A Cute Pillow, A Wonderful Surprise, and The Supplies Arrive

I made a really cute pillow! It is made from the softest velveteen fabrics that you can imagine. I used my embroidery machine to make the shamrock on the sheep and the pillow, and then I appliqued the sheep to the pillow, in addition to the other embellishment. I did some fancy stitching with my Pfaff 4.0 Expression. Boy, do I love that quilting machine! The body of the sheep is a bit raised to give the illusion of real fur, and I found a fabric that was perfect for that. I hope that you can see how the body of the sheep is upraised a bit! It is just too cute! I love sheep, so I had to do this one!

Then, a friend Marguerite sent me The Teen Now Magazine, which the camera could not catch without a terrible glare, so I will have to just tell you about it...It is a magazine that she sent me because it was a special Twilight issue. I have read it from cover to cover, and loved it. It is looking like Rob and Kritin , who played Edward and Bella might be getting married. How neat is that! She also gave me a fat quarter and some charms.....All just because....Thanks so much! It meant the world to me!

Finally, the rest of my supplies arrived from Crafty Alley in Kerry, Ireland. I now have all the supplies to complete the journal...Yeah!

I got two packages of chipboards, a tin of flowers and other embellishments, two sheets of shiny black 12x12 paper, a bottle of Distress Ink, a large Archival Ink stamp pad in black, which is great when stamping over a background that you created from Ranger Inks, several packages of tags and other items that can then be inked and stamped, and finally some Gel Medium, which is great for putting magazine pics or any pics onto a journal background, as it will make the pics look like they are a part of the page, instead of how it looks when it is just glued on. It is really amazing! So, I am set now.

I will be finished the journal in the next week and will continue to post the pages that I make.

I ordered the supplies for the circle quilt today. I got the Quilts and More Magazine from the Fat Quarter Shop, which has the pattern in it, and then some lovely black and white fabrics, pink and white fabrics, and basic fairy frost white to complete the quilt. Wait till you see the fabric!

I also ordered some crochet books from Amazon UK. I will start the quilt when I finish the journal and get the supplies.

Well, that is it for today....really a lot of wonderful news, and hopefully, your day went well too!

Back Cover of the Twilgiht Journal

I made the back cover of the Twilight Journal, and needless to say, I had a lot of fun doing it. I drew Edward and Bella, and then cut the drawing out to put it on the collage effect that I created . I am having a huge amount of fun drawing some of the characters and incorporating the drawing into the page.

I will have to wait till the two packs of grunge paper arrive till I can continue...BOO HOO! Crafty Alley said that a company in England shipped the grunge paper to them and the packs should arrive today or tomoorow, and then it only takes a day to get to me, as Crafty Alley are in Ireland. There are a few other supplies

that Crafty Alley will be sending me, and I will take a pic of all of them when they arrive.

I will, in the meantime, draw Victoria...She is an incredible character and so interesting. I know some people are upset that they replaced the original Victoria with a new actress, but I think she did a good job. I will be doing a whole page on her, and then I will introduce the Cullen family. I will enjoy drawing her, as she really is incredible!

Off to get dinner on! Hope you enjoy my back cover with my drawing

Page 3 of Twilght Journal

Today is a quiet Sunday for Joe and me. I completed Page 3 of the journal. I decided to draw a graphic style picture of Bella and Edward ,which you can see at the bottom of the page. I used a black sketching pencil and left it like that to give it that graphic novel look.

Tim's Lost and Found Paper is out of this world. All the movie tickets you see come from his paper pack. I just cut them out seperately and formed a layout of them. I am really enjoying using the Distress inks and glossy accents to make everything look older.For all of you Jacob fans, you will like seeing the famous kiss between Jacob and Bella.

We are off to take a walk and to feed carrots to CoCo. Still cool here, but really when we are walking as we do each day, it is so much nicer to have the cooler weather.

Enjoy your day!

Page Two of the Twilight Journal

Here is page two of the journal. I did a whole lot of stamping using Tim Holtz's Urban Tapestry stamps. If you look closely, you will see all of the stamping I did. I love that you get a couple of stamps in each stamp set you buy.

Again, I used his distress inks to make it look old, and this time I concentrated on "The Magic Triangle Theme" which included Bella, Edward and Jake. The two faces on the bottom are Bella and Edward in Tim's Fragment pieces. I love how you can fussy cut anything. I have to admit that!

