The Original Kayak Chickee

"Two for One" or "WOW! Two Posts in One day!"

2012-01-27T13:10:00.004-05:00

Every year, Holland Friends of Art puts on an outdoor craft fair called "Art in the Park". It is held in August in Centennial Park here in Holland, Michigan. I have participated in it once and when I was on the board was involved in it in other ways. Anyway, years ago they started holding a poster competition for the members and this year I decided to enter a piece for it. Here it is. I didn't think it would hurt to show my entry here since probably only one or two people will even see it. I like how it turned out. I used only Sharpie brand markers for this. I love Sharpies but have never really used them for artwork. That might change. There are lots of colors available and some limited edition colors too, I might have to do some shopping to fill out my palette.

A new painting.

2012-01-27T11:39:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since I've painted anything. There, I said it. It's not like I'm not doing anything creative though. I've been reading and knitting (a lot) and making some cards, but I haven't been painting, unless you count painting my son's bedroom. So, about two weeks ago, I had motivation to finish a painting for the Holland Friends of Art Members show. I work better with a deadline, an empty frame complete with a mat already cut, a blank sheet of watercolor paper and no excuses. I must admit I was a little nervous. What was I going to paint? How would it turn out? Would it be done in time for the show? I selected a photo that I took several years ago near Asheville, North Carolina and dove in. I am happy with how it turned out. Not completey, but I am my worse critic. The best part is that I really enjoyed the process and am looking forward to the next piece. I might even have to place an order for more paper and a couple of more tubes of paint.

By the way, the Sky Scarf is going well and I'll post an update on or about February 1. Stay tuned.

Sky Scarf Post #1/2

2012-01-09T09:32:00.006-05:00

Well, we're only a week into 2012 and I thought I would post a photo of my progress on the Sky Scarf.

I thought being in Michigan and it being winter when I started that I would be knitting nothing but grey and white for the first four months. But as you can see, it's been quite the happy mix this first week with lots of blue sky.

I decided that I would knit my two rows based on what the sky was doing at noon each day. The above photo was the sky at about 12:30 p.m. At noon it was completely grey. It's mostly grey again now at about 1:30 p.m.

My intent is to post a photo the end of each month so that you can see the progress.

One thing I haven't been able to do is twist the yarn along the edge the way she did it in the pattern. My plan is to crochet all the way around when it's done.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2011-12-17T10:49:00.020-05:00

Well, here it is, a week before Christmas and the Christmas cards are finally out, and the tree and stockings are up.

Here are a few pictures of the cards I made this year. These in addition to some I made last year, but didn't send and some store bought cards are what I sent out this year.

I've done these cross stitch cards before. The idea came from the Better Homes and Gardens Country Crafts Christmas Edition magazine from 1990. The pattern was for a sampler, but they also had the idea to do some of the motifs on perforated paper, cut them out and use them on cards. I had a great time using some scrapbook paper for the backgrounds (something that wasn't around in 1990).

I was short a couple of cards and decided to make a couple cheery looking cards using the Iris Folding technique. I like the look of it and even though it looks complicated, it's really simple.

And, because I know my friend Aimee reads this blog and I love her's. here are a few interior Christmas shots.

I only pick ornaments that mean something to my family. Perhaps an interest or a hobby, but there is a connection between each one and us.

My mom and dad cross stitched us these Christmas stockings back in 1998 after Jarod was born. Yes, BOTH of my parents cross stitch. I love them and these stockings too. I believe they've done one for every member of their family and even some friends too. Lots of work and love went into these.

This is the is the coffee/tea service table in my dining room. I'm not sure where the table came from originally. I believe it was my husband's grandmother's table. My mother in law was using it as a laundry room table for her detergent (horrors), so after much begging, he bought her a shelf and took this home. It needed a lot of work and refinishing, but it looks great here. It is a drop leaf table. We went to a Bed & Breakfast that had one of these electric kettles and I really wanted one after that. So, now I have my own set up and use it often.

Now, I'm off to build a "yarn swift" so that I can be ready to start the Sky Scarf for 2012. Merry Christmas to all!

Sky Scarf, Holland, MI

2011-12-07T08:49:00.004-05:00

You know, sometimes I come across things online that I want to do, but I can't remember how I came across them in the first place. This is just such a thing.

It's called a Sky Scarf and is the brain child of Lea Redmond AKA Leafcutter on Ravelry. She calls this a "Conceptual Knitting" project.

Basically, you look at the sky every day and knit two rows on a scarf in colors that represent what the sky is doing.

Above are my color choices. I'm using Cascade 220 Fingering in white, robin egg blue, sapphire, silver and charcoal.

This scarf is knit on size 4 needles over the course of a year and will measure approximately five feet when finished.

I will be starting on January 1, 2012. Lea recommends keeping everything together in the open so that it is easy to remember to do your rows each day. I found (YES, FOUND!) this beautiful Longaberger basket last year, bought a new liner, and I think will be the perfect place to keep this scarf for a year.

Check back to see my progress. Since I live in Michigan, I'm sensing there will be a lot of white and gray to start with.

Interested in making your own? Click HERE.

Interested in the yarn I'm using? Click HERE.

Interested in joining the Ravelry group for this scarf? Click HERE.

Definitely a TREAT!!!

2011-11-03T18:18:00.004-04:00

Well, my yarn arrived and I consider it a TREAT. I'm sure this photo doesn't do this yarn justice. This is what I received for the "Trick or Treat" from The Buffalo Wool Company. It has no label, so I have no idea which of their yarns this is. No big deal though since they said that these were all random skeins and some wouldn't be labeled. I assume this is made from Bison fleece and it looks to be close to a worsted weight. The color looks black in this photo, but upon closer examination it looks like a combination of dark brown, green and black. I immediately thought this would be a great stocking cap for the hubby. Stay tuned as this may be going on the needles sooner than later.

Trick or Treat

2011-10-28T10:34:00.002-04:00

Mystery Yarn! I can't wait!

http://store.thebuffalowoolco.com/trick-or-treat/

I'll be posting what I get AND photos of what I've made. Stay tuned!

MSU Washcloth samples

2011-10-18T10:53:00.003-04:00

There is a reason that people who design patterns knit samples BEFORE publishing the patterns and I learned this the hard way. My being in such a rush to get these patterns out there, I didn't double check myself by knitting these samples first. Thus, I had to publish revisions at least three times because there were typos in two of the cloths. NOW, I know they are perfect. Forgive my photography. I love this set and how they turned out. Again, here is the link to these patterns available for FREE on Scribd. http://www.scribd.com/doc/67771809/MSU-Washcloth-Set Thanks for looking and GO GREEN!

MSU Washcloths FREE pattern

2011-10-06T16:09:00.003-04:00

I find it a little bit funny that this second set of patterns I've designed is for a school I didn't even attend. In fact, until married into a family of MSU fans, I never would've thought it possible. Anyway, this set of washcloths is the requested block letter set that spells out MSU on three different cloths. Now, I suppose if you are a fan of the other Big 10 Michigan school, you could knit the "U" and the "M" in blue and gold. I won't be showing that here, in fact, I haven't even tested these patterns yet, so if you come across an error, please let me know. I've got a couple of projects on the needles and need to finish those before I get these done, but I didn't want to wait to get this out there. So, click on the link below, knit, enjoy and GO GREEN!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/67771809/MSU-Washcloth-Set

Dipping my toes back in the water...

2011-09-23T15:42:00.004-04:00

A NEW blog post by yours truly!

I just realized, embarassingly enough, that it has almost been a year since I posted anything on this blog. Can't imagine that anyone would want to visit here if there is nothing new to see. So, here is a brief posting of one of the new Birthday cards I just finished. My card box was decimated following all the May birthdays on the Riemersma side of the family, so it was time to get to card making. I made a few Anniversary cards too. Next post will be devoted to card making, I think. Then again, it might be sailing since the boat will be put away sometime in the next couple of weeks. My, how the time has flown. Stay tuned and if you have seen this posting, come back and invite your friends too. Thanks for visiting.

Cute Zombie Bag

2010-12-16T14:53:00.003-05:00

I found this cute bag pattern on a website called, "The Happy Zombie". Not sure how I came across this. I just click on links from other sites I like and find cool stuff.

Anyway, this bag is made from three "fat quarters". I'm too lazy at the moment to research exactly what a "fat quarter" is. Suffice it to say that my local fabric store sells them and I think quilters by them. The size is about 18x22. I had bought a few to make something else and then when I found this pattern, I decided to make this instead. These three fabrics wouldn't have been my first choice and they don't go together as well as I would've liked. When I make another one, I'll choose my fabrics a lot more carefully.

This bag is fully lined and you have a choice of whether or not to make boxed corners. The pattern is easy to understand and follow and doesn't take too long to make. My only complaint is that the bag is quite a bit smaller than I thought it would be. That isn't the pattern's fault, it's mine, since I didn't read the final size before starting. I'm certain it would be easy enough to make this pattern larger. Then, of course, you would need more than a "fat quarter".

