Waaaaahhhhhhhhh

.... that is not the sound of the Fire engine. That is just me, doing my Lucy imitation, because I did not get the pics I wanted of a beautiful, big, close-up of a Fire engine sitting in the bay at the Fire Station!

Yesterday, I left the house with great intentions for photos for ABC Wednesday... check it out at Mrs. Nesbitts blog ..... hopped in the van with my camera and drove off to a Fire station. Parked as close as I could without being in the way if one had to whip out and walked over to ask if I could snap a couple of photos. Some days I just have more guts than others for some stupid reason. Yesterday was not one of those days. As I walked towards the place, I got all nervous... couldn't make myself go in .... and, so... wandered right past the front door and down the block.... carrying my camera.... damn!! But, that's me some days. Other days I am overly confident and manage to do things that could make a sailor blush... sheeeesh! Later, I could just kick myself for lacking the courage to do a simple thing like this. Oh, well, I have managed to do plenty in my life that I am proud of ... and... there will be other times. I keep telling myself that ... a lot.










As I wandered back towards the station I was thinking... "I bet if I just hang around for a while, one would come out"... after all it is a big city..."I bet they are pretty busy coming and going all day.... Hahaha.... wouldn't you know it! the big door opened and the red ladder truck rolled out just as I was getting close! I got so excited whipping out my camera that I forgot to set the zoom for a bit closer. I snapped the first; got a jolt when he turned on the siren that close to me, (I think they laughed when I jumped about 4 inches off the sidewalk) and quickly snapped a second while feeling hot prickles of surprise shooting up my spine and into the back of my head. Off he sped! Whew. Got 'im.... not a great shot, but at least I did get one. Actually I got three... here is the rest of the story.










I went back to my vehicle... briefly considered being an "ambulance chaser" of sorts (only this time it would be a fire truck) ... chase him down and get a close up, but decided to head towards home instead. There I was, stopped at a red light, when lo and behold... guess who was already returning to base? Yep..you guessed it. Big Red...again; grabbed the camera again...forgot to zoom again....and snapped him speeding past en route, again.

passing the torch....

I've decided to award some of my commenters with this one as they make my day. Thanks to Vee (I know you have had this one before Vee...but, seeing as you don't post them on your sidebar, why not have it visible for another day?) To C.C. (who in the short time I have known her has already been one of only 3 to offer to play my Pay it Forward;has such a clever way with words that I just keep going back for another laugh ) Also, to busy Pea who has every award under the sun... and then some.... but maybe she doesn't have this one today? And, to Darly (who just out and out makes me laugh.... the way she can put her thoughts to paper !! .. well, onto the screen. Her little periwinkle coloured cottage is.. in her words ... a place "where its always okay for grownups to play" .. who can't use a visit like that? Its kinda like being at home.

So, ladies... thanks for making my day.....

And, I am passing this one along as well....

To Linda (whose blog has some of the most beautiful photos; she lives by the sea in the warmth...aaahhhh ... doesn't hesitate at all to share info and knowledge about her many creative endeavours, including photography; she often tosses in little tidbit to get us thinking, has humorous entries about her furry babies ... and is also a regular commenter and cheerleader on my site)

..... and to Judi, who has now taken on even more responsibility with the purchase and running of Doll Street...a site dedicated to doll makers. She also operates several blogs, one of which offers opportunity to pose craft related questions to which she and a knowledgeable group of friends endeavor to find answers... she lives at the opposite end of the world... in an igloo...hahah..not really, but it IS pretty cold in Alaska...

Anyway ladies... I thank you all for fun blogs to visit ... enjoy hearing from you when you visit mine; love hopping over to yours in anticipation of new info or beautiful pics whenever I see an updated blog title.

I won the Oscar...

...naahh , I didn't. But, look... I did win an award. Not only one either...

Lisa from Q.D.Patooties
gave me this one a while back and I am just now posting it.... Thanks Lisa.....

When I tried to pass on my first award awhile back, there were hardly any takers.... but, thanks to those who did play along on that one. My eyes are too tired to hop back and forth tonight cutting and pasting...I will get on it tomorrow.....








Then, this second one... well, I still feel a bit funny about this one. I suppose it has to do with the actual word itself.... Excellence. ... and, then, onward from there, something to do with my strange childhood and still not feeling worthy or something.... hhahahhahah.... ... Anyway, this is the second time for the big E... so, I have decided to lighten up and just accept it in the spirit in which it is intended.... all part of the fun stuff of blogging.


