§ More Art...

Most of the art work is my sketches, framed. A few are purchased [the long horns for one, perched behind a set of real horns on the fireplace hearth -during Christmas this picture is stashed away to make room for holiday garb]. Some hanging on the wall are DIY by Bud!

Each year, for Easter, the City of Corpus Christi has a Sunrise service at a park downtown. One time, I read about it, and saved the clipping, only to use it as a model for a painting done in acrylics. I had intentions of shipping this to our daughter, but never did. So it graces our walls. [1-clipping, 2-painting]

Another, is a wood carving done by Bud. Our son asked him to carve a wooden crucifix [styled by Guns n Roses album cover]. He finished, boxed it up and sent it to him. But, not before I begged for a duplicate!! He carved a 2nd one for me.

Here is mine that he gifted me more than two decades ago. It is one of my most cherished posessions...

Lastly today, another project Bud made with an old west theme. A wreath. He made this out of barbed wire!

My next post will be the end of the 'art work' display case. Two walls covered with my framed sketches [and one acrylic painting].

§ I'm Being Crafty....

...I've been accused of being crafty! In a whole 'nother sense. But this time, I chose to work on a piece of driftwood that I found while walking the shores of the beach in Port Aransas. I saw the round 'knot' area of the wood and thought it's ideal for what I've been wanting to try [a pom pom]. I've seen many online, coveting them, but never ordered any. I thought I'd give it 'a go' first to see if I could create something out of 'nothing'.

I cleaned off the sand, allowed it to dry for several days before beginning. Then, I asked Bud to let me borrow his carving knife. Not wanting to do much whittling, but enough to get the shape of a nose!! Of course the nose is not even close to a cherry described in " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' -a bit more bumpy if you ask me. LOL

I chisled, I sanded, I painted with my acrylic paints, I touched up here and there, and when finished I sprayed an acrylic sealer [gloss]. His beard is too long, but the jolly ol' elf IS ANCIENT. His beard just keeps growing and growing...

PS...Congrats to the Houston Astros: World Series Champions.

§ What's This?....

Just a quick post today. I'm still trying to get things decorated for Christmas. I've done the dining room, and the living room only; so far. Things are slow this year. Well, heck, things are getting slower with tasks at hand more often these days. Anyway, after the tree was finished, I started decorating the other areas of the living room. Not too much decorating to do except for putting out gnomes and such, but still time consuming in a way. I had it done, then came up with an idea. So, tore everything down and started anew. Then...moved into the dining room. Very few Santas are coming out this year, a couple things all about snowmen/women, and a poinsettia centerpiece. Calling it quits for that room. Just as long as it's a bit festive when my sister arrives from Colorado in a couple of weeks [and if the virus allows her-no she doesn't have it, but you don't know between now and then]. Anyway...

The above image is when I was busy "in the making". I used my red leggings, black ankle socks, and an old white [rather dingy] face cloth for the trim.  Got them all hand basted together, and stuffed them with terry towels.   Can you guess what it's all about? Come on... take a guess. I'll show you in a post or two from now, but only if you take a wild guess.   *wink

§ A Bit O' Blarney, Hootin' Anni Style

Tuesday, it was another overcast, chilly, day. I stayed home in the morning and brought out my St. Patrick's Day decorations and passed the time putting them out on the dining room table, hutch and living room coffee table.  Better than having  the TV on and reading online news about the Cuomo Scandals, Trump, Stimulus Fiasco thru the Senate, Covid, Tiger Woods, this food is lethal - don't eat it!, and all the other controversial articles that they force on a person.  So, to share a bit of Blarney with y'all, I will post what I put out for the month...

The little Leprechaun in front was made by me
several years ago with wooden balls and felt.

The sun finally did come out by late afternoon. Hopefully, I will be able to go walking in the sunshine, and sing a little sunshine song today!!!

§ What Happened Next...

After our little morning chit chat about cellphones, I patiently waited to have Dollar Tree open at 8 a.m. In fact leaving early on purpose to drive to Flour Bluff to check out the huge private lake for waterfowl. I saw mostly ducks, one tern, and before I left after a photo session, several Sandhill Cranes flew in and I stayed a bit longer.

Then, leaving and heading to the store for the craft supplies needed to make the same as Ann made. But, for a different reason. I found what I needed, purchased them, and got home to begin my making of what I had in mind. Similar to Ann's but, still a bit different.

