Look what I brought home...

After a rather big job, I'm happy to say I'm done.

Sunday Salon...

A delicious burger, with sweet potato fries

Sunday Salon finds me waiting anxiously for a new grand niece.  All this waiting reminds me of that song She'll be comin' round the mountain when she comes...". Her poor mom, she's exhausted I'm sure.

Today after church, I'm hitting the library with returns, and it'll be reading off my shelf this week.

the prep

after this scene was added it went downhill

I'm hoping to prep a canvas or two this afternoon, and tomorrow will be a prep of the computer desk.  I washed walls yesterday and today my hands remember.  I started and finished a sunflower painting and then got it home and hated it.  So off came the paint and the canvas is dry today, so back to the beginning.  I must write myself notes someplace where I can remember where they are,notes about what colours I chose.   I did a companion piece, and didn't do that and then they weren't friends, when hanging together, and yes I could have hung them separately, but when I think I want something someplace I just can't adjust.  It's an age thing, and I might add it's getting worse.

I finished reading First Grave on the Right yesterday, that was a little bit of excitement.  Not sure I should have read that at this time in my life, but nonetheless... it was entertaining.  I need a little King Arthur, so I may continue my trilogy by Persia Wooly (love that name) or maybe, This Cake is for the Party.  Other than that the week will be quite ordinary.

Happy Birthday to my sweet niece Jenny Lee, I won't see her, so I hope she has a great day.

Saturday Snapshot...

 To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky below. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

Finished my poppy on Wednesday, here it is drying. Acrylic on canvas (original design by Tracey Moreau).

On the look out...

A few months ago I was with my friend shopping. We've been friends for 41 years.  I find things when we shop together.  This end table was one of those items.  I didn't buy it, but I love it and I plan to recreate it on a piece of real wood, this was not, it was that sawdust and glue stuff.  So now I'm on the look out. I need a night table that will house my socks.  With the cold weather I have amassed a vast collection of socks. And I think this would be a great place to keep my collection for easy retrieval.  I usually dress in the dark, I'm early and my husband is a sleep-in guy, probably because he works nights.  My room is a very neutral colour and this splash of colour would just be GREAT. I may however, warm it up with a redish tone rather than the purples.I also think it might look great with the top black and ...  We'll see... It's Friday and that means a trip to my mothers and the wait at the smokey bus shelter... The possibilities are endless.

Well as it turned out there were a great many hazardous things en route to my mother's and I didn't get to the "shop" so no luck on the hunt.   I don't know what it is about Fridays but everyone goes wild on the streets, water mains explode, people do things on railway tracks that are deadly.RIP. troubled souls no doubt. So my visit with my mom was quiet, she was well, and co-operative albeit sleepy.  She sleeps so much these days, catching up I guess.  

For Today...

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... it's overcast, not too sunny, but hotter than H..L
I am thinking...should I bake the bottom of the wedding cake first or the top?
I am thankful for...my husband going off to work,
From the learning rooms...I'm learning to remain calm, it doesn't always work but that's what learning is...
From the kitchen...cake, cake, and more cake.
I am wearing...my pyjamas (did I tell you I love to bake in my pyjamas)
I am creating...quite a mess, with baking in one room and life happening in the other...
I am going...to the supplier store, haven't gotten a topper for the wedding cake yet. I'm thinking if it's too hot to travel by bus, I may just use some real flowers
I ...just finished reading "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake"
I am hoping...no one of the guests can taste my "feeling" in these cakes. But even if they do, they will only taste my complete joy of baking/and eating cake.
I am hearing...our ceiling fan whirl around.
Around the house...I've decided I need to focus on this cake and it's assembly so it will just be clearing up kitchen after baking. If I am /when I'm finished I'll do a quick crumb coat and then pop them into the freezer, much easier to decorate a frozen cake.
One of my favourite things...baking
A few plans for the rest of the week:Dr. appointments, seniors visits, another stopover at my mother's, and then... no painting this week,
Here are a few pictures I am sharing...remember that rose that's given me such a lovely view all spring and summer, I just needed to capture it.


The inspiration






So when my cat was sitting at the window, I decided he was uncomfortable, not to mention he keeps falling off and getting mad, I thought I'd paint a shelf one of my painting buddies gave me.




The purpose.




It looked like this when I got it.






