We went to my brother-in-law Dave's place last weekend for a family get-together and picnic. I had great intentions of taking lots and lots of pictures, but these are the only ones that happened. You know the saying about good intentions...well, I'm trying...I know I'll get better. Until that happens, enjoy!

This is Sam pushing one of his cousins on the swing. They are both so very little that it made me laugh and laugh...

Here, Jacob is trying to lick the frosting off his elbow. His dad, Ben, and I offered to give him $20 each if he could do it. J did his best, but in the end couldn't quite reach that last bit that was dripping off...

This is how we make a plain, standard clipboard look really cool! I really didn't think it could turn out this well. The prep was very time-consuming, but the tangling goes so fast. I also used a different pen -- a Sharpie, rather than the Sakura. The difference is that with Sharpies you never know if it's going to run when water or liquid hits it; so it has to be sprayed lightly to prevent that. But the tip was larger than any Sakuras I have available at the moment, so I was pretty much between a rock and a hard place. Moving right along...I really like the way it turned out...

I was sitting in Church yesterday and noticed the hymnbook holder on the back of the pew in front of me, actually NOTICED the wood graining and how lovely the pattern flowed. So I looked around the chapel and saw the grains in the pews and on the pulpit, how soothing and warm they made me feel. Like the good little tangler I am, I whipped out my sketchpad and this is what I was impressed with...

Wood Grain step-out and then as a frame for Bembu

Note card with Wood Grain frame Paradox center, Linked, Arckles, Brayd, and Xyp

The Wood Grain can best be accomplished with a "nervous" hand. I also think it would be gorgeous using different shades of watercolor pencil for the shading. Have fun looking around your house and the wood surfaces and see all the different ways to grain...this could go on forever. Enjoy!

I've got lots of new tangles. The plaques are painted with DecoArt acrylics. I think my absolute favorite of these is the last one -- the color wheel -- go figure. Have fun looking!

This is a "step-out" for a tangle I call "Whirly"... the hatch marks around the background give a sense of motion, like a whirligig in the wind...

Whirly

Tortus

This one is titled "Tortus" -- I couldn't decide if it reminded me of a tortoise shell or turtle. And since I know there must be a difference, I just really don't know what that difference is. oh, well...

Enjoy your weekend...

I love the quote by Lewis Carroll in "Through the Looking Glass..." from the Jabberwocky...

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"to talk of many things:
of shoes--and ships--and sealing wax--
of cabbages--and kings--
and why the sea is boiling hot--
and whether pigs have wings."

So if you'll indulge me talking of many things, I'll let you in on the progress of my back and legs. I am doing so much better. The experts tell me it will probably never completely heal, but I am able to actually walk upright and move around with a lot more ease of movement, for the moment. The key I believe is several things in combination...(1) faithful, diligent prayer for healing; (2) stretches taught by the physical therapist AM and PM; (3) the little ultra-sound 10-min treatment; (4) cold, then hot, compresses; and lastly, (5) restorative yoga poses using two different DVDs. I do 1, 2, and 5 each day; the other two as necessary. So far this past week, I've been almost pain-free!!! Only one relatively "bad" day when I made cookies, so I was standing a long time. But the cookies are so-o-o-o yummy...it was worth the sacrifice.

Mama Blue Jay

Top right -- sleeping chicks

Top right center -- chicks begging for their next meal

The Blue Jay nest at the back of Steve's shop. I believe that's mom at the top; the pink and gray pointed beaks are the three babies. There was one built a few years ago in the same spot. That family had four chicks. I had to lock our Jackson up in the house when the babies started learning to fly. The birds would fall out of the nest and Jackson would try to scoop them up in his very large mouth! This year, Sam didn't really pay much attention, so I didn't know when exactly they all abandoned the site. But they were fun for a few weeks anyway...

Just some other items that will be at the Golden Goose craft show...

The show will be November 2nd and 3rd at the Shakespeare Club on Bedford Ave. in Placerville. Maybe we'll see each other there...

Ok, more pictures...the small (3"x3") canvases on the mini-easels I chose to draw only one tangle; they are so little! Enjoy...

Fengle; Zen-plosion; Efilys; Zen Buds; Laced

N-zeppel; Meer; Oof

Assunta

Trentwith

Paradox

Oof

Munchin

Mooka

Pais

T-shell

These have been just too much fun to produce. The ones I've shown over the past few post will be exhibited at the fall craft boutique, Golden Goose, that I participate in held in Placerville, CA...more about that as the time approaches. Happy Monday!

Thanks so much for all your kind words. Before I head out to Church on this fine (read very warm) Sabbath day, I have some new pictures to show everyone...

This is a paper mache witch's hat designed by Leila Lundberg. Lots of autumn colors and fruits and flowers, oh, my!

Another witch's hat designed by Trudy Beard. Very definitely fall...

A tangled 4"x4" canvas, using "Insydout", "Hibred", and "Lily Pads". I painted two coats of white gesso on the black canvas to smooth it out. More coats and light sanding in between would render the canvas even more smooth. I floated the sides using DecoArt acrylics -- Purple Wave and Deep Midnight Blue. S-strokes form the borders...

Another 4x4 canvas with "Angel Fish", "Assunta" (slightly modified), "Croon", and a tangle I dreamed up from looking at my shower curtain I call "Bembu"; DecoArt Deep Midnight is floated on the corners...

Last canvas for today..."Pais" borders, "Paradox", "Ennies", and "Munchin" with DecoArt Purple Wave. I'll have more canvases and other painted items within the next week or so; please check back again...

This tangle is one of my faves. I did a "word art" thanks on MS Publisher, then transferred the letters to a blank water-color notecard. I thought about using some w/c pencils, but in the end decided not to go that way. The tangles I used are: background - Ahh; t - Ragz; h - Printemps; a - Yen Buds; n - Brix; k - Chard; s - Yang; ! - Agua. And I offer my huge THANKS! to all the Zentangle(R) artists who made these amazing tangles possible.

newbie

OK, so I said I'd never have a blog or do a blog. Well, things change and here I am, joining the rest of the human race. Go figure...

I've been having tremendous problems with my back, more specifically with a pinched sciatic nerve. Did you know the sciatic nerve is the longest in the body? It stretches from the base of the spine all the way down to the ankles. That is one long puppy! Somehow, (I blame it on Panda--isn't that where all problems originate?) I have pinched mine, rendering walking, standing upright, laying down, all these fun activities, beyond my capabilities at the present. With the approval of my doctor, I am trying various home remedies, which actually in combination, seem to relieve some of the pain.

Sitting is good. I can sit like a world champion. So I've been doing a lot of tangling. A couple weeks ago I was able to have a class to learn Zentangle(r). It involves a lot of sitting, so I'm there, baby!!! I'll be posting some of my tangles in the next little while (when I figure out how exactly to do that).

In the meantime, I'll go back to indexing genealogical records, because oh-my-stars-and-bars!, that too is all about SITTING. You can see why I'm becoming such a pro at my chosen sport :)  Later...