tapestry316

A portfolio, A Huge Chicken, and An Egg on the Floor

2012-02-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

I am really happy with my new Itoya Art Profolio from The Art Store. Yay! That was a happy shopping trip. At last, a nice safe place for my original artwork!

Itoya Art Profolio

Not only is it archival and safe for my original watercolor paintings, it is also very professional in appearance. Happy me! and, happy artwork... Here are some old favorites...

Percy and Bellator

...and some you may have not seen before!

Talk to the Tail and Ready to Run

Here is another original painting of mine that you may not have seen before.

This is one BIG Chicken!

Like the snazzy red frame? Oh, speaking of the frame... it's also framed by a whole bunch of other artwork in the same snazzy red frame. Or, rather it was framed by a whole bunch of other artwork. This 2 foot-ish by 4 foot-ish painting was part of The Art Store ceiling. Since they are moving to a new location, the ceiling had to be repainted... to look like a regular old boring ceiling. This is (was) probably one of the biggest paintings I have ever finished. LOL - I really do like to paint small!

How small? This little original acrylic painting is 1/12 doll house scale.

Fresh Eggs

And that is close to the smallest painting that I have done. But not the smallest!

I am really looking forward to visiting my local art store in their new location. Wonder what they will do with the ceiling there....

Do you have a local art store? Shop local and support them!

Happy creating!
Blessings,
Kathy

PS Oh, yes - and one of the employees painted an egg on the floor below this chicken. You should have seen the customer reactions!

What's fun this Friday? Funtry Friday, of course!

2012-02-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

I love my bread maker! I have had this baby since almost forever and it works great. I have a few favorite recipes that I make with great regularity. Ummm.... if you know me well, then you know that I really should stick to the recipes...

For some reason, this week I decided to *experiment* a little bit. Just a little, mind you, however, it was apparently enough...

Do you think this is how "The Blob" got its start?

No worries. I caught and annihilated the creeping varmint before it covered the kitchen in gooey dough... Ahem. Apparently that was too much yeast to add in that little recipe change...

Made for a very interesting meal, though...

A far safer thing for me to do is to amble on down to my favorite art store, The Art Store, and find some new ***toys***! Since The Art Store is moving, they are having a huge sale. Ahhhh.... a sale on art supplies *big smile*

There is some serious play time happening soon!

Look! A real portfolio for my original artwork! Oh, yeah! I'm going to really enjoy using that. I haven't used the Stonehenge paper before, but I admit that I have looked at it several times. Now it's time to play with it and see what all I can do with it. I do know what I can do with the Bateman paper - that is ***wonderful*** for ink work and great for pencil, too. It will even take a light wash. I like that it has a "crisp" surface and the ink doesn't bleed.

In addition to these fun purchases, a friend sent me some samples of a lovely watercolor paper that is cream. I have an idea that is running around in my mind to try with this yummy paper. So sweet of her to share!

Speaking of sharing, here's a ***fantastic sight*** that I had to share with you!

SOON!!!!

ummmm... what? You don't know what that is? It's goat hair. More specifically, it is goat hair in the very-early-start-of-the-beginning-stages-of-shedding!!! huh? Well, the *literal translation* is: Spring is just around the corner!

Take that, groundhogs. Bested by a goat.

Hope you had a great week and a very Funtry Friday!
Blessings,
Kathy

Whatcha do for country fun on a Funtry Friday? Lots of cool stuff!

2012-02-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

How do we have fun in the country? Well, first you start off your Funtry Friday with a beautiful sunrise. Is there a better sight to see first thing in the morning?!

Sunrise

Then you enjoy some early morning company. It's an extra blessing if they have a beautiful song to share. And gusto and enthusiasm counts even more!

Guinea Choir

Then take an unplanned drive out to the woods for a walk and on the way go sightseeing...

Are we in a SciFi movie?

Looks like the space shuttle could launch from here... "Mission Control... T minus 10 and counting...."

Area 42?

This is way out in the middle of nowhere... sort of... Well, since we knock around out here on all of these dirt roads, it really doesn't feel like the middle of nowhere to us. But it isn't a launch site and it isn't any weird area whatever - it's a cement plant. And those little trucks in the picture? Those are huge trucks. LOL - this place is gianormous. One good thing, though. You can see it for miles and miles and miles... and miles. No way anybody can get turned around out there now...

Speaking of turning around... it's time to head back home.

Beautiful evening clouds!

Lots of times we start the days out here with a beautiful sunrise, and then in the afternoon and early evening the clouds roll in and tempt us to believe that it will rain. Time to race out there and feed all the critters - oh! and gather up the eggs, too.

Pretty colored eggs!

No green eggs because I think Christmas has decided to retire from laying eggs. Well, at 15 she is entitled to a vacation! But look at all those pretty shades of brown eggs - and now I have two hens that lay white eggs. And look at all the interesting shapes and sizes, too. I love fresh eggs! They are so pretty.

The last of today's eggs.

Fresh out of the laying box... and covered with a little bit of hay. You can really see the different shapes of theses eggs. The bottom one even has a big dent in it - totally not sure how that happened!

Well, time to go wash up those eggs and call it a night. Hope you had a fun Friday wherever you are. There's always some country fun happening around here on Funtry Friday!

Blessings,
Kathy

When is white not white and black not black?

2012-02-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever looked closely at white? or at black? Trust me. Whatever white or black object or critter that you are looking at is not going to look like a blob of white paint or a blob of black paint. Ever. Not ever.

Proof? You want proof?

Okay... remember Sharla's lovely little kitty, Angel? (You can see pictures of her on Sharla's very fun blog, Beaded Tail.) Angel has a lot of color, but her face, neck and front paws have a lot of white, too. Here is a little work in progress photo of the painting I am doing of Angel.

Angel - watercolor - work in progress

Isn't she precious?!

Without some shading, she is not going to have a lot of definition on her cute paws not to mention her furry nice little face. Using gray will leave a very flat and dull appearance (I'm sure that Angel would not approve of that!), so I am using various shades of blue. For the very dark shadows, I will throw in a dash of paynes gray. That's right... I am not using black for those dark areas.

So what about the painting of Sharla's cute little Tortie, Isabella? (You can see her on Sharla's blog, too.) What am I using to create all her "black" fur?

Isabella - watercolor - work in progress

Well, if you look really closely at "black" fur, you will see that it is usually a very dark brown. Another problem with black paint straight out of the tube is that is has a dull appearance. What I am doing here is creating a Chromatic Black. If you want to know how to mix Chromatic Black, check out my blog post, "No room for black on my palette!" All the directions are there and they can be modified for any painting medium.

For Isabella's little painting, I am changing the chromatic black mixture in order to lighten or darken an area where there is more or less light. For the very dark details, I mix in a little paynes gray into the chromatic black.

Isabella - watercolor - work in progress

Isabella has caught up to Sadie, now. You can see Sadie's painting in my blog post, "Oh, yay! Look what's happening in my studio!" After I get a little bit more done on Angel's painting, I will lay in the background colors for all of these paintings.

That's what you will get to see next time! ...and then you will find out the only time I use white paint *winks*

Happy creating!
Blessings,
Kathy

Looking back, looking forward... Funtry Friday!

2012-01-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

Wow - there was so much crazy busy-ness at the end of 2011, that I am still trying to get caught up in 2012. Here's a little look back over the last couple of weeks so you can see what Country Fun I have been having...

I watched the pets for my daughter and her family while they were traveling. The Phoenix Greyhounds were *brrrr*shiver*cold* up here. Sooo.... can't quite call this "hogging" the heater... how about "dogging" the heater. Glory and Gotcha have an entire room, but they both wanted to huddle up to the heat dish. So much so, that Glory has her foot on top of Gotcha.

I had way too much fun cleaning the rat cage. Do you like the little sculpture I created here? Chip did!

Here she is taking a break from playing in the maze. Food was more interesting once it arrived. Chip is a Hairless Rat. Yes, I know - but I think she is cute.

We had some cold, icy, foggy days. Brrrrrrr! Check out the ice all over Billie Jane. Hershey was covered with ice, too, but it shows up more on the redhead. Funny thing was, all the ice was on this side of her - with nothing on the other side. Go figure...

Cynthia and the girls came up to gather all their pets and take them home. Of course, the girls wanted to do chores with Grammy, so Mama stayed long enough for them to do that. Here they are taking turns feeding Bethie her grain. They all, I might add, braved a very cold wind, too!

Today, in my rearview mirror, I was looking back at the cool 1940s grain mill that is part of Olsen's Grain. I made a stop here to get some hay, salt, and, well - some grain. Have to keep all the critters, happy around here.

And what am I looking forward to now?

A little studio time!

Yay and yes! The bookkeeping is done for a while, the errands have been run, stuff stowed and stored so time for some more fun. Tomorrow I will put a pot of soup on to cook and then grab my paint brushes.

Hope you all have a fun day, too!
Blessings,
Kathy

Oh, yay! Look what's happening in my studio!

2012-01-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

I have followed Sharla's Beaded Tail blog for a long time. Her critter *tails* and strolls with Sadie are soooo much fun! Sharla donates a portion of all of her sales from her lovely shop on Etsy, Beaded Tail, to animal charities. She was able to donate almost $900 last year! WOW! Congrats to Sharla and the charities!

So what does all of that have to do with what's happening in my studio? Well, I am honored to be selected by Sharla to do a portrait of each of her delightful furries!

Angel

Isabella

Sadie

Sadie got to be first and here she is with some splashes of color where here darkest darks are...

I love the photo of Sadie that Sharla sent me. Sadie has such a wonderful personality and it really looks like she is grinning. Quite often when I am painting animals, I will work on the eyes first. I like to capture the expression there which really determines the entire "feel" for the painting. See? I think her eyes are smiling!

Sadie is a Husky and in this photo you can see some of that great Husky color showing up. I will bet that there was a cookie on the other side of the camera when Sharla took this picture! She is definitely grinning.

To see photographs of these precious critters and to find out more about Sharla and what she does to help animals, visit her blog, Beaded Tail. Bet you will find yourself strolling over there on a regular basis!

Stroll back here, too, and watch the progress on these three adorable furries. I'm sure that Isabella and Angel will catch up to Sadie pretty quickly!

Blessings,
Kathy

On the 12th Day of Christmas... in the Funtry Friday zone!

2012-01-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

I once led an entire Girl Scout Brownie Troop in singing this song *a capella* and it has never been quite the same for me since then... Nor have I ever led any singing anywhere, for which, I am sure, there are many grateful (now adult) Brownies!

I still enjoy the song and often find myself humming it during the Christmas season all the way to the 12th Day of Christmas. I would tell you exactly when that is, but I would have to resort to math. Not happening!

But, in honor of Epiphany (the day that celebrates the coming of the wise men to worship Jesus) which finishes the 12 Days of Christmas ( somewhere close to this date), here is my Funtry Friday version of this beloved ballad. Once again, it will never be quite the same... but at least you can't hear me singing!

On the 12th Day of Christmas,

my true love sent to me...

12-ish Chickens pecking...

11 Bales of hay...

10 1 Bunny bouncing (looks like 10!)

9 Cans of grain...

8 Grumpy goat looks...

7 Days of ice...

6 Sacks of feed...

5 Guineas singing...

4 Critters playing...

3 naps a day...

2 muddy shoes...

And a Greyhound in a water bucket!

Happy Epiphany!

Hope you enjoyed your 12 days after Christmas.

Blessings,

Kathy

What is this blank-ness of paper that I see?

2012-01-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Ah ha! An experiment is happening! An adventure into a new technique... a fanciful flight of mixed media splashes...

Or, could it possibly be the beginning of a large mess in the sink that will feed the round file?

Well, follow along with me and see what you think...

First step is to securely tape some 140 pound watercolor paper to a sheet of plexiglass - well, at least that's what I did. If you try this technique, you will want a nonporus surface that can be soaked in water and a paper that can take the soaking and will work well with mixed media. I like a sized surface, so 140 pound watercolor paper was my choice.

The second step is really fun. Take some permanent ink - Dr. Ph. Martin's Black Star matte waterproof India Ink was my choice - and, using the little dropper deal in the lid, paint the ink thickly on your paper. It will look something like this...

Wait a little while until the ink puddles start to dry up a little bit. Then, take your board and your paper and dive into the third step - literally - as you spray or pour water over the paper to wash off part of the ink. How much ink stays depends on how dry you let the ink get before you wash it off the paper. Don't forget to wash it all out of your sink, too. *ick* When the ink is washed off, it should look something like this...

I think I may have let my ink get a bit too dry before I washed it off of this one. On some of the others, there is a more dramatic difference in the line quality, whereas this one is a bit more subtle.

Step four is where I added a bit more line work using the same ink - keeping my lines very sketchy and resisting the temptation to make this a detailed drawing.

