Ambassador Class Christmas Party

Last Tuesday evening we had our Class Christmas Party. A wonderful Roast Beef dinner with many trimmings...good desserts (I chose Pumpkin Pie), and then wonderful entertainment by some very talented people. A good celebration of the Season. Before I finished my dessert and coffee, I got out my sketchbook and recorded a few things. The centerpieces were so pretty--and the decorations made it so festive!

I just had to post this...the Choir was awesome today with The Music of Christmas. And the Decor and the orchestra and Pipe Organ all together made for a worshipful and meaningful time. Didn't color this until I got home.

Those Bright Colors

Saw some persimmons painted on someone else's blog--so I decided to try them. I had never tasted them either. SO I painted them with a couple other colorful fruits that I bought at the same time. The persimmon was quite tasty. Starfruit, I can take or leave it. It's quite tart--but I did like trying to paint it. I have purchased pomegranates many times, but let them dry so I could have a Christmasy-looking bowl to display. I looked on "Google" to see how to cut them properly. It's quite simple, but you must follow the steps. We used to just cut them and try to get the seeds out, which makes your fingers and anything around quite messy! Having fun trying to fill my watercolor journal with everyday sketches and painting....can't wait to start my new one!

Merry Christmas 2010

This is our Christmas Card this year. I painted my version of a window that I saw when we visited Charleston, SC--but I filled the flower box with pointsettias, and added some clip-art to make it more Christmas-like. Also thought I would post the inside of the card--then I can greet anyone who stops by my blog. Again, Merry Christmas. Did I say it enough times? :-)

Thursday nite we went to Mitchell's Seafood for dinner...really good! I started to draw the salt shaker and pepper grinder and then noticed the "wallpaper with a porthole and maps" on one of the walls, so decided to use it for my background. It does keep me painting.
I had Pecan encrusted Whitefish and Cliff had a Seafood Combo (I think it had Salmon, Scallops, and some kind of whitefish). Looked good. He had some Oysters to start (ooeeww! not me) so I had a lettuce wedge with house dressing.

Just Finished

Just finished making my latest Watercolor/Sketchbook Journal...Now I'd better get painting & sketching :-) The first one I made is getting quite filled. It's a lot of fun making these, but I need to "limit" myself. I was quite excited to run into a (Bookbinding) classmate of mine (Betsy V.) at Hiller's Market. We couldn't stop chatting--we did make plans to take a trip to Hollander's in Ann Arbor together, so she can get the pieces she needs to start and finish her book. I realized when I started to work on this black & white print paper that is was fairly soft (?) and I wonder how it will "hold up." We'll see! The trouble is that I already have a paper in mind for my next book. Better get my brushes and finish up the first book. :-) I'm having too much fun! (isn't that what this is all about???)

Farmington Players Barn

We reserved tickets for this past Sunday Afternoon which was the last Matinee performance of "A Christmas Story." You've no doubt seen the movie. Ralphie relates a Christmas experience from his boyhood, complete with a bully, a tongue stuck to a flagpole...and an "Orphan-Annie" secret decoder membership. They did a great stage adaptation of this movie....we thoroughly enjoyed it.
We're quite fortunate to have this Players Barn near us. They put on many performances year-round. The last one we enjoyed was "You Can't Take it With You."
I like their logo--it's a replica of the barn, or drama masks, depending on how you look at it.

ThnksGvg Turkey Sketch

Well, I did get it down in my sketchbook--Stuffing and all! I like the photos better....The day was so fun--we ended up with 32 people all talking at once and having fun catching up with each other. The youngest ones (Great-Grands, 3 & 5) were having such fun with their cousins! Wonderful Family Time. The desserts weren't bad either!

THANKSGIVING

We always cook the turkeys for the Family Thanksgiving Dinner. We need 2 of them because we have so many. Our family alone are 22 people--and my husband's brother and family join us..so this year there were 32 of us!!! Here are the Birds before we carved them...Yummy! I didn't have time to sketch them--maybe I'll try it from the pictures :-)

DRAWING IN CHURCH

This past Sunday, a young lady sat right in front of us--she had beautiful wavy, (natural-color) auburn hair that reached her waistline. I just had to give you my impression/watercolor of her. That's her brother next to her with the "hoodie" on. They have another brother, about 16, with the same red hair (only it's short) and he assists the drums/cymbals man (his teacher) on the Sundays when the orchestra
plays. Very nice family.

Colorful Squash

I decided to Sketch and Watercolor a picture of my basket of squash, and do it in the Sketchpaper section of my book. It takes the watercolor nicely...probably should have tossed a red pepper in the basket (just for color :-)
I don't know if we will get around to eating ALL of these--but they are interesting to look at.
I put a suggested recipe there--but I usually do not use the brown sugar nor the cinnamon. We just like them baked with butter, salt and pepper. Yum!

I'm trying to "journal/watercolor" in my book often--so I'm posting things from my everyday life. This was at the Dermatologist's office this morning. I can't resist asking about a project I see someone working on. This lady had to make several embroidered (cross-stitched) quilts because her niece was having boy and girl twins--which of course I was able to chime in that I have boy and girl twins (however,I did have to admit that my twins are having their 56th (OUCH!) birthday this week. :-) In my day, we didn't have ultrasounds to know if they were boys or girls (or one of each :-) BTW, if you didn't recognize it, that's a Teddy Bear she is working on.

