Being Creative Challenge - Garden

Julie Crossland http://juliacrossland.blogspot.com/ has come up with an interesting monthly challenge called "Being Creative".
I love Julie's intent behind the concept:
"A fun, light hearted invitation to create, open to all.
To build a creative community of people of all abilities from around the globe.
To provide monthly inspiration, guidance and creativity tips as well as shovel loads of encouragement and support should you need it.
To help those creatively stuck souls to become well and truly un-stuck.
An opportunity to make a commitment to regular creativity."

The first theme is "Garden" and the reveals start today. You can choose any medium for your interpretation. I've already visited some of the other participants and I highly recommend you do the same :) If you want to participate click on the link in my sidebar.

I found a way to use one of my leaf applique orphan blocks and my heart theme :) Voila, a small cushion 10"x71/2" that fits the color scheme in my front living room.
All the fabrics are left overs from other projects. I want to add some "emerging buds bling" (and maybe a few small leaves) but nothing in my boxes of bits and pieces is saying "use me", so for the moment I'm calling this one done.
An explanation of fabric choices.
The pillow background = grass, the brown yo-yo's = dirt, the burgundy yoyo's = blooming flowers.
April challenge - Dessert. Yum.

Colourful Fridays - Copper Collage

I was not planning on participating this week due to spring break, some other commitments AND my computer acting a bit funky BUT when I looked at some of my smaller copper colored items I realized they were all gifts !!!!! Unfortunately I could not get the depth of copper color in my photograph but I still love it anyway.

Background fabric - a surprise gift in an on-line cross-stitch swap. She used it on the back of the exchange gift.
Wind chimes - a surprise birthday gift from our local elementary school librarian (a few years ago). it normally hangs in our sunroom and glows in the light.
Two of my necklaces - the large one a gift from my mother (part of a set) and the small one a recent gift from an on-line giveaway.
Two fabric postcards given to me in swaps. The copper colors sparkle in the light.
A wooden key holder - have you ever looked at wood closely and seen copper colors? There's a lot of that in my house.
Book - a gift to my husband. I love the gradation of "copperish" color.
A flower stem that normally sits in a bud vase with a rose.

Hop on over to http://daisyquilts.blogspot.com/ to see how some of the others overcame this challenging color choice.
If you head on over to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper you'll find some fascinating information about copper. The greens and blues in my photograph are part of the chemical process ;)

Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts

There's something about red & white quilts that just appeals to a whole lot of people. Well a whole lot of people are going to love this huge (650+1 quilts) free exhibit that is being put on by The American Folk Art Museum in New York. Joanna S. Rose owns all the quilts and will be donating 50 of them after the exhibition.
http://www.folkartmuseum.org/infinitevariety

Something else unique to this exhibit is the way the quilts are being displayed. Maybe some binoculars might be in order :) I wonder if they will let you lie down on the floor to look upwards?
http://www.handeyemagazine.com/content/infinite-variety

The exhibition starts today, March 25,  and runs thru March 30, 2011. Yep, very short but if you can get there I'm sure it will be well worth the effort.

tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/seeing-red-and-white/?ref=design

Thanks go to Joanna S. Rose (and her husband) for an unusual way of celebrating her birthday. This exhibit will also be her first time seeing all of her red and white quilts at one time :)
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/finally-mrs-rose-and-the-public-can-see-all-her-rugs/

Addendum - Do you want to see a video of the quilts? I bet you do :) http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/blog.php/blog_id/3563

Beautiful Britain - Ireland

It's St.Patrick's Day so what better way to celebrate than to send you here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsVd1S6g284&feature=related

Ireland, known as "The Emerald Isle", is a wee country with a huge history, majestic scenery, and the ability to rouse romance and passion in the souls of many.
My ggg-grandfather George McGechie was born in Ireland abt. 1795. I have no idea when he jumped over the channel to Glasgow but he married a bonnie Scots lassie and she gave birth to my gg-grandfather, David, in 1819.

Here's an Irish Blessing for you all.
"Wishing you ... warmth in your home, love in your heart, peace in your soul ... and joy in your life."

Hearts For Christchurch

My hearts are made. I just need to sign them and put them in the mail.

The small hearts are well travelled. They are left over from a project called "Friends are the Golden Threads That Tie Hearts Together" and have travelled between the US and Britain on a number of occasions. The larger hearts are from an ongoing project. I had fun combining the two. Finished size 6"x5".
Visit http://heartsforchristchurch.blogspot.com/ to see more AND visit Janet M.Davies at http://www.jmddesigns.co.nz/blog.htm to find some free embroidery designs she has contributed just for the event. (8th March posting)

Colourful Fridays - Spots & Dots

I know it's not Friday but today is the first opportunity I have had to get round to participating. (Too many events and planning meetings in too short a period of time.)
I have lots of items with spots and dots but I opted to show some of my fabric postcard collection. I made the two on the right and the (unfinished) middle card in the center row. The gorgeous lady was the very first one I received.

One of my favorite quilted wall hangings has lots of polka dots in it. You can see it in my blog header. It lives in Ireland and was made for Micki.

To see more fun "spots before your eyes" posts visit Robyn and the other participants at http://daisyquilts.blogspot.com/

We are on spring break here so I may, or may not, be participating in the next color choice which is .... copper :) (I am currently wearing some round my neck.)

Hearts For Christchurch

A world wide event has started to explode into action. Heart, hearts, and more hearts and you can help.
Please support Evie Harris in her endeavor to provide a heart to as many Christchurch residents as possible. There also might to be an exhibition ... how cool is that !!!!!
I have a stack waiting to stitch together.
Hop on over to http://heartsforchristchurch.blogspot.com to find out what you can do and where to send.

Creative Prompt Project - Abundance

Creative Prompt #108
Meet "Bubble Heart"
This might be a bit of a stretch for the word ABUNDANCE but the heart I made for myself a few days ago has an ABUNDANCE of circles in the fabric pattern :) It took an ABUNDANCE of snips to fray the edge and a number of fabric circles to create the flower. My new heart is currently hanging from my peg board which has definitely got an abundance of holes in it !!!!

So which definition of ABUNDANCE did I go with....... "overflowing fullness:abundance of the heart."

Scots Corner - music to inspire the soul

For whatever the reason the Highlands and Islands of Scotland have inspired many composers to write gorgeous pieces of music.
Felix Mendelssohn was inspired by Fingal's Cave after a visit in 1829 and wrote an overture called The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave). It is a lovely piece to listen to and I hope you enjoy this version found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3MiETaBSnc He was inspired, in part, by the cave's old name An Uamh Binn - cave of melody. Internally the cave is often described as having the atmosphere of a natural cathedral i.e. eerie sounds produced by the echoes of waves.

Photograph shot by Gyuszi Bacsi. I also found it credited to Jim Richardson.
Fingal's Cave, Staffa is composed of Basalt pillars. The cave was formed by seawater eroding the soft volcanic ash that lies beneath the columns.

Photograph taken c 1900
The cave entrance looks out on to, and frames, the Holy Isle of Iona.
In addition to composers, Fingal's Cave has also inspired poets, authors, playwrights, musicians, photographers and artists.
This painting was created by JMW Turner

PIF winners

My PIF winners are ..... Joan, Mickie and Sue.
Congratulations ladies. I am looking forward to making something for each of you.