I immediately thought of Francis Scott Key writing the Star Spangled Banner, and decided to make him the focus of my cards in honor of our Nation's 250th Anniversary. These will mail out today, and I'll get back to my Monarch.
I had a physical therapy appointment late morning, and Handsome took me out for lunch afterward. When we got home, I went into the studio with the best intentions, but I guess my appointment was more helpful than I thought. I lay down for just a bit, and woke up a couple hours later.
I did manage to prepare the components for my artist trading cards, but still need to assemble them. I don't have to be anywhere until late afternoon to work, so I'm going to finish them today. They'll definitely mail out tomorrow.
I knew from the start what I wanted to do for my "Compass" prompt for the April artist trading card swap. In fact, I was so settled in it that I set my subject...and promptly forgot to do it in April!
I have an appointment this morning, but as soon as I get home, I'm going into the studio and I'm not coming out until the ATCs are finished and ready to mail. I'll share photos tomorrow.
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| January 2026 Artist Trading Cards |
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| Detail - January 2026 Artist Trading Card |
Jenna was so surprised when I handed her the package yesterday morning. She said, "What's this?" I told her it's what I've been working on. She set it on her laptop stand so I could start pedaling on the stationery bike, and I told her she had to open it in front of me. So, while I pedaled, she unwrapped her gift.
As she held it in her hand, I explained that it was a brooch, done in traditional goldwork methods, completely hand stitched by me, and could be her "something blue" for her wedding next year if she wanted to use it that way. She loved it.
I told her that some brides wear them on their dress, while others chose to put it on their garter or on their undergarment. She told me she went shopping for her wedding gown over the weekend, and pulled out her cell phone to show me what she chose. It was almost exactly what I'd told her I'd envisioned for her when we talked about it last week! It's perfectly her.
When I saw the style, I knew that all of those options for the pin were off the table, as it would show through the smooth lines of her gown. I had one more suggestion...She could place it in her bridal bouquet. She said she immediately thought of that when she saw it. Of course, she did.
I told her I chose to give it to her early because I wasn't sure how many more sessions we had together, and I didn't want to miss seeing her open it. By the end of our session, we had discussed my progress and that I'd only have two more visits (already scheduled) before she cuts me loose. I was so glad I worked to get her brooch finished early for just that reason.
While BoB (my bone-on-bone knee) is already more of a pain, I'm hoping to hold off on surgery until after the winter. I'm planning to pamper the heck out of it, and will continue to strengthen my new knee so it's up to the task of completely supporting me by then. Jenna assures me that I'm on track and will do fine, and that she's not planning to go anywhere between now and next spring so she can be my rehabilitation therapist again.
I know my last day will be bittersweet, but I'm not going to be sad because I know I'll have her helping me next year (or sooner, if need be).
I'm going to work on my September ATCs today so I can get them done and on their way this week. It will be nice to do something less strenuous for a change. I also have a small project for one of my coworkers, so I'll try to do that today or tomorrow so that's done. It's something I almost never do - garment repairs - but this is just a matter of sewing up a seam on two garments. I told her not to tell anyone, as Handsome has a hard time getting me to do that. She promised "mum's the word".
So that's what I'm up to for the next couple days. Nothing too strenuous, and definitely creative stuff on the agenda. I'll show you tomorrow.
I completed the artist trading cards for Jan's Handmade Treasures swap group this month. I wanted to get them out before my surgery a week from now. The prompt for July is "Summertime", and I've been cogitating on this one since it was announced. As I usually do with anything that stumps me, I decided to sleep on it. For some reason, I always get my solutions in my sleep. This was no exception.
About two months ago, Jan came home to find that her and her husband's sweet old dog had passed away while they were at work. She came home to find she had just gone away on her bed and looked like she was sleeping. They were understandably upset, not only that their dog had passed, but there was some guilt that it happened while they were at work and she was alone. I tried to explain that perhaps that's what her pup wanted...to spare them. I also understood how they felt, as I would have felt the same. Their dog's name was Summer.
So rather than come up with something that wouldn't resemble too closely last month's prompt: Beach, I came up with the idea to appropriately honor their dog. I found a photograph of her basking in the sun atop their picnic table in their backyard, and added touches of happy yellow to the rest of the card. Summer in happier times.
