HOHOHO, just no snow

Each year for the past 20 years i have held a small event on my deck right before Christmas

 and invited some  my local clients/pals and folks that

 like  the fabric stuff  i make with imagination built in.

These three  lovely ladies all appeared about the same time wearing festive necklaces and jolly smiles.

i just had to get a picture of them enjoying the morning  all shiny and brite.

so temporarily i cover my painting table with a table cloth and set out my wears that i wish to share like some of my quilts and pillows and ornaments and Santas and angels...

i bake cookies the night before and set out a pot of hot water for tea and see who shows up.

That is always a pleasant surprise  as some folks i haven't seen i years, some recently met and some know each other from other situations show up. What most folks have in common is that some  my ornaments are hanging on their trees if they haven't given them away! I am also surprised on how long it takes me to put away Santa's elves work shop  things and return my deck to a living space. 

night bloomimg cereus 

looking very Christmasy!!

I finally finished the " mango-hip to be squared" quilt ! With the sun shining through the upper right side 

it is  so  glowing  and  sweet  and  cuddly  to me.

above

A close up of a block using mostly my hand painted fabrics and some batiks.

i hand guided my Bernina 830 record  for my quilting  and using verigated threads for fun.

i posted  part of the process of building this quilt recently on pumpkin colors post and 

now that it is bound and finished, here she is again.

  a variety of gathered leaves and flowers in Christmas colors

arranged and photographed into a holiday card for last year.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas

 and 

a most Happy Healthy New Year 2018. 

Starting to look a lot like Christmas ....

Are you ready? I'm not.

Baking to be done soon, 

shopping for the ingredients even sooner

 if tomorrow is not too late? 

and still i roam about the yard and select and collect  flowers and leaves

 to help me celebrate and share  the joy of the season.

 I make these floral arrangements and think they might be the Christmas card of  the year after arranged and photographed and cropped and printed and addressed and stamped and sent,

so far they are in the camera and in a photo place in computer.

Then i come across a poinsettia that made it through the year and is now re-blooming

 in spite of the fact that i only cut it back once.

Red is so red this time of year!!

 Then there are the painted fabric Santa figures of fabric i call old Nicks.

I have made these for about 30 years now since i found their likeness pleasing to me

 in an early American folk art style. I put them out yearly

 and sometimes the white Santa stays out all year.

This year i drew, painted, quilted and sewed up some pillows featuring the

 Monstera leaves .The above is the painting before the quilting. 

Strawberry guavas and leaves 

in the Christmas colors minus the snow! 

Soon i will be baking and  

sharing  my apple crisp from the Tassajara  bread book 

from the 1970s

 with lots of fruit and nuts and ginger and spices

 as i like to improvise as i make food depending on what is in the pantry and fridge,in season, 
 and  on the counter.

And don't forget the whipping cream!!

A vintage Hawaiian print of anthuriums  

Be most  well and have a happy and  healthy holiday season wherever  you are!

aloha, sonja

..and to all a Good Night !

                                           " May your troubles be less

may your blessings be more

may nothing but happiness come

through your door!"

What a lovely greeting! it came in the form of a card from

the East Maui Animal Refuge

AKA The Boo Boo Zoo! 

and speaking of what came through the door, last year my pal Pat brought a plate of almond flavored mouse cookies so i promptly put them upon my holly plates and photographed the tender morsels! 

So this year i had to make some myself and like a good elf i took a plate of mice to a Christmas party at  the home of a long time acquaintance that had a mouse tree, a small tree covered with mouse ornaments.The cookies were a hit and one lady could not bear to eat the cookie

 as i saw it go out the door in a plastic cup!

......and to all a good night! 

(Ruby as a kitten  resting on an shell ginger pillow)

Mele Kalikimaka!

Mahalo

 for reading my words of ponder and viewing  photos of wonder this year 2015 

and for those who left a comment, thanks for the conversations!

May the new year hold wonder and LOVE and peace and Joy and good health for you ALL! 

Aloha, Sonja

Merry Christmouse to all and a good night!

Mmmmm, tasty morsels said Ruby the cat......

These cookies were brought to me by a friend who had all of us in stitches.

 i shared them with those who we partied and feasted with this holiday season. 

Thank you Pat for spreading good cheer with you creative arts!

and i watched as an acquaintance bite one of these tasty morsels in half

with the tail still to go!

May you all

                       be well, see well and taste all the fine flavor of the season!

aloha, Sonja

are you getting ready?

Christmas is coming
 and some of us are getting ready to gift by making things of wonder.

i wonder why i sometimes get ideas so late in the year. i still have some things i started in a Christmas past that i am putting on finishing touches,
 perhaps ideas that had not fully hatched until now.

 Each year for the past 16 years i have given/sent out invitations to my studio to those who have purchased my work along the way, at Haleiwa Arts Festival and other local venues. It goes out by snail mail. hand written hand made like the ornaments i fashion all year long.

i made a painted  fabric cat ornament for a friend's granddaughter.
She gets an ornament each year that mom or daughter or she  picks out. this is based on a black and white cat.. i hope i was able to channel what the cat looks like
all though i can't recall the name of this cat.
 ...we shall see!

Christmas Cactus is starting to bloom just in the nick of time!

 The angel  below

is a re purposed flag from a friend that keeps me in faded glory flags.

 i love this one as the stars are embroidered and old lace looks at home with the faded cotton. 

Mz Liberty has a flannel snowman ornie tucked  up under her arm.

Long may she wave!

the last willie melt snowman pin hand carved by DH is painted 

 wears the other end of the torn strip of RWB fabric.

it is the last one  until i can convince him to make another.  

excuse the blurry  "bullet"  Santas below

 that are standing in tennis shoes while they dry and then go on to the next step

 getting ballast in bottoms before  more paint and then gluing them on a slice of trees from past trees.

This sight  made me laugh as i found shoes a handy way to keep these dudes upright

 while i watched paint dry. 

the recent full moon set.time to get up and greet the day!

 
What are you finishing up beside that cold cup o coffee?
be well, see well,
 sonja

Ruby's first Christmas, some flat angels and a winter sunset

 

 

What can  I do with strips of painted fabric and just a winkling  of AN IDEA

and A CHALLENGE?

why I can sew them together with joy! 

and cut out wedges

 

and make heads and wings and hair and

 call them flat angels and send them away to some of my art making pals

 

"Look, I found more fabric for you to paint upon!"

this is Ruby's first Christmas and it turns out she is very helpful in the studio!  

"later I can press it for you, while I sleep!"

said the kitty that snores.

peaceful dreams

 

Happy holidays to you and to all a good night!

my helper Noodles everythinghereismine

" I am here to help!"

 

I got allot of help when i was finishing the 50 star Christmas quilt this week.Noodles is my cat helper.You have seen him here before holding down things and rearranging fabric according to cat standards.

                                      " what if i lay myself down here..
                                                          smells good"

                                  " why not move this closer to my face"

                                    "  this is soft  like me..... is this for me?"

" now where is that pin i just pulled out of your binding with my teeth?"

A cautionary tail.

 even older cats can hurt themselves if they get a hair brain idea to remove glass headed straight pins while you are  distracted  for even a moment.

so don't leave  your work unattended.

 i did not want an emergency trip to the vet any more than most cats like taking a ride in a crate in a car.

 labeled and ready to bring on the holiday cheer

 

all that work means yet another nap for Noodles.

may your helpers be taking lots o naps.

 

 

what are you working on for the holidays?

be well, Sonja

This post is now linked up to "Off the Wall Fridays"

thank you Nina Marie