More Birds Here and There

Over at Timber Hill Threads two quilters are having fun making "Nellie Birds".
A motherly looking bird posted on a group site, Abuela Creativa

Basil the Crow

... arrived in MacCowCowa today from Portland, Oregon. I cannot believe how quickly he got here. Terry must have a bit of magic she included in his creation.
He's already found his perch here in Studio North.

A Few Patches That Make Up My Life

I read this meme on Stop By With Di's blog today and thought it would be fun to do. Since I've skimmed through all 99 points when I've run across it on others blogs, I thought a few of you may be interested in my answers ... all of which are patches that make up my life ... so far.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped - no way!
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb a lot of other farm animal babies (even delivered a litter of piglets)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (even a moon set)
31. Hit a home run (broom ball count?)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (awesome!)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (as long as there's enough for a few fat quarters then I'm happy)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain (and the snow)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (been on TV)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check/cheque
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (those of my children)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades (fished for crabs with chicken necks on a string)
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle,
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88.Had chickenpox (subsequently shingles)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

..........................................

That was fun! Here are the rules for you to play, too:

Copy and paste the above list.

Bold or lighten the things you’ve done in your edit box.

Post on your blog!

As for the photo, I played with it in Elements. That's the "Patchwork" filter. More fun!

Another Bird

Isn't she a hoot? Being slightly under stuffed, her looks bring to mind an aging beauty whose overdone it with the "feather weaves" and is wobbling around on spindly legs. This full of personality bird is put together by Joyce making it the second Canada Bird in the album. The other one being a farout funky bird created by Arlee.

Again, I want to thank Terry Grant for the inspiration behind my bird pattern. I had seen her first fabulous two birds on her blog and needed a project with which to play when my friend, Alicia, came to visit for ten days. Looking at the photos of Terry's birds I drafted the one that I've been using and sharing. It's amazing how each bird made from this same pattern ends up with a unique personality. Wondering what the next one will "be" is why I ended up making so many. When there's the factor of each maker's creative choices and skill level involved in the mix, the results are amazing.

Terry's marvelous birds are not only the "originals", but reflect traits of actual species. She is now selling them on Etsy. Go here to see them and read the post announcing their introduction to the world. If you're familiar with Terry's art, you know of her wonderfully unique creativeness and highly developed skill level. These most likely won't be in her Etsy store for long and I predict that she's going be awfully busy creating birds to keep them in stock.

PS: I just purchased Basil the blackbird from Terry's Etsy store. I'm thrilled that it will be another mascot in my studio. I like to think he will radiate a bit of Terry's creativeness. The bird's name is the same as our sixteen year old Sheltie who died last fall, so there is an extra personal connection for me to this bird.

PPS: The wired beauty of a bird two posts back is created by Shelley at Mermaid's Purse. Checking out her link for this post I see that she's made another ... and his name is Homer.

This one called Flitty was created by Shelley back in March. Go here to read about him ... her?
All these birds have been added to the Bird Album at Picasa.