Category Archives: art

Jan25

My little Rembrandt

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Thought you’d enjoy seeing some of Sean’s artwork from when he was a wee lad of only 3. Why am I showing these to you? As you may know, he is cleaning out a finished room in the basement that was just loaded with a bunch of his things. He ran across his paintings and they were getting brittle from age. The best thing I thought to do with them before I recycled them was to photograph them. So I did!
Sean's paintings
Love the colors!
Sean's painting
And here is my dear painting. This was in my keychain 20 yrs ago and I just left it there!
Sean painting age 3

Oct28

Family Ties-part 2

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I’ve had this project put aside for a few months with the papers selected, many of which were given to me. The ‘canvas’ was a piece of wall art I found at Big*Lots for $2.00. It use to have sketchy looking toiletries on it. This was taken in the summer of 1967 as my younger brother was an infant. It was one of those Polaroids that was deteriorating and my face had a lot of damage. I used a photo effect to soften it and it doesn’t look bad. I am #2 in the line-up and only girl.

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I made this one a few days ago. I was looking through a gardening catalog and ran across the peas.
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Now the waiting game begins. I use to think after a few days I was fine, but I learned differently a few years ago. I give myself a week now. The ultrasound took a while. I had drank too much water and was asked to go to the bathroom in the middle of it too. If the doctor thinks I can have the embolization, I will probably go for it and hopefully feel better, do more and lose weight. Crossing fingers.

Jun8

Finally

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Finally got three bags of red mulch down today. I had to pick a day when it was 65% humidity. I did not feel too well when I came in, but after a cool shower, was more like my old self. I was fine sitting on the bag and dispersing the mulch, but as soon as I started dragging the bags around (I did two tonight and one last week), I became drenched in sweat and got a stomachache. The mulch really helps to protect the flowers and I can see a big difference in my Sweet William garden just in one week. I felt better later as I polished off the last Breyer’s vanilla dipped in chocolate bar-it says lower in fat on the box! : )
Earlier, I finally put together a graduation announcement card for Sean and was pleased how it came out (I used a 10 yr old card program):
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The inside is special too. I found a neat PSU Nittany Lion logo and a nice graduation announcement to gain inspiration from on the web.

I have strived for and accomplished
an important goal in my life
of which I am very proud

I, Sean M. C.
am pleased to announce
my Graduation from
The Pennsylvania State University
which took place on
on Friday, the fifteenth of May
Two thousand nine
Degree Achieved:
B.S. Geography
minor Climatology

And they are one-of-a-kind cards!
Oh-I got a trial from Sta*mps.com (which was a bugger to get working as I had to get our anti-virus software to accept it) and ordered personalized stamps with Sean’s grad photo on it-the one on the front of the card! They should be here in a few days.
I sent off a ton of mail today…one is going to South Korea in a Artist Trading Card swap to an Australian lady who lives there teaching English. You should have seen that address! I hope it gets there in good time. Can’t wait to see what she makes for me.
Swapping is fun!

May5

Violets, stitching and cards

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Since it’s so wet and wild outside, I decided to clean my bay window that holds my African Violets. I had an entire plastic bag of dead leaves and flowers. I really need to repot and give some away. Anyone want a few? My mom got me the same violet variety three times that she went to the Philly Flower show as I wanted something different. It’s has white and green leaves and the white flowers have a touch of green in them-shown in both corners of the photo.
Here’s my cleaned up window:
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Cleaning this was a job and a half and I shouldn’t have done it as I have a ouchie and didn’t go to mom’s to help her. I probably will venture to mom’s on Thursday.
And here’s my herb garden bouquet cross stitched piece that is the only piece I’ve been working on lately. I think I like completing one and moving on to another. Not much left to do:
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I’m hoping, really hoping to make this a crafty summer so I can put up things to sell online. I need to narrow down my choices and buy what I need to make the things. I just need to get the gardening out of the way.
One for the road…I do weekly Art Trading Card/Skinny challenges on Flickr. Our challenge this week was to do a card based on the song ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’-yikes! This is what I came up with and I think he’s cute as a cowpoke!

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Mar20

Show and Tell

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Skinny card swaps received, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

For the last several months, I have been in a Flickr group where the moderator picks a theme and we make a skinny card (3″ x 5″) to correspond with it. These are the 14 (I think I have a few more) that I have received from the states and Finland-so far. I just love to flip through these and admire each and every one!
Can you guess the theme for any of these?
Updated-
Each card represents a different theme-a few were-fashion, children, transportation, winter, feminine, red, celebrities, music, fairy tales…
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Be sure to watch the video about Christian the lion in my Vodpod. The two men who raised Christian (back in the 1970s when it was legal to buy wild animals) were on The View today. I thought I’d watch it through Youtube, and of course was deeply touched by it as I was with the movie Born Free.

