Fishing

Here's the last painting I completed for my class, which is over now. I'm going to have a gallery show at the BC3 campus in two years, which seems like a lot of time, but I need to complete about 20 paintings between now and then, which means I have to really push to get about 1 painting done per month. It takes me about 9-12 hours to do one painting, and I don't get much time to work, so it will be tough. But it's good to have a goal to work towards, otherwise I probably wouldn't do anything at all...

Fishing

36x24

Oil

Gift

This beautiful Ovation guitar was given to me this morning by some friends. GIVEN to me!!!

I am blown away.

Thank you.

Remodeling

Yesterday....

And today. Aaaghk!

Two Poppies

Here's the third painting I've completed for my painting class. It's the first time I've painted with a knife. It was kind of fun, but difficult. I guess it takes a lot of practice to get good at.

Oranges and Elsie

Here's the second painting I've completed in my painting class at BC3. This is taken from the a photo I took when Elsie was 1 or 2. It was probably the only time she ever sat still. That red and pink outfit wasn't working for my color scheme, so I got rid of it. But it's okay to do that when you have an artistic license. I really do have one. My teacher gave them out to all of the students. :)

"Oranges and Elsie"

Oil on canvas

30" x 40"

Elsie's 2nd Sewing Project

Elsie did just about everything here. She designed the artwork, I drew it on the dress, and she sewed it on all by herself. She somehow got mustard on it during the project, but luckily it came off in the wash.

Riley in Whale Dress

This is my friend Melody's daughter Riley, posing for me in the Whale Dress at Succop Conservancy. What a cute-head!

Octopus

I'm taking an intro to painting class on Wednesday nights at Butler County Community College. This is the first painting I've completed.

The original photo.

Julane in Elephant Dress (Will Work For Oreos)

Today I took scads of photos of my beautiful niece Julane in the Elephant dress, hoping to get some good shots for my upcoming sewing kit. Here are my favorites from the shoot. Her mommy promised her oreos if she cooperated and let me tell you, it worked! She was a perfect model. She filled out the dress so perfectly, and I think the chartreuse color (thank you Kelly!) looked really wonderful with her super light hair and blue eyes.

Elephant Dress

Here is my spoonflower elephant dress! Now to get some great pictures taken and put together my sewing kit. I timed the process and the whole project should take 2.5 - 3 hrs, including the cutting. I couldn't find a zipper anywhere near the color of this fabric. I don't even know what to call this color. Anyway, I just used a cream color and I think I hid it pretty well. I used this method of installing a zipper using a glue stick and it turned out really well. It's the first time I didn't have a nasty pucker at the bottom. I am slowly learning to be a patient seamstress! Things turn out so much better when you take your time and really try to do things right.

Sewing Projects

Some photos of me in a dress I made for myself out of giant blue houndstooth blanket material, and Heidi in the new whale dress. Elsie told her that she looked really cute in it and Heidi said "I know". Wouldn't it be great if grown women talked that way when you gave them a compliment? Elsie's skirt in the bike picture was also homemade, by Rachel.

Finished Whale Dress

Here's my spoonflower whale dress.

Finally

I got my 2 dress patterns printed from Spoonflower finally. I am ready to go! Only one problem. I thought for some reason that the fabric was 58" wide, and not 56" inches. So part of the insides of my bodice pieces got cut off. But that's okay, if something had to get cut off, those would be the best pieces for it to happen to. I got some plain fabric that I can use for the insides, and next time I have these printed, they will be adjusted to fit the 56" width!

Anxiety Bucket

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. - Phillipians 4:6

When I was growing up we had this orange plastic tub that my family called "the puke bucket", that my mom would put by the side of our bed when we were sick. It was such a great friend, you know, it took the worst we had to give and came back for more.

The challenge with the verse above is that you have to do something with anxiety. You can't just stop feeling things, you have to deal with them somehow. I need an anxiety bucket that Jesus can take away and wash out for me.

Genus

This is in the Spoonflower contest of the week. It's a fabric design for a cheater quilt. If you would like to vote for my design, please click here. Note that there are alot of designs on each contest page, you have to scroll down to see them all.

Must Have Big Twirl

So Elsie has a closet full of dresses that do not make her happy to wear. Not because they are not pretty but because they do not twirl big enough. A super-twirling froggy dress by Mamma-Made had set the bar 2 years ago and she just can't seem to go back.

The other day I made this dress out of some scrap material I had upstairs. It's the first time I made a garment without following an official pattern, so it was kind of an experiment. The bodice was from a size 5 pattern I have, and it turned out to be way too big all over, but she doesn't care. I made the circle skirt by just figuring it out, and the bow was because she likes bows. It turned out okay but I really need help with zippers. Look at the way it puckers at the bottom. I can never seem to get them nice and flat.