Sunday Watercolor.

Took a week to paint this little 4 1/4" x 6 1/4" watercolor. Sprayed with acrylic sealer to keep the color from fading. Not impressed with the finish.

Back to the drawing board.

Y'all have a great day.

Waiting For The Coffee To Perk Sunday. 2 December 2018.

Woke up early this morning. Sometime around 4 a.m. ...

Couldn't get back to sleep right away, but the sandman finally arrived around the time the alarm would normally chime. Eventually, Bandit jingled his collar (and jingled his collar, and jingled his collar) to let me know it was time for a W-A-L-K.

Shock! 6:40 a.m.! That makes two days in a row these lazy bones have stayed abed past time to rise.

As you can see by the photo snapped on our W-A-L-K, green grass has taken over some of the neighborhood. There's still a lot of snow. There's even more mud. An unusually warm December day with a high of around 50 degrees is expected. Unfortunately, a cold front is making its way and should hit sometime tomorrow. Then temperatures are expected to be mostly in the 20s. Brrrr.

Green grass in December feels like a WIN though, doesn't it?!

By the way: Happy December!

Now's the time of year to start decorating for Christmas. Haven't been able to do that since Henrietta came into the household. Might try to make a small display on top of the china cabinet; the only place she can't reach. Wish me luck.

Haven't worked on the Matryoshka ornaments at all this week. Have been trying to figure out what to do with the crazy quilt squares sewn last Winter. Below is all I've come up with so far. The handle/gusset is a re-purposed silk tie.

The coffee is ready, so I must bid you a fond farewell.

Until next time: Count your blessings.

Rainy Monday. Post-Thanksgiving Post. 26 November 2018. SAD.

Matryoshka Bodies and Heads

Yesterday was a hard day. Spent way too much time crying because it was Mom's birthday and I miss her so very much. Every day.

Add to that the fact that I'm one of the six percent of Americans who suffer from S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Mine kicks off emotionally mid-September and runs through February/March. September is Sister's birth AND death days. October's gray skies flow into November - Mom's birth month - and December: Mom's death month. Being alone for the holidays doesn't help.

During the Winter, I try to get outside as much as possible to get a little exposure to natural vitamin D. Of course, diet is supplemented with a double dose of D. Some say taking Vitamin D doesn't help with this type of depression, but it sure seems to help me. If I could, I would try to get some time in the tanning booth for good measure.

Have added St. John's Wort to the list of daily supplements. It's supposed to support emotional health. Hey - will try anything once. So far not much has changed.

Winter's rough on my back, hips, neck and foot as well. The cold and damp seems to seep right into my bones. Will be glad to see Spring again.

Being single means that Thanksgiving was quiet in this household. Regardless, a huge meal was cooked. Roast pork loin instead of turkey, candied sweet potatoes, chestnut stuffing, baked white potatoes, pumpkin pie with cool whip, corn. Leftovers were eaten during the course of the week and divided up into freezer TV dinners.

Was going to make either rolls or bread but figured there was already way too much carbohydrates for one person to consume. Plus, the Sourdough Starter I've been feeding smelled like it had gone past it's peak (think stale beer), so it was tossed and a new batch is on the cupboard fermenting. Am still learning the ins-and-outs of working with the starter. Don't know what I'd do without the internet as a research tool.

Spoke with Auntie and Daughter and Son on Thanksgiving day. Was happy to hear from them all and to share a little laughter.

Matryoshka Lining

Decided to try to shave some time off production of the Matryoshka ornaments.  Spent some time cutting felt for more. They may not look like much, but they take a lot of work. Felt has to be cut for the body, face and hair. Then two layers of low loft quilt batting gets cut for each. Not to mention the embroidery and beading. I will put the hanging threads on them all at once.

Anyway... enough sets were cut to make forty-eight ornaments.

In case you're wondering, the batting gives them a bit of shape and a more finished look than simply allowing the wool felt to lie flat.

Sometimes, the hardest part is deciding what color floss or beads or sequins or ribbon to use. So many possibilities.

The assembly line is working out pretty well. Still, with physical limitations, it's hard to make very many per day. Am striving (struggling) to reach a goal of three per day.

Scroll to the next page to see the few that are ready.

Sleepy Sunday. 18 November 2018

Author's note: Can't believe I didn't post this yesterday. Whiney-boy felt an urgent need to go O-U-T. Here's a snapshot of him actually looking at me while he's off-leash on one of the many oil roads that criss-cross through and around these rocky Allegheny mountains. A day late post follows.

