~~ I just realized that there were never pictures of where we went for the Bus Festival in July ~ ! ~ So here's a shot of the river where we had our campsite - this particular picture is of when Tom & I woke up early on Saturday morning, and this thin layer of fog was floating over the water - just on the other side of the river, we could hear some animals rooting along the edge of the water, but the fog was too thick over there to clearly see what there was ~

We had also heard some crashing around further up on the shoreline of the opposite side from where we were camping - I'm not sure if it was a large animal or not = But since we had seen a young bear standing in the middle of the road on our way up to the campground (The night we made our way to the campsite..) then we just sort of figured it may have been another bear. Who knows, but it was just fun to sit and listen to the sounds of wild critters doing their thing - No, I'm not talkin' about some of the people camping around us - that's a whole other story - I'm talking about actual CRITTERS - big and small.

But onto other news - I'm still weaving up a storm - as I'm sitting here, I've got 3 pieces that need to have their snaps sewn in, and there are 4 that need the lining fabric set in place. I'm going to post a couple pictures later today - I'm pretty happy with the way these are turning out - and it looks like - if things turn out the way I'm timing things, I should have some of these available for sale on an ETSY spot in the very near future - I'm tryin' like mad to get a good supply available, so that I've got a good stock - It just seems to take longer than I want things to go - And with some very negative attitudes surrounding me as of late, it just adds to what seems like constant delays in my work - family - "friends" - that kind of thing - all just makes me exhausted, and right now I'm scrambling just to get this typed, before noah comes storming back in the door and starts screaming at me for some unknown reason...I definetly need a seperate art studio to do my work in - Keep me in Positive thots in that direction ~ !! ~

Must run - I hear stomping feet...sheesh...


Lady of The Tulips

~ Just a whoosh quick post, as Noah has started crashing around in the kitchen, an' truth be told, I think he's starting dinner..which is fine with me, as I'm getting some finishing touches on a couple new clutch bags ~

We came thru the hurricane with No Damage ~ !! ~ I am so relieved, an' the weird thing, is that we didn't have any wind or rain 'till nearly 8 a.m. This Morning..an' the storm had moved in pretty early yesterday...no idea why it finally did it's thing today, but I am just glad we didn't have any Baaaad things happen..shwwwwooooooo............

I have some pictures that are jus' about ready to pop on here this weekend..I also found some business cards, that I'm trying to decide on for my new venture - I'm torn with a couple that are really nice, and have some good color - the middle son is just too swamped right now to get something done for me, an' that's ok, 'cause I know I can come up with something pretty quick - Then the real nightmare is finding a place that will make the labels for inside the bags - ok, I mean I KNOW there are places that manufacture them, but have you seen the PRICE??? - GGHHHAWWWDDDD...one place wanted something like $50.00 for less than 25...I'm thinkin' Puhhhleeeeezzzzeeeee......But I know every business owner is doing their darn-dest to make some $$ these days, but that price jus' sounds a little over the top...but then, I do tend to be a cheapskate...

Anyway - I gotta check on some work over on the table, an' see if it's tom that just drove in the driveway..he actually did have work today - we were thinking with the hurricane just leavin' the area, that there wouldn't be anything at any of the Ports, but he had work (Yay!!) so that is welcome news - now they have a 3 day holiday..OH NO !! ~ now what am I gonna do with him for 3 dayz??? -- Oh Stop ~ !! ~ Don' look at the new crop of grey hairs that popped out on my head...Lawdy, dealin' with tom some dayz is jus' like havin' a room full of 2-year olds..don' turn your back for a minute...Wheeeee...

I'm Gone -


Lady of The Tulips

Well, would ya lookie here ~ !! ~

I've got to say, that with all of my little goodies, it has felt really good to be working on all of these sweet handbags/womens clutch bags for the last couple weeks~ !! ~

And - Tahhh - Dahh ~ !! ~

Welcome too, to my new studio - Spring Grove Handweaving ~! ~

I've been working away on these, plus I've got a number of other ones that are all fixed up - I'm getting ready to get a spot over on ETSY too - one of my son's is helping me get some business cards ready, plus we're looking into a provider for the labels to have sewn into each of these bags - it's been a busy busy couple of weeks, but the light seems to be shinning into the end of the tunnel ~ !!! ~

I got 2 pieces woven today - I'm going from these wonderful Summer colors, and transitioning into the Fall shades - In the not too distant future, there will be some fun colors that will make you think of cool Fall days, crisp apples and nighttimes where it seems like every star is visible and you don't know which way to look -

Well, at least, that's what fall seems like to me ~ !! ~

We're waiting for more news on that stuiped, and I mean STUIPED hurricane...yup - it looks like the way the storm center is predicting, we're probably gonna Eat It on thursday and friday - naturally, since we just had to fight with the mtg. company, we gave them literally our last dime, so with $13.49 to our name, we obviously can't drive anywhere to evacuate..Yee Haw ~ !! ~ We get to ride this one out, and by the sound of it, it's gonna be a doozey. I can't stand these things, and it's not looking like this one will be a waltz in the park...we went thru hurricane Hugo in '89, and it was horrible. And this one looks pretty much the same.....

So, I'm hoping there is some way we can at least get a couple more things for food, but it aint lookin' too good. And too, I have no idea of what Tom's trucking company is planning, or Not Planning for this whole thing...But, I may just say the #%^&$ with it all, an' jus' go sit out on the porch an' have a good cold beer...

But for now, I gotta get some finishing touches done on a couple of my little ladies clutch purses/handbags, and dig into some nifty embellishments that are crying out to be used ~ !! ~

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

Lady of The Tulips

Ok..OK ...OKKKEEYYY...I know it's been a few days since I've been over here, but there have been many many different and all together exciting things happening here that have kept me away from the 'puter...some good, some I shall not go into at this time.