I painted it a black/brown and photocopied a sheet of music, (the actual sheet was too thick to apply) I then painted the copy with tea, yes tea, applied it to the shelf (which was already dry) and let it dry also. Then I painted these two roses on top. Fini








What do you Think? It will be screwed to the wall just under the window frame. I'll have to put a protective coat on so I don't have claw marks.




I have two of these so, one for the kitchen window and one in the dining area. Not to0 cheesy?

this meme is hosted by The Simple Woman's Daybook.

P. S. Jennifer asked how I applied the sheet music, I use a product called Right Step, is a prep for surfaces to be painted. I suppose you could decoupage this, but I'm using this for my cat, so I expect it will need to be washed or dusted and any sort of moisture in my experience re-activates the decoupage medium, whereas, the Right Step can be painted, sanded and varnished and it works well with water, like when I leave the window open and it gets rained on, or watered with the sprinkler, I can even sand it lightly and re-varnish. So depending on what you do with it... I believe Right Step is available at Michaels, and other craft/painting stores.

P.P.S, you'll notice my Dutch Clogs in the background of my photo, it's my little reminder of a Welcome to my World, wish I could remember to speak Dutch, we did when we were kids, can you imagine Polish kids speaking Dutch, it must have been quite an ear full.

For Today...

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it's very hot, my flowers are all wilted.
I am thinking...if this heat keeps up, I'll have my "cool" basement cleaned before schedule.
I am thankful for...air conditioning
From the learning rooms...I'm learning to part with books I'll never use again, it's not a very big pile.
From the kitchen...something that doesn't require a lot of heat, peanut butter sandwiches.
I am wearing...shorts and t shirt
I am creating...a wonderful workroom
I am going...nowhere, too hot.
I am reading...The Constant Princess, Phillipa Gregory
I am hoping...to finish this book
I am hearing...a book on tape, Pretend You Don't See Her, Mary Higgins Clark
Around the house...a fair bit of re-organizing.
One of my favorite things...the Dewey Decimal System, I'd love to have a library program on my computer.
A few plans for the rest of the week:cleaning, visiting my mom, shopping for a wedding gift, delivering the wedding gift.

Here is a picture for thought I am sharing...this is a painting I did a few years ago, I've never hung it up, it's so Cold looking, in this heat wave it's looking pretty good.

I'm a leftover flower child...

I've been dipping my brush into some oils lately. I think I like it. I haven't painted in oils for many years, mostly because of the smell, and the fact that they are not dry when you decide it's time to take the bus home, from where ever. You see in the old days, I would go out into the "field" and paint, it wasn't until I started to paint in folk art that I stayed in and at a painting table not at an easel, and even the watercolours that I have done lately have been at a table. Very foreign to me, so this little piece was painted at a table with no real flower in front of me. But I like it! I always am drawn to flowers, I'm a leftover flower child, if it didn't draw attention to me I think I might wear a flower in my hair.And yes I'd love to go to San Francisco.

That is that for the cat!

Well after three intense classes on cats it was time for a little "cheesy". I don't remember why I took this class, it must have been all those cravings I'm "still" having. You know how my sister thought I might be pregnant. Well here's the baby.
This was painted with that new technique in "Genisis Paints' they are heat set. I think that is what attracted me to the class. When you take on a project with a whole new set of paints, the cost can be quite high. So I think I was thinking I should take a class where the palette was included just to see if I like it. Uh, it's o.k. I don't think I'm investing in it just yet. I'm not sure about the baby, I think I might be adopting it out. Yes, I did paint the baby. It seems this is the latest craze. The raw materials for these babies is unassembled, unpainted plastic. First you pour in some purple paint so that the skin is somewhat veiney, then the application of several, probably five or more layers of skin tones and veins are painted in, all of this heat set between layers, the lips, the eyes and toe nails have a glaze, (I put eyelashes on as well), and a french manicure. We didn't get into hair, apparently that is a whole 'nother ball game. Then we put silica sand in the head, and limbs, and butt to make the baby floppy, and assembled, dressed and viola! we were done in just six hours. Most of the other ladies carried their baby around for the remainder of the day, I plopped mine into my "Carmi bag" and went on, I'm not sure about this at all.

The big cat.

The big cat is done as well. I loved painting this piece, and I think the eyes turned out o.k.

