Bees and maybe a new Ciggie and just saying hi

Hello and happy May 1st.  Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons of the year.  How about you?  Course the Spring here brings some hefty winds, like today. Just hand on to your hats and forget the hairdo if you go out.  Just saying that is just this part of Texas.  I guess it Mother Nature clearing the air?  Maybe?

I have been busy, well as busy as I ever get anymore, doing some painting and drawing.  Not much CQ lately, wellllllll making beaded bees might be CQ.  I do use them on my fabric work.

Here are some of the little guys.  I love them because they don't sting me and look pretty cute on my fabric art. It would be horrible not to have real bees though that pollinate everything for us.  Love watching them burrow down in flowers and working hard to get the pollen.

Different beads make them look totally different.  Something to do while watching TV.  Baseball isn't happening right now but there is other things to watch on there.  Shocking isn't it?

Lets look at the sketch/art I did Wednesday.  It is different and I had to get out of my comfort zone for sure.  Jenny Manno of Next Jeneration on Facebook,   does little mini prompts and lessons.  I saw this and thought ok Annette !!!!! get our of your comfort zone.  You can do this.

I first sketched it in pencil, out of my head, a scary thought and then got the good ole sharpies and Micron pens out and just did what I felt to this sweet face.  When I attacked it enough I used Charcoal for some shading.  It is not a giant piece but she was a challenge.  At first I thought I am not going to do these again, but the more I look at her I am getting drawn in to maybe doing another one.

 Here she is, a bit of face sketching and then some doodle/zentangle art.  I think you can see the charcoal work  for shading of a lot of it.  Many doodles to see on here.


Now the next piece is a Mashup as Jenny calls them.  I think I shared the Halloween mashups for 2018 and 2019.  Fun to create and just see where your muse takes you.   Just combining this Mashup group of hairdos or styles of different decades combining anyway we want with flowers of the assigned month.  This is April's post and of 1930 decade and Cherry Blossoms.  I think she would make a pretty "ciggie" for my CQ fabric art.  I cannot image making the waves in your hair back in the 1930's.  Lots of ladies on the Next Jeneration Face book page and so many different styles of painting.

There you go what I have been up to, well you know more than this but what would I visit with you if I showed everything?    I do have a larger painting and I kind of took pics of the steps and will share those next time.  

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

                                                               XOXOXO

                                                                Annette 

The Butterfly

Hi there and hope all are well and just enjoying your home time.  Be so happy you have a home full of love wherever you are.  We feel fortunate that we have each other and our Fur baby who barks so loud in the house when someone is outside.  How dare they walk in the street, that is his area.   Even a bird better not fly over his yard.  He only barks once maybe twice but so loud I am sure y'all can here it.

Our new neighborhood, hopefully our home for 22 more years and then will be 100 and we won't care, encourages the children to have things drawn on the sidewalks.  Something for people to look at when they do the walking or bike riding or jogging.  They didn't have an age limit so I chose to play also.   I didn't have any sidewalk chalk, I had donated it all and some were bright colors, but one of the ladies out here had a herd of it and gave me a box.  The only thing it is pastel colors but hey what is the saying don't look a gift horse  in the mouth.   I think I got that saying right.   Maybe.

So here is a few pics hubby took of me while doing this fun thing.  I wasn't quite sure of it but did look on pinterest. Lots of ideas there.  While drawing the butterfly this young man about 10 ish walked by with his dog and said how beautiful.  Well that is enough for me. I said thank you and thought I am going to continue this for quite awhile.  The 3D looking stuff is awesome and I did a practice one on the back patio.   Gotta do those also.

Here I am nearly finished.  Kind of.   I did draw it standing up and taped the chalk to a yard stick and didn't have to bend over all the time.  I had to sit on the little yellow stool though, it would have been an ugly site seeing me get up off of the drive way.  Really ugly.  And I did want to walk and move around the rest of the day.  No really !!!!!

Close up of the butterfly.  I did have some charcoal, a lot that I won, so I outlined the circles and other things on the butterfly.  Made it stand out better.

