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I Like

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Lee Anna  asks us: Baby animals are often born in the Springtime. If you could choose any baby animal to be your pet, what would you pick and why? Don't worry about space or legal restrictions, just imagine having it. Well, I am a dog person through and through.  Still, I think Banksy is the last baby animal we will have.  Babies are so much work!  We would probably adopt an older dog after Banksy.  But hopefully, we won't have to think about that for a very long time.   This question made me think about the time when I was a young girl and found a mouse outside.  I carefully collected it and put it into a pail.  I added some grass for it and I planned to keep it as a pet.  My mother made me keep it outside and the next morning it was gone.  She told me it escaped.  I was so disappointed.  As an adult, I realize there is no way it could have escaped without some help. Funny that as a little girl, I had no fear of mice.  Where did that brave little girl go?  Mice totally creep m

Work in Progress Wednesday

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 This piece has been hanging around for a while.  Ever so close to being finished but not quite there.  It needed just a few more yarns to make it complete.  To my great delight, I have the perfect frame for it. I love it when a piece comes together so easily

Mandala Monday

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  This mandala was an interesting experiment.  I used alcohol inks on a transparency for the background.  I added embossing powder through a stencil.  I wasn't terribly happy with the result so I added paint through the same stencil but slightly offset.  It gives it a drop shadow which I find interesting.  

Slow Stitching Sunday

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 Here are two more of my little scroll pages.  They each have a piece of the same silk on them.  I like to have some continuity.  I will space these pages apart when I sew them together into the scroll though.  I haven't made a lot of stitching progress on these but some is better than nothing. I am linking to https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/

I Like

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LeeAnna  has more spring questions for us this week. What Spring creatures might you see in the wild where you live right now? I love seeing the robins as they proclaim warmer weather is coming.  Supposedly!  We are getting more snow right now.  We didn't get a lot of snow this year so I should not whine.  But I am so ready for warmer weather! Yesterday was fun.  I had a doggy guest and his owner told me about an art-making activity for dogs.  I decided to give it a try.  Pictured above is my Banksy with his masterpiece!  Both dogs loved getting to lick some peanut butter.  I don't think they cared about the art so much.  Chantal was thrilled with her dog's art and was going to put it up on the fridge!  Of course.   I will definitely be doing this with other dogs! I have such a long list of likes and things I am grateful for.  Mostly they are small and simple things.  I won't list them.  But having such a long list makes me think about what a good life I have.  

Work in Progress Wednesday

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 In the depths of winter, I found myself painting this.  It is a large piece of cloth, much bigger than I usually work.  It started its life back in the summer when I had a family gathering.  I put the plain fabric on an easel and gave the children paints.  They all contributed their marks.  It was a lot of fun for me to add my marks to it. It is an expressive abstract painting.  I know what I see in it but I wonder what others might see.  It is always fun to learn what others see coming through.  I am a little tempted to add some stitching to it.  I am not convinced that is the best idea though.   There is an invitational art show coming up.  I am debating hanging this at that show.  It is not a juried show so it would definitely be hanging.  I don't consider myself a painter so the insecurities are really flying around my head.  I am not sure that I can work up the courage to do it.  
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 I used a stencil to create this mandala.  I used it in the most basic of ways and that feels a little like cheating.  I often use stencils but usually, they are a jumping-off point.  That feels more creative to me.  However, this stencil is gorgeous and needs nothing added to it.  Plus the background is quite busy so enough is enough. I used embossing powder on the vellum.  I wasn't sure how the vellum would react to the heat gun.  I was careful to keep it at a distance and it worked perfectly.  I created the background with alcohol ink markers.  They work perfectly.  Since creating this background I have played more with the markers and found a way to make them less blotchy looking, more blendy.