Precious little book.....

Well hello.... I cannot believe it is Friday already! I hope each of you had a most wonderful week. I am very pleased with the progress I made this week. My mental list is now on paper, and I am checking them off!

I know most of you probably save greeting cards like I do, especially the ones that come from those special people in your life... I still have little notes and hand made cards my daughter made for me in school...that is a long time, but like you I will have them forever. Honey and I have stored away our sweet letters we wrote when he was away at sea as a new sailor! We sometimes take them out and spend an afternoon reading them... You know, I have to laugh at some of the things we said to one another...young and in love.

As you know, I love designing and making cards. These beautiful vintage rose cards were made by using the pages of a little book I had that for some reason was totally falling apart. All the pages lifted from the spine, and no way would I throw out these beautiful pages. I had already read the book with its beautiful poems and thoughts on the true beauty of a women. So I decided to use the pages and make cards... You had a glance at two cards in a distance in my silhouette post, but I wanted to share the rest with you. Making these card were wonderful and I feel like I made good use of that precious little book...I even use the content page LOL!

I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend. It is suppose to be cool here and that is nice. I am enjoying the cooler weather. Autumn, I call it the quiet time of year. You have a fantastic weekend each of you....

I shall grow old, but never lose life's zest
Because the road's last turn will be the best.
Expect the best!
It lies not in the past.
God ever keeps the good wine to the last.

Jo Petty

Beverly.....

Thanking you..... getting it done

Thank each and everyone of you for your sweet and kind comments regarding "Silhouette". I wish you could peek in my heart right now... it is both full and overflowing. I thank you so much.

We are at the start of a brand new week. I have been going over a mental list of things I would love to get accomplished this week. I have some projects I really need to complete... Then on to my... I must say the C word here, yes Christmas, not shopping but crafting. I love crafting and designing for the holidays. But first things first....I better get with it, but I must admit, the little bug of procrastination bites me sometimes. But I am so determined that this week I will start no new little adventure, no new stitches, no new knitting patterns, I vow to complete what I know I must do!! :o)

I wanted to share a few photos with you, from raindrops that fell this weekend to the beautiful clouds that followed to a lovely sunset and of course some pretty flowers...

These beautiful raindrops were so welcomed... The picture was taken Saturday morning from my studio window.

Beautiful clouds that formed later that morning after the rain had fallen... The rain washes the sky clean and leaves all theses beautiful clouds....

Photo of a lovely flower taken that very same day... All dried and looking just gorgeous!

A man sitting in solitude enjoying the beauty of a sunset uninterrupted and undisturbed....

What Do You Really Need?

The grand essentials to happiness
in this life are
something to do, something to love,
and something to hope for.

Joseph Addison

Have a most lovely week.....

Beverly

Silhouette....

Hello to all of you and hoping your week has been a wonderful one... Mine has been rather nice, I took it kind of easy really, but I did get some knitting in. In my very first post March 12th, I introduced myself and told you a little about me. As I think back I cannot tell you how nervous I was as I typed my humble intro... At that time I talked about a piece I designed called "Silhouette". I am so proud of the piece and it was the first piece I wanted to show! Well after some advice from family and friends I sadly took Silhouette down and did what I needed to do to have her registered and protected... Well guess what! Here is Silhouette! all registered and ready for her debut!

registration 749-497

I was advised that it would take four to six months for the process, and boy they were not kidding! I was told I could put it up prior to receiving her registration number, but I decided to wait... I hope you all love it...

Even though I talked about it a little in March, let me tell you more about her... By the way I have a second piece completed in the series soon to show....well about six months! In the summer of 2004 I was baby sitting my sweet little grand daughter while she was on summer break... With my head dancing with new paper thoughts, I asked her how would she like for me to do a silhouette of her. The kind we used to do in school with the light and wall. She was so excited! We never did get around to it that summer, but the thought of it never left my mind...

registration 749-497

I came up with the idea of a silhouette on a card for giving so I designed one... It was ok, but lack something, I wanted to take it a step further. Looking around my studio my eyes landed on this black yarn... and that is when the idea of hair came to be... Her bust and facial image was designed and hand cut by me and no two images will be the same. I am really proud of her. It took me three days to finish, but I was so amazed at how real this yarn allowed her hair to look! I actually had no prior style in mind, but I knew I wanted it to look natural so I gave her a few whispies in her hair...

I have decided to have the Silhouettes placed in shadow box and thought that would be the most beautiful way to display it... I do plan to complete the series and go from there.....

You know it makes me feel so good to do what I love, and as we crafters and designers know...most often than not we did not choose our love for what we do, it chose us! I cannot get through a day without my crafting or at least thinking about it! LOL

A friend is someone who accepts you
warts, wrinkles, weight
and all.... unconditionally.

