Busy as a Bee and then a little bit more

Well look what time of year it is now.   Whew it is indeed staggering how fast time is flying by.  November dear readers------NOVEMBER !!!!!  In this part of the world that mean cold and snow and some rain so buckle up readers it is going to be a cold one I do believe. 

 

I can remember in olden days when we lived in Washington state, Daddy was in the Army, back in the late 40's probably like1949 and 1950 yep things did happen back then.   I was  like 5 or 6 but I remember when it snowed and we loved it.  I was bundled up like a mummy and would play until my fingers and toes were not happy campers.   When I was grown and had children I remember the snow days, oh all the wet clothes and everything that goes with snow play, what a mess my Mother had to deal with.  We did not have dryers back then and clothes were draped all over every where.  Looked like now that I think back, like a wild rummage sale.  Funny isn't it,  how you think of things differently as you get older?  We are not cold weather lovers at all here  to date and they care calling for more snow more than normal for we Texans.   Love to see it and the feel of the air is so clean and it is quiet  also.  I guess the snow muffles the sounds of busy life and just makes it peaceful sounding.  Thank goodness for stitching and painting and cooking to keep me busy.   Soup and baking in the horizon I do believe.

 

Now I have always cut out recipes in magazines, always and tried some of them and after some adjusting to our taste some are pretty darn good.   Eldon says he can remember some of them were pretty bad and they would give our sweet dog Smokey the remains of the dish I had cooked.   He did say he probably would have lived to be 100 in our years if we had not have fed him the remains of the dishes.   I find that hard to believe but he might have been right though.  Now for those who worry about Eldon, he did live after saying that little comment.  He did grin when he said it.  

 

I found a Chicken Spaghetti recipe and I did overhaul and he loves it.   It has two things wrong with it.  Chicken and Spaghetti were part of the ingredients but my rearranging the recipe he now even asks for it. He does not like Chicken or spaghetti .     If I can figure out how to make a tab you can click on and there are the recipes I will share.  It does have Rotel tomatoes and wakes your mouth up a little, but that is Texas.  

 

 



I have been doing some Cqing, some Sue Spargo class work and some painting.  It is keeping me busy and off the streets.   So here goes the adventure:



 

 

Remember granddaughter lives in Hawaii and I had created a mixed media painting of her with her pretty little face so I made her a little pouch and sent it to her. 

 

 



 

Little glass fish and some shells and just pretties.  She loved it.

 

 

I created a purse for a friend and just wanted to share some close ups of it also. 

 



 

A close up of some Antique Sari trim and some beautiful leaves my friend Kathleen made.  She is the one who made the dodo bird for me.   Pretty talented lady  and I am lucky to have her as a friend.  

 



 

The Faerie in the middle had to have some bling and I love bringing the hair out of the ciggie confines.  

 

Here is the front of the purse and the tiny spider at the top right is just to cute.  Every garden has spiders of some sort.  We brought all the plants either in the "dog house" aka Sun room or the back garage aka the old "tropical hideaway" .  We did find a few spiders thinking they wanted to live in their but we had other thoughts.  



 

Close up of my November CQJP block.   I have one more month done and then will share what I did with all 12 of them.  This was more fun and colorful to do these blocks.  Each block I just kept doing different things and playing with them. 

 

The finished November block,   I think it looks like a party for sure.   

 I was in a Round Robin in Crazy Quilt world, meaning you make so many block un embellished and other ladies embellishes it how they choose.   I had one extra and this is my block with my pretties on it.   I had fun with this and you notice it is pastel in color.  Not an Annette trademark.  I showed a friend on line and she said she fell out of her chair and hurt her back she was so shocked that I did in pastels. I hope she was kidding about hurting her back. Kathy S. were you?

 

Now remember I am taking a little Sue Spargo class and this is my take of the block that we did for October.  I like taking the class, I get to visit with mind like ladies, we bring snacks and oh did I mention we do a little stitching thrown in there?  Lots of French Knots for the hair, I think the book showed 4 of them but I added a few more and lots of beads. Oh can you tell it has beads?  

