Look! We bought matching shoes at REI. Aren't they great looking? They're comfy and were on sale! Now I just need to find some time to walk again. Where to fit it in in my overly busy days?!

He is too cute. The raccoon I mean not Whit's hand. We all know that we really shouldn't feed them, being wildlife and all but how can you resist someone as cute as this? Not to mention their tiny human like hands! Ah well, the joys of critters!

It is a beautifully sunny morning and surprise! It snowed last night! Just barely a dusting but everything is all glittery and crystally and just so dang pretty! I am feeling very grateful this morning. Grateful for breathing, for friends, customers, family and the beauty of this day! Enjoy!

A little bird from two days ago atop the madrona tree in the front yard along side the playhouse.

The sun has faded away now but this was how the mountains greeted me this morning! Beautiful! Snow in the foothills, the peaks draped in a thick layer of white and the sun just kissing the very tops of the mountains.

Family and friends said that I needed another photo on my blog; that the Andy Warhol did not do me justice whatever that is.So this image is colored pencil and now I must remember to not take my picture on the laptop from under my chin! HAHA! Now the second journey begins and that is how in the @#$%^ to get pictures from the camera to IPhoto to a blog or email. I will never stop learning this. I want a computer like the one on Star Trek; you just speak to it and it does ITS JOB!

I think I did it! Just do not ask me how. This is myself as an Andy Warhol painting. Too bad ol' Andy did not figure out how to eliminate a double chin! If this has truly worked I will be doing more exciting things in the future.

Well, for the frazzled life of me ( ! ) I can not get pictures taken with this #$%^@#%% laptop to go to my desktop so I can publish them here. I am completely and utterly frustrated! In any event this is my wonderful boy in school in a non Twilight shirt looking very handsome. It is the consolation prize for looking at my blog while I am still working things out. Wish me luck, Lois

Something is happening that's sure and maybe by tomorrow I will figure out how to add a photo from my new Mac's camera to this blog! What a cold, gray, windy day here! We went bowling and I haven't done that since the 70's! Jacob wanted to see how different real bowling was from playing on the Wii.I think he was surprised. I will post pictures once I figure this all out. For now - goodnight!

Spring Has Sort of Arrived!

Do not get me wrong, I love spring! Not nearly as much as I love cold, winter days but I certainly love it more than the hot, dry days of August! Not much change here in the weather from yesterday to today though.... still very windy and wet!
Of course, from time to time an artist needs new supplies and although I do not splurge on them very often; ( I do have my favorite old standbys ) I did pick up just a few new things to work with.I bought some packages of assorted papers to paint up and draw " artist's trading cards ". Artists trade them around the world through the mail, magazines and the internet. I used to do a similar thing with postcards in the 1990's. I forgot how difficult it is though to work so small. I like big in my works. Now I must think little and still do a good piece. Ahhh, the fun I will have tis spring!
With the spring comes an exciting change to my studio. A new work table! It is one Andrea picked up for me from Costco and it has a heavy duty work top of wood and steel legs. Nice and sturdy for me to do silverwork on! What a great friend!

NEW BLOG!

To see the blog that I am writing for our local newspaper: www.ptleader.com, click on BLOGS on the left hand side and then click on my name, Lois Venarchick. Let me know what you're thinking! have agreat day, Lois

My cold seems to be going away and finally, my energy levels are coming back to normal. At least normal for me! I have been cleaning and rearranging my studio and now I figure I just need more flat surfaces to work on. What I really desire is a bigger studio! Who would have thought that I would need a place to work in bigger than the house I lived in for nearly 19 years! Pictures will show up here soon. I promise!

