrangement on the kitchen table.

Just as I sat doing some sketches of the flowers, the mailman brought a package- my order from the art supply store.... I treated myself to some wants (37 new colored pencils!) and needs (3 different pads of watercolor paper).

What is it about brand new supplies that is so invigorating and inspiring? I used to love getting new school supplies at the beginning of every school year- especially the giant box of brand new crayons.... Oh, seeing and sorting and arranging all of the colors in the box was like discovering a brand new world every time....

Now I get the same feeling when my new pencils and paints come... and when I visit a fabric store.... All the possibilities just make me feel so creatively inspired. I want to color and paint and sew everything...

I am also inspired whenever I open my kitchen cabinets... I like to collect dishes in lots of different colors and patterns... mismatched dishes don't bother me at all...

My red teapot and some favorite counter top pretties also make me feel happy and energized....

What is inspiring you today? Your fabric or thread collection? A new piece of clothing you got over the weekend? A beautiful magazine article or photo spread? Everything???

In the Studio Today

I am doodling around with some flowers.... I started with a simple tulip, but I am also thinking about roses, poppies, zinnias, chrysanthemums, daisies..... Sounds like a gorgeous garden, doesn't it? My inspiration for the color is Pantone's Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango.

I am still working on a particular quilt.... I'm sorry I can't show very much.... but the recipient reads my blog and I want her to be surprised! I am afraid I'm already giving too much away.....

I am also working on quilt designs for my fabric line Oh Holy Night, which will be in stores May or June-ish. It is really hard to work against the seasons.... Christmas in the Spring, Easter in the Fall... Maybe it's time to put on the Christmas music to get myself in the mood (but it feels like I just finished putting all of the Christmas decorations away!)

Yep there's a lot going on- I really need to focus! I feel pretty scattered right now.
Have a wonderful weekend (Yes I know it's only Thursday, but let's start early, OK?? I feel like I need it!)

PS. It has come to my attention that the link for the free embroidery pattern in the March Newsletter is not working. It is being fixed, in the meantime you can click here for the pattern. Sorry for any inconvenience.

March Newsletter is Coming...

I am putting the finishing touches on the March Newsletter, which will be sent out tomorrow. Here's a peek at what's included:

 Yummy Recipe....

 Directions to make this quilt....

Free Embroidery Pattern...

Lots of Pretty Photos.....

If you haven't subscribed yet (and it's free), you can do so at the top right bar of this blog. 

Today is Leap Day, and according to About.com:
Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage.

In many of today's cultures, it is okay for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't always been the case.

When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.

It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.

According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.

The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland supposedly passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. Tradition states they also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.

Interesting...... 
Is anyone doing anything special for Leap Day (like marriage proposal)? Seems like I should, since this is an extra-special day that only comes around once every 4 years, but I don't have any ideas (I am already married, so the aforementioned Leap Day activity doesn't work for me). 
Have a great day whatever you do today...

The Art of Procrastination.....

Saturday I didn't have to BE anywhere, and had no deadlines looming, so what did I do with my valuable free time? Cruised the interwebs, of course.

So sorry I missed out on these for Valentine's Day:

(Click here for larger image.)

Time to play with color. I created this palette at Kuler from a photo that I took last summer. It is really easy and fun (i.e. addictive...)

Perhaps dream about the places you'd like to visit someday.... Here is a site I can get lost in....

Cute animal photos, anyone? Try this.

OK I'm done. Time to get some work done.

P.S. The March newsletter will come out on Thursday- look for the sneak peek here on Wednesday. If you would like to sign up, there is a form at top right bar of this blog. It's gonna be a good one!

In the Studio Today & Weekend Plans

Today it is dark and rainy and windy- perfect for hunkering down in the studio, drinking tea, and sewing....
I am working on my "labor of love" project (click here to see that fabrics I am using)-  I put it aside for a while to work on some other projects, but now it's out again. I would love to get it done for June.... but it has a lot of hand embroidery, so I just don't know....

Speaking of big events in June, I have been putting off getting my dress for my daughter's wedding. I think I am in huge denial that this is really happening! Plus, most of the "mother of the bride" dresses I've seen are so matronly- I don't want to look like the Queen of England, you know?? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the Queen, I just don't want to look like her! Regular evening-ware seems to be much too revealing for me.... I finally found a website with dresses that I really liked, so I called the shop yesterday to make an appointment and was told that it is taking 16 weeks for dresses to come in- and I was out of luck! Oh my, did I panic....
I called another shop, the same shop where we are getting the bridesmaids dresses, and the very kind lady there told me not to worry, we can put a rush on it, and I can probably have my dress by April... AND they carry the same dress designer that I liked! PHEW!!!! I have an appointment later today, and hopefully I'll find something I like and order it and that will be one more thing off the list and then I can worry about other things....

