The Transformation

I just thought I would share the finished piece I teased you with the other day.   I always love making the CQ pieces, they are a lot like life.  You start with the basics and then just keep adding and adding layers and see where they wind up.  You really never know it is finished.  Each and every piece takes on it's own personality.   I don't plan one stitch or embellishment at all. Nope not one.   Even the material I sew on doesn't get planned at all.  Kind of like Hubby and I go thru life. 

A lot of the times when we go on a trip, nothing is planned.  Nothing ----we get in the car and see where our steel stallion takes us.  Which direction and all.  We just know we will wander and site see and then when absolutely tired come home.   That is it.  

  CQ is lots of layers and sometimes it is hard to know when to stop.   Dear Hubby is my guide sometimes, he asks do you have a 1000 pounds of beads on it yet?   You know I don't actually have 1000 pounds on them but close.  

Here is the purse from the other day.   I had already added some trims but it was not finished by my standards ---far from it.   

 

 

Here it is transformed Texas style.  Stitches, beads, ribbon work and just some treasures added.  Pieces of jewelry and oh did I mention beads?   I wanted to of course add beads to the faerie also.  

There you go the transformation and a little guardian angel charm added just for good measure. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas and oh what 2014 will bring to us all.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

                                                              XOXOXO
                                                               Annette

Merry Christmas Y'all

Can you believe it is already Christmas?   I know when you have smaller children you are reminded nearly hourly but when you are a tad older like we are you still enjoy Christmas and all it stands for.  Well 50% of us do in our duo household.  The furbabies don't care as long as they are loved, petted and fed and give us the "stare" often.  You know the one.

I just wanted to wish you all Merry Christmas and see what we create for 2014.   I know it will be a great and creative year.  Soooooooooo        
       
    Merry Christmas Y'all and a Happy 2014 !!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  

 

Merry Christmas

 

xoxoox

WIP Funny little letters aren't they?

Abbreviations,  such funny little things and odd letters but we seem to know what they mean don't we?    Now the abbreviations on the texting world, some of those critters you have to really really really work to figure what they mean.  At least I have to.   Now I could get on my soap box about the texting and living with the phone in your hand but I promise I won't do that. 

WIP,   my work in progress on the crazy quilting.    When I piece a block or purse or whatever I am making together I think this is the homeliest thing in the whole world.    Now a saying is you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear might be wrong on this art.   Because my little sow's ears evolve like crazy.   From a homely piece to a beautiful peacock.  

I am worried though because this piece, not finished, I am liking it.   See what I mean?  Is that a kiss of death for this little sow's ear?   I will let you be the judge of that.

 

So here it is the sow's ear evolving.   Probably the reason I like it at this point is maybe the bling already on it?   I don't know and I promise you right now it has 100 pounds of bling on it now after working on it last night.    You know looking at the shape, if I pointed it a tad it could look like a piggy's ear.  No that may be stretching it.  

 

Alright I have rambled enough.   I will post the finished project in a couple of days.   Putting the clasp on is the part I don't like but it is a present so have to get it done.

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

 

XOOXXO

Annette

CPF's

My CPF's are on the rampage again.   AKA Creative Pieces of Fabric.   Scraps if you will.  Sometimes I wonder how small does the scrap of fabric need to be before it is trash?  Trash?  Oh I say that softly too.    

Now Hubby always puts anything I might use for the sake of art on the cabinet by the trash drawer in the house.   I love it, he knows I reuse-repurpose-recycle or make do is they word I use to use.  It is not an in word so recycle is the word today.    I even found a nut in a little box I had.   It was hexagon shape and red.  I said what is this?  It is a nut to the International tractor we owned years and years ago.   Yes we had the "GREEN" ones also but the color of International tractors was red.  So I put it on a shelf and remembered I had taken a quick photo of Hubby and his Dad by the tractor and I thought I can put them together in a  treasure box.  I am so glad I keep little things like that.   when I get it put together I will share it with you, probably it was in like 1962 is era.  

 

Here are 6 of the CPF bookmarks.   One of them chose to be a little smaller than the others but they are hand made.     I didn't use any of my faeries with these little treasures.   I had then in the ciggie drawer and just had to let them shine. 

 

 

Close up of my eyeglass case and of course had to use one of my faeries.   She was so cheerful and had to use the butterfly.  The crochet flower is from Little Snippts (Geraldine) and the pretty button from Flights of Fancy.  Love those buttons.

 

 

Here is the eyeglass case just hot off the press, I may even keep her she is so happy looking.  Funny how we don't keep very much of our own work.   I say this because I use to China Paint and bet I don't have 10 pieces of it.   My sister in law?  She has tons of it that I painted and she enjoys it.   So that makes it all worth it to share. 

 

There you go this is what is happening in my world right now.  Well more but I don't want to bore you to death. 

 

Thanks for stopping by

 

XOOXOX

Annette

 

New Faeries for Card and Ciggies

Sometimes you just hunt and hunt for a word and then think well maybe this will work. 

                                                   Essence Faeries. 

 To me that means something that kinda sorta looks like someone.  That has the air of the person but not smack dab  them.   So this is why I have named this series of Faeries -------Essence Faeries.  