And I hauled off and found some more grey hairs popping up on my head the other morning, so you know how good that made me feel..

But I have some sorta-kinda newz - I'm still working out some "patterns" for some handwoven handbags, and have some made up that are pretty spiffy - I found a yarn shop in the next town down Ocean Highway, so I am thrilled to pieces about that - I was going to order some yarns to use in the weaving - but the online store required all sorts of tricks and games, and believe me, there is nothing that irritates me more, than having to play/work threw some tricks and games, EXPECIALLY online...not worth the time, and most certainly not worth my money. So after talking with the yarn shop owner, I found out that she charges the Exact same price as the shop (s) I found online, and to add to the happy-dance some more, I don't have to pay shipping/handling charges to buy the exact same yarns.

And to add Even More - if there is one yarn that she doesn't have, I can give her the product code/number, and she can have the yarn in her shop in less that 5 days - all the online places said it'd take 8 - 10 days. 10 DAYS ~ !! ~ ?? ~ do they have to do something in the warehouse before they put the products into the boxes ?? - like doing 334,235 sit ups? - Push-Ups?

Well, before I go into a total rant, let's just say that to drive 10 miles to get the yarns I need to make up some handbags is just the bees knees - where I am right about now - And gettin' ready to do a happy dance at the same time -

And on the other news - I'd thot about getting another space to work in, as there has been some major hatred/evil thots and other assorted bad things thrown at me in the last couple weeks - but that didn't work out, so there seems to be something of a holding pattern for me at the moment - it all relates to that "Your not making anymoney" thing with my art - and the fact that where I've tried to sell my work hasn't made anything but headaches isn't helping either.

So I'm still mulling over ideas - locations - places where I can work on some new things in PEACE and not be tormented..I'm just too old to be messed with at this point, so I'm doin' some major thinking right about now.

And the canvas hasn't even been taken out of the antique hutch yet..it
s stilll all clean and pretty - maybe this next week I'll get inspired to do something with it, but for now it's just gonna have to wait.

And I won't even go into the humidity deal again...as I'm sitting here typing I'm feeling light headed all over again..did I mention how I fell out during our trip home from the mountains the other week?? -- well, I had a bout just about as bad yesterday right here in the house..I won't go into the details as of how the whole thing came about - le's just say it was realllllly ugly, and I am still a little off from the whole ordeal.

Dayum - no wonder there are new grey hairs on me little head ~ !! ~

But for now I gotta go - I promise I'll post the one interior of the little handbag I posted on here the other day - butright now I gotta go find some breeze to get covered in - I'm badly melting an' gotta run ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Lady of The Tulips

>> Just a quick post here, as I've got to get the lining inserted into the handbag I photo-ed yesterday..or the other day..and I've got 2 other handbags woven up to take pictures of later this afternoon...there's just something about doing 2 things at one time that just will not go away with me...and here my Dr. told me to slow it down and not get stressed out...ha - shows what that guy knowz...

ANYway...I've got some canvases that are sitting over in the antique hutch that are crying out to me..they are all clean with nothing on them, so they most certainly need something done..I've got some ideas brewing around in my little pea brain, so those will get put to use. I had to go to the gallery down Ocean Highway - not one of my pieces got sold, and the gallery has gone thru some major changes..so my work was just sitting basically in the way..The collages.mixed media pieces were the only ones in the entire space that were Ocean related, and they did stick out like a sore thumb in the place...not like anything else, so there wasn't much enthusiasm over them, and too, the director was asked not to come back for a continuation of her contract..

So for somebody different like me, there wasn't much of a chance for me to make any headway. Ya gotta know when there isn't one word of encouragement in your direction, that it's probably time to call it quits, and go find something else to do.

That's why I got my loom out and started to weave some things again...maybe getting these out in the world will make a difference, I don't know. Things are just not moving in a positive way for me right now, so I gotta find some other way to make up for the negative tha's been surrounding me. The Festival made it clear to me that there needs to be a change for my self esteem, my sense of being an Artist, and a sense that I am in the right place for my going forward ~ There just isn't much in the way of any thing close to encouraging Anything here, so there has to be a change ~ I've got no idea where I'm gonna go, or just how I'm gonna get there, but it looks like there will be a pretty dramatic change coming up.

So tha's what's goin' on around here...uh oh..an' I gotta get off of here, 'cause Noah is rattling around out in the kitchen, so that means that he's probably ready to come stomping down the hall and into the studio to use this..an' naturally, here I am doing something I want to do...damn the bad luck...

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


Lady of The Tulips

So if we may... Drum Roll Please ~ !! ~

Here is a picture of one of the new little goodies that I've created - a sweet little ladies handbag - handwoven with some yummy soft yarn...the colors are actually "painterly" - as the manufacturer has developed this yarn so that the colors look similar to a Monet painting...they come out so very nice, and with an equally soft yarn for the background, the bag comes out like a sweet little pick-me-up for a nice evening out, or a quick trip to the mall.

This is one of a couple I experimented with to see just how I wanted them to turn out - this will probably be the pattern that I'm going to use for all the rest of the handbags - they measure roughly 9" X 6 1/2 " - just the right size for a bit of money, credit cards and a tube of lipstick..maybe a little coin purse thrown in as well. I love love the color of this one, and the other yarns will be similar, but with just a slight variation in their blending - but they will all have some shade of blue/green/turquoise in them. And a couple will have some soft blues and greens as well...just not the same shade as this one.

I got a couple of people at the Bus festival to take a look at these, and they thot these were really good - that made me feel wonderful ~ ! ~ I'm going to make about 4 or 5 this week, then see where/what I want to do with them...any suggestions?? - I've got a couple ideas, but for now I'm just batting them around...