 

 

Ok enough on stitching,    My lifebook 2015 assignment was kind of sorta like this----sort of maybe?   Anyway I had to put a few flowers and faerie and just some pretties in it.  A fun two page spread and just another thing to paint and put in a stack.  Tamera LaPorte is just the best instructor  and all the others on the lifebook squad.  I don't do all of the assignments but not because I don't like them I just have sometimes to many irons in the fire.   My stack growth, fast!

 

 

 

Ok nearly finished here, hang with me.   Last but not least is a painting  Tracy Verdigo influenced is the little Faerie and a Unicorn.  Now for you non believers of Unicorns and Faeries there is little pretties floating around, something for everyone.   Of course I added lots of glitter

 

 

There you go what I have been up to for the last couple of three weeks.   Now we have been getting the yard ready for Winter and I think, I thing we mowed for the last time yesterday.   Last year we didn't mow the front grass down as low as we usually do for Winter and oh my goodness it caught ever Tom, Dick and Harry's leaves in the neighborhood.  Sooooooo I wrote on the calendar to remember to mow it low.   Will keep you posted on that little program if it works.  

Thank you for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.  Well kind of anyway. 

XOXO

Annette 

Lots to Show and Tell today

Hello,   Well, so much for me writing more for September and here it is October.  I hope all are well and ready to get eye strain here.  I have a load of pictures for you.  NOT KIDDING !!!!!!

We are fixin' to get plants ready to either go in the back garage  AKA the old topical hide a way for the fur babies  or in the "DOG HOUSE" the new home for the fur babies.  AKA the Sun Room.  Course it is not new anymore but we still call it the DOG HOUSE.   The babies have their own plush beds and heated and cooled like special babies need and sort of a Jungle theme.  They have a door to go in and out of when they want.  BUT if we have the door down one of the babies,  our newest one will not go in without an invitation.   Not a written one, they can't read, but one from us saying come on Charlie.  So we have this "beautiful contraption" fixed.   It is beautiful silver duct tape and towels with weights on it to help keep the towels from flopping around.    We have tried everything in the world to train him to come in.  Who ever had this baby before us trained him well is all I have to say.   Now when it is snowy and really bad at night we tape the fancy smancy towel up all around the edges and says nice and 71 to 72 ish.   Once it did get down to I think 67 but man alive it was cold outside.    It is funny how "things" get their little names isn't it?   Like Dog House for your sun room.  No one in the world may get it but you and hubby or family but the name is there to stay.  Like one daughter use to call candy num num, well it is still num num.  That has been what 46 or so years ago. 

I guess I better quit going down my " Bunny Trails" and get on with the stories at hand and what in the world I have been doing with my art.   Well we did mow again, counting down on those little adventures-mowing.   It is funny we are so anxious when spring is here and we get to mow and piddle in the yard but his time of year we are saying HURRY and freeze.    Then when it freezes we think oh  they yard was so pretty.  Never can please us I guess.

Soooooo, at the Bernina Sewing Center, here in Lubbock they were offering a Sue Spargo class.  Now I thought who in the world is Sue Spargo?   It is for a wall hanging, which I will just make into a book.  Our walls can only hold so much art and running out of room. Well to give you an idea, I have 4  30x40 inch canvases in my bath tub here in my art room.  Not painted of course but this room is getting full.   I could move everything to the basement and make the best art room in the world but that means going up and down stairs.  If I got a wild thought and to tell Eldon the thought I would have to go up the stairs.  As it is I can take about 4 steps, see if his eyes are open and tell the thought and then back to my art room.  At my age, if I don't tell the thought, it is gone forever.  I am sure the ones I forget are not earth shattering but still it is my duty to share with Eldon.   

Back to Sue Spargo, it is I call it a folk art of sorts I think.   So after doing the block I did have to bling it up, of course.  I am thinking I need more bling and things going on with this but here she be.

This block is wool and the things are wool except for the little printed fabric at the bottom.   So I will keep you posted on this little project.  We are doing one a month and I have another one to the "middle" stage and will show next month.  

