The Bird's

I love birds! And now we have a little bird family beginning in front of our house! I've been noticing these birds flying into a spider plant I have hanging right in front of our livingroom window. At first I thought they were just getting stuff for there nest and flying off. Well, the other day I took my plant down (out of curiosity) and, sure enough, they are building their nest right inside my plant! My mom has had this happen a few times but we never have so I'm mighty excited about it! I can't wait till they start laying eggs so we can watch for the babies to hatch. I'm not sure what type of birds these are. The male has a pretty red head and the female is brown and really stripy so I am thinking a type of finch. Purple finch maybe? I dunno but it is cool all the same. Here they are looking at their nest. I try to get pictures of them through the window but every time they see the slightest movement they hurry off. Hopefully they will get used to me looking at them and not run off. It was kind of cute how they were ducking their heads down to check on the nest.

I took this picture just a second ago and noticed they have added some stuffing so their little abode will be plush and cozy. When I looked the other day it was just started and there were a few twigs, a tiny feather, and a bit of an indentation in the soil were they must have scratched the dirt around. CUTE!!! I just love it!

In other, more crafty news, I am working away at the totes. I ran out of interfacing and since I DO NOT shop at that one store I ordered it online from JoAnn's and thankfully they had a 50% day. Whoo hoo! So I just said "what the hey!" and ordered a bolt of the stuff. It got here really quickly and I'm back in action. Here's a li'l sneaky peak:

The End

Well, not of me but, the gift shop that I used to work for is quitting business. They wanted me to work all this week (and then some) but I just couldn't do that. I did work yesterday for the first day of there sale. It was so busy but nice to get out of the house for the day. It was also really sad. They are all good friends and I will miss coming in at Christmas time to do up their window displays (which I have done for the past few years even after I had to leave to work for the hubby). There were all the ladies outside banging on the door to get in and the owners wanted to say a prayer before we opened. We were all crying and I had mascara tears dripping down my face seconds before they opened the doors. Of course I was wearing a white top and had to walk around all day with little grayish teardrops on my shirt. Greeaaaat! I tried the shout wipes to get it out (which usually works on everything) and it only made it worse. Oh well! The downtown area is kind of dying (like most towns) Thanks to that friggin' store that is not to be mentioned. It begins with a W and ends with anti-Christ...you know the one.
Well, I am going to shut up now and put away all the clean dishes my MIL so lovingly washed for me while I was working yesterday. May all the Gods rain down blessings upon her! =)
Later y'all!

Save Gocco!

http://www.savegocco.com/

*Fabric score* ah yeah...

During our trip to Amarillo, TX on Saturday we stopped at Hobby Lobby to get some fabric. *!!!* I have a couple of special orders for some tote/diaper bags and I needed some fabric to go with the stuff I already had. They have an awesome clearance and remenant section! Man, I was in heaven! I found everything I needed in the remenant bin and plus a little more..tee hee! Here's a sample:

Just the polka dot here. The other stuff I already had.

Wacky fabric award goes to...

What in the hell am I going to do with 3 yards of this?! I figure some handbags. If anyone is reading this please leave me some ideas in the comment section.

Heck, just leave me comments anytime! I feel like such a loser... nobody ever leaves me comments *sniff, sniff* <-[ okay now I'm going to go crawl in a corner and feel sorry for myself...

HAH! YEAH RIGHT!!! =) I've got sewing to do.
Later peoples!

It's raining, it pouring...

It's raining, it pouring...
Originally uploaded by li'l miss muffett.

Coming home from Amarillo on Saturday we hit some rain. I just love it when you can see the rain falling. Once we came on a wall of rain. It was really cool...one second your dry and then the next it's pouring down. neato. Anyhoo, we had fun. I bought a bunch of fabric to make bags. a girlfriend of mine was wanting a diaper bag like mine and then she ordered one for a friend of hers that just had a baby. I'm going to make up several others and put them up on Etsy. Which reminds me that I NEED to photograph my other pots and get them up, too. Hopefully my friend will spread the word and I can sell some bags. She is one of those people that has tons of friends so it could work to my advantage if she drops my name here and there! teehee =) I need to get a move on...so more later!

Cliffhanger... You are correct sir!

I can't believe how true this is! You have to try it!

Find your own pose!

*Project!*

My new project!
Originally uploaded by li'l miss muffett.

