Friday Flickr Favorites in Shades of Gray/Grey



by dorthay

by Kevin Steele

by Kobo H


by plainjanetextiles

by lilfishstudios

I was feeling a little "gray" today so I thought I'd find some pretty things that were fitting with that feeling. That bag by plainjanetextiles I'm particularly fond of. Any-who, hopefully with the start of a new week I'll be feeling a little more "colorful" and enthused about life! In the mean time I'll be gazing at more flickr pretties and hoping for some cooler weather around these parts!
Have a great weekend everyone!

I have an obsession with Milk Glass. But not just any milk glass. Milk glass mugs. Tea cups and coffee mugs to be specific. Here's why I love them. They are clean and they let the drink be the center of attention. Yes, perhaps it silly. I suppose it goes back to my culinary training and the idea that the food should be the showcase and not the flatware or whatever.


Now I bring this up because I'm feeling a need in justifying letting most of yesterday get away from me. It just seemed to fly by so quickly! All those necessary things were calling to me-- the laundry to be exact. But I did sneak out of the house to go to a movie ( The Ugly Truth, very funny), and then to my favorite thrift store find to collect some vintage ribbon, (at least something else productive came of my going out!). While I was browsing the shelves for more mugs I happened upon a set of four saucers and thought to myself, "Now those would look lovely with my tea cups!"

And on the practical side, they would keep those coffee and tea rings to a confined space, rather than on a work-in-progress.

Biscuits and jam seem to love them too. Now let me go clean off that coffee ring before something terrible happens!

The other day I mentioned that I picked up a screen printer over the weekend. I actually bought a Yudu machine.
It's a printer, dryer, light box all in one. And it's very cool, if I do say. Trial and error is what's going on around here, though! Things have to be just right, but I think that might be the case with many things when if comes to screen printing. It's my first time, so I guess you shouldn't expect perfection. And from what I've read around the web from other crafty folks, this trial and error phase seems to be quite common. I wouldn't mind that so much if it weren't for the cost of supplies. It adds up fast!

But I think I've achieved some level of success. And that is immensely satisfying.

This is a sampling of what I've put together over the last couple of days.



My brother and I are currently working on printing his logo onto an apron, (and perhaps a few other things given that his birthday is coming up soon, and I'd like to surprise him!). So not only has it become a handy tool for me to use with my art work, but it's becoming useful for other things as well. My husband even mentioned designing some t-shirts for when his next deployment comes up. That could be fun!

Rainy days always make me want to be productive. In that way I suppose they are good! It was a miserable day to try for anything outside, so I stayed in with the kiddos and spent time drawing and painting. (And screen printing, too! I'll share more about that on Monday!)

The illustration above is based on a picture of a swimsuit from Kathleen at Grosgrain. Go have a peek at her work. It's amazing!

The latest and greatest of my projects is now completed! So satisfying. She's pretty cute. In my quest to use some of my remnants of vintage finds, she got some of her very own hand made ribbon flowers. I have to tell you....I LOVE. MAKING. RIBBON. FLOWERS. It's so much fun, and they are so delicate and pretty. It's like a lost art, that can only be found when you go looking through antique stores and flea markets. I see more of this in the near future!

Last night I sat in bed, late into the night and listened to the crickets chirping while I worked my needle and thread. The dim light and quiet were good prep for restful sleep.

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” — George Eliot

Green Wheat Field by Van Gogh

Isn't it comforting for us to know that it's only too late if we tell ourselves it's too late?

I recall through my school years being told that being an artist was on par financially with becoming a doctor. How discouraging! I knew for sure that I'd never be a doctor, but to say being an artist would be that hard too....just stabs at you. Being an artist is something that I think a lot of people are just born as. They may do something else, but they are an artist. It's in their being to create. No matter what else they are doing, they are always thinking of how they can create something else magical. I bet it's a lot like being a poet, or a writer, or any other number of creative types where something else just flows out of you. Even, perhaps, when you don't physically produce something.

Ideas come. I have a note-book full of ideas. What will come of them...I may never know. But there they are, and they keep on coming. It's not too late to start.

