Happy Cactus Monday and "P" = Painted Plaid

I drew this cactus some time ago, and recently on one of my noontime walks I came across it again, this time in bloom. I was so excited to see the flowers, but did not have my camera with me...so the next day I came back again this time with camera to get these photos. This is another part of the same plant. It doesn't look as healthy at the rest of it...but loved the face I saw in this part, maybe a fish?

And when I got the photos home and processed I was amazed at the length of the spikes on this baby.

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This is the ATC I made for our swap on the ABC ATC Group. You can see more ABC ATCs here. Happy Cactus Monday This is for the letter "P" and I call it Painted Plaid. I painted and mounted a water colored plaid artist trading card framed with some upholstery fabric also plaid on a card for Laure.

AIR and A Tribute to Senator Edward Teddy Kennedy

This is my second of three pieces done with paper towels and re-purposed dryer sheets both of which I dyed using acrylic paint and water called "Air". It is not easy sewing on paper towels. The background here is one layer of a paper towel and it is very delicate going as the free motion sewing foot easily digs into the paper and tears it...so I had to be very very careful while endeavoring to make all these swirls in "my air" field.The darker blue parts are strips of dyed dryer sheets...sewn with blue rayon threads and then sewn from the "wrong side" using gold metallic thread in the bobbin that would show up on top for some extra pizazz and sparkle. You might want to click on any of these photos to see the details

********** Last week I walked past our local senior center and library to find these flags flying

at half mast for the loss of our Great Senator from Mass.

Edward (Teddy) Kennedy.

Friday night we "attended" via TV the memorial service for him, and Saturday morning we were at the funeral in the huge beautiful Catholic Church in Boston. I was greatly moved by the presence of his large family, widow, friends, past Presidents and President Barack Obama and his wife, our First Lady, Michele Obama. We both shed some tears listening to his sons speak and also to the words of President Obama. What a man he was. I am proud of his hard work for our country; and impressed with what I learned about his role as father and great uncle to the children of his brothers. This man taught a great deal to many and his shoes will be hard to fill; However, he left a message to his kids (and the rest of us) that they/we can do anything they/we put their/our minds to doing if we only perservere

so perhaps his shoes will be filled after all over and over again

FIRE

click on photos to enlarge and see texture detail What looks black here is really dark blue

This final photo shows the whole piece

12" X 10" with some pieces going over the sides

It is made up of a background of a paint dyed paper towel, dyed dryer sheets in yellow, red, purple, blue, and beige; and dyed red tulle. Of course putting red on yellow makes orange...It is then top sewn free motion style with deep red rayon thread, and then it is sewn on the back side with a gold metallic thread in the bobbin so the gold shows on top, but does not break when done this way. I then added a little acrylic paint to the top for added flames in blue and orange and yellow. It is highly textured.

I am thinking of making a trilogy at least, Fire/Air/Water...will have to dye more fabric sheets to get Earth.

But here's the first one: "Fire"...

Dyeing Drying and Pressing Used Dryer Sheets

First of all for over several months I collected a big bag of used dryer sheets...those white sheets that help keep wrinkles and clinging out of our clothes in the clothes dryer Then I took out every baking pan, bowl, frying pan, I could find in my kitchen... adding acrylic paint to water...

mixing colors...

to make a variety of

colored sheets...which I soaked over night...and then put out to dry on newspapers on my big folded open design table in the family room.

I added some lengths of white tulle and some paper towels to the mix too...

And got some pretty brilliant colors of "fabric" to use...

in a next fabric art project soon to bubble up from my unconscious ready to take form.

I also like these first photographs of the finished pieces. I think they are arty all by themselves.

I ironed each sheet and towel and length of tulle to set the color fast.

Stay tuned to find out along with me to see what they turn into. Have a joyous day!

ABC ATCs and Playing Card Post Cards on Grateful Thursday

Laure drew and painted this delightful "L" for Lynn,

as her ABC Artist Trading Card

for this week!And it came in this printed card which she also painted:

an original watercolor painting called

Pink Spring Tulips

2009

Thank you Laure for both.

I greatly appreciate your art, especially the personal touch for me.

Next came this delicious "N" for "Naughty but Nice from

Gina (BT) in County Clare Ireland!

Also for the ABC ATC Swap.

If this does not make you drool I don't know what will!

Great texture, color, and shine!

Thank you Gina! I do love it.

Then came the " Queen of Heart Returns"

from and by Chris of Shady Grove...or as she said on the postcard

"Greetings from wonderland!" This post card is fabric, with wonderful art by Chris,

the card traveled naked and arrived clean.

She is quite the Queen Chris, I do love her and appreciate your art work here.

Another Queen of Hearts came from Linda in Australia, also from our

Quilts Around the World group and post card swap.

Unfortunately traveling naked let this one get a bit soiled.

But it still a terrific card.

Thanks Linda!

Chloe in the same group, made me a two of diamonds on nicely top sewn fabric

arrived all the way from Australia as well...

Thanks Chloe I like your post card very much indeed!

And finally Marian also from the Quilts Around the World group

sent me this lovely Ace of Hearts with

lots of texture in her top sewing and the sparkle of

metallic threads!

