I'm participating...

...in the Good Fences fun at The Run*A*Round Ranch.  Check it out.

Every Thursday people link up and post fences and gates.  There are some beauts.  After I link up, I'm off to check out fences....

Debbie forced my hand.  I mentioned that it's raining cats and dogs here and a paltry +6C with a gusting wind at about 30 kph...well, I didn't tell her about the wind actually ... and, she said...."get out there, girl" ...  Hhmpff   ...  obviously, she knew me.  I'm not sure if it's a challenge when folks do that to me ..or if I feel 'guilted' into it, or what.. ...either way, I just had to do it, didn't I?

Here's the little story.

We have had an unfenced yard for over 20 years... it's a bit like living in a fishbowl really.  Whenever I was out there mowing or weeding or just wandering around, neighbours would be driving or walking past and my arm got tired waving and I wasted a ton of time talking to them if they stopped.(some of them can talk forreevver).   It took a whole lot more time than it should have to tidy this yard.  Finally a year and a half ago we finished up renos on the house; did the outside and the yard, and then, decided on fencing it.  What fun!  Now we have our own little park area... and on the plus side, we don't have to see all the neighbour's "stuff"... and the falling down fences on the opposite side of the alleyway, and, the garbage on garbage day, and the myriad of sheds in the other neighbour's yard, etc..  It's beautiful...and, even in todays rainy gloom, it looks so pretty and green and clean.... and, my new crab-apple just happens to be in full bloom!

They probably don't exactly call this one a "Good neighbour" fence....but, it makes my neighbours look pretty good to me!  And, one guy across the alleyway tore his old thing down the following month and has since put up a lovely one much like this... c'mon, the rest of you neighbours, take note!

Okay, you asked for it...

Well, maybe you didn't actually ask for it, but, you did say "Go for it" ...  and, it's raining and only +8C today, so I can't go golfing.  I had a tee time for 9:16 this morning, so I was kind of pouting ...and then... wondering what I could do that wasn't vacuuming, laundry or even baking ..although, baking is my hobby ...and, you know I love to do that.... but, anyway, all of a sudden I was searching for paint.

I know I don't have any oil paints...but, found some acrylics!  Hey! Who knew?  Well, actually I did remember that I had some but I don't really know when I last used any and had to hunt for them .. ....hmmmm..oh, maybe for painting doll's shoes...yep....that was it.... but, haven't made a doll since about '09 ....

Duane would probably have a laugh...but, hey, I kinda like my first attempt at some modern art stuff.

Look at the pretty brushes ... and, all of a sudden I'm thinking why don't I just get a photo of these enlarged and use it somewhere?

I found some small canvases I bought for the latest little art classes I did online...they are only 6 x 8 inches...but, it sort of gives a person the idea for how it could be accomplished I think.

What fun putting on some colour!   Here is my first attempt.

Here is Duane's picture that I like.. well, one of them... and, hey, did you notice that he came to my blog and left a comment?  How did he know that I had posted one of his works I wonder?  He must have spies.... hi Duane if you come back... I love your work...

When you see them together, you can see that there are more ... uh.... layers, and more colours, and more of everything really...but, like I said ...it is my first attempt...and, it sort of gives you the idea of how it could be accomplished.  Not to say that it would ever be quite the result but, ..just sayin'....

I love how the paint tray looks too.... ...

Okay...now I really do have to do some cleaning.......................but, I better start with the almost dried on mess on the tray...........

I want one!!!

A big, beautiful painting.....just like this one.  Same colours and everything!  It would look perfect on my new wall colour...

Duane Cregger.  That's the artist.  Saw this on a blog that I go to regularly.  I can't afford his paintings... but, if I ever see a worthwhile print... I'll buy it.  Maybe I should write him and ask about prints of his works.  I've only seen 3 of his paintings offered as prints on an art-for-sale site, ... and, well...they aren't for me at all...but these .... these are for me!!  He's changed his palette over the years ...

Maybe I should get some oil paints and just buy a big stretched canvas and see if I can smear on some pretty colours myself .... how hard can it be?  He claims he doesn't even know what he is doing or that he is doing it when he paints...uhm, yeh...right...

Failing that ..... how about you artists out there doing one or two ..in these colours....and maybe I can buy one from you instead?

Something about 40 x 60 inches or so .........or .... two paintings about half that size ......   for a big empty wall I have ... my furniture is pale grey blue and two different shades of teal ..... the wall is Russian Olive ... a soft grey green... can you imagine one of those on it? .... oh, yeh..... I can..... I love these colours!

Not a long post...

...just wanted to let you all know I updated my other blog... which seems not to happen very often anymore..... my bad!  Or lazy .... or...both....

Anyway... I posted my brother's great bread recipe over there and a couple pics...

I hope some of you that love to bake will give it a try... add or subtract ingredients as you like once you've tried it as is..... we love it and it does make great toast!

We call it Mountain Man Bread...cuz he is ...and he bakes it... but, it's real name is Multigrain Bread... kind of boring by comparison..hahahah...

Check it out..

Sunshine girl

That's what I think I'll call this one.  She has sunny colours.

And, surprise of surprises....we, too, have a sunshiny day!  All week looks pretty good...that'll be the first week without snow since ...well, since about October 2013 actually.....

I may get to golf on Wednesday... although, they are calling for showers on that day..... I better dig out some rubber boots and go anyway...it could be our only golfing day of the summer..... aacckkk!

"Sunny" adds some warmth to anybody's day.... with her love of perky colours and fabrics....

I glued bits of pretty pink and gold papers to her parasol, her skirt and even on the top of her blue bag... it could be a purse, or ....a fancy shopping bag....

I gave her some cute little "twiddly toes" as Mom used to call pigeon toed....

