Tag Archives: images

In search of a shed…

In search of a shed…
In search of a shed…

The hubs says if we move back permanently from Charlotte to Millers Creek, we’ll need a shed to store some of our extra furnishings.

My sister-in-law, Pamela McLean, has a lovely studio she designed from a shed. In fact, I should visit, photograph and write about her and her studio sometime!

In the meantime, I’m thinking why can’t a shed be storage, now, and studio space, later?

I bought the current issue of Where Women Create mainly because of this:

and this

As you can see, the first photo shows the shed of the artist, Barbara Morrison. I love the “little schoolhouse” look of it!

The second studio belongs to Mary Jhun, the featured artist in this issue:

I love the window’s in Mary’s studio:

The storage underneath appears to be on castors, which seems smart.

In my art space upstairs in Charlotte,

I have two heavy display tables on casters. I bought them when JC Penney closed. If I ever get that space under control, again, I’ll share them.

Inside Barbara’s studio, the shelves on the right remind me that you can put little shallow shelves between studs.

I am fortunate to have a former student, Matthew Settle, who lives nearby and builds custom sheds. Look at his recent greenhouse/potting shed:

I think the inside space would be great for art and crafting, too, but I’m afraid I’d fry like a potato!

You can find Matthew at Upscale Structures on Facebook Marketplace and in N. Wilkesboro, NC.

The search for a shed marches forward!

A Little Side Trip

A Little Side Trip
A Little Side Trip

This morning, Monday, I got ready and took myself to an appointment—-that is Wednesday! I had to laugh! I told the ladies at the check-in-desk, “Well, I’ll have to run home quick and take off this outfit!”

On my way out, a young girl complimented me on my earrings. I gave her the address of this blog, which also used to be my store page. I’ve got to get that back up and running, again, maybe on TeeDo?

Anyway, I was not too far from Barnes & Noble, so I treated myself to a couple of hours, there, all by myself.

I hoped to find an issue of Belle Amoire, a jewelry making mag, and Somerset Studio. An internet friend, Jon David Lowe, has been published in that one, in several recent issues. I often find Lorelei Hill Eurto in the former. I’ve been a fan of hers so long, I can usually spot her work immediately!

I found neither, but still managed to make a nice haul.

That collage kit was a nice price.

On opening, it seemed worth it, with 3 canvas boards and pages of stickers and images. There was no glue, that I could find, as claimed, but there was a nice roll of washi tape!

The other magazines were also sources of images and information, SouthPark being my favorite price, free!

Where Women Create is always a source of inspiration, and my guilty pleasure. Of course, like lots of things, the price had gone up.

There were lots of “Paper Love” and “Paper Paper Paper” issues in periodicals. I passed them up, for now. They seemed like clever and reimagined, pricey scrapbook pads. I have tons of paper.

I photographed some books I found interesting, but also passed up, even though they were in “Bargain Books” with the collage kit. (That kit had been marked down from $14.99 to $10.)

The books were sticker books and “sticker by number” books. I don’t know why I found them so appealing, unless it’s the puzzle quality. I did enjoy completing a sticker by number unicorn with my granddaughter, once upon a time!

When I checked out I had a $15 reward! A dandy trip!

Last Minute May Collage!

Last Minute May Collage!
Last Minute May Collage!

Yes, it’s June 1, but I got it finished and posted to Makers of Mixed Media Art/Artists late last night. I’m just now blogging about it.

Prompts were food, label, arrow, scribbles, branches. The optional theme was still life. I call this, “What a Sandwich Needs.”

I spread that mustard yellow paint with a plastic knife!

Shutterstock Time

Shutterstock Time
Shutterstock Time

Talk about a rabbit hole!

It’s almost time for my monthly Shutterstock subscription to roll over again. If I don’t choose 10 images to download, I lose them, and my money.

The problem is not finding 10 images, it’s choosing 10 images. The one above inspired a new collection category, “Color Combinations.”

That search took me down and around the rabbit hole! I chose the following image because it’ll make a great greeting card:

I check to see the artist’s name. This one is by Marish. I clicked her name to see what else she has that I might like. Down another hole. I found lots I like, but only chose two more:

Now, that’s only 4. I had chosen some others, earlier. Currently, though, my eyes are glazed and burning. Maybe I’ll share the others in a future post, maybe as part of a collage! I have purchased the licenses.

Pages

Pages
Pages

The collage prompts for May, in “Makers of Mixed Media Art/Artists,” are

Branches A label

An arrow Scribbles

Food

Now, I have an idea in mind, but last night I was playing with an app called, “Pages.”

I set it to graphics and searched for each of the prompts. I chose the first result that appealed to me.

The optional theme is, “still life,” so I chose a table to put things on. Then I chose a background.

The app layers things in the order you choose them. Moving things is easy. You click on the object and dots appear in the corners. You can use them to move objects and change their sizes.

To change layers you click the object, choose the paintbrush icon at the top, and a slider appears. I needed to move the background to the very back, of course, so I slid the slider all the way to the “back.” I “layered” all my objects using the slider.

This is what I arranged:

I saved to photos and used photo editing to crop and add my tiny signature:

This may be the app I need to replace Microsoft Picture It.

I Am So Happy!

I Am So Happy!
I Am So Happy!

Celebration Church, on the former site of Union Elementary School, where I spent 32 years as a student and a teacher, purchased my mom’s previous house next door!

Celebration Church, N Wilkesboro, NC
Mama’s House

It was warm enough to get some more pictures of flowers:

Buttercup
Tulip poplar
Sappho rhododendron visiting the porch
Sapphos and Catawbas
Iris

I don’t remember this variety’s name. It’s never set more than a bud or two until this year. It’s more purple than the Catawba’s. I’ll take more pictures as more of them open.

Purple mystery rhododendron

I also found this case in the bonus room over the garage,

and opened it!

Oh boy!

Health and Housework Hinder Creativity.

Health and Housework Hinder Creativity.
Health and Housework Hinder Creativity.

The only creative thing I did today was take the leftovers from this

and added some leftover pork tenderloin bits. It was so good heated over and stirred lightly. This is the Louisiana Style Shrimp Skillet, a new dish from Cracker Barrel. (We know how to celebrate an anniversary! 😋😉)

The dish is not photogenic because they forgot the rice. The original dish was a skillet of shrimp in an oily-looking roux. I added the requested rice and stirred it in before thinking to photograph it. ‘Still not attractive, but very delicious. It was even better with the congealed fat removed and the tenderloin added.

I found a photo of what it’s supposed to look like online.

I had green beans with mine. They were good, too.

And, speaking of photos, I took this one of a little pitcher of wildflowers I brought in, intending to gel print with them.

I love the shape of a violet leaf!

Now, I’m sorting through craft books and magazines. Most of them are keepers, though a few will go to the lending library of the local senior center.

So despite kitchen cleaning and fibromyalgia exhaustion, today has not been a total waste after all!

In the words of grief counselor/artist Karen McKoy, “I showed up.”

The Amish Store

The Amish Store
The Amish Store

No chance to create, today. It’s our anniversary. We went to the Shiloh General Store in Hamptonville, NC, an Amish Market.

There’s a world of goodies in that store!

Dried cherries and pineapple, ginger snaps and oatmeal whoopie pies!

It’s also in a very pretty part of the world. I took some pretty pictures, too!

It was a very lovely day!