A Creative Day

New Painting and this was my first time to paint on mat
board. The colors, pencils and acrylic really stand out.

A closeup of the leaves.

Booth banner, side one in wool felt.

Side two. See my favorite mark? A spiral of course.

All done on a busy Saturday afternoon by me - Lois.

June. Could this possibly be the last day of June? Already? The month has flown by in days laden with work both in the shops and around the house. I have been spending some time this month weeding my gardens and flower beds and although my back screams at me each time a bit of work is done, I like the accomplishment I feel pulling weeds. Honestly though, I have given over much of our acre to weeds, some quite pretty in their own right, so why can't they stay out of my designated flower areas?

A thistle type flower in the glowing color of tanzanites.

My new sewing area is all set up in the classroom above the bead shop now. I have a new comfy, rolling, swivel chair, floor mat and lighting. I am ready to begin sewing banners for craft booths of fellow vendors and all this wonderfully strange quilt fiber-y pieces dancing around in my head.

I've also managed to finish several small paintings inspired in part by more hidden under the dock graffiti in the construction areas of Port Townsend.

Look quick, this artwork will soon be under cover again.

Next up on the new month of July's to do list? Gallery Walk and a grand opening of The 940 Gallery. Just a few more pictures to hang and we will be ready! Until next time on this blog when I will have more pictures to post, happy end of June - beginning of July!

My friend, Lita visited for a short bit on her way back from a book making class in Bellevue. I can not tell you how much a friend can recharge your batteries and inspire you to create. I am in my summer rut of making things for the shop and that often means making the same series of jewelry again and again. I am not complaining but there simply isn't time to come up with new work in the rush of summer visitors. Anyhow, with Lita's visit came the fresh air that allowed me an afternoon of respite and I finally finished a small painting I had been working on and managed to do a doodle in my sketchbook. Her visit was a vacation for me!

Jake and Lita at breakfast.

Lita and just rolled out of bed, me!

A friend's visit is so good for the soul. Lita came over from her mid eastern Washington town for a visit today and we ran around doing all the things we seldom have time for. We strolled the streets of Port Townsend, popping in and out of the shops, had lunch at the LightHouse Cafe, where Tom makes the best tuna sandwiches, played in the studio, went to the beach, had dinner, danced around my shops after closing, had an ice cream and ended the day back at the beach watching the sky turn towards night over Whidbey Island. What a blast to laugh and laugh! Friendship is timeless, accepting, comforting and loving. No judgements, no stress, just laughter, fun and embracing.

Pictures from today - missing from above

Port Townsend Bay

Lita in the Adams Street Park. The roses were so heavenly scented!

Newly uncovered graffiti under the Admiralty apartment building sidewalk.

I find that I actually miss it when the blogs I follow don't post anything for awhile or worse yet, a long while. So I am going to try and post more regularly especially when I have the afternoon off to be in the studio and I am still awake and not at all falling asleep at the keyboard, which I manage to do most evenings.

Nothing much exciting here in and about the studio today. I am doing a bunch of pricing of all the new things that  I bought or traded for at the Bead & Button show plus pricing new inventory that has arrived from overseas. Phil has been crazybusy, and yes, I meant to say that as one word, reorganizing the warehouse. I thought it looked pretty good but evidentially, I was wrong. I haven't even ventured a look out there today because I know, just absolutely know, that I will not be able to find a thing. Sigh.

Anyhow, I thought I'd post a few pictures of what I have been doing around here today besides writing tons of price tags. I keep telling myself as soon as the pricing is done, I will reward myself with something fun to do like bead embroidery or sewing on my latest banner or drawing or almost anything but pricing! I even tried to do some laundry, that's how desperate I am to get away from pricing.

This is the red tail hawk that was hunting in our yard this
afternoon. He caught and lost a rabbit. 

These are two of the three crows that pestered and pestered him.

Then after sitting on the fence post for ages he hopped down and casually
strolled to the wild blackberry cluster to look for the rabbit.

I think I must have taken a gazillion and twelve pictures of him ( or her ) as she tried to ignore the crows, keep an eye on me and look for the rabbit. I could walk within three feet of this hawk and he just watched me. I have not been that close to one before except at the raptor center. I was certainly able to waste time for about 45 minutes!

 Earlier this morning I walked around pulling a few weeds here and there, and decided that my yellow lavender looked particularly pretty standing alongside the purple, so I took pictures for awhile there, too. 

Spud came to visit and had me all to himself, which he usually does not,  having to share me with Daisy and Jesse but he did manage to scarf down four large milk bones and then told me he needed, truly needed, more! 

And now nearly an hour has elapsed and I have managed to update my blog but make no further progress on pricing. So off I go to the studio! 

Do you ever have days where so much stuff is going round and round in your head that nothing makes sense? There is a scattered energy about and as a friend said on Saturday, you have the the solar flares and sunspots to blame for weird energies. As soon as things settle in my busy little head and a few work surfaces are cleared, I will get back to some hopefully serious, yet oddly light hearted blog posts!