Slowing Down

I've had a forced slow down this weekend. I'm sick, so I'm staying in bed. This means I have some time to make stuff, read, and try to figure out blogpress on my ipad. Blogpress and I have had a rocky history. Even today, I have worked on this posting for hours.....

Bed rest means productivity for me. Seems silly, doesn't it? But this weekend I have read a fiction book ( The Rosie Project) and many non fiction books, and I have hauled out the knitting, finishing a dishcloth




one of the socks that I've been re-knitting ( I finished the pair that found them too large, so I ripped them out)




And have started a hat ( will likely finish it during the Oscars tonight) ( the colour is off in the photo - it is a fabulous yarn called misty alpaca from The Knit Cafe here in Toronto -- see the real colour by clicking on the link -- the colour way is Lake Superior)



( sorry for the awful photos - I would have styled them better, but it am not leaving my bed, and anyway, this post is about figuring out the mystery that is blogpress....)

Edit: it appears that Blogpress still has some problems, but links appear to be working -- we will see what the photos look like if I can ever get this to post :)
Edit: Blogpress is definitely up to its old shenanigans -- it posted this post on my teaching blog -- even though it clearly shows that i am writing on my personal blog.
Edit: then it deleted the whole shebang.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

13 Days of Christmas - Day 13

We are at our last day of the Christmas Ornament exchange :(  I'm going to miss all of this (and the new friends that I have found)
Sorry that they didn't post a month ago, when they were supposed to....

Day 13 is Stephanie Woolsey who is another Artful Dimensions Member!

The kids thought that this one was going to be the best because it was in a box. They weren't with me when I opened it though :( 

OMG -- I love this! (Click on it -- it is amazing close up)
 

I want to make some of these -- little paper roses all over a ball! I don't think that I have the patience though. And Stephanie made 13 of them. Thank you Stephanie!

13 Days of Christmas - Day 12

Day 12 is Mary Ann Lush (aka - Christine Lush-Rodriguez' mom :) I don't think that Mary Ann has a blog either!

The kids said that this one was "soft and sharp" Huh? Soft AND sharp?

Well, it is soft and sharp -- pipecleaners! Mary Ann hand painted the faces on these sweet pipecleaner twins. These twins almost made it home with someone :)

13 Days of Christmas - Day 11

Day 11 is Alice Early -- I don't think that Alice has a blog?

Alice's snowman bag was a big hit :) The class was disappointed that they couldn't see through the "window". They like to cheat.

When opened they were intrigued by what was inside. They all said that it was really cool, but had a hard time figuring out what it was.  It's a Steam Punk Santa! (see the beard? see the eyes and pointy hat?) Of course, they all wanted to make one. I explained what "Steam Punk" is and they thought that we should make some Steam Punk creations. Okay. We will.

(This is a terrible photo of Alice's ornament -- sorry, Alice)

13 Days of Christmas - Day 10

Day 10 is Robin McIntyre. I don't think that Robin has a blog :(

I love this sparkly yarn used as ribbon. And the silvery tissue is sparkly too. So pretty....

The kids guessed that inside there would be something snowy and sparkly.  They were right!! I love this ornament -- and will try to make something similar (on a MUCH simpler scale) with the kids next year. I think that Robin used scrapbook paper? But I will use old greeting cards and cut them out with my die cutter.

The kids noted that the hanger for the ornament was the same as on the wrapping. Something snowy and sparkly :)

13 Days of Christmas - Day 9

Day 9 is Christine Lush-Rodriguez

I so want to buy one of her Barnacle Bowls! I wish that pottery was easier to mail :)

Anyway... this is what she made for Christmas!

This was hard to photograph -- but you can tell that it is a snow globe on a snowflake. The kids loved it -- I'm surprised that it survived the "pass around the room". They loved shaking it.

Someone also tried to take this one home with them.....

