Bugs and Mosaics

I have a special spot in my heart for the Fiddlehoppers.

In July I celebrate the Grasshopper.

I have brass crickets and grasshoppers for my hearth.
I like to listen to the sounds of the Fiddlers at dusk.

I like going outside and taking photographs of the bugs. 

I like bugs. It is my favorite part of summer.

I have begun my study of mosaics.

Just getting started.

Thinking of how to set up my work space.

I am reading lots of books

and gathering my supplies.

It might take me awhile to get everything together for my first project. I am giving myself all the time I need.

I like these drawers for organizing supplies.

I like found materials too.

I shall be looking for my tools when I shop thrift stores.

From now on I will be saving any chipped or broken china I have.

I love the idea of Dancing Girls.

I see a set of coasters

from vintage thrift store china.

Could be a fun first project.
Or maybe a tray.
I can always use a tray.

This is cute.....

I think Mosaics are in my future.

Inspired

Our daughter knitted an apple sweater.
It protects the apple while traveling in a picnic basket
or a lunch pail. She inspires me.

We went to a paint your own pottery place for her birthday activity.
I choose cupcake plates and my husband painted bugs for the plates. I am thrilled with them. We had lots of fun crafting.

I began knitting a car blanket while traveling.
The point protectors I used are just common orange rubber ones.
They do the job but are not very pretty.

I have one set of pretty point protectors.

My daughter doesn't have any.
We decided we would have a Krafty Kitten afternoon
and do some jewelry making and try our hand at making
point protectors.

Using Sculpty and a couple of thimbles I made a pair.
We baked them in the oven. My daughter used small wooden thread
spools and filled the centers with sculpty for hers. We used our needles for the right sized holes. I brought mine home to paint.
I am already planning my Krafty Kitten time with my daughter for next year. I am gathering materials to make more point protectors. If we want to we could offer them to Yarn Shops. I think we are on to something.

Portland, Oregon is a very artsy city.
We went to Scrap looking for crafting supplies.
They also have a public sewing place and a power tool library.

My husband found "The Wheel of Time" at scrap for a nickel.
Perfect for the theme of our trip.

I had seen a journal book made from shopping bags.
I decided to make one when I came home for my next year's trip journal.

We had done some shopping along the way so I have a few bags.

I found some nice cotton for the cover.

My daughter found a book of bag patterns and some lovely fabric
at her independently owned fabric shop.

I requested a few books on bookmaking from my library.
They were in yesterday so I shall read and decide on how to
bind my brown paper journal.

Learning bookbinding will be another skill I have longed to have.

While in Portland, I bought a wonderful rock tumbler.
I want to do my kitchen back splashes in gems stones and fossils.

It will take me awhile to acquire all my pieces.

Learning how to do mosaics
has been on my wish list for years.
I shall be in the gathering part of this project for awhile.