And, step five, I *literally* spashed color all over in a very loose style - using a big brush so that I could not be tempted to put in any tight little details.

I think the result is a very bold and exciting little painting. The expressive line quality and bright colors blend nicely to create the mood that I wanted. For those of you who like a bit of the "element of surprise" when you create artwork, the unpredictability of the ink washing away will be fun. This is very different from my usual painting style, but I like it. What do you think?

Have you tried something new in this New Year? *laughs* This was lots more fun for me than making a list of resolutions!

Happy Creative New Year!
Blessings,
Kathy

PS This was a challenge from the Blogging Business Artisans - a fun group of creative bloggers!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T19:42:00.001-07:00

I hope that the New Year brings many blessings your way that keep a song in your heart!

God bless,
Kathy

Merry Christmas to you all!

2011-12-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him

in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was

no room for them in the inn."

Luke 2:7

If you were the innkeeper, what would you do?

and where would you put Him?

You know - today you really are the innkeeper.

God bless and have a very Merry Christmas!

Kathy

Merry Funtry Friday Christmas Sing-a-long ~ Paulden Style!

2011-12-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

Care to join me for a little country Christmas fun?

Last Sunday some of the churches in the community got together and had a sing-a-long at the fire station/community center to help out the Paulden food bank. "Bring a can of food and join the fun" was the invitation and lots of people grabbed some goodies and came prepared to sing.

First we had a high tech power point sing-a-long. We "Wish-ed You a Merry Christmas" way more than 3X because first we sang it in English and then in Spanish. And then we "Rudolf-ed" and "Frosty-ed the Snowman" and a few others... in both Spanish and English, too. Pretty cool to have the words up on the wall... for those of us who can only remember half of the first verse...

After all that singing, we needed a break sooo...

In typical country fashion, there was a TON of food. I can guarantee that no calorie was left out of that gathering! There was everything from popcorn balls to every kind of chocolate creation you could imagine. Hey, country boys like to eat and country mamas like to cook - and they all out did themselves. There are no pictures of the food. Everyone was too busy eating...

But look at the cute mistletoe that I got. Lorie and her grandkids picked it fresh, tied on the ribbons, and sold them to raise money for the food bank. I bought one for me and one for my sister. (shhhh! my sister doesn't know that yet!)

And then it was time for the kids to do their program. What can I say? Kids are always cute when they do these things...

There you have the Angel holding baby Jesus - who, by the way was a real little baby not a doll. And "no crying he made"... or poopy mess, either. Miracles do still happen! That was also proved by the unpredictable little drummer boy, who did drum very well and followed directions. The darling little lamb even kept her costume on for the entire performance. (My friend, Lorie, made the lamb costume - isn't it cute?) It's hard to see from my lousy photograph, but the little girl in the wheelchair on the left is the star that shone over the manger. She had a really cute costume, too.

And, yes, the people in front of me enjoyed the kids, too. If I cut out their heads out of the picture, you couldn't have seen the manger...

Chade took better pictures than I did... when he wasn't munching goodies. Here's a funky picture of him taking a picture of the kid's choir.

He had his big mega name camera with him. And it takes pictures in the dark... Anyway, I was too busy singing. Yes, off key sometimes, but I got a few notes right!

Hey, I was told to bring food for the food bank and have fun - nobody said I had to sing like an opera star - haha! Hope you had fun joining me at our little Christmas sing-a-long. I think it's time to "Deck the halls with boughs of holly...."

Merry Christmas!
Blessings,
Kathy

It's that time of year - Fruitcake Season!

2011-12-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

It's an annual event in our family. My sister and I make our grandmother's fruitcake in the fall and I like to share this 150 year old classic recipe. The recipe was a wedding gift to my mother's mother when she set up her first kitchen as a married woman. Nana made it almost every year - with lots of help from all of us. The original instructions were very sparse, so over the years we have added more instructions and hints. It is definitely a piece of history!

Naomi got two yolks in that egg from one of Grammy's chickens!

9 eggs
2 cups of butter (real butter, not margarine or shortening!!!)
2 cups of sugar (regular white sugar – not brown sugar!!!)
4 cups of flour (I like unbleached white flour for this fruitcake – no one has ever used wheat in this recipe)
4 pounds of fruit and nuts – use Candied pineapple, cherries, citron, orange and lemon peel; golden raisins (not dark raisins), pecans, and currants (if you like them – my sis and I don’t use the currants because we don’t like them =p). Just make sure that all of the fruit and nut amounts add up to 4 pounds. Doing the math is the hardest part of making this fruitcake. Take a calculator. Totally!
1 cup of molasses (we use unsulfured dark molasses – yummy!)
1 cup of brandy or fruit juice (I like orange juice in the fruitcake – My sister, Mary, likes brandy. Just make sure you use the same brandy to soak the fruitcake that you put in it. If you want to use brandy then use either peach or apricot brandy. Oh, and don’t soak the cakes in orange juice even if you did put it in the fruitcake – yuck! Just pick one of those brandies and use that to soak the cakes.)
You will also need one tablespoon of each of these spices (don’t omit any of them!!!) ~ allspice, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, and cloves.

And you will need a huge wooden spoon, a big bowl, and a bigger than big bowl. Trust me!

Messy job number one: Grease the pans. Line the pans with parchment paper. Grease the paper. We use shortening to do this. For the 9 egg fruit cake you will need a herd of small loaf pans, or three small loaf pans and a large tube pan. I like the tube pan because I think the cake is really pretty even if it is harder to get the paper in there. Hey – it’s what Nana used *smiles* But, if you use the tube pan be prepared for it to cook a looooong time…

Messy job number two: Wash the raisins and pick out all of the stems. Do the same with the currants if you are using them. Nana used to do this the night before and leave them all to dry overnight. She liked currants so she always used them, too. Take your candied fruit and cut all of the candied cherries and candied pineapple pieces in half. After you have all of the fruit cut and the raisins and currants are dry, mix them all of the fruit and nuts together.

In another big bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add molasses and mix well. You can use a mixer for this part (newly added to the instructions… hehe – but this is the only time to use the mixer!)

Sift flour and spices together. Combine the sifted flour/spice mixture with the fruit. This is very important because otherwise your fruit will all sink to the bottom. It’s okay if you have a little flour left – or you can just add it all to the fruit. I have done it both ways, though, and as long as the fruit is totally coated with the flour mixture it will work okay.

Now you can put your mixer away unless you are not at all attached to it and you don’t care if it’s little motor burns up… (newly added to instructions due to life experience of a recent recipient of this recipe…) Note, again, you need a huge wooden spoon!

Now is also a good time to pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. And – VERY IMPORTANT!!! – put a big pan of water in the bottom of your oven. I use a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Make sure that this is always full of water or your fruitcake will be really dry.

Pour the creamed mixture into a huge bowl (trust me – big is not big enough) and add the fruit mixture a little at a time, alternating with a little brandy. Blend well after each addition. Continue adding the fruit mixture and the brandy until they are all in the creamed mixture. This year, we added small amounts of the creamed mixture, fruit, and then brandy and it was actually a little easier to stir. Be inventive - our ancestors were!

Okay – now fill all of those greased little and big pans about two thirds full of batter. You can bake them all at the same time, but make sure that there is a little space between them.

Your fruitcakes will take between one and two hours to bake. Listen to them – they make a happy sound when they are cooking. When they are done, they are silent (mostly). Test with a toothpick, too, but remember that they are moist. Also, look for them to pull away from the edge of the pans just a teeny bit when they are done. Done-nessabout an hour; tube pan takes at least two hours. Heavy on the “about”…

When they are done, let them cool completely. Soak the cheese cloth in brandy and wrap it all around the fruitcakes. Don’t get it too soggy or you will have squishy fruitcake on the outside. After they are wrapped in the brandy soaked cheese cloth, then wrap them tightly with heavy aluminum foil. My sister puts hers in the freezer, I prefer to leave mine in the fridge. They are best if you let them sit for a week or so – but that is really hard to do!

To see pictures as well as these instructions, check out this blog post from a previous adventure in fruitcake making - Fruitcake Recipe ~ The Spirit of Christmas Treasure Hunt!

Merry Christmas – hope your kitchen smells as nice as my sisters!

Blessings,

Kathy

PS This recipe is shared for your personal enjoyment - make it at your own risk! Really good fruitcake is habit forming...

Giveaway creativity - 5 steps to a great blog giveaway!

2011-12-11T16:42:00.002-07:00

Warm up your blog readers with a great giveaway this winter. Here are some hints to 'break the ice' and have a successful giveaway!

Keep your focus: Why are you having a giveaway? reader love? special happening in your life? do you want more followers? or do you want people to sign up to receive your newsletter? Some other reason? If you have a clear focus of why you are having your giveaway, then you can determine what you want your readers to do to participate and you can clearly share the "why and how to" of participating in your giveaway.
Keep it simple: Treasure hunts can be fun, but most people don't have the time time to spend 30 minutes participating in a giveaway. To get lots of participation, keep your giveaway simple and, if possible, keep your readers on your blog or direct them to your website, facebook, twitter, etc, with a link. "Leave a comment", "follow my blog and comment", "sign up for my email" - all of these can be done quickly and without leaving your blog. Provide a link to your website, facebook, twitter, etc. to make it simple for your reader to negotiate internet travel.
Keep it fun: Your giveaway *widget* may be gorgeous, but is it a *one size fits all*? To reach a broader "audience", toss a little variety in your giveaway. Offer a selection of items, and let the reader choose. Or offer a custom item that you will make *just for that person*. Remind your readers, that your lovely *widget* would make a beautiful gift for someone special. Let your reader actively participate in the choice of what they will win, and you will attract more participants!
Keep it interesting: Have several posts during your giveaway with updates on what's happening. Plan to let people play for about a week, and let them participate in your giveaway on more than one post. Yes, I know, you will have a little more work to do and a bit more to keep track of, but your readers will have the chance to interact with you several times and they will be reading new blog posts each time. Less than a week, and your readers may not have enough time to participate. More than a week and your readers may begin to loose interest.
Keep it *stellar*: When you have a giveaway, give away your best. After all, your readers give you their time, comments, and blogger *love* - sharing your best with them lets them know how special they are! Here's what Katlyn won in my last giveaway:

It was fun to create this little doggie portrait of Kolar especially for her!

Want to see another fun giveaway? Check out the current Blogging Business Artisans' giveaway for December. It ends, December 20, 2011, but here are some details: This awesome little giveaway has several very fun items included, clear directions on how to particpate, links are all included and clearly labeled, and it is designed to be lots fun. There are several ways you can participate, which is another fun element to add to a giveaway. That lets your readers decided what they want to do and how they want to participate. Check it out soon because this giveaway ends December 20, 2011!!!

So, how about you? Have you thought about having a giveaway? Did you recently have one? Was this information helpful? Share some details in the comments!

Blessings,
Kathy

PS No matter what gift I feature in a giveaway, there is always a gift that is far more precious... the Lord!
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17

Brrrr cold Funtry Friday Fun!

2011-12-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Brrrrrrr.....

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a 2 x 4... and a very thick chunk of ice...

One thing for sure, throwing a stick for Bailey in the snow...
...creates much less dust than toss it in the dirt!

Yep, that was two mid-air catches!

Proud of himself? Yep. He moved his giant heavy tire feeder right smack in front of the gate.
The gate only opens one way. Guess which way!

Have you ever seen a cat torture a dog?
They learned how to do that by watching rabbits...

Hope you are warm and cozy wherever you are! Happy Funtry Friday!

Blessings,
Kathy

Snow. Attitude Adjustment ~SNOW!!!~

2011-12-04T06:10:00.015-07:00

Well, we finally got a fairly good snow dump here. Yep, this is what I woke up to yesterday morning ~

Oh, yeah, and then there was this...

LOL - so much for tossing the wood for the morning on the porch! Ahem. Usually it is nice and dry up here... but not yesterday. Yep, time to turn up the gas heat...

And let me tell you it was ****COLD**** out there.... Whoa - brrrrr! Bethie and I share the same opinion of snow and cold, I think...

Yes. I was mean. I lured her out with a carrot. Well, I really did give her the carrot, so that's not so mean, right? I think once she got out there, she didn't quite know what to do. She has a typical goat reaction to weather. Give me sunshine or go away!

Now talk about a different attitude... Benny has just the right attitude when it comes to snow.

No, I did not lure him out with a carrot. He was happily hopping around while it was snowing all over him. Benny bounces all over the place and has a good attitude everyday - snow, sunshine, rain - well, unless it is pouring buckets... Then he hides.

Hmmmm.... I'm thinking I need to cultivate a "Benny attitude" about this cold winter weather and find some ways to enjoy it...

Well, my attitude adjustment must have worked since I was standing out there taking pictures while it was snowing... until my camera started to freeze! LOL!

