an arty day...

Last November, after my second Red Thread Retreat, our group decided to do a project to share in the Facebook group about Gratitude.  I wasn't happy with my finished project, a mix of spray inks, soft gel medium, paint and TAP image transfer.

 A few weeks ago I pulled it out to re-work.  I put on a couple of very light layers of gesso, and glued pages to the canvas.

 I dabbed on more spray inks and then used another very light layer of gesso.  The tree came next, forming around the heart shaped words that the gesso skipped. I wasn't sure where to go with the piece, so I started to add one of my anyone girls.  (I like calling them that instead of the old term blank faced, as they can represent anyone at all.)

 After getting her on the page, I really wasn't sure if I liked it, so I let it sit for several days.  This morning I went back to it and started enhancing her and adding another element.  Her hair was too big, so I gave her a hat.  Then I thought, leaves!

 I finished it just a little bit ago.  I'm quite happy with how it turned out. 

I remembered to photograph the rest of my inktober drawings.  Here they are...

 Day 25

 Day 26

 Day 27

 Day 28

 Day 29

 Day 30

 Day 31.

It's another rainy day today.  I did get in my walk this morning, 2 miles.  Now I'm off to work on either my Scoreboard or my shrug.  I hope you are having a wonderful day.  How are you spending the day?

thanks for stopping by!
love & blessings
~*~

November

Hello, November.  I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween/Samhain yesterday.  Mine was quite productive and enjoyable.  I only had two small groups of trick or treaters. I think there was a total of 8 kids.  Now I have all this leftover candy.  Oh my.  But...

I made supper for the ancestors, did my reading for the new year and reviewed last years reading.  Looking back it was really quite spot on.  

I really enjoyed inktober.  (I still need to photograph and share my last few days here.)  In fact, I enjoyed doing it so much that I've signed up to participate in Art Everyday Month (AEDM) and National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo).  So, you should see me here every day during the month of November, and I'm hoping that it will create a habit of writing here on a regular basis.  I've really not planned out any posts or prompts, I'm just going to go with the flow for now.  I figure having the AEDM to share will help with my posts.

It was chilly and rainy here this morning.  After a few hours of putting away Halloween decorations and getting the house (mostly) back in shape, I sat and did a page spread in the art journal I started last year.  It didn't turn out as I'd first expected(somehow things never do), and the photo isn't very good, but it is something.  Then I moved into the living room and lit the fireplace.  There is just something about a wood burning fire.  The smell, the popping and crackling of the wood.  I just love it.

Do you have anything special planned for this month?  I'd love to hear about it.

thanks for stopping by!
love & blessings
~*~

Happy Halloween and Blessed Samhain

We had quite a day of rain and storms a few days ago.  Late in the afternoon, I went to look out the back and saw the gorgeous play of light on the trees.  I grabbed my camera and when I stepped outside was surprised by the beauty of a double rainbow.  

Today, I took my annual trip to the neighboring county to pick up our yearly supply of brunswick stew with my mum.  It was a nice little ride in the countryside and despite having my camera with me, I wasn't able to get but a few photos.  

After I left my mum and headed home, I stopped at a store that I'd seen that little pumpkin girl in a week or more ago.  She was still there, sitting all by her lonesome with the 50% off Halloween decor.  So, of course she had to come home with me.  Us lonely girls need to stick together!  :-)  I posted a photo of her on Instagram when I arrived home and it turns out she has an identical twin sister that lives with the marvelously magical Miss V.  Now I know why she seemed so familiar to me when I first saw her.  I'm still waiting for her to tell me her name.  She seems like either a Penelope or maybe a Pepita.  :-)

I'm off to get dressed for giving out treats.  I have much left to do on this All Hallows Eve.  My yearly tarot reading, an ancestor reading I discovered today on Instagram that I want to try out.  I need to start on supper for the ancestors (and myself), my last inktober drawing and I'm going to make time to sit and see what the spirits have to say (if anything) to me tonight.  I also have started some other work that I want to continue today.  

What are you planning for this evening?  Do you have any special rituals or habits that you do each Halloween/Samhain?

thanks for stopping by!
love & blessings
~*~

ps...I'm several days behind in my blog reading thanks to the cold I've been fighting for a week.  I hope to catch up with you all over the next few days. xo

inktober catch-up

 Day 13

 Day 14

 Day 15

 Day 16

 Day 17

 Day 18

 Day 19

 Day 20

 Day 21

 Day 22

 Day 23

Day 24

thanks for stopping by, 
love & blessings
~*~

ps...i'm down with the plague a bad cold, so don't have much thought processes to write, back soon (i hope!)

2015 Witches Tea Party

"Helena!  What ever are you doing?" I exclaim.

 

"The invitation said to throw on our best bloomers.  Well, I'm just making sure these are my best!" {cackle, cackle}

 "Hmph.... Well, I guess when you are 138 years old, you can behave any way you like."

{Snort, cackle, snort} "Ha!"

"You have something to add, Eloisa?"

 

 "138?"  {snort} "You old fool, you're at least 173, if you're a day!"

"Oh my word...you two will drive me batty."

"Aren't you ready yet, young one?"  Helena asks. 

"If you two would stop your bickering I might be able to decide which stockings and shoes to wear.  What do you think?  The white stockings and black bow boots?"

 "Perfect!" shouts Eloisa, "grab a hat, broom and let's go!"

 
"Oh dear, it looks like we are a little early for the party," says Helena when we arrive.

"No, no.  I wanted to do a bit of shopping before the party started.  We're a little low on a few things," I reply.

"Oh, star dust, I'll take a bit of that. Hmm, I'm not certain if I have any coffins left.  Maybe I should take this one, too.  Perhaps a few bottles as well, one can never have too many."

 

Amanita muscaria, they've been scarce this year. Some of those I must have, as they are very dear. 

 Oh no, someone must have cast a rhyming spell.  What will come out of my mouth, no one can tell.

 

 

In the moss garden, the fairies shed their wings.  We'll collect a few, they're good for many things.

Into my basket I'll add dragon's breath and a butterfly of death.  A skull or two and ear of troll?

  Time matters not to a witch.  Day or night, night or day, spells take place either way.

 

 

 Bags, oils, herbs and mirror.  Things a witch should keep near her.

 

I think that's all for my shopping list, now let us get on to the party, I insist!

Turn thrice around, a charm you must say, a magic password leads to party day.

 The room changes in the blink of an eye. Treats and goodies, galore.

   

 

 

 We shall eat and dance while dark sets in.  Enjoy yourself and let the magic begin!

 

Spiders, bats and crows descend.  We'll share our treats, we must be kind to our friends.  Lights turn on and candles glow. It's just so much fun, don't you know?

 

 

  Someone keeps casting a daylight spell, then turning it back to night.

 Chocolate covered crackers, yum, yum, yum!

 

Eat your fill, then go back for more.  We need to keep up our strength for casting spells.  We'll enjoy our party as long as we can.

 

 Oh my, here we are, another day has dawned.  The candles have burned down and it looks like the party has wound down.  Time to take ourselves home and get some rest. 

The flowers held up well and are so lovely aren't they?  Dahlias, snapdragons, tansy and delphinium. All my favorites!

 

  

Now if I could only find Helena and Eloisa.  There is no telling what mischief they are up to by this point.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my offering for the 2015 Witches Tea Party hosted by Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist. Remember to visit her and all the other participants of this years party.

thanks for stopping by, 
love & blessings
~*~

ps...Bottle labels were made by Miss Vanessa and can be found in her shop.