Daughter is coming home from college for the appointment, and then we are going to dinner, and then going to finish up her registry. She registered for a lot of things back in the summer- and now they are mostly unavailable so we have to go back and pick some current items.

So is anyone watching the Oscars on Sunday night? The media makes such a big deal out of it. I will watch the highlights on Good Morning America on Monday morning.

What will I be watching instead of the Oscars on Sunday night?? Why, I will be watching The Walking Dead on AMC, of course! My absolute FAVORITE show right now!!!! I am so hooked! Creepy and scary and full of drama and human emotion..... Yes, it's about the Zombie Apocalypse, but more than that, it is the story of the survivors and human nature and how do people react at the end of the world. And does, or should,  the Moral Compass change during the Apocalypse??????

Will Rick and Shane battle it out over Lori? Will the group ever recover from the loss of Sophia (that scene was unbelievable....) Will Maggie stay on the farm, and will Glenn stay with her?? What the heck is wrong with Beth- is she just in shock, or does she have "the fever"???  And will we ever find out what Dr. Jensen said to Rick in the final moments before the huge explosion at the CDC?????????

These are things I NEED TO KNOW....  (Are there any other fans out there? I would love to have a discussion group about this.....)

(And now that Downton Abbey has finished for the season, I don't have to choose between my 2 favorite programs on Sunday night.

Hmmmm....

Buttons, Buttons, Buttons

Welcome to my new sponsor! Blumenthal Lansing is now supplying me with tons of buttons to make my wool  flower pins. I met Helen at a trade show 3 or 4 weeks ago, and she kindly agreed to supply me with buttons to make the pins that I sell for charity.

She has been so generous! Look at this wonderful package that I got in the mail a couple of days ago, crammed with buttons, buttons and more buttons:

Up until now, I have been supplying all of the materials for the pins myself, so it has been really nice to connect with a great company like Blumenthal Lansing. Their buttons are gorgeous, and they have so many different kinds- you are sure to find exactly what you need for beautiful projects.

For those of you who don't know about my pins.... I make them all by hand, I even hand dye some of the wool myself. The profits from the pins go to buy sheep for poor families around the world so that they can start businesses and become self sufficient. If you would like to know more, click here or here.

To buy a pin, please click here. Remember Mother's Day is coming up- what a lovely gift!

So far, we have donated 71 sheep- that's 71 families' lives transformed! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

17 Wonderful Years

My youngest Daughter turned 17 last week.... I know I always say how time flies and I can't believe how old my kids are... but I really can't.... Sometimes I wish I could go back and have them little again and really appreciate it... and tell my "younger" self how soon they would be all grown up...

We went to dinner, then we went to church for music rehearsal like we always do. I asked a friend to pick up a cake for us to all have after rehearsal was over, and knowing we are fans of Cake Wrecks, he got this....

It says:  Happy Birthday

Underneat That

W Love You!

My friend asked for the funny wording on purpose- but did not know that the woman decorating the cake would unintentionally do such a sloppy, terrible job with the writing, AND leave the "e" out of "We"! It was perfect! We all had a good laugh.

Daughter is very interested in Art History, so Saturday we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Van Gogh exhibit. 

The exhibit was really good, extremely interesting. While I have never considered myself a big fan of Van Gogh's work, I left the exhibit so inspired to paint with lots of brilliant colors in my next painting....  They had prints and books in the gift shop, but honestly, they are no substitute for seeing the originals- the luminosity and vibrancy cannot be captured in a photograph. If you can go, I highly recommend it. After seeing the beautiful original paintings, I can now say that I am a fan of Van Gogh.

Tomorrow I will be at the Quilt Block, 95 Welsh Pool Rd., Exton PA from 11-2. Stop by and say hi, sample some tasty treats from my Fruitful Hands book, enter to win door prizes, and have fun!

A Romantic Idea

 Daughter and her fiance were many miles apart on Valentine's Day, and she had a really cute, romantic idea. I could not show the idea before Valentine's Day, because I didn't want to ruin the surprise for her fiance. But you could use this idea for a birthday or any other special occasion.

Daughter found a simple recipe that both she and her fiance could make on Valentine's Day. She typed up the recipe and made it into a pretty booklet using scrapbook paper, ribbon, etc. She mailed it to her fiance with directions not to open it until the morning of Valentine's Day.

She also arranged for the delivery of the required groceries to him on Valentine's Day. Then they cooked and ate dinner "together" via Skype on Valentine's Day.

Isn't that cute??