Saturday Night not so Live

Dear Friends,
We have survived the day. Now I am inside cooling off and relaxing. We have been working at refurbishing a smaller house we have lately bought, and putting its yard to rights. Plenty of assistance from several family members. New tile is going in the little house, I love the red orange color, terra cotta is my thing. Fortunately a nephew does tile work well. Grinding out the old tile was the pits! I had rather watch all this on HGTV from the safety of my living room couch.
We sold a big 6 ft wide welsh dresser out of our antique mall booth today, it was a huge challenge to get it out of our crowded 9 by 9 booth in the height of Sat afternoon traffic, and another shelf moved in from storage and then all rearranged! Feels so good to have all that over! I promised not to take another large piece like that to the mall to sell.
I have sat a while with my dolls this evening, they must all be in place and quiet for the coming week, children to be seen and not heard, as I am having a group of ladies in to hook rugs for 3 days. It is a hot time of year to work on wool rugs in your lap! We will need lots of iced tea and inspiration to keep up the creative excitement. Penny will make a lovely Italian Cream cake and Beth wil make her special pound cake.
Have a wonderful week, the start of real summer here means peaches and blackberies and melons and sweet corn and more at the farmers market. First tomatoes from our own garden are in the Kitchen tonight. Best, Edyth

Waylayed by Pirates!

I was diverted from the heads by the little ship which came to the top when we moved stuff around in the garage.
We lost several portraits in the fire, and several
more were greatly damaged and sent for restoration. After the heartbreaking
results of that effort, I just never could send the little ship painting.
Neither could I throw it away. So last week I painted over the dim outlines
through the darkened painting. It was treated with an ozone machine after the fire, which controled the odor fairly well. It was not only the varnish that had
bubbled and darkened, but the paint film itself. Cooked. So here is my
result, not anything like it was, but I have to think of it as a different
thing and go forward. The frame which Jack has now painted black was gold
leaf of course. Jack's cat Cleo is quite the art critic. Thanks for the links on milliner's heads from several of you, I will post results here by and by. Best, E

Milliner's heads anyone?

I love the early paper mache milliner's heads. I have two like that that are well shaped reproductions, and I want to repaint them in a starker more correct way. Does anyone have a good photo of an old one to share with me? All help appreciated, Best, E

a rug workshop here!

Trish Travis of Country Gatherings, organised a group to come from San Antonio to Fredericksburg for 3 consecutive days and hook all together at my house. We had a rich good time of it, packing as much as possible into our time together and some lovely rugs were well started by the time the 10 of them went home on the final day. Color is a high joy for me! My Daughter Beth made one of her lovely pound cakes and Penny made a memorable Italian Cream cake, so we did not lack for refreshment! Edyth

Eagle rug again

May 8th was the four year aniversary of our house fire, that took our lovely little red cape and ultimately caused us to move from our small farm, goats, antique shop, art studio and all the rest of it. I began this rug over 3 years ago to replace one lost in the house, and have finaly finished hooking it! It seems a symbol to me that we have finaly started looking forward a bit more than backward, a good thing indeed! As some of you know my rug hooking is very limited these days, by hands that are reluctant to do that. I must ration my hooking time like I do a box of chocolates, one precious truffle a day! The new Eagle rug is smaller than the first one, having a simple border instead of the exuberant lamb's tongue border. But the new one has a richer surface with the greater variation I have learned to use now. Can't wait to get it hemmed and on the floor in front of a blue corner cupboard. E

mirror mirror on the wall...

Someway in all our busy turmoil this week, Jack found the way to spend time creating, this dear small mirror is the result! It now hangs in friend Penny's house in a narrow space in her bedroom, with a very lovely sewing rollup hanging beneath it. The roll up is one Penny made with lots of early style red print fabrics. Now I want a mirror just like it! Have a great day, Edyth

Spring roars in!

Dear Friends, Life is rushing at us in a freight train these days!

What have I been up to? too much, like yourself most likely. A week back I took a painting class for 4 days, and then this week off to catch up then next week PAAC, plein air artists of Colorado are coming here to fburg to paint our bluebonnets which we have zero of because of the drought! These things are arranged a year in advance. Anyway our art club gets to go out 4 days in a row to paint with that group, on private ranches we do not normally have access to, and I am trying to go.

Cool and very windy expected for Monday and I have a cold and both shoulders are messed up for painting, (rotator cups) so I have to paint small and in my lap. I have several nice little pochade boxes and all kinds of gear and a rolling cart to transport some of it. I am feeling my years in all of my frame and am as agile as a lump of dough. Let me say my enthusiasm is as great as ever!!

I have painted some every day this week to sharpen up. I ache all over.
Thursday night was art club, this is my last year on the board and I help with publicity some for the group. We have about 50 members and lots are very active painters with shows and events to take note of constantly. last night was art walk down town with 9 galleries open, we made 4 of them. This will calm down a bit after this next week then I have one week to get ready to teach a rug hooking work shop for 8 or 10 ladies here in our house. Then a week off to clean house after the hookers and my artist daughter Cheryl comes from Colorado to spend a week and we will be painting and gallery hopping and visiting friend's studios, and so on.

We are transporting grandchildren here and there like wild and Jack has just finished making a gorgeous 7 ft tall corner cupboard to house friend Penny's new flat TV. Planted the small vegetable garden this week, took out a blooming spirea and 4 other lovely bushes to make room in the back yard border for the veggies. Had to hire help of course to take them out.
We have now 8 households of family here in this town! always someone's washing machine needs working on or a costume to be made or furniture to be moved etc! Son in law Gary is absolutely terrific to help in every possible way to keep us all going and daughter Beth takes on helping so many people in addition to family. I am so proud of her! Life is over full.
I am still selling a few books, mailing an unusual 7 today before noon. ...And of course there is the antique mall booth to see to. ..And Sarah's new Baby is fine, I hope to see him today. Where is that rocking chair I have always expected to rock in ?? I guess that is out of style for today's great grandmothers.
I want to get up a trellis and plant some beans. Hugs, Edyth