Bob T. Bear (esq.) humbled me with this one the other day...and Jennie tried to award me with this a few weeks ago. Okay you two....I am forcing myself to get over whatever it is.... and playing along now...... and may I just say thank you very much for my award.

I'm living vicariously...

here is my friend Vlad ....new to water, waves and kiting just in the last few years.

ABC Wednesday

Something new to try. ABC Wednesday at Mrs. Nesbitt's
Last night I checked and saw that E was the letter for the week. Then ... just kind of sat there. Stumped already. Great. Why is it a person can just chat away on any subject in the world when there are no guidelines? ... hmmmmmmm strange that......

But then I found myself looking into the beautiful eyes on this cat picture that I just got from Anna. That did it. Of course! EYES! What a wonderful E word ......










I love eyes...... as a matter of fact it is what started me making dolls. The faces ... and in particular, the eyes. In the beginning I was looking at classes offered online; found a cute little Elfin face... and that led to a class where I learned to make Eyes with water colour pencils and Pigma pens. Pages of notes on how to make them look 3 dimensional. Now, I draw them on Everything .....










So far, I have done a few that I really love.... plenty that I don't love quite so much... but I definitely still like them all.
























Look .... this poor lady still has no Eyelashes, no Eyebrows.... notice how important they are to the overall appearance.








Experimenting on smaller shapes... here is one on a self covered button... using a catalogue model for inspiration.













She ended up being a mermaid...















Brown eyed button gals .....
















I Even gave glass eyes a try .... in a polymer clay face. Mingus









But.... the Emerald Eyes ... on soft cloth ..... yep, still prefer those.

Darly guessed..it is my basement....

I feel like Rumpelstiltskin ... stunned that she would figure it out!! Hahahahah...... but, seriously.....

I have a certain fascination with all things Russian it seems... why that is, I have absolutely no idea. Years ago I was fortunate to make some new friends; a couple who, at that time, lived in St. Petersburg. They sent me the pics and information. Guess where they moved to from the city of art? ... Chicago. Hmmm... but, they will soon be moving from there to somewhere with wind and waves... as Vlad has now become a licensed kite pilot.

The pictures are some views from inside the Winter Palace portion of this..... The Hermitage.
Inconceivable. Unbelievable. Any and all words that convey that.

The Hermitage

.......in St. Petersburg, Russia, is one of the largest museums in the world. Its displays are housed in 400 rooms spread across an architectural complex of five buildings which was created over the course of some 100 years, from the second half of the 18^th century to the middles of the 19^th.

The oldest of these buildings is the Winter Palace erected between 1754 and 1762. For a century and a half this majestic edifice in the exuberant Baroque style was an official residence of the Russian sovereigns. The building has retained its original exterior appearance, but the decoration of its rooms and halls was substantially altered in the course of the restoration work carried out after a devastating fire in 1837.

Adjoining the winter Palace is the building of the Small Hermitage, constructed between 1764 and 1767. It consists of a pavilion and two long well-lit galleries running from it on either side of the Hanging Garden which was laid out at the level of the second storey. The hanging Garden communicates directly with the Pavilion Hall, famous for the interior created 1850-58. In the 18^th century the rooms around the Hanging Garden were the first to house the collection of paintings and sculptures of Catherine the Great. As the museum grew, the name of the pavilion came to refer to the whole of it.

Alongside the Small Hermitage stands a building which in reality consists of a whole complex of constructions added at different times. All of these buildings are connected by covered walk-ways so that to the visitor they seem part of one huge palace-museum.

At present the Hermitage collection comprises more than 2,500,000 works of art, including some 15,000 paintings, over 12,000 sculptures, more than 600,000 drawings and engravings and about 1,000,000 coins and medals. Among the great artists whose works can be found here are Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Rubens, Goya, Watteau, Michelangelo, Renoir, Picasso and Matisse.

Shiny.....

Some days life rolls along on beautiful, shiny, new ball bearings................

On others.................it has the totally jarring effect of steel screeching on pavement !

Suffice to say.... a few days of that can leave a person tuckered and puckered if you know what I mean.

So, in lieu of making a big deal of some stupidity........... let me, instead, just show you some unbelievable rooms...with some equally unbelievable chandeliers....






















































Guess where ?.........

a distant relative of the brown bear.....

