Couple of projects

A friend is expecting a baby;  mom and dad love 'The Mouse'.  They love Disneyland, so, what better way to acknowledge that than with a Mickey  for the baby's room.  They chose not to find out if they were having a boy or girl so this can work for both.  This is my attempt at painting the famous mouse.  I do have something else for them too, in case Mickey has to live in a closet and only come out when I visit.  I put a gel with glass beads on the sun's ray's to add a bit of sparkle to it.  I so like sparkle.  He is 9" X 12" so he isn't too big.  

A friend taught me how to make the pins.  You cut circles out of material, burn the edges with a candle and heat the center to cause it to pucker.  Sew together with button or bead (I glued a Swarovski crystal to the red one). Sew a pin thingie to the back and enjoy.  The material is the key.  Satin and taffeta works well.  The blue/green and purplish ones were harder to work with.  I think they are too thick and didn't bend as much as I would have liked.  Use your scrapes, just not cotton.   When my friend first 'tried' to teach me to do this, I kept setting the material on fire, not good.  Using a small tea light works well because the flame is not as hot as a bigger candle.

When I wore the red one I took a small strand of pearls and just wrapped it and let it hang down.  

Adding the bluish/greenish to my denim dress added a soft touch to it.

 These can be made in all sizes to be put on head bands, purses or whatever your imagine takes you.  Another friend of mine who is an amazing seamstress, added some to a skirt she made.  

 And I have to add a gratuitous garden picture.  Okay more that one.  Caught the blue bird taking his morning bath.  I love when he visits; its not often enough.

Come have a cup of coffee with me.

Birds & Words Plus Easy Craft

A few posts back I talked about time.  One of the main points was my wasting of time.  Or at least that's what was in my mind.  The subject was brought to my mind by a lesson I had heard and since I had been thinking about my time wasting problem, it hit home.   Well, recently another statement was made during a lesson by the same person.  Very simply, "What you spent your time doing, is what you want to do!"  So, that makes me look at what I DO spent my time doing.  Am I liking what I am doing?  If not, why?  Just something else for me to consider. 

P.S.  I don't know if this applies to the time we spend working to make a living.  But, it would be great if our work was something we wanted to spend our time doing.  Just saying.

Another statement I heard that really made me stop and think is, "Most of your life will be defined by spontaneous responses and reactions."  I had to rethink this one often, still am.  I think back though the past at the times when it would have been better had I responded instead of reacting.  I think  a response usually means there has been some 'thinking' done before the mouth opens....whereas, a reaction is usually full of emotions, hurt feelings, so forth.  I wonder how many people whose feelings I have hurt or given the wrong impression when I didn't have that intention in my heart.  This can be applied in the work world, school world, friends and family world.  I definitely should have considered this while still working, it could have come in soooo handy.   It makes me consider that other people do this too, not meaning to, we are all human, so I shouldn't react to their reactions.  Could this be a circle?  Anyway, that is another look into my mind ramblings.   I can't wait to hear another, what I consider profound, statement. 

Okay, here are some pictures to finish this blog.  

I saw my first blue bird of the year yesterday.  He was taking a bath in my fountain  and was so cute!  I love him! My font just went crazy on  me.

 I made somemore of the coasters.  I like to have them around to give as thank you gifts.

 I like how they look in one of my wrapped bowls.

 Recently I learned how to do these.  They are just fun to make.  An old craft; new for me to do.

 Bye Bye....