Make a New Year!

        Make a Happy New Year! 

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous

New Year! 

 I would like to tell you all how to 

make this year better than the last,

but I can't.

 

I can only make mine better.

And, what is better?

How we see our year, has a lot to do 

with the effect of our actions.

It all gos back to cause and effect.

 

I know it's easy to say, but a whole different 

ball game when something life changing happens.

Your world as you know it, is gone.

Or,

a new world in life begins.

 

I can only hope that I'll be able to cope

with lifes snowballs that are thrown my way.

 (I'm still sculpting, snowmen and Santas).

 

Be well, my friends,

and thank you for sticking by me 

and coming to visit.

 

No resolutions here...just to clean up and condense,

to create, create, create.

 

Love you all.

 

PSSSSST!

the reason I'm posting early,

I want to have a sip of Baileys,

and if I had a few and then posted....Wellllll!

Pink Elephants, people, Pink Elephants.

Which reminds me...my brand new Granddaughter got

one from Santa. Yes he gave her a chunky Pink Elephant

wearing a tutu!

LALaaaaaa!             

Yes Virgina,

Newsman Francis Pharcellus Church wrote The Sun's response to Virginia. Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

 "DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old. "Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. "Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.' "Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus? "VIRGINIA O'HANLON. "115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET." VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

 Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

 Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart.

Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

 Merry Christmas,

Be Well,

What a Sap

I had to get a real tree.

So what you say?

I purchased my first fake tree 

a week ago. 

It's a great tree as far as fake gos,

but I felt detached.

I was missing the smell of the pine.

I could have bought those little sticks

that smell like pine.  But then I would have a fake

pine smell on a fake pine tree.

I tried to get in the mood, and so did my little ghostie.

My grandson was having more fun with the

curtains than with visions of sugar plums,

not that he'd know what a sugared plum was...

The whole purpose of a fake tree is to save money, right?

Yeah, I'm a sap,

missing my real tree.

 Just had to get one.


 Be well!

Distracted!

Boy, I don't know where my brain was! 

I was all set to bleach out some bottle brush trees,

I experimented with the first one.  It was ok, but

but the fibers got a little to much bleach. Felt a little thin.

This is definitely not a project you can walk away from.

Oh yes, I got distracted and walked away for a bit.

Like an hour...bit.

To the point that fibers were eaten away.

Poof, all gone!

But, the vertigre patina on the wood base turned out lovely.

Live and learn.

Always learning!

Be Well.

My Hats off to ya!!!

I've been working on a few hats!

 For the gang from Snow Country.

But the big red hat?

I may wear this on 

Halloween.

I am still feeling off kilter,

but I am trying to work on the good days.

And when those good days happen I

try to do to much, and have to learn,

all in good time.

Now I've got to make a batch of mache

and sculpt some snowmen for those hats.

Be well!

It's the time, of the Season...

I love this time of the year.

It's not hot, but it's not cold either.

The phasing of one season to the next, doesn't 

always pertain to the weather.

I have realized over the last few months

that this body I walk around in, changes too.

But it doesn't mean I have to surrender to dried

falling leaves that crunch beneath my feet.

I don't want to.

I want to know the change is good, knowing that

things go dormant, preparing for the new,

I'd like to think, and I will, that I'll 

embrace the changing of my season.
I know the grass will turn green again.
I know that beneath the soil the plantings are
resting and preparing for the sprouts of renewal.

Onward Ho!

Be Well!

By the Sea!

Just got back from the beach!

Spent the last week here.  Just have to get back into the groove.

I'll be back as soon as I wipe all the sand off of everything I brought home.

Had a great time!

Be well!

 

Hey! I'm Still doing Summer Here!

And with triple digit temps, how can we not do Summer?

But with the "Dog Days" of August here,

I see nothing but back to school ads.

Yeah, I can hear some of you...can't wait for school to start!

Which will lead to, Autumn!

Cooler degrees I hope.

I'm already seeing those black and orange 

colors popping up everywhere.

But right now, 

I'm still doing Summer here.

 Anxiously waiting to go to the

 

August is vacation time for us, and yeah, I know,

it's the hottest part of Summer.  Most times, to

hot to really enjoy anything...don't care!

I've been painting, 

 and trying to finish these.

I even got a little Mickey in.

It's a chalk board for baby Booge.

For when he can actually use chalk.

And I am working on some,

black and orange, because Autumn is right around the corner.

So, with August here, I am off to take advantage of the Summer sales,

I need some towels for the,

 

Be Well!

It's so Exciting to be in

Art Doll Quarterly!

I finally received my copy,

This is my article.

I know,  I'm gloating aren't I!

Oh well, it shall pass,

and tomorrow, I"ll be cleaning the toilets.

But for now, I'm going to revel in the excitement!

 

If you get a chance, pick up a copy, there are

so many talented artists sharing their unique 

skills.

Be Well!

Happy 4th!!!

Happy 4th of July!

Have Fun!

Stay cool!

And Enjoy!

Have A Seat!

Before I Paint it.

I went to Home Depot the other day.

And spotted this, on sale for $29.99.

Had to get it!

I didn't need to, but I had to get it!

I thought to use one of these colors,

Love the orange, but my umbrellas are orange, 

and with the brick it would get lost.

So I may paint it the aqua, or maybe the dull white gray shades,

and pop accent orange cushions on it.

 

Who knows! 

 

Be well!

 

Does a Spoon Full of Sugar...

really help the medicine go down?

Life Isn't Always a Bowl of Cherries!

Sometimes,

Life is,

A Bowl 

of 

Blueberries!!!

And sometimes,

the berries 

in the 

bowl,

spill over!

But hey!

That's 

Life!

Now, let's eat them while they're sweet

and we can enjoy them.

 Why blueberries?

I didn't have any cherries!

Make do with what you have.

Be Well!

 

Still Here...

but still, feeling like I just got off of a roller coaster.

A little queasy from the ride? 

At times I feel like the world is moving faster

than I am.

So whatever took hold in my body and thought it was 

a good place to live...can kindly go to hell now!

I have about 2 good days a week, then "it" slowly

waves back in.  On those good days I try to catch up

on daily chores, and try to create.  

My garden and yard work is practically nil. 

So, hopefully, after tomorrows sinus surgery, I'll start

feeling my old self again!

I'll be back, I haven't gone anywhere. 

Be well my pretties, I still think of you all.

Building a Moon...

Layer by layer,
A quick synopsis of the steps I go through.

I always start with a clump of mache.

 I wasn't going to show this shot, because it
has a strand of my Kittie's fur on it.
But ya know, she's part of the family, 
and she was just curious to see what I was up to.
At least it's not a hacked up fur-ball.
 

I shape the base into a mound, and when it's almost dry I
add wood dowels or heavy gauge wire.  Just an armature
so the mache has something to grab.
 I do, add glue if I use wood.  If I use wire,
it's a different process, and I'll show that later.
I let this completely dry before I start adding the  
body.

I roughly shape out the body, by adding to the wood,
and let this dry a bit, and keep adding mache until 
I get the shape and form I want.

I usally use pure paper mache to form my sculpts, but
I had this styrofoam ball, and it was quicker to show.

 I add a rough nose and the first layer of cheeks.

I position wire for the arms and lay in
mache to form a cap.

 This is as far as I got.  I had to make some 
arms.  And I will finish enough to show in a few days.


On another note...I'm heading into my 8th week, of 
fighting a bacteria that wants to take over my body.
The body snatcher!
Ha! 




Be Well! 
I certainly hope to be.