Today has been cold and overcast. No surprise there - it IS Winter in what I used to fondly refer to as The Great Northern Wasteland. Glad that's no longer my opinion. Sometimes you have to move away from home for a while to appreciate it's good qualities. A thirty year absence is sure to change one's perspective, eh?

The first few snows of winter bring such joy to our eyes. Some are like the angels above floated feathers of confectioner sugar over only the tops of trees. Some leave the tree branches bent with the weight of water. Other storms are rain turning into ice as the sun sets and reflects in rainbow patterns off icicle decorated branches. Then there are the storms that bring on six to ten inches of the white stuff in one day. Or last for days until you can feel the wind chill you to the very bones.

The novelty of Winter hasn't worn off for me yet this season. While being cold doesn't appeal, the birds gathered in the trees and by the feeder bring a bit of color and light into an otherwise drab, grey backdrop.

Haven't accomplished much craft-wise this week. Poor Bandit cut his paw pad on our morning walk on Tuesday and had me playing Doctor the rest of the week. Gauze pads, three-in-one antibiotic salve, taped-on white socks and forced rest. Poor pup. Kept him in the yard even for his constitutional. He finally feels well enough today to play with his toys. Am still not sure how he got cut, but will keep him at heel on the part of the trail where he got hurt. He's such a good boy.

Made a few more matryoska ornaments. My favorite is the light blue one. Which do you like?

Going to take Bandit for a walk before it gets to be full dark.

Y'all have a great evening and a Wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to count your blessings.

Snowy Sunday. 11 November 2018

This is a brooch made for my little cousin, Carlie for her third birthday (coming up real soon).

The broken tooth turned mentioned in the last post turned out to be a nightmare (kinda-sorta). Couldn't get into the dentist until Tuesday. Unfortunately, while trying to repair the tooth a nerve was exposed and a choice was made to pull the tooth rather than go through a root canal.

By Thursday, I was experiencing fever/chills, nausea and dizziness. Not good. Based on past dental experience, my mind was whispering "sepsis". After trying to get in to see my Primary Care Physician and a failed attempt at tele-medicine, I made the trip to the ER where the usual pokes and prods were tolerated. The worst part (for me) was not being able to get warm.  Four hours and several vials of blood for testing, the diagnosis was Stomach Flu.

Needless to say, the following week was total down time as the fever ranged from 97 degrees to 102 degrees. No fun at all.

Thank goodness THAT is over.

Pulled out the felt and made a couple ornaments. Not sure how many I'll make. Simply happy to be able to do something besides lie on the couch and try to get warm/cold.

Here's hoping y'all stay healthy all Winter, dear Reader.

Blessed be.

Sunday, Sunday - Not So Good To Me. Greeting Cards.

Here's one of the greeting cards I've learned to make via YouTube. 

There's so much to learn! And it's FUN!

Here are a few more that I've made since starting down this greeting card lane. Some are more complex than others. 

Have been re-organizing the workroom to make it more efficient for work. Sacrificed a bookshelf to use for some of the stamp sets. Rigged up a ribbon dispenser. Learning what stamps and greetings are on hand is a daunting task. So many beautiful stamps and sentiments. 

Will try to make my Mom in Heaven proud.

Sorry so short. Broke a tooth today and am feeling rather peckish. 

Y'all have a blessed day.

Click on the next page to see more created greeting cards. 

Apples, Apples, and More Apples OR The Answer To "Why Don't You Write?"

Look at the size of those apples! Organic gardening and pruning certainly pays off. This is the first year the apple trees have produced more than a couple small apples and they have been bountiful! Two of the trees yielded over six bushels of fruit. The neighbors are always thrilled to take a bag or two off my hands.

The garden doesn't stop growing and needing tending simply because the weather is rainy and cold. Finally had a sunny day and a friend dropped by and helped pick the last of the Gala Apples. Between the raindrops over the next few days the Granny Smith apples will be harvested and cleaned up.

I'm such a wimp these days that ladders frighten me. Too many people fall off them and are seriously injured. I'd like to live to fight another day, so a "spotter" is a necessity. 

Will have too many apples to store over the winter without a cold cellar. These are primarily cooking apples so I plan on putting together some pies for the freezer. A few will be made into applesauce. Some might even make it into either apple crisp or baked along with some pork chops. Will be putting a mixed bag into the Blessing Box in town.

