Vacation in my Mind

A woman was telling me how stressed she is taking sick relatives around and how worried she is. I told her she needs to do a craft or hobby. She looked pretty horrified that I thought she should do more than she was already doing.

I said, "Doing what you are doing is wearing. If you do a craft, you can't worry or think about things you absolutely have no control over. So it's like a little vacation from your worries. You're there if they need you, but your mind is free from worry when you're painting, knitting, or whatever. Actually going on vacation isn't practical...you have responsibilities. But freedom from worry for a bit, it good for you. You don't have to be good at the craft although you might be.

You just need to get your mind off your worries.

I also gave her paperwork for volunteering. I told her to tell all her relatives to leave Thursday morning off their schedule of doctors' visits. She took the paper and escaped.

People shouldn't tell me their troubles if they don't want my take on how to handle them.

Really Good Day

I had my hair trimmed today and asked for the phone number of the person who made the yarn necklaces I had seen displayed there. She gave me the number and I called as soon as I got home. She wasn't home but her husband said I'd called and she called me back!

Not only was she willing to tell me about where to get the yarn, she gave me some for the hospital gift shop for the cost of the yarn.

She is a very interesting, creative person who may be willing to volunteer at the hospital and bring her sister with her!

She took me around and showed me the interesting craft hobbies she does. I could see a way to tailor several of them for the gift shop. I hope she decides to volunteer:) It was really nice to talk to her and see her stuff.

The pile in the picture is four necklaces I'll take to the gift shop Tuesday:)

Happy Halloween!

I did this ceramic witch a long time ago. The mushroom put itself there:)

Ugly Gourd

Well, this one didn't turn out like I wanted. I'm not quite finished, but I don't think it is going to improve a lot. It's annoying to spend a lot of time on something and have it turn out pretty much like I intended...and not like it.

Well, good to know. I won't have to do another one like it.

Another Gourd Basecoated

Today I basecoated the silver and black gourd. I intend to finish the leaves on the green one in red. The silver leaves are going to be finished in green. The pink ones are going to be finished in red.

The black is the negative space. The colors are heart-shaped leaves. Hopefully when I'm finished, I will have caladiums...not very realistic ones since I'm using metallic and pearly paints.

Dinig Room...Not a Holiday

The bouquet is basil. I thought it would make the room fragrant, but it didn't. 

The purse is almost forty years old. Larry made it and I painted it. I got the handle repaired a year or so ago because it was starting to tear. The Amish saddle maker did an excellent repair job.

Working on Gourds

I used metallic and pearl paints, interior and exterior, on these two gourds. Maybe I'll finish them tomorrow. I'm anxious to see if they will look as spectacular as I'm hoping.

Egg Gourds

These are egg gourds. We found them where they sell pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and gourds. Last year they had small gourds, but not egg gourds. When I was checking out, another customer asked if they are to eat. I said they aren't. She asked what to do with them. When I said to keep them for a year to dry out, then soak in hot water to scrub the outer coat off, then decorate them, she didn't rush over to get some for herself. She stuck with her sweet potatoes.

Gourds

The gourd on the left is the first one I did.  The one on the right I just finished today.

I used a wood burner on the first one.  I just used paint on the second one.

Practice Wooden Egg

I painted a wooden egg with red watercolor.  It took several coats, but it was soaking into the wooden egg nicely.  Then I used white acrylic to paint a design on.  It looked like I wanted it to look at that point.  But when I put a coat of varnish on it, the red watercolor smeared over the white acrylic.  It doesn't look as smeary in the picture as it does in real life. That was not the effect I was aiming for.  I didn't want to waste an egg (the practice egg was one that an i screw had broken off in), so I painted a wooden egg cup with red watercolor.  Then I put a coat of varnish on.  Then I painted the decoration with white acrylic.  Then I painted a coat of varnish over it.  The red was sealed so it didn't smear.  Also, the acrylic went on smoothly.  I had thought it might bead up on it.  Success.  I think I will do another egg cup with a red acrylic base coat, then a white acrylic decoration, then a coat of varnish to see how that does.

I found my 22 gauge floral wire so I was able to attach the ribbon and garland stuff to the French doors between the dining room and my sunroom/office.

I made the garland thing about 15 years ago by buying the fake greenery and adding ornaments, fake poinsettias, and glitzy ribbons.  I didn't have the fat, red ribbon at the time, but I had white lights to put in it.  The lights were for 220 so I just took them out.

I LOVE Christmas!

To attach the stuff to the woodwork with damaging it, I had to do an Amazon order as all the hangers I could find in the stores weren't what I wanted.  Yea, Amazon!