55 Quotes To Inspire Creativity, Innovation and Action

55 Quotes To Inspire Creativity, Innovation and Action

Morning Sun on the Potholder Wall

Today is August's First Friday Art Walk on etsy...again already! "Times fun when you're having flies!" said the toad. The potholders were gifts and/or purchases from my friend Valerie and Doris, both of whom are having sales in their etsy stores today! All of the potholders are waaaaay too pretty and cute to use! This may not be my best photo ever, but I do so LOVE the way the sun shines through the door onto the wall.

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: Spotlight on AWEsome! Jade Dumpling

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: Spotlight on AWEsome! Jade Dumpling: "Good Day! This is the first in a series of Spotlight on AWEsome, where you can get up close and personal with the members of the Art Walk E..."

Alligator

Wow! This was quite a bit of excitement and an adrenaline rush for me! I even briefly entertained the thought of possibly beginning a new vocation now that I'm 50 and probably halfway through my life. Or, at the very least, become an alligator catcher groupie!

"Christmas in July"

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: First Friday Artwalk, July 2 Specials!

First Friday Artwalk on Etsy: First Friday Artwalk, July 2 Specials!: "July's First Friday Art Walk on Etsy kicks off July 2, 2010 at 12 midnight EDT! Come join us! These participating shops are offering the fo..."

A Fabrication about Mother Nature and the Gulf Oil Crisis

Disclaimer: The following information was not channeled and is not to be taken seriously, by any means. It is merely another point of view that presented itself.

"When Mother Nature opened up her reserves of Black Gold, she never intended for one company alone to profit from all that wealth. (Who determined  the rightful ownership of the oil, anyway? It's like declaring Air, Inc. owns the air rights, and now you have to pay for breathing it, or else!) She meant it for the Commonwealth of All People. Ahem! That did not seem to be happening. Oh, well! On to Plan B, then. Mother Nature created a crisis. Yes, she deliberately created that explosion. What? You think she can't pull off shit like that! Look at her hurricane and tornadoes! Like the woman who told her children..." I brought you into this world, and I can take you out,  anytime."...you get the picture! Bam! All of a sudden, BP had a huge increase in payroll accounts. Yes, now she has newly employed many people in bookkeeping, the cleanup and research department, etc., etc. Not to mention all the people who lost their jobs, and are now on BP's "welfare plan". And, it seems to me  the extent of the amount of people whose livelihood is being adversely affected has not yet been realized. Looking at the devastation to our environment and the wildlife, spreading the wealth in this way wouldn't have been my choice. However, it may actually be happening. Mother Nature never singled out some elite individuals to hog her gifts, and perks thereof. Her gifts are free to all alike."

The Three Bears in Pink and Spanish Moss

And heeeeere is the trilogy in a pink Sarong Scroll fabric by Waverly! Perfect for adult and children, or small adults. This is very much a OOAK  ( "one of a kind") set. Interested in more information about this set of meditation cushions, and others? See   Meditation Cushions Section . Coming soon... buckwheat hulls listing in 3 lbs for the small adult or youth , 4 lbs for the average individual, 5 lb weight for tall or larger adult. The natural fillings ( kapok, bamboo, and especially buckwheat hulls because they adapt and conform to your tush) really do have a much nicer feel to them than synthetic fiberfill. Quite recently, I discovered that huge amounts of Spanish moss, which is  so abundant here, was sold and shipped north by  railroad cars years ago. After harvesting it was cured, the exterior fell off and the interior  turned a darker color. It was used for stuffing mattresses (I would love to know what that feels like in a mattress!) and padding furniture. Now, I finally know what the identity of that black padding was  which we thought was meadow grass "back in the days" of my involvement in the furniture reupholstery business! Less expensive imports from South America ultimately lead to the demise of the the Spanish Moss business in our south. And there, my friends, you have a little bit of a history lesson!

Tribal Infusion

The David Dee Tribal Inspired print of this soft fabric is very gracious and  feminine-makes me feel centered just looking at it. Today, I plan to sew three matching, pink, scrolly fabric meditation cushion covers. They are like the three bears in size-regular size,  medium size, then last and least- a wee one. Just thinking about sewing them makes me feel happy!  Better get my walking gear AND my butt in gear for my morning walk-before the heat becomes oppressive. I have a sneaky suspicion that parts of this house need  TLC in the form of cleaning...

June is Birthday month for etsy.com

Today is the first Friday of the month which means it's "First Friday Art walk on etsy" today! Incredibly enough, a year has already gone by since the first Friday Friday Art Walk on etsy began last June. If you love office chair shopping then etsy is definitely one heckuvan interesting place to spend time looking for unique, unusual, OOAK, artsy fartsy handmade items for yourself, friends or family members. Speaking of which, Father's Day is coming up real fast! Anyhoo, my own special for today is my entire zen cushion cover section is "buy two and get free shipping" (refunded via Paypal). This special price is for the continental USA only. And Etsy is celebrating their 5th year this June.  I think I heard birthday party but you may wish to check out etsy's blog page The Storque, for the details. May the blessings be, wherever  you are!

Mandala Zen Meditation Cushion

My second Mandala Zen Meditation Cushion cover....Ohhh! I'm lovin' every minute of making these!

