Thursday, May 14, 2026

I Like Thursday # 504 halter tops art random stuff and a poodle

 

welcome to this week's list of likes, always something to discover isn't there ? 

Alfie loves our walks around the hood, even though it's unbearably hot already in May

 still enjoying the free art lessons, finished the Zen stitch and want to continue with mixed media so may have to purchase them this time

 this was done on my own to test some Windsor-Newton watercolor markers... more on Sat post

I like seeing my sketchbook fill up! I love these markers so much

reading the last museum mystery on ebook and will move on to Connolly's other novels next



video's if they won't play link is under them

now that's a trick!!d

https://youtube.com/shorts/JbQWuQLwT80?si=O9njf11SDrM9f6MB


why am I in love with this video???? (lots of Top Gun ? in the past? )

https://youtube.com/shorts/9Q10YW3NDNY?si=R5y1W7ESiYl2ydEJ

I watched at least 40 short videos... yep, obsessed now

and finally this, did I tell you I used to study tap dance  and was in several productions? 

https://youtube.com/shorts/UHt0nsKkw0w?si=V4mluJOlrrUcTs0-

never this good but I love tap still and despite back injury I can still do a time step!

Conversation starter this week
did you wear (have stories) mini skirts? fishnet hose? halter tops?



yes to all! 
(do not forget I was a dancer in a lot of performances and costumes as well) 
Fishnets.... I wanted to be agent 99 on Getsmart or AnneMarie on ThatGirl


on my 13th birthday party, I wore fishnet hose, a mini skirt, and a newsboy cap to top it all off, along with white lipstick, to go to a matinee with girlfriends. Those hose dug into my fleshy preteen thighs and caused a rash from walking and sitting in them! 


still
I thought I looked good
Now, halter tops look good on me, and I wore them but worried at not being able to wear a bra...shy... I made most of my clothes my freshman year of college and made lots of pretty halter top sundresses. 


since a lot of girls wore grungy jeans, I got a fair amount of attention on campus. I still LOVE a dress, and a halter dress. Just right for my shoulder shape. 
even made a jumpsuit like this but in dark purple

Saturday, May 9, 2026

watching paint dry plus watching fabric art growing

 

My creative time was split this week between paint/drawing   and fabric work

tools of the trade sit out by the computer all the time

Making Zen workshop online was fun, 8 lessons a day in slow making, and I watched most lessons but really  about 4 of them. As for sewing, the color of the month is orange so I used orange in paints too

this was just from youtube... a lesson using water color. Draw with a paint loaded brush around a circle, then use that to stamp all over your paper. 
Paint where the circles overlap (many colors of ink for me) then doodle over the small sections
I love it
One of the mixed media lessons had us paint then stitch over that...mine came out like a tidal scene to me... using zig metallic silver and gold markers first

then pan inks and finally brown embroidery threads thru the paper remind me of bird feet in wet sand
I hope to try this technique again on heavier paper


I start each lesson by drawing the instructor's pace and painting it 

I love capturing the unique faces it's a lesson in observation. 





a face made with collage plus pencil, ink, paint


sometimes I paint on watercolor paper and tape into the sketchbook, other times right onto sketchbook
this time I painted from life instead of following the lesson 





For Rainbow scrap challenge's color of the month, orange, I tested different paint and ink colors

using up leftover gouache right onto the paper  plus instructor's image

one of the Zen stitch instructors had us using smallest scraps to make very tiny vignettes...


I haven't stitched yet, but also will add buttons/lace/beads sequins and then.... 


small scraps sewn into segments to be connected with scrappy strips...

each little scrap work together to make a fascinating vignette
I see art in my daily walks, built by nature, and that said, my snoopervisor who is VERY helpful would like me to put on my walking shoes and let's go!

Thursday, May 7, 2026

I Like Thursday # 503 go go boots? earth shoes? snow and a white poodle

life goes round n round

 welcome to this week's short list of likes... 

I like that it cooled off, snowed a bit, even if it was less than predicted. A heavy wet snow that should help with our extreme drought

within an hour of snow stopping, melted... we got about 7" of wet snow

Alfie: I tole you mama, you should let me go out and play more
Alfie loved it, even if he came in sopping wet! He dug at the hole a ball made when it landed, he ran, he ate it as it fell from the sky.... 
I admired the tiny bubbles in my coffee cup!


on a walk this week, I saw this stain on the road

I LOVE the face

then saw a poodle shaped stain

wow! Alfie was not impressed

Alfie has been living with us for 2 1/2 months now!

Alfie surprised me by walking up to a neighbor we were chatting with, Ryan, and putting his head under Ryan's hand, which worked because Ryan petted him the rest of the time we stood there! 
mama's brave boy Alfie! 

The same poodle put himself to bed this week, without the mama. Went up, and got in his bed alone. 
Reminds me of the time after we first married and went on a camping trip. Our lab Chelsea put herself to bed in the camper while we sat at a campfire. 

I am enjoying the free lessons online (Making Zen) this was a tiny hand sewn scrap project... 

I painted my nails orange this week in honor of it being the color of  May on RSC


videos

my kind of car reads a book

link if needed https://youtube.com/shorts/hb0j_PYcjh8?si=ANUJJy6sjdkxTNNT


best time to drink liquids


conversation starter this week
did you ever where gogo boots? Platform shoes? earth shoes?

As a young teen I so wanted to wear white shiny gogo boots but my calf was too big.... I think I wanted to be so hip like the cool girls on TV 




I DID wear earth shoes in university.... negative heels, wide toes, I was in HEAVEN 




During college years, platforms were in vogue along with Disco dancing which I also did


I love heels but they cause more back pain now... so it's all about comfort, and when I discovered Birkenstocks I never looked back. 



Saturday, May 2, 2026

my creative week "everything I need exists within me"

 

for the last week of pink scraps at RSC, I pieced tiny scraps and turned it into a notebook cover



the back

the insides
That's silk on the binding for sheen!

for the last lessons on Sketchbook Revival... the parade starts now



this is a daily practice... 4 small blocks, an object, a sky scene, word, abstract

daily gratitude words and image




I LOVE the area near the bottom where two colors blended




And two morning paintings this week on my own

"Life goes round N round" 
this one to use up some gouache on the palette (yogurt lid)
And this one from watching a Buddhist video.... hope you can click on the image to read some quotes


inks
do not rush to be "more"


loved this orange flower image from https://llbinourbackyard.blogspot.com/


linking to some or all of these