Summer Sights

I know the end is in sight for summer but I'm not ready for it to be over. Here are a few of my paintings to help keep that summer feeling from fading too quickly.

These prints are in my Etsy shop.

                   

                                                                      

                                               Summer Clouds

On the Lake

Sunflower

Magnolia

Chickadee on a Mailbox

And on a Sunflower

So I hope that as Fall begins you will find yourself able to Bee Happy

Little Wrens

So last week, after struggling with acrylic paint, I was ready to give up. I did a couple of watercolor birds but tried acrylics this week again and felt so much more successful.  I love little wrens and I love terra cotta pots. I definitely prefer the look of a watercolor terra cotta pot vs the look of it in acrylic but both birds were fun. Sweet little brown birds!!

Watercolor Wren

Acrylic Wren

Acrylics

I decided to try acrylic painting. Very, very different from watercolor. I love that you can go over and fix any mistakes or areas that just aren't working and I love the use of brush strokes and the texture of the paint but I miss the lightness and magic of watercolor. 

A little Fairy Wren

I am selling the prints of my originals in my Etsy Shop

This Little Chickadee is painted over a Blue Bird that 

just would not look right. 

A Bird's Nest

I had fun using a palette knife for the background.

Lavender and Green Hummingbird

I used a palette knife to make this painting and like I said, 

I love the texture and movement.

Watercolors for February

Two Lovebirds for February 

and a little pink tree.

ScarletCordPaints

A little update...In 2018 I branched out and opened another Etsy shop named Scarlet Cord Paints. As a little experiment, I started selling my watercolor prints. I had gotten an urge to paint one of our daughter Martha's wedding pictures and then just kept going. Of course, then what do I do with all those paintings I want to paint? Well, the same thing I do with all the needle felting that I love doing. I sell them:)  As always it has been an exciting and sometimes frustrating experience but I am loving it.

Tooth Mouse

My original Pin Keep Mouse

Custom order for a Tooth Mouse Box.
Known as Raton Perez in Latin culture:)

Hello Again

My favorite room...a place for me to be organized, to be inspired and to create. 

I converted the sun room into my craft room in our new home.  I still call it our new home even though we have been living here almost three years. How did that time go by so fast.

The Pineapple Afghan Hand Delivered to Papua New Guinea or Our Visit to Family on the Mission Field

Okay, the afghan is only a small part of our trip but I really needed an interesting title. 

 I ended up finishing the afghan while I was with our daughter and her family. The kids were very interested in how I was making it so they will definitely think of Nana when they cuddle under it. SMART! plus I just didn't get it finished in time:)  What I was working on instead of the afghan will be a post for another time.

We were on the island for 10 days and were privileged to be present for the new church's first baptism.

Brandon, our son-in-law and Wayne 

The new believers:)

Rachel amazes me with all the meal making. Homemade Cheesy Italian Bread for the next day

and  pizza dough in the background for Pizza Night:)

I was on dish duty (taking over for my granddaughter) and my goodness were there

always a lot of dirty dishes!

 Oriental noodles, homemade spring rolls and yellow watermelon.

Ladies Bible Study

Rachel and Gail helping the ladies with their study.

Sunday morning at church

This is the little boat that was used to get us to the island.  John and I sat in the back third of the boat with 4 other people and gas tanks, our luggage and supplies were in the middle and the front was empty to keep waves from flowing in. 

 The water was pretty rough and turned a four hour trip into an eight hour thoroughly wet

experience.  Completely worth every moment to get to see our Rachie and family.

Big boat-Much nicer experience on the way back, smoother, nothing got wet and there

were seats to sit on:)

Loving this!

A special moment. These two were singing to me on the boat.

Family Pictures the day before we left -

at New Tribes' base camp in Wewak

Our move is finally getting close, in fact next time I post, it should be from our new home

in Georgia. I am so excited!!

Running Away Together

A few weeks ago on a Sunday after church John and I took a drive that lasted until

Monday night. We had the most wonderful time driving the back roads of New Hampshire, Vermont including a ferry across Lake Champlain into New York. What a beautiful experience. The whole trip was so incredible and we both hope that we will run away together that way again very soon:)

This was hanging in the restaurant where we had breakfast and I loved that right in the middle

it said 'Run away together'.

We did make a few stops along the way, sampled and bought some Vermont cheese and Maple Syrup

and did a little antiquing where I found these absolutely beautiful grannys.  They are just lap sized afghans but they were so inexpensive that I couldn't have bought the yarn for their price. 

I really admire the work that went into each one - they will be treasured and have a special place

in our new home.

                       

Crochet

Well, here I am still waiting for our Atlanta house. I did go visit our oldest daughter and family for two weeks. It was nice to be with them and to help my pregnant daughter with the kids, dinners and a little bit of housework. But since I got home I have been crocheting and browsing Pinterest for fun crochet ideas. I've also been learning a little amigurumi:)

I finished the ripple blanket for my new granddaughter due to arrive in September.  Then I thought our precious little one should have a tiara for her pictures and a matching bunny rattle.

I used the pattern from here. A big thank you to Greedy for Color for the

Flora Rabbit pattern. I added a bell inside,  the lacy edging and a flower at the 

bunny's neck.

The tiara pattern is from here. 

I am sure I will do better on my second one.

I have been wanting to crochet an edging on a flannel blanket for a while. Since my sewing machine is in storage I wasn't able to sew a hem first. However my mother in law made some for my babies years ago without hemming the blanket first so I am giving it a try, too.  I first washed the material, trimmed the edges and then poked each stitch using the sharpest crochet hook I had (1.4 mm) and tried to keep my single crochets close together. I switched colors for my second row of sc's. 

The finished size is about 40x35.

I cut around a bowl to get the rounded corners. 

I love flannel and there were so many cute patterns that I could not make up my mind so I have two more blankets to make but I will wait a little while-all that poking is hard on my arm. 

I thought I would try making a cowl for Martha's (our #4 daughter) birthday.

After all the small fussy stitching this was a joy working with thick yarn and hook and

 making such a simple fast project.

Remember this-my pineapple afghan for daughter Rachel (#2 daughter). I need to have

this finished before our trip to see them in PNG in September. I am about halfway done

but for some reason I keep falling asleep when I work on it.

I have been collecting on my Pinterest Crochet Loves Board quite a few fun patterns that

are mainly free and not too difficult. Check it out here:)

I'll be back soon with the finished cowl, a couple of little monster amigurumi's, and a little bear that I am working on.