Good morning!

Well all the best intentions are just that...lol..Working full time really doesn't leave much time for anything..I so miss being home and  I can't believe how fast the days are flying.. where did September go? It's panic painting time for the fall here.. I just had 6 days off.. really?? how hard is it just to stay home for most of them?? apparently next to impossible...lol I did get some things done though and I think I have some mojo back and have all kinds of ideas in my head.. this is wonderful.. as I've been looking at things all summer going?????
Les is having a giveaway on her blog over at Harmony Road Studio and I even remembered how to put her button on the sidebar.. if you love Halloween.. you will love this!
I belong to the W.E.S.T. Etsy group in Winnipeg and we are having our very first craft sale Oct 13.. am excited ... not only to meet all these loverly members but it's a sale before Halloween! I don't do many of them and I love Halloween.. so the chance to paint for it is awesome!

If you're around.. should really give us a check out...
So here's one of my Halloween bottles...

Did some cute little bowls too.. so much fun!
Let's see.. so many things have been going on... Chaya turned 4.. hard to believe, she has started preschool 3 mornings a week.. and loves her homework for her music class... Tierney is growing like a weed.. really doesn't like peas much at all....lol My niece is expecting her 3rd little girl any day... My son and his girlfriend got engaged last weekend...I am excited and wish them all the best!
I am all caught up on quilling orders... did this invitation for a lovely lady in NJ for her daughter's wedding...

 Well.. that's about it for now I think.. need to get something done before work this afternoon.. I love my job.. and the peeps that I work with but.... couldn't holidays last for another couple of weeks??? lol Staying off the computer as much as possible is the only way to get anything done around here these days.. but hope I can catch up abit little by little... Have missed blogging and seeing what everyone is up to..
Thanks for popping by... and enjoy this loverly weekend for me too!!
Kath
xx

Catch up Summer of Color ... Week 5 & 6

I got a little behind with my last 2 weeks of the Summer of Color...can't believe it's over.. It has been so much fun..Thank you so much Kristin for another great challenge...I haven't really seen anyone's posts this past week.. hope to get to some in the next while.. but you know how it is when peeps start going on holidays.. more work for the rest of us...lol I just keep telling myself it's only another 10 days.. and then it's my turn... whooo hooooo!!!!
Anyways.. week 5 was Wild and Reckless.. lovely blues, greens and pinks...all my favorite colors... and keeping with the mandala theme I've been going with.. here's what I came up with... it's on an 8x10 canvas..I used fluorescent oil pastels for the background.. some loverly old music.. Helen from Cobra Graphics....shared this lovely line drawing of a dancer that she had acquired with me..Thank you Helen...I think the pic probably could  have been a bit brighter.. oh well.....

Week 6 is Watermelon Ice... This is done on watercolor paper with my Inktense pencils... I fully intended to put seeds in her hair..and tangle in it too.. but... am liking her like this... for now anyways...lol

It has been soooo hot and humid here.. doesn't do alot for me but for the garden .. it's fantastic.. have had my first zucchini and cucumber out of it now.. and salad every night too... waiting now for the cherry tomatoes to ripen... might have gone a little overboard on the number of plants I got.. last count.. about 100 cherry tomatoes starting to ripen... and look.... my first spaghetti squash!!

and a garden pic....

and last but not least.. my 2 favorite girls.... I got to babysit friday and saturday..long days but it sure was fun.. tiring but they were so good.. Isn't this the most jewel encrusted princess crown you have ever seen? this was our project while Tierney was sleeping on saturday afternoon..

And Tierney is wondering where that soother went??? lol
Anyways.. thanks for stopping by...I am sad that the Summer of Color challenge is over.. it has been fun.. hope you got a chance to take in some of the fabulous art that was presented... I might have to find another once a week challenge....lol
Take care..
Kath
xx

Summer of Color ..Week 4

Good morning... quick post...before I go to work.. I love mornings..I am up early... but getting out of the house to be at work for 8 is really hard..No matter how ready I get the night before.. am always running out of the house at the last minute...lol..I had a conference call the other day at work.. and while I was taking notes.. doodling of course too.. liked what I did so came home and started on a bigger piece of paper.. This weeks challenge over at the Color of Summer 2012 is Strawberry Lemonade... sounds delicious doesn't it? love these colors... I so want to put my fav lime green in here somewhere yet...lol but we shall see...

It has been so hot all week..around 40c with the humidex.. then we got a wicked storm pass thru on wed.. temps have been much nicer but am so glad I took this pic of my peony because when I got home from work.. not a petal left to be seen...

