Reflections in Art

Two little vintage style aprons made for a productive week.

2011-08-07T14:12:00.000-05:00

Flag Books

2011-08-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

I attended a mini-workshop with the Dallas Area Fiber Artists last month. Sheila Cunningham taught us how to make little "flag books." Simple and versitle. I had to try my hand at it. I had an old calendar with little pictures of US Flags and other patriotic images, so that was my first inspiration. The name "flag" comes from the interior of the books when opened and all the little "flags" pop up and move in opposite directions. I plan to make special Christmas themed books this fall in time for gifts.

2011-08-03T22:16:00.000-05:00

Patriotic flag book


Inside of the patriotic flag book. The spine is accordian folded and the little "flags" pop up when the book is opened. Size: 3" x 5".

50th Anniversary flag book. Size 3" x 5"


Inside of the 50th Anniversary flag book, which is made for my sister's 50th anniversary celebration this month.

Framed Memory Collage

2011-06-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

This is the graduation memory collage I put together for my granddaughter, Kalyn, in honor and celebration of her graduation from the University of Rhode Island last month.

Art Deco # 1

2011-05-09T11:13:00.000-05:00

First Place
Fiber Arts Division
"Art is Ageless"
C C Young Retirement Community

This fiber art piece is fused applique of batiks, embellished with sequins and beads. The flowerheads are yarn "fabric" made with sulky-solvy. I added hot fix crystals to these. The entire piece is attached to a piece of "rusted" muslin.
Size: 8" x 10".

Heart and Flower

2011-01-26T10:37:00.002-06:00

HEART AND FLOWER

This is a Nuno Felted piece, sized 8" x 8".
I hand-stitched it to a piece of burgundy and black taffeta and mounted it on a wood frame. I added hand stitiching with french knots and various beads. The large flower is made of flocked organza and chiffon with a large crystal bead in the center. The "tail" hanging down is a portion of the red silk embedded into the nuno felting process which I left out purposely.

The Blue Morning Glories

2010-10-09T13:24:00.000-05:00

These Blue Morning Glories have multiplied abundantly this summer along my fence. With lots of water they survived our dreadful August temperatures and are now thriving in partial shade. I must enjoy the remainder of the blooming season before frost comes a courtin.

Pale but Pretty

2010-08-11T12:47:00.000-05:00

Such a striking Morning Glory. I was beginning to think they would never bloom. I even thought they were blooming at night. But then, I "caught" them blooming in the early morning before the heat of the sun put an end to their delicate lifespan.

Mystery Flower Revealed

2010-05-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

Two years ago I planted seeds from several packets. I kept the empty packets, however only two of the planters had results with seedlings. These developed into small plants, but no blooms. These made it through our severe winter and then I discovered, they were coming back............still not knowing just "which" packet of seeds were yielding results. I've been watching this 3-Ft. plant thrive and produce buds. Then, finally this week one opened up and revealed which packet of seeds these beautiful daisies belonged to. I've never known daisies to be this tall.

Tough & Hardy: Zephirine Drouhin

2010-04-16T11:06:00.000-05:00

Did you ever plant a rose in the "wrong" place?

In 2002, I purchased three bare root rose bushes from Home Depot because they were supposed to grow in "partial shade." They survived in the corner of my shade garden, but never bloomed. As a last resort, and I figured I had nothing to lose - I transplanted two of them to a sunny spot last year (2009). They both took off, but only a couple of blooms late in the season. Well.....this year they have exploded. True to their description: they are romantic and fantastically fragrant; an old-fashioned Burbon Rose and one of the most popular climbing roses in Europe.

Geometric MADI in Dallas

2010-03-31T10:07:00.004-05:00

Taylor chose this painted aluminum sculpture by Heather Marcus as his favorite piece.

2010-03-31T10:06:00.005-05:00

Lexi chose this painted metal cityscape with cutouts and lights as her favorite piece.

2010-03-31T10:04:00.002-05:00

Admiring the amazing mixed media work of Pamela Nelson.

The design and use of jewels, sequins, paint, etc. was outstanding.