Author unknown

Have a most beautiful day....

Beverly

Giving and receiving joy.....

The book store is one of my favorite places to just linger and browse...and the bargain book section I could stay all day! You can find the sweetest books there, from dictionaries to gardening books to poetry which is my favorite... Everything is priced just right, and I can never leave there with just one...

This bring me to my most recent purchase... A sweet little book called "Attitudes of Gratitude" by M. J. Ryan. A purse size little book you can carry with you... This little book has been laying in my studio on my desk in eye view as a reminder to read... It is also a pretty book and I love looking at it. As I sat at my computer on yesterday, I glanced over at the little book and the subtitle caught my eye. I picked it up and realized I really never read the subtitle... It reads "How to Give and Receive Joy Every Day of Your Life". Holding it in my hand... I now had to ponder the question and wanted to share the question with you... Do you know a joy giver...

The first thing I thought about was my daughter's smile... So many of her friends and family talk about the smile of Trina, and I must admit it is a beautiful smile. One that just lights up a room and cheers the heart...a smile so beautiful it would make a beautiful summer sun green with envy... I cannot help but feel that her smile has put joy in the heart of many. Gentle hugs, listening ears, smiles, kind words, laughter... All the ways to invoke joy in another. You know so many times we look outside of ourselves to daily give...when we have the greatest gift of joy within us all along...the gift of self... as bloggers we know this. I have had my heart filled and running over after reading the post of many of you... Your encouraging and inspiring words mean more than you will ever know... Thank you so much...

Now, many of you have ask me about my creations, where to buy and do I sell. I am pleased as peaches that you love them... My web site is slow coming, but I do plan to open an Etsy shop in the coming weeks. I was a little nervous about it all, but my sweet friend Tracy at Pink Purl who has a beautiful shop and designs the most beautiful handbags gave me insight and information and I am now ready to go... I do not have an exact date as of yet, but I will keep you posted. I promise it is on the way!

Wishing each of you a most beautiful week... Let us not forget to say thank you to those who go out of their way to bring joy and happiness in the heart of another, and I will remember to do the same... The humming bird photo I have shown in a much earlier post, but for those of you who missed it I had to show it again...it is so beautiful.

Our work-a-day lives are filled with
opportunities to bless others.
The power of a single glance
or an encouraging smile
must never be underestimated.

G. RICHARD RIEGER

Smiles...

Beverly

Spending Time with daughter.....

Hello to all of you... Hope your week is just beautiful thus far, as for mine it is going just wonderful. Yesterday was a pretty somber day for Honey and I... The tragedy of September 11 2001 is still so fresh in our minds, and leaves so many of us with a heavy heart... Thank you to those of you who left your sentiments on yesterday, such beautiful words....

This will not be a long post today.... My sweet daughter and I will be spending the entire day together! I am so excited she works so many hours and this is a rare treat for us... We had a quiet breakfast together this morning while watching the sparrows right outside the window enjoy their breakfast... Days like these I treasure...time spent with those you love.

Well you know lately the knitting bug has bitten me, and so many of you too! I wanted to share with you a few things I have been working on including a new pincushion for me I needed so badly.... I told Honey sometimes I feel like the hair dresser who does everybody's hair but her own! I have been sticking pins everywhere but in a pincushion! So I made myself this one and it really is for me. I also made a little embroidered bag filled with lavender and it smells so good...

I love the knitting pattern I am working with, it is a simple but beautiful pattern. I cannot wait till the scarf is finished. Here is a close up of my little lavender flowers, I guess my embroidery is getting better... Well I guess I will go now, daughter and I are looking forward to a fun filled day!

Practice Wonderment

Oh, for the wonder that
bubbles into my soul.

D. H. Lawrence

Have a lovely day all of you....

Beverly..

Remembering.......

Falling Leaves....

Well hello to all of you... Oh my goodness I am so sorry for the lateness of this post. I have been trying to post since Friday! When I saw Friday just would not happen, I arose early yesterday morning and was ready to go. But Blogger would not let me sign in or leave a comment. I thought I would give them a moment and it will be a go...Not!! They were down the whole day! I must admit I was a little worried... I was wondering if I would ever post again :o)

It is a beautiful Sunday morning here, and I am surely enjoying the cool breezes we have had in the past few days... I was thinking the other day how I love during Autumn to arise early, open up all the windows put on some beautiful music and enjoy the crisp cool and quiet mornings... Do you gather leaves in Autumn... I have been gathering leaves in the Fall for about five seasons now. I purchased a beautiful book on pressing leaves and was totally inspired by it... I gather leaves for pressing, and I also use card stock and ink to make my own Autumn leaves for cards and tags.
Not only have I been thinking about leaf gathering. I have had this beautiful yarn for a while now, and thought it would make a perfect scarf for this time of year... I wish you could feel it, it's so soft to the touch.... I'm knitting it in plain knit stitch, the beauty of the yarn is doing all the work... It is called "Nancy" a pure hand dyed wool by Schaefer yarn company... Schaefer makes the most yummy yarns I have knitted with, if you knit take a look. They even have a line of beautiful yarns named after famous women, all in natural fibers.....just lovely. I have a beautiful yarn in this line just waiting to be used called "Toni Morrison", with shades of blue, golds, gentle lavender and soft mocha hues...

