Altered Ancestors

I've been working on a paint project that is interesting.  I decided to present my family ancestry in a new way.  I am collaging their photos and hints of their history in ephemera and other goodies.  I want to look at them every day and not just once in a while.  So, I sat down and got started.  I first layered about 8 layers of Gesso to prep the canvas and throw in a little sanding to give a good basecoat.  Pick out a couple of really fun colors and slap them around to create a festive background.  This isn't really going to be visible so don't fret too much about your color choices....Just pick your fav colors.

This is a collection of pics from my great-grandparents.  He farmed a hundred acres in Oklahoma.  My Great Grandfather passed away when I was young, but I knew my Grannie very well.  We always had great fun playing Croquet in the backyard.  She loved to fish and pick blackberries.  I just remember how hot and sweaty it was while I helped her!

Then I prepped a second canvas and did a grouping of my ancestors on my father's side of the family.  I was relieved to see the hair on my Great-great Grandfather!  Now I know why my hair goes 'Irish' and totally out of control.  These are still in the process of finishing and I am known to keep adding things months later.  So, all of them will be works in progress for a while. 

I have 2 more canvases on the table right now and are much smaller.  I have to think a bit harder about what I want to place where and what to add to tell the story of my family.  Sheesh, That is the really hard part....Thinking!!!

Candlelight Crafting

...or perhaps the title should read....Desperate and Bored to Death Crafter!!  After 12 hrs. of no power in this winter storm, I resorted to collecting all my candles and mirrors. 

The mirrors were placed upright behind the votives to double my candlelight don't ya know.  Or, how to spend half as much time and get twice as much light.  Yes, lazy and inventive...that's me.  I set them up on my crafting space to do some paper and glue madness.  That was what I was feeling about that time.  Low and behold, just as I sat down...Voila (insert angels singing here)...the power came on!  Be still my happy heart.

I did a lot of this just to stay warm. 

Electricity is my friend and I really missed it today.  My DH often thinks my feet will be flaming as close as I stay to that fire, but it felt soooooo good on this snowy day.  I really appreciate the guys who worked out in this awful weather to restore things to normal.  My DH used to do that very thing before he retired and I know how hard it is on them.  Don't forget to let your power people know how much you appreciate their dedication in adverse conditions to make your life comfy.

Check this one out

While I am away helping a friend, you must jump over to Robolady's blog and check out her giveaway.  She always has cute stuff.  I'll be back in a couple of days to catch up.

Chester Chooser

I must say that Chester was so excited, he could hardly hold his eyes open at first.  He got into it though and started pulling out names....and more names, until they all lay around him and he was so confused!  So, he started eating them.  No pics cause I was trying to rescue you gals from his clutches and being chewed to pieces.  haha.  He did get control and pulled out a lucky winner!

Janet of Sweet Talk..."come on down", as they say in those big cities.

Congratulations Janet!  Y'all jump over to her blog to check out her flashcards and ideas.  You'll love them.

Well, this has been fun and I know Chester enjoyed all the excitement.  He immediately had to go take a nap to recover, poor guy.  As for me, I'm off to the races, as they say,  to use up the little bit of energy I have stored up for the day.  Today is a great day and I hope you all have a full day of happiness everyday.

Plugging on..

My best intent to be a more attentive blogger got a bit sidelined this week.  I ended up in ER due to a minor major lack of breathing ability.  Asthma sucks and then throw in some bronchitis and pneumonia.  No panic now, 3 days of heavy meds and rest have done their job.  Phew!  What a week. 
This pic of the pitcher and candle are courtesy of my DH.  He was fascinated with the play of light and shadows happening on these 2 pieces.  He was quite funny the way he was suggesting the composure at this exact lighting moment and the contrast was very interesting.  "Just when you may feel like it...."  He had an urgency of the moment that I wasn't particularly feeling.  Well, of course, curiousity got the best of me and I drag myself up out of my recovery-mode chair and check it out.  It was a cool pic of a very old pitcher we had inherited from my husband's family.  I just never think to take photo's of these great objects.

Blog giveaway ends on Saturday the 23rd

I will perhaps be up to speed and helping a friend paint her living room.  I will hopefully remember to tug myself away and post the winner by noon.  Just leave a comment on that post and you will be entered.  Thanks to all my friends for all their support and well-wishes this week and always.