Happy snow!
Blessings,
Kathy

"...for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10b

The relative size of a kitten... Funtry Friday!

2011-12-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

If you have been owned by a cat, you know that a cat - any cat - has a... well... a rather large opinion of their place in the universe. Best not to argue that either... A cat is convinced that they are the size of an elephant. At least. Perhaps larger, depending on the circumstance...

And what does a kitten think? Exactly the same thing...

Sizing up the "competition"...

Prepare to launch!

One down! Only about a dozen more to go...

Ahhhh.... the rooster!

***shhhhhh*** he doesn't see me...

*ready*aimmmmm*firrrrrrreeee..........*

Yep. This little kitten has the "catitude" and that's for sure!

Happy Funtry Friday!
Kathy

A little fun with ACEOs - Funtry Friday!

2011-11-25T07:00:00.017-07:00

What's an ACEO? A little collectible work of art that is 2.5 x 3.5 inches created in ANY media. Art Cards Editions and Originals or ACEOs are similar to Art Trading Cards or ATCs. They are the same size, both are collectible art, and both are lots of fun!

So what do you do with these little gems? Well... they are fun to frame, keep in an album, give as gifts (especially since they are VERY affordable!), enclose in a greeting card, use as a bookmark.... or decorate your Christmas tree!

"Christmas Heart"

"Arizona Christmas Lights!"

"Christmas with Mr. Random Dude"

"Christmas Lights Arizona Style!"

You can find all of these fun ornaments in my Etsy shop, tapestry316, - along with lots of other things that will make your Christmas decorating fun!

"Merry Christmas"

There's a Country Christmas just around the corner around here! Time to have a little Funtry Friday fun and start decorating!

Blessings,
Kathy

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Blessings,

Kathy

Almost finished!

2011-11-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

There was a beginning...

Some progress...

A bit of a middle...

A little bit more progress...

A few more details added...

And now it's almost finished!

Just a few more little finishing touches and Kolar's painting will be ready to travel to his home! This has been a really fun giveaway painting to do. Kolar's photograph really shows his wonderful personality - isn't he an absolute cutie?

Sometimes people have said that I have a gift for painting, but the gift doesn't come from me. God has graced me with a talent. I never paid for it. I didn't go to the store to buy some talent. Brushes, yes... practice, definitely, but buy this gift? No. I am very grateful that God gave me this gift - and I really enjoy using it and sharing the talent He has given me.

What gifts have you had the chance to share with others? Hope you had as much fun as I have had with this little portrait!

Blessings,
Kathy

O, give thanks unto the Lord;

call upon His name:

make known His deeds

among the people.

Psalm 105:1

Welcome to my cave... Funtry Friday!

2011-11-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

Oh... This cave seems to be occupied...

Yikes! Is that a bear in the cave???? *backs away quietly*

Oh, well, maybe this cave is a little bit small for a bear...

Well, look at that! It's Benny Bunny! And... ah... he's been doing a little bit of digging...

I think he is quite proud of himself. He dug a hole so big that I had to move his house...

...before his house fell down the rabbit hole.

Certainly pays to watch where you step around here - every day of the week! Happy Funtry Friday!

Blessings,

Kathy

Nothing quite like some fun art in your mailbox!

2011-11-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

I just love to be surprised by something fun when I go to the Post Office. Well, I did know that these little treasures were on their way to me - but I didn't know *when* they would arrive.

When they arrived, I was sooooo delighted! I won the 7 Card Draw on Etsy and these delightful ACEOs are what I won. These beautiful ACEOs came with some lovely cards, too!

Their packages are like little works of art, too!

So who are these fun people who sent me all of these creative gifts? Well, here they are!

Carole - rsully2photography – Delicate bloom

Linda - Raedawn - Last Day at the Beach

Marlene – Lazyhawk - At the Beach, Lighthouse

Johnnie - johnniebelinda - original miniature art painting blue seascape

Lee - leepierce - ted d bear Paris

Betty - pinkglitterfae – Goat smiling

Jeanne – nannysroom – Red, Yellow, Blue, Pelican

Thank you all for entering your lovely creations in the 7 Card Draw! I am so delighted to have added these beautiful ACEOs to my collection!

Pretty soon someone is going to receive a gift from me, too. Remember my giveaway? Well, here are a couple more work in progress photos of her lovely little dog ~

He is such a cutie!

I am really enjoying painting him!

So, have you had some fun surprises in your mailbox recently? Or are you going to surprise someone else? Have fun!

Blessings,
Kathy

A little work in progress ~

2011-11-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

Remember my little giveaway for a free 5 x 7 inch watercolor painting? Were you wondering what the winner wants me to paint?

Surprise! Here are some little work in progress pictures of the painting ~

my sketch transferred to the watercolor paper

I like to do my sketches on tracing paper so that I can use a light box to transfer my drawing to watercolor paper. The tracing paper is thin enough to clearly see the lines even though the 140 pound watercolor paper is very thick. By tracing with a light box, I am able to use a mechanical pencil with just the right line width and density. That becomes very important when the lines are no longer needed and I want to erase them. I don't transfer all of the lines on my sketch - just the main ones that I will need to define the shapes.

laying in the dark areas

The first thing I do is put in a mid value tone in what will eventually be the darkest areas. I use a mid value tone so that I can easily make it darker or lift the color if I want to change the painting. Things are very loose and 'sketchy' at this point, but each wash layer adds more and more definition.

putting in a little color and detail

Let the fun begin! I am now adding a bit of detail and a little more color. This sweet little baby has LOTS of fun hair to paint and I can hardly wait to get to that part *smiles* but first, I have to refine my shapes and put in some of the darkest darks.

This is such a cute dog and I can really see a LOT of personality peeking through in the pictures! Hope you enjoyed seeing this little work in progress. I am really enjoying doing this giveaway. Have you had fun with a special project for someone recently? Hope so!

Happy creating!
Blessings,
Kathy

If you can disagree with the President, say thank you.

2011-11-11T07:00:00.003-07:00

Yep. If you can publicly disagree with what the President of this country says, say thank you - to a Veteran.

"Through the Eyes of a Child"

Did you go to church this week? Did you choose not to go to church this week? Say thank you to a Veteran.

Did you have a chance to vote? Did you have the option not to cast your vote? Thank a Veteran.

Did you write a letter to the editor and get to express your own opinion? Thank a Veteran.

Did you launch a public protest? Or decide to ignore one? Yep. Time to thank those Veterans.

The freedoms that we sometimes take for granted, are not free. Many people have placed themselves in harms way to protect those freedoms. Some have paid the highest price possible. Don't take your freedom for granted. Thank a Veteran. And remember!

God Bless you, Veterans!
Kathy

Veterans Day... Armistice Day... Remembrance Day... They mark the Armistice that ended World War I in 1918. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson declared that November 11, 1919 would be a holiday.

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

Back in the old days of silk screen...

2011-11-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it was called serigraph... sometimes silk screen... but I always called it fun! I showed you one silk screen that I did in a recent blog post, and thought I would tell you a little bit about the process I used.
Here's a detail of "The Craftsman".

I used several methods when I worked in silk screen. The basic silk screen process involves a fabric 'screen' that has some kind of 'block out' medium applied to it and paint that is then forced through the fabric in the 'non-blocked' areas to a piece of paper placed underneath the screen. When this process is used, you need to have a block out medium that will not be dissolved by your paint. In other words, using a solvent soluble block out medium with a water based paint would work. Also, using a water based block out with an oil based paint, works. Mixing different solvents works, too. Lacquer based block out mediums work with oil based inks that are washed away with thinner.

Clear as mud?

Well, maybe if I tell you what I did here...

All of these little lines were cut into a lacquer film using a cutter with a small circular blade. Larger solid black areas were carefully removed by cutting around them with a straight blade. Basically, I was drawing on a piece of film with a blade. The film was then placed beneath the screen and I began to carefully work the lacquer thinner over the entire screen in order to disolve the film slightly and attach it to the screen.

Very carefully! Because a "heavy hand" would result in the fine line details being completely destroyed.

Once the film was attached to the fabric screen, then the printing could begin. Due to the fragile nature of the screen, not a lot of images could be made. Once the edition had been printed, I washed the ink off the screen and then removed the film with lacquer thinner.

I was fond of this process because I could achieve a line quality similar to my drawings. This particular screen print was based on an original pen and ink drawing that I did.

Since the line quality is so strong in this method, it was easy to convey emotion.

"Anger"
also done from an original pen and ink drawing

"Why"
done from a sketch created specifically
for this silk screen edition

I enjoyed the versatility of silk screen so I explored several different screen printing techniques. There was just one little drawback to working in this medium: the chemicals were toxic. When I found that I was pregnant with my daughter, I put aside the solvents and thinners and devoted my creative energies to less toxic endeavors.
Exploring different media has always been something I like to do. How about you? Do you like to try something new, too? What have you explored recently?
Happy creating!
Blessings,
Kathy

Where is your passion?

2011-11-06T18:59:00.001-07:00

If you have been hanging around my blog for a while you know that I have loved horses for as long as I can remember. You also know that I can't remember a time when I wasn't drawing the horses that I was dreaming about.

Pencils, crayons, paint... Black and white, colored pencil, ink... And more paint... And more horses...

An oil painting I did in grade school.

And then there were art classes at school - and more paint and drawing and mixed media fun. Look, I branched out in subject matter, too! (high school humor... good thing I kept dreaming about horses and not about being a comedian.)

A textured mixed media painting I did in High School.

College art classes? Lots of them... painting, drawing, and one very fun printmaking class. I was captivated by the variety of printmaking choices. This was one of the most interesting processes that I explored.

Collograph limited edition print

After college, I kept drawing and doing printmaking. Sometimes the drawing and the printmaking merged.

silk screen "The Craftsman"

And sometimes the printmaking and painting seemed to collide.

silk screen "City at Night"

And then I returned to watercolors and horses... and, look, the tree showed up, too!

Recently I added dabbling in oils to my artistic endeavors - and, of course, the horses were there. Actually there was a tree, too, in another unphotographed, unfinished piece (loosely described as an) oil sketch...

A return to my childhood passion? Well, to return to something you have to first leave it. There never was a time that I pushed aside artistic creativity. There never was a time when the dream of living in the country and having a horse was erased. These things are just part of me. Part of who I am.

I left printmaking for sewing, pattern design, and lots of baby diapers and toddler chasing. I left pattern design, and collector doll making, for the creative designs in picture framing. I left the art retail and picture framing creativity, for painting in watercolor... and for another little passion. A treasure, if you will...

four little seeds ponder what the future will hold

I don't get as much painting done (yet!) because I am immersed in the excitement of creating not just an image, but a personality. Painting a dream and making it come alive! Creating some lasting treasures that will, hopefully, fill little hearts and minds with dreams of their own. Challenging? Yes! Fun? Definitely! My passion? Positively.

Making the words of my daughter's story spring to life has been one of the most satisfying and most creatively challenging artistic endeavors that I have ever painted my way through. It has taken longer than I thought it would, too, but then no one ever said that treasure seekers find their pot of gold in the first five minutes!

However, passion keeps me hot on the trail!

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:21

Where is your heart these days? Are you a treasure seeker, too? Share with us!

Blessings,

Kathy

Stretching a bit - without a yawn!

2011-11-01T21:13:00.002-07:00

Absolutely no yawns since I was stretching all my artistic muscles by attending an oil painting workshop led by Phil Beck. Yep, you heard right! Oil painting!

someday it will be Billie Jane... hehe!

Why, you might ask, did my watercolor loving self wander into the oil painting workshop? Welllllll.... I had a little help from my friends - hehe - two of whom encouraged me to explore the world of oils. And, I already had a lot of oil painting supplies that belonged to my mother. They were just sitting there in a box... calling me... saying "paint in oils...paint in oils... paint..."

Okay. Well, maybe it was just the voices in my head saying that I had everything I needed to paint in oils so why not do it! Never mind that it had been over 40 years since I touched a brush to oils and slathered them on canvas...

But then there was the fact that the Phil Beck workshop was focusing on painting animals. Hehe - right up my pasture, I would say. Sooooo.... I packed up some supplies and headed to Scottsdale and painted away for three days.

Phil did two demos - I really liked his little rooster! You will note that his reference photo is on his computer. I have painted this way for several years and I really missed my computer during class. I just didn't want to haul it down there... it's heavy! If you haven't tried this, I really encourage you to do it. The colors are way better than any photo and you can zoom into your image and see all the details. Without bifocals...

So here is Phil's little rooster at the end of his demo...

And here is a painting of Hershey that I was working on during the last day of the workshop...

See what I mean about the photograph versus the computer? Sooooo much easier to get the details in there when you can zoom into the image...

