Art Creations Friday - Believe

Art Creations Friday gave us this beautiful image of this little girl. I loved how patiently she was sitting with that lovely crown headdress on. Her cute little silk stockings just made the outfit. She must be the little flower girl in someone's wedding. Weddings are new beginnings. You open a whole new door to your life.

I decided to sit her on this window on a door. It was as if she was a little fairy just waiting to lead you through the door to something remarkable. If you believe in something enough it will often open all sorts of new doors for you. So here is my little door fairy. Waiting patiently to lead you to something wonderful. Just believe....

The Three Muses Challenge - Angels

say a little prayer

This weeks challenge from The Three Muses is Angels. One of my favorite themes. I love to take pictures in cemeteries of the towns I visit. You can tell so much about a place by their cemeteries. Here is my angel. We all could use a prayer or two. I am praying for a better year for everyone.

Four Letter Words - Grow

In a lot of the yahoo groups and journaling groups everyone is picking a word of intent. My word is "grow". You can grow emotionally and spiritually. You can have relationships that grow stronger and more meaningful. You can grow into a better person. You can grow things, plants, businesses, ideas, etc... It is a word with endless possibilities and great potential. That is what I am looking for.

January Photograph #3 - Camelia

Isn't this beautiful? Now imagine a whole bush full. I think they are a little piece of heaven sent to help us get through the long month of January and the short month of February.

Some January Freebies

Love the primary colors in this.

He looks like a winter Snow God.

Love the graphics on this one.

Support your local paper!

A little bookstore romance?

Here are some magazine freebies for you. I meant to post these much sooner, but the days are already starting to get away from me. I don't have a routine yet. However I will be using some of these in my new journal.

A Gift to Myself - The Ledgers

This Holiday Season I decided to take Mary Ann Moss's Journal Class - Remains of the Day. One of the materials she suggested using was old ledger paper. As I have several old ledgers and some blank ledger pages I figured I was all set. I went to tear up one of my old ledgers and thought "I can't do this." So off I went to the internet to see if I couldn't find another ledger to rip up.

Instead I found these three ledger being sold together. The hand marbled fronts and leather spines were too much for me. The insides were filled with store purchases from one, another was a hotel ledger with the guest signing in and what they ate in the dining room and how many horses they boarded in the stable. Be still my heart. These were beautiful.

I gift to myself. That little bit of holiday money set aside for THAT purchase. These would be that purchase. On Saturday afternoon they came. I spent most of yesterday gingerly reading them, admiring the fine script, the names, and meals they ate. The prices for goods and imagining what they looked like. No, I won't be tearing these up anytime soon. And yes, I found another ledger that I already had. It was not as charming as these, but I decided that it would do just fine in my new journals.

The three ledgers with there marbled paper fronts. They are around sixteen to twenty inches long. Two are thin, around a hundred to hundred fifty pages or more. The bottom large one has almost three hundred pages.

The worn spines where the leather as worn away.

The fronts of the ledgers. I think at one time the front pages were painted.

A well worn corner.

The Ledger Papers

I thought I would share some of the ledger pages with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. It is just a sample a small slice of life back then.

The ledgers start in 1868 and go through 1872. They are northern ledgers so I am sure the Civil War did not have the same effect that it had down south on these types of establishments.

Ten hats for $2.00 and a valise. Obviously this person was going traveling. I see they remembered the Scotch.

Here on the store ledger they had to do the math right there next to the account. I wonder if there was a little disagreement going on.

These are names that stayed in the hotel. It also has room numbers.

I love the different colors of inks on this page. The handwriting is so lovely.

January Photograph #2 - The Cupola

This caught my eye this morning as I was coming home from the beach and stopped to get gas. It was the topping of an already reverent morning.

More Journal Pages - first couple rounds for the smaller journals

More journal pages for my Remains of the Day class with Mary Ann Moss. These are the pages for my smaller 6 inch by 6 inch. I made three of these and decided to make 20 pages for each. Each signature will have 10 pages and each journal will have two signatures. This means I will need 60 pages total for the three journals.

The stack of pages in the photograph is only 52 pages. I still have a few more to do before I can start round 4 and 5 [ security envelopes and fabric] I am using up tons of scraps and creating small little scraps. I see some inches in my future.

A large stringy stack of pages.

