Crewel

Happy Monday all,  I hope your weekend was better then mine!
I was stuck in bed with a bad migraine pretty much all weekend and it really sucked.
I am hoping this week is a pain-free one.

Anyhow, onto some crafty stuff. 
I found this crewel embroidery kit at a thrift store sometime last year.

I loved the design for it looks Hungarian folky to me...

Over the last few rainy days I worked away at it and then put it in this lovely frame.

One of my very dearest friends is from Hungry so I know it'll be a hug to my heart every time I see it,
cause it'll make me think of her and our soul warming friendship.

...I am quite content with how it turned out.

What are you all up to this week???
Is anyone in the path of the hurricane?  If so, well wishes are going your way.
We are only suppose to get strong winds and mixed flurries here, thank goodness.

Rabbit In Black & White

It's so rainy and gloomy out there today, I wish I had a splash of bright colour for you as usual.

But, I do have a new image to show you.

I've been playing abit more with my new Prismacolour markers.

I was thinking of adding some colour to it but I actually think it's a stronger visual in black & white.

I think this would make a really cool t-shirt image.  Do you think so???

I'd like to put some words on it too, like

"ANIMALS, For Love & Friends NOT Food or Fur".

Would you buy such a T-Shirt???



A Weight Lifted

I am a very happy camper today.

My neurologist just called

and told me that my brain scan was completely normal and fine.

So my horrible migraines & headaches are not coming from any kind of brain tumor or aneurysm.

Can I just let out a big huge....

PHEW

I was pretty sure I was fine...

but you never know and of course there are the whispers that 'maybe it's a tumor',

so after awhile, that scary thought sort of sinks in as a possibility!

Now I can shout it from the rooftops....

IT'S NOT A TUMOR.

(just like Arnold in one of my favourite movies ever)

ha ha.

Pink Bunny with Gold Button

Some light popped out on this gloomy day just long enough

for me to get some shots of my newest felt wearable.

It's handmade, hand-stitched & one of a kind goodness.

You can buy this little lovely right here.

LMT Connection

We were lucky to see the awesome group

LMT Connection

They are thee epitome of funk/r&b/soul jazz.

They play jazz that just wraps warmly around you whiles you groove to the smooth funkified tunes.

This group has been together for 22 years, have played over 4500 shows

& have toured Europe eleven times over the past seven years.

They play at The Orbit Room in Toronto every Wednesday night.

Boy oh boy that's where you'd find me every Wednesday night if I still lived in the city! 

Leroy Emmanuel, the lead singer is one of my favourite jazz musicians to see live.

His voice is deep and rumbley and seductive...he really makes the music extra special.

He has preformed with the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, BB King, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Al Green, Funk Brothers & Dionne Warwick.

I really think even those who don't like jazz would find it really difficult not to dance & groove to these guys.

Anyhow, I just wanted to show my favourite photos from the concert.

Hope your having an excellent weekend.

A Woman & A Fish

I had a couple of weeks where nothing that I worked on was turning out...

So I finally listened to my gut which was telling me to just tuck the current pile of works away

& get back to my beloved coloured pencils.

(Why oh why does it always take so long to really tune into what our inner guides are telling us!)

So this is what I am working on right now...

A woman who plays gently on the earth.

And a dapper finned friend.

It's been a rough couple of weeks with a scary MRI for my migraines,

48 hours with a very annoying heart monitor strapped to me which left blisters & bruises,

bad headaches almost every day

and some kind of tummy flu with a really sore throat!

I am so so very eager for a nice long stretch of no appointments, feeling good &
soothing times at my studio desks with jazz tinkling from my stereo!

Yard Bliss, Clean Up & Happy Weekend

I think alot of people search and search endlessly for things and situations that make them happy.
Some of us are lucky in finding our bliss quickly and easily.

Being in the yard, working away, be it at yard work or artwork,

with rabbits running around happily around me

is without a doubt one of my purest and most blissful happy places to be...