And the Bus Festival was wonderful ~ !! ~ The road up the mtn. is just breathtaking..the views are something else, and the park we stayed at was right along the New River..it flows toward Virginia, rather than down the state to the Sea..cold rushing water..lots of people out floating on anything and everything..lots of kayaks..canoes...little odd boats of every shape and size..but the river itself is what caught me. I was so relaxed listening to the sound of the water rushing over the series of little falls right outside our campsite. Heavenly.

Course, that was when most of the campers Finally called it a night an' went to bed..lots of party/party/party...shwoo..no wonder some of them looked like something the cat drug in the next morning.. !!..I didn;t take any pictures of the other buses..just some of the scenery right out along the campsite. I'll post some of those tomorrow. I hate-hated coming back home..especially when the temps coming off the mountain were in the 100 Degree range...I very nearly didn't make it...what with the Bus having no air conditioning...and the heat off the interstate...shwooo...don' wanna do that again..well....cept till next summer ~ !! ~ We may go to one of the Festivals in the fall, but we'll have to wait an' see about the $$ for that....

We are now back to the grind...I'm gettin' ready to weave up 2 new bags in the morning, and get some work done on a canvas at the same time...don' wanna just sit and be bored..no No ~ !! ~ an' it's back to hearing noah bellyache about Everything Wrong and other daily thangs...lawdy my hair's turning grey ~ !!! ~

Gotta go for now tho ------ le' me know what ya'll think of the new little handwoven bags...

I'm Gone ******


Lady of The Tulips

~ "Relax...Enjoy The Good Life" ~ 2010 Spring Bay Studio

Here's a little something that came along just when the weather started to turn a little warmer...I was thinking of going fishing for about 4 days, but then realized, that for whatever reason under the sun, noah hauled off and threw out all the old tackle and tackle box...no advance notice to me...so it was a good thing that I didn't just go over to the edge of the water on the next street over! ~ The Fish & Game people would have had a field day with me - no license? - No tackle? - look lady..just what are you doing over here?? ....sheesh, I can see it now..

So instead of risking Life and Limb, I made up a little something with a fish in it..along with some tropical goodies just for giggles. I love love the 7Gypsies papers, and any more I'm getting to where I always start a piece with at least one of their papers included in the work. Force of habit almost. The texture on the background maybe doesn't show up too much, but I had to wait for an afternoon for the stuff to dry ~ And I didn't even make it as thick as I was going to! ~ Next time I'll make it up earlier in the day so I don't have to traipse back and forth from the kitchen while making dinner, then go down the hall to the studio to check on the canvas..poor timing on that one~ !! ~ Oops..~

So I can't make this too long - Tom has his first day off today, so We're gettin' the Bus ready to head up to the Blue Ridge - he and noah "had" to go to the hardware store to get some stuiped thing or another...always ALWAYS that boy has to get to the hardware store...I asked him if he is considering buying stock in a couple of those companies, 'cause by GAWD with all the money he spends with their products, he sure as #%^%$& should get something BACK..

Sorry- minor rant...

Anyway, I gotta print out the directions so tom has something more to go on than just looking at the map...he knows 90% of the route to where we're going, but these GUYS ~ they have to have it printed out. Any reason ANY body knows??? - And Do Not Ask for directions...EVAH...
I see something smoking around my head in the near future..Oh! - it's my last good nerve twinging at Tom saying, "OH! I KNOW where we're suposed to go!!"....(this from the guy who once drove us thru a residential neighborhood in Lincoln Neb. in the tractor trailer...he "knew" which part of the street to turn down, but went the opposite way instead...to say the people running out of their houses to stare at us was a bit uncomfortable is an understatement...)

So, yes, I'll print out the directions for the guy..heavens to Betsy!!

I'm going to post some of my new little goodies probably when we get back - not enuf time today to get those on here...I think they are kinda cute..an' I usually don't want to make too cutesyy of things, but they are!

You'll See ~ !! ~

I'm Gone>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Lady of The Tulips

~ "Love Is All" ~ 2010 ~ Spring Bay Studio

Here's the piece that I was talking about last week...I know, I know...it took me like For EVAH to get it posted on here, but the last week has been one of those times that I'd truly rather forget...

Actually it hasn't been all THAT bad - just some irritating things from the-son-who-lives-here...basically running his mouth at the most IN-appropriate times..(lawdy, an' speak of the devil, he just came slamming in the back door...)

But the weekend made up for any bad and negative things that happened earlier in the week..matter of fact it happened to be Tom & my 34th wedding anniversary..an' no, he didn't go and buy me any great big ol' anything..but he DID get a couple steaks that were to DIE for...and cooked those suckers up just right and tender...makes my mouth water all over again just thinking about it - we didn' do anything in terms of celebrating...I played hookie from church, so tom made me some belgian waffles..ohhh YUMMM -- totally NOT what I'm supossed to be having, but they were so slap good, I really do not care how bad the Dr. would have yelled at me...it wasn't HIS anniversary, so THERE ~ !! ~

So now there is a TOTALLY different project nearly done over on the work table this afternoon..nothing to do with painting, canvases or anything like what I "normally" do..not something close. However there are some beads involved and some other things that I have been known to use..so those are still around..

An' no, I'm not going to give out any other secrets 'till I post the picture..an' I'm not sure when that's going to be, 'cause tomorrow Tom and I are going to start packing up the Bus ~ !! ~ We're headed up to the mtns., where it will DEFINETLY be cooler...and the exciting thing is that there will be a weekend BUS FESTIVAL ~ !! ~ Whooo - Boy ~ !! ~ The guy who sold us the Bus told us about it, he'd gone to the festival for 3 years in a row, and he & his friend both told us that we absolutely HAD TO BE THERE ~ !! ~ so that 's that, don' ya know?? !! The info. that I've read about the campground sez that since it is up in the Blue Ridge Mtns., that it does get chilly at night (whodda thunk after steaming away down here>??) and that we need to bring some warm clothes...plus there is a Big Ol' river running alongside the whole place, and I remember from camping alongside a similar place in the mtns of Arkansas that it got REALLY cold at night..so even tho outside right now it's 98 Degrees w/ a heat index of over 102..up there it's nearly 20 degrees cooler, and a lot more at night..

