Creating with a Ciggie

Well it is getting close to the end of NOVEMBER !!!!  All I have to say is just WOW !  Here in Texas we had an early snow.   That is unusual for us this early in the year.   It was only an inch but still early and I guess Mother Nature just spoils us with the weather.  She compensates us I guess for giving us the wind and sand.   Just thinking that from me to you. Right now as Hubby just said "do you want to go out and look at the country side or just sit in the house and watch it go by?"   The sand is blowing and the wind howling.  BUT  a good thing it is blowing the dead leaves off of the trees.  An early hard freeze tens to have the trees hang on to the dead leaves, hanging on for all they are worth.  Saying no no  I am not ready to drop and leave the tree nude.  

I have been taking another on line class, I love those things.   You can log in and play whenever you want to and they all have little groups if you want to visit about them but still in jammies if you want. When a football game is on and Hubby is watching it and you are in your own little art world creating and messing with art supplies.   Of course I have my TV on.  No girlie movies or music, I do think they would put me to sleep.  

I am taking a class with Roses on My Table about Journal Journeys  taught by Zinnia.   http://rosesonmytable.ning.com/the-journal-journey. it is for a year and only a $35 donation to a great cause.  

Had to share what I am doing right now, chip board and gel medium flying here and there and fingers getting dirty and can't forget bits of paper either.  I guess sometimes if just feels good kinda like when you made mud pies when you were little or just doing some yard work.   On the yard work I think oh do I really want to change clothes and get out there, REALLY?  But when I go outside and start doing the yard work I am so glad that I have done it.   Hubby is right along side me with the yard work but I don't think he thinks about it like I do.  Now I do have to be sure and pick up any pieces of paper that have landed on the floor because our new furbaby Charlie thinks it is something for him to eat. 

One of my Journals I made I used a ciggie from a painting I did of our Princess as a Mermaid.  I thought she might like a journal featuring her as the star.   I know I create the ciggies for my CQ work but why not for other forms of art?  There is no Ciggie police that tells me I can and can't use them for other projects.

 

 

Here is the Mermaid journal, it contains just paper for writing notes to self and then some mixed media paper in case the Princess choses do sketch and doodle.   I happened to have some ocean type stencils that were close to a million years old.    You have to keep everything don't you?  Just in case you need them.   I have been guilty of throwing something away and then saying rats and double rats I could have used that.  

 

 

 

Now this little journal is so not me with the soft colors but thought I would try to see if I could.   Now the beads were part of a necklace that was like a whole $1, I think I have gotten my $1 worth out of it.  I haven't done anything with the other side of the window yet.  It will come to me I can almost bet on that.   Now this journal when I started was the stucco color and the window was turquoise and I was going to make it the wonderful Mexico influence.  I made the mistake and went to bed, gotta sleep sometime and when I woke up the Mexico influence left, gone, vanished.  So I had to rethink where I was going with this one.  

 

 

 

My watercolor Journal.  I thought I would use one of my digital watercolors for the front.  I so enjoyed doing those little flowers.  The spine, OK are you going to get to stay little flower and leaves?   I fear they will be trashed and something else will replace them. After doing watercolors in the book they may not play well with the book.  Only time will tell.

  

 

 

The first Journal I did, nope didn't start out this way I can guarantee that.  I think 10 layers of colors and combinations are on there.  Then before I went to bed that night I thought TEAL/TURQUOISE might be the answer so the next morning drip and drop here came the paint.  

 

 You know as I am writing this I am thinking I guess sleep and a fresh start might be a good thing with art.  We just get to close to the art piece whatever it may be.  We need to stand back and take a breather and have a fresh look at it.  We are our own worst critiques you know. 

 

There you go what I am working on at the moment and right now doing a painting  that is a secret right now.  Then back to some Tracy Verdugo style paintings.  I am so loving being able to do art everyday.  It may be for only an hour or two or the whole day.   I am so blessed with having that ability.  

