Ok ~ So yeah, this isn't exactly what it looks like here in the yard..

BUT ~ I wanted to download this, 'cause it's been raining so $%#^ hard and the wind's been blowin' like it's going to be the end of the world in 45 minutes, or whenever the bills are due...

So I wanted to remind myself, that there is an end to winter..there are flowers and flowering plants that will shoot forth wonderful, bright and glorious flowers in just a couple months..or weeks. And there will..I repeat, there WILL be sunshine once again...kinda like the old Grateful Dead song.."The Sun's gonna shine in my backdoor somedayyy.." ~

That's what I'm reminding myself this morning..I didn't go to bed till after 11:00 last ight..the wind was howling so loud, it sounded really scary - I mean, blowin' around the front of the cabin like some sound from an old 1930's horror film. Even the dog, poor little Sara Beth, was kinda antsy about it - so, I watched some tv, just so I'd be good an' tired by the time I crawled in the bed. An' I was optimistic that the sun was, is, or WILL BE shinning today - jus' don' know when.

An' just to make sure that spring is TRULY right around the corner - Yesterday afternoon while I was REALLY stuck on the current project on the work table...I decided the #$%@ with it, an' sat down, and watched SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL ~ !! ~

Can we hear a YEE ~ ! ~ HAW ~ ! ~ on that one??!!

Ok - so some of those guys don't really stand a chance to get called up to the majors..but they did make it to spring training, so that's saying that they made it this far! ~ And too, they are getting looked at by the scouts, so that's really a good sign that they aren't too far away from really hittin' the big time...

I just wish some of that blasted warm weather was here RIGHT NOW >>>

So, in order to make it FEEL like it's SPRING here..I'm going to go finish the current project on me little table..an start in on something that's been scurring around in my head for the last couple days > I found some old papers that I really forgot about..so those will come in handy in the next little bit...

But I won't tell all - least for now!!

Back to add some firewood to the woodstove..grrr...wish that WARM would be here today...actually the weather people say it should warm up by the weekend..YAYYY!!

But till then, I will halt all dancing in the studio till it's warm...or at least warm enuf to go out and dance on the deck!!


Lady of The Tulips

I posted this piece sometime last summer..but what with the full moon tonight, and some people around here, Who Shall Remain Nameless...acting like they have more than just a bee in their bonnet........

Well, it seems like this piece represents how my brain is trying to handle all this excess #%$@ that seems to be surrounding me at the moment.

I mean, all the little things I'm needing to do, have gotten done...some things that needed to get picked up at the store, made it from the store to the house...and some nice things happened in church this morning.............

It's just that, some people (Who STILL are nameless) have this problem each and every time there's afull moon ~ My mother used to have some saying for times like this, but for the life of me, at the moment, I can't remember them. So, lets just say, that even tho I wanted to work on the canvas that's sitting on the work table, it seems that my attention has been distracted this afternoon, but SOMEBODY who insists on tweaking my Last Good Nerve.

So, it's going to be a short post...and I'm going to go and get some little papers painted, so at least SOMETHING gets done today..

Unless said SOMEONE hauls off and runs the mouth at my direction again...

Oh, PUH-LEEZEE do not look at those stuiped grey hairs that are trying to pop out on the top of my head.........

an' I'll be thankin' ya later on that...........

But for now, I'm

Gone...............


Lady of The Tulips

"Love For You...Forever" ~ 2010 ~ Spring Bay Studio

Here's a little thing I finished yesterday - it's been sitting over on the work table for the last week, but it seems that a teeny bit of finishing-up just couldn't get done..no idea why. Guess it's 'cause I had this idea that if I drew in the last bit of ink that needed to be done...well, that would TOTALLY ruin the piece, and I'd be left to wallow in self pitty for the next 23,495 hours.

Or until tomorrow morning, when I'd realize that I have to get errands done in the next town over.

The errands, after all, can't be left to sit. Something like Not Having Milk in the house, can alter the interior attitude of the cabin beyound belief. I.E. ~ The other 2 who live here would make so much DAYUM noise, that it'd drive me out of my ever lovin' mind.

So - no place for self pity here ~ Thus, the last bit of stuff, or rather, touch up, has been done.

And why does it seem that something like that, just can't be done? ~ Is it like, the old days where the old-bag who taught Art in H.S., was lurking around your desk, ready to unload some horrid "critical thot" about your work?

Probably.

But it's not the case of some old bat ~ It's just my brain doin' weird things to me..or rather telling me it's being CRITICAL. Thus the stalling on a part of the canvas, that's no larger than 1/4". For Real.

Had me frozen in place, I'm tellin' ya!

So now I have to go see what Sara Beth is making noise about - probably wants to beg for some thing on the stove..sausage? ~ ! ~ I think Not!! ~ She's about as likely to get some of that, as I am of running around the front yard, singing "Oh What A Beautiful Morning" from the stage show "Oklahoma" -

Man, that'd be really ugllllieeeee..........

So, with that, I'm

Gone ~

Lady of The Tulips

No photo today, as I'm seriously considering a nap - I've been put thru the wringer these last couple days - yesterday I waited for over an HOUR at my bank, for one ~ ! ~ ONE person who would do what I needed to have done. I felt nearly sick by the time I walked out of there. I made the announcement to Tom, that that is the first and last time that I ever EVAH do that again. We'll figure out something else..just not sitting & waiting, then having some nahhsty bank woman act all rude and condensending (sp) to me on top of it.

Somebody pleeze tell me why I should like Bankers...

Then today, I drove up to get gas in the Bus ~ got 1/2 a tank ($10!!! YYYIKES) an' then when I went to leave the store, another rude woman, nearly ran over me, trying to get out of the store faster than I was pushing my shopping cart. I thot she was going to turn around an' yell at me, 'cause I wasn't walking fast enuf for her. Plus, I was having trouble with deciding whether or not to get cash back from my bank card..took 3 minutes more of the Dear Precious Womans time...heaven help me.

An' I wont even tell you about how she looked when she realized I was the one getting into the VW Bus...ever feel icy/stabbing glares at you? ~ Uhmm..somebody pleeze check to see if I have blood coming out of my back, as I think the woman threw something in my general direction...

Yikes, again.

But I did get my satellite receiver fixed by some very nice tech guy - but at the same time, Sara Beth was having one of her really bad breathing fits..it went really ugly. The poor tech guy, I don't think he could have gotten out of here fast enuf. The sound the dog makes is just horrible, an' I don't think that was one of the things he was thinking he'd face today.

But Sara Beth pulled thru, this time. I'm so scared each time she has these fits. Very gut wrenching.

But I must go for now, and check on my laundry.

An' I'm seriously thinkin' 'bout taking a nap!! ~


Lady of The Tulips

I like this photo for 2 reasons..

First - it shows how much attention Sara Beth pays to things..I mean - she will hear something that most of us have no clue about - She is one of the most attentive dogs I've had the pleasure of owning.



Second - the sunny day made it so that you can see me standing at the door to the deck..with the reflection of my fairly new sweatshirt on - my "Outer Banks" one that I bought on sale last winter. It was quite the deal, so, hey, it's gonna get worn.


The other thing about today - is that Tom & I went up to the city..an' got to the Dr. 1/2 Hr. early..naturally the place was closed, so we just sat around & waited in the car for the Dr. to show up - She did, an' toms cholestrol is way outta wack..don't know just why, as he's taking meds for it, but something's amiss between his 2 Dr.'s numbers.


So, it's on to something else for him to take in 3 weeks. But the good thing, is that we were able to spend some time in one of my most favorite thrift stores up there..got 2 sweaters. (one was 55CENTS - an' a Newport News Catalog coat, pretty darn new ~ for $12.99


A good thrift store day, even if I don't mind saying so myself.

An' we hit the dollar store, too - soap for yummy fragrance ~ Lavender an' only $1.00 ~ The Gods of Low Cost were with us today.


But for now I gotta go ~ I didn't sleep well AT ALL last night ~ Maybe 3 hr's tops. So it's most definetly nap time - an make sure Sara Beth is ok out on the deck. She's been having breathing problems a little more intense the last couple days, so it's feeling pretty bad right now.