POLISH POTTERY

We celebrated 4 November birthdays (in our immediate family) on Sunday at our daughter Karen's house. We had one 77-year old, two 56-year-olds, and one 20 year old. There are even more family birthdays in the month of March. Anyway, Karen has collected a few pieces of "Polish Pottery" from where she works in Milford, Michigan. It's a fascinating Shoppe (Acorn Farms) and you can even select a monogrammed Doggie Pillow (for the Dog). We had our coffee and tea in these cups--she has a few different patterns. Her son, Jeff also had some awesome pottery mugs that he made. It was fun to try and capture these--there is even more design on some of the other patterns.

Heavenly Blue Morning Glories

My daughter Ruth has a lovely garden (it's been on the Garden Club Walk) and when I visited last week, the Morning Glory Vine was growing all over a big bush beside the driveway! It was gorgeous, with hundreds of blooms--and it wasn't even morning :-) So this is my watercolor journal take on them.

We LOVE Key Lime Pie...even tho' we don't use key limes. We just use the regular limes we buy in the Store. Key Limes are about the diameter of a Nickel and you'd need to squeeze about 50 of them to get 1/2 Cup of juice :-( Anyway, I came across this low-fat recipe and you cannot tell that it is low-fat. I thought painting all of the ingredients and the recipe in my watercolor/sketch journal would be colorful :-) Also, I like to use a Shortbread Ready-Crust instead of the Graham Cracker Ready-Crust. They don't always have them--or they sell them faster. Notice: the Fat-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk has a GREEN label (not the red one.)

Falling Leaves

I may have posted this before, but I like it...and this is what we have been looking at for the past several days! Autumn is far too short here in Michigan--but it has been beautiful, warm and colorful weather for about 2 weeks now. Today it was a little dreary--but there are a few colorful leaves still left on the trees. BTW, the Juncos (birds) arrived today--a sure sign of cooler weather coming. They come and stay all winter and leave in early Spring.

I DID IT MYSELF

Can't believe I did it!!! After making (bookbinding) my own book in a class--I actually did this at home by myself :-) Plaid Petunia's instructions were very good! I did stumble a few places--but would lay it aside, look at my Class-made book and try to figure what to do next. The Spine is the hardest part (I think)...and I will never cut the bookboards (by hand) again--They are too thick to be cut with an exacto-type knife...even a heavy duty one. Thanks for taking my phone call early on Catherine :-) I am already planning my next one! Tonight, the book is being "pressed" under my VERY HEAVY BOOK. I can't wait until morning to see it. I need to find out where to get the clear plastic cover to protect it.

FARM MARKET

I bought a "tree" of Brussel Sprouts (and shared half with my daughter). Then I looked up C. Carey's Brussel Sprouts and recipe (on her blog--"older posts") and got them ready to Roast (with garlic & walnuts). Before that, I thought I'd better paint them for posterity. Also liked the sign stuck in the driveway of the market which meant we could only go ONE WAY! They had propped it up with a couple pumpkins, in keeping with the season. We have had a busy Fall season--cleaning out the old flowers, planting Aliums, etc...then taking each beautiful afternoon to cruise around and photograph (Cliff) and I would Sketch/WC/Journal. Can you tell I love painting in my new book. I haven't posted ALL my pics, but I'm tempted.
Now I will need to get back to my bookbinding...I've got all my paper measured and torn and folded--and now am ready to start on the spine. I will have to do this a step at a time to make sure I get it right. Hope Catherine's got her phone handy :-)

Fall Foliage

We have been taking advantage of the beautiful Fall weather in our area...I watercolor and
my husband takes photographs. However, the two photos are mine. The tree one was taken from my kitchen window and you can see my birdfeeders too. The pumpkins were in front of the Cider Mill/Apple Orchard we visited and had our treats there (homemade apple-cinnamon doughnuts and hot cider--Yummm! Haven't indulged in that in 10 years (always trying to save calories :-)

Title Page in My First Book

I finally did my "Title Page" in my new bound book. I had picked up a pinecone in the area where I had the Bookbinding Class and had never painted one...I decided to make it a part of my first page, since I made this book in September. Now I can "get on" with making my new "bound" book. I'm up to the spine part--and I'll need to go at it very carefully--I tend to rush ahead--So am trying to do it step by step the way Cathy wrote the instructions. It's quite exciting to make your own book.

Ann Arbor Michigan

This week we took a trip out to Ann Arbor, Michigan to visit the Bookbinding Store (Hollander's) ! What a wonderful Store. But we discovered our favorite Deli just around the corner--Zingerman's. You must visit sometime just to see the (imported from everywhere) Cheese Display! Then sample whatever they have out...usually brownies from the Bakery, maybe some dipping oils, breads, or a snippet of Cheese. We had our favorite Sandwiches there for a late Lunch (or early Supper ?).
The trees are just starting to turn red around the edges--so it was a colorful trip. While I was at Hollander's, I was able to select some papers for my next Book that I will bind myself...it's a fun project--with a lot of steps--to completion. I'm not writing a book, I'm filling it with watercolor paper to use for a sketchbook/watercolor memory journal.

Sermon Notes

We had a special presentation this Sunday Morning. I sketched quite quickly--and then watercolored when I got home. It's a method to remember Old Testament events in order and is a fun and interesting way to keep these events in mind (with "motions" and hand signals too). Also it was Communion Sunday, and another big event in "our" minds--(my husband & I)--it was our 57th anniversary :-)