Since I have started using essential oils and carrying them in my purse, I designed and made what I call essential  oil  wallets. I have just started trying to  get them into the local shops that sell essential  oils, and have sold to a shop  in Upper Sandusky and have a shop Columbus also interested. I am selling for a reasonable price, I think, so that the shops can sell for a higher price. I am making two sizes.  Small is 4 1/4 x 5 1/4 with two dividers and a lg size with 3 dividers (4 1/4 x 7 3/4). Both are plastic lined. One  divider will hold 10ml size, and could also hold a roller bottle in one divider, so could hold up to 4 oils in the small, and 6 in the large. I am selling the small for $7 and large for $10 . If interested, you can reach me at jbrookart@gmail.com.  NOTE:  I am unable to sell the OSU wallets due to licensing rules, but have wallets made from other beautiful fabrics!

I finally finished the wooden ironing board painting for my friend.  I am really pleased with the final painting.  Next it is on to painting the blades on an old hand saw.  Scott prepped it for me (sort of) but I want to clean and use more steel wool on it before it is sprayed with the metal primer.  I have a small hand saw to start with and there are two regular sized ones waiting to be cleaned.  There is a farm auction down the road on Saturday and I would LOVE to get one of the cross-cut hand saws that will be up for auction.  I can just see a painted one hanging over our fireplace!  I hope to get some items painted over the winter and maybe put them up for sale....maybe.....

Too many projects..so little time

It has been forever since I have posted.  I've been hooked on reading Guidepost fiction books,  Tales from Grace Chapel Inn and also Annie's Attic Mysteries.  I discovered paperbackswap.com a couple of months ago and have been trading like crazy.  Got to slow down....way down!

A couple of months ago a friend bought an old antique wooden ironing board and asked if I would paint a picture on it.  I didn't get motivated to start the painting process until a couple of weeks ago but it seems to be coming along nicely.

I am on vacation this week so hope to get at least a couple of the buildings painted.  I also want to "sandwich" a quilt and maybe start quilting it this week.  I dread the pinning process... not my favorite thing to do.  Another thing that I want to do it some Primitive embroidery and make it into a quilt.  I saw some adorable primitive angels with bible verses that I want to make.  I have too many things I want to do but not the motivation!!  Lazy, I am!  I sat out on the deck in Scott's new zero gravity lounge chair and about fell asleep.  Should have been inside painting, sewing, etc.  After our COLD winter tho, it is so nice to sit out in the warmth!

Vacation week is almost over and here is some of the artwork I got done in my Art Journal (all except the angel!).  I saw the two at the top on the internet and loved them so much that I had to draw them in my journal.  Love the humor of them!   I will use them for journaling pages also.   I'm really pleased with the one at the bottom.  She turned out much better than I anticipated!  Scott makes fun of my people with no hands.    I just wanted simple....nothing complicated.  

I ran across this beauty recipe today in "The Good Earth Bath, Beauty & Health Book", and want to try making it!

THE GOOD EARTH FACIAL MASK FROM CUCUMBER AND GREEN CLAY

1/8 cup French Clay
1 medium cucumber, peeled and mashed
Water (enough to make into a paste)
1 teaspoon sweet almond oil

Mix the French Clay, cucumber and oil together in a bowl.  Use the water to make a very moist paste (a medium cucumber will vary in moisture level so you will just have to add enough water to make a very soft clay).  Put on your face and let set until dry, usually 10 - 15 minutes (the moisture will evaporate from the mask, causing a "pulling" action, which presses out whiteheads/blackheads from you skin and tightens your pores), then wash off.  

I think I have all the ingredients, so just may try making this while I am on vacation this week!  Will post a pic of it if I decide to make it!

