Saturday, September 7, 2024

Creativity this week, Painting of a bird, hand embroidery on an orange flower

 

I am grateful that I found strength enough to paint and sew a bit this week! An improvement if not total recovery! 

I signed up for a free online workshop called Art Soul Gathering. There were several teachers, but I wasn't inspired by more than two. I'll show you what I learned... 

the quote is not attached yet, just trying out locations

the little bird was taught by Tam LaPorte. Mine isn't like hers exactly but it's like my way. It's so colorful with a cute gesture. 

after it was done and dry, I added  in a quote found online, printed it in italics, dragged a tombow marker along the torn edges and this is where I think I'll attach it

I like birds, in fact we have another sparrow sleeping on our front porch. It's a young fledgling and getting bigger every night. I'm happy he chooses to sleep here, safe on our front porch rocks.

The hand sewing is small, 8 X 11" and it's purpose is to provide a place for me to do meditative stitching. I ordered 8 spools of variegated threads on sale from Liz Kettle at textile evolution. 

I have lots of other pretty threads too. I like variety. It is in progress... I've stitched the petals, stem, two leaves and grasses. I'm trying to decide how to continue. 


I thought I'd do just running stitch but.... 


needs a filling stitch to go with the shading at the bottom
the leaf is done with dmc variegated, 2 ply in a loose back stitch
before starting I pressed on shirt tailor stabilizer to the back so I wouldn't need a hoop

the back at the moment



I also painted this meditating woman from the workshop


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Thursday, September 5, 2024

I Like Thursday # 417 Be calm, pudding, and a poodle

 

Cooler overnight temps are causing leaves to start changing color. 

welcome to this week's list of likes... starting with a painting

I painted one lesson this week, sorry you can't see the gold sparkling
 then on  with treats...

good eats

I love tapioca pudding and my mother made it for me when I was little & sick. She never taught me any recipes but I found this one without eggs. 

https://www.butteredveg.com/eggless-tapioca-pudding/ 



I would leave out the cardamom next time (I only used half anyway) I subbed in almond milk for half the milk. I added in more sugar as it's for dessert.  Let it soak the way she says, you won't need more starch or eggs as it's so so SO good, warm or cold and set.

no pics, it went fast, so next time I'll double the recipe. 

General

Reading and tv same as last week Weather still quite hot but I saw a brown leaf this week... means it's cooler at night, not in our house (outside temps never come in open doors or windows sadly. 

I am slowly regaining some strength if not endurance. Sewing a little. Talking to Joy on zooms.

DH successfully renewed his passport this week, I painted my nails again a cheerful coral, we survived all the loud neighbors parking right next to our house over the holidays.  

together we got the wood floors cleaned. Admittedly my part was mostly supervising and instruction. The rugs are washed too, it all looks so good. Like when you finally clean the microwave.

video Love.... love shared. I considered adoption when I realized I wouldn't be able to make a baby 

https://youtube.com/shorts/6ddfcuboAio?si=d2Ip9ARIytQnkm4x

Quote

The measure of strength of a leader is not who you beat down

The true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up. K.H.

 

Prompt: What calming exercises have you successfully used in the past to maintain a level mood?

I take slow deep breaths, hold, then release, repeat. When really stressed I like to talk to friends about the problem (stopping the fear merrygoround in my mind for a momen) If my body is cooperative I take a walk although it's stressful in this 'hood' 

 

I'm all ears! poodle humor!  I'm listening... go ahead

Milo's Moment

Oh Mama! you're showing my too trimmed ears back there

Milo: hiya, I survived another grooming and am cooler again, I needed a lot of ear hair gone this time but for dogs sake they aren't as short as they look here! Look at the first pic...

 I found out I love dates. 


I'm not adventurous with food but like those things and remind Mama every time she has one, that she has another mouth to feed, heh heh. Oh I'm gentle not to bite the hand that feeds me, I am so gentle and have taken to drooling when I see a treat. I never did that before. Gotta dirty up the freshly washed kitchen floor or people might forget a poodle lives here.

please visit these people to see what they liked this week

https://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/

 http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com/

https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/  

https://comfortspiral.blogspot.com/

https://wordweaverart.blogspot.com/


 
taking a break:
 

   LINKING WITH 


https://brianshomeblog.com/ 

http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/   

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com

https://llbinourbackyard.blogspot.com/

               friday smiles


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Friday, August 30, 2024

Orange feathered star and a wee painting

 

This is a big achievement for me, with so little strength still. I just took it in small steps

1. look thru scraps for possible bits the right size

2. print the pattern 

3. lay the pieces in the right sides on the pattern to see how the colors go together

4. cut with scissors the small white triangles to go around the orange scraps

5. Sew all the bits to the paper pattern, in short moments throughout the week

6. cut out the tula pink background triangles and arrange on design wall... in two days

7 sew the backgrounds on, press, 

8 sew the top right square to the top left square, repeat for bottom, then sew the two big sections

Everything is  harder at the moment, but I remind myself I couldn't have done this last week

a close up of fabrics

My orange scraps are sparser than any other scraps... I repeated some here, and like how it came out

I couldn't fit all the 8 blocks on my design wall for a photo, but chose these warm colors to show

very satisfying.... are they just too busy? 
the sewn blocks look like this on the back. Pulling off paper will be challenging! A tv project for sure

my August calendar page is pretty and has a good message from a favorite designer of mine
Kelly Rae Roberts. I think I'll purchase one of her weekly list pads (on her website) to go along with this wall calendar
a close up of the page

