Little bit of this & that...

Well it has not been easy times around here since we got back from vacation, tell you the truth it has been very rough.  But everything has to have some kind of silver lining, right...  Or the light in the end of the tunnel, its always there, no?  

Any how, all in all it has been a bit hard to get my art stuff going, and what kind of sucks about that is that I'm taking part of a "art in the park" event on Sunday and I don't have much ready for it.

So I'm here in my {super messy} studio trying to get things ready for it.

Making some extra cards

&

I found some time in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep

I painted on fabric just to try some different designs, not sure if they will mount to anything but they were good therapy while making them.

I did find some time for window shopping therapy the other day, and I found this plant {no idea what its called or anything} and it has the look of a cactus, but no thorns or needles and it had one really cool looking flower pod on it.  So I bought it {so much for just window shopping} and brought it home.

It has been really warm again so I left it outside and thank heavens for that!

Because, the cool looking flower pod opened up, and out came this almost stomach turning looking thing.

And it has hair, looks like the insides of something and it stinks, oh and attracts flies to no end.

As if that would be all, nope, no Sir!  This flower also makes my dog growl at it, bark at it and act odd.

  

I guess I brought home something from out of space, an alien life form

that only flies can love.   So it sits in our back yard, in a corner far away from the deck where we sit.

Blooms on its own, entertains flies and makes us wonder what will happen to it when fall comes.

Any how, that's it from my end, troubles getting things done, housing stinky plants and pondering over the silver lining, it is there I'm sure of it...  I just hope its not covered in hair.

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New art project & vacation shots

Let me introduce you to Edna Rose!

I have been on vacation and haven't done much of art and so last night

there was a moment and I just had to do something with this idea I had.

Now I'm not sure if you remember from my past posts {I think it was in the winter time I posted that},

but I love the show Downton Abbey and while I was watching it I sketched some of the

brilliant costumes and styles of the women from that show.

And I always wanted to do something further with the sketches, but didn't know what and then it hit me yesterday while looking at books and mags at the book store. 

I wanted to sew and of course paint too!

So went home and got started

Had a ton of fun making her and soon she'll have some lady friends joining her...

After I get back from my second half of our vacation that is.

For the first half of our vacation this year I dropped out of our annual canoe trip and instead stayed here at home while my dear friend Sandra came to visit, and although we technically stayed here, 

we were every where but here, we were all over the map within the Ottawa Valley and Quebec areas.

We drove around to all different small villages and towns, and we walked and checked out little shops,

did antiquing, eating in little local cafes and restaurants and of course did a ton of photography.

This is the best of having a dear friend like Sandra, she loves and goes same crazy as me about things like old barns, textures and colours {same with antiques, washi tape, fabrics, art supplies... wine, good cheese, oh and lets not forget chocolate and did I mention wine?}...  

Well anything that speaks to us and we can spend hours doing this.

LOVE IT!!!!

Here is a just a few pictures from the bunch {there is a lot}

Just love all the colours!!

We found a lot of neat little places to visit, true gems, 

and the two of my favourites were the tiny village Old Chelsea in Quebec

and the town of Almonte that located in the Mississippi Mills area of the Valley, Ontario. Both so different from each other yet both taken same huge pride in the villages, their culture, nature and they are both very artsy. You find lots of inspiration when you go there.

So I'm leaving this post again with one more picture, and this one is with 

Edna Rose posing in front of Big Ben...  Its a cute vintage tea towel I found in Almonte

and I'm going to make that in to a large cushion cover for my studio.

Happy August everyone {where did July go?}

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Sketching, lazy beach moment and wild yarn stuff...

I said in my last post I would show you my sketches from when I went to the farms, so here they are...

Its not too many as it was very hot in sun that day I was out and I did also photography 

and checked out all the different stands for goodies to bring home.

A few days later, I saw a young woman with a pretty summer dress

and it looked so cute with her flat shoes.

Yesterday I went for a drive after dropping my daughter off at respite care.

I hate the thought of having to put her in care so I can do things or get a good nights rest,

I wish I could enjoy these things with her more than what we can these days.  

But I have to count my self blessed to be able to get a break once in a while, so I can draw and

being able to catch up to very much needed sleep.

Any how, I ended up on two beach areas along the Ottawa River.

Enjoyed the lovely day, the view, the breeze, water and of course a nice cup of tea

My trusted Charlie of course by my side also enjoying the breeze.

Below a few pictures I took while down there.

Love the sight of sail boats, and even if they were way out there I could hear the young sailor students sometimes {they were from a summer camp program} laughing and having a great old time.

Great sounds of summer!

Also saw some wild life, of course the famous Canada Geese, dragon flies and even a pig in the tree...

If you know the grand mess the geese make, well all I can say is that its good pigs cant fly!

{just climb trees...} 

And I leave you with one more picture,

I have taken up a new sport, not cricket but rather the wild game of crochet...

I'm not sure why, but I wanted to try out something new again

Bought some yarn and a crochet needle, hook or what ever its are called.

Looked at a few pictures and got going on it, very addictive I have to tell you,

and I have no idea what to do and I'm sure I have broken every crochet rule there is.

But this is what I did so far, the other piece I did look {and I thought I was making a square}

ended up looking like a misshaped bacteria or germ, so I didn't take a picture of it.

Happy Weekend everyone!!

Enjoy the beautiful weather, create and try out something new

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