2010-03-31T10:03:00.004-05:00

A Sunday afternoon excursion to the Geometric MADI

museum near uptown in Dallas is exciting for my

artistically inclined grandchildren. Taylor is now a

member and this was Lexi and Jessica's first time.

One-day setback to Spring

2010-03-22T11:03:00.003-05:00

Unsual snowfall on the first day of Spring. I saw this Robin with feathers all fluffed out, enduring the cold wet stuff that shocked us all overnight. Do you see the Robin? He's nestled between the two stubs of a tree.
We received about 5" but it was gone in 24 hours. Now we're expecting 70 degrees today.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh - SPRING !

2010-03-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

Yellow is such a special color and what a refreshing sign that SPRING is really here in North Texas.

I've planted both Pansies and Violas in the fall, but the Violas (or Johnny Jump-ups) always outshine the Pansies the next Spring.

Inspiration

2010-03-08T21:34:00.000-06:00

"INSPIRATION" comes from the Latin word meaning "to blow" or "breathe upon." The authors of these fabulous publications and articles within have been deeply inspired to create. I love to sit and muse through the beautiful creations and techniques waiting for just the right "breath of creation" to waft into my mind for my next project. I do, however, have a very bad habit of looking for the next project before I completely finish the current one. Ahhhhhh, but these books (and many more) are just awe-inspiring!

Change of Seasons

2010-03-01T13:01:00.005-06:00

We had abundant snow in Texas this winter. These photos show the contrast between this beautiful view outside the East Texas town of Quitman in April 2009 and January 2010.

Christmas Favors

2009-12-24T11:18:00.000-06:00

These are the special favors I made up for our Christmas guests. Each little organza bag has one Compete Natural energy bar along with a special "fortune saying." These bars are made by my daughter, Karen and you can get them, too, from http://www.competenaturals.com/ They come in 4 varieties and each type is really delicious.

Ready for Christmas

2009-12-19T20:32:00.000-06:00

We're ready!

Pygmy Palm Shadow

2009-12-17T21:40:00.000-06:00

Picture of my Pygmy Palm one late afternoon in my living room. The sun and shadow were just right. My surprise was the tone of the photo, which was taken without a flash.

Winter Hat

2009-12-16T17:52:00.000-06:00

It's amazing just how CUTE a teenager can look in a funky hat. Wear on Chevis ! You can certainly pull off this style.

Precious Birthday Present

2009-11-25T08:29:00.000-06:00

My sister is a skilled stained glass artist. She gave me this beautiful piece for my birthday this month. We got it hung yesterday in my studio.

This is an awesome and beautiful reminder everyday of the sacrifice our Savior made for each and everyone of us.

Camping at Lake Whitney

2009-11-22T19:24:00.000-06:00

It's a beautiful time of the year to go camping in Texas. We spent the two most perfect weeks on the edge of the Hill Country. The leaves were beginning to turn and the weather was perfect.

Lake Whitney was so still and peaceful. It's such a large lake. I would love to have a pic of the dam but access was not good at that time of day.

It was much too nice to be inside working on my wild-haired women dolls, so I took all the trappings outside to the picnic table.

The Hill County Courthouse in Hillsboro is one of the many, many beautiful courthouses in Texas. We took a trip to see it as well as some of the antique stores around the square. In 1958 I spent one summer working for the USDA in Hillsboro. A lot has changed since then. Even this courthouse has been restored after a terrible fire destroyed most of it back in the 1970's or 80's.

Playing with Paint on fabric

2009-09-25T14:36:00.000-05:00

Using my favorite foam chunky stamp - the pear - I've been stamping with black acrylic paint onto previously painted fabric. I heat set the paint, backed each with some white flannel and used running stitches to accent the boundries as well as around the images. Now I'm just waiting for inspiration as to what to do with these.

This was my first experiment with acrylic paint on muslin. I used a home-made block stamp (an eraser covered with a rubber band). I also used rubbing plates and random painting. I overlayed with blocks of fabric, machine stitched into place. I plan to embellish with beads and other embroidery stitches and make a small wall hanging.

A Leaf-shaped Moth

2009-09-25T13:03:00.006-05:00

How cool is this? We found this leaf-shaped moth attached to a tent. It stayed there all day and was gone the next morning. How incredible their design and camouflage.

