So many challenges, so little time

In case you missed me, I was offline for right at 24 hours due to a power outage on my block.  It is still bitterly cold in my house and I'm surprised I was able to take photos that were actually legible.  If you have ever been without heat in below freezing weather (below 0C, 32F), you know even carpets, furniture, and bedding take on the frigid cold.  From what I understand our low last night that I suffered through in the dark and cold was about 12F or -11.1C.

Today I'm joining Moo Mania and More with their tic tac toe theme.   You are to "use three elements in a row of your choice." 

 I went with upper right to lower left, and used tissue paper, washi tape, and circles.   I couldn't believe my good fortune when I found tissue paper with circles on it and a tiny bit of gifted washi tape that also had circles.


As someone who is known for my use of unconventional wording, I couldn't come up with any sentiment to add to this entry, which also fits Erika at BioArtGal's theme at Art Journal Journey.  Since her theme is Vintage or Modern, today I have chosen Vintage because of the TH dolls.

After seeing the little girl and her dog, it suddenly hit me this would also fit the Friends and Family theme at Try it on Tuesday, too.

One of the reasons I love tissue is because it makes a fabulous background, but you can still see the words in your altered book behind it.

If you are careful, you can get the tissue paper on much more smoothly than I did.  However, I believe it adds a bit of texture to the piece and you won't be fighting freezing hands, either.

Today I played Tic Tac Toe at Moo Mania and More by adding tissue paper that included circles, as well as washi tape that also included circles.  I also am sharing it with Art Journal Journey because of the vintage paper dolls, along with Try it on Tuesday because of the friendship the little girl has with her beloved dog.

In addition to the other three challenge blogs, today is Day 15 of Art Every Day Month, or AEDM where I shared a page from my Challenges altered book.

Just think.  We are half way through this challenge!  Now if I can just catch up to everyone I've missed the past two days.

More eco-dyeing and results

I completely forgot that I promised to share my first completed eco-dyed fabric using a copper pipe to wrap my fabric.  I have started another dyeing projects and will share that today, too.

To refresh your memory, this is the first piece of bed sheet I eco-dyed this autumn.  Instead of a rusty pipe, I used a copper pipe and some well worn copper pennies.

This is what I found when I unwrapped the bed sheet the next day.

Here it is in all its glory after it had been washed and dried.

It was too long to get it in one shot.

The back side was underwhelming.

An area I thought came out great.

I attribute that to my blackberry leaves.

I only have one copper pipe, so I decided this bed sheet would use nearly dead wild sunflowers

and various leaves from my yard, along with a few pennies.  This will take two days to steam and cool, so I will show the results later in the week or possibly next week.

Thank you for joining me today

as I revealed my first completed and dried eco-dyed bed sheet, and started a new piece using a few flowers and leaves from my yard.  This is Day 14 of Art Every Day Month (AEDM).

T Stands For My Autumn Dining Room Table

Welcome to autumn at my dining room table.  Not much in the way of decorating, I'm afraid.  After I got rid of the Halloween decorations, the room felt very bare.  But I think I'm ready for a bit of minimal before the Christmas decorations come out the day after Thanksgiving.

Recently, Eileen and I had a bit of internet conversation about cutting books in various shapes.

I suggested using a band saw to cut the books to the shape and size of your choice.  Yes, that is my arm and camera you see in shadow.  The deli paper you see in two of the books is there because I use the books to press flowers and leaves.

This is what the house book looks like opened.

One heart book closed, 

and one heart book opened and prepped.

So get out those band saws, plug them in, and go to town creating a shaped book to alter.  Then share a favorite drink with someone to celebrate your accomplishment.

As an aside, I brought my lavender in, hoping it will make it through the winter.

I did the same with my rosemary and whatever this plant is, too.  I left all my mint, cilantro, fennel, and dill outside to overwinter.  I'm hoping they make it through the winter again this year.

It's now time for you to share your own drink related post.  Feel free to discuss anything. Your post may include photos, a place you visited, movies, postcards, books, sketches, mixed media, fiber art, drawings, paintings, tags, scrapbooking, or other art that is digital, hybrid, or traditional, as long as it in some way relates back to a drink, any drink.  Then, please link your story below.  The photos don't have to be taken on Tuesday, and can relate to anything with a drink.  Please use the direct link to your T post, not your blog in general, so we can find you easily.

