A new baby! And who knows what else...? Families and grandkids and the outdoors...

My friend Liz and her family welcomed a new granddaughter today!

Here is the happy grandfather!

 

At almost eight pounds, Birdie is a beautiful baby girl!

Here is a quilt I made for them....from scraps and gender neutral!

 

 

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I am just back from visiting my own grandchildren in Georgia.....

.here they have fallen asleep as mom read "A Wrinkle in Time" to them.

 

I made the quilt...indigos and beiges...! 

I alsoexposed the children to the idea of knitting...teaching Sophie how to hold the needles!

 

Laura plays games with the girls!

 

And of course, I rocked with them when I could!

 

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Rewind....At the end of March, on Good Friday, we went hiking at Petit Jean park and met my brother and SIL who live in south Arkansas.

 

 

Here we are at the tip of the mountain on rocks overlooking the Arkansas River!

 

I am trying to get my balance and stand up straight...Steve's arm is heavy...but secure!

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Today, we went on a wildflower nature hike....lovely. In Canehill, AR.

 

 

 

Our guide showed us many native flowers and shrubs. 

Including edible chickweed!

 

 

It tastes pretty good! May put it in a salad soon!

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Years ago, as a young family, we had hiked to the waterfall at Petit Jean State Park!

 

Good to be out hiking in Arkansas again!

Creative pursuits...watercolor, quilting, needle felting and the latest on the bulbs!

The Amaryllis bulb which finally started to grow last month (see photo) is becoming fabulous!

 

 

What a beauty!

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Here are some recent watercolors!

 

This one is still emerging....

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The first one is sold, the one in process will be coming up for sale.

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Here are some quilts made from scraps......for charities which our quilt guild supports.

 

 

 

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Finally, some photos from a needlefelting workshop with Dani Ives..(google her and look at her gallery of pet portraits!)

 

The baskets of wool fibers (roving) dyed in many colors...

 

I do a little English robin (because I find them charming).

 

My friend, Liz works on a bee!

 

My little charmer in an 8 inch hoop/frame!

The Mystery quilt ...by Bonnie Hunter

In November, I joined in to do the mystery quilt, " On Ringo Lake" by Bonnie Hunter!

Lots of small pieces, lots of fun and some changes along the way!

 

Once I saw what her finished quilt looked like, I decided to use more aqua in mine and eliminate the diamond pieced coral lattice which she had done.

This meant that I had 200 pieced diamonds to use somewhere else....

I ended up making a "throw" size quilt which my daughter claimed! 

Here it is as a top....show and tell at Loose Threads....

 

Then the top was quilted....

 

And is on it's way to my daughter in Georgia!

At the same show and tell, I showed my finished mystery quilt top....now more calm with the blue lattice! It has 50 blocks set "on point"!

 

It is at the quilters and will come back to me eventually! 

It is a gift for a friend!!!!

A Tale of Spring Bulbs--sort of!

First to bloom was the Amaryllis (from Walmart..)....one big bloom, light pink, when they were bought as deep raspberry pink, LOL!

 

I painted it!

 

Then I bought a bouquet of tulips! Barely past the bud!.....

 

I set up a still life and I painted them......a lot! Other still lives were involved....same tulips....for days! (I kept them out in the chilly garage when they were not busy posing for me!)

 

 

 

And more....

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Meanwhile, the Amaryllis was bursting out!

 

And I saw signs of life in the other Amaryllis which I had planed on Dec. 11.

 

I bought another bouquet...almost Valentine's Day....why not?

 

And painted them.....

 

The masking tape, while painting (it is only there until that paint dries...) ...is a fun technique....

A friend gave me a tea cup to use in still life....so I did!

Thanks, Donna Murray!

Notice the hyacinths beginning to bloom?

Here is a painting....

 

And here are those hyacinths today....

 

Wish you could smell them!!!

One little paper white just sat there, in the dish while all the others bloomed back in January!

However today, I noticed roots and a longer stem...so I put it in a glass container from French yogurt....they can stay here, until they start to lean over....

 

AND, that laid back Amaryllis, ....? .....here it is today....very promising!

 

More to come...eventually!