Happy 10th Anniversary!

I made this card for my hubby for our anniversary today.  We got married 10 years ago in Raleigh, NC on a beautiful summer day.  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have spent 10 years with George and I hope for many, many more!  Happy Anniversary G!

If you would like to purchase this card click here to visit my zazzle store.

Bird Handkerchiefs

For our anniversary I made George these adorable bird handkerchiefs.  I chose the Woodthrush and Mockingbird because George studies both of them.  Each handkerchief has two of the same birds printed in opposite corners (see below) and I printed them on quilting weight cotton at Spoonflower.com.  I just love the idea of printing some of my Zen Birds onto fabric.  Oh the possibilities!

I had to learn how to use my handkerchief foot (or rolled hem foot) on my sewing machine for this project.  These videos (SewEtcetera and BrianSews) on youtube were very helpful.  I ended up using a combination of both their techniques.  First I sewed 2 opposite sides using the technique on BrianSews where you roll the fabric through the foot to begin.  Because the fabric won't roll well after one side has been hemmed I used the technique on SewEtcetera where you hand press a thin hem and then complete a few stitches before rolling the fabric into the foot.  This allowed me to do the two remaining sides.  I do have to say they weren't perfect and it takes some time to get it right, but it is a pretty amazing foot to learn if you have the need.

Adobe House Illustration

When I got home from Santa Fe I thought, "How can I ever thank our hosts Nancy and Bruce for their hospitality?"  So I decided I would do an illustration of their beautiful house. 

I love the way the adobe houses in Santa Fe blend perfectly into the landscape.  Everything seems covered in a layer of dust that mutes all the colors and yet this allows any color that is not earthy to really pop and feel even more saturated.  And speaking of adobe houses, check out those incredible beams and posts (not to mention the wrought iron light fixture!).

I just sent the illustration off today.  Thanks again Nancy and Bruce!  We had a wonderful visit.

(And for anyone out there looking for a good archival printer, I used my new Epson Stylus Photo R1900 and had great success.  I used their Epson Cold Press Bright paper and the colors were spot on.  I would recommend this printer for anyone doing fine art prints.  The only drawback is the colors are faded on regular paper so you need another printer for regular printing purposes.)

Hand Embroidered Necklace

Lately I have been obsessed by all things embroidered so when I came across this necklace I fell in love with it.  The necklace is hand embroidered by Natalya Pavlysh from the Ukraine and she sells them here on etsy.  It was hard to decide which one to choose because there were so many wonderful designs.  Thank you Natalya - I love it!

This necklace also has extra special significance because George gave it to me for our ten year anniversary.  Thank you for the necklace and for ten incredible years!