Inches 15-18 Caught up on my squares!

#18 A spider
#17 A whale
#16 A little blue bird
Inch 15 my initial, J for Julie

Inches 10-14

I'm trying to catch up...
Inch 14 Cupcake
Inch 13 Pink Heart
Inch 12 Purple Flowers
Inch 11 Bird Bead
Inch 10 Leaf

Week 48 52 week project Botanical Serenade

I really wanted to paint something new this week and save this one for the last week of my project, but it's just not going to happen. This has probably been my most requested print. I will make an 8x10 available when these are gone. It's on etsy here.

Thank you for your support!

Inch 9 A MOP Heart

This is kind of ugly, I sewed the mother of pearl heart button on and then decided to do some couching and seed stitch. I also wanted to show the whole thing again. It could use a bit of ironing, but it is linen after all. I finished the interior grid the other day, and still plan on more applique.

Inch 8: some Bling

So Mondays inch, I moved to the corner of my sampler and stitched down a piece of coffee died lace and a pink crystal button. Hot pink chainstitch around the edge.

Week 47 - 52 week project Hope is a Dancer

I just posted my week 47 print on etsy. It's called Hope Is A Dancer. The original is 8x10 on gallery wrapped canvas and is available for $49 plus shipping.

Inch 7 Daffodils

I chain stitched the interior grid today, and did the daffodil inch shown here. The flowers are on our front porch from Dave and my inspiration today.

Inchie six, pink flower

Satin stitch, french knots. Gosh, this is rather fun.

Inches 3,4,5

So I've been taking care of sick kids the last few days, but managed to catch up on my inchies today at doctors office. Here are three, four and five. I don't know what that big white hair thing is on the blue flower, probably a big white hair, but that's the only picture I took in the lovely sunshine we had today, so that's what we have, my sweet people.

I'm such a Maverick

So of course I penciled in way too many squares. And I had the wild notion, (get it notion?) to applique a flower and maybe more in the middle and then just do the inchies around the edge with the rest of the grid in chain stitch around what may be more appliqued and embroidered free form flowers. So technically I did not do an inch today, I did a bunch of inches.

Second inch

Baby buttons, baby rickrack, french knots and lazy daisy loops. I'll outline the next box with chain stitch again, I'm thinking.

My first inch

I did my first inch today. I'm not that thrilled with it. It's a little lily of the valley, one of my favorite flowers. I have not had time to figure out my color scheme, so I thought the lily would not clash with just about anything.

Week 46 - 52 week project 5x7 print Girl With Fern

This is week 46, just listed on etsy for $2.
I did this one in my moleskine too. I love that paper, the ivory color is such a lovely base for skin tones. Or at least my favorite weird skin tones. One person, after coming in my house and viewing a huge painting I had just done, that I was wildly proud of, asked me. "Is she dead?" So I guess my skin tones don't look so healthy.

Stay tuned for a post tomorrow about my first embroidered 1 inch square. See the post below if you don't know what I'm talking about.

39 squares with Amy from Inspire co

Starting on Monday, I'm going to do this sampler with Amy from INspire co. I'm excited! Won't you join us?

This is Amy's sampler and picture. I'm going to try to post my square every day too. There has not been enough embroidery in my life or on this blog. :)

Week 45 - 52 week project 5x7 print British Soldier Lichen

I have loved mosses and lichens since I was a child and my favorite lichen is 'British Soldier'

I've painted a monumetal version, since it's bigger than the girl in the painting, in real life it's only and inch or two tall. It's done in my moleskine with paint and colored pencil and a bit of ink.

The husband and dogs and I spent the weekend camping at Pacific Beach. It was glorious, 60 degrees and sunny with clear blue sky and light winds. It's not unusual to have a sunny day in February on the Washington coast, in fact our first date was on a sunny day in Feb about 36 years ago. But it IS unusual to have several days in a row of sun this time of year, especially when we have decided to go camping. I feel refreshed and ready to face a new week. I hope my gentle readers had a lovely weekend too.

I watched so many movies: Billy Elliot, Wonder Boys, Flicka, and finally, Julie and Julia. I LOVED it. It made me want to spend 200 bucks on a Le Creuset pan and make some boeuf bourguignon.

Week 44 PRINT project 5x7 print Caught in the forest

So this is my latest painting. I drew it a week or so ago and have been thinking about it a lot since. It illustrates pretty well how I have been feeling lately. Like there is a pretty world, and beautiful forest, that I am in, but I'm caught by a chain of events that I have no control over. If none of my collectors ever feel this way, I understand, it's just what I was able to paint today. I did it in my moleskine, so there is another side to the page. If anyone wants to whole thing, please let me know and I will set up a listing for it on etsy.

TruffleGirls K Mackin

I love this

Super Bowl

Here is a picture of some of our guests. They were pretending for the moment to be rooting for the Saints. Dave and Ken played cribbage and had no interest in the SB, except they spent a few moments watching the Who at the half.

If you want to see new videos, go here. They are almost all of the grandkids and the dogs. I'm uploading a couple more right now that will be available in the next hour or so.

Week 43 PRINT project 5x7 print Flowers in A Turquoise Vase 2

Wow that was a good game! I was the only Saints fan out of 16 here, so it was extra sweet. Who Dat?

Here is my new print for this week. It's the second in the series and matches last weeks print.

Thanks for your support everyone, I really appreciate that. Only 9 weeks to go. Really can't believe it.

A lovely day and a giveaway

The sun is shining and it's warm outside, people! In Tacoma, Wa! I have my doors open for fresh air. The grandsons are here, Asher is playing in the new play area we made him (all my new decorating for naught, because we realized that Ash was not safe without fencing and gates to keep him corralled because we have scary basement stairs and a greyhound that does not take kindly to baby pinches) and Skylar is playing some game which probably includes blood and gore, but I am not thinking about that. I'm thinking how these boys heal my broken heart. I've been drawing, a new whale painting and a lady hanging from a branch, which may or may not be me.

I also made Chili Verde for a superbowl party we are going to tomorrow. My son in law says it might be the lamest superbowl party ever. He says it will be more like wine and chess with the TV on because none of us are big football fans. Or really even football fans at all. I like the commercials and the idea of having a reason to have a party on a february afternoon. He's going to a real superbowl party in Miami with his real family. I'm pretty sure our food will be better, though.

This is where Sky and I want to live. Wouldn't it be cool to live in those trees with that canopy?
New whale and moon drawing. You can see sunshine shadows!

Lady hanging from a branch... with unfinished ferns
Skylar and I working on the dining room table. Or actually, we are both playing.
Asher's new cage, he has such amazing motor skills that he was climbing the fence a couple minutes after we put it up. We joked that we might have to install razor wire next.

Ok, giveaway. The first 10 people to post here and tell me about their Saturday will get a free 5x7 print.