CC's Art Blog

P.S.

2011-11-02T12:57:00.000-10:00

We just had company visiting from Washington state! We had a really good time! When they left, they gave us this ristra! We are drying it out in the sun & bring it in at night. Once all the Sandia chilis are dry, we will use them this winter to spice up our meals! They smell wonderful! Thanks, dear friends!

Creation Vacation!!

2011-11-02T12:49:00.001-10:00

After talking with an online class teacher, I realized that I had projects clamoring to get done!!! Here are just a few of some sample boxes/trays that need to get finished!
These are full of almost finished projects:

One of a series of mixed media beaded projects to finish:

Other misc. beaded projects to finish:

And all the yarn to make into things:

Anyway, she told me that someone once told her that 'artists couldn't organize their way out of a paper sack'!!! I believe it. I have so many projects on my "to do" list that I decided to take a Creation Vacation! I'm really excited about it! I spend alot of time online, which can be a great tool if used for creativity. But I was just deleting newsletters and checking out ads! ACK! So, one project at a time, I am going to take the next few months to get them done! Well, to at least attempt to get them done. And who knows...maybe start some more! So I will be offline for awhile. If anyone needs to get ahold of me, please feel free to call and I'll call you back as soon as I can. Or you could always try my DH! :) He loves talking to people! So I'm covering up my computer and hoping you all have a wonderful holiday season! Wish me well!

Amulets and Talismans

2011-11-02T12:39:00.000-10:00

So I decided I wanted to make some amulets and talismans. Not sure if I'd carve them from stone, bead them, or what. So since I couldn't decide, I decided to practice with some pouches to hold them. This one is to hold a small item. I used a larger yarn:

This one is a copy of my iPod holder. Only I used a crochet thread instead of yarn to see how the size of the pattern would change:

The one on the right is a knotless netting pouch I made with waxed linen. I decided to see what would happen if I changed the technique to crochet & used a larger yarn. The result is on the left:

This one I used crochet thread & a ridge stitch. People seem to like it almost as much as the knotless netted one. But this tiny pouch took 2 and 1/2 hours!

So after all this experimenting I decided that, except for special occasions, I'm just gonna make a flannel or felt pouch for the talisman or amulet. Now to get to making them!!!

Meanwhile...

2011-11-02T12:26:00.000-10:00

...someone came to show us something...the Kirby salesman!!! Yup, they're still around! So they showed us all the nasty dirt that is hiding in our carpet, sofa & bed! Ugh. I noticed there was a difference in colors on the samples he cleaned! Then I realized that some of what he'd cleaned had come from Kaua'i & the rest was dust & sand from here. I had to take a pic of the different colors of soil! Kaua'i soil is more red. The soil here is darker. See if you can tell the difference!

After 3 and 1/2 hours we still decided not to buy! Whew!

More Doodles and Symbols

2011-11-02T12:19:00.000-10:00

I've always been interested in symbols & how they are used. So here are a few more that I did. I had practiced with them in my Imagineer book, and had to copy them into my doodle book. Plus a couple I did just in my doodle book.
This one is some I copied from my Imagineer book:

These are more I copied from my Imagineer book as well as a tag I did:

Here's a couple of heart ones I did right in my doodle book:

Studying where & how symbols came about has been very educational!

Oh no!

2011-11-02T12:11:00.000-10:00

I have a wonderful e-pal in Italy who sent me an embroidery design for a pincushion. It was so cute! You can check out her site here. She also has another one with more cooking! (Pizelles, Mom!) Anyway, I have 2 pens for embroidery. One is a disappearing ink one & one is a water soluble one. I thought I'd try the disappearing ink one first. Here's a pic:

So I started to embroider it here and left the rest for the next day. BUT when I got to it, all the lines had disappeared!!!

Apparently the air here sucks the water out of everything!!! So I decided to retry copying it with the soluble ink pen here.

I'm hoping I can get this one done before the soluble pen disappears!!!

If not, I'm going for pencil!!!

Wish me luck!

More RAAKS and some crochet

2011-11-02T10:52:00.000-10:00

We got RAAKed with more yarn! Wowee!!! This is fun! Here's a couple of pics:

So I've been busy rolling balls and I started this scarf:

This pic doesn't do this yarn justice!!!

It's called Juniper & is beautiful!

I'm keeping the yarn in my Tibetan prayer bowl

so each stitch is full of prayers for whoever gets this scarf!

Test Swatch

2011-11-02T10:45:00.000-10:00

Spoonflower has a special once a year. You can send in a design and they will send you back a free test swatch. I sent in a jpeg of a pin I made a pal. Here is the result of the test swatch on quilt fabric:

The fabric design came out a little darker than the original, but it was a fun idea. I guess you get better results with paler designs, but I'm not that kinda gal! LOL!

Where have I been???

2011-11-02T10:39:00.000-10:00

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted! And what have I been doing? Well, since I had a bit of a relapse, for awhile I did nothing but read and do Oprah's Life Class! So here's a pic of some of what I've been reading:

Been studying a lot of nature religions.

I also just got a book on over 3,000 motifs for artists & craftsmen!

So I guess I'll be busy with that.

WE HAVE A WORKING KITCHEN!!!

2011-08-08T12:10:00.000-10:00

Wow! What was 'sposed to take 4 days is only gonna take 1 and 1/2!!! The 2 restorer guys today worked really hard & everything is back together! They just have to come back tomorrow for some touch up painting and a little trim! Yahoo! I'm so excited! So tonight we're gonna have spaghetti and sausage & sing the Italian Mambo song! Here's a link so you can sing along with us!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGnh0q4RuQ8

My niece's bridal shower gift!!!

2011-08-08T12:03:00.000-10:00

So I wasn't able to get to WA state for her shower. I was really sad! But I wanted to make her a special OOAK gift. I decided to make her a small beaded purse for her to keep her honeymoon key and an emergency $100.00 in...everyone needs to have an emergency $100.00. Her wedding isn't until the end of the month, so told her to start saving! Or maybe, as a "bursa", she'll get some money at the wedding. Anyway, I forgot to take the final shots of it before I mailed it! So all I have to show you are process shots until my family sends me shots from the shower!

Here we go:

1. Bead front and back of the purse and pin in the lining.

2. This is the lining on the inside ready to sew.

3. This is the lining sewn in.

4. This is edging the thick part of the purse.

5. This is putting the picot edging around the open top.

I'll add the finished photo when I get it from my family.

