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 :-)

Inspiration Avenue challenge: Kodak Moment

Not Kodak, but nevertheless, a “Moment”

Not even film, of course, but digital.

These pics are from Jesse's trail cam.

Deer seem to come out more often at night (safer that way? ...debatable)

And I think it's unusual to see 2 bucks together. They are usually alone.

Head over to Inspiration Avenue

to see the Kodak Moment challenge entries!

Magical Journal Journeys

Magenta and Teal for Kat

. . . and a bit of silver . . . and gold . . . and butterfly colors . . . 

I so enjoyed working in these happy colors that were chosen by Kat.

 Although, as usual, I ended up sneaking in a few extra hues here and there.

The fabric I used for the flags and flower pots does gradate from magenta to red.

But, looking back, I think I've basically stuck to magenta and teal. 

I loved the quote on the right side of the first page:

“Two lasting bequests we can give our children:

one is roots, the other is wings.”

~ Hodding Carter

So my theme became Roots and Wings.

I've known Kat loves angels, since the time she so generously purchased

one of my angel paintings during a charity auction years ago.

Angels are fun to paint, both realistically and whimsically.

After doing a few in Kat's journal, I'm thinking of 

painting some Christmas angels later on.

Believe in angels, as they believe in you.

The reverse sides of the tags say 

Faith

Hope

Love

Some whimsical trees.

I know Kat loves trees, but I've just discovered she has a secret wish

to own a small propeller plane...magenta-pink with turquoise polka dots of course!

(another fine example of Wings!)

I'm so wishing I could have included a painting of Kat doing

acrobatics in the sky in her whimsical plane,

 but I've already sent her journal on to Priti Lisa!

Ah well, I'll keep this in mind for another time!

Two more journals to go in this Magical Journal Journey.

hmmm...one is white, the other is turquoise.

I think both will be fabulously fun!

Don't forget, one more day to join in on the

 Altered Postcard Swap 

at Inspiration Avenue!

Deadline to join is September 5.

You will have til September 21 to complete your postcards!

Would you like to join an 

  Altered   Postcard   Swap ?

Head over to Inspiration Avenue HERE to

read the details. But hurry . . . deadline to join is

September 5, 2013!

I've never made an altered postcard before...

So if you've never made one, join in anyway...

there are lots of examples to be found to give you ideas.

CLICK HERE

to see what you can find by Googling "altered postcards".

There is a junk/antique/thrift shop near me where I found

these postcards that I'm thinking of altering:

Unfortunately there is no message on the back of this one.

Guess I'll have to make up my own...

I had a cowgirl outfit very similar to this, so

this one really caught my eye!

Ha! Found it! That's me on the right.

I guess my mom (er, I mean Santa) forgot to bring the boots.

Love this message, a loaded question 

that really deserves an answer:

"Dear K------: (can't read the name)

Why don't you ever write to me?

Love to all, From

Moe"

It could also be Mae, but I think it's Moe.

It's addressed to:

Miss Emma Brennan

Punxsutawney, Penna.

and came from Boise, Idaho.

This one is a postcard of a fruit label.

Stop over at Inspiration Avenue to join and to see

examples of some altered postcards.

This one is one of my favorites since I love Frida:

[source]

See you in the Swap!

A very yummy summer . . .

I've been in the garden and the kitchen a lot today.

These little orange cherry tomatoes have been amazing.

They've used up their own space and now are climbing on the neighboring

plants on either side. I pick a huge bowl-full everyday.

They are meant to be orange, not red . . . if you leave them 

one second too long on the vine, they split from being over-ripe, I guess.

So you see why I am out there picking these everyday!

I've moved on from popping them in my mouth plain and putting them in salads

to doing a pseudo-sun dried thing in the oven. I guess you would call them roasted.

This ugly cat will not help me eat them. I found him tucked away on a high shelf

in the pantry that we are turning into a bathroom. He's still pouting about being

back there for years. He actually has a kind of ugly-cute thing going on.

Out of the oven.

Into some jars. With a little more olive oil.

I'm meant to be painting today. Actually, I am painting.

I've been going back and forth.

Not the most efficient way to go about it though.

I made a peach crisp too.

Now it's time to start thinking about what to have for dinner, and

I am sick and tired of the kitchen!

The garden has been what I would call a success this year.

Maybe it loved all the rain.

We have tons (I really mean TONS) of peppers, 

many many tomatoes, actually had some delicious eggplant,

and I can't keep up with the basil.

I have given cucumbers to all the neighbors (multiple times),

gave some to the neighbor's houseguests, 

hubby has taken bags of them to work (multiple times), 

and I gave a bag to the cat sitter (tried multiple times, but she still had plenty).