But lookie at that doggie smile! ~ Ahh..breaks my heart, it does.



Lady of The Tulips

"Harmony" ~ 2010 ~ Spring Bay Studio

Got some little elements added to this piece, since last week. It feel like it's done now, so I'm pretty happy with it. The one I posted yesterday still needs some things added to it, but that's going to have to wait till next week.

Tomorrow The Husband & I have to go up to the city ~ He has a Dr.'s appt., and I'm sure he's getting an ear full from her. He's been eating terribly, and is not even remotely trying to loose one pound. I mean..one pound, like that's hard to do? ONE?! ~

Well anyway...we go up there, and if I get a chance, I'm stopping at the thrift store to check out some shirts - possibly a new coat. Still have no idea of what happened to my excellent one. It's just disappeared, so that's all I can say ~ Just poof off the face of the earth. So hopefully there will be a great & excellend one in the thrift, for not too much $$ ~ That's what I'm hoping for.

I also have a canvas finished on the hutch ~ But I've got to let the last of some ink dry, so it doesn't get all smudged an' gloopy ~ Nothing worse than gloopy ink..Know what I mean? ~ ! ~ I mean, lets just say it - it's horrid.

Not much else goin' on here ~ Just that I'm finishing up with the curtains in the Bus - getting the tie backs fixed, then those are all done. Then I may get some pretty luxe pillows for the Bus ~ Found them in Dollar General, so you know they are just too hot to handle!! ~ $5.00, so the price is right ~ Well, at least the color is ok...so what if they fall to pieces in 6 months..I mean, their for the Bus, not for a Tea and Snack Cookies Luncheon at Noon...sheesh..come on! ~ So, they fit pretty well with the whole thing!

Must run!

Lady of The Tulips

"Sea" ~ 2010 ~ Spring Bay Studio

Here's one of the little canvases that got finished just the other day ~ Actually before the last snowfall hit. So, this was being worked on while I was bellyachin' about being cold and miserable..but now that it's all done, it makes me feel much warmer than the days I worked on it.

Being cold and miserable just isn't my style.

If ya know what I mean...

So, today I have another canvas that is drying over on the table - some teeny touches will be done in the morning, but for now I have to let the E-6000 set before I go and break loose any of the goodies I set on there. I have actually fallen in Love with that glue - it has made quite a difference with some of the little elements that I use in my work. I tried to use some other forms of glue, but within a day ~ o ~ 2, whatever I had glued on, decided that it was time to run away, and all the little beads, or shells, would haul off and fling themselves on the floor.

Not quite the way I had envisioned the piece turning out.

Nor did I anticipate stepping all over on said shells and beads the following morning, and issue-ing forth a tirade of words that will not be printed here.

Just take my word for it - it was not good.

So now, there are some other papers that have gotten my attention, and I'll get to those later ~ but for now I have to go check the woodstove - We actually have temps today close to normal - I think it's 'bout 45 or so, SO - that's close enuf to WARM for me - considering how chilly it has been.

And I won't go into the strong winds we've also been having the last couple dayz..too bad it's not time to fly a kite...OH ~ that'd be fun..but maybe later!

Gotta run ~

Lady of The Tulips

Well, it looks like, there won't be any picnic out on the back deck this afternoon...and it also doesn't look like the flowers I saw on sale at the Mart a couple weeks ago, will be planted out on the front walk..where it's just visible thru the studio curtain..an' it ALSO doesn't look like some of the yard work will be finished when it's time to celebrate Presidents Day on Monday.

So much for well laid plans.

Actually, the back deck DOES look kinda funny - and believe it or not, under that little layer of snow, those flower pots really do have some pansy's in 'em - with FLOWERS on them!! ~ How they managed to sprout out flowers is totally out of my brain's thinking, but they did. Go figure.

And the deck was needing some work on it anyway...so the snow came just in time to HIDE all that re-painting that I truly And For Real should have gotten done the other day when I was staining the wood in the Bus. So, now I have a LEGITIMATE excuse for that not getting done.

So There, all you who complain about things not being perfect!

And with that, I'm off to mess with the canvas behind me - I found some pretty nifty grungeboard things at Big Lots the other day ~ Whoo-Boy, on sale for $1.00 ~ The Husband wasn't impressed, 'till I told him the package usually sells for $4.50. He got all smiles then.

Will post some of the work on that probably Monday morning. Right now I gotta go lay down..been up thru the night with some kind of stomach virus. Blachk!! Hate bein' sick..wastes my time!

Byee

Lady of The Tulips

Here's a shot of the rear window of the Bus - I cleaned up that panel of wood, too, an' it looks 100% better than it did. Whoo..it was in some rough shape!

The curtains are done for the window on the right - an' the matching one on the left as well - I'm just waiting for Tom to get the right size drill bit for the sheet metal screws. Then I can measure the right height for the rods, and Voila! ~ Some soft color. I also added a basket and will include beads later today. I have to make sure the measurements are right before I go blasting out there.

The big checked cushion you see is for the area just in front of the back window - that's part of the bed. I'm going to go an' see what the local thrift store has - the woman who brings in all the fabrics..and linens said this morning that she had some coverlets and comforters brought in recently, an' they may be something like $10.00 (!!) ~ So I'm going to definetly check those out tomorrow. I'm glad the previous owner did the nice work on that "mattress" - it's made really well, and fortunately it's easy to move around inside the Bus. Makes for re-arranging things a LOT easier. Noah sat in the passenger seat an' watched as I moved that thing around yesterday. He just sorta sat & chuckled. He'd no idea what I was doing...just makin' sure that the area was dry & no leaks from the window!

Now I'm ready to tackle a new canvas over on the work table..it's not quite set together in my head, but those type of projects are usually the ones that come together better than the ones that take me 5 days to mess around with. Why is that? Anybody got a clue?! ~ I sure dont!

But for now, I must dash away..


Lady of The Tulips

Wanted to share a little before and after here..the layout on my screen is off - kilter..but if you can see the old rough panneling in it's "before" status...then you can see the "After" where I did some magic work with some stain..an' a little elbow grease..

As my mother used to say ~ "Boy!" ~ When you heard her say this, then you knew you'd done something good! ~

An' even if I don' mind sayin' so - "Boy!" !! Is just about what I felt after I got done on just this one section of the interior of the bus! And to make it even more magical - we had a SUNNY DAY!!! ~ And with that sun, the inside of my little bus was all warm and snuggly..so it felt like a little cocoon inside..the "new" look of the wood, plus some other things that I got done too - that will be on "Show and Tell" tomorrow. Right now I'm pretty jazzed about the work on the wood.

I learned how to stain wood with just a light touch when we redid a lot of the bedrooms, and bathrooms of our house up in The City - Actually what gave me the idea, was from one of my neighbors -

She was 75 (!! YES!) years old, and re-finished her kitchen cabinets. They weren't in bad shape, but she wanted them a little darker, so that they'd coordinate a little better with some new appliances she bought on sale. She went to one of the Big Box Hardware stores, and one of the employees in the paint isle, told her about the different kinds of stain. She was sold. And went home promptly, stained away all the cabinets that she sanded (!! WHOA!) and whatta difference!

She asked me to come over an' see what she'd done ~ ! ~ I was totally blown away..not so much by how totally great the cabinets looked, but that combined with the fact of her age!!! ~ As far as she was concerned, she was "just another broad..", but she did the most amazing work around her house..her back porch was something that should have been in a magazine...wow!

But anyway - she had me convinced on stain, and I redid the bathroom cabinets in the master bathroom, and some other work in the "guest" bathroom. The people who bought the house, just whooped and hollered (well, not real loud, but they were pretty happy with the work) ~ an'said they just loved the work I did.

Easy Peazzy ~ All together I think it took less than an hour - plus I sanded the back door and also hung up the new curtain that I made a couple days ago. That photo will be on here tomorrow.


But the work is fun - well..ok, it seems kinda messy - but when the results come out this good ...what's not to love about a $4.49 can of stain, a little elbow grease, an' some time in a cosy Bus??!!