See? I told you we've been busy! :)

House Pouch

2011-08-08T11:34:00.000-10:00

Before the restorers came today, I wanted to bless our house. So yesterday I smudged the whole thing! Every nook and cranny! And I made the house a pouch. I made sure it was placed in the wall of the house before the insulation was put in. Here's the process:

1. Make a knotless netting pouch.

2. Add a cord and beads.

3. Choose crystals, stones, charms & write wishes.

4. Add gifts to pouch.

5. Tie pouch tightly.

6. Leave in framing before insulation is put in.

Then just make sure the restorers really leave it there!

I hope our home feels loved and happy now!

We were RAAKED!

2011-08-08T11:23:00.000-10:00

So while all the kitchen mess was going on,

we got a RAAK from a pal in HI.

(Remember a RAAK is a Random Act of Art Kindness)

Lots of goodies in this box!!!

Who knows what we'll make of it all!

It sure was nice to be treated during this time! Thanks pal!

2011 Kitchen Leak

2011-08-08T11:19:00.000-10:00

OK...so I've been talking about out kitchen having to be restored. Here's why. Ron noticed a dripping outside next to the house under our hose. He thought it was the hose & moved it, but it remained. So we called out the NM Leak Detection people. They pried open under our cabinets & a storm of mold came flying out!!! They, the plumber & the restorers have all been working on this. We had to get down to what the cause was before our insurance would even consider covering us. So the counter tops, cabs, sink, etc. were all ripped out. There was so much water, mold & wet wood (including the framing!) under there that we had a dehumidifier living with us for 11 days. We ended up calling him R2D2. Finally one of the restorers said it was dry enough for the plumber to come & try to find the leak. She & Ron did a simple water test & found a hole had been drilled into a pipe, filled & covered with duct tape! It had passed the water inspection, but over time the hot water from the sink, dishwasher, & our upstairs shower, loosened it all up. So since it was what some people call "sabotage", & happened 7 years ago, our insurance wouldn't cover us. They would only cover from the time we bought coverage with them. ACK!!! So today the restorers are back trying to put it all together. Ron bought a cabinet that sorta matched & they're trying to make it work with some leftover pieces. Here are some pics:

This is 7 years of wetness & mold under our cabinets.

This is R2D2 - the dehumidifier that ran 24/7 for 11 days!

Here is the hole that had been drilled into a pipe.

It was hidden behind another pipe!

Here is Ron putting in a screwdriver to measure the size of the drilled hole.

This has been a major mess!!!

Trying to cook & wash dishes without a sink has been crazy!

Our dining room table is covered with tubs & a drying rack.

And the noise from R2D2 was really tiring.

I can't wait to get it all back together!!!

Flaming Muse Workshop

2011-08-08T10:51:00.000-10:00

So while our kitchen is being restored to it's beautiful self, I decided to take an online creativity workshop. It's pretty intensive, deep and fun! I'm in my last week now, just as the kitchen is getting finished! We had videos to watch & assignments to do. I'm just gonna show some of the assignments without explanation. It would take too long to go over 3 weeks' lessons! :)

This is my bliss board:

This is my Irrelevant sign

This is my permission slip

This is my MORE page

And this is called The Magic Circle.

It's by John William Waterhouse & really inspired some of my magic work!

Culture Inspired art

2011-08-08T10:40:00.000-10:00

As I've been doodling, I had an idea to make some culture inspired art. Here are 2 hearts I did. One is inspired by the Southwest and the other is inspired by Celtic design.

I'm not sure where I'm going with all of this,

but it sure has helped me relax with all the work going on in our kitchen!

Adjustable Cords!

2011-08-08T10:33:00.000-10:00

Don't we all love adjustable cords?! Well my DH found me some instructions online so I could make a necklace for the pendant my pal brought me. And here it is!

And what I learned on this was to make sure your knots are bigger than the beads at the end or they'll fall off and you have to start over! :)

Practice and Problems

2011-08-08T10:29:00.000-10:00

While my pal was here, I gave her a quick tutorial on needle felting. I made a couple pieces with her 'cuz I wanted to see if they'd fit on greeting cards. Too thick! Ah, well. Maybe I can use them for something else!

Doodle Style ATC for a pal

2011-08-08T10:18:00.000-10:00

While my pal was here, we worked on Zentangle inspired art & just some regular doodling. I made her this ATC to mail to her later & thank her for being my pal:

Ron's Felted ATC

2011-08-08T10:12:00.000-10:00

When my pal came to visit, my DH helped us. He let us play in the studio while he cooked meals for us. So I wanted to let him know how much I appreciated him. I made him this felted ATC. He said he liked it. Hope so!

1. Finish a felted ATC on craft felt

2. Gather materials

3. Iron Wonder Under to cardstock & ATC

4. Trim excess

5. Button hole stitch ATC to cardstock

6. Write on cardstock

7. Finished ATC

Long Time No See! :)

2011-08-08T09:59:00.000-10:00

As you'll see, we've been busy here in NM!!! So sorry for the delay in posting! Hope you all are well!
The first thing I want to show is another needlecase I made for a pal on Kaua'i. This came from Martha Stewart's site/craft section:

1. Cut all pattern pieces and gather materials

2. Cut and iron all pieces

3. Stitch all layers together

4. Start stitching buttons to one layer

5. Buttons stitched to one page

6. Gather other materials to add to case

7. Add more buttons

8. Add needles and pins

9. Add safety pins and invisible thread

10. Add colored thread and a bandaid

11. Finished needlecase

Happy Belated Birthday, Pal!

ATC practice doodled/tangled Hearts

2011-06-17T12:42:00.000-10:00

I've written before about doodling and Zentangle or tangling. It's so relaxing. Recently I did 3 practice ATC heart doodles/tangles in my moleskine.
You can find more about Zentangle here. I've been inspired by some tangles here.
Here's a pic of the latest...and sorry about the blurry scan. Need to remember to press down at the bend!

I've added a hint of shading and color to these.

We were RAAKed!

2011-06-17T12:31:00.001-10:00

In case you don't know RAAK is a Random Act of Art Kindness!

We just recently received a whole bag of
wonderful yarns from a pal in WA state!

Most are wool, or wool blend...even some mohair!

Here's my DH on the floor trying to get them all organized:

Get ready to see some loom work or crochet or felting or...!

Thanks pal!!!

New Chili Lights on our Patio

2011-06-17T12:23:00.000-10:00

This last summer a pal bought us some chili lights. And we just got them up now!

Here is a picture of my DH with the lights:

And here are the chili lights and one of our tiki torches

and one of our hummingbird feeders:

Now he's also added white & blue lights to get ready for the 4th of July!

