Let's Celebrate National Pig Day with Emmitt!!!

Let's celebrate ‪#‎NationalPigDay‬ today with Emmitt!!!

Here is to the pug who started it all! 

xoxoxo

Melissa

Crewel Embroidery ~ From Wall Flower to Wildflower Garden!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I am so excited to show you my latest project that I just finished!

It is a Fiber Wildflower Garden that has been waiting to bloom for over a decade!

There is a FUN story of how it came to be!

About 10 years ago, I bought a vintage 1970's crewel embroidery kit from Ebay to learn how to embroider and create a beautiful garden all at once!

This 12 x 12 square is actually only half of the giant kit that I started many years ago.

Embroidery is a wonderful craft that takes a lot of time and attention to detail that I guess got pushed to the side as other kits, projects and paintings presented themselves in my heart and hands over the years.

While cleaning out my craft closet this Spring I found it again and saw the wonderful stitches I had started with Emmitt by my side so many years ago.

I looked at Archie and thought, what a wonderful Summer project this would be to finish the part I had started and make it into something new for our sun room.

I had an idea in my head that I wanted it to be a fiber creation that grew on a 3-D garden wall just like you would find outside.

I knew it would take more time than just the Summer to finish the whole kit, so I decided to focus on completing the half I started and cut the other part off to complete at a later time if I decided to.

Like life, when making art... there are no set rules.

Make every piece your own so that it is FUN for you to create!

My twin sister Melanie is not only an amazing fiber artist, but also a gifted gardener!

Look at her real wild flower garden!

She inspires me everyday and after seeing her living work of art, I knew just how I wanted my garden wall to look!

To combine the other fiber arts I love to do... fabric collage and crochet, I decided to add felted wool shapes cut out like leaves to finish the flowers and crochet an abstract painting along with Strings of Pearl succulents to complete my garden wall.

I wrapped the crewel embroidery around a 12 x 12 x 2 canvas and then mounted the crochet abstract fiber "painting" to a 16 x 20 x 2 burlap covered canvas.  

I hung the embroidery onto the larger canvas and then covered it with the crocheted succulents I made.

Ta Da!

This is my new fiber garden creation!

I just love how it turned out!

I found the perfect wall to hang it on that I can see from every angle and corner of the room.

It is also hanging right by the door where we go out into the backyard so it feels like you have either brought the outside back in with you or you are taking a breath of anticipation of what you might see when you go out!

I am really happy with how it turned out!

It also feels good to finish an old project that if i finished back when I bought it, would never have been made into what it is now!

How wonderful to know that everything blooms when it is supposed to in its own time!

xoxoxo

Melissa and Archie

Flying High ~ My Butterfly Hallway

Happy Thursday everyone!

I was recently inspired to find some butterflies to decorate my picture hallway.

I had some pretty wooden butterflies that I found at an art fair last year on the adjacent wall so, I wanted to find something to match. ;)

As always, my first stop for art was Etsy and I hit the jackpot when I found these little wooden butterflies in a shop called Porkchop Show.

Scott shipped them the next day and I was able to hang them right away as luckily for me, he is from Denver, CO!

These little butterflies were just what I wanted!

My fabulous find was meant to be!

Ta Da!

I love finding the art for the perfect places!

It feels like magic when it all comes together! :)

Speaking of magic...

Archie has a magic trick to show you tomorrow on his Friday Funny Post so please come back and be ready to be amazed!

xoxoxo

Melissa & R-Chee the Magnificent

Creating Happiness ~ Make Your Own Zen

Hi everyone!

It is me... Archie!

I had fun helping my momma redecorate Angel Emmitt's Zen Garden today!

We added lots of Springy flowers and succulents, butterflies & dragonflies all made out of fiber!

Isn't it pretty?

I like that we put lots of yarn in Emmitt's garden as it was his favorite thing to play with too!

After we played in Emmitt's garden with him, we went downstairs into the kitchen and refreshed our live terrariums with new moss.

It is always fun to add to what we have already started as it seems to like what the first mosses left behind to grab onto and grow and grow and grow on the window sill in little spice jars.

Isn't it wonderful to know that all things that come before lay the fertile playgrounds for us to enjoy & thrive in today?

Just thinking about that makes me smile!

Thank you for playing with me today!

xoxoxoxo

R-Chee

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Love is...

