more postcards

I got a new camera! (a COOLPIX L22)... I have taken lots of pictures. But right now I trying to learn how to make it all work...like getting them from the camera to my computer....and that would include making the photos smaller for the blog. This is one of the many experiments to see if I can do it.
I am making a bunch of Santa postcards.
I am still attending physical therapy. They want me 3 times a week. My shoulder is slightly more mobile now. I am still trying to finish my online bus class. Each chapter takes about an hour. There are 16 chapters.
The worst one so far was bus inspection....check this do-hinky and that do-hinky for this and that.....and it all became blah blah blah. But I did get 90% on that test!
And then there is work.
No wonder I am having trouble getting much fun stuff done. I guess I am pretty busy.

happy thanksgiving....

Last week (or more)... I was visiting this blog....Draw Doodle and Decorate....she had drawn this bird, but before she colored it, she said we could play along and color one for ourselves.
I was home sick today. I have cold symptoms and last night I was sick to my stomach....I think it was my lunch that came back up last night.
Anyway, by this afternoon I was feeling better and painted the drawing. It was fun.
I am also working on some Christmas postcards. I am lovin' them so far. No pics yet.

So...HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! I may not be back here before then. My track record for blogging has been dismal lately.

beautiful day in paradise....

Early in the week the forecast was for snow on Saturday,

then they took the snow out,

then they put it back in the forecast.....

 Today we are in a snow storm warning.

The fronts of the turkey postcards are done.

The backs still need to be signed. They measure slightly larger than 4x6 inches.

My supplies used for this.....

I don't remember when I printed the pattern for the turkey, it has been a while. I went to look for it again online, and couldn't find it. It was at the Quiltmakers magazine site.

For the words and swirly decorations....I mixed the copper paint with yellow to get the goldish color and the dark brown is the copper mixed with black paint. I drew the legs and colored in the beak with markers.

The eyes are made with a white-out pen and then another dot with the brown marker.  I quilted them on to batting with no backing fabric.

I used the mod podge to glue them to card stock.

They dried over night. This morning I trimmed them all up nice and square. The zig zag went on easily. My best effort yet! I think this is the way to do it from now on.

With the lovely weather outside, I think I am in the mood to create some Christmas postcards today...this means sitting on the couch under a quilt, looking at various books and magazined for ideas. Then.... maybe, getting out some fabric and actually sewing.

oh oh....

Sometime last summer, I noticed that when I lifted something up, my shoulder would ache. As time went on, and I would lift or move my arm toward the back it was pure pain shooting through my arm. So I wouldn't lift....and as time went on it got worse.
Less and less mobility.
oh oh....
It just kept getting worse and worse, not better.....
dang it....
It was time to go to the doctor.
She examined me and took an x-ray.

My diagnosis is adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder.
The treatment right now.....going to a physical therapist. I start next Wednesday.
YIKES
I have never had pain while sewing...so that should continue as normal!

little turkeys and changing the quilt.....

Over the weekend I started paper piecing some turkeys. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I have a love/hate relationship with this process. The mess drives me crazy as it piles up and it can be so confusing...laying fabric down then turning it all over and sewing.

 

I did figure out a system that seemed to work and have six of them. They still need their beaks and feet, plus some sort of embellishment. It may be paint or stitching or....something.....

They are all in the postcard size...for sure I need 2 of them.  Most likely they will all end up as postcards.

Then I looked at my fridge this morning. Halloween was still up there.

Time to change that.....

It is time for this one to hang out in the kitchen.

I absolutely love coffee (with cream) in the morning!

2 quilts......

Believe it or not!!....I have some quilts to show.....
I finished the embroidered quilt...I don't have any details on it, like who made it, where did it come form....it has been so long since my friend gave it to me, that I don't remember now. 

This is all machine stitching....even though the rows are about an inch apart, it is still very soft.
I was amazed how the stitching hit the angels face just right....I could not have planned this if I tried!!

It is so pastel colored, it was hard to get a decent picture. I tried several locations....sun, shade, house, but they all turned out about the same.

The next top that is done...

The summer quilt-along. I love the pattern....I don't love the fabrics so much.  It looks light and airy...maybe it is the darker fabrics that are bothering me. Karen is having the same thoughts about hers....our brains are NOT yelling I love you when we look at own quits...but I do love the way hers looks.   I bought some printed black and white fabric to use in the borders. So unlike me to pick a print.

Not sure where this will end up....there are other tops I want quilted first, so this will have to wait a bit.

happy halloween.....

We had trick-or-treating last night. Living on the edge of town we generally don't get many...average is 2, maybe.  But on my way to the store I ran into a large group and told them to come on over....that group was a new record. We had 11 trick-or-treaters yesterday.

The ghost feet were made by the preschoolers last week.

Then I found this free online course.

I had nothing to lose by giving it a try.

Here is the link to my art teacher, tam!

You will have to scroll down to find the link to the class, it is under Art, Heart and Healing

or maybe here would be better 

I don't know how I found it myself, but I did start......

Week one was a front-facing.... face. I don't have all the same supplies needed. 

I don't have the water crayons....but I do have pencils.

I don't have a journal......but I do have some paper.

I have not done something like before, this is my first attempt.....

Well, my first attempt didn't quite look right so I painted over it with the white acrylic and started over....

this would be my second attempt

over the first attempt

 on the same paper....

Week two was altering a board book. I used an old book instead. I didn't have the supplies for photo transferring, so I skipped on ahead to part 2  (I'll do part 1 later)

We were supposed to think of a childhood trauma and Tam showed us how to draw "whimsies"

She said she was bullied as a child, so she drew the opposite...herself with a lot of friends.

My trauma isn't so awful....but I am sure several of you can identify with it......

There were 6 of us girls.....I only put the first three in my project.

When I was talking to my Mom she asked, "what have you been doing?"

I told her about little whimsies and that I needed a childhood trauma...and I thought of one.

"oh no, am I involved in this trauma of yours?" she asked.

I started laughing

Why yes you are! I explained what it was and she starting laughing.

The last picture is Crispy's self portrait from last year. As long as we have art things here, I thought I would throw this one in too.