Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Cats & hearts

Hello Friends ~ Here it is Wednesday afternoon the 4th of January. I’m sipping on a cup of green tea, sweetened with local palmetto honey, served with an almond poppy seed muffin.  This little break is hitting the spot. The muffins are from a box mix bought at Aldi’s on special, so not something they carry all of the time. Delicious and light. I set this little vignette up just for the photo, muffin is now gone and the tea cup is now on it’s coaster on my desk by the keyboard.

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The heart above is finished except for

sewing on a back and stuffing it into a little pillow.

Here it is close-up. Ribbon roses which started out as cream and I colored them with my alcohol markers for coloring silk ribbon. There are seed beads, bugle beeds and fresh water pearls. Plus the rose cameo in the center, and mother-of-pearl buttons. I crocheted the border using Perle cotton. French knots and chain stitch done with embroidery floss. It is approximately 7 1/2 inches wide by 6 1/4 inches high.

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Now for my first new project of the year, painting the black metal hearts that are hanging outside on my front wall.

This photo below was taken right after the cottage was painted last March, so no plants set back up yet. My ‘creative space’ is in that little bumpout room, 6’x8’.

Before

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After ~ hearts painted aqua.

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Now for some cats. These are Zebra longwing cats.

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These cats are devouring a passion vine that I got at Butterfly World last year. There were LOTS of these cats in various stages of growth, but when I went out later, there were quite a bit fewer and I saw a lizard close by. Sad smile

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This was a bloom in October. The vine looks pretty shabby right now, but there is new growth and there are flower buds on it as well. The cats don’t eat those, just the leaves.

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The cats turn into our state butterfly pictured below sipping nectar from Hamelia paten blooms, a favorite of theirs.

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Another cat featured in this post, is Miss Tork.

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Yesterday I was reading a gardening, widow friend’s blog, Gladsome Lights, and she metioned a little book she was given for Christmas. It sounded like one I would love to read, so I went to Amazon and found a used, but in very good condition book for $2, plus $3.99 shipping, so I ordered it. Smile My first purchase of this year. I am looking forward to reading this and enjoying the woodcut prints inside.

Yesterday morning a light rain fell on my gardens, today a heavier one fell, neither lasting very long, but both better than nothing.

I need to mow, so hopefully will have some dry grass to do so before it grows too much higher.

Well, that’s it for now. Thank you all for your kind comments, they mean a lot.

Enjoy every moment you are blessed with, count your blessings, learn lessons from mistakes, love & forgive others.

FlowerLady

32 comments:

Diana Studer said...

that rose cameo would also make a good brooch?

Leslie Kimel said...

Wow, what a beautiful new heart. I think it's my favorite one yet!

Jane said...

Your cottage just looks so cute, Rainey. Perfect for a free spirit like you. The heart is very sweet and the book looks like a perfect match for you.

Hugs
Jane

organicgardendreams said...

Dear Lorraine, the newly painted aqua colored metal hearts look great against the lavender colored background of your cottage. Well worth the work!
I am surprised that the white caterpillars with the black dots wear such an in your face outfit. This way they are so easily spotted by predators.
Love, love, love the blue passion flower. I believe that I can grow this vine here as well and will put this plant on my wishlist right after I have finished this comment.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2017!
Warm regards,
Christina

Deb J. in Utah said...

I love your bead work. You are so talented. So glad that the new year is going well for you. Love from AZ.

Debbie Harris said...

Another gorgeous heart! I so love my heart I bought from you and my mother loves hers just the same. You are so talented.
Your almond poppy seed muffin looks delicious.
It is always a treat viewing your flowers.

Bless you♡

BitsofMoxy said...

What a sweet post to read before bed. Your hand work is beautiful. Such talent.
For some reason your notes of your first for the year make me smile. And the turquoise looks beautiful against the purple.
I never saw a catipiller like that before and wasn't surprised it turned into such abeautiful butterfly. It's a shame at the price of your vine.
Have a wonderful week! Hugs, Jen

Ruth Hiebert said...

The little heart is gorgeous.Hope your new year is going well thus far.

GretchenJoanna said...

I have never heard caterpillars called "cats" - it took me a while to figure out what you were trying to convey :-) because I was admiring those beautiful caterpillars, not to mention your gorgeous heart!! The heart inside you is even more beautiful, I know that.

I'm glad you put up a picture of that book, because it being so artistically pleasing a cover, I wished I had shown it.

NanaDiana said...

My goodness---that is some heart. It is GORGEOUS, Lorraine!!! You do beautiful work. While the caterpillars kind of spook me a bit the butterflies they turn into are amazing. What a gorgeous flower and I LOVE your kitty!!! xo Diana

Valerie-Jael said...

I love your little creative space, so pretty. The heart with beads is very beautiful, and your muffin sounded great. I don't like the look of those spiky cats, thought, although your kitty looks good, enjoying her nap. Enjoy your new book, and have a good 2017, hugs, Valerie.

M.K. said...

I have some passion flower vines also, by my chicken coop, but I've never seen those cats on them -- how interesting and pretty they are! I LOVE your repainted big hearts -- they are the perfect color contrast against the plum cottage color. Great job!
We are headed for very cold weather this weekend, so I'm about to bundle up and stay indoors. Stay warm down there too!

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

I LOVE the illustrations on the front of the book you bought. I am drooling over the heart you stitched. I love the crochet you add to the edges of your work. Gorgeous. The world LOVES a caterpillar but NOT a tomato worm...I was just thinking that while looking at your pics.