What a fun day it was. Bob T. Bear (esq.) wondered if I had made a "littol" snow bear with all the new white stuff. Well, not for a few weeks now, ... so out I went.













Thought I would try a polar bear. He is a distant relative of the brown bear...but, I have only ever actually seen one...in our zoo..... so, hope it will pass muster. And, for Bob and his team...I made some "bloo" pants for Iggy.













The sun came out full force today and it got pretty warm.. poor Iggy's one eye fell out after about 20 minutes...it was kinda sad..so I didn't want to take a picture of it... but here he was right after I gave him his pants. Enjoying the sun for the moment....... while I sat there soaking it up too...right along with my glass of wine. Aaahhhhhh lovely sun....










Oh yes, and ......

have a choklit please Bob. (He LOVES choklit!) These are very special.... the absolute best .... YUM.... well, you can see, I have already had several. I think I hear a certain treadmill calling my name ... probably be hollering it by Monday!

Decorating "stack"..... "presentation"...

I love all the terminology and Gucci catch words and phrases in the decorating and design world. ... lol.... No such thing as plain old curtains or drapes.... ...I am planning "window treatments"...... uhm, okay. Double lined for warmth in winter, coolness in summer and also for luxurious "drape" with the notorious "exotic" silks .. . ... okay.... inverted box pleats?...sure, why not... they look cool. Clean lines... less bulk to contend with ....










what fun playing with the beautiful fabrics and colours...






















From a distance you hardly notice the tiny pin striping in various colours..but it can make such a difference in whether or not it works with existing colour tones. Mr. B. still would prefer to paint walls a deeper shade..... he does love to paint.

Sages and silks....










Would you like fringes, danglies or piping with that? ......













Now, we wait.... for the bottom line...... $$$


Of course, then we could move on to the living room... oooooo the samples I saw for sofa cushion fabrics...... I want one of each of about 50 please..... so... now I need a huge mansion with about 10 to 15 sofas to play with there. Maybe I could just toss beautiful cushions around on the floor ..forget sofas and chairs......

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Empress Veronica the Reticent of New Invention Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

this is pretty funny.... sometimes I am rather reticent....don't know about the Empress bit though.... hahhah... go get yours for a laugh.......

Update...

By 10:30 we had brilliant sunshine.. some melting began almost before I finished shoveling..... well, it did take me an hour...








there were 9 inch drifts here and there.. especially in the patio area.

I love what happens to overhanging snow ....

























..... the bunny came to play....










she rolled a few snow balls....

I don't know what it is ...but snow fascinates me. Cheap to keep and easy to please....hahahha... that's me!

no blue sky this morning.......

.... but maybe later.... after all this is blue sky country and we do have plenty of lovely sun and brilliance all winter as well as summer. For a few days we had very warm temps... they climbed to + numbers...and then... yesterday afternoon, they began to drop again. Last night the wind must have been wild. I have decided it must have been swirly and hard from the north east.. if we were in the Maritimes..it could have been a "nor'easter".




















I have never see it on the kitchen and patio windows like this. Must have swirled off the roof and straight onto them... wet enough to stick...










looks kind of like frost..but..nope..it's just snow.

So..... look what I made yesterday! My first bread. Well, I say that... but sometime, somewhere in my dim, distant, prehistoric past...surely I must have baked bread at least once didn't I ? How can I not have? I love baking.. but, until now, I have been totally intimidated by breads. That ended yesterday. However, I really did have to scour books, the internet, etc..just to find a simple recipe. My old cookbook talked about 3rd rising..blah, blah... and when I began to read the convoluted instructions...no wonder I was intimidated... just too much...of everything. Finally found one in the booklet that came with my KitchenAid mixer. It didn't take very long either...next time I wait til afternoon to begin...so that Mr. Bumblevee gets to have a slice of warm, fresh bread slathered with butter... mmmmmmmmm... nothing better. I think it is the best a home can smell. Forget incenses or potpourri... ick..compared to the aroma of fresh bread? hah!










And the look on his face when he walked through that door? ... priceless.....

I got a scooter!

Well, yes, it is too small for me...but, that's okay.. I have my motorcycle anyway. This little set of wheels is perfect for a tiny bear though. I envision a little, skinny, bent legged guy...but... there is not too much room from seat to floorboard...so might not be too bent. Have to see what I can come up with and hopefully he will look like he is actually riding it.










