CHRISTMAS TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE!

Visited the Old Union Station in K.C.,Mo where they have large displays of Model Trains running thru Christmas Villages.

Walked thru The Christmas Polar Express just crammed full of Christmas Nostalgia!

Children were riding the old Jones Store Holiday Express just like centuries past.

Loved this old  Santa Painting! Just my style!

We took a spin past our old K.C.,Mo. home of 11 years. As a bonus it was decorated with lights!

Such a Happy Face! I wish you all A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON TOO! from Marlynne. See you again at the first of the year!

SANTAS WORKSHOP 2012

HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS CARDS IN THE MAKING ALL 250 OF THEM!

CLOSE UP OF THIS YEARS CHRISTMAS CARD. I DRAW A 5X7 PICTURE THEN PAINT IT IN ACRYLICS USED LIKE WATERCOLORS. THEN GO TO KINKO AND HAVE 8 PICTURES  PRINTED PER SHEET.( TWO AND A HALF BY THREE AND A HALF INCHES EACH).

THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S 35 HOMEMADE SANTA'S IS "SECRET SANTA OF K.C., MO."

 THE DECEMBER  SANDRA KAYE TRADE QUILTIES HAVE A SNOWMAN THEME

I CAN'T POST PICTURES!

It seems I have run out of storage space for my pictures!  I e-mailed Karen Valentine who set up my blog and she told me what happened. Here is a warning for all of us! We should always re-size our photo's before uploading them to our blog! She usually re-sizes hers to 800 pis at the widest edge, vertical or horizontal.   She said I can go to picmonkey.com to find out how to do it!  Oh What a pain! Now I have to buy more storage monthly! Hopefully I'll get back on before long!

A LITTLE HALLOWEEN CHEER

First Birthday for Great Nephew Ryder is on Halloween, His Daddy's Birthday is July 4th  and his Momma's is New Years Eve. Think they can keep this trend going?

 I made a Growth Chart for his gift and called it "See Ryder Grow" Lacey, his Momma remembers fondly Uncle Maurice measuring her and all the other kids yearly first on the door facings then when we ran out of room on a special board like this.

 Great Niece  Jocelyn and friend in their finery at the party.

Then  Grandma & Grandpa (us) had their Annually Costume Party with 15  present. This is Esther in her Woopie Cushion

 Janice in her festive dress

 Hope ready for the Bull Fight!

Sandy & Donnie straight from the farm!

Us; Marlynne & Maurice as the Cass County Cooperate Bathroom Cleaners

John & Sue as The Pilgrim and her husband

 Oops John got in with Mary from the West too!

Carol declined to dress up this year. But glad she came anyway!

Lynn and Dana are The Old Couple That show up every now and then!

 Hope you have some Halloween Fun this year too!

CHURCH PULPIT TABLE FOR FALL

"October is the dramatic month" says Gladys Tabor, beloved author of the Stillmeadow Books. "The color of the great sugar maples is so dazzling it seems I must have dreamed it. The maples give forth light like the closer suns, The oaks glow with a garnet fire, and all the thickets blaze with scarlets and pale gold and cinnamon. It's like the music of a trumpet"!    I tried to capture this look inside on the church pulpit table for fall.      

WEEKLY QUILTING AT CHURCH

My good friend Rose Marie and I work on making quilts for the Baptist Children's Home each week. Lately I have been  making blocks of strips of material and turning every other one. This was one of our favorites  chartreuse, pink, turquoise and black.

   

 

 

We tie our quilts with 2 strands of yarn.

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This one is waiting to be tied with the gold yarn

We just finished this quilt up this morning ready to sew around the border and tie. This quilt is special  because it includes   6 Log Cabin Blocks that came to use in a  box of fabric supplies from Kathleen one of our faithful longtime members that passed away from cancer this year. I selected other fabrics that complemented the blocks and now it's soon on it's way to the Children's Home.

Purple, yellow and black a very pretty combination! All girls young and old like purple!

FALL/HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS ARE UP!

The Dining Table Center Piece. Notice those Eye Balls! One of my fun -lovin friends gave them to me last week for our party. The're filled with salt & pepper and ready for the laughs!

Burlap Pumpkin made for me by my Secret Sister in Beta Sigma Phi one year for  the holidays

The Kitchen  Display Shelf has log cabin birdhouses covered with falling leaves and orange lights. The  "Happy Fall"  sign is one of many seasonal signs I have made for displays.