WHATTA RELIEF ~ ! ~ it's gonna be realllllly hard to get me back down from there, I'm tellin' you right now !!

So I'll get my little project photoed (is that even a word..??) an' then it'll make it's debut ..later...not sayin' when...

But for now I gotta go get some laundry done so I have some clean clothes to wear..yee gads...I didn' even remember to do that till almost too late...tha'd a been nice...all the way (over 400 miles) up there an' discover I don' have any clean clothes....oooppppssss............


Lady of The Tulips

>> Just a quick note here, as it's getting hot outside, and now the breeze is blowing in thru the studio windows..which is how I know that it's getting hot outside ~ !! ~ <<

I've got one piece finished over on the antique hutch, and have one canvas with the first coat of paint - nope, make that 3 coats of paint on it - I got a little paint crazy the other day..le's see...yesterday and the day before. Something just MADE me do that! So I went with it, and made something pretty snazzy ~ ! ~ I'll take a picture of the finished piece later this morning, but for now I wanted to say that we FINALLY HAD A GOOD RAIN STORM ~ !!! ~

Whoo - boy~ ! ~ It really came down early this morning - naturally right when Tom was gettin' ready to go up to virginia - but he didn't mind, as it's been so awfuuuul dry and the grass was starting to crunch under foot when you walked across parts of the yard - yikes ~ ! ~ So it was a welcome rain - lightning - thunder - the whole 9 yards. (why nine I got no idea, but you get the gist...) And the breeze comin' in thru the windows was so wonderful - that great smell of rain..wet grass...pine trees...ahh, a good way to start the morning ~ ! ~

That, however is NOT to say that @ 3:00 a.m., I am up and doin' stuff around the cabin - OH NO ~ ! ~ this lil' girl has a great tendancy to just roll over an' fall right back asleep ~ ! ~ An' with the breeze that was comin' in the window right over the bed...absolute heaven ~ !! ~ And I could hear the tires on tom's little honda car, crunch-crunching along the dirt road...slowly makin' it's way over to the next road...('course that's not to say that he was driving slowly 'cause of the rain..he ALWAYS drives slow...much to the irritation of ME an' who-ever else has the luck to come up behind him ~ !! ~ ) Quite peaceful.

So now I'm up, workin' on a the newly painted canvas..I've been listening to some old old concerts from Grateful Dead...70's shows, an' some 80's mixed in. And the weather is just turning warmer, so I need to get my stuff finished before it gets too hot in here - Oh, and right now I can hear the pair of Ospreys that live somewhere down in the farm across the street from us - the farm's been there for over 100 years, and it goes straight to the edge of the water...so the pair of birds must have their next in one of the old, old trees along the shore. It's so great to listen to them - they accend (sp) up from the water after they catch something..their little cry drifting over the trees. Every once in awhile, one of them will fly above the dirt road...looking like they are using the dirt road as a guide to where ever their headed to - and LOW too - kinda scary when I happen to look out the window an' see this BIG bird flyin' along...LOOK OUT ~~ !!! ~~

I'm tellin' ya, never a dull moment around here...

An' did I ever mention the HUGE turtle that Noah an' I had to drive AROUND?? This big ol' DINASAUR (oh hush, it's spelled bad...blah...) lookin' thing..walkin' down the road like it OWNED the place...noah told me to slow down (as IF I'm gonna go racin' past this big ol' thing...) an' when I did, he said he could hear the nails of the critter crunchin' along the road...LAWDY ~ !! ~ I actually got kinda scared..I DID NOT want to get NEAR that thing ~ !! ~ What if it decided to try an' take a bite outta one of my tires?? what if it wanted to take a bite outta ME??? --

I'm Tellin' Ya ~ !! ~


Lady of The Tulips

"Untitled" - 2010 Spring Bay Studio

Another little something that happened along while I was looking out the window...

I've had fun changing up colors - using shades that I "usually" don't apply onto anything..the paint jars just sit by themselves feeling alone and blue..then they haul off and get all dried out in their little plastic homes.

Nothing drives me more batty than to realize that my paints have dried out! - I was going to do some cleaning out at church where the library shelves share storage space with old paints, papers and assorted goodies. I mean, one woman told me that the paints were in the storage cabinets when she moved down here in 1994...yet when I was talking with another woman, she very loudly told me, "Why! There's nothing wrong with those! Their perfectly fine! Those aren't toxic, and their something we use with the children! You just leave those alone!"...and while I take a quick peek at the jars, you can see where the paint has dried out and left spots of dry paint on the sides of the jar...yuck...

But my paints aren't that old! I have used most of mine in the last year, and actually am getting ready to go by more! - Well, not right away, but within the next couple weeks. Gotta make sure bills are paid first! Then it's time to order some nice shades and go from there...

I've been told this morning that I "have to" go get some sodas from the grocery store for Noah..his father was going to pick them up yesterday, but for some reason left them at the store..the things didn't even make it into the shopping cart! ~ And I'm suposed to buy some Fava beans to plant for fall..now, I love love to buy seeds to plant, and then the harvest is wonderful in the late fall/early winter. But for the life of me, I have NO IDEA of what fava beans are..?? Anybody help me out here?? Are they soup beans? Fresh Eating Beans??? do I dry them on the plant? Hang them to dry? Do I leave them alone and hope they'll hop the next freighter outta New York for parts unknown????

Well anyway, I better get some things finished up an' get outta here before The Wrath Of Noah comes slamming in the back door...I swanny, that poor door...I should shake the hands of the people who put that sucker together...it gets slammed more times during the day than anything autta get slammed...poor innocent door...