I like Edward tons more than Jacob, but you can't do a Twilight journal without including Jacob. I still want to include the Cullen Family, Victoria of course, The Voltari, etc....lots more to do, plus I want to include journalling pages, so I can keep a diary of important events and pockets for those special things.

I will do the back cover( both sides) tomorrow. Hopefully, by Tuesday the two grunge paper packs will arrive, in addition to the other Tim Holtz supplies that I ordered.
Gee, I hate waiting for supplies, but that is the way of it.

The Twilight Journal Cover

I was able to complete the Twilight cover even though I am still waiting for some supplies from Crafty Alley including the grunge paper for the inserts of the journal.

I used Tim Holtz Lost and Found paper. I did a lot of stamping as you can see. The tag behind the pic of Edward and Bella hugging in a tight embrace is all stamped,in addition some other areas of the cover. I used three of his Distressed Inks to give it all a grunged look, and his blending tool to get the inks perfectly blended on the paper. The inks were: Distress Ink, Old Paper, Barn Door, and Chipped Sapphire.Boy, am I glad that I got a good heat resistant craft sheet to put on my table, as it does get pretty messy, but boy is it fun!

If you can see at the bottom right hand corner, I used his products called Fragments , which are fragments of glass. You fussy cut any pic, etc from the paper and glue it to the fragment. You then cut it out and glue it to the project, which gives it some nice dimension. I used some lace and other embellishments.

After I made the flower, I used Tim's Sepia Glossy Accent which gives it a great shine and dimension. It really makes it pop and gives it a three dimensional look. Tim's paper was wonderful, as the flowered paper on the left was like a watercolour effect, and the whole look that I wanted to achieve was a collage effect, so easy with Tim's products. Joe took a pic with the camera, but it was hard to catch it perfectly, but you at least will get the idea.

I did emboss the clock and other items using my Cuttlebug, but making it all look old and grungy was the most fun.

The cover is 12x12,as will the rest of the journal be that size, so there is a lot of work on each page that I will have to do.The pics from the Movie, Eclipse came from the Eclipse Movie Companion Book, and of course I picked some romantic pics with Edward and Bella.

It was so much fun making the cover, and I really liked the way it turned out. Of course, using Tim Holtz products always makes it so much easier.

By the way, Tim Holtz is coming out with a wonderful new Sizzix machine called the Vagabond. I will be getting it, as he is coming out with incredible die cuts and embossing folders that I will have to also buy. Here is a pic of the machine. I will preorder it from the Uk and have to put a deposit on it. As you can see it looks like a vintage suitcase. It is all electric, so no more cranking, as I do with the Cuttlebug. I will still use my Cuttlebug when I use all their folders, but all of Tim Holtz's larger die cuts and embossing folders will be used with this gem of a machine. Can you tell that I love Tim Holtz ?Once your get his stuff, it is like potato chips, you just have to get more and more.

Have a great Saturday! It is a cool and cloudyday here , but Donegal is still beautiful and magical, as Ireland always is.

A New Day,I've Been Interviewed, and The Slow Poker Quilter's Club

Yes, like Scarlett O'Hara said, that beautiful Irish woman, "Tomorrow is another day." That's what I said to myself last night thinking on that day from hell that I wrote about. Today. is sunny, cool, but so nice. Joe and I are going shopping in Letterkenny....I am, of course, going with him, support bandage and all. I intend to have a bright and happy day.

The good news is that I was interviewed by Stephanie on her blog A Ditchin' Time Quilts, and you can see it here. It was nice to be interviewed by someone else for a change, as I am always doing monthly interviews for my Stars of the Month. I hope you enjoy my interview and visit and read it, as I think you will learn new things about me.Thanks Steph so much for interviewing me and making me your first interview.

Also, I joined the Slow Poker Quilters' Club. I know I joined the Charming Girls Quilts Club to set goals, and I think they are imprortant, but I do believe in enjoying the process, which is what Slow Poker Quilter's Club is all about. I have always enjoyed the process of making a quilt, especially since I made the Sylvia Bridal Sampler. There were so many blocks on the quilt, and it took me four months to make, but I enjoyed each and every day that I made the blocks. It was the most fun that I had on a quilt. To remind you, here is a pic of the quilt, but you will see this one in my interview too, as I do love it so much!