She's ready for a day of shopping or just admiring herself in shop windows as she goes merrily on her way......

She was trying.....

Sitting by the door....looking so cute..... almost begging in her most beguiling squawky meeaaowwww ......

I know better......

Her Mom would not be happy....see, she even has a sign to let me know the house rules and besides, I'd probably have trouble catching her... (not her Mom...  the cat).

Still....she persisted..........

and... more with the meaowwwing........


... and looking cute............ oh, boy did she persist.........

too "normal"

I did another girl for the Creative Girl project.  She is not totally my own design.  Took some inspiration and liberty from an ad in a magazine.  I called her Shopping girl.... but, have decided she is too ..... uhm...... normal looking, if you know what I mean.   Danielle's girl was ... more .... fun... more ...caricature-like and whimsical .... even less realistic ... sort of ....

But, I did have fun doing her .... and really enjoyed trying to lay on some water colours and get some pretty results ... and, I want my girl ...my own design ultimately.... to have a pet of some sort...so I tried a doggy this time too  ... a pink poodle don'tcha know....  I've made one of those before ... when I was making bears and dogs....

I tried the little trick of gluing on some pretty paper in a couple of squares on the skirt ... to add a bit more visual appeal ....

Today ... another girl ...in between laundry, dusting and some other stuff...yes...it must be done... I can only put things off so long... and, all of you crafters out there DO so know what I'm taking about ...I know you do!  After a while, the dust bunnies get almost big enough to fight back ..or I need cages instead of a vacuum..... where do they all come from?

Talk to your pets

.. they probably listen about as well as kids... hahahhah.....

And they take it all in...absolutely!

Skipped to the last project..

The first and third projects in the course didn't appeal to me all that much...but, for sure I viewed them and got all the information from them... and, then... just skipped to doing the girl in the final video.

Watercolours are not an easy thing to lay down..... but, what fun giving it a try!

We are doing a girl in our final project, and, of course, we are supposed to "invent" one of our own eventually.  But, in the meantime, Danielle gave us all sorts of little bits and pieces to use to make one up .... or, in my case, I just more or less copied the one she did on the video.  I also used the same colours to get an idea of how she did things...

Here is my gal....

Here is Danielle's....

I'm sure you can see the differences...but, all in all, I'm pretty happy with my effort....

Here they are side by side....

I need some better white ink pens... and a bit darker pencil...and of course, lots of practice...but, what fun!

She says it took her abut 5 years to come up with a girl she likes and can draw easily ... not using a detailed face at all as it would detract from the rest of the body and colours..  etc... so, today I'm attempting to come up with a girl of my own design........or at least partly my own design..... we'll see how it goes....

The cat came back...

..well, she probably wasn't even gone... she was just hiding somewhere.  And, look how perky she looks.  ..ahahha...she was probably downstairs where the boarder is staying and I didn't want to invade or intrude.   But, I felt guilty that I had missed her dosage of thyroid meds and Googled to check how serious that could be ... decided it was okay to miss one time and left visiting her 'til last night.  I found her straight away and closed the downstairs door and pasted a big note on the door handle.  Do. Not. Leave. Open.  

I'm happy I have now claimed our own space.  The cat's and mine.  I feel totally relieved.

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Here is my first little attempt at Danielle Donaldson's water colour class.  I jumped to the second project as the first didn't appeal to me ...although, I did go through the video of course...as it had a lot to do with how to put down some watercolour paint.  Not that I figured out the part about more water til the fourth video actually...and, so my colours are a bit darker than she did.

I'm pretty happy with the results ... which are not too dissimilar to hers... except for the darker colours and the gnome hat on the little house to the lower left..hahahhha... reminder to self... don't put trees directly behind a house and expect it not to look like a hat!

I now realize than when she says add more  water to the brush and go from colour to colour taking some of the last colour with you...she means put it onto a mixing surface, get the right colour and then go to the paper ...  ...she didn't mean to take it directly from the pan of colour.  Okay, ...got it.  Next one.........

And, I  need some better white ink pens...mine are too transparent....

Help!!!

Missing.  Hobbes.  An elderly lady kitty ...  still in fine shape... but, she needs meds twice a day... please call me if you have seen her.

Isn't she pretty?

Panicking a bit over here.  It's not even my own cat.  I don't have one.

I am looking after her for my neighbour for the week...and all has gone well for the past few days...but, this morning...I can't find her.  She needs meds twice a day.  She is not supposed to go outside...but....

There is somebody staying in the house this week, ... and the door to the downstairs is open...but, I wouldn't feel right going down there ...and Ms Kitty is deaf...so calling to her doesn't work.  I'm watching the driveway to see when the boarder leaves....I'll sprint over straight away and see if I can find her.  And, then...I'm putting a note on the door to ask that it be kept closed at all times.  And, I sure hope nobody let her outside ...oh, help@!  there are huge owls and also hawks around our area .... I don't want anything bad happening on my watch!!


Another beautiful snow photo for you...

looking out the neighbour's window....

Having her way with us....

Mean ol' Mother Nature.....

Not that it's unusual for this area to have late snows.... and, it isn't really cold at just 1C ... but, we had begun to have some +20C days and it was nice to sit out on the patio with a beer and some nachos.....sigh.....

This is what greeted us when we opened blinds this morning... a winter wonderland.... at least 7 inches of new pristine white softness....

Elmo decided to check out the new stuff ... shocked when he sunk in so far...

Plefff....it's deeeeeppp .....

Whatcha gonna do ?? ...   instant decision.... if May gives you snow.... make snow angels ... hahahha.....

OOOps...  help ........ a little help here ...can't get out ..... helllppp !!!..... .........    ...........

Whew....that's better ..... but... I think my little bum's had enough cool fun for today  ....let's go in the house now ....'kay? ...