This and That

    Good morning, 

       We are warming up this week-into the 70-'s-Wow kinda crazy but that's this area of Missouri some years.

   While enjoying lots of Olympics I finished stitching up the second dragonfly piece late yesterday afternoon. 

     After I hand  washed it last night to remove the pattern lines-this morning the lines on the very outside of the pattern did not wash out. The fabric also shrunk a bit even in just warm water so one edge has very little fabric left for the seam.  I am especially not happy that the outside lines are still there.  Will think about what to do-probably need to embroidery stitch on those lines. It needs a good press but will need to figure out those lines first-thinking this must have been a linen-cotton blend fabric. After washed I do like the results of the pattern though.

 My last painting when I finished up that pad for practice painting-I really liked, so I decided to place into a frame. It found a spot on the mantel 

  That's it from me today

Frigid Weather Has Arrived & Paint Practice

   Good Morning, 

      Brrrrir we have very cold temperatures here since last night. I am glad I changed my dentist appointment as I don't need to start my very old car when it is in the low teens and I don't need to be out in it either.

  Tuesday night I couldn't sleep-I seem to have quite a few of those days, so I finished reading a book, then finished a puzzle on Jigsaw Planet's site and started another Snoopy puzzle-smiles. Still couldn't fall asleep so I decided to start a new practice painting.

  I was very happy with this one. I used watercolor paints and ink for highlights. I did it all except for the flower petals on the lily pads.

  This morning, I finished it up. I didn't do a great job with the flowers but I am still happy to see the improvements.

  I shared this book a couple years ago when I started up learning how to paint and I really love this one. Most of the work is done with inks or watercolor paints. (photos will enlarge just click on them)

 

    

  Here is the page I chose

When I am not using my own handmade inks, I use Winsor Newton

(if you enlarge these below you can see the details better. Any advice on improving the petals is welcomed

 

I was quite pleased with most of this painting-perhaps I should paint tired and into the night more often-haha

   This week I have been setting up stitching threads, and reminding myself what I have. Had not touched any stitches project really for over 2 years.  So when I did that I uncovered the Sashiko threads and a couple printed pieces to stitch. One will make into a pillow cover -so am thinking of starting out with that piece. 

  I ordered some variegated DNC embroidery floss at an Etsy shop-so got those on to the cards yesterday-they keep the threads tidy and tangled free. I had purchased for my slow stitch bags-hand dyed embroidery threads, and also was gifted some-but since I needed more I decided to go with DNC threads and I know they are colorfast too over hand dyed.  

   The post office lost my package of fabrics I had purchased on Etsy-so the seller is sending me out another package. I don't have a lot left in my own hand dyes so am picking up some on Etsy for my bag project.

  I have not started the toothbrush rugs yet but everything for that is ready to go.

Another year has gone by to remember 9-11  I was a phone operator at the time-so that added to my memories of that day. 

   How is your weather this week??

  

Painting Practice

  Good morning, This year I decided I wanted to structure my days a bit more. 

     Going into the third year of home care for my husband, I had pretty much given up my craft projects. I do not make new year's resolutions but this year, I decided I wanted to be sure to paint several days each week, continue reading, and also get back to slow stitching, don't think weaving is in the picture this year, but perhaps more spinning.  I still want to weave a poncho type garment for myself one day.

    I needed more structure in my days even though we are at home all the time. I only go out and about for food shopping or doctors visits these days.  I was never someone that enjoyed shopping just to shop-when living rural easier to shop online anyways. I can search for what I am looking for with a click of the mouse-haha   I never have enjoyed driving either-back when I was working my drive was always 1 to 2 hours each way.

   So last night I painted the background with watercolor paints. This morning I used gouache paints. I have a book I picked up several years ago that shows brush strokes-and this book mostly uses inks-which was another reason I picked it up at the time.

  I am really enjoying the porcelain pieces I purchased for the water, and the stacked dishes to hold paints-I am using those for the gouache paints. click to enlarge photos for better viewing

This mixed media book is almost full-since these pages are all practice-I am painting on both sides of the pages so they are beginning to curl a bit from the water used. I have about a dozen more pages left.

The photo showed a different color for the stem but decided I didn't care for that-I may go over that brown stem with green once dry.

  Enjoy your day -- sunny here but getting colder in the evenings again well it is winter haha  No snow or ice here so far. Thankful for that as I would have steps and a hill to clear.

Watercolor Practice

  Good afternoon,

    That was strange I wrote a post-and it ended up on one of my deleted blogs-sigh Not sure how that happened. Of course copy and paste to here did Not work. 