This would be a great bag for a child. It has one large pocket and two small side pockets. I'm going to use it for a pool bag on our trip to Key West, FL later this year. The side pockets are perfect for keys, sunglasses or suntan lotion and the large compartment in the center is good for a book or two. I'm sure I will be making another one.

The Unfinished Christmas.

2010-12-16T08:16:00.024-05:00

This Christmas I had TONS of ideas for handmade gifts to make. I also had tons of projects started and materials bought to start projects. I made a list of unfinished projects. Scary. So, I decided it was time to finish up some of these ideas.

Some years I've made my own Christmas cards and I thought about doing it again, but with all the ideas for other projects in my head, I had made eight cards by Thanksgiving. My original idea was to handknit washcloths and send those out as Christmas cards. I think I made two. Hardly what I needed. I'll get back to the unfinished washcloth idea later.

So, I found this cute sailboat image on the "Life Is Good" website that they were posting as a coloring page and used it for our Christmas card. Bob and I sat on the floor in the living room one wintery Sunday afternoon with a fire in the fireplace, coloring all the cards while watching "The Walking Dead" marathon on AMC. Yeah, I know, hardly a Christmas-y show, but we had so much fun. Yay! Christmas cards DONE!

In addition to the Christmas washcloths, another project started more than a year was making "Morsbags". Morsbags is an English website. You make fabric bags and then give them out to people to use instead of plastic bags at the grocery store. They have a free pattern, not that you really need one. They also have labels you can buy or print to call attention to their site. Not a new concept, but I thought I would make them for the women in my family for last Christmas. I got fabric from a second hand store and some donated. Again, I got two done.

This brings us back to the Christmas washcloths. Three of the five are shown above. Since, I had finished the "Morsbags", I decided to finish the washcloths too and give those to the women in my family. These washcloth patterns are wonderful and really easy to knit. The designer is Kris Knits and I have seven of her washcloth pattern sets.

So, to make a long story short. This was the season to finish some unfinished Christmas projects. Now, I didn't finish them all and I did start some new ones, but I feel like I made progress and you can too.

Christmas Card makin'

2010-11-02T13:10:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I made my first two Christmas cards. I checked the closet and the card box to be sure there weren't any left overs from previous years that I had forgotten or boxes I had purchased on sale after Christmas. So, I pulled out the Christmas papers and the Stampin' Up idea books and went to town. Well, maybe not "to town", but I did make two cards and was happy with both. Here they are. I liked the idea of repeating a small stamp several times in a row. I used a green pencil to add color to the one on the right. Two down, many more to go.

The Day After Halloween

2010-11-01T11:36:00.004-04:00

I've been wanting to make pennants for a long time, but have never come up with a good theme.

Well, all that changed yesterday when it came to me to take all the cards that our son has gotten for Halloween and make a pennant decoration out of them.

This morning I went to work. Since all the cards were different sizes, I just cut out triangles from the front in whatever size they came out to be. Then I used spray mount to attach them to some plain black paper and hot glued some orange yarn across the top of the backs and voila, a Halloween themed pennant string!

I think it turned out very cute and it will be fun to hang up next Halloween.

Kool Aid + Crock Pot = Colorful yarn

2010-10-11T13:20:00.003-04:00

These are my first hand dyed yarn attempts. Awhile back I had come across this tutorial for dyeing yarn in a crockpot with kool-aid. So this past weekend, I decided to gather my supplies and give it a try. If you want to try it yourself, here is the link. I'm not sure what the red/purple mini skein of chunky yarn is going to be, but the green/blue larger skein is going to be mittens.

Fast forward a few weeks...

Here are the completed mittens... I really like how they turned out, but shortly into the first mitten, I realized they were not going to fit me, so I put out a plea on Facebook for anyone with smaller hands who would like a pair of mittens to please let me know. My Facebook friend Jamie answered and she is the recipient of these hand dyed, hand knit wool pair of mittens.

I can't wait to try this again. I have a colorway I'm aiming for with this yarn, but don't think I'm going to be able to get there with Kool-Aid. I may have to try some other dyes and of course, I'll keep you posted.

Welcome to the Cloth Paper Scissors Studios Virtual Tour!

2010-10-07T14:35:00.028-04:00

Dear fans, followers, friends, etc.,

(Ya know, BOTH of you!)

I am participating in the Cloth Paper Scissors Studios Virtual Tour,

October 15-17 here on my blog.

Welcome to my studio!

Click here for the CPSS Virtual Tour!

This wonderful heavy wood table came from a local restaurant that had a fire, probably 16 years ago. It stunk from smoke, but after it was cleaned up, it made a perfect work surface for the shop.

I love to collect rocks, thinking I'll polish them or whatever in the future. I just started crocheting around them. I've got a very small collection of Gwen Frostic prints too.

Here is a small piece of cork board stuck on one of my cabinet doors. Attached is my first piece of freeform knitting, a wristband from the release party for the seventh Harry Potter book, my first try at knitting a peace sign and my favorite... my "Mind Mush" pin that my friend Jean made back when we were both working retail.

Since I live in an area that has many office furniture manufacturers; I was able to get this portion of a work cubical and turn it into a designated sewing area. The cabinet has some patterns and fabric in it and I use the keyboard drawer for thread and bobbins. The upper cabinets do have doors that close, but they are open in this photo.

Here is another wonderful table that my wonderful husband made for me. It weighs a TON and is perfect for watercolor painting on. My latest work is in the foreground.

When my church tore down it's parsonage, I was able to get these kitchen cabinets. My husband put up a partial wall and installed these. I won't get into the blood, sweat and tears part of this story. Yes, that's some dry erase board on the walls. My studio is not quite a quarter of the basement in our house. The other half of the basement is semi-finished and the other quarter opposite my studio is my husband's shop.

Our old stereo.

One of these old drafting chairs belonged to my father in law, the other was purchased in a secondhand shop quite a few years ago.

The old file cabinet was from my brother in law who was a builder/developer. He didn't need it anymore, so he gifted it to me. We put it up on wood blocks to raise it up off the floor. I use it for watercolor paper, drawing pads, other papers and artwork. I love it!

Who doesn't need shelving? These are some of my artbooks, magazines, photos, and other reference materials. It also holds tote bags and some frames.

These cabinets hold my stash of yarn (though you can see the overflow in the plastic bins), patterns, art supplies, and lots of other things.

Now, if you made it all the way to the end...

Thank you so much for coming to visit my virtual studio!

and...

If you would like to leave a comment just to let me know where you are visiting from,

I would LOVE that!

Libby

Connecting with my past.

2010-09-13T11:54:00.006-04:00

I've been thinking and thinking about knitting lace. So, after some research and recommendations, I bought myself some thread and lace needles. I have a couple of different options in mind.

I stopped by my folk's house and mentioned this to my mom and she said, "Oh, I remember my grandmother knitting lace." and she digs through a cabinet and pulls out a whole bag of knitted lace from my great-grandmother. She thinks she might be able to come up with the pattern too. Anyway, above is a photo of the lace and below is a page from my baby book.

My great-grandmother was Fora Bolier and she was born on August 17, 1860 in Scherpenisse, Netherlands. She married Adriaan Kaashoek when she was 25 and he was 42 on November 6, 1885. At some point she had children and immigrated to the states. She died in September, 1948 at the age of 88.

I googled her name this morning and came across these dates on a distant relatives website. He put me in touch with another distant relative who I have yet to connect with. Interesting stuff this geneology, but even more so is the possibility of knitting the same lace that my great-grandmother knitted.

Shhhhh, these are a gift.

2010-08-07T10:25:00.003-04:00

I finished these fingerless mitts before I went on vacation. They are based on an old classic mitten pattern, omitting the end of the thumb and the fingers. I've made a pair in camoflage yarn for my son and these are for our Christian Education director at church who is always freezing. :) I hope she likes them. They are pretty soft and were knitted with Plymouth Encore in grey and pink stripes. I love them and will definitely be making more.

The tags were made with the new Handknit set of stamps from Stampin Up that I just got. I used grey, pink and white paper and navy ink; I couldn't tell you the color names. I love these new stamps and I just know they will be used a lot.

Origami Drawstring Bag

2010-06-16T12:51:00.007-04:00

I found this pattern on the most adorable blog from a woman in Japan awhile back and have been wanting to make this cute little drawstring bag ever since. Last night, I finally did. She sews everything on her blog by hand, but I used my machine. I started with a 19 inch square and the finished size is 7.5 x 8. There is one large pocket closed by the drawstrings and two side pockets under the flaps. It was really easy and if you want to make your own, the link is below. These would make great bags for any small sewing or crafting projects; but this one is going to Miss Olivia F. from church. Check out Mai's blog for a lot more cute sewing projects, ideas, and culture from Japan.

http://mairuru.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-make-origami-drawstring-bag.html

Knitting Caddy remake.

2010-06-14T06:33:00.007-04:00

Just thought I'd share this awesome remake. I've been wanting one of these yarn caddies for quite some time. My mom had one and I thought it was great. I have lots of tote bags (ask Bob), but nothing that would stay open, hold my yarn from rolling away while working with it, and look nice enough to leave out in the living room. Oh and I didn't want to spend $36 to buy a new one.