13 Days of Christmas - Day 8

Day 8 is Elizabeth Woodford.Our fearless leader. Elizabeth is multi talented. Uber talented. She does shows. She teaches adults. She teaches children. She sells her work. She works too hard!!!

Love this packaging (of course, I will re-use bits of it :)

One of my kids guessed that there was a pie inside. But he couldn't explain why. (They do know that pie is my favourite dessert -- maybe that's why? -- and it is a little tart shell thingy). Her resin is so clear and perfect -- pretty sure that it is Ice Resin (my favourite)

13 Days of Christmas - Day 7

Day 7 is Janet Moss. Janet doesn't have a blog :(

I love this wrapping! The colours are very "me".

Janet used a vintage quilt to create this mitten -- the quilt dates from the American Civil War. Wow! Again -- Janet was very generous to share her stash :) Thank you so much.

13 Days of Christmas - Day 6

Day 6 is Barbara Posey -- she doesn't have a blog -- but you can see her work on the Artful Dimensions Gallery Facebook Page! 

 

Barbara is a talented needle felter -- this photo doesn't do her work justice. 

13 Days of Christmas - Day 5

Day 5 is Leslie Brier!
I wish that I lived closer to Leslie -- I'd buy everything that she makes -- these Knife Rocket Pendants are so fun!

 

Leslie made these awesome button trees -- and it has a cardinal on it (the kids still think that I must have missed the memo).  (Click on this photo to see it larger -- so pretty)

I have a hard time parting with my mother of pearl buttons -- thank you Leslie for being so generous. This will have a place of honour with my tree collection :) I will have a hard time putting it away at the end of the season.

13 Days of Christmas - Day 4

Day 4 is Brook Wilhelmsen of Being Brook.
Brook makes awesome furniture! We all said that we would like a coffee table please :)

The kids guessed that there would be chinese food inside :) I love this little box. I need more :)

Wrong!
There was a delightful silver birdie. The glitter is so smooth. Not sure how Brook managed that! The kids were so happy that the bird theme was continuing. They are still bugging me that mine wasn't a bird (hey! give me a break!)

13 Days of Christmas - Day 3

Day 3 is me!

This is the wrapping. I got to play with my scrappy layering techniques. And, of course, I sewed the package shut :)

Inside, I sewed something again :)

This year I did some free motion sewing and sewed "joy" or "wish" on the ornaments. My ornaments almost always say joy, wish or hope.....

The back is pretty too -- it has a star on it -- I forgot to take a picture. 

13 Days of Christmas - Day 2

Day 2 is Melissa Terlizzi. Melissa doesn't have a blog -- but you can see some of her work at the Artful Dimensions Gallery Facebook page.

Love that holiday washi tape! I want it!  And I saved that #2 button. It looks good enough to eat. 

This little cardinal on a mailbox is adorable -- and there are miniature letters inside too!

Thank you Melissa!

13 Days of Christmas - Day 1!

Argggghhh ... I keep posting this and it won't go live. I've deleted it an am trying again! Have patience, dear friends :)

Let's relive Christmas all over again! Maybe I'll catch up by Valentines Day :)

Day 1 is Linda Morgan !
I've been waiting to open this FOREVER, as Linda had a sneak peak on her blog way back in October :)

Here is the wrapping:

It was a bit heavy and jingled a bit when we shook it. The kids guessed "a bell" and "a bracelet". Good guesses!

It's a beautiful ornament with lots of hanging chains and charms! One of the students tried to spirit it away in her backpack :) She REALLY liked it :)

13 Days of Christmas - okay, a bit late

Blogger is doing strange things with my blog :) I posted about 15 posts in December that never surfaced. It deleted all of my drafts on my teaching blog too :(

So! Christmas in January! Better late than never !!!

Once again, I participated in a 12 Days of Christmas exchange -- we had13 in the group this year :)

Elizabeth Woodford has been organizing this exchange for the past few years. If you live in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area, you can see her work, and many other of the artists in this exchange, at the Artful Dimensions Gallery. The Facebook page is here. Thanks Elizabeth!!