This month there were fourteen participants, so I printed out Summer's image and name on fabric, cut out sunny yellow batik, and added a daisy button. Gluing on the button was the last step after sewing all the other elements to my ground fabric. I added my signature sheet to the back, and finished by adding a label explaining the card to everyone as I slipped it into its envelope. I put them in the mailbox this morning and sent them on their way. I'm confident I'll hear from Jan when she opens hers in a couple days.
I have two pre-op appointments today, but then I'm getting back to my bluebirds. I'd really like to complete the embroidery this week. Then, I can choose fabric for the hanging. I probably won't assemble it until I'm well into my recuperation. I'm planning a little goldwork or woolwork as I heal. I've got most of the projects already chosen from the last time I thought I was going into surgery, so I'll just double check and make final decisions. I may just pull out a book to read, too.
I'd better get ready to leave soon, so I'm going to enjoy a quiet cuppa and then get to my appointments. Thankfully, these are close to home and routine, so Handsome doesn't have to go along. I'll be taking up plenty of his free time with shuttling me to physical therapy after my surgery, so I'm glad to be able to give him a break ahead of all that. So, I'll sign off now and see you tomorrow!
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| My June Artist Trading Cards - Beach |
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| My June Artist Trading Card Design Detail |
Here's a closeup for you, so you can see all the details. I really had fun creating this one, and it will mail out to the recipients today. I can check this item off my To Do list, making my "Must Do" list shorter than before. That's a win for me, plus is was a creative item, so...Win/Win!
I'm working today, so I'll see what I feel like doing after I get home. Will she nap? Will she work on the bluebirds? Will she busy herself with something else? You'll have to check in tomorrow to find out. lol
Today is Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious? I'm not, but I'm not taking any chances. I'll be binding up my knee for work, being ever vigilant in my Explorer, and saying a prayer before I leave the house. That should cover me. Take care and I'll see you tomorrow.
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| Brynwood Needleworks - May Artist Trading Cards To Mail |
I completed my artist trading cards during the day yesterday for the Handmade Treasures swap group. The theme for this month is Flowers. I chose the Lilac Fairy image from Cicely Barker as my main image, adding "The earth laughs in flowers" beneath it. I used a complimentary floral background behind the image, and added the flower button as the final touch.
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| Brynwood Needleworks - May ATC Closeup |
Speaking of "on their way", this is my multiple last six hour day. Next week I'm back to my regular six hour Tuesday and three hour Friday evening. I can't wait. I really like the new gal I helped train on Wednesday, and next Tuesday, I have yet another woman to train. yippee!
We also have a former cook coming back to work for us. The job he left us to go to hasn't panned out, so he's back and wants more hours. double yippee! I think those of us who have been bustin' our butts to keep the operation going are finally getting relief...especially my boss. Prayers answered.
I'm leaving in a little while to clock in for my shift, but am looking forward to a relaxing weekend with Handsome. I'll tell you all about it next week, so have a great holiday weekend, and I'll see you tomorrow or after the holiday. Hi Ho...Hi Ho...You know the rest!
After a week of dreary, cold, cloudy and rainy weather - including for the funeral yesterday - the sun is finally shining. Of course, the sky is streaked with the persistent airplane trails, so it's already beginning to cloud over again as I type this. Seems every time I see this crisscrossing in the sky, the clouds appear and the sun disappears. It's quite frustrating for those of us who are sun-worshippers.
I''m going to enjoy this day off. I plan to make my monthly artist trading cards today so they can mail off tomorrow. There's also more than a little laundry calling to me, so there's that, too.
I hope you have sunshine skies and warmth where you live today. I'm sending all my love and gratitude to each of you for your friendship. Whether or not we've ever met in person, I look forward to your messages and hope you continue to enjoy the thoughts I put out into the world every day. It's important to me that I tell you that out loud. You're very special to me. Thank you.
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| Treasures March Artist Trading Card Exchanges |
There may be one card missing from this lot, but these are the cards I received for last month. The theme was "Shamrock", and I think each and every one was a unique endeavor by all the artists. I love them all!
As I'm sure each recipient has come to know my style, I'm becoming more familiar with each of theirs, too. I think they're all fun and creative, and are great additions to my collection.
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| My April Artist Trading Card |
The first thing I did was search out an image that I thought would best exemplify our April theme: "Rain". I purchased this sweet bunny artwork from VintageArtRealm on Etsy. I knew I was going to add raindrops, so I first affixed the image (printed on cotton fabric) to the base fabric, using a shimmering Madeira thread. Then, I used a holographic thread from Kreinik to make stitches above the umbrella. Each stitch is anchored with a sparkling bead.
