fabric splurge

Happy Belated Birthday to me! 

I will be enjoying this tonight b/c of the kindness of small town folks. Yummmmm. Thanks.

 This weekend was Victoria Day weekend. May 2-4. It was an extra long weekend as the kids didn't have school on Friday or Monday. We decided to go for it and went to the city for the day. Took my pa to supper and then went to the Annapolis Valley on Saturday to visit my sister at her new seasonal camping site.

The trip to the valley included a trip to Avonport Discount Fabrics.

Here are some of my wares..

 Love this scooter fabric. I think it will make a lovely teapot cozy and heat sacks.

 The sail boats are for a 'go fish' game idea I have. It will be the bag to hold it.

 The schooners, anchors and Nova Scotia Tartan will be tea pot cozys.

 My son wanted the penguins. Don't know what for. And the meadow things was too cute to pass up.

 Fat quarter of this story book fabric

 And some Red Riding Hood fabric.

When I don't have a project in mind for fabric, I usually only buy 1/2 metre. When it has a purpose, I buy 1 metre.  

How bout you? What is your usual yardage of fabric buying?

We had a lovely weekend.  A nice Birthday weekend.

Here's what I posted on my Facebook status:

"Thanks for the wishes. I'm 45 today and I can happily say that I am finally in the place and space 

I imagined myself to be at this age/stage of my life. 

And good times ahead. Grateful indeed."

'Tis true that. 'Tis True.

Ciao,

Amanda

good people round here

It's our first spring here in Shelburne. We arrived in the middle of summer and all the wonders Mother Nature had to give. Then fall and winter. brrr. bare. dull.

It's nice to see all the green return and the added bonus of the blossoms on the trees.

Even though we've been here for 10 months (!) we still have some city clicker in us. It's hard to erase 20 plus years from your system of doing things.

We want to grow our own food and raise chickens.

We have like minded friends and neighbours and even people we meet in the company of others. People with experience. People with local know how.

We've been talking with a guy over the past few months about eel grass. He bestows the virtues of it. We're willing to try it out. 

He showed up yesterday with a truck full of it!

 His third load of the day... for other people.

 How good is that? Neve grabbed the pick and started to work.

 Down the hill, up the hill.

 Dumping it in the bed.

 The bed that exists because another friend got the wood and put it there. 

Help I take readily. Gratefully.

 Kind people who offer and produce. People who offered to grow our chicks until they can go outside in August! They will add them to their own growing flock. Inside. Their house! I'm so thankful for that. This city slicker, who can't sleep with the spring peepers outside the house, will not be able to sleep with growing chickens inside her house. Light sleeper I am.

 I'm truly thankful for the kindness people give, knowledge of what to grow where, when.

And thankful for the help from the littles....

 With the guidance of others, we will grow some food and 

nurture the love and abundance of nature around us.

Here's my Mother's Day present... a peach tree!

It was either that or a pair of rubber boots. The tree was easier to find. I didn't have to try it on.

The eel grass will grow potatoes! A layer of grass, seedlings and then another layer of eel grass. As the potatoes grow, you can lift up the grass, pick some and put it back over. And it also helps cut the cost of filling the bed with soil.

Looking forward to the next couple of weeks of tending the garden and figuring out how to keep the deer out! We've gotten lots of suggestions for that also.

Thanks locals for your welcoming community.

Ciao,

Amanda

The Iceland Gull landeth

My attempt to interpret the Iceland Gull in wool.

 I only broke 4 needles

 Birds heads are difficult. I could still use some work on it. But 'tis done, unless the prop lady needs something tweaked!

 The deer didn't eat the tulips. I cut some.

 Brought them inside

 And they exploded. As did my head cold. boo. 1st one this year, so I'm not really complaining.

Taking it easy with couch crafting and folding laundry.

Have a good one.

Amanda

me? in a magazine?

Hey! I'm in an online magazine.
well, kinda.
through the way of Margaret Bloom from We Bloom Here.

Moomah Magazine did a book review of her book Making Peg Dolls and put in a photo of my pirate and mermaid. (oops, editor, you should have checked your sources!)

Margaret and I had a little back and forth chat about it. And there you go. Now, if only I had some source credit. :}

The local theatre group is doing a play about pirates. I volunteered/was asked if I could come up with a seagull.

 A sitting seagull to be on a shoulder. Yep, no patterns. So I attempted to needle felt.

This is just the basic shape. I've wet felted it and when it dries, I will add details and hopefully, it will fool the audience. Who won't be sitting so far away as I wish. :}

They were calling for rain all weekend, but the sun came out, it's shining hot and lovely.

Have a great weekend.

Amanda

a gardener I'm not

I'm not much of a gardener. I've never really had much of a garden.

 And I'm certainly not one with much gardening 'vision'

 but I spent the day... outside.

 Planting a bit of rhubarb, forget me nots and wondering if the tulips will survive the deer.

 The garlic is looking good.

  The ground I tilled...

Looking good, until I got a huge rock stuck in the blades. Thus ended the tilling of the day.

 A peek through the apple clearing I imagine as an oasis in the shade in years to come.

 Then, to get into the shade, I hauled a bunch of vines from the undergrowth and started to break them and cut them for burning.

 Damp wood = smokey business. I'm sendin' out smoke signals y'all.

Often looking at this roadside rescued chair. Wishing I could beauty it up or sit in it. 

I'm thinking orange.

DH came home and made some sweet potato chips. A hit to go with the freshly caught and home battered fish.

A good day indeed. And sunburned lips to boot!

Enjoying a bit more sun today before the rain comes for about 4 days.

cheers,

Amanda

Invasion of the Ninjas

My order came! It came it came! in 2 days!

I've talked about Bear Woods Supply Inc.

I finally placed an order with them.

Can i just say... it was awesome.

Great prices, selection customer service.

They used expedited shipping in Canada for just over $10!!! In Canada! Crazy. 

I got it in 2 days.

The quality of the pegs is great. Smooth wood without the flaws and 

tree rings on the heads like other sources. 

I can't say enough about it. 

Notice the acorns on the bottom of the pic! love.

What did I do with them?

(check out the first ones I made here)

 50 Ninjas

 Looks like someone threw up a ninja rainbow! I've been waiting all day to say that! :}

I left the room for a few minutes.....

 Someone had fun planning an invasion!

Have a good one!

If you're local, pop by the Mother's Day Shopping event.

Amanda

Tooth fairy fellow

I took my owl finger puppet

Made it bigger, changed the belly ribbon, 

Stuffed it

And made it a tooth fairy fellow!

They come with their own money belt! The tooth can go in there while waiting for the goods....

Fits a quarter, loonie or a toonie!

These fellows will be at the Mother's Day Shopping Sale  on Saturday!

Back to the studio!

Have a good one.

Amanda