New Do

 

We've lived in our home 5 years now and have decided that we need to do a little updating since our home was built in the '70s.  We put it off for a few years just because we didn't want to go through all the mess.. plus we both have had health issues.  But a month ago we decided the time is right.. so here we go.. It's been 3 days now and it looks like another few days before we can see the progress.  

They are spraying the walls today with texture and then will knock it down for a softer look.  The ceiling will be White Dove and the beams will be the same.  Hopefully that will stop the eye-popping stand out of the beams.  

Putting 2 new lights in on the east side of the room for some added light.  Really need that.  

Truth is... we both (and the dogs) miss our recliners...lol  

I think the cloud of 40 year old dust is taking a toll on Jerry.  He was very sick last night...all night. But.. when this is done, the old dust will be completely gone.  That will be a good thing. 

It's only 84° right now!  True cold front!  Temps only supposed to reach 92° today.  Wonderful! 

Have a great day today.. do something creative even if you don't feel like it.  Hugs.. 

It's Friday... again...

My sweet DH and I were talking the other day and it seems that every time we turn around it's Friday... I reckon that's what happens when you begin to get old.. :) 

I've spent the last hour looking at photos to see if I can find something to paint.  Today is one of those days that seems to fly by with nothing happening.. lol   My brain is on autopilot and seems to be stuck in neutral.. no decisions made today..  :) 

I was over on YouTube.com the other day and watching a video by the frugal crafter Lindsay Weirich.  She was talking about all the uses for glycerin in the craft room.  One of the uses is for adding glycerin to inexpensive watercolors.  So... I ordered some and have been adding it to my watercolors.  It truly does make a big difference.  

Two weeks ago I decided to put together a cream that might be good for face cream.  A friend of mine is fascinated with the process so I told her I would make some and see what she thought of it. So I put together a recipe using Kukui nut oil, borage oil, Tamanu oil, vitamin E oil and .. believe it or not... Crisco and it is wonderful. Definitely needs tweaking... got too much rose absinthe in it and you can smell it across the room..lol  .. but it is a wonderful skin softener.  I used distilled water with a bit of beeswax with a tiny bit of borax for the emulsifier.   

In case you are wondering about the Crisco... Crisco is made up of soybean oil and palm oil.  The soybean oil is relatively neutral on the skin, but does help your creams hold their consistency.  But the palm oil... a true wonder for the skin.  It's been used for centuries as both an edible food and as a skin moisturizer.  And it's been right there in your kitchen all this time... :)  

The rain has arrived.  Thunder boomers into the night last night.  I haven't looked out to see what's up today, but we are supposed to get this rain into the weekend... and that's a good thing.  Loving the cooler temps.  

I've decided to paint my Christmas cards this year.   With the price of postage going up so much over the last decade or so, Christmas cards seem to be going the way of the dodo bird.  And that's just sad.  

I have no plans whatsoever for accomplishing anything today except to finally be able to spend the day at home and cuddle our puppies.. lol  I may do a marathon watch of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in Sherlock Holmes .. you never know. 

Have a wonderful day today.. :)

Watercolors...Inspired by Rose Ann Hayes

 I guess seeing all the wonderful art that Aunt Betty brought to the Ingram Arts Show kinda made me want to try my hand at it.  So I began to look at some of the YouTube tutorials on watercolor and decided to give it a go.. ;)  These are definitely beginner's work, but I find it fun to do.  Since my back and hip make it difficult to spin sometimes, this is the perfect substitute.

 

 These three pics are efforts to try to paint glass container and water.. as well as the flowers.  They were inspired by the beautiful work of Rose Ann Hayes and if you click Here you can go to her galleries and see the beauty that she can capture on paper. 

These three florals will be hung above our guest room bed. 







This little miniature and the poppies below are 2x3 inches in size and were done for my daughter who is building her own miniature house. 









The sun has shown it's face this morning..for the first time in a couple of days.  It's going to be a warm day and possibly a little rain. I noticed that my forsythia has tiny leaves and many buds on it.. ask me if that makes me happy!!  This will be the first year for it and I'm so looking forward to it blooming...

I hope you have a wonderful day!!

Warped, Painted and Raining

The checkers and checker board are finished. All the time I was working on this I had pictures of my grandfather floating around in my head. He loved to play checkers and dominoes. And he was very good at it...lol Of course there was no television and the radio was only turned on in the evening... if there was no company. If there was company all the men gathered around the kitchen table and the dominoes or the checker board was pulled out from the cabinet above the refrigerator and the men would proceed to have a laughing good time... ;o) I can only hope that this board will be privy to good times like that.....