All my cards are in addressed envelopes and will be heading to the swap participants today. Now that this project is complete, I think I'm going to turn my focus to my bluebird embroidery. It's about time, don't you think?
I have my MRI and doctor's appointment today, so I may not be embroidering today. I know there won't be the stress that I had with the other one, but I may just choose to take it easy when I get home. We'll see. Either way, I have a feeling you'll see an image of my bluebird embroidery tomorrow...just to remind you what I'm going to be dancing with next.
This was another project I completed recently. These are in the mail and on their way to the Handmade Treasures group swap partners. There were twelve (plus me) for thirteen total this month. I'm quite happy with the way they turned out.
The last of the February artist trading cards from the Handmade Treasures swap arrived yesterday. These are all of them. One is a "coin", which is also an option in this group. I've receive a couple others from other members, and this one is really nice, too.
There was quite a varied interpretation for the "Love" theme for the month. I noticed more dimensional cards, and more cards that incorporated machine or hand stitching. I'm not even able to choose a favorite this time.
The prompt for March is "Shamrock", so now I'm contemplating how I can meet the challenge without being Captain Obvious. lol I'll play around with a few ideas after Handsome gets home. I have a few things I need to concentrate on before then.
I baked my Florida friend, Cathy's Koulourakia cookie recipe, too. I love her recipe which features bergamot essential oil (food grade, of course) in the mixture. Once they're formed, they get an egg wash, are topped with sesame seeds, and then baked until they're done. Handsome really likes them, too, so I wanted to have something special for him when he gets home. I have a little more baking to do over the weekend, but I'll be stitching, too.
Sebastian Squirrel did get an acorn, but not a real one. I found a sweet acorn button I've had for years. I'll share a photograph along with the rest of my Monday post so you can see how cute he looks now. I may make a new spoolie this weekend, but the critter will be a surprise (to both of us!). I'll choose which animal once I get to the "pulling materials" phase. I'm going to make a cuppa first, and then tackle a few cleaning tasks. As much as I'd love to, I can't ignore the homekeeping duties that are summoning me. Hi, ho....hi, ho... (Sing it with me, now!)
All my February "Love" artist trading cards went into the mail and are on their way to new homes. I made two changes to the one I shared yesterday. I kept the darker thread on three I'd completed before deciding to go with a lighter thread. I also moved the heart-shaped button to the top corner, rather than the bottom to balance out the design.
Now, I'll be able to concentrate on other things. Like moving some things out of my fabric studio. It was pretty exciting a couple nights ago. I was sitting in the recliner in the living room and would occasionally hear Crystal bouncing around upstairs. The first time I went to see what the ruckus was about, I turned on the hall light to find her reclining at the top of the stairs, looking innocent.
The second time, I didn't turn on the light until I'd quietly climbed the staircase. I found her in Handsome's room and she was staring, first under the bed and then at the bench at the end of the bed. I'd been doing laundry through the day and had a basket on the bench. I moved it to see a mouse scampering down the length of the bench. I calmly moved the basket into my studio and called Claudette.
Understand that I love all living creatures, however I do not like them pooping in my home. I knew there was a mouse because I'd occasionally find "signs" on my machine table. If I can catch said critter myself, I happily relocate them to the Compass Barn. However, Crystal was on the hunt, and I called Claudette to help. At first, she thought I was just bothering her, but when I moved our cedar chest Crystal was scoping out, the mouse ran right across Claudette's feet and into my studio. Game on! Both girls spent the night guarding those two doorways. Nothing was going to get past them again.
So far, the critter has eluded them, but I'd picked up all my baskets and containers and put them on my cutting table, so now is the perfect time to go through the containers and make some purging decisions. After I take care of the big girls this morning, I'll be returning to that room and I'll definitely be filling some bags to take to St. Vinny's. I'll let you know if the girls have any success, or if the mouse is fortunate enough for me to capture it first. Right now, I've got other things to do, so I'll leave that task to the little girls.
I came home from work yesterday, fed the girls, ate my dinner and then started stitching. This is what my February 2025 artist trading card looks like for the Love theme. I haven't finished all of them, but will do that today, in between other tasks. They'll all mail out tomorrow.
In retrospect (especially after photographing), I would have made my cherub image more saturated and perhaps a tad larger, but I've already put together twelve, and am not going to start over. I do love the image, and chose "hugs and kisses" rather than "Love" for the bottom.
