Fiddlesticks...:)

My grandson Nick started taking violin lessons this week...I told him that if I thought I could learn to play like "the Lady" in the duo below, that I would give it a shot! (I am probably that "old dog", though...:)

"Ashokan Farewell" has been one of my favorite Civil War-era melodies for a long time (it was the main theme for the Ken Burns series "The Civil War" on PBS several years ago)...my son Jonathan and I found this version when looking up another Civil War song on Youtube a while back, and we  both just sat there and watched ~ and listened ~  transfixed...I have to share it ~ ♥

 She makes it look so effortless, doesn't she?

Here is a little-music related ACEO I did a couple of years ago (the original is owned by my friend in Switzerland)...

I called it "Ode to Joy"

  I think I should do a little painting of Tallulah playing the violin...my version of "The Cat and the Fiddle"! I can't believe it's already Wednesday evening...another week flying by! Have a great night! ♥ ♥ ♥Anne

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Quoth the Raven, "Thank you, Dear Elaine!"...

I had a surprise package from my dear friend Elaine a few days ago...she is always sending me books and magazines (♥♥), and we had recently talked about a bird's nest she had had for a while, so I thought that's what this unexpected gift was...

WOW! ~ I couldn't believe how sweet this was! We both love ravens/crows...and share a "Sparkly Crow" attraction to certain bling...and now Elaine had gifted me with the most wonderful, amazing Raven plaque...she (my Raven is definitely a girl) was created by Sarah Fitch of Rolling Raven Studio... in my favorite colors and with the motto

"Ars Longa Vita Brevis"...

(I used to have this quote at the end of my e-mails) ~ :)





Thank you again, dear Elaine...you can't imagine how this lovely Raven made my day!



Have a great Wednesday, all!



♥ ♥ ♥

Anne

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Nesting Instincts... (A Tutorial)

This was such fun!  It's very messy, so I recommend doing this project outside ~ :)

The only items I purchased were the coconut fiber hanging basket liner (Walmart, 77 cents) and the spray adhesive (Elmer's Craft Bond) ~ I had some spaghnum and Spanish moss left from where I had used it around the base of some of my potted plants. You can use any wire or twine ~ the rest is all "found" plant material from your yard or the roadside.

Choose the longest pieces of grass or vine...(I used dried lemon grass and the nice twisty Cypress vines off our trellis (I knew there was a reason I hadn't cleaned up my herb beds/annuals from last year!)  Just lay them out straight ~ I spread some Spanish moss and a few dried leaves on top ~ you really can't go wrong with this, just use what you have ~ birds do!  ~ if your nice layered vine mix is too long, just fold it in half... then give it a good spray of the Elmer's adhesive. Let it set for a few minutes, then take an end in each hand and give it a gentle twist...not too much; you just want it to have a little of that "woven" look" ~ not tight. The spray adhesive will help everything stay in place.

Form your dried materials into a circle, whatever size you like ~ overlap the ends quite a bit if you need to. Spray with a little more adhesive if you think it needs it ~ especially where the ends overlap. I tied mine at this point with some weathered twine we had the Cypress vines growing on, and then gently wrapped the rest of the wreath with kraft wire ~ again, not tight ~ and just a few times around the whole circle ~ this is just to help everything stay together until the adhesive is really set. You can cut it off later, or leave it if you want. (There are no set rules ~ :)

Here I'm starting a small nest ~ (this is my first attempt at this, too, so bear with me! ~ I think I'm going to like the smallest best!)...

Three sizes! (They could also be wreaths at this point...)

You know you're on the right track when robins watch you (coveting your nesting materials)  from the edge of the yard...:)

Now we have to find something to support the "inside-nest" material... a few straight sticks, stuck through the bottom edge of the nest, will do the trick...you don't even have to glue them.

 

Now take the coconut fiber and cut a circle that's just a little larger than the inside of your nest...clip around the edges a little (like darts in dress-making) to make it fit better (you can also pull the fiber apart if it's too thick). You can even use just pieces of the fiber for this...it tends to stick to itself, and you're going to cover it up, anyway. Just stick it in there!

Now for the most fun!... Take little sheets of the spaghnum moss and give them a spray of adhesive, and place in the bottom of the nest...add some Spanish moss, too, for good measure. Then you can find other little pretty dried bits...(I used some of last year's Hydrangea blossoms that were still hanging on)...and add them here and there...

...I also added some dried asparagus fern that I just cut off my plant (it's spent the winter in the basement, and was kind of sad...but the delicate little dried fronds look great!

I added my little Orphaned Eggs from two years ago, and Voila! ~ what a fun little nest!

I will probably continue to add little bits of this and that from the garden, just playing...♥

I hope I've explained everything ~ as I said, there really is no right or wrong way...just do what you think looks good ~ please e-mail me if I can answer a question about a step that I did, though. ♥



(As some of you have probably guessed, I needed to do this project this afternoon to avoid working on that big watercolor...;)

Have a great week!

♥ ♥ ♥

Anne



Adding this tutorial to "Frugalicious Friday" at http://www.findingfabulousblog.com/ ~ fun, frugal decorating ideas!

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Erin Go Bragh!

Faith and begorrah, would you look at what I woke up to this mornin'...?!

I had no idea! I'll have to start referring to them as "The O'Kittehs"...

One more thing...

