TY postcard for the PILs

Um yeah. I know there's probably a slicker way to lay this out, but I don't have time to figure that out right now. BUT, I do have time to stay late at work to make my lovely parents-in-law this thank you postcard. Yes, the favorite, free and handy cardboard again. Cranes - they mate for life. And the message was based on a conversation we had when they last visited. I hope they remember. I think T will. So this convo. J and I were walking to see art and I says, "hey, I'm gonna tell you the 3 most awesome things about you and the 3 least awesome. Won't that be fun?" Man, what I find fun just ain't what many other people find fun. J humored me. I start with a big one, a beautiful one, "I think you are truely kind." That's some smooth flirting right? Maybe bring a tear to your eye? What do I get for a response, "great, kind is boring." Wa!?! I obnoxiously try to define the word for him (surely he doesn't understand the meaning of the first word I would use to describe the best thing about the human being I have chosen to spend the rest of my life with). Yeah, that part was less flirty. So we get back to our apt. and the P-I-Ls are there and I ask my MIL what 3 adjectives she would use to describe the best things about her son. First word, "Kind." Take that sucka! You's kind. Eat it! I'm callin' it. I think I won that argument. Soooo, I used that conversation as a basis for the TY postcard. My PILs are awesome. Let's see, I said: Kind, True and Fun. The Fun is true, but not really what I first thought of. I wanted to write Human, but that seemed sort of obvious. Or an imperfect way of saying that I love the imperfection of humans. Oh yeah, and then laminated the whole card.

Wittgenstein chicken B-day card

I received an invite to celebrate the full moon and a new friend's birthday around a firepit in the secret lower yard. It was pretty cool. We heard some loud, strange animal noises. Sounded like amplified distress to me. Brave, woodsy westernmassers went to explore. They suggested raccoons or foxes in one of those metal tube things that water typically runs through. How clever of these animals to amplify their cries in an echo tunnel. So. I drew and painted and colored this chicken on cardboard. Then I wrote down many original quotes to amuse this friend. J kindly warned me that I could do better. I gave up and was going to use an old stand-by Wittgenstein fav, but thought it sent the wrong message. I searched W quotes to find one that suited a chicken. Then I cut bits of scratchy shaped pieces of paper to form letters, ya know, like the chicken did it. Modge podge on hand, so better layout. Some checkered fabric tape on ends then laminate. Yup, that was her present.

bookmark for B

I have a great friend. Actually, I have a small group of totally awesome friends of which she is one. This was fast and dirty. I had these small cat prints from Maeg Yosef/Edison Rex and enjoyed them in my office, but couldn't decide if I would frame the trio or frame each 2x3 separately. Crafting lead to book talk as it often does. And a book from my free pile fit the bill. Check that! Free pile blog post combining with a making post, right on. Anyway, was bringing the book to craft night and made a bookmark to hide inside. One of the cat prints + handcut vellum letters on paper, laminated. I say dirty, cuz I woulda been fussier about layout, but the modge podge was at home, so had to place the letters on the laminate sheet, add the print and then background paper. Not too bad, but I want to make this friend something amazing because I am lucky to have her in my life.

coloring DPS certs

I doodled a template for the DPS show sold paintings. J helped me in photoshop and put 6 on a page. I printed 7 pages and hand cut each. They were ok. It would serve the purpose. I wasn't thrilled, but I don't always have time for creating thrilling. They were sitting on the table for about a week before the show would come down. While eating lunch I decided to try coloring one in with the colored pencils J had. It was fun. I decided to do them all. No duplicates. That's it. But still waiting on inspiration for the structural and honeycomb patterned thick chunks of cardboard on the table. We'll see what they end up being used for.

laminated homemade mother's day postcards

I'm at work right now, in my cozy little office. It's pretty sweet. Neither J or I wanted to run out to buy mother's day cards, so I decided to make 'em. Made the Buddha one first for J's mom. She could use some peaceful wishes right now. My Mom loves Egyptology (is that a word) I have heard her use it, but I have heard her use many words that aren't really right, what with English being her second language and all. I have no idea about the caption. Was trying to think of something clever to use Mutti (that's what I call her) and Tut in a sentence but nothing. Then just wrote that. I do hope her mother's day is chill though. My brother can explain what it means.

Remembering Embroidering

My first embroidery and applique project since childhood. It's been so long that I had a weird relearning experience. This project took a while and as I went along I kept figuring out things I already knew. Oh yeah, I didn't have to look on the internet for an applique tutorial, I've done this a million times. See the patch on this old pair of jeans I'm wearing, that's pretty much applique. Anyway, I'm working on and planning for more sewing projects both practical and artistic. My SIL is having a baby this month. I'm not really a gushy OMG loves babies kind of gal, but a new person who will be in my life as long as we're both living is interesting. So in honor of this ordinary and momentous occasion, I decided to make my lovely SIL a gift. I blogged already about how crafty and thoughtful she is. Anyway, it came out ok. I'm not thrilled, but what with the hours and hours I spent, she gettin it. I'm including a note about my intentions and letting her know it's all right if she hangs it in the closet. Like the cookies, owls and green and yellow are her theme. Momma owl is purple, SIL's fav color. Baby owl is green. And the tree represents my BIL. I think that's my favorite thing about it. I'm a big fan of my BIL and he is strong and steady. And an E + B in a heart carved into the tree. I hope they don't hate it!

Brown paper packages tied up with string

I have to admit, The Sound of Music and packages had a huge influence on me. I don't know that it was the first movie I saw but it is the first one I remember vividly. Our whole family went to a movie theatre in downtown Holyoke that is no longer there. As a poor immigrant family, this was a special outing. As the daughter of German immigrants this film's story was elevated to something almost religious. I have seen the movie tons of times and can sing all the songs, because of course we had the LP and it was on heavy rotation. Anyway, I just said all that to tie the title to my post and pic. One of the most magical things I remember about my childhood is sending and receiving packages to/from Germany. We received a box from my Tante Helga (mother's sister) every Christmas. The packages were so exotic and exciting. Everything was different from what I knew. The writing on the package and even the numbers of our address (German 1's look more like 7's and 7's need a line through them to clarify). Then of course the wrapping paper, labels, beautiful ribbon and presents I had never seen in a store or TV commercial. I could go on, but want to talk about our packages to Germany. My mother is a Jedi master of packing and spatial relations. She can meticulously get the most amazing amount of things into one box. And to pack every inch with goodness she would buy crazy things and put them in plastic bags (pre styrofoam peanut waste). I would always help because this was a drawn out process. Presents were bought and wrapped and then the padding which consisted of things like bags of Lipton tea, and instant oatmeal packets. I couldn't figure out why we would send those things but I think it's refugee thinking and really, it will get used. That whole process alone was awesome but then the outside was next. My mother would cut up brown grocery store bags and wrap the outside of the box and then tie it with string in this butchery way that blew my mind. Where she learned to loop and pull and tighten and create this grided box for shipping is beyond me. I could not do it today if I tried but I bet she could, even though modern times no longer require this method. Brown paper packages tied up with string - these are a few of my favorite things.