Lino n Litho

LINOLEUM CUTS

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(I'd love to own this one!!!)

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I love the simplicity of these prints.
Tutorial on Making Linocuts

LITHOGRAPHY

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Photo (near and dear)

 Lithography- What it is and how it's done.

Just browsing art today. Looking to getting my girls into art classes and started wandering around the net finding these great pieces. I'd love to take a class, particularly in an giant old studio with big open windows and light wood floors. I think the environment plays a big roll in the creative process. I can't wait to hang some pieces by my own lil artists :D

and ps... yeah I'm still here. Just busier than ever

and learning tons! My brain grows larger everyday and with each new patient 

encounter. It's the work ya gotta put in to just "have" that experience in order to make 

decisions in a snap. I can't wait for that bank to build up and get more comfortable with it all, and the only way to do it is good old fashioned time and hard work! It reminds me of the best way to loose weight and stay healthy- Diet and exercise!!! We all know it, but all want a short cut...

must just be how we are wired as humans! 

Dang I'm lovin this "Spoke" album by Calexico!
check it out spotify peeps,

Depressing and good :D

Mix Tape Swap

I was invited by the lovely Miss 'A Cup Full of Sunshine' to join up for a mixtape swap (as offered on her blog). Of course I wanted in... and as soon as I thought about what to share, Mexi music came to mind. I don't think there's any other music that stirs my soul so well. I appreciate a wide variety of music, but the spanish guitar, whether paired with horns (Gypsy Kings), jazzy sounding piano (Buena Vista Social Club), or uses rhythm guitar to basically act as drums (hello Rodrigo Y Gabriella), it just stirs wtihin. 

The mix I'm about to send off is one I've sent off a couple of other times in swap packages, with minor tweaks each time. I started day dreaming of Mexico again as I'm listening. I wanna up and leave right now! Gimmie some bright colors, cool pottery, embroidered and leather goods, awesome music, and food that I could easily eat for every meal (tacos tonight Anne?) haha.

Here's the last time I was in Mexico, celebrating my grandparents 65th wedding anniversary. 

I'm ready to walk into my room and load a suitcase RIGHT now... seriously! Let's go!

A couple of my favorite bands

Rachel, your mix is getting made :D

Happy Sunday Peeps!

The long and short of it

Dang.. just came across a picture of my donation haircut from a year ago! 

A wee bit short for my liking, but it's growing in rawtha quickly! 

That link will take you to pictures of long and glorious hippy hair! haha, I'm kinda missing it

but will enjoy getting there again one day!

Preppy..

 Gangsta! hahah

Have you ever donated? It's a pretty good feeling knowing that you can 

help someone with something that you have and doesn't cost a thing! 

(well except for a haircut- unless you've got a creative friend- ahha) 

I highly recommend donation! :D

Bravery and Laughter

brav·er·y  (brv-r, brvr)                                                              n. pl. brav·er·ies                                   1. The condition or quality of being brave; courage.                                             2. Splendor or magnificence; show.

I work from home, basically, but have to touch in from time to time to an office in a less than ideal area. An area where you exit the freeway and roll your windows up, looking only straight ahead (haha just thought of office space where the white dude is rapping until someone pulls up next to him- he rolls the window up). The only problem is, this shady area is laden with thrift shops!

Thrift shops with Treasures.... I'm just sure of it!!! 

But each time I get off the freeway from that long drive, I just head to the office,

turn in my papers, and hit the road. 

But not the other day, OH NO! I wasn't gonna let a freaky hood scare me away.

I was gonna be brave.

I pulled into the parking lot of the biggest thrift shop I could find

(annnnd where there weren't too many shifty people out front!)

I wandered delightfully around the shop for a bit and did indeed find some treasures:

placemats, necklace, anklet, mexi coasters (these might be one of my favorite finds!!!)

So I left that place in a pretty light hearted spirit. 

I pulled up to a four way stop sign where a guy was about to cross in front of me with his three wheel trike-rickshaw ride. Just then a dog started darting out across the street barking at the now scared rickshaw rider and, just then, to rickshaw's pleasure, a car was pulling up to a stop sign and nearly hit the dog. 

The rickshaw rider started LAUGHING, like "hahah look what you got!"and glancing over at me, we laughed together for a second. That musta ticked off the dog becuase after rickshaw dude started riding away, the dog, who had just narrowly escaped the car, started b-lining through the street again barking at rickshaw man, chasing him. He leaped off his ride swinging it around at the dog, pissed and scared once more! OH MAN! I got a kick out of all this.

Bravery and Laughter.
A perfect afternoon.

Happy Wednesday! 

God's Eye Craft Tutorial

My girls and I went kinda crazy with these for a time...

They are fun to make and simple enough for a wee one to craft!

Materials:

2 sticks

clippers (if you're using branches)

yarn

scissors

1. To start, hold sticks perpendicular to each other.

 Wrap yarn a few times around the middle of the sticks to stabilize them, starting with the yarn on top of the sticks and wrap under. Turn the sticks and wrap going the other direction, if you want, for even more stability of the sticks. 

2. Begin your weaving by wrapping the yarn over a stick,  around the back, and back over the the top. move to next stick. Repeat wrapping. 

3. If you'd like to change colors, cut the yarn you're using close to the stick. Put the new color on top of that loose string you just cut, holding it down with your finger and begin same weaving pattern with new color.

4. To finish, tie a simple knot behind one of the sticks. 

Enjoy!!!

Happy 2013

Hello from a far off land 

where blogging has taken a back seat to real life 

which is playing like a record that doesn't stop spinning. 

It's not that it's too busy... just keeps spinning. And I like the record, it's a pretty good one. 

(though I do miss my bloggy friends)

A little Christmas recap:

Coolest Christmas gift: Targets from our friends next door 

to go with our Red Rider Beebee gun :)

 My lil peanuts 

This New Years,

 I didn't feel that same sense of "CHANGE" on the prowl but more of just a continuance of what was already happening. No resolutions that will fall to the way side, no declarations of greatness... just a follow through. New jobs for my hubby and me, (plus my home health job still), kids going back to school, routines finding their own way back in. 

I feel like this is a time to just go with what's coming and keep chugging along to make it continue. It's not a sad or happy feeling, not any feeling.... it just continues.... :) Though with two new stable jobs, the financial load will be lifted somewhat this year, and that makes me giddy. All I can daydream about is all the unfinished projects in our house that just may get done in 2013. 

We had a fun New Years, hanging out around our outdoor fireplace until the wee hours of the am with friends listening to music, munching fantastic food, and rotating front to back to keep warm like rotisserie chickens in front of one of warmest bed of coals-fire yet. The kiddos came out for the 12 o'clock count down and scampered back inside to keep warm, watch movies, and eventually doze off.

sparkling cider = happy campers!

 Sparklers are thee number one.

 Gorgeous New Years Day...

I'm taking full advantage of the down time I have right now... thinking about picking up an embroidery project that's been on my mind, I've been back to the gym since my schedule is allowing it, and cleaning house. A big change from the 14 hour shifts I was pulling at the hospital recently for the transition to practice program. Ahh, coffee, quiet house, 

and a heater running (aw baby, it's cold outside!). 

Life. is. good. 

Happy 2013 to you- 

may it be a blessed and great one!!!

xx

Happy Customer!

Yet another item shipped off to a wonderful customer! 

Thank you, Rebekah, for giving this thermos a great home!

I thought this was a pretty rad item- makes me wanna have a picnicking adventure! :D

Thanks for shopping with Stitchy Life Vintage!!!

xo,

Nicky