More Zentangles

2009-09-17T08:52:00.003-05:00

I think I love the zentangles because it satisfies the left side of my brain along with the art form satisfying the right side.

Stacked Hearts

2009-09-07T22:43:00.005-05:00

I call this zentangle "stacked hearts." It began with the use of a Fizkar plastic stencil I use in paper arts.

Sometimes it's hard to know just when to stop.

Zentangles in Color

2009-09-05T16:10:00.003-05:00

The stained glass image was colored in with Sharpie pens. On the other two I used watercolor pencils and a water brush.

One more Tangle

2009-09-04T17:56:00.003-05:00

This was a lot of fun. I get inspired to try new shapes by looking at the zentangles which have been posted online. I think my favorite shape is the large and small leaf shape and then the next is the circle which leads to a bubble look. I want to work on getting "movement" incorporated into a zentangle.

Oval Tangles

2009-09-02T08:30:00.007-05:00

I'm finding this art form very fascinating. It's close to being addictive and somewhat meditative. Just seeing an unfinished shape or blank space excites my imagination. I think my most favorite parts are the checkerboard squares and the bubbles. I feel the left and right sides of my brain are working cooperatively here.

Doodling as an Art Form

2009-08-28T09:38:00.008-05:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, summer is just about over. The dry cooler air is coming to North Texas on a more-often basis. In the meantime, the garden is welcoming the last chance to show off its spender. While gardening is winding down and weeds are not flourishing, I have discovered this art form of doodling. I've been a minimal doodler......mostly straight lines and circles, etc. However, this old but new again style, named Zentangles, is fascinating. As the wise man Solomon said, "there's nothing new under the sun." He followed that statement with "all is vanity and vexation (or frustration) of spirit." Too bad that Solomon didn't have a Pitt Pen or a Micron pen to doodle on the parchment. He was chasing his 700 concubines and 300 wives anyway. No time for doodling.

The examples here are my first attempt at Zentangling. I did use a template to achieve the beginning circle so they would be uniform, but the rest is freehand. It's so addictive and easy to do.........no calories either. I'm using a Drawing Pad which is 80 lb. paper and a Pitt Pen. I find the Sharpies bleed through on most paper or cardstock. I'll try Sharpies on watercolor paper soon. Watch for coming examples! Thanks for checking in on my blog. I welcome your comments.

Double Purple Althea

2009-08-14T16:17:00.003-05:00

Last year one of these oddities showed up on this white double althea shrub. I was so surprised to find a whole stem with open blooms today. Things like this always make my heart sing!!
It's beautiful how the double white althea blooms so heavily compared to a regular althea. I also have white and purple single althea, but they have never mutated.

Double White Althea

2009-07-23T09:51:00.003-05:00

The Double Althea (Rose of Sharon) looks very much like a Gardenia, but without the lovely scent. It is a heavy bloomer in late summer. I received seed from a friend several years ago and began the plants in pots. The shrub is now about 6 Ft. tall.

Varigated Leaf Morning Glory

2009-07-18T16:26:00.008-05:00

In the morning glory (Ipomea) family, this beauty has amazing varigated leaves. The foliage is as spectacular as the blooms. I first bought a plant about 10 years ago from a Nursery, but have saved the seeds year after year. They always perform with such gorgeous foliage and blooms.

Henrii

2009-07-03T07:42:00.005-05:00

Henrii (Henry-I)

Here's what's blooming in my garden now. This beautiful specimen stands about 5 Ft. high with multiple blooms. It's fascinating to watch the blooms form. They're elongated and orange and the next day they've opened, but the petals are straight. As the day progresses, the petals curl backward. Each bloom lasts for about 4 or 5 days before fading.

Early Morning Visitor

2009-06-25T08:58:00.005-05:00

What a surprise this morning to find this little hairy visitor taking advantage of all the spilled sunflower seed from the feeder (above). This young Opossum must be living under our deck. This is the second sighting.

In the Sink?

