What is this?

... for more fun and primary colors, go to Words on Paper Scraps (my other blog)

Shells

Linda and Rosie's challenge over at the Awfully Big Art Adventure (monthly challenge) is to use shells in your art. I've been in the mood for zentangling. It's very calming to me. I zentangled rocks at Easter time (to make Easter eggs) so I thought, "Why not zentangle on shells?"

Any shells we find here in the Puget Sound are pretty broken up and worn down, so the shells I've got are bits and pieces. But they're nice and smooth - perfect for a sharpie :)

I hope you like these - better yet - I hope you give it a try too!

Sad Scottish Soldier

I made this atc last night and it just sort of unfolded into this sad image of a very distracted (or focused) man. He seems as if he's seen too many battles ....

(Thank you Lumilyon for the beautiful collage image of the soldier.)

I almost forgot it was Tuesday ...

(this is Mighty Leaf Tea from Oddchick 

it's amazingly good - and comes in a very pretty little organdy tea sachet

very very special stuff!)

... and that I have a blog! What a beautiful 3 day weekend we had up here in the Pacific Northwest. It is actually the 1st Memorial Day in a LONG time (maybe 9 yrs or so) that it's been sunny AND warm .... wow! I took 3 days off from the internet and spent my time in the garden, on walks with my fam, cooking yummy summertime food, and starting a new knitting project.

I go on a very cool website for knitters called Ravelry. I'm a beginner knitter really - but becoming part of a knitting group in town and having the resources available on Ravelry (patterns, tips, and conversation) has given me a great knitting confidence.

For instance I had this yarn, but no project for it. I simply did a pattern search using the yarn for a keyword and found THIS (Ravelry actually led me to the Knitty website for the pattern). And after a 3 day weekend, I'm nearly done with the back.

These wonderful ladies have already had their Tea today:

Ooglebloops

Patty

If you'd like to join in with your cuppa - just leave a comment and we'll drop in with a big "Hello friend!"

Finally Done!

I don't even remember exactly when I started knitting this - it was the dead of winter for sure.

Then my back was giving me fits and I couldn't sit for very long to knit (it's all better now).

Then I was frozen in fear because of some mistakes.

To frog or not to frog?

I finally decided that if I wear it with a big smile, none of the mistakes will be noticed.

One of my grandmother's favorite sayings, "The prettiest thing you can wear is your smile."

Now I think I'll order more yarn to make another one.

(smile)

Growing Old Gracefully

My lovely ladies of the fairy garden are happily growing older and more beautiful - while continuing to keep watch over the progress of things.

Matilda

Betty

Come on Over for Tea!

If you could come over to my house today - it would be a perfect day for a nice hot cup of tea. I would get out my Tea Jar and you could pick a favorite. We would be happy to be indoors out of the rain. It has been raining steadily for about 12 hours now. A perfect day to stay in and jabber about stuff or get hands messy with glue, ink, paper and pens. I'll be taking my knitting project next door to my neighbor's for tea and knitting later on this morning.

I hope you are having a sweet day!

Share your cup of tea or coffee on your blog and leave a comment here.

We all do so love to make the rounds and give a shout out to each other :)

petals of all shapes and sizes

...just a little eye candy for you :)

(click on the pictures to see a larger version)

I tried to bring out the electric colors I see when I wander around my garden. I pushed and pulled the exposure, contrast and color saturation (in iPhoto) to get these effects.

Come back tomorrow for Tea ...

Altered People

Today's Mixed Media Challenge is to make "altered people." I hope this fits the challenge today. I guess you could call this a blockhead. It's a one inch block with an inchie face on it. I gave her flowers for her hair and she now sits atop my peace sign.

I found her pretty face in a magazine and the flowers come from old silk flowers I've taken apart for just such purposes as this.

For the ongoing progress of this project click HERE for the previous posts.

It's like waiting for gesso to dry

Lumilyon was wondering what all this talk about gessoing pages is about (see yesterday's post). It's very tedious.

Today I .....

... gessoed 2 pages and did some laundry ...

... gessoed 2 pages and vacuumed ...

... gessoed 2 pages and mopped ...

... gessoed 1 page (because the other page was too pretty to cover up) and had lunch ...

etc.

(here's another book I did in this same technique last summer: phase one and phase two)

New Book

I took an old-ish picture book and sanded it ... then I applied gesso

then I painted it .... and applied tissue paper

then I attached my cereal box art to the front

and added some paper accents to the back.

Next, I'll gesso the inside pages and add stuff as inspiration hits me.

I'm thinking "haiku."

I love haiku.

2sday T ParT ... clouds and more

(As I write this it's actually Monday afternoon for me - I want to get the tea party post up bright and early since I'm a West Coaster.) 

Today (Monday), I met a friend at Barnes and Noble bookstore for tea and talking. The tea was yummy, but I didn't drink it all. It was a huge 2 teabagger - "grande?" maybe. Not wanting to waste it, I brought home my un-drunk (is that a word?) tea to enjoy for iced tea this afternoon.

Looking up, I saw these beautiful clouds and remembered Jane at Spain Daily talking about shooting a whole roll of film on clouds when she was a kid. A very worthy pastime.

My dog, Theo, was quite intrigued and maybe a little bit worried ....

... so we went back

 to enjoying iced tea on the back porch.

I hope your day is sweet! Thanks for sipping your tea with me today!

Come back next week if you can :)

(click on pics for links)

... and be sure to visit these tea parties today too!

Helping Hands

I've been adding bit by bit to my "Welcome and Peace" sign using MMM's weekly themes. This week's theme is "helping hands." I was nearly stumped and then I thought of "hearts and hands" ... a recurring personal theme in my life ... and then I thought of the cast aside box of Barbies we have. I used the arms from a "Kelly" doll and made the heart with foil sheeting and used hot glue to get it all stuck together and onto the sign. Using old doll arms is a little "edgy" for me - doll parts seem macabre to me - but I thought this looked like a heart ready for a hug.

MMM themes used so far: dots, easter, mermaids, beach, a significant word, and helping hands.

To see the progress week by week, click HERE.

Gifts from the Meadow

Thank you dear friend, Jean, for the lovely gifts from the Bluebird Meadow!

Happiest of all Mother's Days to all my dear friends - may your day be filled with gifts of all shapes, sizes, colors and textures. Colored, painted, drawn, written - art from the heart.