Do you see it? The four-leafed one in the middle? Not a Shamrock, sure, but a lucky clover! :) ~ My great Aunt Mamie used to get me with this when I was little...it just takes a leaf from another clover and a little spit, you see ~ (it won't work without it!)...;)

Sorry for all the Blarney ~ I couldn't resist!

Now, for some really beautiful Irish subject matter...

These monuments are in Gettysburg Battlefield (Gettysburg National Military Park), taken

 in summer 2010...

 

 

The New York Infantry's Irish Brigade monument...

I thought the Irish Wolfhound's vigil at the base of the Celtic cross was so poignant...

I took lots and lots of pictures, from every angle ~ this was one of my favorite monuments.

(Thank Heavens for digital SLRs...)

 

 

Irish symbolism all over, cast in bronze...

   

Gettysburg Battlefield was nothing like I expected...though, I'm not really sure what I expected ~ impressive, however, it was.

You really could tell it was hallowed ground.

There were wide open spaces, of course ~ cliffs, huge rock outcroppings...Little Round Top;

Devil's Den...

but many, many of the hundreds of monuments were deep in the woods...you would drive through really dense woods, then all of a sudden there would be a little clearing, and a monument ~ often with a little path around it and trailing into the woods.

(See above ~ and detail, below) ... that's another monument to the Irish soldiers.)

 

The life-sized bronze statues were fabulously detailed...just amazing...I took so many photos!



It was the middle of the afternoon when we got there, and dusk ~ really almost dark...before we left...I was using every last little bit of sun for picture-taking; the sunset-light on some of the bronzes was really beautiful.



I could have stayed another whole day, I think, just looking at details...



I would definitely go back, and stay much longer!

 

 



 Happy St Patrick's Day! Have a wonderful weekend! ♥ ♥ ♥Anne

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Morning Light, Lace & Leo...

I'd finished photographing the daffodils and clementines a few days ago, and was taking down my set-up...

Suddenly, there was an empty space, draped in lace ~ cat-less.

Leo had to fix that, pronto ~ (Leo to the rescue, as usual)!  We can't have such inviting spaces go cat-less, can we?   He quickly made a nest and settled down in the sun...Whew ~ that was close!

He looked so handsome there, back-lit in the morning sun, that I had to get the camera back out. I think this was his plan all along. :)

This morning I am...sketching! (The Magnolia and Hydrangeas) ~though, maybe first I should clean a couple of rooms or gather my tax papers to send to my daughter or...or...take a little nap?  As I said, I am the Queen of Procrastination...♥

Have a fantastic Friday, all...

♥ ♥ ♥

Anne

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Procrastinators Anonymous...

Last night my friend Marilyn asked me about paintings for an upcoming show (in July ~ at the Depot, here in Sikeston)...How many do I have ready?...Ummm...I think THIS is going to be the first one! I set this up on our little chess table last summer with two of my favorites flowers ~ a big, gorgeous magnolia blossom and hydrangeas in my little crystal bowl...

I always think I have so much time to do things, when in reality I know how each day ~ each month ~ flies by!

I need to get going!

♥ ♥ ♥

Anne

Post Script...

One reason I started my blog back up; I thought I would post art and works-in-progress and it would keep me motivated...well, I have been having fun with it and all (meeting new friends), but not making art!  I’m going to do better, though (I have to!!)....I think I'll start putting a progress note at the bottom of posts....you know what? I need to take my “countdown to spring” thingy off (since it seems to be full-on Summer now) and make it a “countdown to art show” one ~ (you can do that!) ~ I think that might actually help!

You know something funny...I had another show deadline a couple of years ago, and I just kept putting things off...and one day I was in the store buying milk, reaching way in the back for the ones with the farthest-out expiration date...and THERE WAS MY SHOW DATE! Arghh!! ~ THAT got me going! LOL ~ This is bigger than milk expiration-date-time frames, though, so I need to get in gear!

Have a great evening!

(AC is humming!)

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Tuesday in the Garden...

What a gorgeous day! I'm not sure if the temperature was record-breaking, but it felt like early summer here today...I spent the morning outside, (barefoot, but that's nothing new) picking clover for the bunnies... (Don't they look happy?...Even grumpy Warren! ♥) and checking the progress of all the perennials.  I'm sure my neighbors think I'm nutty, crawling around taking pictures of rocks and little flowers, but that's okay. I am. :)

I think I did set a new record for earliest turning on of the air conditioning, though ~ (just temporarily, maybe) ~ it was just so uncomfortable in the house tonight (humidity), and I could feel myself getting crabbier and crabbier...now, MUCH better!

The Day Lilies are up!

 

...and the Catnip...

 

The camera just doesn't do them justice, but the rocks in the raised herb beds were just glittering like diamonds...I'm a Sparkly Rock girl from way back...I think I spent most of my childhood outdoors, head down, looking for them in the creek bed or anywhere there was gravel...I would have thought I'd just died and gone to Heaven if I'd had some of these, then!

Henbit ~ yes, I know it's a weed, but if you look really close, the little purple flowers are just exquisite...when I was little I thought the little individual flowers looked like llama's heads...(still do)!

The Mystery Shrub (that my Grandma called Spice Bush) is about to bloom! As you can see, the flowers are borne in little clusters, sort of like Spirea, but golden yellow...does it look familiar to anyone?

That's all for this evening...Wednesday already tomorrow ~ my goodness!

♥ ♥ ♥

Anne

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