 

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

 

XOXOXO

Annette 

 

Art in Many Forms

You know Art does come in many forms doesn't it?   In flower arranging, cooking, sewing, painting just about anyway you can think it is art. Just taking walks and seeing what Mother Nature has created, that is art and some don't take the time to "smell the roses" so to speak.    So we are all artists in some shape or form.  We may not think so but we are.   I know each and everyone of you have a talent and it may be hidden deep into our sub conscious but it is there.  I could go on about this but don't want to lecture just gently say you can do it!!!!!!   I don't have a clue where this paragraph came from, I guess my Muse just wanted to touch base with all of  y'alls.  Sounds good doesn't it?

Now this post as Grandson told me that sometimes I go on little bunny trails with my subjects and wander around.  I loved that and true so here goes and come join me on my trip down some Bunny trails.

As you might or might not remember for the past 6 weeks I have been taking an online class, the best way to do a class.  You don't have to put on make up if you don't want to, you can dilly dally and not be put in the corner for that d and d or dress to the nines if you want.   Tracy Verdugo teaches from her heart and that is great for us all.  If you get a chance to take a class she is offering again in February.   Here is a little dabble of what I have done, I still have not finished all the lessons but she is leaving the videos on for a year so guess who is doing it again and again?  Yep yours truly. 

 

Fun fun class and really stretched me in every way.   I did color out of the lines on this one and did some art that was not me, but I can do it !!

 

Now in the evenings we open up the front shutters to tell the world good night and get to see our sunsets we have.  Most days they are beautiful and so colorful, my kind of sunset.   Now if we don't have any clouds it is not so show offish.  Not sure if that is a word or not but we will pretend it is. 

 

 

 

Now there is no way in the world could I describe these or make up the colors with the purples, reds and oranges.   God's paint brush just flows and sometimes I think wonder what media does he use?   Silly me.  

 

 

Now it is November and time for the plants that decorate the patio to come in and show us how pretty they are and to drop every one of their leaves and blooms and then start all over again.  You would think they would say thank you and hang on to all that pretty but NOOOOOOOO they have to shed it all.  It looks like we are a King and Queen when we go out there with all the flowers at our feet.  Now I can't complain it is only about 10 plants and while in Seminole with my photography business I bet we had 100 plants but we did decorate our yard and make it lush and not look like West Texas.  I loved it when a client first came to the yard and that is exactly what they said. We loved that and was well worth the work of saving the plants.  We usually waited til late at night when the wind was howling and it was colder that a bear to bring them all into a little green house we had. 

 

I don't know if we are getting smarter or just think to watch the weather and we put them in now before it freezes and we run out and cover everything with sheets til we can get them into safety.  

 

 

This is the view we have from the dining area.  We call it the baby window because we can see the furbabies while sleeping so comfy and they can't see us.  You know when you go to the hospital and see the newborns?  Well we see our fur babies.   

Another view past the baby window, now the ficus tree in the corner?  Well I bought it when a $1 to us was money.   It was about 5 inches tall and this baby has grown and is we figure over 41 years old.  Yes your eyes didn't play tricks on you 41 years and has been moved and shook around but just hangs in there.  Not sure what comes next it is 12 tall now and wants to grow more.  We keep trimming it and I read where they can get 30 feet.  Sorry little tree you are not going to get to grow that tall, just live with it and no attitude please.

Oh the two little beds there are Libby and Charlie's beds and the chase is what we call the Throne, they both get up there and share it and give us the stare when they are not inside the house.  Fancy dog house don't you think?

 

 

One more view, not a giant room but giant enough and Libby is at the door thinking why in the world is my human taking pictures of my back side?  Doesn't she know I am fluffy this time of year?  

 

 

 

The last two pouches I have made, delivered them today to two special people and I think they loved them.  

 

Well that is enough of wandering on my bunny trails and thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

 

XOXOOX

ANNETTE