Recess

                                                       I am off for recess!  woo hoo!  

Wow Life is a bowl of ...

                                                     ...holly berries!   Teeny ones, too.

These are yo,yo's.  They are supposed to resemble berries so they don't get flattened.  The first ones were sew fiddly and then I realized I'd forgotten the 1/8th inch seam allowance on the template.  I don't think it made much difference!  I'd start over as I think I'm doing something wrong but they are little, cute and they do look like berries!  ;-)

ABSOLUTELY FREEZING COLD here in central Canada.  I wonder what it is like in the rest of Canada?

If at first...

Try Again!

I used the spays I knew to be permanent.  The nozzles are dicey and the Heidi Swapp Color Shine seems very user friendly. The spray on the Mister Huey's sprays blobs and Maya Mist kinda goes off to one side.  i.e. my hand but that could be operator error!  :O

I sprayed and dried and over sprayed.  I was happy.  I will use a brush to move spray around but this dried quickly.  Hmm, I shoulda maybe have tried to spray some water as they will move but are permanent once they do dry. 

Then I used acrylic to lighten the centre area and had no problem.

I added paint pen and washi tape which tends to lift so I always use something to glue down the edges. My brush stayed pretty white.  :)

I used some more acrylic to add some stencilling and again was happy and added pen marks to the mix.

Then I smeared to mute everything again.  I was following some gal's advice. ;-)

One bit of smearing on the left bottom but the pen may not have dried.  I am hasty!  lol

And speaking of hasty I stopped taking photos in the mad frenzy of creativity.  But I collaged, I stamped, I sprayed more spray through a stencil and I tweaked!!!  Wish I'd trimmed the ragged white edge from the large rectangular photo so I tried to deliberately smudge the edges. I also stamped with the Dylusions White Linen using a grunge stamp. It was okay!  If I was the teacher I'd give me a B+.  But I am also gonna get a detention if I don't get back to the homework for today! 

I will add that these products all work. Success comes from understanding  how they work and also how the one who uses them works.  I will just try to remember that the Dylusion Ink Sprays are for small 'm' mixed media and not for when I want to get real messy and mix things up in a major way. Lesson learned- Keep creating and don't give up!

Luv apple? I think not!

I seem to have a luv/hate relationship with Dylusions Ink Sprays.  I like the idea of spraying things.  I like the colours.  I've learned you can dilute them and even make your own mixes.  Cool!  But every time  I use them I swear I am not going to do it again. :O

They blend and mix wonderfully.  I like the backgrounds.  They are impressive.

I understand the ghosting process of removing some of the colour with water .  I now know that dark colours show the ghosting best. But I cannot seem to get distinct ghosts!  ;)

  I even tried using a baby wipe to remove some of the colour.  That looks a bit better.

The place I get the most colour removal is from the paper towels and the wipe ups.  :(

If you spray the White Linen down first and then spray the brighter colours they make wonderful pastels.  Luv it! 

BUT...

If you want to do anything else with these pages the colours run.  Stamping seems not to be a problem but if you want to glue down or add some gel or matte medium to anything there is smearing. It just irritates the dickens out of me.

I did learn that if you pour some White Linen onto the blank ink pads it makes a wonderful white ink pad.  You can get a clear stamped impression.  So I tried that because stamping can be a last step and I do like white images and lettering.

But the white does react with the background.  Not terrible but not clear either.

 So I did try it on some Maya Mist which does mix when it is wet but dries permanent.   That I luv!

It has been THAT kind of day!   The harder I try and the hurrierd (sp???) I get,  the further behind I am!
Lesson learned:  I really mix medias. Collaging on top of these inks doesn't work, at least for me.  They are best with dry additions like archival or stazon ink pads and pens.  Cut out images with double sided tape on the back would work.  
I don't really have time but that hasn't stopped me before so I shall do one quick try with my permanent sprays and then I best clean up and get sewing.  I may need to polish a nice apple for the spray teachers!!!  lol

But it does kinda reminds me that I really do like white!  And, yes, this is apparently a real flower!

Leaping over Apples

This month I could have used the extra day that Leap year brings. ;)  I need to relearn yo yo's and not stray too far from the original colours I had chosen for my applique blocks way back when my tone on tone choices were more limited.  I want to give my mixed media recipe box a coat of gesso and try a new Dylusions technique.  And then there is the teacup wall hanging.  I also need to pack for our annual retreat which I am very much looking forward to. DS#3 shall hold down the orchard I mean fort!  Since it is a short but busy week I shall probably only be able to fit in small coffee breaks.  But instead of moaning I better just Leap To IT!