I found this caddy at Bibles for Mexico and the poor thing was filthy, the material was old, worn and stained, and it had some of it's decorative nails replaced with eye hooks. It was only 50 cents and had plenty of potential, so after purchasing some new fabric, something that would go with the living room decor and a light fabric for the lining (so you can see what's inside), and some new decorative nails, this is what it looks like now.

I think I only spent about $5.00 and I can still take my knitting along and the caddy looks awesome.

Sundays I go to church and pray...

2010-05-17T08:29:00.003-04:00

Hankies, originally uploaded by KayakChickee.

This isn't so much a post about church as it is about hankies.

I had been thinking about digging out my collection of hankies for awhile. Now, I don't think I would use hankies for a full blown cold, that's just a little too gross for me, but the sniffles, well, that might be OK.

Anyway, I only have these five hankies, but I have stories for at least three of them. I may have to take some close up photos later.

The first one has a crochetted lace edge with my first name in it and It was made by my Grandma Kool.

The second one I got at a birthday party over on Felch Street. They had put some candy in it and tied it up like a little hobo bag with a pencil. I thought that was so cool.

The third one has the little saying on it from the title.

"Sundays I go to church and pray that I'll be a good girl every day."

The other two I'm not sure where they came from. They might have been a gift from an aunt.

I washed them this morning and hung them up on the clothesline. I mentioned last night if I dried my hankies that way, I could carry that smell with me all day.

Go Green! FREE Michigan State Spartans Dishcloth pattern

2010-04-16T14:42:00.006-04:00

http://www.scribd.com/doc/66558956/Michigan-State-Spartan-Dishcloth

OK. So I'm sure there is a better way to do this, but I haven't come up with it yet and I wanted to get this pattern out there. I've had requests for the pattern for the Michigan State Spartan Helmet dishcloth that I designed last year and I finally got around to writing out the pattern and making the PDF. If you notice any errors, please let me know. This is my first pattern and I really enjoyed making it.

(9/26/11): Since I haven't been on my blog in awhile, I didn't notice the mistake. I'll look into it tonight and have a corrected version posted (hopefully) tomorrow (9/27/11)

(9/27/11): Thanks to the anonymous visitor who alerted me to a couple of mistakes in this pattern. Luckily, I saved my notes, which for me is amazing! I usually throw out everything. IO was able to find the two mistakes easily and make those corrections. I have uploaded the updated pattern to Scribd and have changed the link above. Please let me know if you have any other issues and I will do my best to correct them. Thanks again. Libby

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T13:37:00.008-04:00

"He is not here. He is risen."

Jesus "breaks" time.

(This is the tomb that I made for an Easter display here at church. It is styrofoam and hinged in the middle so that it can be stored and reused. I used latex spray paint and styrofoam glue and an electric knife to "sculpt" it. Jarod was able to be involved during the Easter service too smashing a clock with a hammer, symbolizing how God broke time.)

What...

2010-03-29T07:05:00.004-04:00

I have an idea to do a mixed media project that will in some way include a bit of all my current hobbies. It starts with the phrase, "What am I going to do with my life?" As this project moves along, I'll post more photos of the steps along the way.

Notepads from recycled materials

2010-03-22T12:20:00.005-04:00

I've been making notepads out of office paper (copied on one side) for years now. People seem to love them and I like making them; though I can't always keep up with the demand. Last night, I had the idea to make little covers for them out of recycled cereal, snack, and tissue boxes and here are what they look like.

They are all different sizes, but all are 1/2 inch thick. The pages are glued in with padding compound and meant to be removed. (These are scratch pads, not journals.) I only had time and boxes to make six this morning, but I know I'll be making more.

Crochetted rocks

2010-03-11T06:48:00.005-05:00

I had some Berroco Seduce yarn left over from a scarf. I had found a pattern awhile back for crochetting around sea glass to make a necklace, but hadn't done anything with it; until last night. I didn't have any sea glass, and I only had a small amount of Seduce left, but I did have a largish piece of Obsedian from my trip to Asheville, NC awhile back (I'm quite the rock hound, just ask my husband.) and thought it might look cool in this necklace. Well, I had enough yarn to crochet around the rock, but not enough for the "chain" of the necklace and this stone is a little too large and heavy for a necklace for me, so I think I'll just clasify it as one of those cool found objects. It could be a paperweight, but I don't think it's quite big enough for that. It might look cool with others in a bowl. I love how it turned out and would like to crochet around some more found things, maybe shells or pieces of wood. Berroco Seduce is perfect for this, a little slippery, but I had so much fun I might have to get another skein (or two).

Fish Prints

2010-02-15T18:02:00.004-05:00

I helped out in one of our Sunday School classes at church yesterday and we made these awesome fish cards. We took blocks of foam insulation and carved into them with pencils, spoons, paperclips and such. Then we rolled on tempra paint with brayers and pressed them onto notecards. I'm definitely going to have to make a lot more of these. They were so easy, so much fun, and so cheap!

Happy post-Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T17:46:00.003-05:00

These are the valentines I made for my husband and son. The hearts and sailboats are cut from pre-painted map paper and the backgrounds are maps of Isle Royale on one (Bob's) and Drummond Island on the other (Jarod's). Bob and I went to Isle Royale years ago and would love to go back, maybe with the sailboat instead of the kayaks this time and take our son. IMO the most beautiful place on earth, well, at least the most beautiful place that I'VE ever seen! Drummond Island is where we all went last summer with the sailboat and we'll probably make a return trip back there sometime again.

The Hearts are up!

2010-02-02T12:37:00.004-05:00

Thought I would post a photo of the Model Magic hearts I made awhile back. I hung them on the wire holder in the entry way by the front door. I think they turned out pretty cute, but next year I might make some more in traditional Valentine's Day white, pink and red. I've always got more ideas than time. :)

Made in Haiti

2010-01-16T15:37:00.008-05:00

Last night my friend Dana came over for wine, conversation and working on "Wreak this Journal". She also brought over some of her soft sculpture art work to show. Wonderful stuff this talented lady makes! Well, it got me thinking about a doll I had bought years ago. Couldn't tell you where I got it from. Some place local, I'm sure. It's one of those "topsy-turvy" dolls and I'm sure I got it around Valentine's Day. I pulled it out to show to Dana and it's little tag fell off in my hand. The tag said "Made in Haiti". WOW! Pray for those affected by the earthquake and do what you can to help.

Model Magic hearts

2010-01-05T06:17:00.005-05:00

I was very fortunate last week to take off three days in a row from work to spend with my sixth grade son. We did all sorts of fun things, one of the best was making things with a ton of Model Magic. We had bought a tub of the stuff that contained four large packages of red, white, yellow and blue. Then we bought a couple of additional colors in smaller packages; orange and black. If you haven't tried it. This stuff is fantastic! It comes in all sorts of colors. Next time, I think we would only buy the small packages because a little does go a long way. We ended up having to invite over three other kids to help finish it off. The bad part is that once you open the package, you have to use it all up at once. It air dries in 24 hours, is really light when dry and depending upon the humidity in your house, it can start to dry out fairly quickly. We made all sorts of animals, toothbrush holders, smiley faces, and lots and lots of hearts. I made the ones above (28 of them!) to hang in my entryway from a wire card holder that is mounted to the wall. I loved the marbled effect.

On the First Day of Christmas...

2009-12-01T08:14:00.003-05:00

I get together every few months or so with a few women that I took an ATC (Artist Trading Card) class with. A couple of years ago, we decided to exchange handmade ornaments of some sort for Christmas. This year, I decided to get back to making ATCs and make everyone a set of ATCs in a booklet of the Twelve Days of Christmas. It's not exactly an ornament, though I think you could hang them on a tree either individually or as a set. It was fun making them, but a lot of work.

The ATCs are based on a set of the Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments I have. They are from the House of Hatten and designed by Denise Calla. My mom bought me several of them awhile back for Christmas when she was working at Miller Creek Folk Art gallery here in Holland. Sadly, that gallery closed and the ornaments are no longer made, so I've had to complete the set from purchases on Ebay.

I started by doing line drawings of each ornament and reducing them to ATC size (2 1/2 x 3 1/2). Then I copied them onto watercolor paper and painted them. Then I spray mounted them to a sheet of cover stock and cut them out. I put each one into a plastic protector and hole punched them in the corner. They are attached with colorful ball chain purchased from a hardware store with some colorful yarn.

Granny Square Slippers

2009-11-02T08:10:00.004-05:00

Back on October 7 this link popped up from one of my Facebook "friends"; a yarn shop in New York city called Purl Soho. They have a website called "The Purl Bee". Now, if I lived in New York, this would be a yarn shop I would frequent. Anyway, this link was for a pattern for making Granny Square Slippers. Now, I know how to make a granny square and in the past have made a ton of them, so I'm thinking, "I can do this." Well, I pull out some left over yarn from a Harry Potter scarf and start to crochetting. No luck. Couldn't figure out how to make a granny square for nothing! I ended up scrapping a half dozen of the little buggers before I got the right size etc. Anyway, I just got a pair of slippers finished last night. I had this fantasy when I started that I was going to make them for the whole family. There was even a comment on that website that someone thought it would be a great idea to have a basket of them by the front door in different sizes for guests. More realistic was the one comment that said, "I made one and after weaving in all the loose ends, didn't want to make the other one." Well, I made both and here they are. The pair on the website is made with some beautiful handspun yarn from Uruguay and for mine I used Lion Brand Wool Ease. I'm pretty happy with the results, but not sure if I'll be making many more of these. Ultimately, I used a pattern from a 1981 Leisure Arts slipper flyer, but if you want to check out the original post that inspired me to make these, check out http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2009/10/7/whits-knits-granny-square-slippers.html

The Last Sail of the Summer.