I'm Gone -


Lady of The Tulips

"Gleaning Memories" - 2010 Spring Bay Studio

The piece that had been on my work table the other day, that kept altering itself it seems, by the minute. When I thot that it was just about "done", then some other thot would come in my head telling me, Nope, add this...hold it - change this around...By the time I finally got the last bit of paint added, and the last of the beads set, it felt like I'd worked on this for the last 3 months instead of just over a week.

And why does it seem to take so long? - I read of people who just whip work out on a canvas like there's no tomorrow - 5 in one day, 7 in a matter of 3 days...WHAT??? - How the tar do these people do this? - Do they not have nagging family members who bother them with irritating babblings..getting them sidetracked every other hour??? Do they not have a husband who insists of rattling their last good nerve, by calling 3 times in a row, 'cause the bum is stuck in traffic, and has to call 3 said times in a row, telling about the rotten kids stuck in a car in the next lane...screaming and bouncing around the inside of the car, tho they should be safely secured by a safety belt???

Well, obviously it looks like I must be having much more fun than I thot, 'cause I'm the one getting the off-the-wall phone calls...have-another-person-living-here driving me all over creation and back..then over somewhere else. By the time 5:30 p.m. rolls around, there are days where I'm about slam exhausted and ready to go to bed.

But anyway -

I just take longer to work out something on a canvas than other people, thats just all there is to it. But at least I'm satisfied with the results, and don't go grumbling about the house, saying, well, I SHOULD'VE done this...REALLY should do THAT on that length of the canvas...

Nope.

Once it's done, buddy, it's DONE!! - An' there's no turning back...well, cept maybe to polish up a bid of smudged matte medium (I discovered a blob on a piece the other day ) but tha's all. For the overall work, it's fini.

And there is yet another piece that will make it's debut hopefully tomorrow - maybe monday, 'cause I just remembered that tomorrow is saturday, an' once The Husband is home, there's no telling what kind of mayhem he may rake up around the house...certainly not as much as a friends husband...who one day suprised her, by having his girlfriend show up at their house, just before he got home from work...

Yup - that'd rate right up there with MAYHEM written all over it. The ensuing battle was pretty interesting too, with tha couple..and believe it or not, their still married ~ ! ~ Wears me out is what it does, listening to things like that ...

But for now I have to go do a quick read of a couple theology books that I bought for the church library...sadly 2 of our members have passed away in the last month, and I need to make some donations to the library in their memory. And with that, are new additions to the non-fiction portion of the shelves. The books look very very good, and if I can remember, next week one day I'll make sure to post a comment about them.

For now tho, I have to get to where there is either an open window where a breeze is coming in, or find a spot under the fan...80% humidity today, light rain...but for the moment all the breeze has stopped. And I'm slowly melting into my office chair...uh-oh...this may not be healthy..If I melt, who's gonna fix dinner???


I'm Gone ~~

Lady of The Tulips

Within The Sea - Spring Bay Studio 2010

I know I'd talked about some new work that was over on the table..lets see..clear last week, but as things happen, Life Happens, and there suddenly went the week ~ ! ~ I honestly have no idea where the week went, but I think there was a holiday somewhere along the line, some sitting around the house doing absolutely nothing, and then too, some Buying Things Related To Art...

So it's been the kind of week where you finally get a chance to sit down and say to yourself, Well, just what the #*^*)^ happened here? -

So, this picture is at least one of the things that did happen - not like what I usually work out, and that's what made it something of a challenge for me - I don't remember the last time I used a lot of green in anything, let alone yellow - but this evolved into a Sea Wave of sorts - moving along and within itself something like the currents out offshore do - I took my time with this, as each color needed to make it's presence known, and I didn't want to rush with it. I had the most concentrated time getting the blending and attacking of the colors - sometime along about the 3rd day of painting, and changing this that and the other, I finally felt like I could go ahead and layer the papers.

Tom was very suprised with the color - at first it didn't have much else besides green..."It's veryyyy green...", he sez while popping his head into the room...

I sorta stood there looking at him with my paint pallette in my hand, asking jus' what the #$%&)(+ that was supossed to mean...he just said, "That's all..."

Is there a way that any of you know, that I can either invest some money into the manufacturer of Tums, Rolaids, or any of those companies? - Or, if not that, maybe have a nice sweet truck driver deliver a full 53' trailer FULL of any of those wonder products???

'Cause my husband is about to DRIVE ME OFF THE DEEP END...

'k - tha's my rant for the morning..

But I do want to say, that despite The Husband and Noah rattling my last 4 nerves to their breaking point, I also have managed to paint and paste and glue and cut papers, attach beads, ribbons, stickers and some other innocent bystanders onto some other canvases that I'll show starting tomorrow - I've been busy in spite of all the running around that I seem to find myself in day after day...

But now I'm wondering what the weekend will hold in store for me..we went up to the city on the 4th for a big ol' BBQ at Danny's condo..he stuffed us again with some steaks and some goodies...I probably gained 15 pounds just from that one dinner. Then on monday Tom took me over to the dreaded Wal-Store, 'cause I was totally out of canvases. And I needed, of all things, one stuiped bottle of white paint.

You'd think that finding these things would be easy..yes? - HA! ~ I walked up and down what's called the "Craft" isle, and looked high and low for what I needed...the amount on the shelves has been cut by at least 75% in the one store closest to us..it looked like somebody had to really think hard on how to stretch out what few items there were, to fill in the long shelf near the floor in the isle. I was, needless to say, Unimpressed....And since that store is one of the least liked stores for me, it made it all that much more of a headache...

Then by the time I finally found close to what I needed, I had to hunt tom down...naturally he was over in the automotive section, ready to pay $30 for some part that he insisted we needed RIGHT NOW, for his honda car....

Remember the above request for the trailer load of tums/rolaids///....

Yeah..the sooner the better...

So, I am happy to say that we walked out with just the art supplies in hand, minus the $30 car part (it's not needed after all...just a bottle of gas treatment did the trick...at .99 cents...) - And now I'm going to try out the new canvas.

