Wordless Wednesday "Peaches"

"If I lean out the bedroom window just a little more"

Night and Day

On Saturday night I could hear some rumbling and ask DH if he heard that. We only get thunder and lightning maybe two or three times a year and it only lasts a short time. It's a big event for me because I have total respect for Mother Nature and what she does, so I watch, listen and photograph what I can. I looked out as the sky was getting darker and the sky was an ever changing canvas, so I just had to grab my camera and capture it.

Along with the thunder of course came the lightning strikes, not many but so brilliant and then the rain threw itself down to the ground. The thunder and lightning only lasted as it does here, maybe a little over an hour, the showers continued off and on through the night.

What my camera did with the dimming sky I could never have done if I had tried forever. The sky was not the depth of colour these pictures show, but I'm not complaining. It's what my camera saw and captured. I also have always watched for faces in clouds. In the first picture there is a definite face and less so in the others, but the first one for sure. By morning, the sky was back to normal and quiet as quiet could be.  I've sent a friend whose an oil painter the original of the third picture to work her magic on canvas with it....and I bet she will.

Grocery Bag Swap

I'm still working on my grocery bag swap with a group of painting friends. This is the third of my bags and it's on the way to Australia. If you know me, you know my love of jesters, carnival, clowns and anything in that theme. The design is by Jan McCraw or better known as Ladybug. I enjoyed it but I think it would have been a bit easier to paint on a smooth surface. I couldn't do the amount of detail I would have liked because the brush won't work the same way on this surface. However, another time perhaps on a wooden piece... You can click on the pictures below to get a slightly better view.

Tomorrow we're off to another farm tour around the peninsula here. There are 10 farms, but we're not likely to get to all of them, so we'll have to see how it goes. These little guys are from the tour we took out in Sooke last month. Hubby got a great picture of the Llama eating from my hand, (we were right in the field with him and the Alpaca's), and I could show you that great picture if he'd taken the cap off the lens.... sigh !!!! However here is a picture that did turn out of some of the Alpaca's. They had just been shorn, so they do look a bit rough around the edges... They were a bit timid, but at one point, we were surrounded on all sides by them, it was wonderful to be that close to these beautiful and gentle creatures.  ;o~ 

Wordless Wednesday

"White Lavender with a Yellow Bumble Bee" (the yellow bumble is new to me this year)

The ADO Challenge

A big thank you to all of you who posted comments about my Art Doll Goddesses. It was a wonderful challenge and thank you to ADO for allowing all of us non members to participate...Romona

ADO 4 Elements Challenge

The challenge was to create one or more art dolls based on 4 elements. My ambitious nature took over and instead of one doll I did all four. They are all little goddess dolls measuring from 8" to 10". This was a fun challenge and probably explains why I couldn't stop at one.

The first element is Fire. All life on earth depends on the energy of the sun. Plants use that energy to live and grow, it is also the element that warms our houses and cooks our food, the hearth fire is sacred in every earth-based tradition, for fire is the living heart of the home. South is the direction we associate with fire. The time of day connected to fire is high noon, the season is summer ( of course), the colours are red, orange and bright golden yellow.

Life began with Water, in the primeval ocean and living things need water to survive. Water moves in a great cycle around the globe. Rain falls on the earth, bringing life to plants, soaking the soil or collecting in streams and rivers that flow to the sea. For us water is in the west. The time of day is the gray twilight  and it's season is autumn. The colours of water are blue, blue-green and grey. My goddess is a combination of ice and water, since ice can become water and water can become ice and snow, like that which has accumulated on her arms, soon to become water.

The Earth is the element that stands for our bodies. Our physical bodies are sacred and we must take care of ourselves as we take care of the earth. All the food we eat, all the things we make and do and use, are part of this element. Plants draw energy from the sun, but they are nourished by the earth. Seeds are planted beneath the ground to begin their lives. Gardening, tending trees and plants and caring for animals are all the ways to honor and protect the sacred earth. The time of day is midnight, the season is winter, the direction is North. The colours are black and shades of green.

My personal favourite is this goddess doll for Air, probably for it's simplicity and movement. I thought about how I would represent air and it clicked. I love windy days. Every moment of our lives we must breathe in order to survive. Air carries sounds and scents and its clarity allows light to pass through so that we can see. Air is invisible, except when other things move in response to its motion, when the wind makes branches dance and leaves fly, or bends the grasses down as it passes. We share breath with all life. Like other re-blooded creatures, we breathe in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, which is used by plants and trees to transform the pure energy of the sun into food for all living things. We associate air with the east, the season is spring and the colours are pale pinks, yellows and whites.

