Life Goes On

It's hard to be creative when so many other adult things need to be tended to. Like look for a new job and a new place to stay. It's hard to stay focused when you're worried about yourself and see the world falling apart around you. There may be times when you just want to crawly under a rock but you keep telling yourself that things are temporary and take one day, one step, one moment at a time. So here's what I've been working on. Prim Dollies.

My March front page for my Bullet Journal. I live vicariously through my friends who have gardens. Reading their posts of them scouring seed catalogs. Ready for the weather to break to clear out their space and get ready to plant wonderful things that will be put into salads, or soups, or canned for next winter. I used to have a garden many moons ago. I would like to have another one.

Saturday Post

Yep, weird week but I made it. Got back to sketching, prepped my next Redwork piece, painted in the sketchbook. Maybe I can fill it up this year. One can hope. And here are some flowers in the yard. Spring has sprung.

I was supposed to do this Krampus around Christmastime but didn't get to him. So here he is, ready for spring. Maybe I should do a series on Mr. Krampus during the off season when he's not harassing bad children. Maybe this is his end of the school year picture. Ha!

I got my fabric prepped for my next Redwork piece. I used a woven interfacing on the back to see if it's a bit more stable to stitch but not be overly heavy to get the needle through. We shall see.

#redwork #krampus #embroidery #woveninterfacing #pellon #dayofthedead

Still Here

I have actually been doing some things. I got more faces for my 29 Faces challenge done. I've been working on my short stories and the story for the upcoming NaNoWriMo in November. I cleared off a shelf on a bookcase to put what I will be writing on so I won't have to go look for it. I should take a pic of that shelf. Still downsizing and clearing out the apartment because it needs it. Been working on doll clothes patterns and went walking with a new friend, Kate. I told Kate that I was having a hard time getting into making things with air dry clay and she suggested that I do a personal challenge called 'Make it Suck!' Not expect anything great because I'm good at judging what I do as a beginner to what someone has been doing for years. Yes, make it suck and not have any notions of it looking like anything just practice with the clay. Sounds like a plan but I've got to finish one project first before I do that.

Rocky Start

I was off to a rocky start. Yes, I know, only three days in. Little voices of self-doubt were trying to creep in because life happens. Anyway, I got my second face done for 29 Faces. I make no promises of finishing. The weather sucks. 90 degrees and very humid. Working on staying positive in the fact that autumn is coming along with cooler temps.

I have no idea where I'm going with these faces. I'm just going to do them. The first two I've used watercolor pencils. I would like to be able to blend better. I think I know what to do now. Layers before adding the water.

I will finish longarming a quilt today. Can't show it because it's a gift. I did pull fabric for two more wallets, one is a gift. I really need to get back to my Bargello quilt top. I've given up on the garden. I will have to prep the soil this fall so there will be more nutrients in it next spring for planting. I will most definitely plan better for next year. So I guess I better get going. Seeing that there will be a lot of things I work on that I can't show because they are gifts. Hmmm...

#29faces

Things Are Happening

My garden is growing nicely. Still working on some pesky cabbage caterpillars and found a natural bug spray to make in the kitchen and those plants will get sprayed this evening. The beet plants are doing well and I will allow them to get a bit bigger before putting them in the ground. I've got little tomatoes that seemed to pop out overnight. I've had to water the garden every morning for the past couple of days because it's been in the 90s.

Cucumber flowers. Lots of them. Yay!

My first cucumber is here!

Seeing that the beets sprouted quite nicely, I'm trying bok choy. We shall see!

Next Up

First, my beet plants are doing well. I will put them in a small container with some dirt so they can get a little bigger before I put them in the ground. Then by fall I can harvest them.

I'm making progress on my Raggedy Ann. I'll start painting her today.

Here is a pattern I've had for a long time. It's the Verity doll by Deanna Hogan of Blue Heron Dolls. I love her work, so I'm going to try the smaller doll.

I have a small break between my next longarm project so this week will be doll week.

Happy June!

It's a new month. My birthday month and I will be working to do some neat things leading up to my birthday at the end of this month. I'm excited. I haven't been excited about my birthday in a long time. I'm grateful that I've made it to this age. I've done quite a few things in my life that others may not get a chance to do. But let's wrap up May.

May

• Read 4 books
• I did some writing but didn't get my short story finished, I guess I'm going back to 100 words or one page a day for June
• I longarmed 5 quilts
• I planted a veggie garden and I've got flowers popping up
• I went to the One Way Art Show in King, NC
• I went on an overnight stay with two friends to Hendersonville and Flat Rock, NC; saw some lovely quilts at a quilt symposium, had dinner at Hubba Bubba Smokehouse and breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe.
• Did 6 daily sketches and some other small sketches for Halloween pieces
• Started watching a series on Netflix
• 12 World of Wendy Lu blog posts
• 5 wendy b quilts blog posts

I had a great time going out of town for a day and overnight stay. Sometimes you just need to get away to clear your head and rejuvenate your creative being. Now I feel like I can rock 'n roll. Here are some sights from Hendersonville.

My friend Hattie was looking for antiques for her jewelry and artwork. I was the one who found some treasures. Cigar boxes for some ghoulies and Deliverance, the novel. Hardback even. I've only seen parts of the movie, never all the way through even though the river scene was filmed in North Carolina.

I've got some sketching to do, writing, and catch up on some sewing now that I have my sewing machine back! I have some plans for the month but left room to do other things. I hope you hang around to see what goes on in my wild and wacky life.

Garden

My garden is growing. The past few rains have helped. They love it. I have little blooms on one of my tomato plants. And buds on the cucumber plants. I'm so thrilled. I even got out there and weeded some. It feels good to play in the dirt.

Little tomato flowers.

Tomatoes and purple cabbage.

Cucumbers on the ends and peppers in the middle. I truly am excited to be able to finally grow something that I can eat.