Songs Of Summer

  Well, the weather continues to be very hot and humid, with a serious heat wave expected the next days ...but no complaints here! We are enjoying the fruits of our neighbor's wonderful garden for one thing:

There is basil and dill within the fence along with from left-eggplants, cucumber growing along our yard fence, peppers, new lettuces, green beans, kale, more lettuces, swiss chard. Other herbs outside the fenced area are thyme, tarragon, sage, mint, raspberry bushes and rosemary.

Another view-further back. Pole beans, tomatoes along the wood fence, and behind it is zucchinis!

SO, with all this fabulous and healthful produce I wanted to use a lot of it to my best advantage-and I am doing that by not only cooking with it all, but by drinking it!

 I bit the bullet and bought the Bullet (sorry, I just couldn't resist). It's the NutriBullet 900 pro series juicer that I was able to get for an amazingly great deal! This is a kale and mango drink and it is delish!! I have been enjoying playing with a variety of ingredients-so far a mix of greens and fruit. They are enough to fill me up at noontime or so since I don't usually eat lunch, plus with all the nutrients I'm getting I don't feel it necessary to take so many supplements. Since I couldn't possibly eat all the ingredients whole in a salad bowl this is a perfect solution for me.  Now I have hubby and son wanting in too:)

 Enjoying all the birds outdoors too-and I was thrilled to be able to get a few pics of one of our visiting hummingbirds! They're not the best as I had  the zoom on my camera but at least I got something. Poor hubby has been taking his really good camera out off and on-and if he even sees one-they take off and he has yet to get a pic. Competition has kicked in and he's determined more than ever though:):)

 Linking to T Stands For Tuesday. And speaking of, last week Elizabeth celebrated her second anniversary of this challenge and welcomed a swap of ATCS if anyone linking was interested. I sent something off , and yesterday I received this beautiful packet of things:

 This came from Debbie (Craftymoose). She not only sent a darling tea inspired ATC with a sweet little teapot charm attached, but two cold brew teabags to try, a packet of wonderful ephemera, and a card with a hummingbird and my very favorite poppy on it! Thank you Debbie!!

 And for my art part:

 

 

This journal page was inspired by several things. First, I watched the Tour De France cycling  race every day for the last several weeks until it ended in Paris on Sunday. Second, my Mom just booked a trip to France to see her family (they all live there) for a whole month! And thirdly, I was having dreams about being in France-and my dreams were actually in the French language! Has that ever happened to any of you- where you speak more than one language and dream in it too? I am sad that I am not able to go with my Mom but so happy that she will have this opportunity to see her sisters, brother and extended family members, as some are not in good health and aging.

 

 The background is a gelli plate deli paper print. I used a profile image from a French magazine, along with some postcard ephemera and stamps from an envie I received. A few postmark stamp images and a rust heart finish the page.

 

 Linking to Art Journal Journey (theme of post/postage), Mix It Monthly (theme is the facial profile), and Paint Party Friday. I'll be seeing you!

 

    " Everything comes to us that belongs to us if we create the capacity to receive it."   Tagore

 

 

Par"T"y Time!

 

 A very happy 2nd anniversary to Tuesday's "T Stands For Tuesday" hosted each week by Elizabeth and Bleubeard of Altered Book Lover!!! Through this link up I have met people from all over the world. It's a place where we share anything drink related-like an actual beverage, or an outing, or an art page, or a book-anything so long as there is a link to a beverage somehow. Anyone can join in and link any week so please do take a peek and perhaps bring a cuppa to share too:) Thank you to our fabulous hostess!

 

 

 The other week I had a celebration dinner for my Mom for her birthday and mentioned the special  baba au rhum cake I was making her. I didn't even think to explain what it was or translate-so here it is. The French translates to "cake of rum" It is a yeasted cake with raisins. You make a sugar syrup with rum , pour some over a handful of raisins to soak, then slowly pour the remainder over the warm cake to let it soak in also. Here's a few pics:

 

 These are the flowers and cards I left at her house on her actual birthday day since she was on a day trip with friends.

 The baba au rhum:

And this is how my Mom was enjoying it:

 As if there wasn't enough rum involved, the tradition with my families in France was always to bring the rum to the table and splash a bit more on the cake! those French:):) My Mom thoroughly enjoyed it-and not to worry-she didn't have to drive!

