Helloooo, Summer!

Happy, crafty Summer of 2011!  We are in the thick of making--and have been for more than 2 weeks.  We are having more fun than this mama has time to chronicle.

Projects completed:
Painted mini birdhouses (Tween & Mama)
Painted cactus pot (Tween)
White t-shirt yarn made (Mama)
Velvet ribbon necklaces and bracelet (Mama)
Daisy beaded bracelet (Tween)
Summer official scoobido bracelet (Tween)
American Girl Doll bag with matching coin wallet (Tween)
Garden goddess and other repurposed dish art (Mama)
Garden wire fence chandelier (Mama)
Chicken wire and ribbon swag light (Mama)
Garden decorated (Mama)
Food garden planted (Mama)
Shutters painted for a headboard project (Mama)

Projects in process:
Knit t-shirt-yarn rug (Mama)
Knit rag-yarn chair cushion cover (Mama)
"Subway art" tea sign  (Mama)
Painted canvas (Tween & pal)
More beaded flower bracelets (Tween)
Painted music cabinet to decopage (Mama)
Dollhouse plans! (Tween & Mama)
Headboard (Mama)

More to come...perhaps with photos.  And an occasional flashback to projects competed between last summer and now.

In Review

We did so much more than I chronicled:

The chenille pillows are long done; as is a mohair scarf for a relative and a small mohair cowl for Mama.

Tween has been engrossed in her room design portfolio kit, drawing a new vision for her room. There will be painting in our future.

Today, Tween worked on stitching her softie. Now, she is painting her back-pack for back-to-school.

Final Friday

On our last Friday of Summer, we spent more than 6 hours (!) making jewelry.

It was one of the most enjoyable days of Mama's life, spent creating, humming, chatting and soaking in the essence of darling Tween.

It was the essence of our Maiden Summer.

Squeezing It All In

Tween: in-class paper helicopter and a couple other flying things. Elegant hairstyle.

Mama: two more beach glass pendants, a few rows of knitting on the pillow cover. Two batches of blueberry muffins: g-f mix "regular" and buckwheat chocolate (based on Good to the Grain). A new zucchini recipe for dinner. Painting---fence boards. Dilly tally: three quarts, six pints.

Sun, swimming, & overnight here with Tween's friend.

Back At It

First completed project with the scary new machine!

Tween is in morning classes--one of which involves making paper airplanes and other types of flying creations!

Mama put art into the recently painted frames, including a welcome-to-town collage made by a then-new, now-dear friend. Framed and mounted a menu planner. Hung up the completed sewing-machine project.

Dilly Beans are in progress!

Time Flies = Having Fun!

Tween's creations

How do those pro bloggers post so regularly? We took a two-week vacay at the end of June, followed by house guests, and zippo! No word here from then til now! Hardly a real problem...except for wanting to chronicle our creative summer.

Crazily, Mama knit a lace mohair scarf in a day on Amtrak during the trip. Gave it as a gift to Best Pal on our visit--and never thought to snap a pic. (As if those pics may ever actually make it to this spot....)

Finished one knit pillow cover, the second is close to done.

Made 24 quarts of dill pickles.

Made 7 pints of blueberry jam....with the old, unhealthy pectin. Froze berries; dried berries; baked with berries multiple times. (Did I mention the family went berry picking?)

First sewing project

Learned to use the new sewing machine; a post in itself. 

Started a lace shawl with vacation yarn.

Our symbol of summer

Tween is always creating something: first little stuffed creatures, and now a blooming passion for lanyards (gimp/scoubydo). Mama proudly wears two bracelets in homage to our "summer camp."

Also invented some bracelets and rings from dried paint! The violin improves weekly, and singing is our life soundtrack; she is so proud to be in the city chorale come fall. A peach pit ring is in the works.



 Together we made beach glass pendants. Today, we painted frames for artwork.

Mama's beach glass creations.

And there has been swimming and sitting in the sun to read...until the skeeters drive us in.

Tween's hand-sewn and painted purses.

July was a lot of month!

Idea Girl

Tween made a grosgrain ribbon headband yesterday, bookmarks and a bracelet today. She has so many creative ideas and really is acting on them.

Mama made a deadline. There was some creativity in that. Squeezed in a few rows of knitting and painted another coat of fabric paint on the stenciled tee, cut yesterday.

Yesterday also held a conversation with the pectin expert who clearly knows how to troubleshoot canning issues. New knowledge: there is a point of too much sugar with this product, and overheating the pectin kills the gelling action. Mama likely did both of these, at least 3 times over. There may be no saving the gel, so the un-jam will become a sauce in the fridge. Seems this type of pectin may require substantial math skills...and we're all about The Arts here, folks.