I tried to make the pages in varying sizes to give the book a little pzazz.

A few pages. One with my digital collage, another with some transparency.

Lots of front pages.

Open pages.

Lots of odds and ends, scraps galore.

I did try to leave some room to actually write.

Journal Pages - the first couple rounds

Lucky me! I am taking my first online class with Mary Ann Moss - Remains of the Day. We are making a journal with all of our scraps. I must say it has been a totally amazing experience. Over the holidays I would wake up early and work in my studio and sewing room before any one else woke up.

I figured I would need a lot of pages to fill the 6 journal covers I have made. I decided to break it down into halves and go for it. Mary Ann had said she used around 10 pages per signature and 2 signatures or so a book. I made my spine a little wider than hers so I made a few extras for each signature.

Here are some of my pages for the larger journal. I have only completed 3 out of 5 rounds of sewing on them. I am having such a ball! Plus the freestyle of it all lets you use up all those little extras you have laying around.

These are the pages for my 9 inch by 6 inch journal. I did 13 pages for each of the two signatures. So 26 pages, folded in half make 52, back and front 104. That should give me plenty of journaling space for the month.

Here they are spread out a bit.

Here are some of the insides. I still need to do round 4/ security envelopes and 5/sides and fabric. I did use some of my own digital collages and photos in the journal pages.

A few more open pages.

I tried to make some fold out pages, and some pockets, etc. on some of the pages.

Mary Ann gave us this yummy recipe so I thought I would include that.

Just a few more for this journal.

First Photo of the Year

In keeping with my photography goals I set out this afternoon for a walk and a little photo session. When I saw this beautiful topiary I thought this definitely fits the moment. Our neighborhood hired a new landscape designer about three years ago. Let me tell you what a difference this girl has made.

On the coast where I am we do not have "snows." This is a tongue in cheek way for all of us to have a little snowman of our own. Granted he is not the typical snow man but he is truly a "southern" one. I get such a chuckle everyday when I am leaving when I see him.

Happy New Year!

Hoping everybody had a wonderful New Year's Eve. It was quiet here. Not a lot of drunken, celebrating people. The older I get the more I like it like that. I sort of see the evening as a time to reflect back on the year and anticipate the new. We did get to see the "once in a blue moon", made a late night run to the beach, visited with neighbors and family. All an all not a bad night.

I am not big on resolutions. I am big on setting some goals and reaching them. Personal goals are fairly easy to meet when you can control all the variables. When others are involved not as easy. This year I am going to take better care of myself and those I love. I am going to be a better listener. Volunteer more.

Art wise I am going to do more painting. I am also going to do less group activities and concentrate on some of the things swirling around in my head. I am going to take another online class or two. Go to one retreat.

Photography wise I am going to take more pictures. I am going to take at least a few every day and post a picture a day for awhile. I am thinking a month or ... a week at a time photo challenges.

These are just some of the things brewing around here. I am sure I am forgetting or avoiding some of the other "need to's" and "want to's". The year is like a blank page or empty canvas waiting to be filled. I can't wait!

New Year Quote

Some New Year Freebies

For all my Zetti and Art friends a little Zetti for you!

Hoping you all are able to see the world with the joy and wonder that a child does.

Wishing you the warmth and love of family and friends this New Year!

Wishing you many things to toast and rejoice about in the New Year!

And may your New Year be filled with flowers and beauty. I wish that everyone of you find joy and happiness in even the most simplest of things. Thank you so much for sharing this past year with me. I wish you all joy, happiness and good health!

Blue Moon

Tonight while you are out and about take a few minutes to look up in the sky. It is a blue moon night. Actually, the moon is only blue after volcanic eruptions or large forest fires. The ash refracts with the light and gives the moon a blue hue.

The blue moon tonight is a "once in a blue moon" event. Every couple of years we will have a month with two full moons in it. Hence the expression "once in a blue moon." So, tonight we will have the second full moon in December.

This full blue moon I am taking as a sign. Because it is happening on New Year's eve maybe it is a sign that the next year will be full of good things, surprises, and new things for us all. That is what I think and I am going into this new year, this new decade with only positive thoughts.

Home

The holidays are almost over. Four of my five boys were here with their various wives and girlfriends, and puppy dogs. Some for a few days, some longer. It was so nice to see them together. They are growing into such fine men. Each so different yet the core is so alike.