2009-10-21T09:33:00.002-04:00

The last sail of the summer was on Saturday, September 18 to Saugatuck, MI. We spent the day there eating hot dogs and watching the MSU game. We left for Holland that evening just before sunset and motored, with running lights, for Holland. Upon entering the channel we called Village Inn to deliver a pizza to the boat launch at Kollen Park where we picked up dinner and motored to Pine Creek bay to camp for the night. It was a wonderful, final sail of the summer. CRUSH is now put away for the season and were already looking forward to next year's sailing.

It's almost October!

2009-09-29T09:44:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple of photos of ATCs I did for a swap on atcsforall.com

I couldn't let September go by without at least one new post. I'm not sure how I lost my mojo and stopped blogging, but I intend to remedy that.

I've been getting interested in fashion and deciding that I need to pay more attention to how I look and how I present myself. Clothes shopping to follow. I love reading some of the fashion blogs that are out there, though I doubt I'll be venturing into fashionista territory. Check out my favorite: Camille from childhoodflames.blogspot.com

For the past couple of weeks, I've been getting together with Aimee and Lori to do ATCs. It's been a blast and I know I'll be doing a blog post with lots of photos of ATCs from these get-togethers. We took a class at the arts council together and have been getting together for dinner every few months or so, but we decided we should get together and do art. We have two weeks to go.

I've just started making paper beads. I hadn't had much luck doing it in the past, but I found an old catalog at work that has colored catagory edges in all different colors. Perfect for making beads! And this time they are turning out great! I will post a picture when I get them made into a necklace. I found a cool idea involving recycling t-shirt material into jewelry.

Just keep knitting, knitting, knitting...

2009-09-12T12:08:00.002-04:00

These are the fingrless mitts I just finished knitting for Jarod. He LOVES camouflage and when he saw this yarn he just had to have it. I used a standard mitten pattern and just bound off the thumb before decreasing for the end and knit the mitt portion to equal the thumb and then bound that off too. I think they turned out great and he loves them. The yarn is Bernat Camouflage Ombres in Renegade. It is really nice soft yarn for an acryllic worsted weight. I used size 4 needles.

I am half way through knitting this Peaceful Leaves Knit Yoga wrap. The yarn is Red Heart Ltd. Eco-Ways in Aquamarine. The pattern isn't tough, but I have to keep track of every row so I don't lose my place in the pattern. It's also a lot of knit one, purl one. I started this in May and hope to have it done before the weather gets warm again.

Sailcation (August 1-6, 2009)

2009-08-09T12:01:00.016-04:00

Day 1: Left Holland at 6:00 a.m. Couldn't drive faster than 55 mph because the boat would sway. Stopped for breakfast at Bob Evans in Big Rapids. Arrived to rain in Detour Village at 2:00 p.m.; ate lunch at Mainsail. People very friendly, got ride from the grocery store to the marina, walked to the bait shop and bought a chart, by then sunny. Were on the water by 5:30 p.m. Waves 1-3'. Camped for the night in Pike Bay on the southside of Drummond Island. Had hot dogs for dinner, forgot condiments. Lots of mosquitos in the boat.

Day 2: Woke up to sun. Had ham on toast for breakfast. Waves 2' on the lake. Went to Whitney Bay and stopped at Fort Drummond marina. Bought a new extendable boat hook for $39.95. Decided to stay at the marina ($13). Decided to walk to town but made a wrong turn and ended up at the ferry dock. Walked 8 miles or so. Sky clouded up and was very windy but cleared up later. Got into boat early to avoid repeat of previous night's mosquito bloodbath. Make tuna sandwiches; double decker for Jarod and added cranberry and carrot to ours. Day 3: Woke up to sprinkles. Jarod got a Choco-taco from the marina store. Left for Detour Village at 8:30 a.m. Waves 1-2' Got a day slip at the marina in Detour for $5. Ate breakfast at Mainsail and coffee at The Garage. Jarod got a chocolate shake. Bought groceries and checked on the truck. Left marina after a shower to go to Harbor Island. Calm waters and mist to light rain and fog. Took about 1 1/2 hours. Decided to fish, Jarod caught a crawfish with ham. Three other sailboats in the large harbor one in the small. Day 4: Woke up to clouds and wind. Drifted and pulled up a 8"x5' log with the Danny. Bob made an omelet for breakfast. Jarod, peanut butter toast. Motored to Drummond Island Yacht Haven. Jarod got a Choco-taco. Walked 2 1/2 miles to the grocery store. Found a geocache at a memorial across from a museum on the way. Were startled by 3 blue racers on the way into town. Bob stepped on one on the way back. Ate lunch at Northwoods. Very good. Bob had a burger with ranch dressing, jalapenos, and pepper jack cheese; vowed to make it at home. Motored to Whiskey Bay, ON. Checked in the customs at phone with 800 number. Very windy along the way, 2'3' swells. 18 mpg winds gusting to 30. Lots of spray and waves over the bow. got really wet. Got stuck on a sandbar just west of Whiskey Bay; Bob got out and pushed. Ended up turning around and camping for the night in a small bay on the northside of Teney Bay. Calm water all night. Watched terns fish.

Day 5: Freezing last night!!! Woke up to sun and calm water. Watched terns fish some more. Left Teney Bay and SAILED with main sail around the east side of the island; 3/4 smooth sailing, 1/4 rough. Motored around the southside of the island, after the winds changed, to Detour Village, decided to stay at the marina ($25), ate at Mainsail, slept well, six geese pooped all over the dock, our porta potty full too. After seeing weather reports for the rest of the week, decided to get going home tomorrow.

Day 6: Took shower! Ate breakfast on the boat after walking through town. Nothing opens until 9:00 a.m. Left for Drummond Yacht Haven to check back into customs. Weather was sunny and beautiful; only perfect day. Bought gas $17.50 for 5 gallons. Customs officer arrived at noon, we were seventh in line, but managed to be cleared to go by 12:25 p.m. Motored back to Detour Village and had the boat out of the water and on it's trailer by 3:00 p.m. Stopped by Spicy Bob's Italian Restaurant in Gaylord for dinner. Arrived at home at 11:00 p.m.

Life Drawing Sessions

2009-07-08T08:29:00.004-04:00

I've started participating in Life Drawing sessions again. Our Holland Area Arts Council started offering the sessions in June. The cost is $8 and they are every Tuesday night from 6-8:00 p.m. I've gone three times now and am really enjoying it. I looked back in my sketch book at the first session and realized I hadn't done any life drawing since 2001 and before that I hadn't done life drawing since I graduated from college in 1987. There are generally six people there or so and the model is quite good. This time, I've decided to use those two hours to experiment with different techniques and materials. Now, none of these are masterpieces, but I've been quite pleased with the results.

What will become of it?

2009-05-19T20:39:00.006-04:00

This is what's left of the electrical panel for our sailboat; a 1972 Helms. I would love to have seen it salvaged and remain on the boat. The old knobs are just too cool. But the workings are just too far gone and it needs to be replaced. So, being the creative type person that I am; I'm turning it into a mixed media art piece.

Tulip Time in Holland, MI

2009-05-10T17:15:00.003-04:00

I was going to title this "Tulip Time is over"; because if you lived in a town with a large festival that attracts thousands of people and makes your normal life moving around a lot more difficult for a week; you would say that too. Anyway, I really do like Tulip Time, not for the crowds or the junk food, but for the tulips. I LOVE them and we've got them all over town in all different colors. This fall I'm going to plant some in front of our house. I couldn't decide what color or colors to pick until I saw the ones above. I think I'm going to pair these with some pale yellow ones. They'll go perfect with the coloring of our house. Now I just need to find out what kind of tulip these are...

Watch my garden grow!

2009-05-04T08:21:00.010-04:00

Two or more years ago, I tore out all the shrubs from the area by our front door and last year promised Bob that I would have something in there this year. Last week, we leveled out the area, using our first wheelbarrow in 15 years of marriage to haul a ton of dirt to the back yard. Well, this past Saturday, it got finished! I even went nuts and planted marigolds in the windowboxes and had enough for a hanging basket and two large pots. We had bought two flats and ended up returning one to get more mulch. That area took five bags! The rocks were already there, in fact, we didn't even use them all, the rest are along the road. Can you spot the two fake rocks? They are covering utilities and I intend to do some faux painting on them soon to make them look more "rockish". The plants in the front are: Blue Fescue grass, Batchelor Buttons, Purple Fountain grass and some kind of lavendar, I forget the exact name. They look a little sparce at the moment, but figure two to three years before the plants reach their full size and maturity.

