50 Post Giveaway Winner Announced

My dh just got home from work and pulled the winner of my giveaway... It is Gina in Tampa FL. Gina, please send me your snail mail so I can send off your bag of goodies..!

Ancestral Wall

While in Indiana we often pass by this rock wall that runs along a good portion of the St. Joseph River. This particular segment was taken in Mishawaka, near Battel Park. My mother had always told me that her father had a hand in building it through the WPA. I thought it was time to document it.

Mary

 

This is my step-mother Mary, she had a stroke earlier in the year and is now in a nursing home in Indiana. We visited again this past weekend. She seems to really like it there, she can play bingo, go outside at her leisure and loves the food. My dad goes up most mornings and eats breakfast with her.  She has made friends with the staff and has improved to the point that she has been able to resume reading her National Enquirer... She is a fantastic woman.

Blue Willow Comes Home!

My blue and white Asian themed block inspired by Blue Willow has arrived home. It is just wonderful! Thank you to Rita, Meg, Diane, and Nicki Lee...

BEFOREAFTER

50 Post Giveaway!

In celebration of my 50th post this week, I am having a crazy quilter's giveaway. Included are Barbara Randle's book "more Crazy Quilting with attitude", fancy fabrics, trims, lace, perle cotton, several silkies, a jar full of buttons, beads and a few more surprises that I find between now and then. You can see it pictured above.

Please place a comment to my blog by May 31 for one chance. Become a follower for 2 addtional chances.  Winner will be drawn Memorial Day evening. Good Luck! Darlene

Snap,Crackle and Pop

I found these whimsical and quite old doll cut-outs at a garage sale yesterday. They were a premium offered for 15cents and a Rice Krispie box top. They are in great condition. Don't know what I will do with them yet.

My Bee. Beetle, Butterfly Block Returns

My finished "bug" block returned home today. I am absolutely thrilled with the results. Thank you to Beryl, Ritva, Cathy and Margreet for a fantastic job.

Beryl's Completed Bug RR

Another completed block in the Bug RR. Here is Beryl's block before and after. On this one I did the "Beatles patch".

BEFORE

AFTER

Margreet's Bug Block

These are the before and after pictures of Margreet's Bug Block. Boy did I love the colors of this one. I did the center part. I will mail it off to her in The Netherlands on Monday.

BEFORE

AFTER

Cathy's Bug Block Completed!

Here is the first completed block in the Bees, Beetles and Butterflies Round Robin. I did the flower basket with bees, added beading and the lace butterfly around the pic of the girl. I also added several seam treatments, the butterly pin and the fancy green beetle. Quite a before and after!

BEFORE

AFTER

Vintage Workshop Giveaway

The Vintage Workshop is having a giveaway contest. Pictured above is one of the two prize packages. They have lovely images and other supplies for crafters, scrapbookers and quilters. Click the highlighted link to go to the contest.

Lauri's Flower Fairy Block

This is my completed work on Lauri's Block for the Flower Fairy Round Robin. I enjoyed working with the colors she chose. I will mail the remaining blocks off to Rita tomorrow.

Mother's Day 2010

I'm the baby with my mother, Charlene Nelson. She passed away at the young age of 51, in 1975. The little boy in the picture is my cousin, Gary.  I miss you Mom!

This is me with my paternal grandmother, Pauline Nelson. She also passed many years ago, the same week that JFK was assassinated. My maternal grandmother passed long before I was born.

This is me as a happy first time mom. My son Thomas was around 1.5 months old. Summer of 1987. He was born May 9. So today is a double celebration. I am meeting him for dinner later today. He is 23 years old and has grown into a fine young man.                  

NickiLee's Giveaway!

Nicki Lee, another crazy quilter and lace dyer; is having a giveaway on her blog. Hop on over and leave a comment and have a chance to win these little drawers full of surprises!

Crazy Quilting Finds

Among our adventures yesterday were many rummage and garage sale stops. It was our first big day of the garage sale season. I got some nice things to use in crafting and crazy quilting. The first picture is a bag of goodies I got at a fundraiser for Relay for Life for $5. Some really nice wood stamps, stencils, sequins, a cutting mat and pretty vintage piece. I also got three craft books not shown.

These two needlework pieces were 10cents each. I will take them out of the frame and incorporate them into a crazy quilt block.

The black piece is a "little black dress" snatched for a quarter. I will take the lace off to use and the fabric is a tone on tone I will use in a Round Robin I will be in later this year using all black fabrics with bright embellishments. The beaded motif was 50cents and the other small pieces were free! I am also going to be in an "under the sea" Round Robin later this year and I thought the crab was adorable for that.

Before I end please check out this new  blog of a fellow crazy quilter. Jewelry, crazy quilting accessories, threads and charms. She also plans a giveaway for the first of June...http://www.shawkl.com/

HHMMMM! that gets me thinking, I should have my own giveaway. Maybe on my 50th post!

What to do with a dead tree

Fuzzy and I were gone most of the day today on adventures and errands.While going down a road we don't normally travel we came across this in someone's front yard. Isn't it great? It's on Duffield Rd. in Swartz Creek, MI.