A Rainy Day in the Fall

Servus

pronounced See-ahh-vass

(Informal 'hello' in Austrian)

'Edie's birch bark cuttings'

Today is cool, with a constant rain. Cloudy skies.

It's rained all night, so everything is wet already.

I like it.

vintage Kate Greenaway illustration

The trees have been turning with lovely colors of fall:

Purples

Oranges

Reds

Yellows

Browns

all put together in a beautiful quilted landscape across the city.

Last weekend was supposed to be the 'perfect weekend' for viewing the changing colors of the aspens all througout the Rocky Mountains here.

changing aspens in Sierra, Nevada

Fall is the perfect time to take walks.

Take walks with your special 'other'.

Take walks with your kids - you'll see things a lot differently!

Take walks with your dog(s).

They help you stop frequently to look around you!

(At least the male ones do!!!)

My sunflowers have gone to pod heads.

I don't know what else to call them!

As I walk to the mailbox and back, I pass two big sunflower plants. The heads on these are maybe around 2" - 2 1/2". I keep thinking, isn't there something cool I could make with these?

What would they look like if I used the spray-on pearl paints that I have for wonderful paper effects. Would it show up on a natural pod head?

I know they would probably be pretty spray painted gold,

but I'm not in a gold mood right now.

What about washed colors of fall, using slightly thinned acrylic paint in a spray bottle? That would look nice in a bowl, with mixed colors of pod heads.

Hmmmm....

things to think about.

http://www.imaginationsoup.net/

Budget Craft:

This idea is from Martha Stewart.

Just look at the photo, and it is pretty self-explanetary.

That would be a fun hike/walk! Take along a hard backed book with sheets of paper towels inserted into different pages. When you find a leaf, immediately put it between the pages of the book, between sheets of paper towels.

You can use a rubber band to help keep the book closed.

When you get home, do your fave form of leaf pressing.

I ADORE my Microwavable MicroFleur press.

Can't say enough good things about it really.

When leaves are thoroughly dry, you can make beautiful butterflies,

like those in the photo, or leaf stationery, or leaf covered notebooks,

or decoupaged plates, or ornaments...

oh heck, you can do lots of things!!!

:0)

Here is a sweet vintage girl to embroider:

She would look special on a pillowcase for your daughter or niece!

Or embroidered onto a fall colored guest towel..

http://www.thecubiclechick.com/

Here is a falling leaves tree amulet or wall hanging pattern

to bead, or cross stitch:

Why not play around a little on graph paper, and make the back of the amulet with the same grass line, only a big pile of colored leaves in the middle, with maybe even a rake? You can get free graph paper here:

http://www.bead-patterns.com/

http://www.tripcart.typepad.com/

Here is a how-to draw from Dover Books:

maple leaf, http://www.prairieworksinc.com/

Well, it is time for me to do some work.

I am finishing up the Large Print Church Directory for tomorrow.

I am organizing my Craft Fair basics like adding machine, receipt books, jewelry displays, tablecloths, masking tape, pins, paper clips -

all things that I need to take to each Craft Fair.

My next one is at

the Brighton Senior Center

November 5

from 8am - 2pm

Stop by and say hi! I am on the first floor.

fall aspen leaves in rain

The rain is so soothing to listen to, I need to move around or

fall asleep in my chair!

:0)

Have a restful day.

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

don't forget how easy it is now to leave

a comment -

no signing up for anything!

no hassles!

:-D

HAPPY NATIONAL CHICKEN MONTH!

Cluuuck!

(that's chicken talk, have no idea what it means)

c.1911

Happy National Chicken Month

September 1 - 30

There are many National Month of Sept. holidays.

I picked CHICKEN today because they are so silly.

a quin gold chicken, by Amy Hautman

When I go to the state or county fairs, I love to pop into the 'chicken' house and look at all the different varieties of chickens and roosters.

They almost always have a large incubator with baby chicks hatching.

I think everyone should see at least once in their life

a baby chick hatching.

You have to beware however

there are imposters....

www.boxvox.net

 http://www.midcenturymenu.com/

BUDGET PAPERCUTTING CARD MAKING IDEA:

 I found this great page of chicken silhouettes.

Why not cut out a bunch and

grab some red checkered paper

(some restaurants have it for their baskets.

Ask if you can have a few clean sheets!).

You could also recycle a picnic tablecloth.

Grab some plain white cardstock and envelopes.

Cut or tear a square of checkered paper that will fit onto the front of the card.

Glue down.

I like to leave my edges loose/tattered, so I glue about 1" - 1 1/2" from the edge.