Garden is doing great though.. first squash has made it's appearance.. whooo hooo!! I'm doing a nice little craft sale tomorrow too.. hoping it goes well... trying out a couple of new things that I am not quite finished... so hopefully tonight... as well as pack the van.. being there for 7 to set up... not so easy...lol
Glad that I made it before the deadline sunday to get my Color of Summer in... if you get a chance.. take a look... I haven't had a chance to get to very many this week ..
Anyways.. wishing you the loveliest of days.... and thanks for stopping by....
Kath
xoxo

Summer of Color Week 3

It's Week 3! Check out some of the gorgeous art created with the colors from Baseball Nut Ice Cream over at Summer of Color and I'm still here...lol I have had this drawn for a couple of days but couldn't find any colors to do it with in my watercolors/pencils, crayons... until Les over at Harmony Road Studio suggested using acrylics on it.. now there I have tons of colors.. haven't used them in my journal before.. so thank you Les for suggesting it... I realize that it isn't exactly perfectly centered or even..I really should start using a ruler etc.. but am still really happy with it.. I really do think I need bigger paper next time...lol...

I am so excited ... my zucchini has 5... yes 5!! little zucchini's on it.. that's 2 more than I had all last summer...lol

Tiger Lilies are starting to open... soooo gorgeous...

I had sunday off and today so have started spraying things and thinking about getting ready for the fall.. so I collected up all my teapots.. and got them ready to spray... I was so sure I had more than 20 of them... but it's a start....and so it begins!!

 

Ok did it again...lol can't type from the end only the middle.. ugh... some day!!  

Anyways.. off to paint I think.. it's so gloriously hot and sunny outside.. might have to hang out there abit too and enjoy my only day off till the weekend...

Thanks for stopping by.. hope you are having a loverly day! Don't forget to check out some of the other sites too.....

Kath

xx

Color of Summer week 2...

Good morning... quick post before I head off to work... The art in week one of The Color of Summer was fantastic.. I didn't get to everyone's but what I did see what so wonderful.. Thanks to everyone who commented on mine as well... I can hardly wait to see all the week 2 pieces... Work sure gets in the way of having fun some times...lol
Anyways.. here's my week 2... Which was mint chocolate chip! One of my favs....In the picture this looks more black than brown though...

 But I did have fun with it....
Remember the kittens we found a couple of years ago? well Princess Lulu had kittens and we finally found where she had them... 5 of them! too cute.. so we took a couple of pictures to send to Chaya and here they are....

She has decided that the little orange one shall be named Betty Lulu??? really? no clue as to where she got that... but seeing as the name Princess Lulu was already taken...lol...
We had a lovely Father's day weekend..went in on sunday.. had a lovely seafood bbq and spent the night so had a lovely morning before I had to come home to go to work.. Tierney loves this bumbo chair.. she doesn't want to miss a thing now.. and Chaya is a great help making sure she has things to chew on...lol

Well that's it for now.. should get going and get ready for work.. I am so pleased that I did week 2.. whooo hooo!!
Hope you all have a loverly day... Thanks for stopping by...
Kath
xx

I am alive! and Color of Summer!

Where does the time go? I feel like I am in the middle of a whirlwind and life is just swirling around me.. nothing much changes.. work.. sleep.. hang out with the girls when ever possible..and here they are.. taken last week when I babysat them both for the first time... all by myself!! Went well... but was I tired...lol

We're just getting ready to leave for Chaya's ballet recital... too cute.. Tierney's just having a little catnap so she can watch it too...lol
Not alot of painting going on.. have been doing some orders and Quilling on a couple of wedding invitation orders .. here's the one that is finished and on it's way ...Thanks Les for blurring the names so I could post it..

For the past week or so I have been seeing all the beautiful art being posted for this years Color of Summer challenge... I so enjoyed it last year.. not sure that I will be able to keep up.. but it sure felt good to make some art ... so here's my art for the Rainbow Sherbert week one...it's done on a small canvas.. I love this saying..

So this is my challenge.. to make one piece of art a week and to do a post as well... lol doesn't sound that difficult does it? 
Hope everyone is doing well.. I have missed all of you and what you've been up to... hope to catch up little by little...
Have a loverly day and a wonderful weekend.. off to get ready for work....
Kath
xx

Very Late Baby News!

It's been a crazy few weeks.. can't believe that Miss Tierney will be 3 weeks old tomorrow...have spent alot of time driving back and forth in between working.. She is beautiful though.. Born March 3 at 5:41 in the morning.. a snow storm baby! I spent a couple of days with them this week too but was so busy forgot to take a new pic to show you.. so here's a pic of Chaya holding Tierney for the first time... she's totally in love with her little sister.....

