Harvesting ...

Hello dear readers....*grin*

These past few weeks the children and I have been working in both flower and vegetable garden. We have a wonderful asparagus bed that is 16 years old . This is the first thing that we harvest after the winter is over. we love the asparagus but I love even more now because I drink a "green shake" every day and I have been drinking the raw asparagus too... I know , I know, you are probably making a "face" now but wait... I did not tell you that LOTS of fresh strawberries are added to this shake and technically is not totally *green*!*grin*

I also have been going through buckets and buckets of pictures of my children. They are such inspiration to me and my illustrations.....grin!

The one below is Becca and Josh at our garden.... I am making several illustrations based on this year harvest because I found so many wonderful pictures that immediately made me want to draw.

I was "lost" in smiles while I was painting and looking at the pictures... I added our sheepdog Mattie in which seems to be the only one that found out a little visitor.... well, let's don't tell Becca....shhh.... she is scared of frogs until this day!*grin*

knitting

Ahhh... Saturday afternoon ,sitting by the porch, knitting side by side with your best friend while others bake cookies inside.... life is good ,no?*grin*

Special gift to 10 girls and a Coach

About 2 months ago , I started working on a little book that I title * Ten Stars*. This is almost a handmade book except that was professionally printed. This is not the big project that I spoke few weeks ago but again, it was *big* for me because the style was much different than the one that I normally do.
As an artist , the sky is truly my limit. I love the challenges although sometimes I ask my self ; " what was I thinking???", grin. These illustrations felt like that for the first few girls that I draw and painted because I wanted each one to be more like a portrait and yet , with a little of the magical feeling that I so love. I am definitely NOT a portrait artist!


Here they are. All the books now are ready and waiting for the right time so Becca ( my daughter ) can give to her 9 team mates.
Kate my second daughter , wrote the poems about each girl. I sent her enough information for her to write the poems. At the end, I am very pleased and I hope the girls will LOVE it.

Becca plays at MUFC, for Charlotte -NC. Based on the response to my last post ( A GIVEAWAY) , I can see that not many people comes around here, * sad Pat* grin, so I am doubting that any of the parents are reading this. This is meant to be a surprise for Christmas!*grin*

Here you can see one the first page. This is Taylor, a sweet girl that plays forward. I did all the forwards first then....

....Then mid-field, my Becca,grin. What a blast I have in seen these girls playing!

Last page was for the only man on the book. Our beloved coach Ben! Yeap! He has the hearts of 10 stars, that is for sure!*smiles*
ps. you may click on pictures to see enlarged!

Woolytales 1st GIVEAWAY!!!:-)

Here are the winners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

((( Thank you ))) to all my participants.Winners please contact me with your choices of prints ( please visit my art shop ) and the Crockery will be a surprise!*grin*

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Please click on the picture above and save on your computer, then upload on your blog. Please don't forget to add a link back here!!!:-)

I have been wanting to do a giveaway for while and now is just the perfect time!
Christmas is my favorite time of the year... not because we , as a family, love all the fun things that we do here at the farm during this time but because is a reminder that our Saviour and Lord was born over 2000 years ago.
So, with a grateful heart for our Lord Jesus and all the blessing that He has pour upon us this year , I want to celebrate and give away something that I love to do!*grin*

Here is what I will be giving and few simple rules:

1. Copy and paste my giveaway picture on your blog side bar and add a link to my blog. If you don't know how , just ask me, it is simple.
2. Leave me a comment telling me what picture would you like. Please visit my print shop at my etsy store.
3. You don't have to be a follower, but you are mostly welcome here!*grin*

ps. If you don't have a blog, you still can participate; just leave me a comment and how to contact you.

I will do 2 drawings:

The first one winner will receive:

A print from my shop of your choice AND a pottery bowl from my 7kidsmudhole esty store.

The second winner will recive a print of yoru choice from my esty print shop only.

This giveaway is worldwide and *I* will pay for the shipping!!!

Have fun and thank you for visiting me!!*smiles*

I just can't wait.....:-)

Rough Sketches

I started a big and long project. I am overly excited about doing this and I can't tell you yet what it is,grin,, however I will be sharing some character sketches!*grin*

This little boy is not as sweet as you may think... he is doing a naughty thing....

Christmas Mouse Illlustration

Ahhh.... do you LOVE little mice illustrations??*grin*
I worked in this illustration over this summer. This is a special picture to me. Not necessarily for my rendition but for the fact that most of the items in this mousy home was suggested by my children. I challenged each one of them with the question; " what would you steal if you were a mouse?" and this picture has their answer. I thought it was clever and I just LOVED to draw and paint it! *grin*
I have this picture professionally transferred into decal and soon I will be transferring it to my pottery. I choose a close up rather then the whole picture because it will be in cups and tea pots. I do plan to have few extras and I will list on my little etsy store .
I love to draw people , especially children but Foxes and mice have a special spot in my heart! *grin*

Sleeping child Illustration

Hi~*grin*
Later on I plan to share with you what this illustration in about... for now, you are welcome to click on the picture to enlarge it! *smiles*

Clothesline

"Hurry up" - Illustration , work in Progress

If you have been following me and have read my early posts , you know that I watercolor is new medium for me (a little over a year) . I have now experiment in several ways trying to find my *own* comfortable way to use this medium in my illustrations.
My drawings are simple and have a hint of old fashion ways. I like to evoke the past when I draw but also the present that is not very common these days. *grin*
I was debating with not only the tone and choices of color ,but also ,how light or dark I want the final illustration to look.
After several work , I feel that the translucent , very light approach is were I feel more comfortable however this does not mean that I am done trying.
Another issue that I had was the outlines. I use pen to outline and when I removed that I really liked the results. I found a new *love* for my pencils lines .On this illustration , I not only did not erased my lines , I actually use the pencil to do more outlines in the final step.
Here you can see my second layer or wash.I love the softness and how the paint is starting to tell a story....*grin*

My finished illustration is showing how the primary characters are the focus of my work and the back ground , although part of it, is there to complete the thought but is not taking way from the little girl and the lady.

