Sunday 31 December 2017

An Eight Stones Week to Finish off the Year


And so 2017 is coming to an end


It was the year that brought our precious
grand daughter Stevie Ray
into this world.


It was the year I turned Seventy
Have to say this was the first birthday
that shook me!


It was the year Grand Daughter
Ashley Rose
turned three
and what a fascinating age that is.


It was the year son Brett found his Amber


Outside of our family circle though
it has been a year of shocking changes
that have whirled around the world.


For me it has been the year of the stone
The year of finding stones both beautiful and ugly
The year of learning to notice just the smallest
and most subtle markings in nature.
I hope I have learned something.

I am finishing the year with a black full stop.
A fossil
that I have held in my hands for years and years.
A fossil with markings so subtle they don't even
show up in the photo.

And now I will probably spend a good part of 2018
to put them all together!

Happy New Year Everyone
and Thank you for dropping by
Through this process
I have made so many friends
and I love having those relationships.

Just to let those of you who might not know...
....when you take the time to comment
my response to comes back to you in the form of an email.


Monday 25 December 2017

May Your Christmas be Surrounded by Stones/Family!


And so the year has nearly gone full circle
Me and my stones hope
you and your family circle
are having a warm and loving Christmas.


Stone circles are ancient gathering places
I hope families all over the world
are coming together in love


Dancing circles around a stone
might not have rhythm
I hope your dance this holiday season
is full of rhythm


An island on a stone
I hope you are not alone but
in the embrace of your families


A plain jane stone
Christmas is definitely not the time to be plain
but to celebrate


Celebrate pink!
A new colour for me to love!


A stone with a bite taken out of it.
Perhaps a Christmas pudding stone.
Don't take too big a bite this holiday season!
Merry Christmas to you all

Monday 18 December 2017

Of Stones and Butterflies


Slowly but surely
I am sewing butterfly quilts
for the grand girls


an old, old pattern
I have always loved


I have never had the opportunity
to make this pattern



My children were all boys
But now I have grand girls
and I am excited to spend a couple of years
making butterflies!
It will take me that long
because I am taking my time
No rush
they are just wee babes for now.


This fall my friend Lynda gave me
a simply enormous rock.
I didn't want to leave it out
so
I sewed two squares together
 tucked a tiny pebble in one corner
and....


....and let the giant of a rock
fill the rest of any available space.
Thank you, Linda.

Monday 11 December 2017

December Stones


Red to me is a Christmas colour
and because it is fast approaching
I sought out a red background
despite stones generally being soft greys and beiges.


Kind of a plain Jane stone
a contrast to all the Christmas lights
appearing everywhere


Christmas gifts are on their way
to the grand babies
It would be so much better to deliver them in person
but travelling at Christmastime is not my favourite
thing to do.
Some stones appear seem to be wearing winter hats


To me this is a funky snow capped stone
or perhaps a stone of Canadian origin
wearing his wintery took!


A rock couldn't get more Christmassy
being made of velvet
and wearing red garlands!


Christmas red
pathways across a smooth rock.


Snow has fallen just about everywhere in Canada
but here it has only managed a few slushy flakes
amidst the raindrops. 

I hope your Christmas preparations are going well.

Monday 4 December 2017

Stoney Beach Inspiration


And so December arrives


And speckled stones still dot our shorelines


Some stones look like the land
or perhaps a map of the land


But all stones reflect their life experiences
as do we


Some are cut deep beneath 
beneath barely visible scars


Some are so smooth
their life experience is barely visible


Others are fragile and so delicate
but often the strongest among us.


As they gather on our Western shores
they get to experience sunsets
like streaks of colour against soft grey skies

This streaky sunset in particular made me think of Mark's skies


Monday 27 November 2017

First Snow Blanket to Warm Winter's Stones


As Handy Hubby and his golfing friends 
watched snow create havoc with
Ottawa's Grey Cup last night
we laughed
But they got the last laugh 'cos
we woke up to our first snow covering this morning.


In honour of Winter's arrival
I decided on a white background.
This could be a favourite stone
Simply love that little patch of darning.


Just thought I had better go on a rock hunt
snow soon blankets everything
and I need stones to finish off the year.


This one could be a favourite too!

A funny thing happened this week.
If you who have been following my daily stitchings over the years
you will remember when my beautiful car was murdered
by mice.
Well....for the last month our Internet has been spotty
and this week we discovered 
that our connection to the outside world
had nearly been destroyed by.....mice!
Those little munchers had chewed through wires at the top of a pole on the road.
Nowhere is safe!


Sometimes just the fabric says it all
and
not a stitched is needed.


Oh, perhaps this is my favourite!
Just love that crosshatched look.


I suppose you can't tell
but this one is enormous and heavy
and....
it could be my favourite too!

But really....
 we love all our children equally,
don't we.

Enjoy your Christmas preparations.

Monday 20 November 2017

One Pebble at a Time


As I loaded up this week's stones onto Tanglewood Threads


I noticed how faded and low energy they look


Very grey


and minimal


Perhaps uninspired even.


And boy is that a reflection of how my week has been!
So strange


The one saving grace is this rusched
rock to end the week.
Things must be looking up!


As stones pile up on the studio windowsills
and despite my grey mood


the wild holly berries....


....are spectacular and abundant this year.

I hope this week brings you some red
some vibrancy.