Sapphires Moonbeams
Do It Yourself Divas
Thanks to Michelle Nicole, the creator of Unicorn Spit Stain/Glazes, I’m having so much fun in my art room! The lady created this for use with people who have challenges. I can’t really remember is this was for use in a nursing home or facility for people with disabilities, but she wanted something that was non-toxic, water-based, and really colorful. This can be used on wood, as I’m doing, paper, glass, fabric, etc. You can squeeze it out of the tube, dilute it, use a foam brush, regular paintbrush, or – as I’m doing – squeeze it on, cover it with plastic wrap, squeeze the colors together under the wrap and then lift the wrap off. It almost gives you the fun of finger painting, without all the mess.
It is not ‘set’ until you seal it. For example, I’m spraying my plaques with polyurethane. Until you seal the paint, you can wash it all off and start over again. When it dries, it looks chalky. You buff it with some steel wool, wipe it off and then seal. When I spray the plaques, the colors simply BLOOM! I just love it.
I’m doing a series of these plaques, each with a different shape, different colors, different word.
Filed under fun in my art room, playing in my art room
Wayne Anders
Wayne Anders
Wayne Anders
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, Wayne Anders
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Filed under Straw Art
WebDesignMash
One Kindesign
Mom Rewritten
In the last post, I told you about an ice cream shop in the U.K. that created straw art. I found about this because a nice lady named EJ Middling wrote me. I saw she had a blog site and visited. I was delighted by what I found!
She is quite an artist! She has always loved to draw and finally got the time this year to spend more of her time on it. She loves drawing cars, and now has expanded to taking commissions for pet portraits!
I was really impressed by her work and wanted to share some of it with you here –
EJ Middling – “Her Two Boys”
EJ Middling – Nahla
EJ Middling – The Horse Whisperer
EJ Middling – Yellow E -Type
You can see EJ’s work here
Her blog is here
Filed under drawings
This is “Death by Chocolate” by Snugburys Ice Cream Shop in the U.K. I found out about this place because EJ wrote to me, to tell me about it. I wish I could actually go to their shop because they sound like great people. They create the straw sculptures each year with the help of Mike Harper, Director of Harbook Engineering because they love the reactions of the visitors to their ice cream shop. They feature causes and charities, supporting each. Really good people.
Here are a few of their straw sculptures –
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Snugburys Ice Cream Shop – U.K.
Thanks again to EJ for taking the time to write, and telling me about these wonderful, talented people.
Filed under Straw Art
Darlene DiRusso Reardon
Brightly
This is the 2nd wooden plaque I have done with my new Unicorn Spit Stain/Glaze kit my sweet sister-in-law sent me recently.
I have to tell you, this is SO much fun I recommend this as a really FUN stuff to play with. I hope the lady who invented this makes a gazillion dollars. As I understand it, she works with people who are physically and/or mentally challenged, and came up with this to entertain them. It is non-toxic, water-based stuff that isn’t permanent until you ‘seal’ it, in the case of these wooden plaques, spraying it with polyurethane. Until then, you can wash it off and start over, not worry about making a mess because it’s easy to clean up, and not worry about letting anyone use it because it is non-toxic.
You can use it on paper, wood, fabric, glass – whatever. You can paint it on, squirt it on, use it like finger paints, use a brush with it, whatever you’d like. I’m simply fascinated with it.
I just started my third plaque today. I’m masking off the outer edge of the plaques my husband and I cut out with a router in the shop years ago. Then I spritz the wood with water, squirt on the colors, cover the plaque carefully with plastic wrap, spray the wrap with water, and then ‘squeeze’ the paint in all directions. Then you lift the plastic wrap off carefully and let the wood dry. (I am then taking the plastic wrap over to a pad of watercolor paper and putting the wrap down on the paper and pressing the plastic wrap onto the paper for a nice effect.)
The next step on the plaque after the paint dries is buffing it off with some steel wool, then I’ll probably spray it with some web paint for added color and texture. When that dries, I’ll spray with the polyurethane. Then I’ll write the word on the plaque and let that dry, too. Finally, I’ll paint the edges and back of the plaque and then spray again. Lots of steps, but I’m only up in my art room for a short time for each step and intersperse things I “ought” to be doing in-between.
Like now, I’m changing the wash and doing my session on the elliptical.
This is truly the gift that keeps on giving. I’m varying my colors on each plaque, using a few different techniques as I gain confidence. I’m having a BLAST. :0)
Filed under fun in my art room, playing in my art room
Marcie Patterson – LinkedIn
We have a good chance of rain today and tomorrow, plus deliciously cool weather and sunshine now. I have absolutely no complaints!
We took our son to the airport this morning for his trip back home to Thailand. We are SO lucky to have a caring, compassionate son who loves my husband and I to pieces. We’ll miss him terribly, but he has set up good communications so we can talk daily, plus a conference call program where we can see each other and talk, when we’re all up at the same time. (There is 12 hours difference between us.)
