Koi Fish Pond-Lily Pads-Stamp Earrings-Shells-Guess What This Is? & More

Had to show you how much my lily pads have taken over our pond this year

this is the pond fish food that landed on a lily pad

the fish know it and push the pad over and over again to grab this piece of food

they got it...amazing how they can actually sense, or smell it up there

they are swimming all around the pads looking for food

my new plant, I love ferns

my Orchids are budding agian

patio temps are mild

this will be ????Victorian???? can you guess???

it sparkels [coming soon for sale]

My new light box set up I made has done wonders with my photo results. :)

from my "Breeze-n-Sea" collection

another

This one is also from the same collection

From my "Stamp-n-Earrings" collection

 My LYC went to on our Yarn Crawl last Sunday!! Wow lots of fun.....

Cleaning the Pond!

Every year we have to empty out the top of the falls and clean out the pads and the "bio-balls" that are in 

a net and keep our pond's eco-system in check! So this past week-end Mr. Bob tackled the job. Our pond is called an "Urban Oasis Aquascape Pond" that means that the pond has an effective and a low maintenance system. There are no chemicals involved, just natural bacteria and enzymes to help keep the water naturally clear and sparkling. Plants and fish complete the natural "eco-system" cycle. There are 2 pumps at each end of the pond and the fish make their own livable pond living off plants and algae. We do throw the fish their pond food so we can see and touch them occasionally but we don't have to. :)

used to pump out the water

climbing up the falls

I was replanting

Draining the falls

the pond with no water running

my Wandering Jew has grown really big

I told hubby this is not an outfit to wear in public..lol

Calla Lilly

Summer Projects, Wind Sock, and Small Gifts

Outside my pond is flowing over with new growth....but I love it. All the butterflies and birds are flittering around and the sound of the water is oh so relaxing.... In my house I have an 80 gal fish tank...in it I have 3 fish, because they are so big, one is 18" long, I have had the Oscar since 1994...here 2 of them...

I made a post card for a swap friend for "at the beah" days....and she sent me one...I love hers...

it is old fashion with the girls swinging together, and on the back she even included a little song...I wrote a saying that I thought up about summer and the ocean...

“It’s hard for one to put into words

why you might be hypnotized by the beach,

the sound of the waves,

and the laughter of children distant in the wind.

Everything about it is refreshing,

regenerating, and almost like therapy...

Beach Therapy”
by PBD 6/2009

I love making these scrubbies....they are easy and fun to make and make wonderful little gifts...the napkin rings are too...in the little net bag is a flag pin made with pins...

I just made this last night, it is a Musical Flag Hanger it was pretty simple I followed this pattern and had fun putting it all together, I changed the stars as I actually was at JoAnns and found little star beads and they worked out perfect!!! Something else to add to my patio...

now I think I am going to make another wind sock from an ice tea can or you can use an oatmeal box too....I made one last year for a swap friend and I loved how it turned out...

Here is what you will need:

Crocheted Windsock

• one small round can [oatmeal or ice tea]
• yarn 4ply WW any color [I used a tan]
• some felt of colors you will use to make your designs [I made a house and birds and used blue,red,dark green, brown, yellow,blue, tan, black
• button flowers
• pre-cut flowers
• buttons for embellishments
• alpha beads
• ribbon
• glue
• a plastic tablecloth cut in 2" strips to the length you wish it to be [I made mine 5' long

1. Clean out your can and leave empty
2. **crochet a round see directions below
3. cut tablecloth into long strips 2" wide x 5' long
4. glue on precute felt flowers [JoAnns or any craft store]
5. cut out your bird and bird house from the felt and then glue onto can
6. cut out a tree from the brown and green felt and glue on can as shown in picture
7. glue on the buttons onto the tree to make your design
8. cut out bird house with red and beige felt and glue on other side of tree[see photo for pieces to cut] I made a round hole with black felt and cut a few yellow squiggly pieces to glue on the foof area, you can make it any way you want, personalize it and add a name on the other side, gluing alpha beads on a ribbon
9. attach cut plastic to bottom of can by tieing a knot in every 2 stitch,
10. cut strips to desired length
    
    
    
    
    
    
11. See how it moves when the wind hits it. This is an easy project and one that is fun and can be embellished any way you like. Try your artist abilities and make yours and be sure to post and link to your designs so I can see what you came up with!

**Crocheted windsock pattern:

• crochet a round with color of your choice, ch 4, ss to join, ch 1, 12 sc in circle, ss to join in 1st sc, ch 1, do not turn
• 2 sc in each sc around, ss to join , ch 1
• sc in same st, [2 sc in next st, sc in next st] repeat around, ch 1
• sc in same st, [sc next 2 st, 2 sc in next st]rpt around, ch 1
• sc in same st,[sc next 3 st, 2 sc in next st] rpt around, ch 1
• rpt around till fits top of can top you have used adding 1 more sc and then 2 sc
• next row sc around in back loops only around, ch 1
• sc in both loops around ss to join, ch 1
• rpt around till you reach the bottom of your can
• then sc in back loops only around ss st to join, ch 1
• sc dec in 1st 2 sts, sc around leave last 2 st then sc dec in last 2 st, ss to join, ch 1
• rpt last row around and then ss dec last 4 sts, fasten off
• at top of can attach with ss to any top sc st, ch 10, fasten off
• do this 3 more times spacing according to photo
• attach yarn to ring and sc around, 12-15x, fasten off
• attach 4 ch to loop with a ss joined in the middle, see photo

What's New Today?

This is going to be fun to work with, I already started to work with Noro Daria and also the Hemp I got at the local Alamitos Bay yarn shop....

Our pond has cleared right up with the new algee treatment and our fish are really happy.

Mr Blue Jay came over yesterday and gathered his favorite treat...peanuts...I actually throw them out for "Chi Chi" my backyard squirrel, but he beat him to it today....they are quite noisy and forceful about what they want..

I love taking photos and while enjoying my front yard that is blooming up a storm I caught this shot of a bee pollenating my white daisy. Isn't it amazing.....

My front flowerbeds are just screaming with color....we went to Palm Springs over the weekend and I just loved this man made waterfalls at the Ritz. I wish I could have captured the sound of the water, it was so relaxing, but my camera's batteries ran out after Bob took this shot.. :(