R.I.P. My Poor Computer

My computer finally kicked the bucket. It got to the point where it wouldn't let me in at all. So I really have been off-line. I took it to the "computer hospital" this morning. I know I am planning to buy a new one but I was advised to make sure that all my problems are cleared up on my existing computer, I'm hoping to pass it on to my grand kids to help them with homework when they are visiting. Anyway, the "computer doctor" said that he could definitely cure my "baby" and he won't charge me an arm and a leg. Hopefully, I will have a healthy computer again by Wednesday.

Finished Project

I'm still enjoying painting my "other world" paintings. I've painted lots of different subjects in my lifetime but this is becoming a fun creative project. They start out so simple and then take on this out of this world feel to them.




It's a little fantasy and a little science fiction. I've been doing a lot of thumbnail drawings using basic shapes while waiting in waiting rooms at the DMV, auto repair shops, the doctor's office and other places that eat up your time and your day. Then I come home and turn the thumbnails into paintings.

TGIT Thank God It's Tuesday

I'm a little late with my TGIT post. Today was a 'get out and enjoy the day'. Not too hot for a change in Sacramento.

I'm not able to take a vacation yet so I'm still doing some local site seeing. I love my camera and I love taking photographs. So, here are photos of my day in the sun in Old Sacramento.

California State Fair

I had a chance to visit the California State Fair this week.

Just wanted to share some of the beautiful colors that I experienced.

I only wish I could have stayed longer but it was so hot it really wiped me out in just a few hours.

Hope the colors and images give you some creative inspiration too.

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

Tomorrow I will be stepping out of my comfort zone and for the first time I will be participating in an open studio. A very nice fellow artist invited me last month but I wasn't able to go. She extended the invitation again to me this month and I said yes.

I am now feeling a little nervous, my art is pretty much all over the place. I paint, I draw, I sew, I create quilts and dolls but I do it for myself and what pleases me. My training has been a little fashion design, interior design, a few art classes here and there, but I'm mostly self taught and I always work alone. I kind of go into my own world. I'm hoping I will fit in with a community of other artists.

The materials I've chosen to work with are my textiles and fabric paints on plain white cotton broadcloth. Next to watercolor painting it's my favorite portable medium to work with. We will be working on a collaborative project to be put together and shown in October. I am equally excited and anxious at the same time.

TGIT Thank God It's Tuesday--A Finished Project

Again I've discovered that when I'm without my computer I tend to be so much more productive. During my computer down time I've found time to not only get some sewing done but to get some painting done too.

I've been wanting to create something using the same colors that are in my quilt. My quilt has an old fashioned kind of elegance but when I started to paint I wanted to keep it simple so I went back to basics. I remembered some of the thumbnail drawings we had to do in my last art class. We had to come up with a number of compositions using different sized spheres and show how light and shadow affected them.

The three paintings all have a look of planets in outer space and I am very happy with the way they turned out.

Happy Birthday To Maya

This month was my granddaughter Maya's 5th birthday. Birthday parties today are very different than when I was growing up and from when I was raising my sons. I experienced my first little girl's makeover party at a place in Los Gatos, California called Razzberry Lips. Maya's 13 little guests were given the choice to become princesses or rock stars. Surprisingly, the most popular choice was rock star.

I watched a team of the most creative, patient young women apply nail polish, glitter, eye shadow, lip gloss, hair extensions, tiaras or microphones to 13 excited kids. When everyone was finished, the team led them in a variety of games including a dance party, a pretend rock concert and a fashion show.

This is Maya's rock star look. She really got into character

This is my other beautiful granddaughter Relena who
who just turned 9 this month too.

I love both of my little rock stars. I am so blessed to have them in my life.

A Finished Project

The beginning of a beautiful quilt. My favorite colors, lots of satiny red ribbon and an exotic cotton print.

I am still nursing a sick computer. Hopefully, this month I will resolve my computer problems one way or another. Anyway, I have used my time wisely and have been able to finish a lot of my art and craft projects and have explored some new ones. I've also had the time to get out and followed my second love, taking photographs. I will try to get some posting done over the next few weeks by begging, borrowing and camping onto whatever computer I can get to.

Above is one of my ribbon quilts that I had time to finish. I have been in a decidedly "red mood" this month as you will see in some of the other finished projects I will be posting.

TGIW??? Thank God It's Wednesday???

I am having computer problems again, so I am once again cut off from the world. I'm using someone else's computer today to catch up on some work I needed to get done. I don't have access to my files and photos so this is a very boring post.

I have put it off long enough. It's time to get another computer. I could take mine in and get it serviced again but it would be the third time. I've been saving money so that I could take a small vacation in September but now I'm thinking, I'd rather have a new computer. I've been dreaming of getting away from Sacramento and getting somewhere close to the ocean or taking a train trip across country to take photos. But I use my computer everyday for so many things. It's like my key to the outside world. Big decision, big decision.

For now, I will be on limited access to my sites and other computer stuff for awhile until I get mine fixed or replaced. Will miss you all.

Happy 4th Of July!!!

Happy 4th Of July To Us All!!

TGIT Thank God It's Tuesday!

Another week is over. I can't believe that half the year is almost gone. This has been one of the most unusual years for weather in California that I've ever been through. It's June 27th, a week away from the 4th of July and it's cold and raining. They are expecting snow fall in the mountains today too. The ski resorts are having a great year, they will be open this year for 4th of July snow skiing.
This time a week ago it was 101 degrees outside and we were all trying to get out of the heat. We had tornado warnings an thunder storms all spring up until three weeks ago. One of my favorite things to do is to watch the sky and the changing weather patterns. These are some of the pictures I took this morning before it started to rain.

I had the opportunity to talk to an astronomy/geology specialist in Starbuck's several weeks ago. She explained that our unusual weather patterns are affecting the whole country as well as the planet in general. She said that this is a permanent change because our planet is now tilted. I know that I must have looked at her in disbelief because I had not heard that before. Later, my son Googled "tilted planet" and found articles on two of the more devastating earthquakes we've had in the last several months in Japan and Chile. The whole Japanese Continent shifted 8 feet in different direction after the earthquake which literally tilted the axis of the earth.

My son jokingly said that maybe now we are getting Washington state's weather. That's something to think about.

TGIT Thank God It's Tuesday

I'm so glad to be posting again. Last week I had computer problems again. I'm so in need of something new. I'm working on it.

This week I'm back to being a doll maker. I am going to try staggering my craft project types instead of trying to do multiple project types in a week. Sometimes my creative spirit is all over the place. I get so many ideas at the same time and I want to start them immediately. I've decided to treat myself as though I am a team. I have 10 minute morning meetings with myself where I do project planning for the day and for the week. I take notes and everything. I'm going to try to "curb my enthusiasm" and focus on completing projects. New ideas will be written in my craft journal in detail and will be started with other similar and compatible projects in their designated week.

Let's see if I get more accomplished with this plan.

This week my "plan" is to finish some of my poor naked, bald headed dolls that I started weeks and weeks ago. The two 'ladies' above are Charlotte and Samantha. They are so excited to finally be designed, styled and dressed. I'm kind of excited too, I'm looking forward to getting the girls ready for the world.

Finished Project: My First Male Doll

Well, he's finally finished, my first male doll. It was a little harder than I thought'

There are different details you have to pay attention to in order to give a doll a 'masculine' look. He did tell me his name is not Keannu but Jeff. He looks a little like my son's best friend's little brother.

The challenge for me was designing clothes for him that weren't feminine and and giving him hair and facial details that were masculine. Girl dolls are a lot easier.

I will definitely do more male dolls. I have a request from a friend to do a doll of here son.