Try this as 'tis the season....   Driftwood Tree                     Oct/17

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Head down to the nearest beach and pick up different lengths of driftwood . Find a base (I used a piece of Chinese Elm  with interesting  bark.) Arrange wood in descending lengths  then drill a hole in the middle of each. Get a quarter inch dowel and slot into drilled hole in the centre of the base. A few inches from the base wrap around a neutral coloured  rubber band which will keep  the first pieces of wood from slipping down. Then pile the rest on the dowel in ascending order leaving a couple of inches at the top . I  placed  a  pine cone(scented) by the base for effect  and for Christmas  and I place the loon on the base for summer .

As a 3D natural sculpture, your art can stay put all year round. There is a gentle lean to mine that I like as it reminds me of  Tom Thompson's Jack Pine ---one of the works of the Group of Seven ,national icons in Canada . It is easy though to give added strength to the stem by gluing to it smaller pieces of driftwood . Easy-peasy.

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Stuffed Sock Moose/Deer                                         Nov/17

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Another thing to try for the Christmas  season ... Rudolf the  socknosed reindeer . Take one man's work sock, stuff it fully and squeeze it in a bit about 1/3rd the way from the toe part. Take a  pair of dollar store antlers  and position at the top of the sock 'head'.  Take  2 long-type (Blue Spruce) pine cones and position for ears. I  just  used what I had on hand for the  eyes  i.e. plasic curtain grommets, material scraps , buttons for eyes  or whatever you can find. I used 2 wooden earrings for his nostrils .  The piece de resistance was a flashing rubber red heart from a few years ago , one of many I used as ornaments on a Christmas tree and gotten from the Dollar Store at the time. A dollar store battery still lights it up, so Rudolph 'won't you shine my way tonight?'

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Simple Duvet Covers                                               Dec/17

Don't know about anybody else but don't you love a colourful enticing bed? So come the winter White Sales,  look for sheet sets that one can get cheaply and sew-basic duvet covers for eiderdowns/comforters.  Here  are 2  examples (a striped warm flannel is paired with a silky microfiber) made for Christmas but due to similar cottage themes (i.e. moose print and plaid  can be used  until Spring and beyond, although that might be  when you can look for more summery motifs for the same project.  Don't be afraid to pair wild prints and geometrics together--remember, the colours just have to coordinate and perhaps the size of the prints.

It's really only a big pillowcase , and  don't bother with zippers or ties at the bottom , that open part being tucked in when the duvet has been filled with a comforter or the like. A flat sheet or throw on top of the duvet cover greatly mitigates against various doggie 'sins' as that both protects and is  easier to wash when necessary.

Some of the smaller pillows, and pillow cases in this example came from the dollar store once again. Note the Little Dickens in one picture--NOT from the dollar store but courtesy of Chatham-Kent Animal Rescue organization. Look to your own local rescue group for permanent ' bed ornaments' of that ilk  :)  

So, no excuses .  Have at it and 'To All A Good Night!'.

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Poor Pour Painting                                                    Jan/18

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Looking  for something fun to do , either solo or with others. This project is a bit like the magic of  Reiku pottery ---you never know exactly what you'll get but usually its a nice, interesting surprise. 

There are plenty of video's on the internet. I went  with one that purported to do this for 5 bucks American , using mainly Dollar Store paints. I'd recommend this source to start and as with anything , if you want to get more sophisticated you can. You  need white glue, some podge and an oil lubricant - check out automotive departments for that--but see the videos for exact materials and methodology. Don't forget a  canvas (8"x11" or slightly bigger) or smooth surfaced material to work upon. Larger sized canvases can be awkward as you have to manipulate to get the drip patterns .

After you've done your research, bought the materials , and experimented you might end up like I did , with something like these 2 efforts.  I mounted one in a shadow box---it totally looks like a slice of agate--and the other will be part of a tryptych .   This is something to be done on a dreary winter day --the surprise at the end of your effort will brighten your day !

