French Toast Girl

a house for fairies

2009-06-24T21:20:00.007-04:00

Keeping in line with the creativity running through our summer, we crafted a fairy house in our backyard.

{Meaning I really wanted one there.}

We went along the lines of this school of thought and tried to use things only found in nature, though I couldn't resist recreating this acorn-marble lantern - you all know I would totally have one in our house in a heartbeat.

The fairies haven't had a chance to leave a thank you note yet as it's been sooooo rainy! Maybe a couple of them got to take refuge from the grey and drippy weather and sit out a storm while they wonder if their furnishings would fit inside. It's small, but cozy, with a lovely front lawn:

More resources to build your own fairy dwellings:
* Drool over the amazing furnishings here. I so totally would live in a house that looked like this.
* Make over a dollhouse as a fairy house
* Sweet! I love the bed.
* Or put "fairy house" into Google image search and get some great ideas!

and....
* Bookmark this now: Notes from Halfland. I've been a longtime reader and admirer of Shelley's work as she crafts an entire miniature world for her stop-motion animation film. I am in awe of her creativity and stick-to-it-ness. She is the real deal.

jumping for joy

2009-06-10T21:34:00.004-04:00

I've been in a whirlwind over here at Creativity Central. I've been trying to take photos and I'll be uploading and posting more stories. I swear that every day right now has moments where I stand back and think, wow, this is my life, and it's like a storybook. Every day, I'm constantly growing, creating, doing, making. And every morning I wake up so eager to do more and to see what the day will hold.

Today, I'll show the dresses I've been making for the girls out of tshirts. I am making them up as I go along and it's so fun! Three are done, I have about 5 more to go.

Angela is holding up a picture referencing My Milk Toof, a new family fave. The tooth is saying "I don't wanna."

While I sewed the dresses, I let the kids make their own stuffed animals, whatever they wanted to do. Sophie made - I cannot make this up - a stuffed JOHN DENVER doll. For most of today, Mr. Sunshine on My Shoulders was riding around in that front pocket. God, I love that child.

Life is good, people. Life is good.

every day in may: thirty-one

2009-05-31T21:47:00.001-04:00

What we did this weekend...

every day in may: thirty

2009-05-31T21:45:00.001-04:00

I painted but some over-zealous gardening led to complete exhaustion... so I didn't post this last night.

every day in may: twenty-nine

2009-05-29T20:14:00.002-04:00

Getting closer to the finish line... in many ways! I can't believe there are only a couple of days left in May - how have you all been doing in your Every Day endeavors?

every day in may: twenty-eight

2009-05-28T20:25:00.002-04:00

Again - yesterday's painting progress. You can hardly see the hair, phooey!

Before I paint tonight, I'm going to do a little photoshop work to test things out before I go in and paint. That was the gist of my main computer class in college - not the classes for Quark and Illustrator and all that, but for art on the computer - that the computer was a tool and did not have to be the last word. I like to step back and do just that from time to time, use it as a tool to quickly try out new colors and effects before I do them for real in paint. My final project for the class was a puppet I had made (for my puppetry class) that I had sketched into the computer, photographed and changed colors on the computer before deciding to paint him red, and tried out several different wardrobe changes before committing to the final outfit. So - you who work on computers all day - remember that they are merely tools to bring about your creativity. I promise you'll look at your work a different way.

every day in may: twenty-seven

2009-05-27T18:26:00.003-04:00

Okay, so this is yesterday's bit of painting, as it was wet yesterday when I had time to scan. Some days I can paint in the morning, but lately it's gone back to when-everyone's-in-bed-time. That's fine too.

It's hard to see in this scan, but the new bit is in the upper left quadrant. I think the paint is so much more reflective than watercolour, the scanner just isn't picking it up properly (as watercolor is not shiny). I'm looking at the painting from across the room and there's so much more contrast there. Foo! I'll have to mess with the settings, I guess.

every day in may: twenty-six

2009-05-26T21:45:00.005-04:00

I am retooling an old painting that's never seemed quite finished to me. The only thing is, it's acrylic and it's still wet right now! So for now you get to see the way it looked in 2007, and you'll have to wait till tomorrow to see the rework-in-progress. It's getting outlines and details of dark brown/raw umber. I also want to take a pic of Sophie's face to get it just right (it's not Sophie, but she will have the right face for it.)

every day in may: twenty-five

2009-05-25T20:54:00.003-04:00

Done! I wasn't finished for Christmas, but the girl who requested this turns 6 tomorrow and I'm going to try to see if I can make a special delivery. :)

XFCO (extreme faery closeup):

every day in may: twenty-four

2009-05-24T20:49:00.003-04:00

I think tomorrow will be the last day on this... I don't want to overwork it!

