Category: Art

Art, Pets, Photography

Coffee Table

Shelly

100_3465
Gerry’s coffee table: Before

100_3482
Gerry’s coffee table: In progress

100_3486
Gerry’s coffee table: Finished (19 x 40 inches)

100_3466

Harriet napping behind me on the couch while I work (yes, that’s her back foot tucked under her chin)

I spent the afternoon and evening collaging a coffee table I got from Gerry when he moved. It’s a nice size, and is good and sturdy. But, even though it’s oak, it had a sorry sort of paint job and the corners were a little chewed up. So I did what I always do, and decoupaged the living hell out of it. I probably won’t paint it for awhile yet, because I’m still pondering colors. I’m seriously tempted to tart it up with metallic jewel tones. I’ve also got several furniture painting projects in line before this one (including repainting the other work bench coffee table, which has been banged around and chipped up), so the new coffee table will have to wait its turn.

Art, Crankypantsing, Doodles

Furnace Update

Shelly

Stonehenge Journal: Doodle
Doodle
gel pen on 90lb Stonehenge paper
7 1/2 x 5 5/8 inches

I got a call from the maintenance guy this ayem, and they are going to be here bright and early tomorrow to install the new furnace.

I don’t know which I’m more sick of, not having heat, or sleeping in the “warm” living room. Last night, Mr. Upstairs spent the entire night–starting at about 11:00!–cleaning. First, it was the dishwasher, which is not, alas, a quiet model. Then, he commenced vacuuming–again, kinda loud! At about 12:30 he started rearranging furniture. At 2am, he recommenced with the vacuuming. In between the aforementioned events, there was much stomping around and dropping of heavy objects. I think he was intentionally trying to make me cry.

What in the hell is wrong with him?! I just don’t understand how a grown, adult human could think that sort of obnoxious behavior is acceptable. Was he absent on the day they studied sound waves in physics class?

And then there’s Miss Pandora, bless her heart. Somewhere in all the upstairs noise-making, I managed to drift off to sleep, only to be abruptly awakened by the sound of the vertical blinds clanging together. It was Pandora, running back and forth, along the patio window. “Clank clank clank” is not, as it turns out, very good music to sleep by.

Art, Crankypantsing, Doodles

Sunday Crankypantsing

Shelly

Stonehenge Journal: Doodle
Doodle
gel pen and gel marker on 90lb Stonehenge paper
7 1/2 x 5 5/8 inches

Last night’s wintry mix didn’t end up amounting to anything, because the temperature rose enough for the ice and snow to turn to rain. A good thing, too, because when I got up this morning, the furnace was dead. Again. I had to hunt for my lease, to find the emergency maintenance number. I called, and someone masquerading as a repair person showed up. I say “masquerading as,” because all he was able to do was turn up the thermostat, wait for it to misbehave, and tell me, “Yep, it’s broken.” Pure genius!

I’m going to have to wait until tomorrow, when a real repair person can come fix it. In the meantime, he brought me a dinky little oil heater. Better than nothing, because it should keep one room reasonably warm, but not so very helpful for keeping the large, open-plan living-dining-kitchen area warm. But at least it’s not super cold out, right?

While I was waiting for the Unrepair guy to show up, I watched a show on Alexander the Great (I love the history channel!) and doodled. I have a feeling that the rest of the day is going to be spent on the couch, with a good book, the dog, a cup of hot chocolate, and a big, fat comforter.

Bookarts, Photography

New Journal

Shelly

100_3322

100_3321

100_3319
5 x 3 1/2 inches, 16 signatures (32 pages)
140lb Cotman cold press watercolor paper Coptic bound with cotton thread

100_3325

The covers were recycled from the back panel of a notebook. At first, I was going to cut off the holes from the spiral binding, but they reminded me of sprocket holes in film, so I kept them. I haven’t done anything to decorate the covers yet. They’re just bare davey board.

The pages are made from watercolor paper. I bought a few sheets of it, to try it out, and didn’t end up liking it for painting. I held onto it, though, because I thought it might work in a book. We’ll see.

I was taught never to cut art paper, so I almost always tear my book paper. This time, though, I cut the fore edges with a pair of crafting scissors. The blades are supposed to mimic torn paper, which I think they do reasonably well. Since this book isn’t going to be used for watercolor, cutting with scissors won’t hurt anything.

(You can see by the orange flecks in the detail to the right that Miss Brown’s hair tends to get into everything.)