Okay, and I kept on painting and picking up lots of hints and suggestions from Phil and his wife, Marty (they team teach). And I slathered a bit more paint on Hershey...

Here I am "mucking" around with the background. Ahem. Literally. I was playing with colors to see what I wanted on there... and, nope, I still haven't decided. Any ideas? And, yeah, he's still not finished either *lol*

But, as my daughter said - "Well, Mama, it is oils. It will be wet for a while." Haha - so I have time to still go back and work in a few changes here and there before it's dry.

So, there you have it. Moving from very fluid watercolor to squishy thick oil paint was quite a challenge but it was also lots of fun. Am I thinking about giving up watercolors? Nope! But I will dip a brush in oils now and then, I am sure.

Have your stretched your creativity lately? or are you planning to? If so, share what's up in your corner of the world!

Blessings,

Kathy

A little reading for the road...

2011-10-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

If you find yourself traveling down the road, you just might see a little bumper sticker traveling ahead of you (hopefully on a vehicle!)...

"The Old Bridge"

This just seemed like the right manic Monday post after taking you all on an extended road trip with our Vehicular Genealogy ~ so enjoy your Vehicular Reading Matter!

Bumper Stickers

If You Can Read This, I Can Slam On My Brakes And Sue You

Forget World Peace -- Visualize Turning Off Your Turn Signal!

HANG UP AND DRIVE!

Ever Stop To Think, And Forget To Start Again?

If We Quit Voting Will They All Go Away?

This Bumper Sticker Exploits Illiterates

Honk If Anything Falls Off

I Haven't Lost My Mind - It's Backed Up On Disk Somewhere

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh

Hahaha! Which one is your favorite?
Happy Trails!
Kathy

Traveling down Vehicular Fun Drive, the WINNER is....

2011-10-16T18:39:00.000-07:00

By the choice of that rascally Mr. Random Dude, who seems to be hiding in the chicken coop today...

"Big Chicken" ACEO print of my original mixed media, 2.5 inch x 3.5 inch
currently listed in my Etsy shop

