Inspiration and laughing out loud

I am enchanted and inspired by

Jack frost and fresh snow on the branches.

I am enchanted by

The absolute joy Libby finds in snow. 
And I am enchanted and amused by

the snow shovel ballet.  How great is that!

finally!

We are painting the downstairs - the main room and the downstairs bathroom.  It's hard to believe we have been in our little Calgary house almost two years.  And here comes Christmas and company on the horizon.
So, it was off to the paint store to pick colours, and buy paint.  It is lovely to have a professional painter in the family. I must say. 
The main room is now "flash point"  I really think that should have an explanation mark behind it, don't you - "Flash Point!" - and really shows off the wall of books in their black wood bookcases.

The trim is white and does it ever look sharp.

Bella the wonderful bunny decided to take on the job of sidewalk superintendent.  He and the painter had to have a serious chat about the progress of the work.

The downstairs bathroom is being transformed by this lovely colour - name of "mecca".  The colour was chosen to match a pair of vintage stylized happy fish inherited from Scott's grandmother.  They will take pride of place once things dry. 
Next stop - the material store to buy curtain material.  Its a start - a good start.

Hippos and Elephants

I can't believe what a bad cold I have at the moment.  This combined with foot surgery to remove an embedded needle a week ago, and the amazing snow storm we just enjoyed here in Calgary, have turned me into a prisoner of my house.
So...what's a girl to do but disappear into the studio and...well,...create these.

I did some serious stitching.  The inspiration was this.  I have to warn you though - it's an ear worm.  Once this song gets into your head, it is so, so difficult to get back out.  You'll be humming it for days.
The song was recorded in 1953 by a 10 year old singer named Gayla Peevey from the US. 
Both the darling little Hippo and his pal the Elephant are available on my ETSY shop, along with the 4 other ornaments I created this fall - You can see them here 
About the needle - I drove that into the sole of my foot sometime in the summer, when it was hot and I was roaming around the house barefoot.  That will teach me  At any rate, the healing has begun.  Once the stitches are out, I'll be good as new, hopefully.
Today it looks like fairyland outside.  The sky is bright blue, snow sits in the big fir trees out my window looking for all the world like a staged post card .  It's gorgeous but very cold today.

We had put the aging jack o lantern out on the back deck to stand guard.  He looks like the grinch doesn't he.  Brrrrr.  Libby the border collie, on the other hand, thinks the snow fell especially for her.  She is having a love affair with it and the best game in the world is chasing snowballs in the back garden.  Since walking is difficult, snowball throwing exercises us both.   

Pumpkin high jinks

First you get a pumpkin - orange preferably, and on the biggish side.

Materials are assembled by the artist.  Newspaper to cover the table, pens to outline the design, sharp knives to cut with.

The top is removed and the design started.

Seeds scooped out and saved for roasting

Careful thought given to a face, after all a serious jack-o-lantern should be fairly scary.

And should have personality too. 

Nearly ready to go to work now

And here is the former pumpkin, now a truly scary Jack O" Lantern to put on the front step and light the way to the door.

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