I'm in the mood for...

 Winter!  I do believe it is settling in to stay.  I need to slide the inside to-do list right under the last crossed off item on the Rooster's outside to-do list.  :)  He likes to fluff and settle his feathers into a cozy roost come the shorter days of winter.  I need to keep that sunlight in front of him so he has something to crow about!  Well, so I have much to cluck about actually!  lol

I need a nice clean sheet of paper, as pristine as the new fallen snow and then I need to make some marks that grab my attention and focus me on the coming day, week, season.

I have laced up my running shoes and I am in the mood to run!

Re: lax

This week has kinda been a white out!  I think Murphy went over to DS#3    vbsigh

So I went to the library, picked out the fattest book I could find and hid in its pages till the blizzard was over.  sheesh

 Time to stand up and face things like the Rooster.  Time to stop being a chicken!  ;)

So with not much time remaining I shall finish the week ...  I am working on texture.  Or I was.  The Rooster has other plans.  I shall finish that clean white page next week!  ;)

Coming, dearie!!!!

in the mood for white

The snow is minimal but the wind is COLD.   I am in the mood for white and warm!

This week is all about my list of projects and I have texture on my mind.  I am really hoping to get a lot of different things crossed off my list.  hmm,  make that with whiteout! ;)

Flinging Friday Far!

I lost my lemon!  I need it to make lemonade!  I put it in a safe place so I wouldn't lose it. I should know that that is the nemesis to more seniors than I care to name. :(  So first thing,  I flinged/flung was garbage.  That was rather satisfying and helps build up the muscles and not to mention the enthusiasm to fling Murphy.

Found it! Hmm, I thought it was different!  lol  I shall keep on and see what else I can find.

I also found a few ideas to fling around as I was sorting!  I do like making tags.

Categories sort of defeat me.  But too big a conglomeration stalls me.  I need two more of these Rubbermaid containers.  I measured the height of their future shelf.  ;)  My tags, envelopes, and labels are together.  My words and letters  is a big one.  And then  flowers, shapes and 'nouns'!  lol  Gee, I'm finding lots of ideas.

Then I stopped to fling myself down into the basement to vacuum up the baking soda from the electrical fire so our dumbness isn't quite so apparent. :{  The official well/pump fixer needed access to all parts of our well, deep down in the ground and behind the cobwebs by the panel box! ;)  We are getting all new components, including electrical.  yippee

I feel just fine in spite of my broken tooth which Murphy kicked as we were flinging him out!   I think Murphy is gonna have to find someplace else to trouble! 

Creating without Murphy

Nothing major. Just a whole series of snafu's!  And because nothing is a real tragedy we must be into comic mode.  And really, what else can one do but laugh when the next knot appears in the string.

The grand kiddies are back in their own nest.  I shall miss the bits of advice.  "Yup,  when you are all blooded, you die!".  The big brother is 'such' a comfort to his little sister.  I did learn after the fact that he was the cause of the droplets! ;)

My gal was alarmed that time was flying until I realized I'd not turned back the playroom clock.  Hours to go till night time.  Speaking of which she did an excellent job of adding stars to her sky.  Probably not visible but the shadows in the hills and valleys on the snow are lovely, too.

We/I are working on size and direction.  We want to keep the eye moving but not have it leave the page prematurely.  I am also working on the card.  This page seems fitting! :)  This will be from my DD#2's family and will be a bit more light hearted.

The Rooster has knocked himself silly and managed to singe his feathers but he is a tough ol' bird and there has hardly been a missed note in his cock a doodle doo!  We certainly wouldn't wish Murphy on anyone but it would be good if he'd go create messes somewhere else.  And soon! ;)

wow, Murphey's visiting

It has been one thing after another these last few days.  I did add another fabric to the mix for my wall hanging.  I am also thinking that I want to break up the larger blocks more.  But I daren't try that till Murphy leaves!  :(

So while I am waiting I felt it would be safe to have the grand kiddies help start the youngest's nap quilt. 
Using her roommate's quilt as a prototype we began to cut and arrange.  Well, some of us did!