Have you heard about Blessing Boxes? They're little food pantries that communities have started putting in public spaces. The idea is to help folks who are having a hard time making ends meet and are food insecure. If you have more than you need, you can donate to the pantry. If you are in need, you can take from the pantry.

Want to learn more about starting a Blessing Box in your community? Click here.

Sunday Fun Day, 7 October 2018. Between the raindrops...

Between the raindrops over the last week, the purple beans were pulled from the raised bed at the center of the split rail fence.

The four o'clock flowers had taken over most of the bed, but there were quite a few spaces and on the whole rather raggedy looking. To complement the fall hill colors and fill in the gaps, the coleus was moved from the front foundation bed.

Then, to fill in the gaps left by the transplanted coleus, yellow and orange marigolds were moved from the back garden beds to the front foundation.

Thank goodness the foundation bed was laid right and started with landscaping cloth. Makes it easy to transplant and weed (like that ever gets done - lol).

With all the exercise and damp weather I'm rather sore again today, so I'm off to put some heat on the sore spots.

Y'all have a great day.

p.s. (The cardinal is still on the worktable. Perhaps it will be finished this next week.)

On The Worktable. Early Post for Sunday, 30 September 2018.

I've had two of these metal canisters for quite a while. Spray painted them both black and have been thinking about how to paint them. Traditional rosemaling was in the back of my mind until I watched a how-to video on YouTube about Zhostovo painting for the umpteenth time and decided use that method.

Truly, I've watched these videos at least a dozen times. Luba Vdovina is an extraordinary teacher. The segments are short enough to hold your attention, but detailed enough to keep them interesting. I keep checking back to see if she will ever upload more. Alas, only the six videos are there to date.

She has some amazing products available in her Etsy Shop if you are one of the many artisans or amateurs who enjoy working with fiber.

Anyway...

Reference materials were pulled from the bookshelves. Thank goodness I'm a birdwatcher and have been gifted Birds and Blooms magazine by Dear Daughter. Lots to look at before deciding the subject.

Not owning a white charcoal pencil, a watercolor pencil was used to rough in the design.

Next came gathering materials and laying them out. Newspaper put down. Strong, hot cuppa coffee.
Artist quality paints were pulled only to discover that several of them had dried up. (How that happens in a closed tube is a mystery.) Thankfully, there are plenty of paints on the shelf. Both Artist Loft, Folk Art and Americana acrylics.

Also pulled good quality blending brushes from Global Art (same company as the good paint) and both Extender and Floating Medium. The good brushes and best paint were purchased at Jansen Art. They also have some wonderful instructional products available. I've always been very happy with everything purchased there.

I used Artist Loft Extender Medium when painting the blue background. Was amazed at how thick it is - very similar to Elmer's Glue. Shockingly, it took two days to dry completely. Yeah. This project has been in the works for a while.

Wishing I had practiced on a flat surface, the technique worked well enough once I got the hang of it. At first, the use of extender didn't work simply because I diluted too much. Lots of work remains.

I resorted to a more traditional style for the details being filled in over the next few days. Am always critical of how my incomplete work looks, but will reserve judgement until painting is completed.

For anyone else trying this technique: Luba says it only takes a small amount of extender. Truer words were never spoken. Use a dab at first. You can always add more later. Also, when painting on such a reflective surface be sure to keep q-tips on hand for cleaning up the extender. It dries clear, but can dull the original surface. A damp q-tip works wonders.

Tomorrow, 29 September is my late Little Sister's birthday. She would have been 59 years old. Am sure this weekend will be a soggy one. Hence the early post.

Y'all have a great weekend.

Make Up Post About That New Direction. Greeting Cards.

I never realized the skill, time and effort involved in making cards until I tried it myself. Mom always made it look so easy. She always had the parts of the card all cut out and stamped. Ready to color or embellish when we sat down at the table to finish them.

Now that I'm trying to make them I'm learning a lot. Have made a "boo-boo" pile for cards that have mistakes. Paint blotches. Double stamped or crooked greetings.

Thank goodness for YouTube instructional videos and the ladies who so generously upload them. They've taught me so much.

Here are pictures of some of the cards made so far. Hope you enjoy them. Lots more to come.

Happy First Sunday of Fall 2018.

