Thursday, December 29, 2011

Christmas is Over...

Now onto the New Year!


Feel like I've been battling colds left and right! I have been too tired after work and Mommy time to fit in any Me time and that always throws me off balance. I keep thinking I will be better the next day and I can get work done then, but that next day has not come yet. Sometime this weekend I am determined to do something artsy! Even if it is just small. I want to sit at my desk, clean up and organize a bit, find an old project or idea that was buried and just have at it! I had wanted to stay up tonight and prep a bit, but I feel pretty tired, yet again!, and it is not looking good. I go to bed early, but then I have a bunch of strange dreams and wake up a lot (so has my daughter... Bad combo). So everyone make a little wish to the get-well-quick fairy for me and maybe I will have something nice to post on Monday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday, December 25, 2011

I found some Thyme for Lemons

Preparing ingredients for some Lemon Thyme vodka drinks was not as hard as I thought, but the zest harvesting was a bit harder.






Making the thyme simple syrup was super easy. 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 8 sprigs of fresh thyme. I boiled them till the sugar dissolved then let it cool. I filtered the liquid into a container and put it in the refrigerator.






I juiced 12 lemons and put the juice in the freezer. 2 cups of the lemon juice+1 cup vodka+1cup syrup=yummy and refreshing!


Then it took me a long time with a cheap knife to cut off the zest for an experiment I will start next week in alcohol making. If I had just prepped for the vodka drink, it would have been done in under an hour.


The zest took me an hour, but I am hopping it will be way worth it. Man! The zest sneers sooooooo good!! Whole process reminds me of my sister. Ever since our trip to Seattle last year to see her, I have wanted to make infused liquors. She is so me inspiration in all this. It is the Holidays and I miss her.
So glad the crunch season is over, now on to some new projects! I Better get to bed, still fighting this could I have had all vacation long....yuck!!

- Posted using BlogPresd from my iPhone

Monday, December 19, 2011

December Sketch Day at Classic Farms


What a wonderful place to visit! And a great place to sketch. It was a beautiful morning. Almost too warm in the sun at first and the dew was glistening in the sun. The clouds did roll in towards the end, bringing the cold with it.


The sketching was great, the company was great and the produce looked devinne! It was, yet again, the perfect start to the weekend.



I do like my sketches, but feel each one needs a little more. So glad so many of the group was able to come out. It was a tiny bit of a drive and a busy time of year, and yet 6 of us were out there with big smiles. I look forward to the next one January 21st. Now back to Christmas cards...have half made and still need to get them in envelopes and address them! They will be getting there the day of or maybe late :( I am too committed to quit though.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

A Bit of Holiday Cheer




Good Holiday drinks, nice parties, a new tree, decorating the tree and someones epic front yard synced to music. I am already so tired! And I still need to work on my Christmas cards.....sigh. Hope the rest of the season is just as awesome as the last few weekends!

Here is a Little Picture Story about Autumn






Persimmon cookies! It does not truly feel like Fall without them. Makes me miss all our family get togethers.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Queen of Arts Revisited Show


 What a beautiful day for an art show!! It was so nice to see everyone, though I am sure I missed a lot of people. I never made it out of my hidey hole to venture much farther than the kitchen to grab taquitos! I am pleased with the turn out and feel it will be even better next year! Too bad we cannot reserve the great weather.


I have posted most of my work to Etsy so go check it out if you missed any of the shows.  I just re-started work on my paper mache work. Here are some birds I have just gesso-ed. I am still not sure how I want to paint them. Come back for updates.
Well...vacation is over and it is back to the 9-5 job tomorrow. Sigh.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Screen Mural is Done!!!


 Finally finished the screen mural I have been working on for ever! All it needed was the trees and cows finished and just those last details took months to get to to finish. All I deed to do is seal it and touch up the red on the back. Always makes me want to keep painting and painting!!! Wish I had the free time and inspiration at the same time all the time :)

It was my sister's birthday last Friday, and I wanted to make her something super special! This is a pendant with the constellation Scorpio. Awesome coincidence that she was having something done with the same stars! I am so glad she liked it. I sure miss her!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

A Bit of Art Therapy

 November 12th was a Sketch Day and we sketched the blue windmill.
 There was only a couple of us this time, but it was real nice. It was even kind of warm after cold and rain had been predicted. I was not super thrilled with my sketches, but what artist ever is ;)   It was sure a nice change after all the stress from the art show.
 Went to the Zoo the next day and actually found time for more sketching. The weather there was also very nice and I love the light effects from the ever changing sky. I got a quick picture of some birds bathing in that light. It was the elephants that I was able to sketch. I just happened to have my Noodler Flex fountain pen with me which lends very nice to their wrinkly skin.
 I only wish I could turn this photo of the sketch.

 Madison did some artistic re-designing of my necklaces. She is such a helper.

Monday, November 07, 2011

Queen of Arts Show Number One is Over


 Here are a few highlights of some of the new necklaces I made for the holidays. This is a large set turquoise stone with faceted garnets on the necklace. I really enjoyed matching up all the colors. Now I am working on photographing them to add to my Etsy shop. So far I added 2, but I am not happy with the lighting. I really need to take the shots during the day. Maybe I will work on that tomorrow.

Here is our next show for any of you who missed out! Sure hope to see you there!
 Here are some blurry photos of my spot I had at the Queen of Arts show at the Elverhoj Museum last weekend. I think my camera is dying. Maybe I will be getting myself a new Christmas gift: a new camera.

I sure had fun at the show! I only wish I had more time to mingle a bit. It was fun to have my daughter by my side though. Hope to see everyone soon! Oh, and I am hoping to get my mural screen finished so you must all come and oogle it!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Still Nothing Done

 Decisions decisions. So many different combinations. Hard to predict what will look best with what.
I started some stacking rings. Not sure if those will be done in time. I have so many pieces so close to done, but nothing IS done. This is causing me so much anxiety. All my bezels need to be trimmed down, wires bent for bracelets, a ton of sanding and finishing, then there is assembling it all...ugh!
  I am really liking some of these color combinations. About 10 necklaces, 6 bracelets and a dozen or so earrings are pretty close to assembly time, but the rings and some other necklaces are boarder line as far as if I will be able to finish.
Any feed back would be a big help. I am fried and off to bed. Crossing fingers for some nice progress this weekend.