So I do believe in creating a balance...setting realistic goals, but most of all enjoying the whole process to the fullest. That is what I have always done, so the latest club just seemed perfect for me.

Enjoy your weekend! The dogs are all rested after their ordeal, and are happy as Larry. Joe and I are in the mood for a new day....We do have each other and always will, so I am a lucky bunny indeed! I will embark the day with a positive attitude, support bandage and all!

Do You Remember the Post of the Animal Farm? ......Get Ready for Quite a Story

Joe and I had a bit of an accident. Remember that animal farm I wrote about?We went back to visit a second time in the AM today. Suddenly, Joe saw that the donkey had gotten his leg entangled in a rope that he was tied up to. Being the considerate, animal lover that Joe is, he went to his aid and tried to disentagle him. Well, the donkey was in a panic and was running in a circle, and getting more and more entangled. Joe got to the donkey's leg and was trying to untangle him, when the donkey continued to get more and more panicked and ran in a circle, and the rope went around Joe.That is when I realized Joe was in trouble. I ran to his aid, and then I got entangled in the rope too. The donkey got it all wrapped around both my legs. This was turning into a Laurel and Hardy movie. Instead of rescuing Joe, I was trapped too. We then both fell down.The rope was right around us and boy did it hurt! In the meantime, the owner ran to our help. He got us all untangled, but not before I was hurt. I have a slight miniscule tear to the side of my knee. I then had my knee lock, and I can tell you that the pain was worse than childbirth. Boy, did that hurt! I am now wearing a support bandage on my knee, but my knee thank God unlocked, and I am able to walk. Well, I tried to come to Joe's rescue, but that donkey sure did us both in.

Looking back on the whole event, I am sure that we will think it funny one day, but today, I can't quite see the humor in it. We were both lucky that we were not both hurt very badly.

Well, we had an appt. to take the dogs to the vet in the afternon for their yearly shots and to get their nails cut, so we really had to keep the appointment. I stood on a stool to get into the van, and I felt like I was 90 years old.

It took an hour to get to the vets...It is 39 miles away, but the way Donegal roads are, it took a while to get there. It was a trip from hell with our two dogs. See that blanket that the two dogs are lying on in the pic? Well, we took it with us to put on the floor of the van, so they would be comfortable. Sounds good , but it was not. The trip was horrible! Then when we arrived at the vet's office, I waited in the van with each dog, while Joe took each dog seperately into the vet's office. Rufus the Dufus went first. I stayed in the van because of my knee, but mostly because I did not want to see Rufus get his nails clipped. He is the black border collie who was terribly abused, so needless to say, he was muzzled, so as not to bite the vet and was a nightmare in her office. Rufus might be an angel at home,but with strangers he is a demon. Anyways, Rufus is one of those dogs who hates to have his nails cut and wails and twists as if he is in terrible pain. Boy, did we need the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan, to help us in this instance. Joe says that it took him and the nurse to hold Rufus down, and it was a scene, Joe says, from the movie The Exorcist. Need I say more? Charlie was next, but he was an angel compared to his brother Rufus.

I can truly call this the day from hell...We will not be visiting the animal farm for a long while again, and thank God we have a year till we have to go to the vet again.

I am now sitting comfortably in my lounge chair, with my leg propped, and I am watching The Dog Whisperer on tv. He is saying to use "calm, assertive energy, so the dog's level does not go to level 10".....Yeah right...Calm assertive energy was not going to help Rufus, nor that darn donkey. Of course, Cesar would have handled both situations better than we did, but he is The Dog Whisperer.

Animal Farm and More Supplies Arrive

A small animal farm was set up in a large grass area near the town square of our village. Of course, Joe and I had to visit it. I enjoyed petting the various animals, and was surprised to see an Alpaca there too. I had never seen an Alpaca before in person, so it was fun to see. The donkeys were one of my favorites, as the baby donkey was just so cute!As you can see, our horse CoCo was there too. From what I gather, the animal farm is going to permanently be there, so that will be nice . I am a sucker for things like that!

Also, I received a ton of supplies in the mail for my Twilight project. I was so excited with that! The last of the supplies will arrive Friday or Monday. I can't really start till I get them, as I am waitng for the grunge paper packets which will be the inserts of the journal. I also found out that Twilight, The Movie Companion book is not availalbe, so the book store ordered the Eclipse, Movie Companion book which will arrive on Wednesday. It is the latest companion book, so I will have plenty of pics to choose from to use for my journal.By Monday, I will be able to start. As soon as I get this journal done, I will begin the circle quilt.