Most of you who know me know that I am definitely not blessed with a Gardener's know-how, but I love unique garden  art and I love birds so when I saw one of these, I had to make one for our back yard!   So, at the first big yard sale I saw, I stopped and came home with a really pretty cup and saucer.     Since I already have a desk full of craft items,  I used my trusty tube of E6000 glue to glue the cup to the saucer, then let it sit overnight.  This morning before church, I filled it with sunflower seeds and general seed and hung it from a shepherd's hook near the birdbath.  As with anything new in the yard, it will take a while for the birds to get used to it being there.  It is small, but I am hoping the little nuthatches and downy woodpeckers and finches find it!

I never would  have thought that it would be a pleasure to wash the dishes....by HAND! The dish liquid I made with the scent of cucumber melon smells heavenly and I willingly wash every little dish just to smell it!  Even the pots and pans which I have always hated to wash!    My first mistake in making it was to shred 2 bars of natural soap and NOT wait for it to cool completely before putting it in bottles.  Lets just say that TWO  bars were WAY too much and the bottles were full of super thick soap in the morning!  I transferred soap into two more bottles and have been adding, adding, and adding water to get just one bottle to the right consistency.  I think it is finally the way I want it, but now doubt if I could ever recreate it!
I should have used the recipe from an earlier post, but instead of using liquid castile, I used the shredded bar soap.  Maybe I will try the liquid soap next time.

It has been so much fun (and satisfying) in making my own shampoo, soap, detergent, hand creme, etc.  Today I want to share the recipe for  Coconut milk shampoo.  Since I have started using it, I no longer have to use gel or mousse on my hair and it is so soft and silky!  I will never buy store shampoo again!

COCONUT MILK SHAMPOO

1/4 cup coconut milk (You can find canned coconut milk at Walmart)1/3 cup liquid Castile soap (I used Baby Mild unscented Dr Bonners)
1 teaspoon Vitamin E, olive oil or almond oil

Combine all in a bottle or jar, shake well to mix and before each use.  Use only about 1 teaspoon with each use.
I bought a plastic bottle at Hobby Lobby and used an old pump cap on it.  It really conserves and you only need one squirt.  It has wonderful lather!  My husband even loves using it!

As I have said many time,  a gardener I am NOT, but for some reason lately, I have been interested in plants!  Last fall I planted a few bulbs in the back yard and was so pleased that they bloomed this Spring.  My BIL gave me one of his hibiscus plants around Christmas time and it is also blooming!

Was pleased with the colors of the tulips!  The hyacynths (sp) were white, yellow and pink.

Hibiscus are one of my favorite flowering plants (next to lilacs!).  When we lived in Florida, I had a potted  red hibiscus tree on our patio.  It was beautiful!

Scott picked these flowers from my sister, Lorene's old overgrown garden.  They bring back wonderful memories of her!   It doesn't seem possible she has been gone for 12 years and her flowers are still blooming!

New Project for the Home

It has been a while since I have posted. Where does the time go? Over the past couple of months I have been doing DIY laundry detergent, lotions, creams and soap. Here is a recipe I want to try next.

Homemade Liquid Dish Soap Recipe

Ingredients:
-1 ½ cup of hot water
-½ cup castile soap (I usually use Dr. Bronner’s baby mild liquid soap, but feel free to use any scent just be sure to adjust/omit essential oils accordingly. You may want to use a variety that is already scented for a more frugal option.)
-1 tablespoon of white vinegar
-1 tablespoon of Arm&Hammer’s Super Washing Soda (used to thicken the soap)
-1/8 teaspoon of tea tree oil (optional)

Directions:
1. Whisk all ingredients together until thoroughly blended.
2. Store in any dish soap dispensing bottle and use as you would the commercial brands.

Note: You may choose to naturally increase the anti-bacterial qualities of the soap by adding 1/4 tsp. of lavender or eucalyptus essential oils.

The switch to making your own household cleaning products may seem overwhelming at first, but once you establish a routine it will become second nature. From the following items, 100% of my basic cleaning needs are met:

• Borax
• Baking Soda
• Super Washing Soda
• White Vinegar
• Castile Soap
• Essential oils are not necessary but they can be fun to experiment with (I order mine from here. They’re generally less expensive)

Will let you know how I like it!