Yesterday, I bought and planted six strawberry plants in one of the three half-wine barrels we bought to place in the area where we tore out some shrubs in the back yard. More vegetables to plant when the selection of plants is better. We'll probably do that after Tulip Time.

Oh, and I finally am going to get my clothesline up. Bought one of those retractable jobbies from Menards on sale yesterday. Bob loves the smell of sheets dried on the line and we haven't been able to do that at this house yet. I can't wait.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T08:23:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to post pictures of this super cute cardigan that I made last week or so. It's not an original design, but it is my original take on it. This idea was contributed by Cal Patch on the Craft Stylish website. Here is the link if you'd like to make one of your own. http://www.craftstylish.com/item/44793/how-to-upcycle-a-t-shirt-into-a-cardigan This was an old t-shirt of my husband's and I had already been working on doing a "shredded t-shirt" technique to it. Well, that ended up being just way too time consuming, so when I found this idea I knew I had to do it. The edges are crocheted with Noro Silk Garden. I did cut this a little too narrow, so instead of buttons, I usually just pin it at the neck with a fused glass pin I made years ago at my friend Jean's house. I'm really liking this "upcycling" thing; turning old things into something new.

In other "Earth Day" news. I had wanted to ride my bike to work or the MAX bus, but it is still way too cold and rainy to do that today and since my Wednesday noons are spent running to WW, I just don't have the time for the bus. Maybe tonight I can get those reusable mesh produce bags sewn up.

I'm going to try to blog more and Facebook less.

Scallop-Edge Beaded Necklace

2009-04-01T08:14:00.004-04:00

This was my first attempt at knitting with beads. I think it turned out nice and I'd like to do more of it. This pattern is the Scallop-Edge Beaded Necklace by Carol Metzger from the book 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders.

Holland Harbor Lighthouse aka "Big Red"

2009-03-31T08:54:00.003-04:00

This painting of the lighthouse in Holland was done on a reproduction map from the museum and was painted in acrylics. I usually paint in watercolor and this may be the first acrylic painting I have ever done. I think it turned out fine and have a feeling that I may have to paint another similar to it in the near future.

Spartan Dishcloth

2009-03-01T17:43:00.003-05:00

Here is my first attempt at designing something. I really liked doing the heart dishcloth from krisknits and thought I'd like to make one with the Spartan helmet on it. So, using the heart dishcloth pattern as a starting point, I graphed the Spartan helmet and started knitting. I think it turned out really cool. My husband says this will be the first addition to the new sailboat. More on that later when it becomes a reality.

The longest Valentine's Day post ever!

2009-02-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

I really wanted to share this super cute knitted dishcloth with a heart pattern. I can't take any credit for this. If you would like to make one, you can find the free pattern here: http://krisknits.blogspot.com/2008/01/valentine-surprise.html This was so fun to make and it was really easy. I wanted to make a few more for gifts but ran out of time; so a few lucky folks may be getting these later.

These are the little Valentine's Day packets I made. I can't take full credit for this "waterfall" card. The directions for a Halloween version that inspired it can be found here: http://beeswaxrubberstamps.com/Waterfall%20Card.pdf After I finished the card, I decided to include an ATC inside and then I made these little felt envelopes and tied them with pretty ribbon. I think they turned out really nice.

Creativity update

2009-02-06T10:33:00.007-05:00

I've been working on the coolest cards and little extras for Valentine's Day! The only problem is that I don't know where to stop. One idea just keeps leading to another and most of them are turning out pretty cool. Well, except for the one idea of putting boucle yarn in a bottlecap and pouring "realistic water" over it and letting it dry. No, it does not look like yarn under glass; it looks like wet yarn underwater or strawberry jam or blood and guts in there. Not cool at all, but everything else is.

Ooh, ooh, ooh I can't wait to show you!

I'm also going through knitting withdrawal. I wanted to finish reading "Thunderstruck" (the novel, not the AC/DC song) and I did that (It got better about half way through and was really pretty good.), so now I can knit again, goody! In my quest to "use what I've got" in regards to art supplies; I'm knitting this cute washcloth with hearts on it. I'm using some of the "Sugar & Cream" yarn that was gifted to me. (Thanks again Marylynn!)

So many ideas, so little time...

Oh, and this picture is an ATC I made last year when I decided I was going to make one a day. It is oil pastel and if you don't know, ATCs are 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 size pieces of art that are traded and I just got back into trading them on http://www.atcsforall.com/ (same username there: KayakChickee)

Results from the Creativity Weekend

2009-01-26T08:37:00.010-05:00

I got together with my friend Kimberly this past Saturday. We went shopping for supplies and then spent the afternoon making cards. We had a ball! Now I don't need to buy any more supplies for card making for a very long time. Well, maybe some more ink pads, but other than that...

I was just reading a blog about this girl who wasn't going to buy any art supplies this year. The exception was that she was going to budget $24 for the year just in case she ran out of something, that's $2 per month for art supplies. I know I could easily do the same thing and I probably should. Maybe I will.

NOTE: The address for the blog I refer to above is: www.futuregirl.com

Flashdance style at Church

2009-01-26T08:26:00.003-05:00

I wore my newly finished leg warmers to church this past Sunday with a dress I've had for years. The dress is long, made of rayon (I think) so it's kind of full and drapy, it has long sleeves, and it exactly matches the bright blue/purple color in these leg warmers. You could only see them at the ankles, but they kept my legs nice and warm to and from church and to the grocery store afterwards. Yeah! I love them. They were knit with Noro Kureyon yarn.

Creativity weekend!

2009-01-23T15:40:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to a creative weekend starting tomorrow with my friend Kimberly. We are getting together and making cards and maybe ATCs and who knows what else. We both have huge stashes of stuff. It's going to be so much fun!!! I'm hoping to post all that we do from this weekend on Monday and maybe by then I'll have the Noro knitted leg warmers all sewn up and have them photographed and ready to post too.

Church Plant "window"

2009-01-23T15:30:00.007-05:00

I painted this to help illustrate levels of involvement from congregation members in the new church plant.

A Hat for Bob.

2009-01-15T14:06:00.005-05:00

This hat for Bob has been done for quite some time now, but I just got around to posting a picture of it. It turned out pretty good and best of all he loves it (even though he isn't smiling in this photo)! Says it's the only hat he has ever had that is a little loose or at least not so tight as most hats are for him. It'a lot thicker and softer than it looks too. I've got about three skeins of this yarn left. Not sure what they will become.

Meditation Knitting.

2008-12-22T17:08:00.004-05:00

The green mittens are DONE! So, that means, time to start three new projects all at once! Last night I cast one for the leg warmers I want to do for myself, a hat for Bob and a hat for myself. I knit the last pair of leg warmers for a gift swap and have knit two pair of wristlets that have also been gifted away. So, the leg warmers could be just that or wristlets. We'll see what size they turn out to be.

I have been really getting to enjoy knitting and actually find it quite relaxing. I keep the patterns simple and the projects small and I'm sure that's part of it.

December activity

2008-12-18T10:48:00.005-05:00

It's been a LONG time since my last entry. I've just been so addicted to the rapid release of Facebook; but I really miss blogging, so here it is.

The right mitten to match the left that I started ages ago is almost done (see photo above). Gotta finish that before I start ANYTHING else. I hate unfinished projects! It may be done today at lunch or tonight at Jarod's Tae Kwon Do lesson.

On the subject of Jarod and Tae Kwon Do. Jarod will test on January 10 to be accepted to Black Belt camp classes at Chan's Martial Arts. He will then be taking Black Belt classes twice a week in addition to his regular twice a week class; that will make four classes a week! I'll keep you posted on this.

The Christmas cards are out and the presents are wrapped. Never did any projects out of that Christmas magazine; though I suppose there is still time. I may have to look that over tonight (yes, after the mitten knitting). There were some darling Candy Cane holders that I wanted to make. Still have four or five of the fabric hearts left that I may give out as small gifts. Not sure if I like them well enough anymore to gift them to anyone.

(Hanna, Don't read this next part if you haven't received and opened my gift.)

Finished the knitted leg warmers for the Free People swap. They turned out super cute! Gonna have to make myself a pair; just cast on five stitches for one of them this morning. I'm going to knit both at once again; that worked out really good. You don't get one done and then still have to knit the other. I want to knit one or two more pairs of wristlets; one for me one for a friend. I want to add thumbs to at least one of them; so the fit will have to be more exact. Ooh ooh ooh and I still want to knit that shawl out of Noro Silk Garden. Yes, even with my stash I may have to buy some more yarn. Online though, since the local store that sells Noro is staffed with screamin' meanies.

Got a commission yesterday to paint three dalmations for someone I did a dog painting for several years ago (See "Dusty" above.). But I really have to clean up my studio in preparation for that. Not sure when I'll get the photos to start. Does God have to speak so loudly to me sometimes?

Christmas tags.

2008-11-23T21:32:00.003-05:00

These are tags for Christmas that I did for a swap. I really like how they turned out. I had to make 11 of each; 22 total. I should do a few extra before I bring them away, in case I want some for myself.

Here is a taste of what I'm working on...