Boy Howdy!! ~~

It more than makes up for what happened yesterday afternoon, an' then something else that happened this morning...both filled with Ugly Vibes and Too Much Greed....

But tha's another story.

For now I'm pretty happy with the Bus - And some other pictures will show ya what else has been goin' on - Too Fun! -

But now I gotta go - Noah's makin' dinner..he even came out to see the Bus & nodded his head ~ !! ~ the ultimate for him ~ ! ~ that means he likes what he saw! ~ An' since he know's I'm kinda tired..an' still kinda loopy from the fumes of the stain ("Use adequate ventilation..." ~ Ooopsss...) he's kinda taken on the dinner...Italian Sausage & Spaghetti...YUM ~ An' so not what my Dr. would recommend for dinner ! ~ HA!! ~

But for now..

I'm Gone................


Lady of The Tulips

W.I.P. ~ Spring Bay Studio

Here's what's been goin' on over on the little work table..inbetween the work on the Bus and takin' care of Sara Beth ~

Actually every day is a day of taking care of Sara Beth ~ In way too many ways, that dog acts just like a 2-year old, and it get's me worn out, those dayz where she acts like she's getti' ready to pitch a fit..or throw herself on the floor in an absolute temper tantrum..

An' she's a DOG, for cryin' out loud...

So - in with her actin' THAT WAY - an' messin' with my Bus things, this little canvas is tryin' really really hard to get finished. I'm not sure what to do with a couple of elements that I have sitting behind me, but they will probably get on the canvas..little things that to date haven't gotten a home they can call their own.

So maybe this canvas will be their new home..

Jus' can't decide.

But onto other news - We had the most STRANGE snow shower this morning...the sky got all creepy black and the wind picked up...the sky looked like it was ready for something like in the movie "The Crawling Eye", an' it very nearly made me want to go hide in the center of the house..like a tornado was comin' or somethin'...

Then it snowed like a wild animal cut loose from the gates of Hell...just blew all over the place, slammed on the rooftops, the hood of The Very Fine Automobile got covered with about 1/8 " of the stuff...

Then it all stopped.

An' the sun came out, and all the snow melted.

Go Figure.

But it looked so very frightening for those 3 minutes..made me wonder if there was going to be some kind of loud voice booming out of the sky or something.

But that did NOT happen, I'm very glad to say. But now we have very very strong winds..tom called earlier and said that the wind is blowing the trucks all around like their tinker toys..the cranes at the Ports can't work 'cause the wind's too strong..

An' a friend called to say her car was beginning to shake, rattle and roll all over the highway. And it sounds outside like it's only getting stronger, this wind that seems to come up from out of nowhere.

So it looks like any painting I was going to get done in the Bus will have to wait till tomorrow. Aint no way I'm goin' outside an feel like I'm out on the open ocean is a rough gale.

Yes, I'm chicken. An' proud to say so!!

But for now, I gotta check some stuff in the dining room..an' make sure the fire is still goin' whoo-hoo in the woodstove. Hate when it goes out an' it's as cold outside as it is...yuck.

I'm gone...................


Lady of The Tulips

Jus' a quick post, as I'm gettin' ready to get some papers cut over on the work table - found some flowers that will be the finishing touch for a canvas that has been bothering me for the last couple dayz ~ Soo close to being done, but there was just something that needed to be added ~ An' it dawned on me that I have some flowers that I've never used, that would be just right to include.

When it gets all put together then it'll make much more sense.

As for now, the rain clouds are beginning to come in from the north, and the wind has been shifting from North, to North-East - it looks weird to see the smoke from the woodstove going west, instead of going east like it normally does. That means with the wind shifting, that the storm is also going to bring some colder temps, and that's not a good thing to discover. I'm just hoping that it's only going to rain..no more, and I MEAN no more of that Other Stuff...humph...

The funny thing that happened just awhile ago? ~ ! ~ I'd popped into the bathroom to grab some tissue for my nose, and in just that little minute, The Dog, AKA Little Miss Muffett AKA Sara Beth..parked herself only 1 1/2 " away from the door..so that when I opened said door, there was this DOG - all 95+ pounds of DOG right in my way - I literally nearly tripped over her...that would have been soo uglyyy..then I'd of landed on my bed, head first, and bringing her with me with my foot all tangled up around her belly.

I sorta-screamed-yelled at the same time I started reeling over..but fortunately caught myself mid-fall ~ Said WHATAREYOUDOING??!! to sara, an' all she did, was get up, all happy cause now she most definetly had mothers Full Attention...an' promptly ran into the kitchen...

She wanted something to eat.

Ha! ~ Silly Me! ~ How much of a dolt can I Be?! ~

So, she got her snack - actually her afternoon medicine pill included in a teeny bit of bread..(she loves the stuff..) an' that made her all happy.

I'm TELLIN' ya - never a dull moment here...

An' did I mention that the birds are already beginning their Spring Early Morning Singing all around in the woods? ~ Very Wonderful to hear...'cept the one wren who insists on perching RIGHT ON MY WINDOW LEDGE AT 6 A.M ...and singing VERY LOUDLY..

Ooohh all right with the Territorial Business!!!! Whatta noisy little bugger...sheeshh..!!

But for now I gotta check my papers just over There...

Lady of The Tulips

"BeAch Work ZoNe" ~ 2009 Spring Bay Studio

Here's one of the pieces that I finished last week - jus' before I got sanding on the interior of the Bus. This piece almost got carried away..guess 'cause while I was puttin' on some last minute odds and ends, it started to snow..SNOW for cryin' out loud..

An' that does have a tendancy to thwart any Beach-Layin'-In-Sun kinda vibe that could have been goin' on.

Whooda thought it'd just keep snowing...

But today it's actually SUNNY!! ~ An' I took advantage of it and made a quick dash to the store to get goodies before another storm comes in tomorrow. I'd wanted to also post this before I get some shots of the work finished on the curtains for the Bus -Whoo-Boy, it makes such a difference with just a little touch here and there.

I'm hoping too, that the spray I'm layin' down inside the Bus will dispel some of the old garage smell from the guy who owned the Bus before. Nothing wrong with a nice garage,where you get your automobile fixed so you can go cruisin' down the road..No, no. That's a whole other thing..havin' a good mechanic who keeps your car running, you Happy, and most of all, gets you to that local drive-in where they have sandwiches for $2.00 and a cola included for all of an extra $.99 -

But what I don't like, is when you get your car back from said mechanic, and the interior smells like they threw in all those odd smells from inside their garage, and left 'em inside of your car. That's the only thing that has left me with sort of a yuk feeling whenever I've gotten my car back after it's had a tune-up or whatever. An the bus is no exception.

I mean, the guy did a fabulous job on the thing - he really did rebuild a lot inside of it, and it just amazes me that I got it at all - I mean, sometimes owners of certain vehicles jus' get this attitude that unless they make $2500 extra on the sale of their car, well, you can just go find a cliff and jump. But the previous owner - fortunately - wasn't like that..great guy, had good reviews of his shop (which he's had for over 20 years) ~~ BUT ~~ the car has that old-shop-smell-of-dead-brake-fluid-and-other-assorted THANGS...

But that's what those Fabric Sprays are for - "SWEET SMELLING!!" or whatever they are. Worth every penny. An' I'm happy to say, said spray is starting to work on the interior of the Bus ~~

But was that what I was talkin' about? ~ ! ~

My word...I can't remember..

Well, tha's ok, 'cause I gotta get back to some finishing touches on fabric for the windows..got some beads strung and ready to hang too - Plus have some other fabric that may be used for extra pillows..

I mean, after ALL - one can't have a Bus an' not be COMFORTABLE in it, now, can they??!! ~~ Of course not!!

So it's off to mess with the sewing machine some more - an' I got some other things that I'll tell ya about later..But for now


I'm Gone...


Lady of The Tulips

~~ Well, so again, no photo ~~

Tha's 'cause I'm too lazy today to go and hunt down the camera, an' then climb in the closet an' dig out the collages that I've made this last week ~ I think that all the snow got to me, an' it's made my brain say that it's time for something a little different, but not different like SNOW !

