This post is my 198th.  Since Fleur de Lis Quilts blog is about to see it's 200th post, I think there's cause for a celebration.  What do you think?  What should I consider in the way of prizes?  

Some of my ideas for prizes: 

• die cut fabric blocks
• fleur de lis applique
• gift certificate from my Etsy shop
• fat quarters

I'll use rafflecopter.com again because it's a fabulous way to hold a giveaway.  It just makes so much sense to go the easy route!

Leave a comment letting me know what you think!  If you have an idea for something different, please make the recommendation.....I'll consider it!

Happy Quilting,

Mary

Etsy Shop Profile: Shazzabeth

1. Explain how the name of your Etsy store came about.  My name is Sharon with middle name Elizabeth, so Shazzabeth is a play on amalgamating these two names.


2. Where/when did you learn to make such beautiful jewelry?  I am primarily self taught. I started with a couple of classes at the local craft shop to learn the basics, and everything learnt since then has been through tutorials, in books, magazines and online. Once I have learnt a technique I like to play around and experiment with it. I don't follow tutorials as they are because I'm not interested in repeating someone else's design. I may use them to learn a new technique but then I come up with my own design.

3. Do you have any favorite techniques?  I love both chainmaille and wirework. I decided fairly on to focus on these two areas of jewellery making, the theory being that I would prefer this to being "a jack of all trades, master of none" in terms of jewellery making techniques. Thats not to say I am a master of either of these techniques yet. Having said that I have recently started working with pmc too as I think this is a good fit with both the chainmaille and the wirework.

4. What are some of your favorite designs?  That's a difficult question to answer because my favourite part of jewellery making is in coming up with new designs. I love the process of coming up with ideas and thoughts and then seeing those ideas grow and evolve into a completed piece of jewellery. For this reason most of my designs are one offs. Of my current pieces I would have to say my favourite designs are my Blue Kyanite Flower Necklace and my Oceania Necklace.

5. How would you describe your creative process?  My creative process can vary so much from piece to piece. Sometimes I have a very clear picture in my head of a design and it is then just a process of trying different things until I make my idea work. At other times I might have a slight idea of what I am aiming for but the piece and the design actually evolves as I am working it. I'm not afraid to discard along the way as I am not the sort of person who will settle for 'that will do'.6. Who has influenced your art the most? In what way(s) did this person influence you?  There hasn't been any single person. I think what has helped the most has been being part of a beading forum. This has challenged me to push myself, to not be afraid of trying new things, and to think outside the box. It has also helped to receive constructive criticism along the way.What does handmade" mean to you?  To me handmade means, original, quality, and made with love.Visit Sharon and see more of her beautiful jewelry at http://www.etsy.com/shop/shazzabeth.  Can you pick out a favorite?  I would definitely struggle to choose just  one piece, after all, there are so many to choose from!

Back to the farm!

It's been quite some time since I posted anything about our farm animals.  It's been so very hot that going out to take pictures seemed like so much effort.  


The cooler weather has changed that.  We've walked a few times in the last week and Sunday afternoon I decided to shoot a few pics.


This first picture is of goat #8. She broke her leg some time ago and Richard set it then made her a cast of dowel rods and white duct tape.  She walks on it now and we're about to remove her cast.    She is so sweet and cute.  She loves to be hand fed.  I pull grass and feed her through the fence.

 Of course, they all love to be hand fed!  Walk out to the fence and they come running.  Getting pictures is fairly easy,  except the bigger goats stand up against the fence and  get in the way.  One managed to lick the camera!

The ducks are a mess!  

Look at the feathers they leave everywhere. 

The chickens are almost old enough to begin laying eggs.   I can barely wait to start eating the first yard eggs.  

The one rooster is a hoot.  He crows at all hours of the day and well into the evening.

This cat is only as big as a kitten.  When he was first born, a wild tomcat tried to kill him.  He was bitten on the back of his head and managed to survive.  Six months later and he's tiny--hasn't really grown a bit--but just as cute as can be.  His name is TeeTiger, here in Louisiana we've shortened the French word for small, petite, to just tee.

We've tried to catch TeeTiger, but he's just as wild as the male that tried to hurt him.  Without the zoom, there's no way to get a photo.   Isn't he the cutest, though?  Any ideas on how we might catch him? I would love to tame him to be able to protect him.

German Fest

Music and dancing.....Polka!

