September 16 IA Challenge

Woodland

Above is a watercolor I did many years ago. 

It is from a photo I took in Virginia, probably

around Petersburg or Williamsburg, or maybe Richmond.

We used to drive in the country a lot in those days,

and found many beautiful woodland places.

I didn't want to let this challenge go by without posting something

(especially since it was my turn to choose the theme, and also because

woodland forests are some of my favorite places).

Suddenly it's Friday already and I am busily working on

my postcards for the IA Altered Postcard Swap

and also finishing up my pages in Angie's beautiful White Journal.

No time to spend on Woodland art, even though I would love to!

Since it's a favorite subject for me,

I do have some things I may not have posted before.

Okay, I probably have posted these at some point, 

but there's no time to search around to make sure!

This one is from my 2012 Sketchbook Project journal:

I had to download the one below from the SBP website when I discovered I

never photographed these 2 pages. Of course, the sketchbook is now at the 

Brooklyn library (along with the other thousands of entries :)

It's kind of cool to think the sketchbooks will be there probably as long

as the library is there for anyone to check out and look at!

The project is ongoing, a new one every year. I haven't entered again, but I may in the future.

The SBP people have digitized the books...HERE is the link to my pages.

This one I have since started to rework, and it's unfinished now but I hope

to get back to it one day soon...finish it and put it in my Etsy shop.

Here is a bookmark which is in my Etsy shop.

Visit Inspiration Avenue to see
the entries in the Woodland challenge.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I hope the autumn weather is treating you well!

(Or Spring, as the case may be :-)

Happy Groundhog Day!

Darn that Phil, though...

How does he always see his shadow??

Must be all those TV lights!

 *********
Sketchbook Project is GONE as of Tuesday! YAY!

Paint Party Friday

More SBP Pages...

 A couple of posts ago, I was lamenting not having a title for my 

Sketchbook Project journal. I couldn't see how my random drawings

fit any kind of theme. The theme given to me by the SBP people 

was "Encyclopedia of..." 

Readers left so many wonderful suggestions,

my mind was dancing! But one idea really spoke to me

and it was from Tracey Fletcher King (her blog is here).

She suggested "encyclopedia of memories or dreams".

I loved the idea of dreams...

all of my pages so far seemed like something I may have dreamed. 

This is the inside cover spread. I haven't actually done the cover yet.

Here it is flipped so you don't have to turn your computer around lol...

Hopefully it will be less of a problem with the book in one's hands :)

Still working crazily to get finished by the end of the month,

but it's proving to be lots of fun.

Someone commented that I probably work better under pressure.

After giving it some thought, I've decided perhaps it's more accurate to say

I ONLY work under pressure. I get very little done unless

there is a deadline looming. Just ask my husband :)

Taking a back seat to all this is balancing the checkbook, organizing taxes

for the accountant, housework of course....and many other chores that

theoretically I have more time to do so they are my chores.

My son has inherited this tendency to procrastinate

and I'm not sure I approve. But it gives his father, who is early 

for the most minor event, quite a few anxious and irritated moments.

So, anyway, I've gotten off the track...

Other than this spread, I don't know if I've completed anything else

since my last post. Some pages are partly done.

I guess that means I'd better get busy.

Just having the title off my mind is a HUGE relief!

Thank you Tracey!

I'm posting this for Paint Party Friday.

I hope you'll head over to see the awesome artwork that has been posted.

So many talented artists...I never do get to everyone's blog

but I can just try to do better each week.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Deadline fast approaching...panic

The Sketchbook Project

I'm frantically trying to get my sketchbook completed 

by the deadline of January 31.

Okay, not "frantically" or I would be finished by now. lol.

The one thing that does not make much of an appearance

in my sketchbook is sketching. I've always hated my sketches...

maybe I should take a drawing class.

The theme given to me by the Sketchbook People

(okay that's a lie, I did choose it myself)

is "Encyclopedia of..."

and for the life of me I can't figure out what my book is an encyclopedia of.

There seem to be a lot of trees, clothing, and some elves and fairies.

How on earth are these related? 

I would like to do the cover in something clever

relating to my theme but . . . maybe the word is "hodgepodge".

A word I don't like at all.

So, enough of my problems. If anyone has a suggestion

about how these things are related, I would be grateful to know!

In the meantime, I am posting this for Paint Party Friday.

I hope you will visit the wonderful entries that are posted there!

Have a happy weekend!

Paint Party Friday and the butterfly effect

A page from my Sketchbook Project journal

 I wanted to have something for PPF even though I am late.

This is a page I am still working on in my

long-neglected Sketchbook Project journal.

Not as much actual "paint" as I usually use,

since I am exploring the art of needlework for the 

Inspiration Avenue weekly challenge.

Also not much "needle" work here since I caved

and used a lot of glue! Love glue...so much quicker and *safer*

than pricking your finger with a needle every few seconds :D

For the IA challenge, I am going to try to do a little

actual sewing in my piece. Friday already, and I

haven't started it yet...but I'll think of something.

In the meantime, visit Paint Party Friday

and check out what's new there!

One more thing to post.
I am linking this portion to the butterfly effect where
the theme is cats this week, go check it out!

Since I am obsessed with fabric right now,

here is a little brooch that was fun to make.

Not much painting here though, just the green background :)

{I have noticed that I seem to feature quite a few ginger cats

in my art. Neither of my current kitties is orange.

I had a ginger cat named "Boy" when I was twenty-something.

Perhaps I have never gotten over that I let him outside one day,

and never saw him again. Yep, I still grieve when I think of him.}

Here is Boy

(yikes, this is over 30 years old.)

Our current kitties do not go outside.