Sunday Afternoon

It's a beautiful day...sunny but a bit cool! My afternoon is going to be spent working on a new beaded bracelet. I am sooo hooked on them! My trip to Hobby Lobby was well worth it because they were have 50% off sale on beads. $20.00 got me lots of beads to experiment with. I just wish I could find a sales outlet to bring in some more income while Scott is laid off. My problem is that I have no desire to make beaded necklaces...only bracelets. Maybe I will eventually graduate to necklaces, but right now, bracelets are my obsession. I picked up 3 books at the library yesterday that have some gorgeous beaded jewelry. Can't wait to get the supplies and try my hand at making some of them!

Filed the second week for DH's unemployment and this time it went smoother by phone. Now we will see if it went through. Last week was a nightmare trying to file online --3 times I filed for him last week and there was some type of glitch. He had to call the processing center to get it straightened out. What stress!

A friend from work lended me the book CD for Sunday's at Tiffany's by James Patterson last week so I am trying to get into the storyline. It is probably me, but I just can't seem to get interested into the first few chapters. Hopefully it will get more interesting as the storyline goes on. For the past month or so, I have been reading "Faith and Will" by Julia Cameron. This book hits home with me as I find myself sometimes lacking in my faith. ..doubting and not having a positive attitude during hard times. This booked picked my spirit up and put it back where it is supposed to be. I have read the book through once already and have already started to read it a second time. I carry it back and forth to work with me to read on lunch hours. There are a couple of things I don't particularly agree with in what she says, but all in all, I really do recommend it!

This morning in church I sang for the music special. Songs by Keith and Krystyn Getty are some of my favorites (they have an irish flare to them). I sang the song "What Grace is Mine" which is a song they wrote to the tune of "Oh Danny Boy (Londonderry Aire)". This tune is my ALL TIME FAVORITE!! Must be the Irish blood in me that draws me to this tune.

It is so good to hear the birds singing (sounds like finches). They are praising God that the winter weather is almost over and warm weather is here! Their singing sounds so joyful! How can anyone not feel joy when listening to them?

Rainy Day

My last post was over a year ago! Where does the time go? I can't say that I have done anything creative lately. The last "crafty" project was making a flannel quilt for Linda's birthday in Dec 2007. ?? I haven't done anything except journal and read...haven't even done any sketching. Haven't been anywhere exciting....... What in the world have I been doing? Life is passing me by and I can't even remember anything memorable we have done in the past year! SAD! We are such a fun couple, huh? Someone or something needs to get me inspired to get up off my duff and be a more interesting person!

With the downturn in the economy, DH and I have been very blessed not to have been affected with any loss of jobs. So many of my friends have been affected one way or the other. The cost of our heating this past winter is how it affected us. Another winter like this and we just may need to consider selling and moving to a small house or apartment in town. Monthly propane bills of $500 are a bit too rich for our pockets!
We are finally getting some much needed rain. It has made me feel renewed and refreshed. Warm weather is near....yea!!! Time to think about planting some pots of flowers for the deck. L.'s daughter is selling flats of flowers from the local garden center and I am thinking of getting some portulaca. That is one plant I had down in Florida, and loved all the colors. It was very easy to grow too, which is a PLUS for me, since I have a black thumb. I certainly didn't take after my big sister, Lorene, who was an avid gardener. I always have good intentions in planting flowers, but never seem to do it. We'll see.......

Dream Lesson

I had a very odd dream last night that I just can't shake.
I was in the bathroom, washing my flip flops in the sink as I sometimes do. They weren't particularly dirty, but I just wanted to wash off the surface dirt. Just as I thought they were clean, a large amount of dirt appeared and slid down the shoe and ran down into the sink. I proceeded to wash them again, getting them clean and more dirt appeared and slid down the shoes and into the sink. I thought this was very odd and started examining them to see what the problem was. I discovered that there was a big glob of mud and dirt stuck to the shoes that I didn't see. I proceeded to scrape and pick at the dirt which was very hard to remove, but it finally came off and I washed them again and they stayed clean.

