A Birdy Told Me...

Yesterday, while I was stalking, I mean looking at Pinterest I came across the adorable bird mobiles first made famous by Michael Fulkerson.  Check out his brilliant designs at his Etsy site, ohmyeye & drool a little at where these might fit in your home.  I hadn't sewn in a while (practically since my 7th grade home-ec class) so I decided to try my hand at these birdies.  When the Spirit leads, follow... I found a free printable pattern with east-to-follow directions from the nice people at Spool & went to work, with my cute helper, Cali, sitting by to cheer me on!  Here are the results:

Fun fabrics.




Patterns.




Cali, my sweet helper!



Go!

Don't let her get this 'dog toy'...

Find him a nice home here...

...or maybe here?



Presto...here!

 It was a huge success & really quite easy...& this is coming from novice sewer, me!  I had a blast expressing my creativity through the sewing machine.  This project got me thinking that it would be cool to spray paint branches from my backyard white & hang Christmas colored bird buddies from them for a jazzy holiday decoration.  Perhaps I will do that later today.  Keep an eye out here to see my holiday twist this craft, although I must say my perched guy up there already has a winter feel to him.  I like!

Our Wedding (Video)

Josh & I recently got married in Oakland, Iowa. It was an elegantly simple & beautifully autumn blessing of a day. I want to share this video, done by our wonderful photographers, Paper Antler with you all. It was such a wonderful day & we even had a rainbow make an appearance. Here is a glimpse of that October, 8th 2011:
heather + josh from paper antler on Vimeo.

An Artistic sort of week

My husband has been away (boo!) for work all week in rural western Kansas.  We're new here in town so I don't have many friends, but I did have a lot of free time to create & also to cook for one, me.  Today, I was inspired to make a collage, something I have been doing in my art studio lately.  What fun!  I had gone antiquing last week in Topeka at this fun shop: http://www.brickhouseantiqueshop.com/  & picked up some old postcards (from 1908!!!) & buttons along the way that I hoped to use in my work.  I love to explore thrift stores, flea markets & rummage sales with my art-making in mind.  I intentionally keep an eye out for random items I might be able to use. . .eventually!  I like to carry a bag of art/sewing supplies with me where ever I go so that I can work in random places when I have free time.  You never know where or when inspiration might strike. Here is my artistic process of my vintage finds implimented into a collage.  Enjoy!

First, I gathered some paper I enjoy & a flower I drew a long time ago with a watercolor scrap as the center.  Notice the picture postcard in the background- it is from the antique store.  If you look closely you can see the hand-written date; May 14, '08  & yes, that's 1908.  This is the collage in it's bare form.

Over the collage, quite accidentally, I laid this mesh fabric with the sewn antique buttons on it that make for some cute little tree flowers.  I found a mat I had laying around and cropped the image to my liking. 

It really turned out well & is a new favorite of mine.  I must go post this gem to my etsy site. xo

Here the framed finished product in my art studio!!  YAY!

SQUASH & SWEET POTATO SOUP

This was SO easy to make I wanted to share (and dogs love it, too!).  The soup literally took less than 10 minutes, no joke! 

Ingredients:

Sweet potato

Squash

Butter

Cream

Milk

S & P

Microwave a large sweet potato (after poking it with a fork to prevent exploding) for about 5 minutes or until soft.  Use leftover squash if you have it in your fridge (or cook one if you feel ambitious).  Scoop the sweet potato directly into a blender.  Add butter, cream & milk (or vegetable stock for a healthy version, if you prefer or are vegan).  Puree until smooth (adding more milk & cream if needed).  Warm on stove if need be & salt/pepper to taste.  I also added a smidge of fresh organic honey.  YUM!

As Autumn Approaches

 As Spring turned into summer and summer will soon turn to autumn, my heart is aglow at the thought of my own wedding, which is this October the 8th.  The magnolia blossoms welcomed me to the sunny days and blue skies that quickly turned hot and muggy.  I am going to welcome the fall temperatures and breezy days with open arms and an open heart. 

 

 I have finished making the sweet wedding invites.

A bird theme was used, along with some of my favorite colors; goldenrod, turquoise and blue.

They turned out great, but wow were they time consuming.  Pictures of the finished product, coming soon.  The latest creation is mini-canvas collages, with fun poppy colors and cityscapes for my bridal party.  They are so fun to make and are such a personal touch for my amazing girls. 

Now, I must go research and then again soon, create. Happy Saturday!

FLOWERS IN BLOOM

April.  It is a new month, a month whose name in Latin means ‘to open.’  Spring.  It is a season of rebirth, renewal, restoration, growth.  The winter is past, the rains have come and gone, it is a time for singing.  I too am in a season where I must attempt to bloom.  In the cold, bleak months of the winter we trudge along, slowly, to the beat of some far off melody.  Many days we must put our ears to the frozen ground and listen ever so carefully.  Sometimes, all that gets us through is the knowledge that in the future, eventually, a new season has to, and will, emerge.  All that deadness from the season of hibernation now needs to be shed.  We have been resting.  I can see, now begins the process of leaving the old behind and donning a better me.  A consistent theme has shown up today, to stay close to the Spirit’s leading and not let circumstance cloud my vision of the one who saves.  I cry out to be pruned, molded into an image more like my creator and less like me.  How long does this renewing take, I wonder, again and again?  When will this heart fully thaw from the many layers of my winters?  I do not know when this will happen or the length of time I have to wait to see growth, but I do know just like the seasons are faithful, so too is the one who makes all things new.  If I delight in and seek my savior, this desire to be opened up, be refreshed, become better and reflect true inner beauty, has to happen.  

I went for a walk today with nowhere in particular as my destination.  It was the meandering and the freedom to explore that intrigued me, always intrigues me.  So much of life is a walk where the point is to explore, to meander, to be open and to get born again.

Cory Chisel, Born Again:

And also a chance to wander and to come upon a season where everything is suddenly alive and fully in bloom.