I began by painting the three boxes. While the paint dried, I stained the arrows. Once those dried, I then added the lettering for each tier. "To Be Paid", "ATM", and "To Be Filed". I also added some wood cut-outs on the outside of the arrow pieces...birds, naturally. After all was dried and ready to assemble, that's what I did! The lower box was raised a bit off the table/counter to make the arrow appear to be legs. Then, the top box was glued in place. Then, the center box, centered. And the finished item... 

I then took the messy stuff that was in a kitchen drawer; recipts, bank statements, bills, etc. And filled the boxes, cleaning out the drawer for the rest of the junk like bag twisters, scissors, rubber bands, etc. And organized the drawer. Much better. And the tierd boxes are much more convenient now.

Thanks Ann, for the inspiration, AND thanks for the gnome card!!!!

Today I have a birthday...72 years ago, during the blizzard of '48-'49, I was born. The baby of 5 children.

§ Just Call Me "Crafty"...

I borrowed this idea from fellow blogger, Ms. G, aka nookworm from one of her crafting posts a few weeks ago. Of course, I am not lucky enough to find any maple leaves around here [at least nearby], so I opted for the artificial ones found at Hobby Lobby. I took the liberty of adding a bit of purple and dark blue acrylic paint to the darker leaves to give them a bit more depth, and sprinkle on a bit of 'fairy dust' while the paint was still wet. I then, took a piece of wooden dowel and did the twine thing...the same technique to use to secure witch broom bristles to the broom shaft....used two black tipped straight pins for its feelers and glued on two green [also from straight pins] for its eyes. Altho, I think her REAL leaf butterfly is much more tastefully and artfully finished, I decided to keep what I made and call it done!!

§ Witch Dolls I've Made...and other Halloween Crafts

I have made these:

Top left: Yellow Rose of Texas and a mini-witch
Bottom left: Halloween Puzzle with Dollar Store plaque :Beware the wicked witch and her monsters live here: and A Grim Reaper made from a tomato garden stake [garden stake then strips of ragged Halloween materials with bone hands and skull.] The Reaper's hat is cardboard covered in same materials as ragged clothes

My Halloween Witch Quilt


....and, Jan, if you're visiting...your woodcutter's blog has no comment link. I love it!

§ Can You Guess? Knowing ME...you should

On one of my walk-abouts, I finished my step count, then on the return to the car I stopped frequently along the trail and broke off many many wild grass seed shoots! I collected a good handful with one intention in mind when I got home. Bud had a walking stick he started making long ago and never finished, I talked him into letting me use it for a project with the jute, grass and his walking stick. So over the weekend, just a couple hours' work involved; I finished. I also learned something from Bud...he being the Navy dude of yesteryear, and watching him tie this many, many, times. And, that is Bitter End. The terminology came about when I asked him how I wrap the jute around the grass to hold it onto the wooden staff. Bitter End...means to [in nautical lingo] "bitt end" which refers to the final part of anchoring a line [or rope] at the end of the bollards/or bitts to which the line is tied. There is a way to do it to make it solid and not able to slip loose. This is what I did to the jute with his tutelage ...

Okay, I am sure you guessed.

I made a primitive, very simple witch's broom... I left the wood unfinished, and set the clock at the 'witching hour' of midnight, removing the battery. Yes, we already hung it up way before Halloween 'cause I didn't want the grass to drop seed in the garage and get tracked in everywhere; all over the house, nor allow the cat to find it and maybe get sick gnawing on it all. Even if I were to store it in the garage, he climbs all over in there, he'd be sure to find it. It's up now, not within his reach; out of Isaiah's way.

§ I Know! It's a DragonBird!

 

You may recall a couple weeks ago I posted about walking the beach and finding a couple pieces of driftwood that I possibly could carve birds from them?  Well, I did work on both pieces, but the first one, I trashed.  I just didn't like the way it turned out.  [there are many other fishes pieces in the sea...lol].  But the other one, I really liked the piece just by itself.  When I began working on it, I had a vision of it turning into a Gothic bird.  Then, the more I worked on it, the more it became a winged dragon. I made another trip to the same area in search of two other flatter pieces that will carve out as wings! Erik, Bud and I think 'dragon' more than bird.  My sister is very diplomatic, she says:  "It could be either"!  And Irene, she said it looks like a mummified piece of wood.  LOL

 

I thought of painting it black with white detailing to make it appear Gothic, like a Raven.  Then, the thought crossed my mind to paint it shades of green for a dragonesque  appearance.  After several hours of carving, sanding, adding the wing pieces, and brushing the wood dust, I decided go natural wood.  But, my choice of stains wasn't a good one.  It is quite dark.  Almost sinister.  I know that my ability of wood carving isn't top notch, but I still enjoy creating something from something.