2009-06-12T17:51:00.006-05:00

From Cre8it.com, I've taken the suggestion of our moderator, Jessica, to consider the usual and most accepted function of a thing and see if we can repurpose it. She allowed the use of one of her templates.......the kitchen sink. I've drawn this scene driving through the mountains of New Mexico with our little travel camper in tow.

Rain, Rain, & more Rain

2009-06-11T10:34:00.004-05:00

It was a soggy overnight. We had a lot of hard rain and many lightening strikes. Fortunately, our area did not lose power. The lawn, and especially the fig tree, are rejoicing. To have a crop of lucious figs, it is essential to get a lot of rain in late June and early July......not easy to come by in Texas.

Points - a line drawing

2009-06-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

Here's my drawing for today, "National Drawing Day."

Drawing Day 2009

2009-06-05T21:05:00.009-05:00

The goal is 1 million drawings posted on Saturday, June 6th. That is tomorrow. I hope all of you out there on the www will draw at least one thing and post it on your blog, Facebook page, You Tube, Twitter or wherever you socially network.

Charm-Swap Necklace

2009-06-04T21:01:00.002-05:00

This was one of the first "swaps" I've entered. I was so elated to receive my treasures today and immediately constructed this charm necklace with all the handmade jewelry charms I received. The Charm Swap was hosted by Cloth Paper Scissors magazine (www.clothpaperscissors.com) earlier this year. I made and submitted seven charms of polymer clay and beads. As you can see above, the variety I received in return is from quite a widespread aray of techniques.

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T10:17:00.008-05:00

This is my uncle, John Dewey Phenix. He served in WWI. The oldest of my mother's brothers, Uncle Dewey as he was called graduated from Texas University as an Actuary. In this line of work, he helped formulate today's Social Security System, developed in the Roosevelt administration during 1934-35. Uncle Dewey and his family (wife, Lila Mae; daughter, Betty Ann; son, Jimmy) always lived in Maryland. He passed away at the age of 97, on February 7, 1992. My mother passed away the following day, February 8, 1992 without knowing of her brother's death.

I had 5 uncles serving in WWII from my father's side of the family. Some of them served in the shipyards of New Jersey and some were overseas. One uncle brought home German shotguns and rifles. I've often wondered what my grandmother was going through with 5 of her 9 sons in the service/war at the same time. Of course, without TV and instant news via the internet, etc. you only knew what was going on some time after it all happened. I'm hoping that letters were written and saved by their children and grandchildren.

My husband served 4 years in the US Army during peacetime. My brother-in-law was in the US Air Force during this time as well. My son became of age after the draft had been eliminated. I have seen a very distinct difference in the character developed serving in the military compared to so many of our young people who have never been that route. This may not always have been the case, but respect for authority and honor of God and country are values which cannot be hidden.

All of my aunts and uncles as well as grandparents on both sides of my family are gone now. We only have memories and photos. Let's take time today to remember the sacrifices so many have made for our freedom. This freedom is given by our Heavenly Father. He has given us (the USA) the victory for over 250 years. All honor and glory belong to the triune God.

Friday Garden Walk

2009-05-15T08:59:00.007-05:00

On this overcast Friday morning, the purple larkspur just pop out in the garden.

More PINK. Actually this Oleander is considered a *red* one, but it shows up more pink than red in the photo. The swaying of the branches in the wind is so beautiful. Their fragrance is wonderful, too. Along with a fig tree, I always like to have an Oleander and a Trumpet Vine in my yard.

Our Oleander is about 10 years old. I would love to never trim it so it would always be covered in blooms, but we would have to give up access to our backyard through a side gate. So far, it has survived all the North Texas winters, but it is on the south side of the house. The branches can also be annoying when brushing up against the screen at night. You have to get out early here in Texas before the wind picks up to catch the flowers semi-still.

I'm Lovin' PINK

2009-04-30T17:05:00.016-05:00

This Dianthus is quite showy with its gray-green foliage.

These petunias are a mixture of dark pink with striations, light pink and a purplish-burgundy in the middle. I find Pink is the easiest color to incorporate into the Spring landscape.

Tall White Iris & Columbine

2009-04-04T19:28:00.010-05:00

This beautiful white iris is the first to bloom in the garden. I was able to snap this photo before any wind, hail or rain could beat it up.

