Mid-May and my eldest daughter's 38th birthday - where does the time go?

Wow - where does time go?  I've been retired about 13 months now and I can attest to the fact that I am not bored - I think the days have gotten shorter by half at least and I have twice as much to do.  I am loving it.  I just need to take the time to sit down and write about it - and do some video.  Life is good.

The first part of today I spent in the vegetable garden.  I am planting the same area that my late husband used to plant.  I'm doing it my way though.  I've created a boundary around the garden that I like a lot using cement blocks and landscape timbers.  I've also put up a makeshift pergola made up of a tarp and some tent poles for now.  Maybe by next year I will have the nerve to scavenge some lumbler and actually make a year round pergola for the garden.  It would be nice to grow peas and beans on while shading lettuce and other leafy greens.

I'm adding some photos that I took after I finished working in the garden.  This is a big blog post - lots of pictures to document some of the areas that I've been working on as well as the vegetable garden.  I have so many plans and ideas.  One of my new projects for this year will be to do some experimenting with Aquaponics and Hydroponics.  I bought some buckets to start out with and just need some PVC and aquarium pumps to get started.  Fun.

Marigolds, basil and seeds for radishes, carrots 

Hot Pepper plants and seeds for beets

View from the vegetable garden back to the house

Nasturtium seeds planted

Tomato plants, cucumber, yellow watermelon, yellow squash
and sunflowers

The undisrupted space to the right is Sunflower seed.
There will be three variety.  5-7 foot, 7 - 9 foot and 12 foot.

 

rock wall garden pink lilac

Peony garden

Iris and peony garden with a view
 back to house,
deck side.

This all takes a lot of time and labor.  I mow it and grow it.

Lily of the valley in front/right side of house

Wisteria in front of house

Birch stand at left side of house view
to vegetable garden.

Front Right of house.  Dwarf
bush, white snowball and lily of
the valley.

View back to field with
Apple Trees.  Red is a pole
barn and black "cannon"
are compost bins.

Another view of the Apple Orchard.

Left side of garage
facing the field.

Birch Stand showing
the shed.

White Lilacs by the Garage.
Rock wall garden with
hostas.

Bleeding hearts.

Another bleeding
heart by the garage.

A cute aside about my compost barrels.  I use the word "cannon" to describe them in the picture because last weekend when my 9 year old grand daughter came for a visit she asked her mother why Nana has cannons in her field? - LOL - (survival of the fittest...)

I bought a small 5'X7' green house to put up.  I am thinking of starting the aquaponics in it.  This is a new adventure for me.  I've enjoyed gardening but it's usually flowers - Ted was always the bulk veg gardener of the family.  We shall see what we shall see.  Thank you for taking the time to look at the objects of my endeavor.  If you have any comments or questions I would love to hear them.

Have a beautiful day and enjoy every nano second.
K

New YouTube video up - Altered Book Art Journal

Hi - I know it's been a while; but, I've been on vacation, celebrating my birthday and just generally being me.  (That takes a lot of time - sometimes.)

I've been working on an old book that I found - well, I'm not really sure where I found it - but it's become quite a project for altering.  This is what I call "messy Art" and it's right up my alley.  I am getting very gluey and paint smeared and loving every minute.  This project actually started at the end of 2014 and will most likely be a work in progress for much of 2015.  I didn't realize how much effort it takes to create an altered book!

The video I put up on YouTube only shows the progress I've made to date.  It may not look like much but believe me - it's been an effort.  The book, an old text book I think, had over 500 pages and I've whittled it down to about 20 two sided pages - lots of editing there.  The paper is on the thin side so I glued two pages together in each instance to form one stronger page.  I will be adding paper and ephemera as I go so the pages will get stronger - I'm just hoping that the binding holds up!

Here are a couple of pictures - one of the outside of the book - as yet unaltered and one of the middle spread that I did this morning.  Bare in mind that I am only beginning work on these pages - what you see is only the start of the background - not the finished background and the actual page layout isn't even in the idea stage yet.  Loads of fun - and I find it really exciting to just do this as I go - by the seat of my pants so to speak - no blue print or seat belts here.  LOL.

The front of the book - isn't the image interesting?  I think I may just emphasize it rather than cover it.

My phone lets me write on my photos - just thought it was cool.

Middle background spread in progress - scraps of paper, die cuts and gesso so far - options are endless...

I think this is the link to the video - I hope you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph2xeAW7tio

I am planning to post videos showing my progress.  Don't forget to like my Facebook page to see photos of other projects that I'm working on.

https://www.facebook.com/cambridgegiftsbykelly?ref=hl
(if it's the first time you've visited my FB page - please don't forget to "like" it.


Thanks for joining me - K

Coloring paper blossoms today...

Hi - welcome back!  Glad you came over to take a look.  I have been busy creating paper Cherry Blossoms to embellish projects and I am very happy with how they came out.  I even made a YouTube video showing how I create them.  You can see the YouTube Video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy7jNoCGhQY&feature=youtu.be

I'm having a lot of fun lately!  I'm trying to use what I have - and since I've been crafting - collecting for many, many years - I have lots to use.  Probably for a few life-times.  This is a picture of my completed flowers - I really like them.  The paper changed a lot through the process and looks kind of Glassine - no longer like scrapbooking paper!

