Art for Saturday.....and not much more.

I don't have a lot to say today. I don't feel well, all run down and tired. Following, you will find art from Friday and Saturday (today). Enjoy!

9 January 2010

Red Butterflies

Collage with magazine pictures and sharpies on recycled cardstock.

I think my muse is at kindergarten class today.

8 January 2010

The Blue Snake

Markers on recycled cardstock.

Yes, I know the snake is not actually blue! It was blue though when I drew this card in my sister's van while she was driving down the road. Once I got home I realized that snake didn't really look like much of a snake when it was light blue in color so I made it a green snake and pretty much got rid of all those blue lines made on this card when it was drawn. Still doesn't look a whole lot like a snake....his nose is a bit wonky.

8 January 2010

Ralph's Adventure

Markers on recycled cardstock.

This one was drawn while riding down the road as well. I need to go fix this picture! I guess I didn't do that when I did the others.

Over the Bridge

8 January 2010

This one was drawn while riding in the backseat of my sister's van while she drove down the highway. Just like the other ones here.

Markers on recycled cardstock.

I thought about coloring this one in but I like that it looks somewhat like a snow scene without any color. It IS a snow scene and if I'd added color, I think I would have lost that feel in the picture. Not a great drawing...but each drawing completed is practice and practice makes perfect. (Well, as perfect as I'm ever gonna get. I don't really think perfection can ever be met! We can only strive for excellence. And God knows I need a lot of practice to get anywhere close to that!)

8 January 2010

Gus the 'Pus

Markers on recycled cardstock.

This one, too, was drawn while in the back seat of my sister's van while riding down the highway. I put color to these after I got home. I only took a few markers with me on that trip so there was no way to really add color and make it come out decent (for any of the four posted here that were done on the 8th).

I kinda like this one!

I'll probably have made more art before the day is done. I've added more to my large canvas and took pictures of it yesterday. Added more stuff just a little while ago. Another couple of days and it should be DONE! And then I'll take some more pictures of it and you all will get to see it!

Until then though...I am out of here for now. Think I'm going to go crawl back in my bed for another nap. I've already taken one 5 hour nap today and it didn't seem to help any so maybe another nap will help.

Get your hugs, people! You really do need them. I'm staying away from folks today so there will be no hugs for me. I sure could use some hugs but, I don't want to give whatever is wrong with me to anyone else!

Peace

831

More Cold Weather and A Few Pieces of Art

Once again I started yakking before I uploaded pictures so the pictures are all out of sync but here we go nonetheless. You all should be used to my wonky posts by now anyway!

Free As A Bird

markers on recycled cardstock

ATC

6 january 2010

Bentley

markers on recycled cardstock

ATC

23 December 2009

The Book of Tiny Art

7 January 2010

Matchbox/Little Book Swap AFA

This little book is made from kraft paper colored black with a big fat sharpie and inchies from the crop of 2009 inside the book. The book cover is kraft paper sandwiched between two pcs of tyvek and glued with E6000 at the spine. The book fits inside the matchbox which was colored inside and out with that same big fat sharpie. The landscape on the top of the box was done in markers on cardstock on 6 January 2010. There are two blue glass beads attached with copper wire on the front of the drawer of the box for easy opening. This pc will be swapped out when I get it and the other one I've yet to make in the mail.

Winter snow! Guess we are going to have a weather picture before we get through all the art. This picture was taken out my front door looking towards the northeast. There is an open field out there though you can't really tell that too well in the picture. Not a lot of snow out there on the 5th but some. And now there's another inch on top of what you see in the picture!

Elephant
8 x 10 stretched canvas painted in acrylics
I gave this painting to Evelyn for Christmas. She loved it!

See! Snow on the ground 29 December 2009. This one was taken about two miles south of town on Highway 183 headed north. It was COLD that day! Sam and I were headed home from Hays when I took this picture as Sam was driving down the road.

I had to try out the zoom on my camera for the first time with this picture of a little squirell in a tree in Sam's front yard. Not the greatest picture in the world! I was sitting in Sam's truck and took this picture through the windshield.

I'm not entirely certain where this one was taken. Somewhere on Highway 183 south of the county line. I was just messing around with the new camera. This one was taken probably 25-30 miles south of home. Not as much snow in Ellis County as there was in Rooks County that day.

I am beginning to think the cold weather is never going to end. I know it will eventually. But spring is still a long ways off!

