Posts Tagged ‘PHOTOS’

There’s nothing like a snow day…

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

It’s 5am and I have woken up to… well the daintiest way I can say it is ‘piddle’.  Out of habit I look out the bedroom window as I walk out, exciting to see nothing but a streetlight and tree-tops aglow with the orange hue cast by the light.  But this morning was different.  All I saw was white.  White roof tops, tree tops, and big fluffy flakes that were falling like well choreographed ballet.  OMG – I ran to the front door and opened it, half expecting the cold air to wake me from a dream, but there it was…. snow all over everything and the flakes were still falling. 

I jumped up and down like a girl on a game show.  Squealing with delight I ran into our room to wake my husband with the news.  “Oh cool” he said as he pulled the covers tightly around him.  I threw on a sweatshirt, my hello kitty slippers and went outside the door to take it all in.   In my world, there is nothing more magical than snow.  It symbolizes the magic of the season for me.  Remembering back to days of tobogganing till I ran out of dry clothes, 5, 6,  and 7 changes of clothes later.  To the times I remember walking up to my Mama & Papa’s house with the huge Christmas lights making the snow glow so it looked like a gingerbread house slathered in frosting and candy. 

Down the block is an ugly, empty lot – half sand – half paved.  This morning it was beautiful, with it’s soft white cover.  There were no ugly sharp edges, just soft rounded shapes that begged for a horse drawn carraige to ride over it.

I ran back to our room and gave Pat the heads up that as soon as dawn was breaking, we going to head out and explore.  He knows how much snow means to me, so being a good sport, he sleepily got out of bed and looked for a scarf.  With coffee and camera in hand, we were out the door.  The world was silent.  We headed over the bridge and out to the local lakes.  We were the only ones there – making the morning even better. 

3 hours and 164 pictures later, we came home.  I was high as a kite all day.   It lifted me up, it filled me with so much joy (words can not describe), happy memories, new memories and wonderful photos.  For this I am grateful.  I didn’t think I would see snow this year, because I won’t be able to go home for Christmas.  I hope you enjoy these photos.  They truly are a piece of my heart and happiness.

make my day... leave a comment

3
Tags: , ,
Posted in LIFE |

my favorite corner

Monday, November 8th, 2010

My studio is small, but I love love love it so.  I was thinking today, how grateful I am for it. 

This is my favorite corner.  It’s where my chair is, right beside my inspiration of beatiful faces.

I would love to see your favorite corner of your studio.

make my day... leave a comment

0
Tags:
Posted in STUDIO |

Art Every Day month * day 7

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

I worked in the gallery all day today.   I had high hopes of working on jewelry when I came home, but I was not in the mood.  I had just got a new paint palette a few days ago and wanted to set it up with my paints instead. 

Everything is so clean and pristine – I can hardly wait till it’s all mucky’d up.  I love used palettes that glow with layers and layers of paint spatters, smears, and strokes.  They are the signs of business and creativeness.  It’s day will come :)

Have you got a messy, used, experienced, seasoned palette?  Take a pic and post the link here :)

make my day... leave a comment

0
Tags: ,
Posted in CHALLENGE, STUDIO |

Scrubbing acorn caps

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

What’s a gal to do when when she’s sick with an icky cold?  Scrub acorn caps.  My eyes are too watery to draw or paint, and if you can believe it my studio is clean, so there’s nothing to do there.  So I decided to fit my acorn caps to my pottery acorns. 

I have new series in the works… I’m going to share some of the special elements I use in my mixed-media art.  I will be offering hand crafted elements like the glazed pottery acorns with real acorn caps.  I collected some caps last fall, so today I figured was a good day for scrubbing, since I’m sick with this darn cold.  Dirt and germs be gone!  I made the acorns using red clay and white clay and have glazed them with a variety of glazes ranging from matte & earthy, to shiny with crackles.  I really love they are turning out. 

Update! – I have some listed in the shop now.

Summer smells good

Friday, July 9th, 2010

I love living at the coast because it just smells so good.  Every morning I wake up and open the door and I can smell the water, the greens, the flowers… it’s just so inspiring.  The only downside to where I live is while the rest of country is in a heat wave… we’ve had one day of ‘heat’.  It reached a ‘whopping’ 86 degrees for one day.  Don’t laugh, I know you are all melting in the heat, but for a gal who loves summer…. I would love a little heat once in a while.  It’s either so windy you feel like your face will fly off, or the fog rolls in off the beach and wonder if your capris were a smart choice or not.  If you drive just a half hour inland, it’s in the triple digits, but there, it’s about 68 degrees.  When I wake up and the air is still, I grab the dog and we run to beach, pronto!

 

0

A great holiday

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

My Mom came down to see us for Christmas, and it was relaxing and wonderful.   We went to the beach to look for agates and floats…

Mom looking for agates  

This is my Jeep, decked out for holidays with antlers and a red nose :)  The orange flag just goes up when we drive over the dunes and onto the beach.

jeep_deer

 

Whale watching season started, so we tried to spot some, but had no luck that day.  We watched movies, strolled old town, ate sushi, and of course I was really excited for her to meet my sweet pup, Chewie.  The cats, who don’t give me the time of day, were all over her – like she was the cat whisperer or something.  Crazy.