Once these are completed and ready to mail, I can turn my attention to other things. I'm not sure what's next, but rest assured, you'll be the first to know once I make my choice.
Happy Hump Day!
We got our theme for the February artist trading cards in the Treasures swap group my sister, Jan organizes. Of course, being Valentine's month, the theme is Love. I immediately seized on my project!
I'm already nearly finished, but didn't want to show more than this until they're completely done. I purposely didn't choose the typical red/pink/white colorway this time. I went off in this lavender/purple direction instead.
I'm working today but will likely complete this after I get home. Once completed, I'll be able to share them with you before they fly away to new homes. I'm hoping I can do that tomorrow. Gotta run now, though...
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| January Treasures Artist Trading Cards - Theme: Snowflakes |
I'm going to make my February cards today. The theme is "Love". I've already gathered my materials and will have fun creating this one! I'll share on Monday.
I've come this far, and I'm nearly there. Only the one (with the needle in it) to complete, and four more to go. There are two more participants this month, so I have a dozen total cards to make. Happily, no two snowflakes are identical, so I'm having fun coming up with a different shape for each one.
I've been sidetracked by other tasks (like designing a little kitty purse), so I haven't added to these since the weekend, but I'll be getting back to them in the next day or so.
Once my needlework is complete, these will be mounted on playing cards, my label affixed to the back, and they'll be ready to mail. I wish I could capture the sparkle of the thread and beads. They really do twinkle in the light!
I'm working until four today, so stitching will have to wait until after dinner. I should be able to complete two or three before bed, and if I'm really on a roll, I could finish all the stitching tonight. We'll see.
Today is #2 Son's Birthday, so I don't want to forget to wish him the happy, happy, happiest of Birthdays. We'll plan to celebrate with him soon.
I took the day off yesterday. I'm not sick, but I'm not 100% either, so it was a complete day of rest. I have started my artist trading cards for Jan's January exchange. The theme is "snowflakes". This is a super closeup!
I haven't had my morning coffee yet, so we'll see how I'm feeling once I'm actually rolling. Then I'll know whether it will be another day spent resting, or if I'll actually accomplish anything. sigh I hope your new year is off to a better start. I'll see you again tomorrow.
They're not finished yet, but I'm going to share my idea and how it's going so far. This is taking a little longer than I thought it might and it's a little fiddly, so I wanted to share a bit of the process.
My interpretation of "Pen and Ink" isn't a real reach - even if the execution might be. I'm literally creating a pen and inkwell on fabric. I have a pile of turkey feathers (the smaller, fluffy ones), some vinyl, cork fabric, blue swirl fabric (remember how I do adore swirl fabric? I have in in multiple colors), and the gold thread.
I spent waaaaay too much time cutting out vinyl in tiny bottle shapes. Dang! See-thru is really hard to see to cut. sigh But I persevered and got them all cut out. Then, I drew cork stopper shapes on natural cork fabric, and cut out those shapes. I have small squares of silk fabric that I'll sew to the background fabric that has writing printed onto it, and those feathers will become quill pens. The gold thread is to just stitch a small "v" on the end of the quills to mimic a pen nib (even though - technically - quill pens didn't have them).
The components of the bottle are all secured to each other, but I'm going to do an outline stitch around the whole thing to secure them to the bases. I'm also doing things in steps to layer them correctly. It all takes a bit more time.
I'll work on them again today to see if I can get them done. Yesterday's work was squeezed in between bread rises, as it was also a baking day. I wanted to make better progress on the cards, but this was as far as I got after a false start with something that didn't work out. We'll see if I can do better today.
I'll share my progress tomorrow. Hopefully, they'll be "envelope ready" by the time I need to leave for my three-hour shift at work. I'm heading upstairs right now to get back to it. (I'll take my cuppa with me.)
Today is bread baking day, but I'll also be working on the December ATCs I need to send out this month. I pulled the elements I'll be using to create my "Pen and Ink"-themed artist trading cards. I was just tickled to come up with this idea.
So - the first person to figure out what I plan to do with these elements to meet the theme Jan prompted will receive one of the cards. I'll make an extra one if someone figures it out. Leave your guess in the comments.
Oh. One thing. I may switch out the blue fabric for black. Does that help? hee hee Good luck! (Remember, the theme is "pen and ink".)