Well, I conned my mom out of this carving she started several years ago. Actually she was in highschool! I didn't really con her. I just asked what she was going to do with it and she said "nothing" so I asked if I could have it and she said "yes". Yea for me! I was remembering it to be a little more finished that it is but I have started carving little bits here and there. I haven't done any woodcarving that I can recall so I'm a bit trepidatious as I don't want to screw it up! Heh... Anyhoo, I think I may stain it a little darker and add hooks to hang it. I want it on my living room wall. I just think it's so neat to think of my mom at 15 or 16 carving on this. Sort of gives a tingle in the fingers if ya know what I mean. Does anyone? Or am I just weird. Probably the latter. oh well. The original pencil markings are still there after almost 40 years that is cool, too. I just had to post this real quick. I need to straighten up the livingroom badly. Ever since we got home on Monday it has looked like a bomb filled with toddler toys went off. Must. find. bigger. container. okie doke, I'm off. Have a lovely evening. I am going to try not to get back on this computer today. Or sit down with my sudoku puzzle book. I can't get enough. Yet, everytime I sit down with that stupid book and a pencil (oh yeah I need a pencil, I don't even try to use a pen) I know I need to get off my lazy ass and do SOMETHING but it just calls to me..."heather... you must sit down and waste an entire hour...doing these puzzles that are never ending...when you really should be changing that stinky diaper and washing the moldy dishes(just kidding, I promise =])..."

Alright! enough already...I'm outta here!

On the Bunny Train

On the Bunny Train
Originally uploaded by li'l miss muffett.

Me and Mr. C on the little train in Pratt, KS. They had it running for Easter weekend and we were in the first group to ride. My sister and her kids are in front of us and Meghan is up there, too. She's too cool to be seen with her mother apparently.

We got back from my mom's last night and boy am I tired! Whew. A long weekend with 5 kids and 4 grown-ups in a 2 bedroom house was a little cramped...but fun! The cousins played well together with a very small amount of fighting. The two babies were so cute. They were huggin' and playin' and well, they kept knocking each other over and at times laying on each others heads. But they were having fun (for the most part)!

Easter Sunday was a little hard on all of us. It was the first without Grandad. Me and Mom hated leaving Grandma alone. We were the last to leave her apartment and I was imagining her going back inside with the house being quiet and empty. It made me sad. I have more pictures that I'll post in a little bit.

50's tumblers

50's tumblers
Originally uploaded by li'l miss muffett.

Had a great thrift shopping adventure awhile back. I found these great glasses. These are so groovy. They are glass but have this rubbery splattery paint stuff on the outside. These were made with kid-ness in mind, I do believe. The tag read 50's tumblers. Coolness! I also found a cool chair that I am going to refinish and a cute book about clay for kids. I'll post a little more later. I need to do some housework. Whoo hoo!

Good times

Goodness, I have been away from blogging for awhile! Shame on me! I have been thinking of all kinds of things to write about, honest! I just forget about it and go off on my merry way. Anyhoo, part of the problem is flickr...I'm addicted! Love looking at other peoples artwork and such. I have also been trying to reorganize my craft area. We had my fabric shelf in front of a window which is a major no-no. So we moved things around a bit and I was able to move it against a wall. BTW, Gene and I share our "hobby" room. One side is guitar equipment and the other is my stuff. Although, guitar paraphernalia always ends up on MY side! Hmphf! I don't put my stuff over on his amps or hang stuff from his guitar racks or stack fabric on his shelves, oh no... Ah well, at least I have a big space to do my thang. OH! and I set up a shop on etsy! I don't have anything there yet but I am going to add some pottery here pretty quick. I need to crack the whip and chain myself to the sewing machine to make some stuff for the shop, too. With spring springing I have ideas for some bags and accessories.

I was even invited to be a part of Art recipes. A lot of other artists were asked as well but I still was flattered that they would want me to contribute! Coolness!

We had a really nice snow the other day. The first we've had all winter! It snowed a little last year but not enough to make a snowman and snow angels. It was so long ago I really don't remember. Conner got his first taste of playing in the snow though. I was a little worried about what to do for shoes for him. Cover his with plastic sacks... Then I remembered my wonderful sister, Stephanie, gave me some of her boys' snow boots. YES! The smallest size was a 7 and Conner is a 5 but they fit really well and he was able to walk easily so I was glad he could share in the fun. We bundled up and I, with camera in tote, went out with them to play. Meghan and I made a snowman. Conner and I ate icicles. Rocky ran around the yard at full tilt. I, on the other hand, did not! Conner fell every three steps or so put he didn't care! This was just all to cool. He did not want to go back inside but he trudged back in pink cheeked and wet bottomed and after he got dry and warm he took a long nap. Good times!

For some reason I cannot get pictures to post so will try later!

Come home soon

Come home soon
Originally uploaded by li'l miss muffett.

Painting I made the other day to frame and hang in the living room. I think it turned out well. It is done in
acrylic on linen textured paper (9" x 12") I was going through some blogs and saw a collage with a big bird in it and I thought of this image. I think it was on this blog.