From the original find to:

§ Afghan Update...

In the News for Friday, August 21st, around 8 a.m. in the morning a barge that was in the Port Ship Channel supposedly dredged and hit a propane gas line causing a massive explosion and tremendous amount of black smoke and huge ball of fire [nearly 150 feet high] jutting into the sky. As of this typing up my post, the smoke and flames and cause was of no human hazardous fallout. That remains to be seen, what with the way media cover up stories some times. I never throw caution to the wind these days. Here are three photos I found online depicting the recent explosion [time frame shortly after occurrence] - - -
several severely burned & still 4 crew members missing.

images courtesy of KIII-tv


- - -

I finished the pansies! 88 of them....440 square knots tied, enumerable stitches totaled [I guess I could add the stitches for one pansy [from the pattern instructions] and multiply that by 88 to get total stitches, but lazy]. I had to lay them individually out on the carpet to make sure I got them in a combination that no color is repeated together; then stack them and wrap them in order with row numbers attached to the top pansy. Now, I have to crochet each pansy to the next [8 to 11 rows].

I'm taking a break from it for a week before I begin the ending of the project....

- - -

And, last for the day, we are watching the tropics [those of us living on the Gulf of Mexico shores], there are TWO storms heading our way.  One looks like it is projected to hit around or near Mobile, Alabama as a CAT-1 [named Laura], and the other's path is heading toward Houston, Texas area right now.  Both may change course in the meantime, so #14 [not named as of this posting] Bud and I will be watching this one closely...if Houston, Erik lives there...if it turns westward, we may get hit...again!!
addendum: 2nd storm named Marco

§ Hummer Fest in Rockport Texas...

This past weekend, at Rockport-Fulton, Texas the annual hummingbird - fest was held. It's a self-guided route [driving] to many, many areas throughout the two town radius. With people's homes and parks open for viewing the migration of the ruby-throated hummingbird. And may I add the hummer-bird festival, as what it's called in Autumn is also dedicated to all migratory birds that fly south for the winter where food is more readily available for them. But, the hummingbirds can be seen by the thousands!!!

With my camera and binoculars at the ready in the passenger seat of the car, I left home at daybreak to beat the predicted heat of the day that was sure to be upon us birders in no time. About midway to Rockport it rained enough to wet the pavement on the highway; making it more sultry. Once beyond the straight-away section of the road, the sun would be off to my right, making visibility a bit more safe. Some drivers just don't slow down....even with the bright sun in our eyes. Not me...I creep along like an old lady who is afraid to be behind the steering wheel. At least until I'm heading in a different direction. Then, of course, I make up for lost time. lol

Upon arriving, I hit the well-known parks and birding areas first. I was elated to see the hundreds of nectar feeders throughout. My first thought was "Whoever has the responsibility of keeping these feeders filled should be commended". They were everywhere I looked! Along the roads, in parks, yards...the signage was directing us in every direction of town and along the coast. And the birds, once they were awake, were hungry!!! I started taking photos and soon gave up and just watched their frenzied feeding....filling up for their long journey to Mexico and South America. Here are some photos I took at first, before I stopped altogether.  I just couldn't keep up with them all at once...

...and of course, a few hummers!!!

From Linda Castro Refuge [which had 8 feeders that I saw], to Tule Marsh [a dozen feeders], around town;  groups of five or more in one spot, to along the coast, lined on poles, etc. and people's yards with varied numbers of feeders...anywhere from a couple to hundreds of ruby throats at one time, the feeders were busy!!  And, after walking some along Tule Creek, I gathered up my camera and binoculars, headed to the street fair to see what crafty wares were for sale at the tented booths, and a short drive around the harbor/yacht club before heading home. I did buy one seasonal [no need for a hint, I'm sure you can guess] thing at the street fair. I'll show you on another post.