My Bootiful Rock

 I have to share a heart warming story that I experienced as I sold my rocks. It was the day before Mother's Day and there were crowds of people coming and going looking for the right gifts. I had lots of small children come up to my table and buy rocks for their moms. One little girl, about two years

old, came up to my table of rocks and patted them over and over saying, "Bootiful rocks, bootiful rocks".  My heart melted. She was so adorable. She could not say the word beautiful clearly and that is what made it so adorable. She loved the rocks. Her mother managed to get her to move on as they were going into the main market area and told her that they would come back and look at the rocks later. Sure enough the mom kept her word and they showed up on their way out. The little girl once again patted and patted the rocks repeating over and over again, "Bootiful rocks, bootiful rocks". That girl loved my rocks!! And she expressed it well. Her mother had her choose one.  The little girl took the rock and held it to her heart as she walked off saying, "MY BOOTIFUL ROCK, MY BOOTIFUL ROCK"! My heart sang with joy as I watched her walk off so happy holding one of my BOOTIFUL ROCKS next to her heart.

 Today was such a great experience for me in so many ways that I don't even have to think about it twice.....I am going back next week!!

Rock Hunt!

Look at that red one...love.

I love rocks!

Some of the rocks I collected today.

The rain came pouring down today.. did that stop me from going to the beach and doing some beach combing? No way!! What's a little water. I just put my hood on and went for it! It was a wet one but it was worth it. I had so much fun looking for pretty rocks. I think I carried over one hundred pounds of rocks back to my car today!! Wowzers! Who needs to go to the gym when you can go on a rock hunt. Have I ever mentioned I LOVE ROCKS!!

Down on The Corner

Every Saturday, starting in April going through October, there is a whimsical place with fresh cut flowers, homemade cookies, beads, felts, cards, pottery jewelry, plants, homemade soaps, teas, tinctures, goat cheese, hula hoops, face painting and much much more.  Of course we can't forget  all the variety of yummy food to satisfy anyones palate. People are playing instruments and some are singing. Down on the corner the steel band is set up to entertain us which also brings a party flavor to the crowd. People stop and dance and when you hear the music you can't help but bob your head or sway from side to side. Smaller instruments are set up for little folks to help out if they are in the mood. My table of Petra Petals (fancy name for pressed flowers on rocks) is located right next to the steel band and I find myself swaying and bopping all day long. The Bellingham Farmer's Market is the place to go on a Saturday morning. Come on down and buy something handmade and support the local artists! It is open from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. Make sure you stop by Petras Petals table and say hi.

Steel band...down on the corner!

Glass dishes make a great gift full of petite petras petals. I do have

a few star and heart dishes on hand if you like this gift idea. I will

even wrap it all up for you in pretty tissue paper so you 

won't have to do it when you get home.

Petras Petals

Gathering

 This oyster shell is really three oyster shells 

 that grew together over time. Unique.

Some of my corral.

Old canning jars filled with beach glass I found.

In my lifetime I have probably picked up about ten

thousand...or more rocks. I LOVE ROCKS!

Jars and bottles of my petite rocks and shells.

Posing Petals!

The field behind where I live full of buttercups.

 A field of yellow. Pretty petals.

Deep purple dahlia in my neighbors yard.

Lilacs at the Fragrance Gardens in Ferndale.

Queen Ann's Lace out in the field behind our place. Perfect.

White Hydrangeas.

Blooming chives from my garden.

A busy little bee in my garden.

Sunflowers in my friends garden.

Beach Combing Along the Coast

One of the beaches where I collect rocks, shells beach glass and 

driftwood at.

I have found many beautiful rocks at this beach.

Locust Beach

 There are around 100 steps 

going down to the shore at

this beach. I don't collect that

many rocks from here because

 they are way too heavy to carry

back up. Maybe if I just got a couple... 

but I can't resist a pretty rock!!

Petra's

The person that bought this heart shaped rock 

with the heart shaped leaf on it walked away with

a smile on their face!

Some of my Petra's Petals. They are one of a 

kind creations. They can never be duplicated. Each rock in

itself is unique and there is not another one like it. 

 Most of these have already been sold and

have a nice spot on someones table or bookcase. 

Beginnings

My table of rocks with one of my cobalt blue bottles with some posies! 

PRETTY!!

Flowers in my garden.

I have been pressing flowers for over thirty years now. I have made many crafts out of my petals some of which include cards, magnets, and bookmarks. I have put them on photo frames, welcome signs and anything that I could. When I first started pressing flowers I lived in Indiana and there were fields and fields of wildflowers everywhere. One day as I was walking through a field of color I got an idea to pick them and keep them for myself!! I picked so many that I didn't know what to do with all of them when an idea popped into my head to press them and put them on paper. At first I just glued them to letters that I mailed to my loved ones across the States and then I graduated to putting them on notecards and envelopes. The years went by pressing for relaxation and giving away my precious petals to everyone I knew. I made a giant sized flower press out of wood which was held together with clamps. I also had flowers in every book in the house! I started doing some craft shows and it became my part time business...which eventually robbed me of my pleasure because of the pressures of another show coming up and quota's to be met. It just became too much work so I decided to put this hobby/job aside for a while. I took a long break from this craft I loved so much until after I had moved to the Pacific Northwest  I had been walking through a field of wildflowers my desire was rekindled within me once again. My Aunt had come for a visit and we had taken her out to see the acres and acres of amazing and colorful tulips at the Tulip Festival and on our way out we bought bunches of tulips to take home with us. After she had left and the petals were starting to fall onto the floor I got an idea to make a keepsake out of the petals for her. Before all of the petals were lost I stuck them in a book!
   Beach combing is something I love to do as well. For years and years I have been collecting shells, rocks and driftwood from every beach I have ever walked on. One day I was just looking at my collection of rocks and I got an IDEA! Why not incorporate the flowers with the rocks?  My thoughts ran wild with designing rocks with my pressed petals. So it began once again!  I am now retired which gives me lots of time to collect my rocks and gather my flowers. I can now collect my flowers and rocks, and design for pure relaxation and pure joy!!