My Favorite Craft'n Buddy

Hi Everyone,
I have been nothing but busy for what seems like months.  I turn around and here we are at the end of July.  Really, summer is so O-V-E-R!!  I know what August brings, it's all about back to school and beginning to notice that the sun is setting earlier and earlier each day.  I haven't even spent much time outside this year with all the cleaning an rearranging that went on inside.  When I am not at work I am trying to put the ole' homestead back together in time for the Fall season.  I have been trying to play in the new craft room so that I can get my crafty mojo going in time for Halloween.  New space, new mojo!  I did spend an awesome evening in the craftspace with my all time most favorite craftn't buddy last night.  Oh come on you know it was the dear granddaughter.  What Nonna wouldn't love a chance to play with her #1!  So here is how it went.  My friend Donna who is a major library volunteer has been keeping Rory in books since she has been four years old.  Lots and lots of books!  Donna knows just the right age appropriate book for any given age.  Donna even gets us prepared for the school's summer reading list.  I am telling you Rory's home library is awesome.  Now my friend Donna who is a co-worker is leaving my office (thankfully for bigger and better things) and it was time for Miss Rory to do something a bit more than her normal thank you.  In my conversation with Donna (who is a true book lover) it kind of came around to how much she love bookmarks (I have even made one for her).  It was easy to see that Donna would love and treasure a bookmark that Rory made.  So Rory and I set out to do just that.  Now, I am a self proclaimed control freak (and everyone who knows me knows it) .  So being that seems to be a problem I decided that I would take pictures of Rory making the bookmark so that everyone would know it was all her and I had little to do with it.  I did this because when Samantha (her Mom) was in Kindergarten and she submitted her battery powered motor into the science fair and none of the Judges believed that a 5 year old could make that type of motor herself, they disqualified her submission.  OK, so that was the right thing to do as there were no pictures of Sam making the motor (that would be, because I built it while she was sleeping and I didn't feel the need to wake her when she had to go to school in the morning) Really, I am kidding, well not really OK! Don't judge me, you know you did things like that too!  Enough, here are the pictures of Rory working hard on her gift to Donna.  I swear the only thing I did was plug in the laminator.

And here is her finished gift:

   Came out great and we can't wait to give it to Donna!  Rory is welcome in my craftspace anytime, it is only one door away from her room now and I am glad there is a space in this house that has all kinds of crafty good supplies to inspire someone to create something.  I am also glad I have a friend like Donna who travels through her life inspiring people by handing them a book so that they can take their imagination for a ride.  Thanks Donna, I am going to miss you in the officespace!
Thanks to you all for visiting,
Lysa

An Armchair Trip To Deadwood

A travel'n friend of mine name Donna (Hi Donna!)took a road trip this past September. First I have to say she is an avid reader and great supporter of our local library. Donna loves to read so a bookmark is always a sure bet for her. When she returned from the trip she had many stories and treasures to share with all of us. But my favorite thing was that she had visited Mount Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood, South Dakota. Along the way she picked up some clover and grass from Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane's grave site. Now ... one might wonder why someone would think to do that. It didn't strike me as unusual at all. My mother picked clover on her trip to Ireland. I myself have little jars of sand from favorite beaches I visited. I know someone who has volcanic ash from Hawaii. We all have a reason for what we do. Face it people if I ever get to the rose bowl parade ... I am nailing me a rose petal. Well anyway Donna asked could I somehow preserve the clover and being a book lover a bookmark was the way to go. Now I know I am being long winded but here is the point. Wild Bill Hickok was a name I knew, I mean I heard over the years. I knew he was some dude from somewhere west. OK so I knew absolutely nothing about the man. Or that Jane woman either. But now after making this bookmark I'm here to tell you all that I can hold my own any day, anytime, in a Wild Bill trivia contest. It was great. From the internet getting all the pictures to make the graphic I visited the current Municipal website, along with the cemetery's website and the local Adams Museum website. I had a blast even before I started the project. My point in all of this is crafting is more than just the act of art and assembly. It can take you to a place where you might not otherwise go. And my thanks to Donna for this project. I learned so much about America in the 1870's and about the Gold Rush too. I am looking forward to making the Calamity Jane bookmark next. Thanks for visiting.
Lysa
ps - Did I mention she picked wildflowers from the feet of the Jolly Green Giant!!! Literally!