Today flew by in a blur of errands and all I wanted to do was get busy on a new little bear for this "ride". I am also working on a little copycat version of Rufus, who went to live with Darly. I wanted to see if I could make a similar one... so far...not really. Seeing as there is no pattern with the needle felting, it is tough to get them the same. Especially if they are made with "fluff" (that is what I call the wool most of the time) that happens to be variegated or is a mass of curly, wild Shetland stuff in too many colours.... ... which this is. Well, so far...I do have a cute face... it's a good beginning.

My needle felting is what I would probably call lightly or softly felted. Some people manage to get the little pieces like bricks...but, so far, that eludes me. Also...I seem to prefer them to be sort of fluffy or hairy... and I even like to needle in extra tufts of mohair pulled from chunks of mohair fabric that I use for other types of sewn bears. Scruffy here is part Merino and part Alpaca with fluffy tufts of mohair needled in at the end. His snout has been scissor trimmed and then an embroidered nose and little black onyx bead eyes.













Some types of wool are more conducive to felting up firmly and smoothly and the ends actually more or less disappear into the piece or pieces after long enough with the needle. This is usually a type that has short fibers...like Romney. Longer fibers can be used... but must be played with a bit; criss crossing the fibers to thoroughly mess it up so that it sort of "appears" short if you know what I mean. At least that way it can be needled into a mass somewhat easier. If some of the long scraggly strands still refuse to be needled into the piece... no matter how long I stab at them...then I finally take scissors to them if I decide to have a cleaner look. In this picture you can see how the longer strands of wool have been left around the top of Buttercup's head so that it looks a bit like some hair. I smoothed out her snout somewhat with sharp little scissors and needled in some bead "dreads". Her nose is embroidered with copper embroidery thread. I can't remember off hand what type of wool she is right now..but will check my notes in the morning... later in the morning...as it is now... 12:45... yawn.....
(( update on wool...it is Icelandic Top, and I dyed it with KoolAid)) The strands are very long and all running the same direction..therefore, more difficult to get them all needled in nicely. Not exactly the best to use for the tiny guys like mine. These are all in the 2 inch range.
I like tiny........ lol..











I have only seen and felt a couple of other people's small bears or other pieces of needle felting. Only held a few in my hand other than my own. There are probably as many styles and preferences as there are people doing it. It is whatever we want it to be. Isn't it great?

ATC ....

A new little ATC from The Wild Gypsy ... a gal named Carolyn in New Jersey. . It stands for Artist Trading Card if you are not familiar with the term. Take a peek on ebay sometime.... under ACEOs.... (which stands for Art Cards, Editions and Originals) .. you will be amazed at the art work people are doing on such a tiny scale. The cards measure only 2.5 X 3.5 inches.










.....and look at the card it arrived in... aren't they both cute? almost like two purchases in one really. I thought it very generous of her. I love the little kitten pic... I would have bought that one for sure..... but didn't check her listings for that particular week until too late. You really should put sites on your ebay favs if you want to keep abreast of new listings and check them regularly.
I have a small collection of ATCs and add to it every so often. The cats in the mosaic at the bottom of my blog are some that I really admire; have a few of those. As a matter of fact... one is in the mail from Russia right now. There will then be 3 to put into an elongated rectangular frame. I think I will just do it myself... like I do my cards... picture on top of coloured paper that shows like a thin piece of mat behind...then another... til I get the colour and look I want.













like this..... one of my cards.

I will post my framed cats down the road... when it is finished. Probably difficult to imagine...but here is a pic of another ATC, matted and framed... with 2 different coloured portions of paper showing behind and then placed on a large piece of heavier mat board.













This is an ATC by Tatiana Oles that was a purchase. But.... then didn't I just need to see if I could do one too? First I drew her in pencil, then pigma pen over..and just used some cheap acrylic paints .. I borrowed Mr. Bumblevee's art brushes..which he hasn't used for years. Hope he gets back to doing some artwork some day...he is pretty darn good at it.






















so, I guess I am okay at copying.... ..sort of.... but... the inspiration or imagination for the idea in the first place.. that is the tough part. Obviously I am not nearly as adept with my use of colour either, yet. .... slightly tentative... .. but perhaps with practice......
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In other news.....
Arora found some sea glass to play with....