The columbine stayed still just long enough for me to capture this moment in time.

Welcome Spring!

2009-03-19T13:09:00.004-05:00

The calendar says it will be spring tomorrow - March 21st. As I look at my fig tree just outside my home office window, I see that the new leaves have opened and am reminded of Matthew 24:32 which states, "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near....." Even though in Texas we can even have all four seasons in a week, I do love the Sun Belt and get anxious to dig in the dirt and plant Spring color as soon as the weather begins to warm. I hope you are getting ready for Spring's arrival, too.

Blue Moon

2009-02-06T19:59:00.003-06:00

Blue Moon........you found me standing alone

Without a dream in my heart,

Without a love of my own............

Even thought the moon wasn't blue, the sky was and brought this old love song to mind tonight as I saw this bright beacon through the barren trees.

I'll be so glad when winter is over. How about you?

Sunset Behind the Mountains - Paper Towel Art

2009-01-20T10:46:00.006-06:00

This picture is made with watercolored paper towels. I first wet the plain white paper toweling and laid it flat, tearing it into several pieces. While it was still damp or semi-saturated, I began distributing different colors of watercolor and watched it migrate across the wet toweling. Adding different combinations of color in the same hue gave it a lot of variation. When dry, I began to tear and place the pieces until I came up with the above image. They are attached minimally to allow the tops of the pieces to float above the base cardstock. The finished size is 6" X 7".

Valentine Fiber Art Postcards

2009-01-20T10:29:00.004-06:00

Inspired by the upcoming Valentine's Day, I made the following fiber art postcards. Each is 4" x 6", regular fabric, embellished with silk flowers, rubber stamped muslin and fused to siffy-felt with wonder-under. I backed each with plain white paper and serged around the edges.

Happy Valentine's Day

Red print fabric background. Rubber stamped greeting on muslin.

Puffy heart is of red embossed velvet, stuffed with fiberfil.

Embellishment is Squiggles Fabric Paint in Diamond Glitter.

Red fabric background. Cut out of Battenburg motif,

hand-stitched to red. Center heart is embossed red velvet with

tiny pearl beads. Addition of Diamond Glitter fabric paint to

accent shape of heart.

Heart fabric background. Rubber-stamped image defining

"Friend" fused to base and outline with metallic trim.

"LOVE" rubber-stamped image on muslin in top right corner.

Addition of silk flower with button center.

Huntington Beach, California

2009-01-03T11:20:00.011-06:00

It was hazy the morning we went and rode bicycles along the beach.

Of course I had to have my photo with Karen in front of the fountain at South Coast Winery in Temecula wine country.

Kevin & Karen fix really delish cuisine in this dream kitchen.

And of course, my grandson Kevin.

During our tour of the wineries in Temecula, we found this great arbor that was just meant for photo ops.

High Up in Jerome

2009-01-03T11:10:00.011-06:00

The view of Jerome as we approached from Cottonwood. It's nestled high up in the mountains.

This is one of the quaint shops along our journey up and down the streets.

We went even higher up and found this spot where you could look down on Cottonwood.

From our previous visit in 2003, I remembered this pink brick hotel. My brother-in-law took and framed an awesome photo of one of its windows. So I took this one and will be in the process of framing it for myself.

Visiting the Red Rock Country

2009-01-03T10:53:00.007-06:00

Of course, we had to go and visit Sedona.

Are these rocks kissing?

Even the rear of some shops is decorated!!

Our Travelling Vacation

2009-01-03T10:33:00.007-06:00

My, My, My!!! It's been close to 2 months since I had time to share anything with the world. We've been 3500 miles, through 3 states and seen the Pacific Ocean since I last updated this blog. What a beautiful, though sometimes bleak, landscape between Fort Worth and Los Angeles. Much better to fly - any day! Nevertheless, we thought we'd take a travelling vacation in our Camper. We first spent 2 weeks in Verde Valley Arizona (outside Cottonwood). We enjoyed Thanksgiving with my sister and her husband and then travelled on to Huntington Beach, California (first stopping in Banning, CA for the night). We spent a week with our daughter, Karen and her husband, Kevin, & son Kevin, Jr. (no longer called Little Kev). Kalyn was still in Rhode Island and not due home til the 20th. Sorry to have missed her. We enjoyed so many things in Hungtington Beach in our short stay with them. Just look at the photos below.