Lastly, I got these two siggies in the mail. Thanks to Carol from Florida, who sent me a lovely siggy, and also to Stanislava from Croatia who sent me the second siggy. They are so lovely!

I am off to read a book....Hope you all have a great week!

My Giveaway Winner

Joe used a random generator to pick the winner, and I am pleased to say that the winner of my giveaway is Loredana of Villa Loredana. Congrats to Loredana, and it couldn't have happened to a sweeter lady.!!If you don't know her, visit her blog,and you will have a treat. Thanks to everyone who entered...all your lovely emails were greatly appreciated! I was thrilled to meet some new bloggers through the giveaway, who have become followers,and it is always wonderful to meet new people. Thanks to everyone for two wonderful years, and it truly has been a magical journey for me!!

Today has been the usual cool summer's day, and Joe and I just got back from a long walk which looped around our town. Enjoy your Saturday, and thanks again to all who entered.

Some Wonderful Giveaways

Darlene from Sew Cal Girl is having a wonderful giveaway all revolved around Mary Engelbreit.
It is just adorable, so stop by and enter.


Also, on Little Lady Patchwork Quilt Blog, Stefanie is giving away a City Quilts book and a FQ bundle of Robert Kaufman solid fabrics. Besides the fabric being luscious, the book looks just fab, and the quilts in the book look fab!! Take a look at this one, because you can also win an upgrde to EQ7, if you already have EQ6.



Vickie at Spun Sugar Quilts is giving away an Accu Quilt Go. Join in by July 24th.



Finally, Marie-Madeline Studio is giving away 21 fat quarters from the Flower Sugar 2 collection. That's a lot of fat quarters! Check it out soon!

A Surprise Gift and Some Supplies Arrive

I received a lovely card from Jocelyn who has a beautiful blog called Happy Cottage Quilter. Well, wishing me to get well soon really brightened my day. Thank you so much! She sent me a really cute bookmark and the prettiest FQ you can imagine. I thought of the sky when I saw it. Jocelyn, you are a sweetheart for sure!

Yeah, I got some of the supplies that I will be using for the Twilight journal!!!Friday or Monday, I should get most of the rest of the supplies, and there is a lot coming.

Today, I got the best stamps you can imagine. This is a stamp collection of Tim Holtz called Urban Tapestry, and there are 5 stamps in all. I can't wait to use them in the album. Most ot the stamps, I will be using for the tags and pockets that I will be making for the journal.

Secondly, I got the Glue Glider Pro...Yes, it is pink...I try to get everything I can in pink. My Cricut is pink, and so is my Cinch Binding machine...Name it, it is in pink.

Next, I got some black organza ribbon. I have the red ribbon, and you can't have a Twilight journal without those two colours of ribbon. In addition, I have some lace....very Twilight. Last but not least, I got a pink clipper for my Cinch machine. They cut the rings for the binder. I will not be putting 12 rings all the way across the album...I am putting two on one side and two on the other, and then putting rings through them with ribbons. Well, that was it for the first mail delivery. The rest will be arriving soon! Yeah again!

You can see some of what I will do with the tags I will make in the journal here.

This is the adorable Tim Holtz showing you some of his techniques....All the supplies he is using are being sent to me. Doesn't it look like fun? If you like the video, there are lots more at http://www.timholtz.com/

Joe is picking up the Twilight Movie Companion book on Thursday at the bookstore in Letterkenny. I will read it first and then cut out the pictures that I will use for the journal.
This is going to be lots of fun and fun is good!

I've Joined Charming Girls Quilt Club

Kelly from Charming Chatter has a club called the Charming Girls Quilt Club. The club has tons of activities but also asks that the members set sewing and personal goals. As I have gone through a few months of illness as a result of the shingles, and I am recuperating now, I thought this was a good time to set goals and think of all the projects and things that I would like to achieve. The club members post their goals for a two month period, so the July/August goal is Self Care, so God knows I need to think of that.

