Monday, October 28, 2013

Sprinkling of Fairy Dust Too


Well things have been very busy around here completing this pillow and other hand crafted items for an annual Studio Sale that I collaborate with a friend.

The little frog got a visit from a fairy! I really wondered the entire time I was coloring and stitching if she was giving him a charm or a wish or just making his day brighter with a little fairy dust. It is possible that I should call on all fairies, brownies and elves to come and help complete all that is still "in progress" in the craft room.

Here is a little preview of what we will have for sale...





Monday, October 7, 2013

Doing for Others

Well, this is not a post on my being a benevolent humanitarian,(insert snicker) but rather the crazy idea that I can create items from another person's vision.  It started this morning when I checked my etsy shop and had a request for a custom art pillow.
This is the pillow that she liked...BUT....could I do the same muted tones with a frog/toad theme. (If you must know...I'm not very fond of frog/toads.) I decided to make a little sketch of an idea and look through some fabric to see if there was a vision.
I think this toad would be very "hoppy" if the pillow back was cut from a piece of hand dyed fabric. Waiting now to see if our ideas are mutual. He may get a little color pencil anyway just for fun...

Happy Coloring, 
Tana

Monday, September 30, 2013

Confession ~ Lawn Sabotage

Crafty Serenity ~ the hubby is with fishing buddies, playing 42 on the cabin porch while it rains ~ I'm home alone with yards of freshly colored and waxed fabrics that are waiting their turn in the pot of boiling water ~ hot water frees the fabric of batik wax ~ returning the material to soft and supple ~ all the emerging patterns and colors makes me as giddy as a school girl with a new box of crayons...

Suddenly ~ totally encircled by a steam that smells like cooked greens. Wait, was that right? NO! cooked GRASS! 

In my haste to dash between raindrops and the overzealous desire to remove ALL the wax from EVERY project ~ I cooked my yard with a pot of boiling, wax saturated water. 

But ~ I sure am happy when I look at the fabrics and scarves I made that weekend.



Happy coloring,
Tana

P.S. Some of the fabrics and scarves are slowly being listed on my etsy site, www.grannysgift.etsy.com 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Knit Together

August 1981, my Florida born dog and I started our journey to Texas. It was a homecoming of sorts for me and a new adventure for him. A Great Aunt that I barely knew, shared her home so that I could afford to continue my college education. 


The youngest of 5 children, with my grandmother being the oldest, Aunt Beth was just a few years older than my dad. I hesitated on the move for a bit, because I did not want to go from my parents house into another "parental" situation. I am happy to say, that we had a really great year! 

We drank Coke (Coca Cola) by the cases, she taught me to knit and needlepoint. Sometimes Grandmomma would join us with catfish from a farm between our homes and we would cook and stay up all night talking about life, school, men, expectations and reality. 


Me in my first knitted yellow cap. And yes, our snowwoman is wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. (Virginia Slims if memory serves.) One of those things...you just had to be there.

Final goodbyes were said to Aunt Beth today. When you share your life with someone they just own a piece of you. ♥ Please kiss Grandmomma for me and hug my dog!


Sunny, wondering about the cold wet white stuff!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Shoes on Before Nine Equals Great Rewards

Years of working from home have indulged my preference to go barefoot, especially in the early morning hours when the coffee is hot and the house is quiet. However, this past Thursday and Friday I received rich and colorful rewards for being pressed and dressed before the 9 o'clock hour.

Karen K. Stone (yes, the picture is borrowed~I was too saturated with information to remember pictures) delivered a talk to the Quilter's Guild of East Texas and taught a class on Friday.


 O(!)M(!)G(!) !!! 


Her approach to color and her method of harmonious relationships between fabrics is fabulous. Highly recommend anyone seizing the opportunity to hear her speak and a class is better yet! (She has a book too ~ just sayin')



I had to listen carefully to Karen with my eyes (eyes-not a typo!) and was very happy with the resulting quilt block. This is from Karen's quilt "Wild Women Don't Get the Blues". My one block will be made into a wall hanging as a reminder that it is "ok to go wild".



The place of honor is already reserved on the craft room wall!

Happy coloring,
Tana

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Doodle Upgraded

Who knew that those mindless scribbles on the sides of my calendar and note pads had real purpose. The doodles most often appear when I'm talking (or long long holds) on the phone and after discovering Zentangle art, I decided their "Zen" powers have kept me calm during impending telephone angst. A full description of Zentangle can be found at zentangle.com but even those of us with an informal knowledge, pen and paper can still have fun.

Before I really knew that I was creating a tangle, I had quilted and painted this piece with colored pencil on Kona cotton.