I have one little painting too... 
My chiropractor was telling me how sweet her baby was when picked up. He snuggled his tiny nose under her chin, then one by one tucked his arms under him, becoming a little warm burrito shaped package of love. 

the vision inspired this, but I did a sketch with my fountain pen, letting the lines fall where they would. 
The ink ran when I tried to add watercolor paint, kind of graying it all... but I kept going. 

wish I was a better sketcher.... Here's the back with metallic gold paint around the edge on on the heart
Babies are born with hearts of gold
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Thursday, August 29, 2024

I Like Thursday # 416 books, series on tv, a story of the fountain, and a poodle



 

welcome to this weeks list of likes... a very short one as it's difficult to sit upright at the computer

I like the bamboo fence we got last year at Target (now unavailable from same company)  It's sitting near where the new fountain was... yep was...

Friday night I was about to let Milo out back for a final pee, and boing!!! Sorry no pics of my own) 

I watched three enormous racoons stepped up one at a time, onto the step outside our slider. 

I was stunned, and Milo's eyes popped out like a cartoon poodle!

Milo here: Y'all!!! I've seen these guys across the street, going behind Miss Jennifer's house but, within a glass door thickness from me... well you know I had to bark when I found the strength. Mama made noise on the glass, they didn't care, kept walking... 


when they were at the edge of our patio, Mama cracked open the door so they could hear me... then they turned around to see me, and get this, slowly turned toward the fence that is facing Miss Jennifers. 



All my barking brought the daddy back downstairs, too slow to catch one. He put on my Leash (!!!) and we went out to hunt human style. I ran to the big tree the cats always get up into but no raccoons. I did a hunt around the yard. 

The next morning the Daddy was out taking the "cement pond" apart and cleaning the patio.

I heard Mama say attractive nuisance. Now, no fountain. 

Mama: we live in a dry area, so I should have realized why no one else has a fountain... all the critters came into the yard, across chicken wire fencing, birds were all over it, bunnies under it, squirrels had no trouble. Oy... it now is in the garage til we figure out how to use it. Sad. 

finished this hand sewn block last week

Watching

we found the best show, three seasons on BBC, we see it on Acorn, it might also be on PBS. 

The Indian Doctor

great acting, script, storyline, and views. Right up our alley! Set in Wales. 


I watched a video listing favorite all time books, and they mentioned this one

As a teen I read all of Mary Stewarts books... this one about merlin's childhood is fascinating and such a fine reader on Audio
working my way along Jana DeLeon's fortune series with this #4 I think
I'm still coughing all the time, and out of energy. Hope I don't have fatigue syndrome. If you have a coughing solution, you're ahead of the doctors. 
Trying to walk in the 'hood, have to stop periodically and just stand, thankful for the random trees along the way, if I can make if from one to the other I'm grateful. 
My ribs are still messed up, Chiro is slowly trying to correct them and my lower back issues. Thankful for Ibuprofen, ice packs, and sleep. 
A condition from last year involving my toe has resurfaced, and I am trying to correct it before it becomes  unable to correct. Thankful for Betadyne. 
(time out for coughing... ) 
Still not able to eat much, thankful for saltines, and DH who isn't a great cook but willing to step in




Milo:  Me too... Daddy fixes my kibble for me, and baked my cookies again so I didn't starve! 
love butterfly bush!

please visit these folks since I cant sit long enough still
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Thursday, August 22, 2024

I Like Thursday #416 a new fountain, favorite meal prompt, and poodle

 

We ordered a new fountan from Wayfair,. Great price, fast delivery, It's so nice to hear moving water while sitting on the back porch. DH and Milo sit out there, I'm too sick still, but I asked for the fountain. 

We had one in Maryland but it broke after many years, /what a treat it is to haven another one


I think this is a sage bush above, and don't know the one below

water restrictions led us to not do flowers this year just the perenials that came up as bushes.
a volunter butterfly bush flowr

a volunteer little sunflower bush who blew into town two years ago

that's it for me this week., 
pleasve visit these folk to read their likes list



 Now this is something we CAN do to help nature

https://youtube.com/shorts/iKDmEvB1TtI?si=1gcaxgWDgZPg6xuk

at the least, stop picking up hermit crab shells


 

Our prompt this week is  what is your favorite meal of the day? do you have a favorite food for that mealI 

 Free Vectors | Pasta_meat sauce

 

 

like dinners because you eat more at dinner. I love angel hair spagetti with meat sauce, onions, garlic, bell peppers, mushcrooms. 

I am allergic to beef and pork so I make it wit ground chicken or turky. We make enough to save half the sauce to make lasagna with. 

It's hard to eat an official serving of angel hair, we eat too much. 

That said, I've not been able to eat much of anything for the last 30 days because of whatever is tormenting me. 

Milo's moment: I want to eat whatever Mama eats but she won't let me., I like Lunch the best since I often get to eat outside at lunch

I am a punctual doggie. I get my wishbone treat at 7 pm, my almond butter treat (pill) at 8 pm, and if my ears get cleaned I get little treats in  food toy., In between all that I eat my kibble. Dessert comes  later and I wait to eat kibble til my cookie is gone, don't want to be too full for that! 

Garrincha for Reader's Digest

Mom-brella



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