It looks so sad all empty..clean...nothing all over it...

Whoo- Boy ~ !! ~ That's gonna change in about .1247 seconds ~ !! ~

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


Lady of The Tulips

"Untitled" - 2010 Spring Bay Studio

Another one of the pieces that I've been working out over on the table - this happened kind of in fits and spits, but it wasn't as difficult as I thot it was going to be when I started out -

I got all worked up over some of the paper, and when I started working on the texture, I thought I'd really taken on more than I'd bargained for. But once I decided how I wanted the color to go on, then it started to get a little easier for me to add the other elements.

I got some of the paints buried (I keep doing that - buying bits of paint here and there, an' being REALLY good, I put them away, planning on using them on a later day...) and discovered them when I was looking for something totally different - Does that ever happen to you? - Go to look for one thing, an' lo and behold, there is something else you'd forgotten about..yikes...drives me crazy!! `

But anyway - here it is - an' it is just a little different from other things I've done - an' it's kinda fun!! ~ Plus, the one that's just getting dry on the antique hutch is done with colors that I don't normally use - with some of it being brushed on a little thicker than I'd do with other pieces. It felt pretty good doing that, too - Really slapping the paint on, making a mess of me, the work table, and whatever else happened to be in the line of fire...weeeee!!!

And now, right when I was in the middle of having some work getting under way, noah meanders in an' tells me we have to go to lowes RIGHT NOW - or else the earth will cave in, time will stop, and certain parts for the well house and pump ABSOLUTELY have get bought NOW~~~ And he did a fine job of totally derailing my train of thot...#$%^& - an' here he comes in again....grrrr......

So -

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

Lady of The Tulips

"Untitled" - 2010 Spring Bay Studio

One of the pieces that I'd mentioned last week..been playing with the background and finally when it looked like what I wanted, then I got the fish and other pieces dug out of the file folder - There was some deciding on whether or not to add some elements to the bottom, but for now, it seems ok to me as it is - I may add something over the texture, but for now this be it.

I've got another larger piece that's not quite like my other canvases - well, wait - it's sorta-kinda-like some work I did not too long ago..somewhere during last winter I think. I had started in one direction, but as the texture on it started to change shape, then it took on a life of it's own. And even The Husband liked it - so that's quite a thing for me!!

I've got to order some new canvases, as the last ones that I bought at that "Mart" place were really a nightmare to work with. I have no idea of what kind of material they were manufactured out of, but they were quite the box of rocks, let me tell you. I fought with those things an' very nearly threw them away. But with lots and lots of gesso added, they finally got used. Nearly wore me slam out, but I made it!! I need a couple paks of things, so on payday Tom may be somewhat suprised to see what I'm ordering. He'll get over it..that's what he always says to me when I get all a-tither over something.."You'll get over it..." - makes me feel like a dump truck just ran over me..but that's a whole other story...

So I'm getting some papers added to a canvas on the work table right now...the color's are not anything I remember using before, so it's quite bright - No, I'm not going to give you any clues as to what they are..just something different..NO! ~ No purple or orange, so there!! ~ You jus' gotta wait!! ~ Tee Hee ~ !!!! ~

So, while it's still cool (we finally had rain last night & this morning..much much better w/temps @75Degrees!!) I'm going to get some work done, so it'll be dry in a New York Minute ~ !! ~ Whooo..............


Lady of The Tulips

Ok -

So, Here's what NOT to do when running the dishwasher in the kitchen...

See, Noah tries to "save" money by using regular dish liquid in the little dispenser portion in the door of the dishwasher...figures that it saves some $$, an' in his words, "Works jus' fine, it's ok.."

Well, here is a picture that shows what happens when Le Ma tries to do the same thing...uhhhmmm...

I guess what Noah does is something entirely different than what I did, when I wa trying to use dish liquid instead of DISHWASHER liquid in the dispenser ditty in the door...I thot jus' a tad bit would get the dishes ever so clean, an' everybody would say, Oh, aren't you wonderful for doing such a nice job..

Ha!

Well, I did a nice job of making a MESS - what for me was jus' a little tad was way WAY too much for the machine to handle - an' the results went on like this for some time...What Noah neglected to tell me, was that he just sprinkles a little bit of dish washing liquid sorta over an' around the dishes, then starts the machine up.

See...he sorta/kinda/never did tell me that...'course 'till way after all this charming mess happened...

But let me tell you how clean that kitchen floor was ~ !! ~ Whoo - Boy-Howdy!!! That sucker couldn't stand itself, let me tell you.

But I'm going to stick with the CORRECT liquid for the machine from now on, you can totally believe that.

I had planned on showing the 2 new canvases I finished just this week, but Noah hauled off an' took the batteries out of the camera, an' put 'em to use in the remote mouse for the computer..an' naturally didn't tell me BEFORE I'd gotten my canvases all set up to take pictures of out in the dining room..it kinda freaked me out, 'cause I'd gotten the stuff all ready, got the light just right in the room, an' when I went to puch the "On" button on the camera....

Absolutely nothing happened.

So, being the mechanically inclined person that I am, I pushed the button again...

And absolutely nothing happened - AGAIN -

Tha's when it hit me, that the batteries were off doing their thing in another space and time, an' here I was waiting for my ship to come in..or something like that.

So tomorrow when I gotta run errands an' do my waiting for the 1 "Customer Service" person at our bank ( bad enuf you gotta wait for one lousy person to help ya out, an' then adding insult to injury, the woman is one of the most arrogant, demeaning people I've had to do business with for a long, long time. Maybe she's changed banks, an' I won't have to see her ~ ! ~ ) - I can't use the tellers at the windows, or use the drive-in part...I gotta go inside, an' wait for this one person to help me out.

Ever so Convienent ~ !! ~ or however tha's spelled...