Ok, now, I know there are some of you who live where it SNOWS all the time, an' your sayin' to yourself, "Whoa, whatta wimp!"

Well let me tell ya somethin' - along the shore here, there just isn't snow - an' when there is, things like businesses, schools and places all OVAH jus' flat shut down. An' don't open till, say April 15th..

Ok, so I exagerated about April 15th - BUT - Things do close down, an' in my case, I think the total suprise of all that snow just made my brain want to shut down as well..As far as doing things that I normally do..when it's a little warmer, and the urge to go and hibernate isn't so strong.

>> SO << What that all means, is that maybe tomorrow I'll get the pictures on here of the latest works..right now I'm sorta-kinda-up to my ears and eyeballs in curtains..painting some goodies for the interior of The Bus, and getting some sanding done on the paneling of said Bus ~ It's a lot more than I bargained for, but at the same time, it's really been a lot of fun - Especially when the cost is close to ZERO for all of the goodies I'm puttin' together. The only fly in the ointment, is that once I got the old quilt/comforter out of the closet, I took a better look at the poor thing.

Seems when we moved down here, some of the pieces of furniture needed something to wrap around them, an' since we didn't think to rent or whatever, a couple of those big blanket things from the moving place, Tom & Noah did the next "best" thing, an' without my knowing it, they used the quilt for wrapping around something BIG ~ I've got no clue what they had, but that poor quilt looks like it lost the battle really, REALLY BADLY ~

I mean, like it probably threw up the white flag somewhere along Ocean Highway, but since it was in the back of
the moving van, there was no one to witness the act of giving up. So, now it's sitting in the bottom of the closet, once again, having struck me numb with the shock of seeing it all tore UP ~ (Or is that down??!) ~~ Either way, this actually gives me a GOOD REASON to go to the thrift store tomorrow, where they have a really good collection of quilts..most of them for LESS than $10.00 ~ !! ~ For Real. So, with that an' buuying the stain/poly that I need to finish the wood panneling, I'm just about ready to unveil the Bus -

WHOO - YAHHH!! -

But tha's all I gotta yak about for the moment..I've got to make another butterfly (I'll show that little bug later..) an' get some ageing done on some other things...

Seems like somewhere all of this will make sense. I know it will, but for now it seems kinda chaotic..or maybe it's just me an' the paint fumes..HA!!

Lady of The Tulips

~~ So, no photo today ~~

I think my brain is just too cold to try and figure out what I want to download here this morning - Tom came back before 10 a.m. from "work" = Nothing bad, 'cept that all the highways are nothing better than skating rinks right now - Seems that the Virginia Dept. of Transporation did NOT plow the interstates over the weekend..guess all the overtime for the workers would have caused too much strain on the states finances..

So when tom crept slllloooowwwwllly down Ocean Highway, thinking it'd get better once he got up into Va., well, he was way wrong. It was a mess, with ice, ice and more ice all over the roads..sidestreets were skating rinks, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't really get out of his own way once he tried to start up from a stoplight..he made it, but barely. His boss said phooey on the whole thing, and the 5 (!!) people that did show up, about ran over each other to get away from the truck terminal. Then it was fighting with the ice all over again on the way back down Ocean Highway.

Tom said that the problem wasn't any better on the interstate...the off ramps were great if you were into skiing down 'em at break neck speed..but not for safety and staying alive - No way would the truck company risk the chance that a truck would go out of control and do some horrible damage to far too many people. Why oh why nothing was done is so mind boggling, that I can't even begin to figure it out.

So I wont.

Instead I'll just say that I am now underway on transforming my Bus - I'd been racking my brain to find fabric that would be just right for the interior - the windows need something, but the more I looked, the more I couldn't decide what I wanted. Plus the COST ! ! ! Even with warehouse fabric, it'd be over $25 for 3 windows..an' then I still would need something for the floor...

So, yesterday since church was cancelled (ice so bad it isn't even funny) I started digging around in the bottom of my closet..an' lo and behold..found an old sheet that I'd bought at a thrift store, actually part of a set for $4.98 - AAHHHHHEEEEE!!!! - Holy Toledo! ~ Just the right color, an' once I measured out the length and width I need, the amount was just right!! ~~ AAHHEEEEE ~~ I honestly did a happy dance!! And to make it even more amazing...I found some ribbon and beads for the tie backs - all from old old stashes of stuff from years of finding bargains at the craft stores...AND I also found an old table runner that just fits on the table in the bus (!!) AND -

Can it get any better??!!

You BET!! ~~

I realized that I never did get rid of the old quilt we'd had on our bed in the city all those years..and it's the right color to coordinate with the fabric for the windows and table runner...

BE STILL MY HEART ~ !! ~

I don't know whether to jump up and down, or just sit and smile...

Think I'll just smile..actually, I'll smile and work on beading the ribbon I unburied, an' go from there..

Gotta run - noah just got me totally sidetracked by rattling his glass of soda at me...to make me get off the computer...an I don' remember what I was going to say..

Lady of The Tulips

So, this is what's goin' on here along the shore - snow and sleet and rain...tha's why I took the pictures from INDOORS!! ~ an' am not going out IN the snow...

Naturally the dog wants to go out in it..

An' my tennis shoes have holes in 'em, an' part of the sole isn't glued on anymore...

Time for a vacation, tha's what it iz..........


Lady of The Tulips

~ Well, at least I got prepared for the weekend yesterday ~

>> See <<> And the one big thing that has happened, is that it has snowed - since last night - and right now we're having some spits and drips of sleet, rain and snow all mixed together, making it downright horrid for anybody trying to go anywhere on the roads <

Not, of course, that there are ANY people out on the roads ..but there may be one or two up on Ocean Highway, an' if there are, well, they are probably not having fun - there are very few snow plows here > since it is the coastline of the state along parts of here > an' so the odds of the highway getting "cleaned" off are slim. But I know there are people who probably think they can get to where they want to be. Hope they know it's gonna take them probably double the amount of time to do that.

And so it's sitting inside today - no going out for me - but noah is looking around the sheds and such, making sure that everything is ship shape. We heard some cars out earlier, but mostly trucks w/4-wheel drive. I watched one of the neighbor kids go zipping down our dirt road like a wild banshee a little bit ago - 'course, he does that on a regular basis, so it isn't really all that odd - but today he was having extra sliding power goin' on - the snow hadn't been touched, so he was making the most of it. I'm doubly glad I got some ART supplies yesterday while I had the chance -

Found some chipboard shapes - actually a nifty little box of shapes - with nice pastel colors - GREAT price - $1.50 - I MEAN - how can somebody pass THAT up!!?? An' I also found some letter stickers, an additional package of chipboard goodies (With glitter! ~ Whoa! ~ ) and a little thing of paper - plus some laundry liquid, but that wasn't as exciting as finding the ART supplies!! ~~ Well, maybe getting the laundry WASHED is pretty exciting, 'specially when all your clothes NEED to be washed, but thats another story...

So it's stay-inside-day an' play with the chipboard stuff - Look out the studio window an' watch the snow fall - an' be very, very glad that we have a pretty good woodstove to keep us warm. I'd hate to see an electric bill about now...the last one was high, well, for us - so those with all electic homes are really in a bind now -

Must go - the work table is callin' me!

Lady of The Tulips

>> Ok <<

So here's that close-up shot of one of those blasted frames I worked on the other week...the #^*(_+@@ ones that nearly drove me mad- ? - well, here's a better shot of what I did to "age" them. As far as I'm concerned, the effort to make them not look brand new and shiney is worth all the blood-letting of the fingers that went on.


But thats only my opinion. -- AS for other news - I've got a pretty spiffy canvas dry and all fini!! ~ It's got a lot more color than I thot I'd put on, but it was one of those pieces that seemed to keep saying it NEEDED more color! ~ So, as the saying goes, the more the merrier, right? - ! - So I'm pretty happy with it, and will share it tomorrow. Right now I've got to check on a canvas that got started yesterday - I didn't get too much work done on it, 'cause Tom was home early, and once he's here, it's pretty much bedlam for the next couple hours - between he & Noah, they seem to feed off of each other, and no matter if they think one project in the house is enuf, well, the more they get going into 2 - o - 3, well, that's even better.

