Southwestern Quilted Pots

After much effort (and very little skill) I was able to finish this quilted wall-hanging for our home.  Don't look too closely!  I'm an amateur!  But it was fun to make and I am happy with the results.  I think it goes well on these adobe walls in our new home in New Mexico.

Backyard Birdies

I just LOVE to watch the birds come to my feeders.  Goldfinches, wrens, and doves show up every morning and evening competing with each other to gobble up as much feed as they can.  At times I've counted 12 doves lined up around that feeder.  It's like there's a lead dove who puts them all in formation to fit on the edge!

At the Albuquerque airport there are all kinds of artwork on display.  This vintage-style trailer caught my eye.  There are creative details that remind me of the 1960s in New Mexico.

Before/After Little Piano

I found this child's piano at the thrift shop for $12.  It works great, but was a little scuffed up and needed some "pizaaaaaaaz"!  After painting it with the bright pink flowers,  I carefully wrapped it in bubble wrap and packed it in my HUGE suitcase to take to some of my grandkids over Christmas.  It survived the trip (which restored my faith in airline luggage handlers!)  and makes plenty of noise to drive their parents nuts!  I'm sure the grandkids have great fun with it!!!!

My 2012 "52 Q"

This is an idea I found on-line from another creative blogger.  What is "52 Q" you may ask????  It stands for 52 Questions,  one asked each week. Each week I sent out a question for everyone to work on.   Friends and family worked on their own "mini time capsule" and decorated the tag pages each week.  It's a small project that was easy to take on.  Now I can look back and see just what I was thinking at that time last year.  It's so interesting to see how fast things change.  The little journal is actually a personal book meant to be looked at when we want to reflect on 2012.  It was also a fun craft project to use up left-over scrapbook papers and doo dads.

Another Travel Journal

This was the 4th "junk mail" journal I created and I think I got smarter with more experience.  When we travel I tend to pick up mementos of all sizes.  By making the journal a little larger on the outside (using fabric, lace, and ribbon scraps) I am able to add the keepsakes I pick up along the way.

 The ribbon embroidery is a project I started and never finished.  Turned out the journal was a great place to add that little piece of x-stitch fabric.  The book is lined with a piece of cardboard to keep it's shape, then I sewed through all layers, plus sewed the paper scraps together to make the pages.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Since it has been so long since I last added to this blog, I need to back track a little.  In October of this year I attended the International Balloon Fiesta here in Albuquerque.  The close-up images show what is called the "Evening Glow",  a fiesta event that allows visitors to walk among hundreds of hot air balloons while they are being inflated.  When the announcer does the countdown, all balloons light at the same moment, making it very warm and loud and beautiful around the balloons.

This is an image of a balloon launch early one morning looking west from the northeast corner of the city.  Literally hundreds of hot air balloons took flight one after another and hovered over the city.

A visit to St. James Tearoom

 As a special treat to myself I splurged and made a reservation for tea time at this elegant tearoom.  The St. James Tearoom in Albuquerque, New Mexico is an exceptionally delightful place to visit.  As I arrived (with quite a few other ladies who also had reservations) we were greeted by two friendly hostesses.  They let us know that when we heard the "bell" it was time to go back to the main hostess to be seated to our little private dining areas.  I was seated in a warm cozy room with tea already set out just for me.  My hostess gave me guidance on the different teas that would be served (3 different types), and then brought the three-tiered plates of goodies.  What a relaxing, yummy experience. All of the food was a culinary masterpiece.  All of the staff were so friendly and gracious.  I felt sincerely welcomed and appreciated for being there.  I also felt well-cared for during my visit.  This is definitely a place I will want to go back to.  Maybe it would be a fun place to take my granddaughters.  I understand they present "Fairy Teas" for children.

My Newest Painted Rose

Native American Basket

Since I have been visiting so many ancient Indian pueblos in New Mexico and learning about their culture, I wanted to try my hand at one of their crafts........basketmaking.  I found the kit at the Salinas National Monument, which included raffia, pine needles, and a blunt-ended embroidery needle.  Instructions and drawings were included.  Obviously I need a lot more practice! This is just a little basket, but it was quite challenging.  I have plenty of supplies left over and plan to try again.  Hopefully I will be able to work out some sort of pattern with the raffia on the next basket.  This definitely gives me a greater appreciation for native American crafts.

Madrid, New Mexico

I saw this creative fence outside a bed & breakfast in the little town of Madrid. 

Mini tea set

 Beverly's enthusiasm for her doll house work motivated me to see what I could create with this mini tea set.  It's all inside a 6 inch square box!  The jeweled lid it sitting on top of the box.

Gathering of Nations Indian Pow Wow at the UNM "Pit" in Albuquerque.  Hundreds on tribes were together from the U.S., Canada and Mexico to dance, sing, shop, eat and visit with other tribes.  It was an incredibly colorful and happy event.  Loved to see all the costumes and the work that was done on them.  

My Painted Rose

One day I got creative and decided to take down the art that came with the RV and replace it with my own.  It's tricky taking photos of art within a glass frame.  Gotta keep working on these photos.

Altered Book

     Many years ago when I was in college I took a fascinating class called "World Religions" which included visiting churches in the local area (I lived in the San Francisco Bay area at the time).  It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the beliefs and practices of others without feeling pressure to "join".
     When I started studying how to create an altered book, the first suggestion was to pick a theme.  This subject is interesting to me, so it's the theme I chose.
     I started out with a little old book (not a collector's edition!) and glued about 1/3" of the first pages together with decoupage.  Then I cut out the compartment through the front cover.  I used leftover lace, ribbon, jewelry, ink, and scrapbook papers to start decorating the pages.  I've ripped out pages of the book to make room for the altered pages.  Some pages are ripped or folded or sewn to reveal extra compartments.  Making the collage was fun too!
    So now I study, then add my notes and thoughts to this book.  I've already finished Hinduism, and am now working on the teachings of Confucius.  I'm not looking to join a religion, but instead trying to understand what others believe.