Illustration Friday: Lost

I'm jumping in with Illustration Friday again.  This time the word was LOST.  I was a bit lost in what to create, but as I was doodling the outer rings with my water colors I decided that no one is truly lost. 

And yes, it seems I've misspelled "truely."  I guess you can misspell even if you aren't lost.  Makes me laugh... and isn't that what this is all about?

A topic comes out each Friday and you can see what other artists have created here.

Off to Gigi's for a Swim

It's been awhile since we all packed into the car and headed off to Gigi's (Katie and Sammy are both grand-doggers to our parents).  It was a lovely weekend.  Filled with dog adventures and water.

Since our last car ride with the four of us, it seems little Sammy isn't so little anymore.  That's Sammy smashed in the corner, resting her head on Katie's back.

The girls wiggled around to find their own space, but are positively adorable together!

And much to the delight of our two water loving Golden's, a baby pool was set up just for them.  And they didn't waste any time jumping right in.  Couldn't think of a better way to the beat the heat.

They rolled around, layed down, blew bubbles, and all those other things that doggies do in water.  What a blast to watch!

Sammy is either drinking the water in this photo or blowing bubbles.  Both are very funny.  And I can't get over how they both went from 100% dry to soaking in two nano seconds.

This is a super-man move meant to splash maximum water around (you'll see more in the video below).  And don't you just love the little curls that Katie ... well they both get them.. gets on her ears when those hairs are wet?  Looks like they've been crimped.  Too funny!

And in the spirit of really giving my new phone a field test I had to try a video.  I'll have to remember to hold it horizontally next time to really fill the screen.  Enjoy!!

Hope there's lots of splashing scheduled to help you beat the heat and hope you're off to a great start to the week! 

I'm Instagram'ing, are You?

Do you use Instagram?  I just started and would love to connect with you.  Find me @cwiltex.  And drop me yours in the comments.  Here are few of my first attempts...

I know... it's all puppies at this point.  I need to branch out, but you can understand starting with a comfortable subject, right? 

Happy Friday and hope you are off to an excellent start to the weekend!

A Deer Named Calamity

This is Calamity.  She's a young wild deer.

Whose standing in my garden.  Helping herself to my flowers.

I'm taking these from my living room window.  The Mister called me over to show me our visitor.

She didn't seem rushed or nervous.  Just hungry.

I wonder if I can train her to eat my weeds.  That would be a win-win.

Alas, it's tough to shoo her on when she does cute things like scratching her head with her wee hoof.

Or waggle that cute little white tipped tail.

We've seen her in various places around the yard for the last few weeks now.  Some how my tiger lilies have been sparred from her appetite.

And I'm pretty sure the dogs and I walked right by her unknowingly while she napped under the willow tree. 

What wildlife are you enjoying at the moment? 

And if you have a second you can see deer that have visited us in previous years: 
Oh Deer!
That is Doe Amazing!
Twin Fawns Under the Apple Trees - with video!

Mini Apple Pie Bites

I did a little baking for a neighborhood get together.  It went something like this.

Gather up assistant baker.  (That's Sammy)

Search for recipe I had seen recently on a blog.  Somewhere.  Didn't find it.  Ended up loosley following this one.

Dice three granny smith apples and add sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to taste.

Check on number one dog to make sure she is doing ok.

Laugh when my picture taking wakes up Katie from her sun nap. 

Prepare a sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat the tops of the crescent pies.

Curse the heat from the oven on the hot day, but then drool from the smell of apple pie wafting through the house.  And jump for joy at how adorable these little crescent pies are.

To make: simply spread the apple pie filling on a crescent triangle then roll it up.  I then dabbed a bit of water on the top and then sprinkled the sugar mixture liberally.  Then cook them per the package. 

And were a beautiful golden brown.

Almost the same golden brown as these two.  Sammy's on the left, Katie on the right.  They took up the job of guarding the cooling pies. 

Then I did a little slice and dice to make single bite sized pie pieces.  Outta this world!  They are presented in a mini muffin papers so they are easy grab and go.

I don't recommend using the oven on a hot hot day, but these were sure worth it.  And a neighbor shared that she does this with chocolate chip filling to make quick and easy chocolate croissants.  Genius!!  I see many more of these in my future!

Happy Independence Day!

Time to sit back and enjoy some fireworks from the weekend; and how cool is it that they were in front of the moon like that.  Way cool!!

The Star-Spangled Banner

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

 What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?

 Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

 Wishing you and your family an amazing (and safe) Independence Day!!

Creative Tuesday: Simply Darling (#64)

This weeks Creative Tuesday challenge was to create something that represents Simply Cute or Simply Darling.  Being a southern bell at heart I couldn't resist going with darling.

And I'm sure you see where this is headed.  I mean are puppies darling, right?

I say yes.

So, I picked a picture of Sammy (the one year old golden) and tried a to me new technique of painting on fabric.  I'm smitten with how the paint spreads and mixes and excited about what I have planned next for this piece.

In case your wondering the paint is called PROfab transparent which I sourced from Pro Chemical & Dye.  And I am painting on white cotton that is prepared for dye (PFD).

In the next phase of this work, I will be making a quilt sandwich (adding batting and backing) and then trying my hand at some thread painting to add texture and dimension.  I'm thinking that this will be the piece I enter in Lily Pad Quilting's Pets On Quilts in August.

Yes, you will have to wait a whole month (give or take) to see this evolve.  Apologies in advance, but I promise it will be worth the wait. 

And I can already tell that I am going to want to make one of these for Katie.  And I'm already toying around with the idea of going bigger.  Like way, bigger.  monster. created.  Awesome!

And.. in case you'd like to join in the fun on this creative meme... you have a whole extra week to get your doodle on for Simply Cute or Simply Darling.  Read more and hope you join us!

Wishing you puppy licks and sunshine!

Rainbow Quilt {All Finished}

I'm so bad.  I can't believe I left you hanging like that.  And teasing you with the likes of quilting the Rainbow quilt, and talking about how it's done, but then skipping right to the using it part and not taking photos.  If anything it's just a testament to how much I'm enjoying this finish. 

Here is a quick photo of the quilt before I threw it in the wash for the first time.  Always a nerve wrecking moment!

An up close look at the flower quilting. ~love!~

And the moment we've all be waiting for.... here is what the ticker tape quilting looks like after one run through the wash.  I'm totally digging the soft frilled edges of the scraps!



I did have a bit of thread cutting once it came out of the dryer, but it's totally worth the effort.  Did I mention it's soft?

So many colors and so many memories all wrapped into one.  Nearly each scrap holds dear memories for me and reminds me of past projects.

I can already see it's going to be the perfect throw around quilt for the summer.  It would be easy to take it to the beach or throw an impromptu picnic.

The back of the quilt features a sheet from when I was a kid.  The sheet is so tender and soft and really adds to the memories contained in the fibers.

A better look at the reverse flower quilting.  Yes, I quilted this one upside down and traced the flowers for my quilting pattern.  It's a technique I definitely see myself using again on a future quilt.

See what I mean about the picnic potential?  I'll bring the sun tea... all we need is chips and salsa.  And yes, I'm one of those that really use a quilt to bits.  This particular beauty had coffee on it (courtesy of one small blonde puppy) within hours of it leaving the dryer. 

And more proof that it's already well employed and being loved. 

Hope you're off to a great start to the week.  Now, go hug a quilt you love and think about all the stitchy love that went into creating it!