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my creative space

my creative space

I’m not sure how our Summer got so busy. Kindergarten starts soon and I should be soaking up these last few weeks of kid activities. But I have to admit, I’m ready for some alone time.

my creative space

The only creativity I’ve been able to fit into our schedule is behind the lens. Last week I managed to sneak away for a walk in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden while my daughter was at camp. I took lots of sculpture photos, but I’m really loving my nature shots.

my creative space

I’ll be back to sewing, knitting, thrifting and crocheting soon enough. (It’s too hot for wool yarn anyway!) In the meantime, if you see a crazy lady with a camera kneeling in a bed of roses, stop and say hello!

More creative spaces here.

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my creative space

I’ve got a new camera. It’s fancy. (Click on photos for larger images)

flower portrait new camera

Unlike my point-and-shoot, I’m going to have to read the manual for this one.

flower portrait new camera

But that hasn’t stopped me from just diving in!

flower portrait new camera

What’s in your creative space today? Find more here.

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nature hike tote bags

capri pants turned into totes

You knew I was going to turn those capri pants into tote bags, didn’t you? Not just any bags, however, but bags with a purpose: keeping nature out of my pockets and my purse.

I’m sure many of you can relate to this: Mama, can you hold this rock? Here’s a present for you, Mama. It’s a leaf! I’m just going to put this stick in your purse for later. Did you put my feather in your pocket? Later, as you are digging around for latte money, the barista gives you a funny look as random bits of nature fall on to the counter.

I made two of these: one for my daughter and one for her friend. They’re the same except for the lining. Now when we go on walks together, the girls can carry their own bits of nature. There are all kinds of pockets perfect for acorns, rocks, twigs and leaves. The buttoned back pocket is perfect for storing a shovel. You never know when you’ll need to dig for treasure!

I love how these turned out and will be making more. How perfect would they be for a day of garage sailing or thrifting with different compartments for cash, phone, water and a snack! They would also make a cool craft project bag with pockets for all of your notions.

project details: Pants from my closet, lining fabric from my thrifted stash.

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my daughter’s nature collection

elk pioneers park

As I write this it is cold, rainy and a little snowy. It’s hard to believe that a few days ago we were visiting the bison and elk in 70 degree weather. We have had a beautiful Fall this year. The weather has been warm and the ragweed season was short thanks to an early frost. The leaves have been brilliant and the sun has been shining strong in bright blue skies.

nature collection

We have made the most of our weather with picnics after school and “nature walks” at the park. There are a lot of souvenirs from the season: pine cones from Densmore Park, acorns from Tierra Park, dried berries from Stransky Park, rocks from Pioneers Park. My daughter insists that the rocks are fossils, just like in Don’s nature collection.

playground tierra park

I’ll be honest. There have been afternoons where I would have preferred to be sewing or planning my next project. I might have missed a blog post here and there. Now that winter is in our neck of the woods, I am so grateful for our time outdoors. Pretty soon we’ll be dealing with negative wind chills, blizzard warnings and playing with Indoor Snow.

I’ll be saving the nature collection to remind us of the warmer days. Maybe I’ll even print out a few pictures, too. After I spend a little time with my sewing machine, though. I found lots of fun things at the thrift store today that need refashioning!