The WINNER of my Funtry Friday Giveaway *drum roll, please!*

is.... *ta da!*

~~~~ K. Joy ~~~~

Because K. Joy suggested a name for my new little truck and was chosen by that rascally Random Dude, she will win a free 5 inch x 7 inch (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm) watercolor painting - and she will get to pick whatever critter she wants me to paint!

Thanks to all of you who played along. Did you like this giveaway? Was it fun? I sure had fun sharing all our vehicle trails with you. Have you done any giveways? What did you do? Leave a comment and tell us all about it.

Have a blessed day,

Kathy

Funtry Friday Giveaway and the rest of the “Vehicular Genealogy” story!

2011-10-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

Did you get lost in all those traveling vehicles? Well, you can check out this post to see where it all began. Then you can travel forward in time a bit and check out this post to get the middle of the saga. Since you are here, you are not very lost because this is the “rest of the story” – at least for now!

Now let’s see – we left off with a little giveaway, didn’t we? Because my new little Dodge Dakota doesn’t have a name… If you help me by suggesting a name for my new little truck, then I will enter you in the drawing for a free 5 inch x 7 inch (12.7 cm x 17.8 cm) watercolor painting - and YOU get to pick whatever critter you want me to paint! All you need to do is leave a comment on my blog with a suggestion for a name for my new little truck. Want to have an extra chance to win? Share a link to my blog contest somewhere and then post the link where you shared it in the comments. You can blog about it, share it on facebook or twitter, or maybe share it with some friends in a group or thread where you chat. You have one more week to play. Every time you post a suggested truck name or a link where you have shared my contest, you will be entered AGAIN in the contest. Have fun! The contest will end next Friday night, midnight Arizona, USA time!

Now, back to “the rest of the story”…

Did you see that little truck playing peek-a-boo behind my nameless new truck? That would be The Bug – the little 1982 GMC truck. Off and on, I had thought about getting it back in running order because it had a lot less mileage than Super Truck and used a lot less gas. But, then there was the argument that my knees and the clutch always had…

Then one day my friends mentioned that they would like to buy the GMC. Buy? Buy the little GMC truck? It just didn’t seem right to sell the truck after it had been given to so many people. Hmmm… but trade! Now that was a different matter! So now the little 1982 GMC truck (nicknamed “The Bug”) has new home, too - just around the corner.

And I have lots of wood for the winter! Yay!

Did you keep up with all that vechicular swapping and trading going on there? Or did you get lost? All the cars and trucks have landed somewhere now – at least for the time being – and all that remains to be done is to come up with a name for my new truck. So, have fun with my “name the truck” contest and email me if you have any questions! tapestry316@yahoo.com

Blessings,

Kathy

Want to help two beautiful children?

2011-10-05T08:00:00.028-07:00

My friend, Shannon, is having a fundraiser for their adoption expenses. They are adopting two orphans who are almost five years old. Check out the details on her blog, Baruch's Lullaby.

If you want to leave a little donation to help with those expenses, there is a donation button on her blog *smiles*

Visit Shannon's adoption fundraiser auction on Facebook, Baruch's Lullaby, where you can see my little butterflies!

"Butterfly, Butterfly"

There are some beautiful creations in her auction! And the starting bid prices are half of their normal selling price. Still some time to bid and still some great deals there *nudge*nudge*

"Butterfly, Butterfly" is an original mixed media painting which depicts hands forming the American Sign Language sign for butterfly over the shape of a butterfly.

Oh, and my little art giveaway is still rolling along, too. Check out the details here!

Blessings,
Kathy

More "Vehicular Genealogy" and a fun giveaway!

2011-10-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Well, now – where did I leave off in that convoluted tale of traveling trucks?

Oh, yeah! I had bought Super Truck and sold the Honda Accord. Check out this great photo they took of me when I bought Super Truck. *roflol* Can I get an “amen” for the cheesy photo of the year award???

Around that time, my sister gave my daughter the little 1982 GMC truck. It was Cynthia’s first vehicle and we became a two truck family – hehe!

Sadly, we lost Mom in 2002. By then Cynthia was married and she and her wonderful husband inherited Mom’s minivan which meant that Timothy and Cynthia had an extra vehicle. It was my turn to inherit the little 1982 GMC truck - from my daughter and son-in-law. Since it got really good gas mileage, I drove it to and from work for that almost hour long drive. It was fun to drive and I nicknamed it “The Bug”.

I drove it until my knees and the stick shift had an argument. Pooh. I parked The Bug and drove Super Truck all the time.

Then my sister got a new car and gifted Cynthia and Timothy with her newer minivan. It was a blessing because Mom’s minivan was beginning to show its age. They gifted Mom's minivan to a family at their church.

Think this saga is finished?

Nope.

But that does bring you up to this year!

My sister recently got a lovely little RAV. Blue, in case you were wondering *smiles* But that left them with an extra vehicle – a 2002 Dodge Dakota truck with only 67,294 miles on it. Super Truck, my sweet 1995 Silverado, had traveled 258,858 miles.

Sooooo… When she asked me if I wanted it, I said yes, and then wondered what to do with Super Truck… Hehe – didn’t have to wonder very long! Look, Bailey has claimed Super Truck for her own!

Guess I had better pass on the keys…

Lorie is so happy she even gave the same thumbs up I did 16 years ago!

But there is just one little problem...

My new truck doesn’t have a name… So, help me out here! What do you think I should name this new little truck? If you post a name in the comments you will be entered in the drawing for my giveaway!

Giveaway? What shall I give away? Hmmmm… How about a painting? How about a 5 inch x 7 inch painting? Hmmmm – and how about you pick what critter you would like me to paint? Any critter! Your critter, a friend’s critter, one of my critters - hehe Yeah! I’m liking that! Leave a comment with a possible truck name, and you’re entered!

Oh, and the vehicular saga? Nope – it’s not over yet! So keep staying tuned for “the rest of the story”!

Blessings,

Kathy

“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to do it.”

Proverbs 3:27

Vehicular Genealogy - Funtry Friday!

2011-09-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

My family has an interesting tradition with vehicles. They tend to last a long time, get a lot of miles, and travel all over the place in more ways than one. Check this out…

My first car was a 1963 blue Ford Falcon – Beauregard Thaddeus Car, BT the Beautiful Blue Bomb – which previously belonged to my grandfather. After his death, my 80 year old grandmother talked about learning how to drive… but I convinced her that I really needed a vehicle and I couldn’t find one nearly as good as BT on any car lot anywhere. She gave me the car, gave up the idea of driving, and we all heaved a collective sigh of relief.

I drove BT until my Dad bought a new little 1982 GMC truck. He and my Mom gave me their little Honda Accord so I parked BT. They also bought a nice minivan to drive around all the company coming up to their new country home.

After Mom and Dad bought a LaBaron for nice town driving, they gave my sister the little 1982 GMC truck which she drove for several years.

I found a home for BT with the son of my employer. He restored it with his son who then *very proudly* gave me a ride in the shiny “new” Falcon. That was fun!

I drove that little Honda until Mom gave me Dad’s LaBaron after we sadly lost him to a brief illness. I shivered every time I hauled hay or went camping in that lovely car. At that time, I actually sold that Honda, too… the only time I have ever sold a car.

Meanwhile, my daughter was learning to drive – stick shift, no less – in the LaBaron on the country back roads.

Then in 1995 I traded the LaBaron in on Super Truck and we happily hauled hay, went camping, and did all that other truck stuff. Check out my “Super Truck” page and you can see some of the adventures we have had.

Is your head spinning yet? Stay with me now – this is all going somewhere, and it will involve some fun. You will have to “stay tuned” and hear “the rest of the story” to see just where we are traveling, though. But, I haven’t had a giveaway in a loooong time, and, well…

Stay tuned!

Happy Trails,

Kathy

How to be quiet on a crazy busy day.

2011-09-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

We all have those crazy busy days - ones where you pack in a million errands.

Days where your mind is never on where you are or what you are doing, but rather on the next stop on the list or the next job to call finished.

Well, I could have had one of those days yesterday, but I made up my mind that I wouldn't do it.

Oh, I still had a whole list of errands and a bunch of stops to make, but I decided that I was going to have a quiet day anyway.

The list:

Bible study breakfast (good way to start the day!)
Grocery store (with a little list)
The Art Store (and The Frame and I)
Order flowers at The Flower Box - my friend, Margie, is 90 years old now!
See what's new at the Huckeba Gallery
Get gasoline (that I might be able to get home)
Costco (with a big list)
Olsen's Grain (to keep the chickens happy!)
Pick up mail at the Post Office
Go home!!!

Yep, I left at a little after 7 AM and I got home around 4:15 PM. Then I had to unload everything, too. Well almost... I admit that I drove two bags of chicken feed and a bag of dog food to church this morning.

So how did I keep that frantic Saturday quiet? Let me tell you.

My day was too busy not to start with prayer. Then I enjoyed a little bit of sunrise - yummy colors! My friends and I enjoyed good company, great conversation, and a nice breakfast. The grocery store is never crowded that early in the morning. What's not to like about roaming through an art store and frame shop? Well - okay, insert fabric store, craft store, mall - or whatever you enjoy! Then add good friends and more fun conversation in there, too. Then I ordered flowers from a friend of mine, and got another nice visit. Took a tour through another friend's gallery and enjoyed a little more fun. Beginning to see a trend here?

Next on the list? Costco. Now, you are thinking how is Costco going to be relaxing on a Saturday? Believe it or not, there was no line at the service station. That's relaxing! Now it's time to grab my list and fill the cart - and have a nice chat with the photo clerk who gave me information about printers and another chat with the nice lady who knew where the raisins were. "No thanks - I don't need any boxes." And off we go!

Okay, I am getting a little bit tired now, but it is really cool inside Olsen's (both the store and the temperature!). And it's fun to read the message boards in the back of the store... But, we'll get that last sack of feed and mosey on to the Post Office.

And, truthfully, I am still amazed that I didn't meet anyone to chat with at the Post Office!

So what makes a busy day like this quiet? Lots of little pauses along the way. Visits with friends and strangers. Allowing yourself enough time to accomplish everything. Having a list - and knowing when to leave stuff for another day's list.

And taking a little time first thing in the morning to thank the Lord for the beautiful sunrise!

Blessings,

Kathy

PS Oh, and yeah - the feed sacks are still in the truck. You know, they will wait until morning *winks* Now where did I put that pencil? I think today's list is finished!

"Be still, and know that I am God!

I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth."

Psalm 46:10

What do you see out your window? Funtry Friday!

2011-09-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

I love the view out my window!

It's really pretty at sunset!

It's a really good view out the barn window, too.

And then, when I open the door there's a very good view there, too.

Outside, there are some very fun views, too!

This one is quite colorful. Seriously!

See where the arrow is pointing?

Billie Jane has "color" in her bloodlines and

she keeps having more little spots show up.

There's a new white one on her chin!

Well, her little polka-dot is fun for me - hehe!

Happy Funtry Friday!

Blessings,

Kathy

Ummm... huh? Funtry Friday - fooled me!

2011-09-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

Awww - look at all the pretty chickens! Remember when I took the girls and let them pick out some baby chicks? Check out the Professional Chicken Shoppers - they are sooo cute! Yes, the girls and the chicks ;-)

Well, here are those little chicks all grown up! Aren't they pretty?

Ummmm... oops... There seems to be a little, well... these are all supposed to be... well, the sign said pullets... girls, hens, huh...

Whoopsie. It would appear that there's a little rooster tail in there with all those hens.

And the really sad part? The girls picked out all but one of the baby chicks.

Ya know, I have always said that I could pick out the roosters with my eyes closed. Apparently, I can also pick them out with my eyes open.

Hope he and Buddy get along because he sure is handsome!

Happy Funtry Friday!
Blessings,
Kathy

I remember.

2011-09-11T07:00:00.013-07:00

No pictures.
No fancy font.
No artwork.

Not today.

Today I pause and remember.
Remember exactly where I was when I first heard the news.

Mundane.
I was putting on my makeup. Getting ready for a busy day at work. Preoccupied with thoughts of what to pack for lunch and which route to take as I drove to town that morning.

Wondering how Mom was settling in at the nursing home.

Looking forward to seeing my daughter soon.

Gone. All those thoughts gone in a moment. Replaced by the obvious thought that I had to have heard it wrong. But then - there was the same news again.

Like so many Americans, I was stunned. Mechanically, I went to work. I wondered who would be shopping, but some people reached for the "normal" that had been lost. They came in and browsed. And bought. And left.

We hung my father's flag in the window of the store. It filled the store front window. That was the only time it has ever been displayed. Folded once again, it sits in my bookcase. A reminder of Dad's service to our nation during WWII - and a reminder of the lives lost that day.

I remember.

Dedication, sacrifice, valor.
I pray for the survivors and for the families of those who did not survive.

God bless America.

Kathy

"...and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes."
Revelation 7:17

UFOs? Funtry Friday in the Sky!

2011-09-09T07:00:00.003-07:00

Unidentified Flying Objects? About to land out here?

No, wait. Very Identifiable Flying Objects. Airborne and planning an attack.
*theme from Mission Impossible*

Yeah - do you see all those spots in that photograph? Those are not spots. Those are TUMBLEWEEDS. Not just any tumbleweeds. Those are Tumbleweeds with pilot's licences. Either that, or they are very prickly UFOs.

Yep. Those are four and five foot in diameter flying tumbleweeds. Well, maybe there are a few three footers in there - they are so high up in the air that it is a bit hard to tell... Astronaut Tumbleweeds instead of Pilot Tumbleweeds?

They are heading north, though, so all my Canadian friends who wondered what tumbleweeds looked like - well, by tomorrow afternoon you will know.

Ah oh...

Did someone up north ask about dust storms? Looks like one is heading your way, too. No worries, this is just a baby one.

Oh, but it found a friend...

Yep. Baby Dust Storm meets The Flying Tumbleweeds on a Journey to the Moon. Somebody up in Canada be sure to get some good pictures. This could make us famous. Could be movie rights in this. Yeah!

We need a theme song for the movie.
*chicken dance song plays in background*

Whadoyathink?
Yoohooo!
Where did everyone go? Hey? Hey! Come back here!

Oh well. Hope they all have a good Funtry Friday. Glad you're still here 'cause I know you are having a good Funtry Friday!

Blessings,
Kathy

It must be the kid in me!

2011-09-07T20:10:00.001-07:00

"Soaring!" - one of the little butterflies
For Shannon's adoption fundraiser.

It totally has to be the child in me!

I went looking for some new techniques to play with and where did I end up? Check out these links to find out!

Deep Space Sparkle - Art lessons for kids!
She has the coolest projects there and I don't think they are just for kids. I found some very fun things that I want to try. Well, and I found some fun things to share with my grandgirls, too!

Crayola Crayons - they aren't just for kids anymore! Did you know that you can use melted crayons in a Tjanting Needle on either paper or fabric? It was news to me. I also never thought about playing around with melted crayons to do an encaustic technique. Directions for both - and lots more - are on their website.

Drop by Design-Your-Homeschool and explore their page about teaching art by exploring techniques. There are some fun projects there for all ages, and, yes, I found more great ideas that I want to explore!

So, while I was waiting for little butterflies to dry, I was chasing fun projects all over the net.

"Dancing in the Skies"

Check out my blog post on The Art of Seeing, to find out about Shannon and her adoption fundraiser.

These little butterflies will be flitting over there at really great prices!

Blessings,
Kathy

The Art of Seeing

2011-09-04T20:24:00.001-07:00

Part of being an artist is learning the art of seeing. In fact, it is the most important part of being an artist. Seeing, for an artist, is not just looking at something. Seeing is looking at it with your heart to discern what you can learn about it and how you can share what you have learned.

So, how do you do that?

