Liz Payne's Bold & Bright Geometric Embroidery

The geometric embroidery of Liz Payne is nothing shy of spectacular!

Liz, from Sydney, Australia, meticulously hand-stitches her pieces,

often adding beadwork for some extra punch and pizzazz.

The variety of her stitches is worth noticing, as well,

making each piece of art truly one-of-a-kind.

Her bright, cheery colors and bold designs sure are hard to resist!

See more of Liz's work here:

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Images used with direct permission from Liz Payne.

Memorial Day Recognition of Those Who Died for Our Country

Recognizing, appreciating and honoring
the men and women of the US military
who died in the line of duty
to protect and defend our beloved country
and the freedoms we enjoy.

Ah! never shall the land forget

How gushed the life-blood of her brave.

 ~William Cullen Bryant

View this past post, Memorial Day Taps.

Strolling Down Elfreth's Alley in Philadelphia

Named for silversmith Jeremiah Elfreth, Philadelphia's Elfreth Alley is the 

oldest residential street in America, with houses built as early as 1720.

32 homes, originally inhabited by artisans and craftsmen, 

make up this charming neighborhood.

The architecture of that day is infatuating to see:

archways, marble stoops, lampposts, shutters, brickwork,

flowerboxes, transom windows, cobblestones.

What a rich presence of history!

Elfreth Alley became a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

Here's their website.

Check out these posts:

Exploring Philly with Philadelphia Sightseeing Tours

Historic Christ Church - Philadelphia, PA

Presidents' Day: Philadelphia's Washington Monument

Christ's Church Burial Ground - Philadelpha

Knit or Crochet these Gorgeous Blankets with Patterns by Deborah O'Leary

For those who have crochet or knitting skills

(of whom I've seriously envious, by the way),

I've found a super place for you to order patterns!

You're gonna melt when you see these blankets by Deborah O'Leary.

Such gift-giving possibilities, whether for babies and children or for us grown-ups!

Pick up your hook or needles and be inspired!

Classy neutral.

Soft and cozy!

Dainty and delicate!

Darling granny square sheep!

Oh, this ruffle trim is just precious!

Perfect for a sweet little boy!

Many more of Deborah's patterns, (not just blankets!), are found here:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Etsy

Images used with direct permission from Deborah O'Leary.

Mother's Day's Roots: Philadelphia

I snapped a photo of this sign in Philly, finding it really interesting

that Mother's Day had its beginnings in Philadelphia.

How blessed I've been to have had the influence of

not one, but two wonderful mothers!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have

been given the indescribable gift of motherhood!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

and comes down from the Father of lights, 

with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

James 1:17

Past Mother's Day posts here:
A Mother's Day Tribute of Vintage Illustrations
The Art of...Motherhood

The Origami of Physicist Robert Lang

kunikoyamamoto

Math and physics meet art in an extremely amazing way!
Physicist Robert J. Lang uses his smarts
 to devise lots of super-cool origami objects.
The art of paper folding just got kicked up a few notches.

tansu-style

p,colman flickr

livescience

You'll love seeing this video:

More at the Robert J. Lang Origami website!

Hats Off to Teachers!

11MagnoliaLane

For National Teachers Appreciation Week,
I'm saying, "Hats Off to Teachers!"

Here's an artsy collection of quotes
 to let them know just how appreciated they are.
Thank a teacher today!

blissfulroots

LollyJane

momcaster

mrsdscorner

lindanee

Julia Peculiar's Fun Mixed Media Creations

Peculiar? Yes!
And also very creative, very colorful, and very, very cool!

Julia's handcrafted paper dolls, brooches & magnets are wonderful.
Her mixed media creations bring a touch of funky and a blast of fun!
Take a look at some of my faves~

This one is a bit "Tina Turner-esque," wouldn't you say? 

Romantic Victoriana!

Julia likes to make fanciful mermaids!
This one is articulated.

A bevy of mini butterfly shadowboxes!

This little gal is a sweet as sugar!

Where to see more of Julia Peculiar:

Etsy

Twitter

Facebook

Images used with direct permission from Julia!