Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to pop in today to wish every one a Happy Thanksgiving. I am wishing you all a wonderful weekend filled with friends, family, loved ones and good food. I hope your hearts are brimming over with happiness and things to be thankful for. I know mine is. Have a joyful day!
p.s. some turkeys for all of you!

Digital Photograph - I am Thankful for.....

We have a tradition in our family that as we sit down to feast at Thanksgiving we must say what we are thankful for. This year I have so many things to be thankful for. I have started early making my list. Talk about bringing your spirits up, try making a list of all you are thankful for. I think it will amaze you. One of the things on my list is the ability to go an enjoy all the beauty this state and country have to offer. We truly live in a wondrous place. I thought this morning I would share a picture of the Blue Ridge Mountains taken at Saddle Ridge. Enjoy!

Bird Watcher - Freebies

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I was able to spend some quality time with family. Makes for a relaxing time. Last night it got me thinking about how doing simply things with those you love can have such a lasting impact on those lives.

For example, my father has all of these bird feeders. They have been in the same spot for over thirty years. As some got older we would replace them or add another along with bird watcher books, binoculars, etc. A bird bath was added to the delight of all. We sit at the table or stand at the kitchen sink and watch the birds antics. We have seen generations of cardinals, finches, and chick a dee's. Hours of pleasure have been shared watching the birds.

This love and care of birds has been passed on. When I moved, I filled my feeders for the last time. Leaving the new owners some bird food in the garage and a note on the counter. My fingers crossed that they will continue feeding my birds. Yesterday, as I sat at my parent's kitchen table eating chocolate chip cookies with my nephews, one looked out the window and admired the extremely red cardinal eating at one of the feeders. Simple things shared and passed on...

Here are a few bird freebies for you to start out the week. I hope you will share something simple with someone you love this week!

Digital Photograph - Shelter

Home. Funny what that four letter word can mean. I made it to my parent's house safe and sound. Somewhat tired of the road, yet wanting to keep on searching for just one more shot. It feels so good to be here, surrounded by my parents love and all the things that make this a home.

Catching up on some much needed sleep, family news, and great conversations. Thought I would share another Blue Ridge or Skyline Drive picture with you. I am caling this one Shelter. The shelter of a mother, a tree, a home...

Journal Winner[s]

Yesterday I had BFF pick two numbers from one to thirty three. She was a little hestitant till I explained she was picking the journal winners. She picked our favorite number nine and then seventeen. I decided to give two away as it seems so sinful to just let them sit in a bag waiting to be worked on. They need homes! That means Ellie and Joanie B you have 24 hours to send me and email with your addresses. I think you will both love these journals. Thank you everyone for joining in the fun. I wish I had a journal for everyone.

Digital Photograph - On the Way Home

Thought I would share just one of the amazing landscape scenes I experienced yesterday. I think I photographed every barn and tree along the Blue Ridge Parkway I could find. Needless to say, it made for a long day and my hip began to scream at me. I have slept in today, I needed the rest. I am hoping to make it to Mom and Dad's before dark. It is dark and dreary and raining here. I am going to have to hit an antique store or two on the way home. Don't forget today is the last day to leave comments on my Journal post to win a journal.

Digital Photograph - The Ridge Line

Today I am on the Blue Ridge Parkway through North Carolina into Virginia. I am heading to my parents house in D.C. to spend a week or two with Mom and Dad. I am photographing my way there. I am not sure how long it will take me but the scenery is magnificent. Thought I would share the last photograph I took last night.

Encaustic Workshop - The Book

This is Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch's book. It is to be my handbook the next few weeks. It is very complete and full of explanations and pictures. I love what I have read so far. She said everything in the workshops was in the book. How could I not get it?

Encaustics

I can not say enough good things about the products of R&F. If you are into encaustics then this is the company to get your supplies from. They have definitely put quality at the top of their check list.
.These are called paint cakes. These are from R & F. This company has the best products for encaustics. The paint cakes come in so many luscious colors. I wanted them all and did restrain myself somewhat. The colors are very true. I can see how you can paint with them just as if you were using acrylic or watercolors, etc. The difference is that you have to keep the wax warm. It cools quickly with out the right set up.

The set up is called the palette. This is really cool I love how the heating unit is under the palette yet you can move it with out getting burned. This is a new design from R & F. They sold out of the palettes the first hour they were open. I finally convinced them to sell me one of the demo palettes the second day. [there were only four of them] Again they were 50% off and because it was used the demo had an additional few dollars taken off. I was in heaven. They are very expensive and I had decided if I was going to do this I was going to do it right.

