Time just flies…

Time just flies….

Time just flies…

I cannot believe my last post was October 3rd. Where have I been?

I’ll tell you where I’ve been, Obsessed with Pinterest.Any  spare time I have that I sit on the computer is usually taken up with blogging, reading blogs I subscribe to by google reader (why have they changed their format waaaa) and commenting.

This is the best sign I've seen.... (via pinterest)

I have still been reading your blogs, I so enjoy that, but I haven’t taken the time to comment… sorry!

So I’m thinking, how am I writing this blog today? I’ll tell you how, I haven’t gone on Pinterest yet this morning.

Don’t get me wrong…. I LOVE PINTEREST. It’s so pretty  and  so relaxing for some reason. I see beautiful pictures, Learn amazing things.  There is new things to see, constantly, talk about feed my ADD.

I have made several recipes that my family have actually eaten!!!!!!  But once I check it out  I can’t get off. I love all the craft and do-it-yourself ideas.

You can check it out  without being a member , but you can’t repin anything you like to your own boards. Which I love because if I see anything interesting I want to try later , I just save it to my board and can go back at anytime when I’m ready, instead of having to save it on my own computer or search the internet all over again. So then when you click that picture it take you to the original internet source and information. I also follow other people, so I see their fave things. Oh my!!!!

Pinterest what have you done to me?

cats with heart tails ... seriously.

I send cute little animal pictures to my daughter, as love texts. when she’s working late etc.. sometimes we have a little cute text battle going on. I think I’m winning.

They look so yummy... I'm gonna make them.

If you want to become a member you must have an invitation, I’m not sure why. So just send me an email and I’ll send you an invite…. if you think you are made of stronger stuff than me that is and it won’t take over your life.

I haven’t even managed to post anything new to Illustration Friday In about a month. I’m such a slacker! here’s my Zombie mermaid I was going to post for last week’s Scary theme.

Zombie Mermaid. I would say I'm being influenced by my favourite show: Walking Dead on Sundays AMC.

I am off to a soccer game for Harry soon, I drove to Brewster for a hockey game for Jack yesterday, It’s at least 55 miles away. I had no clue where I was going , thank goodness for GPS.. Also the highway was pitch black on the way home. I’m such a wimp.  But seriously why no lights on the side of the road.

I’m posting this now ( even though now I have started I’ve  started so much to say)   This way it wont stay in my saved drafts and get forgotten.

I will try to wean myself off of Pinterest.  I’ll try to restrict myself..

 

How I painted a hot pink monkey…

A friend of mine has just had a baby.. and I was given the challenge of hot pink monkey artwork. I would have been ready, I swear but Charley decided to come at least 3 weeks early. I have had so many fun things in my head. I can’t seem to turn them off. I have to write down all of the ideas until they leave me alone. Usually because I can never commit to one idea. I have several paintings on the go. Monkey Pirate, Monkey Tutu, I also have cute little onesies I’m going to paint on. Where will I find the time?

I am a little behind and when I should have been working on the monkeys.. I found myself sketching a little dancing robot. I’m not sure where she came from, but I’m sure it had nothing to do with watching Dexter!

She was painted with watercolours and she's a little softer than the scan shows. Which I prefer.

I’ve been busy with the kids, back to school, Jack is driving and is making me taking him ALL the time. My poor gas tank needs constant filling up. Doesn’t he realize gas is expensive!!! He’s actually very good, and I’m loving the bonding time in the car together. Harry is playing school soccer  and we look forward to the new show Terra Nova on Mondays. yay tonight Woo Hoo. Jess just got promoted … well done Jess. Although she’ll have a commute .. about an hour in the car.. It’s a great thing…yay!!!!!

Anyway I took a movie ( sort of. I kept running out of memory card and battery ) of the monkey painting and I see myself painting Over and Over the same stuff!!!! I use all types of materials, pens, pencils, paints .. I didn’t use paper in this one. I have an idea for the next one with paper  though. I also see myself with a fistful of paintbrushes. At least you don’t see me dip my brush in coffee or tea…. I do that a lot! Anyway… I managed to paint the eyes finally… I just couldn’t bring myself to do that for a long time.  I still think there’s something missing.

http://www.youtube.com/user/jasperandblue?feature=mhee

By the way I just cannot figure out how to put the video in this post!!! Even though i’ve done it before . Hmphhhhh!

Here’s the video.. I’ve speeded it up , so hopefully it won’t be too long. I’m still working out the format and stuff. Lots to learn.

jasperandblue’s Channel – YouTube

Illustration Friday-Mesmerizing

Here’s my Illustration friday picture -Mesmerizing.

