FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY TIME! MAKIN IT LAST AS LONG AS I CAN!

Love Birthdays! We started off with Breakfast at Cracker Barrel and enjoying the fire in the big fireplace!

Sister Judy came carrying  a beautifully wrapped gift!

"Sisters Two"

Inside that beautiful package was this Old Violet Plate of Mothers which was a great sacrifice for Judy to give up! She thought I should have it since Violets are my Birthday Flower. I will treasure it not only because it was Mother's but because of Judy's sacrifice for me! The old violet postcards are neat too! Two of them are family cards!

This gorgeous piece of cloth will cover a stool or chair seat. With scrapes used for book markers. The background is more golden than the picture shows, even prettier!

Love this bracelet from Judy, Gorgeous Eternity Ring from Maurice and Yummy "Tommy Girl" perfume from special friend Rose Marie

We had such a nice early dinner at Olive Garden with our  family that is still in the area. Cassie, Tyler and Michail all called with Birthday Greetings! So nice of them to remember my special day!

Granddaughter Jackie did some big time shopping for grandma! So pretty!!

Maurice knows my favorite magazine. The new issue had just come out on the news stands!

I like to make my birthday celebrating last as long as I can! Have something to look forward to from son, Paul an grandson Davey.

 Well here we are in our coordinated outfits ready to face the new year! Friend Karen got me the brown vest for my birthday. So Pretty!  Blessings on you dear blog friends! You might enjoy my www.preciouscottageblogspot.com blog also!

HAVING FUN IN MY ART JOURNAL AGAIN!

 Ink with Acrylic paint was used on my Zentangle design. Started this on the way to or from The Augusta Plein Air Retreat 2014. Finished it last night!

Had fun with all kinds of mediums in this one!

Colored Pencils was used on this one. Lucas, Kansas is where a collection of my art is on display seasonally

I enjoy writing poetry also and have included many of them in this homemade journal.

When I first started this book I decided I would feature the 2 sides of my personality! This is the FOLK ART SIDE.

The opposite page features a poem about my "Folk Art Side".

And 'The Victorian Side"

Poem about that!

Decoupage page  featuring  poem "I Love My Garden"

 And this is the cover of my Homemade Art Journal which @Skip Mathews, son of good friend@ Hope Mathews taught us how to make.  Happy Days! might also enjoy my other blog wwwpreciouscottageblogspot.com 

HAVING FUN PAINTING SMALL CANVASES 4X4" AND 5X5"

My blog friend@ Erin of "The  Painted Garden" encouraged me to try my paintings on these small canvases. And it is great fun! She said they make great shelf art and can be tucked in anywhere!  So this is my new fun project for 2016! Thanks Erin!

I bring the geraniums inside every fall and they bloom beautifully in My Art Studio window

You can see grandson Davey's Tree house (when he was little) outside the window! Hope you are all finding something new and fun to try in 2016  also!

SHINE!

My blog friend Mary Lou Weidman of  "Mary Lou and Whimsy Too" had a cute sun quilt block that got my juices flowin! So I'm been making all kinds. I will mount them on cardboard and maybe embroidery the word "SHINE" on them and then share them around

This is how the project started! But the pile (piles) have grown considerably!

I started out with the lager size

But am enjoying the smaller size now!

I am hand appliqueing these!

More material ready!

The kitchen Chandelier is ready for valentines Day! I have red lights up there too, I see I need to hide the orange ones!

Decided I use Chickens & Birds on my Shelf since I had mad a new Bird Hanging for the Refrigerator.

I did this painting a couple of years ago while we were staying in a delightful Log Cabin in Augusta, Mo.

I had set this pot of "Paper Whites" to the back of the flowers after it bloomed last year and forgot about it  until a few days ago when I  decided I would water it. And lo and behold it started sending up shots right after that!

The Raggedy's have a timely message for you!

Great Grandson Eli spent the night recently and was sporting his new glow in the dark PJ's from his Grandma in Hawaii! Grandpa tells Tasha all the time she's got the best seat in the house! My (Our) project for this year is to refinish our old wide board floors. After 40+ years they are needing it! Hope your doing well and enjoying what ever season you are in! You might enjoy my other blog too: www.preciouscottageblogspot.com 

BACK TO CREATING!

Normally my first project after Christmas is to catch up on the ironing. But "wonder of wonders" I was caught up! So creating being my most favorite thing to do in the world I decided to make a Folk Art Bird Hanging for the refrigerator to replace the  Folk Art Christmas Tree Hanging that's up there now.

I even had to piece the black background in order to have a big enough piece! "Where there's a Will there's a Way"  is my style!

One of my chicken combs was bothering me!

So took a little piece of old red binding and re-worked it! I like it much better!

Maurice wanted to give me my gift first Christmas Day along with a little part serious part humorous speech!

We had picked it out together so I was very excited!

It's the beautiful Eternity Ring on my middle finger! I just love it!

Maurice was wanting a new watch so we picked this one out for him!

I was surprised and so happy to receive cards and notes from two of my blog friends: Susan Gannon and Linda Michael. I enjoy and treasure the friendship I have with my blog friends, often praying for them and their's as they go through the stresses of life. It's not the same but I remember Mother saying once she found herself praying for some of the people in the Novel she was reading at the time!

Thought I'd share the new pictures I have of our Great Grandsons! This is Eli 4 1/2. He livess with his momma (grand daughter Jackie) in Garden City too, so we get to see him often.

And out newest little great grandson Liam ( almost 4 months). He was adopted at birth by Steven and Cassie (Grand Daughter) . They live in Layton, Utah

My friend Karen got me my 8th Jim Shore Folk Art Santa again this year for Christmas! I just love using them on our Christmas Tables!

Our  great room ceiling light is one of my favorite decorations too, but I don't take a picture of it often! I can dim the light for great ambiance!

After sister Judy's 2 surgeries and visiting grandkids and doggie and extra activities during this Christmas Season we all did some extra napping!  Wishing you and yours a Very Happy, Healthy, Satisfying New Year!  You might enjoy checking out my 2nd blog: www.preciouscottageblogspot.com also 

CHRISTMAS MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR!

Old Ironing Board Santa I painted years ago standing by the front door.

Our backdoor greeter!

Shepherd and Sheep in the front yard.

We've added icicle lights on the porch this year.

Santa and mailbox standing upright again after some vandalism last week!

Our old Barn with wooded stars inn the windows.

Just in case you didn't know!

Our 2 cats in there beds on the back porch. At night they sleep together!

My friend Robin Holloway at a Book Signing for her Cookbook to promote awareness of Hydrocephalus.

I was honored to design the cover.  Hope you are enjoying this special  Christmas Season too!