Saturday, March 23, 2013

Cracked Baby Extensions

Good Day All!
Hope our time away has been good to you.
I swear time is moving faster and faster. It's been two weeks again and I'm not sure how.
Been busy on this end. This past week was a blur.

Let's see if we can bring it into focus....
I've been working on the deck extension and must say it's looking good. Got the frame done and the decking up. I think we may move the steps away from the side of the house and bring them down onto the new deck. We are contemplating covering the upper deck. Sally would like it closed in, like a sun room. The stones around the fire pit have been put on hold until after the extension is complete. So I can access how much money I don't have. LOL.  Once the deck is finished it will be a nice addition to the yard.
decking in place waiting to be trimmed.
the longer boards are left overs from the front porch.

'the dance floor' as my wife calls it.
it's 8 x 12

from the side looking into the yard

Found out last week that my baby is having a baby girl. Still doesn't seem real. My wife has been out buying clothes and cribs and such. My daughter has picked out a name already....it's Kennedy Lane. Her 'mommy' drive has kicked in. Full throttle too! I have no pictures yet. I think she goes in on Monday for another ultrasound. Maybe I'll have one for the next post!

I was going to work on my witch this past weekend....well, not now. She has cracked. Horribly! The dangers of using WED clay. I'm going to have to start from scratch. I need about a three day period to work on her uninterrupted. I will have to sculpt and mold her all together to prevent the cracking again. As the WED clay dries, it shrinks. Since I put this over a wig form it shrank around it and cracked. The best way to use WED clay is to not use an armature of any kind. I know this and still I did it anyway. Dumb, dumb, dumb!!! I guess I'm going to have to lock myself in my studio to complete her. Here is a pic of the disaster that occurred.....
she's even worse now...
more cracks and her ears are about to 
come off completely


My mead is about reading to be opened. YAY! Some time around the first of next month. Just a couple of weeks. I can hardly wait to try it. I'm also about to start a new batch. I ordered a new fermenting container for the new batch. It's a 9 gallon Tuff Tank. I will probably be making a 5 gallon batch. It has it's own airlock and a drain spout. Should make things much easier this time around. Also with the extra room, I hopefully will not have an explosion like I did the last time. Squished fruit on the ceiling is not a good thing! :) The 'vessel' is from E. C. Kraus home brewing. You can see more of what they have to offer here. Can't wait to get started!
my new fermenter...


I've been working on my 5x5 faerie as well. It's coming along nicely. Would like to be further along with it but haven't had much time to work on it. I've given the wings a coat of shimmering lemon yellow to add a little sparkle. Wait faerie doesn't need a little sparkle? :) I hope to have it done by the end of this coming week. **Fingers crossed!**
not a lot of 'inbetween' shots...
my hands were full of paint
maybe some flowers? or swirly things?

I ordered some ointment for my dogs this past week as well. We are having a hell of a time trying to get them to stop itching. Pixie and Roxxy both have themselves chewed raw. I'm not convinced at this point that it's poison ivy. The shots and medication that the vet gives them lasts for about two or three days and then it comes back worse than before. Pixie is red. I'm hoping that this ointment and soap will help them. It's supposed to soothe the skin and stop them from licking and chewing. **again, fingers crossed** Wish me luck! Open to suggestions at this point. :)

Well, I guess that' all for now....
Thanks to everyone who has stopped by for a visit - even when I didn't post anything new!
You all are great!!!

Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!


TTFN








Saturday, March 09, 2013

Acrylic, Stones and Clay!

Good Day Everyone!
Once again two weeks have gotten by me...
Sorry about the lack of post last weekend. I was sick (again or still...not sure it ever went away).
I spent almost all of Saturday in bed. I'm feeling much better now. I do believe my "flu" gave way to my allergies. Runny nose, sinus headaches and an over developed sense of smell. Aahhh, the joys of springtime in the south. Makes for a miserable combination, but alas, I will prevail! LOL!!

Let's see if I can catch you up...