Needlework Owl Sewing Kit to my Sister

2011-06-17T12:12:00.002-10:00

Many years ago I saw an owl needle case online. I liked the idea & kept it in my idea book. Now, years later, I wanted to make one for my sister's big birthday since our Italian family Lare is an owl, but I couldn't remember who to attribute my inspiration to. I remember it was just a couple pictures, but had no tutorial with it. If you recognise something similar to this, let me know & I will give you credit. I had no idea how to start, so I decided to ask my DH to draft a pattern up for me. And he did! Not only a pattern but instructions! It's wonderful to have a co-creator as a life partner! And I hope our Owl Lare continues to protect my sister.
Here follows a tutorial for the one I made which was much larger than the one I saw online & used very different materials.

1. Get DH to draft the pattern for you!

2. Cut out the pattern pieces.

3.Set out where pieces will go.

4. Cut out lining pocket and felt.

5. Sew owl body to cover.

6. Sew owl body parts to cover.

7. Sew branch and leaves to cover.

8. Owl sewn to cover.

9. Sew wing closure, felt and pocket.

10. Sew gusset pocket to lining.

11. Add snap to wing.

12. Add snap to body.

13. Blanket stitch lining to cover.

14. Here's the finished lining full of useful items...including a band aid!

15. Here's the snapped & finished cover.

16. Here it is RTG with a card made by my pal Azlina.

You can see her site here. If the link doesn't work,

try: http://azlina-lin.blogspot.com/ Seems to be having some

problems today. Maybe 'cuz of all my updates!

My sister liked her sewing kit. It may come in handy this summer

since her daughter is getting married!

Smoke from the Arizona wild fire

2011-06-17T11:33:00.000-10:00

There are so many wild fires going on here in the SW.

There is a major one in the state of Arizona which is just west of us.

It gets so smoky here in the afternoon that

you can't even see the Sandia Mountains!

Needlefelted egg off to Matilda!

2011-06-17T11:29:00.000-10:00

Used my first new business card to send the needlefelted egg

off to Matilda who won the Blogoversary draw.

Hope she likes it!

New Business Card

2011-06-17T11:25:00.001-10:00

I've been thinking for awhile now about making new business cards

just for the creations I make as a different side of Huckleberry Hut.

Something that would showthat I'm a multimedia artist.

I had a dream about this one so I decided to try it out.

Here's the front with watercolor, ink & fibers.

On the back I can write how much information I want to give out.

I know it seems like too much work, but it's fun!

And the winner is...

2011-05-26T13:30:00.000-10:00

Matilda!!! We drew names out of a basket and Matilda won the egg. So if you will send your regular mail address to me at my email you can find on the left of my blog, I will send you the egg! Congratulations! I hope you enjoy it and will do your own felting someday!
Ciao!
CC

Matilda!!! Abbiamo disegnato i nomi da un cestino e Matilda ha vinto l'uovo. Così se trasmettiate il vostro indirizzo della posta normale me al mio email che potete trovare a sinistra del mio blog, gli trasmetterò l'uovo! Congratulazioni! Spero che lo godiate e facciate la vostra propria feltratura qualche giorno! Ciao! CC

Happy Blogoversary to me!!!

2011-05-25T09:36:00.001-10:00

Yea! Someone actually reminded me it was my Blogoversary today! Yahoo!

I obviously didn't give very specific directions

as I have been getting emails,

as well as blog comments, on my hand felted egg give away!

So what I'll do is wait until tomorrow

& pull a name from the hat to see who gets the egg!

Hope the rest of you enjoy both tutorials!

Sorry for any confusion. Here's that egg again:

I'll let you know tomorrow who gets it!

Zentangle? Doodle? Zendalas?

2011-05-14T13:19:00.000-10:00

Recently a pal told me she was making Zentangles. Say what?

So I got online and found tons of information on them.

Remember when you were a kid and you got that peechee for school?

And you doodled all over it?

Well, that's kind of the idea behind Zentangles.

It's a very relaxing process, hence the Zen,

with a bunch of different

tangles/doodles that make a piece of art.

One company even made a business out of it.

You can find their site here.

You can also find various patterns here.

Others make Zendalas (like mandalas) or free form doodle art.

I'm having fun learning some of the Zentangle patterns,

but I always seem to relax & add my own patterns.

Here's my first practice pieces in a cheap sketchbook.

You can see I learned why they use specific paper & pens!

You get lots of splotches with cheap pens.

To zoom in, click the pic.

Here's my second attempt in one of my moleskines.

I've doodled since I was little, but it is fun to learn new patterns.

Mostly, it's a very relaxing form of art. Ahhh...

Mothers' Day Card and Gift

2011-05-14T12:57:00.000-10:00

A long while ago, on the island of Kaua'i,

we took a pohaku class. (Rock carving)

My mom saw what we had made and asked for a candle holder.

So we saved her this heart shaped one.

She also happens to like beets (UGH!) and broccoli.

So I made her card using beets cut in half,

and added some watercolor crayon to a piece of broccoli

to get some green suggestion of leaves.

I hope she likes both. I know she'll laugh at the card!

Here they are:

I hope she doesn't see this! We mailed it

awhile back & she still doesn't have it!

I called her and warned her!

May Day Snow?

2011-05-14T12:48:00.000-10:00

Couldn't believe it, but it snowed here on May Day!

Here's some pics to prove it!

May have to click on them to see them bigger.

Glad it's warmed up now!

Layer 4 of Early Starchild

2011-05-14T12:44:00.000-10:00

Just added another layer to my latest colored pencil piece.

Almost starting to burnish, but still needs work.

Also added a light layer of some things I want in the background.

Business Card Practice

2011-05-14T12:39:00.000-10:00

I had a dream a long time ago about some unique business cards.

They would be watercolor with an eyelet in one corner.

I would run fabric strips through the eyelet,

sign my name on the front

& save the back for whatever info I wanted to

give out to a particular person.

I've got the first 2 steps done.

Step one:

"Drop In" watercolor on wet paper and add spatters.

Step two:

Cut the dry watercolor into 6 pieces.

Now I just need to find eyelets big enough

to run fibers and fabrics through!

Plus I really wanted to tear the edges, but this is just a practice sample.

I hope these cards will explain a little more about

mixed media art.

Happy Easter!

2011-05-14T12:25:00.000-10:00

Boy did we have a nice Easter!

Here are a few pics to show our goodies!

We were very happy bunnies with all this good food!

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

2011-04-22T11:50:00.000-10:00

I went outside today to check on the plants I let sit over winter.

Some hardy carnations are coming out!

And this sage is starting to bloom!

I guess it's time to get out into the garden!

Happy Earth Day! Happy Spring!

