Pandemic Pages and Projects

The Hobonichi Challenge for April is

an Alice in Wonderland theme. Above,

white roses painted red, and the White Rabbit.

Some mail art postcards

and a bunny for Easter on an envelope.

A very three dimensional Easter card, hand

delivered to the In-Laws.  Haven't been to visit 

my own parents yet as they are isolating.  Hoping

the weather will warm up soon so we can go

over and sit in lawn chairs in the yard to

visit with them!

There are so many cute memes on the 

internet, and I just have to steal one

sometimes. 'Steal like an artist' as they say.

Sketched daffodils from my yard for a

card to send.

I really adore the original illustrations for Alice 

in Wonderland done by Sir John Tenniel.  But 

of course Disney's versions are pretty amazing too!

Did you spot the coffee cups that I include on my

pages?  They are my contribution to 'T for Tuesday'

over at Altered Book Lover's blog. It's always 

nice to share tea, coffee, and some conversation

with good friends!

Above, a few text pages that I've watercolored and

drawn on.  I will probably tear them up and

use for collage.  What creative projects 

have you been working on?

Follow me on IG:

dbcarey_2000

Hobonichi Techo Tuesday

Joining the Tea Gang for T Tuesday over

 at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's, with a

beverage and a cinnamon roll...

I've been busily drawing in my Hobonichi

Techo.  The Hobonichi Challenge this month 

is Favorites.  How can you choose your

favorite Disney character?! There are too

many great ones...so I drew 3. 

 Here's the reason I didn't make the Tea

Party last week. A quick drive up to Lake Erie

to enjoy some sunshine, the sound of the waves,

and a walk on the beach. If you click on the link

to view the Ohio map, Marblehead is on the

 peninsula just above Sandusky, Ohio.

 In fact, you can see Cedar Point amusement

 park in Sandusky from the lighthouse

 on a clear day. Sometimes you just

 have to get away to see the sun set

over a body of water!

Here's the real thing...

camera phone shot of the lighthouse.

Port Clinton Harbor~

 We followed this heron down the water's

edge when he flew away from the breakwater

 area. This is the closest I got with my

camera phone. Don't know why we

didn't think to take our actual camera!

How will you squeeze in a little more 

summer relaxation this month?

P.S.  My ankles are much better~

thanks for your concern! It took about

4 days for the rash to clear up. sigh.

The joys of allergies. 'Tis the season...

Art Mark Making

More little paintings in the

small booklet that I made.  Purple 

Canson Mi Tientes paper bound with 

chain stitch. 

I have been loosely following prompts

from Rae Missigman's 'Art Marks 30 Day

Challenge.'  

Painting with acrylics, watercolors, and

collaging with my own painted papers.

The pages were sometimes gessoed,

sometimes not.

The book is four inches by four inches. 

The theory is that the smaller size will

take less time to finish...

but sometimes it lays out on my kitchen

counter, and I look at it periodically, and

decide to make additions. And it takes

all day.

I'm thinking that maybe I should

do away with leaving the open border 

around the edge...

as I did with this one.(above) Still not sure if

it's 'done.'

How do you know when you're done?

◘ ◘ ◘

Hobonichi Techo Journaling

I think Mother Nature is playing a cruel

trick. Instead of the old saying that March

comes "in like a lion, out like a lamb," 

we've had exactly the opposite here in

Ohio, USA!

Coming home from vacation was a rude 

awakening. One day (where I was) in Florida

it was 78 degrees, and Ohio had 75 degrees!

Weird.

The Hobonichi Challenge for March 

features Spring themes...

Hence the dandelions.

I do tend to draw my coffee cups a lot.

One day the challenge was Earl Grey

tea. Not sure why...but it works for

T day! Visit Bleubeard and Elizabeth

to see what goodies may

be shared this week!

I've always wanted to have a

Mad Tea Party...

outside beneath the cottonwoods, with

lots of odd tea cups and fun decorations.

Do you think the Mad Hatter would

make an appearance? 

Hope your day is filled with sunshine

and creativity!

Techo Tuesday: Fantastic Beasts

Hobonichi Techo drawings~

the newest movie in the Harry Potter universe

is Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

We enjoyed the movie very much! 

I taped in a ticket stub and...

also added a sketch beneath the ticket

of one of the fantastic beasts.

I didn't catch the names of most of the

creatures, but they were amazing and

the special effects were very well done.

It 'only' took me two days to decorate 

the Christmas tree. I wish getting out

the decorations didn't mean total

chaos throughout the house...

Sharing my coffee and toast with

the T Tuesday gang, over at 

Bleubeard and Elizabeth's

Altered Book Lover blog.

TECHO Tuesday

It's been a busy couple of weeks

around here, and the next couple of

weeks promise the same.

(click on any image to view an enlargement)

My Hobonichi Techo is my primary art

journal at the moment. I try to fill each page

with what happened that day, but if it has

been a quiet day, that's when I make a list

or write down a quote!

Saturday the 25th gave me several things

to write about: the auction where my Dad 

purchased a footstool that his Dad had

made; the guy playing guitar in his car in

the parking lot of a discount store; and

dead baby birds...

Linking up with Bleubeard and Elizabeth

for T Tuesday ~ where the tea is strong

and all the bloggers are good-looking...

that coffee mug sketch is my required

beverage reference. Stop by to visit

and see what everyone is up to. We 

often see some marvelous photos 

and diverse art work!

I attempted to sketch the upholstery

fabric that my mom purchased to recover

the footstool.  The colors are much more

muted than this, and a lot more woven

texture...but love those roses!

I need to fill in the reference to the President

on this page. I am not sure which president

it was who dedicated this monument, so I

need to ask my Mom about it. I left room to

write in the name later.

Lots of time spent with family over

the 4th of July weekend.

I wish that everyone could really grasp

the dedication and intense preparation 

that is required of teachers.  A lot of the 

furnishings in their classrooms were purchased

by the teacher themselves. Many teachers end

up providing school supplies to children who

don't have what they need, and maybe even

food or snacks for some as well.

I enjoy helping my daughter get a classroom

ready for a new school year, but I can only

help with the decorative things like 

bulletin boards. In the grand scheme of things,

that's not what's most important. I am so

proud of what she does for her students.

Music opens a world for them that they might

otherwise never see or imagine.  If you know

a teacher, please thank them the next time

you see them!  (They don't really get the

summer off. They may take a couple of weeks

and then they are planning and preparing

for the coming year!)

Fun times thrifting and making art...

always on the look-out for stuff to help

organize my daughter's classroom,

and some things I just can't resist

for myself!

Here's a recipe that I am going to try out

in the next week or so.  I have family coming

from Tennessee next week, and 

they've "put in an order" for Peach Crumble! 

 My Mom promises me that this is an easy

 recipe that turns out well.  Maybe you will 

try it.  Have a terrific week!