Wonderful Fall Days

What a lovely fall we have had here in Mid Missouri.  The trees have turned and the leaves are falling  and the acorns, gad bumper crop of acorns, falling like rain!!!!  The dogs really love this weather to run and play, ha ha who am I kidding they lay around all day everyday!!!!! mostly in bed. what a life!!!!

This fall our Lake Area Fiber Artists had the Fiber Fest in October instead of the springtime.  We worked very hard and we had a very successful event with lots of great vendors, demos, Fiber display and our consignment table.  We also had a very fun workshop doing art quilting.  It was a great weekend.

After using a felting machine at the art quilt workshop Linda found them on sale so by Saturday noon I was the proud owner of a felting machine.  They are way too much fun!!!  Made four pair of upcycled mittens, I just think this is the most fun since I don't know what.

Here is the way I do the mittens, I have used an old wool coat, washed and dried, old wool sweaters again washed and dried and new fleece for lining.  My friend Corie gave me some of her art yarn and as you know I am no knitter so art yarn is what????  First I made bowls with it , Mom calls that fiber mache and they are great!!!  Then I started felting the yarn onto the wool.  I have purchased some roving, another new word, and will try that next.  I did break a needle but there are 12 of the little devils so will wait for one more to break before doing that replacement job!!!!

 So to make these fun arty bowls you mix up some flour and water, 1/2 cup flour meixed with 2 cups cold water and add 2 more cups of water bring to boil for a minute or so and add 3T. sugar let cool and the fun begins.  Take a bowl and spray with Pam cover with saran or plastic and start winding your yarn around and round, make ribs, or free form  Let air dry and remove carefully and you have the perfect gift!!!  This is a super project for kids and the best use of left over yarn.





Here is the Upcycled Christmas Tree we raffled off at the Fiber Fest, all the ornaments were handcrafted by our members, many were made from old wool sweaters and embroidered and embellished.


Time to get back to stabbin rags, life is good here in MO. we still miss our up north friends and family.  We have the Mulherns coming for Thanksgiving and Marilyn for Christmas so that makes us happy.  Mom is doing well for 93 she is a trooper and ready to run at the drop of a hat!!!  All three dogs are doing well.  Devin turns 3 next week and is just a doll, so much fun to visit with now.  Ben and Melissa are working away busy as usual and Brandon is winterizing hundreds of boats, Dave is gearing up for the deer season, busy time for all!!!

Happy Fall to All!!!!!!!

What??? Summer is half over!!!???!!!

We wait so long for summer and it goes by too fast.  Every year the same thing happens!!!!  Guess we should be used to it but after last winter I was hopeful summer would be never ending,  ha ha!!!

We have had a nice summer with a host of guests and more coming, fun events, days on the lake and river really can't beat it...as the saying goes Livin' the dream!!!!

I had nice surprise this summer, I had sent in a few of my upcycled creations to a magazine called  Belle Armoire.  It is a neat publication out of California with many sister magazines, I felt very fortunate to be selected with 3 of my items for 3 different articles.  One was on the tie necklaces, tie purses and jean beads.

The photos are great, they do a very nice presentation of the items.

This year we got a little fishing boat, Brandon named it Lil' Skiffy since it's a Carolina Skiff, it has been so much fun running around on the Osage River.  And now the challenge of placing the pics, last group did well but this one!!!  so we have miss Devin and Grandpa posing on the bow,  Lil' Skiffy in the driveway and Brandon taking Miss Devin for her first jet ski ride.

We are staying busy with various groups and clubs, Mom is going to be 93 next month and doing great!!!  We are off to Hot Springs for a few days for a much needed visit with friends.

I hope this finds everyone enjoying their summer!!1

More upcycling projects in the works, lots of alterations and a few new scarves coming along.

Summer Has Arrived!!!!

I can not believe how long it has been since I wrote on this blog....I say that every time but we have been so busy and going so much and I have a million excuses and who really cares!!!

This spring I sent some of my upcycled projects to a magazine and a few are going to be published in august or around that time frame, so that has been super exciting.  So when it hits the stands I will let the whole world know all about it!!!!!  The items they took were the tie purses and necklaces and the jean beads, all have been in this blog at one time or another.