They are piled on the kitchen counter too.

The only failure was one of gigantic proportions.

Jesse planted some Dill's Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds.

He had a hankering to grow a 1,000-pound pumpkin

and read online that these seeds are the way to go if

you are wanting a pumpkin like that.

The vines started out spectacularly, and we

had people coming from far and wide to ogle them.

I mean, the leaves were huge like elephants' ears!

But. Sometime around the end of July everything started

REALLY going downhill. 

The whole thing was just dying by leaps and bounds.

Mildew-y leaves, yellow leaves, rotting stems...

Shriveled pumpkins. It was not pretty.

We don't have a clue what exactly went wrong.

Jesse, being 23, having a job, and actually having a "life",

of course didn't have the time to take proper care of his pumpkin vines, 

so I feel they died on my watch! I took care of them the same

way I took care of everything else. I feel bad.

I may need therapy for this. Just kidding.

We'll try again next year, or at least I will.

Jesse will have forgotten all about it.

Does anyone have a good recipe using ALOT of basil,

besides pesto? 

I love pesto, but I've made it 3 times now.

Doesn't get eaten much by anyone here but me.

I have no problem finishing it up, but I am thinking the calories

may not be in my best interest. lol.

Mmmm . . . Parmesan cheese, olive oil, walnuts . . .

in fact, I could just skip the basil and eat those alone!

Are you growing anything this summer?

(Assuming you are in the northern hemisphere. ahem.)

How has your garden been treating you?

Figured out what to have for dinner . . .

Stuffed peppers, of course!

Magical Journal Journeys

Lisa's Rust Journal

Lisa (the Wright One) chose one color for her journal.

(Unlike some of us [me] who had a hard time choosing just one hue!)

Lisa's color, Rust, is not only a color, but also a substance.

So, lots of possibilities there.

I had an event-filled July and would have 

changed most of what happened if I could, so when I finally got 

the welcome time to sit down with Lisa's journal

I had visions of bits of rusty treasures . . . keys, buttons, and 

other interesting found items. I discovered something about myself then . . .

I've always thought I was a hoarder of such bits and pieces. But soon found out

there was not a rusty item in any of my stashes. I was disappointed!

But with no time to go on a scavenger hunt, 

or to sit around waiting for things to rust,

I had to create rust with what I had on hand ~ paint.

Rust calls attention to the passage of

time

This is another one of those double posts ~ Inspiration Avenue's

theme this week is "Time" and I think rust and time go hand in hand.

The final journal page. I think rust has a sadness to it, emphasizing 

times past, things no longer wanted or needed.

Eventually disintegrating completely. As has been pointed out

(thought it was Neil Young, but I discovered it was said before he said it)

"Rust never sleeps."

I liked the complimentary colors of the orange rust and the blue sky

to signify there is always hope in darkness.

 ++*~*•-:¦:-•:*'♥*:•-:¦:-*~*++

(Below) Not part of Lisa's journal, but I love this photo for its rust.

Times have changed in the Steel City since the early 20th century.

No longer a bustling, smoky steel town. 

The smoke stacks are quiet, the sky is blue not gray. 

An abandoned steel mill rusts on the Monongahela River.

I'm also joining Paint Party Friday this week.

Please pop over to PPF and also Inspiration Avenue for a visit!

A Journal Cover

I wasn't going to post this at all.

It's for Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search. 

A contest with an awesome prize that I will not win.

But. I thought I'd give it a whirl anyway.

The instructions said, the theme is "playground", the size is 5 x 7 inches,

and it must have the word "journal" on it, since it is meant to be

a journal cover. Other than that, we were given free rein.

I wasn't sure if a blog post was a good idea.

But the deadline is over, it's been submitted,

and I've seen that others are blogging about their entries.

I believe there are hundreds if not thousands of entries,

so I'm certainly not expecting mine to be in the 50 shortlisted entries.

So much awesome talent! To choose 50 must be quite daunting.

And imagine being the one selected from the 50!

But I digress.

The theme at Inspiration Avenue this week is Show and Tell.

So this is the real reason I am posting it now.

I finished and entered it early because I had to make an unexpected

trip to California. And I had truly forgotten about it until I realized

the deadline for the IA challenge was practically here.

I haven't done any other art in at least 3 weeks.

So this is what I have for Show and Tell!

I'm liking my idea alright, but the color palette is not

one I ever use, and I'm sort of disappointed in the color.

Pink and Blue? What was I thinking? Babies' nurseries?

Ah well, it is what it is...

Head over to Inspiration Avenue to check out

what's been posted for Show and Tell!