So the poor canvas sat on the work table, all forlorn and sad..waiting for me to add some neat elements that I dug out of the storage spots around the studio...an' I've got a new bottle of paint that just SCREAMS to be used..so today I can get those things at least started..or continued? - or whatever stage in the work (s) the thing is IN .. right?

Sure.

An' with that, I've got to go check the woodstove..put some good oak in awhile ago, but it may not be burning as good as I need it to. ~~ An' too, I need to check the Weather report - the last I heard, we're supossed to be getting some snow tomorrow -o - tomorrow night. And first thing saturday, early, Tom & I gotta go up to the City so he can get chewed out by his Dr. - not eating right..not taking his meds like he should...all those things that I SAY but he ignores..

But we need to make sure we can get TO the Dr. appt. thru any bad weather that's lurking..so I gotta check all that out -

Never a dull moment here...

An' now Little Miss Muffett is making noise in the kitchen...OH - tha's why - Noah's fixin' waffles, and naturally the dog wants one. !! How silly of ME not to realize that! ~ Man, some times....

I'm Gone


Lady of The Tulips

SO ~ After much searching, a few phone calls, and various and sundry other things that nearly made me go off my rocker...

I finally got The Bus > As you can see from the photos, it has the original paint job (Tho I'm not too fond of the "Racing" stripe on the side, but tha's another story...) - and there is a teeny bit of rust > but there's so little of it, that I have to stand and look all over the thing to find it.

We made the trip on Saturday morning - I thot the city where the bus was was a little closer to where we live..

So much for thinkin' >

4 hours later, we got to the location, and had a great time talkin' with the owner of the shop, a couple of his friends, and his granddaughter...all together a fine day. The sun was shining, we got the paper work signed (after locating a notary for the Legal Bit of it all...) and even tho it doesn't have a license plate on it (oops..sorta not legal, but that's just one of those things...) Tom drove it back up here, an' that thing just purred right along like it was ready for the trip all alogng.

We didn't get back here till after 7 p.m., but it was so worth it!! ~~ It's all clean inside, has a nice stereo and a bed in the back...the rear seat folds down to a king size bed. There are curtain rods for the windows, 1 is missing, so I'll have to replace that - I've almost decided on the fabric for all the windows, and found some reproduction fabric - Oilcloth - with a print on it from the 30's - How very cool is that? And it's a print with orange flowers...

I mean..

What else could I buy?

So, we have to wait for the insurance papers to get here, then we take all the Legal Papers to the State Office (Tho not the same one where I got my drivers license..that'd be too easy, know what I mean?) - and the title gets changed to toms name - he just doesn't know it yet, but it's getting changed to ME after that...So There!!

So, tha's my new Ride..

Pretty high tech..

As if...

But I gotta go get some gas in toms car, 'cause he ran his car home on E..clever boy..

I'm gone...


Lady of The Tulips

~~ Ok, so it took me over a year to recuperate (Or hush about that spelling...jeesh...) from the shock last year when I failed my drivers license test ~~ I MEAN, it just about made me fall on the floor and stay there till who KNOWS when..plus the fact that the woman giving the test most certainly had to be related somehow to something evil and horrid ~ Who knows what, but she was Definetly Evil ~

So, since then, well, actually the last couple weeks, I've been really really reading the brochure on said TEST - doing my best to Memorize Important Things in the manual for All-Things-Driving for the state. I kept picking up the book, going over and over all the little things that would seem to be on the test.

And then today I finally got myself down to the Test Office ~ Let me TELL you...

I felt sick to my stomach...

My hands were shaking like a leaf...

I was Trying Very Hard not to do something stuiped, like throw up in the parking lot..

And then I finally made it in the door of the Office.

And naturally, there was a line of people ahead of me, waiting to do the exact same thing..and none of them looking too happy about the Whole Thing.

I tell you right now, if I'd been any more NERVOUS, I'd just turned around and walked out that #%"*_ door.

BUT ~ There is a Big Reason that I knew I HAD TO take that $%"^$ test today..

>> SEE << What's happened is that our middle son wants-so-very-badly to have my Butt-Ugly 1994 Sable Station Wagon, that it's almost INSANE how bad ~ I mean, like enuf that he sent me 3 text messages last week about it.

So, we came up with an agreement on the wagon - he buys, PAYS for it, an' then we'll all be happy.

'Cept one thing ~ When he gets my Butt-Ugly wagon, then that leaves me with NO vehicle.

At All.

That's not what should happen ~ ~ Right>?<

So, I've been looking, and looking and LOOKING online at locations close to where I live, that are selling some Good, Running and in Decent Shape - Volks. Vans - o - Busses.

At first I wanted a full on camper model - with the spiffy little sink, table, stove, and fridge..but then after I started to compare prices with those on sale that had all those bells and whistles ~ WELL ~ seems that the prices were Way Up There..but those busses were in Good Shape...

So -

I finally find a good running bus - 73 - called the owner about it, grilled him for something like 10 minutes on the phone - i.e. - How 'bout THis on the bus? - And when he told me that all the biggy mechanical things had either been replaced, or had had completely NEW parts (Like the engine..sorta something important..) then I said ~ WHOA!! ~

And told the guy that me & Tom would be down there tomorrow to really and for REAL check out the van - it's got the bed and storage in it, but not the sink, stove or fridge. Those I can install later if I want...but still...the thot of lighting a STOVE inside of a vehicle...well...

Yeah.

Sorta scares me.

SO ~ Back to the Drivers Office for all things LEGAL to drive a vehicle...

So I go in, praying all the time that I'd pass this series of tests...

Got my eye exam passed (Do You Know Your Traffic Signs?!)

Then I was instructed to go over and take the written test...complete with spiffy new computer screen (New and different than when I first took the test...gulp...) and a pair of headphones to listen to the questions while you also read them on the screen.

Gulp..

Well - to make an altogether LONG story short...

I PASSED MY TEST!! ~~ Oh Happy Day!! ~~ You have no idea how happy I was when the computer said You;ve Passed!! ~~ Whatta Relief!! ~~

So now - with the License in my Pocket Book, I can go down to see the bus tomorrow, and if it is TRULY what the owner sez it is (He runs a vw shop that has a 5 star satisfaction rating...) then that bus is MINE BOY - O - BOY!! And I'll get to drive it home, 'cause now I gotta real NC drivers license.

I feel like I just won the lottery or somethin' - an' now I'm so worn out from all of that for the day, I'm seriously thinkin' 'bout takin' a nap before dinner tonight!!

But Holy Toledo ~ I finally got my test passed..

And if your sayin' to yourself, so WHAT - WELL - because the last time (before I failed the test last year) that I took a written driving test..was in...(ready for this?)

1985.

For Real.

And the last driving test, was when I originally got my drivers license in (ready for this - again?)

1972.

For Real.

So tha's why I nearly danced outta the Drivers License Office this morning..in drippy-rainy-gloomy weather...

'Cause DAYUM ~ Tha's been a Long Time between Tests!!!

An' with that...

I'm Gone ~


Lady of The Tulips

"Shore" - 2010 - Spring Bay Studio

Here's one of the pieces that got finished while I was trying very hard not to freeze to pieces the other week - I wanted to be someplace else; the warmer the better. But since that wasn't something that could be accomplished without drastic measures ~ like robbing a bank to come up with the $$ to GO someplace warm..well, then I decided that I'd make up a little piece that SEEMED like it was located someplace warm instead. Whoo - EEE...

Much better than robbing a bank..

Or finding some old codger to be my sugar daddy...

Neither one a very good idea...

And now I'm in the process of getting this piece and a couple others down to a gallery/shop on Ocean Highway. The place actually has a street address, but it's still down Ocean Highway ~ I have to wait for a certain time to call, as the bizzy lunch hour is nearly on them, and too, the person who is going to give me a ride isn't home, so I'm waiting for 2 things at once.