Wind and cold today. Though the sun out in full force... it was blinding actually! All that snow on the ground was just way to bright for these old eyeballs of mine! I didn't get up until after dark but I was up a few times during the day to let the dog out and back in. I could barely see from the blinding white of the sun and snow outside.

Not a lot of snow, mind you, but it does cover everything out there! An inch or so of new stuff on top of the old stuff from the previous two snow storms that moved through my neck of the woods.

I'll be working on my that other little book and matchbox tonight. In the morning I am going to Kearny, Nebraska with Susan and Linda. Susan has a drs appt up there and I'm just going along for the ride. Linda will drive from Phillipsburg. Susan can't drive at the moment cause of her neck (which is why she's going to see the doc in Kearny) so I will drive her from Stockton to Pburg and let Linda take over from there beings she will be driving her van.

I don't have much of anything of importance to say today so I'll bid you a good one for now. Don't forget that hugs are essential to a human being, so get yourself as many of them as you can.

Peace

831

Art Today!!!!

We will have art today! Yeah!!!!
The inchies that follow were done in the last week of December. The Orange Star was done by daughter-in-law, Lue and the rest are mine. I still have another batch of inchies to scan but gave up on the inchies because it took three tries to get these 12 scanned with all 12 of them in the frame! Don't know what the devil was the problem that the left hand column got cut off on those first two scans. But here they are... new inchies to look at!
I am thinking highly of joining the 365 Day Challenge...I'm not sure that is exactly what it is called...anyway the idea is to do 1 ATC a day for 365 days. I missed out on the first two days of the new year. No new ATCs made those two days...but there's one for each of the days since. They aren't all here, but there is one for each day since the 3rd of Jan. I still have to scan the January 6 card.

4 January 2010

Peace

Markers on recycled cardstock.

3 January 2010

Joseph

Markers on recycled cardstock.

5 January 2010

Banks--Asleep on the Table

markers on recycled cardstock

5 January 2010

A Hangover In The Making

markers on recycled cardstock

Looks as though I did two on the 5th of January. Does that put me ahead of the game??? I don't think it matters if you make one or twenty three of them on any given day, the goal is to do ONE a day.

Seems I finally figured out that scanner. No new drivers to upload thankfully. I really thought it would be harder! I just tried to use the scanner to see if it would work and voila! Yep, works great! Works different than it did with Windows XP, but not so different that I couldn't figure it out!

It's snowing as I type out this entry. All the critters have opted to stay inside for today. Billy cat hasn't been out for any length of time in a few days. It's terribly cold out! The temp is in the low 20s but the windchill is down in the single digits...Ma said the TV said the windchill was sitting at a whopping 4F about 20 minutes ago. The wind is terrible! Straight out of the northwest. That open field to the north of the house leaves nothing to block the wind so it's coming in gale force, it seems. Not sure what the wind speed is, but the roof is making all kinds of racket from it. A metal roof does make a lot of noise in the wind and the stronger the wind, the louder the noise! I don't know how much snow accumulation there is to be. Ma said a trace to an inch... looks like we've surpassed the inch mark already though. The rug on the ground at the bottom of the front steps is covered now.

It's perfectly OK with me if it snows bunches! I have no plans to travel any farther than my sister's house next door. I will have to hoof it to Susan's if I decide I need to get out, but I've done that so many times I could close my eyes and get there quite easily. A bit of blowing snow isn't going to deter me. It's the wind that might keep inside where it's warm.

Today I am working on some swap obligations. I entered the Matchbox/Little Book Swap over at AFA (the link's still up there in the left hand corner). The idea of this swap is to make a little book that fits nicely in a 32 count matchbox. I made a lovely little green book to fit in a matchbox earlier today. Only problem is that even though the book is TINY, it's not tiny enough to fit in that matchbox. So back to the drawing board to make an even tinier book.

In making that little green book, I learned how to do long stitch binding. My attempt was a little loose but the next book, the binding will be tighter and it will fit in a matchbox! It has to fit in the matchbox or I can't use it for the swap!

What are these little books about? Well, the green one I made that didn't quite work out right is just inchies glued to the pages. I may still add some text, haven't decided on that yet. I discovered in making this book that my markers do not like gesso. So I don't think I'll be writing in the book with markers but will have to find something else that will not smear on the pages. This project will be completed by the end of my day. The matchboxes might not get done so soon, but the little books will. I have to make a minimum of 2 books for 2 matchboxes. I will probably make 3 of them so the host has one to keep for herself. That's not required, but always appreciated.