Of course I had to say something and did a pretty on the front part of the drive.    After we get a rain, laughing here, we will power wash this and I will do something else.  I have several things in mind.   I hope to improve in my sidewalk drawing also.  

There you go and thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world.

                                                           XOXO

                                                          Annette

Alice and her world

Hello there.  A lot has happened since my last post hasn't it?  Wow.   I hope all are just taking the advantage of the down time and enjoying it to the fullest. Old fashion family time.

I just thought OMG my peeps in blog world. I did promise to show you how Alice is coming along and another recipe or two.

I do love the cooking challenge I am doing now, converting my favorite recipes into Diabetic recipes.  I am going to put into parentheses what the recipe really calls for.  Interesting for sure for me and Hubby loves it what I have been cooking. He has gone from an 8 A1c to just this week 5.3   just since December.  I am proud of that awesome hubby.

Now for Alice, I have gotten all of the blue trim around all the rest of the blocks and all have been embellished.  I thought I might just do the same, like the blue around them all to tie them together.  Then embellish them all at one time.  So did it.  Slow process but one day it will all be done.  I don't have the lace on the other blocks yet but getting there.

On this one, it is the facing page with the visit from the Caterpillar.  A short note will go in each pocket about the scene.  I found the more modern pics of Alice and liked them but still like the original ones the best.  So I thought ok Annette just combine them with this wonky fabric.  Still different but the colors go and is a different story for sure.

Be sure and click on the images to see closer if you chose.

Alice probably wondering what in the world is going on 

The finished block, the camera strap had to get in the pic.  I guess it just couldn't stand it all Alice and no camera strap notation.  

Alice with the Dodo bird.  these were just to much fun to create.

 I bet you can guess then what I have been working on with my needle work.  Between the needle work, painting and spring yard work I have not been idle.  The yard work has just really started so I haven't done to much YET!

Our new neighborhood has a lot of young families in it and this Saturday they are having a Chalk Walk where whoever wants to can draw on their sidewalks and drives for others to see.  All being the social distance away from each other.  I had donated all my sidewalk chalk when we moved here so I thought oh well.  Well a sweet lady out here had a lot of chalk so you know who is going to do some decorating outside in the morning.  I wanted to do today but suppose to rain.  We will see and will share with you next trip here.  I did a practice drawing last night and thought this is fun.  

Other than adding a new recipe I am off for the moment.  This one will be under vegetables and one under meats  ( on my other blog, the sister of this one, annettegraves.blogspot.com   I have some tabs at the top with a few recipes,  Getting more but right now a few.  I didn't want yall to be left out) Thank you for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

                                                        XOXOXO

                                                          Annette

Alice CQ, Art and What Comes to Mind

Hello there, Spring has got to be here now.  It is going to be, after tomorrow in the 70's for several days.  So to me, that says put the humming bird feeders out just in case some early birdies come to visit us.  I won't put a lot out right now, I know a bully will try and take over several of them but hey I guess he needs to eat also.  I am sure the hummers are already down in Rockport.  It amazes me how the tiny tiny birds fly so far.  They have determination that is for sure.

I have this piece of art that I painted for a Christmas present for Grandson this past year.  I almost forgot to take it's picture for my hall of fame paintings or painting I have painted.  I guess that sounds better doesn't it?  The painting is a 16x20 if memory serves me right.   I usually put Indian symbols on and under them but this one just didn't call for it for some reason.  Pleasant looking expression and just knowing it is being painted maybe? 

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I started an Alice In Wonderland Crazy Quilt squares forever ago.  Seems like forever we have moved twice, but think we are in our forever home for at least 25 years. Then we will be 100 and 102 and probably won't care lol . 

I am finally getting to put the pages together as a book.  The only CQ work I have ever made a wall hanging for is my Day of the Dead blocks.  So the beginnings of an Alice In Wonderland fabric book.  I tried every combo of fabric I could think of to make all the pages gel together.  Then I found some I had that is kinda loud and wild, like this story of Alice and you will see how and what I brought together.  The fabric is red,yellow and turquoise kind of like the cover, well the colors are like the cover.

