Happy New Years

I am so excited about the New Year, we have decided to claim the year for ourselves. This is going to be our year. Tonight I will spend some time documenting some goals for all of us, so next year we can see how many we have accomplished. Jennifer has goals for her recovery and both Randy and myself have personal and professional goals along with spiritual and goals for us as a couple. I love to divide them up into groups, like short-term, long term, and into groups such as goals for the house, the business's, retirement, then more along the lines of personal things. Then we stick them away to look next year and see which ones we succeeded in and which ones still need work! Artistically and creatively I have more goals than hours so I will really need to learn how to better use my time and prioritize to get the things done that I want to do this year. Last year I challenged myself to enter quilt shows and I did do that, which was very exciting and I have two quilts showing now. One in going to The Road to California and one will be going to Paducah as fourth place winner of the online competition. It is very exciting to get some recognition for all the hard work. I have some goals for my painting and drawing this year also that I hope to accomplish. I want to become more involved with our local art museum and join the local Plein Aire group. I just got back from Vegas and took a challenge from the Wet Canvas website to work on in the hotel room. I have posted it here, it is a poinsettia and it was a great study in values. I also wanted to share a fun easy block I did at Christmas for our quilt quilds exchange. It is a gingerbread man and if you would like a copy just email me and I will send the pattern to you via email. I used a brown fabric and fused it to the background, then I satin stitched it on, I then used black for the inside of the mouth and did the same only extended the lines of the satin stitch to make the smiling mouth. I used red for the nose and I used white, large rick-rack around the body and big buttons sewn on with white embroidery thread for the eyes. I hope to have a gingerbread quilt for next Christmas available. Have a Happy New Years, I will be sitting in my spa tub, soaking in the New Year. Yippee

A Christmas Card

I received a beautiful Christmas card from a quilting friend Marilyn. She embroidered the card face with this adorable angle and attached it with a decorative stitch to the card. She also decorated the inside. I love it when people actually spend time and create their cards, it means so much to me. I have received many hand painted cards this year too and I will keep them as treasures and gifts from Christmas 2006.

The AQS Online Quilt Competion

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year I can't believe it is gone, a whole year! Where does the time go these days. Its true what they say about the older you get the faster it goes! I turned the big 50 this year! Did anyone notice I didn't post any pictures of parties etc. There were none, no hupla, no celebration, jsut a family dinner, I was trying to sneak into the 50's hoping no one would notice. You know I have heard that the 50's are the new 30's, we will see how hard 60 hits when you have told yourself your 30 for prior10 years .

I just wanted to share that my quilt "Crepe Paper Poppies" won 4th place or honorable mention in the online quilt show. I was so excited I just had to share. I received lots of goodies as part of the winning, and the quilt will go to Paducah to hang in their big quilt show. It is such and honor. Here is the link to see all the winners;

http://www.americanquilter.com/contest/contest_winners.php

I have been working on a memory quilt for our dear friends who went to Africa to celebrate their 2o something anniversary and rededicated their vows on the African plain, their pictures were incredible so I snatched them. Well she let me copy her CD because I told her I wanted to paint all the animals, which I do, but I took some of the pictures and transfered them to fabric for this wall hanging I hope to have done for Christmas. I should be able to post some pictures in a few days.

Have a wonderful Christmas I am looking forward to the New Year and the creative journey I will be starting for this next year.