Happy Easter!

This is what I used to do with my 'spare time' before Easter before I became a clergy spouse. It is called pysanky and it is a traditional Ukranian style of decorating Easter Eggs. (Click on images to enlarge)

This is what I am doing now . . .

This little Easter Mousling from Reaper Minis is here to wish you a Happy Easter and a wonderful Spring.

Also, my hubby and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary during the Holy Week craziness.

Ooops! Look at the Time!

Where has the week gone? I signed up to do Lori Anderson's Blog Hop 7000 Bracelets for Hope and the time just slipped away. Nothing exciting here, I just turned around and the week was GONE. Please visit Lori's Blog [HERE] My mom is also participating (and she made two bracelets, so it all evens out). Check out her blog [HERE]

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And thanks for visiting. Check back again soon. I hope to have something interesting to share in the next few days.

Painting Minis

So, you remember my first pewter miniature . . . (Yeah, I'm the Church Lady -- Now, isn't that special) This is mini number three . . .

And this is mini number six . . . .

The mice are about one inch tall, the owl and leprechaun is about an inch and a half tall. .

VERY, very, very tiny.

I am having so much fun!

All minis are from Reaper Miniature

Treasury!

Gladys George of Touching Prayers has included my rosary bracelet in her treasury"Teal's the One"
Thanks so much! And the the rosary sold this weekend. Synchronicity!

Would you believe . . . ?

My art quilts are on their way to a new home!

"'Crusaders broke into this mound', Maes-Howe Orkney Scotland"

"Older than Stonehenge, Castlerigg, Lakes District, England"

When I returned from quilt retreat and checked Etsy I noticed that I had sold the above quilts and two pieces of jewelry. I did a little happy dance and scared the dogs . . . and startled the heck out of my husband too.

I cannot wait to tell my quilting buddies. They have been so encouraging and supportive.

While I was out . . .

While I have been away at Quilt Guild Retreat I have been featured on an email sent out to Etsy email subscribers. I would not have known about this except that Lisa Boucher, my Bead Soup swap buddy sent me a note to tell me. (We have wifi at the retreat center!)

Sorry for the bad screen shots. Anyway, I checked out the activity of my shop on www.Statsy.org (type in your shop name to find out the activity on YOUR shop). In a very short time I have had over 500 visits to the "Older than Stonehenge" landscape quilt I have listed.

Meanwhile, I have been working on the design below. It is inspired by this tile from the Arts and Crafts era.

(Tile above, quilt-wallhanging below.)

This will have a lovely William Morris border.

THANK YOU, Thank You, thank you!

I was hoping to get back to the Bead Soup blog list and finish reading all the reveals, but it just "ain't gonna happen". Thanks to all who visited this blog, #95, in the middle of the list and thanks especially to those who commented and added to my followers list.

I did this with my mom (#96) who had a blast! We both were pushed outside our comfort zones and challenged to produce something completely different from our usual pursuits.

So, life goes on.

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My Applique block for our Raffle Quilt 2008

This week I will be going on a four day quilt guild retreat. This involves hanging out with my creative sisters of the thread: sewing, quilting, laughing, eating, and laughing and eating some more. This is a time for me to "fill the well". I do not get to quilt much between retreats and so this is my only dedicated creative time. I will also be taking on an office in the guild, president.

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I know . . . "What was I thinking?"

One of my Retreat Quilts -- the top was started and finished in 4 days.

I have been part of this guild for 16 years and it is my turn to serve. I know there is a really short and effective word I could have said, but I could not seem to make it come out of my mouth. The guild has been my sanity and my support through my personal trials these last few years and I love the members as sisters.

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This retreat I am looking forwards to working with Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts inspired designs. I am quite taken my the works of Margaret MacDonald and her husband Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Maybe I will end up with some Mackintosh Roses similar to these:

What do you do to "fill the well"?

Do you have a community of like-minded artists you "escape and create" with?

Do you have a dedicated creative time?

Sneak of the Finished Bead Soup II Blog Hop Swap

In previous posts, you will recall this is what my bead swap partner, Lisa Boucher, sent me . . .
and this is a tantilizing sneak peak of what I have done with the yummy beads . . .

Come back Saturday for the reveal of the whole piece and join in the blog hop with over 200 participants!

Bead Soup II Sneak Peek

Aren't these baubles and beads just yummy? I wanted to photograph them to there best advantage so I used my most favorite scarf of hand-dyed silk as a backdrop and look at how the colors POP!

Lisa Boucher, my swap partner made the ceramic pendant, toggle set, and the flat and round spacers.

I am about the luckiest of Bead Soup Blog Hop participants.

The big reveal is Saturday, February 26th and there are over 100 (over 200!) participating blogs. I know what I will be doing next weekend.

How about you?

{({ Yawn })} Hibernation!

Not me.

I have been quite busy, but I feel like my MUSE has been hibernating.

It takes time, quiet, contemplative time, for me to create and be creative. I have had neither for the past three weeks (and more). However, last week I learned a new skill and have been told I have "potential". I have learned to paint the minis I QC at the company I work for -- Reaper Miniatures. Here is my first piece:

Also, I have joined Lori Anderson's second Bead Soup Blog Party. (Check out the button to the right). My partner this time around is Lisa Boucher. We both love the same colors but we work in different media, which is going to be a good stretch for both of us. This is what I will be sending out to her:

I will be getting a couple of extra hours off in the middle of the week from here on out. I hope that will give me the time to create, or at least to think creative thoughts.

What sets the tone for your creative Muse?