Irish Muses: April 2010

Friday, April 30, 2010

My May Star

I will be out tomorrow with my Joe, so I am doing the May Star today. I absolutely love introducing you to Sherry of Country Wings of Phoenix, as she is magical. It is very hard to sum Sherry up just in a few words, but if I have to , I will say that she has a heart of gold. I know you will see that when you visit her blog, which

may I say always puts a smile on my face.She is one sweet, talented lady and she has such a giving heart! When you visit her blog, you instantly feel her warmth and hospitality , and it is almost like you are in her home and she is serving you a cup of tea. Sherry wants to visit Ireland...what fun that would be to be able to show her around and get to meet her wonderful husband and soulmate. (You can see the pic of the two of them) . Be sure to visit Sherry's blog, as you will be in for a big treat, and wish her well, as she is not feeling well. Here is her interview:

Interview for May
Name:__Sherry Smith_________

· A Bit About Me:
On June 17th I will have been blogging for a year. I wasn't sure I had much to share, but I so wanted to make friends. We have been out here in Phoenix for 25 years, and I had not met (1) single friend. Blogging has been one of the greatest gifts I have ever received, it has allowed me to make many, many friends. It has allowed me to step out of my shell and be myself.
I just had my 53rd birthday. I have been married for 35 years. I have 3
grown children, and soon to be 8 grandchildren. I love going to thrift stores and antique stores shopping
for treasures. Mr. Country Wings and I love to go to Estate Sales together on our Fridays off.
I love old Laurel and Hardy movies. My favorite channel to watch on TV is TLC. I watch everything from decorating, What Not to Wear, Little People Big World and a new show called the Little Chocolatiers.
Now mind you I only watch TV when I am not blogging, and you all know how I love to blog. It makes me happy.
I also love anything Cherry. I collect all cherry items. (You will find cherry items throughout my house).

· What Inspires Me:
I am inspired by my other blogger sisters. The quilters (I so want to learn to make a real quilt for my bed.)
The country prim designers (I love all things Americana), the tole painters and canvas painters (from roses to old country houses), the writers (from poetry to stories about everything our little hearts desire), the lovely ladies who sew beautiful designs (especially the aprons), the
scrapbookers ( I am learning day by day). The photographers who see beauty in everything that God has created. It inspires me to see the love that we each have for one another, the way that we share with our lives, our crafts and our hearts. Most of all I am inspired by each prayer warrior who still finds time at the end of the day, to bend down on their knees and pray for each one of us. We are all one GREAT big family, and I am so proud to be a small part of it.

· What I Love to Do the Most Creatively:
I would have to say garden. I love digging in the dirt, and
making flower beds. I like adding stepping stones, and little
creatures amongst the plants. I have been known to add a
fairy or two and an assortment of frogs. I love adding my bird
baths and feeders amongst the yard. I have 7 bird baths and
about 4 feeders. Mainly hummingbird feeders, as if I put out
bird feeders I end up with a yard full of pigeons. (Usually that
wouldn't be a problem, but out here in Phoenix, these pigeons
get as big as a chicken, and they are extremely messy.)

· My Favorite Fabric and Designer:
All fabrics with cherries so I usually search out Mary Engelbreight. Everytime I see a bolt of
it, I buy 6 yards that way I always have some with cherries for those special needs that arise
from time to time. I have covered everything from bar stools to adding a trim to a curtain, even been known to add it to a bathroom towel or two.

· UFO I Intend to Finish First:
My bedroom. We just installed a new large window. The next step is to
sand down the wall and paint. I have chosen the paint color and trim.
You will have to wait and see what it is. I believe I have almost talked
Mr. Country Wings into more wood floors. I do not like the carpet. The tile
and the wood floors help keep the house cooler here in the desert.

· What’s on the Design Wall Now:
I am learning to crochet. My BFF, Marydon Ford @ Blushing Rose.blogspot.com/
starting teaching me and helped me secretly work on a baby blanket for the new
grandson coming in June. (It is a secret tho, shhhhhh.) Pictures will be shown after
the baby comes, but I can tell you it is BLUE. Who would have thought?

· Who Would I Love to Meet:

Michael J. Fox - I loved him in the Back to the Future
Movies, Doc Hollywood was so cute, and he played the
best part in Teen Wolf. So many other movies too, but
now that he has Parkinsons and has became so involved
in it, I would truly love to meet him. My Grandma died with
Parkinsons and I would love to know more about the research
that he is doing with the Parkinsons Foundation.

· If I Had One Wish:

It would be for Mr. Country Wings and I to take a trip to
Ireland. We have both always wanted to go. The countryside
is so beautiful, and that has always been a wish of both of ours.
We have many books that we have collected, marked pages and
selected places we would visit. One day maybe? You did say wish, right?

· Plans for the Future:

I am an IT Specialist. I am on a computer anywhere between 10-15 hours a day. I love creating.
I have been with the same organization for 19 years. I plan on working another 8-10 years and then
retire, and spend time with Mr. Country Wings. We would like to find some property in Oregon where
we could spend summers and spend winters here in the valley. We love the ocean.