Kind of blurry, but it shows the great room chandelier with fall leaves

This kichen counter pumkin is on all day, but at night it is quite interesting!

Boo!

I have Halloween Party Colleges displayed on  the refrig and pantry shelves. We've had Halloween Dinner Parties for over 35 years so I' am running out of room to display them! But it is fun to look back thru the years. Sad too as several of the mates have died since we started our parties.

A cute little set of carved pumkins I enjoy on my kitchen windw shelf over the sink.

The Kitchen Chandelier over the table changes with the seasons too!

The "Black Baby" shelf is ready for Halloween too!

Four of our Six Grandkids plus our precious Great Grandson "Eli" posing with the spider pumkin we saw at Hy-vee's.

AND THE WINNERS ARE-

Judging took place yesterday for the Harrisonville Fine Arts Assoc Fall Art Show. How thrilled I was to win 3rd place in the 3-Dim Category on my story art quilt I entitled "HOME"

My painting of our 2 dogs and cat entitled "BEST FRIENDS" won a 2nd  in the Acrylic Category. Yeah!

"GUM BALL MACHINES" won a Judge Merit in the Acrylic Category. The judge kept walking back and looking at it again and again . Would have liked to know what she was thinking!  It was a great day for me, doesn't happen often!

MY FALL ART SHOW ENTRIES FOR 2012

"BEST OF FRIENDS"  is the title of this acrylic painting.  Chopin our blond Lab,  Tasha our Corgi/Terrier  mix and Hamlet our grey striped calico cat make up the threesome. I haven't seen them all together in a chair yet, but it is something they would do if they had the opportunity!

I was attracted to the colorful collection of gum ball machines at the Oak Park Mall in  Overland Park, Kansas and took a picture for a future Folk Art Painting and here it is!

I love working with different patterned fabrics, especially the old fashioned ones. I started designing these little houses, each one different, not really knowing what I would do with them. And then I thought of this theme for my 2nd Art Story Art Quilt "HOME" So I used them for the border. I drew our Child Rearing Home and family members; Maurice & I and our three boys; Paul, Phil & John with pets Panda and Sniggers on paper as a pattern for the fabric pieces then appliqued them on to the background. I sewed with yarn  a modified version of the quote from Oliver Wendall Holmes : HOME where our feet may leave but not our hearts. I wrote a short story of our home and happenings on cloth and sewed it to the back. I will hang this quilt on the door opposite my studio door where my first art story quilt is hanging. After I make a few more story quilts I will offer to present a program now and then to share them.

EUREKA SPRINGS, ARK. STUDIO TOUR (THE ART COLONY) ARTIST COLONY

My favorite stop along the way! Here young artists live and create in a secluded woodland area  just outside of the main part of town.  Oh to be young and single again! The address is 185 N. Main St. Eureka Springs, Ark. 72632

Daniel Coy is  Wash Board Musician and Artist. He is decorating his loft with old found objects that tell a story. The door off of his truck which went thru  a roll over, an old  weathered shoe found in a dump, probably belong to a very early resident. I bought a yellow Folk Art Cross from Daniel. I am leaving it in the car to remind me to send up prayers for these young people.

 This is Lara Stielow a photographer and her doggie companion.  I would have bought a note card with a picture of her dog but she didn't have one. She did have beautifully captured  sunsets and woodland scenes.  

Kurtz Miller   is know as the Ozark Srimshaw Man. He draws and carves beautiful traditional and original folkart   on knife and, gun handles  and other polished shiny surfaces.

 Don Lee is Editor of the Lovely County Citizen Newspaper I was so glad to get some articles he had written on a few of the artists.

Amber Rockell is know as the Honky Tonk Artist. She sings too! She is a transplant from Calif. then Texas who decided to get closer to her honky tonk musical friends. What I found so interesting about her was that she paints with makeup and lipstick. It seems when she left Calif. she sold or gave away everything but her clothes and makeup. Then after awhile she had a strong desire to paint again and all she had was her makeup so this was the  start of her unique career! She is making her whole loft an art creation!

I am so sorry I didn't get  this bead and jewelry designer's name.  I bought a pendant and glass bead chain from her. She and her kittie were just getting set up in their new location. Hopefully she will send a oomment along with her name

I also visited  the DE JA VU  Antique  shop across the road and found a few treasures. This is my purchases for the day. What a Fun Day It Was!