2nd Blogoversary Tutorial - Needle Felted Egg

2011-04-22T11:40:00.000-10:00

I was trying to figure out what to give away for my Blogoversary. I decide to give everyone 2 tutorials. I had to do this early in case anyone wanted to make this Needle Felted Egg for Easter, or any spring holiday. You have time! It only took a few hours. (And fellow bloggers, this is the tutorial to comment on if you want to win this finished egg!) Here we go!

1. First I gathered my supplies, tools and a sketched egg shape. You can barely see it!

2. Next I cut out the inside of the egg shape to make a template. You could also use a cookie cutter if you have one. Place it on your foam pad.

3. Next I started to pull out pieces of the wool roving.

4. Then I crisscrossed the wool over the template.

5. Next I folded the wool roving on itself to an approximate shape of the template.

6. Now start tacking the wool down with your needle felting tool.

7. Be sure to check and make sure the wool isn't sticking to the foam pad. You can turn it over and do the back also.

8. This picture is hard to see, but I am checking for holes or weak spots that need more wool.

9. Don't forget to felt the sides. And watch your fingers!!! The barbs on the needle are sharp!!!

10. Continue felting until the background is done. It should be solid. Mine felted down to about 3/8 inches deep.

11. Add Lincoln curls to make wiggly stripes. (Lincoln curls are what I used. You can use whatever kind of wool you want.)

12. If the curls don't seem to be attaching well, you can place a "cobweb" over the background & felt it over the curls. Don't worry about the curls going off the edge. You can trim them later.

13. Pull wisps of other colors to make some dots.

14. Fold and roll wisps into dots.

15. Start felting dots between the curly lines. Smaller dots need just a teeny bit of wool.

16. Now it's all felted & ready to hang. Add a floss hanger...or you could use the egg on a gift, or you could back it with regular craft felt so you could sign it. Wherever your imagination takes you! For the tutorial, I left the back plain & just added a hanger.

17. And there you have your hand needle felted egg.

Now if you want a chance on receiving this egg for my Blogoversary, be sure to comment on this post! I will inform whoever I draw that day. Then I can get your snail mail to get your spring egg to you! Happy felting. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

1st Blogoversary Tutorial - Sunflower Study

2011-04-22T10:49:00.000-10:00

This is a quick tutorial on how I did a study of a sunflower.

1. First I sketched a sunflower from a reference photo & then I inked it. The most important thing to remember is to really SEE what you are drawing! Not what you think it looks like, but what it really looks like. Take time to really look at your reference, even before you start sketching.

2. Next I used watercolor pencils to add the local colors of the flower & background.

3. Next I wet down the water color pencil with my water brushes. Let dry.

4. Then I used the watercolor pencils to add shadows and darken the background.

5. Last I wet down the added colors, & here you have the finished study. Let dry.

Here is a pic of the only tools I used.

If I were to go from the finished study to a full size painting, there may be some changes I'd make, but it gives me a great start.

Blogoversary Coming Up!

2011-04-22T10:19:00.000-10:00

OK...I know it's 33 days away, but I decided I better get to it now. Especially since I've made you 2 tutorials, & one can be made in time for Easter, or whatever spring holiday you want to celebrate. On my actual Blogoversary I will draw a name from anyone who comments on my blog post about the 2nd tutorial between now and then. The person I draw will get the egg from the 2nd tutorial! So get ready for the tutorials. Hope you enjoy them!

More Birthday gifts and some RAAKs!

2011-04-08T12:48:00.000-10:00

My DH got MORE gifts from a pal in HI. And she sent me some RAAKs as well! Woo hoo!

We sure are blessed! Thanks pal!

Here's some pics:

A tiny tea kettle timer!

A lighted pill box!

A handmade ATC of fabric and beads!

A second handmade ATC!

A fave Hawaiian music CD!

Hawaiian spices to cook with!

And MORE spices!

Here's a grouping of his gifts. You can see me in the tea kettle!

A grouping of some of his gifts combined with my RAAK!!

I'm sure gonna have fun with those glitter pens!

Super Full Moon

2011-04-08T12:33:00.000-10:00

Did you guys see it? It was just beautiful! Now you know how I am with cameras, but I keep trying! This was the best shot I could get...nice tiki torch huh? LOL!

I really need practice! Or maybe a new camera!

Happy Birthday Pal!

2011-04-08T12:26:00.000-10:00

Been working on this since 10/2010! And I finally finished it and got it mailed to my pal. It started as a friendship bracelet bookmark 'cuz she loves to read, but ended with two-4 cord braids so I could add some beads and charms on the end. Here's a couple pics:

Here's a card and the bookmark once I was done:

It was fun making this tiny card and envelope for her too. I'm just sorry it took so long to get to her! I don't know how many of you know this, but I was diagnosed with ME/CFS awhile back, and am busy building my immune system up. Slows me down sometimes tho'! But I'll be back to my old self asa I can!

It's Spring!

2011-04-08T12:24:00.000-10:00

And our trees are blooming!

Need some practice with my camera!

The Handmade Card & Needle Felted Heart

2011-04-08T12:21:00.000-10:00

Here's what I worked on for my DH's bday.

Handmade card & envelope:

Hand Needle Felted Love Heart:

And he liked 'em!

Happy Birthday DH!!!

2011-04-08T12:16:00.000-10:00

My DH had a wonderful birthday back in March. He got a handmade gift from me, as we're watching our pennies, & ate all his favorite manly foods for dinner! Here's some pics:

First Happy Hour out on our patio on his birthday!

A box with my gift and ribbon that says I Love You, & a small envelope:

Here's his little card with charm:

Here's his hand needle felted love heart gift to hang in his man cave:

A package from his pals in WA:

He was Spammed:

And the Prince said the shoe doesn't fit:

Here's the start of his meal:

He's a happy boy!

I hope all his wishes come true!

St. Paddy's Day!

2011-03-18T11:03:00.000-10:00

Hope you all had a great St. Patrick's Day. I did something yesterday that my DH had never seen. I dyed our mashed potatoes green...as well as my glass of wine! It goes well with the green broccoli, green avocados & DH's headband. He has a story about his mom dyeing the yolks green in devilled eggs for a St. Patrick Day church potluck. Everyone ate her regular ones, but no one ate those green eggs! If I'd been there, I would have eaten them! Here's a couple pics!

Aren't you green with envy? LOL!

What is Layering?

2011-03-18T10:55:00.000-10:00

I have a dear pal in HI who wants to learn more about art. I talked to her about layering. Whether with watercolors, colored pencils, or other art mediums, layering is integral to some art styles. So I decided to show her the process. Below are the 3 different layers I sent to her. I still have more to go, as well as finishing that background! Sorry the scanner picked up so much white space. I didn't have time to crop it. Ah, well.