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Playing with Photography                                                Feb/18

 

So you're no Matthew Brady either  (Thank Dog!) but occasionally I like to get the camera out and take pics that I can't be bothered to download . Eventually however, I have learned and am trying to download a lot more frequently, and I've started to play with some of the features in the camera itself or the  photoshop that comes with your computer programs. It's another fun thing to do in the dead of  winter as hopefully in summer someone's taking pics of you enjoying yourself in some outside activity. So here are two takes on the same picture--a cardinal at one of my feeders, and taken through plate glass, not 'out in the field'. One is almost greeting card quality... So go play with yourself, I mean your camera :) Don't let it gather dust in that hall closet I know you've put it in , a couple of years ago....        

 

 

Bloomin'  Flowers                                                        Mar./18

 

My summer joy is to be out in the garden puttering around . Inevitably I try to force a few indoor plants to survive from Fall through Winter . Like the goldfish I used to bring in from my small pond, they would survive with careful tending to almost the point where they would have ended outside again in the late Spring  ... but  then they die or look so scraggly, I give up , frustrated at their lack of gratitude , and let them die if they must . Although not doing anything different the last couple of years , other than keeping the house temps down a bit , and plunking down plants 10' from the nearest window so the light they get is definitely 'in-direct', I 've been more successful than formerly. At this time of year , it's lovely when the plants actually cooperate and set some blooms. So to prove I don't kill every indoor plant , here is one of two Clivia's I was given by my sis-n-law Millen and an orchid I was sure would die like all the rest , but has surprised me for the first time in my life,  with a bloom and buds.  I should also say, these plants were watered ever4 days when I rememberd or once a week, another factor perhaps in their enigmatic survival.  (They could just be trying to trick me -- raising my expectations for next year and dying as per usual then....)   

May I suggest instead, to those who aren't interested in all that winter work , that this  is the time of year you can bring in cut  bud-loaded branches  and force blooms by merely sticking them in water. This serves the double purpose of an early-spring prune and works well with Forsythia and even Cherry tree branches, and in later Spring Apple blossoms.

This winter , I already pruned off some tall rangey spikes of Forsythia in the middle of February which flowered for a couple of weeks, and now am about to take another bunch to lead into Easter. After that, I 'll follow up with a Cherry branch or two.  Don't go raiding the neighbours (or mine !!!) but if you have them, use 'em, you won't lose 'em--it's good for 'em .   

 

 

'Furry ' Beads                                                                 Apr/18

 

When I'm in any store I often see something I absolutely don't need but it intrigues me enough to buy them anyway. There must be something I can make out of them eventually, I say to myself. And so they are stored in an art material/ sewing/ tool drawer until the eureka moment hits.

I was watching a travel show--Greece? Italy?---and it reminded me when I saw some old men 'worrying' their beads that  my eldest brother Jamie (at that time about 25)  had returned from his Grand Tour of Europe with such a present for me. He must have thought I needed them :) I have them yet , somewhere I know, blue and black beads on a leather strip.

As one who does like to 'twiddle' things with my fingers, a similar use occured to me when I saw these miniature alphabet block beads at a craft store. I had some other more sophisticated silver beads as 'stationaries' to string too. What could have been children's /sibs names;  humourous sentences/platitudes etc became instead my passed pets' names. Why? Because the 'Pack at my Back' has shared more of my life than any other, so when I finger ANY of these beads, it conjures up a 'pal' and at the same time a memory. It becomes almost a mini-meditation, a particularly good sort of break when I'm writing-- bittersweet often but followed by intense gratitude for time spent in various pursuits.

So, what was originally a necklace or 'rosary' sort of application, became a chain for my glasses that I use mainly when writing. I took off the little rubber attachments from a dollar store glasses' chain and attached onto lobster claw fasteners on each end of the created one. That way, they can be removed easily and the chain  transformed back into a necklace or worry bracelet if I want with a tassle or some other dangly 'charm' .