If you would like to read the full document that I took my notes from, please click here. Want more, click here.   If you would like to see what element you are, click here.  Thank you for taking the time to visit my challenge dolls.

Wordless Wednesday

Even dragonflies rock to the beat of Satellite Radio

A Lady Beetles Life

When we first got our home we started redoing the garden as it had been so overgrown with trees, roses, shrubs and you name it. It was virtually dying because there was to much garden for the size of the property. We got busy and had things taken out and once that was done, of course the next thing was to bring life back to the garden. The thing that was obviously missing, were ladybugs or as I call them, lady beetles.

We got a ladybug lure to attract them and sure enough before we knew it, we had lady beetles of all different colours. The familiar orange ones, but also yellow pink red and black ones. So pretty... I didn't have my digital camera at the time, but I found these images online. Over the years we haven't see as many lady beetles, so it's time for a new lure for next year. Here's a link to read up on those if you're interested for your own garden. Continue below these images for more about these sweet little bugs/beetles.

I wonder how many of you would recognize a ladybug's offspring to be. They might surprize you if you've seen them and thought they were a spider of sorts. I wondered years ago what these were and decided they should not be killed, a hunch told me to leave them be. So I investigated and found I was right to do that.  This is what I spotted and wondered what the heck kind of spider is this. These are the lady beetle larvae. They will feed on aphids until it's time to go to their next stage. Can you see the aphid on the left side of the leaf. Click the image to get a larger view. Recognize them now ?!?!

Once it's time to go to the cocoon, this is what they will morph into next. Even after watering the garden it still hung on...;o) Good thing...

And finally, they will be reborn into what we recognize as our little ladybug/beetle. Next year I hope to have more variety. It was quite exciting as a gardener to see all those different colours of lady beetles when all along I thought they only came in one colour, so I will be impatiently waiting to see what we are blessed with next year... 

Bees bees and more bees !!!

Do you watch bees? I do. I don't like having them nest around my house, but sometimes that's okay to. We have Orchard Mason bees and 3 almost full bee houses of them. They're wonderful bees to watch. They will buzz all around you but will not sting, so you can just stand right next to their houses and watch what they do. They are only around from about March to the end of June. Their main function is to hatch out, pollinated everything in sight, gather pollen and bring it back to the bee house, off load it in the house, lay an egg and seal up a small space and repeat over and over.

If you live in an area that they are found, you might think they are blue bottle flies because they look very much like that. But, don't kill them thinking they're a fly. Here's a link to learn more about them. Bee Diverse is located here on the west coast of Canada, in the Vancouver area.   (the following pictures are not mine, I found them online for purposes of this post - Except for - the picture of the yellow jacket building the nest and the red hot pokers, those are my own pictures.)

One type of been we've had tons of this year, are these guys. This particular nest was about 2" around, and about the 6th or 7th attempt to build. We keep finding them, knocking them down and they keep rebuilding. Sneaky to, you have to really pay attention because they will go into places that they figured out you don't go near every day. I pretty much had to hold the camera upside down under the eaves and just kept clicking because I couldn't dare to put my face under there for fear of being stung. So I just kept clicking until I got a decent picture. He was watching to....

 

We also have assorted friendly bees that we leave alone, like the honey bees. We have Hover Flies, which aren't flies, but tiny friendly bees that serve a good purpose in the garden. Tiny to, you hardly see them.

One thing we discovered is that we have a Bumblebee nest, or did have until the season has now ended for them to reproduce. I saw a bumble going into this bush of Red Hot Pokers  right at the ground level and thought....Hmmmm.

So I poked at it and suddenly hear a very loud buzzing sound of what sounded like hundreds of bees.