For Day 13, I created a drink related link up party and shared it with Art Every Day Month (AEDM).

365 Day Art Challenge: week 45

Here are my collages for Week 45.  This 365 something project was created in part and hosted by Hanna at i Hanna.

In case you missed them, here are Week 44's collages.  As I'm sure you know by now, I post every Monday morning for the previous week.  All my collages are 4" X 4" (10,16 cm X 10,16 cm).

Trinity

It's written between the lines

Literacy through education

Independence Day

That old time religion

Circles of confusion

Stage fright

If you are playing in Hanna's 365 Something project, please let me know and I will be by to see what you are making.  Please let me know if you like any of these.  As always, I am extremely grateful for your continued support of this project and my art.

Thank you so very much for spending time with me today. 

 
 This is Day 12, where I created seven "365 something" collages, and am also sharing this with Art Every Day Month (AEDM). 

Honoring Veterans Day 2018

This is a very special Veterans Day.    According to va.gov:

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Again, according to va.gov:

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities.  This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect.

Although there was a great deal of confusion after the Uniform Holiday bill was passed, which gave all Federal Employees a three day weekend, many believed this undermined the true spirit of Veterans Day.  The original date was changed again to reflect the true Veterans Day.  Per va.gov:  

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Be sure to share a story or two with a vet today.  There have been all kinds of documentaries on tv this past week highlighting facts about WWI and our (U.S.) involvement.  I knew so little about this war, it is fascinating to see what led up to it and how we stayed out of the war so long.

I learned that most women didn't support weren't in favor of a war, but knew they would be called into service if war was declared.  I learned that blacks saw this as an opportunity to gain recognition by fighting in the trenches.  I learned that women who enlisted were not given benefits once they returned home from war,

and I learned Wilson, our 28th president who advocated for peace, was opposed to declaring war until it was almost too late.  In March, 1917, Teddy Roosevelt threatened to go to the White House and force Wilson to declare war.

Clearly, the U.S. is not the only country with armed forces or the desire to celebrate them.  Even the origins of Veterans Day involved the largest worldwide conflict anyone had ever seen.  Since I like to think on a global scale, here are a few other countries that observe this day.

The United Kingdom (U.K.) has some of the more elaborate celebrations to honor those who have fought for their country.  From late October up to Armistice Day on November 11, the Royal British Legion distributes 40 million poppies that people wear to commemorate those who have served in the armed forces. The celebrations are split into two days. The first is Remembrance Day, which takes place on the second Sunday of November each year. It is a day to recognize those who have lost their lives protecting the U.K. It's basically the U.K. version of Memorial Day. The U.K. also celebrates Armistice Day on Nov. 11 with a two-minute moment of silence observed at the 11th hour throughout the country.

Accordingly, Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, as it is called in some places, is observed throughout many of the 52 other member countries of the Commonwealth, a political association of mostly former territories of the British Empire. These include Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka, just to name a few.  Like the U.K., these countries also incorporate the poppy into their celebrations.  Some of you may have followed Prince Harry's and Meghan's journey to Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand to help observe this event.

France also celebrates Armistice Day on Nov. 11.  In 2014 President Francois Hollande opened the new international memorial of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in Ablain Saint Nazaire northwest of Arras called the "Ring of Remembrance," which is a huge, bronzed stainless steel, elliptical monument that includes the names of the nearly 580,000 men who died in northern France during World War I.

The Belgians also host one of the biggest Armistice Day ceremonies. Every year since 1928, the country has put on the Last Post Ceremony. The Last Post is the name of a bugle call played in the British Army and other armies to mark the end of the day. Now it is used to remember fallen soldiers. The Last Post Ceremony takes place at Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, and it also includes a release of red poppies from the roof of Menin Gate.

 I am also sharing Day 11 with Art Every Day Month (AEDM) and honoring all those who have served our country.







I am delighted you chose to spend a few minutes in remembrance with me today.  Thank you beyond belief.