And here I said I'd not try to do 2 things at once..That lasted something like 2.124 minutes >>>

But I'm optimistic on these selling, so I'm keeping my self open for Positive ~~ That's the goal for the New Year I think. Now that it's nearly 3 weeks into the new year. Hey. better late than never! And too, because the place is in a pretty busy location, that may be a good thing as well - lots of foot traffic, lots of business, so that WILL mean people to buy my work.

There.

That's the way to look at selling Art in this lousy economy.

I mean, there are people with money ~ They just are keeping a low profile these days. It doesn't pay for them to go around flaunting their cash in people's faces, so they just sorta go about their business - buying this, that, and the other thing. And my Belief is that one "Thing" that they can buy is my Art ~ Easy as can be.

Don't you think?

An' with that, I've gotta go - some other stuff has been sitting on the work table - it's driving my last good nerve to just about the end. I'm fighting with some lettering - I don't have the smarts to figure out how to get some letters from my computer printed out..no, no - that would be too easy. So, I'm working out my own lettering, and that's going ok - it's just that I'm trying to get the shading around said letters Just Right that's driving me nutz...The right shading, and color. Should be a piece of cake.

Or a slice of pie.

Either way it shouldn't be making my nerve in the back of my neck feel like somebody's pinching it to make me drop to the ground and be quiet.

But there ya go....


I'm gone -


Lady of The Tulips

"Surf" ~ 2010 ~ Spring Bay Studio ~
It seems that when a person actually reads directions that come with assorted items ~ i.e., in this case my CAMERA..it behooves said individual to Follow The Directions ~

Well, what I did, was follow the directions that are printed quite nicely in the finely printed booklet that came with my camera, and lo & behold, here is a better picture of one of the recent pieces I worked on ~~

This was one of the canvases that I'd thot about for a couple of days ~ Oddly enuf it was during the recent COLD spell that covered the entire U.S. ~ or so it seemed. For me, it just seems a little off-kilter to be working on Summer Themed ~ Beach Themed items, when the outside temperature is hovering around 30 Degrees (For here, that kind of high temp. for the day is lingering on HORRID & NAHHSTY ~ ) and inside the house, the wind seems to be blowing in thru every 1.2345 inch of space between the windows and walls of the cabin. BUT ~ HOWEVER ~

All while the temps were irritating Sara Beth and Her Dog-ness, I kept having the Beach Boys playing in my head ~ Oh, I know ~ Some people would say that hearing that kind of music in the back of your mind is bordering on a visit to the nearby Mental Health Clinic, those haters of old Surf Music ~ But the music remained, none-the-less, and while I was humming "I wish they all could be California Girls..", I dug around in my little stash of surf-related papers, found the surfboards, got the flower papers trimed, an' Tah-Dah!! "Surf" came to Be!! And that's whats been happening over on the little table...

And now, there are some BETTER photos of those viscious frames that I sanded away for my very life last week...they've so irritated me, that I won't post the close-up of one of them till later on ~ Maybe tomorrow, if my nerves can stand to look at the things...the old saying, "You Get What You Pay For", certainly rings true, and NOW that I'm older and wiser, I KNOW not to buy something just because it's on sale...even under the best of circumstances...unless I know the product ahead of time..used it before..all of that. Those FRAMES were something I'd never seen, let alone considered before, so that should have set off all kinds of Bells & Whistles...

But thats ENUF on those -

What I DO want to say, is that yesterday was a Lazy-After-Church-kinda day - did absolutely nothing..sat on the couch, looked at some catalogs..dreamed of making some curtains in some fabulous Indian Prints..till it dawned on me, that there is nowhere in the cabin for anything of that kind, BUT ANYWAY - it was a lot of fun to look. I now have a project over on the work able - nearly done ~ Now it's time for a touch here & there of paint...some beads..Zipp-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, an' then it'll be fini!! ~~

And a picture will be forthcoming..but not today. Right now I gotta for REAL make sure that Noah is really digging up the new garden bed where I've been asking it to be dug - le's see - uhhmm..since we moved down here? ~ Yup. Not too long...

It's just been a slight suggestion..know what I mean? ~ Kinda like asking The Husband to pick up the laundry an' put said laundry IN the washing machine...not all over the bathroom floor..

No ~ Don' get me goin' ...

I'm gone........


Lady of The Tulips

~ Ok, so your saying to yourself ~ Welll, where's this photo business that's supossed to show the detail on this stinkin' frame this person who blogs is yaking about?? ~~

And once again, I will hop right up and say, well, there IS detail on the frame - it's just that said individual who blogs here is so bad at taking pictures, that when viewed, the picture can't be clear enuf to TELL that there is indeed some clever little details on said frame...

So tha's why the picture that's supossed to be a Close-Up really sucks, 'cause it's all blurry an' all...maybe if you like, turn it around or something, it'll look better. I've got no clue..

And so I'm back to no picture today..I can't find my spiffy book that tells how to fix the camera problems..an' 'course, Noah goes into his "Not talking on anything" mode, so there's no telling how many months it's gonna be before he sez, "You need the book for fixin' anything with the camera?" --

Listen, I EARN all these grey hairs, trust me.

An' don' get me goin' on The Husband ~ who decided to get up at 3:45 a.m. this morning (it is SATURDAY after alll.....) an' start bashing around in the dining room, kitchen and where ever else he could make noise...rattled the woodstove so bad, I thot he'd started some kind of remodeling project.

Fat chance there..

So I AM glad to say, tho, that there are some new projects that are nearly ready to get pictures taken of them...if I can just get my hands on that #@%% book for the camera..

Ok ~ So, I'm going to go get some coffee...an' no, I have NOT been awake since The Husband got outta bed...HE may be up an' movin' around somewhere (he's on on the street with noah, doing something; an' personally that scares the livin' tar outta me..) but I did go back to sleep..an' now am headed over to cut up some paper for a Beach project..

Jus' wait 'till ya see this one!!


Lady of The Tulips

Ok ~ So I've tried once again to show some of the aging that I've done on these frames..the one picture of the frames shown side by side, should (or at least it's supossed to..) show the new-shiney frame on the right..and the aged frame on the left. The picture of the single frame is the one where I'v distressed it, and gotten it looking other than shiney and bright and new.

At least I'm hoping that it's showing up...I'm having problems with the camera again - I think Noah did something with the set up on it - he likes to do that w/out telling me - and so I'm back to trying to get pictures to come out right.

And so it goes..

But today I'm glad to say that all that is OVAH ~ and done with. I'm just hoping that the shop where I want to take them will say yes after all of this. I'm trying to get a ride over there tomorrow - Keep my in prayer, as this is another leap of faith for me. I'm feeling like it's where I need to have some more of my work, and it's been at me for some time. Positive is what I'm looking for here!!

Sara Beth is doing somewhat better today ~ The other day she was having a really bad time w/her breathing..some times when her doggie-self gets all worked up, the tumors in her lung make it difficult to breathe..and right when she wants to jump up, bounce around and play with mommy, then she has to quick-fast lay down and try to regain her normal breathing. It absolutely breaks my heart to hear it..and when I sit down on the floor with her, and try to get her to calm down (It freaks her out, and sometimes she makes it worse by getting up and semi-running down the hall, or into another rooom) ~ oh, the sound of the air going in her lung...ugghh...She keeps her happy spirit tho, so that's good. An' when she gets back to a normal breathing pattern, then she just gives me this look of such happiness.

Don't tell me that Dogs can't talk..they do, and that's all there is to it...


So, as I said (Or at least I think I said) earlier, I've got another canvas done- it's over on the antique hutch, and THIS time I'm going to make sure that it's frame is one that WILL NOT take me for EVAH to sand and re-paint - re-purpose..My fingers would go into revolt other-wise..

Must go see what noah & Sara are doing out in the dining room..noah is making waffles, and it sounds like sara is doing her BEST to make sure that he sees her (I mean, after all, how can one NOT see a 95 pound dog? ~ Be that as it may...) and she really, REALLY wants a waffle.

