Happy Cacti; She's Done! Sunflower Shines With Embellishments. A few extras including a MEME from SB!

My dear cousin Judy is responsible for growing these amazing cacti in her garden. She said the blooms last about a day and come once a year! Don't blink! HCM And Thanks Judy. The Sunflower competition calls the packets of sunflower seeds they sell for charity after the winning art for the packet is chosen Seeds of Hope. I have added seeds of hope to mine in the form of the brown and off white buttons in various sizes. Some small ones on the flower center itself and the rest you see around the inner border. I hope you can see the detail of stitching from these photos as well. (click to see) They were taken outdoors in bright sun and might mute the brilliancy of color just a tad. I feel very good about her, and need only to add her hanging sleeve and story. I'll take her to the art gallery in Davis on Friday next. So excited about branching out to a new area and group. I so appreciate all the kudos you have already given her and me. You make it all the more fun for it! THANK YOU!!!! ************************************************************************************ Yesterday was the 19th birthday of my first grandchild. Mikiah lives in Oregon on his own now, with his girlfriend. He is the son of my son, my first born. He's a sweet guy. I look forward to seeing that family in July when we wind our way home on a long road trip cross country. Happy Birthday Mikiah! ************************************************************************************* One more thing: I spent all of yesterday cleaning up my messes in my art studio (family room); kitchen (part art studio too); desk, oh so good to see wood again; and living room where I create art on the couch. (I added a little plastic chest of drawers for my stamp carving equipment, stamp pads, watercolors, colored pencils and sketch books. I feel so organized. I'm afraid to start anything new lest I make another huge mess again. LOL I just want to enjoy the neatness for a bit. Crazy me! ************************************************************************************ Soul Brush sent me a Meme who got it from Gina... Here goes: 1. What are your current obsessions? Oy, do we have enough time? ATCs of course, making stamps cut from eraser like material/Styrofoam; making art quilts; entering art shows; reading blogs and leaving comments. 2. What am I listening to: Not much, I have left my hearing aides out all day long, so there is a slight muffled sound coming from the TV in the living room, but I can't make out what is being said, nor do I care. 3. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often? Underpants, but I do change them daily. 4. What are you reading? Nothing right now. I recently finished Cormac McCarthy's The Road, and I am still in tears worrying about the characters. I can't get into anything until my grieving period ends. It's the best book I have read in ages. Maybe ever. Really. 5. What's for lunch? Why, do you want to come over? Today I grazed...some low fat cottage cheese, some almonds and walnuts, water...I think that's it. I was too busy to eat much. 6. What was the last thing I bought? This really amazing piece of eraser like material from the art store for carving stamps from. And some ink pads from Wal-Mart that I'm taking back. They are not inky enough. I got what I paid for. The more expensive ones from the art store are VERY inky! I need more of those. I also had to replace our counter top convection oven/broiler, as the door on ours broke. They aren't expensive so it wasn't hard to do. We never use the big range for the two of us. Just this little thing. Works great. 7. Guilty pleasure? I don't believe in guilt. And I haven't suffered any lately. Darn. I guess I am not having as much fun as I thought I was. 8. Sum myself up in a sentence. I am one happy, blessed, lucky, human being! 9. What's your best time of day? Waking up in the morning and getting ready for my day...checking my blog...reading comments, email, connecting with the world and looking forward to what I am going to do with this chance I've been given for one more day! 10. What's your greatest wish? To live as long as I can, as healthy as I can, and to love, and be loved. It's what it's all about for me. 11. What's your favorite way to create art? In my zone...half in and half out of body, allowing my unconscious to unfold without giving it much thought, but following this flow that happens and watch and enjoy the process. Now the rules: Answer the questions on your own blog. Replace one question. Add one question. Tag some people. Enjoy. (I added that)! ;~) Oh, I tag: Elspeth Kelly Cris Mim Marianne Karen S. Sylvain