This is going to be the cover of my book.  Kathleen Klein made this precious Dodo bird for me and I added the felt hearts-flowers and butterflies and all to it.  Just a little something to show of the Dodo bird.  Thanks Kathleen Klein.   A fun invitation of come on in and enjoy the adventure in here. 

The first page  is probably the calmest page in the book.  Right now Dodo does not have a backing on the back to go with page 1 but it will have soon.  I added this turquoise trim to every page to bring the block in and tie them all together.  Of course I couldn't have something plain in the book so I did add stitches and some pages will have beads also.  You know how I love beads, 100 pound of beads on a page is just about the right amount. 

The sweet little flower lace is from  www.RavioleeDreams.com  I have used her pretties all thru out this book, I am thinking 18 pages in all. There are 5 pages that I had in a Round Robin and will let you know who embellished them for me as they come their turn. 

This is a peaceful scene before the wild adventure begins for Alice.  I got the idea to do this series when I came across a book my hubby received for Christmas one year like in 1946 or so.  He was 4 years old then.  I thought how cute would this be to create this the CQ way.  Please enjoy the adventure of Alice with me and how and what I did with the pages.

Thank you for stopping by and see what is going on in my world.   I  hope you will enjoy seeing the book come to life.  I am working on page 5 right now.  I just did't want to put a bunch on here and wear your eyes out.  

                                                                   Annette

                                                                   xoxoxo

                                    

a Little of This and That

Hi and Happy February,  I bet you all have been just wondering what in the world is the Mother Nature trick of weather doing?   I personally think she just does this to keep us on our toes.  Spring weather, then some winter white stuff thrown in there and another cold front coming.  Well she can't fool the Robins at all.  We have seen several of them the past couple of days.  They know what is happening.

I have to share this beautiful surprise gift I recieved. So my colors and such a treasure.  Thank you Lydia Talton  a crazy quilting wiz for sure. .

Just look at this art piece.  I have it hanging in my bathroom over my jewelry chest.  It is the spot light over my Mary Francis purses and other treasures there in the little nook.  I thought and thought where could hang it so I will enjoy every day.   Not my sewing room, I do go in there but not everyday nor my art room.  I go in the art room several times a day but this is to elegant in my eyes to be in there.

Just look at the stitching  and the color choices, she knows me well.  oxox  A treat for the eyes.

I was trying to get fancy with my blog and until I figure it out, thank you Jackie PN for wanting to help me.  I will take you up on it for sure.  What I am trying to do is make little parts of the blog with recipes.   Now when I started this idea it was for goodies etc.  Well since then hubby has been diagnosed with the ugly Diabetes.  I now have a mission to transform all my recipes into Diabetes friendly ones.   Yes I know the Keto ones are out there, I would feel like a traitor though totally using those.  Atkins has helped us during the years and we are very comfortable with that.  We even went on vacations and stayed on the a
Atkins diet before this other stuff was so IN, so eazy peazy.

I am making a cookbook for us.  Nothing goes in the book until I test it out and it is hubby approved.  I am not a nutrition expert but hey as long as the ingredients work we are happy.   He is a sweet lover so I am also concentrating on making his favorites but good for him.  It is fun and I am enjoying it and he is also.  He doen't need to lose weight so he loves the goodies I am making for him.  All good for him.  .

In the next few days, I promise soon, I will share with y'all what I have.  There are lots of recipes out there but some not really really diabetic compatible and tastes, like the doctor said CARDBOARD. One site I found did list some things he can eat and some are so boring.  Not a drop of Cayenne pepper in them at all, I use spices a lot, he is allergic to onions so spices are my go to.  Well we will fix that.   I am just eating everything with him, he does tell me to eat regular but nope I am a Taurus as he is and we are both hard headed. Can you picture us butting heads?  We do sometimes.  Course he knows the saying Happy Wife--Happy Life.  Isn't that how it goes?

Well that is my doings for the moment and just had to share some this and thats with you.  More art projects coming also.

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

                                                               Annette
                                                             XOXOXO