I am finally into new territory on my efforts to lose the lard! Lately I have been re-losing poundage, so imagine my JOY this morning when the scales smirked at me, showing me new, lower numbers! I am finally getting the hang of the keto eating plan. To me, the key is the macros (5% carbs, 25% protein, and 70% fat.) You can cut way back on carbs, but if you eat too much protein, it throws you off and prevents weight loss. If you concentrate on eating so that your percentages stay close to right, you get results, even if you’re old, like me. :0)
I am on DAY 47 of doing 35 or so minutes of daily yoga stretches, and DAY 32 on getting-serious-about-the-keto-macros. I’m also doing 35 minutes daily on my elliptical trainer. I’m hoping that the combination of all this will result in my measuring tape smirking at me by the end of this month. Since I’m immature, even at my advanced age, I give myself a gold star on my desk calendar each time I do my yoga, elliptical, or work hard outside in the yard. This is shaping up to be a 16-gold-star week! To date, weight loss is 44 pounds and I’ve lost 45 inches.
I am having a blast playing with the Unicorn Spit stain/glaze kit my sister-in-law sent me. I am trying to finish a second plaque today. I’ll take pics of it and post them when it’s finished.
I hope you are having a nice Saturday, too.
Filed under DIET!, exercise, Family, Mother Nature, playing in my art room
Nanea Hoffman -Sweatpants & Coffee – via Hippie Peace Freaks
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Challenges, Encouragement, Family
Niki Firmin-RPD Sally
Saverio Scoleri – LinkedIn
Se`bastien David -LinkedIn
YouTube
Living Locurto
ThatLowCarbLife.com
I tried this recipe for Spinach Casserole – “Easy, cheesy, and totally decadent baked spinach” by Karly Campbell of ThatLowCarbLife.com last night.
Both my husband and our son pronounced it “YUMMY!” and want me to make more.
I find many recipes that are great on Karly’s site. I hope that you will make the time to visit it, too.
Filed under DIET!, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like
Masterfile
We have been sharing lunch on Fridays for over 17 years now. Sometimes, it’s just the three of us. (My husband is an honorary 4th member.) Other times, we are happy to have others join us.
Today it was Kay’s husband, my husband, and our son, plus a good friend of the group, Alice. Alice is a woman who makes everyone feel special. She remembers everyone’s name, everything you say, and you take right up with her like it hasn’t been a long time since you saw her last. Priceless.
Today’s Lunch Bunch was bittersweet. Our son is going home to Thailand tomorrow, so much of the talk was about his travel plans (the fact he’ll be traveling for 30 hours from our door to his), etc. I’m trying to stay busy today so I don’t tear up over and over about him leaving. We won the lottery on sons.
This morning has been a beautiful celebration of family and friendship.
Filed under Family, Friendship
Wine & Glue via Lavendersun
Country and Victorian Times
Thanksgiving Turkey Tote Bag
Filed under Uncategorized
CostumeWorks.com via Living Locurto
Inspira Spaces
We Love Earth
We got an early start to the day with a doctor appointment for my husband followed by a glorious, large keto breakfast (for me) with the addition of hash browns and toast and jelly for my husband at The Dari in Greenwood. We did errands on the way home, so we’re in for the day now.
I re-lost some poundage and am again ready to get into new territory on the scales – hopefully tomorrow. To date I’ve lost 43 pounds and 45 inches.
I’m on DAY 45 of daily yoga practice
Why Kol
and DAY 30 on the getting-serious-about-keto-macros eating plan.
The fact that my husband and son are saying, “YUMMY!” about our dinners (THANK YOU, Suzanne Ryan of Simply Keto), I’m finding it easier to make the substitutions desired while we all eat together. For example, I have roast beef and salad while they have corn or other more high carb veggie with the meal. Or they have rice while I have either zucchini noodles (Zoodles) or yellow Squash noodles (Yoodles) or Cauli-rice under a sauce of chicken chunks, onions, mushrooms, and cream of chicken/mushroom soup. (I have my substitutions ready to pop into the microwave from individual portion bags in the freezer.)
I love the Cronometer.com website. I have entered my macro (5% carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat) into their program. I can ‘play’ with what I’m going to eat for the day. If I find that I’m planning to eat something that will trash my efforts for the day, I can delete that and plug something else in BEFORE I mess up.
I finished my first experiment with Unicorn Spit Stain/Glaze. I have to say I had a BLAST playing with it and can’t wait to start another piece.
I finally harvested our onions from the garden. I still need to clean them up a bit more, and then I’ll put them in a large, stretchy, mesh bag and hang it in the pantry.
I hope that you are having a wonderful Thursday, too. :0)
Gary Wing – GaryWingIllustration.com info@garywingillustration.com
Niki Firmin – Millie
Niki Firmin – Katie
Niki Firmin – Niamh – NikiFirminPetPortraits.com
Filed under drawings, Gary Wing, Niki Firmin - Pet Portraits
Tokyoweekender.com- wara-art-festival
Wara Art- Elephant
Wara Art- Monkey- Laughing Squid
Wara Art- Mountain Goat- Laughing Squid
Wara Art- Walrus- Laughing Squid
Filed under Straw Art
creativeartworksblog 