Layer One: Just the darkest darks & a hint of where lights & color will go:

Layer Two: Adding more lights, darks and color

Layer Three: More lights, darks, colors & some modeling...haven't started burnishing yet!

Crochet

2011-03-18T10:40:00.000-10:00

While I've been resting, I've been doing some crocheting. Since my grandma taught me as a child, it comes very natural to me. Here's a pic of a large Granny Square made of Fiesta Peaches & Creme. It's gonna be even larger as I'm making it into a lap blanket. I just keep adding to each row of the Granny Square.

Also, when I was in Seattle, I lost my favorite black scarf!!! I've really missed it! So I decided to crochet myself a different one. Maybe it will be ready in time for next winter!
It's really wide & long!

B. Ruppe Drugs

2011-03-18T10:27:00.000-10:00

I had read in a NM magazine about a place called B. Ruppe Drugs.

It's the oldest pharmacy in NM.

But now they don't do refills or prescriptions.

They just do OTC items as well as all sorts of herbs, roots

& natural items that they package and sell.

They may have to sell soon as the curandera is 80,

and her male helper is 90! (You can see him in one of the pics.)

They also have an altar in the middle of the store that has candles to light,

paper to write prayers on, & lots of santos to see.

I'm so sorry they are going to have to sell this place!

I bought some wonderful teas, tinctures, roots, etc

for my pals who wanted some, & some for me too!

Here are some pics for you to enjoy before it's out of business.

Click on a pic to enlarge it.

The outside:

The inside with the 90 year old helper:

DH taking it all in:

The Altar

Roots and Herbs RTG:

The Russian Orthodox Church across the street:

Real American Take Out Chinese Food

2011-03-18T10:07:00.000-10:00

So in Kaua'i, we didn't have a heck of alot of take out joints.

Now here in NM we are surrounded by all kinds!

We just had to have a go at 'em. Here's a pic:

Oh, it tasted so good! They even have delivery!

What a treat!

RAAK'd

2011-03-18T09:59:00.000-10:00

I've been raak'd! (Random act of art kindness)

I know I haven't blogged in quite awhile, but I received some precious gifts

from a dear pal here in NM. Here's a pic:

The center goddess is "January"!

I told my pal awhile back that I LOVED her!

So she sent her to me!

She was part of a series of 12 & I never would've believed I'd get her!

She also sent me a pamphlet on fatigue,

a tea bag folding &

a wonderful Seeing You watercolor!

This artist is so generous! Love you sweetie!

Cookie Day 2010

2010-12-29T14:13:00.001-10:00

This will probably be my last post of the year since New Year's is coming up. And we do plan on just a little celebrating! But I had to get in some pictures of Cookie Day. I think I explained before that it is a family tradition on my Italian side to make Christmas cookies and deliver them to our neighbors. No matter where we are, we all work out a day to make cookies, then we call and check on each other's progress. It's a fun tradition! Here's some pic:

Get ingredients together

Mix up a batch

Knead the dough

Roll out the snakes to wrap around your finger

Trays ready to go in the oven

Frosting and decorating the cookies

Finger cookies! (Hey Matilda! Do you know what these are called in Italian?)

Decorated sugar cookies

And there we have them all ready to batch up and go!

Happy New Year to you all! May you all be healthy and happy!

Happy Thanksgivng

2010-12-29T13:55:00.001-10:00

We have so much to be thankful for!

Here's a pic of my DH and his wonderful dinner:

We are blessed!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-12-29T13:52:00.000-10:00

I've always loved Red Robin! In fact it's the first place we went to when we got to NM.

So of course I had to go on my birthday!

Here's a couple pics. The first one is of us and the mascot:

The last one is blurry, but my button says, "It's my birthday and I can do whatever I want!"

And I did!

Man Cave

2010-12-29T13:47:00.000-10:00

Just caught my DH playing in his man cave the other day!

I think he has a serious computer addiction!

But he's happy!

Always during the holidays!

2010-12-29T13:44:00.000-10:00

We were just getting ready to put up some Halloween decor

when a pipe in our hot water heater burst!

Here's a pic of the tiny hole that caused so much damage:

That little pinhole caused a bunch of water damage, so the repairmen had to come out & soak up water, dry the drywall, cut through & repair the drywall that was ruined, then paint the whole side wall in our living room/dining room. Here's some pics of the mess:

Everything had to be moved away from the right wall 'cuz they had to paint it & the wall that faces the garage.

Thank heaven it's all done & looks like new!

Halloween 2010

2010-12-29T13:30:00.002-10:00

My DH loves Halloween! He has stored boxes dedicated to just Halloween decor. So here's a few of our holiday decorations.

I have to admit the broom, moldy shoes & witch's hat are my idea!

This poor guy has lost some fingers and toes over the years:

And a tiny hand needle felted pumpkin I made:

My niece's FIRST knitting projects!

2010-12-29T13:16:00.000-10:00

OK. So there's someone in the family who is taking after me! My niece decided she wanted to try knitting. She went online, found some tutorials, and taught herself!

Here are her first projects:

Fills in the time at work waiting for clients too! You go girl!

My Dad's Thundereggs

2010-12-29T13:12:00.000-10:00

My mom was busy cleaning out her back room. In a drawer she found some of my Dad's old rocks. When we were kids, one of our favorite things was to go rock hounding with my Mom and Dad. She knew I would love to have a couple of these, so she surprised me and sent them to me! This first one is a non-shiny one. It feels like there are real plants in it:

This next one he polished up:

I always thought it was so magical to cut open these crusty looking things & find out how beautiful they are inside! Thanks Mom!

More new stuff

2010-12-29T13:04:00.001-10:00

Here's some more hand needle felting I've done recently:

I've also been working on a friendship project.

It's taking a long time since it's longer than a bracelet:

Seems I've been keeping busy with alot of different things!

Me? Working? Go figure!

2010-12-29T12:58:00.001-10:00

Believe it or not, I've actually been working on some things.

Here's a funny gourd elf I made at the library a while back:

I've also been working on beaded worded Hearts.

Here's a whole batch cut & with the words glued on:

And here's one that is part way beaded:

I think I have a long ways to go to finish the whole batch!

I'm not sure what I'm gonna make these into...brooches?

Glued onto painted canvas? What do you think?

Art Gifts!!!

2010-12-29T12:47:00.001-10:00

I am so blessed to have pals who really care for me! I received some wonderful art gifts! Here are some I received from a pal in NM! Thanks so much!