Breaking into a sprint to cross the finish line

I quilted the leftovers for a wee mat!  If I can find the right thread I believe I have a plan for the big wall hanging.

I styled the big chest which the Rooster needs to turn his glue and his attention to.  I will antique the left hand birdhouse.  No screen door because to have it swing into the landing would wipe out the light and then wedge itself into the slope for the upstairs stairs.  To swing into the kitchen makes no sense with the chest there.  A louvered bi-fold door would work.  sad sigh

Then I put masking tape where two Ikea ledges would go and yup!  It works. This arrangement will cover the worst screw holes until I can get to Ikea,  patch the worst and mount the shelves.

Across the way is the Rooster's command centre. One of them anyway!  He has all those six baskets holding six aspects of his life.  lol

I wanted to show the entrance mat.  It ties most everything together and all I have left is to figure out the shade of paint I need.  Most satisfying Saturday as I 'shopped the house'!  This hall feels so much lighter, brighter, wider!  Now if I can figure where to stash the extra chairs we regularly need! ;)

I haven't intended to be posting on the weekends but this was all about finishing last week's goals. 

Last week's DYLP pages turned out well.  I used the gel medium to adhere the dark navy branch.  The over flap with the long strips of paper for journaling work great!

This week's prompt is to collage a recycled item.  I put a watercolour page inside a cd envelope and I have the backgrounds drying.  My flap will be a scrapbook paper. 

Gosh., Monday is only a few rotations of the clock away!   But I finished!!!  pant, pant

Walking in circles

After a very long town day yesterday I spent the first part of the morning catching up on my blogs and after being greatly inspired I was ready to dash off in at least 5 directions.  But I am doing pretty good at staying focused so I decide to throttle back and I spiraled my way up from the depths of a messy but cold laundry area and contemplated what to do as the hum of the vacuum soothed and sorted all the out of control thoughts.  I definitely need to take a deep breath as is evident by the fact I laced my running shoes without my glasses on!  LOL

ohh, there is a bit of crabby apple happening as I got some matte gel in a quick drive-by Michaels. I want to compare matte medium and matte gel.  Then a quick stop after I returned DD#2 and the grand kiddies to their home to get more (???) washi tape, a mask and a hexi paper sheet I think will make a great stencil.  I also found the big custom die pad.  I so badly want to make some messes but I haven't actually finished a project this week so I need to do that first.  But I always see some great tutorial for art and I scribble down the idea which quickly gets lost in the flotsam and jettsam around the 'puter.  I decide to get that old recipe box the Rooster got at some auction sale and I will write the ideas on the cards  and just pick a card when I am gonna 'make a mess'.  Heck, I'll probably start with painting the box itself. But not today, vbsigh.

My thoughts have been on the Use What You have Decorating book and I am back thinking how to tweak the decor.  I decided not to open the paint can and do the basement stair area. Not today anyway! I have the paint and the wall paper border from who knows when.  It is what I have so I plan on using it.  I might even have some porch floor paint.

I made it as far as the top of the basement stairs.  I decided that I am not liking the kitchen so blaugh.  Also I'm getting annoyed that the front entrance is too crowded.  So I switched up the elm cupboard which the Rooster told me is actually a kitchen cupboard used in the 'olden times'.  Surely he'll approve. That will depend on how much he will be bothered by the tighter squeeze through that doorway.  I'd luv to find an old screen door for that doorway.   Actually it'll really depend on how I can maneuver laundry baskets and how bothered I'll get.  I really do hate that basement.  Can't wait to fill it with gravel and seal it off.  Then the future broom closet will pose no problems. ;~)  But I am circling again.  I may have to actually work/blog overtime this week! 

Ahem, speaking of circling...  Did you notice the white swirling snow outside.  But I am not despairing as the wee geranium start in the window has a cluster of buds! 

Walking fearlessly

The current Color Love 101 lesson uses Nicholson's Peerless Transparent Watercolors.  I was not at all familiar with these.  The colour is on the cards and a wet brush picks up the paint.  slick!

I opened the package and sorted them according to colours.  I was thinking they were kinda similar.  I started the lesson and uhm, these are the backs! LOL

You do need swatch cards for these.