It was just really nice to hang out, spend time with family and have a break from work.

My youngest, Tyler and his sweet girlfriend Lorelei…

ty&L

The only bummer was the rest of my family in Canada…  Here’s my darling g-baby Ava, who thinks the cat’s water dish is pretty interesting:

ava_dish

My niece Sarah and Ava:

ava_sarah

 

My oldest, Trevor with Ava.  He’s such a great dad.

ava_trev2 ava_trev3 ava_trev6 ava_trev7

2

Mid-Winter Tea with Wren and Vicki

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

I love Wren’s teas.  This one was held at Feast. It was set up so pretty and food was to die for!

1

My Christmas Story

Saturday, December 12th, 2009

chewie-frosty

Christmas is such a magical time for me… because when I was a kid, it was truly magic.   The air smelled different than any other time of the year… rich with Christmas tree sap, chimney smoke, and snow (yes, you can smell the snow just like the rain). 

 

Back in the day there were no DVDs or VCRs, so when the Christmas specials like Rudolph or the Grinch came on,  it was a big event.  I remember my Mom dressing me in a new nighty and making some kind of special snacks and egg nog for the occasion.  You couldn’t miss them, or it was a whole year till they were on again.

 

Every house and shop was decked out with lights… not those little lights we have now, but those big huge colored bulbs.  And the snow – well my sister and I would go tobogganing till we went through all over mittens, and we had to move onto my dad’s thick socks.  We didn’t come in until we were soaking wet with no more snow suits to change into. 

 

Christmas Eve we would go to my Mamma & Pappa’s house after midnight mass and listen to the local radio station that was reporting Santa sightings across Canada… as soon as he was in our neck of the woods my parents would wisk us home and tuck us in and it was nothing short of magic.

 

I only remember a few Christmas presents… I know I always got everything my heart desired every year, but it wasn’t that part that is engraved in my heart… it’s magic of the season.  The advent calendar… waiting for each day to open up a door.  It was the stores that were decked out with the most amazing decorations.  It was all the baking and trillions of Christmas cards that arrived in the mail.  It was getting a new dress for the Christmas concert and how school days leading up the Christmas break wasn’t about math and reading… it was about rehearsing songs and lines of the play,  making gifts for our parents, or learning how to build a snowman treat from marshmallows, a toothpick and some food coloring for drawing the details.  Teachers felt like friends and family and everyone just got along.

 

Those were my favorite holiday memories as a kid. 

 

And my favorite one being a parent?  That’s easy.  My oldest son was about 7 or 8 and had heard from the older kids that Santa was not real.  He quickly informed his little brother and before I knew it, I had these little doubting boys.  Well I couldn’t have that!  It was a tough year… their dad had split and I was working hard just to pay the bills.  We went without a lot of extras leading up to Christmas so that I could save and my oldest knew money was tight.  Well I had saved enough to get them everything on their Christmas lists, just as my parents did for me.  When they went downstairs and saw everything under the tree, Trevor cheerfully exclaimed “there IS a Santa… Mom could NEVER pay for all this”… and just like that their holiday spirit was restored, and Santa was the magic man again. 

 

I love Christmas.  My Mom is coming down this year, instead of us traveling up the Canada.  I will miss not having snow, but I have convinced my Mom that we can forgoe the gifts this year, and use the money to toodle around and have fun, and eat glorious meals at Feast and the Waterfront Depot, and to hang out and enjoy scrumptious snacks at home while watching movies and playing games.  Of course I’m shopping for my kids, but other than that – we all have what we want or need already… or at least what others can buy for us, lol.    I want this Christmas to be about family, not material stuff… because those were my best memories.

 

Happy holidays to you all.  I hope you give handmade this year – give your heart, your talent and your love.  Sew something up, bake something divine, whatever your specialty is, and give of yourself… and I guarantee your 2010 will bestow good karma on you :)

 

0
Tags: ,
Posted in LIFE |

Mmmmm, smells like Christmas

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Today I made Amanda wake up and go make a wreath with me. (Thank you Pearl)   The Florence Herb Enthusiasts group always  has fun stuff to do, and today it was wreath making.  For just 5 bucks they had wreath forms, fresh greens and wire.  I added some dried hydrangeas and a little bird (yes, everything I make has bird, lol)  It’s too windy outside for the hydrangeas to survive, so I hung it in my living room and hopefully it doesn’t dry out too quickly.  It smells so good… just like a Christmas.

2
Tags: ,
Posted in LIFE, VIDEO |

Fabric Wall Hangings

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

I started making these fabric wall hangings this summer as something that could showcase my photos of the beaches, as mementos for the touring customers in the gallery and I was hoping to sell the 3 or 4 more that I made.  I had no idea that they would take off as well as they did, and now I’m having trouble keeping up :)  Somehow between finishing my bowl for the Empty Bowls bennifet and making thanksgiving dinner, I need to sew some more for the gallery.  This is a peek at a few…  I paint the background fabric, print my photo on cotton and sew it on, then layer on goodies that I find on location.

1