Now after doing this project I thought oh my this would be perfect embellishing for my DoDo bird a sweet lady made for me.  Steam Punk it is ---thank you Kathleen.  She is going to be the cover of my Alice in Wonderland book.  Perfect don't you think?   When I got it I wasn't sure what I was going o fancy her up with but I think it suits her.  The Sue Spargo look.  The flowers are hearts, get it?    Nothing is real looking so perfect for Alice .

 

I did use the wool felt and some gauze I had dyed for a journaling project and I was good to go.  Only weighs 100 pounds but that is my weight limit for a CQ piece so fits right in. 

 

A couple of close ups of what I have done.   Of course I may or may not add more 

 

 

 

Now you may be wondering what my October Day of the Dead block looks like so here it is.   I am semi on the ball with some things, I have 3 wall hangings with 4 blocks each on them already done.  But if I show them to you now the surprise for November and December will be ruined.   So no no ya can't see yet. 

 

 

Can you feel the festivities?  

 

I am in a Round Robin of Under the Sea theme and this in my embellishing of one of the ladies  Renee.   I am using my mermaids, cutting them out and then adding to their blocks.   This is number 3 in the series.   I added a few Seagulls in the sky and had the dolphins jumping out of the water,  I couldn't have an empty sky now could I? 

 

 

 

Almost finished with the marathon post here.  You may go get a glass of tea or coffee if you are getting tired.  I will wait for you. 

 

OK, I am doing a little swap with needle books.   A friend in Australia  Betty sent me a needle books several years ago.   I need to take it's pic, I am using it like crazy and now I don't know how I kept my needles together with any semi order.   THANK YOU BETTY !!!!!   I do have the needles in the book and keep count of them in case one jumps out on the floor and we have to get the flash light to hunt for it.   They do hide you know.

 

 

Here is the front of the needle book.  Now a couple or so years ago went went to an Estate sale,  really was a garage sale but then if it say Estate they can charge more.   I was looking for any treasures and Eldon said Annette.  I turned and looked and there was this beautiful beaded wedding dress for $5.  Wow did he make a find, it was a lady's second wedding and my first treasure of a find.   So the body and the pretty pearled bottom of this needle book  is part of the dress.   I had to add some more bling and a pretty crystal button I had.  Of course. 

 

 

 

The first part of the inside.   I added some fabric to the inside of the front pocket, thanks Ann for that suggestion.   Mainly so scissors would not poke thru the lace.  Then some pretty added to the front of the wool part for the needles.

 

 

 

Inside of the needle  part  

 

 

 

The back side of the needle part with another little pocket

 

 

 

 

Now the back of the book.  

 

 

 

There you go the needle book.   Now I have another Alice page and painting to show you but I thought y'all would have to go get new glasses if I put any more pictures-photographs- on here. 

 

Sooooooo

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world. 

 

XOXOOX

Annette

Decorating with Orange and some CQ Art

Hello and first day of Fall or Autumn or whatever they want to call it is coming up.   Now I don't remember when it's name got changed. Whatever day it is----it is a coming.  I think I told you it is my favorite time of year, it is.     Funny isn't it how they, whoever they are, change the names of things or events or in this case a season change?  All I know is the leaves change color, the cold fronts come in and out very quickly and the pumpkins and treasures like that get to be put out and decorate with.   I guess it is the time of year when we can decorate with ORANGE and no one faints. 

 

I have been painting, I will post those soon.   Of course I have been stitching also.   It is funny when I retired, what almost 5 years or might be 6 years now, I thought what am I going to enjoy doing now?   I loved loved my photography and running the business part of it.  I never thought I would like that but our accountant, who knows me well, said "Annette just pay by check and all will be good".   Ok wandering off on a bunny trail now,  sorry.    I tried several things in the art world and loved it all and I figured the cream would rise to the top and I think it did. 

 

The painting, a different style now than when I use to paint, and the stitching .  I think they are the winners.   So enough chattering Annette get on with the pics.