Yesterday marked the Autumnal Equinox and today we woke to a cool, foggy forty-two (yes, 42) degrees. Brrrr. Not an unexpected temperature change, simply system shocking because of its abruptness.

The handsome guy you see to your left is an abandoned cat that folks in the neighborhood have been feeding. Well, truth be told it's been mostly me that's feeding him.

Bandit and I had the pleasure of meeting him on one of our morning walks. He was under a neighbor's porch and came out to sniff Bandit and rub his head on my legs. Very, very friendly.

We'd see him from time to time wandering along the berm of the road or in various yards. He seemed to stay under the neighbors porch on a regular basis. Then came the day it was obvious the neighbors were moving away. I flat out asked them if he was their cat and they told me no, but that they fed him. They own a black cat.

He sure did like the young woman. We had seen him run up to her car when she pulled in the driveway on several occasions. The young man and I had joked about "feeding the neighborhood" a while back, so I believed them that he wasn't their cat. Not my place to judge anyway.

He seems to be the kind of cat that can survive fairly well on its own. Which is good because the SPCA isn't accepting any more cats. They have been full-up for months.

He answers to the name "Ki-Ki" and comes running when called if he's within earshot. Had I known him better I would have named him Thomas O'Malley after that Disney cat.

It took a few weeks of first putting out kibble and then sitting near him while he ate it for him to trust me. Stray cats are funny that way. The first time he relaxed enough to trust me he climbed into my lap and put his front paws on my chest like he was giving me a hug. It kinda freaked me out - getting bitten by a stray would be horrible for us both (think rabies).

He has a cute little swagger and is simply a brave, affectionate soul. He's a polydactyl and has six toes on his feet; his back feet are HUGE. He follows me around the yard when I'm outside. Several times he's grabbed my leg and almost tripped me to stop me from going inside. He's a big cat. He isn't afraid of Bandit, but definitely has his sniffing limits. Usually he goes under the deck when he's had enough of that cold nose, although Bandit has felt the sting of his paws a couple times.

Sucker that I am, I made him a Winter Shelter out of an old cooler and straw after watching several YouTube instructional videos. He doesn't seem to want to stay in it and I've been encouraging that by occasionally putting a can of food inside. Am considering moving the shelter closer to the shed to see if that's more to his liking. Right now it's under the picnic table - a little bit of protection from coyotes and what-not. A couple of the videos suggested cutting a second hole in the shelter if a cat didn't like going in with only one. Winters here are so harsh I'm hesitant to make another opening for heat to escape.

My cats like to watch him. They would fight him if I let him in the house as proven repeatedly at the glass of the back door. Tigger-Tiger is too old (and de-clawed) to have to deal with a big tomcat. Romeo is timid by nature and would probably be bullied as well. Henrietta has claws, but is tiny by comparison; KiKi is at least twice her size.

Pre-Fall Sunday, 9 September 2018. Off In Yet Another Direction.

Don't know about you, but Fall always makes me want to change things up a bit. Out with the old, in with the new. Or in my case, re-arrange what you've got in keeping with the new season. Guess that's what happens when you get older. You already have enough "stuff" to re-decorate your house to make it feel like you've remodeled.

Fall may not arrive on the calendar until later this month, but it's arrived with a bang here in Northwestern PA. The oppressive heat we've had for the last couple weeks took a dive and we woke up to very pleasant sixty degree weather.

The BEST thing about cooler temps: less mosquitoes!

Locally, we've had signs of Fall's approach. The apples on the trees round about have been ripening and the trails and ditches are ripe with dropped, bruised, rotting apples. (The deer seem to be enjoying Nature's bounty.) Fields abound with goldenrod, queen anne's lace and purple asters and the oranges and reds of the sumac are sure to follow soon.

Our garden slowed down enough that the remaining wax and purple beans have been left unpicked to be used as seed for next year. The purple beans were so prolific everyone in the neighborhood had fresh beans at least once a month. Same with the cucumbers. Only a few straggling tomatoes remain on the vine. The MacIntosh apples are pretty ripe. So far we've gotten over three bushels (most went to feed the deer 'cause I didn't spray) about a fourth of which hadn't been eaten by ants or flies. The Gala apples are ripening nicely; the tree is simply loaded down with fruit. Only six pumpkins grew large enough to harvest before the rain forced us to pick so they wouldn't rot. There were two small, one normal size, two larger and one HUGE. Am going to be giving seeds away again next year. YIPPEE!

Speaking of change...

