Birthdays for Brothers

My brother, Rob, was born on Christmas eve. He has had to share his birthday with the other celebration stuff that goes on this time of the year. My brother has his own business based on custom made sheaths for weapons of "personal protection" we don't agree on the necessity of this but how wonderful that you can love people even though you might not completey agree on the needs of the world. Here is his website http://www.survivalsheath.com/main/home.htm he has other items for sale as well. Anyway I made him these slippers so his feet can be "protected" all the time also. He liked them but I need a bigger size of slipper, I had no idea his feet were so big..... 

The Kids and Christmas

I made matching hats and scarves for my kids at the last minute. I didn't do much else, alittle shopping and some minor food making...( It seems they think "dutch babies" are a tradition ) It was good to have them here and all together. They had a long night together as they all seem to have their Fathers "night owlness" I went to bed. I made some slippers for my brother today. He is a weapons guy ( you can even see him on the History channel he is an "expert" ) so I made him some weaponry slippers...I'll post a photo of them on his feet. We will have a combined Birthday and Christmas with him tonight. 

He's home !!

Our youngest son is home for Christmas. This is a picture of him in the "Learn to dig a foxhole" class. He looks older and is more sure of himself in the few months he has been away. It seems so amazing how fast they grow when they are newborns but, it keeps happening even when you think they are pretty well grown....they still amaze and astonish you by being more "grown" ...Merry Christmas everyone.... 

I need a job!

I have been missing in action as a blogger due to the decision to look for a job closer to where my husband works about 70 miles form our home. He has been commuting for about 10 years almost every week day and he is tired of it!!! Since our last child has grown up and left home ( he is coming home on Saturday for Christmas yeah!!) there is no reason for one of us to be here in the evening....So I quit my job and am looking for work closer to his. In the mean time I am temping which is very interesting and usually a good way to find a new job but brings it's own stresses and I am gone from home a lot and my schedule is all wonky and I am not a good blogger...I try to visit the ring from our temporary living space and I do enjoy having the ring as a comfortable place to relax and recharge so thanks folks for being there in my virtual community!!!

Simple Still Life for December 2005

This is the lastest piece I am working on...I have been away from home so much that it has been really hard to be creative...I tend to "throw something together " as I go out the door and then I have something to work on while I am sitting somewhere...I added to this piece with some crayon rubbings from the new sculpture noted in the next post....I'll try again with a different piece as this one already had the batting behind it so the rubbings weren't as good...I am going to try and get some FME done to this before I leave again this afternoon

coffee shop art

The coffee shop is finally open!!! And the counter fronts are finished!! This is really great stuff ...the layers are very quilt like and the pieces are so textural ( is that a word?) I have already rubbed off onto fabric the raised areas of the sculpture...it is really beautiful " in person " but enjoy these photos too.... 

the photo I included in the post below stays too small so here are some better images this is a detail

better picture of the whole piece

simple still life

Here is my version of the simple still life that was due last week. I took one of the photos of the wine glasses and printed from my inkjet printer onto paper. Then applied several coats of acrylic medium to the front let it dry then " pealed" off the paper back with a wet finger. I adhered the image to some gold dusted satin and FME'd...there you go....I wish my life were so easy....I have a cold and am looking for a new job and an apt to rent...trying to keep a positive spirit drove me to the healing arts and the completion of my "simple still life" and I prayed while I did it that my life will reflect this statement soon.......... 

thanks

thanksgiving was a 2 day event this year....we had a low key dinner that my Mom prepared on Thursday and then a bigger family affair on Saturday...this was one of our guests her name is Abby and she is just 2 years old...her Mom, Jen, and her sister Maddy helped us get ready but then needed to go home before the littles " melted" 

Process

I haven't been home much lately so that really has cut into my time to create...yesterday I was practically gong crazy trying to get my husband to TAKE ME HOME......his focus was on helping various family members with things that needed doing and I was selfishly just wanting to satisfy my own needs....these are a few of the pieces I have in progress at the moment..........

pretty close to the sewing stage on this piece for the " where I live " challenge

detail of " where I live"

this is the beginning of a quilt for a challenge.....that is my eye!!! 