 

I did a Round Robin with a group of ladies and I chose my theme to be Alice in Wonderland.    Hubby had a book from olden days and has pics, black and white, so I went on line and found them in color.   All the ladies did wonderful in the RR  so when I got them back I thought about adding more pages and make a book.  Not to novel of an idea, I mean books have been around forever or nearly forever but I thought a book it will be.   I have at least 12 blocks sewn together and here is the first block I did embellish.   

 

The little bird had to peek in to see what the caterpillar, looks like a hookah smoking caterpillar to me, but remember the whole story line of Alice in Wonderland is a little different.  Anyway the birdie is listening in, the lady bug has to get close by.   I added the yellow metal charms but painted them first.  You can't have anything normal looking in Wonderland.   So here is my block I did.    I think I am going to make them my CQJP 2016 project  

 

 

 

 

Ok onward and upward so to speak here .  I know underwater in CQ is just fun and called UTS,  meaning under the sea so I was invited to play so I have not ever done one so here goes.  I did want to add one of my hand drawn and painted mermaids I made for Ciggies or Silkies so this red headed girl got to be a mermaid.   Little glass fish, a jelly fish of sorts and some "sea weed".   She was fun to do and I will have more on here as the months go by. 

 

 

 

 

Now you may remember I am doing blocks, one a month, of the celebration of Day of the Dead.  So colorful and just fun to make.  I did do 3 wall hangings with 4 blocks in each but will share those later, don't want to spoil the reveal of each month.  I don't think the blocks will mind but will make them wait their turn.  

I don't know why but this one is one of my favorites.  

 

 

A close up of this little block with beads, embroidery, silk ribbon pretties.   I can thank Pat Winter for teaching me the art of CQ.   A wonderful online class and she taught me well.  



 

 

 

 

There you go what I have sort of been doing lately and you know there is more going on in my world.  Like if the grass dries from the heavy dew we will mow, you know exciting things like that and going to the post office.  It just blows your hair back how exciting of a life we lead.  

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world and down my different bunny trails

 

 

XOXOXO

Annette

 

Down my Bunny Trails

Hello there, well here it is in September.  I have been tardy again, I hope like when you went to public schools if you are tardy, what three times, you had to be punished.  I forgot how or what the punishment was though and I don't remember ever being late------ for anything.  I just strive and strive hard to not be late.  Just a thing with me.  Of course a couple of times I was nearly late when in high school.  Knowing my hubby of 54 years now was at a certain door way down a hall that I didn't really go down on the way to a class.  I just had to go down that hall and say hi and smile at him.  A girl just has to do that don't they? I won't tell that he was walking another girl to class and  I knew he would be there.  I don't think I said that out loud did I?  Funny where you thoughts go when blogging, that was not even on my mind at all, being late.   Of course you can usually tell I don't plan these posts out they just flow.   Like Grandson says lots of different bunny trails here on Nana's blog.  So grab a glass of iced tea or whatever beverage you enjoy and read on my dears, read on. 

 

We have some windows in the front of the house and they have the wooden shutter things on them. We "open our eyes" to see out the windows until we get to see the sun set in the West, the world just telling us it was a good day and the sun is going to bed. Oh I know it doesn't go to bed but like that thought anyway.   We get to enjoy the humming birds that come to visit, seeing the little ground squirrels scamper around, the little field mice ( they are bigger than the regular mice that try to come inside your home to make it their home ) eating whatever they eat and the little baby bunnies eating the grass.  Quite a little wild life herd we have out there.    Well not really but we enjoy it anyway. 

 

Now our newest member of the family has discovered the window also.   Sometimes when Dragons and their owners walk by he does get excited.  I must say the Dragons just happen to be disguised as dogs, but we won't tell him.  AND he likes to watch when Hubby goes and gets the paper in the front drive every morning.  Now mind you our fur babies are not inside babies but they do get to come in with our daily "dance" as we call it with them.   What is the dance?  That will take a bit of visiting to tell you all that,  hummmmmm might have to record that one for you. 