 On a completely different note-lookie what my neighbor discovered in her yard:

I looked it up and found that it is an Imperial Moth. Here's another pic to give you a better idea of the size of it:

 See it on the bottom? It's on a large bag of grass clippings and behind it are large bags of mulch! My neighbor knew I'd want to get a pic. I'd never seen one of these nor any of this size. Apparently the wingspan is anywhere from 4" - 6 7/8 " (8-17.4 cm)! I looked earlier today but it's gone.

 Do you like investigating strange bugs and critters? I think the only insect I really freak out about are the centipedes-eeeewwww!!

 Linking to T Stands For Tuesday and Art Journal Journey (theme is post/postage). I'll be around to visit in between  a dr. appt. I have to take my Mom to this AM. We are having yet another oppressive hot and humid day so I plan on staying in mostly. Still purging and cleaning to make room for our son moving back next week too:)


                      " Life should not only be lived, it should be celebrated! " Osho



Orange,Orange,Blue!

 It's week six, the last week for Kistin's Summer Of Color Challenge and it has been a blast!! I have loved it all, from the color challenges, to her videos (I was so excited to see what color her nails were going to be each week as much as the art she created:), and to all the very clever, creative and amazing entries! THANK YOU Kristin for  a most artful 6 weeks-you ROCK girlfriend!!

 My completed journal page:

"She Practices Joy"

 

 I used Grumbacher Academy acrylic paint-Cadmium Orange Hue; Apple Barrel acrylic paint-Pumpkin Orange; Americana acrylic paint-Turquoise Blue

 

 Other products used: Stabilo All pencil, gesso, rubber stamp swirls and splatter, bird glitter sticker, collage sheet sentiment, flora poste (ARTchix Studio).

 

 And here are all six week's worth of my portraits. These are only partial images but you can see the complete portraits in previous posts.

 

                                                      Week 1                             Week 2

                                                      Week 3                            Week 4

                                                      Week 5                           Week 6

 Linking to Art Journal Journey (for this week's portrait-theme is postage), Art Journal Every Day, Art It Friday-Show Your Face, Paint Party Friday, and of course the Summer Of Color Challenge!

 In going through things in my art room and purging clothing and books too I came across a stamp pad I hadn't used in a long time. I decided to revisit an old technique and share it with this card:

 I used this inkpad:

 

 It is still available along with reinkers:)

 

 How to: All you need is a stamp image, glossy card stock, and a few dye ink pads! Ink up your image(s) using the resist ink pad and stamp onto the glossy card stock. Allow it to completely dry-very important!! It will be a bit difficult to see the image as the resist ink has no color. Once it's dry sponge some dye inks over the whole card. The stamped areas will stay clean and white. I think this is a simple but lovely effect! I do hope you'll give it a try.

 

 Linking this to the Simon Monday Challenge Blog (theme is - "anything goes").

 

I'll be visiting you over the next few days to see what you've been up to. Thanks so much for all the comments you have been leaving-I so appreciate it!

 

 

" Orange is fun, flamboyant, dynamic and radiates warmth. A close relative to red, the energy of orange is gentler and more restrained. Orange uplifts, gives confidence and always injects fun."

 

 

 



Green, Green, Pink

 Hard to believe there is only one week left of the six weeks of the Summer Of Color Challenge!! Kristin has done an absolutely amazing job of posting, participating and visiting each and every link-over 100 every week !!!

 Before I share my completed piece I want to show  you a photo of two art postcards I received from a SOC participant:

 
 Miriam graciously offers a few copies of her art to the first few who ask-and she sends anywhere! Well, I love her abstract pieces (this photo just doesn't do justice) and I boldly asked not once but twice -and she sweetly obliged! Thank you Miriam- I love these cards!!

 Here is my entry for this week:

 My color choices: Americana Baby Pink and Yellow Green acrylic paints and Folk Art Kelly green acrylic paint.
 Other products-black, white gesso, Stabilo All pencil, graphite pencil, script stamp, Staz-On Jet Black ink, Caran D'Ache watersoluble crayon in Emerald Green, ARTchix Studio collage sheet sentiment.

 I thought I was doing OK -and then I gave her eyelashes-and was NOT happy. I debated a do over of the eyes and set it aside. And then I went in search of one of the sentiments I've been using from the same collage sheet each week. My eyes rested on this one and I knew it was the one. I also knew I wasn't going to redo her eyes to try to make them "better" or more "perfect".

