Our Aussie checking out the dahlias and roses for us.

What is left of my little rose bush and angel out front. We cut back the spirea tree to see if you can get better shaping.

A little bit of heaven outside my front window. Went out yesterday and tried to capture my clematis known as Autumn Glory in all it's beauty. Dh has trained this one himself and we started it from a little bulb. It is one of the few flowers left blooming in our garden out front.

Thoughts from my Studio

While reading the local newspaper this morning I saw the faces of three little children who gave their lives in combat that we might live. I say children as I cannot believe the youth that are serving our country, irregardless, of the circumstances, and to think they were soon to be coming home, seems like a nightmare rather than a news story.

I would love to open my newspaper just one day and read nothing but good news. The war is over and the troops are coming home, to all countries. People are learning to be able to survive on their own and have the freedom that a lot of us take for granted. Perhaps a side note would be that seniors would be given a raise in order that they can afford to live through our tough Canadian winters. I know at over a thousand dollars a drum to fill the oil tank it won't take long for Mother Nature to eat that up. So, what do they do, go without food or freeze.

I also perceive there is an election on the horizon, now that would be great news if all or even some of the major promises that were made were kept. Our schools, our health, our seniors, our planet all are being taken for granted.

On a happy note a special friend of mine has had her work accepted by a great Canadian magazine " A Needle Pulling Thread ", and I am so proud of her. I have watched her grow from when she was the infamous little beader to the now infamous silkribbon artist with beadwork as a highlight. Congratulations Marie...you are one special lady.

My fobs are done and in the mail

Above are four fobs that I have made. The one on the bottom with the mermaid beaded at the end is being sent away as a swap partner. Two of the others are going as gifts and one I gave to my special aunt, because she decided to visit me and asked what the beautiful ' fobs' were for, she remembered when they were used for watches. It is nice to have someone appreciate what one does.

One has a seashell on the end so that you can hear our oceans., one has a fairy on the bottom who is sitting in her glory, and the one with the falling heart is the one that my aunt chose. I truly enjoyed this challenge as I had never made a ' fob ' before.

Marian's Scissor fob/tassel arrived

The image here of the gorgeous scissor tassel does not do it justice. Marian has taken the time to weave size 11 seed beads in a herringbone pattern and added small white pearls to the centre of each. This is all formed over a gorgeous tassel with bright and metallic threads strung on a beautiful piece of gilded rose ribbon.

Hanging from the sides of the tassel are gorgeous bead swags with little hearts on each end. I am so proud to be the owner of this and what a ray of sunshine this has brought into my life today. Glad I entered this swap.

Above are two pictures of my work done on a section of Janet's gorgeous Christmas block in the FFT3 group on crazy quilting international. In the first one I chose to use a darker colour on the deep green and make a ' whispering pine at night '. I made long stems ( branches ) and then added the pines with three shades of green to a goldtoned marlit. I then added nighshades of pinecones using a metallic black to silver blending filament and needle lace technique. I had a little whisp of angora fall on the block at the same time I had a snowman in my hand so added him, but would not be offended if the swirling snow is removed.

I then chose to do one seam in red needlenecessities overdyed with a herringbone stitch. I went back in with a metallic red by dmc and then added mill hill beads to offset the fan shapes that were added. On the opposite side I used the same red and same coloured beads but did a feather stitch instead.

I then went up to a black section on the block and added a garland ( boquet ) of pointsettias using 4mm overdyed red silk ribbon and 7 mm green. I used a more bullion stitch daisy at the end of each side of the spray to make it look like they were tipped to the side. The cetnre was simply a japanese ribbon stitch. I filled the centre with teardrop beads in gold and clear. I then added some mill hill beads in antique white to offset the dark colours. I then rusched and beaded a gold ribbon and added this to finish the side of the seam that was not yet stitched in order to give it some fullness. I hope that Janet likes what I have done on her block.