art design ideas

In an effort to hurry spring, (As if I can, *giggle*)I bought and inexpensive pair of pink plaid tennis shoes, ( Since our trips southwest are to be a bi-yearly event, not having a break this year makes the cold seem unbearable) I will wear them about the house tomorrow. (Of course I will put on appropriate footwear if I go outside, but allow me my delusions. ) What next? An indoor picnic perhaps?

We decided to exchange the light fixture. While the new one is not as artistically pleasing, (The first was a curved, brushed nickel and glass affair) This one gives a brighter light, and fits in with the track ceiling lights in the rest of the house.
I am getting a new task lamp for the worktop as well, similar to the one on my art desk I think. I would like to splurge on an Ott light some day, but I do like the kind I already have.

We are nearing the end of this project. I will try to take a more photos when we do.
I'm in search of the right cupboard for the sewing machine/recycle bin, as the floor space is just under the standard 24”inches on that side. The washing machine cannot be moved over any more, due to the placement of the outlet pipes and the water hoses.
On the other side, we need the room to get to the water heater. However, There is just enough room on the upper left for a cupboard, and the new flooring will be laid in the next two weeks or so, I hope.

I hadn’t done any book binding in a while, so I made this mini sketch book on Tuesday, all from recycled materials:

A fresh batch of small, plain origami boxes for gift wrapping :

My fellow Etsyan mikish has a second shop for her handmade totes here: http://mikishmink.etsy.com/

We both seem to have a fondness for sewing graphic and colourful totes.

Some of my favorites for valentines from hubby!




I missed much of the eclipse. I meant to watch but was preoccupied and I didn’t remember until the end. This is what I saw:
A very bright moon with the tail end of the earth’s shadow (the lighter, crescent shadow on the right) It brings a cat’s eye to mind .
It was a very cold night and is a very cold day, about 8* below zero as I type.





I received the spring issue of Cast-On Magazine on Monday. I like the lace anklets, so I may try that, even though I usually have fun working out my own lace patterns.


















Whilst waiting for the arrival of the spring issue of American Archaeology, I am finishing reading the one from last spring, as I have exhausted the issues from last fall/winter and summer. The article on deaccessioning would have been useful years ago when I had to research on my own at the museum, but it worked out well in the end.







Anyhow, the project is going well. I sewed the shade for the door’s window on Sunday, used my sewing machine on the newly built worktop.
I wanted something pretty, to soften the space. I will be buying a weather insulating curtain for the door. It will hang from a swing arm rod on the door frame for easy opening of the door.

I painted the bottom cupboards and added the new draw pulls, and we built the new worktop. It is removable in case we need to use the sink, but we rarely do. We sometimes use it to clean our hands and paint brushes, and I do some potting there, but I wash delicates in a separate washbasin so we shouldn't need it much.
I’ve also put a first coat of the white wax finish on the trim around the work top. The wood grain shows through nicely, so I will also use the finish on the top.
I’ve already painted the wall over the sink, which will be my gallery/idea wall, and hubbyinstalled the deep wire shelf above. The old shelf was only 12 inches deep, and this one is 16 inches, so It gives us much more room for bulky things we don’t often use.

Work in progress...


Amaryllis, Feb 12th thru 17th

I've been saving this photo I took weeks ago , I hope it makes you smile. Mother Nature's whimsy!
I hope your day is special.


My knitted heart bag I had listed on Etsy:




















The project is going well. Hubby installed the new light fixture on Saturday, however, one of the three glass shades had a break in it, so I telephoned the manufacturer, and they are shipping a new one to us. Hopefully it will arrive before the weekend. I will add a few more before and after photos soon.



I've not been drawing or painting in the last week or so but I have been knitting a bit, and am nearly ready to block the cushion cover
(' just working on the last bit, the button flap).





I started this cross-stitch piece about 3 or 4 years ago. It is from a book of patterns adapted from William Morris designs by Barabara Hammet, which I like very much. I finished only the upper right quarter then. At Christmas time in '06, I was recovering from another bit of surgery and on bed rest, so I was able to get to this point:



I seem to be in the mood to work on it again, so I should have the main section completed soon, if not the border, which is the most difficult part. I've changed a few things to make it uniquely mine, including the colour of the border, which was to be blue, but I wanted white .
My hope is to complete all unfinished sewing/knitting/embroidery projects, there are three each, before summer, then I will spend more time with my paint boxes.