Mermaid Skirts

The finished Mermaid Skirt front.

The finished Mermaid Skirt back.

Goose with her Mermaid Dress

Goose and my Nieces.

My daughter Goose loves Mermaids. SHE LOVES THEM!! She's three and knows almost all the words to "Part of your world." I had some ruffled fabric that I had bought and only tried to sew on "ONCE". Because it was a mess to sew. It's this stuff.

Ruffled fabric by the yard. 

While looking for mermaid tails and blankets on Pinterest. (I know;}) i found this really cool pin.

Mermaid Skirt by The Girl Inspired

I did my best to follow her instructions but messed up....a lot. I realized how much I didn't know about knits. About my serger, About everything!!! Good lord if I only had read the dang sewing machine directions I would have avoided so much stress and frustration!!!

So, after a lot of trial and error, a few ball point needles and what felt LIKE HOURS on my serger. I made one. And it was awful!!. Tucks everywhere, the size was only tiny.  TO small for Goose. I had to completely removed the ruffled fabric and just go with the blue knit. Which was a cheap jersey that split and laddered constantly. So.....

The first had to go to my littlest niece, S. It wouldn't fit my goose. 

Happiest Mermaid in the World!!

Armed with the experience of my miserable first draft , I started again. Determined to make more for my other nieces. And another for Goose.

One day, I'll have a cutting table. One day....

I had to add some ruffled fabric, but not much.

They loved them. I loved them. So much mermaid fun.

I think I might make more...one day. Maybe later on in the future. When I can forget how frustrating it was with the first one.

Ruth

Stained Glass Watercolors

The Stained glass triptych.

Do you remember when I made those mirrors with frosting spray and dorm mirrors? Well, before I did that I wanted to add something to my kitchen walls. My kitchen is dark. Dark cabinets, dark counter top, very little natural light and just can lights for the ceiling. I tried everything to lighten it up as I was FORBIDDEN to paint the cabinets. (sarge...... and his opinions. ) I painted the walls, several times, I added under cabinet lighting, I added a bead-board backsplash to cover the ugly brown tile. I tried to add light wherever I can.

 Before I got here....

Where  I ended up. (Gosh, the beige ceiling and floors flare so badly with the grey. ) 

I thought, Hey, how about something like this? It's not too dark and might actually lighten up the space.

Last year I started a project based on these leaded glass mirrors.

Ballard Street Mirror

I couldn't afford the hefty price tag and started coming up with ideas. Click below to look at my stained glass inspiration.












So before I did the above, I tried something else.

My Pinterest Gallery

Now, I couldn't find any mirrors I or stained glass  I could afford, and to do my own mirrors,  I thought might look too "homemade". 

Lets give some context. So, back in art school, I was on a study abroad program. It's focus was on drawing and painting. Specifically watercolor. I was fascinated by these old churches, the exquisite iconography and the stained glass. My final project was a horrible ink stained triptych of the stained glass and wood carved pieces in these old Swiss churches.

I don't have pictures which is good because looking back..I'm not terribly happy with them. But that's the thing about art, you get better. I lost them awhile ago anyway. So I started thinking , hey, I know watercolor (spoiler: I was wrong) why don't I draw some beautiful stained glass, and just color it in? Based on the stained glass gallery I made in Pinterest.

My drawings below. 

More drawing

Inking with acid free micron markers.

My sister, Sully an ACTUAL water color artist, helping me.

The only one I really like.

Oh God, this one is so awful.

Over-worked. Colors seem too muddy. 

I should have stopped here, The result is over done.

The one on the top right was awful. I started again.

The colors just aren't right.

I have stopped doing the stained glass triptych again. I just struggle so much with the color. Watercolor is the easiest the learn, the hardest to master.



Ps. I cannot for the life of me get all these pictures aligned. I have tried everything. Except changing the HTML code. Because no thanks.

Ruth

A handwritten Letter

One evening as if by magic, I found myself with my Mother and sisters K and S. My sister S, ever the wise one, told me to call my Hubbie, and let him know we were going out on a ladies evening, and he needed to pick up the kids (my two little ones) and his wife, was going out to eat (and have a few gin and tonics)

So we headed out after the kindly Sarge picked up the kids and we went to Gruene River Grill in Gruene, TX. I love that place. If you have a chance,go there. It's a a 150 year old structure on a high hill above the Guadelupe River and it's just lovely. Great food, nice atmosphere, and you can wear flip flops and eat Creme Brûlée without feeling underdressed.

After regaling the rest of the restaurant with our raucous laughter and bawdy talk of harlequin romance novels and the elderly women who love them.....we went home and on the way picked up our Mother's mail. My Mother is on every catalog and junk mail mailing list in the knows printed universe. The mail lady continually asks my Mother to get a larger mailbox, and my mother counters with she'll just add the largest trash can she can find, and that will be her mailbox, seeing as it's where it ultimately ends up. My mother's mail is often double wrapped in rubber bands to keep the 20 or so magazines, junk mail, and catalogs together.

After pulling the 5 pound stack of glossy paper out my Mother remarked how she would rather have one handwritten letter, than all the junk mail and bills and catalogs. We all agreed and I promised (remember 2 gin and tonics-) to send them all handwritten letters.

A few week later after asking them their favorite animal and flowers, and dragging out my dusty light box,I fulfilled my promise.

I had been working on some design stuff (purely for myself) and was fascinated by the illustrated drop cap. These were my attempts.

For K:

Her Favorite animals: The Secretary bird (right) and the Swallow
tailed Bee eater (left) I chose the protea (the South African
national flower) Since she lived and Loved S.A. so much.

For P:

Humming birds and Orchids were her favorite.

For S:

Chickens were her favorite, but I didn't like the
way it turned out so I tried another one.

Second Attempt for S:

Roosters and Daisy's, (her favorites) and
I liked this one better. We jokingly call it
her "BIG S ROOSTER" (say it fast and loud, it's funny I
swear)

So there you go, handwritten letters. I took a bit of license with the term "handwritten letter" but I don't think they'll mind.

I did another one for my Sister G, but forgot to scan it in before I gave it to her. It has narwhales, so she'll have to scan it in for me since, my descriptions doesn't really do it justice.

,Ruth

Help me critique this...

I have finished all the illustrations for my Lullaby Book but some of them really need work.

Let me show you the ones that are great, in my opinion.

These next ones are the ones that I think need help.

So...HELP me. Give me some constructive criticism about the layout, the copy, the whatever. I'd appreciate it. Somehow these next ones feel meh...lackluster, like they are missing something.

Let me know what YOU think it is..

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Ruth