Diminutive Discoveries

Puppy Love

2009-05-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the reason why I haven't posted in the two weeks: a new lovey! He's now almost 10 weeks old and is as feisty as the day is long! He's spent the last two weeks chewing on me, chewing on the baby kitty (poor Phoebe) and chewing on his toys. He's the greatest little ball of fluff, even if he does have some of the sharpest teeth that are always aimed at your toes!
This is how the cats have been taking the newest addition. The big black one has been living in the basement- when she does come upstairs she spends her time as far from the puppy as she can get. The little one on the bottom has been trying to figure out how to play with the puppy without getting chewed on.
I just found this pot over the weekend- I love the colors and the basket weaving on it. I can't wait until the end of the month- I plan on showing at Allegan Antique Market. Now I need to sort through my stuff and figure out how I'm going to be able to move it all!

Dropped Stitches

2009-04-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

All right, I dropped the stitches and then picked them back up to create the 'corners' of my tote. It wasn't too bad- I only had to rip out two corners to recount stitches. Now I'm working on the pockets. I have the two end ones done and now I'm working on the largest one. I hope that I have (A) enough yarn and (B) have counted all my rows right. I would show you pictures of the bag at this point, but it looks kind of odd. Needless to say, at this point I'm not sure if it will turn out or if it will be "the project we never speak of."

In other news, I had to share with you what I discovered over the weekend, an adorable child's tea set. I have two saucers and two plates to go with the pitcher. I love it!

Thanks for stopping by, I plan to open an Etsy account in the near future!

New Project

2009-04-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here's some looks at the new project I'm working on.

Inside view of the bag

Side view of bag

This last picture is where I have to bind off the top edge and drop the corner stitch, unravel ALL the way to the base of the bag and then PICK UP the stitches- I'm afraid of what's going to happen after all this work. I'll keep you posted.

Computers and Cats

2009-04-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, I think I’ve fixed my computer. The incredibly insane thing has been having issues the last two weeks with running programs, any programs. I have no idea what was wrong with it, but I finally contacted Dell and let them have at it. Magic presto, they’ve fixed it. Love Dell, absolutely LOVE them.

In other news, I’ve adopted a new cat. Some of you have seen my black behemoth, named Misty. Typically I call her ‘Diva’ and typically she will ignore me.

Misty

About two weeks ago a new kitten started showing up at my door. After a few days I fed her (yes, I am a foolish big hearted fool). Well, the cat never left the back deck unless it was to run to the front porch. After a couple days she started walking right into the house whenever the door opened. None the less, I wound up at the vet with cat in tow and I now am the not-so-willing owner of two cats.

???

I’m still debating names, thus far I’ve landed on Phoebe, like the Friends character. I wanted to name her Freeloader, Freebie for short but that was quickly vetoed. Thus, I’ve settled on Phoebe (see the connection, Freebie- Phoebe?). Anybody else have any ideas?

Here Comes the Flowers!

2009-04-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

It’s been quite lovely out lately… even though there’s a forecast for a snow flurry and it’s been raining again, I can see Spring bouncing up on us! I’m looking forward to having some time to enjoy the great outdoors this year and getting down and dirty in the garden. I am even looking forward to hopping on my John Deer and cutting some grass (yeah, I'm a girly-girl and I still like playing with my lawn mower… it’s big, it has a bunch of controls and it's fast!).Oh, and it’s a JOHN DEERE, something I’ve actually always wanted.

Also, check out the new mug I just found on one of my ventures! Stay tuned for more goodies!

Subtract

2009-03-24T18:23:00.001-07:00

I had a lot of fun with this creation. This is more of a play on the meaning 'to remove,' where I removed Jesus from the big picture. Without Him, you don't have the holiday, and He is the reason. After I completed this one I felt it needed a little something more, so I blurred out the surrounding figures of Mary, Joesph and the Angels to highlight the empty manger. Even though it's not Christmas, it's still a potent illustration with Easter coming up and all the mayhem that tends to surround the holiday with Spring Breaks, family gatherings and Easter Egg Hunts. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Please click on the picture to get the full effect!

