Fields Watercolor

Here's another watercolor I did this past weekend. Looks like fields in springtime. This one is going to be a wedding present. I just need to mat the painting.

Applying Black Shoe Polish to Cloth Shoes

I have a pair of shoes that are in good shape, but I don't like the multi-color fabric anymore. What I really want is a pair of black mules. Before I donated these shoes, I decided to try and change their color using black shoe polish. I could have dyed the shoes. If I had dyed them with a liquid and the shoes got wet, like in a rainstorm, would my feet turn black?

Since I had the wax version of the shoe polish, that's what I decided to use on the shoes.

I used a damp paper towel and applied the wax polish to the shoes.

It took a couple of coats to cover the fabric base colors.

Overall, I got the effect I wanted - black mules. The wax polish doesn't come off. And I didn't spend a dime. Renew, reuse, recycle!

Watercolor Tree in WInter

Here's my version of a tree in winter. The original was in a book that a borrowed from the library...yes, people still READ printed books.

Magazine Box

My Mom wanted a magazine box from a large big box store. I took a look at the container and told my Mom I could recreate it. Here's my version of the box made from sisal, fabric and a bow.

I made a box out of corrugated cardboard that fit the largest magazine my Mom had. Next, I used hot glue to attach rope around the bottom half of the box.

Here's where it gets interesting. I took a drop cloth and measured and marked squares around the box to form fabric that lines the inside portion of the box and drapes over the sides enough so the unfinished portion of the box remains hidden no matter how many magazines place pressure on the fabric lining.

After cutting and washing the fabric, I pressed and starched the drop cloth.

Now it was time to sew seams along the edges.

Once the edges were sewn, I placed the fabric inside the box. I used upholstery tacks to attach the cloth to the box and finished the look with an organza bow. Voila!

Watercolor in a Weekend

I have been painting watercolors lately. This is a painting of an ocean scene. Very calming.

Anything Can Become Art

While putting jam in my Cream Of Wheat cereal, I noticed it formed a lovely design. Art is where you find it. And you can find art everywhere!

Blackcap Chickadees Painting

This is a painting I gave to a couple as a wedding gift. It's cold and dark, yet the birds are huddled together for warmth and to stay alive they must stay together. Good news is that spring is near - as shown by the small flower buds on the tree limb. Let's face it, love itself is a risky proposition. It takes courage. Sometimes you go out on a limb and say, "I love you" with the hope that you will hear that same phrase returned.

Violet Seeds

Most plants produce seeds. Some have rhizomes and other methods of reproducing. Before the snow fell this past weekend, I spotted these seeds from the common purple violet plant - open and waiting to spread little flowers throughout my lawn. They looked so pretty and this was the first time I ever saw violet seeds.

First Snow of the Season

Southeast Michigan got its first snow accumulation yesterday. Some areas received up to 15 inches. We got three to five inches. I took this photo early in the morning before venturing out to shovel the driveway.

Painted Cabinet

This is a mid-century cabinet that my Dad made. It has traveled many roads in its life, most recently with my niece's family. When I saw the cabinet at her house, I told her if she ever wanted to part with it, I would be happy to take it off her hands. The next time I saw her, she hauled the cabinet out of her SUV and into my kitchen.

I had several ideas for refurbishing the cabinet. This is its latest reincarnation. How did I do it? Acrylic paint. No sanding no stripping, no nothing. I just started to paint. After the paint dried, I topped the creation off with a couple layers of wax and buffed it lightly. That's it.