A heart-shaped circle that reaches up to heaven and back to earth in a never ending flow!

We Love you!

Have a wonderful day!

xoxoxo

Melissa & R-Chee

Emmitt & Archie = Life & Love

Happy Wednesday everyone!

I have a magical thing to share with you!

I received the most amazing gift...

NEW photos of my Emmitt, that I have never seen before!

They were captured by my talented friend, Randy Macht, a few years ago, and they are the last new thing of Emmitt I will ever see.

This reality was so proundly felt in my heart when I saw them, that I burst out in the most healing waterfall of tears I have ever felt.

It was like a wave of love and sloppy pug kisses was coming straight from Emmitt the moment I saw the magical photos.

I immediately went shopping for the perfect frames and filled my "Bravest Tree of Life & Love" with Emmitt and Archie together in one place.

It was the final thing my heart needed to do to get through another break through of healing from the loss of my sweet Emmitt that even I did not know needed to be filled.

My two boys are together in present time in my heart and mind now where before this gift I really think I felt them as "before and after" in a time line if that makes any sense. :)

I admire and touch these pictures every morning to start my day.

It makes me so happy and feel so much gratitude for the love both Emmitt and Archie share with me.

It has changed my life and heart in magical ways that have made me who I am today.

I am also so grateful to Randy and my dear husband, Fred, who have both captured and shared these photos of Emmitt & Archie for me to cherish forever.

Life is a magical thing that keeps revealing magic bubbles filled with love, smiles, tears and the deep knowledge that All is Truly Well in every moment that unfolds for each of us on our journeys here on Earth and eternally, Over the Rainbow.

xoxoxoxo

Melissa

Seriously Cute Crochet Pug!

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to tell you about this fabulous dog crochet book I just got!

Ami Ami Dogs lives up to its subtitle ~ Seriously Cute Crochet!

Look at this cute pug I made in no time flat!

I used Lion Brand Baby Alpaca Yarn and a size E crochet hook.

His collar is made from Lion Brand Amazing Yarn.

I love all of the colorways that Amazing comes in, and I was so excited to see that my Hobby Lobby now carries them in stock! Yippeeeee!

Here is the side view!

I used round plastic beads for his eyes so they are nice & buggy for the puggy!


I just love how he turned out!

He looks like he wants to play...


with Emmitt!

Tee Hee!

This was my first attempt at following a Japanese style chart pattern instead of a classic written out patttern.

I was a little intimidated when I first opened the book, but was surprised and pleased about how easy the chart was to follow.

I followed the books instructions for making the pug form and then went rogue and made my own ears, eyes, muzzle and nose. :)

I highly recommend this book as it is a wonderful pattern book to make dozens of breeds of dogs that all follow the same basic pattern with slightly different directions for ears, tails and coloring for the different features.

Please let me know if you make any!

I would love to see!

xoxoxo

Melissa & Archie

Magical Moments on a Monday Morning!

Happy Monday everyone!

Today is August 1st!

Archie and I are sharing extra smiles and happiness today as it is the day that a very special pug was born 15 years ago today.

We are celebrating our Angel Emmitt today with photos that make us smile and think of him!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

What fun things do you have planned to do today?

Please leave us a note and let us know!

We cannot wait to hear all about them!

xoxoxox

Melissa & Archie

Archie's 1st Mother Bear Donation!

Happy Thursday everone!

It is me... Archie!

I am sooooo excited to introduce you to my very first bear for The Mother Bear Project!

My Angel Emmitt was the Unofficial Official Mother Bear Ambassador, and now I get to follow in his footsteps!

Momma and I smiled when she was done as she is very girly and blowing kisses to everyone!

Each one comes in with such a different personality!

Meet Bella the beautiful bear!

Blowing *Kiss * Kiss* Kiss * kisses to all of you!

I am ready to make someone very happy 1/2 way around the world!

I am so excited for her to give hugs & kisses to all the wonderful children in Africa and make them smile!

Here I am singing her a song!

After singing her songs, I baked her some heart shaped cookies and put them in her box with her for her long journey to Africa.

Please visit the MBP website if you would like to learn more about The Mother Bear Project and the lives they touch everyday.

xoxoxox

Archie

~ The Unofficial, Official Mother Bear Ambassador in Training ~