Best to walk away and leave them alone. We once had a bumble bee house on the post right there and I guess now they just continue to come back. I wouldn't be surprized if they've been there for a couple of years and I never noticed. I'll just pull the dry grassy bits out when I clean up and so glad that I didn't start doing that in the spring.The dry grass stays until winter clean up.  So if you see bees, (except the stinging kind) don't swat them away, they are good for your garden and will give your fruit trees a boost. We have to tie up our peach tree branches until the fruit is ready or they will break from so much fruit... ;o)

Round Robin Elf

Last night was our doll club meeting. What a busy busy meeting. Lots of club business, then the Show and Share part for anyone who brought in a doll to talk about it. Then we did the big reveal of our Round Robin Elves. It started in March and am I ever glad I joined the club when I did so I was able to participate in this. What an amazing and magical display of elves.

I feel so privileged to be part of this group. They are so active, creative and the program committee comes up with ideas consistently to keep us on our toes. After the elves were displayed we then had a demonstration using Paverpol. Now perhaps I will actually use what I have, wouldn't that be a good thing.... I thought you might like to see my elf  before and after shots.

So here is the before. His name is Fhin.

I had no idea what to expect when I made him up in these colours, but look at what happened. From head to toe, he's embellished and looking so adorable. I love pan flutes, so how perfect that one of the ladies made this for him. And check out the nails and bling....he even has toe rings. The hair set the whole thing in motion I think.

 

See the creative use of silk cocoons. And inside them are rolls of sheet music....Charming, absolutely charming.

But at this point Fhin has said "enough of the camera already" and has decided to just simply ignore me and turn away from the lens..... I hope you enjoy him and if you'd like to see the rest of the elves in the round robin, please click here......

  

Wordless Wednesday

Michael Joseph Jackson - Your Fans Will Never Forget You

My Tribute to Michael Jackson

Full Name: Michael Joseph Jackson
Birth Place: Gary, Indiana, USA
August 29, 1958 - June 25th, 2009

Seldom does a person you've never even met, touch you as Michael Jackson did. He was a one of a kind, a man of so many faces, endless talent, and someone who retreated behind the gates of his beloved Neverland Ranch to find his solitude, away from the rest of the world. We can never really know what his world was like. A difficult life from start to finish, but we his fans, will only remember those moments that brought us joy.

For a photo montage of Michaels life, click here.

The enormity of Michael Jacksons contributions is only now being felt after he has left us. One example of his spirit. Michael at one time owned the publishing rights to all of Little Richards music. Little Richard was literally tossed aside by those who had the rights to his music until Michael got a hold of them. He gave those rights back to Little Richard as a gift. He could have asked for money and lots of it, but he didn't, he simply gave them back to Little Richard. Unheard of generosity in the music world.

There is no one that will ever be able to recreate the talent that was Michael. He was deservedly "The King of Pop". Others will come and go, but none will ever replace Michael in our lives. His immense talent, his visions the way he kept you wanting for more, will never be recreated. If there is someone out there who hasn't seen his video's, and that's hard to imagine, just follow this link.

The Official Michael Jackson You Tube site

My absolute favourite video of course has to be Thriller, followed by Billie Jean, Beat It and so many more. The choreography in all his video's and stage performances alone is to admired, his dancing and his unique voice that never cracked as it should have when he reached maturity. Flawless to the end in everything he did, sadly we will never see what else he would have done with his talent.

I once was in a nightclub at the military base in San Diego. I was up dancing to Billy Jean. I happened to look across the room and standing there was the spitting image of Michael wearing the same outfit he wore in Thriller. When I looked again, he was gone. Of course I'm sure it was a look alike, but for that split second it felt like it was the man himself. That was a thrill even if only a look alike.

Another side of Michael Jackson, his respect for our planet. When I first watched Earth Song I was taken aback at the sheer power in the message, and moved to tears at the intensity of his performance. Be sure to read the messages at the end of the videos.

Earth Song

Heal the World

We Are the World

There are so many sides to this man that most people simply cannot see. A perfection driven man on stage and by all accounts a complete change to a softer and gentler man in private. I will always be able to remember him through everything he created for us, his fans, who could never get enough. No matter what others will say, they will never ever be able to change my respect for him as an entertainer, a musician who broke through boundary after boundary and always did his best to give his fans what they craved.

Today is a Memorial to you that will be viewed around the world, a send off few will receive. May you rest in peace now Michael, we will never forget you. You have left us with something magical to remember you by in numbers to high to count. You gave us everything you had and we thank you.

A sewing day!!!