Fat chance -

I'm gone


Lady of The Tulips

-- So there isn't a photo after all this morning --

Instead I'm working on some teeny little details on the last frame I bought over the weekend. I thot I'd be done by now, but there just seem to be some things that are getting under my last good nerve, so I thot it'd be best to get them taken care of. That way once the whole group of frames is done, all the canvases are set up and ready to go, then I'll feel better. Not to say I don't feel good, No-No, I feel fine. I'm just stressing over the final look of my stuiped frames. Does that make sense?

And to top it off, I also have to call my bank to find out about whether or not I can get some kind of loan so I can buy another car. The middle son wants my Very Fine Automobile so bad it makes me crazy - so now I have to see what there is for sale and whether or not it's something affordable. Stress being on AFFORDABLE..not like something that's going to take 5 years and make some shumck in outer mongolia rich from me making payments to his company..ok, so don't get me goin' on bankers...

Annyway - I have spied a couple vehicles I'm really, and I do mean REALLY interested in...but I'll wait to tell what those are later..I jus' wanna make sure that the $$ will be in reach before I get my hopes up..

And I'm also so ready to start another canvas..I'm just about OVAH working on these frames. Next time I'll make sure the material is easier to alter...or that I use some different sanding paper, whichever!

Gota run - An' learn to spell by the looks of it..

Lady of The Tulips

>>Just want to say I'm sorry for the post with the pictures of the frames in it <<

The light that noah put in the studio gives everything a really odd ball shade of something...and add to it the camera moved..Operator Error...sheesh...Can't blame it on the camera...one of these dayz I'll get it right..

So with that I'm off to finish the other frame that's one the work table..an' this time when I snap a picture of the thing, I'm Optimistic that it's gonna turn out better...

Lady of The Tulips

Here's hoping that these picture's will show what I've done with the new frames that I went thru H*** and back to find the other day..the one frame that's all spanking white and clean is how these were bought.

The other frame (It should show up...) shows where I've aged the wood to make it look like the other antique frames I've been discovering in thrift stores, and junk shops. I almost went with the un-aged frame look, but then I realized that those would stick out like a sore thumb..all shiney looking and new. While all the other frames that I've used are old, kinda beat up, and don't look anything like the new ones.

So, on with the reworking of the frame...took longer yesterday than I thot it would, but the results will outweigh the work done. I was also hoping that I could get the finished pieces to the shop a little earlier than it looks like I'll actually get them there...seems like the time just goes by faster than I anticipate, and Boom, there goes a whole day. Blast. So, looks like more toward the end of the week before the work gets to where it needs to be.

I also - No, actually Noah discovered an envelope of cut pieces of paper that I'd bought something like 4 years ago ~ ! ~ an' I'd stuck the envelope beside my small shelf unit that holds my stamps..he was cleaning out the small area in the desk, found the envelope, handed it to me, with a grunt that sounded something like, "Ithinkthisisyours" Don't quote me on that, but it's pretty close to what I heard...

I'm just about dancing, 'cause the envelope has some really horrible prints/papers in it..Who knows what I was thinking at the time, but then once I took a look, and then looked at some ribbon I gathered up at the Art store the other day..WHOA!..they balance each other out, and the piece that I'd been rambling thru in my head just got some added embellishments for it. Yay! Now to make it all work together ~ this should be interesting to say the least!!

But for now, I've got a frame sitting over on the work table telling me "HEY YOU!!" so I guessI best get it sanded and repainted..time's a wastin' - as the saying goes!!

I'm Gone...


Lady of The Tulips

~~ Well, I thot I'd pop on here jus' for a minute, to say that it is so blasted cold this morning, that the inside of the cabin was just a shade over 50 ~~

Tom & Noah left early this morning, and neither one of them built a fire, so by the time I crawled out of bed, it was coooold...and I was not a Happy Mommy. SARA-Dog just looked at me, begged for 3 doggie biscuits, and layed back down on the living room carpet. I went outside, partially filled the old metal bucket with kindling wood, and came back in the dining room and built a nice bigfire.

YAY!! ~~ Warm in 'bout 30 minutes, and my fingers were even feeling normal!! ~~ Now it's up in the upper 60's back here in the studio, so I'm not using my little portable heater..the heat from the woodstove is keeping things nice & toasty. I like that I totally went into the whole FIREWOOD thang, and have kept that stove cookin' all day...shwooooo..if there is one thing that is just NOT,it's being cold INSIDE your house/cabin.

Well, at least for ME it is...

And for NEWS ~~ I did make it up to the city with tom...the trip was a neverending nightmare..traffic was weird from the get-go, even down here..don't know if it was something like lingering effects from the Blue Moon or WHAT..but by the time we made it to the art store, we were both in pretty grumpy moods...an' to make matters worse, I couldn't find the right size for one of the frames I needed. I've got 3 canvases finished that are 9" X 12"...an' we searched for for-EVAH for the right size frame..up one isle, and down another..searching, searching..

I walked over to the Framing Center, but the guy behind the counter was too busy with some lady who couldn't decide over 2 edges for her print...I nearly grabbed one of the frame samples, and screamed "TAKE THIS ONE
< DAYYUUMM-IT !!" But I refrained from doing so...I just kept lookinganglookingandlooking...

Finally the guy behind the counter helped out Miss Clueless (Told you I was in a bad mood...) and helped me out...well, sort of. We did find 1 frame I needed, "But the rest are on order and should get here this next week..."

LAWDY..I started thinking about where the closest bar could have been...

An' it's been HOW MANY YEARS since I've been in a bar???

So, we got the 3 I did need & found, then we drove clear across the town on over into Virginia Beach...searched and searched some MORE and finally found the size I needed. So we bought a couple extra JUST IN CASE..

Next time I'll figure out something else, but for now, let's just say that I missed church yesterday morning, as the stress-headache-seaching-for-hours gave me the Migraine-From-Hell when I woke up in the morning. So no church for me...

Yuck..

Finally after much aspirin, some rest and more rest, I got to feeling better..

An' today I'm re-purposing the frames I bought..their just too clean and WHITE for my tastes, an' they are slowly coming around to where they need to be. I'm in a much better mood today (after the cabin got warm!!) an' feel like it's all gonna be ok now.

I'll find out what day I can take my pieces into the little gallery/shop probably tomorrow..I'm trying not to get excited - but am still pretty excited about the possibility of it all..new chances to SELL my work is always a multi-layered thing..so many obstacles to face - jump over - deal with...sheesh...wish it were a lot more easy..

No shoes, tho - by the time we were done with finding the frames and nearly being involved in a 5 car pile up, we were so exhausted, we just made a bee-line back down here..I've never felt so exhausted in like, for EVAH!! ~~ I told tom, it's a good thing my Dr. appt. isn't for a few more months..it's gonna take me all that time to recuperate..

So I'm off to finish my paint..it's fun, but a lot of work..I'll post pics tomorrow..I hope..

I'm gone..


Lady of The Tulips

"Love The Beach" ~ 2010 Spring Bay Studio

This one DID get done ~ ALL done just this week. The fish I sketched out about 3 weeks ago, while I was pouting over the fact that it was a nice, sunny afternoon, and all I wanted to do was watch a baseball game on tv...

Funny thing about WINTER TIME ~ no baseball on tv. 'Cept those re-runs of games that I certainly don't remember, and if I ask anybody in THIS house, then all I get are cold hard stares, as if there's a 3rd head growing on my person somewhere...

So anyway - where was I? ~ OH ~ yeah..the fact that it was really REALLY sunny, and I thot about how nice it would be to go over to the boat ramp, and go hang out on the dock, with a nice fishing pole, an' just do nothing but enjoy the day. Well, I mean, 'course, catching a fish would HELP, but that's another story. So, instead of being able to do what I WANTED to do, instead I sat down with the state Fishing Guide to some part of the state, don't remember where..an' started sketching MY interpretation of the local fish.

These aren't in any way an exact copy of what's swimming around out there..no..Over THERE>>SEE?? -- This is just the way I think they should look..maybe with a little more color on 'em than in real life.