Here is the crossover bag and me with all the ties, my friend Patty took the pics, she is very good!!!  And has great photo ideas.

Mom and I are still hanging out and having fun, we belong to several groups that keep us busy, yoga, and other clubs, we aren't letting grass grow under our feet.  We have met some wonderful folks here!!


We of course love having family close, our grandaughter Devin is such a cutie pie and of course the best child ever!!!  Growing like a weed and becoming such a busy little girl and a character to boot!!!  Here she is with one of my rescue dogs Roxy.  Miss Roxy is a blue heeler and very old but we love her so much and so does Devin.



Our garden has been a ton of fun this year we got into recycling the pallets into raised bed gardens and upright gardens.  The garden is growing well and we sure love all the good stuff.

 Wish I could figure out the way to put in pictures...really frustrates me!!!!  This year we planted alot of tomatoes, okra, a fav!!!, eggplant, onions, cukes, melons, a variety of peppers, artichokes we'll see how that goes???, basil, zucchini, parsley, grapes, cilantro, oregano, sage, lettuces, we got alot in a very tiny space.  Plus we have lots of wildlife so we have to do alot of fencing.  We got rid of the ground hog family last year but since the foxes moved on the rabbits are back.




And the next project I am working on for the Fall Fiber Fest our group is having are upcycled sweater Christmas ornaments.  I have purchased from thrift stores etc. wool sweaters, washed them in hot water and dried on high to shrink them down.  Cut out desired shapes, a front and back, stuff with a bit of fiberfill and embroider the 2 together with a running stitch, blanket?? embellish with buttons, beads, sequins, what have you and put a piece of yarn on for a hanger and you are ready for the holidays with package decor, ornaments, bazaar items, napkin rings, add elastic.
The list goes on ...great fun for all!

Have a wonderful summer!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR IN FEBRUARY!!!!

I really do wish I knew where the time goes, old age makes it go faster???  We had a very nice Christmas with family and friends and we did miss my Dad very much, it was a hard one for Mom but with all the activity she came through like a trooper!!!

Then right after the New Year we took off with Aubrey, Brandon and Ryan and headed to the Wisconsin Dells for one of the coldest weekends and met the Krokson side of the family.  Jill, Allie, Jack and Aunt Janet came down from Northern Wisconsin and Melissa, Ben and Devin were already in the area and joined us  for water park fun!!  The indoor waterparks are really something and the crowds are amazing!!!  What a fun place to meet and hang out and play!!!  All the kids had a blast and we did too!!!

We had a fun afternoon watching the Packers with Middleton friends Linda and Butch at Marleys.  What a cold day not too many brave souls out that day!!!!

It is amazing how similar the Dells area is to the Lake of the Ozarks with all the rock outcroppings and trees etc.  We just have alot more water here than up there!!!!  Both areas are rich in very interesting history!!!

On our way home we had to spent a few hours at our favorite surplus store Delaneys, near Sauk City.  It is a place full of STUFF and more STUFF !!!  Brandon had 2 carts we had one and wondered where it would all fit????  Thank goodness Brandon is creative and put a dock locker on the stern, ha ha ha, back of the truck, on one of those platforms that hook on your hitch, so in true Missouri style we traveled with all our baggage in a dock locker, why not!!!!!   I'm sure some folks got a good chuckle out of it!!!!  Then we cruised into Lodi, WI . for a wonderful  dinner at the Mulherns with special guests and entertainment with the Raemisches, Dan the mooning was the best!!!!!

We got home to warmer weather and back to the grind.  Mom had had a few days to herself and great neighbors checked in daily and all went well.

Our days stay busy, lots of lunches out, yoga three times a week, volunteering at the hospital, helping my friend with her new consignment store now called 2nd Closet move to a new location, wow the beat goes on!!!!

Just posted some ice dyed shirts on Etsy and will see what shakes with that, more orders for the Tie Necklaces, no dull moments around here!!!

One last pic of Devin,
I had a darling pic of her on the rocking horse my Dad had made Ben, but she was naked as a jay bird just like her Daddy liked to ride it so we'll settle for this pic!!!!  And today the kids said good bye to their oldest dog Sami, RIP Miss Sami, she had 12  1/2 good years!!!!!

Happy Trials to all....hoping Spring is sooner than later!!!  Snow coming tomorrow!!!