Well, it doesn't start when you pick up your first brush to create a painting of an apple. It starts long before that moment. It starts when you stop glancing at things. It starts when you unconsciously replace a casual look around you, with a mind that studies light and shadow, texture and color - and a heart that wants to share what you see. That is the beginning of seeing things from the "inside out", so to speak. The beginning of seeking to understand your subject as more than a three dimensional object to be portrayed in art materials.

Learning to see this way has benefits beyond artistic creation. Seeing things with your heart as well as your mind brings more beauty to the sunset. Looking with your heart takes longer than a glance takes. It makes you stop and fill yourself with what you see. It also lets you see potential that you will miss if you only give life a brief glance.

Take these butterflies, for instance. None of them are finished. I have an idea in my mind that I want to share with these little paintings - an idea that is a reflection of how my heart sees butterflies.

A butterfly wasn't always a butterfly. At one point it was a caterpillar. It went from ewie to ahhhh in the eyes of most people - people who don't have much interest in what went happened in between. When I see a butterfly with my heart, I see the caterpillar, the chrysalis, the struggle, the butterfly and the freedom of flight.

Where are these little butterflies going to fly? I'm not sure. But on the way, they will dance by a friend of mine, Shannon Thornsley Guerra, who is having a fundraiser for their adoption expenses. You see, Shannon and her family have learned the art of seeing with their hearts. They are adopting two children, a boy and a girl. They are five years old, have never met, are very small for their age, hardly speak at all, and spend all their time in their orphanages.

But Shannon and her family look at them with their hearts - and they see butterflies and not caterpillars. They are willing to go through all of the blessings and struggles with these children, so that one day they, too, can see their own butterflies with their hearts.

Check out Shannon's blog, Copperlight Wood, to keep up with all of their adoption news.

Take a peek at her lovely Etsy shop, Baruch's Lullaby.

You can find her on Facebook, too.

Have a blessed day,

Kathy

"God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.

And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."

Genesis 1:31

How to turn a Red Heeler into a Brown Heeler - Funtry Friday

2011-09-02T07:00:00.009-07:00

First you take a stick.
Then you add a Red Heeler.

Repeat and toss well.

Add an audience for additional action.

A confused audience is best. This group hasn't figured out why the Red (almost Brown) Heeler is chasing the stick and not chasing them.

Squint through the dust and you will find that you have turned your Red Heeler into a Brown Heeler. You have also turned your yard into a dust bowl and yourself into a brown turnip.

Even though Bailey is begging for another toss, it's time for a big puddle for her and a shower for me. As for the sheep? Show's over so they all wandered away in search of other excitement.

Hope someone tosses some fun your way this Friday!

Blessings,
Kathy

Revisiting my little sheepish lambkin!

2011-08-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

Check this out! Here is thelatest progress on my newest little painting. I still haven’t decided exactly what title to give this little painting… any suggestions?

Now it’s easy see how important clear guidelines are to the progress ofthe painting.

I have not forgotten my promise to tell you about some of the otherways I have used to transfer my original drawing to my final art surface. Today, we are going to look at three otherways to transfer that original sketch.

A Pantograph is a useful tool to transfer your original image to yourfinal art surface. There is a pointerthat traces the image, and a pencil lead that draws it on the paper. The numbers that you see on the Pantographbars indicate how much larger your transferred image will be. I have enlarged the photograph of Bailey totwice its original size.

To use the Pantograph, keep pressure on the drawing intersection (abovethe paper) and lightly move the tracer intersection (above the photograph)around your image. When you arefinished, you will have something like this:

Using the grid method of transferring your original sketch to yourfinal art surface has many advantages.

· Your original sketch can be enlarged or reducedeasily.

· Neither your original sketch nor your final artsurface needs to be transparent. Thismethod will work to transfer from or to canvas and wood as well as papersurfaces.

· You don’t need any special equipment to use thistransfer method.

Make sure that your original sketch has good clear details. If you want to keep your original sketch,then trace the image on to another piece of paper. To create your grid, draw evenly spacedhorizontal and vertical lines over the surface of your drawing. The number of squares and space between thelines will be determined by both the complexity of your drawing and the size.

Now, take your paper, canvas, masonite board or whatever, and create acorresponding grid with the same number of squares both horizontally andvertically. Make sure that your linesare clear, but not too dark. If you areworking with a transparent medium, you will want to be able to completely erasethese lines later.

When you are finished, your original drawing and your final art surfaceshould look something like this:

Pick a square on your original sketch and copy the lines to thecorresponding square on your final art surface. You can see the squares I have copied in the photograph. Keep on copying until all the squares arefilled. Voila! Commence to begin to paint!

Hey, look – the grid sketch is of a pounce bag and a pounce wheel. What a lead in to our last transfer method,huh!

To transfer an original sketch with a pounce bag, you will first need apounce bag. You can make one, but it ismessy. Of course, a premade pounce bagis also messy – so have at it! It’s alittle bag with chalk or charcoal inside a coarse material. The material allows a small amount of thepowder to escape when you bounce it. Apounce wheel can be used to punch small holes in the original sketch or you canuse a small sharp object. As with thegrid method, if you want to keep your original sketch, then trace your originalsketch onto another piece of paper which you can proceed to destroy. Once your holes are in your original sketch,place that sketch on top of your final art surface, and gently bounce the pounce bag overthe holes. You will want to use cautionwith this method, as the powder will be everywhere. Protect your lungs with a mask and your artwith paper over everywhere you don’t want dust. When you lift the original sketch, you will see a series of small dotsmarking all of your lines. A pounce bagwas, and still is, used by many fresco artists to transfer their drawings to wetplaster.

No matter what method you use to transfer your sketch to your final artsurface, check your transferred drawing before you begin to paint (or whatever!)to make everything has transferred well.

Well, there you go! Now you havelots of ways to transfer your original sketch – time to get started on yournext creation! Which transfer method areyou going to use?

Blessings,

Kathy

Extreme Sheepherding Too

2011-08-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, you may not have seen the Extreme Sheepherding in action, but now you can get a glimpse of the same kind of excitement right here.

The Sheep.

The Destination.

Oh, my... that is a loooonnnggg way away...

we need them to be where that barn is...

the tiny little yellow one that you can hardly see...

The Plan.

No problem.

We only have to move these sheep through 3 gates

and three fields...

Piece of cake.

Oops.

Lunch break...

Little chaotic here...

moving to...

Plan B.

*whew*

Success!

and apparently the four amigos approve

of their new neighbors, too...

Well, if you want to take a look at the real Extreme Shepherding, check it out *here*
...and, no, we did not make any glowing pictures, but we might. And we won't need any LEDs to do it, because our sheep glow in the dark all by themselves...

Baaamwahahaha!

Happy Monday!
Blessings,
Kathy

Poof! Make my drawing appear!

2011-08-24T16:52:00.001-07:00

I’m happy with the drawing for my new painting, and I have already transferred it to my watercolor paper. I did have someone ask me a question about exactly how I transferred my sketch to my watercolor paper so I thought that I would show you how I did it and tell you about some other methods I have used.

image traced onto watercolor paper with a tracing light box

Of course, I could have just sketched my drawing directly on my final art surface, or sketchrd it a second time on whatever I planned to use. I know me, though. Once I have spent all that time getting my drawing just right, I won’t want to draw it a second time on my watercolor paper. Also, if I do start my drawing directly on the watercolor paper, I have to be very cautious because erasing pencil lines can disturb the sizing on the paper which makes it difficult to have smooth washes when I am painting.

I like to trace my drawing using a tracing light box. You can see an *almost* free light box I made *here*. I do my original sketch or drawing on tracing paper, shine the light through the tracing paper and the watercolor paper, and trace the image. If I made my original drawing on a thicker paper and the light won’t shine through it very well, I just trace the drawing on to tracing paper first and then transfer it to the watercolor paper.

If you don’t have a tracing light box and you don’t want to make one, try taping your sketch to a window and then tape your art paper on top of it. You will probably have enough light to trace your image to your final art surface unless you are working with something that is really thick. Or unless it is night…

Another way to transfer a drawing on paper to another surface is to turn the paper over and, using a dark-ish graphite pencil (HB or 2B works well) cover the back of the paper wherever you have lines you want to transfer. Then simply place your paper right side up on your art surface and redraw all of your lines. You will transfer the pencil from the back of the paper to your final surface.

transfer drawing with pencil

Using a graphite transfer paper is a simple way to transfer lines on to paper as well as some other surfaces. Transfer paper can be purchased at most art or hobby stores and it usually comes in both black and white. Place the transfer paper on your final art surface making sure that the transfer side is down (guess how I know to check that…). Place your drawing on top of the transfer paper and carefully go over all of the lines you want to transfer. Use caution and don’t press too hard because some transfer papers will transfer a bit of wax residue if you aren't careful. It’s not so bad if you are painting with acrylic or using colored pencil, but transparent watercolors won’t always cover waxy transferred lines.

graphite transfer paper

Are there more ways to transfer your original drawing to your final art surface? You bet! You can use a pounce method, a pantograph, or a grid – and there are other methods, too, depending on what surface you are using to create your artwork.

No matter what method you use to transfer your drawing, you need to stop and take a good look at your drawing to see if you need to make any changes before you begin to paint. The nice thing about all of these transfer methods is that you can erase your transferred lines easily.

Have a creative day and let me know what your favorite transfer method is! or do you draw directly on your final art surface?

Blessings,

Kathy

PS This post is looooong enough so next week I will show you how to transfer drawings with a pantograph, the grid method and by using a pounce bag – just in case you are curious about those methods, too!

Foundations are so important...

2011-08-21T17:24:00.001-07:00

When I start a new painting, I want to grab my brushes and sling some exciting colors all over the place. But, if I do that without a good foundation, all I will have is a lot of puddles of wasted paint.

Foundation sketch on tracing paper

For me, a good painting begins with a solid preliminary sketch where lines define the boundaries of color, light, and shadow. The creation of this detailed sketch is time consuming, but skipping this step is not an option because the entire painting will be built upon this drawing.

using a light frame to transfer
the drawing to the paper

When the sketch is completed, this foundation must be transferred to my watercolor paper or I will still be guessing where my brush needs to go. Form and substance are built on this foundation, so I must be equally diligent when I transfer my sketch to my paper.

ready to begin painting

Ah, at last! The watercolor paper has the foundation sketch transferred to it and painting can begin! Now is the time to carefully follow the foundation sketch with my brush strokes and let the painting come to life. Using the right colors in the right areas will bring form and substance to the image. Otherwise, despite all of my preparation, this will just be paper and a puddle of paint.

The Lord brings substance to my life in the same way. His foundation, the Bible, gives me boundaries that shape and form me. His foundation frees me to become more than a blank piece of paper and a puddle of paint – it frees me to be the me He sees.

Doing a little painting today? Remember to have a good foundation, first!

Blessings, Kathy

“Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them,

I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep

and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst

against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.”

Luke 6: 47-8

Feeling sheepish?

2011-08-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am feeling a little sheepish, and...

****WAIT. STOP.****

Forrest, I am writing a blog post here. Shhhhh! What do you want?

***I want to know... what is going on out there...***

What? Where? You realize you are messing with my blogging here, Cat!

***Blogging*schmogging*... what's up here?***

New neighbors. Why don't you go get social and say "hi".

****merowerzzz****people. pftzzz****

****Hey. You out there. You with the funny faces and the weird hair. Yeah, you.****

****What are you? Sheep? huh. what's a sheep? Okay... nevermind... Well, as long as you aren't dogs. Or cats. I guess you can stay. Grass? yeah - go ahead and eat the grass. Just stay out of my cat food.****

****Yo! It's okay. They said they're sheep. They aren't dogs (or cats) and they don't like catfood so I said they could stay.****

*ahem* Thank you, Forrest. Glad you approve... I think. *rolls eyes* Ummmm - and you're sure that you don't mind if they stay? Even the baby?

****baby? baby? Well... huh! I had better go take a nap so I'll be all rested up for whatever happens next.****

*whispers* Gee, do you all think that I should tell her that the sheep are just visiting? Or should I let her find out for herself? hehe!

Wool, I hope you have a lammie pie day! Remember to count sheep if you take a nap *winks*
Blessings,
Kathy

Yep, I finally did it. I made my first ever Etsy Treasury!

2011-07-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

I created my very first treasury on Etsy this week and I just have to share it!

Just a few of my online Etsy friends!

Blessings,

Kathy

PS I am very blessed to have made many wonderful friends on Etsy.

I ran out of spaces way before I ran out of my friends,

so be looking another treasury featuring more of my Etsy friends!

Funtry Friday Travel Time!

2011-07-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just have to have a little adventure...

Goforaride?yeah!yeah!

Yes, Cookie, we are going for a ride. (mwahahha!) And, no, you may not drive.

Oh. The vet. Nice... thanks...

Hey - you are the one that ate the fox tail!

Hey - look at all those bushes. I want to go see them ALL! Yes. I said SEE.

Okay, get past the bushes, get past the critters in the waiting room, get down the hall, and get into the exam room. With the distractable dog still in tow...

Oh! OH! *shivers* LOOK! I see a kitty - come here little kitty... Why are you up there? come down here!

Picture. Cookie, it's a picture. COOKIE! Barking at a picture does not speak well about your discernment... among other things...
Just sayin'

Who cares. Wow, that was the most fun cat chasing that I have had in quite a while *yawn*

Some days... are just, well Dog Days!

Hope you had a fun Friday!
Blessings,
Kathy

PS The vet got the fox tail, I got the bill, and Cookie never did get to play with the cat...

Get creative with your photographs!

2011-07-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Are your photos in a shoebox? Naughty you! Share them and enjoy them! Put them in an album - or display them in a creative and fun way.

Use an elegant picture frame...

Dad on his ship during WWII.

Or leave it in it's antique frame just the way it has always been!

The Wisconsin homestead.

Tuck a little photograph in among your books...

An army band.

Or include it in a fantastic shadowbox!

Dad in his Navy uniform. The record is him reading the president's declaration of war.

Use a photo to remember a special occasion (like Dad's retirement)...

A gift to Dad from the bank when he retired.

Or to remember someone special (like Grandmother when she was a little girl)!

Grandmother won a contest for a soap company and this was one of her prizes.

Oh, she looks a little sad there, doesn't she. No worries - check out what I did with Photoshop to make this sad little antique hand colored photograph all better in my post, Photoshop wonderful to Grandmother's rescue! Now we can each have a copy of Grandmother's wonderful photograph.

You may have guessed that photographs are popular in our family. Hope you enjoyed seeing some of the ways I share mine - how do you share yours? Tell us in the comments!

Blessings,
Kathy

PS Yes, some of my walls are red!

What do you do with all the apple cores?

2011-07-02T17:22:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, my daughter and I canned a bunch of apple sauce. Of course the apples had to be peeled and cored before they were cooked. (Looks yummy, doesn't it?!)

Not one to waste the left over cores and skins, I took them home. After all, I know that the chickens, Benny Bunny, Bethie the goat, and Hershey the horse will all eat apples. Billie Jane - in spite of the fact that most horses will run a mile for an apple - turned up her nose at them. However, when this little bucket of treats was presented to Bethie...

