Playing with a Sharpie Pen and a Pencil

I'm trying to practice my shading.  I finally figured out what a tortillion is used for.  They make it so easy to blend the graphite pencil.  A tortillion is just, tightly, rolled paper that comes to a sharp point at the end.  They come in various sizes.  I watched a tutorial once on making them yourself, but they are so inexpensive,I don't know if it would be worth it.

Here are my recent attempts at shading.

I'm pretty pleased with myself, actually.

Peace,

Cyndi

More Hearts

I'm in a very Valentinesy mood, as far as my art goes. I played around with some more hearts.

This one is kind of weird.  I wanted to try this heart pattern.  Then I decided that I wanted to try some old paper, so this is what I ended up with.

Peace,

Cyndi

Valentine Doodling and a Crocheted Blanket

I've been doodling around with these hearts for a couple days.  That was a lot of hearts to color.  I used Sharpies.  I cut the angels out of a French school book, then attached them to the page with a glue stick.

My anniversary is Valentines Day.  It will be 24 years.  It's gone by so fast.  When I look at pictures of us in the 90's, it's hard to believe how much we have changed.

I just took this blanket out of the dryer and decided to take a picture of it.  This is, probably, my favorite thing that I have crocheted.  It's 100% cotton.  It feels so heavy and soft.  I love the texture.  I used single and double crochet stitches.  It's great when things turn out the way you wanted.  It's also great when I actually finish a crochet project.  I have plastic containers full of semi-complete afghans, bathing suits, sweaters, shrugs, socks.  You name it - I have it, partially crocheted!

Peace,

Cyndi

First Time Link Party

I have seen these "link parties" o line for a couple years now, but I've never participated in one. Today, I was on Pinterest (hard to believe, isn't it?!?) and I ran across "How to get clicked at Link Parties", which led me to "Practically Functional", which had a link party going called "Creativity Unleashed", which led me to "One Project Closer", which is where I added my link.


You are supposed to link to a post on your blog that other people might find of interest. These posts are also supposed to be fairly recent. The most recent tutorial that I did was the Faux Milk Glass, which was on 12/31/13. I hope that I don't get in trouble for adding something that's a little old.


So, part of my plan for the new year is going to be to participate in these link parties every week. I would really like to get some more readers. I do realize that to get more readers, you have to offer them something worth their while to read. I'm going to do some more tutorials and who knows, I might even get brave enough to do a video tutorial.


Peace,
Cyndi

Zen doodling on Saturday

I'm really BORED!

Its rainy, dreary, and the first day of the new year.  In fact it's so boring, this is what I'm doing this afternoon - walking around my bedroom taking pictures with my iPad.

Looks like my husband just lit the fireplace downstairs.

Ooh, I just noticed that the reflection of my Christmas lights in the tree looks pretty.

Even, little Angel is bored.

I could paint something.  I have about a million things in the works.  But...........maybe tomorrow.

Peace,

Cyndi

PS.  I can't believe it.  Right as I was getting ready to hit "publish" I had a little break in the monotony of my day.  A freaking, huge spider just crawled up the wall.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I hate spiders.  I hate them more than anything.  I just chased that huge, eight-legged monster around my room for 15 minutes with boot in one hand and my Spider-Not spray in the other.  When I see a spider, I can't stop until it's dead.  I don't care what time of the day or night it is, or how long it takes.  When I see a spider, like a mother lifting a car to save her child, I've been known to lift huge pieces of furniture in the heat of the chase.  When I was about 22, the only thing that kept me from shooting this one, exceptionally, large and ugly monster with the shotgun, was that I couldn't be completely sure that I wouldn't end up filling my neighbor in the adjacent, apartment with shotgun pellets.  I don't want you to think that I'm heartless.  I do feel sorry for them after they're dead and I always apologize to their spirit.  However, my arachnophobia trumps any feelings of guilt that I might have later.

Happy New Year!

Evidently, the home fireworks selection has changed a great deal since the last time that I bought fireworks.  Of course when I was growing up, we were never allowed to have anything more entertaining than a sparkler.

But, things have changed.  I just watched a great fireworks exhibition from my bedroom balcony.  I was oohing, aahing, and clapping so much, you would have thought I was watching the fireworks at Disney.  But no - it was my next door neighbors.  They had fireworks big enough to cover the sky over my house.  I have to admit, there were a couple times when I couldn't fight the instinct to duck.  I don't think they can get the height that the professional fireworks shows manage.  I was hoping that I didn't end up with some trees burning in the starlight.  Even the finale did not disappoint.  They let go with, what seemed like a hundred, big, sparkly, crackly, fireworks.  It was great!

So, to my next door neighbors, I don't know your names, but thanks for a hell of a show!

Disclaimer...the, above, photo is not from my neighbors display, but it looked just like that.  I waited too long to run in to get my camera, so I didn't get any real pics.

Happy New Year!

Cyndi