So - anyway, tha's what's gonna happen tomorrow..OH ~ !! ~

I nearly forgot - Whoo - Noah got a part time job down Ocean Highway, working at a warehouse - I'm not sure how many days it's gonna be, but at least it's SOMETHING ~ !! ~ An' he seemed pretty jazzed about it - Unfortunately the weather is going to be another scorcher today, so I hope they have lots and lots of fans inside the building - most warehouses don't have air conditioning inside, so it's always scary to think of how hot it get's in them. But noah's been working in the heat all week, an' doesn't seem to mind it..

Where I jus' about fall over an' make a puddle of myself...

So - I gotta run an' check some papers - It's so nice now inside...jus' started up the air conditioning...shweeooooo - whatta difference. 11:00 in the morning, an' it's already 90 Degrees.an' no, I'm too chicken to see how high the humidity is ~ !! ~ Tee Hee......

I'm Gone -

Lady of The Tulips

*** Just a quick post while a canvas does it's last drying thang ***

I'm glad to say that the weekend went really well..it started off kinda lousy, but then our oldest suggested we come up to see his new condo, an' have some bbq at the same time..

Now...

Do you think for one-half-of-one MINUTE that I paused before accepting that invitation??? I mean, FREE FOOD..an' a chance to see my son's first purchased home? -- Jumped all over that, an' even made sure that The Husband was wearing something at least reasonably clean to go up to the City in.

I don' mean to say that he's necessarily a slob...he just doesn't always wear a straight-from-the-washer/dryer shirt all the time. -- what was tha' old song about wearing a somewhat clean dirty shirt? - wish I could remember all the words to that one...

But anyway - off we went to the city..not too much traffic, an' showed up jus' in time to check out the new place (well, new to our son..) - an' watch a bit of baseball. Then got fed a wonderful STEAK..with macaroni salad...chips...YUM..All those things I'm not remotely supposed to have.

I ate those things like there wasn't going to be any tomorrow...Yes Sir, an' Yes Ma'am...

'Course now I'm sure my cholestrol is probably starting to look like the oil Tom drained out of his car so he could put in clean oil. Oops. Jus' don' tell my Dr., 'k???

But now, speaking of Tom - he jus' called to say he was on his way home early - gotta get up a little later than usual, 'cause he's got to drive up near the Maryland border, to a warehouse for the Mennonite Co-Op that distributes chicken. The box of frozen chicken is going to somewhere in Iraq for our troops..he's been picking up a lot of it lately, an' he's feelin' pretty good that he can do his part for those people over there.

So I gotta go start some stuff for dinner earlier than I thot I would...maybe some thing light, as today the heat index & temp is over 100 Degrees...yee-haw...an' it's early for this intense type of heat, too. Yee Gads, what's the rest of the summer going to be like?? -

I'm gonna stay indoors for the rest of the day, you can believe that!!

But for now -

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


Lady of The Tulips

"Thinking of You Faraway" - 2010 Spring Bay Studio

Here's the other piece that I mentioned was in progress over on the work table...it was fun messin' around with the papers - And there just is a little something about these papers from 7 Gypsies - Don't know what it is, but they all coordinate with so many others that it makes it a lot of fun to grab a file folder full of papers and get to work playing with all of them.

I have a piece that's drying now on my table, so that's going to get a picture in the morning. Right now it's getting a little steamy and since Noah is on this kick of not using the air conditioning in the house, it's not all that fun to trapse around in the studio hunting for odds and ends for a piece. I started to dig out some canvases, but thot about it - like, maybe it's going to be Tomorrow before I go scrounging around in the bottom of that closet for those canvases. Too humid to test whether or not I'm goin' to get dizzy from the heat.

Been there, done that.

And had to pay extra for the ambulance, 'cause at the time Tom was in the navy, and the military wouldn't pay the fee. Long story, an' I'll go into it another time. Still makes me raving mad about the whole deal.

BUT - I AM glad to say that I found some trims and some papers that honestly, I forgot I had. Some days the little brain cells just don't want to work right..but yesterday they were chugging along on all 4 cylinders, an' lo ~ !! ~ There in a little box were some trims that I thot got stuck wa off somewhere else. Huh ~ ! ~ Boy, didn' I feel like a jerk..here I'd been close to throwing a hissy fit, an' makin' a SCENE..when there the box was, all along - no more than 3 feet away from my work table. Duhhhh...

So those, an' yes, some of my 7Gypsies papers will all get together an' have a little party ~ !! ~ Yee Haw ~ !! ~

After I cool down a little more, 'cause right now the "Feels Like" temp. is 92 Degrees..an' the storm clouds are startin' to get their act together...yeeeks...best go before it all cuts loose ~ !!! ~

I'm Gone ~~


Lady of The Tulips

"To The Sea" - 2010 Spring Bay Studio

Here's the other piece that I worked out over on the table just this last week - I got the idea of the crab from one of the pictures that I saw on an area website, that tells of all the different species of fish and shellfish along the shoreline and further out in the Atlantic.

I wish that I could get some FRESH crab, but I don't know who to contact for it, and the cost is probably something that would make me go into an absolute hysterical crying jag anyway..as in - the cost for one full bushel is probably like $65.00 or something. Not quite in my price range.

But anyway - there are a couple other pieces getting all fixed up over at the table as we speak - I'm thinking of adding some of my fibers and threads that usually just sit in the box and get bored. I want to go off and buy a bunch of new stuff, but that aint gonna happen - 'specially since I've got some already in a big ol' storage box that hasn't been opened in something like 3 months. I hate to waste things, so they need to get used and not take up excess real estate.

And speaking of real estate - there are some new neighbors moving in around us - I'm not sure which little cabin they have bought, but I keep seeing cars and trucks loaded down with goodies sticking out from every area that's possible - windows crammed to the brim with stuff - the back of the pickup bed just overflowing with stuff...