Place one of your chicken papercuttings in the middle,

or to one side

or to one side with room for a greeting.

Quick and super easy.

These cards could be:

Thinking of You

Missed you at the church potluck

Get well, here's some Chicken Soup

Happy Birthday...from one old cluck to another

invitation for dinner

invitation for a BBQ

or whatever you think of!

from shutterstock.com

a chickens of the world poster

http://www.doshie-egg.tumblr.com/

We can't have chickens without roosters, now can we?

Many of the vintage songsheets and posters call a rooster a

Chanticleer.

Anyone know why?

Let me know!

You can always leave a message at the bottom in the comments section.

c.1910

c.1910

I'm sorry, I don't have time to type in the chicken recipe I have chosen.

I will get it to you in another blog session.

So, let's do some coloring and puzzles!

I did find this funky birdhouse:

www.londonbirders.com

or how about this punk chicken?!!!

'Punk Chicken' from http://www.redcombfarm.com/

Here are a couple of vintage cards, more along the line of Easter:

Some more vintage songsheet covers -

don't forget to check Indiana U's web site, on the right.

c.1853

c.1910

c.1910

from the Follies of 1910

Next up is a painting by one of my favorite Chinese artists,

Mr. Ou Lang

Here are two more paintings done by Chinese artists:

note the cherry blossoms!

I'm pretty sure those are squash blossoms behind the chickens.

a cochin rooster

a vintage booklet

Next is some questionable candy...

does anyone remember ever eating this?

It doesn't sound very good to me by the name!

interesting ad promotion however!!

Well, it's getting time I need to leave you.

My husband and I are going out for breakfast this morning,

and it's already 10am!

I'm hungry.

c.1912

I bet this little chick is glad the big ol' dog isn't hungry!

Saint Bernards - great dogs if they're not overbred.

A chicken maze -

and let's go out with a bang!

'Chicken Conga' by Delilah Smith

I love that painting!

Remember, go out for lunch/dinner and search for that free red checkered paper!

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

Weedin' and Readin' and Chattin' and Playin' on etsy

Hi!
Since it is later in the day, I will make today's blog kinda' short.
So, what have I been doing today instead of blogging?

vintage lady with fan



Well, I have a goal of pulling one large bucket's worth of weeds every day.
Today I did three. (whew, it was hot!) I chose one bucket a day to see if I couldn't catch up with my garden without killing my back or riling up my fibromyalgia. 3 buckets really was too much....but they were nasty sticker weeds!

I put some dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and cleaned the kitchen countertop.
I'm also trying to make sure the dirty ones get put away each day before Michael comes home. Now I realize this may sound really dinky, but for me it's not. As with the weeding, I am trying to do things that will not hurt my back, or rile up the old fibro'.

Oh, in case I haven't mentioned it, I had MAJOR back surgery 1 1/2 years ago. I have 2 titanium rods permanently in my back now, along with EIGHTEEN HUGE HONKIN' SCREWS with bone grafts that now reside there too. I cannot bend from the middle of back - you know, right where you can't reach to scratch? - down to my tailbone. Big scar. HUGE relief from pain.
And I can have mobility now!
:0)

The fibromyalgia is just something I have. So, I deal with it.

What else have I done today?
Well I cleaned up many of my treasuries on etsy. I know I have explained what treasuries are before, so I won't repeat myself.
Plus....I don't want to write a book!
Here's the link to just one of them:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NTc2MTA5M3wxMzUxNTc/word-of-the-day-recycle

I washed Tanner's blankets. At least a washer-full of them. They're dried now, and I have already put out two of them. He immediately laid down on the one in the office! :0D

And of course there is the let Tanner out, let Tanner in, let Tanner out, let Tanner in routine we do all day long! Actually, it's a good thing as it gets me out of my computer chair and then I usually do something else before coming back to the computer. Plus, he's so darn cute, and he makes me laugh.

By the way, for those of you following me regularly, a follow-up to his traumatic back injury (previous blog):
It wasn't his back, it was his Right knee. He has a torn ACL muscle thingy, just like athletes get. Ouch. So he is on a no-running-around, keep it calm plus some pain/anti-inflammatory meds routine for awhile. The meds have really made a good positive difference. It's a good thing that he didn't tear it all the way.

Now I am going to go back and add some pix, and we're off to fix dinner and maybe watch a movie while I do some papercutting!

'the path to a friend's house is never long'

by inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

Have a restful, star filled evening, and I'll see you tomorrow!

hugs,

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com