out on the town

... what a fun afternoon ...

we got to see the live performance of Prairie Home Companion

(at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville)

did you listen to it on NPR today?

I love this radio show and have listened in since the early 80's

it's been on air since 1974

... watched it live with my darling - the kids were at home listening on the radio ...

so cool!

Garrison giving us the news from Lake Wobegon

Fred Newman, Tim Russell, and Sue Scott performing Guy Noir Private Eye

on stage

"I want you to clean your room"

... something I say at least once a day ...

meanwhile, my workspace is a complete disaster

(until today)

before:

after:

it's time to mess it up again, dontcha think?

and so the summer begins

 school just got out yesterday

 why are the last couple of weeks are such a frenzy of activity?

 field trips and band concerts and talent shows and graduations and final exams

it makes one want to lie down on the green grass and just look up at things

one fine day 10

the dishes are done,

everyone is home,

and the youngest one says, "Mom, come see the hummingbirds outside the window"

I missed the hummingbirds

but it's 6:52 pm

and I can say it has been one fine day

photo transfer tutorial

(beware: lots of photos)

I have been busy the last 2 days creating these, 

and took pictures along the way to show you how I did it

*

(this is by far the easiest method I have found for photo transfer)

you will need:

ink jet printer or copier photographic prints

heavy paper (cardstock or watercolor paper)

mod podge or acrylic medium

medium sized paintbrush

fine grade sandpaper

beeswax (optional)

bone folder

soft rag or towel

1. print your images and cut or tear along the edges removing any white border

(before your next step, check your paper's texture - if it is smooth, don't worry. If it is bumpy, give it a quick sanding to smooth it down a bit. I do that when using watercolor paper)

 2. apply mod podge or acrylic medium to the heavy paper (NOT the print). 

Apply the acrylic about a half inch greater than your image size

3. lay your print face down in the wet mod podge and rub it down firmly with your thumbs

4. let it dry for 4 hours or more (I like to leave it overnight)

5. apply water to the ink jet paper backing - let it really saturate the paper

6. after a minute or so, you can begin rubbing the paper and peeling it off

 7. use a towel to get the last bits of paper

 8. don't worry if there are still some nubbly bits of paper left

9. just sand those bits with your fine grade sand paper

this is how it most likely will look at this point:

(notice the blotchy parts - that is to be expected and is a desired effect)

here are my four transfers before the next step:

10. dip your image into hot beeswax

(I heat my beeswax in an aluminum pie tin in a 300 degree oven)

11. use tweezers to lift it out and drip dry

12. lay your transfer(s) on aluminum foil on a baking sheet and return to your 300 oven for about 5 minutes

 13. when your prints have cooled, use a bone folder to scrape off the excess wax

14. use your soft rag or towel to give them a final buffing. Your prints may feel a little bit tacky from the fresh wax, but after a few days it will have cured and will be smooth and soft as silk.

I like how they look in the light:

*

about the photos:

the woman is from my collection of anonymous old photographs - isn't this an amazing photo?

the text on her photo is from the bible - proverbs 31 - "strength and dignity are her clothing"

the barns photos are all taken by me from various trips up to the Skagit Valley - a rural landscape of lonely buildings in a place full of fog and mist and rain

*

keeping busy and feeling better

xoxo

finding light

I try to keep things light here

but I have been going through a personal thing that has me up one day and down the next

... and it's affecting my blog ...

I try to say "it's one fine day"

but some days I just can't

today I held up one of my older photo transfers to the light

and it was transformed

... now they're all strung from thread and hanging in my window ...

and it's little things like that that change everything

a serious need for chocolate

look at this face!

she's a real princess and it looks as if she's about to say 

"where's mine, missy?"

as in: "where's my hot cocoa?"

because that's what I needed this morning

it's been a stormy day and only 42 degrees - 42 - yup, I said 42 - A R G H !

sitting here with my hot cocoa, the princess, and The Quilt

- of which, I can finally say, "DONE"

I finished the patch for the back that has names, dates, etc.

my embroidery skills are rudimentary - but love is there

(I used an old hankie for the patch)

- when I have a sunny day, I'll hang this quilt out on the line for a full photo -

and I know I will have a sunny day again soon

just trying to believe that we are in the northern hemisphere

and that the calendar actually says  M A Y