And some from a pal in Hawaii! Thank you so much!

I really love this art doll! I want to sleep with her!

Long Time No See!

2010-12-29T12:38:00.000-10:00

Well it has been awhile since I've been on here...again. Life just keeps happening! Finally got a diagnosis, and am seeing a doc about it, but really I think I'm just gonna work on building up my immune system. I feel alot better since I've been on vitamin D and B! Don't want to get into it all here, but wanted you to know I haven't forgot about you all.
Believe it or not, some of those carnations from my last post are still blooming! Even while the snow flurries around them. Here are some snapdragons that lasted until after Thanksgiving:

And I also harvested my little practice garden. I think I need to talk to a nursery before I go on next year, but we did get a bunch of herbs out of it. More next year!

Happy Veterans Day!

2010-11-12T12:05:00.000-10:00

I couldn't believe going out on Veterans Day & seeing our carnations still in bloom! November!!! So hope all you vets had a beautiful day. Thinking of you all!

Silly Class!

2010-10-28T09:55:00.001-10:00

I also decided I need to focus on some fun stuff, so I took Carla Sonheim's Silly Class. You can see her site at http://carlasonheim.wordpress.com/ And here are a few of the Silly Worksheets I did. Remember worksheets from gradeschool? Well, we'd get one a day, with some blob or something & have to make something out of it or write a story. I'm REALLY far behind, in fact the class is done, but I can still post to the Flickr site for a long time! :)

These are just a few. More are on my Flickr site. I'd been away from my drawing for a long time, so this was a fun way to get back into it. Someday I may catch up! LOL!

Slowly but surely...

2010-10-28T09:39:00.000-10:00

...I'm getting better. Building up my immune system. I've done a few things after I hit the wall, so I haven't been totally in bed reading books & eating bon bons! :) So here is one new thing I've started doing that's not too labor intensive. Needle felting!

Doesn't take alot of tools or energy! Just some sheep roving, a couple needles, a foam pad & some fancies to felt into the design. Poke, Poke, Poke...but be careful! Those needles have sharp barbs on them!!!

Here's a sample of a few ornaments I've been working on. I added shiny threads, Angelina fibers & sewed on some beads. Easy squeezy!

Long Time no see me! :)

2010-07-08T16:25:00.000-10:00

Hi, all! Sorry you haven't heard from me alot, but it's been a busy summer so far! Some good pals from Kaua'i came to visit me, then some pals from Texas...and next come some friends from Washington state! It's been fun, but a little tiring for me. I'm going thru' some medical tests to find out what's wrong with me. I haven't had any creative energy lately, & the docs are trying to figure it all out. Just know I love you all & think of you often! (When I'm not sleeping the day away!) I hope they figure it out soon as I have so many ideas of creative things to make! Above you'll see some of my pals from Kaua'i. I was so grateful that they came & blessed our home with their presence. Please be patient with my tests! I hope I'll be back to my old self soon!

Gorgeous Blogger Award!

2010-05-26T15:52:00.000-10:00

Gorgeous Blogger Award! (The Illustration didn't come thru', so I added this one!)

Oh how sweet! Just the other day, I received this award from a sweet fellow blogger, Lin. Thank you Sweetie! I really appreciate it! I love visiting her blog of handmade cards which you can see at her site here.
OK...now for the rules.....

A. Accept the award and thank the person who gave it to you. ----DONE!

B. List 10 things about yourself -----DONE!
1. I'm 1/2 Italian & 1/2 Norwegian & should be in counseling! :)
2. I used to be an illustrator, but now am more into fine art.
3. I was immersed in Cuernavaca to learn Spanish, and now that I need it, forgot most of it! :)
4. I've traveled to alot of the continents, but am now happy to stay home and create!
5. I am a mixed media artist, as much as I try to narrow it down to one medium!!!
6. I'm 5'4" tall & need to lose some weight!
7. I love sports cars & hope to own another someday!
8. I am married to the love of my life! I never knew how happy you could be until I met him!
9. My 2 priorities in life are creating, and loving my family and friends.
10. I've just moved from Hawaii to New Mexico & am still getting used to where everything is & WHAT it is! :D

C. List 5 additional things you DON'T like ----DONE!
1. Bigotry
2. Racism
3. Gossip
4. Liars
5. War

Then pick ten people to give this lovely award to! The first person gets to pass it on!-----DONE!
So hard to decide.....so I randomly picked bloggers who I like to visit :) There's so many more but my computer is broke, so I don't have access to everyone I love! Soon tho'! I even missed my own Blogoversary!!! ACK!

1. JoTee's Art blog ( I love her January doll! See it here.)
2. Matilda Labo's Art blog
3. Nancy's Blog Womankind
4. Griselda's Spirit Dolls and Assemblage Art
5. Danny Gregory's Blog
6. Bead Journal Project and all their blogs
7. Robin Atkin's Blog
8. SpeedieBeadie
9. Urban Sketchers
10. Plays with Needles ( check out an old post here)

There really are a bunch more, but that's all I have for today! So Sis, JoTee, you win the #1 Gorgeous Blogger Award!

February Progress on Oneness Project

2010-04-23T11:15:00.000-10:00

So with all the other stuff I've been into, I'm kinda behind on the Oneness Project! I'll catch up eventually. But here's a little progress I've made on the February focal piece:

CC's Shabby Sachets

2010-04-23T11:11:00.000-10:00

Y'all know I just love hearts! They're my favorite motif! So I have all these bits of fabrics, vintage laces, beads, painted fabric from pals, etc & just had to do something with them. So I started making these Shabby Sachets. They are not seamed, just cut out and sewn together...Shabby Style. I stuffed them with a little stuffing & some lavender. I have a ton leftover from Purple Haze I have to use up! They smell so good, & I really relax as I hand sew each heart with love, of course!

ATCs

2010-04-23T11:03:00.001-10:00

More ATCs to practice different colored pencil techniques

so I can get back into colored pencil painting!

Compost

2010-04-23T11:00:00.001-10:00

What do you get an earth guy for his birthday? My mom couldn't decide, so she sent a check & he got himself a composter for our new yard! Just in time to put in all that compost we've been saving!

Toothpicks???