I've got this one going.....began with left over batting and scraps....and is becoming something?? I like the little fairy faces poking out close to the bottom border 

I have started this piece by collaging some tissue and then ironing freezer paper circles and applying acrylic paint...and I have added sheer circle shapes...what next??? 

News From the Coffee Shop

this great art project began last night ....

Jeremy Furnish is his name and he is creating art for the front of the service counters...the first layer are these wonderful quilt block like pieces of copper that he has altered and surface designed

and then placed on the front of the cabinets with hand made copper nails.....

then there are 2 more layers that will come...can't wait to see....he brought in his portfolio for me to see all the other creative ways he is using various metals to make art....... I will post his web-site in the future as it is under construction at the moment ...and post more photos as the project moves along....

it is her birthday today!!! Mariah Katrina Henkel born 11-17-83 at about 1:00 am in the morning she is my beautiful girl !!!

Look what I got!!!

Look at this lovely present I got in the mail today. Gerrie http://http://crazyforfiber.typepad.com/ sent this to me ...what a wonderful present to find. It looks just like the weather here with the greens and blues and the raindrops coming down. This online community has been a blessing in many ways beyond just the support of likeminded artists and I appreciate being part of this group. 

Small amout of creating.....followed by...

 

My mother and my nephew Colin sharing a tune on his ipod.

My daughter arranged a creative day for "the girls" we met at a scraping store and used the tools and had a good time. I am not a scrapbooker but I think it is a good thing for folks who want to create but have not the confidence to "make it up".

Coffee

There will eventually be a roaster at the shop producing the lovely aroma and enticement to buy buy buy....this is some of the packaging. We helped to put up the paper-towel and toilet paper dispensers, did some cleaning of the refridgerators and of course taste tested. There continues to be delays in the plumbing and electrical but slowly the shop is coming together. We will get to spend more time there too cause I have given my notice at my current job which is about an hour southwest of our house and am looking for a job closer to the shop and my husbands work which is about an hour and 15 minutes north of our house. We have decided to stay "in the city" for the work week and come home on the weekends. We have yet to fully decide how to go about that actually but at least we are looking and talking. It is wierd to plan ones life without kid considerations. My husband is happy that his driving time will be shorter and that I will be going the same way as he does for the first ime in 10 years. 

Coffee Art

Did you know you could make coffee art??? Yes it is true....there is coffe art in the house!! The machinery has been delivered to the shop and the art lessons have begun...we got to try out the attempts...it is very good coffee.

 

Simple Still Life Photo for November

I took about 20 pictures of these 5 wine glasses in various configurations ...these 4 photos seems the best...now what to do with them...I am very enamored of the textile artists who can capture the translucent quality of glass....it would be a big accomplishment if I could "get" that.... 

Simple Still Life: Round Three Challenge Guidelines.

Simple Still Life: Round Three Challenge Guidelines.

Simple Still Life (finally)

Well I finally have my simple still life done for last month...and already I am behind on this months.... 

The shop owner

Here is a bad photo of my sister Heather. My husband and I and my Dad and some of my children have spent the last 3 weekends trying to get this shop complete so she can open. Every thing that could go wrong has and just today the plumbing inspection failed. She is so stressed she is calm....we worked on putting in the rubber molding stuff that you have to have anywhere you might be mopping...so that is everywhere...my aching back...she is always on the floor or something and the vendors that come in don't hardly give her the time of day...even though it is all her money that pays them...funny how what you look like drives how people interact with you....anyway we hope she is able to open soon or she might implode......or waste away..she is so skinny... 

Shelves

I took this with my cell phone. These are the shelves in my sister's coffee shop and I took the photo in the " negative" setting. 

some of the birthday loot...flowers from my son Jordan, a necklace from my Mom and Dad made by the pastor of our church(he does wonderful cloisonee) and a scarf from my Mom and the book is a present to myself...my daughter gave me the new "nickel creek "cd it is great listening