Have a wonderful day...it is snowing in Northern Indiana and 16 degrees.
xx, Carol

A Joyful Cottage said...

Gorgeous heart, Rainey. I love it. The bump out of your cottage is so charming. I picture you there, working on your lovely pieces, looking out on your beautiful garden, Miss Tork lazing nearby. Quite idyllic. Enjoy. xo

Nancy J said...

Those hearts are beautiful in Aqua, the new beading more beautiful, and then along came Miss Tork. Well, she is the best, naturally. Take care, don't try and do all the mowing in one go, and I love your words for today.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

Of course I love the colour you painted your cottage and the hearts done in aqua look so pretty. The pink crafted hear tis stunning, so much detail work.
We have to share our plants with the caterpillar stage don't we to be rewarded with the beautiful adult butterflies? I plant extra dill throughout my flower beds for the eastern black swallowtail to use for instar food.
A Gardener's Little Devotional Book is a lovely daily read with thoughts and prayers at the end of each day - from Amazon I believe.

Junkchiccottage said...

Love your pretty new heart. Gorgeous. Enjoy your new book from Amazon.
xoxo
Kris

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

That heart is just beautiful! Nancy

Cheryl said...

Silly me. I opened this post confident that you were talking about cats of the furry, purry variety. I was a little surprised when I realized you were talking of the larva variety. Fascinating, for sure . . . but not nearly as cute! I was glad to see Miss Tork show up. :)

Your beaded heart is beautiful! Your work is lovely anyway, but seeing it up close, I can appreciate the detail. Gorgeous!

RockWhisperer said...

That might be the same variety that I grow here in Oklahoma. It's a native plant and we call it "Maypop". Here it is host to the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. They strip my vines bare every year. It seems to pop up in all sorts of places now, some not so good, so those have to be pulled out. But I do love the flowers. My dad's mother used to always have a vine growing at the end of the porch of her little ram-shackle home, and as a child I always marveled at the intricacy of the flowers.

We are in the midst of winter here, very cold right now but we are expecting a "warm front" to arrive on Monday and bring our daytime temps back into the 60's. Oklahoma winters are generally not too bad, especially when compared to northern Indiana, where we lived for about ten years when our kids were young.

I am 70 now so I know what it's like to appreciate every day when it's possible to get up and around, be independent, and, as Shirley Temple used to say, "very self-reliant". Heh. Hugs and prayers to you. xoxoxo

Stacey said...

Lorraine, it makes me smile to see your Passion Vine and caterpillars. Last summer when our house was for sale, it just so happened that two times when the realtor was there to show the house, we had caterpillars everywhere! She freaked out! We had Gulf Coast Fritillaries all over the Passion Vine. I loved it so much. We also had Monarchs on our milkweed. Can't wait to get into our new house this summer and start planting again.

Those hearts on your little work space are beautiful!

Rebecca said...

Smiling here 'cause when I titled/composed my post this morning, I'd forgotten YOUR "little things" from January 1...
Hey, I REALLY like the color combination of your hearts and cottage. Your eye for beauty - natural and created - is such a gift. Thanks for sharing it!

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

Your beautiful handwork is always a joy to see here ! :)

Amazed to see two varieties of cats here in this post as well / very interesting!

Melanie said...

I always enjoy hearing what you're up to and love seeing the bead work that you do. You are very talented! I think the aqua hearts look so pretty against the purple siding. Sounds funny to me right now to hear someone in the US say they need to mow, as we are at below zero temps right now!

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

Love the Zebra longwing cats! Cool. Also tasty I guess for the lizard. Bleah. Looking good at your place.

KathyB. said...

Your little pillow is so beautiful. I never thought of coloring ribbon or cloth flowers, what a wonderful idea !

The caterpillars are kind of cute in a prickly way and the butterflies they turn into are stunning, but I sure don't want them gobbling up my garden either.

Love the hearts painted that color. Creativity abounds at your home.

jerilanders said...

That bead work pot of raspberries on your banner is just wonderful... you do the most delicate and lovely needlework. I don't know which is weirder looking, the caterpillar or the passionflower. I agree with KathyB. caterpillars are cute and interesting, but they have the appetites of a glutton.

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Lorraine, what a treat today to stop by and see your pretty flowers on such a cold day here. We had snow yesterday with cold temps today. Not something we see often.
Love your beautiful heart. Every detail is so pretty and the muffin looks so delicious. Your cottage is gorgeous and I love the color and what you did with the iron hearts.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend!! Blessings xo

Morning's Minion said...

Miss Tork is lovable--but the other 'cats' shown in your post look like trouble!

L. D. said...

You have such beautiful things on your blog. Plants and cats and wonderful art works. all are so great to see.

Jessica Jarrell said...

I love the aqua hearts you put up, not to mention the purple shed. I love it! I was fascinated by your caterpillars, I've never seen ones like that. I had a lot of lizards in my garden this year and I noticed way less of the little tiny green frogs I normally see. Silly lizards!

I too like buying used books on Amazon. My favorite is when I find books for $0.01. They usually have a shipping charge of $3.99, but hey, that's worth it!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend FlowerLady! 😃

Darla said...

Your artistic heart is just amazing. Such a lot of work and so beautifully done. The book looks interesting even though I'm not really a gardener myself. I am guessing I might really enjoy the illustrations though.