2010-04-23T10:56:00.002-10:00

Crazy me? Nah! Anyone ever heard of knitting with toothpicks? Well I saw it online & just had to try! OMG, did I learn alot! Like glue a bead at the end of the toothpicks so they don't pick your finger!!! And sand those babies! So here's all I did before my fingers hurt:

New Addiction

2010-04-23T10:52:00.001-10:00

OK...here's the last puzzle picture I'm gonna be showing:

We have found a new addiction:

Gotta keep these older minds alert! :D

ATCs

2010-04-09T13:00:00.000-10:00

I've wanted to get back into colored pencil painting, but for some reason I just haven't started. So this last week I thought I could at least do a couple little ATCs. The size is small so it's not so threatening. I really had fun & am remembering all the techniques I used to use. So here's the two I did this week:

They're just copies of things I've seen in magazines, but it's just practice so I don't get so stressed. I did these on mat board. Allows for alot of layers! Anyway, hope you all have a great week!

Happy creating!

Happy Spring!

2010-04-09T12:51:00.000-10:00

I know we don't all eat ham at Easter, but Ron loves it!

My sister-in-law had tamales in Oregon!

I really like the acorn squash! Oh, and the devilled eggs!

You can tell he's happy can't you?

Tramway Birthday!

2010-04-09T12:45:00.000-10:00

OMG! Ron decided for his birthday that he wanted to go up the Tramway on the Sandia mountains & eat at the High Finance restaurant on top! I was excited to be able to go with him! It's fun to go from warm desert up to icy snow & see skiers & snowboarders! So here's just a few pics from that special day! (It sure was hard to edit down these pics!)

Here's Ron at the start of the tram.

Here comes our car!

Here we go up over the first tower.

Passing another car at the halfway point.

Looking down at the highest point. See the snow start.

We're there!

Check out the icicles!!!

The Happy Birthday Boy!

Here's our ride down!

This was such a fun day! I just wish I could figure out the updated post editor so all these pics don't have to show up in a line like this. I'm sure I'll figure it out, so bare with me! Thanks! Oh, & you can still click on the pics to make them larger...at least I hope so! :)

New Babies!

2010-04-09T12:17:00.000-10:00

I just couldn't bare to see out backyard without any green yet. We need to wait awhile before we can plant. So when I was at Costco, I got my first baby. I named her Genie the Geranium. Here's her pic from when she came home:

And then we stopped at Home Depot to get Ron's birthday present & I saw Rosie the Rosemary!!! I just knew she had to come home with us & be a pal to Genie! She smells divine!

Then we were back at Costco & I saw another beautiful pal for my other kids.

There actually ended up being 3 starts in this one, so I called them Gerie the Geraniums #1, #2 & #3. You can see them at the bottom of the picture below.

So here's a pic of my new family:

I've had to take them in on some cold nights,

but I love my flower & herb people!

Santa Fe Bead Fest!

2010-04-09T11:58:00.000-10:00

Yahoo! I've been waiting to be on the mainland so I could go to something like this!! It was overwhelming how many vendors there were! But being basketmakers also, the first thing we bought at the bead show was a basket from Zimbabwe. It helps the families in a village there. Here's the pic of it...we just couldn't believe the weaving:

We actually did get a few beads! Not many as we were really trying to stick to our budget. But here are a couple pics:

Did a close up so you can see the beautiful copper owl locket I got. Just couldn't resist it!

I love owls so much!

Footprints in the ???

2010-04-09T11:38:00.000-10:00

Ya know how when you go to the beach you make your footprints in the sand? Well, I couldn't resist & do the same with the snow! Crazy am I? Nope! Here's the evidence:

Ya gotta love this Mother Earth of ours!

Winter Wonderland!

2010-04-09T11:29:00.000-10:00

When it snows here, it makes me feel like I'm in a Winter Wonderland! After coming from Hawaii, it sure is nice to see the seasons again! Here's a couple pics of our last snowstorm:

It sometimes feels like I can see Santa & his reindeer...even in March!

Running into Problems

2010-04-09T11:22:00.000-10:00

Well, the color for January was violet. I had some Angelina fibers that said they were called "Purple Flash", so I thought they'd go well with the month. But when I ironed them, they turned out all sorts of colors!!! But I used it anyway & beaded over it. Here's a pic of the different colors before and after:

I hope you can see why I was so surprised! It does have a flash of violet in places, & the beads went over it well. I used the rest on a card I made for my DH's birthday!

January & February Progress on the Oneness Project

2010-04-09T11:15:00.000-10:00

So here's some pics of January's progress:

And here's a few of February's progress:

I also have all three panels for January, February & March painted and ready to go!

It's going to be interesting to find fabric that is metallic gold that I can bead on!

Why Photography is Important to an Artist

2010-04-09T10:59:00.000-10:00

Some people have asked why I put a bunch of personal pictures on my blog when it's an art blog. Well, I'm really working on practicing my photography. I'm gonna need some good shots soon for some art I'm doing & want to know how best to use the little equipment I have. So as an example, I took a picture of a candle using flash here:

And then I took a picture of the same candle at the same time using natural lighting. Here's that picture:

So you can see what different effects you can get just by the lighting you use. I have ALOT to learn!

Living with OC

2010-04-09T10:48:00.000-10:00

After that last post, I'm sure you'll be able to understand this next one! Ya know how everyone has a junk drawer? Well, I started one in our kitchen, and my darling husband decided to help me with it. So here is a picture of our JUNK drawer:

And you know what??? I really like how I can find whatever I need in there! Thanks, sweetie!

A Pass time or addiction?

2010-04-09T10:43:00.000-10:00

Well I guess it keeps us out of trouble! :)

Sorry about all of the mix up on this post...Blogger decided to get an updated post editor, & I haven't figured it out! I just don't understand why they have to fix things that are already working!!! Ack!

Surprise in the Mail!

2010-03-08T14:11:00.005-10:00

Look what came in the mail?!!!! My dear pal in Malaysia knows how much I love owls & ordered this darling couple for our housewarming! Aren't they the sweetest?!!! I love them so much! You can check out her greeting card site here. She also does beadwork & bookmarks. She has way more patience than I do! But I love her work...and I love her! Thank you, sweetie, from both of us!

Oneness Project

2010-03-08T13:38:00.011-10:00

Well, I thought I was well on my way with January's piece, but the paint I used on the canvas panel just wasn't cutting it. So until I could get to the store for a REAL violet color, I worked on the rest of the project. Each piece will have a stitched focal point on the painted canvas. So next I cut out the Timtex to use as my stitching surface.

Then I found a fabric that was kinda violet & used Wonder Under to glue it down to the Timtex. All you have to do is heat it up a bit with your iron & it sticks.

Next came more gathering of materials to use on the focal point. I want alot of texture, so I have beads, sequins, floss, yarn, etc ready to go! On the right you can see I'm also prepping the canvas for February's piece. It is a Royal Fuchsia.

