Tiny But Mighty

This sweet tiny but mighty little Angel's face changed about 4 times before she was finished. I love how she turned out & her sweet face. I wish a photo really captured the original. She's small measuring 5x5x.50 perfect for a little spot that needs some love. I listed her here. I have a few more of these small canvas that I plan to paint. They are so sweet.

Hubby & The Spotted Dogs are playing tonight in Auburn so I will have the house to myself. I'm not feeling all that terrific so I don't know if am going to use this quiet time for painting, collage, paper bag albums or just veg out in front of the tv.

I did another collage last night out of one of my many Gourmet magazines. I love them! Art & cooking, 2 of my biggest passions. I'm thinking I will hang them in my kitchen. I have little Italian glass tiles in my kitchen as a backsplash and they really look cool up against that. I feel a little guilty spending the time to make something for myself instead of something to sell. I have more Gourmet magazines than I'd like to admit so maybe when I've finished mine... I took photos of the process yesterday which I plan on posting soon or making a video out of, if I can get my son to help me with that. I have to tip my hat at Collage artists. Collage pieces are sometimes unappreciated or underrated in my opinion, which is sad because they are a big undertaking, no matter how organized you are, and a piece takes an enormous amount of thought & time. Not to mention the mess & space it takes, well for me anyway! I'm so visual I have to see it all. I usually struggle with composition on collage pieces, which is why I am loving this new project! You get what you get and make something out of it. Of course you still have to think about it but at the same time using what you just randomly cut out gives you a lot of freedom. The one that I completed last night isn't embelished yet but again I have all the recipe pieces around the edges. I want to do at least 2 or 3 more. I will post a picture when I get them all done & hung up.

Follow the Directions? Hum... Maybe....

I went to the printer, mailed out prints, then I loaded up on canvas today! Yippee! For some reason when I only have a few I can't seem to paint so I've been knitting instead making things for my new grandson. I used to make decisions for a living and now I can't decide on what I will do next. Go figure. Little JJ is still in the hospital. The kids had to leave him there and go home without him. I know how hard that is. I had to do that with both of my sons. He is doing better today and hopefully will be coming home tomorrow. I will be going over to hold him tomorrow or Wednesday. I miss him already. He's been in ICU so we couldn't hold him.

While in the waiting room awaiting his arrival, I knitted, pulled it out, knitted, pulled it out...probably about 5 times! At one point I had 1/2 of a scarf made, then pulled it out. I had no direction, no idea what I was doing. It passed the time. So I decided that I would make him something out of the "labor room" yarn and knitted him a little ear flap hat yesterday. It's big so he won't be able to wear it until winter time next year! I think it came out cute though. I still have to sew a loop & button on the little sweater (pattern is below) but I'll show you the picture without the button. I am putting a loop & button rather than the ties as shown. I have a hard time following a pattern to the T or a recipe for that matter!

Speaking of recipes... I'm usually pretty good at coming up with some tasty things on my own and some people say I'm a really good cook. I did come up with a doozey of an experiment the other day. Costco has the most wonderful bean salad - Paisley Farms. I just love it & love the brine that it's in. I can eat the whole gargantuan jar by myself! Not in one sitting, but I usually do end up being the only one that eats it. Isn't that sweet of my husband to pass on it! haha I also love pickled okra and have been craving it. I bought some at the farmers market and had what I thought was a brilliant idea, pickle some fresh okra in the brine left over from the bean salad. Well... don't try that, it's totally nasty! I think my craving is cured for the time being! I have been a subscriber to Gourmet magazine for about 15 years now. I get lots of inspiration but it's not too often that I actually try a recipe to the letter in there. I will, however, be trying the yellow squash recipe that's in this months issue! We don't fry a lot of foods, but this one will be worth it! I will post the recipe below in my recipe of the week section. Doesn't this look great!?!