 

We punched holes and attached them to a ring.  I decided to see what would happen with the punch outs.  They have lots of  juice!

The original colours are on the right hand page and the various blends I tried are on the left.  Joanne had told us to be fearless as we used the colours and fearless I was!  :)

WOW - tripping

The jewel wall hanging was roughly laid out and I liked it.  I was just about to sew the last couple of sections together when I tripped on the fact that it had changed shape.  duh! All the sewn seams went somewhere!  lol  Sew- I got out my handy dandy proportions tool and figured out what I needed to do to make it pleasing and fit the space.  The magic size is 36 inches by 48 inches.  I had to rip a couple of seams and add in some length.  I hope I don't lose too much in the quilting because I could only cut it with two extra inches.  I pressed all the seams open and I see a couple of ripples  towards the bottom that I sure hope won't be a problem for MQing.

It seems quite large but I'd already pieced a lot of the triangles so this is what works.  I hope the Rooster doesn't crow(K) too much if I ask him to raise the new nail holes.  :0  I shall leave this pinned up while I think about it and decide how I'll quilt it.  Tomorrow I have a chance to take in Nina's walking foot for reassembling. She's the machine for the job!

I played a bit with the left over triangles.  Do I need another project? NO!  Do I need to keep more scraps??  NO!!

These triangles look odd to me, up side down!  lol  But I got this wee place mat done in record time and the few pieces of fabric put away.  I was stomping!  It'll be a MQing practice piece.

I spent a goodly amount of time tripping over piles as I looked for my fabric stamped tea cups.  After a significant clean up I was still stumped.  AH!  I unrolled the kitchen fabric and there they were, positioned and ready for tweaking!  The bonus was that I found a perfect stripe for the kitchen decor!

Lots of math which kinda worked out. Next my stripe. I decided a binding wouldn't work.  I am an asymmetrical gal so I wanted it on one side.  I was determined but I ended up taking off both sides and having some Pooh time.  Think, think, THINK!  Oh, bother!

I may be kicking against the pricks here!  ;~)

You can see I'm getting desperate as I sew wanted to have this finished for 'What's On Worktable' Wednesday.  I think I will have coffee.  :(

While the coffee was sending forth its aroma I thought, "just the taupe stripe?".    See, I need to get some darker taupe into the kitchen.  It is kinda blaugh. (sp???)  This strikes me as the right shade.  Ha!  I think I will stop jumping up and down and tripping over design decisions and go have coffee and see what ideas The Needle and Thread Networkers might have

These boots are made for walking

As I surveyed the mess in the playroom I decided to tackle the 'next thing first' wisdom.  I grabbed my DYLP and caught it up.  I realized I was using my daytimer as a diary and not as a planner which means I was double entering again and planning was back on scraps of paper.  grrr.

So I put those walking boots back on and started again!

Ideas are not my problem but remembering them and doing them at the right time needs planning and it actually saves time when I am doing 'just in time delivery'! lol  I am back planning and I even got my 'puter desk cleaned off, again!  lol

I think I have a general plan for the DYLP and doing the preliminary on the pages on Sunday night has me ready for the daily entries.  I need to keep a place cleared for working/journaling in it daily.  Having it at the ready and happy with the way it is going means I can dance through it in the Ruby Slippers instead of stomping through in my mud boots!  I do like a skinny sheet of loose leaf or two depending on what's noteworthy that I can attach to a slim flap which leaves the 2 page spread for art! The journaling is easier when I'm not confined to square footage!

I got a head start on the weeks ahead as I tried a technique I'd seen while cruising my blogs. Not wanting to hide my circles I will put the flap on the other page.  I have my little flap ready to adhere and a slip of paper to remind me of the plan. :)

I had started with gessoing the pages but then decided to skip that set as the monthly tab's position bothered me.  I thought they were dry enough for my feeble attempt at keeping them separated.  NOT!  But happily they weren't totally stuck and I really hope next week's prompt has something to do with texture 'cause I got a lot of it!

Speaking of texture...  During a coffee run I glanced outside and saw SPARKLES!
 

 What great hoar frost!  I balanced my cup on the stair post, skipped outside in my flip flops and used my zoom to record the sparkle!

Today I am changing back into my 'boots' and clearing a space for the DYLP where I can have daily access and then moving on to the next thing which is sewing.  Here's to a sparkly day as I kick up things in the playroom!