D.I.Y - give an old sweater a new look.

I figured it was about time I sneak another doily do.it.yourself project in here again.  My delight for doily & lace just keeps me inventing new ways to wear them!  So if you have an old sweater that you want to give a new look to... may I recommend the delicate.delightful.doily.decal?

 You will need:

+ one sweater

+ your choice of doilies

+ sewing machine

+ pins

I opted to pin the two larger doilies onto the side of my sweater... 

just enough pins to hold them in place while I shove the sweater through my sewing machine.

 Check out my 'officially 6 months now' baby belly.. I mean, my doily elbows!

You're best to put the sweater on and then pin the doilies to where your elbows would be in the sleeves... you know, like elbow patches - but fancier.

The elbow doilies need to be hand stitched (unless you have a magic sewing machine that fits up sleeves)... the larger sweater doilies can be put through the sewing machine.

Now revel, revel in yet another way to upcycle your grannie's doilies.

[And, yes, that is my lace&leather neck.laces I also make.sell ($15)... in case you wondered!]

Guess what?  I still haven't run out of doilies yet from that past project (doily table runner) that my husband vetoed.... so you're going to see another, cuter, version of this d.i.y on Thursday's small style post! ;o)

Feel free to e-mail me pictures/links if you adapt this project.. I'd love to see your new look for an old sweater!

Craftily yours,

Mel ;o)

talkin' about my guy (again)...

 I think it's been a while since I've ranted & raved about my guy. my ben.

We've been trying to find our new 'rhythm' lately as a marriage/family... due to his recent job change.  Now that he's a baker he's gone at 3:30AM all week... and back around lunch hour.

Sure we get the whole afternoon and early evenings together - but it still seems like we're fighting to make time to really 'see' each other.  Granted, he's in a half-zombie state by most afternoons.. and he tucks into bed soon after our daughter's bedtime - yes, the evenings are my solitude.quiet.lonely.relaxing times.

I'm super proud of him for pursuing his passion for baking.. and dreaming.plotting.scheming how one day we too, could own and run a bakery.

I just miss those little moments... like mornings together, making coffee and sitting in our picture window.  I miss going to bed at the same time.. hearing all his inane.hilarious questions as he winds down for the day.

(side.note: trying to sneak in to bed hours later is my nightly challenge.. when every inch of our floors squeak in protest and I'm literally doing a drunken ballet on my tip-toes!)

I love how he seeks to provide for his family.

I love how he husbands...

...and how he fathers.

It warms my heart to see him play the piano with our gal... despite loathing the piano himself (a shame I know) he will play whenever she wants him to.

Its also music to my ears to hear them caught up in a swirl of tickles and laughter on the floor.

Speaking of laughter, he still cracks me up too.

The other night I was feeling marooned on the couch like a whale... looking down at my baby-belly I said the obvious girl line "ugh, I'm so fat".

Instantly Ben replied: "you're not fat, you're just bloated with fertility".

awesome.

For further fun - here's a video of us all...it's 'shocking'. ;o)

Daughter Azriel had already encountered the 'magic zap' of Dad's finger from sliding previously..  clearly her mama still finds it impossible to resist his magnetic attraction.

Still in love,

Mel ;o)

sunday.slide.show.take 17.

Hope you had a good weekend out there!

Ours was a bit jumbled between our daughter being sick... and the weather being just as temperamental.  I managed to snap a few shots from our Saturday here:

A delicious morning Sunbeam welcomed me to some sewing projects (d.i.y's to come this week!).

 Since it felt like the first real day to spend together (Ben, Azriel and I)... we opted to drive out to the wee town of Millbrook for their "Scarecrow Festival"!  Ominous clouds huddled along the horizon but blue sky was overhead - so off we went.

We tucked into our favourite bakery - The Pastry Peddler (where Ben's also baking now!).

We tried to 'get involved' by encouraging Azi to decorate a cupcake.. but man, it was flippin' windy.cold.tumultuous outside!

 What better way to encourage our daughter back to health than cupcakes on an empty stomach - and freezing winds eh? <sheesh>.

That adventure was short lived.. so we drove around the countryside enjoying the scenery.

Settling back into our hometown Sticklings bakery for a healthier lunch.

Kisses for dessert.

Other than that, it was up to the folks for 'family dinner Saturdays'.. and then home sweet home.

Today, Sunday, we thought Azriel was still recovering her health... only to continue her rounds of vomiting today.  Seems like this 'sicky-go-pukey' bug is really going around lately.

So there's a quick slide show for you,

I'm back to snuggling my gal now....(who's sitting beside me with a sweet little voice saying "watch Franklin mommy?").

catch you later,

Mel ;o)

confessions [of an artist].part.6.

 I'm excited to show you one of my latest commissioned paintings here.  

First, can I just say I am blessed with some pretty swell friends...  friends who see the value of creating. reflecting 'truth is beauty'. through art. 

and they support me to pursue it!

I'm grateful for these kinds of friends.

One such couple launched me forward into this commissioned piece:

* using Joseph Turner's palette/paint approach

* inspired by Gerard Hopkins' poetry

* paint something unique

oh boy. oh boy. I love this kind of formula to launch from!

Joseph Turner only happened to be one of my favourite.inspirational painters of all time.  You can see here that one of my copies of his works is well used.

 Below are details from the finished painting... with corresponding lines from a Gerard Hopkins poem called "God's Grandeur"...which inspired my creation.

 ...

 ...

...