Me, I'd thin out as much as possible, but I know there are people who would just as soon go into mourning, wear black for 3 months and continually throw ashes on themselves, rather than throw things away.

But I'm not a packrat - mainly 'cause there just isn't that much space to store things in the cabin, so I have to learn how to make the best of the storage areas I've got.

Which brings me to the point of where I need to be starting this afternoon -

Tom has a much larger closet than I do, but I'm the one with the boxes of fabric that gets used for blouses, dresses and what-have-you. Said boxes are beginning to show signs that all is not well in Storage Land, and they are beginning to develop middle-age spread...in other words, the middle of the storage boxes are bulging in the center, and the lids aren't closing right, so the fabric is getting dust in and around it. And I also have to dance around said boxes, and have my laundry hamper somehow in the same space...

So = since Tom has the space, and I need to get some of my storage things into that space, I first have to throw out, or take to the thrift store, all the old clothes that tom refuses to wear anymore. Well - maybe that;s too harsh a word to say...he doesn't REFUSE to wear them...they just don't fit. Eeek...yup - he's gotten to big for 'em, so they aren't doin' any good taking up prime real estate for MY stuff...

Chances are he won't even notice their gone outta his closet.

It's such a mess in there, I'm thinkin' he doesn't even know what's in HALF of his closet...

So, maybe not in the dark of night, but pretty close to it - I'm gonna start gettin' stuff put into bags an' take 'em to the thrift store this weekend..THEN that prime real estate is MINE ! Whoo - Boy ~ !! ~

'K - I'm not really frothing at the mouth over this, but I'm considerin' gettin' pretty worked up over it...

So I guess I need to go in there...yeekkk...'k...here goes nothin'...Wish me luck.... ~ !! ~


I'm Gone


Lady of The Tulips

"Sweetheart" - 2010 - Spring Bay Studio

I didn't even have a name for my new friend...and I felt kinda bad about it - I mean, it's one thing to ? FORGET somebodys name..but at least they HAVE a name.

But this poor lil' dear didn't even have a name..so all I could think of was Sweetheart..An' to me she is rather a little sweetheart..all surrounded by her favorite flowers..and of course a heart from her boyfriend..

Ahhh...

Wish SOMEBODY I know, who Shall Remain Nameless...but who resides in THIS SAME HOUSE would remember to get ANOTHER person a heart..

Flowers would be nice too...

A Card...

Ok..so you get the idea - The Husband isn't one for going all out on the Stuff business...

But just you wait my pretty..........

ANYWAY - I don' know about any o' the rest of you, but here in the south the HEAT is starting to get itself Going - the last I checked the weather info., the humidity was above 75%..Yummm..with the temp. hovering somewhere near 87 Degrees.... YUM!!

Anybody in for a quick sneak over to the pool??

Oh - Wait..I haven't paid for my yearly pool pass...

But it is getting into those Dog Days of Summer..just a tad bit early, it seems. But after the SNOW we had during the winter, it sorta all evens out. I went into town early this morning, 'cuse Noah absolutely-positively HAD TO have some paint for the shed...the shed, mind you. So we did the errands before it was all-together too hot to walk out and climb in the Very Fine Automobile..

Noah doesn't do riding in the Bus..so I have ta take the Very Fine instead...

An' get this - the paint for the shed is the shed that's falling slowly into the ground in the backyard...the one with the off the wall pink/red-faded SOMETHING paint job on it...

An' no - he's not painting the OUTSIDE..he's fixin' up the inside..But it needs it really bad. The elderly couple who lived here hadn't done a thing to the interior, so it was pretty scary...right down to the carcasses of passed away creatures..and other reptiles, which shall Remain Nameless...

Plus a shelf..way, way, WAY up near the ceiling of the shed..

Now, I wanna know - who the $%^#& puts a shelf up within 6" of the ceiling of a SHED??? -- I mean, what in the world, WORLD are you gonna put way, way up there??? A ladder won't fit..there is nothing else that can squeeze up there..'cept maybe the neighbors cat, an' that sucker got smart an' ran away from them..(They never did feed that poor lil' guy..)

So the Shelf remains a mystery -- actually I heard a bunch of hammering, so I gotta feeling that noah HAD IT an took the thing down..This was after he came in the cabin an' muttered a bunch, slammed a couple innocent things around in his room, an' then proceeded to march himself right back outside to the shed...again....

GHAWD - no wonder I'm tired today...plus I woke up at 4:30 this morning...an' for absolutely no good reason at all....

Which brings to mind something The Husband said jus' a while ago - "You might wanna have a cold one, 'cause the temp is climbing as we speak.."

Ahhh... aint he sweet? Always lookin' out for his lil' wifey-poo...

Either that or he's got some kinda bad news to tell me after he parks the truck at the terminal...

I SWEAR I feel grey hair growing on my head right now..I tell ya, I really do...........


I'm Gone ~~


Lady of The Tulips

Just a quick note - I'm not going to say too much, as one of my elderly friends from church passed away this week...I was worried about her earlier a week or so ago - her color didn't look good, and she seemed to be having difficulty standing.

But I felt that she'd get better - pull thru one more time (emphasima ) (sp) and just be there..smiling at church - o - being on her porch, waving as I went past on my bicycle.

But there are things that we just don't understand - and maybe never will. I will miss her, as she was always one of those people who you couldn't help but hug every time you'd see her. And she will be missed terribly.

The memorial service was just a little while ago - quite sweet, as she was sweet. There were many many tears, but there was laughter too - fun little things were shared..many happy memories. And that's what's important, I think - to keep the happy parts of every persons life in the front of you - 'specially when things get bad, sad, and you feel like there just isn't one more minute that you can stand it.

But now it's time to just pause - relish another day here on this glorious Earth. And believe that tomorrow will come around - and we'll all be better by and by..........


Lady of The Tulips