Make Your Own Buttons

Hoo-Boy, I really love these buttons! I was browsing CraftStylish and fell for the project only to find that it's designed by my favorite CraftyPoder, Diane. No wonder I like it. Bag makers take note. It's the details that count and this one has some of my favorite attributes. It's interesting, cost effective, green, materials are easily available and the step by step photos and text are great.

See what I miss when I walk away from the computer for a period of time? Sometimes I just have to do it so I can hear my own internal voice.

Printable Butterfly Paper Craft

My favorite Queen of Paper, Patricia of Agence Eureka, has shared two pages vintage butterflies on her flickr page. She even cleaned the images and offers them without the backgrounds. In her blog comments she says that they are meant to have motion but she may have used a paper that is too heavy.

Newspaper Seed 6 Packs

When I was with the Friends of the Scappoose Library seedlings were our best sellers at our spring booksale. This tip would have helped to save us from a shortage of recycled pots. Brought to you by Little House in the Suburbs. Check out her printable Garden Planners.

Entrepreneurship

Been studying at Stanford University's Entrepreneurship Corner. Great lecture videos and podcasts. May as well learn from the best.

Lampshade Ideas

Lately I've been very interested in lighting of all kinds.
Love this faux capiz shell idea by Monica Ewing of Craftynest.

There are 4 lamp ideas at G-Whang's Digi-Fab Documentation. Instructions and EPS drawings are shared. This is a student project page.
This lampshade is called Rain.

Currently

I've been worried about what it is exactly that I will do with my future. While I was stressing and not coming up with any good ideas I just stopped any effort at creativity. I had forgotten that I live a charmed life and that something will happen if I only move forward with my life.

I'm working with this silk which was a gift from my father's partner, Jen-Chi. It's a lovely pink satin that was embroidered in silk by her mother, Su Chen, sometime in the 20's. On first sight I thought that it couldn't be hand embroidered because the stitches are so fine. I've gotten so much joy from studying the back seeing her long stitches often couched and the remains of her pencil marks on the front. I'm hemming the edges and adding rod pockets so that it can hang behind my headboard.

Here I am with my friend, Judy (wearing the hat), and her grandaughter, Mackenzie, who is a terrific softball player.

Grow Tomatoes Upside Down

So Sorry

Thanks to all who left comments and sent messages of concern regarding my absence. I'm fine and getting better every day. Moving, starting a new life and suffering winter pain even in California has been overwhelming and I had writer's block in a big way.

I feel as if I've been simmering. Dreaming of what my future life will be, fighting my own ageism. Asking myself "What do you mean, you're going to start a whole new career?" That's really being a late bloomer.

I have been collecting some interesting blog fodder on my travels and will start posting some of that.

I hope you will forgive me my very rude and selfish behaviour. I am among the luckiest of women to have friends such as you.

Hugs and much love,
Kathy aka meggiecat