Christmas and Monterey

      Well, the Christmas season is in full swing.  You can tell because most of us have  performances and other activities to get to.  Marshall has already perfomed at the Old Logandale School's Tree Festival in a quartet with some of his friends.  He's the Cello in the group.  I was involved in the Zephyr Singers and Strings Christmas Concert last night.  That was so much fun, I really feel it was a success, and has added to the Christmas Spirit in the Valley.  Tomorrow night is the Perkin's Elementary Christmas Show at the High School Theater.  It's a real production.  Dancing, singing, comedy, percussion pieces.  I really have to hand it to the talented people at the school and in the community who put this on each year.  I am so excited to see it, and very grateful I will have children participating for another 5 years.  I will probably still go to see it after Beverly starts Middle School.  Next Thursday both the Middle School band and the High School Music classes have concerts.  The 2 teachers at the schools have worked it out so the parents can see one concert, and then move on to the other school for the other.  Not sure how I feel about this, but it's only one evening spent, one very long evening. 
      To keep on the Christmas theme I've started on, I volunteered to make the tree topper for the Art Guild tree that was auctioned at the Festival of Trees.  It's a mix of sewing, crochet, wirework, and a little beading.  I was aiming for a Colonial Mexico feel.   Most of the materials used were either vintage, or antique (in the case of the colored beads).  It was not quite as elaborate as I originally planned, but we do have time constraints.  Here's the pic:

      Now for Monterey.  I had the blessing of visiting my "baby sister" in her current home of Monterey, California.  We had a fantastic time!  We went whale watching, hung out at Fisherman's Wharf and walked to Cannery Row.  I got my old architecture fix, as there is so little of it here in Southern Nevada.  I took a few photos of some great old houses and the Wharf, just for insipiration.  I had a bit of an epiphany as I walked through one of the art galleries on my last day there.  There were, at the front of the gallery, 6 or 7 watercolors that I thought were quite nice, and then I realized, these are all things I could do!  They were on my skill level, and featured in an art gallery on the Wharf in Monterrey, California!  It is lots of food for thought.  Here are a few pics from the trip:

Well, Merry Christmas to all!  Hopefully I will have the time to include a post about Warren's Birthday, and his fabulous Birthday gift, an antique Royal Aristocrat typewriter.  I can hardly wait!!!  His day is the 21st, and I'm planning on posting photos of the whole thing.  Also, stay tuned for the completed "scrap afghan" and some fabulous fingerless gloves I am making for a gift.  So much fun stuff this season!   

  

Festival Recovery

Finally recovering from the Pomegranate Festival that was last weekend.  It was so much fun, and so much work!  I entered quite a few things, art and crafts, and sold one!  I haven't sold anything at the festival until this year.  It was one of the Cha-cha Bags that I crochet.  The best complement I recieved was from my friend Cinnamon.  She was looking at the Moapa Valley Art Guild booth, and looked at the tag of her favorite painting, and discovered it was one of mine!  I am always pleased and embarassed whenever someone tells me they like my work.  Having been on this art journey for over 2 years now, I am almost suprised every time I realize I am becoming pretty competant.

This is the one my friend Cinnamon liked.  It's called Valley of Fire Dream

And this is another painting I had in the Festival.  It's Natural Arch in Valley of Fire, but I understand it collapsed a few years ago.

I will have to upload some pics of my Cha-cha bags, as soon as I find my camera.  Not sure where it has gone. 

I've seen alot of people of Facebook listing things they are grateful for during the month of November.  Among so many blessings I am grateful for is the Moapa Valley Art Guild.  They do not judge you on your ability, but see your potential.  We all help and care for each other, encourage one another, and do our best to promote all of our work.  Where are you going to find an organization that is so accessable to all artists, all you have to do is be a part of the Guild (and pay your dues).  It has been fantastic to be a part of the Guild, the Festival, and all the other events we hold.  Thank you all!

Treasury Tuesday October Flood

It's been raining since sometime last night.  The road I take to get out of my neighborhood is flooded with about 4 inches of water, and the ditch one must cross to get out is a raging river of chocolate water.  I hope I can get out later, I'd like to go to the library.  I have to take my William Shakespeare videos back.  I will probably renew Much Ado About Nothing.  It's my favorite, and I find it hard to part with.  I also have The Comedy of Errors.  I enjoyed it, lots of fun.  I never finished Coriolanus.  Probably more fun to see in person.  I saw Cymbeline with Hellen Mirrin playing the daughter.  That's a pretty intense play.  It says it's a comedy, but I didn't see anything really funny.  I also saw Pericles.  That one rambles all over the place.  I guess Shakespeare only helped out with that one.  You can tell.  I love having adult voices around the house while I do my thing and the kids are all at school.

Well, here's my little Birthday Wish List from Etsy.  If anyone really wants to know, the actual day is the 17th.  We are hoping to be able to take our older 2 children to see The Lord of the Rings with a live orchestra to celebrate.