...she was VERY happy with her version of spaghetti!

And, yes - she did slurp that up in record time and then looked around for more - haha!

So, what do you do with your apple cores and apple peels when you make apple sauce?

Happy weekend!

Blessings,

Kathy

Memorial Day ~ A time to remember

2011-05-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

WWII

That very young man kneeling second from the left in this photograph would be my Dad.

Dad did come home from WWII, but some of his shipmates and friends didn't.

Take a little time today to remember those who have given their lives for our country and say a prayer for the families that they have left behind. Then add a little prayer for all of those who are protecting our freedom today.

God bless,
Kathy

How to take the insanity out of framing artwork.

2011-05-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

Stacks and stacks of picture frames next to dozens of precut mats in an assortment of sizes… you have seen them displayed, admired the choices, and found that none of them fit your artwork. Help is on the way!

You see, there is (as Mom said) “method in the madness”! You just have to know what the method is and how to separate it from the madness. In picture framing, the method is “standard size frames and mats” and the madness is “paper sizes don’t always match the frame sizes”.

Here’s the scenario… You dash into the art store and race down the paper aisle. You find a luscious tablet of paper that is just what you want, so you rush home and start creating. Then you find out that the paper just flat doesn’t fit any precut mats or frames.

Here’s the answer: If you want to be able to use the readymade frames and mats, know your standard sizes before you create your artwork.

So, here you go ~ from my umpty-ump years of professional picture framing experience, I give you ***tada*** the most common standard (imperial or inches) sizes:

5 x 7

8 x 10

8.5 x 11

9 x 12

10 x 13

11 x 14

12 x 16

14 x 18

16 x 20

18 x 24

20 x 24

24 x 30

24 x 36

Aren’t you glad you know that now? Oh, why are some italicized? Those sizes are a little less common and you may have to seek a picture frame supplier who has a larger selection in order to find them.

If your artwork doesn’t require a mat, all of your framing problems have been solved. Well, a good portion of them, at any rate.

If your artwork needs a mat, then you just need to match up your mat opening size with the frame size. For instance, 5 x 7 inch artwork will fit nicely in an 8 x 10 inch frame. 14 x 18 inch artwork will fit nicely in a 20 x 24 inch frame.

When you purchase readymade mats, you will probably notice that many shops won’t have mats for frames that are larger than 11 x 14. That’s because lots of people are creating a custom frame for the larger sized artworks. Do not panic. You can still buy a readymade frame and have a mat cut to fit your artwork. In fact, if you don’t like that fucia mat or you are tired of white mats and more white mats, you can have a custom mat cut for your artwork and your selected readymade frame. Picture framers are nice people with lots of wonderful ideas so wander around in your favorite shop and ask them to show you what they would suggest.

Your country uses metric? Yes, you have standard sizes, too! They are close to these sizes, but not exactly the same. Do a search for “standard metric picture frame sizes” and you will find lots of information about standard sizes as well as many companies who sell readymade picture frames.

There you go! No you have the “method” and you can toss the “madness” out the window when you go to frame your next treasure.

Happy creating!

Blessings,

Kathy

OH NO!!!! What is that horrible sound!?!?

2011-05-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

"Blaze" watercolor and gouache

Just driving down the road! What's that awful noise?????
Gadfry!
First the refrigerator made a bad sound.
Then the printer joined the ranks of the loudly complaining...
Now Super Truck? NOOooooooo!
*slaps forehead*

Almost a grinding, but not quite...
*listens carefully*

But not all the time...
No, not just when I turn the corner...
Wait, it sounds like something is dragging...
Or stuck next to a tire...

*gets out of truck and checks in wheel wells*
Nothing.

*drives to Costco listening to intermittent nasty sound*

*sigh* I will take a momentary break from the disaster of yet another noisy attack from the mechanical contrivances. Ahhhhh - shopping.

*sigh* But it can't last forever. Okay, let's load up all the stuff from Costco - just shove it in here around all the recycling...

Wait!
*bends over at a very uncomplimentary angle*
What is that???? *reaches under truck - which makes other angle look like a super model in full formal regalia*
If I can just reach this *grunts* and yank it out *this is not pretty - thank me for not sharing a picture*

Got it!

What was "IT"?

A weed. A big whompin' carcass of a sheep weed (second cousin to a tumbleweed in the annoyance factor). At least the tumbleweeds have the decency to evaporate when I run over them... Sheep weed is more like a tree... with a trunk... and limbs that grab on to stuff under a truck and hang on for dear life while emitting a terrible scream when you drive down the road.

Oh, the picture of "Blaze"? What does it have to do with nasty weeds?

Nothing.

But Blaze is much prettier than the ugly weed carcass. I don't know about you, but I would MUCH rather see a horse than try to unhook a weed tree from underneath my truck in the Costco parking lot.

Hope you had fun today - I did after I heard Super Truck purring along without the Sheep Weed Tree!

Blessings,
Kathy

Did your Monday explode? Laugh!

2011-05-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

Things It Takes Most Of Us 50 Years To Learn

Detail of "Talk to the Tail" - original watercolor

1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of helicopters in it.

2. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

3. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.
4. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

5. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

6. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

7. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

8. You should not confuse your career with your life.

9. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter/janitor, is not a nice person.

10. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

*Thanks to Pastor Tim for this joke!*
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh/

Have a good rest of your Monday!
Blessings,
Kathy

Professional Chicken Shoppers hit the Funtry Friday road!

2011-04-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

No doubt about it! These girls took to "chick shopping" like a duck to water - er, like a chicken to... um... dirt. Or something like that =p

Well, a picture (or two or three) is worth a bunch of words - so here you go! Care to join us on a our trip to the feed store?

Our big adventure!

Awwwww! Cute little babies!

A little help from big sister.

Don't let them get out of the box on the way home!

Here's your new home!

They're so soft and furry!

Yep! Chickens are better than TV at any age!

Nice to have a little country fun any day - but especially good when the baby chicks arrive at the feed store!

Hope you had a Funtry Friday, too!
Blessings,
Kathy

HAPPY EASTER

2011-04-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

He is risen!

Hope you have a blessed Easter!

Kathy

Funtry Friday at the Feed Store

2011-04-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

There is lots of fun in the country when the baby chicks arrive at the local feed store!

So many little fuzzy babies to see!

Awwww - and bunnies and ducks, too!

I showed great restraint and only bought these little gals ~

Well, at least for now!

And what does the peanut, er duck, gallery have to say?

They remained strangely silent, although I thought I saw a smirk on Chuck the Duckin's little face. He tried to tell his ducky friends that there were other chicken hearts out there, but they wouldn't believe him!

So here, they are - all settled in their new home.

Well, not their permanent home. Once they have feathers instead of fuzz, I will reclaim the bath tub and move them outside.

For now, though, I am enjoying hearing their little peeps and watching their antics - and keeping them warm and inside.

Hope you had a fun Friday, too!
Blessings,
Kathy

The next best thing to taking an art class is...

2011-04-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

Do you love to feed your creative spirit by taking art classes? Soaking up the new information, watching an instructor share techniques, seeing someone demonstrate exactly how to do "that"... I do!

But sometimes it just isn't feasible to take a class. Then, the next best thing to taking an art class is enjoying a wonderful DVD by an artist you admire. I had a lot of fun today watching a watercolor DVD created by Arleta Pech called "Silver and Brass".

The DVD came with a drawing for a practice painting featuring a silver bowl.

I have traced the very detailed drawing, which is a "road map" for the painting.

I was going to paint along with her today, but I decided to watch the video all the way through first. That is one thing that you can't do in the classroom! I can watch this DVD over and over, pause, back up, skip that part, fast forward to the end - hehe - as many times as I want.

Arleta Pech has several DVDs on her web site for both watercolor and oils. The one that I have has been discontinued, but there are two other gorgeous watercolor painting DVDs. You can find out more information about her by reading her biography.

I am looking forward to painting along with Arleta on her DVD. I will post some work in progress photographs and share my "paint along" fun with you, too!

How about you? Have you got a favorite artist DVD in your library? Share your favorites in the comments!

Happy painting!
Blessings,
Kathy

Cheese fun and the signs of Spring! Funtry Friday

2011-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh! I love the signs of Spring!

New little babies! These are actually not twins, but they can’t have more than a few days between them in age.

And this week I saw a pair of Canadian Geese wing their way north! There were several beautiful bright yellow locust trees, the tumbleweeds are still on the move… Oh, and yes, and the first grasshopper of the season made a kamikaze attack on my truck. Yep, it is definitely Spring!

Spring is a good time to do something new, so how about some cheesey fun? I promised I would share my cheese recipe and here it is. This is a quick and easy cheese to make and it needs no special equipment. THIS CHEESE HAS NO PRESERVATIVE! You should plan to CONSUME THIS IN ABOUT THREE DAYS. It’s not hard to do that since you can also cook with this cheese.

Here is what you need:

A big glass bowl, a big spoon, a strainer lined with a very clean cloth, and a warm place.

In your big glass (not metal) bowl mix approximately a quart of milk with one quarter to one half of a Junket tablet that has been dissolved in about a quarter cup of warm water (the more Junket, the stiffer the cheese), one cup of CULTURED buttermilk (it will not work with uncultured buttermilk!), and salt to taste (if you decide you want it saltier, you can add more salt with the seasonings). If your milk is cold, warm it up, but do not let it boil. Cover your bowl and put it in a warm place for two to four hours.

Your cheese should look like this after a few hours ~

“Cut the cheese” to release the liquid whey. Strain off the whey (which you can save use for soup, bread, or just about anything that calls for water) and let your cheese rest and drain.

Originally, I made this with raw goat’s milk. I would milk the goat, strain the milk, pour the warm milk into the bowl and then add the other ingredients. Handling raw milk of any kind requires a certain amount of knowledge and a lot of care in order to insure a healthy end product. This cheese can be made with pasteurized cow’s milk, too. Naturally, your flavors will be different. Adding a little bit more of the buttermilk (no more than one extra cup), makes the cheese have a little more of a ‘zing’ in its flavor.

You can season this with anything you like. My friend and I have made this LOTS of time with raw goat milk and these are some of our favorite ways to season this cheese ~

Dill; dill and onion; dill and garlic; dill and red pepper; red pepper; garlic and onion; basil – Well, really just about any flavor combinations that you like! The cheese has a mild flavor that goes well with spices and with fruit. I have mixed the goat cheese with pineapple - like we used to do with cottage cheese when we were young and it was really good.

There you have it! Any questions? Post them in the comments! Let me know if you make this easy little cheese and how you like it!

Happy Funtry Friday!

Blessings,
Kathy

Some things take a little longer… Like cheese!

2011-04-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Funtry Friday! Yeah, I know, it’s Sunday. So happy Funtry Sunday! And, how about a little Funtry Saturday good wishes, too, since I have been working on this little project for three days. LOL!

I used to make cheese all the time when I was milking my goats – mmmmm! Yummy good goat cheese =) I have missed my homemade cheese, so I decided to see if I could come up with a soft cheese that tasted decent without the goat's milk. It took a little while, but I have a batch that I think will work. It still needs a bit of seasoning, but I’m not sure what I am going to do with it yet, so it’s just sitting the fridge for tonight.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Way ahead!

Here is flop number one ~

That there is a cheese brick destined for the chickens =p

Ummm, flop number two just went down the drain because it never set up at all.

This batch looks like cheese!

Especially when you ‘cut the cheese’. Yep, this is where that expression came from - cut cheese and you will know why.

Time to drain off the whey…

Isn’t that pretty!

Now it’s time to ‘hang’ the cheese. I have to admit, that I find it easier to just let it lay around in a strainer over a bowl. There are no handles on my cabinet doors…

Tomorrow I will have a nice little ball of cheese that will be similar to cream cheese. If this recipe actually tastes good tomorrow and if I can make it work again, I will share it with you. For now, though if you want a recipe for cheese - just search the internet! There are tons of ways to make lots of different kinds of cheeses.
Now, if I can manage the bagels tomorrow, I will have a fun lunch ;-)

Have you made cheese before? What kind did you make?

Blessings,

Kathy

My Sunday post on Monday - but for a very good reason!

2011-03-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

Usually on Sunday I share a few thoughts with you about whatever is on my mind. Yesterday my blog was quiet. You could hear crickets.

Okay. If you have a cricket phobia, then you could just hear the silence - how's that?!

Where was I? Why was it so quiet here? Well, I was experiencing life in the three dimentional world. Sometimes people get so caught up in the fast paced wonder of the internet, that it becomes their entire world. Don't let that happen to you! and I promise you that I won't let it happen to me.

I'm not saying that I take lightly the online friendships I have made. I enjoy the interaction I have had with my good cyber friends! Many of us have chatted for several years and followed each other from online place to online place in order to keep in touch.

But, you see, that is the point. We have friendships. We are real people. We chat, send emails, share our joys and sorrows, and give each other a nudge when we need it. And sometimes we get to meet each other in person. That is very different from getting caught up in the fast paced glittz of zooming around aimlessly on the internet.

Sometimes we need an anchor to keep us in the "real world" harbor for a while before we bounce wildly off on the internet sea again. Yesterday, I was enjoying a little "harbor time". So what was my little anchor?

Why, my family, of course!

Hope you had a wonderful Sunday ~ I sure did!

Blessings,
Kathy

For God alone my soul waits in silence,

for my hope is from Him.

Psalm 62:5

I am soooo going to create scarcity! Funtry Friday revenge!

2011-03-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

It is definitely Spring around here - even if the temperature doesn't say it is. I hear the meadowlarks in the morning singing in between the melodious guineas calling to one another. There is not always ice on the water tanks *woohoo*.

And the tumbleweeds are migrating...

I have seen some people selling these things online. I want to know how they manage to ship them. Are they selling a 10 inch tumbleweed and shipping a 40 inch one? I figure that's about what you would have left after all the shipping guys tossed it around...

Anyway, I am going to help out all those enterprising people and create some scarcity here. I mean, really - the tumbleweeds have provoked me. Seriously. This is was my gate.

Notice that little bare bones weed in the front. It's not a tumbleweed. I think the tumbleweeds ate it and spit out the bones.

Really. I have to drive somewhere and these dudes are ganging up on me.

Okay - I am going to make a path!

Ouch. I'm not tossing any more of you to safety. Prepare to meet my truck you varmits!

Take that, you - you - you WEEDS.

Yeah. I drove to town, but I couldn't get away from them. They ate half the road. Chomp*chomp*chomp... and spit out some pot holes...

Single lane of traffic here unless you want to disappear for a couple of weeks. I'm telling you - those tumbleweeds are getting scary.

I'm wondering what I'll find in the back yard when they migrate to parts unknown. Like a car or another horse... a couple of extra goats? Or maybe a gate... I wasn't planning on using this one anyway. It might be nice to be able to use the water faucet though...

Yeah, I don't care how pretty they look in the sunset...

I'm going to create some scarcity - so look out, tumbleweeds!

Hope you had a fun Friday - it's always a Funtry Friday out here in the country! Drop by anytime - just kick the tumbleweeds out of your way...

Blessings,
Kathy