...I am grateful...

so very grateful, for the times that I had with our Ella Bella & other furry kids out in our beloved yard
and for the current precious times I share out there now with my honey, Roo, Jin and Jaks.

I am pretty sure that this yard is going to be enjoyed by many more rabbits yet!

This weekend we'll be hopefully finishing up the rest of the yard work before winter storms in.

May you be feeling oh so blissfully grateful today too & enjoying your year end yard wrap up as well.

19 Years

My soul is captivated by him...

My body addicted to him...

My heart nourished by him...

We met in a strawberry field...our souls entwined instantly...

but life would have us go our separate ways just abit longer, just a couple more months, until...

19 years ago on this day we went on our first date...

a hike in the forest.

We've been happily tied at the hip & heart since.

To celebrate, we treated ourselves to another trip to the big city, just us 2...

For good food, shopping, playing, an awesome hotel suite & an amazing Cirque Du Soleil show...

I can't express how insanely lucky I feel to go through this life with this man.

My Love.

My Heart.

My Soul.

Love you baby.

Painted Rocks

A couple months ago we did our upstairs bathroom.

It was a huge demolition and complete renovation.



The new bathroom is beautiful and spa like,

so as a finishing touch I painted some flat lake stones to display on the glass shelves.

Happy ThanksGiving With A Recipe

I made this dish last Thanksgiving and it was a hit

so I'll make it again for our vegetarian spread this year.

Spicy Cumin and Carrot Spread



Here's how you make it:

Take about a pound of carrots and boil them till they are cooked right through.

Rinse them off in cool water to stop the cooking process.

Then, put the carrots into a food processor with

2 cloves of chopped garlic, 2 teaspoons of chili sauce,

1 tsp of cumin, a pinch of salt & pepper, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

& 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro or mint.

Blend it all up till mushy and well blended.

Put in your favourite bowl, drizzle with olive oil and serve with your favourite crackers or bread.

You can even add it to sandwiches, wraps, soups or dallops of it to mash potatoes

Yummy and healthy.

Happy Thanksgiving All

A Bird

We are so lucky to live where we do. 
It's in suburbia, yes, BUT we're a few minutes walk from a beautiful beach and lake.
And, a rather sweet walk amongst beach side houses to North Bay's lovely waterfront.
Where, the last time walking with my honey I saw this lovely soul hidden in the branches...

It's beauteous moments like this when I squeal because I happen to have my camera on me.
Isn't he/she a beauty.
I get these wonderful warm tummy wiggles when I love a shot I took...
and boy oh boy do I ever have alot of new beauties to show you.

In other news.
I've recently been interviewed by the lovely Robin Norgren
for her soon to be launched book project called 'Spark & Inspire'.
More news to come closer to it's launch.

Mortimer Montrose

I've been playing with markers on raw canvas and light washes of colour...the results...

"Mortimer Montrose"



As soon as I can get a better scan of him I'll list some prints in my shop.

Thanks for hopping in...I am off to snuggle some bunnies.

Zip-Lining

I went zip-lining.

It was crazy crazy fun.

It was the 'ThunderBird Twin Zip' at Blue Mountain in Collingwood.

My honey, friend & I went after my neurology appointment down South...

what a way to follow up a neurology appointment, ha ha.

I whooped and screamed in delight and let out all my tension as I glided half a mile

over this beautiful forest with views of Wasaga Beach, Notsawasago Bay, Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.

We had to wait for a thunder and lightening storm to pass but as soon as it did we went for it.

I've always wanted to try it and I am so proud of myself that I didn't chicken out...

well I kinda knew that I wouldn't chicken out, but still!

Next time I'll be able to enjoy the views even more as I plan to take it abit slower.

This time I just wanted to get as much speed as I could and just fly, ha ha

and I did fly, apparently I was at full speed and doing 75-80k an hour.

Whoot Whoot, ha ha.



And I experienced it with two of my best friends...my honey and my pal Maria.

We're all going again next summer.  I can't wait.

It was insanely fantastic.

P.S.  My September Newsletter has been sent out. 
You can view it by clicking right here, if your not signed up to recieve it directly.