Thursday, February 20, 2014

Making my Nest Organized


I have been making my nest a little more organized so to speak.   Shuffling and rearranging and labels and whatever else we do when we do this little adventure.  Then usually play hid and seek of where we put things. 

I am lucky enough to have a bedroom that is my art room.  One time grandaughter came in it and said  "Nana, why did you choose the smallest room in the house for your art room? "  Well it is actually the same size as the other two bedrooms on this side of the house.  Just has lots going on in it.  LOTS.

I use to work in a tiny area in our utility room, just a little dab of room. But you know I have always figured out that the more room you have the more mess you make and you just have to clean up more.  Like a kitchen.  I have had giant kitchens and small kitchens.  Ours right now is small but I cook the same food out of it that I use to cook in giant kitchens.  When we moved into this home 5 years ago, can't beleive it has been that long.  Anyway when we moved in here I thought where is everything going to go?  Well it all found it's home and just sits there for when I use it.


                                               THE BEADS


I first started with my beads.  On a blog and goodness knows I can't remember whose but thank you talented lady for sharing the container idea with us.   She had used the containers from JoAnn's.  So I got online and they were on sale and in different configurations.   Of course you need to order twice as many as you think then you won't have to reorder again like I did.  

I was storing them in little plastic bags in a pretty box.  Well let me tell you I needed a hoist or fork lift to lift the box.   But now here they are all sorted in their little homes and I can unscrew which one I need and love it all.   Hubby put the shelves up for me and I can just pick and chose as I need them.  No hide and seek here, they are just sitting pretty and waiting to go on some fabric and be a CQ piece.  I have sequins and some fancy buttons and all kinds of goodies that a CQer needs in her work.


THE PRETTY BOX AND JARS OF RIBBON


You will see  the pretty box that held the beads.  It now holds pretties I sell on etsy so it will keep safe and no dust.  We do have massive dust here in West Texas.   I have a basket that hold purse handles and my jars hold my silk ribbon.  Grandson gave me the jars.  I rewound the silk ribbon on little wooden spools  ( thread use to be on real wood and I never throw sewing stuff away )I had from forever ago and sorted in colors.  I printed labels and I am in hog heaven.  


THE SPOOLS AND PRETTY BOX OF CIGGIES
Next set of shelves are more labeled tubs,  aka shoe boxes,  and some bigger fancy laces to pretty to hid on some wooden bobbins I had from a million years ago.   The little flowered box I covered and now stores my ciggies in them.  Well the ciggies I drew and painted.  


MORE TUBS AND FRIENDLY CRITTERS
More tubs and I had to give the friendly critters a tub of their own.    The computer was my friend in the labels, it is not always friendly.   I think sometimes it just wants to show me that this machine is smarter than I am.  It is but I don't want it to get the big heaf and it is a time stealer if you let it.  That is one reason why I retired from professional photography.  I didn't want to be tied to the computer and it was getting that way with digital photography.  I loved film.  You composed and exposed it correctly and printed and you were good to go.  Of course you can do tricky things with digi .  


MIXED MEDIA ART WORK
 
Some of my faeries and journal and just doings that share the art room.  These pretties share the wall with my CQ work and I didn't want to hurt their feelings and not say something about them.   I try to keep my wet messy art separated from my CQ work. Paint does have a tendency to splash and splish around.  My clothes attest to that.  I do have an apron but usually wait til my clothes get paint on them before I put it on.  You know the drill.   The art here is resting on a box I made years and years ago, the 70's, to hold my pastels. 


PART OF THE WALL
                                            Here it is all together.


There you go my doings for the time being.  I am working on a mermaid block right now.  Not elegant how I wanted but whimsical, I guess to match the drawing I did and printed.  I mean blue glitter and all.  You know how I like my bling.  

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today. 

XOXOXO
Annette

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Creating Art Anytime

Hello and February is  upon us.  I didn't realize I have been out of pocket.  So Happy February and hope all are keeping warm or cool, depending on where you are.  Just hang on and wait a bit and it will be visa versa. Cool and warm.

I try never to really really say I wish it were summer or I wish it were winter.  Each season has it's charm and beauty.   Now I do complain and say oh no the wind is blowing.  Did you notice that in any of my posts?   Usually when it warms up so does the wind warms up and lets us know it is here. I mean like Sunday here is suppose to be in the 80's and guess what Mr. Wind will blow.  Oh well that is how the cow ate the cabbage as the saying goes.   

In the winter when cold a good excuse to stay in and create and get lots of projects done.  We are not cold weather people at all.  I know don't laugh it does get cold to us here in Texas.  We are in the Northern part just a tad away from Colorado.  Well a tad on the map anyway.   In the Spring we "get" to start doing yard work and not as much creating gets done except at night when we settle down and watch some wonderful thing on TV.   I know not much on is there?  BUT Baseball will be starting soon.  Yahoo.

Then we have Summer, now when it gets triple digits and it does get toasty here but no humidity at all.  That is a good thing. A great excuse to stay inside under the air conditioner and create my pretties.  Whatever is on my plate at that time.

Fall is my favorite time of year, things are still pretty and colorful and the temps are usually the best and not much wind or anything and then back to Winter.  

Basically all year is a good time to create and sometimes the yard and tiny bit of flowerbeds we have now get prettied up.  We use to have lots of flowerbeds  but only a good trimming once a year and it was good to go and I did love it because it looked so lush.   I have a sort of fairy garden started and will work on it again this year.  When it is show off material I will share.  

February is the Valentine month and on Face Book I said I just don't think you should give just because of a made up holiday.  Anytime is good to give presents even if only a package of pink coconut snowballs.  A Random Act of Kindness to someone or a RAK.   But when it come to Grand Children now that is a different story. Any excuse to give them a present is good for me.  Even if it is a Tiddly Wink holiday.  Do they have one for that?  Have I missed on giving and spoiling the grands for Tiddly Winks?

I made a couple of Valentines for the grands and did get carried away.


Can you tell this one is for the Princess?  I try not to make two things alike but this project is closest to alike that I have gotten.   And sorry but I forgot to take a pic of Grandson's  card but his is pretty close to this but he did have as much lace on the middle of the page.   Of course we had to tuck a little check in the last pocket. 


These are a duo Accordion book.  I did fasten it on the main board with some heart brads that I had from my scrapbooking days.  Good job I hang on to things. The paper lace I used on here is a million years old also.  I printed the valentines off of the internet but on the front one did put their name on it also. 

 There you go,  my take on Valentines and creating.  Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

                                                                OXOXOX
                                                                 Annette