Where Did July Go?

The Bug helping me paint his room. He took the low road and I took the high road.

Now I know why I haven't done a Christmas in July celebration for my shop. This year was going to be the year and then reality set in.

Happy 4th: my patriotic boy

July is probably the busiest month of the year for us (well maybe next to December). It starts with the Fourth of July, then our wedding anniversary on the 9th, our peanut's birthday a few days after that and projects and gardens to be tended to all the while. Before I know it the month has passed.

My husband, the Bug, my niece and nephew at the beach on the Bug's birthday.

Full of P&V. He left with mommy shortly after.

There were so many things I wanted to do this month, like attend a reunion with fellow NRM Music alum. Some of the best folks I ever had the pleasure of working with but, unfortunately, after taking care of the obligations, I missed the weekend (it was this weekend and I had a hair appointment Saturday)
 

My niece Olivia's Hamster sculpture

My nephew, AJ's angry m&m (which his mother and I re-dubbed the 'killer tomato' since he decided not to paint the 'm' on it)

My niece Iris's painted pig.

I spent the last two weeks watching my nieces and nephew while my sister worked so Monday through Friday I was unplugged and madly trying to keep up with the house! The beginning of the first week we made paper clay sculptures and my nephew made a model car, we celebrated my Bug's birthday and later in the week, the younger two made wood puzzles while my older niece worked on a needlepoint project.  The girls spent much of both weeks learning to sew. Just the basic whip stitch and blanket stitch but they got very good at it over the time they were at my house. We watched many movies because of the heat wave, would have liked to take them to more places but my car doesn't have AC right now and I don't tolerate the heat well. Can I just say, I am so happy we only have one little boy in the house. Always wanted a houseful but after the past couple of weeks I decided that God always knows best :o)

I also managed to register for classes, register the Bug for preschool, get outgrown clothes ready for a yard sale and list a bunch of new ornaments in my etsy shop.  All in all a very productive, albeit exhausting, month.

Up next: a Garden update.

Aj's skelton puzzle

Olivia's butterfly puzzle

Iris and her pig. Really Aunt Kelly? you have to take my picture? Yep! That's what I do :o)

Yes, our home is a pretty fun place much of the time

Bug creating a masterpiece

 

Garden Gnome Update - The Painting Continues

SO close! Here are the photos of what has been finished since last time. He is due in a couple days and will be finished on time, as a matter of fact, I think I will be finished with him tomorrow with maybe a few minor details to complete. Now I just need to figure out how I will get him to his new home. Oh, and I am feeling the same sad twinge I felt right before my baby boy was born. This too shall pass :o)

Garden Gnome Update - The Painting Continues

The card spray is finished except for the 3 - D cards.
SO happy to be done painting itty bitty cards. Love the result but I think I need to add a couple more shadows.

The 3-D cards and potion bottle are missing but, for the most part,
this scene is finished.

Wasn't happy with a white shirt and not happy with a red shirt. This guy may or may not change his shirt before the end. Needs a little work on his face and the roses being painted red but finished other than that. By the way, the gnomes jacket looks like it's burgundy velvet at a distance. His pants are black.

Thought this scene was complete except for the grass but then I looked closely and noticed a few areas that need some work. Not far from finished.

As I went through these photos I realized areas I thought were finished really weren't. Oh well, at least what is left is minor in comparison to what I've done. On today's agenda: finishing the base of Sir Gnome. As soon as the details are done I can attach the caterpillar. If I finish this up early, I'll work on the "smoke". I am hoping to finish up the entire body of the gnome by the end of tonight. Tomorrow will be spent working on the hat (hopefully!)

Garden Gnome Update - The Painting Continues

Sir Gnome is getting there. The white rabbit is mostly finished.
Needs some detail work as does the Queen.

Just started working on the Mad Hatter scene. It's a little flat right now but I'm excited with how it is progressing. It may end up being one of my favorites and NO PLAYING CARDS involved!