This is a shot looking down on the paletter. The larger pan has the granules of "medium" melting in it. Medium is naturally refined beeswaxed premixed with Damar resin. How cool is that? No more mixing and measuring to get it right. This way it is right every time. The granules are cool cause you can scoop them out of the bag according to how much you want, instead of heving a block of wax you have to chip away at.

Another top shot of all of the luscious melted cakes of color. You can dilute the cakes with medium to get a more translucent color if you like. I enjoyed working with the cakes undiluted, but I think a little color goes a long way here.

Encaustics - Classroom Examples

All of these are classroom samples that Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch made for us. Each one is so different and represents one or two techniques that she showed us. Trish was an excellent teacher. Even after three straight days of demo's all day and teaching three evening classes, the girl had a smile and a sense of humor.

Trish packed a lot into her three hour workshops. I was amazed at how much I learned. It was really nice to just immerse myself in to one art medium. It was so much easier to stay focused. I can't wait to experiment with all the stuff I bought.

Encaustic ATC's of My Classmates

These are some ATC's my classmates made in the encaustic ATC class I took. I love each and every one of them. Each are so diferent. I just want to say thank you to all for letting me include them here on my blog. I so enjoyed meeting and learning with everyone.

I love how old keys are embedded along with safety pins, etc. in the wax. It is so easy to embed metal, butons, etc. I wanted to grab all my found metal and go to town.

I fell in love with the way you could play with the wax. All the colors could swim together then would cool in these beautiful abstract ways.

There is a little of everything here. You can tell how she experimented with all the different techniques we were offered in class.

My Encaustic ATC's

Here are a couple of my encaustic ATC's. So much fun! I made more but the pictures were taken at night in my hotel room and turned out all crummy, a couple I gave away and forgot to take their picture, so these will have to do for today. I am off to see a couple of the boys to deliver winter clothes and enjoy lunch with them. Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Journals & a Giveaway

One of the really cool things about Art of the Carolina's is the vendor show. Starting on Friday the vendors open up selling and demonstrating all their beautiful art supplies. Each vendor has "show" specials where products are greatly reduced, usually 50%. They discount all of their products for the show. I come here every year even if I am not taking classes so that I can buy supplies.

The vendors include Golden's, Liquidtex, Ambersand, R&F, Strathmore and on and on, to name a few. This year at the Strathmore booth they had a whole tablefull of journals. Of course I had to check it out. There were small jourals - 3 by 4, medium journals - 5.5 by 8, and large journals - 9 by 12. They had them made out of Bristol , Bristol Vellum, Watercolor paper 90 lb. and 140 lb., and a Mixed media journal that could take just about anything and still have the pages lay flat after drying. I liked the fact that they were spiral bound and would lay flat. It makes working in them so easy. Even better I liked the price! $2.00, $4.00, and $ 7.00 for the really big one. I am in heaven. I oohed and ahhed so that the kind man in the booth gave me a couple extras.

I would love to pass one on to one of you. So leave a comment and Tuesday I will pick a winner for a blank Journal. Please leave me a way to get in touch with you. ALSO, starting January 1st Strathmore is offering FREE online Visual Journal Workshops. You can go to: www.strathmoreartist.com/vjworkshop2011

to learn more and register. Just thought I would throw that out there. It looks like a lot of fun.

Good bye Home....

Last chick's room

Thursday at lunch I said goodbye to the "house." It was devoid of furniture, the floors were vaccumed and washed, the refrigerator clean. It was waiting for it's new family. It was time to move on to new things, but a time to stop and recognize all the fun and laughter that the boys and I shared here. Watching youngest chick grow from a child to a young man. As I left the key on the counter, the house whispered "goodbye."

After I left the house I headed for Raleigh North Carolina. I had treated myself to three days of workshops at Art of the Carolinas. It is put on by Jerry's Artarama. Workshops by various national artists and a great vendor show all at one venue - The Hilton. I figured I would need to pamper myself after the stress of packing, sorting and moving.

Yesterday I got the call that the closing went smoothly, the house was sold, the new owners were thrilled. I went to my second encaustic class with wings on my feet. I will download the photos from class next. I can't wait to share them with you, but first brunch with an old friend.

The Thrifty Door

Thought I would share just the door from a few days ago post for you. You know how I love doors. I have a bunch I have taken in the past month or so and have been putting together. I will be sharing them with you soon.....

Thanksgiving Freebies

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I can hardly believe it. Now that most of the house stuff is finished I am thinking about Thanksgiving. I am planning on spending that time with my family. This year I have so much to be thankful for.