 

 

Charlie on the bench and loving what is going on out the window.   He has gotten excited and hit the windows  a few times and it does get nose art on it a lot.  A little higher up the window though than what sweet Jewel would create.

 

 

A close up of Charlie, I think he is part cat the way he likes to be loved.  I am impressed he sat still enough for me to take the pic of him.  Way to go Charlie.   We have had him a year now, we adopted him last September and he is now 2 1/2 years old.   Still puppy but doesn't kill an pillows or anything like that. 

 

I forgot to add we get this little guy every once in awhile at the window.   

 

 

 

We have a view outside our bedroom window/doors also.  Nothing fancy smancy but so peaceful and the birds and hummers come around.  Usually Hubby is in the chairs reading with the fur babies laying at his feet or they might be chasing the big green dragon ( trash truck).    We have  a love seat in the bedroom and it is good just to sit and enjoy the critters in the back.  Yes it is a lot to mow but we don't mind at all.  A dragon fly or 10 come out and visit and just enjoyable.   

 

 

I do have to share some fun news with you.   Last year Pam Kellogg emailed me and asked would I like to do a page for her Crazy Quilting calendar?   I agreed and such an honor  with 12 other artist around the world and the subject matter for the calendar was birds and mine she chose for July was Orioles.  Now when you type in Orioles, I had never seen one, you get lots of pictures of the baseball team.  I kept hunting and found these photos.   So I knew they were the winners so printed them off on my poplin fabric sheet and went to town and played to my hearts content.  You can see more of the calendar and order it if you would like here  and I know she would be excited for you to do so.  

   

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/958462

 

 

 

 

I had so post first the what I call naked block before I started jazzing it up.  I knew I needed two birds and probably they are the same gender but beautiful birds none the less.  Well I didn't need two birds but just thought the piece needed them. 

 

 

The finished block, a friend do you have it framed and hung in a special spot?  Nope just in a stack with all the other pieces I have done.  I have put some of the pieces in a book I made, I guess these guys need something special don't they?   I have thought about selling my embellished blocks so someone could make what they wanted with them but that is it----thought.

 

 



 

A close up of the finished block

 

 

                         The pics below are close ups of what I added to the naked block. 

  

 

 

 

 

I have more to chat about but I didn't want to wear your eyes out, so I guess that means another post for September.  Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

 

 XOXO

Annette

Little Bells and CQ art

I hope you are having a great August.  The dragonflies are out in force this year and always love to see them dancing in the air while I am mowing the backyard.  Now I do wear goggles just incase one wants to get to close to me while I am flying over the grass at warp speed with the riding lawnmower and bop me in the eye.  Now isn't that a picture?   A riding lawnmower going warp speed?   Don't think that is going to happen with me driving the mower anyway.  Now I know it is a John Deere but still not gonna happen.  Once while in Arizona last year, you might remember the trip when our "Steel Stallion" acted like Christine the possessed car?    Any who, while we were in Arizona we were talking to the salesman at the place where we were having the "Stallion" put back in fine condition after a fuse died in the line of duty.   Somehow Dragonflies came into the conversation, well one came up to me like to say hi and then flitted off.  The salesman really was startled and said they just don't have them around where he was working.  Well I guess the Dragonfly knew better and just wanted to drop in and say hi.

 

 

I am on Facebook like a lot of you might be.  Mainly I just partake of the art and CQ pages.   But this little picture showed up on it and I shared and lots of people knew what they were.  The cutest little shoelace holders ever made.  One young mother said she couldn't find them anymore.   After tying your little person's shoes you had leftover shoestrings and you tucked them into the little barrel of this contraption and screwed the lid back on and those shoestrings were tied and wouldn't trip your baby going off to do what they did.   Now back in the olden days we put leather little high-top shoes, usually white in color ( which you used white shoe polish on nearly everyday)  on the toddlers and this was the look we had.   One of our daughters had tiny ankles and these shoes helped with the support of them.   AND you could hear where they were also with the little bells making their little noise.  

 

 

 

 

 



I was in a little pincushion swap and this is the pin cushion I made for it.  Not giant in size but just big enough to hold the straight pins while you are working.  It was  fun to make also.    