Here is some of Sherry's beautiful work! Enjoy it and thanks so much Sherry for being my May star. You are really a sweetie!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Surprise Mail and Santa

I received a lovely fabric postcard from Katrin who has a blog called Cattinka. If you haven't visited her, please do, as she is super talented and such a lovely lady. The postcard has the cutest teacup on it and I just love it. She surprised me with a Santa applique sheet. Well, I love Santa. My dad used to take me to Philadelphia during Christmas to see the toyland displays and of course to sit on Santa's lap. He told me that Santa loved children from all over the world, and my goodness did I love him! I collect Santas too and just can't get enough of him. So Katrin, thanks so much!

I was so excited that I immediately started to work on a wee Santa wallhanging, which may get hung up now when I finish it. As you can see, I did the stitching around the applique, but I have tons of pins in it so I can do the machine quilting. I will finish it over the next few days. Thanks so much Katrin!
Next, I won a pattern in the I Have a Notion giveaway called Winter Lily. I will definitely do this one, as I think I will make the background dark, and have the baskets in batiks. It is really a nice pattern, and should make a nice lap quilt. Thank you Kelly for hosting such a wonderful giveaway! I know how hard hosting that huge giveaway must have been!

Well, I have been busy starting on my Santa project, and Joe and I just got back from our morning walk, and we will do another walk in the afternoon.
Off to make lunch!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Journal of Old Family Pics

I finally made a journal for my family's old pics. They were sitting in a box for years, and I had done nothing with them. Part of the reason was that I just never got to it, but also I just didn't want to rehash much of what had happened to my family and much of my childhood experiences. My parents were both holocaust survivors. My dad was very inspirational, as he had been in a concentration camp, but yet he had such a positive outlook on life. He always was funny, had a smile on his face,

and enjoyed each and every minute of his life till he died in 1985 of a massive heart attack .He built much of our furniture, made signs like the Macy sign in NYC and worked hard to finally start a fabric store in Philadelphia from scratch in our basement. As a little girl, I was with him each and every day there handing him tools and watching in amazement as the store slowly evolved. My mom , on the other hand, had not survived the holocaust emotionally at all. She was a very talented artist, poet, seamstress, and businesswoman, but she just had not survived the experience that well. I guess it was a matter that everyone's emotional reactions are different. My love of painting, writing poetry and sewing came from her, so I am thankful for all of that!
I have been working on this journal for a few days now, and I have dedicated it to my parents and all the family that were lost in the holocaust. In each pocket that I made, I wrote poems, a letter to my dad, a tribute to both my parents and other family members. I was very happy that I finally finished it. The pictures are of my family on my mother's side, as my dad had not recovered any pics of his family, and that was his great regret. I have also included a sketch that I did years ago of my grandfather, and I remember that I had worked very hard to capture him perfectly, and my mom tearfully said that I had. He

re is the page with the pic. I used artists pencils to do the drawing of my grandfather.

As I had read Anne Frank's diary many times, I included her too and some of her famous quotes with a drawing that I did this week.

Coincidentally, my mom hid underground during the war with her sister, and she wrote a diary, which was published. The original is in the Yad Vashem Museum in Israel, and a copy is in the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.

I do miss both of my parents, but as I was daddy's little girl, I especially miss him and always will. It is always hard to lose any parent, no matter what age it happens, but especially when one only has a small family left. You can imagine how special my relationship with Joe is and how important my current family is to me.

Joe took pics of the pages of the journal. He has felt badly for me in the making of this journal, but I told him that I was happy that I did it for my family.

The weather has been sunny, but we have had fall temperatures. We are both enjoying beautiful long walks, and we are spending a quiet weekend. Hope all is well with you all!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

A Cool Spring and Some Wee Projects

It has been a cooler spring, but sunny here in Dunfanaghy.The cooler weather has allowed us to take longer walks, and the scenery is just lovely.
I have been

involved in a few wee projects as I wait for all of my art and Tim Holtz supplies, so I can start my art journal. This week, I found a wonderful Derwent Inktense 60 watercolour pencils on Ebay for 45 sterling, which I will be ordering this week. Anyways, here is what I have been working on.

First, I started this scarf in various pastel colours. I have started it in the blue and light yellow. I have to finish two more rows of the yellow, and then add a light pink and white. I don't know if you can see it, but the yarn has sparkle in it, so it will be very pretty. I will post a final pic of the scarf when I am done, which should be in the next day or two. Next, I am making flowers for my journal out of patterned paper and then glazing them with the Glossy Accent to give them shine and dimension. I made this smaller one, and you can see it in the pic with the scarf.

Then, I made a card for Joe... just because....a tiger in Africa saying inside the card that I was "wild " over him and of course I am.