I traded 3 ATCs day before yesterday. Old ones that had been on flickr forever! They went in the mail yesterday, headed to NY, USA. I have 6 bird inchies that need to be put in a envelope and sent off as well. I need an address to send those to though....

Really not a whole lot happening in my world. The van won't start cause it's too damn cold out for it to start. I think it might be in need of a new battery. It really doesn't matter that it won't start. I can get a ride to town if I really need to go to town. Which, today, I don't need to go to town cause I was just there yesterday. I borrowed Susan's little red car for that trip.

I hope you all are doing well in the new year. Don't forget to collect your hugs, give a few kisses and just generally be happy! Life is way too short to waste it on negativity and being mean.

I shall post again soon!

Peace

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Cold in Kansas

This could be fun!~ I have a kitten on the desk walking all over the keyboard and trying to stick her nose up mine. She's purring so loud, I'm surprised you all can't hear her too! I just came from the kitchen where I found her sitting on the cabinet staring at the sink. She followed me back to the deskroom. Aren't I the lucky one! :)

As the title of this post says, it is cold in Kansas! And it doesn't appear as though it will warm up any time soon. My old body hates the cold worse than the heat of summer. This weather plays havoc with me! On top of that, I'm getting a cold and my nose is all clogged up and I've had a headache for three days now. Not to worry though, I shall survive, I'm sure.

I still haven't downloaded the drivers for the scanner so there isn't any art to show you all. I got a new computer for Christmas and the only bad thing about getting a new computer is getting it up and running smoothly with all the accesories one needs with their computer. I know it's not going to be a hard chore to get the scanner/printer up and working compatibly with this new machine, it is that I know it will be a daunting chore as I don't speak computer any more than I speak Swahili....so wish me luck getting it all going without pulling my hair out!

This new machine didn't even come with a user's manual! How am I to know how to use all the features it has? I think I need to look around in the Start menu and see if there isn't an owner's manual built into this thing!

That silly kitten is trying to drink my coffee. She just stuck her nose in it. Meowing her fool head off about something. Wish she didn't insist on sitting on the desk when I'm trying to type but every time I put her on the floor, she immediately jumps right back up here on the desk. She never wants anything to do with me unless I'm sitting in this chair with my hands on the keyboard, or when I'm cooking. She's such a pretty little cat, full of charm, that I can't get mad at her for just being her.

I thought she was a goner the night before last. She shot out the front door when I let Fred in. It was late, dark and cold out there when she decided to make her escape. I was going to go after her but she ran down the steps so fast, I lost sight of her. About an hour later, when she hadn't come to the door to be let back in, I called for her. No Lola though. Then about an hour later I sent Fred out to find her. He was out for about 15 minutes and came back without her. She's just a kitten, only about four months old and out in the dark is not a good place for a kitten to be. Not out here in the country. I thought for sure she was going to supper for the coyotes. Finally, about three hours after she had made her escape, I heard her at the front door. She always climbs up the porch railing and hangs off the screen door knob, makes all kinds of racket along with meowing as loud as she possibly can. I was very glad to see her!
I let her out during the day when she wants to go out. When it's light outside she isn't in danger from the coyotes, but night is a whole other story. She does have her markings in her favor as camouflage at night but she has white feet and a white chest which work against her in the dark. Coyotes have excellent eyesight and she can't run fast enough to get away from one.
I've lost kittens to the coyotes. Not a good thing.

That Fred dog is asleep on my bed at the moment. Snoring most likely with his head on my pillow, enjoying his nap. Billy is outside as far as I know. Haven't laid eyes on him today yet. I'll send Fred out later to bring Billy cat inside. It's funny, but when I tell that dog to bring Billy back with him, Fred 8 times out of 10 has that cat in tow when he comes back inside.

Doobie is asleep in the laundry room on top of that stack of blankets on the counter in there. She will be hollering for supper before too much longer.

I do wish the scanner were already hooked up! I have some stuff to scan! Guess I should shut this down and go hook it up! That's the only way it's gonna get that way!
You all go get your hugs for the day...
Peace
831

No Information, Just Rambling

There has been a recount on the inchies and my final total is a whopping 973 inchies done in 2009. I didn't hit my goal of 1000, but, wow, I came real close! I am going to start all over on that endeavor again this year.