You can see the loverly yellow wall in the background. This is actually my hallway. The livingroom will be green. I feel like I haven't done a whole lot this week. I have been on the computer way too much. I tell you what, that darn flickr is addictive! I go there everyday and love looking through all the pictures. It gives inspiration and now I need to get off my ass and do something with it. I have had several comments on my work and that is so exciting!

Well, speaking of being on the computer too much I really need to get off and do something else!
Goodnight!

Must see movie!

I received the Wal-mart movie on Saturday and Gene and watched it that night. I tell you what I was moved to tears one moment and enraged the next. We have decided that we will no longer shop in their stores including Sam's. This movie was a real eye opener. I never really liked Wal-Mart anyway and this adds fuel to the fire. The way they come in and take over and make smaller business close and take advantage of their employees. Not to mention the working conditions of the people that make all the things stocking the shelves of the stores. We may have to pay a bit more here and there but it is worth it to us. I recommend this movie to everyone. Order it online if you don't have anywhere that is showing it and pass it on when you are through. That's what we are doing. I have a friend that works kind of high up at our local Wal-mart and I would love for her to watch it but I know she would take offense. I feel that they have brainwashed her to the point where she would defend their corporation to any extent. It's just ignorant! It makes me so angry! GRRRR! Whew! must.calm.down.


The weather yesterday was so crazy! We had winds close to 60 mph!

here's a shot of the hazy sky over our house.This is from the backyard. The sky had a browner tint to it that the camera didn't really pick up.The sky had a brown haze over it and there were grass fires and South of us in TX they had bad fires that burned towns and people were killed. Goodness I hope it doesn't reach us.

I have to go cook supper now. So more later!

New Icon

Well, I took the old icon I found on Yahoo and came up with my own interpretation. I can't for the life of me find the other image again and I have been a little worried about copyright and such. I think I'd like to use this for my labels. I am going to make a cleaner copy so I can Gocco it. (Whoo hoo!)

Got some paint yesterday for the hall and livingroom. Meghan and Gene don't really like it (green for the living room and yellow for the hallway). I think it will be very pretty once I get it all painted. I painted a couple of splotches on the walls to see how it would look. I like it! I spent my birthday money on it too. But if it looks totally crappy it's only paint and we can paint over it...

Wal-Mart is evil

I was reading a post on this blog and she talked about a movie about Wal-Mart. It is anti-walmart actually as am I. Pretty much everyone here in Liberal dispises that store. So many of the cute little shops we had are closed up and we only have one other grocery store! Yeah! Liberal has over 20,000 inhabitants not including the small little towns around us. Sheesh! It really shows you how much power they have. I ordered the video which you can too here. I am anxious to see it and I am sure it will make me that much more disgusted at them.

Anyhoo, getting ready to go play with my new Gocco machine. I was also very delighted to see a couple of people commented on my pottery over at flickr. That just made my day, I tell you! I am so over critical of anything I do and it just made my heart pitter-patter to see that other potters liked MY stuff. WOW! Well, I better go get after it. Had to take Gene's mom to the eye doctor today and haven't gotten anything done around this joint.

Gocco has arrived!

I got my shiny new Print Gocco today! Yeah!!! I'm very excited to start playing with it. It is actually not brand new. I got it off of eBay. EBay is so great! Anything you could possibly want! Anyhoo, it's not "new" but never been used and all of the stuff is there. The previous owner cut one design out of the sample sheet and opened a couple of inks but that is pretty much it. It also came with the stamp for fabric kit. Gene wasn't to sure how it all worked so he wanted to watch me make a master. Now I must decide on what to make first!

Well, it's kinda late and I'm pooped. We cleaned the garage out today. (see...I told ya we would) It was so windy today crap was blowing everywhere but I found my book on drawing the human form finally. It was buried under a bunch of boxes. Go figure! Anyway, I can get to my clay and most of my tables are cleared off they need a good cleaning as does my wheel. I have a big old wooden table that is very scarred and dinged up but it is really sturdy and I love it. I got it from the junior college here in town. I took a few semesters of their ceramics course and the instructor was moving and it was his table and he said I could have it if I wanted it and I was like, "hell yeah!" Anyway, I was really pissed off because as we uncovered it from all the crap that was on it I found all these greasy stains. Well, apparently my husband placed his dirty, oily rags on my beautiful old wooden table after he changed the oil on his frickin' motorcycle. Can you believe dat? Man, I was mad. Of course he was like oh we can get another piece of plywood and screw it to the top. Well, it's just not the same dammit!

I really need to go to bed now as it is 12:30 AM. Nitey-nite!