Early last week my friend Andrea and I were complaining that our closets are looking like early attic, late cellar. Our combined comments were something like "I'm sick of my clothes, and I'm sick of seeing myself in the same thing over and over". So I piped up and said....Well you own a fabric store and you're closed on Sundays so lets have a personal sewing day this Sunday. So we did. The Sidewalk sale was going on in Sidney as well, so I suggested she throw open her doors and see what happens. One or two sales is better than no sales, and she did get a couple of sales. We started at 11 and I left at about 4.

I managed to get 4 things mostly done. I only brought my serger so the finishing was done at home on my regular machine. I finished them last night and am happy this morning to be able to go to my closet and have more choices. We are going to do this again because we both thoroughly enjoyed it. My amount of sewing might be reduced to one or two items over time, but as long as I'm coming in with new and tossing old, it's all good. So here's what I did.

A pair of black track pants out of fleece...nothing exciting, but essential. A blue/tourquise top made with T-shirt knit, and a two piece outfit made from rayon. All the fabrics were from her store, brought in by others as trades. Such a great concept having the new and traded fabrics. I also have a picture below of some fabric for a top and pants outfit. The blouse will be a rayon, the pants linen type fabric, I can hear my skin saying "YES". I have a passion for soft and silky type fabrics, they always feel so comfortable. I also added a picture of a top I made a couple of weeks ago, also in a T-shirt knit. I am going to be to tops what Emelda Marcos was to shoes. The pattern for the tops and pants this time are from Stretch and Sew # 5235 Easy tops and pants. The top with the shoulder pieces is a Stretch and Sew # 334 Nautical Tops.

Harold Without Maude

I went out at 7 this morning to water the garden before the heat of the day started, and I found this little guy wandering ever so painfully slowly across the yard. I right away flashed the name Harold through my head, and so he is Harold.  No Maude in sight, perhaps he was on his way to her ???  I found this description on Wikipedia, it's my silly sense of humour I suppose, but I felt perhaps this Harold was making a run for it....away from mother dearest and her preset life plans for him...

"Harold and Maude is a 1971 cult classic film directed by Hal Ashby. The film, featuring slapstick, dark humor, and existentialist drama, revolves around the exploits of a morbid young man – Harold (played by Bud Cort) – who drifts away from the life that his detached mother prescribes for him, as he develops a relationship with septuagenarian Maude (played by Ruth Gordon)."

I felt Harold might meet his demise with a lawnmower or heavy foot, as he wandered aimlessly across the lawn so I moved him to a safer location. Most people I suppose would have had a moment of silence and finished him off, but I couldn't do it....so he will live in my flower pot and disappear in the night to some other dark mysterious place. Good luck Harold !!!

If you click on the pictures you will get much more detail especially the first picture.

Tyvek possibilities

Last week when Julie McCullough was here, Terry (who organized the workshop) and I, took Julie to the Sidney street market. For those who don't live in the area, Sidney is to small to be a city(thankfully), it's a town, but a town that really works to support local business and artisans. Every summer we have a street market and it's quite exciting to see how many people come and from a fair distance. The market takes up about 6 blocks of the main street every Thurs. evening rain or shine.

While we were browsing all the different stands Terry and I discovered a woman who makes tote bags and clothing with Tyvek. Anyone who creates mixed media art would see these things as an artists palette. Of course you can't heat treat these bags or garments as you would normally do with Tyvek because you would ruin them, but you can certainly do any number of other artistic treatments to them including using your Tyvek scraps from other projects to create some artistic effect. You can paint on these just like any other surface, including her Tyvek clothing. The information that comes with them includes this, Comfortable, Compact and Durable, Wind Water and Stain Resistant and Paintable.

I took her information and went to see her the other day, so that I could spend a little more time talking to her without the hussle bussle of shoppers. What I ended up buying were two of her tote bags. One of them measures approx. 23" X 23", the other one is called her Opera Bag and measures approx. 27" X 16". When I catch up with a few projects here, I will spend some time thinking of how to embellish these bags and in the meantime, I think I will also visit her at the market before it's over at the end of August and pick up on of her Anoraks. It will be perfect for those evening walks. If you would like to see all of Joan's products, click here.

Her products are simple effective and very reasonably priced. To mail them, next to nothing, they are packaged in small plastic bags and weight about as much as a feather. Here are two pictures of the totes. I think they're perfect and will be used to take my dolls to meetings and for those days when one must shop. Tell me that as an artist, these don't excite your palette.  ;o))) 

Wordless Wednesday "Innocence"