Thank you!

Thank you for all of your support (emails, comments, donations) about Karen's passing. It was extremely hard for Lauren being all alone through it (I was so far away) -- and participating in the running event gave her a focus. So far she has raised over $3000 for research towards finding cures for the "below the waist" cancers. The Toronto run raised $700,000. Hopefully cures will be found in our lifetimes.

In memory of Karen

(Karen and her husband Craig)

Lauren's best friend(Deana's) mom, Karen passed away on Saturday. She was diagnosed with uterine cancer in May, and quickly declined. Karen was like a second mom to my daughter, and I am very close to Deana. We'll miss Karen very much.

Here is a note from Lauren:

Hi everyone,
This upcoming Saturday I'm participating in Sunnybrook's Underwear Affair 10k run which funds life saving research for cancers like prostate, colorectal, ovarian, cervical and others that occur below the waist.

My best friend Deana Slater's mother, Karen McCullough, was diagnosed in earlier this summer with uterine cancer. Unfortunately it was very aggressive and Karen passed away at Sunnybrook Hospital early Sunday morning-I'm doing this run for Karen.

I've agreed to raise at least $400, but I've set my personal goal at $500. So I need your help! Would you please consider making a donation? Every bit counts.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Lauren

please click here to donate:

http://to08.uncoverthecure.org/site/TR/Events/Toronto2008?px=1473493&pg=personal&fr_id=1100

(if this link does not work go to uncoverthecure.org, click on 'donate' and search for Lauren Brown)
uncoverthecure.org

Ludgera would have stopped....

Ray is not so great at stopping at yard sales. We must have passed 50 in the last 2 days (and 3 States). Made it into one super overpriced antique store. I guess that you need to go to stores off the beaten path -- not on the main highway... (Highway 2, by the way).
I'll go yard saling with my mom in NS next Saturday. Wish me luck!

Skowhegan, Maine

Okay -- something is wrong with this picture. I am camping. It is a beautiful night. I'm drinking sangria by the river -- there are about a billion stars out. HEY -- this campground has FREE WIRELESS. And I just can't resist getting the most for my money.
Here are my notes so far. Road signs in Vermont are terrible! I'm seriously going to write someone about that. On the upside, there are no taxes on shoes in Vermont... and I really needed shoes. Did I get the black pair? or the other black pair? Well, yes, I did.... Next year we plan to just travel to Burlington ,Vermont and camp or stay in a cabin for a week. Driving to Nova Scotia is too far. And I've already played all of the cds.....
(although.... This campsite at The Two Rivers Campground is beautiful. If I do ever drive here again, I'd stay here for sure. That's my tourist plug for Maine)
Tomorrow -- on through Bangor, and up into New Brunswick and then to Nova Scotia.

Road Trip!

Off now to Nova Scotia! Via New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and New Brunswick. Whew, I'm getting tired just thinking about it..... See you next week!

(and of course I need to bring all of this:
-books (4)
-magazines (5)
-pencil case full of jewelry supplies (in case I find something cool on the beach to make into jewelry)
-pencil case full of sewing supplies (I'm going to make cuffs in the car)(wishful thinking?)
-case full of journal supplies (larger than a pencil case -- it's a rubbermaid bin)
-school planning supplies (I might be really bored)

House Collage in Progress, Part 2

I was sick yesterday, so no time for posting. But here they are!

I added some painted textured detail :
ThenI added some of Anahata's collagey strips: And then some children in the doorways, and some more text:
FINALLY, I added some charcoal detailing to add more depth, and a bit more paint to pull it all together. Voila! I'm finished. Hmmm, I like this.... maybe I should keep it.... LOL -- just kidding, Elizabeth, it's off to you -- sorry that it is late......
(the size is 9x12, by the way)

House Collage in progress

I made this house collage for Elizabeth -- here are my trials...
(starting today -- I'll show the finished project tomorrow)
First I gessoed the canvas, then added coloured paper to the sky and white paper to the houses. Then I washed gesso over the houses. At this point I planned to make the houses all white.......
Then I added more black and white paper to the houses,
but it was too busy, so I decided to add some gesso washes to tone it down...... (oops, maybe a bit too much) Then I added some details with graphite pencil.
I decided that it was too white... so I added some washes of colour.....
and then......

(you'll have to check back tomorrow to see what I did.... Did I wreck the whole thing and toss it out? Did I manage to finish it and love it? Stay tuned.......)

Nature

Our theme for ATCs this month was Nature. I made mine at the cottage -- collected some twigs, then sewed them on some pattern tissue-covered cards. I used a very cool flower stamp set too.

Somerset Home!

Hey -- this came while I was away. I'm on page 65! I like how they wrapped the tie around the title at the top. I made this apron last year and wore it almost the whole school year!It is my favourite apron with the large deep pockets. I hope that it comes home soon, so I can wear it at back to school time. Although, I'm totally in an apron making mood right now, so I'll be making lots in the next few months. Remember how I said no more swaps??? Well, there are lots of apron ones right now. What's a girl to do?I was supposed to have a little article in this issue, but apparently they weren't happy with how the photography of my art turned out, so it will be re-photographed and put in the next Sew Somerset.

Miss Martha Mae has returned!

a terrible picture of me, but I promised.......

I went with Martha Mae Bobby Rae, but that was too long so I shortened it. Every year I make a little piece of art for the wall of the cottage. Here is this year's entry:

Next year we will be pirates! I'm SOOOOO excited!

And now for the draw..............

And the "Name that Southern Belle" Winner is..........(I put everyone's names into a hat --all of the names were all SO WONDERFUL !)
Congratulations Catherine!!! I'm emailing you right now!

I made lots of little collages this week, read a few books (Water for Elephants and Airborn, a YA Novel by Kenneth Oppal). I did may hours of prep work for back to school. I also ate waaaayyyyy too much and perhaps drank a bit much too. We watched some great movies (Jezebel and The Beguiled). And I also finished my ATCs for my ATC group meeting this friday. You have to wait 'till Friday to see them though.Some people say that words such as "dream" have been over-used. But what do we have left if we give up our dreams?

I'm off now to read over 300 emails........ and tomorrow I'll post about all of the cool snail mail that came while I was away....