Below you can see I've started work on the focal point & am deciding how I will place the vintage item on the piece. It truly will be a piece about Oneness since I'm using items from around the world! I have sequins from Malaysia, beads from China, Japan, & some Czech, paint from France, as well as floss, fabric from Hawaii, etc. (Also note the better color for violet!)

And even as I work on January's piece, I start collecting items to use for February's piece!

Amulet

2010-03-08T13:30:00.005-10:00

Been working on an amulet for our new home...also started a talisman, but don't have a picture of it yet. But I've been having a problem beading the amulet. After washing & restuffing, I think it's too stiff. I've already broken needles on it. So not sure what I'm gonna do. It's all part of the process! So I'll work on something else until I have the answer!

Passing Time in NM in Winter

2010-03-08T13:02:00.009-10:00

One thing that's really popular in NM is reading...which we've been doing alot of lately. But puzzles are something we can set out & do together as time permits. Here's one Ron finished while I was gone to see Gavin!

Now here's a crazy one! We thought it looked simple, but not all of the pieces interlock! Some just rest against each other & different pieces hold them in. I've circled a close up of how some pieces don't lock. There's another arrow to the right of the circle to show more crazy matches! Click on the pics to enlarge them.

This one was a pretty panoramic!

We thought this next one would be easy 'cuz the pieces were regular. But all of those orange flowers just about drove us bonkers!

But so far the worst of all has been this 3D puzzle! It's a pretty picture, but the 3D wiggles on each piece! We could only work on it for a little while before getting queasy! I don't think we'll do another of these any time soon! Plus in the picture on the right, you can see how the pieces fit weird! Cardboard on the bottom & the plastic 3D on the top made for a strange surface!

So, after that one, we decided that we'd stick to a simpler puzzle. Just a nice dog. Next time I think it's kitties!

Baby Blanket

2010-03-08T12:58:00.003-10:00

So here's one project I couldn't mention I'd finished before...

a hand crocheted blanket for Gavin!

Hope it keeps him toasty warm!

Prince Gavin is Born!

2010-03-08T12:45:00.005-10:00

My computer's acting sluggish, so I hope I can get some of this thru'! On my "bucket list" was to see a baby being born. Well, my goddess/niece was due on the 31st of January. So she gave me permission to be in the room. I flew out on the 26th, and planned to stay until February 4th...hoping that would cover days on both sides of the due date. Well my plane landed at 4:10 & my brother-in-law picked me up...poor guy! He had to give me the news that Gavin had just been born at 3:58!!! Missed it by a few minutes! Ack! But I did get to see his first bath & got a chance to hold him. Here he is above left. On the right is my little sister, his proud Grandma. Boy, am I gonna hold this over his head for a long time! :D LOL! The main thing is that he is healthy & in a loving home!

Welcome to this world Prince Gavin!

New Series - "Oneness"

2010-01-23T09:14:00.008-10:00

I forgot! There is one project I can share with you. My pal in Hawaii, the one I used to craft with in the neighborhood, and I, were trying to think how we could continue to play together. I had all sorts of ideas, but she came up with the idea of "Oneness", which is something we both are really interested in. And she's into colors for each month, so January is Violet. So I got an idea right away. Below you can see I've gotten my color wheel out & am deciding on what to put in the design.

And below you can see some of the items I've chosen to use in my piece. I may change some, & decided I needed some new acrylics, but this will definitely be a mixed media piece! I'm even using an old pendant I've hoarded forever! Paint, yarns, beads, sequins from a pal in Malaysia, floss...I can't wait to get started!

(If you click on the pic, it will enlarge so you can see my hoarded piece better!)

Changes!

2010-01-22T12:26:00.004-10:00

Every day our view of the mountains change! It's almost always sunny here, but occasionally we get some snow in the mountains. Today we started with about an inch of snow at our house, but the Winter Wonder Land was gone by 10 a.m.! We are so grateful to be living here with this wonderful view. We spend time every evening watching the sun set move up the mountains. We can tell the days are getting longer! It's a very hopeful time for us!

Plus, did I tell you all my Goddess daughter/niece is having her first baby? I'm gonna fly out to WA state to try & get there in time to see the baby born. I won't be gone long, but it's one of those things on my "bucket list".

If she doesn't wait for me, she's just gonna have to have another one!

So if I'm not on here for awhile, you'll know why.

And also why I can't show you what I've been doing lately! Tee Hee!

Break Time!

2010-01-22T12:16:00.007-10:00

I don't think we realized how exhausted we were from the move across the Pacific, the packing, unpacking, then the holidays, decorating, baking, & still taking time to shop for things we need & run chores...so we decided we needed some time each day just to relax. We started an inexpensive pass time...these are a few more of the jigsaw puzzles that we've finished lately.

As you can see by what Ron wrote on the box, this last one was hard!

I guess when we have a bunch of these done, we can donate them somewhere.

Any ideas on good places to donate? LUK!

Dilemma Solved!

2010-01-22T12:07:00.003-10:00

My dilemma is solved! I remembered I had purchased this hand wrought iron/metal votive light tree tower at an auction a long time ago.

So I can light this any time & remember the Light of the Holidays!

And a little of this didn't hurt!

Happy New Year!

Dilemma!!

2010-01-10T14:59:00.012-10:00

So Christmas is over, but we're having a hard time putting away all our decorations, ornaments...and the tree! What to do? Everything is so sweet, & it's the first time in years we've been able to see our decorations! Even the one my Dad made me! Ron keeps watering the tree, & I keep using the Santa incense burner! And those Wee Folks! Christmas is really year 'round anyway, right? Well, I have the pictures now & guess I'll look forward to having even more of our decorations unpacked for next year! Yea! Happy New Year everyone!

Time Off?

2010-01-10T14:52:00.002-10:00

And then...when we weren't busy with everything else,

or just needed a break, we worked on some jigsaw puzzles!

Here's a few we've done.

We've got a really hard one going now!

Ron's Dream Tree!

2010-01-10T14:31:00.014-10:00

So Ron has always wanted a HUGE tree for the holidays! Must come from his days as a forester. So we went out & got our giant tree. I don't know if you've ever seen this...I hadn't...but where there was empty spots, he repaired the limb with some extra pieces the lot gave him! Dr. Ron!

Here you can see how we learned that you should put the lights on before you lift the tree up! And a comparison to my 5'4" height!

So here it is all lit up!

Now for more of the ornaments!

Uh, oh...no star on top!!!

Out comes the 16 foot ladder which I held onto for dear life

as he leaned to put the star on the top! Ack!

But here it is, all done, decorated, tinsel on & the star on top!

With wishes for Peace on Earth!