Thanks you Marian it's a keeper!

So lots to be grateful for this week for art from my blog friends my grandchildren started kindergarten yesterday my older grand daughter is off looking at potential colleges on the east coast I have a date next week with my dear friend Patty to look forward to and a tooth to be pulled that will stop a long history of food in a pocket causing pain funny thing to be grateful for maybe but being pain free is a big deal even if it means a little bit of a scary process to get there. lol signed chicken little and

Happy Grateful Thursday

A Musical Animal Wednesday

My grandson was mesmerized by the banjo.

My grand daughter thought the soft lined case the perfect bed for her dolls.

Henry V. on the other hand found it the perfect bed for himself.

HAW

Art Aprons for Kids on Bloomin' Tuesday

Happy Blooming Tuesday

Funny story: My daughter asked me if I wanted some of her husband's old jeans for the fabric. I said yes without giving any thought to what I'd do with it, but took them last Friday. I briefly mentioned that I could turn them into bed spreads for the grand kids new bunk beds. "No Way, she said, these jeans are not coming back into our house!"

Okay... So...Years ago I made jean-wear of old jeans turning them into hats, vests, skirts, purses, etc. And you know from yesterday that I came right home and whipped up two adult sized paint aprons on Saturday!

So on Sunday I decided to use the rest of the fabric to make two kid sized art aprons for my twin grand children. And here they are! this is a plastic machine that punches studs into fabric I picked up a while ago at the thrift store.I used it to add studs to my grandson's paint apron.

I thought my grand daughters apron needed sequins and it really sparkles with them now.the blue of this photo is the true color of the aprons...the next photo was shot at night under poor lighting and the fabric looks paler.Here are the finished aprons!

And they do both LOVE ART!!!!! I sure hope she lets them back into the house! I'll give them to them on their birthday with the painting sets I have for them already!

Movie Uploading Tutorial For Soul Brush and Others And A Movie of Our Day with the Grandkids With Music

Tutorial for Soul Brush.

Question: How do you upload a video to Blogger?

Make your movie, either using Blogger or Windows Movie Maker (it sounds like you did this already)...

Then save it to your hard drive in Pictures.

On blogger open the icon that looks like a piece of movie film to the right of the icon that you use to add photos to your posts now.

Browse your hard drive/pictures for the movie.

Be sure to check the box that says you agree to their stipulations...(whatever it says, just agree.)

The video should appear on the post page.

Then it will upload...give it time...it takes a while.

You will see a black box with a white arrow in the middle for a LONG time.

Really, walk away from your computer and forget about it unless it's a very very short movie...it is going to be a while...

After it loads you will see YOUR MOVIE in it's place.

I am not sure if there is a limit of size it will open. How long is your movie?

My email server just refused to e-mail a video that it said was over the size limit. It was a 4.09 minute movie.

I hope this helps.

I decided to post this here in case anyone else was having a similar problem.

My video of my day with my grandkids last Saturday.

Some of you have seen some of these photos already, some are added new,

and now it's to music! Enjoy!

Happy Cactus Monday and "Art Aprons" by Lynn

Happy Cactus Monday

Drawing with Sharpie Pen then Watercolor added. Done from memory from seeing so many cacti since starting Cactus Monday!

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Saturday I spent the day painting...well first I sewed. I used recycled jeans given to me by my Son in law and turned two pairs into two art aprons: And it quickly became apparent why we NEED art aprons. After sewing them both, I took them outside to the patio to paint them on my table there.

No sooner had I opened the paints and started painting when I dumped a jar of green fabric paint down the front of my shirt and jeans! (Luckily most of it came out in the wash, as it was not yet heat set, as it is on the aprons!)

I share my adventure with you on this little video. Enjoy! And then perhaps come to my ETSY store for another look.

The aprons are painted with fabric paint which is then hot ironed to set the paint.

The "Wild Artist" apron has some mono print painting on it and is then top sewn free motion style. All fabric paints are Jacquard.

The "Love Art" apron is painted using Jacquard TeeJuice Fabric Markers and Jacquard Fabric Fineliner pens.

Both have plenty of pockets for your brushes, markers, rags, etc.

They tie in the back at the waist/hip area, and the waist band neck strap is very soft and comfortable.

Life is a Beach! And a trip to the music store...& Shabat dinner

We enjoyed more time with grand kids on Friday at the beach...this is some of my art with the abundance of seaweed on the sand...

Grandpa and grandson played some catch...

And then enjoyed the warm water together...

The kids raced up the sand dunes...

Played in the sand...

watched a guy get a huge kite up in the air...

Later we stopped in to this small music store to pick up grandpa's banjo that

was there for repairs...

My grandson is very into music and was in awe at the plethora of instruments everywhere he looked...

then there was ice cream that had them instantly wired

and then they crashed...came down from their sugar highs and

took a nap until we got home.

What a good day it was for all of us.

In the evening my daughter prepared a lovely Sabbath dinner

and we sat around the table, two sets of grandparents,

two adult children, and two grandchildren

a lovely loving family

and a lovely loving time.