Miss Tierney had a St. Patrick's Day sleeper for my b-day .. too cute...

I am wondering if she is the most petted baby around?? lol.. Chaya is very gentle with her.. and has even got used to the noise she makes...What an absolute joy they both are!
I changed my comment thing to approve comments now.. someone told me they had changed the comment verification to something ridiculous.. so am hoping I did it right..
No pictures of blankets..keep forgetting to take them..I  finished the two orders, and have 2 in the cupboard for the next two babies due in March.. working on the one for my niece in April.. some painting going on.. not enough as usual.. booked a show end of April.. so should boogie on this...lol Spending some time getting things up in my Etsy store.. hope to get these up today before I go to work...

And this one a knitting friend suggested.. now I think I need to do a crochet one too...lol

 

Well no clue as to what I did this time either so that I start in the middle.. Hope all is well with all of you.. will try and catch up some soon.. It has been like summer here for the past week with temps anywhere from 15c to 20c on my birthday.. unheard of.. and buds on some of the trees already.. beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by.. Have a loverly day and weekend...

Kath

xx

Happy Friday!!!

Good morning.. it's a cold nasty day out there already.. brrrr...but this is my weekend off..3 whole days off...I just have to get thru today... lol.. All I have done all week is put out Easter Candy it seems.. wow...
No baby yet... Today is her last day of work, and her due date is the 29th.. so here's hoping will have some news soon... Have my bag packed and ready to head into the city as soon as she calls..lol
I finished one order for a baby blanket and have started the second.. I love pink...

I made Chaya a new big girl tv watching afghan.. she's pretty much outgrown her baby blanket I gave her.

And here she is wearing her Valentine's Day stick on earrings and rings... she loves those earrings...lol

If you get a chance.. take a look at Taylor's from Perfectly Sensible Nonsense's  Beautiful video.. she did a fantastic job on it..
Well I apparently didn't load the pics I thought I had to show you my new canvas so will have to wait for another day...
I should get ready for work anyways... Have a loverly Friday and thanks for stopping by...
Kath
xx

Spring has left!!

Yup.. I know it was just a false spring but it was loverly... +5c in February.. wow... but now it's back down to -22.. much more Februayrish..(so do not think that is a word but you know what I mean) .. this is my third day off in a row.. I have accomplished some things..didn't put too much pressure on myself.. lovely mental health break..finished another blanket.. and on to the next one...This is done in a variegated green and yellow yarn with a sparkly twist to it...

When I was in the city the other day I saw some metallic pastels.. haven't really used pastels before but I cannot pass up anything shiny...lol.. I had base coated a couple of 6x6 canvasses black before and could just see it in my mind.. so here it is... feeling very rusty it's been so long since I played with any art... still thinking of some words to put on it but for now this is good...I am happy!! Soooo loving those metallics...and pastels.

Lesley over at Harmony Road Studios gave me this lovely blog award...for peeps that have under 200 followers and are just lovely...I usually forget about these things.. I know others been so kind as to give me awards and I haven't followed thru on them.. So here are my picks for absolutely lovely peeps!
1.Jaime, amazing artist and  my Creative Sistah  over at Artsyfartsyme.. 
2.Pam over at Fantail Digital Art.. that gave me this lovely award way back when I wasn't really posting anything..check out her lovely photos..
3. Laurie over at Energy Art and Healing that does the most amazing work..
4. Brandy over at Artbrat's Bits and Pieces another Creative Sistah that does wonderful work too.
5. last but not least Melinda over at Inspiration Earth who always inspires me with her insights.

Please follow these simple rules.

1. Share your appreciation with the blogger who awarded you 

the Liebster by linking back to their blog.

2. Post the award.

3. Share the 5 blogs you are awarding the Liebster with

and let them know that they have received it.

4. Enjoy the new attention this award brings to your blog.

5. And last, but not least - have fun.

If you get a chance, please stop by and say hi to these five lovely girls...

Hmmmm, seeing as I copied and pasted that.. can't seem to get over to the side...lol off to let them know that I gave them an award...

Off to the dr's this afternoon.. all this rest has made me sick..lol.. thinking sinus infection and possible bronchitis.. sooo not good... 

Hope you all are having a loverly day... Thanks for stopping by...

Kath

xx

 

February 1st.... wow!

