Thursday, October 28, 2010

be yourself


this week has been a crazy school week for the kids,
but working in my art journal has been very do-able.
sometimes I'd rather be a mad painter in an airy light-filled loft
... but I'm a mom, driver, cook, maid, etc ...
and surely, 
if I were the mad artist in a loft
... I would wish for momming, driving, cooking, etc....

so I doodle
and I blog
:)

Here's how I did these pages:
gesso
*
ink-jet printed image 
(it's me at age 6)
*
mod-podged face down
*
about an hour later, dampen ink jet paper
*
carefully rub and peel away paper, leaving image behind
*
mod podged second image face up
*
a bit of gesso to soften the edges
*
a bit of color (I used watercolor pencils)
*
tea bag paper for my words
*
words mod-podged down
*
a little more gesso, color and doodling
*
just trying to be myself today


Tuesday, October 26, 2010

good tea tastes better (with a muffin top)


... good tea ...


.... tastes better ....


... with a muffin top ...


todays good tea:
Canadian Ice Wine Tea
a special gift from Jane at
thank you Jane!!!



* * *


for more "good tea," please do visit the blogs listed in my sidebar
(just below the teacup)
Tea on Tuesday Blogs


Monday, October 25, 2010

Art, Heart and Healing Journal - week 1

I first read about this online journaling class on Jan's ArtyATC Journey
The website is Willowing & Friends
and the class is called Art, Heart and Healing
Jan's first week's pages are great and she's so full of good things to say
... I thought I'd give it a go



The first week deals with your inner critic.
The point is to translate your inner critic's really bad and tacky way of communicating to you 
- mostly by put downs and abuse -
into what your inner critic might be really trying to say.
Usually it's going to be something protective and self-preservationist
... but not necessarily with the best advice 
... mostly it will be advice like: "QUIT!!"
So that's where you have to step in and weed out the good from the bad.
It was a really fun exercise ....
the class is free and Tammy is a great teacher.
Maybe I'll see you over there :)


Saturday, October 23, 2010

Christmas?

If it's Halloween and Election Season
it must be almost Christmas
right?


... wrong.
But if you're in Penny's 12 Days of Christmas Matchbox Swap,
you're almost out of time!
I signed up for Eight Maids-a-Milking
and then got carried away with Christmas gift ideas
like these matchboxes (matches included)
to pair up with a candle.
Only problem:
you can't mail matches.
They are a hazardous substance.
yikes.



... so these will have to go to friends who are near - but not far.
Alas.
And all this Christmas crafting has me almost sick of Christmas - already!
Maybe I'll get in the mood when this bleeping election is over.


Thursday, October 21, 2010

photo cards


I've added these photo cards to my etsy shop


... and these "encaustic" photo cards.

(encaustic photo technique HERE)


Tuesday, October 19, 2010

chore tea ...

... or chai tea?
I think I'll have the chai tea, thank you!


hmmmmmm!


"Masala Chai"
it says peppercorn on the list of ingredients
and I can taste a subtle kick of pepper


maybe that's what I needed to get these chores done
- a kick!


but first I'll have to put my camera down


and quit my lolligagging


***

... why don't you go lolligag with my tea friends listed in my Tea on Tuesday list in the sidebar?

and today's tea was brought to me (and you) by my friend Teresa and her tea company 4ceylontea.com


Monday, October 18, 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

watercolor discovery


I was inspired by this flower bouquet from the weekend ...


... when I sat down to paint it though, 
I was tripped up by my usual approach of painting shapes 
that interlock and connect without overlapping.
It just wasn't working with this many petals.
I went back in my brain to high school art class:
"paint from light to dark"
"paint from back to front"
"utilize the water for transparency"




mid-stream on the first flower,
my hands caught up with my brain.
And frustration fled as the flowers came alive.
Even though the shapes all overlap and intersect each other,
it somehow works.
The transparency gives the effect of light and shadow.


watercolor discovery


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

like mother ... like daughter


this is my youngest
reading a book and sipping tea
she was home from school complaining of a tummyache
something a little tea and quietude would cure


kids are funny though
she just naturally turned it into a learning experience
very scientifically tasting several teas


... and rating them ...

ginger peach green tea: 2 stars
lady grey tea: 0 stars
merry mint green tea: 5 stars
pomegranate raspberry green tea: 2 stars
tazo green china tips: 4 stars
pomegranate pizzaz: 5 stars
constant comment: 4 stars

staying home and self-learning: priceless

***

Still very busy here today .... hoping for another quiet moment later this afternoon to catch up with all of the very fine tea posts of my blogger friends (you will find them in my sidebar). Stop by and say hello for me! I'll stop by a little bit later .....


Saturday, October 9, 2010

making myself scarce ....

... this week.

we have a beloved houseguest
and our home is filled with all kinds of loveliness
laughter
flowers
yummies
hugs
smiles
plans
gentleness

let's put the kettle on
and I'll see you on tuesday


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

October Tea


It's cold and foggy outside.
Won't you join me for some Cream Caramel tea,
toasted bagels and "homemade" apple butter?
(easy peasy recipe in a minute)


The teacups are from my wedding set for "every day."
2 tea cups and 3 dessert plates are all that's left.
The cup is chipped
and the plate is crazed.


I remember registering for this set at Crate and Barrel ...
that would have been over 15 yrs ago.
It felt so luxurious to fill out a wish list there ...
I was so used to shopping WalMart and Target for everything.


The tea today was a special gift from a fellow blogger
It turns out she has connections at Ceylon Tea Co ...
and she thought I'd like to taste test it.
Oh My Goodness!
This tea is so smooth.
There is no bitterness or harshness.
With this particular tea, I can really taste the cardamom.


Which brings me to the easy peasy "homemade" apple butter.
All I do is get a large jar of unsweetened apple sauce,
add 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
and simmer until super smooth.

***

I told you about our foggy morning.
Walking to school this morning,
my daughter informed me,
"Charlotte's web was made visible
when the fog descended."

"The next day was foggy. Everything on the farm was dripping wet. The grass looked like a magic carpet. The asparagus patch looked like a silver forest.

"On foggy mornings, Charlotte's web was truly a thing of beauty. This morning each thin strand was decorated with dozens of tiny beads of water. The web glistened in the light and made a pattern of loveliness and mystery, like a delicate veil."

- e.b. white


s o m e    p i g

***
I hope your day is filled with salutations and uncommon friendship.

For more October tea, please visit the tea blogs listed in my sidebar.