What do you think? i would love to hear from you!!!!

Music.....

I grow up with music been part of my life. My uncle , Elomar Figueira, ( you can look up him on google, just type his name ) is a well-know( Brazil and Europe) conductor , poet, writer of Medieval sonatas...

My fascination for classical music came at very young age and later on I follow my dream to be a professional classical ballerina however ; in all in all what has given me the greatest satisfaction is the music that comes from my children. *grin*

My Daughter kate is second oldest . kate is 17 years old and a very lovely godly young woman.Kate was self-taught in piano (including cello) and most of her own school. I used to say that kate was born like a *woman* because at age of 5 , she was so responsible that most of the time would scare me and her dad,grin. She has always been very independent too.

Homeschooling her was the easiest thing in the world because she would say to me , " mum, let me read first if I need your help I will ask you" ...and that hardly hap pend.After auditioning for the Prestige Frost School of Music ( Miami University, Miami- Fl ) Kate was accepted and will start her studies in Music Composition in this upcoming Fall.Kate goals are firstly to glorify God in all aspect of her life through her music and life. She is preparing for the wonders ahead of her in which includes been a homemaker and have a family.

There is so much that I could say about my lovely daughter but I will leave you with this drawing that I recently finished.I was inspired by Kate and Becca ( my youngest daughter) in which also plays the piano. This was an early scene in our lives but still present today...almost everyday.*grin*

The illustration was done with pen and ink in a watercolor paper. When I first draw I was planning to watercolor but as I progressed I decide to use this medium. I was nervous about it because I have never use pen and ink alone and one needs to have a bold approach , if you know what I mean...*grin*The Lord has always been gracious to me, giving me way more than I deserve ... at many times , these thoughts moves me to tears.

My Children's Oil Paintings

" Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality." Beatrix Potter




When I started homeschooling my children, one of the important subject to me was art. I want to give them an opportunity to find their own love for art in general . My children , all 7 of them, picked up a brush and some oil paintings at age of 4. Some of their work are hung on my hallway in which is narrow and a little dark making it not so easy to take photographs without loosing or adding too much light ;however I think you can have a good idea of their work anyways.

I won't be labeling them but on few you can see their names and even ages . The sweetest thing to me is that in some paintings the children were only 4 years old and they couldn't write their names well yet but they could paint . The 9Th picture below is an example of that, Gabby was only 4 when she painted the tulips.*grin*



I have many ,many of their work plus and they are my treasure! My home is also covered by my own work in which some day I will do a post and show you but for now enjoy this....*grin*

Etsy Treasury

This morning I received I found on my Etsy email a note from the seller *SweetwaterGifts * . She picked my tea set for her Treasury.
((Thank you SweetwaterGifts)))!!! *grin*

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c0d340768f48eef1a8efb21/take-a-break

Let's play

Blowing Bubbles Sketch

Nothing special..... I am thinking to make a little sign ( drawing) to place on my blog and my head is empty....sigh... I feel like going outside , sitting on the grass and blow bubbles with the kids ... maybe this way ...watching them ... some thing will come to me....grin...

Good Manners

127:3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.

Simple Pleasures

Simple things in life makes my heart and soul happy!

I want to post in respond of my previous post. I have decided to cover my head *only* during worship and prayer. I have done some deep research and truly believe that the head covering is not for all the time ...why? well, this is what I think:

The text in Scriptures ( I Cor . 11) ....

"4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved. "

...talks about both man and woman having their heads covered and uncovered. Well, one of the arguments that I read a lot about the women having their head covered all the time, was that the bible commends us to pray without ceasing therefore the woman should have the head covered at all times. However , the same passage is instructing man to have their heads uncovered, opposite of woman. THAT made me think - this MUST have been a commend for a specific time of prayer and teaching other wise men would NOT have been called to uncover thier heads.( Should he too have head head uncovered at ALL times??) We know that men , including Christian men, through out history has worn cloth, hats and other forms during different time in their everyday lives, so instead of focusing on the women , I looked at the instruction for the men in that passage and came to the conclusion that this was NOT a command for all times but rather like the word of God said - during prayer or prophesies .

I don't mean to impose my thoughts and conviction on anyone but rather , if you are too looking for these answers or never read this passage of the scripture, to have a second view.

Thank you you for visiting me and reading my post.

Time to Turn....

Isaiah 45:9 "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, 'What are you making?' Does your work say, 'He has no hands'?




I started turning pots about 6 years ago. I love it so very much but I don't make time to turn , according to my children, as much as I should .grin*
Most of our dishes and cups were made by me or one of my children. Although I have made a variety of things , the bowls are what the children likes the most , so was about time to turn some.





To make a bowl , I make what I call a * cake* first. It is a ball of clay that is center on the wheel.

Then I open in the center to start and smooth the bottom....

Here you you can see me getting my *walls* ready to be raised...

It takes time and patience , too fast will not work ...also the right amount of water is needed... it is a *feeling thing*.... too much water will make the clay too soft am lumpy

This picture is showing basically my beginning ...this will be large bowl.... it is not the one in the bottom... I have actually turn up as much as i could and now it is covered with plastic to keep the moisture in ... I will finish it early in the morning....*grin*

silly me.... it was nice that kate came in with the camera ...unexpectedly, you can SEE!

few of my crazy tea pots.... these were made in both wheel and with clay slabs. the gray one is one of my favorite.... it is called " if I only have a heart"...mmmm.... I am wondering if you know why? *grin*