Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Biscourme or Biscournu?

If you guessed this was a "Biscournu" than you are correct! If you didn't know, as I didn't know, then Jeanie included an explanation for us when she sent me this beautiful handmade gift. A biscouru is a term that refers to the eight cornered shape. This is a Martina Weber design called "Debi's Roses". It is stuffed with wool batting which will make it a wonderful pin cushion. I haven't actually put a pin in it yet. I'm all for using your nice things, not preserving them, but I just can't do it ....yet. Viewing hours are 1-5 in my gallery.

Grant Recipient Ecstatic!

~~~~~ Drum roll ~~~~~
I found out this week that my grant proposal was chosen to be funded by CARS+ , which is the California professional Special Education group I belong to. They are sending me a check to support my science project that will culminate with a quilt being made by my students. We have to have it done by the end of May. I will attend conference free in February of next year in San Diego, as part of my prize. There I will be showing the quilt and talking about the process. My award will be officially announced at the conference in a couple of weeks in Sparks, Nevada but I won't be there. Earlier this week a group of us went out to dinner and Joanie stood up in the restaurant and made an announcement to anyone who would listen. So, I guess I have had my alloted minutes of fame. That said, I am really excited. I've been planning this quilt in my mind for 2 years and had decided to make it, whether I got money or not. So, now I have to put action to my plans and make it happen. I had already planned to donate it to SCICON, our science camp, and they are saving a wall for it! Not much else going on this year anyway you know (wink wink).

Save the Date

Hope everyone can make it!

Love,
Amelia and Chris

Quilt Camp

This is what greeted me this morning as I approached Quilt Camp!
I soon met my own "Sylvia Bergstrom" and company (ala Jennifer Chiaverini if you have read her books). This lovely 6300sq' home in the country is grand enough but with the amenities and our double hostesses it was even better! We started out by getting a brief tour of the house,aviary, and stations for sandwiching quilts, ironing and cutting. Soon we were busy sewing, watching the peacocks out the window and chatting with our new friends. Then it was breakfast, sew, lunch, sew, snack sew, then our 9 hour sewing fest was done.

Fifteen of us were in the living room that had been emptied of the family furniture. We each had a 6' table to ourselves and lights, a window, chair and garbage can. I went with several projects planned and got most of them done. It was highly productive and lots of fun!

Short and Sweet

As you can see Paul and I took a little tiny ship to Catalina Island and Ensenada for 5 days. We went in a group of people with the excuse of taking a Behavior Management Class for the special education teachers onboard. I knew the teachers and some of the cruisers so we had a fun and relaxing time. We spent most of our time with a one couple. We did all the things you do on a cruise, left Mexico the way we found it and will be exercising a lot this coming month. It was a great get-a-way before we have to go back to work on Monday.

Just kidding, this is how big the ship really was! Now I know the difference between Royal Carribean and Carnival. But it doesn't matter as RC doesn't sail out of Long Beach anymore so if you want to sail to Mexico, Carnival is your cruise line. (P.S. They are not the wild party cruise line of 20 years ago .....drat)

Medical Helicopter Crash Landing!

At 3pm on Sunday, there was a serious accident where a medical helicopter made an unscheduled emergency landing on a garage in Visalia, CA. Crews were alerted to the danger and a brave man rescued the copter using a common rake. Although his methods were unusual, everyone was found safe. It was determined that the accident was due to pilot error and there will be no further investigation.

Lookie what Paul got for Christmas!