Good morning.. I don't know about you but I don't think that I saw much of January as it whizzed thru.. hard to believe a whole month has gone by... I have been reading different blogs and articles about your word for the year.. and I think mine is Balance.. I need to figure out a balance between working, art and just living.... Working 4 days a week is a necessary  fact now  but so is painting for sales and Art just for the fun of it... I miss looking at something and seeing the potential in it.. it's depressing to just sit and look at everything and have no spark.. Does this happen to you? How are you working everything in? The list thing is not working too good right now.. just looking at it makes me want to nap...lol...or just sit and crochet.. which is ok too I guess... I made a list of how many new babies will need blankets before the fall.. 8 .. can you believe it?? So exciting to have so many blessings coming this year.. So on that note.. blanket for our new baby is done... will deliver tomorrow when I go into babysit..

Love this pattern.. so pretty... I'm on the third ball of yarn for the one I am working on now.. need 2 more blankets before the end of March...
I did finish my august page in my Creative Sistah's Journal.. For me August is special as it's my oldest daughter's birthday.. after miscarriages and a stillborn son at term I didn't think I would ever have any kids.. She was meant to be here and the joy that she has brought me is immeasurable..I think this is my favorite book of all time.. My Mom had given it to the kids when they were small and I still can't read it without having a cry..

Cathy over at Tolentreasures is having a giveaway.. one of her lovely paintings..if you haven't checked out her blog yet.. do so.. you'll love it! Lots of crafty ideas and fun!
I did get a few signs painted.. can you tell I'm in Amma mode?? lol the most popular names for grandmother's around here are Amma, Baba, Nana and Grandma.. what about where you are? I do get request for Oma occasionally.. so here's a sample of one of them.. hoping to get them up in my Etsy shop soon..those write ups just kill me....and figuring out the postage.. ugh....it makes no sense to me that if it fits in a bubble envelope and slides thru that slot... just because it's not paper in the envelope it has to go as a parcel???? why??? and therefore more expensive to send...

Over the past couple of days it has snowed about 4 inches.. but the temps are rising.. they are predicting around 0c for the next week.. what a wonderful way to start February!!! And at work on Monday I put out the Seed display.. sure sign that spring is coming....Now I know I had things on a list that I wanted to say or do on my next post.. but not sure where the list went..lol  So this is it for me today.. I work 12-7:30 today.. funny it's been hard to get used to the shorter hours at work, now we are only open till 9 on thursdays and fridays..which is wonderful!!!
Have a loverly day.. thanks for stopping in..
Kath
xx

Brrrrrrrr.......

Well winter is finally here.. days of between -25 and -47c this morning with the wind chill... arghhh.. don't think my feet will ever be warm again....lol   Had 2 glorious days off and worked thru alot of random things on my list.. was wonderful to feel like I had some time to myself.. no painting or anything up on Etsy but am set up for painting and have pics ready to do the write ups for but  there was things that needed to be done first..shows to send applications for, gallery fees to be paid,  covers sewn for the change table .. I didn't want Chaya to feel that the baby was getting so many new things so I made pj's for her barbies.. they are not the best.. haven't made barbie clothes since my girls were small.. soooo piddly but fun..can see this using up alot of scraps in the future...lol

My daughter's best friend's due date is the week before hers.. so here's the baby blanket I just finished for her first baby.. I am just finishing the edging on the one for our new baby so should have pics in a couple of days...

I got the newsletter for the new Our World Our Art, so excited about it.. I stumbled on a link for the One World One Heart at one time.. and had so much fun checking out all the blogs.. and seeing all the beautiful art out there... can hardly wait.. just thinking about what to do for it....Hope I am jump started by then...so blah these days.. you know it's bad when you're dreaming about work and where you're going to move things for inventory on saturday.. lol That nightmare will be over by saturday night though... Yay!!!!
I did get a chance to hit the thrift shop on the weekend though... got some cool things...

I know... Yay!! more stash!! lol just couldn't pass them up...
Anyways.. Hope it's warmer there than here.. should start getting ready for work... Have a loverly day! and thanks for stopping by...
Kath
xx

Good morning...

Short post.. have to get ready for work..Cleaning and getting ready for inventory!! fun times.. I just wanted you to check out Les's blog Harmony Road Studio .. she has some great prizes for her 300th post..I want to win!! lol I have her button up on the side there ...check it out.. she does lovely work.
We finally got snow the other day.. and expecting more tonight... ugh... and wind.. could be pretty nasty... keeping fingers crossed it misses us.. lol shouldn't complain.. the winter will seem so much shorter...
I did an order for a girl before christmas.. all sunflowers.. I don't paint nearly enough of these lately.. on the list for this year though...

So go check out Les's giveaway... and have a wonderful day!!
Heigh Ho.. Heigh Ho it's off to work I go!!
Kath
xx