Mesmerizing

I used water colours and then some markers  and then because  I think I messed it up , I put a warming filter on it in Photo shop to clam it down. Here’s the original sketch that I drew and painted  while watching X-factor , Up all night and Modern family….. too many shows to watch.

original

I hated that big purple mark on her left side.

On a different note, this a monkey picture I’m working on. I have a series of them… i ever get anything finished.

Don’t be scared , I haven’t put eyes on her yet. I’m not leaving it that way. I’m not sure why. I think I’m scared !!!! Of ruining it, Because  I quite like how  it’s turning out. Silly I know.

Monkey see no evil!!!!!!

 

Illustration Friday- Boundaries

The theme this week is: boundaries…. I say our imagination should have no boundaries.

This is what I keep telling myself. So I’m sticking to it.

Meanwhile on a side note, I would love to whine about my frustrations with trying to create a treasury list for Etsy.

Grrrr I can have a whole bunch listed and then I may put the etsy item url just slightly over the box and it loses every item that just took me ages to build in my list. It’s then gone for good. I must have tried to make as many as 15 treasuries and I haven’t finished one yet.

I certainly have my boundaries have that’s concerned. Waaah!

 

 

 

Can jellyfish make you smarter?

Over the summer, Blue definitely seemed to deteriorate. The kids were away at camp, so the house was much quieter than it usually is. It was a little sad. She’s turning 14 in November  and I think that’s 98 in dogs years!!!  Oh I hope  that’s not right.

She's so pretty!!! Sweet dog.

She has cataracts… so her eyesight is not so good anymore. But that’s ok she can still see,  but she does miss a few tasty morsels that are thrown her way. Of course Jasper takes full advantage of this. So we have to remember and make sure she still gets the treats.

She  also seemed a little confused.. When I called her she would stand and stare at my chair. She seems a little skittish. and  to be generally a little confused. Every night she seems to pace, walking around the house  for what seems like hours. Her nails click clacking on the wood floor.

Although, she still sits by my big windows at the front of the house and manages to  bark at every one who walks by… That’s her favourite thing. It drives me nuts though.

My husband recently took her to the vets and mentioned to the vet how she’s still so perky, and how long do Wheaten Terriers generally live for. ( I have no idea why he would ask the vet, when he asks me I reassure him she looks great and live for a very long time.) So the vet said ” Oh probably about 13/14 years.” My poor husband came home in  a panic. I reassured him again and told him the vet was stupid!

He seemed to respond well to that.  But this summer we have definitely seen our hyper dog slow down. But she is 14 right… So it happens a little. I’m sure that’s normal. She’s still very happy and still has tons of energy and people never guess how old she is. They are always shocked when we tell them.

So I was discussing Blue with a good friend who suggested Jelly fish supplements. Called Prevagen, her mother had given them to her dog and had seen a huge improvement. Apparently these supplements are giving to people showing signs of dementia and it helps with memory loss etc .

Honestly within a week of her having these pills, we have seen a definite difference. she seems perkier ( she was always hyper) She definitely seems more “there” than she was  this summer. When we call her she now looks right at us, instead of looking confused. Jasper’s not getting twice as many snacks as she’s a little quicker!! Which is good because jasper was looking a little chubby, he lost his girlish figure. She still paces, but she had a little arthritis , maybe that helps with stiffness. We are giving her glucosamine too.

She has managed to open my garbage and get food out. She never did that before, well only if some fool left it open. But the other day  she got in it 3 times. I know I closed it well after the 1st time. I thought I was the fool who left it open. Then I realized it was closed. Could the jelly fish be making her smarter? Smarter than she was. She was never really a smart dog, sweet, loving, pretty but not terribly clever.

So far I’m giving a thumbs up to prevagen. it was hard to find to find but I found it online although my friend said her mother got it in a drug store. Hopefully it will keep on working.

 

Illustration friday- Mysterious

Well, I’m just getting in my IF post before the midnight deadline… Oops. I always mean to be on time. Instead I’m always a little tardy!!!!

My Mum  always used to say….. “Collette was born 3 weeks late and she’s never been early since!!!!”

Which is not entirely true, because my husband is a little anal over time, so I’m much better now.

Here’s my post. mysterious.

So, is this a mystery?

Say what you will. I know he’s one of my Flying Piggies so he has wings.. But it’s still a mystery how he fits in the nest. Poor chicks  and why he thinks he belongs there at all.

He’s made from paint and paper on a canvas… He was lots of fun to make. The leaves are cut from one of my  birthday cards this year. I loved the colour of the card.

I’ll be back tomorrow with an update on my dog Blue… since we’ve given her jellyfish supplements she’s a frickin’ genius.

Illustration Friday- Disguise

This is a picture that I did a while ago. I was In a chick phase. I made a whole bunch of silly chicks.

