my monkey mind strikes again...

Sunday morning breakfast

This is how DH and I started off our Sunday morning... crepes!  He had the Strawberry Cheesecake crepe and I had the Mixed Berry cream crepe - both delicious! 

Have had a lot on my mind lately. I've always called this my 'monkey mind'... when too many thoughts invade. This caused me not to sleep very well last night. Finally got up, did a few things, had a cup of tea and returned to bed just as the storms came through our area. Thunder and lightning didn't help either...  the storm did set off the truck alarm which added to the night's restlessness. But we were lucky here and didn't get the tornadoes that hit in and around Canton. We do keep those people in our thoughts and prayers... as there but for the grace of god, go any one of us.

My tiny container garden is doing OK. So far there's only red bell pepper, curly parsley, and basil. I still need to get some trailing rosemary to hang out front.

container garden

Oh, and I made some espresso shortbread cookies this afternoon to send to my daughter for her birthday. Haven't made these in a while and they are her favorite. We usually go down to visit her around this time, but since we were there for Spring Break have decided to put the trip off until later in the summer.

Espresso shortbread cookies

Also I've finally decided to 'put myself out there' (so to speak) and take a watercolor class this summer. I've always wanted to do this, and have dabbled in it on my own, but would love to know some real 'watercolor techniques'. The next 2 pics are ones that I absolutely love... (not my work!!... I wish it were) but would love to be able to create this type of watercolor on my own.

I have a fascination with seagulls and how they fly and land.  So I always try to capture their movement (perhaps it's a Jonathon Livingston Seagull thing...).

I did the following watercolor years ago... (please don't laugh, it is amateurish, and again I'm dabbling on my own). 

may have to enlarge it so see it well... colors are very  light

Anyway, I've been sketching gulls again recently, but want more instruction as to how to watercolor them. Here are a few of my gulls in flight.

And... we have a Student Pottery Sale coming up in a few days at the Studio. So much to do... (but as you can see, I'm never bored).  Have to decide what to put in the sale, get it all packed up, priced, and then work the sale from 8 to 4.  

Then there are other things going on within the family... moving, graduation, a trip to visit relatives... all coming up in the near future. So no wonder my mind is too busy to sleep on occasion. 

On a good note: when I do get up in the middle of the night, the cats are always happy to see me. Julie comes and sits where-ever I'm working and watches.  

Have a great week!

much ado about nothing...

Julie sitting with my art supplies

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but things have been a bit busy.  Had a few doctors' appointments to take care of... and a tooth that was giving me trouble. Luckily all that is behind me now and it's just a matter of finishing up the semester's pottery projects in the next few weeks. 

The picture at the top is one of Julie helping me do a little touch-up on a few things. She is one of those cats that needs to be 'in the mist' of it whatever you're doing. If I'm quilting, she has to sit on the fabric, if I'm knitting, she has to keep an eye on that moving yarn, etc.  I think that's why she stations herself on the kitchen counter - so she can keep an eye on the goings on around her.

We have a bay leaf tree in our yard. On occasion I cut branches down to hang around the kitchen. It's great to keep moths away as well as to use in actual cooking. Julie likes to supervise the cutting.

checking out Sunday comics

And as you can see, this is her, "enough already..." look!
So I guess I'll close.

Happy TGIF tomorrow!!

 

 

a prelude to Easter 2017...

Hi there!

Isn't this the cutest pic?  While I was sitting here trying to think of something to write about, I was going through pics and came across this one. With Easter just a few days away, I decided it would be appropriate.

Here's a few others that I took over on campus. As I was leaving the pottery studio yesterday, I saw this little family out on the water... enjoying the beautiful weather.

a closer look shows 8 little goslings!

I thought they might swim off when I got closer, but they were actually turning towards me. Guess they are used to students on the campus... maybe hoped to get some bread?









When I left the studio, the finished pieces on my shelf were as follows:

a strange looking pitcher

 

a few bowls and cups  

 
                       ... and more of my little critters












And on the greenware cart, I left a few mugs and items that I was playing around with.

These pieces need to be fired for me to see what I plan to do with them next. The mugs are made with a clay called Spectacular... which comes out spotted. the other items are made with paper clay.

And lastly, here's my darling Tux... making himself comfortable in the middle of my messy computer room floor.

Have a great rest of the week!

Still playing with clay...

It's Wednesday and DH and I are home. And for various reasons we can't walk at the mall nor do our neighborhood crime patrol. But we did make a run to the grocery earlier where I picked up 2 lovely red bell pepper plants to start a veggie area on the south side of our house. We've never been able to grow much in the back (...except feral cats and kittens) due to all the trees and shade, but I decided that perhaps I would do a "potted" garden on the south side by our driveway. It's fenced in and it would give me a chance to see if things would grow there.

And of course since I'm stuck at home (and it's too soon to do any heavy Easter cleaning), I'm playing around with clay a bit. 

clay nesting chicken

 

clay chicks

roughed out clay duck

Sometimes I *rough out* a critter and then decide to leave him that way...  I may do that with this duck.












While I was playing with the clay in the front room (which still has the remnants of my quilting recently), Julie and Tux made themselves comfortable on the big chair by the fireplace. They looked so comfy that I took a picture to share with you. 

Julie and Tux

And I have to show you this because I love it so...  a very good friend of mine that has pushed me for years to have some things published actually used Word Publisher and made me a copy of one of my stories. 

my book!!

I've had manuscripts around here for years of stories I've written, but never wanted to go to the trouble of marketing. But I have to admit it is an amazing feeling to see your work in *book form*... with your name (Sheri Hart is my pen name) on it.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

 

3 day pottery workshop...

This past week we had a visiting Artist give a 3 day workshop on crystal glazes. Since I've only been into pottery for a few years, most of what he said was 'beyond' me, but his lectures and demos were very entertaining and interesting. Here are a few photos of some of the test tiles and pieces done with our experimental glazes.

cooling in kiln

Some of the pieces where the crystal glazes came out well...

A few more pieces that I particularly liked

The next pic is of one of my Raku pieces that was done a few weeks ago ... not anything special, but I was pleased with how it came out. Raku is kind of unpredictable. 

You can't see it very well, but the cone, beak, and side of the face came out kind of copper colored.

I've only tried Raku one other time about a year ago. Some didn't come out too great, but 2 came out interesting.

And before I sign off for the evening, these 2 young feral cats come to our back kitchen door every morning. Their little faces pop up like clockwork when we walk into the kitchen for our coffee. We have started calling them Cisco and Poncho as they are always hanging out together. Aren't they sweet?


 

Cisco and Poncho