Have pulled some of the card-making supplies in from the shed and have started learning how to make cards. More on that next time.

For now, my fine feathered friends, it's time to swap the laundry from the dryer to the folding plane and from the washer to the dryer.

Y'all have a blessed day!

The Creative Process OR If At First You Don't Succeed. A forgot to post from Sunday, 2 September 2018.

For the last week I have been trying to make hummingbird brooches similar to those beautiful ones made in the Ukraine. The artists there make such lovely products. My "experiment" with making them hasn't fared all that well.

I created a pattern on copy paper using Pinterest to get a rough idea of what a brooch should look like. I always put a couple stips of packing tape on the pattern before it's cut out to make it durable. You know, just in case the finished prototype is something marketable.

The first hummingbird didn't turn out all that great and took two days to make. Made of wool felt, glass beads and ribbon, it's about two and one-half inches long. While it does rather resemble a hummingbird, in my opinion it is not good enough to sell.

Fortunately, even creating something not deemed worthy is a learning process. From this experiment, I learned what was needed to re-shape the pattern and how best to adjust the beak for sewing.

After this failed attempt, I took another look at the bird brooches I so admire and took notes. The artists I like best are using silk ribbon, leather, cotton, two different sizes of sequins, silk embroidery thread and Swarovski beads in addition to glass beads.

Silk ribbon, silk threads, Swarovski beads and leather are definitely not in this budget. So... I looked around to see if there was anything on hand for substitution.

The second attempt at hummingbirds turned out a little better. The pattern adjustments have made helped make it closer to a usable product, but not quite ready for the assembly line yet.

Found some sequins while on a necessary trip to Megalowmart. They were in budget range ($5.00), so they hopped in the grocery cart almost on their own.

The problem with buying bulk sequins is having to sort through them to gather enough of one type of sequin to make whatever project you're working on. Separate sequins are going on my craft supply wish list.

Hummingbird Two is from cotton batik, polyester ribbon, small sequins and glass beads. It also measures two and one-half inches. Know anyone who wants a brooch for $120.00? Me either. At twelve hours in production, that is what would need to be charged to make $10 an hour.

Ever heard of three strikes you're out? Here is a photo of the uncompleted third attempt at making a hummingbird brooch.

You can see it's much larger than the others measuring about 4 1/2 inches from to to tail tip. It needs another wing and a few more tail feathers, but I simply don't have the heart to finish it right now. The feathers take a long time to make.

With so much time spent on production, it's not commercially viable. Perhaps it will be finished and make it into someones stocking for Christmas.

In the meantime, I hope y'all have a wonderful day.

Remember to count your blessings!

Sunday Morning. . . 18 Months Later.

In many ways, it feels like years since I last wrote. Chronic pain and depression have taken their toll.

One of my goals as I attempt to make this journey back to a happier self is to post at least once a week. However, speaking from experience, posts will always be sporadic. What's different is I am trying to stop beating myself up about missed goals.

There hasn't been much productive time since the last post, but some is better than none. You'd think that there would be tons and tons of completed projects in an eighteen month time span. Alas, not so much.

Purchased some wool felt a while back (when there was still a few dollars in the coffer). Made a lot of brooches with it. Over a hundred to be exact. Little projects make me feel like I'm accomplishing something without increasing my pain level.

My favorite is a little birdie that takes about half an hour to make (and will be priced appropriately at $5). As you can see in the photo, they are each a little different - rather like having their own personality. I call the ones with snowflake flowers "snow birds". LOL

Am going to call them "cheer up" birds and make little cards to be sent with them. Another marketing tool that could pay off big. There are at least thirty Cheer Up birds made so far. Might have to increase the price to $7.50 to offset the cost of materials for the card.

The other brooches range from simple to rather complex.

This is an example of one of the more complex brooches using several different stitches, threads and beads on a two and one-half inch circle of felted wool. The back is a brooch clasp.

It is based on the yin-yang symbol.

Brooches like this are in the $20-30 price range.

A stylized, beaded flower vase on felted wool is a good representative of the mid-range brooch.

As with most of the brooches, it measures about two and one-half inches in diameter and is backed with a brooch clasp.

Brooches similar to this average $10-15.

This simple woven two color brooch attaches via a simple safety pin.

It is based the Swedish Hearts traditionally made with paper and filled with candy treats before placing Jul/Christmas Trees.

Like the "cheer up" birds, it will retail for $5.