We ate and drank a lot, every year we pick a country and try their wines and beer, I try to make some of their foods, it is like a little trip yet with the comforts of home. We talked a lot, looked through old picture albums and laughed more than I think I have ever. I even got them all to pick up some oil pastels and do self portraits and portraits of each other. We spent a lot of time around various tables - kitchen, dining, and coffee - sharing moments. As the last one left yesterday I realized how much I have to be thankful for. We all missed the one who was not here. Although we did have an extended phone conversation with him, we felt his absence. He is where he wants to be and is happy, what more can you ask for?

All in all it was a great holiday. It was relaxed and full of the people I love. That was the greatest gift I could ever receive. I did slip in a little art early in the mornings before everyone was up. Lots and lots of journal pages for my online class. I will share them soon.

Merry Christmas to All

I wish you all a Merry Christmas! For those who do not celebrate Christmas I wish you a season full of love and warmth. I will be with family the next few days as I hope all of you are also. To all I wish Peace on Earth.

Some Time to Myself

I had such a list in my head of "to do's" that I gave up on sleep. I decided it might be one of the last times for a few days that I have time to myself. A walk to clear my head, get me focused and none of the stores are open anyway so off to watch the sun rise.

One of my favorite places to walk is what in the neighborhood they call the Lake. It is home to my beloved swans/whom I woke up this morning/ and several other migratory birds. It is also a small barrier between the Intercoastal Waterway. I love to walk on the small strip of land that separates the two. It is a reminder of how fragile things are. The twisted trees from the many storms, yet all of the life that depends on this water.


As I started my walk around the Lake I kept feeling like I was being watched. Finally I decided to sit down on one of the benches and take a look at my surroundings closely. I looked up into the trees and I was being watched. By these two vultures! My goodness they were huge. This was the first time I had seen anything like that around here. The circle of life.

Tea or Coffee Dying Fabric and Trims

I thought you might like a little recipe on dying fabrics and trims. Cotton fabrics and trims - lace - tend to take the dye better that fabric or trim that has polyester in it. I think the polyester keeps the fabric from being able to absorb the dye.

First I rinse the fabric and lace out in a bowl in my sink. I add a small drop of dish soap to about a half bowl of water. Swish the fabric and trim around. Pushing the fabric into the water to make sure it gets wet. Then I rinse it out with cold water. Try to remove as much water from the fabric as you can at this point. This removes the sizing from the fabric and allows it to absorb the dye in the tea or coffee.

Second get out your largest pot, I use my spaghetti noodle pot, and fill at least 1/2 to 2/3's full with water. Now get out your cheapest tea. One of my friends recommended Big Lots for tea so I bought a huge thing of Lipton's there. You are going to need between 12 and 15 bags of tea.
Add this to your water and start to heat it up.


Different tea will make up different colors. Tea with raspberries or fruit will be a little on the piker side. Chamomile is a deep rich reddish brown. There are yellow tea and black teas give off a walnut color. The stronger you brew your tea the stronger the color is going to be.

Coffee is also something that you can use. It is easy to brew and makes lovely dyed fabric.

If I use coffee I prefer one of the French Vanilla kinds. I love this Folgers brand. The coffee comes in these pods and make throwing in the pot very easy. I usually use two or three of these to a pan. The fabric smells so yummy. I think it is the vanilla.



So your pot of tea or coffee is heating up. I let mine actually boil. Then add your fabric and turn the heat off and move pot off the burner. I use a wood spoon to mash the fabric and lace around till everything is wet and or submerged in the liquid. I let it sit for three to five hours, sometimes overnight. Where the tea bags or coffee pods are the fabric will be darker. It gives a nice effect.

The last thing to do is remove the fabric and trims from the pot. Squeeze out all the excess liquid. I then throw the fabric in the dryer. Once dry, iron and use. Now if you are worried about your dryer, take a dishtowel you don't care about, wet, ring out and throw in dryer. This will clean dryer if it is dirty. Then wash towel.

You can use the liquid for several batches - two to three days. Anything after that is a little iffy. Just reheat and use. Sometimes I will throw in a fresh tea bag. I use tea bags and the coffee pods because it is so much cleaner. Loose tea or coffee is a pain to clean up and get off your fabric. I am into the no muss.