I have a headache today. Not sure if it's the weather or just my old body acting up again. It is supposed to snow again this evening.

On my list of things to do today, is hooking up the new computer. I think I've saved all that I can save off the old one. And if I've forgotten something, well, then I'll take my losses and move on.
I know I didn't get to save any of the music on this machine. That's not really a biggie though. I have tons of CDs and I can listen to them, download them if I want to, on the new machine. Seems a shame to lose over 4000 music files though.... unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about that cause I can't burn it off to disc on the old machine. The CD burner bit the big one a long time ago on this old machine.
The thing that has kept me from hooking up the new machine till now is that I am not looking forward to uploading all the accessories.... printer/scanner, camera and the likes. That, and I have to clean this messy desk off! Where did all this crap on this desk come from??? (Like you all would know the answer to that question!)

I promised you all some artwork and I've yet to give any to you. I have five new ATCs done in the latter week of the old year. Nothing too exceptional so you really aren't missing out on much!
I started a new project yesterday. My sister, Kathy, gave me a large stretched canvas (18 x 24 inches) that had a hideous painting on it when she found it in a 'free' box at a yard sale mid 2009. I wish I would have taken a picture of it before I covered that hideous painting of three women in wedding gowns hanging by ropes in mid-air. It was not signed. Can't say as I blame the artist for not signing the piece. I wouldn't have signed it either! I didn't have the camera yet when I painted over that painting with gesso though so there will be no picture of the hideous brides.
Now the canvas is covered with Medical Dictionary pages that have been painted a nice shade of red/purple. I've still not totally decided just what I will do with the canvas but I'm leaning, leaning really hard, towards doing a fish collage on it. I made eight fish last night. Got seven of them almost complete. They are sequin fish of different colors. I don't think all of them will end up on that canvas though cause it's a bit crowded with all of them sitting there. Maybe only five of the fishes.... I need to make one more fish that is not as small as the smallest but not as big as the largest already made.
Usually my fish collages are done on ATCs or 4x4s. This huge canvas isn't going to work out like the littler pieces do. I don't have enough glitter to make the sea glittery on the large canvas.... have to figure out how to give it some bling-bling!
I'll show it to you all when I finally get it done. Don't expect it soon though, like I said, it's a BIG canvas! This one will take awhile to get it right!
I am going to have to get dressed and go out into the world today. I'd rather not, but sometimes you do have to do what you don't want to do. I'll take Fred with me to town. He'll think it's a nice treat.

One of my intentions for the New Year is to make a blog entry everyday. I don't know that that will be possible, but I'm going to blog every day that I possibly can. I don't know that I'll have something intelligent to talk about everyday. Today's post seems to be more rambling than informative!

I need to read the owner's manual for my new camera so I can figure out how to get pictures from it to the new machine when I get it hooked up. I need to read the owner's manual for my new cell phone as well, for the very same reason! That and I really don't know anymore about that phone than how to dial a number, answer the damned thing and plug it into the charger! I gotta drag out my reading glasses to read those manuals though. Why do they put such tiny fonts in owner's manuals?

I don't need those reading glasses when I read a regular book or when I do artwork, but give me an owner's manual and I better have my 'eyes' within reach or I won't be able to even see the print to read it.

I suppose sometime today I should do away with the 2009 calendars hanging on the walls and replace them with 2010 calendars. I'm not even sure just where I put those new calendars! Desk in the livingroom, maybe?

That Tree is still standing in the livingroom as well. It needs to be GONE! I've no ambition to tackle that project today though. Not with this headache I have going on at the moment.

I guess this is a long enough rambling session for you all. I know it is for me! I have got to get busy with something productive. I think I'll work on my fish picture while I drink my morning coffee at 3 in the afternoon!
I'll show you art in the next post!
You all have a splendid Saturday!
Got get your hugs!
Peace
831

A Short Post

I'm fixin' to head to bed here as soon as Fred decides he wants to come back in the house. It is almost 4 a.m. so it's time for bed.
We have very cold weather tonight.
I spent the whole first day of the new year at home in my pajamas. Didn't even step foot on mother earth! I didn't! I have stepped only on my man-made floor today.
I did see the moon rise earlier this evening. There it was high in the eastern sky, glowing like it was on fire! It was beautiful! Outshone the blue moon of the night before.
Fred is out in the yard barking at something. Might be awhile before he decides to come inside. He's been asleep most of the day and night already. He didn't go outside from 2:30a.m. until almost 9p.m. How that dog can hold his bladder that long is beyond me! He drinks like he always does. He eats like he always does. I asked four times throughout the day if he wanted to go out. He stands in the doorway looking out into the yard while I stand there with the front door standing open wide, cold air coming in, and turns around to go lay back down on the sofa. Not sure what is up with that....
I've cut a lot of words today. I have a ton of magazines that have different fonts and words in them. I think I'm ahead of that game... cutting words, not diminishing that stack of magazines. Those magazines are never ending cause I keep taking them out of the mailbox across the highway.