Speaking of, I am so over painting playing cards! They are not perfect replicas and they are not going to be. I am anal and detail oriented but if you want them to be perfect take a picture (that's for my mother who informed me the spacing was off. I made the comment that I didn't see her working on such a complex project while going to school and taking care of a 3 year old and when she did she could voice her criticism and I would listen. Me, testy? what would give you that idea?I can't be that upset with my mom though she has been a Godsend watching my little one when I go to class but, boy, does the criticism get old)

I had to take a break on the card scene. They have all been painted once, painted white and are waiting for their final color. Can't wait to be done!

These are the cards that will get "tucked" into the beard.
Really loving how these came out!

That's it for now! Hopefully the next update will be the big reveal. I'm hoping to finish before next Monday but I have until Friday, May 20, to get him finished. Fingers crossed that it will go quickly. I don't have anymore classes. My last final was tonight (yay!) Now it's all gnome! :o)

Garden Gnome Progress - The Painting Continues

The Queen of Hearts
All the colors and details are laid in. Obviously, I have to keep reapplying the gold and red paint, paint the hedgehog and add details to the flamingo but she isn't too far from being finished. I love the way she is coming along.

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White Rabbit
This guy shouldn't take too long to finish. I went a little crazy on the red queen's dress so I didn't have good enough light last night to get further on this. No part is even close to complete but I can't wait to get back to him, especially his eyes, that's when they really come to life!

The Playing Cards
WOW! This is a project in itself. Note: I'm just laying in the cards. They will be painted over in white and then repainted. Long process but looking pretty good so far. I'm so glad I bought a bunch of tiny brushes!

Sorry I'm a day late on my Gnome update. I was madly painting all day and night yesterday and, by the time I had anything to share, it was too dark to take any photos. It's raining today so the photos aren't the greatest (I actually had to use a flash) but they give you some idea of where I'm at. Last week was a bust for making progress on the gnome since I was writing papers, reading textbooks and studying for tests but I started working on the back of the gnome and headway is being made.(On the school front, one class is finished and two regular classes and a final remain for the other class.)

I have plenty of time to finish the gnome and still hope to finish him well before the deadline. I'm budgeting about a full day for each scene, most won't take that long but it gives me time to nitpick. The Mad Hatter scene and playing card spray are very detailed so those will probably take about two days each if not a little longer. Plenty of time though. Most of the scenes are relatively close to complete, I just want to go back in after the background is put in and add more details. By the next update, Sir Gnome should be pretty close to complete. Back to work I go! :o)

Garden Gnome Progress - The Painting Continues

His face is virtually done, although I have to touch up a few spots here and there. His beard will be done when I get all the cards finished and applied. They were giving me some issues. You can see below how they will be inserted into his beard. They are finished on both sides and then I cut out a piece in his beard to slide them into. Once I have them all painted, I'll go back and use Magic Smooth to attach them permanently, painting over anything that needs touched up.

If you look closely you can see where his nose needs a touch up(got a little beard paint on the underneath) and the slot cut out for the playing card. There will be four total on the front and a number(exact number still undetermined:O) on the back.

An even better photo of the card in the beard.

The Cheshire cat. His face will be the only thing fully painted. His body will appear to be vanishing. The whole front of the hat will be a tree with dark green black leaves that wrap around to the Mad Hatter scene on the back.

Above, all the little leaves are painted.
Below, the darker grass is almost finished.

Need to finish the card player's face, shoes and the white roses being painted red. The background will go in soon. It will be a dark burgundy black that wraps all around the gnome's body.

The bottom black background being painstakingly put in while the details get finished. It really does make everything pop.

Would have had more finished but I had a heavy week at school and Easter so I didn't get as much done as I would have liked to. Good news is I only have one class left on Saturday and a couple weeks of the other class (that doesn't take as much time) so I should be able to make great headway. :o)