Saturday, August 11, 2012

Accessible Back yard--Please vote...daily if you can!

For those of you who dont' follow this on facebook....one of my close friend's cousin in trying to win a backyard makeover to make it wheelchair accessible for him and his family. Every day I get to go and give one single vote...but I do it every day. I have posted it wayyy too many times on facebook to be bothersome to those who don't want to see it so thougth I'd post here to my blogging friends...and family....

http://www.houselogic.com/contest/boost-your-roost/entry/15/

Click here and Entry 15 for Allison and her husband should show up. You dont' have to sign up just click "vote" and it will help. They were  neck and neck yesterday but the other one slipped ahead overnight...I am sure they are both worthy of their makeovers...just nice to know someone I know whose family would benefit!

Finding a purpose

I've had these bags of multi colored rocks for a few years now that I got half price because they had holes in the bags and possibly some had fallen out...I loved the rock but wasn't sure what to do with them. I did add a little to the dry creek bed in Jim's shade garden...added more after this picture



So I did add a little more to this dry creek bed (they get lost under dirt afterawhile....and a few days ago I was standing by what I lovingly call my "junk pile" before I did the major overhaul on my back yard I created this one space that was near our patio that at least was pleasant, filling it full of things I would find at yard sales, or free, or a few items I purchased but mostly things I found (like the drooping desk) alongside the road....and enjoyed that for a few years. In the beginning I grew allysum in white and purple on the bottom to show off the items above. With all the other work in my yard this had fallen into somewhat of disrepair...but here it is a few years ago before it was left more or less unattended...


This is earlier last month...still ok but the bottom just looks messy. I had to pull out some of the grass as it was overwhelming everything...I then planted the grass into my old wheelbarrow beside this...planted my huge asters behind the wheelbarrow...




So now this is where the multicolored rock comes in...I was looking at this...working on it cleaning it thinking the ground covers I've planted are the same size as they were when I planted them 2 years ago (can see a little bit of them) and thought it is too late to try to grow allysum this summer...besides I have to do that every year...maybe I should do something decorative...WAIT I have this cool rock...that I love but have never used (and Michelle came and STOLE a whole big gulp glass of it! hehe) and though I'm still working on this I think the rock makes a HUGE difference...what do you think?






You can see the wheelbarrow in the right corner, and the asters behind, and that I removed the grass now its in the wheelbarrow...I only have to keep the rocks up now I am loving this. (oops in the first one the giant star fell down but in the 2nd one I picked it back up!




Thursday, August 2, 2012

My Water Can Collection aka Artifying an image

Recently I offered a signed copy of Glicee print by Marilyn Sholin which I received for a donation I made to a fund. It wasn't really in my type of decorating and never knew what to do with it, so I offered it on a group I knew would know who Marilyn is and appreciate her work. Its value in the digital art community much more than a general community, but probably worth close to $100. I did not want money for it because I paid no money for it.

I got 2 immediate responses, one who knows Marilyn personally, has lived in New Orleans (subject matter) and didn't have this particular print of bourbon street. Another was a new member of the group and I had already promised to the first lady so I told the 2nd lady to pick out one of my images from Flickr and let me send her one of those.

She choose one I called my watering can collection shown here...but I asked her if I could "artify"  it a bit. She doesn't know I am going to put it on an 8 x 10 canvas with a transfer technique...so here is the before....






Here is the after...Added texture from my own collection I created and a little bit of an aged effect. I will take a picture of it before I mail it if it looks like I want it to. Have to dry it over night.


I printed it out on my laser printer onto Freezer paper, then I should have printed it in reverse and use Gel medium on the canvas and place the image on top of the gel...then let it completely dry overnight. As I was typing this I realized I didn't print it in reverse...then I thought no big deal EXCEPT the words on the front most can is readable! oh well...I get to keep one then. So back to the printing board...anyway...I'll take a picture of the BETTER one so all can see...if you are interested...

My 2000 followers on Pinterest!

WOW 2000 followers last night...so I got ready today to pick a winner for a small gift out of those who repin the most of my images (wow takes forever to pick out of 2000 people!) and today its already up to 2026!

But the winner is.....JODY DEAN! Jody you probably don't follow my blog but i'll track you down...need your mailing address OR lunch with you and the secret woman kelly sometime soon!



So many of these items from my Friends Kelly from Mulberry Tree, and Barbara from Apple Rose Cottage...I just steal their ideas..

Thanks everyone for following my pins...makes me feel they are not in vain! Today I'm heading to my board "Mod podge and transfers" to figure the best way to transfer an image to canvas. I need to review all of them trying to keep them straight is not easy!