2008-11-06T09:06:00.005-05:00

Return of the "Queen of the Office"

2008-10-23T13:25:00.003-04:00

I've called myself the "Queen of the Office" on and off over the years; but this is the first time the "Queen" has had a crown. I made it in response to a challenge on Suzi Blu's website. It's not the kind of art I usually make; but it was fun to do something in mixed media again. My criteria for mixed media is that I have all the stuff in the house and that I don't have to spend a dime on it. A couple of years ago my friend Jean thought it would be a good idea to make artist's tiaras with wire and beads and such. This isn't quite that; but now that I've done one, I may need to do more.

The Big Bang Theory

2008-10-22T10:06:00.004-04:00

I'm guessing that this isn't going to be as funny as it was seeing it on TV; but this is Sheldon attempting to smile like he means it. I love this show! It's "laugh out loud" funny.

Pretty Cupcake Girl...

2008-10-21T12:57:00.002-04:00

I did a few watercolor paintings/sketches while in Asheville, NC this past week. The other two are on my "other" blog; so if you want to see them you'll have to look there. :) Yes, that is my way of getting you to check out my "other" blog.

I had wanted to do a "pretty" girl like the ones that Suzi Blu does and this is my first attempt. I plan on doing the background, doing some layering, and adding something in the banner she is holding.

Let me know what you think. This was something fun to do aside from the "serious" landscape paintings I usually do.

Knitted Wristlets

2008-10-05T15:08:00.007-04:00

WOW! I know what you are thinking; two posts in one day! But I have been the uber creative, busy girl this weekend. I painted the pumpkins in the previous post, filled my window boxes with fake flowers (Which I won't probably show you because they are, well, fake.), and knitted these "wristlets". I love this yarn.

A very generous co-worker friend gifted me with tons of beautiful yarn that I'm sure I would never have bought myself because I'm too cheap to spend that much on yarn. This stuff is gorgeous!

The wristlets here were knitted with Noro, Silk Garden. The yarn in made in Japan and is beautiful. It self strips and each skein contains many colors. These were done with one skein and look at the variety of color. Amazing stuff.

I have one more skein that I'm going to make a hat from. I also have at least two skeins from Noro of Kureyon. I'm really going to have to take a knitting class. I don't have enough skill to get through all of this.

(Thank you Marylynn!)

Pumpkin painting

2008-10-05T14:41:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd share my efforts in pumpkin painting this weekend. I painted the top two for a friend's children and the bottom one for my son; a Spartan fan. I thought they turned out nice.

Fringe...

2008-09-26T14:24:00.003-04:00

Again, I'm getting a little slow with "popular culture". I just watched that new show "Fringe" this past week. I thought I'd only missed the first episode; but it looks like I missed the first two. It was the only thing on and my husband said, "Let's watch it." I said, "It's going to be just like "Lost", where you get hooked and after a few seasons, you're bored because it just goes on and on with no end in sight." (I'll watch it, but I'm not going to LIKE it!) But, I watch it and of course, end up hooked and loving it. What do these creators, producers, and writers know about me (and lots of other people) that hook us so fast to these new shows? So, now I'm busy trying to watch the first two episodes so that I can catch up on what's going on. Much more like X-files than Lost, but if you like them; you'll like Fringe.

Dearly Devoted Dexter

2008-09-24T08:48:00.007-04:00

So I'm a little slow on the uptake. I heard last TV season about the show "Dexter"; watched a few minutes, but was so disturbed by the premiss of the show that I just couldn't watch it. Also, it was on, WAY TOO late; Sunday at 10:00 p.m.

Fast forward... I was learning how to download books from the library and came across "Dearly Devoted Dexter". Now, I knew that the series was based on these books and I'm really one to "see for myself"; so to make a long story short; I downloaded the book and started to read it.

I'm still not sure how I feel about a serial killer as the "hero" of a story; but I am really enjoying this book. I found out that this one is the second in the series; so when I'm done I'll have to read the first book. I guess you could best describe it as "dark humor" because it is "dark", but it's also really, really funny.

I'm not sure if I will be watching the TV series or not, probably not if it's on at 10:00 p.m. again, but if you are looking for something different to read, a quilty pleasure, I would recommend this one.

NOTE: I just got done reading the book and even though I thought while reading it I was going to read the others... I don't think I will because towards the end there was part of the story line that was really kind of disturbing.

15.6 total lost!

2008-09-18T08:38:00.003-04:00

I really worked the FLEX plan last week and was rewarded with a 1.2 pound loss. That's 15.6 pounds total loss. I'm now under 140. I'm sure you can do the math to see where I started. I'm only 5'2"! Now, I just need to do it again and again. I notice the difference and am so happy I joined. My husband said he was proud of me last night for losing this weight. I said, I just wanted to be able to wear the clothes in my closet and that's really the truth.

Check out the link to the right for the website "Fabulously 40". Lots of neat articles.

Here it is!

2008-09-12T09:00:00.005-04:00

I think I mentioned awhile back that my new watercolor painting was going to be of a scene at Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia; but I ended up doing this one first, which I believe is "Woods Island" on Prince Edward Island. I know for sure it's Prince Edward Island and it's right by where the ferry docks, but I'm not 100% sure of the name of the place, that just sticks in my head.

14.4 lost so far...

2008-09-11T09:35:00.002-04:00

I only lost .4 this past week, but it's better than a gain right? I didn't deserve it though, I ate above my points and more than all of my weekly points allowance. That's embarassing! I'm definitely going to do better this week. I only used 2 of my weekly points allowance yesterday. I just feel like I'm going to have a good loss next weigh in. It's hard to change your way of eating. It really is. Even after some success, it's still hard to stick with it.

Oh, and I still have to post that new watercolor painting...

Two pounds this week!

2008-09-03T13:27:00.002-04:00

I thought for sure, without a doubt, that I'd gained (or at the very least maintained) this week. I weighed myself on the scale a couple of times this week and either saw a gain or a maintain, But guess what? I lost two more pounds! That makes 14 pounds total in nine weeks or Weight Watchers.

Does Weight Watchers work? YES, IT DOES! I heard on NPR on my way back to work about online scams involving drugs, weight loss and other remedies and they mentioned that truely the simpliest way to lose weight is to "eat less and exercise more". I would add that for most people it would be "eat A LOT less and exercise A LOT more".

Portions are so out of control that we really have no idea, until we start physically measuring, what a portion size really is. It shocked me! It's no secret either; it's right on the back on the box, can, carton, or package. We just refuse to read it. I'll get off my soap box now! I'm not the expert here. I'm just so motivated by my success that I want to share it.

September Card swap

2008-08-28T08:51:00.003-04:00

The theme for this month's card swap was "circles" and I have this wonderful set from Stampin' Up that I love. It's just so versatile! I believe the colors I used for this were; River Rock, Soft Sky, and Groovy Guava from 2007's "In Color" colors. Correct me if I'm wrong. I left the white area blank to fill in with whatever greeting I need later and the card opens vertically. If I get a better picture, I'll repost that.

"Get out of Jail FREE" card.

2008-08-27T16:24:00.005-04:00

After last weeks total pig-a-thon, having chicken wings and pizza on Wednesday and Thursday, then going to the Taste of Saugatuck on Sunday... I still managed to lose .6 pound. For those WW folks, in the know, I do the FLEX plan, ate my 19 points a day, my 35 weekly points allowance, and 36 additional-totally-not-allowed points. I'm now down 12 pounds total. I promise I will be a much better WW girl this week. I think I used my "Get out of jail FREE" card at today's weigh in.

One Vision

2008-08-20T13:37:00.001-04:00

I love this song for so many reasons!

I weighed in at Weight Watchers today and lost another 1.2 pounds; so that makes 11.4 lost so far!

A post it note...

2008-08-13T14:04:00.006-04:00

Following a week's vacation where everything I learned at Weight Watchers was left behind on the dock in Charlevoix; I weighed in today and still managed to lose a little more than 1/2 a pound (.6 to be exact). That makes my total weight loss to date (drum roll please) 10.2 pounds! Yeah! We did do a lot of biking for exercise; so that must have helped.

Clever t-shirt clip...

2008-08-13T11:12:00.007-04:00

Members of my family are into martial arts (not mixed martial arts though) and I'm into crafts; so I thought this was pretty funny. This website http://www.snorgtees.com/ has a lot of printed t-shirts and it's where I found this clip. I would love to have this shirt. Maybe someone will get it for me for my birthday? (Not so subtle hint!)

The Toy Museum

2008-08-11T06:46:00.013-04:00

If you go to Beaver Island; you have got to go to the Toy Museum and Store! They are open daily from 11-4 and if you go at 11, they are packed! This is quite the place! The inside is packed with art supplies, jewelry supplies, old toy displays and then tons and tons of dime store plastic toys. I can't even begin to describe this. It's a definite must see, regardless of age and be sure to check out the huge supply of handmade buttons. I've got my "Obama Mama" one. They were out of the "Artists make terrible slaves" button that I was dying to have.

Leave it to Beaver

2008-08-11T06:46:00.011-04:00

We just got back from a week on Beaver Island. Beaver Island is located in Lake Michigan about 25 miles north of Charlevoix; a two hour trip by ferry.