Wow! What does this dream mean? I relate it to my walk in life (the shoes). I try to live my Christian life the way God intended and when I am focused on God, I have peace of mind (the clean shoes), but there are times that I let Satan enter my thoughts with worry and doubt (the dirt), taking my focus off of God and His promises that he will take care of me in all my problems and that there is nothing He can't do. I never seem to learn my lesson. Bad times come and then they go and I am at peace again. But it is a vicious cycle that Satan won't let go (the mud stuck to the shoes). Through prayer and faith in God I am able to break free of Satan and the doubt and worry (scraping and picking at the dirt). If I stay focused on God, my mind will be free of worry (shoes that stay clean).

It's amazing how God can teach me a lesson even in my dreams!

Early morning light

I had to stop and take this picture the other morning before heading to work. Wish I could get the date stamp off but I think it is there to stay! This is a portion of our back yard looking toward our woods. The birdhouses sit on a wooden bench that is on our deck at the back of the house. The tall one is my very favorite rustic birdhouse. It used to be in my sister, Lorene's garden....a fond remembrance of her.

Woodys & Nutties & Hummers, Oh My!

The feed I have been putting out for the birds is finally paying off! As I sat in the recliner this afternoon, I could see that Nuthatches and Woodpeckers finally found the thistleseed and suet I put on the big pine out front. But I was most amazed with all the Hummers that were dive bombing each other to get to the nectar feeder. One little, gutsy female was fighting off all the others....males included! She even took up a post on top of the shepherd's hook that the feeder is hung on, looking left and right watching for any intruders that would dare to try and sip from HER feeder!

As for my little monarch caterpillar (no, I didn't name him!) he is growing by leaps and bounds! Thankfully I have been able to keep him stashed with plenty of milkweed leaves! The girl that works next to me brought hers in to work this morning because it broke out of its cocoon this morning and once the wings are dried, needed to be let loose. We kept watching it from time to time as we worked, but the beautiful creature just hung from the roof of the butterfly box. Once we stepped outdoors to go home however, it came to life and started to flutter its wings. I had the priviledge to coaxing it onto my hand and take it out of the box as my co-worker is afraid of "insects". How beautiful it was to watch it take flight from my hand and gracefully flutter away! The one we let go was a female butterfly because it had dotted wings all around the edges. The male has solid black on the back edges. (At least I think that's what I read!) Now I can't wait for mine to get to the butterfly stage!

What to do on a rainy day?

I'm still having an major love affair........with old barns! I just can't get enough of them and even came home from the library with 3 more books of them. That will keep me busy for quite some time! I even asked my cousin (a big farmer in this area) if he knew of any unique barns with lots of character around this area. He couldn't think of any at the time, but I could see the wheels turning in this mind. I am sure he will think of a few by next week! I just may be out taking pictures during the week I am off work this month!

I DO have a new "project" that I vowed from the beginning I wouldn't do, but the girls at work sort of drew me into it, and it all came about from tramping through our woods looking for milkweed! I am now the proud mama of a baby Monarch catapiller! The girls at work have been "harvesting" monarch butterflies all summer and was having trouble finding the milkweed that they feast on. I said I would look in our woods for some and in looking at the leaves, trying not to take one that was "occupied", I overlooked and plucked one leaf that had a baby catapiller on it. Instead of casting it aside (none of the girls wanted another one to care for), I now have my own butterfly box and am "nurturing" this catapiller through to the butterfly stage. That means I will have to go out and regularly find milkweed for the next month until it goes into the chrysallis stage. No problem. We have plenty at the back of our woods! Anyway, I just may do some sketching of my little fella ....so much more fun to sketch the process rather than take photos!

Its a rainy afternoon and I plan to sit and do some sketching. I have started another sketch like the one of the girl and lamb. The proportions of the first drawing was pretty bad and I love this subject enough to try it again. Here's  a poem that would go great with the picture:

What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring Him a lamb;
If I were a wise man, I would do my part;
Yet what can I give Him? ---
Give Him my heart.

