"T on Tuesday" on Saturday

 I am leaving for another little trip to the hill country.

This time to visit my sister Lanette,

http://www.almostpatsyclineband.com/

and also my friend Lana

http://lanasthreadsandmusings.blogspot.com/ .

I hope you visit them sometime.

You will be pleasantly surprised.

I wanted to post my T on Tuesday before I left.

So here it is....

  I'm having Lipton herbal Quietly Chamomile

It's caffeine free of course,

and very relaxing.

Many people drink it before bedtime

but I drink it any morning or night.

The cups and dessert plate you see in the above photo

are from my DH's great aunt.

She painted them back in the 1980's.

Here is a close up below.

I have to say that most of the time

these delicate dishes 

are up the in cabinet.

I guess I should use them more often.

The sun is not up yet,

but I wanted to take a look

at the new flower bed that I'm putting in.

So come walk with me.

This is right off our back patio area.

I had a small bed and have made it quite a bit larger,

with a pathway going right through the middle of it.

It is still in progress.

The terra cotta pot on the left,

 is filled with asparagus fern.

There is my statue of St. Francis up further.

  I have a birdbath from Mexico

and so far the plants include

lantana, firebush,

foxtail fern,

hibiscus,

banana tree,

elephant ears,

caladiums

and more.

I have added 17 bags of mulch and need more.

Whew, gardening is a work out!

I will get a finished photo in a few weeks.

This is the swing where my DH and I sit,

under the shade of the trees,

most evenings.

He built this for me many years ago,

and has lasted really well

(it's made of metal and wood).

You can barely see the heart he burned into the back of it.

He's a real romantic!

This is my new yard art... :)

I'm not sure where it's permanent home will be.

I just hung it here to get a photo.

 I made it from a salvaged metal wheel,

stainless steel wire,

stain glass pieces from a friend,

and old brass bells.

 It looks pretty with the sun shining through it.

I have extra wire twining around like vines.

I like it! 

Talk to you when I get back....

 In the meantime......

 visit Kimmie at

Art in Red Wagons

and all the other

participants

of Tea on Tuesdays.

Kimmie has a list on her sidebar.

Don't forget to.....

Savor The Day...

Yvonne

A Phoenix on Hand Dyed Fabric

I thought I would try some bleach discharging

 again this morning.

Yesterday I did a few pieces

and didn't have much luck.

 I decided to try something new....

new for me anyway.

I wanted to use some of my own hand dyed fabric

for this project,

instead of the black fabric

that is typically used in this technique.

I drew out a phoenix

onto a piece of freezer paper,

ironed it onto the fabric, and

hung it

in my laundry room.

I put something underneath

to catch the drips.

Then I mixed up a 50/50 mix

of bleach and water

in a spray bottle.

I sprayed the fabric with the mixture

and let it sit

until I thought it was bleached out

enough to where I could

see the design

against the background.

Here are the results....

I am very pleased with the results.

Now I want to do some stitching and more hand work

to finish it off.

Below is another piece that I did

using black fabric

and round circles of different sizes.

I wanted it to look like space,

with the planets and stars.

It's okay, but I like the dyed piece much better.

Well, I'm off to my yoga class.

Go...

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Silk Embroidery and a Dresdan Plate

This beautiful silk embroidery was done by my friend Shirley Jones.

She creates the most beautiful crazy quilts,

with the most intricate hand stitching.

The silk embroidery just adds so much dimension to it.

Meet Shirley....

She has on a collar that she made many years ago.

It is crazy quilted, in the Victorian style.

The flowers are made using a wide ribbon,

and almost look real.

The hand stitching is just gorgeous.

Here is a detail shot for you...

but it still does not do it justice, I have to say.

Shirley added many beads as well,

in with the beautiful fabrics and ribbons.

This is a close up of the back of the collar.

You can see her initials...SJ... stitched in gold, on the left, by the pink rose.

This is a close up of the large red ribbon rose.

Shirley said she does not wear this collar anymore.

She said no one dresses up like they used to.

Isn't that true......

 

Shirley said this book is one of her favorites. 

Judith Baker Montano's Embroidery & Crazy Quilt Stitch Tool: 180+ Stitches & Combinations - Tips for Needles, Thread, Ribbon, Fabric - Left- & Right-Handed Illustrations

This one is another favorite of hers, and is still available.

It is an old book, but is full of wonderful stitches and combinations of stitches.

Crazy Quilt Stitches

Our Saturday Quilters group put together a quilt

to raffle off at our Art Walk in October.

Some of us each did a block,

a scrappy dresden plate pattern,

and then had it put together with a blue print,

quilted and bound.

Here it is finished....

The block I contributed is at the top corner and here it is.....