Ok, here are my goals for July and August:
1. Not to overdo or allow myself to be stressed out...not good for me as stress can bring on shingles...So, I bought B complex vitamins and with the meds prescribed by the doctor, I will try to not get another episode , because I have been ill off and on since Christmas...Enough is enough.
2. I want to continue walking and hiking a lot as I inherited bad joint problems from my dad..hence my knees are not that good and I have osteopenia, so I will continue walking a lot, at least 5 miles a day,and never skip a day.It will keep my joints moving and healthy. I am buying Sketchers Shape ups, which are sneakers which help you walk more effectively and also help you to tone your muscles, resulting in weight loss . That brings me to #3.

3. Keep on losing weight. I want to lose 28 pounds total, and I am doing well with it. I joined Stephanie's group and we log into her blog Ditchin' Time Quilts on Wednesdays and post to the group how much we lost. I mainly want to also continue to eat healthy.

4. As to reading, I want to finish the two books of the Millenium Trilogy Series by Stieg Larsson. I am beginning the first book this week called The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo.

5. As to my hobbies: In July, I would like to complete my Twilight Journal( all the supplies are coming this week and next week....mostly Tim Holtz products. I can't wait to start that!

In August, I plan on doing a Circle Quilt that was developed by Julie Herman from Jaybird Quilts, and then get the top at least started. I am ordering the magazine Quilts and More on Julie's site this month, where Julie's pattern was published.

In August, I will order the fabric from The City Quilter in NYC and also from the Fat Quarter Shop. I will be using various pink and white fabrics which I will get from the Fat Quarter Shop, and also use black and white fabric from the Michael Miller line( which I will get at the Fat Quarter Shop. Then I will get black and white fabrics that have scenes of New York City on it which will come from The City Quilter. Some of the background and circles will have the NYC fabric...cool huh? I will also make pillowcases in the subway fabric, but that will be later than August. The white circles will be in Michael Miller Fairy Frost.

It should be really nice. I was in NYC many weekends over the years, as my dad used to take me with him. He would buy fabric for his fabric store, and I would be dropped off on 5th Avenue to spend a day in New York. Boy, do I love NYC!

I will show you all the fabric that I buy in August and of course you will see the quilt in progress.

I am stopping there, as far as my goals are concerned,because after being ill (and still not regaining all of my strength totally), I will be happy to complete all the goals I wrote down. It is good to set goals, so thanks Kelly for getting me to think about it.

Irish Giveaway

Before I get to the giveaway, I have to tell you that I saw Eclipse and it rocked.Joe and I went to the Quiet Moment for a meal after the movie and we had a great day! Can't wait to see Breaking Dawn!

Now for the giveaway. I am so happy to be having my 2nd Anniversary Giveaway. I can't believe that two years have gone by since I started my blog. and it has been a magical experience for me. I am blessed to have made so many friends through the blog, and I thank you for your friendships. I hope that you enjoy the giveway!

Here is how you play. To get one entry, just comment on this post...easy peasy. To get a second entry, just tell me that you are a follower, and to get a third entry, just blog about it on your blog and give me the link to the post.

I will announce the winner on July 17th.

I have included the following in the giveaway package:

1. Three batik fat quarters...what can I say...I love batiks! Of course, I included my favorite colour pink...(with a bit of purple).

2. A 2011 Calendar of Ireland so you can see how pretty it is here. I am the lucky bunny to be living here, especially with my Joe.

3.The Magic Of Crazy Quilting by J. Marsha Miehler...It is a fab book, and I had to get a copy for the giveaway, as I love it.
4. A box containing a wonderful yummy toffee collection made by one our local coffee shops called Muck and Muffins, which also has a beautiful pic of our lovely village of Dunfanaghy on the box.....Very tasty!

5. A Guiness Lanyard...If you are like myself, you need to put your keys on that and wear it around your neck, so that you can then put it on a hook by the door. Otherwise, like myself, you will lose your keys.

6.Butlers Caramel Crunch Chocolate. I thought of Gene Black when I bought this one. The chocolate is made in Ireland, and this one is just delectable!

7. Last but not least, the cutest sheep which I bought in our local craft store which is called McAuliffes.This sheep desperately wants a home! He is wearing a scarf which has the colours of the Irish flag, and of course there is a green shamrock on him , and what can I say? He is very sweet!

I will use a random generator to pick the winner, and good luck to everyone. Thanks again for a wonderful year, and the friendships have been so important to me! Since I have been ill, I have gotten so many emails and letters, and I do thank you all wholeheartedly! So, I am in the mood for some fun, and so I thought it was time for the giveaway! Let the party begin!

Enjoy your weekends and many hugs to you all!