I can't tell you how many grannies I meet think it is so sweet, that I'm wearing the names thus strung of 'my' grandkiddies. Why disabuse them of that thought   :) 

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Char-b-q Season is Upon Us                                                              May/18

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Besides renewing 'Auld Acquaintance' (Stumpy my pet wild chipmunk survived a cruel winter) this is the time to drag out all the BBQ accesories and essentials. For me, because I am a camper too, this means a fold away camper's cooking centre , all pieces of which are enclosed in its own compact carrying case that easily transport back to the garage at end of season. No monster BBQ cooking islands for me---so unnecesarry and expensive.

I prefer an electric grill (don't like to be around gas and the annual cleaning for explosive preventions ) - with the largest 'treated' cooking surface I can find. For easy cleaning, try using silicon sheets to put on the grill that are dishwashable. There are even silicon envelopes for cooking vegtables. Even if your surface is treated for non-sticking, these accessories really cut down on the elbow grease required for clean up.

I save 'fry-ups' for the summer when the smell of oil can be wafted away on the breeze instead of lingering indoors (especially during a heatwave!)  Chicken, fish, shrimp OH MY!

An inexpensive 2 burner electric hot plate is a must for frying pan cooking when camping and/or heating water for corn on the cob for a gathering at home.

Of course, a kettle pays its way camping, but for those who need something other than instant coffee, a coffee press or European percolator are easy to pack when not using daily at home.

So you can see, when I pull out the equipment in Spring,  I like to kill 2 uses at one time--i.e. outdoor BBQ-ing and Camping. (Just make sure if you reserve a camping site, it is 'Serviced' i.e. has an electric hook up. There's no rule that says you have to be uncomfortable while camping  :) 

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Going Native                                                                         June/18

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In Ontario, Canada May 24 has long been regarded as the 'safe' planting time. Some hardier seeds/plants of course can be sown/transplanted before this dependent on the risk of frost. I need the red bench for frequent breaks in hot weather when tending the veggie raised box patch. Probably Peter Rabbit enjoys the lettuce there....

This year I attended an exhibition on Ontario Native Plants, and although I have  some already in my garden like White Cohosh and Pye-weed, I figured there must be room somewhere in my garden for a few more--principally Saskatoon ,Nanny, Elder Berry plants. Progress on their development TBA next year. Towards the end of June, I always do a major pruning of any gangly bushes and trees. This is prime time for this activity as it gives the plants time to scar over and continue to promote new growth well before adverse fall and winter conditions.

This is also my time to look at outdoor renovations. This year I performed a temporary minor repair (upper deck to be replaced eventually) to Wisteria vine-broken latticework with Mesh fencing material.

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Mid-Sommer Lassitude                                                           July/18

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Heatwave on heatwave had descended on SouthWest Ontario where I reside. Of course my A/C had to be out of commission this, the  hottest summer on record for 30 years and I am doing considerable research before replacing the burnt-out unit. Necessity is the mother of invention however. I made do hugging 12"X12" freezer blocks that normally see service in camping coolers (the cooling effect lasted a lot longer than ice cubes); an outdoor hose rigged as a shower for dousing bathing-suit clad rubber-thong/sandalled semi-naturists proved effectual; huge jugs of powdered Gatorade cooled in the fridge to replace electrolytes; fans revolved 24/7 on full blast on every floor;  plenty of fruit and salad fixings topped the grocery list; de rigeur chasing of the shadier comfort zones (i.e. seating areas) in the garden throughout the day; getting tons of DVD's and mags from the Library to watch in the cool basement recroom when 45 degrees outside (with humidity) etc. Although I wouldn't want to play out this scenario every year---and pity those that might have to--I did survive quod erat demonstratum.

As the Great Lakes retained ice well into spring this year which meant colder temperatures to this point, I also joined a club with an outdoor swimming pool until such time as the camping season kicks in , and the lakes should be viable swimming holes again. Can't wait for that !

Heat is an insidious health risk but it also forces one , in curtailing outdoor activities to some extent , to look for indoor things to do. To that end, I've been developing an all-season outdoor coat for  The Little Dickens. Hopefully it will be ready for camping but stay tuned for more information on that....