Time to go to bed! Fred wants in.

Go get your hugs!
Have a fantastic Saturday! (I actually typed Wednesday there before I realized it wasn't Wednesday at all!)
Have a good one!
Peace
831

Happy New Year, People!

The sky's the limit!

2009 is gone and another year commences. Did good things occur in 2009? You bet they did!

January blessed me with a new keyboard from a friend afar and
also gave me a new start to a whole passel of new days to try and not screw up too badly. I think that mission was accomplished as here I am still.

Feburary gave me a roaring good party, contact with an old friend, and a dye job on my hair that not a soul noticed.

March gave me phone calls, visits to family, and an $18 dollar box of incense.

April gave me lunch out on occasion, a bout of the blues, a son's 26th birthday, the ending of an era, a couple visits with the vampires, the discovery of a songbird in the family and a badly needed fix of touches.

May made me one year older and gave me more visits with the vampires, the loss of my friends' good dog, a few days of sleeplessness and a few days slept completely away, an auction that made my packratness only blossom, an 8th grade graduation, read Treasure Island for the first time, and a picnic with Susan and Linda in the City Park.

June gave me the opportunity to do a lot of artwork, many visits with my sons, a ballgame or two here and there, a trip to the Capital to visit their vampires, a few trips to the State Lake with Fred in tow, another year to celebrate my Mother's birthday with her (this one was her 75th), lost my 15 yr old cat Miss Blue, an ovarian cyst and a two trips to the ER, and a roadtrip to take me into July.

July gave me a grandson's birthday to celebrate, a campin trip with friends, fireworks, a friend's birthday to celebrate, a son's 25th birthday, a bout of the blues, a roadtrip up the road, a visit from a sister, a declined invitation, 'Baby Watch' began and another roadtrip down the road to end out a most excellent month!

August gave me a sister's birthday to celebrate, drives in the country in sister's convertible, tried seriously to quit smoking, trips to the lake with Fred and Pug, a baby arrived on the 13th at 12:22 a.m., went to the demo derby with Helena, County Fair in town, I've a bald dog to contend with, and I played numerous games of Dr. Mario with my brother this month.

September gave me full custody of my grandpup Pug, lost Pug to the highway mid month, a visit to my friend on the hill in town, survived 09/09/09 just like the rest of yous reading this, got a fix of live music from my nephew, discovered movies with brother are a good deterent to being alone, made a boatload of art and missed a neice's birthday.

October gave me a few blank days to start it out but it got better as the days went on....I got a new kitten from RW .....her name is Lola, Rose died on the 11th, declined a volleyball invitation ....I hurt like a big dog most of this month, friend B celebrated birthday #53 and friend R celebrated birthday # 64, a birthday remembered that is no longer celebrated...that makes me sad each October. The trailershed got started on.

November gave me days of no sleep and days of nothing but sleep, no rhyme nor reason at any time of the year. A lot of blank pages in the day book for November. I went to a basket ball game at the high school to watch Allison play, paid a visit to the Pville vampires three times this month, long drives in the country with my brother, and Thanksgiving was spent with those closest to me.

December entered with ten blank pages in the day book, 131 days of nothing, Christmas come and gone--good by all standards nonetheless and an invitation declared void to end the year.

All in all.... it's been a good year with a few disappointments thrown in. But that is how life works. You get some good days. You get some bad. The mix was pretty even this year.
I hope your year is one you can look back on with little regret.

My intentions for the new year are to get many more hugs than I got in 2009.
I'm not certain about the goal of 1000 inchies getting met. I know I did well over 900 of them but the final count has yet to occur. I'm just going to call this year's goal a bust and start again in the new year. I have 16 inchies in pocket as I type that were made in the last hours of 2009. I'll make a recount and let you all know just how close I did come!

It's been a good one...let's start it all over again with the next post!
Thanks for sticking with me through the year.
Peace
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