Oh my what a weekend! Between my husband buying a new truck, and other essential elements of life, I started on a couple of new drawings and projects. There is something oddly satisfying about coming up with a new "something" and seeing what comes of it.


I also just picked up a screen printing contraption which I am pretty excited about learning. I'm finding out that there are a million different ways you can use screen printing and I'd love to find one that gets my fancy and see what I can come up with. There are some amazing women out there screen printing their own fabric, which I think is awesome!

Amidst everything else, I sat and read through a couple of old magazines. One of my favorite is Romantic Homes. Everything is always so pretty in those magazines. As I was perusing the pages, I came across this picture.



And then I leaned in a little more and squinted to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. That bust looked oddly familiar! Perhaps because a reproduction was sitting my front room with some of my other favorite things!

My mom was kind enough to give her to me a while back. She has a knack for finding really amazing finds in thrift stores. She's so sweet. Thanks, Mom!

The weekend is upon us! I'll leave you with well wishes for some enjoyable and relaxing time, and a couple of images. Have a great weekend!

The rain gives me a good excuse for sleeping away the day. That and the little munchkin I'm carrying. Being almost 22 weeks along now, (it's a boy!), the nesting instinct is kicking in. On the other end of the spectrum, the exhaustion is also kicking in. Those lazy afternoon naps are really quite lovely, especially when you can look out the window as you are dozing off and see the rain falling. It's even more lovely when your three year old girl comes to snuggle along next to you, all dressed up in dress up clothes and clippity-cloppity dress up shoes.

I did happen to wake up with a head full of ideas, and images of things I'd like to make. I love when that happens!

Do you ever look around at another artist or craftsters (is that a word?) work and think to yourself, "Will I ever be that good?". I have those moments sometimes. But I'm not letting it get me down. I'm forging ahead with the intent of improving myself and my work!

I happened to pick up a copy of Artful Blogging. If you are anything like me you were attracted to it just by the beautiful images on the front cover. When I brought it home and opened it, it was all I could do not to drool over all the loveliness within. Talk about inspiration...I have aspirations of being so good at something as to have it show up in a magazine one day. Oh to dream!

At this particular moment in time what I really hope for and dream about is becoming accomplished at something so much so that I can claim the title "Professional"!

For now, I'll claim Professional Determined Mommy and Aspiring Artist/Crafter. How would you abbreviate that?

(View of the "junk" on my dresser. I love when it's inspiring rather than just messy.)

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In the quiet will I find beauty...

And inspiration will twirl amidst the wayward winds.

Over the last couple of years, browsing through some of the amazing art and craft blogs that are out there, I've seen some amazing dolls and stuffed animals. There really are some genius ladies (and gents I'm sure!) out there. I've tried a couple of patterns for plush dolls...but these are by far my favorite dolls so far. Hands and legs and head are all made of polymer clay, with soft bodies and hand sewn clothes.

This little lady, below, is still a work in progress. Just a little tease of her! She's quickly becoming my favorite. I started sewing her clothing just this morning.

As she progresses, I will be sure to share more of her with you!

A labor of love, that's what this little embroidered girl has been for me. Her image developed in my mind quite a while ago, but the execution of this project has taken me a while to finally complete. But it is so satisfying to be able to see her as a whole now. For days I'd been working that needle and thread away to get it completed, and it's paid off.

On a lovely day too. Today I celebrate my 30th birthday! I'm off to find something that doesn't involve holding a needle today...Perhaps cakes and a yummy sandwich by the water!

Set of 2 Hand towels
Hand Embroidered with "Dry Here"

It's always been like an adventurous challenge for me to take something I've found, such as an old linen table cloth, and transform it into something else. That's exactly what I did. And two cute little towels will now stand guard, waiting to be held.

My own story with linen towels, and tea towels, is one of fondness. I live a little through my pretty hand towels now. Browsing through a thrift store, looking for some lovely finds, I came across a very pretty embroidered linen towel and thought how lovely it would be to hang it near my sink. In all practicality it seemed silly to use something so pretty for drying my just-finished-gardening-and-freshly-washed hands. But how special I feel every time I use a pretty towel. It's like a secret treat, from a time when pretty things were much more common.

Pretty little things coming soon!