If you have access to berry  bushes , you might consider making jams or other  culinary  delights. See my preferred recipe for Mulberry and Brambleberry Freezer Jam and matching Gummy Candy recipe on the cafe menu button for this site---don't worry,  I wouldn't suggest anything that's not 'Quick and Perdy'...

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Goddess of the Garden                                                        August /18

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You've heard it before but I'll say it again---there's nothing like fresh produce you've grown yourself---veggies,  fruits, and herbs.  I've had my 'goddess' out in this garden

for about 20 years, and although she hasn't always seen fit to 'bless' me or my efforts, this year is one of the exceptions.  Mother nature has provided enough rain and sun in my little microclimate to offset drought conditions for the past couple of years.

So: I think I'll keep her !

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This is also a time for camping. I was well aware of  Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing)

long before it became a fad in recent times. Want to reset your personal compass before Fall descends-- RSVP to the 'Call of the Wild'. Put on those Merino wool socks and Merrell boots and go for a hike-- it won't kill you :) and

who knows what you'll discover:

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                       'If you go down to the woods today,

                        You're sure of a big surprise...'  

                                                Teddy Bears' Picnic Song

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And at the end of a day of exploring, swimming, feasting, reading, hammocking--there's always the primordial camp fire when night falls, and maybe a shooting star or two if you're lucky.

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Fall Clean Up                                                                      Sept/ 18

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All the general routines gear up again in September--- school, office work, sports...

I'm a proponent of the Fall Clean as opposed to the Spring Clean . Winter means staying indoors more so a deep clean of the kitchen (to get ready for comfort food baking), rub downed walls (gleaming like new paint), and crystal clear sparkling windows are on my agenda. That doesn't mean to say you can't be creative with the 'reorg'.

The garage gets a sweep and mop with items listed for a Spring garage sale.

The car gets a detailing.

Summer furniture is brought in, or tarped up.

Lovely to be starting the main holiday time of  the year on the right foot.

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This is also the best time to get out there and hike some trails, kicking up colourful leaves in the crisping-up air. I find flasks handier to carry along in pocket, fanny pak, backpack. They lie flat and don't take up so much room. For hotter days, I put gatorade with the electro-lyte solution in mine, and just water at other times. Of course , in case of emergency, maybe some brandy ...  :)

A fun project is to decorate these flask surfaces with stickers. Here are a few examples.

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Framed Leaves                                                                     Oct/ 18

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In stead of raking up 'all' the leaves, save a few of the prettier ones to frame up.

You don't need to use a flower press and wax paper anymore to ready the leaves for this project.  Just select a few and insert between the pages of a sketch book and then put in the microwave for about 30 seconds or so ---no waiting for weeks while they dry out. Use just a touch of hot or white glue to affix to backdrop 'matting' paper or the glass itself , and you'll have a nostalgic reminder of good times in the dead of winter....

If you're not into the instant gratification of framing up, take a photo(s) and make a collage, try painting the subject etc. Don't let the leaves of summer die in vain :)

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Christmas is Coming...                                                              Nov/ 18

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Shortly after Hallowe'en it's time to  drape colour light strings over the white picket fence and shrubs and set out a couple of other Xmas decorations, just so one doesn't  have to do it in the colder months. However,  I myself must have been a bit bored this year with the usual offerings.  There's a new  Deer in town this year---Rudolpho.Here's how he came to be.

As  it happened ,  after leaving a BBQ butcher block outside the previous winter, the glued strips  fell to pieces. I also had an old bench with cast iron sides and struts that after 20 odd  years, finally rotted. See  last year's stuffed sock reindeer craft at the top of the page --- I'd actually made 2 so I had a head going for the asking. With old driftwood sticks and a small cut log, I had a body. 

So: I took the black iron worked sides of the old bench and laid the butcher block strips across where t he old bench slats had been. I now had a pretty respectable looking 'sleigh'.

