In My World

http://designedtocolor.blogspot.ca/p/calls_22.html

http://challengemehappy.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/challenge-40/

http://www.shopscrapmuch.blogspot.ca/2013/02/sketch-y-friday_22.html

http://kiwilane.com/here/2013/02/new-month-new-giveaways-with-we-r-memory-keepers/

http://cestmagnifiquekits.blogspot.ca/2013/02/our-february-sketch-challenge.html

I love creating layouts with lots of white space so this was a great challenge for me, hosted by Berry71bleu:   http://berry71bleu.blogspot.ca/2013/02/february-challenge-whitespace.html . Here is my layout:

I have had such a great time scrapbooking today.  I did not get as many layouts done as I usually do but that is okay.  I enjoyed everyone that I did finish.  This fifth challenge came from Catered Crop:   http://cateredcrop.com/2013/02/17/star-bright-recipe-swap/ Here is my layout:

I am scrapbooking slower than usual today but really enjoying each layout.  The fourth challenge comes from Child's Play Challenges:   http://childsplaychallenges.blogspot.ca/2013/02/art-supply-challenge-paper-doilies.html Here is my layout:

I really enjoyed this sketch:   http://shopscrapmuch.blogspot.ca/2013/02/sketch-y-friday.html  at the ScrapMuch? blog. Here is my finished layout:

I'm hosting some online challenges today here on my blog, on Facebook and through my Yahoo  group.  The second challenge is from Zeus and Zoe's blog:   http://zeusandzoe.blogspot.ca/2013/02/february-challenge.html Here's my Love layout:

I'm hosting some online challenges today here on my blog, on Facebook and through my Yahoo group.  The first challenge comes from Scrap It Girl http://www.scrapitgirl.net/index.php/2013/02/03/new-month-new-challenge/ I'm looking forward to seeing what all my buddies do with this challenge.  I took it literally and cut out a piece of canvas to serve as my background.

It is finally finished!!!  The top was created by my sister, Nancy, and she started the quilting process.  I finished this beauty off just the other day.  Nancy and I have decided to donate this quilt to the Pink Scrappers Relay for Life team to raffle off.  I'll be off to get the paperwork done and tickets printed this week and hopefully start selling tickets this weekend at the Crafters Market.  The winning ticket will be drawn during the Relay for Life in St. Thomas. This has been a week for finishes and I hope you don't mind that I am going to share a few more over the coming days.

Love the way this mystery knit-along dishcloth turned out.  Glad it wasn't any bigger though because I had only a few inches of cotton left.  I think this pattern would make a great afghan.  I participate in this kal twice each month at Monthly Dishcloths at  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonthlyDishcloths/   You can also find most of the patterns (but not this one) at  http://monthlydishclothoverflow.blogspot.ca

My sister, the quilter, sent me the link for a pattern to make adorable sock monkey sock cozies with a broad hint that she really really liked them.  Her birthday and her hubby's birthday are both at the end of January so I made two up for them.  Nancy's has more hair than Dougie Dear's does . . . LOL . . . But they live in a different town.  I was in her town last weekend but she forgot all about me and didn't answer her phone when I called (she says it was shut off).  So the sock monkeys are sitting on a shelf here until the next time she comes home for a visit.  Just to tease her I'm sharing a photo of the little darlings here . . .

Last week I travelled with a group of my crazy crafty friends to visit the Art House Studio in Cambridge, ON.  What a great adventure!  The owner, Karen Ellis, greeted us all very enthusiastically.  We enjoyed a bit of time ooooooo'ing and aaaaaaaaah'ing over all the art work and supplies in her beautiful store before settling down for a class.  For all of us it was the first time working with Gelli Plates but we were all experts pretty quickly and tried all kinds of colour combinations and techniques. We will definitely be going back again and again . . .

Another mystery knit-along dishcloth finished.  This one is called Snow Drops and I really love it.  If you like the pattern you can check it out here  http://monthlydishclothoverflow.blogspot.ca/2013/02/feb-1st-kal-day-6-final.html

Because I don't have enough projects on my Dreaded To Do List Already (yes, I am being sarcastic . . . LOL) I decided to challenge myself to do the Afghan Block of the Month at  http://www.crochetmagazine.com/crochet_block.php?id=11 .  Here is the January block which I think is rather adorable. It was quite simple to do and I think it is very pretty.  No idea what I'm going to do with the blocks when I'm done . . . perhaps make a throw or afghan or something crafty.  But you know I can't resist trying a new pattern.

Another block finished for my Oddball Afghan .  Some of the blocks have been very very challenging.  The Dance was nice and simple.

We are having a snow day . . . and Hal is on the road until sometime tomorrow.  The house to myself and no interruptions.  I am quilting.  And I know I'm not the only one.  My sister Nancy just posted on her blog http://thethriftyquilter.blogspot.ca/2013/02/snow-day.html . One of the items on my to do list is to finish blind stitching the binding on this quilt.  My sister made the top, sandwiched it, started the hand-quilting . . . and then passed it on to me to finish.  I'm okay with that.  Hand sewing is a favourite pastime of mine.  When I finished trimming the edges of this quilt I had just enough leftover material to make matching binding.  Yeah!!  Now I just have lots of stitching to do . . . and blind stitching is sooooooo slow.  But I am so thrilled about how good this quilt is looking. I don't have a recipient in mind for this quilt yet.  I was thinking about donating it to The Pink Scrappers Relay for Life tea...

Many years ago I taught a 10 class program called Brain Freeze Rescue Kit by Jenna LaRose.  The idea of the program was to introduce design strategies and fixes for less-than-optimal scrapbooking layouts.  I actually taught this program several times and I don't think I am exaggerating to say that some of the most talented scrapbookers I know took these classes.  Each class was a new design concept, fun and games to reinforce the new concept and then a two-page layout to actually use the new concept. Well it has been a FEW years since that time and I am starting to get hints that some of the locals would like to take these classes.  I pulled out the manual and quickly realized that the program is very dated now.  New ideas and new techniques and new products have popped onto the scene.  The basic program is still very good but it really needs an upgrade. So now I am doing research . . . lots and lots of research.  And organizing my resear...