Grow Your Blog 2015

Welcome to the "Grow Your Blog" Party - 2015.  A big thank you to Vicki, at 2 Bags Full blog, for hosting this event.  Over 400 bloggers have signed up and the fun begins today.  

My name is Carol Dillman and I live in the mountains of Virginia, USA.  I am retired from the education field and keeping busier than ever.  I have two grown children, a son and a daughter.  Both are married and my daughter just had a little boy in November.  I also have 4 grown stepchildren and 3 more grandchildren. Whew!  The family is growing.  My husband and I love to entertain and spoil the grandchildren and sometimes the granddogs. 


The Mr. and granddogs

I am so glad you have come to visit my little space in the blogosphere.  This is where I get to share my adventures in lampwork glass beads, jewelry, sewing and some photography.  I need to be busy all the time with creating, learning and improving skills. 

Zinnia in my garden

I love to sew and have been sewing since I was fairly young.  Though I am currently in to quilting and making baby clothes, my daughter and husband can sometimes get me to create projects they devise.  Mending is not on my favorite list. lol 

Quilt made for the Crisis Pregnancy Center

Another sewing project I enjoy is upcycling leather garments in to handbags and totes. 



Leather tote made from leather skirts

Next on my list is making lampwork beads which means I melt glass in a torch flame. 



Lampwork beads from my torch

Then, because I have so many beads, I use a lot of them in jewelry.  This also gets me into some metal work. 

Sterling silver and lamwork beads

Seems that one thing just leads to another in my life.  Does anyone else just like to try out everything?  And this explains my stashes of fabric, glass, yarn, etc., etc.  So many projects - so little time.

Glass stash

This year I have decided to join in with a GIVEAWAY.  All you have to do is leave a comment with your email address so I can contact you if you win.  Of course, I would love to have you follow my blog but it is not a requirement to win. 

The gift will be a surprise as I haven't decided what it will be yet.  I will announce the winner on February 15 so be sure to leave your comment before then to be entered.

Thanks so much for visiting with me!  If you are a blogger but not a participant in the "Grow Your Blog" party, leave your blog site in your comment and I will visit you, too. 

Now if you are ready to have some fun and meet some new friends through their blogs, please click here on Vicki's blog.  Vicki has a list of all of the participants and links to all of the wonderful blogs that are participating.  Many of the blogs are also having giveaways.  Here's to making some new friends!

Keep on creating,
Carol D.

Sewing for a Special Guy

I am a new grandmother!!  What a great feeling.

It has been a busy fall and winter but I did start early to make a quilt for the new little guy.  Here is a sneak peak. 

Pin basted front side

My daughter picked most of the fabrics and the squares design.  I added the borders because she wanted his name embroidered on the front.  Will have to show that picture on a later post.



Pin basted back

The back design came about because the star fabric wasn't wide enough on its own and I didn't want to just sew two pieces together (could never have lined up the stars).  When I started quilting, I learned some lessons I will share later.

This was the first time I had ordered so many fabrics online for a project.  I got most of the ocean themed ones on Etsy and was quite pleased with quality and service.  It allowed my daughter and I to choose them together.  The rest I sourced locally. 

Even though the quilt was not quite finished, it was included in some photos with the new guy.  He is only 2 days old here and just home from the hospital.



New guy with his quilt

I made the receiving blanket with the London buses (under his head) also.  They lived in London for 2 years and are decorating his nursery with a travel theme.

Thanks for indulging a new grandmother!
And hope you are creating something new,
Carol
 

Back at It

Yes, I have been absent from the blogging world for a while.  No, nothing bad has happened.  Yes, some good things have happened. 

After my last blog post on October 18, (yes October!!!), my son got married in Phoenix, AZ so we took a week long cross country trip.  It was a great time with a beautiful wedding.



The happy couple at rehearsal dinner

And we took a day to drive to Sedona - gorgeous!!


Sedona

Soon after our return, my daughter gave birth to my new grandson, Camden, on November 10 near Washington, D.C.  I was lucky to be there for his birth and then stayed a couple of weeks to help the new parents.


Brand new family

Then came the usual holiday busy-ness with a trip back to see the baby on Thanksgiving.  (Can't get enough of that little guy.)  He is in the same bassinette (new skirt) that both I and his mother slept in as babies.

My usual trip to Indiana for the week of Christmas followed.  Of course, in the midst of all this, we are involved in a major addition to our house (see post: New Construction Pays Off ).

But I am now back and getting ready for a blog hop this weekend with Vicki Boster at 2 Bags Full.  Please check it out on January 25 to see and visit over 400 blogs. 

 

It is so much fun to see what is going on in other people's lives - their hobbies and interests.  And many are giving away prizes.  Hope you will join in the fun.

 

Keep creating,

Carol