I used decking screws to attach the 'legs' to the log body of the reindeer, and a 'neck' to rest the fabric sock head on. I now had the sleigh and reindeer but thought the tableau required a bit more, so I bought an extra large red Santa bag (with bells) from the dollar store and after propping up its interior stuck a colourful  box and old pet toy gingerbread boy peeking from the rim.

I had a rope string of green Xmas lights where only one half worked.  About to throw it out, I repurposed  the working  part around the front of the sleigh which now glows at night. A spool of burlap trim 'did' for the reins and halter and the ends were tied to a slanted stick 'brake',  making the whole picture one of Santa being in the house doing his thing while the patient Rudolpho awaits his master outside, guarding the toy bag.

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O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...                                       Dec/ 18

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See what you can make from things lying around, about to be discarded. It's a great project, particularly at this time of the year.  Santa says 'Do this' (forget Simon)  and  if there's a kid to help, so much the better :)

Speaking of older 'crafty' kids, here's an easy substitute for an evergreen Christmas tree. Take a nice proportioned branch ( I used some off the hibiscus bush), apply dollar store pom-poms with hot glue ( I chose black and white and grey, variable sizes ) and add a feathered Christmas decoration bird . Cute and homey. It gives me an excuse to make more sugar cookies. I'll use food colouring and make red cardinals, then hang them on too. Joy of the season!

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Time to Curl up with a good Book                                            Jan/ 19

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In this case , my own manuscript :) I had a un-edited  crime novel kicking around for ages, and a book contest came up that prompted me to get to work and complete it . Which I did within a self-disciplined time line (see blog posts). Submission deadline was the 19th of this month and I beat it by 3 days. Mind you, as it is a well-known publisher and competiton will be fierce, my expectations are low. On the other hand , just to come up with a good plot and 65500 words, 227 double spaced pages, IS something of an accomplishment. Reaction to the news by friends and family may be luke-warm, but I don't see any of them having even TRIED such a task, and whatever the result, pat myself on the back for having 'run the race' . Unfortunately the business end of the opus still remains  i.e. to flog it to some unsuspecting publisher. Given the state of the literary world these days, we'd  both be amazed I'm sure,  if it ever sees the light of day .... :)

Also , I bought myself a lovely Italian leather journal to record all my writing efforts i.e. contests, publishers etc. Nice to have it all in one place and sometimes cursive beats computer.

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Burning Wood                                                                         Feb/ 19

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I mean wood burning actually, although a good wood fire when temps have reached -30 C lately wouldn't go admiss either, if you don't have a gas fire comme moi. I bought a wood burner with various tips and have been trying it out , getting a little more comfortable with this art medium. Signs of course are easier than a graphic picture , but it 's just nice to add something a little different to the portfolio, and winter is for experimenting indoors .  This is a poor example as I was experimenting on a wooden Dollar store template with the various woodburning tool tips. Burn, baby, burn!

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Painting on the Home Front                                              Mar/ 19

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I have a golden pine harvest table and 2 long and 2 short benches  that 25 + years ago I actually went to a Mennonite furniture maker on his farm North of Heidleberg Ontario and commissioned. Thank goodness I had a little truck at the time to take it all back when the time came to collect. Over the years and a move I had kept a couple of the benches and given to a sister the others , but the entire 'family' has now been reunited.

The smaller benches I painted sky blue for the outdoor 'cafe' and dining, and one of the longer benches serves as a buffet table when entertaining on the deck. All go into the garage come winter.

The harvest table, very sturdy and built to be used in a farm kitchen, was in my hobby farm's for over a decade and since then has become the main dining table in a city home. But either it or me was feeling a bit 'tired' and I thought as it was Spring, it could do with some colour. A paint sampler was enough to do the trick ----choosing the right red was crucial to go with a lot of my furniture slipcovers, curtains and accessories---and the top , marked by the years and a bit dry , received 3 coats of Danish Oil so looking refreshed .

