IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN...

Time for:

AN ARTFUL AFFAIR

FALL 2013

 

Saturday, September 21st

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

1104 Middletown Road

Greensburg, PA  15601

featuring jewelry, fiber arts, mixed media art, needlecrafts, baked goods, folk art, hand-made soaps, terrariums, chocolate wine drops...

Please join us for some shopping, noshing, and visiting...
See you there! 

 

On a current personal level, time for commission-work to come to a grinding halt (sorry, pineapples)... 

and for some new goodies to enter in...welcome "Pinstools"...

 

You've heard of "toadstools"? Well, these are "Pinstools", for parking your pins and needles (or to simply hang around and look cute). I've been wanting to make these for the past few years, but needed time to work through the logistics and the "ingredients". My definitive inspiration came from meeting new friend Debbie while in Scotland. Debbie, who lives in Australia, collects hatpins...wonder if she has any that would like to live on a "Pinstool"?

Back to the grindstone, er, punch needle...

The weatherman says it's to be a beautiful day...Star and I will be working in the gazebo (at least ONE of us will be working)...

Thanks for "listening"!

 

 

 

 



'TIS THE SEASON

It's a little warm and muggy out (but with beautiful blue skies)...ready for snow again? Probably not (-: But I did want to share one of my latest creations with you...SNOWEE JOELEE. Just finished all the writing & typing & photographing of patterns & stuffing & packaging of kits in time for the "Shop Hop" at QUILT PATCH, ETC. in Mt. Pleasant, PA. Have you been to their new shop on 806 West Main Street? It's absolutely lovely and chock-full of everything a quilter desires (and THEN some!) They carry a few of my designs and I've been invited to teach SNOWEE JOELEE at their Fall Retreat this October 1 & 2. If you'd like to participate, please contact them at this number: (724)547-5370. For my workshop, you must know how to do punch needle embroidery...this class is NOT for beginners! But it IS for fun-seekers (-:

And here's a peek into the "creative process"...our poor dining room takes a beating when I'm working!

 

And here's another recent accomplishment...25 ornaments for my friend Susie! Hope her friends will like them come Christmas-time (-: 

Star and I send greetings from the gazebo...thanks for "listening"...



SMILE...SOMEBODY LOVES YOU

Just got off the phone with my dear friend Kathy...been friends with her since first grade!!! She's going through some pretty difficult stuff right now and I wanted to send her a smile...hope these bunnies do the trick. "Mister Whiskers" and some of his same-named cousins will be featured at AN ARTFUL AFFAIR later this month (see previous blog for details).

 And no blog of mine would be complete without a visit from Star! Since Kathy is a HUGE fan of kitties, hope little Star makes Kathy smile, too.

As always, thanks for "listening"...

EXCITING STUFF

Ahhhhh...a bit of spring fighting with winter...my sunny bunch of daffodils laughing at snow swirling outside my dining room window...
Just wanted to share a couple of exciting things with you! My friend Patti (of the PATCHWORK PINE workshop fame) somehow convinced her husband Dave that I might be interesting podcast-fodder. Dave and Patti visited me at home a few weeks ago...we enjoyed conversation and cookies at this very table...the ensuing interview can be found by visiting this website:

www.OnTheWind.podbean.com

 

And, it's once again time for AN ARTFUL AFFAIR!!! This will be our first spring show...hope you all can come...here are the details:

 

 

 

    AN ARTFUL AFFAIR

Spring 2013

 Saturday, April 27

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

1104 Middletown Road

Greensburg, PA  15601

 

And little Star cares not a whit about ANY of this...she's content enjoying her newest cozy place to roost (-:

Have a cozy day!

Thanks for "listening"...

 

 

 

 



PATCHWORK PINE WORKSHOP

Recently, I had the pleasure of teaching PATCHWORK PINE to a lovely group of ladies who also happen to be dear friends. Patti, Esther, Pat, Linda, and I gathered on three separate days: first at Patti's home; then at Linda's hotel suite (that's a story for another day); and lastly at Pat's home. We shared fine food, fellowship, and of course, punching! It warmed my heart to see the trees "growing"...to see my humble design coming to life in their skilled hands. Take a peek...

 

 Awesome!

Gluing proved particularly creative...

...and fun...

...and just a wee bit messy (right, Linda?)

 

And I'm so proud to say all the ladies not only finished their PATCHWORK PINES, but also did a beautiful job!!!

 

AWESOME! 

Oh, and I had to bake special cookies...

 Thank you, with love and hugs to Patti, Esther, Pat, and Linda! And to everyone out there, thanks for "listening"!

Sent and Received

This posting is twofold: I needed to test my blog-site to make sure the "glitch" disappeared (it HAS!!!); and to show at least some of the recipients of my recent "sweet treats". Say hello to my brother's oldest son, Harold (I affectionately call my nephew "Jujee"), and his lovely wife Trish. Jujee reported that the spiced heart cookies do indeed taste like his Omi's (his grandmother, my Mutti). Awesome. Especially since today would have been her 89th birthday...have a Heavenly Birthday, Mutti!!!

More later...for today, thanks for "listening"...  

Art Follows Life Follows Art

 My day began very early (uncharacteristically early for me), since I promised to bake and send cookies to family down south by a certain date, and that date was fast approaching. I wanted to try a cookie that my Mutti (Mom) used to bake around the holidays for kids, grand-kids, friends, Vati (Dad)...an iced, spiced sugar cookie topped with an almond slice. Sound familiar? Yup, it's one of my "Sweet Treats" trio I've written about before...and here's the inspiration. I lamented that I had neither my Mutti's recipe nor the crinkle-edged heart cookie-cutter she always used...but I managed. As I rolled the dough, cut the hearts, laid them on the cookie sheets, etc., etc., etc., I thought back on all the times I watched Mutti do this very same thing. I thought back and regretted not having asked enough questions. What was it like doing this with YOUR Mutti? How was the kitchen different? The stove? The baking utensils and tools? How about, "May I have this recipe, please?" Better yet, why in blazes didn't you write it down yourself, Helen? Mutti left me over eleven years ago and took all those answers with her. And the other person whose brain I should have picked more, my brother Harald, has joined Mutti and left me alone with even MORE unanswered questions.

My point? Please, ask away. Ask your Moms and Dads, your Grams and Grandpas, your aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., etc., etc. ASK them! Ask them whatever! Life is really too short...ask them NOW.

I have more thoughts bouncing in my brain and photos to share, but my blog site is not cooperating. Hopefully my "glitches" will pass and tomorrow will be another day for me (to write?). The cookies are traveling as I pen this...may they arrive safely and bring great joy (-:

Art (loosely speaking, my edible interpretation of Mutti's cookies) follows life (my Mutti's wonderful iced, spiced ones) follows art (loosely speaking, my punch needle "cookies"...which actually, originally, followed life). Enjoy! And, thanks for "listening"...