Sorta like when one of your friends tells you, "You could use a little color around the eyes, kinda perk 'em up a bit.."

Those kind of "friends" also tell you that it's past time to loose those 10 pounds too, but be that as it may...

I had fun with my fish ANYWAY (10 pounds or no...) an' so here it is.

Boy, that was a long drawn out explaination as to how I did this collage...

It's 'cause of our "Snow" ~ Actually the Lack There-Of...I was hoping for maybe 4 flakes..if they hit somewhere it sure wasn't here, 'cause there is nothing but some teeny little puddles on the driveway...an' some moisture along the path in the yard where Noah walks to the shed...

Snow.

Fat chance.

An' now that I grumbled about it, watch..it's gonna haul off an' drop like 10 inches next week, an' I'll be left to explain THAT ONE...

Oh Well - tomorrow is going to be a busy day for this girl..gotta go with Tom to get his car inspected..get the tags paid for...go up to the City an' get some of those big sheets of poster board..I use the black sheets for my backing paper on the back of my collages once their put in their frames...an' I gotta buy 5 frames - hopefully they'll be on sale at the art store..PLUS - now I don' wanna get all excited, 'cause I've heard this one before..but Tom SEZ he's gonna take me to go buy some new tennis shoes..

He SEZ he's tired of lookin' at the old ones I'm trying to wear anymore...I've had 'em since '02..for real...the sole keeps flapping while I walk, an' it sounds like a muffled clap- clap -ing off in the distance...people kinda look aroun' like their trying to figure out what the sound is..an' all I can do is keep walking an' try not to look like I'M THE ONE making the sound...

So new shoes it is. >>> We'll see...

So for now, it's over to the work table..gotts to see me papers..AND my new pak got here yesterday !! ~~ Whoo - Hoo!! ~~ Ordered the pak on monday, an yesterday here they were in the mail box! ~ Gotta love it!!

Lady of the Tulips

Ok, Ok..OK!! ~~ I know there are some of you who are wondering about my post yesterday..about how at the bottom of the canvas I've written my name and the date...the name is - well, my name..but the date is sorta-kinda-off-kilter-weird 'cause I've got it labeled as 2010 ~ Not 2009 like on the canvas...

~~ So here's the trick of it ~~ What I have a habit..no, that's not the right word..I've got this THANG about tweaking things just after I think their all finished. Yesterday's canvas happens to be one of those THANGS ~ I got it all finished..did the name-on-the-bottom-so-everybody-knows-it's-mine...

Then decided to add some more paint and a touch of other stuff after the first of the year...SO ~ That's why I've got the canvas posted as 2010, but the canvas is written as being done in 2009.

There

Any questions?! ~

Didn't think so.

So - with all that said and done..(no - actually WRITTEN and done..duhh...) I've got a couple other canvases that ARE done & written on with the RIGHT date being finished an' all that. They are lookin' pretty spiffy, even if I don' mind sayin' so myself. They aren't anything that would go out and change the world or anything..just some little things that speak of the fun of the beach...walkin' on the sandy shore..takin' in some Relaxation and time to breathe..

Tha' kinda thing..

But now I gotta run all quick like, 'cause my oldest is calling me about who knows what..never fails...get right in the middle of somethin', an' BAM! - phone rings...cell phone beeps...

Ack...no rest for the weary!!

Lady of the Tulips

"Walkin' To The Beach" ~ 2010 ~ Spring Bay Studio

Here's one of the canvases that just got finished - I think the 2nd. of the month ~ I had some of these little flip-flops on some sheets of paper, and the inspiration to use 'em is kinda funny..

I was standing near the door to the laundry room, an' happened to glance down at the floor by the folding counter, an' saw my old pair of flip-flops laying next to some junk that noah hauled in the room. (Why the junk was there is totally beyond me, but follow me here...) ~ I'd thot the pair of flip-flops had gotten thrown away ~ That's how long it's been since I've seen 'em. So I was kinda suprised.

But at the same time that I'd thot, "Well, how funny iz That!", I ALSO got the old song stuck in my head by Jimmy Buffet - "..Blew out my flip-flop..stepped on a pop-top..." An' right about then I knew that whatever the next piece was that was going to come together over on the work table, well, it had to have some flip-flops on it. These were together in a sheet with some other goodies, but after I cut these out, I decided to use the other things on a canvas ~ Just not this particular one.

And as COLD as it's been here, I'd just about give my eye-teeth for bein' someplace WARM enuf to be wearing a pair of flip-flops jus' about now. Noah said he glanced at the thermometer for outside an' it read something balmy like 25 degrees...an' it wasn't that long ago...it's 11:33 now, but the temps aren't goin' any higher by the looks of it. I think all the little streams and creeks around here have a good batch of ice on 'em..no telling how bad some of the docks over on the main river are fairing..one lady said she was afraid to go walk out to her dock, 'cause she was afraid she'd slip an' fall on the ice..'course, I kept from sayin', "Well, you know they DO sell ice-melt stuff at the hardware store...", but she's one of those little old ladies who refuses to spend a DIME unless it's absolutelypositivelymusthavetospendanymoney kind of people.

So her dock will sit all alone and forlorn 'till the weather starts to warm up again..

Me, I've finally gotten tired of having my fingers cold here in the studio, and I broke down an' brought in a space heater that's been literally sitting in the master bedroom gathering dust. I use it, but just not that often, and not even have I used it this winter for more than 5 times. Dumb, I know, but it dawned on me, that since I'm in the studio more than the master bedroom, well, wouldn't it be SMARTER to have the heater in HERE than in that room?! ~ Duhhhh.....

So, now it's feeling a LOT better while I paint an' mess with my papers in the studio. I've also got another pak of papers on it's way from BlueMoonScrapbooking ~ Yet another collection from 7Gypsies. I've just about fallen totally all over myself with their papers. I also found out that they will have some new things coming out this month - I don't remember if it's going to coincide with the CHA show or not...but there is something new in the works. Yay. Now my brain is hatching all kinds of plans for the papers...just hope they get here before the weekend.

ALSO ~ !! ~ I got to talk with a little shop owner down Ocean Highway, in the little town of Edenton - she owns a coffee shop that also has a gallery inside. ~~ Yippiee~~ And she wants me to bring in some of my pieces for her to look at ~ I told her my price point, and she said it's good..so one day next week I've got to get over there an' drop off 5 - o - 6 pieces. I'm optimistic for some SALES..the shop where I have the bulk of work just is as dead as a doornail (How were they ever alive??) ~ And the owner up in the City is hopeful things will start to turn around...I gotta do something in the meantime, so another gallery/shop is always a good idea.

Must be off ~ I've blathered on an' on enuf - 'sides, I got some paint drying over on the work table, so I best see that it's all turning out the way I want it to...

I'm Gone...

Lady of The Tulips

>> Well, here we are in a Brand New Year!! <<

And it is a wonder sometime just how I got this far..but thank the Lord that I AM here, and it's the start of a new time for everybody...So with that, here's a BIG Happy New Year to All of you in Blog-Land!! ~~ May each and every one of you have all your dreams come true in the New Year!! ~~ And for all of you who are inclined toward doing ART ~~ WELL ~~ Here's hoping that all of the ART supplies that you wanted in '09 will magically appear in your home this year!! Yay!!

I have some new canvases that I'll post here either tomorrow or monday - I may have to go up to The City to get some things taken care of on Sunday after church, but there are some phone calls that have to get placed before I know for sure. That's another whole story, but for now I just want to say YAY for the New Year!! ~~ Didn't even hear anybody shooting off fireworks last night..we had sprinkles, then steady rain for the night and most of today..so that definetly puts a damper on the Celebration with Fireworks. Sad for all those who spent an arm and a leg for those big ol' boxes of fireworks, an' then can't do anything with them...Ah well...

Must go and check out some things over on the other side of the studio..and wait patiently till it's time for a nice slice of Pecan Pie ~~ YUM!! ~~ Can't wait for THAT!! Did I say YUM yet??!!

Happy Happy New Year to You!!

Lady of The Tulips