Finally.I made this primitive style doll from a pattern that I got. I got the cute sign from the store where I purchased the pattern, which said, "Housework never hurt anyone but why try it." I love her dress with the lace. I found the perfect fabric for it. She is standing by a potted plant and is looking very happy indeed.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Giveaway News

You can win an Accu Quilt.Kelly at I Have a Notion is hosting a giveaway. Visit her blog and enter....you never know...you might win!There is only one day left to enter, so hurry and sign up!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Winner of Crafty Alley Giveaway and More Pics

I entered a giveaway at Crafty Alley, and I won a great package from them. Here is a pic of what I won...right up my alley. You can see the info on it here. If you look below the announcement, you will see exactly what I won. I am awaiting my journal supplies, and this win will help so much with all of the work that I will be doing with the journal! I am throughly excited!! Crafty Alley is located in County Kerry, Ireland , and I will have to visit there one day. It has tons of items for paper crafting, arts and crafts,yummy fabrics and now they also have a huge variety of Tim Holtz products...Yeah!!

Joe

and I took our morning walk...we

saw these horses and sheep, and Joe took some pics. We are now taking morning and afternoon walks and will average a good 7-8 miles a day which will be good for us. Joe is taking his camera with him, and he is having a blast taking pics.Well, that's the latest news from Dunfanaghy! It is definitely spring here, a bit cooler today, but sunny and lovely.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Spring At Last in Dunfanaghy

Spring has finally arrived here in Dunfanaghy.Yeah!!!!! We are having wonderful warmer, sunny days, and Joe and I have had some lovely, long walks, and we have been averaging a good 5-6 miles each walk. We didn't even have to wear jackets, and it has been a long time since I could write that. This morning, Joe and I went to see new lambs that were born in a field on the way to walking to Horn Head which you can see in the distance.The lambs were just so cute with their mothers.

I promised you some pics of Marble Beach, so here they are . We had a lovely picnic at the beach yesterday after a 6 mile walk, and boy did we deserve the meal after that long hike.

We will be taking another walk soon, as we are loving the weather. It is just beautiful out there. There is nothing like spring in Ireland.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Mini House Quilt Finished and Another Card

I finished my last UFO.....Hip Hip Hooray! I machine quilted my mini house quilt, which if you remember is a Carol Doak paper piecing pattern. It is only 12x12 inches. I am so thrilled with it, and I do love paper piecing so very much!

Then Joe wanted to write me a card....an inspirational idea of his....He then commissioned me( LOL) to make a card for him, so he could write something inside.I used my favorite color pink for it, and lovely shades of blue. He wrote sweet sentiments in

side, and needless to say it was a win win situation for both of us.

My eyesight is not all it should be, so Joe decided to get me the new Ninento DSi XL. The screen is so much bigger, and he got it in wine red for me. Boy, was that a surprise, and I can now see the screen with no problem.

A really nice day...full of wonderful projects and surprises.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Some Fun Projects

I made another crochet block for my afghan quilt. It is a really nice granny square that has three really beautiful colours.

Then, I made Joe a teddy card "just because"...the best kind. I colored in the teddy bear and did some embossing on the card. Joe just loved it, and he gave me a big smile.

I also made a card that I designed myself, which is in the shape of a piano and holds a notebook inside. I used ribbon to make the keys, did a lot of embossing on the card, and it opens up to the notebook. The purpose of the notebook is a bit funny. I have a list inside of the Cricut cartridges that I have already, and then marked with a pink ribbon the list of the Cricut cartridges that I want. He can look at it whenever he wants to surprise me with a cartridge...ingenious or what? LOL

Finally, I am ordering

some nylon Jersey fabric for a crochet project that I will be starting. It is an unusual process. You cut the nylon fabric, which is a bit like spandex into continuous strips and wind it into balls...I will be using 5 different colours similar to what you see in the pic, which will be for the living room, and later will make one for the bedroom in different colours. I will have to get used to crocheting with nylon jersery strips, but it is going to be fun and quite a lovely rug.

We are planning a long walk on Friday to Marble Hill Beach....It's a good 7-8 mile hike.We will have a picnic lunch there, and then come back home. Get ready for some wonderful pics.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Finished My Celtic Wallhanging , A New Siggy, and Joe Won a TV

I finally did the machine quilting of my Celtic Wallhanging. I had a lot of fun doing it, and it is hanging now in the living room. Joe and I both love it!! I now only have one UFO to do, and that is to machine quilt the miniature house quilt that I made, and I will start that tomorrow.

I also got a gorgeous siggy from Frouwkje who is from the Netherlands. Isn't the

Dutch boy and girl in the centre just adorable? Thanks so much! I am slowly but surely coming to the end of the required amount of siggies that I need to make the quilt.

Finally, some exciting news for us...Joe entered a drawing and won a Toshiba television/dvd combo for our bedroom. It is really neat, and can you picture us watching movies in the bedroom lying on our bed propped up on our huge pillows? Joe set it up this morning, and that was a nice surprise for us.