Happy Little Christmas Trees

I've been busily creating loads and loads of new creations but hauling them down to the First Friday location here in Vegas almost as soon as the paint has dried and finding those folks who fall in love with them and take them home before the day is out precludes getting too many good snapshots of them before they go off to their new homes...sigh.

To make things even worse is the fact my poor ole computer finally gave up the ghost and died.

I did manage to get myself a shiny new laptop but for me there has been a bit of a learning curve.

These little holiday trees were finished late last night while I watched a marathon showing of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I had almost forgotten how in love I am with Eomar aka Karl Urban.

Such a handsome handsome man.

Am currently slaving away, errr, I mean working to get stuff together for the next First Friday which is less than a week away now. Totally considering making it my last for awhile, it sure takes a lot out of a person.

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Anyone else sign up for the Sketchbook project again?

Can you come over and help me get started?

A Trip To Mt Charleston

The boy came over for a visit and we decided that a quick trip up to Mt Charleston was in order so I grabbed my camera and off we went.

 Imagine my surprise when this huge flock? of quail went running across the road. There were more than 15 of them and all this same size. I'm guessing these are almost ready to leave the nest babies as I couldn't tell anyone one of them apart. All but five made it across the road when we drove up making these guys stay long enough for me to get this shot of them.

 I know this flower is a weed of sorts and a sticker bush to boot but isn't it gorgeous?

We were trying to figure out what kind of trees these are. I don't believe they are birch but I'm not really sure. Aspen? Quaking Oak? Yes, I'm totally guessing.

A quick shot right up the trunk of one of them. Notice the carvings? People have been carving their names and dates into the trunks of these trees for years.

Ninja Easter Eggs

These "Happy" little Ninja Easter Eggs were intended for a particular Birthday guy but the Ninjas aren't been quite sure their Ninja abilities would be best served in such an endeavor.

Poised and ready for action.

Ready to take you on!

Foster Failure

Yes, it's been forever and a day since I've been here and I completely apologize.

Stellas' sweet puppies kept me very very busy. There is Beatrice, Wyler, Abigail and Hudson.

(I unfortunately don't have any of little Beatrice or Wyler at this age.)
Hudson

Abigail

They've all found great homes since, including Stella. Both Wyler and Abigail found a great new home together. What a fantastic experience it was for the two of them as they were involved with a great organization wherein shelter dogs were auctioned off to wonderful dog lovers and I was so thrilled to have been involved with it.

Wyler

Abigail

Egg and his chicks

Sweet Stella and Beatrice both found wonderful homes and little Hudson won my heart and stayed with me.

Isn't he adorable?



Almost as soon as as my kids were out of the house and on to their new lives I was asked to foster yet another litter of needy puppies.

I was told this litter was a litter of Chihuahuas.

Imagine my surprise when I went to pick them up.

Charlie

George

Isabelle

There were six puppies in this litter and were apparently dumped at the shelter as soon as they could eat on their own at about 4 1/2 weeks old. Six of the most adorable puppies in the world and six of the most diverse dog types to ever come about in one litter, I swear.

Little Hannah and Ophelia both quickly found homes through the shelter just an hour after being put up for adoption.


And just because he's the most awesome dog in the world for putting up with all these small dogs invading his space, my Cooper.

These kids may have had a Chihuahua relative far back in their lineage but really...

The most fantastic thing about this litter is that I not only got to meet so many of my neighbors because of them but a couple of said neighbors decided they wanted to adopt the puppies.

Sweet Riley now lives with Linda and Mike right around the block and my George, (now Thor) lives with Kerry and Gary right around the corner.

Little Charlie and adorable little Isabelle decided to stay with me and to see them with my Hudson together is just wonderful!

We walk (almost) every night with the rest of the neighborhood dogs and we enjoy it so much.

Does all this leave any time for artwork? Hardly.

Both Isabelle and Charlie, now almost 5 months old, want to be picked up and held constantly.

This isn't very conducive to creating artwork but I'm slowly getting it together.

Yes, I'm a foster failure...

Ugliest Dog In The World

What a mug, eh?

I've named her Stella, for now. I think it may stick.
She came to me as a foster dog and lots of baggage to boot. Four of the most adorable little puppies ever.
Our 'shelter' here is not a 'no-kill' shelter and Stella came to them with her puppies aged about 3 or so days old. They don't have the resources to deal with new born puppies and the plan was to just put them down unless a foster could be found for them. At least that's the story I heard through a small grapevine.

I stewed about it for 24 hours, called my Mother, wondered what I was thinking and then headed down there to take them in.

Her underbite does not do her personality any justice. She's an absolute sweetheart, tolerates my cats, gets along with my other two dogs, minds her manners and takes absolute wonderful care of her babies.

As the puppies get a little bigger I will just have to share with you all.

Anyone want a puppy?

The Sketchbook Project Part Deux

As promised here is the rest of the pages from my sketch book for the Sketchbook Project 2011.

Even though I stressed mightily about this, I had no idea what I even wanted to do, no direction...nada, I have to admit to enjoying this for all it was worth! I found a new and exciting direction to take my dear little Ralphie in and he made many new friends along the way.

For those of you who are shaking your head wondering who Ralphie is, he's the dear little orange kitty you see in a lot of my work. I miss him every day.

I am totally going to join in on this project again next year!

Did you have a sketchbook in this project too? Please share in the comments, I would love to come see!

Sketchbook Project 2011

I'm A Scavenger...

Yes, I know. I failed horribly in my effort to post daily/weekly as I said I would earlier.

I signed up for the Sketchbook Project with all kinds of time left for me to finish a one page spread a week with lots of time to do each one at a leisurely pace. It seems as though a pretty butterfly must have flitted past at a bad moment and got me sidetracked and next thing you know I have 3 weeks before the deadline to send.

tsk tsk.

I've never worked on something so furiously before in my life!

I learned how to bind a sketchbook. I did this because I knew there was no way I was ever going to be able to fill all those pages in 3 weeks time and wanted a book with far fewer pages in it. I ended up with 16 full spreads, the front and back inside cover and the front and back outside cover. Had it not been for the three day extension we all got my covers would have been blank, stark raving blank.

*chuckle*

I scanned these so ignore the odd glare and shadow. My pages got a bit 'wrinkly' due to all the moisture I forced upon them and even flattening them out under my monstrously heavy old tv didn't completely help.

I will post the other half of the book on tomorrow's post.

I promise!