Feb23

Applebees and Oscars

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Sunday seems to be my day to get mail together, make new collage cards and hopefully have a nice dinner.

First-the newspaper company that owns Brian’s newspaper declared bankruptcy (they just talked about it again on the news as I type this). We don’t know what that means right away, but it’s not something to put in the back of one’s mind. Bri’s worked for that company for 11 years now (though they were bought by another company a few years back). I guess we’re taking it day by day. I better keep my eye open for him and me! Sean will hopefully be adding to the finances in a few months too.

We had a boring array of food in the freezer as I need to go to the store and I remembered we had a $25 gift card to eat out!  We went to Apple*bees and got the 2-$20 special. The place wasn’t crowded, it was bitter cold tonight. We got the spinach and artichoke dip appetizer which was delicious. Then we both ordered the Lime Fiesta Chicken and that was pretty good too. I even had room for a Chocolate Mousse shooter dessert. It only cost us another $11 (plus tip).

Then I settled in with my stitching and watched the 81st Oscar ceremony. Hugh Jackman was the host and he was entertaining and quirky-funny dance and singing numbers. I liked how they brought past Oscar winners out-5 each, to each talk about each of the nominees. Many of the nominated ladies were very teary-eyed and touched. I was happy that Kate Winslet finally won. Many were moved when the late Heath Ledger won and his mom, dad and sister accepted the award for his 3 yr old daughter Matilda.
oscars

We are still getting  cold weather and wind-miserable. I should go to the store today. I’m probably not going to the doctor on Friday as the bloodwork Bri had last month is still in question-we have to wait for the bill so the family doctor can resubmit it.

Wish us luck and we’ll send it back to you!

Here’s a Mona Lisa card I made for a challenge to welcome spring! Mona is embossed in gold. I forgot how much fun embossing things are.

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A small ‘I recommend’-
Shea body butter-it’s so nice to put on dry skin this time of year. I got some that was marked down and it was still fine and took away that dry skin itch.

Jan31

Brandywine River Museum Tribute day to Andrew Wyeth

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Brian and I ventured over to this and it was jammed packed with people (it was free) on this 25 degree day (wind chill 11). I mainly wanted to see Christina’s World, which isn’t usually on display here-it’s up in the art museum in NYC. I love to look at detail and amongst all the grass, there were a few well placed weeds-like thistles. Neat.

Andrew got a few dozen honorary fine art degrees from many local colleges, one being the one Brian and I attended (he graduated, I almost did)-West Chester University-he may have been the speaker the year I was suppose to graduate, I have to ask a few old classmates.
I managed to get some outside shots, but had to wait until the lens warmed up! I like my outside shot of the museum with the evergreens reflected in the glass. There were black drapes right near the entrance in honor of Andrew. The restaurant across the street-Hank’s Place was a ‘hang-out’ for ‘Andy’ over the past 16 yrs. He use to come in the back door, but then switched to the front. Their sign said something to this affect-the beauty of your art was it’s simplicity…we will remember you always.

I got to sign the guest book and said what a pleasure it was to live in the Brandywine River Valley and enjoy looking at the things he enjoyed.

His last painting from 2008 was called ‘Good bye’-how ironic-but maybe that’s something he wanted to paint. It depicts a white shaker style house on a hill with a beach and  sail boat in the foreground. I noticed in his later years, he went to more of a white background with the browns on top. I hope to take the tour with Victoria Wyeth sometime to hear what she has to say about her famous grandfather.


Jan30

Show and Tell

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This past Monday I went to my Mom’s house and we went over to the Goodwill so I could drop off a few things. We always look around inside, and I found a few ‘treasures’. Why would anyone give this charming plate away?
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Perfect for a birthday celebration!
Then I saw this little hobnail salt holder stuck on a shelf for $1:
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Mom located a couple of thumbprint cobalt blue drinking glasses to go with some of the other glasses I have.
I have to make another run to my mom’s as she woke up Thursday with a terrible sore throat. I had to go to the dentist, so she had to wait until today. I feel bad, but her 100 foot long stone driveway wasn’t plowed and now the snow has a crusty ice topping. My brother’s friend will be doing that this morning. Please say a few prayers that she doesn’t have strep throat. I’m also thinking tonsillitis.
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I’m wondering how crowded this event would be as I’d love to go! When people hear ‘free’ they go bonkers!
The Brandywine River Museum will host a public celebration of Andrew Wyeth’s life and work on January 31 with complimentary admission and a display of his most famous work, “Christina’s World” on loan from The Museum of Modern Art in New York. More details at: http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/