  Last night I worked on painting-a theme I have painted in the past-sky-mountains-and a meadow in the front.  I liked this one better.

  I used mostly the watercolor gouache paints, and in the meadow the bluish green grass is ink, and the other is gouache.

(photos will enlarge for better viewing-just click on them)

On the pallet-to the left is the watercolor gouache, and to the right is watercolor paints

I softened the sky colors and also the background green in the meadow-so am pleased with that.  I had added some snow to the mountain tops but I didn't like how that looked so painted over it.

   I am more pleased with this painting than my previous ones on this subject.  Now to decide what I want to try painting next.

   This week we have been enjoying watching the pelicans and the sea gulls This time of year we get the smaller sea gulls than what we see in the spring and summer.

  I did make the chocolate bark this week along with some chex mix. I am making some things for our two workers that help us out.  This morning I mixed up some roll out cookie doughs. May try to bake some this evening.

  I searched the internet for an acid reflux friendly chex mix recipe for me-it turned out pretty good instead of onion and garlic powder I used herbs  mostly herb de provence and used less butter and less worchester sauce. I liked it much better than the original-and did not get sick from it. A good thing-smiles

  Happy weekend everyone Christmas is almost here

Watercolor Practice-Updated

 Good Evening Friends,

    We did get a bit of a warm up so the snow is mostly melted, and our furnace is fixed. Happy dancing about that.

  After my shower I wanted to make sure my hair was dry before I hit the bed-so played with watercolors and ink.

 What popped into my head was a Christmas tree lot. I didn't get the right green mixed up but this one was fun.

Photos will enlarge just click on them

This ink I made a couple years ago-it is now a pretty brown I used it for the sale barn

I used black ink for the signs

Sounds like a lot of wind coming in tonight  Enjoy your evening

A little update to this post. Brrrrr it is soooo cold here today We are still in the low 20's F even with full sunshine. Thankfully the strong winds from last night moved on.

I played around with my painting a bit this morning while doing some laundry. 

    Added a little darker green to some of the trees, added tree trunks and I was playing with the little shed that did not turn out so well- so I just filled it in with the same ink which I am liking. I kinda wanted to add a tree by the shed with a little stick person-not sure about that haha  

    Stay warm if you have these crazy cold temperatures too

Watercolor Practice

  Good evening,

   This morning I mailed out my Christmas cards, I wanted to get these in the mail early, and in today's mail I received my first Christmas card-so she got hers in before Thanksgiving I am thinking.

   So tonight I started to write letters to my slow mail friends. I was going to put the cards and letters together but decided I didn't want to rush on the letters.

   We got our first snow today and very frigid cold-we will be in the teens F tonight brrrrr.  Wednesday they will come out to replace the part in the furnace so that is a good thing.

  To relax a bit I grabbed my watercolor paints. In my head was the scene we see out our window. The Ozarks in Missouri and Arkansas are filled with hills and hollows. When I look out over the lake-the whole other side is hills-full of trees and brush. The lake in the middle. I added brush and trees.

  The issue for me with watercolor paints is I need to be patient and let the paint dry before I go back in to add something-I finally remembered to do that-progress haha

  The photos will enlarge just click on them

  I would like to add a crane to this scene-will do that tomorrow

Have a good night

Happy Saturday & Weekend

 Brrrrrr we have fall weather-much cooler and rain in the evenings lately. Actually feeling more like autumn-I guess it's time now that Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

 I had not made us pizzas since before last early spring-when I got diagnosed with the acid reflux issue. No acid foods of any kind which includes tomato sauces.

  I always make us homemade - a gluten free crust and a wheat crust.  I searched online for ideas to replace the pizza sauce for me I found basil pesto-just basil and olive oil. I did have a jar in my pantry which included ground nuts, garlic not on my list- and cheese. I used it since it was my best option. I did find a white sauce recipe acid reflux friendly but it didn't sound all that good to me.

  Our pizzas turned out delicious including mine. Just a little burning from the garlic but was pleased with it. 

  The first photo is the "normal pizza"  I usually put loads of mozzarella cheese on top our pizzas-but I cut way back on the cheese this time-as we get older more difficult to digest dairy products Black olives were on my list and I also added canned portobello mushrooms

Enlarge photos for better viewing-just click on them

  This one is the gluten free crust and acid reflux friendly I used a very mild country sausage instead of my usual Italian sausage as it had less spices.  Quite pleased with the results on mine-next time I make this I will have a better pesto for me-just olive oil and basil

Speaking of dairy products-when I went shopping I found plant based cream cheese and plant based butter-I am hoping the butter will work in my cooking baking. Butter is Not on my food list any more sigh   Larry found a couple sites online that sell all sorts of plant based cheeses-so I will be checking that out had no idea these were being made.  Being rural we usually see new items last in our food stores.