 

 

 

 

Here is my block for the CQJP 2015 for the month of August.   Still in the Day of the Dead theme.  

 

Close up of the little doll my friend Marilyn sent to me.  So I just made the area pretty festive to go with the whole these and hang a skull from her little hand   Loved these little dolls 

 



 

 

 

The whole finished August block and all the stitching and party time to be had.   Beads also added and the cute skull button with it's fancy headdress AKA a tiny piece of ribbon with threads going thru it.  

 

 

I am finishing up a Round Robin and these blocks were created by Juliette from England and this is how I embellished this block for her.  The little birdie is an addition and I added some color to it and of course a teapot for hot tea.  

 

 

I did get four of my blocks of the DoD put together as a wall hanging but that will be next post.  How is that for a cliff hanger?    

 

There ya be---- my doings for the last few day.  Thank you for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today . 

 

 

XOXOXO

Annette

Our Giant Blackberry Crop of the Year

 

July is just perking along here.  It is finally getting hot, that is just good for the bones.   I am not saying the humidity is good for you though.  Oh I guess it is good so your skin won't look like leather but you know I think I will just keep leather skin over humidity.    Ladies are not ment to "glisten" I have always thought this and will stick to my story.   When you go in a restaurant it feels good to go outside and get warmed up.  When we go in the restaurant we think oh this feels so good and cool but then outside warmth.  We can never be happy can we? 

 

Now they are already sending out in the newspapers about back to school is coming.   Nooooooo, let us enjoy the warmth and casualness of Summer.    It was always my favorite time when the kids were at home and we stayed up late nights and watched horror movies together.  Yes we all went to sleep but that is part of the fun.  Eating popcorn with it all also.  I probably was the only Mother in the world to hate it when school started with all the schedules and rig a marole  that goes with school starting.  the hustle and bustle to the games be it Volleyball, football, basketball or whatever sport going on.  The band concerts just all that goes with school. 

 

Now Summer  also ment vacations or staycations as they call them today and fruit and vegetables growing and just everything getting and being pretty.   Lush greenery, well in our parts of the world you really have to water it for this little thing to happen, but we did water.   Our cotton and peanut crops did get the bulk of the water. Growing from a tiny seed to a big lush and green plant.  Yes in the Fall the leaves turned reddish and the cotton white but something about the lush green plant.    Going out to check the water----aka getting the in the pickup with hubby and going to the farms to see if the circle systems are doing what they are suppose to do.  WATER!!!!   I would a lot of times go with hubby to do that in the evenings.  A just relaxing time to me and of course we did what I call "car talk" solving the problems of the world and just what was going on for that day.  The early morning water checks?  Those Hubby got to enjoy all by himself.  Well unless it was a slow time and he went on a fishing trip and I did do that also.   Didn't mind at all. Well must confess I am not a morning person, early morning anyway.   

 

Last year I bought a blackberry plant.  How fun to get some fresh blackberries and not pay an arm and a leg for some. Now you are fixin to see the crop of the year.    We got 3, yes 3 of them.  So I ran out and took their picture.  See?  We did get three.  Well the next day the bright red one, not ripe yet, was gone.  Now what happened to it?  Well this year we have had some Bluejays.  I suspect they are the culprit that enjoyed the berrie and later the other two berries.   But they were home grown and pretty.  I guess they didn't care if they was not ripe yet.  

 

 

 

I have been busy, you figured that didn't you?  Not sure with what but Summer busy I guess.  Well a Texas Ranger game nearly every night which means good stitching time for me and reading for Hubby.

 

I am in a Round robin, where other stitchers create a set of blocks and then mailed to others and we embelish it to our taste and it goes to the next stitching lady.  

 

 

Here is a close up of one of the blocks I did and of course had to add a little frog.  Ribbit!!!

 

 

Another close up of the center of the block, now I have to confess I did do more stitching to the hat and parts of the man's attire.  Had to make him as spiffy as the lady.    