Today I thought I would share some of my Turkey pictures with you. I have always found the turkey so ugly that he is cute. In real life they are very fast. Every time I see them in the wild they are gone before I can even get my camera out. Hope you enjoy these images. I am going to make name tags with them for our Thanksgiving table.

Start the day with...Thriftiness

Last night was the last night in my house. Today the movers are coming to finish packing and whisk away my bed. Yesterday was bittersweet watching the contents of my house slowly being packed and put on a truck. My house will be happier I think. It needs a family to fill it with laughter and memories.

This morning I wanted to share this utility barn with you. I think it is so clever the way they used part of an old metal sign to cover the front and the door. How thrifty is that? True recycling going on here. When I stumbled upon this barn I realized the old cliche of "thinking outside the box" for a solution was alive and well!

An Afternoon Drive...

A country road here in North Carolina. The open road holds so much promise. A surprise around every turn. Today I was able to get out and leave the boxes and packing behind and just enjoy the day. I feel like most of the summer and fall I have missed. The beach is not the best place to enjoy the fall colors, so a little road trip was needed.

I found this tree down a dead end road. I loved the contrast of the gold against the blue sky. It had rained a few minutes before and you can see the clouds moving away as the sun comes out. It was a beautiful fall day.


Hidden up a bank an old Tobacco Barn. These sat on the edge of the fields. Large "sticks" fit into notches along the walls all the way up the barn. The tobacco plants were/are attached to the sticks and set in the notches to dry or cure. This was quite a dirty job. Everyone - children included joined in to get the crop in. I see these barns and they represent so much of the history of North Carolina.

I thought I would include this shot. The contrast of the green and red was stunning. Hope you enjoyed a taste of the day.

Kanji - Rain

The packers spent all day furiously packing. I spent all day furiously gathering up things to take with me. It was a long and rainy day here. I was glad for night fall. Tonight I thought I should hobble upstairs and go through my computer desk before they pack it all away. At some point I realized "Oh no!" I will not have a scanner for a few months. So, I have been scanning a few things and sending them to my laptop.

On my computer desk were a few of the Kanji books I found at one of the library sales. I found this "rain" and thought it was a great way to end the evening. They are calling for rain again tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me that it lets up while the movers load. Also, please keep all those poor people in Haiti in your thoughts as they go through the next few days.

It is Voting Day Here in the United States

Hard to believe we are back at the polls telling our representatives what we want to see in the next few years. This is a big election for both parties. I am just proud that I can vote. It wasn't that long ago that our great grandmothers and grandmothers were out picketing and having hunger strikes so that we could have this privilege.

My father is a lawyer and spent part of his career writing laws an amendments. He and my mother instilled a deep appreciation of the law and the right to vote. Not once did I ever learn who either voted for, but we have lively discussions around the kitchen table about the issues and candidates.

I thought today would be fitting to share one of my personal heroes with you. You have probably heard of her, but I thought today of all days would be a good day to share her with you. Her name is Alice Paul. She was born in 1885 to Quaker parents. She grew up on a farm in Paulsdale New Jersey. It was an idyllic life.

The Quakers believe that men and women are equal. They also support both men and women seeking a higher education. Alice Paul was able to attend Swarthmore College where she got a degree. From there she attended the University of Pennsylvania where she received a MA and a PhD. Then it was off to Washington College of Law for a LLB and American University for a LLM doctorate. Whew!


After school she did an internship in England. There she met several suffragettes and learned the art of picketing, fasting, and getting arrested. They believed that the more attention and press they drew the more people would join in with them. Back in the United States she joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association. As they were not able to get the job done she formed the National Women's Party.

They began to picket outside the White House and soon were arrested and sent to jail. There the suffragettes were beaten, force fed when they fasted and generally abused. There have been several movies made about this particular fight. Each worth viewing. Finally released due to public pressure. The idea of women voting became a national topic.

The 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was passed in 1920. Shortly after this Alice Paul became the original author of the Equal Rights Amendment. It first went up for vote in 1922. Not till 1972 was it taken seriously and was passed. 38 states had to ratify the amendment for it to pass. Alice Paul passed away in 1977. Seeing her beloved Amendment passed yet not ratified. The Equal Rights Amendment was given an extension till 1982, it has come up before Congress every term. The Equal Rights Amendment has still not been ratified. I personally find this to be shocking!


Alice Paul and the suffragettes left us a legacy of women's rights. They have given us a voice. If you do not vote you are not using your voice. Today and every day I want to hear your voices - voting for the things that make this world a better place for women and the people that mean so much to us. Sing!

Thank you so much Alice Paul and the women who stood beside you for the rights you have given me.