Keeping up with my watercolor practice-I attempted a butterfly-not so great, so will work on that

My inspiration photo-mine looks nothing like this haha

Happy weekend

Watercolor Practice

 Good morning,

  Our temperatures are dropping and we got rain in the very early morning hours today. Looking ahead our weather will be more normal for autumn-we have been spoiled by mother nature for sure since September.  Those of you in Texas and surrounding states hoping you are not getting flooded??

 I want to focus on my watercolor practices to just be spontaneous with it and to have fun. Not to over think things.(which I usually do)  So I went through my big folder of magazine clippings that I had saved for journal type pages, inspiration and to share in slow mail letters, and chose this one:

I am pretty pleased with this one.

  In one of my meat packages I had bought an organic free range turkey-so hoping this will be better tasting than store bought. I haven't been happy with those turkeys lately.  I have it defrosting in the freezer which I read will take 3-5 days.  Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

  Enjoy your day

Good Morning Sunday & A Watercolor

   Good morning Sunday,

    We have another lovely autumn day today. Full sunshine and no wind-I like that. Much cooler then yesterday-but no complaints especially since we are into November.

   Still enjoying watching the waterfowl on the lake-ducks, geese, pelicans and soon we will see the diving ducks migrating in.

  This morning I wanted to make another autumn watercolor inspired by our lake here.  I am liking this one better-I never plan out ahead of time what I am going to try to paint-just a theme or an idea.

  I am hoping to paint at least once a week going forward. (the photo will enlarge-just click on it)

  I may just go back and add some reds and yellows in the grass under the trees.  I always notice things when I take a photo and post it-smiles

        Yesterday Larry sent me a link to check out. Freeze dried foods in #10 cans. and they had a big sale going on as well. The produce has not been great here-do to the drought and high heat-so I decided to buy some.  I chose, sweet peas, broccoli, green beans, strawberries, bananas, mushrooms and cauliflower The blueberries were too expensive or I would have gotten those too.  With just the two of us and Larry not eating much these days-I am hoping this will cut down waste from fresh produce.

Enjoy your day

Feels Like Spring & This & That

 For a few days we will be enjoying sunshine, no wind, and mid '70's Can't ask for better weather than that in November.

 The two men we hire to help with projects were out yesterday to lay down some concrete, and work on getting the metal railing up for Larry-so he can get into his boat and go fishing. Hoping next spring.

 The big white pelicans are back. They will stay here for the winter-as long as the lake does not freeze over-and then migrate in the spring.  Very fun birds to watch-they are big and clumsy but do manage to land and take off in the lake.  

  My camera is soooo bad for taking zoomed in photos. sigh. I told Larry I have been thinking of getting a cell phone just to have a decent camera haha.  

  This flock of pelicans "hung out" most of the day yesterday. Fun to watch them scoop up fish too.

  I played with my watercolors a bit this week which was fun. I need to do this more often to hopefully improve-mine usually looks like children's paintings  haha

 I saw on Instagram where they took a dried fall leaf and brushed the edges onto the paper to get the shape.  I messed around with colors too

This one I liked the colors I came up with

This one was going along pretty good until  a very large blob of black ink fell on the page-ugh  I got some of it off and figured I would just finish it

The next day I tried again-kinda so so  I am Not a painter but it is relaxing and fun, my pieces turn out like child's play but that's ok too.

 I have been purchasing beef from  one company and my three months with discounts will be over plus they add shipping. They sell only prime cuts.  I looked into another company that also has high ratings. They offer lots of chicken choices, along with pork and beef and seafood. They have free shipping and their chicken is grass fed organic.

   I just got their box in yesterday. They have excellent cold packaging like the Alaska Fish Co uses so right away I liked it better.

   The issue with the chicken breasts and tenders though is the meat is not frozen in singles. So I will need to partially thaw and re freeze. Larry does not eat much these days so we split a large chicken breast.  This company also offered ground bison which I love  I chose the option of free grass fed hamburger for life-I got two packages of that. In beef I liked that they offered a chuck roast-I love to throw those in the slow cooker or in a cast iron skillet in the oven.  I also ordered a 4 pound organic free range chicken.  So we now have chicken in the freezer-smiles. 

  In the past I never thought about where the fresh meat comes from-just assumed it was all USA  That is not the case especially in Wal Mart stores.  I like grass fed organic as well better flavors.

 

  I am off to take a short walk and enjoy this lovely weather