Happy Day

Ready for another sketch challenge from The Memory Nest? I know I am.

We have just started getting some real (read: hot) summer weather, and while it is great to be outdoors in the warm sun, it was just as great to be inside the cool house working away with this sketch.

I actually made a layout for this challenge (rather than a card).

I love these pictures of my girls riding their bikes in the spring; bike riding has quickly become one of their favorite things to do.

I have had this bicycle patterned paper tucked away for some time now and love how perfectly it worked with this layout. All the papers I used are from the Cool Summer line by Carta Bella.

Because I am a creature of habit, I kept my embellishments simple. Plus, I did not want to take away from the cuteness that is my girls.

Hope your summer is off to a great start and that you are finding some time to craft.

28/52

"A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2015."

Inspired by a book you read, you girls have been making potions. All the containers are labelled: sister potion; flower potion; nature potion; lightning potion, and you have a notebook where you are keeping track of the ingredients for each. I have been asked for things like ribbon and salt....and you have been scavenging the yard for seeds, rocks, and weeds to add to your concoctions. Bless your incredible imaginations.

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project.

Happy Flower Decoration

Today I am very excited to show you a little crochet project that I made: my Happy Flower Decoration.

It has been far too long since I got out my stash of cotton yarn and made up something colorful and fun. Back before I went back to work full time, I had much more time and energy for small little projects like this and making them made me feel happy and grounded.....oh the good-old-days, how I miss you sometimes.

Anyways, amidst the hustle and bustle that seems to be the new normal, I did manage to make this Happy Flower. I followed the pattern at Attic 24 to a tee and am quite pleased with the results. I was a little nervous painting glue onto the back of my work to stiffen it up (see the pattern for a full explanation of this) but was pleasantly surprised at how fantastic this worked at making the flower sturdy enough for hanging.

I used whatever odds and ends of cotton yarn that I had on hand, happily using up many scraps and clearing out the stash just a wee bit.

I have not quite decided where to hang my flower just yet, it may end up in my craft corner or in my closet....either way, wherever it is, it is sure to make me happy....

It was so fun to finally make a little project again, something quick to finish and easily satisfying. I am currently looking around for small, simple projects such as this one to make over the summer months when it is too warm to work on my cozy stripe blanket, and I need a little hooky for the car ride/campsite/pool side. Any suggestions?

Summer Thank You

Good Morning!

Today it is time for another sketch challenge at The Memory Nest, the first one of the summer.

I have been on a little bit of a roll lately using The Memory Nest sketches to make cards (see here and here) and this time around is no different.

For this card I turned the design but kept all the layering elements in place. I substituted the row of three photos seen on the sketch for three embellishments (two buttons and a strawberry) placed along the green semi circle. 

I used Jillibean Soup papers (again) because I love them so much.

I was so enjoying my creative time, working away at my craft table, that I went on to make a second card.

I would say this card is more inspired by the sketch rather than one that includes all the design elements...but that is the point of sketches, to inspire, is it not?

With so many events filling up the calendar this summer, I think it will be handy to have a few handmade summer thank you cards on hand, ready for when I need to write a quick note of appreciation.

Thank you for stopping by and looking at what I have created. 

Be sure to visit The Memory Nest for more inspiration and to link up your own projects. 

27/52

"A portrait of my girls, once a week, every week, in 2015."

We just got back from our annual summer camping trip, and what an incredible weekend it was: amazing weather, great friends, campfires, s'mores, mosquitoes, hunting for caterpillars in the woods, and an afternoon at the beach.

Claire: loving every moment spent swimming in the lake

Bridget: buried in sand (her bottom half eventually resembled a mermaid tale) and so happy!

Joining in with Jodi for the 52 Week Project.

P.S. Are we really halfway through the year already?

Cozy Stripe Blanket Update

My cozy stripe blanket has taken up permanent residence on the corner of the couch. I am back to working on it diligently after a bit of a slow down, and it is coming along quite nicely. As you can see it is very large....

and it will get larger still. There are many more rows to do (58) which means that when all is said and done, this blanket will be huge, perfect for cuddling up under.

Working up these stripes is so much fun, so long as I pay attention and don't miss stitches and then need to rip out several rows to correct my mistake.

The order of the colors still enchants me; colors that I would never consider putting beside each other, look incredible, making this blanket is an education in color.

Could I have this blanket finished by the end of the year? I hope so. It is a far way off, but there is a lot happening between now and then, so I feel this is a realistic goal. Yes, I'll work towards that...it is helpful to have a sort of end date in mind. 

In related crochet news, I was searching through my blog photos the other day, and was shocked to realize that I have not posted a completed crochet project once this entire year. Sure, I have been working on this blanket, but I can not believe that I have not made anything else in all this time. I'm thinking that summer will be the perfect time to remedy this; I can't take my blanket camping or on road trips (it is too big) so it is the perfect time for a smaller project. In fact, I just put the finishing touches on a little decoration I showed you a sneak peek of here and a proper ta-dah post is coming soon for that. 

In the Garden

Vegetable garden notes this week:

Lettuce, lettuce. lettuce. So much lettuce. We are eating salads for lunch and dinner and it tastes delicious. While some of the spinach is nearly done, the red leaf and butter crunch are still going strong. I'm going to leave the kale for a bit and let the heads get a little fuller...

The beets are going strong...

We lost a few broccoli and cauliflower plants to the jumpy squirrel, which just means that next year we will definitely be building a wire fence around the garden to keep the rascal out.

One other nuisance that we did not see coming was the birds. I put toilet paper rolls around my leeks (to increase the white portion of the plant) and the birds have been taking the rolls off the plants and tossing them out of the garden. I have watched them from the kitchen window, ran outside to scare them off, replaced the rolls, and by the time I am back in the house, the birds are back to their destructive behavior. I decided to forget about the toilet tubes and just mound the dirt around the leeks instead; hopefully this does the trick.

While the tomato plants are growing tall, there are still no tomatoes on them. It has been very wet and much cooler than normal which I suspect to be the reason for this....or I just need to be more patient...

Having a garden and experiencing the influence of the weather and various critters on the growth of the plants has certainly given me a greater appreciation for farmers and the perils inherent in farming. And made me that much more appreciative of the availability of fresh produce in my community....