 Today is my mother's 73rd birthday so I made her this card:

                                                  Bonne fête MéMé-je t'aime beaucoup!!

 Since she will be away all day with friends I will host a dinner for her this Sunday and am surprising her with her very favorite French dessert- a homemade baba au rhum! I'm safe to share because she does not own  a computer:)

 Linking to Summer Of Color, Art It Friday-Show Your Face, and Paint Party Friday.

"Anyone can be pretty in pink but you can only be beautiful if you add a little green."   Unknown

Reminiscing...

 So did all you Americans enjoy a holiday weekend to celebrate the 4th of July?? Did you picnic and grill like there was no tomorrow?
 Not us. Hubby and I kept it very relaxed and low key. I didn't even barbecue on the fourth! Those years of hosting are gone! Instead we took a stroll in town to hopefully find some places open. And of course, McCarthy's Red Stag Pub was open so there's where we had our dinner.

 Bill had his favorite which is the "plain ole burger"- a very generous burger-and no grease:) And I just had to have my fave- the open faced roasted pepper, onion jam and melted brie! Hubby helped me with the coleslaw and chips. And, after taking a few bites, decided he liked my choice enough to order it himself sometime:):)

 Cheers to the friends at T Stands for Tuesday!!

 And here's a card -also for my T gang, and for the Simon Monday Challenge this week which is "Coffee or Tea?"

 I used an old direct to paper technique on glossy cardstock. The stamps are also old. Cup- PSX, coffee beans- Rubber Stamps Of America, sentiment-Ann-ticipations. I also used Versafine Jet Black ink and a variety of Ranger Distress Inks.

  I have also been watching the Tour De France cycling race every day. The first  day began in the Netherlands and then moved into  Belgium. The rest of the tour will be in France. How I LOVE visiting so many beautiful places via the bicycle. It brings back SO many memories of time spent there with family. And I especially long for it this time of the year with the tour, my Mom's birthday, my dear aunt's birthday (she lives in La Seyne Sur Mer-moved recently so I have yet to see this area), and the celebration of Bastille Day on the 14th. I was also able to enjoy pearshapedchris's recent posts of her trip to France! So how could I not put my longing to go back into a journal page?

                                                        " Her heart is often in France"

 The background and her dress are gelli plate prints on deli paper. The Eiffel tower bit is a collage sheet image and the stamp is from a letter from my family in France. Linking this page to the new theme for July over at Art Journal Journey ( Post and Postage), for the continuing theme of "the facial profile" at Mix It Monthly, Art It Friday-Show Your Face, Art Journal Every Day, and Paint Party Friday.

 This is the second last week of the Summer Of Color Challenge and the colors are green, green and pink. I am already envisioning a girl with green hair so am off to see what I end up with:) The entries last week were absolutely amazing and what  joy it was to see so much red!! I know it is going to be equally exciting this week too. Won't you join in?

 Hope you all have a great rest of the week! See you soon.

" The heartland lies where the heart longs to be. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to find the true place to plant it."                             Vera Nazarian

Red, Red, Metallic!

 

  That is this week's color combination for the Summer Of Color challenge (week 4 of 6). I have loved the color red and it has been my all around favorite and go-to color since I was a toddler! My motto-when in doubt-or not feeling so great-wear something RED. My challenge was coordinating two reds and a metallic into a portrait (it was my choice to do a portrait each week using the given colors).

 I began my journal page this way:

And this is how it was completed:

Colors used: American Primary Red acrylic paint, Accent Burgundy Deep acrylic paint, Anita's Metallic Classic Gold paint. Other products: gesso, Stabilo All pencil, stamp - Tim Holtz,  scrapbook papers, washi tape, ARTchix Studio collage sheet and star charm, Stickles gold glitter glue.

 Metallics and glitter are so hard to capture so here is another view:

 Linking also to Art Journal Every Day, Art It Friday-Show Your Face, and Paint Party Friday.

 Saturday in the U.S. we are celebrating the holiday of Independence Day so here is a card I made:

 Linking to the Simon Wednesday Challenge (this week's theme is "going dotty"). To those of you who will be celebrating, I hope the weather cooperates with the picnics and fireworks, safe travels, and a happy 4th of July!!

                        " There is a shade of red for every woman."     Audrey Hepburn