So, whatever you decide to do....

just go out and....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Tea on Tuesday

                                                       

This morning for Tea on Tuesdays

I am having

Tahitian Vanilla Hazelnut

 (caffeine free)

by Yogi.

Visit Kimmie at

Art in Red Wagons

to join us for tea won't you.

 

I hear the cicadas singing their morning song...

 I'm enjoying my morning tea.

As I'm drinking I notice all the information on the box.

Do you ever take the time to really read

all the info?

  This one says...

-please recycle this box

-non-irradiated

-oxygen-bleached tea bags

-a product of Golden Temple of Oregon, LLC

Supplement Facts

Proprietary Blend of Herbs

Roasted Chicory Root

Carob Pod

Organic Cinnamon Bark

Organic Cardamom Seed

Organic Ginger Root

Stevia Leaf

Organic Clove Bud

Organic Black Pepper

Other Ingred.:

natural hazelnut flavor,

 natural vanilla flavor,

natural butterscotch flavor,

natural cinnamon oil

On this small box there is much, much more interesting info,

yogi principles,

a yoga exercise for soothing energy,

directions on making the best cup of tea etc.

So take some time, if you haven't, 

to slow down and read what info is on your tea box.

  you may find it interesting....

I did.

I also wanted to show you

my little tea set,

 I was about 6 years old when I got it,

so that makes it

over 50 years old.

This is all I have left,

as many pieces got broken,

in my many moves over the many years.

Oh yes, one more thing...

I got a surprise comment from Elizabeth

   this morning.

I am being featured sometime today,

 on

Altered Book Lover.

So go visit Bleubeard and Elizabeth here.

She has a wonderful blog

with all kinds of great posts

and tutorials.

See you later,

as I'll be out in the garden.

Hope you....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Save the Ridley

Don't see any turtles in the photo?

Well, there are sea turtles out there...

but they are in danger,

especially the Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle.

Once the small percentage of hatchings get to the water

they still have many obstacles to overcome.

Not many make it to maturity.

I visited Kimmie at Art in Red Wagons 

and learned something that tore at my heart.

She mentioned that the turtles

that are caught in the booms

with the oil

are not rescued.

Please visit her here to find out the details.

She is very angered (as am I) about the BP oil spill

and what it is doing to not only the people in the region

but the helpless wildlife.

Her wildlife art is wonderful,

and her passion is heartfelt.

 I live about 2 hours north of

 Sea Turtle Inc.

in South Padre Island, Texas.

If you go to their sight you can actually track

one adult female Ridley

 that they released into the wild.

Her name is Isla Gaia,

which means Island Mother Earth.

--FACTS ABOUT THE RIDLEY--

1947- Andres Herrera exposes first film

of Kemp's ridley "arribada"

estimated at 40,000 nesting turtles

in one day

1960-sea turtle science begins worldwide

1963- Kemp's ridley conservation efforts begin

at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico

1973- Kemps' Ridley now protected

under Endangered Species Act

1977-  Mexico and USA join in programs

to save the kemp's ridley

1985-Kemp's ridley near EXTINCTION-

only 289 females left in Gulf of Mexico

1995- 1,930 Kemp's nests protected this year

1999-Sea Turtle Inc. joins Texas recovery program

2000- 6,000 nests protected this year

2006- 12,000 nests protected and

750,000 hatchlings released in Gulf of Mexico

2010-  BP oil spill in Gulf,

unknown dangers to Ridley

I hope that the oil does not reach as far as south Texas.

They are continuing to release turtle hatchings

into the Gulf, along with all kinds of pelicans

that have been rescued from where the oil has come in.

This event is like a domino effect.

 Many people and wildlife will feel the affects for

 a very long time.

Change is needed,

so we can all......

Savor the Day

Yvonne

Eye Pillows and a Giveaway

Alderwood Quilts

 is having a lavender giveaway. 

Click here to enter.

  For people in my yoga class

I am making eye pillows.

I am using lavender buds

and flax seed to stuff them.

Below is the fabrics I'm using.

They have not been stuffed yet.

Do you have another recipe

for eye pillows?

I was thinking of making a case for them too,

but wasn't sure it was needed really.

Also, should I add essential oil for fragrance?

Yoga is one way to....

Savor the Day

Yvonne

Tea on Tuesday and a Big Thank You

First off,

I want to thank all of you

who commented

 on my migraine post.

I know a lot of women suffer from migraines.

This morning I went to the doctor again,

and I'm back on Topamax (a migraine preventer actually used for seizures)

 and

have Relpax for pain, when I do happen to get one.

Hope it works,

as I would rather go for natural remedies,

but the ones I tried did not work for long.

I may have to switch from remedy to remedy,

to keep from having migraines.

I will continure to keep my migraine diary,

to see if there are any more triggers.

Thank you again everyone!

Hugs to all of you!