We rented a cottage and biked, for the most part, where we wanted to go. We did rent a Geo Tracker for a day. It was $50 for 24 hours and you needed to replace the gas; gas on the island was $5.49 a gallon.

It was a wonderfully relaxing week.

Oh, and I finished reading "Wicked" too. Great book! Definitely not for children. Has a few slow spots, but overall a great read.

A quick check in...

2008-07-31T13:50:00.002-04:00

I dropped all of my paintings off at the RCA office in Grand Rapids this past Tuesday morning. Feels nice to have them out of my basement and up someplace where someone will see and maybe enjoy them. There were six large pieces and three small ones.

The scales at Weight Watchers yesterday said that I have lost one more pound. Not as great as I would like; but it's one more gone and after eating all that great food on Friday night, I should be thankful that it was a one pound loss.

We are getting ready for our vacation next week. I'm trying to do some "mental rehearsing" for what I'm going to eat while I'm there and how I'm going to get through two weeks until a weigh in and still have a loss. Appears I'm going to have to psych myself up...

Like I said, we are getting ready for our vacation next week. We have rented a cottage on Beaver Island. We will be taking the bikes. We all have paniers and will be loading them up with our clothes etc. We are also each taking a small backpack.

Check back on Monday, August 11. I'll be back to work and should have pictures and more up then.

Another good weigh in.

2008-07-24T09:48:00.003-04:00

I had another good weigh in yesterday. I lost 2.8 pounds over the last week. I'm amazed that I've had three good losses in a row. Last time, they seemed to drop off to the 1/2 pound loss per week, right away after the first week. I am exercising a half hour on the treadmill every morning and recording my points online. I think I might be overestimating the points sometimes, but I'm not sure how to remedy that. Better to overestimate I think.

I stopped by my favorite coffee shop this morning. They were slow, so I asked for the caloric content of the chocolate syrup they use in the Mochas. This way, if I decide to have one on occasion, I can, and I know how many points to record (It's six points for a 16oz. "why bother" mocha, by the way.) and yes, I did order one. I had 3/4 cup of Cinnamon Life Cereal for two points earlier, so, that makes eight points for breakfast today. Maybe zero point soup for lunch and two points worth of those All Bran Garlic Herb crackers.

I know, I sound like I'm obsessing over this, and to begin with, I do. I love the Weight Watchers program because when you are doing the program IT WORKS! Maintence is a whole 'nother thang...

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

2008-07-21T10:59:00.002-04:00

I honestly don't think I look like any of these people. Maybe if I started with a better photo; this would've come out better. I didn't include the men that this thing says I look like. How incredibly wierd that was! You don't wanna know!

Something other than Weight Watchers

2008-07-21T07:12:00.006-04:00

I made these eight cards yesterday for a monthly swap that I often take part in. The theme was "animals". When these swaps roll around, I tend to not have enough paper to make all the cards the same; so I used the "color combination" tool from http://www.scraptitude.com/colorcombo/ and came up with lots of different combinations with the paper I did have. It's so much fun to try these different combinations. I think we all tend to gravitate toward the same ones over and over.
I really enjoy participating in these monthly swaps. I like the challenge of working with a theme you didn't pick. If you have a chance, participate in a swap or try the color tool above.

Incredible disappointment...

2008-07-18T14:04:00.007-04:00

My son's tae kwon do master was just arrested this past Wednesday night for allegedly soliciting murder. How do you explain that to a ten year old who was taught by this person twice a week for three years within tae kwon do to honor and respect people? We've told him the basics and that he won't be returning to the school, we aren't even sure at this point if it will ever re-open, and that we do not want him being taught by someone like this. Sounds trite to say that, "He seemed like a nice guy. He didn't seem like someone who would do something like that." We knew something about problems with his ex, but because of his reputation in the community, never would've expected this.

(Side note: When I drove past the school this past Saturday, it was still open. I don't know who is teaching, but we won't be back. We don't need to be financing this individual. It sure would be nice to get a letter or some communication from someone at the school; but he was almost a one man show, so I don't expect that will happen. It may or may not change things, but it would be a step in a positive direction. Our son attended there twice a week for three years! I know, I know, innocent until proven guilty, but if it walks like a duck...)

Book Club...

2008-07-16T14:17:00.012-04:00

I just started reading the book "Wicked!" which is completely unlike anything I have ever read before. I'm not sure what to make of it yet. I' ve heard lots of people say that they liked how it started; but that they tired of it later on. So, we'll see how it goes. So far, I would say if you are easily offended, this is NOT the book for you to even start.

I just found the paperback I lost, "Back on Blossom Street". I couldn't bear the thought of having to buy it again.

I'm not sure what I'll bring on vacation. I'd like something light like the "Blossom Street" books, but I don't have much left to read on this one. So, if you have any recommendations, bring 'em on.

Another 1.8 pounds gone, gone, gone!

2008-07-16T14:10:00.002-04:00

Honestly, I will talk about something OTHER than Weight Watchers. Really, I will.

I lost another 1.8 pounds this past week. Now my daily points allowance has been dropped from 22 to 19 and that is causing me a little anxiety; but I know the program works and I will do it. I just need a day to adjust to the change. I've been exercising EVERY day and feel guilty if I don't do it in the morning, then I have to do it in the evening. So that is a good change. My son spends that half hour in the morning with me in the basement. Me on the treadmill and him on the futon either playing video games or watching TV. The distraction and company help the time go faster.

Four! Count 'em! Four pounds lost!

2008-07-09T13:25:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to record that I've lost four pounds this first week back at Weight Watchers! My friend lost 4.8 and I'm so proud of her! I am so motivated right now. I even "kicked it up a notch" ( I HATE that phrase!) and pushed myself on the treadmill this morning to walk faster and on more of an incline. The other thing I'm going to do to help my motivation is to have a picture posted someplace that I always look at of me at my heaviest and me when I lost all the weight last time.

Yes, I will blog about something other than WW, honest.

Weight Watchers

2008-07-02T13:33:00.005-04:00

Oops, (and) I (had to do) did it again!

I re-joined Weight Watchers after a four year absense and regaining all, plus two, pounds I lost five years ago. It's a great program. It worked for me before and I'm certain it will work for me again. I'm 154.4 pounds today and my goal is still set at 131 pounds. I'd love to be less than that and I really didn't want to have a goal, but since I'm a Lifetime Member, I think it's automatically set at whatever you first set it at. That screwed me up last time! I reached the goal, gave up and eventually it all came back. Hopefully, I've learned my lesson there. Again, I've joined with a friend.

I don't want to be this heavy anymore. I want to remember how I felt at this weight. I want to feel comfortable wearing anything in my closet; not just the elastic waist stretch pants. I want to wear the blue pants that are in my closet. I want my lower back and hips not to hurt anymore when I get up in the morning. I want more energy. I want ...

My Favorite "Summer Song". (Joe Satriani)

2008-06-24T08:24:00.001-04:00

I just came across a blog where the author mentioned her favorite summer songs. This is mine and yes, it is called "Summer Song". It's quite a few years old now, but I still love it. I remember listening to it when my husband, then boyfriend, took me to the train in Chicago (December, 1992) and then again at our wedding reception (June, 1994). I still like Joe Satriani, but I must've really been going through a faze those two years. Enjoy it.

Paperback Swap

2008-06-19T10:07:00.006-04:00

(I just signed up for this online book exchange and thought I would share the below info with you from their website. It's kind of wordy, but it really does tell it all. So far, I've sent out two books and have ordered one. So far, I really like the idea.)

Do you have any used paperback books lying around? I did, and I finally found a great way to share them with other people.

It seems that a few guys were sitting around one night talking about all the paperback books that they purchased over the years when they traveled on business. Each of them had a stack of books that they had read. So they decided to set up a web site http://www.PaperBackSwap.com/ that allows all of us to swap paperback books with each other. Now it's grown to include ALL books--hardcovers and audio too!

Let me tell you how it works because it is so easy. I listed a bunch of books on the site (you have to list at least 10 books to get in the club) and I got 2 free book credits to get me started. So you can order 2 books right away - free of charge and have them mailed directly to you. No strings attached. No gimmicks. No spam mail. Nothing! You just have to love reading.

Then when another member selects one of my books that I have listed, I mail it to them. Yes, I pay for the postage. But then I get a book credit and I can select a book that I want. So another Club Member returns the favor and mails me one of their books free of charge. For every book I mail out, I get another book in return - a true shared system!

And when someone requests one of your books, all you have to do is print a two page document on regular paper from your printer, and use them to wrap the book. The wrapper includes the mailing address and the amount of postage. Then drop the package in the outbound mail. Hey, most of the time you don't even need to go to the post office!

Right now the annual club membership is FREE! Eventually the founders will ask everyone to help contribute to pay for the upkeep of the web site, but for now the annual club membership is free. The annual dues will probably be between $10 and $20 based on the number of people in the club. But again, right now you don't even have to pay any dues for one year if you become a Charter Member.