Here is yet another snow picture of the path that winds to the studio down the side of the house. My very orange plus six other colors house. All this color makes me smile on the grayest of days. Enough already though, spring begins Friday so no more snow!
Exciting news today arrived via email. I was approved or rather my idea was accepted for an on line blog with our local newspaper, the Port Townsend Leader.( ptleader.com ) This means I get to writte a blog on artists in PT and have it posted on line. I feel like Lois Lane in the Superman stories or maybe cub reporter Jimmy Olsen! Stop the presses! Can that be said anymore as presses around the country ARE stopping? Maybe it's " stop that net " or" don't push that send button! " Who knows? I do know one thing for certain though, I am a newspaper junkie and I like to hold an actual NEWSPAPER in my hands! In light of not being an actual print newspaper reporter; I will just have to wear my blogging hat and get down to it! stay tuned!

Guess What? It is Snowing Again!

To greet your Sunday, I am copying this photo a friend sent me of the parrot dog. HAHA - if only.... Have a great day. As for me, I am working in the studio and I hope it snows all day!
This is a picture of my sweet Sally Ally peeking out from the cat door on the cat house. She is not sure she wants to be outside in the snow. She is just a little on the wild side so the snow seems to calm her down while making Milagro become wild.

A photo of Kathy outstanding in front of the yarn shop in the exquisite new Flax jacket that Steff gave me. If only it had fit me but it sure looks nice on Kathy! I love the idea of passing clothes around; it appeals to the frugal side of me and leaves me more $ for beads! Beads for me! Beads for the shop! Beads for my customers!

This is short as I am so tired tonight that I can barely keep my wits about me. I do not even have a creative move in my body! Off to bed with me. Tonight I shall dream of living in Alaska! Dream on!

A Surprise!

I came home from work, settled into my chair and put my feet up for the evening and began to go through my endless pile of reading material. I opened this catalog ACACIA and there was one of my charms in an artist's jewelry design! I get such a thrill when I see one of my pieces in jewelry offered through a catalog. Very exciting and I never get tired of seeing how people use my charms! I will get it together tomorrow when I can write down the artist's name and page number of the necklace. Right now the catalog is in the studio, it's 34 degrees outside and I just do not want to go out there! SO THAT IS THAT and good night!

Looking down the driveway to my house of many colors on a very cold and snowy morning.
Jacob hanging out in the snow. Do you think he would put on a real coat? Of course not!
This little building painted in the czech color of capri blue and a sunny butter yellow is where I store my show things.
The sleeping garden where next summer's tomato plants will grow with a bit of luck.
A shot of my lovely purple and orange studio nestled in the snow.
Snow on the pampus grass at my driveway's end.
The weather here has been a surprise all winter and this weekend was no exception. I can not remember when we have had snow in March before and I have lived here a very long time! It is so pretty though.

Old signs never really die.......

This is what happened to my old gallery sign - it is now on my garden shed!

I hope Andrea doesn't mind but I thought this picture was so beautiful and peaceful; that I copied it from her blog into mine. It is a recent photo just last week of our surprise snow storm covering one of the lavender fields in Sequim. Makes me smell lavender while looking at the photo and rests my heart!

A Treat to See

This is my friend Sue, and the quilt she made and hand quilted. She had it at the show while working for Pam at Treasures of the Gypsy. It's a beauty and Sue is very talented. I could not even begin to sew like that. In fact, I can not follow a pattern much to my poor Aunt Gertie's chagrin who tried to teach me to sew in high school. Wish I had mastered it. Hidden behind the quilt is Phil.

Puyallup

The photo with the pink accents is my friend across the aisle, Jane's booth. She does polyform clay jewelry and designs her own sewing patterns. Her employee was Sara and her birthday was yesterday. I began singing Happy Birthday to her and she said I had a lovely voice! Ha! I told her I am always singing, loudly everywhere! The other shot is a photo of my booth and this year I received lots of compliments on the wool banners I made. I need to make something else as I think that I have done up at least 4 Wynwoods banners! Since I am doing at least two yarn shows this spring and summer in Portland, I think that I had better make one that says, YARN! Good thing I traded for new colors over the weekend. Yum! New wool!

Some pictures from the Puyallup Sew Expo show at the fairgrounds. Too bad I missed taking snow pictures!