I started with a photo of each girl and didn't want it exactly like them but has the air of their personality, their look, their essence if you will.     I wanted it to be arty and not a portrait, that is what photographs are for.   I want to be taking an artist's license with them.  Being as I did photography for over 24 years, I wanted to stray from photos and go back to what I did before photography.   Art in the style of messy hands, paint all over your clothing.  You know the messy kind.  If you forget and wipe your hair out of your eyes and then have paint or pastels all over you or even some glitter on your face.  

Maybe just going back to kindergarten and finger painting and just express yourself with color and design.  Of course when you were that young we just did what we felt natural and didn't worry about the rules or anything else.  We just did it. 

 Now I know I do some life like portraits but then how many of you have really and truly seen a real life Faerie?   I only have in my mind or my muse working overtime and in books.   In some enchanted forest or even in our yard with flowers and toad stools maybe, but so tiny we can't see them. 

So here ya go my Essence Faeries.    I do measure and measure and want some facial features that make them - them , something that says who they are pop out.  

Please excuse the watermarks, seems like we have some image bandits out there in the cyber world.  Now if you are like me, I just don't care for someone else to sell my work and get the dollars .   I am narrow minded that way.  

Now this little sweetie just wanted to be older than she is---so I let her be what she wanted to be.   She is a twin and I figure she is very strong willed and just wanted to show her here. 

 

 

 

Oh it was hard to do this Faerie, I have known her since she was maybe four years old and watched her grow up to be a fine young woman. 

 

 

 

Same young lady but totally different feel and pose and just air about her.  She is very talented and somehow I just wanted to show that maybe with her headpiece and the little bird bringing love to her.  

 

 

 

The softness and gentleness of this faerie, I feel like I captured her totally.   She has always been a kind and sweet little girl.  

 

 

There you go my Essence Faeries.   They will go to their new homes soon, become Note cards and ciggies alsowill be printed.   I have four more for this series coming.   Just starting on them this week, well the first one anyway.  Photos coming of the new faeries. 

 

I have just copied this from my other blog, lazy fingers today.   : ) 

 

I am thinking very very serious to doing Essence Faeries for other Mothers wanting these of their daughters.   Of course a fee would be charged.

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

 

XOOXOX

It is November!

It is here-----NOVEMBER------.  The year is getting close to ending,  really !!!! I am not pulling your leg or anything.   We have one more month the enjoy the Fall colors or oranges, yellows and golds.  Oh and how could I forget RED?  I mean that is one powerful color isn't it?   

Now I am not saying that RED is my favorite, but our automobile is red and we have had a Red one for years.   One time we had traded cars and only person who realized it was our Granddaughter.  We had a bench back seat and then the new one had captains chairs.  There she was maybe 9 and she is the only one who knew our steel stallion was new. 

I could say we have a LOT of Red in our house and would not be stretching it at all.  Several large rugs, some walls and assorted things.   So maybe Red is my favorite color, but really how can you choose one color?  They all have their charm and are just  everyone so pretty.   I know that is a strange thing to get to chatting about but it just popped in here and said I want to be talked about.  

Kathy Shaw gives wonderful tutorials,  here  is where you can find them.  She does beautiful needlework besides tutorials.    Now I was blog prowling and found one on her site for trees.  I thought TA DAAAAA, what better for Fall on my block of the month than a tree?    A Fall tree with beautiful orange  leaves gently falling to the ground and giving a special look.    I also get to use the Fall colors that I love to see.

 

Here you go, my Fall block.   The leaves were some plastic ones I had but they just didn't show up well.  Sooooooo I put gesso on the backside of them and of course so faerie glitter on the front.  After all one of my faeries is the center of attention on this block.   The silk ribbon work, buttons and lots of beads and sequins.  Right up a Texan's alley ----bling.   It is hard for me to stop on these sometimes but it is just so much fun.  To combine my paintings, printed on fabric and the new needlework I have learned last year.  

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.

 

XOXOOX

Annette

A Little Give a Way

Well Fall winds and chills are upon us.   A friend up in Michigan just called and said so far they have had 20, yes 20 pickup loads of leaves to dispose up.  Now I do have to be thankful we don't have hardly any trees.  See there is always an upside to everything.   I think !!!

Ok I am tardy in my give a way, I wanted to do something for the 25,ooo views.  That didn't happen, then for 30,000 views,   still tardy so I finally finished what I was working on for you.  

Please just comment on my other blog, that is one celebrating.    Here is the link to it my friends
http://annettegraves.blogspot.com/2013/10/better-late-than-never-give-way.html
when I draw your name please please please let me know you address.  A deal?    Remember we have a high tech method of choosing.  I write the names on a piece of paper and then throw the names on the floor and Eldon  -DH-picks one.    Now when you do let me know your address I have to view and approve messages, those darn spammers,  so I will not show it to the world.  

 

So here you go, my give a way.  It is an 8x8 inch block and you may use it for a journal cover, throw darts at it or whatever you choose.  I just wanted to say thank you for popping onto my blog and seeing and reading my Nana words and art.  

 

Let's do this until  October the 30th.   I tried using colors that are softer and would go with most anyone's taste.

 

Good luck to you all and thanks for seeing what is going on in my world today. 

 

XOXOXO

Annette