Now that we have all slowed down a little, the kids are back in school; for many of us things seem a little more relaxed. It is a perfect time of reflection and Thanksgiving... We are so blessed, not because things are so perfect in our lives but because we are alive and have a brand new season to start a fresh... Like the leaves of the season, we can shed all the old and prepare ourselves for the new...not some kind of resolution, but a simple willingness to allow change to occur in each one of us... Well I guess I will get busy now, I need to clean the house and I will be putting in some knitting time today... To all of you have a beautiful week, and tell me a little about your plans for the season...

But as it is written:

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared
for those who love Him."

Holy Bible
1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

Smiles....

Beverly :o)

A New Season Is In the Wings....

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend... I tell you the people were out in droves, looking as though trying to squeeze in the last moments of Summer... I must admit we had a fun filled day and manage not to let the heat and crowds get in our way... I really enjoyed seeing so many families out yesterday really enjoying themselves; it does my heart good to see people happy... really enjoying the moment.

I arose early this morning just to see all the kids rushing off to their first day of school... Looking out of my front window, I can see the children passing on there way to old historical Ulysses Grant School a school that has been here in Misson Hills for more than a 100 years. My daughter attended school there now my grand daughter goes there, and my neighbor who teaches at the school also attended! Over the years they have worked hard to keep the original building intact although they have added a few new ones to make room for their first year middle school students.. Our neighborhood is old but and I must say beautiful, many of homes have been here for many years... I just get a kick out of seeing the children strut their stuff wearing all of their bright new shoes and carrying their new back packs... Especially the little ones, they are so proud of themselves making sure to walk a few feet a head of mommy...they are big kids now!

Well for the good news! Remember my July 26 post "Gentle Eyes" about my friend Jeanette and how I longed to find her and have tried with no success... Well you guessed it! Honey had promised me during our break he would try again and again he did! He gave me yet another list of names. I sat at the table, place my list next to me. Before I began to dial, Honey pointed out the one he thought would be the Jeanette we were looking for so I dialed. A sweet voice on the other end of the phone said hello and I thought I would faint....i knew it was her even after twenty five years of not hearing her voice. I was so overjoyed I did not even know what to say... with a little tremble in my voice and trying to hold back the tears I began to speak. It was a wonderful time of two friends meeting again... I could not rest until I let her know just what her life had meant to me... We had a wonderful conversation.... and you know what is so remarkable, she said she still has the photos we had taken so long ago and was looking at them just a few days ago.... She now lives in South Carolina and is a brand new grandma! I will never lose her again, and we have many phone calls to make to catch up on it all. I tell you I have been on a cloud since our conversation....as a matter of fact, I will be calling her today!

You know how I love to photograph flowers... these sunflowers seem not to belong to anyone. On the side of a building there they stood tall and regal and so beautiful! This flower had what looks like tiny little blossoms in its center...just lovely. Its petals were so perfect with its bright yellow and delicate pointed tips... I hope you enjoy them...

Sunflower Friend

As a Sunflower turns it face to the sun
and basks in the warmth of its glow,
I've looked in your heart, my sunflower friend,
and learned how a friendship can grow.

Sherry Morris

Have a beautiful week....


Beverly

Summer's end.....

Hello everyone one of you! I'm telling you I had a wonderful time away, much needed and enjoyed... I could not help but take a look every now and then just to see how you all were doing! I even answered a few e-mails and comments... I hope each of you enjoy this Labor Day weekend...the last holiday of Summer. I am looking forward to fall with its cool breezes, autumn colors... The coziness of Fall makes me want to cozy up and finish all my unfinished projects...

Not a long post, but don't worry I have much to share with you after the holiday. I also have a surprise, I mean it was a heart happy event that I can't wait to share with you!

Here in San Diego the kids are back to school on Tuesday! I am seeing a lot of smiling moms and some dads too... My grand daughter will be starting middle school...seventh grade! Oh my goodness! It just seems like yesterday when we were drying her little tears on her first day of Kindergarden... She is so excited about going from having one class to eight, and I cannot believe my little grand daughter is blossoming into this beautiful young lady....I love you Jazzy!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone...

Beverly