Now I'm off to make the more traditional cushions using cotton twill fabric in black and espresso!

That was so Zen! This is so Tao!

My latest venture is into making Mandala Zen Meditation Cushion Covers-must admit....I love it!

This one is listed for sale in http://www.eclecticarmadillo.etsy.com Another one has beens cut and is ready to sew. Going to have a rather busy week-house/dog sitting for a neighbor for 7 nights. Fred's home to maintain the homefront. Surprisingly, my cats exhibited a bit separation anxiety when I house sat over the weekend-hope it will not be a problem for the coming week.

First Friday Art Walk on Etsy May 7th, 2010

Hello readers, far and near, whereever you may reside on this planet which we consider our home for the duration! One of my friends reminded me that I had not posted on my blog for some time. Truth be told, I have been spending a lot of time working on social media and gaining visibility for our team, Art Walk Etsy team. Our team is dedicated to promoting First Friday Art Walk on etsy. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Etsy, http://www.etsy.com is an online marketplace that enables independent artists and crafters to present their own handmade items directly to the public in their individual online galleries. One of my more favorite places to "hang out" of late is Facebook. I even acquired a farm on Farmville, which I found very exciting and entertaining for some time. However, playing Farmville was not a wise expenditure of time and energy for me considering my objectives. It's a great thing for many people, and I did notice many elderly people playing. Anyway, long story short, today is this month's First Friday Art Walk on etsy. You are cordially invited to visit (http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=firstfridayartwalk&search_type=all ) sit back with a snack and choice beverage, and let your fingers do the walking...who knows you may come across some things that appeal to you! And you did not have to drive through traffic to get to that "box store"!

The Five Days of Mother Giveaway

The 5 Days of Mother The Art Walk Etsy Team invites you to 5 Days of Mother! Each day, starting Monday April 26 to Friday April 30, 2010, one lucky winner will be chosen to win prizes from participating AWEteam shops on Etsy! Entries are being accepted now until April, 23, 2010. Entering is easy! 1. Make a purchase from a participating AWEteam shop now until April 23, 2010 and receive an automatic entry. 2. No purchase is necessary! Just leave a comment on http://stitchnstudio.blogspot.com/ with your contact information. Entries are being accepted until April 23, 2010! 3. Mail a postcard to: Michele Delp P.O. Box 152 Mohnton, PA 19540 Be sure to include your name, email address, and Mailing address. Entries must be received by April 23, 2010 The Daily Winner will be chosen using Random.org. and will be notified by email!

Scrap Wallhanging Raffle Quilt

This quilt was made by me as a fundraiser for the Old Miakka Schoolhouse and Community Club. The schoolhouse is an historic landmark, and one of the only remaining one-room schoolhouses in this area. Machine quilted using the meandering method, measuring 41.5 inches square, made using all cotton scrap fabrics and cotton batting, embellished with vintage yo yo's made by Cathy Farley, it has a channel for hanging purposes, and a signed and dated (by me) label on the back. Raffle tickets will be available momentarily.

Cathedral Windows Wall Art

AWEteam's Five Days of Mother Giveaway has begun...for details please see: http://stitchnstudio.blogspot.com/p/5-days-of-mother.html This little 13" by 13", mostly handstitched, Cathedral Windows Wallhanging is going to be included in the AWEteam's (Art Walk Etsy team) "Five Day's of Mother" Giveaway in May. The fabics are all cotton with polyester batting. it has a channel for hanging purposes on the back, and is signed and dated by me. More information will become available.

Precious Memories!

The one year old cat in this picture was found expired in the ditch by the side of our road earlier this week with minimal injuries. We do not know what happened to him. He is now buried in the corner flower bed by the house. I purchased a fuchsia Bougainvillea to plant on that spot to remember him by. When I acquired him through a freecycle post as a companion for the white kitten we rescued, I named him Precious because he was a very sweet little kitten with a wispy, otherworldly, gentleness about him. Take pictures of your pets. We went from five cats to two this year. The orange tabby I had to surrender to another home because he was simply not getting along with the gang. And the old white cat simply died from old age. Now we still have a black cat, and a white cat. I treasure them more than ever. This morning I notice that the beautiful stray cat that has been spotted occasionally is becoming thin, so I'm going to make an effort to see what he/she might need.

Pond Pix

Color makes a big difference, although I do like both!

That Cat!

Pink, Pink Makes the Boys Wink!

This king sized, unquilted Dresden Plate quilt top is going to be shipped to an acquaintance in Pennsylvania within the next few days. The plates and center circles are hand appliqued, and the rest is machine stitched. She is having it marked, hand quilted, and bound by the women in one of her local church groups. It's a gift for her daughter, who is also an acquaintance. After many years of making almost exclusively handstitched Cathedral Windows quilts and wallhangings, etc. I enjoyed making this top so much that I'm going to make a listing for custom Dresden Plate tops in http://www.sarahsquiltsncrafts.etsy.com . I have 3 extra patches left that I'm going to make into a tabletopper, hopefully soon. In other news, my almost grown black kitten, Precious, has since yesterday joined the huge ranks of emasculated males. He was groggy on the drive home, and kept falling over after I removed him from the carrier, but he was wired for action! Side effect of anesthesia, I'm assuming. He's fine today.