New Soap!

2009-03-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

I had to share what was waiting for me when I got home from work on Friday: new soap! I first bought this soap at Michigan Fiber Festival last August and loved it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the business card for more! I tried soap from other other people, but it just wasn't the same. This soap, from Annie Goatley is fantastic. She turned me onto one called "Tea Tree" which is an antiseptic and proved to be great for my face. This time, I got a few more soaps to try out, and some of her lotion. So far, another satisfying purchase.

P.S. Check out the plate- a find from one of the last auctions I was at. I'll post pics from the auction I was just at soon!

Intricate

2009-03-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time with this concept- it took me a while to decide on an image to play with, and then even longer to play with all of my options. I love the intricate detail on the wings of the stork, I thought it really added more pop to the image!

Sleeping In

2009-03-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

It’s another rainy, dreary day here. I keep trying to remind myself that it’s better than snow, but after trekking through the rain several times a day for work and driving through puddles big enough to swallow my car, I come home to this…

I swear, I want a cat’s life. Specifically, I want my cats life.

Spring Breezes!

2009-03-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

This is my first time posting on Illustration Friday, and my first time really playing with Photoshop. I've figured out how to use layers and cut out images so I can import different things that I've collected and turn it into something. I look at some of the other wonderful images I've seen people posting and I'm humbled by my little project, but I also know that practice makes perfect. Hopefully, I'll be able to connect with some people who know more than I do and I'll be able to learn and grow through this experience!

The topic is Breezy and I thought that was a perfect time to celebrate the warm spring breezes and all the vacations that start up during the spring. I do have to admit, though, that it seems completely bazaar to go on vacation now when the weather finally clears up and the promise of fair weather is in the air. I would much rather pack my bags and head out when the snow is six inches deep, the wind is howling and an ice storm is coming.

Thanks for looking, and keep checking back. Now that the weather is better, I plan on getting out with my camera and getting some new shots!

Decorating for the Holidays

2008-12-10T16:59:00.001-08:00

I've been decorating for Christmas the past few weekends, thankfully I had the outdoor decor finished before the snow really started to fall! I went with an old-world look this year, with lots of cut greens from my pine trees, Osage Oranges and pine cones.

Osage oranges and their trees have a fascinating history; used by the Osage Indians for bows and other utensils, they were also used by pioneers to create hedges for the livestock (and if you've ever been around one of these trees and gotten swatted by a branch while picking the fruit, I think you'll agree that this is an effective means of livestock control). Check out this website for more information.

Personally, I adhere to the old wives tail that they keep spiders and other insects away, plus I love how they look for Christmas!

In other Decorating News I also salvaged some old white skates in a box of 'stuff' I got at auction and thought they would be perfect outside for the season.

Plus, they have the added bonus of being able to transition from Christmas decor to winter decor after the holidays. In Michigan, you always have to think ahead- after all, who wants to go outside in January to pack up all your decorations? Not me!

Take care, stay warm and check back for additional Christmas pictures!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T15:42:00.000-08:00

I've been decorating for Christmas now, although I did leave one corner of my porch decorated for Thanksgiving (which is not an easy feat for me when I'm loaded down with evergreen branches, hyped up on Christmas carols and buzzing on a decor high)! Happy Thanksgiving, and stay tuned in for some of my holiday decor, and some of the projects I've been working on!

Welcome

2008-11-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Diminutive Discoveries! I've wanted to make a blog for some time now and have spent much of my time planning, plotting (particularly while at work), and pretty much doing everything BUT actually doing it. Well, no more! It's official: Diminutive Discoveries is now alive!

I'm excited to share with everybody who is willing to listen (hopefully, there is somebody...) some of the interesting things I find along the way, such as:

1. Antiques- because there is an entire world of really awesome things out there, and I'm not the only person interested in seeing them (plus, it gives me a great reason to buy more!).

2. Collectible- because, face it, not everything that's really cool can fall under the heading of "antique".

3. Art- because no life is complete with out it!

4. Other "Neat-o" stuff- for the "stuff" that I can't put in the other three categories, but is too neat not to share!