Two at the Point

2008-11-16T21:39:00.004-06:00

Peace. What peace to sit with your spouse in the late afternoon after many years of marriage. Just sit and fish.......together......in the cool of the evening on a little jutty at the lake. No computer, no internet, no cell phone, no doorbell...........just sitting together in the cool of the evening - together.

Watercolor for the Sketchbook & Journal

2008-11-06T12:25:00.001-06:00

I have just completed my first online class. We had this wonderful instructor, Jessica Wesolek. I have always loved to paint, watercolor, etc., but always felt self-conscious about sketching or drawing. If you are interested in learning (again) the very basic techniques we've all forgotten since childhood, I urge to you to visit her website, http://www.cre8it.com/. I will be posting a few of my drawings, watercolor paintings for you to see below.

Echinacea

2008-11-05T21:58:00.002-06:00

Watercolor using Pitt Pen and pan watercolors. Free-form drawing.

Lily

2008-11-05T21:57:00.003-06:00

Watercolor using Rubber Stamped image and Stazon ink.

Floral Bouquet

2008-11-05T21:55:00.002-06:00

Watercolor Pencils on free-form drawing

Showy Evening Primrose

2008-11-05T21:53:00.002-06:00

Watercolor with chalk background

Trailing Monarch

2008-10-27T14:17:00.000-05:00

What a great surprise this morning to find a Monarch butterfly taking nectar from the giant Cosmos in bloom in my garden. It's a little late for the Monarchs to be in this area, so she must have had businesss that kept her from joining the majority of her kin a little earlier this fall on their way to Mexico.

Little Blue Cruiser

2008-10-27T14:07:00.000-05:00

It's always exciting to get your first car - at least the one you choose and will have to pay for. Chloe has presented to herself this 2003 Electric Blue PT Cruiser.

Buddies

2008-10-23T17:57:00.000-05:00

Mason and Granddaddy enjoy a walk across the park.

You can take a lot of photos, and every now and then you get a really great one for the memory book. This is one of them.

Shared Birthdate

2008-10-23T17:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to us!!

Mason & his Grandad share the same birthdate.

Now, how great is that???

__________________________________

Pear on Pocket Apron

2008-10-20T16:32:00.000-05:00

This fun apron has a stamped pear on a muslin pocket. I used black fabric paint to color it in and then added a row of black buttons underneath for added embellishment. This half-apron style seems to have been one of the most popular lengths worn in the '60's. This cotton fabric is a ticking design with art deco flowers of orange, mustard and yellow. The band is a left-over orange and beige check fabric. The ties are also in solid orange.

Blue Denim and Red Bandana

2008-10-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

This denim and bandana apron is a hoot. The scallops are trimmed with bias bandana fabric as well as a bias strip across the band. The pockets are gathered at the top with the same bias trim. I added charms dangling from beads on each pocket. The paisley-shaped bandana images look somewhat like boots from a distance. This was a total surprise. How about wearing this to a bar-b-que?

Rick-Rack, Ribbon & Buttons

2008-10-20T16:23:00.000-05:00

On a muslin base, I used decorative rick-rack from my Stash. I sewed on one layer, then lined it with muslin after all the trim had been applied. The final embellishment was white shirt buttons scattered between the decorative rows. The trims drew the muslin up causing a rippled effect. At first I was dissappointed, but now I really like the look. I hope you enjoy this step back into the past, also.

Luau Hostess Apron

2008-10-20T15:37:00.001-05:00

This one was my first fun time with a new fiber-related venture. With a half-apron style, I used fabric from a wild pair of garage-sale pants. The over-skirt is turquoise tulle, embellished with red silk roses. The band has an overlay of lace accented with turquoise glass beads. I used red taffeta for the ties in the back. I thought the dressform looked quite stunning with the Barbara Bush style beads from the '60's.