That's why I don't have time to write...

Not only write but make photos also...
Shame on me! I gave away so many my crafts and always forgot to make photos… Good part – all my gourds, paints and needlework adapted by good people. I love to come at my friends homes and see my work. I feel so honored then!

I finished and framed this two few days ago.
Yesterday was looooong and little crazy day. Good one, in fact. Early morning I have time to clean our house (it is always little sloppy). Then Birthday girl asked me to drop her to the Panera. While she enjoyed chatting with friends, I drove to the goodvill. Gosh ! My lucky day! I bought few absolulely lovely bone china tea cups and sousers. Roses, roses and again roses!


New china match my rosy pitcher! Oh, I LOVE it!
Then came my sister-in-law and her hubby. He is THE Super Man! He installed security cameras in our house. Our property was vandalize few times lately and I getting too (is it right to use this world?) paranoid… Super handy-man Bobby install four cameras while I made lunch - so quick, I cant believe! It looks so simple when he did, but I newer will be able to do it - what a wonderful talent! I always admire people like a Bobby - crafty, hardworkind and very, very kind!
Sure I never have egough good time with my sis! Newer enough hugs… I wish one day we would live close to each other, and have more time to spend together. She has one of my samplers now, of course, with the bird and flowers! I started this sampler in her garden couple weeks ago, seating just in front of her beautiful garden house. What a good memories for both of us!
Finally, already after 10 pm watched old and good Russian movies with my birthday girl and I painted more gourds. I think she still remember few of this movies, it was fun to see her repeating some phrases. She has about 50 calls from her friends. Sure – she spent couple hours talking with her boy-friend.
She will back to Chicago tomorrow. I think my daughter in-love now... (ooops! My life in danger now!) I am so happy for her...
And there is one of my new gourds. With bunnies. I am in a "bunny mood" lately. I painted more yesterday, but I didn't make photo yet. Next time!

Fairy of Sewing Machine and Muse of Stitching

airy of Sewing Machine and Muse of Stitching visited me last weekend.

I will not tell they came in time! I have cold and chills, and my stomach is hurting, I sound like a wolf in the morning, my nose is red from constant whipping; my eyes are crying and red also (in celebration of Easter Bunny, of course!).
All what I can do last few days - just sneeze and snooze.

But Muse and Fairy didn’t ask my opinion, they just came! They made me open my Singer (oh, how dear they are!), they made me to take out of closet all my linens and stock of fabric and start working. I wasn’t happy about it – but what can I do???
We canceled Easter dinner with our dearest friend Marian, because I don’t want to give her my cold. It is only time when I am greedy and not able to share joy of getting sick with my friends. So my hubby ordered perfect Easter dinner from Chinese restaurant near, and we didn’t kill for food any Easter baby lamb, bunny or chicken – I am so proud of us! We had sweet-and-sour pork and the hottest soup in the menu.
I took leftover of soup with me to the office today and will continue my treatment – nothing, believe me, nothing can be better then hot and spicy soup now! I still have cold and chills, but I feel slightly better…

Is it soup or Muses helped me? I have no idea… But there are photo’s of some new staff I made. Unfortunately the Muse of Camera left me, in danger of get infection, and I made really lousy photos. Even worse – I can’t find half of them… Sorry… I will wait when she will back and make more pictures!

I made four pillows, using mix of vintage and new linens. Muse left me on the middle of making them – first two turn to be much better looking then second two. Oh, well – it is all her fault! I just try to do my best!

A few bowl fillers, shaped as a heart (of course!) with birds and blooms.

And two last red embroidered hearts finally stitced and staffed. Then Muse and Fairy left me for good.... I slept like a baby after all!

More birds and some roses

My daughter's gift - the birdhouse and Chicadee for Mothers Day. They look so good together!