You really need to check this out! And if you do sign up, please list my email (libbyriemersma@gmail.com) in the referral section because then I get another free book. This is a great club http://www.PaperBackSwap.com/

Wooden Bracelet

2008-06-19T08:58:00.003-04:00

I bought this wood bracelet at Michael's the other day. They had them in their ad. I wood burned the design on it and filled it in with watercolor then coated it with some kind of triple thick, clear coating. I thought it turned out pretty well.

Drawing Day 08

2008-06-09T11:29:00.003-04:00

Here are my drawings from Drawing Day. I got off to a good start; but didn't do as many later on in the day as I would've liked to. Oh well. This was a great exercise and I did draw more than I have in a long time. I also DID use the Moleskine book and it was wonderful. My son actually did a little drawing in it that day too.

"New post" day and other news.

2008-06-03T10:27:00.008-04:00

I haven't posted anything is quite awhile, so instead of spreading all these posts out over several days, I decided to share everything at once.

Please check out my "other" blog for a couple of new paintings too. There is an ATC sized one from a beach on PEI and one of "Lulu" that was done for a gift. I've started painting again since I've got a lot of photo reference material from our trip last summer to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. I have a piece of 300# watercolor paper stretched on a board and will start the preliminary drawing soon. The photo I'm working from is the one from an earlier post of these lobster shacks on PEI (Prince Edward Island).

And...This Saturday, June 7 is DRAWING DAY! See the link to the right for more details. I'll be drawing in a Moleskine that I bought months ago and haven't touched because it's all nice and new and clean. But now I have this new idea (new to me at least) that I'm not going to save my sketchbooks, I'm going to USE them! What good are they if they are kept on the shelf?

Mom... Can I take apart my laptop?

2008-06-03T09:44:00.003-04:00

Jarod came to me the other day and said, "Can I take apart my laptop?" This laptop was an old one that his grandparents gave him and really didn't work any longer. So, I said, "Sure." and take it completely apart he did. Above is a picture of the keyboard that now serves as a nameplate on his bedroom door; complete with his name spelled out. (Just his first name though, since there is obviously only one of each letter on a keyboard and we ran out of letters quick.)

Artistic License

2008-06-03T09:41:00.001-04:00

I painted this license plate when I got this car back in 2002 (I think.) I wanted to say to the public that, "I'm an artist." I used to not be able to say that. I always thought that you had to be doing something full time and earning a living at it to say that that was what you were. I didn't want to show my art. I didn't want people to think that it wasn't good or that they could do better. I cared what people thought too much. To be honest, I still care what people think of me and my art, but it no longer stops me from saying that, "I'm an artist." See the video in the post below.

Mixed Media With Suzi Blu: yOu aRe an aRtist!

2008-06-03T09:40:00.001-04:00

If you don't think you are an artist... watch this video.

Hooping update

2008-06-03T08:25:00.004-04:00

This hula hooping thing is far more complicated than I originally thought. I've got my first hoop done and have been trying to practice and watch the videos on You Tube; but I still don't have it down. I guess I need to practice more.

We think we are going to get a video camera soon because we gave Bob a glider ride for his 45th birthday and he would love to take video to document this flight. So, if we do, I may be able to post my own hooping video or at least my progress. We'll see.

I still want to make a slightly heavier hoop when I can find the right tubing sold by the foot. I just don't want to buy a whole roll.

Coffee cozies and current projects

2008-05-20T06:41:00.005-04:00

I came across this pattern for felted coffee cozies a little while back and with the help in the form of donated scrap wool yarn from a co-worker friend, I now have three done. They are so cute and the colors are great! Can't wait to use them myself. No burnt fingers from too hot cups and sometimes my coffee shop doesn't give them out. I really like the feel good idea of reusing these instead of throwing out the paper ones all the time too.

On a side note, I finally got my scrapbooking done! Last night! Current through May 16 too! Projects are finishing up. I've still got two scarfs in the works and would love to have mittens done before winter hits again; but I really have to start painting again. I seem to have lots of excuses to keep from starting again. It's just been a long time and maybe I'm a little afraid to see how rusty I've gotten with the paint brush. I really would love to show some new work too. If you want inspiration check out Suzi Blu's videos on youtube or her blog.

Additions to my blog...

2008-05-19T11:38:00.001-04:00

I've added a couple of things to my blog that I thought I'd call attention to.

The first one is the "Drawing Day 08" on June 7, 2008. Now, I came across this after following a few links on some artist's blogs and thought it sounded like fun, so check it out. I usually find out about these events the week after they've happened; so it was nice to be ahead of this one for once.

The second thing I added is the "playlist". Now, the things I listen to vary greatly on a day to day basis. Sometimes it's the heavy metal I listened to in high school and college and other times it's Christian rock and other times it's current Top 40 stuff. It's way fun to it added here.

Oh, and I removed the "Countdown to my 50th birthday." I just thought that was stupid after I'd done it; so it's gone. Not that that will stop me from turning 50 some 2000 or so days from now.

Our preemie story, ten years ago...

2008-05-07T09:38:00.009-04:00

On this day, ten years ago, began our journey with our son coming into this world.

I went into Holland Hospital with pre-term labor, thought I was nuts for going in, thought they would send me home, but they admitted me!

I was released two days later only to return to the hospital early on Saturday morning, May 9, 1998.

Following a 15 minute ambulance ride to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids (usually a 35 minute drive), our son was born. Jarod Evan weighed 1313 grams (approx. 2 pounds, 14 ounces). He was 11 weeks early, born at 29 weeks gestation.

He spent four weeks in NICU and two weeks in NIM at the Helen DeVos Childrens Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI. He was born the day before Mother's Day and came home on Father's Day, a month before his original due date of July 23, 2008. He then weighed 4 pounds, 10 ounces.

Jarod will be ten years old this Friday, May 9 and he is a wonderful, healthy, "normal" boy. There is SO much more to the story, but I just wanted to document this briefly on this day.

(Hula) Hooping

2008-05-06T11:49:00.001-04:00

I love YouTube and spend more time on it than I probably should. I subscribe to videos posted by Suzi Blu and love her creativity and positive attitude. Anyway, one of her latest videos have her hula hooping and I thought that it looked like so much fun.

As with everything, one thing leads to another and I came across some great instructional videos (on YouTube of course) on "hooping" and then I "googled" "hooping" and came across several recommendations for a man with a tutorial on his website about how to make your own hoops. Turns out that the hula hoops they sell in store are too small for adults, they are really kid's size, and that is the reason most adults can't do it. I always just thought it was because I am really uncoordinated.

All you need is some of that black pipe they use for underground sprinkling (They recommend 160 psi, 3/4".) and a connector. When you stand the hoop on the floor in front of you it should come mid way between your waist and shoulders. That's BIG! I found and used 100 psi, and the hoop cost me $4.50. I want to make another with the recommended 160 psi. That will cost a little more and will be a little heavier, which I would like to try. I have to shop around to see if I can find it by the foot. I used 11' to make mine. Once you get the hoop done you wind colored tapes around it for decoration, weight, and added friction.

I assembled my hoop this morning and tried it out and it worked! I was shocked! I will post a picture of the hoop and maybe even me hooping (shock, horror) when I get the decorating part done.

Quotes...

2008-04-29T15:22:00.002-04:00

“Map out your future; just do it in pencil” -Jon BonJovi

I would say "colored pencils". -Libby

"If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children, we should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play! If she would only have courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favorite book, or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures, or in bed, without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and parents." -Charlotte Mason

Now substitute "working parents" for "mothers". -Libby

Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

2008-04-24T10:45:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in awhile and was feeling like I wanted to get something new out there. These are a couple of pictures from Peggy's Cove, NS. Last summer (August, 2007), we drove to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. It was an incredible trip! I was there when I was seven years old with my family and it was great to take my husband and nine year old son and see it all again. We hit a lot of the same places and took lots of pictures. This is a trip I would do again in a heart beat!

Currently, I'm trying to get two and a half years worth of photos into an album. When I'm done with that chore; I use some of these Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island photos for a new series of watercolor paintings. I haven't painted in quite awhile and miss it. I've been doing lots of other mixed media, cards, scrapbooking, etc. recently. When I was painting a lot; it really showed. I'd love to do outdoor art fairs again, so I really need to work on my inventory.

"Jeans-that-were-made-into-a-hillbilly-purse" kind of thing.

2008-04-18T14:42:00.002-04:00

My husband had thrown out this pair of jeans. So, in the interest of recycling, I rescued them and made this purse/tote bag. I'm not completely happy with it. It's big and still looks like "old-jeans-that-were-made-into-a-hillbilly-purse", kind of thing. I'm thinking about altering it further with paints and other fabrics, but wanted to show it in it's current state. It's pretty sturdy and is lined with a green calico fabric that I got in a box of scraps from my mom. I didn't even have to buy a heavy duty needle or thread, so this didn't cost me a dime. Well, maybe if you count the electricity and my time... Stay tuned.

Stuffed doll.

2008-04-10T13:25:00.002-04:00

I've had this doll since I was a baby. I don't know where it came from. Maybe I can ask my mom and fill in the details later. I always thought it was an "Eskimo" doll. Isn't it wierd how we save certain things and not others?