Swap Your Stash - March

An online group I belong to has a challenge that I am participating in called, "Swap Your Stash".

There are eight of us in the swap and each month one of us sends the other seven in the group the same pieces of fabrics, lace, buttons etc. Then, we all create something and post our creations to the group. I forgot to take a picture of the stash I received for March before I began to cut and sew. We received so many selections this month that I ended up making four pieces that I am posting here. (The pictures were taken at a slight angle to avoid my shadow)


Aunt Hope 7.5" x 15.................................. Granda 9" x 13"

Coats 6" x 8.5 " .............................................................Freedom 5" x 8"

The Desert in Bloom - Joshua Tree National Park

If you've never seen the desert in bloom, it is a must see. We went to Joshua Tree National Park http://www.nps.gov/jotr/ a couple of weeks ago, but I have not taken the time to post any of the pictures I took that day.


We entered the park just east of Indio and exited the west gate (about a 70 mile trip through the park). The weather was sunny and in the low 60s. A heavy weight sweatshirt was perfect. I have included insets of closeup shots with the landscape shots because it was hard for me to capture just how beautiful it was. The closeups show some of the vivid colors.

Besides the many wildflowers in bloom, the Joshua trees were also in bloom, as were the Cholla Cactus. The Joshua trees are quite interesting and they are in the Yucca family. The cactus are also very interesting and were only in one concentrated area. A pathway was created to let visitors see them up close. There was a warning, however, at just how unfriendly this particular cactus is.

There was one small oasis area where the plant life is watered from underground. The giant rock area was great too. Enjoy the pictures and be sure to visit the park's website if you have a chance.

Missing My Mother - Ten Years Today

It has been ten years ago today since my mother died. Marian Beth "Bonnie" 1/18/1928 - 3/14/1998. Although I miss her terribly, she is always in my heart. After she died, I found "Mother", a poem by Max Ehrmann that I thought fit just what I was feeling.

My Fifteen Minutes of Fame / Article about my Artwork in the Hemet Paper

Erica Shen, a nice young reporter from the Press-Enterprise newspaper, interviewed me this week about my artwork. She had found my work online through this blog, then called to set up an interview. The article appeared in today's paper with black & white photos. The online version has colored photos. I think she did a wonderful job, and if you have time you can read the full article at this link:

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_H_hspot02.44f35d8.html

Sending Fabric Postcards

I made these two fabric postcards recently, one for my sister in law to help her through the winter with a reminder of our vacation last summer in Myrtle Beach, SC.

The second one is for my grand niece, and has a picture of her and a little friend on the day they swam around the Ventura Beach pier as a test of their Junior Lifeguard Class. Quite an accomplishment for these pint sized girls to swim out and around the pier through the break water. Way to go!

Making the cards is a lot of fun, but mailing them is another thing. I wanted them hand canceled so that they would reach their destination without all the ink smearing that occurs with the machine cancellation. I have mailed them from our Rineyville, KY post office without any trouble. But, the postal clerk at the Hemet post office made two trips to the back room of the post office to confer with someone about the cards. Each time he returned, he weighed them, measured them, checked to see if they would fit through a little slot in a template, and then put them in a different bin. Each time I asked him if he could hand cancel them. Finally, he told me it wasn't his job. I had no confidence that they would even go out in the mail, so I asked for them back.

I was successful at the San Jacinto post office. While I was in line, I hoped to get the seasoned clerk I recognized from previous visits to this post office of friendly and helpful clerks. As luck would have it, I did get this woman. I asked her if she could hand cancel my cards. She said "sure", and stamped them both without hesitation. Then she said, "Ooh postcards, neat". Now my cards are finally on their way.