Blog Milestone Giveaway

I am so excited to finally be able to celebrate my 100th post.  It has taken perhaps longer than the norm since I don't post on a regular basis.  It seems that life gets in the way...mostly good, but sometimes NOT.  This crazy blog addiction began in July '08.  I love all of you that stop by for a chit chat and leave comments.  It has opened a whole new world of friends.  You must scroll down to the bottom of this post for a giveaway as my Thank You to all of you. 

Now onward to the post at hand.  I have to share some of my garage sale goodies first.  I luv to get the  boxes of mixed items for a few $$.  You may spy one lone item that piques your interest and then you find surprises in the bottom of the box.  It's like Christmas everytime that happens.  Well, I snagged a 'Christmas' box recently and only this week went through it to reveal all of it's goodness.  I had already stashed some of it in my hutch.  I scored the glass bottle with the silver top and the potato masher and added the Jello mold.

My fav is the crimped mini pitcher with the silver handle.  I can't tell if it is a home-made creation, but is well made and really unique.  I am a sucker for the molds also.  They are also convenient to hold all types of smalls.  I think old advertising art is wonderful and the aqua and black Jockee soap is a classic.

And then we have the strainers collection.  The perferated tin one is quite unusual.

The spoon is a multipurpose wonder for a bar.  I hadn't ever seen one of those.  The adorable little strainer is barely and inch across with ultra-fine mesh.  What on earth needs to be strained that requires such a small strainer?  Inquiring minds want to know......

That brings me to a serious inquiry about the unusual squeezer thingy...What is this thing and what does it do?

This is aluminum and the handles spread out and the square part opens up.

Then we can close the handles and the square opening closes.  The only purpose I can even surmise is a lemon squeezer.  If anyone has any fresh input about this unusual goody, please share.

NOW for the GOOD STUFF....

Ok, I am going to quit babbling about all my garage sale goodies because I want to gift one of you for visiting my blog.  I have decided to share a little bit from all my stashes.

I made the petite pillow from a vintage linen towel and it has a mini pillow made of pillow ticking inside.  The linen napkins have exquisite cross-stitch embroidery.  A beautiful organza apron accented with pink floral hankies  and add in an embroidered linen table topper.  As hard as I tried with several different backdrops, I could not get a decent pic of the apron so you will have to trust me that it is adorable.

I personally love my canning jars filled with lots of smalls and miscellaneous treats so I wanted to share one filled up for you too. I just gathered a bit and a bob from here and there. Perhaps you can find that little sumpin,sumpin to add a little to one of your own creations.  Who knows what will also find it's way into the goody box by next Saturday!

You can throw your name in the pot to win all these gifts by leaving me a comment.  Even if you don't have a blog, leave a comment and you can email your address seperately so I can contact you if Chester the Cat draws your name.  I, urrr, He will draw a winner next Saturday. 
 

Thank you to all my followers and lurkers who have become my blog friends. 

I hope to get to know you all better in the future.

Bring on the duster

I've been riding my vacuum like a banshee and swinging my duster with the wind!  I do my 'spring' cleaning right now.  There's no waiting around for me because when spring does arrive, I have better things to do outside.  This year I am decluttering my surfaces and pulling out my tarnished silver and white or creamy stuff.  I just can't resist unique serving pieces when I see them and I gathered a few in a cut glass cream pitcher.

I've been prepping canvases for a project idea that has been tumbling around in my head for a while.  Quit laughing now....I know you are thinking.."How did I find it then!"  Well I did and I'll be using a few of these pics perhaps....

This is a shot of my great grandparents.  This is kinda deceiving because Granny barely came to Grandad's shoulder, if even that tall!  He was over 6 feet tall.  It's clear where the height factor entered our family gene's.  Apparently both pics by the same slightly askew photographer.

Grandad in a parade or rounding up a posse?

My Granny loved her hats and doesn't she look sassy with this one!

I will try really hard to take pics of this little project and share soon.

I also noticed that I am nearing my 100th post!  OMG!!  Hmmm, I've never had a giveaway and I am baffled at what gifts to bestow on my blog friends.  I wanna make it a good one for ya.  I'll work on that one and get a giveaway post done very soon.

Thanks for being patient when I don't blog for weeks on end.  I actually resolve to be more consistent at blog posts among many other things.