My helpers left at lunch time and I think this will work but I best get them sewn together before Murphy messes with them.  He has been messing about with our well and until the pump is fixed I expect I'll be doing dry stuff only.  :O  I hope he hasn't been messing with any of my fellow  Needle and Thread Networkers

moody!

The plan for the week is in jeopardy.  The grand kiddies have again descended.   I bought them each a recorder.  I must be losing my mind and if they keep up the music I definitely will lose it!  ;)

Old finish, new month

Looks like the last good weekend so we'll be busy finishing things up for winter.  Can't come too soon for me.  pant, pant

I got one more fabric that'll help make a cohesive whole to the wall hanging.  This is a shot of that early morning east sun and another son, a grand kiddie,  trying to copy cursive before he can even print.  He is a keener!

 I did a gluing tutorial for my DD#1.

This is a start on the lighter fun page in the booklet/card.  Hang in there and when life gives you lemons make lemonade kind of thing. ;)

The scrap book page challenge was indeed a challenge and a bit rushed.

 

And because I have showcased two grand kiddies I thought to give equal time to the third who made a necklace for her Tia Laura (DD#1) and was so pleased with it she is keeping it for herself!!!  I like to think of it as a prototype!  LOL 

Tricky

 

I have a number of errands to run today and I could use one of these wigs the grand kiddies tried on at their local thrift shop.  My hair is at that in between stage that makes smooth coiffures tricky.

Creativity 101 featured the booklet we'd made last week. My gal painted most of the backgrounds green, her favourite colour.  The theme has now been decided and it'll be Christmas.  First technique was to spread some white stuff on all that green grass.  ;)  Lines were laid down for snow banks.  But green still figures prominently in our first pages where the hunt for the perfect tree will be portrayed.  Trees are just lines that have been enclosed, completing  a shape.  Lines also give direction and we talked about moving our eyes around but not out of the page. Using the shape of a triangle we exaggerated it to make three spruce trees in different sizes.  We are also learning to practice a bit before we commit to the actual page. ;)  Next week we commit.

I have challenged myself to use a blue monochromatic colour scheme for this week's scrapbook page. "The range of different blues is enormous, and using too large a selection can end in disaster.  There is a vast difference in tone and atmosphere between a greenish blue, like turquoise, and one that veers towards mauve.  The wisest and safest course is to experiment with different degrees of one shade, using it deeper or lighter as needed or adding one of the gray-tinged neutrals as a highlighter."  I don't often use blue.  If I do, it is usually  robin's egg blue which is heavily influenced by green.  "Turquoise is the trickiest of all the blue-greens. It is really in a color class of its own and rarely blends well with other blues unless the very lightest or darkest shades are chosen."  My favourite colour!  :O

 So I deliberately steered clear of my blue-greens and tried my hand at regular old blue which I don't have very much of. I don't have many embellishments either.  I'll need to be creative to use what I have for a successful layout. 

I continue to move fabric around the wall hanging as I chase those tricky bits of sunshine and shadow.  Blur is good for the squint test but I think I am needing a new camera as it is slow in some light conditions and the on button is very tricky and needs a deep press on one side.  :O  Hey, time to treat myself!

Today's trick will be to get my errands successfully completed and back before the colourful grand kiddies arrive for supper. Another treat!

Let there be flashes of light

I decided I needed to consider the light source for this wall hanging.  I have an east window in the front room and the light should come from the top right hand corner and filter across and down to the bottom left.  That really helps to arrange all the greens.  I want a small hint of water and a bit of greenery that is more up close and personal.

I took the whole shebang down to the front room and worked over a hot stove to tweak it.

 And I tweaked it.  And I tweaked it some more.

