Catch Up Time!

Hello Readers!

I have not been overly busy since the last post on the first day of 2016.  I need a clean out around my desk. There are UFOs all over the place! (UFO=unfinished object)

The UFOs are a result of the daily brain fog from the fibro. I swear I'm losing my mind! The muse is all over the place, flighty as ever! There are numerous books in one stage of doneness or another. I have a basket in the works. A crocheted hat half done. Went through collage papers yesterday thinking I might start a bigger canvas with a forest scene done in nothing but paper. That's as far as that got though. I went through that box of papers that came in the mail sometime last year. Separated them all out according to my filing system and then stuffed them all back in the same box they came out of. I've been working on Annie's Kitty Book too.

At any rate, the finished objects are outnumbered by the UFOs at this time.

So we might as well get on with it.

You all saw the kitty book in last post. It's about 5x7 inches. The cover was made from a cake mix box and covered with the graphics from a bag of cat food. It has copy paper pages numbering somewhere around 100 sheets. Sewn with embroidery thread in the long stitch.

The kids finally showed to do Christmas on the second weekend in January. I finished Annie's blanket half an hour before they left to go back home. Annie was tickled pink that Grandma made her a blanket! Only thing is, I didn't make that blanket. I only put the strips together to form it into a blanket.

Here we have Tommy showing off a little book made from a cream cheese box covered with painted newspaper. It measures about 3x4 inches and has about 50 pages. I'm guessing on how many pages. I think it has 5 signatures of 10 pages each. Paper is a random assortment. It's sewn in the long stitch with embroidery thread. It has a button and bead closure.

New kitties for Annie's book. Green one is markers on construction paper, as is the spotted one. The red one is markers and acrylics on construction paper.

Markers on construction paper.

From left to right: acrylics and marker on construction paper. Pink one is ball point pen on copy paper. Next is markers on construction paper. And the gray one is markers on copy paper.

"White" kitty is crayons on copy paper, the other two are acrylics on drawing paper.

Little blue kitty is crayons and markers on construction paper.

Acrylics on drawing paper.

Acrylics and marker on construction paper.

Again acrylics and marker on construction paper.

These guys are painted now and in the book with the exception of the red cat in the middle, bottom row. I started that fella, but he's not quite done yet.

I made another wire basket.

This one is about 2 inches across the top and 2 inches tall. Made from salvaged copper wire from a front loading washing machine and aluminum craft wire.

This one took a couple hours or so to make.

Tommy seems to be our model for this post. Here he is showing off a basket. You'll see this basket again in moment.

This is the envelope I sent to Jazzie for EAU for January. I hope she likes the silly bird.

The basket Tommy was showing off in the picture above. It's made with copper wire (from that broken washing machine) and mardi gras beads. It's about 6 inches across, 5 inches tall. It's a wonky basket but I kinda like the wonkiness of it.

I really do have a lot of works in progress.

 This square of aloe juice bottles will eventually be a footstool. It took me 'forever' to collect these 25 bottles, having to drink all that yummy juice myself!  Next step is to take a hike out to the burnt house and see if I can locate something to use for the bottom, top and sides to sturdy it all up a bit. The bottles are taped together with clear packing tape. It'll have a cushy top (foam pads x 2). I'll use some fabric yarn (heaven knows I have enough balls already cut) and crochet it a cover. It may be a few days before that excursion takes place. There is about 4 inches of snow on the ground right now and its cold out there!

 Backside of an envie.

 Front side. This is just your run of the mill white envelope. I prettied it up with some markers while sitting here watching a string of Coronation Street a few weeks ago. I was behind a few days.

 Tommy showed you all the first mardi gras bead basket I made last week. I have a grocery sack full of mardi gras beads that my sister gave me last month. Ask and ye shall receive! 

I originally started collecting mardi gras beads for my alien babies, which are yet another work in progress. You will get to see a finished alien baby eventually. And there will be mardi gras beads involved. I got the bright idea to sew them into a coil basket with copper wire. I rather like this basket. It's about 6 inches across and maybe 5 inches tall. It's a tad wonky too. Matter of fact, all the bead baskets are a tad wonky.

 This past Saturday was my sister's 59th birthday. She's the second from the oldest of us. All gathered at my house for a party of 'hen talk', pineapple upside down cake with real whip cream and presents, of course. All, being me, Ma, Birthday girl Linda, Susan and Aunt Sherry. I let Linda choose her present. I have a whole closet full of things to choose from! She chose this oval mardi gras bead basket. It's not really mardi gras beads though. These beads were once all braided together as a Christmas tree garland. It's about  5 inches long, 3 inches deep.

 This one is about 3 inches tall, 3 inches across.  Some of the same beads as the last one. I sewed them together with the copper wire from the washing machine.  (Thanks for the wire, Sammy!)

I have another bead basket in the works but it isn't exactly cooperating.  I have little little patience when things don't go my way in the creative department. I have to lay it down, walk away, think about it for a while and eventually get back to it. 

 I'm still working on Fish Picture 16. I don't remember what it looked like the last time you all seen it. I've been working on this thing for almost a year, I think. I added the green color since the last time you saw and I believe I put the blue, red, and yellow at the bottom too? I don't remember. This thing just isn't talking to me.

 This is going to be Fish Picture 19. Doesn't look like much at the moment but I spent a bit of time making that textured surface to cover up the writing that was there when I brought this 6x6 inch wooden sign home from the Dollar General, where I bought it for a quarter on Christmas clearance. I bought three of them. All will be Fish Pictures.

 And speaking of fish pictures...this is number 18. (FP17 is in Lucas at the gift shop for sale. It has been there since September 2015. That tells you how long FP16 has been in the works!) The fish is not attached yet. I have some bubbles to add to the background and I'll give it a coat of varnish to cover up that pva glue shining under the rickrack. This one goes in a wooden frame with a glass front, once I get it done. The yellow and purple stuff is tissue paper and little sparkly puffy balls...kinda like pompoms.

 I've cut quite a few book covers in the past few weeks. These four are the only one's I've finished completely. I have books in all stages of doneness. These are 1.25x2inches and about a half inch thick. They have glued spines. I covered the spines with glittery tape. The boards are the top of a fancy chipboard box. You'll see some bigger books in future that will have these same covers minus the glittery tape.

 I should have turned the flash off for this picture but I was standing in the dark in the kitchen at 3 in the morning when I took this picture. Cats--for Annie's Kitty Book.  Collage style cats, most of them.

 Another cat.....Miss Lola.

 I asked Ma if she wanted to contribute some kitties to Annie's book. She brought me this one yesterday. He'll work wonderfully!

And I'll leave you with this brat of a cat, Miss Murray. 

Tommy was sound asleep in Ma's lap yesterday while she was here. Murray came from across the room from her perch in front of the window to the arm of the sofa. She carefully got into the best position possible and walloped Tommy awake so he'd get out of Ma's lap. Brat cat! Anyone who sits at the end of the sofa is fair game for Murry to occupy their lap. She just didn't want Tommy sleeping in her spot. She gives him a wide berth when he's snuggled in bed with me. She's fully armed with claws. Tommy has no front ones. Therefore, brat cat is Murray! Tommy will get his revenge on her! The two of them play everyday.

Thanks for hanging round to the end!

Remember....

Be kind to one another!

It matters!

Peace

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