If you look at the YouTube video you will see a "mess" on my desk - I'm going back to do something with the paper butterflies I have cut out too - hmm, what will it be?

It's cold - still - outside today.  I think this has been one of the snowiest Februaries in a long time.  Wally and I will be going out to feed the birds in a little bit - at least I will go to fill the feeders and the suet cages - Wally will go out to chase the birds - he's fast but they fly faster.  He looks so confused - it's funny - I think he wants to fly too...

I hope your day is sunny and that you are happy.  Take care and be blessed - K

Polymer clay and wire wrapping - YAY!

I tried a new thing today, well - at least new for me.  I had a moon stone type, tear-drop shaped piece of polymer in my craft room and couldn't think of anything to do with it.  I was looking on Pintrest and saw a piece of wire wrapped polymer - and there were holes in the polymer with wire going through the holes!  Wow - the possibilities.  I have wrapped wire around polymer - not ever through it.

This meant getting out my tools.  I have a Dremel that I hadn't used in years and a dapping hammer - YAY!  I think I enjoyed this part more than the wrapping part to be honest.  So I drilled some holes, hammered a little wire and the photo below is the result.  It's not perfect, but I think for a first try it came out pretty good - and oh the possibilities!

Moonstone polymer in pink and black

I've been wanting to do a video on three of my dragon pieces - but my house is so loud in the winter!  I got a new oil furnace installed last November and the house is so loud it's hard to hear myself think.   The camera picks that sound up really well too.

The brown dragon guardian I've shared before there are two more that defend Dragon world too and I don't think I've shown them - at least not here.  There is a gray guardian and a purple guardian.  They are both defending a precious stone.  (Also made of polymer clay.)  The cabochon that the Purple Guardian is defending is also wire wrapped.

Gray Guardian

Back view showing wing and tail detail.

Other side - this really shows the leg detail.

Purple Guardian

Back view - highlights the wing and back detail

The Purple Guardian also holds a small pearl in his tail.

It's been really snowy and cold here again today - it is February though and both February and March tend to be the higher snow fall months here in the Cambridge Valley.  I hope that where ever you are this finds you happy, healthy and doing something that you enjoy.  Remember that every day may not always be good - but every day has it's good moments - cherish those you find.  K

Another very snowy day -

The weather forecast was really off for my area in upstate NY a couple of days ago - and now here again it was off - last time they really over predicted and I think this time they under predicted.  It's really snowing out there - my tire tracks from earlier are almost completely filled in and all the sweeping and shoveling I did - now looks like I didn't.  Oh well, welcome to the great northeast!

Today instead of showing more of my art and craft works, I'm just putting up a few pictures from my sunroom window - the birds predict the best - my side yard feeders are filled with the busy feeding feathered friends.  Its a flurry of bird activity out there - the last storm that didn't happen but this time - wow - my feeders have been packed non stop - good think I refilled them too.  I may have to refill in a little while - it's supposed to dropped dangerously cold later and stay that way for a few days - don't want to do it then.

Woodpecker on suet cage and cardinal in the feeder.

Lots of birds under the black walnut tree.

Some activity under the birch trees.

Many birds moving around in the birch branches.

Of course as soon as I tried to take pictures quite a few of the birds flew off.  Its really nice to be inside and watch all of the activity of the outdoors.  It was nice outside earlier - but I'm over that now.

My next posting will be showing some of my polymer clay jewelry.  Hope to see you back again for that.  Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog post.  I hope that you are safe and happy - have a creative day.  Be well.  K

Final day of my participation in the Facebook 5 Day Art-Doll Challenge

Today is the last day that I will show three photos of my art-dolls on FaceBook - doesn't mean I won't post my art - just not because of this challenge.  LOL.  This has given me a taste to get back into making dolls and art items again.  I hope that you follow my blog and my YouTube channel so that (if you're interested) you will see when I have something new to show.

These are today's dolls:

Hansel and Gretel Candy Witch

Crazy Quilted Cape

Graveyard Witch

Boo to you too!

Grandfather Cloud Walker

The link to my 5th day on YouTube is here:

http://youtu.be/QlYcLD5jVfY

This video goes into more detail about each doll and more of the work involved is displayed.  I hope you enjoy it and that you like and subscribe to my channel.  I would really appreciate it - shameless self promotion here!

Be well!  Thank you for looking - I certainly love that you've looked.  K

Shall we dance? The Art-Doll 5 day challenge

Today is day four of my participation in the 5-day Art-Doll challenge.  I shared some photos for today which I will also share here.  Cloth doll making is a long time love that I've gotten away from in recent years.  This challenge has made me want to get back to creating them.

Cloth Rag Doll - Forgetmenot

This rag doll pattern was one of my very favorite beginning patterns.  This doll I have kept for myself - I love her.

Navigator Bear

This little bear with his flight jacket I made for my late husband, Ted.  Ted was a Lt. Col. navigator when he retired from the Airforce.  He loved his LT Col. Ted E Bear.

Minuet

These dolls are a dancing duo - yet unfinished.  I really enjoyed making these dolls.  They are from a class/pattern by Barbara Schoendorf.  If you would like to see more detail I've included the link to my youtube video here:

http://youtu.be/MnVdLwjb76A

Thank you for taking a look at my blog.  I hope that today finds you happy and healthy and in just the right frame of mind.  Take care - K