This is quite enough tweaking for this wip Wednesday.  I am all done hot flashes! ;)

This is the general idea and I need to add, subtract and divide up some of the sections.  I also need to multiply some leaves.  I shall leave  it up (oops, pun) and wait for the Rooster to notice and comment on it. ;)

If any of my visitors from The Needle and Thread Network care to shed some more light, I would be delighted to stand still for a few more hot flashes! LOL

My happy place

It is my playroom/sewing room/art studio.  Lots of times it is creating things that makes me happy but I am seriously wondering if organizing is my real happy place.  :(

I needed to find a couple of sheets of coloured paper.  I have coloured card stock, patterned scrapbook paper, gelli plate mono prints, old book pages, music sheets, napkins, etc.  OYE!  I am in serious trouble.  I started to sort into colours.  Just like fabric, some doesn't slot into categories easily.  Then I began to dream about a storage rack/system.  Ahem!  I don't have a week nor do I have extra funds at the moment.  I have a couple of hours and that's iffy.  So I got creative.  I did a quick shuffle with the bead paraphernalia and repositioned the shelf to hold all those manila folders I had saved.  I designated similar pages into folders and I just may not even need to buy anything! Phew! 

 

The space isn't completed as the tub of mono prints is still in its tub but I had to switch happy places.  lol
I also have to deal with all the small stuff.  But I found card stock that I just knew I hadn't used up.  Yay! I also have emptied 2 shallow drawers that I have big plans for.  Again, I need to hold that happy thought and get back to the project at hand.

First set of pages is coming together.  hmmm, hum, hum.  Nothing glued but a good start.

I thought I was humming along until I put the flap down. :(

These flaps are complicating things, alright!  ;)

hmm, this might even work out better.  I will loose the yellow bow and...

put a nice one on the flap!    I can move the centre sentiment to the side and show case the bling. :)

I have three more sets of pages and only one more flap.   hmmmmmmmm   I hope I can stay happy!

Typical!

 

 

A typical start for my week.  I was considering my options when the pen was snatched from my hand, the wind blew through the open window scattering the to-do list and the reins were snatched from my hands as I  set the direction for the day.  I should be used to this by now. ;)

 I am gathering my thoughts after spilling this week's mood board.  Gold glass beads figure in the plan! :( 

Finishing the week

Friday was a great day but not a pretty day.  The Rooster was home and got us moving in spite of weather forecasts and chilly winds.  We got a lot of things put away and the flowerbeds are looking more ready for the approaching snow.  We came in for supper just before the drizzle began.

I had planned on working on my book/card and a scrapbook page.  My arms and hands were a bit sore and I was looking for a book to read and a bed to stretch out in but I spent a few minutes on the scrapbook page. I don't know what these little albums are called.  Even though the size, 6X8, is a bit challenging, they will work for my kids. I did a general plan and fixed them in place first thing this morning.  I need to work on lettering. ;)

For Creativity 101 I discovered how valuable cereal boxes that are gessoed can be!

I had a number of interruptions during the week but I am still pleased with all that I did get to work on. Now to finish that chicken coop and get the replacement hens all moved over and ready for winter!  They will luv the access to the great outdoors and the nest boxes.  Then I can finish off the week!

Which comes first, the forest or the trees?

I had my coffee this morning in the front room as I studied my focus fabric and made observations and notes.

I had thought square for the dimensions but I think a rectangle fills the space better and echoes many of the design elements in this room.

I think three long sections with a vertical sashing that shows off the gradation on each side of the centre section.  1/3 of the six by twelve inch blocks can be strips, 1/3 plain with some stenciling, and 1/3 I thought could be applique.

I did a quick inventory of my fabric paints and reviewed the technique.  I'd want to make my own stencils, probably from freezer paper.

Then I measured and measured again and cut my sections which will be cut again into blocks but I need to audition more fabrics.  I haven't determined the sashing width either but it'll be narrow.

I don't plan on going shopping so I shopped my stash.  This can work although I can see lots of tweaking.

The first thing is to move the centre section up about three inches.  A bit blurry but this gives the squint test.  ;)  I don't intend to procrastinate but I do want to give this a bit of time to percolate.  Sometimes I get a better idea but it is too late. :( 

I also need to do some multi tasking and work on some paper projects.  I do believe I have some kind of forest happening and now I need to find some trees so I can identify the leaves!