Very little progress on my witch. Just a bit but that is better than none. She's coming along nicely. I've made a few additions, one of which I have to change or correct or adjust. I'm just not happy with it. And that is simply because it's not what I have in my head. I know what I need to do, just have to do it now. She has a scar and "stitches" now. And her ears - which seem absolutely gigantic! But that I think is due to the fact that her neck has to be fleshed out some. It's too skinny. I haven't got the silicone yet. I was going to order it, however, I realized there is a shop in Atlanta that carries it. That will save me on the shipping costs! YAY! Now I just have to find the time to make the trip. Not a huge rush as she's not done or molded.
scar over her left eye...

the 'stitches' that i'm not too very happy with...
i will 'flesh' them out - give them a little more depth

and her 'dumbo' ears
i think after adding to her neck (twice the size)
it will take away from her ears and give me 
what i want **at least that's the plan**  :)

I have two new pieces as well this week. They are destined for my Etsy shop. They are 5 x 5 canvas'. I have wanted to do an acrylic transfer.....so I have! There are two ways to do a transfer. The 'direct' route, which is what I've done first. You coat your image - a laser print, in this case - and apply it, while wet, to your substrate. I have done three transfers on the first painting. An abstract design, which is a close up of dragonfly wings and two sets of dragonfly wings. This will eventually be a faerie in flight. The first transfer went off without a hitch. I was thrilled! The second one...not so much. It didn't completely adhere. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. But it works and that's the point. I did exactly the same process on the second one. So I couldn't figure out what I had done incorrectly. It even removed some of the base paint that I applied to the canvas. Too much acrylic? Too little? Not enough dry time? After looking at it, repeatedly, I decided I would just do an overlay of the wings. It was another set of wings, different than the first but well within what I wanted. After applying the third transfer and removing the paper...it again didn't adhere completely. Oddly enough in the same spots as the other one. I have come to the conclusion that the 'error' must be the canvas or the paint. Being somewhat of a perfectionist (who me? never) I still have issues with the "artists don't make mistakes, only happy accidents" theory that I've been led to believe that all artist should have. Yeah, ok, sure. I don't know about you but 'happy accidents' only infuriate me. I have a very simple philosophy that astounds most of the people I know. I heard it in a song many years ago and it stuck. Simply because it's the way I view things. Wanna hear it?
"I don't try anything. I just do it......wanna try me?" 
I've never shy away from new things (especially artistic things). I do my research - sometimes too much research - and then I simply do it. Like the acrylic transfers or the silicone that I will be trying doing. :)  Ok, now that you know how my brain works...here are the photos from the transfers...
prep time....gathering all the ingredients

the two canvas' with acrylic 'base' painting done
the one on the left is the one i am currently working on
the one on the right...well...you'll just have to wait and see

a couple of the images i decided to use
the red wings were not used
they didn't quite fit in with what i have floating
through my head...

the first transfer applied and drying

beginning to remove the paper backing

paper removed and drying
all the little rubbings...

the second transfer
you can see where it didn't adhere and where
it removed some of the acrylic paint

this is after the third transfer (no photos in between)
happy with the turn out
the wings actually wrap around the sides
this is gallery wrapped so the sides are deep

We have also begun our 'outside' projects as well. I had planned on doing the stones around the fire pit first and then the deck extension. However, I took my wife with me to Home Depot and the deck suddenly became project one and the stones project two. After gathering the wood and supplies that were needed and heading to the checkout, she decided she wanted it enclosed...back to the lumber department. The clerk at Home Depot was very helpful. I got the impression that he must have thought I was helpless...he loaded most of the wood on my cart for me. Which really made me giggle, since he was much older than I am. We got it all loaded in my truck and it was dark when I got home. So I unloaded everything in the morning and got to work on setting the posts. That's where I am now. Waiting for them to set. Tomorrow will be another day in the yard. With a little luck the frame will be done tomorrow and then another trip to the lumber store to get the decking. 
starting point
extending from the existing deck

posts leveled and drying...


That's all for now.
Till next time...
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!


TTFN