I am inspired to finally tackle my staircase    Photo and text  TBA

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'Conservation and Conversation' Walks                                   Apr/ 19

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After the snow is mostly gone , and before the ground becomes too mucky in the Spring or the Black Flies and Midges come out in May, put on those hiking boots and pick up a walking stick. Nab a friend and if it's warm enough, take some sandwiches or cheese and crackers for the mid-walk break. Great way to connect with old friends, get into Shinrin-Yoku again. The forest is just starting to come alive after a long sleep. Listen to the bird calls, the scrambling of little feet after long hibernations. The world is being born again,  and so are you.....

                                                                                   

Summer Clothes 'Tree'                                                       May/19

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The hot, humid weather of summer usually brings many changes of clothing in a day, but not everything requires washing immediately. What to do with outfits you've worn slightly but don't want to put back into the closet or laundry just yet. Make your own 'Clothes' Rack of course. This stool which is of sturdy plastic construction (can hold up to 200 lbs)  is from a Dollar Store and already had a 1"hole in it. Take a one inch dowel at 4 or 5 ' tall from Home Depot, and in what will be the  the top end,  drill as many 1/2"  holes as you want and after a spot of glue inside the hole,  insert 1/2" dowels cut to  6" lengths. Insert the bottom end of the dowel 'staff' into the hole as you would a patio umbrella into it's stand. Voila! Un portmanteau  de vestements :)

You can either paint the wood or leave natural. The Rack part can be removed when the stool is needed .

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'Pet'  Rocks                                                                        June/19

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And  I do mean'pet' rocks . Take a picture of your pet and immortalize out in the garden in these ways:

1) run off a copy, glue to back of a flat rock, and podge over several times to waterproof

2) Paint the picture freehand with oil paints and allow to weather, or latex paint and varithane, several coats

3) Do a form of pointillism . Paint the rock as background , whatever colour you'd like but probably white is best. Take a copy of the pet picture and following  the outline , poke holes with a blunt point then go over the holes with a black permanent marker.

4) Silouettes on grey flat rocks. Take a copy of the profile of your pet, cut around that, colour it black or trace it on black paper and use that. Podge or varithane the result on to the rock .

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Summer North of the border is beginning to feel like the tropics-- not the gentle little sprinkles of yore but heavy downpours more akin to the Indian Monsoons, occuring every couple of days or so. Sunny days would be more appreciated after a long winter if they weren't very hot ---mid 30's  celcius is common now-- and so humid one starts to expect mold will soon grow everywhere. Farmers crops are late starting or 'no-go's' altogether. We may not all agree on climate change but the effects of the 'New Order' are taking a toll. I'm seeing a kind of grey starling like bird now that I haven't quite identified, and not a trace of the black starlings that ruled my backyard for a few years. I found a couple of dead ones two years ago so I can't be sure if it's a migratory or a disease problem. I do know the bats (which I've always had a fondness for) are coming back....

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Berry Good Festivus                                                            July/ 19

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The berry crops in the backyard are all 2 to 3 weeks behind due to the cool rainy spring. Taking a gamble that raspberries, serviceberries, brambleberries and mulberries would ripen for a sibling family Festiv-us, so far with a few days to go, only the mulberries (which seemed to literally ripen and start falling to the ground overnight) are coperating , although 2 rainy days inbetween now and the event may cause  the others 'to bear fruit'; (one lives in hope). Invitees regardless were asked to bring a berry-oriented pot luck item. One bro asked if a rhubarb pie counted ;(he's famous for them) if he added strawberries. The 'Berry Institute' might frown on such hybrids, but I acknowledged the evidence would have disappeared by the time any inspection got underway.....   :)

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Computer Designs                                                            Aug/ 19

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If you are going to go to all the trouble of being an 'author' you might as well try creating some of your own Book Cover designs. YOU know what you want because you know the story inside and out. Some publishers will insist on their in-house designers, but to maintain control of the art work in that case is dubious. Try your own and see if you can sell it to the powers that be. Remember to have fun with the design and make a few different mock ups to choose from....I'll post mine in October.

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