HAPPY TO BE BACK: VERY BUSY HOT SUMMER

VERY HAPPY TO BE BACK,

Even thought officially Autumn has not arrived when September arrives it is Autumn to Moi. This is also the time of Year when My "Sweet Autumn Clematis" blooms. Isn't it glorious this year.  vbg

This past Summer was the hottest since 1950 here in Michigan. I hope we never have another one like it.  It has been very hot and dry across most of the USA.

 I have spent very little time in my garden accept for watering all my gardens which was no easy task by any means. vbg

I have spent allot of time knitting Lacey Scarfs this Summer.  I think I have made 7 in all and this is the one I kept for myself.  This one was made from Moda yarn and the color was called Rainbow Sherbet which I really like allot.  I plan to make some scrafs for Chrissy Presents this year. I really enjoyed making them.  Has anyone tried making these Lacey scarfs??

When we could no longer tolerate the heat anymore we traveled to Michigan Upper Peninsula and there it was in the 70F verse our 90 to 100F plus heat at home. It was so wonderful to feel the cool breezes off of Lake Superior I want to spend the whole Summer on its beautiful shores.

Lake Superior has many Lighthouses but this one was near us.  It is called Port Iroquois Lighthouse.  So very grand. 

In our modern times we now see these kinds of "Windmills" popping up every where. I am not sure I like how they spoil the lovely landscape.

Lake Superior has a reputation of being a very fierce and unforgiving lake. It is a huge lake and many freighters have went down to their watery graves.  The most famous being the Edmond Fitzgerald.  There is a utube video on the broadcasting of this ship being lost and the tribute song,"The Wreck Of The Edmond Fitzgerald, by Gordon Lightfoot. It was neat to hear it again.

This past Summer My Sweetie decided he needed a "Garden Shed". He worked many days in very hot weather. One day Grandson Zack and son Craig came and stay for 12 hours working very hard and helped put up the walls and the roof.  My job was to provide food and refreshments, easy compare to their tasks.  Many Thanks to grandson Zack and Craig. They were all a great team together.   

Below is a photo of the finished Garden Shed. My Sweetie was very pleased with it.

Despite the lack of rain this Summer My Butterfly Bush produced heaps of blooms.  Truly very lovely.

And our Hibiscus Bush also put on a grand show.

I continue to stitch on my Wool Pomegranate Table Rug.  One half is totally completed and the other side is just about done.

This is a photo of the Pomegranate section. I used as many stitches and threads and yarns on it as I could think of.  LOL I can hardly wait to finish it.  It will be a year of working on it this coming November and I promised myself to completed it before November 1st. Fingers crossed.  vbg

I did attended the AQS quilt show in Grand Rapids in August.  I had a super great time and met a new stitching friend named Caroll.  More photos of this the next time. 

Next time I will have a wee giveaway of one of those Lacy Scarf I made this past Summer.. I will also have some photos of exciting happenings.

I thank all My Blogging Friends for stopping by to see me again. I have missed you all.  I am very Happy to Be Back and I am looking forward to catching up with everyone's blog soon. 

I could not resist showing everyone

My Two Very Sweet Nephews Tee and Jack. Those smiles will melt your heart, hey?? They live in South Dakota.  We will be heading west this Fall to visit with them.

Take care everyone and I will chat with you all again soon. 

Hugs Judy

MY ARTISTIC IMPRESSION OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND GREEN GABLES

Hello Everyone,

For the last 1 1/2 years off and on, I have been stitching on "My Artistic Impression" of Anne Of Green Gable House and Gardens. It had always been "My Dream" to go to Prince Edward Island. In 2010 My Sweetie took me on a holiday to PEI. Oh, what a Glorious Adventure we had together.

Above you will the finished "Anne of Green Gable Journal Page". In the journal page you will find, Green Gables, Beautiful Gardens, Haunted Woods, natural Brownish Red Roads, Lover's Lane and the most famous The Lake Of Shining Waters. I truly enjoyed every minute I stitched on this Journal Page. 

The Lake Of Shining Waters was lovely to see. I have included bead rocks along the edges and "Tyvek Beads" I made into wee Logs. I have used the "Ghiordes Knots" to create the grasses along the side of the Pond.  The Leaves growing along side the rocks are made from "Open Base Picot" stitch.

This photo is a close up of "Green Gables". I used "Long and Short Satin Stitch" to create Green Gables.

 The wee round sequin with the bead in the center is made from cotton fabric sprayed with Tattered Angel Glimmer Mist and left to dry.  The the sequin was then punch out from the fabric.  They are to represent the Peonies gardens I saw at Green Gables.

I created the clouds from Angelina Fibers. The spruce trees were created from the "Drizzle" stitch.  The Birch Tree is French Knots with Silken Chenille thread.

  Along the roads we traveled on PEI I saw a great array of truly beautiful "Lupines" in shades of Pinks and Purples.  The Queen Anne Lace is also found in the Haunted Woods.  

I created the Pink Tyvek Bead I used for the body of the butterfly.

The back of My Journal Page I quoted AOGG famous words about PEI. 

"This Island is the Bloomiest place 

I just love it already.

And I'm so glad I'm going to Live here. 

I've always heard 

that PEI was the Prettiest Place in the World..."

Here is a wee collection of treasures I brought back with me from PEI along with My AOGG Journal Page.  If you look at the napkin you can see the scene that inspired me in create My Journal Page.

Here are some lovely blooms from my May Gardens.

My Clematis bush was in its glory this year. There were blooms all the way around the tower.  This is also where the Robin chose to make her nest.  I reckon she liked being surrounded by gardens too.

For the last several years I have been admiring "Bottle Trees".  This Spring My Sweetie made me one.  It took a little while to find all "Blue" bottles but the hunt was allot of fun.  Most was found in antique stores.  

The globe on top is a Iridescent Pearl Globe with lots of shimmering colors that remind me of the "Northern Lights" so well know in Alaska.  I just Love it!!

This is the latest addition to my gardens. Yup, a "Flower Bed".   A man my sweetie was doing electrical work for was going to throw the bed frame away.   Bill ask if he could have it for his wife.  LOL  It was a tattered old white frame.  Now it is a lovely Provence Blue.

In my flower bed I have an antique watering can I brought home with me from Germany.  A bowling ball I sprayed "Purple".

Another Blue Fancy Bottle. Some old antique electrical glass bulbs and last but not least some flowers.  LOL What do you all think??? 

Some times I think I spend way to much time stitching. But over the many years I have come to believe that

 that being "Creative is Divine!

 I will leave all my blogging friends with this wee though. I will be taking a break for the Summer months.

The highest , most joyful expression of the Divine Spirit within all of us is through the expression of our creativity. Nothing is more powerful. Nothing is more self loving.  And nothing is more rewarding than spending your time in a creative and artful endeavor.

It doesn't matter what you create, as long as it makes your "Life" more beautiful and satisfying than before.  This is because all "Creativity" is the "Holy Spirit" moving through us. 

Creative expression turns one's attention away from the "Chaos" of the outer world to focus inwardly for a time and isn't this lovely.  

So My Dear Blogging Friends keep being creative and I will hopefully see you all in the Autumn!

Hugs Judy