Yvonne

_______________________________________________________

Now on to more pleasant things ...... (smile)

Tea on Tuesday
with Kimmie
over at
Art in Red Wagons.

This morning I had a piece of toast

with tomatoe preserves.

The tea I chose is

Organic Rooibos,

Red Mellow Bush

earthy vanilla healer

by Numi.

It is actually what they call an herbal teasan...

from the French tisane,

for brewed herbal beverages,

which, strictly speaking,

are not from the tea plant Camellia sinensis.

Rooibos is caffeine free,

(which means it's good for my migraines).

Rooibos or "Red Tea"

 is grown in the high desert regions of the

Cederberg Mountains of South Africa.

(I'm getting all this info from the box btw)

It has an earthy vanilla taste

and a vibrant orange color

with hints of autumn straw.

Caffeine-free and with an antioxidant level

comparable to green tea....

also rich in minerals, very low in tannin,

and relaxing to the nerves.

I really do enjoy it

and have drank it for several years now.

You can go to ...

http://www.numitea.com/

for more info

on their other teas,

such as Honeybush

or

Moroccan Mint.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Need Migraine Help

You may, or may not have noticed

that I have not been posting as often as I used to,

with creations from my studio.

Well, it's not like me to talk about my health on my blog,

 but lately I have had such terrible and frequent migraines

 that I am desperate. 

It is affecting my whole life. 

Does anyone out there

have some ideas to share with me?

My migraine history is a long one.

I have tried everything from OTC meds,

acupuncture, Imitrex, Topamax,

Inderal, you name it.

Most help for a short time,

and then quit.

I have had MRI's, and tests.

I've been to neurologists and more.

Nothing I seem to do,

or what the doctors do,

seems to help for long.

Sometimes the headaches last for hours,

sometimes a few days.

I have visual disturbances, nausea etc.

with the pain.

I have noticed that some triggers are

certain foods, and

weather changes.

I am now keeping a diary to see

if I can "get ready"

for an attack.

I notice I am more irritible before,

and afterwards I am sort of in a

depression.

Overall I am a fairly healthy person.

I am taking yoga at present,

hoping it will help.

Any other ideas

would be appreciated.

Thanks everyone.

Just trying to....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

ps...the phrenology head is a copyright free photo for you to use.

Beauty in fabric, in wood, and in nature

" Everybody needs beauty

as well as bread,

places to play in

and places to pray in,

where nature may heal

and give strength

to body and soul alike."

----John Muir

Pastor Linda B. went with me to the little

Stitch and Rip sewing group yesterday.

She is showing her quilt,

and there is a story behind it.....

The small blocks were made by her grandmother,

and the quilt was never finished all those years...

until now.

 Pastor  Linda and her mother found some

vintage style fabrics to add to the vintage blocks,

had  it quilted, and finished.

It's just a wonderful thing to have something passed down

in the family. 

It looks beautiful,

and will always remind Linda of her grandmother,

and of doing the project with her mother.

This is a photo of a photo,

so sorry about the quality.

I just had to show you what a local man

took a photo of this week.

This is four pictures of a hummingibird family,

and the nest.

The nest is so tiny...

can you see where it was built in the bottom right photo?

It's on a vine  out of the hanging pot.

It's amazing that he caught the mother

 feeding her 2 young ones.

Glenda is learning how to carve cottonwood bark.

This is the first carving she ever did.

 This little whimsical house is just wonderful!

It's close to a foot tall.

This shows some detail of the roof and chimney.

This is one of the views we have when we meet at Marilyn's home.

You can see why we don't get much done.

Double hibiscus blooming at Marilyn's.

This hibiscus starts out this color,

then slowly over the day turns purple,

then to black, and then drops to the ground.

The whole time it is still as lovely and perky as it is here.

Natures art at work!

The monarch butterflies are of course atttracted to this milkweed.

The citrus trees are filling up with beautiful fruit!

Oh, the joys of summer!

Savor the day!

Yvonne

Tea Blessings

The Tea Poetry Society of America Presents....

Tea Poetry 2010-

Second Annual Nationwide Tea Poetry Contest

Everyone has a least one poem in them somewhere. 

Write your poems down and submit them to Tea Poetry 2010. 

Begins June 1, 2010 and all submissions must be postmarked by Sept. 30, 2010. 

Go to http://www.earlenegrey.com/ for more information and contest rules.

Today I have having some good old Lipton iced tea,

with a thin ornage slice

 for added sweetness.

Tea in Texas editor Lee Garcia wrote this little poem

Tea---

Wisdom in a Cup,

Powerful and True;

Ancient gift from the Gods,

Simple Elegance for You!

I found this little publication in Houston this last weekend.

It is full of great info on tea and many more things.

Go to http://teaintexas.com/

Here is some of the info I found interesting...