Wasn't that beautiful?  I had never heard of this poet until my friend suggested his poems to inspire my paintbrush...  I love the imagery of creation re.birthing what man would have tainted.

Redemption.

And here's the full view of the painting:

I was happy with how it turned out - though I had to wrestle it through a few stages. 

Thankfully, my friends loved it too (phew!).

The best part though?  They asked their 4 year old daughter what she thought of the painting and she said: "Great! God's in it"!

Well that just tickles me down to my paint-splotched toes. 

For I want Him to get the glory for the gift He's given me. 

Colour me blessed,

Mel ;o)

confessions [of a mama] part.8.

Lately I've been battling. struggling. grappling. with myself as a mama.

It started with hearing yelling outside... upon looking I saw a mother dragging/carrying/abandoning/chasing her screaming.crying.yelling son.  At one point she yelled back at him "I can't believe you're acting like this - you're 6 years old!!"  

I thought/wished he could have retorted "I can't believe you're acting like this.. you're my mom"!

Unfortunately the emotional yell-a-thon lasted down the entire street.

I shook my head.

I clucked my tongue.

I judged her unfit to mother.

So today I cringe at my ease with which I judge an other's ability to mother - when there are moments and days that I hope no one can see my cold heart.

Those times when I'm hungry. tired. frustrated.

When my daughter's whine seems soul-piercing.

Her energy like a frenzied stupor.

 Her neediness too smothering...

How can someone you love so dearly...

Cause you thoughts of utter venom-spitting hostility?

So I've been trying to track what my 'pressure points' are that can get my collar heating up.

My daughter doesn't deserve a hasty. cold. reactionary mama.  I want to target these issues as I see them in my heart ... and address them while my daughter is (hopefully) too young to remember my sloppy learning curves.

I've come up with a few here:

my agendas

my expectations

my priorities

Most days I wake up with a plan for the day (my agenda)

I tend to compartmentalize the day into sections of family time/ house care/ socializing, etc.  On top of those I try to wedge in the 'me' time of crafting while daughter naps.

If one of these compartments starts to get crowded into by unforeseen events - I get hissy.

I need to be more flexible with how the agenda of my day unfolds.

Being an artist adds extra pressure to my weak points.

I still want to create.sew.paint like I did before being a mama.

It's not realistic.

It can make me resent the time my daughter/ or the dishes/ or the laundry etc all 'use up' of my day.

Every time I choose to create... another part of the home is left untended - and really, I'm then creating a mess!

I need to re-asses my priorities.

Our daughter is our most important work of art.

*She won't remember all the crazy things I've crafted for her - as much as the time spent with her.*

I know grown women who bereave the absence of their over-committed artist mothers... and I don't want to be one of those.

At the end of the day I gaze into these eyes as she says "snugg'oh me?" and I wonder why I got so caught up in so many things that day to distract me from this gift.

Motherhood is a calling to unselfishness.

I need to keep letting go of my agendas.my expectations.me.me.me.

Sure she can be inspired by a creative mama, I'm not going to lose that part.

I just want her to know her mama will gladly drop the paintbrush, or the needle and thread to spend one more moment holding her sweet hand in mine.

Our lives are a moment,

and will soon be past,

what really matters

is what will last...

... these young souls entrusted to our care.

That's my rant. my confession of a mama... and an artist.

I guess every day we're all still learning to 'grow up' a bit more.

mama-in-the-making,

Mel ;o)

P.S - the linking of this Small Style is simple - Azriel is wearing an OskKosh sleeper!

the winner of today's giveaway...!

Well friends, the giveaway contest here at our nest is now finished... so today we get to announce the winner!

Thanks to all the friends and 'new' friends who left kind comments encouraging my artist heart.

If you're a 'local' you can see a majority of these paintings up at Black Honey Cafe for the next month (showing until Nov.20th).

So without further ado: after officially writing all the entries' names on paper and tossing them in my green colander bowl... I plucked this sweetie from the mix:

 

"Hi Mel,
I would pick 'Patchwork Valley'. It looks very peaceful - just what I'm looking for today!
Beth" 

Oh I do enjoy when a sweet soul wins all my goodies.. and this fine woman Elisabeth Sheffield is one fine soul, congrats Beth!

(Now you just have to contact me with the details of which hoop you would like to own, and which print you want sent to you).

Thanks to all who participated.

Have a wonderful day!

Mel :o)

she sews scarf. she wears scarf.

One of my favourite things about Fall is the layers you get to wear.

Cozy wool socks.

Wrist warmers.

Knitted Toques...

and scarves... lots of scarves.

Granted the weather here of late has been a balmy 20 degrees Celsius... so I'm back in my flip-flops!

But I did sew this scarf/neck-cuff recently in eagerness for the cooler days to come. 

I can never decide if my favourite colour is any shade of green.... or that vintage turquoise blue I so adore.  Regardless, both colours are delicious with a dark chocolate brown, so I sewed a yummy green/brown combo for this scarf.  You gotta love some green argyle pattern for the inside lining...

My 'I vant to be alone' look.

Detail: the cuff attaches with a massive coconut shell button.

I love these kinds of quick projects - they feed my insatiable desire.need.obsession to create something new every day if I'm lucky. 


I've got some other fun projects on the go here at the nest lately too.
I'm eager to share some d.i.y's coming up in the following weeks - fun things I'm making for my daughter's upcoming 2nd birthday!


Also, this is your last night to enter the giveaway I'm throwing here.
I'll announce the winner tomorrow.


Keeping cozy,
Mel ;o)