Siggies and News

I received many siggies, and they are all lovely, as you can see. I was sewing siggies and mailing them out, and I am down to needing only 10 more. I counted them yesterday, and was going to start to put it all together, but I am still 10 short, so I will wait. Thanks to Marjorie from Australia,Sherry from Canada,Karyn from California,Corinne from Virginia,Ria from Belgium,Mia from the Netherlands,Lone from Denmark, Reidun from Norway, Monique from Canada and Lotte from Denmark.They are all lovely!

As to news about myself....I am feeling much better since I got my latest medications. After the infection went away, the doctor said that I had extensive nerve damage in my head...not too good. I was in pain, and just felt very sick. The doctor gave me meds that are given also to epileptics, and they are supposed to be directly for nerve damage. She said that they could work very well, or not work at all. Well, thank God, the meds kicked in and I don't have the pain anymore nor the other effects that I was feeling. The damage will always be there, but at least I have medicines that help me with the effects of the nerve damage. I was so thrilled to be feeling well....Yeah!!!! I am on a bunch of meds, but as long as they work, that's ok by me. Joe is in charge of giving me all of my meds, and needless to say, he is really taking care of me. I am spoiled rotten!

Joe and I have been still walking each day for 5 miles, and the weather has been very cool for summer weather. I have not sewed that much at all nor done any of my hobbies. I have just rested,played Wii games and read books. I think that it is just what I needed.

This week I am ordering half of the supplies that I need for the Twilight Journal, and then next week, I will order the rest. As most of the supplies are coming from two stores in Ireland(Crafty Alley and Crafty Angels), I will get them very quickly, so by next weekend, I should be beginning.

I found perfect paper from Core'dinations that funny enough was made for the Twilight fans. It is called Core'dinations Jenni Bowlin Embossed Assortment pack in the Vintage Ruby and Black colours. I am gettiing that from Oyster Stamps in the UK, so it will just coordinate perfectly for the Twilight theme.

Tons of other supplies will be coming, including a lot of Tim Holtz items. I can't wait to try the distressed inks, perfect pearls, masks, Tim's stamps, and of course some of his ideology items.If you watch any of his videos on his site, you may want to try some of his products.Tim is really amazing! It is going to be an incredible journal. I am also ordering from Amazon Uk Twilight : The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion, and I will be using some of the pics in there for the journal, after I read it of course...LOL

Hope all is well with you all! I have visited many blogs and can see that you all are keeping busy. Enjoy your week! I am seeing Eclipse on Friday with Joe, so I am super excited!

A Really Neat Swap

Deborah, whom I swapped a siggy with, asked me to swap magazines with her. I thought what a cool idea that is, so she sent me American Patchwork and Quilting, and I sent her theIrish Quilting Magazine, which is an awesome magazine published in Wicklow County. I get Patchwork and Quilting but the UK version sent to me each month, including the Irish Quilting Magazine and Quilt Life( Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims), but looking at the American version of Patchwork and Quilting was so neat. Deborah also sent me a small Americana panel, so I decided to make a mini pillow from it. Both sides are the Americana theme, so that was nice too.It is now sitting on top of the Stanley in our living room, and anything American is always welcome in our wee cottage. Thanks for a great swap Deborah!! I never did that before, and loved the whole idea.

As to how I am feeling, I am much better, and I am back to blogging and seeing what everyone is up to. Next week, I will be getting all of the journal supplies , so I will be able to start the Twilight journal, and I am looking forward to that and trying all of Tim Holtz's techniques, including using my new Cinch machine to bind the journal.

Here it is a bit of a fall day in the summertime, and boy was it windy out there, but we took two long walks today, and I enjoyed them both.

Happy July 4th to everyone who is celebrating!

My July Star

Krista from Poppyprint is my July Star, and I am so happy that she became my star in her birthday month of July. I am thrilled to introduce her to you all, as I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting her blog and getting to know her. She is a multi-talented woman, and such a joy to know. I am totally inspired by her each time that I visit ,and hope that you get to know her too. She lives in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, and I was lucky enough to take a train trip years ago across Canada, so I do know how pretty BC is.

Here is Krista's interview:

A Bit About Me:

I'm a wife, mom, volunteer, environmentalist, caring friend, chatterbox, networker, and adorer of fabric.