This week's sketches

The weather has been so beautiful these past couple of days! Last night we opened all the windows and enjoyed the cooler temps. After it had turned dark, we retired to the bedroom and DH promptly fell asleep so I had planned to do some sketching, but a noise from outside caught my attention...a sound that made my hair stand on end. I went to the kitchen window and listened...off in the near distance (probably on the other side of the field behind our house) was a howling...but it certainly didn't sound like a dog, and besides, there are no houses in the direction of the howl. This was a very high pitched, wavery howl.....the only animal I can think of in this area that would howl like that is a coyote. I slipped out the patio door and stood on the deck and listened. It spooked me so bad that I quickly came back inside and locked the door. I stood again at the kitchen window and hear muffled yelping VERY near. Got to remember to keep an eye on our dog Casey when I let her out in the middle of the night!!

This morning...another gorgeous morning... I had the pleasure of sitting on the deck listening to the birds chirping. Jays, finches, cardinals and the most distinct, the cry of a hawk down in the woods. I never realized they had two very different distinct sounds and wasn't sure what it was until it took off from a grove of trees beside the house and landed in a tree in our woods. There it sat for a long time, crying....

Didn't get much sketching done this week...just the two below. I stopped off at the library this morning and came home with an armload of books. Pen and Ink Sketching by Peter Caldwell; Drawing in Pen & Ink by Claudia Nice; Creative Pen & Ink Techniques; and The Drawing Handbook by Frank Lohan. This should keep me busy for a while!

(Seems these scanned darker than the original sketches so I tried to do a white "fill" on the picture of the girl with lamb. Looks like I missed a couple of dark spots! Oh well, at least you can get an idea of the finished sketch!)

Another Barn

I absolutely love drawing old barns! This one was sketched first in 2b pencil then detailed in pen and ink. I fell in love with the original 1943 lithograph "Barns at Glen Gardner" by artist, Wanda Gag when I was looking through some books on Barns and decided to include it as one of my art studies on old barns. It took me approximately 5 hours to complete. I'm beginning to love working with pen and ink and it is sooooo much easier than I thought it would be! I just may try doing another on larger paper so that I can frame it. The Pen and Ink Techniques book says that a pen and ink sketch looks better framed if the picture doesn't go all the way to the edge of the paper. Thanks to the EDM group for inspiring me to start drawing again! I hadn't picked up the pen to draw in 2 years until I found them. THANKS to everyone for the inspiration you have given me with all your wonderful art!!

Newest Sketch!

This is how I spent my lunch hour today! I guess it wasn't so bad that I didn't have the car today (DH's car wouldn't start and he had to take me to work) because if I did, I wouldn't have attempted drawing this! It has its flaws but in all, I am very pleased with it as I have never tried people in pen and ink. I do know that I need to save my pennies and buy some artist grade watercolors. I used a brush and watercolor pencils, applying the wash with the brush instead of direct pencil to paper. It is amazing how engrossed I can become when drawing...the hour flew by.....didn't touch my apple or take one sip of my Pepsi that turned warm as I sketched!

Pen and Ink studies of barns

Being the "country girl" that I am, barns are one of the few buildings that I love to draw. My problem is that after I spend so much time in drawing in pen and ink, I am afraid to try watercolors on them for fear of ruining the drawing! I definitely need more work on drawing trees and the leaves. I overworked the 1st drawing to the point of ruining the values of the picture as a whole.

I love drawing in pen and ink and enjoy it even more than graphite. All three of these were drawn without the pencil sketch first and even though there are blantant errors, I really don't mind them! These were practice sketches I did from the book "Pen and Ink Techniques" by Frank Lohan. My next barn sketch I want to try from a photo. There aren't many barns here that have this much character and I would feel funny (and a bit unsafe) sitting along the side of a country road sketching all by myself!