Nest Feathers and Twine - Formally Artist's Block Studio

The things that make a house a home and the stuff that holds is all together.

Years ago I started this blog with a mindset and goals that I have found have changed direction over time. I am excited to say that this blog has a new name.....Nest Feathers and Twine. I hope you come by and visit often. Feel free to get comfortable and kick off your shoes and join me on this journey of metamorphosis.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

i did not have time to pack my bags for my unexpected trip.....down memory lane

yesterday an unexpected happening
forced steph and i to tear apart
the boys room and do some major
housekeeping
today we decided to
give our own rooms
some tlc
the rearranging bug has bit
me bad
not able to get away
for a change of scenery
i am making some
changes here
on the home front.
the recent death of my
80ish -  90ish year old
loveseat and
my recent spring cleaning fling
that has resulted in a
use it or lose it
state of living
which means some rearranging
is much needed.

while moving things
from here to there
and other things
from there to here
 i came across
a couple of childhood
loves
and my crib companion







45 years old this little sheep is.

loved this wee little baby even though i received her
near the end of my baby doll days.
wee babies accessories
her christening dress that i oh-so-carefully wrapped in an old fashioned sandwich bag from back in the
dinosaur days. a zipperless baggie.


and my most favorite baby doll





oh how i loved to dress her up
and then put her in her jammies again.

i remember how i use to dream about the day
i would be a mommy to real babies.

years later i would have my
dream come true and
have 3 beautiful babies.
with this man


molly just loves it when bill comes home
because he lets her do what i won't
sit on the kitchen table

here they trade stories on just what a hard day they each had

it seems they are both deep in  thought....

reading the paper together

bert decided he would be king of the ironing board
today
since it was not being used
for its intened purpose




this arty girl is off to go clean up the mess she made earlier today.....see you soon.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

with rubberbands i dye to strip and bake for you while veritgo and i played hide and seek today

i am a bit slap happy this evening.

we are still adjusting to a school schedule.

we are all so very tired.

yesterday steph and i gathered fabric of the muslin variety....and if you ask my hubby it is musliM....

yesterday steph and i twisted, knotted, and rubberbanded fabric with anxious anticipation of what today would bring.





last night i gathered all of our supplies:


these....
lots of these

and then i gathered


these
and those


and those too....

today,  i thought....hmmmm maybe i should read the directions.

this is close to what the tiny print looks like with my 45 year old eyes.....it use to be nearsightedness was my only visual issue


so i had to run and grab a pair of these to read the directions...so much better...


i love my cheaters.  got loads of them for a buck a pair a target a couple of years ago and they are scattered here, there, and everywhere throughout the house.
 once i had a good view of the directions i found much to mine and steph's disappointment that we needed lots of this
we don't have lots of this.  so we will have to wait until this weekend to dye all the fabric we have gathered, bunched, knotted, banded, and tied....

i had planned to multi-task today not only our dye project, but also stripping.

yup i stripped down to the bare nakedness in the backyard.

the bare naked metal and wood that is.

so with some of this citrus-y stuff


 it was generously schmered on 3 chairs
 a window pane
 and some metal vents that have a patent date of the late 1880's (ummm....forgot to snap a photo of thoses)



but these lovely pieces of semi painted-rusted-patina metal are the backs from 2 vintage chairs that fell apart. 

as the hubs headed for the trash he stopped in his tracks and wait to hear it....he knew it was coming....my yelp....'wait....don't throw those away i have an idea!'

and so he took them apart and kept the good stuff and threw out the broken-beyond-repair pieces.



i am waiting for the weather to cool just a bit so that we can light another fire in the back and finish the burning process that we started just before the weather turned so hot.


after several hours of stripping in the backyard i gave in to the hungry-hungry mosquitos.

hours with your hands inside rubber gloves leaves an arty girls fingers looking a bit like this
ewww that feels weird

and if they weren't wrinkly enough
i jumped in and took a quick shower
i will spare you those photos!

the hubs worked and worked and worked his tush off today
after he was showered and fed and tucked in bed
i set off to  make him a treat
for tomorrow

bert wanted to help...help lick the bowl that is
please momma, if i am a good boy can i have a lick?  i know that is what he thinking.
hmmm...is that the look of disgust i see on his face...or impatience?


maybe i will get a lick after she puts the batter in these?

ahhhh...heaven....
 cinnamon-cakey-yumminess.....can you smell it?

even though we had to put off our the adventure we were just dye-ing to take today
it was still a very productive
tiring
and
fun
day

vertigo and i played hide -n- seek all day
and a few times peek-a-boo

but i have to say this is the best day i have had in over 2 weeks

this arty girl is going to bed with a smile on
and her jammies.

nighty-night

mwah.


Thursday, August 12, 2010

i swear it feels like somebody is watching me........

this morning
as i stumbled half asleep still
in to the kitchen
i could swear i was being stared at.

something or someone
outside
was staring
at
me.

i have to be careful
and check the backyard
for our neighborhood
feathered friend
that eats small
critters
before i let the girls out.

i was even thinking it was the
girls


that were staring at me
since they sleep
on a pillow
by the back door.

just as i walked over
to open the door to let the girls
out to potty
i spotted
the source
of that creepy
being stared at feeling



this little guy was
sitting on the doohickey
of our french door

i figured he would hippity-hop
on his way once i let the girls out
but nope
he stayed put.

i headed back to grab my camera
assuming he would be long gone
upon my return
but nope
still there



he stayed around all morning
and afternoon
giving me a chance to
do a photo shoot.





poor bertie wanted to come outside and play
too.



the poor little guy was probably hoping
i would invite him in for a
bit since even
in the shade
the heat was beyond
miserable.

i headed back in
and looked back
to see
him looking in
i felt guilty



he almost seemed to be saying
please let me in
with those little beady eyes of his

hoping the passing storms brought a bit of relief to
the little guy
i am sure he appreciated the moisture.















the first round of storms left as quickly as they came

i love watching storm clouds build.





these are some lockets that sat over night in a vinegar/salt and mulch
mixture.  i made the mistake of not wiping the wet mulch off
thinking it would be best to let it dry for a few hours

found out the verdigris came right off as well, oops!
still like how they look, but i stuck them back in
the mulch to build up a bit more patina

think my research is just about done
and i am ready to start writing
the tutorial.

as much as i have had fun experimenting and playing
i think i am ready to move on to another tutorial.

until next time

smooches to ya.



Quote for the moment



"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."

Harriet Beecher Stowe

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