Cups Mugs and China

Hello Friends!

Most mornings I drink coffee from a TO GO mug on the way to work and at my desk I swill it down when I get a break.  It is a real treat when I can spend time at home with an actual HOT cup of coffee. I prefer to use my favorite cup and savor the flavor of Dunkin' Donuts French Vanilla.  Last fall my church had a rummage sale, I had admired these cups at Pier 1 many years ago and got them at the rummage sale for the  bargain price of $1.00 each. SCORE!

My Grandmother (Granny) had a beautiful set of china with dogwoods on each plate and cup.  Often on Sundays we would have a family dinner with her and she would use her beautiful china.  When she passed away, I inherited her china.  I love these delicate cups and even have one I use in my studio (the handle broke and I couldn't bear to throw it out) to wash my watercolor brush in when I'm painting.

You might have seen this plate before in one of my journals but since we are on the subject of china, I thought you might like to see them again.  On this journal page I "spill" about my desire for "new" china and the thought of parting with the old stuff.  

This is another journal page where I talk about the plate and my mother's love for china, apparently I have inherited that desire to collect miscellaneous plates.

Anyone else like to collect mismatched china or plates just because you like the design?  I know that I'm not alone in this....

Do tell....

Suzy

Painting with a Fountain Pen

Hello Friends!

Things are heating up here quickly in South Florida!  Actually we've seen mid-eighties already and close to 90 degree mark one day.  It's a bit soon but soon we will be acclimated to those steamy days and nights and 80's will look like a cool front to us.  I know that some of you probably can't relate to those temperatures at all but it is rather the usual weather for us.  Now that you have the weather report, here's what's been happening in my neck of the woods.

Remember me saying I needed to practice sketching and spending more time in my sketchbook? Well, I've been playing around with ink, the kind that comes in a fountain pen.  It's pretty cool what happens when ink and water meet.

First I sketched the birds in pencil and then come back to outline them with blue ink and then use a small round brush dipped in clear water to go over the ink. The ink reacts to the water and begins to spread out. A few more times with the brush and water and a dab more blue ink to make the shadows pop. The whole time I was painting/drawing this I was saying: ooh, ooh, this is fun!  I hope you'll give it a try! 

Black ink will produce nice grey shadows when wet.  

Purple ink with the help of Inktense watercolor pencils on the Little Bird. 

Do you have a particular time of day that you like to draw or paint or be in your studio?  My perfect time is at night when the house is quiet, just before bedtime and my mind is shutting down for the evening.  I'm relaxed and not over thinking what I am doing, my creative side kicks in gear enough to paint or sketch something simple.  Or first thing in the morning, before I'm really awake is also a good time for creativity in my studio. 

I've been busy, how about you?  Anything to share? Do tell!  

Grab your fountain pen and paint brush and give this ink thing a go!  Let me know if something good happens....

Bee Creative

Suzy

SPRINGTIME FAVORITES

Hi Everyone!

It's official! Spring is here and I've taken time to re-decorate the baker's rack in my kitchen with Springtime favorites.  I purchased the baker's rack in a consignment store about ten years ago with seasonal decorating in mind. Oh it serves other purposes too, holding a small collection of cookbooks and candles, note pads and an over abundance of pens and pencils in the drawers. And on occasions it serves as a mini buffet for desserts, coffee fixings and a birthday cake or two <wink>.

Shortly after Christmas I remove the traditional decorations and replace them with simple favorites. 

A small collection of pears, birds, teapots and my favorite teacups to bridge the gap between Christmas and Easter.

Then BIG BUNNY comes out! He is a hand-made ceramic soup tureen made by a dear friend and when she moved to Colorado she left him with me. Isn't he beautiful?

and little bunny follows.....little bunny was left behind by a co-worker as a gift, many years ago, she held pens and you can see where the ink bled out and turned her a different color.  Don't you think it gives her character?

bunny egg cup holders with a favorite plate

a bunny in a teapot 

BEWARE!!! If you put two bunnies in the same storage box...they tend to multiply and you have the beginning of a bunny collection whether you wanted one or not!
  

Happy Spring!

Suzy

HAPPY EASTER FRIENDS

Hello Everyone!  Happy Easter!

Here comes Peter Cottontail hopping down the bunny trail, hippity- hoppity Easter's on it's way! That's the song we used to sing when I was a little girl, we didn't know much about Easter in our house, the real meaning of Easter, sadly to say.  We thought it was all about bunnies and candy and dressing up in our new clothes to hunt eggs in the yard.  That was fun but our parents really didn't teach us about Jesus and what he did for us on the cross that day!  And sadly, I didn't teach my children and so they still think it is about bunnies, candy and dressing up to hunt eggs in the yard. 



 Easter is so much more than that, it is about the sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins on the cross, HE paid our debt, HE redeemed us, HE died for us and HE defeated death and sin, AND HE ROSE AGAIN so that WE have the HOPE of eternal life with Him when we die.   When we are baptized we are baptized into Him, His death and Resurrection and we are given the gift of eternal life in Him. 


I love Easter and celebrating the Resurrection of Christ and I also love celebrating the traditions of dressing up, hunting eggs and eating candy with the kids.  It's a fun day with the family and an opportunity to share with others what Jesus has done for us and to say THANK YOU JESUS!  



HAPPY EASTER FRIENDS! 

Suzy