Here are a few samples of what's on this week's treasury:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzU0NzE0NHw4MjM0OTAyMTY/happy-birthday-to-me

               

There are 16 yummy things on the list.  Just too, too cool to pass up.  Check them out! 

I also have a few more Halloween costume patterns in my shop.  2 of them are for adults.  Here's the link to a fun little girl's costume pattern: http://www.etsy.com/listing/82885039/girls-princess-spanish-dancer-or-marie

Treasury Tuesday

I love making trasury lists at Etsy.com.  Here is the link to my latest.
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzU0NzE0NHw3NTAxNDA3Njc/treat-time

And a small taste of what's in the treasury (and yes, Mother, most of the things are black or grey.)

                              

It's also about that time, time to start sewing all those fantastic Halloween Costumes.  I've got a couple new costume patterns listed at my shop.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesertMarigold09?ref=si_shop

Orchids and Sunshine

I finally got to use a technique on the walls of my girls' room that I've been waiting for years to use!  The color choices were my daughters', Ace Hardware Latex Satin in Sunny Day, Straw, and I forget the orchid color's name.  I've been excited to try the pinstriping technique. 

I took a long level and used it as a guide for the stripes.  I was going for a handpainted look, and did not measure the distance between the individual stripes.  After penciling one line (I had to move the level down the wall to continue the entire height) I just moved the level along the wall, spacing randomly.  I liked the look I got from grouping the pinstripes together, separated by larger empty spaces.

For the painted part, I used only the pencil lines as guides.  I also used a small pointed brush to apply the paint.  I had to reload the brush a couple times to paint each line.  I think this really enhanced the hand painted look.  I have a photo here to show the way I held the brush.  I think this gave me the most control, and kept the waviness to a minimum.  I wanted some waves, but not to the extent that it looked like I'd had a "couple" before I started this project.  While holding the brush this way, I twisted it in my fingers a bit, to use more of the paint on the brush, and add to the look.

My older daughter wanted the orchid walls to face each other.  I painted stripes only on one of the two yellow walls.  It is the wall you see as you walk in to the room, directly across from the door.  This makes no question as to the focal point of the room, where the heads of both beds are.

This could be done with just about any combination of colors you can think of.  I used 2 colors from the same paint chip, with only one step between them.  It would look great with a darker color as well.  I could have also used a more orangy color, or even the orchid from the other wall.  Lots of ways this can be done.  Have fun!

'Bout Time!

Ok, so I am posting photos of the fair.  We've too many ribbons for me to mention all of them.  We did clean up in the Horticulture division (are we suprised about this?).  Mimi won 1st for her Dish Garden, Marshall 2nd, Beverly 3rd, and Warren got a judges choice for his.  Kevin got 1st for both the plants he entered.  Talk about fun. 

I was talking to one of the teachers at the elementary school about the over abundance of prize ribbons, and she gave me a great idea.  Her daughter did alot of Gymkhana (is that how you spell it?) growing up, and they used the ribbons as a valance over the window!  I am inspired!  If I ever get that done, I'll post a photo.  Meanwhile, here are some photos from the fair.....

Mimi's Fairy Dish Garden

 

            Bev's Little Fairy House.  She had a bathroom with a shower and everything set up in hers.

     Warren's was going to be a little farm, but the basil and other things never came up, so he made a little fairy garden too.

 Kevin is standing next to his hydroponic pothos.

I didn't get any photos of Marshall with his stuff.  He hung out with his friends almost the entire time.  It was his Birthday, so we brought a cake and had that with his friends, then he dissapeared again.  In spite of the Weather, we had a great time at the fair.  It blew fiercely the first day, rained the second, SNOWED briefly the third, and I understand it was quite nice the last day.

The kids brought home ribbons for the chickens, lego constructions, and artwork too.  I got a couple ribbons as well, but the plants are what brought home the big prizes.

In my next post I will share some of the things I've been crocheting lately.  Have a good weekend!

At the Fair

Like it or not, it's the first full week of April, the Clark County Fair and Rodeo begins Thursday.  We've lived here for how long now?  This is the first year we'll actually be entering exhibits.  We have 4 chickens, 3 paintings, a bag, a bracelet, 2 lego constructions, 3 dish gardens, 1 succulent collection, a hydroponic houseplant (not that kind of hydroponics!), and a Bonsai.  I think we're making up for lost time. 

I'm still trying to work out the logistics for tomorrow.  I've got to deliver the chickens and the plants to the fairgrounds.  Plants before 11 am, chickens beginning at 12 noon.  Don't know what to do with the hour in between.  Beverly has a rehearsal at 3:30 at the fairgrounds.  She is in a Ballet class for 3 and 4 year olds, and they will be dancing at the fair!  She is so excited!  Friday, 4:30 on the Midway stage, it will be quite the show. 

After the fair I will be posting pix of the 2 crochet items I entered.  One bracelet, and the ever popular Cha-cha Bag! (I may even post the instructions to make your own.)  O.K., I'll put a few pix of the other stuff too.  I'll also list if we win any prizes.  Away we go!