I'm a geologist by training, but a quilter by choice! Like so many other creative women I know, I originally pursued a scientific career, but came to my senses shortly after having children. My career shifted to part time consulting and eventually I was fortunate enough to be able to stay home full time with my children who are now 11 and 13. Quilting came into my life about 9 years ago when woodworking became impractical in our new home-I had no space for the tools I wanted and shifted my spare time focus to fabric. Well, that focus soon became a full time obsession( sound familiar?) A beginner class led to a part time job at my LQS. That tuned into teaching opportunities. I joined my local guild and took workshop after workshop...then I became a guild volunteer. Now, I'm the Vice President of a guild of 180 women!

A few years ago, I returned to part time professional work, but then I discovered the wonderful world of blogging. Last fall, I left my job so that I could concentrate on my creative work and start a blog- I wanted to be a part of this incredible online community!

To fund my fabric addiction, I run a small retreat business that consists of catered 13-hour long "day retreats" several times a year, and one long weekend retreat every November for 25 women. After pursuing a very male-oriented degree and working in the field for 8 years, I never imagined a life so rich with female friends and mentors.

What Inspires Me:

Living in beautiful British Columbia is inspiration enough for a lifetime of creativity. I love to travel and take photographs of colour and pattern, both natural and man-made. Sometimes my photos lead to quilting inspiration, other times, I turn to the amazing photos shared on Flickr and quilting blogs. Handwork of any kind ( pottery, cake decorating, cabinetry) is inspiring to me.

I'm an outdoor fresh air girl at heart...I walk, hike, ski and every once in a while, I get the opportunity to paddle a kayak in the ocean or ride my bike through the woods in my favourite summer place, Hornsby Island. Watching my husband build sand sculptures with our kids, baking a delicious dessert, cutting the grass with my pushmower, witnessing my son or daughter discover something new...all of these things inspire me in some way.

What I Love to Do Creatively:

This is an easy one: cooking and putting fabrics together!

My Favorite Fabric and Designer:

No fair! there are so many designers whose work I love and admire. Kaffe Fassett can do colour like no other, Amy Butler puts the Love in Bliss, Heather Ross' work makes me smile, and I often gasp when I see Anna Maria Horner's intricate patterning. Fresh contemporary fabric is what I'm into right now, but that doesn't mean I'll never use the stack of Civil War Reproduction fabric I purchased on my roadtrip to Sisters, Oregon last summer. I also just acquired a Kona colour card and am trying to use more solids in my work.

UFO I Intend to Finish First:

My Flying Fish table runner that I pieced while on a spring retreat with two friends in May. John (QuiltDad.com) designed the pattern for Fat Quarterly's (blog.fatquarterly.com) first edition, and I knew it would be perfect for my Japanese indigo and linen collection.

What's on the Design Wall Now:

3 Different incomplete workshop samples( I take a lot of workshops to learn new techniques , but rarely finish what I start there...)

Who Would I Love to Meet:

In Vancouver 3 years ago, and again in Sisters, Oregon last summer, I met several quilters from Gees Bend. I am deeply inspired by their make-do attitude, their faith, creative work and dedication to community. I would love to sit around a quilting frame with these women and listen to them sing gospel hymns while we make stitches on a quilt together.

If I Had One Wish:

It would be to use up all of my fabric so my kids don't have to figure out what to do with it when I'm gone.

Plans for the Future:

I've been blogging since September of last year and having so much fun with it. I cannot believe how supportive and inspiring the online quilting community is, besides this lovely interview (thanks Micki!). I have another guest post coming up on the Fat Quarterly blog, an original pattern in Quilter's Connection( quiltersconnection.ca) magazine next fall and 3 Flickr swaps to complete this summer(indluding Doll Quilt Swap 9!) We're hoping to return to Europe in the summer of 2011 for some family French immersion(there is fabric in Provence, right?) and this summer, we'll be spending some quality cottage time with my parents in Ontario. I'm on the hunt for a relaxing embroidery project to while away the sunny afternoons on the dock...

Is that an incredible interview or what? I learned so much about you Krista, and it was such a joy to read all about your interesting life. I hope that when you visit Europe, you decide to stop by Ireland...Can I tempt you with our wonderful Donegal County? We have four quilt shops in the area...that means lots of fabrics,and well, for a girl who likes to hike like myself, there are wonderful walks you can take. Sound good?

Thanks for a great interview, and you truly are a Star!

Here is some of Krista's wonderful work.Enjoy the eye candy!