Hmmm, doodling with a sewing machine. I think I will finish this with a black satin stitch edging and add a hanging loop to the back. 

Now that I am aware that my doodles are more than just doodles and that many patterns even have names, I have stepped up the doodle game. (Albeit with a double ended Sharpie and art paper.)
Not real sure why the droplets emerged.  Possibly thinking of all the sweat that has poured from my pores these past few days while at the campground.
"Garden Floor" began with the checkerboard pattern. I wanted to see how difficult is was to give it a wave. After that, I really did not know where the design was going to go. I wasn't surprised that it ended in flowers. If it isn't a heart, then it is usually a flower. 

Hope you are feeling the urge to doodle a little. 

Happy coloring, Tana


Thursday, September 5, 2013

Love to Go a Wandering

It only took a year of indecision, but we finally plunged back into the world of camping. The matching logo shirts and mugs were from the RV dealership in celebration of 50 years. I am sure I have 50 years of wandering left in me....(LOL! A couple of centenarians pulling a 30ft trailer. Move out of the way quickly.)

The first outing was a three night stay in a state park close to home. Even though this is our fourth trailer, each has its own personality and quirks. 
And this is the first one to have most of the comforts of home!

Hubby asked me the other day (while we were re-packing after the weekend trip) if I was going to be able to sew at the dining table. Tee hee...he knows me too well, and no, the sewing machine probably will not be going on trips. 

However, I am rarely without a traveling craft. 

I fell in love with this quilt pattern at the first of the summer and cut several units to hand piece while in the car.
Guidelines for a travel craft are:

  • it must not be messy (this project almost has too many pieces, but if they stay in their own bag, things usually work fine)
  • pattern should not require too much counting, labeling or referencing
  • if the project is put down or I look away to view the scenery, it should be easy to pick up and start again
A good start to a happy quilt...


Monday, August 12, 2013

Giving a Gift

I woke up today knowing that today was the day to celebrate!

My favorite gifts to give are just because. So, just because I re-vamped my blog and just because I have many new items to add to Grannys Gift on Etsy, and just because it is getting closer and closer to that gift giving time of year here is a gift for you. 

♥ ♥ Visit www.grannysgift.etsy.com and use the coupon code GOTIT13 during checkout for  $5.00 off any purchase over $15.  This coupon will expire 11/15/13. 

♥ And, just because I feel friendly, if you "like" my facebook page or "follow" the blog I will send you an original blank note card. (My choice of print.)

Be sure to message me an address on where to send your card. 

Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Tweedles in Colorland



Or maybe I should say, "Two happy days of living under the rainbow!". This picture was even taken after an unprecedented July rain. My friend, Sharon and I recently adventured into creating hand dyed fabrics and other items. This is an event that we have talked about for some time and finally managed to feel confident enough to jump into little puddles of color and just create.

The coloring started by mixing our 20 plus dyes with urea water in individual little cups. We could then pick
and choose which colors to add in a direct dye method. How fun to see the colors explode onto the fabrics and to be able to lay a variety of colors next to one another.


I also tried my hand at wax resist or batik. I think this was probably on my unofficial bucket list of things to do.



However!!! When you add rain
to wax....






You get something that looks like...

The batik process may have been cut short, but I was still able to get some really fun fabrics out of the two days. Calling this fabric group Orange Slice. The process consisted of applying wax to white fabric, (leaving 1/2 of the fabric un-waxed) dyeing it orange. Then I waxed the orange 1/2 yard of fabric and discharged the

color from the background. I'm already planing my next dye and discharge colors!!


 These wild orange flowers started with a potato stamp and then used a tjanting tool to make the petals.

And then, just how much color is too much color on one yard of fabric? The brown and the green fabrics started as a single unit. After I had added the smaller, darker triangles I cut the fabric in half. One side I dyed in deep orange for the brown background and the other half was dyed in chartreuse for the green background.

This was way more fun than any old coloring book, but I can see it will certainly take some planning to ensure a successful dye process.

Happy coloring!
Tana

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

It's Just Me

It's just me with my paternal and maternal grandmothers! 

Not a granny yet; hope to be someday; really hope they don't call me Granny Grunt; probably will, seems apples rarely fall far from the tree...

Small town(s) girl; successful business owner; semi-retired; 25 plus years of married happiness; mother of 2 enchanting boys (to men!) and 1 canine boy (forever my baby)...

Love art; love craft; love trying something new; coffee is good at anytime of the day...

Who is Granny(?); the one that has inspired; the one that has taught; the mother; the aunt; the grandmother; the friend; the teacher; even the 'net...

Granny's Gift (on Etsy) is how treasures find new homes; love to share; love to see what others do; hope that one day you will say, "I got it from granny!"

Happy Coloring! Tana