Pancho & Lefty

Happy Day after Christmas!  I hope everyone had a wonderful day.  We started our day with videos of our little great grand-baby on his motorcycle that we sent him for Christmas!  He will need to grow a little, but that's good as they have lots of snow, so outside isn't available right now!  Next we watched Jack (our dog) open his gifts.  He always loves to tear open his packages, but never touches ours!  Smart little guy!  He got two toys and a Santa hat later in the day from a friend.  Next year he can wear his suit and his hat at the same time!

Our Christmas presents were a little big to put under the tree, a new building extension, two alpacas, a new sewing machine, and lots of tools for manland added over the last few months.  We thought about putting bows on everything that we had received recently, but decided we really couldn't afford the ribbon,  (laughing) so we just enjoyed our day and thought about names for the alpacas.

And, we've made a decision!  Yes we are definitely getting two alpacas and we finally decided on names!  This was not an easy decision and we enlisted votes through Face Book, but it's done! I've sent an email to Laurence and Donna to say yes and give them the names, Pancho and Lefty for registration so now as I sit in my studio and look out the window, I can picture them out there.

I've wanted llamas or alpacas for close to 20 years!  Of course, living in Bellaire, didn't lend itself to animals of this size and so I waited!  We've been talking about them now since we bought this house and property and the time is finally right.

Last year we added three sheep, well, they're not actually real, they just look real and so I've had some people ask me if the alpacas will be real!  Yes! I promise these will move around on the property without my having to pick them up and move them.  Ha ha

We now have to get our gates done at the front and do some cross fencing, so they know where they belong!  Now if I can just remember that they belong in the back field and not in my front yard or immediate picket fenced yard for Jack!  Bill says it will be more difficult for me than them!  He's so right. We just added an area to the back of Bill's barn for them and have to finish it too.  The rails need to be added and the straw put down on the ground and then they can move on in!  For now they will stay with  Laurence and Donna at Bluebonnet Hills Alpaca Ranch and I will go and visit!

At least now I won't need to drive down the road to look at the neighboring animals and I'm excited about all of the company I'm going to be having in the near future.  I look forward to everyone coming out and meeting them in person.  Didn't know how much alpacas would increase visitation!  That's a very good thing.

So now I will close and get busy on some other projects - working on next years Christmas card and have a bunch of birthdays this month and next - so I will post again after I see them on Friday and hopefully with some very good pictures.

Until then, happy creating!

My First Sheep and Paper Pieced Lady

I must admit that I love this class almost too much and Junelle is easily the best teacher ever.  I've never had an online class where I actually talked to the teacher and she talks back!  I love when she asks us what we think, just like we could answer her and, I do!  Heehee  She makes me laugh and she makes me want to color outside the lines!  I've never had such dirty hands and am learning that glue not only sticks to paper, but to hands!

I love my comfort zone, who doesn't, but I'm also learning to love being way outside of it. These are my first sheep, but they won't be my last!

This was a class from week two, at least I think so, I've bounced back and forth so many times and looked at videos all of the way to the end of the third week, so I'm not for sure, but I know it was one heck of a fun class. So this was the beginning - I started an art journal in an old book. Junelle showed us how to make our own art journal and so I've given it a try. I gessoed the pages and then painted them with several different shades of blue acrylic paint. Cut out circles for the sheep and modified circles for the heads and ears and stuck them on the body using dimensionals to raise them and give more dimension. Then I put modeling paste on the bodies ( a little on the heads and ears) and using the end of a paint brush I drew circles to make them look curly. After all, these are wooly sheep, not time for sharing yet! The girl is made using various papers, layering to make an apron and skirt. I used a piece of fabric that I modgepodged to make it stiff and added a little ruffle of lace and her muddy boots, well, they don't have legs yet, but they will!

And here they are - legs and a close up of the skirt.  I also added some feet as I noticed my sheep were floating! What will I add now, I'm thinking a pocket with a journal and some pencils would be good and Junelle says sheep are never clean and white, so I must add some coloring! And see how I lifted the head and ears - really does add to the look and, of course, some little pink cheeks!  I'm not for sure about that pink - it it a nose and the black it's mouth or have I just changed the look of  sheep?  Oh, my well it's my interpretation and so it will stay!

 To the right you get to see that great little pocket  - I just wish this girl was me and I was really out walking with sheep following a long behind me - Oh, Junelle, you are a very blessed woman!  To work on a sheep ranch!  To help with the lambing, what a blessing.  I'm so glad you have shared your love of sheep with me (us) and it's such a wonderful reminder of the great shepherd.  I am so thankful to be watched over and led by my shepherd.  This is a perfect time to stop and read Psalm 23 and be reminded of His great love.  I added some journaling and the white, well, not here in Texas for sure, but Junelle says they have snow fall during lambing!  Snow in the spring - wow, we just have flowers and heat, but thanks for the thought and it was fun adding it to the picture as I imagined the cool, crisp air. As it says on picture - Art, sheep and new friends, I am so blessed!

I will post my flowers soon.  She really surprised me on that one.  I've been painting flowers forever, so thought it would be a breeze!  No, no, no - a whole new way of making flowers, so once again I was forced to color outside the lines! What an amazing adventure - you rally need to check out this class.  The "live" three weeks are now ended, but it will be up for a year - so, check it out here.