Cat number two

If you see I haven't blogged for a few days, it's not that I'm not available or have nothing to say, but it's esay time and I think I might have to surgically remove the keyboard from my sons hands. We share the computer. Anyway, here is my second attempt at a cat's eyes, this time one open, one sort of closed. He's obviously asleep, and cats sleep weird so this is how he looks. I liked this medium, scratch paper and knife. Next it's the big cats.

keeping an eye on things...

I'm crossing another thing off my bucket list this week. Here is one of the pieces I did at the painting convention, a study in animal eyes was my own assignment. I think this cat looks angry, but I'll keep working on it. And I'm not sure it looks like a cat, to me it looks like ToTo from the wizard of Oz.

Shhhhhhhhhhh I'm sleeping

Wednesday is my painting day. Well I slept through the alarm, and didn't make it. I can't believe I did that. What's happening to me. On Sunday I forgot my key and got locked out, today sleeping through the alarm. Well by the time I got up, I couldn't gather myself, and thought "Oh Crap", I'll just paint at home. HUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's income tax stuff all over my table and laundry up to the ceiling. Guess what I didn't do? So I threw some laundry in, changed sheets and it's 2 o'clock. Time to start thinking of dinner. What the ... is that all about? This was my job for today. Remember these calendar frames. You bought the calender and frame and when you turned the months you got a whole new scene. Well now good luck finding a calender like that. So being environmentally friendly, I decided I didn't need to know what day it was, but I could not throw out wood. So I twisted the purpose of this frame to make a little spring treat for my little niece (who lives in a box).


click any photo to enlarge


I went to Curry's and got a canvas board, it needed to be cut to size. I gessoed and ...

I chose a Mary Owen design, that I don't remember where I got it from. A little cutesie.


This is what I ended up with. My dilema is that the lower portion is a chalk board, and I'd like to protect it with some kind of varnish. What do I use. So if any of you have ever painted a chalk board please let me know. There were no directions on the bottle.

Don't fence me in...

I took Leslie's advice yesterday,and climbed under those sheets with a pile of books. I've been doing some research for a group of canvas I'm planning. I think I've grown up with my painting and I'm having a hard time fitting into the parameters. Oh well I'm doing my own thing. So my sketch pad is a rockin'. ...Enjoy

Cutting edge ...

I've been painting again. Well this last spring I convinced our painting ladies to paint a saw. This particular design is and ESA. I've needed to adapt it. Every time I look at it I feel like it should be the orient express (on my list to do). I've had some difficulty doing research on how it actually looks. So I'll be using my imagination. Watch out for your saws, I'm on a roll. Did you know I had great difficulty finding a saw like tho old fashioned ones you see here. It seems people use other kinds, or maybe they just don't cut anything.

Freshly squeezed boobs

Well today was one of those days that you get a call from your local Women's Health Center and go for a mammogram, and ultra sound of your breasts. As my family history dictates, I must go for a mammogram every year, and on occassion I get called back, and on occasion I have an ultra sound to clarify some mystery radiologists find. When I walked into the clinic it gives you the feeling of a Spa. Spa my a..ss. Pardon my French. Of course your change room has a lovely bench and a really nice sink, where you are asked to wash up. Nice towels rolled up just like a spa, pot pour and all. The receptionist is polite and although somewhat robotic as accommodating as one can expect. Then and elderly volunteer escorts you to "The Room". I wait, and wait, and wait, it seems there is some difficulty with my file, like "IT IS MISSING". So I get to wait some more until everyone in the department takes their turn looking for it. Finally someone decided to tell me. My momma didn't raise no fool, I kind of figured it out, they lost it. I approached the receptionist asking how much longer I would be, as now people are starting to leave for the weekend, and I just inquired as to, did they return it by chance in error to the Credit Valley Hospital, which is not where I was. OH! she said, maybe. Again I suggest rescheduling the appointment, but they say "no just give us 10 more min." So I do. They finally find it in the out going mail pile and then I'm in. I'm under the usual squash, and a repeat squash just to make sure. And then we'd like you to have an ultra sound. So off I to that, and then you listen to the technician hyming and hahing like she's found a lump the size of an orange or bigger. You clean up and wait, and wait. We are now into hour # 3. And then you get called back in just for one more look, The DOCTOR would like to take a look. I'll never forget waiting with an elderly lady one time. She came out with this big smile on her face, saying "I've always been told my breast were spectacular. (I think the report is "there is nothing outstanding). I thought with all these call backs I better get someone say my boobs were spectacular or else. They sure were sore. Well no outstanding news, not yet anyway.
Recently one of my painting pals was diagnosed with breast cancer on one breast then on another, and then a hysterectomy for good measure, then some skin cancer all in a time frame of 3 months. So you can imagine what was going through my mind with all this waiting. My painting pal attended a fund raising event where they were selling these Breast self-examination kits. It is the most amazing invention, it's a gel pack you can feel grains of salt like they were the size of rice. The intention is for you to feel a lump when it is still very small, or not to miss a small lump. I think if and when I get the green light after all this squeezing, I shall routinely use my kit. With all those pink ribbons in stores and so much fund raising going on to end breast cancer days, I wonder how close we are. I sure hope they improve their mammography equipment, I'll be sore for a week now. So don't touch my freshly squeezed...

