The End of August

It's been a funny month, weather-wise: cooler than normal. It feels more like September than August, so I wonder what next month has in store. Summertime is waning, and the students return to school next week.
In my garden this week:

This furry visitor didn't seem at all interested in my flowers or the lettuce, but did nibble away at the weeds growing along the garden edge.

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I'm still stitching items that can't be shown, but here's the stitched sample for my project which was accepted as one of the July HEX LABS designs for StitchMAP. It was great fun creating and stitching the design, but challenging in writing it up in the proper format. Still, it feels good to be learning new and different skills
This butterfly has organza wings.

 A big boom drew me to the art room window last night to see what was happening.

Fireworks!

I was able to catch some interesting shots with my little camera.

Only the ones high enough to pass the tall trees in our backyard were seen.

 Looks like a jellyfish

Isn't it interesting what the camera sees compared to the human eye?

















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I am blessed and have a good life, having all my needs met. But some people are not as lucky as I have been. My heart cries, especially when those in need are little children. If you have a too-big stash, and would like to find a new home for your treasures, or if you are down-sizing and need to empty your shelves, perhaps you might consider giving to the children in Africa.
You'll find all the information here on Vicki's blog. I hope you'll be able to help. Thank you.
May you have a wonderful week ahead!

Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

Glitzy Gecko and Picking Up the Paintbrushes

I finished my August HEX LABS from StitchMAP, and he turned out to be a flashy sort of guy. Perfect for going out and looking for a Gecko Gal.

The curve on his body made things a little interesting. I used bullion knots, french knots, cast-on stitch, buttonhole stitch, stem stitch and straight stitch, plus lots of beading.

Think he'll find his lady love?

I decided it was way too long since I'd done any watercolours, so I picked up my palette........I know some of you may cringe at its messy state, but it's actually pretty clean.....well, for me, anyway...lol

The inspiration is  a photo I took of the neighbour's cottage at the lake where we used to live.

 I don't try to copy the photos exactly.

I began with a simple sketch, then  added light washes of colour. I have a tendency to put too much paint on too early in my paintings, so I tried to carefully and slowly add layers, letting the areas dry before another wash was added.

 At this point, I put it aside to dry thoroughly.

 I usually paint on cold-pressed watercolour paper, but I found this sheet of hot-pressed paper in my pile and thought I'd play, practicing some washes.

I was looking at this photo of Georgian Bay. I love all the rocks, the shadows and the intense blues of the water

Almost dry. I've added more blues to the water.

Monday was a little hot and sunny so we went to this quiet little beach for a quick dip. It's been over a year since I last went swimming, and I really enjoyed it. I think we'll be planning another trip with a picnic lunch if the weather gets hot again.

Hope you have a sunny, creative week ahead.

Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz

August Begins

A week away is a nice break from the usual routine, but I'm happy to be back home.

Here's the view from our balcony. I love that arbor covered in vines!

The hydrangea were huge and beautiful.

Looking south toward the ski hills

To the north was the water. It was fun to sit on the balcony sipping wine, having wonderful conversations and watching the sailboats on the water.








There was plenty of rain during my absence, so my garden has grown well, especially the weeds. :-O
Here's what was in bloom on my return home:

golden glow


It really glows in the sunshine, doesn't it?

lavender

russian?

yum!

sweet

sandwiches!

 Before leaving on holiday, I finished my July HEX LABS for StitchMAP. I chose to do the spider design, using a rayon thread for the web and a silk variegated thread for the foliage.
The spider is created with hematite beads.

The August HEX LABS have been released, and I've begun working on the Gecko.
Now that I have the wall bricks done, and the body outlined, I'm ready for the fun part of filling in. I've added guide lines to help me keep my stitching just where I want it.
Hmmm, there may be beads as well as different threads added. Should my gecko have a bit of bling?

 

Playtime with the gelli plate and a new stamp  gave interesting results.
I used the excess paint from using the stamp on the gelli plate to stamp these roses onto yellow card stock. I turned the stamp 1/4 circle each time to create a varied look.

first print on the gelli plate created a subtle rose when stamping into the paint layer.

yellow roses on purple card stock with a red rose stamped over top using the excess paint

before

 after


I like the results and will probably cut this up into several cards, adding some white or coloured ink to the surface to emphasize the designs.

I'm hoping August will be a wonderful month of nice weather and sunshine.
Wishing you a week of fun creativity ahead.

Thanks for visiting.
Hugs from Suz