There is still time to Adopt Art!

2011-03-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

Little Sophia Etalemaw is home now!

But, the adoption expenses didn't end when she arrived in the United States. There are still more "in country" expenses associated with her adoption...

Soooooo....

Take a stroll over to the Adopt Art page and see how you can adopt some very fun artwork (at a very low cost) and help with all of these adoption expenses. All of the details are on the Adopt Art page. You will be able to adopt art at these low prices until all of the adoption expenses have been paid. After that, the pages will be taken down and the special prices will be gone!

Wander over to the Adopt Art Gallery and adopt some artwork! There are new little treasures posted in there just waiting to go home with you!

Shipping is free and all of the funds go directly to Timothy and Cynthia to help with the adoption expenses.

Thanks for being a blessing!
Kathy

Welcome home, Sophia!

2011-03-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

Sophia Etalemaw arrived home Friday, March 18, 2011!

Lori ~ Cynthia's very good friend who traveled with her to Ethiopia.

The new Big Sister.

The Big Big Sister

Happy Grammy!

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Blessings,
Kathy

"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me..."
Mark 9:37a

A pocket full of 7 Card Draw fun!

2011-03-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, if you know me, you know that I like those little ACEOs!

Art Cards Editions and Originals are tiny little pieces of artwork that are 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches (6.4 cm x 8.9 cm), roughly the size of a standard playing card.

ACEOs are created using all kinds of art materials and their subject matter is just as varied. Because they are small, they can be a very affordable way to collect the artwork you love.

One place that I visit to have a little ACEO fun is the 7 Card Draw Team on Etsy where people win up to 7 ACEOs every month. Drop by sometime and say "hi"! You just might be a winner, too!

Want to see a little sample of you can win? Look what arrived in my mailbox recently.

How fun is that?! I WON these little treasures! Not only that, but I won them from some good friends online in the 7 Card Draw Team. Take a closer look at these great little works of art.

Starting at the top, you have ~

Carole, "Giant Leaf" at http://www.etsy.com/shop/rsully2sphotography
Lee, "Ted E. Bear Visits the Playground" at http://www.etsy.com/shop/leepierce
Linda, "Dunny" at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Raedawn
Betty, "Making Snow Angels" at http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkglitterfae
Marlene, "Stained Glass Grapes" at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lazyhawk
JohnnieBelinda, "Untitled (Tree)" at http://www.etsy.com/shop/johnniebelinda
Marta, "Tree with Heart-shaped Leaves" at http://www.etsy.com/shop/martaharvey

I am delighted to add these wonderful little creations to my growing ACEO collection - not just because each one is wonderful artwork, but also because each one of them came from a friend. On the other side of this computer, I have friends who want to know how I am doing, who pray for me, who encourage me - and who have enriched my life.

So, today I am taking time to say "thank you" to all of you for your wonderful "cyber friendship"! You make me smile!

Have you joined a great online community and made some great friends, too? Tell me where!

Blessings,
Kathy

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:12b

Did you hear THAT??? Totally Funtry Friday!

2011-03-04T20:41:00.000-07:00

Seriously! Listen - can't you hear that? What? oh... yeah. You are on the other side of blogland and you can't hear that beautiful sound. Well, what I am hearing is the sound of SPRING! It's the lovely song of a Meadowlark!

Well, and I hear the wind blowing like crazy, but that is also a sound of Spring around here.

In addition to the sounds of Spring, there are some sights of Spring, too. I am so excited! LOOK! something green!

Yeah. I know it's just some random weed and probably neither the goat or the horses will eat it, but it's green not brown! It's alive, not crisp!

And check this out! This is really exciting, too ~

What? Well, it's hair. Lots of hair! Hey - shedding horses are a sure sign that Spring is beginning!

Just in case you need a little more proof...

There! More proof!

Huh? Well, that's my goat, Bethie. More accurately, that is the top of her neck. She's kind of busy eating, but that's not a sign of Spring. That's a sign that she's a goat.

She's shedding, too! That is definitely a sign that Spring is upon us!

Time to get out of the house and go visiting.

Forrest hasn't ventured too far off the porch because it was sooooo cold and icy. Billie Jane hasn't been out front either because it was so muddy. So here they are, finally having a nice visit.

Oh, yeah. And another sign of Spring...

The tumbleweeds are on the move...

Happy Spring Funtry Friday!
Blessings,
Kathy

I won The ACEO Challenge!

2011-03-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

Woohooo! I won! I won The ACEO Challenge for February!

This little challenge is open to anyone who has created an ACEO that answers the posted theme. The theme for February was “Groundhogs (or whichever weather rodent is in your part of the world)”.

Here is my answer to that challenge ~ “Happy Spring” ~ a little sweetie who has her eye on that famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, and she is sure that spring is just around the corner. That famous groundhog isn’t going to get away from her!

"Happy Spring" - Original watercolor and ink painting - ACEO - 2.5 x 3.5 inch (6.4 x 8.9 cm)

What’s an ACEO? Well, it’s the cousin of an ATC. What’s an ATC? I could say it’s the cousin of an ACEO, but I wouldn’t do that to you, now would I?

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They are little works of art that can be originals, limited editions, or reproductions. They can be done in any media ~ literally! I have seen paintings, block prints, fabric, pottery, photographs, and the list goes on and on and on. The only stipulation is that they are 2.5 x 3.5 inches (6.4 cm x 8.9 cm). That’s it.

And what about the ATC? ATC stands for Art Trading Cards. The only difference between them is that ATCs are for trading and ACEOs can be bought, sold or traded.

Once you have created your little artwork, then you can decide if you want to sell it or trade it. If you want to trade it, search for ATC groups. To sell it, look for places that feature ACEOs. Voila! The fun begins!

What can you do with these little gems? Lots of things ~

Keep them, give them as gifts, or trade them
Display them in an album, a decorative box, or a beautiful basket
Use them as bookmarks, decorate greeting cards with them, or collage them on larger artwork
Display them on an easel, in a frame, or on your refrigerator with a magnetic sleeve

They are lots of fun to create, very portable, a good way to try out new media or techniques, and they are just plain fun. Give one a try!

And, if you just happen to create one that has a theme of “March Winds” or “In Like a Lamb – Out Like a Lion”, then stroll over to the The ACEO Challenge blog and post it for this month’s challenge!

Happy creating!

Blessings,

Kathy

How fast can a rabbit eat lettuce?

2011-02-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

How fast can a rabbit munch a piece of lettuce? Does "inhale" conjure up an image?

Watching this was rather like watching someone "slurp" spaghetti - only without the noise and the flying sauce. However, there was a lot of finesse and exhuberance - and a definite excited enjoyment!

Made me think that I ought to take a little lesson from Benny Bunny. I need to stop and enjoy the blessings that are right in front of me with this same sense of joy and excitement. After all, you can only get out of life what your attitude puts into it.

This was, after all lettuce but Benny's attitude toward lettuce is a bit different than my attitude toward lettuce. *winks*

Time for me to adjust my attitude and wander off to check out the roses - and the lettuce. How about you?

Blessings,
Kathy

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Psalm 34:8

You just never know what you will see next out here! Funtry Friday!

2011-02-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes open and you will be surprised

by what you see out in the country!

What's going on out there?

Cows! Can we go play?

Bet this isn't something you see on Main St., Big City, USA.

Round-up time!

I have learned to walk softly and look carefully

because you never know what beautiful things you might miss ~

like this 'ice collage' shining in the morning light.

I've learned to look at things from a different angle.

And, I've learned that Billie Jane would rather eat breakfast

than watch me take pictures!

But I still stop and enjoy the simple sights ~

like ice crystals and interesting abstract shapes

that just happen to catch my eye.

Speaking of ice crystals and abstract shapes ~ check this out!

The entire surface is frozen in a pattern of ice crystals

and around the sides there are ice crystals

hovering above the surface.

Amazing! They are almost an inch above the water - er, ice - line.

I tried to hold one to photograph it, but the warmth of my fingers melted it before the camera could focus. LOL - fast ice, slow camera =p

One of my favorite country things is all the fresh produce and eggs.

Remember my Amazing Mrs. Chicken?

Since early February she has presented me with 16 eggs!

That is pretty spectacular for a 14 year old chicken =)

With all these nice big eggs, I think it's time to do some baking!

What's your favorite country sight?

Share it with me in the comments!

Happy Funtry Friday!

Blessings,

Kathy

Need a little artistic recharge?

2011-02-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

Hey, we all need to feed our creativity now and then and what better way than to see what’s going on out in the wide world of art? I was touring around the internet today, and look at the fun things I found!

Linda Donnelly has a great hint on her blog. She tells us how to recycle those little bags that just keep piling up and piling up. She came up with a very fun way to use them!
http://althena12.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-to-recycle-clear-bags-that.html

I like to have fun in the studio, too, and this was such a fun project. The final mixed media painting turned out really neat!

http://tapestry316.blogspot.com/2010/05/little-monday-art-fun.html

Here's what the finished painting looks like ~

"Cactus Faces" - 2.5 x 3.5 inches - Original mixed media painting -ACEO

Check out Linda Matthews website and you will find all kinds of tutorials and great ideas for projects. Quilting, sewing, fabric printing, image transfer and lots more topics are covered. Better give yourself lots of time to cruise around here! http://www.linda-matthews.com/free-projects-and-tutorials/

Just want to see some great artwork? Check out this Huffington Post article to see some sidewalk art – trompe-l’oeil at its largest!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/01/3d-sidwalk-art-that-will_n_478649.html#s71257&title=Rocky_Road

Want to have a little fun? You know you do! Check this out ~
http://childparenting.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=childparenting&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jacksonpollock.org%2F

All recharged now? Have fun and let me know what you created!

Blessings,
Kathy

Photoshop wonderful to Grandmother's rescue!

2011-02-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Here is my poor tattered grandmother before the wonders of Photoshop ~

The same hand colored image photographed in a huge improvised red neck light box ~

And here is the image after the wonders of Photoshop ~

Well, now that looks a lot better! Do you have a tattered torn old photo that you want to restore with Photoshop? Here are a few simple things I learned along the way - in not so technical terms - although knowing a few basics will help.

Start with a really good photograph with a very high resolution. In other words, pack that baby with tons of pixels. The more little pixels pokey dots that you have, the smoother the overall appearance will be when your project is finished.
Use a light box to eliminate shadows and reflection. I totally invented one because I didn't have anything big enough for this hand colored photograph. I used a white heavy canvas hung up by the window. I propped up the photograph and held one side of the canvas in place while I took one-handed pictures using the light from the window. I told you it was really red-neck. It worked, though. See how there is bright white where the rips in the canvas are? And notice that the reflections are all gone? Okay. red-neck works sometimes!
You will use the 'clone brush' for this project. Where it is, depends on what version of Photoshop you have and how you have everything set up. Ummm.... for really technical stuff, look in your manual... please...
When you pick your brush thingy to clone with, pick one with fuzzy edges. That will make the overlapping edges look smoother.
Adjust the transparency of your brush thingy so that it is not 100%. Play with it to see what looks best.
Watch where your brush is going. I spent a lot of time undoing stuff because my brush had traveled to a completely different place and the resulting color was totally not what I wanted.
Take your time. If you get bored, walk away from your project and come back later. The temptation is to get a bigger and bigger brush to hurry through the boring parts, but that just makes it look funky.
And, remember to have fun!

I had a lot of fun restoring this image of my grandmother and it was easier than I thought it would be. Do you have an old photo hiding in the drawer? Take it out and have a little fun! Lots of these hints can be applied to other photo editing programs, too. Are you going to do it?

Blessings,
Kathy

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and put a new and right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

Not exactly the soaring eagle... airborne Funtry Friday!

2011-02-18T19:01:00.001-07:00

Not a sleek flying machine, but it's surprising how high and how far guinea fowl can fly. Check this out ~

Lookie here - this one got all the way up to the roof of my little hay barn and that's pretty high. You should hear the racket inside when they tap dance up there! And, because I am a bit weird, it makes me laugh to hear it ;-)

Okay, here we are - scoping out a possible launch site... Apparently the chicken coop roof looks pretty good.

And.... tada! Airborne - albeit briefly...

Now that is a LOT of frantic flapping going on there - trust me - and a few feathers are flying in all directions, too. No wonder there is always an abundance of feathers for the grandkiddos to pick up!

Oh, and speaking of Mikayla and Naomi, I think I may have won the goathead race...

Nice, huh... We'll have to check with them to see if they agree since they invented the game when they were visiting me. Check out this Funtry Friday blog post to see all the games they invented!

One thing for sure, there's nothing quite like a great country sunset!

It's a wonderful way to end a Funtry Friday! Hope you had a great day, too.

Blessings,
Kathy

tapestry316

A portfolio, A Huge Chicken, and An Egg on the Floor

What's fun this Friday? Funtry Friday, of course!

Whatcha do for country fun on a Funtry Friday? Lots of cool stuff!

When is white not white and black not black?

Looking back, looking forward... Funtry Friday!

Oh, yay! Look what's happening in my studio!

On the 12th Day of Christmas... in the Funtry Friday zone!

What is this blank-ness of paper that I see?

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to you all!

Merry Funtry Friday Christmas Sing-a-long ~ Paulden Style!

It's that time of year - Fruitcake Season!

Giveaway creativity - 5 steps to a great blog giveaway!

Brrrr cold Funtry Friday Fun!

Snow. *Attitude Adjustment* ~~~SNOW!!!~~~

The relative size of a kitten... Funtry Friday!

A little fun with ACEOs - Funtry Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Almost finished!

Welcome to my cave... Funtry Friday!

Nothing quite like some fun art in your mailbox!

A little work in progress ~

If you can disagree with the President, say thank you.

Back in the old days of silk screen...

Where is your passion?

Stretching a bit - without a *yawn*!

A little reading for the road...

Traveling down Vehicular Fun Drive, the WINNER is....

Funtry Friday Giveaway and the rest of the “Vehicular Genealogy” story!

Want to help two beautiful children?

More "Vehicular Genealogy" and a fun giveaway!

Vehicular Genealogy - Funtry Friday!

How to be quiet on a crazy busy day.

What do you see out your window? Funtry Friday!

Ummm... huh? Funtry Friday - fooled me!

I remember.

UFOs? Funtry Friday in the Sky!

It must be the kid in me!

The Art of Seeing

How to turn a Red Heeler into a Brown Heeler - Funtry Friday

Revisiting my little sheepish lambkin!

Extreme Sheepherding Too

Poof! Make my drawing appear!

Foundations are so important...

Feeling ***sheepish***?

Yep, I finally did it. I made my first ever Etsy Treasury!

Funtry Friday Travel Time!

Get creative with your photographs!

What do you do with all the apple cores?

Memorial Day ~ A time to remember

How to take the insanity out of framing artwork.

OH NO!!!! What is that horrible sound!?!?

Did your Monday explode? Laugh!

Professional Chicken Shoppers hit the Funtry Friday road!

HAPPY EASTER

Funtry Friday at the Feed Store

The next best thing to taking an art class is...

Cheese fun and the signs of Spring! Funtry Friday

Some things take a little longer… Like cheese!

My Sunday post on Monday - but for a very good reason!

I am soooo going to create scarcity! Funtry Friday revenge!

There is still time to Adopt Art!

Welcome home, Sophia!

A pocket full of 7 Card Draw fun!

Did you hear THAT??? Totally Funtry Friday!

I won The ACEO Challenge!

How fast can a rabbit eat lettuce?

You just never know what you will see next out here! Funtry Friday!

Need a little artistic recharge?

Photoshop wonderful to Grandmother's rescue!

Not exactly the soaring eagle... airborne Funtry Friday!

Snow. Attitude Adjustment ~SNOW!!!~

Stretching a bit - without a yawn!

Feeling sheepish?