Paper Cut Art- A Fabulous Find!

I found this the other day at my local thrift store. (Value Village). I think it's a great addition to my Halloween decor.

The paper cut artwork is signed- I think it's "Blecko". Or "Bleeke". But I couldn't find anything about him or her when I searched those names. 

Adding a spider and some web, along with some Halloween lighting, gave it just the right amount of creepiness. 

And there was nothing creepy about the price- original, signed art for under $5. I'd love to know something about the piece. It's one of the things I like about thrift store shopping- a little history, a little mystery. Who made it? Who owned it? And why did they decide to give it away? 

My interview with Midlife Guru

Just in case you missed it, I was interviewed over on Midlife Guru. Check it out!

A few of my Halloween friends found the interview fascinating. (Or maybe a bit scary?)

See what you think. 

Make it wonderful day!

Angry Bird (for Halloween)

This is not how I found it at the thrift store.

The "Bowl with Bird" is carved out of wood, and quite heavy.

Did you notice that one of his wing tips is broken? No, I didn't notice it either until I got him home. And there's a crack in the bowl part too. (That often happens when I'm thrifting- I'm too excited to notice the flaws!)

But I was able to patch him up and rebuild his wing with some paperclay... and then I used flat black spray paint I already had on hand.

I like how he turned out- perfect for this Halloween time of year!



Make it a Wonderful Day!

Wooly Pumpkins and a Kitty Cat..

I just pulled out my wool pumpkins, made a while back.

I didn't use a pattern, but was inspired by a few pumkin illustrations I've seen over the years.

And Juniper found a little patch of sunshine to sit in while she watched me take pumpkin pics.

Make it a Wonderful Day!

A Quilt Group Halloween

Friday was our monthly Quilt Group Meeting-costumes optional. Last year, I went as a "Quilting Bee", wearing my bee costume and carrying a little quilt. Corny, I know. This year's idea was even cornier. I went as an IRON CHEF...

Get it...IRON CHEF? Oh well, my apron was cute- made by Nan, our Fearful Leader. And my chef's hat included a really cool vintage orange button for the center of my fabric flower. Okay, maybe no costume next year.

Here is a cute pillow by Barbara.


Helen brought these adorable reversable drawstring bags. Here is the tutorial she used: http://ayumills.blogspot.com/2008/09/tutorial-reversible-patchwork-bag.html

These are the cute pillows Denise paper pieced...

(We started our meeting with a surprise Grandma-to-be shower for her-grandbaby #1 is on the way!)



I'd been talking to Helen about my wonky quilt with the shot cotton frames. She told me about one of hers from a while back, and I asked her to bring it.

It was a remake/redo of a quilt she wasn't happy with- so she cut it into blocks, added some shot cotton, and this is the result...I loved it!!

And though I'd never seen hers, we were definitely on the same wavelength!

This leaf quilt is a new one by Helen. Her husband said he just loves this one. Now we all want one- Helen's leaves are great, including polka dots and other fun surprises.

Janet's planning on adding another large border to this red/black/white stunner and wanted our advice. I voted for a skinny black and white striped border and then a red with big white polka dots, or maybe just solid black. (I know she'll figure out something!)

Here's another Halloween one from Helen...

It includes blocks made in an exchange in another quilt group from a few years ago...

This one is by Michelle- a Rail Fence variation with some other blocks and fussy cut Halloween prints mixed in. So cute!

I brought my Halloween Zig Zag ..

Barbara made this adorable baby quilt that includes some red chenille from a gargage sale find. She took the purse/bag apart and used the outside and the lining fabrics in this, along some fabrics from her stash. Love it. And the stripy binding really is a great finish.

Here are two tables done by Nan- this one was a yard sale table that she spent hours turning into a work of art...

And this one, set for our lunch on the tablecloth she made from a JoAnn's fabric that we all thought was perfect with the candy corn fabric border she added. (Lunch was YUMMMY!)

Terry brought her Halloween circle quilt, this one with the circles sewn 1/4 inch from the edge to intentionally fray, like a bull's eye quilt...

Thanks Nan for hosting and thanks to our little group for the good conversation, sharing and supportive creativity, and for laughing with me (at me?) as the Iron Chef.

Have a wonderful Halloween!

'Round Halloween

This one has 64 blocks from a variety of fabrics, again with raw edge appliqued circles. I made this quilt top LAST year before Halloween. Nope. Still not quilted.

So maybe it's a Halloween tablecloth this year?

Thrifted Treasures

I found this cool lantern at Value Village a few weeks ago. It was made in India, and I think it's pretty new- I think I remember seeing it in a catlog... Anyone recognize it?


And this book was "thrifted" when I helped a friend move years ago. She had a pile of things she wasn't keeping, and this was one of the items. She wasn't sentimental about it, but it has her name, along with her siblings, written inside with the date, 1967.

The book was published in 1961, so I think it qualifies as "vintage".


The book is by Johnny Gruelle, and here is what's written on the last page:

The Gruelle Ideal

It is the Gruelle ideal

that books for children

should contain nothing to cause fright, suggest fear,

glorify mischief, excuse malice, or condone cruelty.

That is why they are called

"BOOKS GOOD FOR CHILDREN.

So that explains why the witch is Wonderful, not Wicked...(And I found out after reading the book, she's really not a witch at all!)

Make it a wonderful day!

Felted Feline

A couple of birthdays ago, I gave my twin sister the gift of us taking a needle felting class together at a local craft store. She LOVES dogs, and that's what we made in the class. We had a good time laughing together as we poked our puppies into shape.

A few weeks later I met a woman who asked us to come to the County Fair to demonstrate needle felting. Mind you, we'd had about two hours of experience with this craft.

But we went, and we had a good time. Kate was in town, and we made her come with us. She made a purple dog as I recall... or was it blue?? With polka dots???

Since then, I've taught a couple of friends how to make a felted dog, since I'm such an "expert" now.

And I made a kitty for Halloween...


Notice the pumpkin that looks like it's been around for a while? I made that when I was five. And can you see that cute spoon in the front? Nan made that- she made one for each of us in our quilt group. It's a thrifted spoon with a wire-wrapped/beaded/adorable handle.

An antique postcard, dated 1912, is there on the left...it's adressed to "Master Kenneth (can't make out the last name), and the note is signed, "Love from Aunt Flossie". I love stuff like that. All this is displayed on a cake plate in the kitchen so I can enjoy all of my little treasures while I'm cooking.

Have a wonderful fall day!

Trick or Treat Quilt

It's finally fall here, after a beautiful and warm September.

I call this one Trick or Treat.

It's adapted from "Home is Where You Hang Your Heart", in the book Folk Art Quilts by Sandy Bonsib.

I often piece borders just to add to the scrappiness. And to use up my scraps.

The houses are nine patches, and the roofs are flying geese.

See that blue sky? Days like this will be few and far between from now until the after the Fourth of July...

But I'm not complaining. Honest. Just makes us who live in the Pacific Northwest appreciate sunshine and blue sky all the more.