photo insert or a kizmo I purchased to check my boobs.

Road Trip !

When I first moved to the GTA I was very alone. My family was in Hamilton and although that doesn't seem like far, on a bus it's a day trip. My good friend, Karen, at the Robert Simpson Company (where I worked) did the scheduling and as we like to work together Thursdays became our night shift. But what to do in the a.m. When I think about it, she really did schedule everything. So we took a pottery class. We lunched after and went to work. Good Times. When she got married she started to schedule herself at different times and pottery was a no go. But I was hooked, on Thurs a.m. anyway. So for the last 29 years Thurs. have been a play day. After pottery I took Ikebana. I'm almost certified. I am certifiable. I would have had to go to Japan for 6 months to get my certification, but instead I had Daniel. A birth certificate is a much nicer piece of paper than a diploma from the O'Hara School of Ikebana. He could have been born in Japan though. After Daniel was born Thurs. were his. And then Sasha was born. I really missed those play days. So when Sasha started in grade one. I went to play. I felt privileged to be invited to paint with a group of ladies with whom I have become great friends. While we don't paint on Thurs. anymore some of us paint on Wed. and scrap on Thurs. or stamp on Mon. or Sun. But, it was the usual thing for us to do, at the end of the school year, to go on a road trip, and out to an extravagant lunch. We've been to the Butterfly Museum, we've been to remote tea rooms in small towns, and hit a florist shop that we probably kept in business that season. But mostly we had some good laughs and good food. I highly recommend the Oban Inn in Niagara on the Lake. We don't really see each other in anyother way except on play days, an e mail here or there but what a great feeling it is when we look back to discussions of kids, teens, aging parents, health issues and of course painting. We've grown up in our painting. We are presently working on an alter art project. Looking Good. So today is Thursday and I would like to toast the Painting Ladies past and present. Salute. I think it might be time for a road trip. Photo painting ladies at the Butterfly Museum

The Bucket List

With my many interests I receive just as many e newsletters one of which is Quietfire Designs. Suzanne sends us blog prompts. Sort of an inspiration for our blogging. A few weeks ago she suggested " The Bucket List". The Bucket List was a movie starring Jack Nickelson, and Morgan Freeman. It's a list of things you would like to do before you kick the bucket. Well I must say, I have several buckets going. I have a bucket list for my painting interests, a bucket list for my art group, and of coarse one for writing. There is most definetley one for my family and the list goes on. So far I have checked off two items with my painting group. I had the privilege of painting with Maureen McNaughton at her studio this past May, and I painted with Shelley Prior earlier this year. Both experiences were well placed on my list. After talking to my cousin in Poland this week, I thought HMMMM.... should I have a bucket list for places to visit. There are always more things to do, I'll have to live for awhile I guess.

Is my art valuable?

For most of my adult life I have been creating, crafting, painting and altering. With the new Indiana Jones movie coming out soon, my boys and I have watched and re-watched all the previous Indy movies. I wondered if all those art objects Indy was making his way through tombs and caves for, were once some housewife's creations. In centuries to come if I don't clean my pile of painted wood out of the attic will someone like Indy find these things and read incredible things into why I used 10/0 liner to do those hair whisps on my new altered painting. Or would they say why on earth did the people of this time wire the pages of books with beads on the ends or for what purpose were those unusual fibers woven into the spine of this obviously handmade journal. Well it could happen. I always thought I would leave the surprises in my book case as one of our co-altered artists said. "When I die, I want my kids to say our mother must of really flipped towards the end, look at all these books with ripped out pages and stamps and inks all over the text, she must have just lost it." and maybe we have. But maybe Indy will find it and think it's great. So happy creating my fellow artists (and I use that term loosely at least referring to myself).