Only a day late... here is the promised pic of the inkle loom warped. It was not difficult as I used only 2 colors and did a continuous warp. Of course I did exactly what Linda Hendrickson talked about in her video... When I was turning the cards I found that I had dropped 2 at one time. Well, let me tell you... they turn just as easily as if I had pulled it off and re warped... Since this is another "learn something" warping I did not re-do it. I have to say... I highly recommend this floor model loom to anyone looking into tablet, card or inkle weaving. The height is very good, the warping is easy and it is so much easier to control the cards... I just can't say enough good things about this type of loom. One of the best things is that it doesn't try to run to the other side of the room every time you slide the cards... a very big plus.

Well, it has taken up raining as a hobby in North Texas. Every time it seems that the ground will dry up enough to work on the little house... humph... The contractor did come yesterday just long enough to look around and put a sign up in the yard. Now all the neighbors think our home is having foundation problems... Let's just hope we don't decide to sell the house any time soon..lol

Of Checkers, Knit and Linen

It's been raining again this week. I have given up on ever getting the little house fixed... The contractor called Monday morning and said it would not be good if they dug foundation holes and then they filled with water so we are once again on hold.... Just hope the little house knows to hold on... no pun intended... lol

We've been working in the shop and since I finished the floor inkle loom (which I finally got warped last night...pics tomorrow) I have had nothing to do...so I decided to make a checker board and checkers. This is the day before yesterday's pic. I have actually got the grid marked and the dark squares painted, but I think they will need a couple more than the 3 coats I have already put on them. The "king" side of the checkers has rosebuds painted on them... as in The War of the Roses. While the colors in this war were red and white roses, I used red and blue because..well...the white roses would not show up on the yellow. This should be finished by the end of the week.

This merino 3ply languished for a while in my stash. I just could not come up with anything new to make with it so I made another scarf, 57 inches long. It turned out really well and I love it.

This is the linen single that I took off the spinning wheel so I could spin the lemon Romney. I don't know how much there is, but there is still this much to be spun. The smallest heddle I have for my loom is 12 epi and I'm not sure that is small enough, but then it would make a light and airy fabric... hmmm Or...there is such thing as linsey-woolsey... a linen warp with a wool weft. hmmmm...

Reunion Eggs & a Clock

It seems like forever since I have posted...and I guess it has been. It seemed a good idea to skip a week of going to Tulsa to the chiropractor. Some days I think it is helping and other days not... Mostly not, I guess, if I really want to be honest about it. I think I am in deep denial about carpal tunnel in my wrist and elbow because that would mean a drastic cut in all the things I really like to do... Anyway, one way or another we will find out soon.

Time is drawing near for the family reunion. I have not been for so long that no one can remember the last time I went... that is too sad. Anyway, we will be going this year. There is always an auction on Sunday afternoon to help pay for the newletter and things and everyone who wishes can bring something to auction off. These are what I have been working on for the last couple of days. This afternoon I will finish the stands and then all that will be left will be to let the finish cure a bit.

This clock is the first project nearing completion since we started back to work in the shop. This is one of DH's designs and it is now waiting in my workroom to have something painted on the bottom of pendulum area. He really wants it to be my little snail and mushroom (I really am going to have to give that little doodle a name at some point!) but I haven't figured out yet how to spread it across the area without making it look like a caricature cartoon... That will be this afternoon's second project...

It'a a little cloudy outside this afternoon, but nothing in the forecast about rain...as if that means anything here in Texas..lol The workmen are back and working on the shop trying to finish it up at last. It seems that the rains took so long to stop that it has been forever ... then the contractor had problems of his own. Sure hoping this is the last bit of that job... sigh

I hope everyone is having a good week. Hugs...

The Redbud ... Love it..

The sun is shining and it looks like the first tiny leaves are showing up on a couple of the trees and buds are showing up on many more. I went out to take the pic of the redbud tree this year and was surprised by how green the meadow is already. Even if the thermometer on the back porch says 50 degrees at 10:30 this morning, the quick breeze out there makes it feel like it's about 32. (DH says I'm a wimp! grin)

I finally bought the rose essential oil I have been coveting for the last 2 years.... The only thing I can say is that a person should go ahead and get it when they first think of it...The price had gone up $10. an ounce to make it now $35. an ounce. That's the last of that because it takes almost a whole ounce to make anything... Think I will move on to something like lilac or jasmine...

While I was there I saw some necklaces that were polished flat stones with holes in the center.. I had to have one and here is what I have done with it...lol It only goes to show that a person can make a spindle out of almost anything...grin

The truth is that DH is going to cut the brush part off and I will refinish it. I was most surprised, however, that it spins just fine with the brush still attached...