Creative pursuits...watercolor, quilting, needle felting and the latest on the bulbs!

The Amaryllis bulb which finally started to grow last month (see photo) is becoming fabulous!

 

 

What a beauty!

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Here are some recent watercolors!

 

This one is still emerging....

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The first one is sold, the one in process will be coming up for sale.

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Here are some quilts made from scraps......for charities which our quilt guild supports.

 

 

 

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Finally, some photos from a needlefelting workshop with Dani Ives..(google her and look at her gallery of pet portraits!)

 

The baskets of wool fibers (roving) dyed in many colors...

 

I do a little English robin (because I find them charming).

 

My friend, Liz works on a bee!

 

My little charmer in an 8 inch hoop/frame!

A Tale of Spring Bulbs--sort of!

First to bloom was the Amaryllis (from Walmart..)....one big bloom, light pink, when they were bought as deep raspberry pink, LOL!

 

I painted it!

 

Then I bought a bouquet of tulips! Barely past the bud!.....

 

I set up a still life and I painted them......a lot! Other still lives were involved....same tulips....for days! (I kept them out in the chilly garage when they were not busy posing for me!)

 

 

 

And more....

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Meanwhile, the Amaryllis was bursting out!

 

And I saw signs of life in the other Amaryllis which I had planed on Dec. 11.

 

I bought another bouquet...almost Valentine's Day....why not?

 

And painted them.....

 

The masking tape, while painting (it is only there until that paint dries...) ...is a fun technique....

A friend gave me a tea cup to use in still life....so I did!

Thanks, Donna Murray!

Notice the hyacinths beginning to bloom?

Here is a painting....

 

And here are those hyacinths today....

 

Wish you could smell them!!!

One little paper white just sat there, in the dish while all the others bloomed back in January!

However today, I noticed roots and a longer stem...so I put it in a glass container from French yogurt....they can stay here, until they start to lean over....

 

AND, that laid back Amaryllis, ....? .....here it is today....very promising!

 

More to come...eventually!

Watercolor and sewing, and amaryllis continued

This weekend I decided it was time to cut out and sew the Marcy Tilton dress, Vogue pattern 8813. I have had the fabric,,,jersey from the factory flat fold /remnant table.

 

I made it shorter, and used dark mother of pearl buttons on the big baggy pockets, to make a pleat and take them in!

 

I was going to wear it right away, but the weather turned nasty, cold freezing rain and icy roads. Back to warm woolens!

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Last week, I had a fun visit to a vintage shop, The Cannery, in Bentonville, AR. There I found my angel wings!LOL!

 

And I found a lovely glass bowl which seemed to have silver metallic "angel wings" in the palest of pink glass! I had to have it....(and also the Laura Ashley tablecloth which it sits upon in the photo!)

 

 

Ah, I definitely have the pink vibe at the moment! And the Amaryllis and these tulips are that along!

 

The new sets amaryllis is getting bigger...and I can see pinks in there too!

 

Today was cold and 𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕘𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕘𝕣𝕒gray!

Time to dive into some color by painting watercolor!

I set up a still life.....

 

 

And played!

 

Perhaps this will be a study for an acrylic painting....semi abstract floral, of course!

Now It’s February!

Today, our amaryllis is blooming nicely!

Funny thing is, this was supposed to be a deep pink, almost fushia!

I actually like this one just fine!

Another amaryllis bulb, which I had almost given up as a lost cause, is starting to grow!

 

Watching Super bowl now....must go dish up the pizza!

Changes and letting go of expectations, One day at a time!

I took the beautiful amaryllis, which now had 10 BLOOMS!, to the center where Mom is for rehab.  It was so cheerful in one of the open areas!

Now, the red amaryllis has become droopy and I have it back at home....it does have a new stalk with 4 new buds! Unstoppable for the moment! [ and because of constant weird effects of changes with Windows 8, this photo, below, will not open for editing....more letting go of expectations...I had wanted a vertical photo!]

So, let it be.....sideways! But you get the idea, growth and change...blooming and dying! And I can't control everything!!!!!

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Now to the other part of the story, my mother ( who has been living with us for 3 years) has had a stroke. She is in a nice rehab facility.  Last Sunday I baked her favorite chocolate chip cookies for a treat when I went to see her on Monday.

Monday morning came and before I was up and out the door, I got a call from her rehab nurse saying that she was slurring her words and a few other things so they were sending her to the emergency room to be checked.

I grabbed my treat for her...the box of cookies.....BUT....duh....of  course, when one has a stroke affecting the tongue and speech, it also affects chewing and swallowing.  No more cookies for Mom!

Now all her foods have to be soft and liquids have to be thicker...

We got her a fine wheelchair, one that can recline to different angles when she is sitting for long periods. Here my brother, Hollis and I are taking her for a ride in her wheel chair and touring the halls of the place where she is living.

So we take it one day at a time now, Mom is sweet and thankful for the good care her nurses and CNA's provide. Some days she is up and in the chair, some days having to rest more....

Absolutely Fabulous!

 

A show stopper amaryllis! Our friend, Sally, brought a bulb and a pot for us about 6 weeks ago. 

 

 

 She planted it with TLC and left it with us.....it was a slow start....but look at it now!!!

 

[the one now in the background was a Christmas gift and has just finished a show of it's own!]

 

Thank-you, Sally!

Not that I'm catching up.....or anything.....

I'm not much of a blogger lately.  It all started when Blogger made changes which have been hard for me to work with.  Then we changed to a different camera and I haven't made that transition well either.

Last week, I took an even different gadget, my new iPad, along to my daughter's where I was to babysit 4 grandchildren while their parents had brief break in the Caribbean.  

So, I have lots of photos now on the iPad, but haven't been able to publish the blog posts from it...[.I'm still learning, and "yes" I do have the book  iPad for Dummies for Seniors!]

It was an intense week, and almost fun....I'm just not used to being "on" all the time...but do LOVE those grandkids!

At 18 months the twins are amazing! Nina Kate is on top of everything and never misses a beat. Here she is checking out the ornaments on the tree which her mom had just decorated before I was to leave.

Sophie Jane is a real brunette beauty and quite willing to be laid back and to let Nina be the boss...[I would post photos of Sophie, too, but have still to transer them to this computer.]

Once I got home, I was delighted to see that our amaryllis is bursting with color! Now I am doing some watercolor paintings of it. [photos to come, I hope!]

And I was also able to get our tree set up.  This year we have a quiet "empty nest" Christmas, but I don't think that will be too bad after all the "excitement" I have had recently!

May you all have a wonderful season and a time of blessings in the coming year!

Remember the amaryllis???

I found it on the porch....still beautiful in it's own way! The stamens even have clear crystalized sparkly beads of nectar...what to do with this???

Here is one artist's beautiful book of ideas!

I know I'm not likely to make any fairie clothing from the ethereal petals, but they might end up on an ATC...Photocopies if not real dried petals!