One World One Heart 2011 Is Here!

One World One Heart begins today and I’m participating. Just click on the OWOH 2011 button at the right to find out all about it! Year before last when I ran across it on the internet, I was amazed. Blog after blog where excitement and creativity was shining. I met some wonderful blogger friends and I can’t wait to get out there and see who is participating this year – read new blogs and meet new friends.

For me, creating is to my soul what food and water is to my body. I MUST think it, touch it, do it, and revel in the happiness it brings to me. I’ve always crafted one thing or another. I especially love wool, primitives, sparkle, and color – what a combination, eh? My creations and my house are eclectic. But I believe that if you put your heart into your creations – it will show!

Now for the really exciting part! Leave a comment on this blog post between now and February 17th 5:00PM EST. Later that evening I will be randomly drawing three of those comments and those three people will win one of three handmade creations. Only one comment per person will be counted. Please be sure when you leave your comment that there is a way I can get in touch with you.

My first giveaway is SOUL - a shadowbox. This was made using vintage book pages, a special rust paint solution, and beads, beads, beads. The bottle inside is also vintage and filled with soul – German glass glitter. Thanks to Julie Haymaker Thompson who came and taught a class at my home and showed us how to make wonderful shadowboxes and fantastic jewelry! She is one of the really special bloggers I met at last year’s OWOH and if you ever get a chance to take one of her classes, DO IT! She’s so much fun and so knowledgeable.

My second giveaway is THE BOOK OF GRACE. This is a completely hand sewn wool book containing altered art pages. Each page has a pocket with a special tag inside. On the front of the book is a wool sunflower with a beaded center.  It may be displayed on an easel or you may open it and it stands on it’s own.

My third giveaway is QUEEN OF THE WORLD CROWN (NOTE:  Doll is not included). This is made of a vintage clerical collar, vintage lace band and trim, pearl and cord trim, wire with mother-of-pearl flat beads hanging down, and a wool flower with a button center.

So good luck and I hope you’ll come back and visit often.

God's Garden Must Be Beautiful

God Looked around the garden,

and found an empty space.

He looked down upon the earth,

and saw your tired face.

He put his arms around you,

and lifted you to rest.

God's garden must be beautiful

for he only takes the best.

He knew you were weary,

and knew you were in pain.

He knew that you might never,

be well on earth again.

He saw the roads were getting rough,

and the hills were hard to climb.

So he closed your weary eyelids,

and whispered peace be thine.

Author unknown.

About 36 years ago I met my best friend Kathy.  I was a recent divorcee and had been moving into an apartment - 'friends' who promised to help didn't show up, my son had an ear infection, and I moved boxes all day in my old Ford Pinto.  My last trip was my son's crib that I had taken apart and put into the back of the car.  I cried all the way from the house to my apartment.  As I was pulling into a parking space, Kathy was pulling in the one next to me, getting home from work.  She came over when she saw I was crying and helped me carry that crib upstairs to the apartment.  She helped me put it together and then stayed and we talked for hours.  Meanwhile her husband, Bud, brought us frozen daiquiris and food.  And Kathy and I have been best friends ever since.

Saturday afternoon, Bud passed away unexpectedly.  They say friendship is a sheltering tree.  I hope that I'll be able to be her sheltering tree in the months to come.  Prayers for Kathy and her two grown sons would be appreciated. 

The Giveaway Box

FINALLY, Mya is going to get the wool box that she won in my last giveaway!   I have to admit that I'd like to keep it for myself but it was made especially for her so away it will fly next week.   Mya, if you see this, keep in mind that it's much prettier in real life - my digital camera leaves a little to be desired when it comes to taking pictures - OK, OK, it's probably me and not the camera LOL

Inside is beautifully spot dyed wool

 

Front panel has beaded rolled wool worms
Little bird is cotton with beaded paper wings and crown,
wire legs, and is holding a rolled wool worm;
top panel hangs over a little for easy opening

 

Back panel has couched wool roving
with beaded wool center

Side panel with beaded rayon ribbon leaves
and beaded wool pennies

 

Side panel with shirred wool worms



I hope you enjoy it Mya!

Flat Fluffy Flakes - Say That Five Times Fast!

OK, so I'm a couple of days late LOL   This was Sunday night as we watched the snow come down for hours.   Saturday afternoon after I returned from NC, I went to WalMart to get a curtain panel for my step-father, completely forgetting that the "BIG STORM" was coming the next day.   The place looked like a bomb had gone off and there were ten people in every line.    No bread, milk, and a new one - bananas, to be found!  Big mistake.

On Sunday early evening, Jack and I went out for dinner about 35 minutes south.   We were one of only two cars in the parking lot because the "BIG STORM" was supposed to hit at 7pm.   When we went in I told the gal - guess everyone is at home drinking their milk and eating their bread LOL   It had started sleeting a little on our way back home.   And the snowflakes above started in earnest an hour later.   They were really beautiful to watch.   Not so much fun for the little feral cat that we feed - sure hope he's been able to find a dry and warm spot to hole up at night!

We had about three inches here but north Atlanta had much more.   And of course we had freezing rain on Monday which turned our streets into big sheets of ice.   Needless to say, for Georgia that's like four feet of snow anywhere else and no one has gone anywhere for two days.   So far today it's pretty much melted on our street, driveway, and sidewalk.  

Big pot of chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight!   Great soup weather!

Euella - A Once Upon A Time Story

Now when Euella was born in Clarksville, Texas, her father insisted that she be named after the most famous man to ever come out of that town – Euell Gibbons - who wrote the classic book Stalking the Wild Asparagus.  Actually her name was quite a misnomer as Euella Rose Darling turned out to be the ugliest child in the state.  Why they had to tie a porkchop around her neck just to get the dog to play with her.  And the dog wasn’t a looker either.  But honey that didn’t stop Euella from wearing the brightest clothes or slatherin’ on the makeup.  And believe it or not she ended up marrying a millionaire!