I'm going to open these again at school with the students -- and "today's helper" can put it on a little tree. We had lots of fun last year guessing what was inside the package. The first one gets some wild guesses (a sweater, a book, an ipad), but once the first one is open, they really hone their predictions.

Here they are, ready to go to school :)

Watch this video : My Knitted Boyfriend

Says Noortje de Keijzer of the ‘My Knitted Boyfriend‘ project:

‘My Knitted Boyfriend is a cushion with a story. A cushion with a personality. A cushion to kiss! Or, well… to cuddle, to caress, to hug, and to smile with. Because this man is always happy. And he is flexible as well. He will have a mustache if you prefer mustaches. He will wear glasses if you prefer glasses. He likes to sit on your floor, on your couch or at you dinner table. But most of all he likes to lay down next to you in bed. With your head on his chest and his arms wrapped around you. This way you will never feel alone ever again. With this man you can be sure, he will never leave you.’

MY KNITTED BOYFRIEND from Noortje de Keijzer on Vimeo.

Put down your phone

I dare you. Put it down for a day.  

The little girl on the swing broke my heart....

Creativity

I'm having trouble with my creativity lately. I'm burned out, tired, and sick.

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

Uppercase #19 is out!

I have almost every issue of UPPERCASE magazine. It's a regular purchase, even though it is a bit spendy. It is so worth it! Subscribe here,  OR if you live near me in Toronto, you can pick up a copy (and past issues) at The Workroom. (Queen Street West at Brock). While you're there, pick up some fabric ! Make something!

Have a flip through.....

Bye for now, Nova Scotia

I didn't blog half as much this summer as I thought I would. Too much time up the ladders! Many people asked me if I had time to enjoy myself. Yes! All that time up on the ladders (outside) allowed me to be out in the beautiful seaside weather -- and to enjoy the fabulous views. I did finish painting pretty much all of the outside siding (except for the very top few feet of the peaks). The trim will be finished next year.

 

 

(almost done)

 (view from our front lawn)

 Mr B came back to NS in mid August and the Lovely Miss L and Mr Z came for a (too brief) visit. The day after they arrived my parents came! So my last few weeks in Nova Scotia were happily spent with family....

Reflections on the summer...

That Atlantic water is darn cold!  I didn't swim once! Next summer I WILL try to swim in the pond.

I'm sorry that I didn't get to spend more time getting to know the neighbours :( Next year, I will be a better neighbour :)

Tradespeople are SCARCE. Nothing got finished. Not. one. thing :) Sheesh.

I bought a little homemade rowboat at the end of the summer (actually, my mom went and finagled the final transaction). It was built by a man named... Squirrely.... I can't wait to buy oars next year and row it around the pond!!! We are having LOTS of fun coming up with a name. It is currently brown because it was made for duck hunting :) I'm not keeping it brown, because the only name that comes to mind for a brown boat is The Poop Deck....

My mom also found lots of furniture for me that I haven't even seen yet! (thanks mom)

And my dad did SO MUCH WORK. He wasn't supposed to. He completely cleaned the basement out (Z helped too!)... and tore the rotting front porch off and did so many other things after I left.... including shutting down the place for the winter. (thanks dad)

I'm really missing the Privateers Bounty flavour of ice cream..... (A black licorice ribbon, a sea salt caramel swirl and crunchy toffee pieces in rich vanilla ice cream).I wish that I could have brought home a gallon :)


But now I'm back in Toronto (aka The Centre of the Universe) again :)
Back to school has been great. My class is full of interesting characters this year! They'll keep me on my toes. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold last weekend, so I'm not in top form. And extra-unfortunately, I've been summoned for Jury Duty later this week. Ugh.

But for now I'm still dreaming of walking on the beach, while the water swirls around my toes....

 

And I'm singing this song......
(please click here go to Sara Harley's Blog to sing along with the G3s)