There is always more rooms for the birds in my garden and house. Every day we feed them.
Dozens of small fellows coming every morning and waiting for me to refill bird fitters. Dozens of them meet me, after I return from job and will feed them again. A few squirrels looking to my windows bagging for food as soon as they can see light in the house. Sometimes two raccoons come to take lunch next to the squirrels. One single, and totally unmarried bunny, and one opossum, who’s family’s history we don’t know, often visiting us. And one neighbor coming to the time of feeding, and makes nasty comments from the other side of fence. One more wild animal we have. I should feed him too, perhaps… Or call animal control… Like a Scarlet O’Hara I always tell myself “I will think about him tomorrow!”

Today I show some more birds from my home collection. First is mosaic ( Hi, Penny from Lavander Hill Studio! I love your blog!). This is fist what I see when I wake up every moning. Oh, no - my husband always first, then mosaic!

I think it is newer enough eggs for Easter, so I have more now!

This two pillows I made few years ago. Titanic project I hardly finished, but I am glad I did – love them!

Snow, birds and needlepoint

We have more snow this week – it’s getting out control. And it is beautiful too. I know, we suppose to complain about cold, snow, darkness, bad driving and slippery roads. I can’t - I love winter. I adore waking up Saturday morning and feed birds and squirrels. Our back yard full of water and we can’t reach large bird feeder, so we just pull out of the garden house an old one and place it in front yard. I guess we are the most popular house on the street now! Hey! I love it!
Dozens and dozens birds left footprints on the snow. They eat it all in couple hours – poor creatures! They mast be really hungry. I will brave tomorrow - I will walk thru the snow and swampy ground of our backyard to poor more food at the biggest birdfeeder we have. Actually it is birdbath, but every winter it became a Mecca for local pigeons, doves, robins, and sparrows. Occasionally coming Blue Birds and couple of Red Cardinals – what a tropical colors on the white clouds of snow!
I also continue my next project – rework on wool canvas. As you can see, I almost finished it, but I am not sure what it will be finally. Canvas bag with toile inside layer and needle pointed pockets for flea market discoveries? Or I can simply frame it? I don’t know yet…


I posted photo of birds I found about year ago in the resale shop. They are so lovely, but I don’t know how you suppose to call them in English. Russian name is SNEGIRY, came from world SHEG – snow. They are one of my favorite birds…

Day off

We have snow last Friday, so much snow! Whole 3 inches – make me smile. I am Russian girl, I know what it’s mean to have lot of snow. However, out company decide to give us day off – what a joy! It seems like I had vacation.

I drove to Ann Arbor and spent two wonderful days with my doter. She is delightful, full of energy and projects. Despite her brain surgery, she doing more then well at university – she will have TWO diplomas next year! And she looks so beautiful and healthy. I pray so hard every day, I hope her tumor newer will grow back, I hope it newer ever will turn to be malignant… She sure loose weight after all, now she is size 2, I guess. So we did some shopping for her, we stop for long-long dinner at Panera; it is place to take your laptops and browse… And we talk, talk a lot about her dreams, her life, everything what happened in past couple weeks. It seems to me that I have one of the happiest days in my life…

And I even have time to do some needlepoint too. There are two finished projects – heart for Valentine’s Day and sheep with snowflakes. Both inspired by internet search, mostly it was French blogs this time.

It is snowing again…

Real winter finally hit roads of Michigan. I spent morning shoveling snow in front of house – bad idea! It is still snowing, I just waist my time doing it.
However, I managed to pull my car to the road and slowly (really-really slow! I mean it!) drove to the Joe Randozzo’s – my favorite place to do shopping every Saturday. My plan today to make slow roasted tomatoes, staffed peppers and Muhammara - Bell Pepper Spread with some almonds and molasses.
Sure, I stop for some coffee and bread at Panera. Muhammara can be good reason to have slice or two sourdough bread.
No other plans for evening! My husband out of home till evening, so I can do some painting or needlepoint… Whoever I will feel inspired today. And read – Aristotle Nicomachean ethics. I found lot of appealing in the way how he describes it.
Almost forgot - there is new needlepoint I finished and finally framed. It placed in our TV / computer/ craft room, and waiting for another bird be framed one day.