In a small town in south Louisiana, Robert's Cove, there's a small Catholic church that holds a festival each fall.  The purpose of the festival is to raise money for St. Leo's and also to celebrate the German heritage of many of the families in the area.  

In the museum

Since Robert's Cove is so close to Rayne--only a few minutes away--Rory and Meggan invited us to visit them and go to the festival.  We expected a small church fair, but we got a great surprise!  The festival is really big, covers a few acres of beautiful grounds with large oak trees and even larger tents.  

The blacksmith at his anvil.

The children's games, of which there are many, are free so children run around in groups from one area to another, blowing bubbles, climbing the rock wall, jumping and sliding on the jupiter jump, riding the train, the hay ride, and tractors, making castles in the huge sand pile, writing with sidewalk chalk.....there's just so very much for kids.

Check out these costumes!

For the grownups there's wonderful food, German beer, a museum, crafts and gifts, dancing, vintage equipment, a working blacksmith, and many, many people to chat with, some dressed in traditional costumes.

Our nieces

Cousins

Poppa and Sophie

Fun!

We had so much fun, we've already decided 

we'll try to return next year!  We'll just bring more family.  :-)

Another one done!

I finished Adrienne's ballerina quilt this afternoon. This despite not getting to work on it at all yesterday. 

I took these photos in the back yard in some of the most beautiful fall weather.  

 I sure hope she enjoys it. 

What do you think?

Cotton Quilter's Quild Quilt Festival

I am a charter member of the Cotton Quilter's Guild, which has a Festival of Quilts each year in October to help support the Cottonport (La.) Museum.  This year's show has 120 quilts in several divisions.  


I am happy to say I won a third and a fourth place ribbon.  I couldn't possibly photograph all of the quilts, but I was able to snap a few pictures.  I hope you enjoy them!

Dresden Carnival (one of my quilts)

Division winner!

A deserving winner!

Paisley in Pictures (another of mine)

The cats are just so much fun, I couldn't resist.

The photo does not do this one justice.  I love it.

I really like this one and snapped a photo because I hope to recreate the pattern.

Etsy Shop Profile: Black Cat Hill

Today we get to say hello to Delaney of Black Cat Hill an Etsy shop that sells vintage items.  Since I'm so into vintage right now, I've been enjoying browsing through her beautiful shop.  It would be difficult to choose one favorite item, so I chose five!  Check out these photos!

1. What kind of items do you carry in your etsy shop?   I'm instantly drawn to tarnished silver, chippy paint and rusty wrought iron. I love things that really show their history, scratches, chips, and all. When things are not only beautiful and unique, but also useful everyday, I have a hard time letting it go. We hunt for things like farmhouse decor, old books, and tarnished silver. My father and I also make rustic style furniture and signs from reclaimed wood. 

2. What are some of your favorite designs or items?   Sometimes, when I find something I really love, I keep it for myself. I'm sure every vintage seller does this. I'm currently collecting white dishes and pretty much anything to do with birds. But I go through phases, so who knows what I'll be after in a few months. ;) 

3. How would you describe your creative process?  Vintage selling doesn't allow for much creativity, but I also work in photography and multi media artwork. I love that I can find unique old things and use them as props for a shoot. 

4. Who has influenced your art the most? In what way(s) did this person influence you?   I was raised by artists, and I grew up around artists so the influences are probably endless. Growing up, my dad used to give me cash for birthdays and a ride to the local thrift shops, so that's probably where my love/obsession for all things vintage comes from. But it was my mom and grandmother who taught me how to spot an estate sale from a mile away. ;)

5. What does "handmade" mean to you?  In a word, unique. Even if an artist tries to duplicate an item, it will never be just as the original. Handmade means you can see the craftsmanship and design that goes into something. It means that my handmade item is the only one in the world. 

6. Is there anything else you'd like others to know about yourself or your shop?   Mostly that Black Cat Hill isn't my only shop, and that I'm constantly delving into new things. I also love vintage clothing (AnotherSeason.etsy.com), and art is a huge part of myself. I started with photography (DelaneyLaFae.etsy.com), but I also can't help but explore early styles of art (WolfPackTribal.etsy.com). And just because I haven't totally worked myself crazy, I'm opening a soap shop later this year (SylvaPagana.etsy.com). 


Leave a comment to say hello to Delaney and click here to visit Black Cat Hill.