In disguise

This reminds me of Jess when she was younger.We recently came across a whole load of photos of Jess. Most were naked, she loved to strip and run.(Like a streaker. does anyone remember that song. “They called him the streak!” I think.) There were SO many. With hats, tiara’s and of course fairy wings. Lots of naked fairies. Tons of Jess poking her tongue out at the camera too. I have those shots from 1-year-old to her  current  age of 21. A whole series of them. I think it’s a theme.

We found a picture that I will not post here, with Jess, half-naked, cheekily showing her bum to the camera, but wearing a Groucho Marx  nose and glasses.  She joked that she could post it on Facebook.( the horror)  I said she actually could, because at least she was in disguise!!!!!

Totally in disguise

Banksy, Boobs, Earthquakes and Irene….

Wow, what a jam packed week its been. I have just got cable/TV/ and Internet Back. Woohoo. Not so lucky for some of my friends, who still don’t have electricity yet.

My brother was here from England visiting with his beautiful family, Wife – Karen and my niece – Chloe. I say niece, But she’s an absolute angel. That’s what I tell him when he complains about teenagey things. I have two of my own and one budding teenager…. so I should know.

Chloe and my brother. My husband says he looks so English!!!!

Well, They were here for the Earthquake which was so weird. I know anyone from California has had indigestion worse than that , but for us New Yorkers it was a little unsettling. Poor Chloe felt gypped because she didn’t feel it.

We also took a trip to the Hampton’s, and I have to say Pre – Irene  the waves were quite rough and a lot of fun.

Wow! look at those waves

They managed to make the last plane out of Newark airport in New Jersey before they shut the airport down. So they had quite a trip.

I loved how this turned out.. so funny

aw!

Also In the Hampton’s,  Banksy a street artist was having an Art show. Mainly to promote his movie,  Exit through the Gift Shop, which was released at Sundance.

Banksy is an elusive street Artist. Nobody knows what he looks like. His art is somewhat political and  anti- government. I love his art and I became a little obsessed on a trip back to the UK quite a few years back. He welcomes people to take photos of his art, but objects to making prints and selling it for profit. Fair enough.  His art pops up under the cover of darkness and if they find out who he is, they can technically arrest him. At the exhibition there were walls with his art that had been flown over. One even had the butcher shop tile on the back. I loved it.

Anyway… I went to the exhibition and I swear he was there. I’m sure it was him. I asked him if it was of course. He had a london accent and glasses so it HAD to be him… But I really think it was.

I'm sure it's Banksy

Harry and Banky's art

As for the boobs.. I had a mammogram today. I was shocked to find out my last one was 2005. I honestly thought I’d had one fairly recently.  So to everyone out there… don’t forget to get checked. Go get those boobs squeezed. I promised the doctor I would check monthly too… I  always forget to do that.

I’m still having internet problems so I’m ending now before it freezes on me again…. More photos next time.

Me and Hubby...Harry took this picture, good job.

I came back to add some photos.

Painting Shoes

I’ve been obsessing about an embroidered pair of cowboy boots … way out of my budget, around $500 on Zappos…..( excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor) I found a pair on sale ( only 2 pairs left.. oh the pressure !!!) for only $396.00. I just can’t!

So beautiful.......

So what do I do. I take a trip to Micheal and rummage through my supplies and decide to paint a pair of shoes I already have. Cheapies from Target. Or shall I say Targe`. ( pronounced Tarjay like it’s fancy)

First of all I pick some cool embroidered flowers and think maybe I’ll glue them on. But I’m not too sure what would be the best glue, So I’m saving the flowers for something else.

mock-up with embroidered flowers

Then I picked up some Tulip Liquid beads to use..

liquid beads

I saw a great tutorial using them here, at Ilovetocreateblogspot 

So here we go. here are the shoes…

Shoes: Cheapies from Target

I decided the best thing would be to use a sharpie paint marker for the drawing …. then I could use turquoise paint over that, It would be brighter than just the paint over the brown. So drew the basic outlines on…

Using a sharpie paint marker I drew flowers, dots and swirls

then I used turquoise acrylic paint to paint over the white flowers.

painting over the white flowers

Acrylic paint

Then I used a light blue sharpie which wasn’t really light blue at all and sort of used it for a little shadow/depth to the flowers.

I think I need to use another colour over the swirls… but I’m not sure. So I’m not rushing it. I’ll wait and see what pops  into my head.

But here are, almost finished…..

I added some more flowers around the front, as they didn't show under jeans.

I tried the liquid beads as a test… but it came off too easy , so I decided not to use them. Never fear, I’m sure I’ll have another project to use. Now My friend  Alysse at  Bliss Monkey Studio said we should paint a pair of shoes/boots together. Sorry I got caught up Alysse. I am willing to paint another pair…. If anyone else has painted shoes/boots too, I would love to see pictures.