Over 3 billion cups of tea are consumed every day worldwide. 

There is a World Tea Expo every year...2010 being in Las Vegas.

The amount of caffeine in a cup of tea is dependent on many factors...water temperature, steeping time, amount of tea, how the tea is processed, and the age of the leaf before picking. 

The Tea Association of Canada and America will have the 1st Annual North America Tea Conference in September in Niagara Falls, Canada. 

As Lee Garcia states...

"For thousands of years,

philosophers and poets

 have lavished praise on tea."

and he also says...

"Whether you choose to enjoy your tea in a meditative moment alone

or share with gathered friends,

 the power of tea

to deepen our understanding of life's small pleasures

 is a true blessing

for our nomadic souls."

Join us for Tea on Tuesdays. 

Visit Kimmie at

http://artinredwagons.blogspot.com/

Tea Blessings,

a good way to

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Art Festival and Butterfly Musings

Hope everyone had a Happy 4th of July
and all you Canadians had a Happy Canada Day!

Well, Hurricane Alex went into Mexico

and not much wind was felt here at home.

We gots lots and lots of rain....

10 plus inches total over a period of about 3 days.

Now the ground needs to dry out a bit.

But I tell you....rain is so good for plants...as you know.

We left early Saturday morning for a trip to Houston,

and when we returned on Sunday afternoon,

the grass had grown 4 inches I believe.

 Today it has already dried out enough
for me to plant some new plants.

They have been waiting to get into the ground

since before Alex.
While in Houston I saw the most beautiful
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly.

I took this photo in Mark's garden,

in Houston.

He is my daughter's soon to be

brother in law.

He is a wonderful gardener

and I can't wait to see his garden's progress.

The Giant Swallowtail butterfly wings

can span to about 6 inches

and I think this one was pretty close to that.

There is a Native American legend about the butterfly
that I thought you may enjoy...
According to an American Indian Legend -
If anyone desires a wish to come true
 they must first capture a butterfly
 and whisper that wish to it.
Since a butterfly can make no sound,
the butterfly can not reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit
who hears and sees all.
In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom,
the Great Spirit always grants the wish.
So,
according to legend,
by making a wish
 and giving the butterfly its freedom,
the wish will be taken to the heavens
and be granted.

After leaving Houston we drove back on all the backroads.
We stopped at the 41st Annual Rockport Art Festival.
I didn't take pictures but here are some links
of some of the artists that I loved.

Anne Heinrichs,
Mixed Media Collage
http://www.anneheinrichs.com/

Arbor Castle Birdhouses
http://arborcastlebirdhouses.com/
These are beautiful, unique and functional
plus longlasting...
artist Joseph Hopps

http://www.susanbestmixed.blogspot.com/
mixed media, collage, assemblage, painting

http://jamierood.com/

There were over 120 artists,
mostly from Texas,
and most of them were amazing
Fine arts and master Craftsman.

Amado M. Pena,
a Pascua Yaqui Tribal Artisan
was there also. 
He is from Santa Fe, NM
and you can find him here.
http://www.penagallery.com/
I purchased one of his
storyteller prints.

 Another favorite was Steve Hunsicker
http://www.stevehunsicker.com/
He creates fine art paintings
and sculpture.

This is what he says...

"Sometimes I am asked how long does it take for me to create one of my pieces?  The answer I give might be a few hours, days, or years.  For me the creation of a work of art is not linited to the time it takes to create the physical piece.  The process of creation is a manifestation of a person't life experience.  Often the process is a search; a search for something mystical, sacred, mysterious and personal.  The search is what is most important and is continuous.  The time from the point of conception to completion of a piece is different then the time it takes to create a piece.  For me the process of creation is a culmination of works and involves many pieces of art.  The concept or spirit of a piece or series of work may come in a flach or might be drawn out slowly while working.  Often the ideas or images are revealed to me during that semi-conscious state between being sound alseep and fully awake.  The initial vision is usually fleeting, like a glimpse of something at the edge of your vision.  Once I have had a glimpse of the image my search begins.  Through the creative process I find what I am looking for.  I find it in the wood, the shape, the form, and the texture.  I find it in the color of the paint, the stone, and the metal.  I find it in all of these things.  I make an effort not to overwork a piece, to keep it simple.  I want the work to be clean and un-cluttered.  Often I stop work on a piece before I feel that it is completed.  I do this to leave open the door to the next piece.  I think of each piece as a link in a chain, each link being a step in the search.  I think of the chain or all of the pieces as being the completed work.  Religious icons, primitive petroglyphs, and symbols from a variety of cultures ancient and modern influence my work.  The influence that the viewer sees is dependent on his or her own experiences. "

I love to read what an artist feels and thinks.

Savor the Day!
Yvonne