 

The whole finished block.  Ready to be shipped off to the next lady to embellish another block of similar colors.  Hope you like it, the maker of the block did.    

This one isn't one of my ciggie/silkies/pictures in the middle of the piece but I have been blessed.  I has some ciggies on Etsy and sold some but a few ladies on a Facebook site wanted me to sell some there.  Well wham bam-I sold several fast.  That was a little treat and surprise.

Well that is it for this go around and thanks for dropping by and seeing what is going on in my world and all my little bunny trails.

                                                                XOXOXO
                                                                 Annette

Missing in Action in Blog World

Hello and hope all are fine.  I have been missing in the Action of Life, well my computer has been in the hospital anyway.   Funny this is the first time ever that I have had a computer just be like a stubborn two year old and not want to play or cooperate at all.  We have had a computer since about and around 1985.  I guess this computer just wanted to be stubborn and not play.   It is mostly repaired so we will see what it wants to do next.  I bet none of you have ever had problems with you computer have you?    Did I see lots of you nodding out there that you agree with me?   Hummmmmm maybe that is why I am turning greyer and greyer in the hairdo area?   When they don't want to play correctly you are just tugging at your hair and thinking why am I doing this to myself?

I have been busy as a bee,  I promise.   I did have to look and see where I left off on the blog.  We have had lots of rain and I mean lots of rain---like over 4 inches last week.  It had been 2 weeks since we got to mow our yard so it was hot and dry today and off we went.   Thank goodness for a riding lawnmower is all I have to say.  Yep we still mow our yard and nope we are not tired of it.  When we get tired of it we will hire it done but until then we enjoy it and is our little exercise program for the two of us.   Eldon mows the front and I edge the front.  I mow the back and Eldon edges the back.  It is a great combination that we have and the yard doesn't wear us totally out when we finish doing it.  It usually takes about 3 hours and then we sit outside together and our fur babies and just enjoy the peace and quiet and seeing how the trees have grown since we have been here.   We planted 12 but one died so pretty good odds we think.   Besides the dragonflies and the faeries totally enjoy our Mother Nature time together out there.   When I use to iron a lot more that I do now, I enjoyed ironing and the thinking I could do while ironing.   Mowing is the same thing a good meditation time and enjoying our yard and what we enjoy in life and being thankful  for many things.   I won't bore you with the particulars on that subject.  

Now for the photography marathon. 

Of course Crazy Quilting is one thing I have done, that is continual and a every night dance with beads and threads and oh did I say beads?    I have done 12 blocks of the Day of the Dead celebration and making a wall hanging of it.   Here is July's block and closeup.  This is a project of choice with Kathy Shaw and the CQJP 2015.   Ladies from all over the world jump in and do 12 blocks of subject and size of their choice.  Just something fun to share with like minded ladies.  Makes me feel good that there are some ladies out there that think like me.  Scary isn't it?  I have met, even in person, several like minded ladies.   Watch out world there is more than one of me. 

This block they are truly having a PARTY!!!!!

 

Close up

 

The whole block.  Dominique recognize the skull block and Janet the skeleton charm?   I am blessed that so many artists share their wares with me. 

 

 

                                   

 

Now I am in a Round Robin where we sew together blocks of our choice and send all over the country and different ladies embellish them.  These are my blocks for an Under the Sea Theme.  All the "ciggies' /Silkies I have drawn myself.   One advantage of being an artist of different medias I suppose.  

 

 

Now I did do some projects with canvases and here are some of them.  A couple of paintings, of course for sale (the prints anyway) and one a gift for a friend's mother.   Finnabair style.  

 

 

 

 

The next two canvases are 30x40 , the same size as Tatonka.    Mr. Deer, thinking of " HiaMovi the Magnificent One".   This White Tail was one that grandson has and no matter which direction he stood you could not see all of his points.  

 

 

"Wind Dancer" is also a 30x40 and this beautiful horse is a she.   I haven't painted many horses, well two now, but was proud of her. 

 

So there you go, even though computer was ill I was not and still created to my hearts desire.   More coming in the works.  

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world

 

XOXOOXXO

Annette