Tomorrow Sophie and the Daisy Scouts will be marching in the Memorial Day Parade! I'm crocheting her a daisy bracelet to wear for it. I can't wait! And wait till you see the photos of the fairy house we've been building in the backyard... :)

People have asked what blues are in that background, and I am embarrassed to say I have no idea! Some of the blues are from my Windsor Newton tiny palette box, and I didn't fill them so I'm not certain what they are. And I really like the one because it gets very grainy very fast on the paper - not sure how to explain it, but it's a neat look. I'm also adding in touches little bits of a blue that's almost a peacock blue, and splashes of brown and purple. Oh - I might have thrown in some green too! See - I'm no good at this. I just sort of wing it. I am really enjoying (and I will try to take slices of each to compare) how in the last 3 paintings I've worked on, the backgrounds are predominantly blue and all of them are very different.

every day in may: twenty-three

2009-05-23T20:48:00.002-04:00

Today would have been my boss and friend Rich's 53rd birthday. I got up early and watched the sunrise, and sent much love his way. My heart is full. :)

every day in may: twenty-two

2009-05-22T20:33:00.002-04:00

Today was Peter and Angela's last day at St. Paul's. They are kindergartners now! Where in the world did the time go?!

every day in may: twenty-one

2009-05-21T22:10:00.002-04:00

The last of the belated Christmas paintings. This young lady very specifically asked for a white lace dress, hanging on a blue wardrobe. The fairy peeking out was my idea.

And for those who care, tonight was The! Last! Night! Of! Recitals! (And there was much rejoicing.) Two out of my three kids performed, and it was a magical night. And, yea, verily, we are all exhausted and nigh incoherent so I bid you all goodnight.

every day in may: twenty

2009-05-20T22:08:00.000-04:00

Done-done-done-DONE! Done-done-done-DOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNEEEEE!

every day in may: nineteen

2009-05-19T22:02:00.001-04:00

Soooooooooooooooo close.

every day in may: eighteen

2009-05-18T23:07:00.002-04:00

Another day, indeed.

every day in may: seventeen

2009-05-17T21:40:00.003-04:00

I wasn't even going to bother posting today's effort, since i only had about 5 minutes to paint today. I'm very disappointed. And while I was painting, I had Peter asking me a million questions about why I was doing what I was doing with the paint, and Sophie trying to see and breathing on me and getting her head in front of me so I couldn't see. Not to mention the table-jostling. Not saying that the kids are the reason I didn't paint, but some days the process is smooth and other days it's soooo choppy. Tomorrow's another day.

Day one of recitals is done: lots of driving, cooking, cleaning, and organizing (which also doesn't leave much room for painting in the mix either). A hand slammed in the bathroom door (mine, right hand too) and after much ice applied and tears shed later, I figured today I just wasn't meant to paint. At least I tried.

every day in may: sixteen

2009-05-16T21:12:00.003-04:00

I'm really hoping I finish this one tomorrow, but as it's day one of Recital Week, we'll see what happens. Today I also:

Finished knitting my legwarmers! And tomorrow is cold enough to wear them! :)
Set up three tents in the cavernously empty living room and dining room for adventurers and their fluffies to play in - they will get taken down before recitals, no fear
Cleaned the porch and planted several containers of impatients
Read the kids a few chapters of Little House in the Big Woods (their favorite part is where Ma slaps the bear)
Made chocolate chip pancakes
Snuggled on the couch and watched some Old School Sesame Street

It doesn't get any better than that. Really.

every day in may: fifteen

2009-05-15T17:55:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, we paint! But first Peter's arm gets redrawn so he's not about to backhand Wendy.

every day in may: fourteen

2009-05-14T23:23:00.003-04:00

Remember all those special paintings-by-request I did for Christmas presents? Well, believe it or not, I still have two to go (and very forgiving and patient friends who are content to wait for an original painting). This one is for a 3-year-old who asked for, you got it, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Tinkerbell.

I got up super-early this morning to draw because I knew my evening would be full - Paul's high school students came over for a coffeehouse/party tonight, and the house was filled with music and creativity and lots of laughter. Just the way we like it.

every day in may: thirteen

2009-05-13T21:37:00.002-04:00

And we're done! I'm quite pleased with this one! Tomorrow's picture is going to definitely be something comPLEEEEEEEEEEEEtely different. I also might be working on two paintings at the same time.... so stay tuned!

every day in may: twelve

2009-05-12T21:32:00.002-04:00

More surface work (notice I had to move the box on the right to see)! I am so close to finishing this... I think tomorrow may be the last work on it. I'm happy with the way it's come out.

every day in may: eleven

2009-05-11T20:12:00.001-04:00

Veerrrrrrrrrry subtle changes today. Working more on the surface of the water.

every day in may: ten

2009-05-10T19:01:00.002-04:00

It was remarked upon at this year's Mother's Retreat that the verse in Paul's letter to Timothy that says "you will be saved through bearing children" could be interpreted a new way. Because of your children and all the things you do for them (show patience, minister to the sick, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, etc.) you are fulfilling the very things Jesus asks us to do. And as a Mom (or Dad, for that matter) you do it every single day. Helps me put things in perspective on crazy days.

Happy Mother's Day, all you creative mamas! Hope your day today has been a lovely one.

every day in may: nine

2009-05-09T21:39:00.004-04:00

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