Modge Podge Mermaid Bottle

Do you believe in mermaids? I love the ocean, and think it would be great fun to frolic beneath the waves with mermaids. Since, I know that won't happen, and I can't swim very well, I just collect mermaid items.

Finally...last night I created a small art project.

Last year I bought a package of beautiful mermaid napkins. The 4 panels on the large napkins each had mermaids on them. 2 panels with blonde mermaids and 2 panels with dark haired, mermaid beauties with flowing hair.

I had a little time last night, and fussy cut out one panel of the mermaid napkins that had a blonde mermaid, because when I was young, my hair was golden blonde. Cutting around the hair took quite sometime, and a few of the flowing locks became victims to the scissors, sorry to say.

front

back

I had an odd shaped, green decorative bottle left over that I bought a long time ago, cheap to use in project. Well, after filling most of the bottles that I had bought with nice smelling homemade bath salts, that I gave as gifts, I found that I had one lonely bottle left over.

I modge podged the cut out mermaid to my bottle, and then started tearing strips of thick, handmade, bumpy green paper to modge podge onto the bottle to be used as seaweed. I glued the paper/seaweed onto the front and back sides of the bottle. I then glued a white shell that I picked up in the Florida Keys onto the cork stopper. Then I dragged out the box that I have filled with my fiber stash, I added some pretty fibers around the bottles neck. I just need to add a few ocean themed charms from the fibers and my mermaid bottle will be finished. Well, maybe not, as I was thinking of gluing some beach sand with a pinch of glitter to the base of the bottle to look like the bottom of the ocean. Now, I'm not sure if I will keep the mermaid bottle, give it as a gift, or maybe as a future giveaway on my blog.

I also cut out a cute seahorse image from an ocean themed napkin, and am thinking that will be used on an ATC (artist trading card) or on my S tag in the alphabet swap that I am in on An Affair with Art, yahoo group.

Do you use napkins in your art? If you don't, you should, as there are so many fun projects you can add them too and they work great with Modge Podge. Elaine

Alive and well

Hello bloggers. If you have checked my blog lately, you can see that I have been absent, but I am still alive and kicking. I just haven't had time to create any jewelry or art in such a long time.                  

Mom remains in the nursing home, but we are trying to complete the tons of long term care paper work that the  insurance company wants so we can bring her home with round the clock care. Then I will have free time again. You can't even imagine the paper work and running around involved.

On my birthday, when I went to Rockland to take a journal class, on my way home I stopped at Michael's. I found and bought a bag of assorted colored glass mosaic pieces. The glass pieces were mostly rectangular, but a few in the bag were oval shaped. The price was great...$1.99.  

I want to try and make some pins and necklaces out of the glass pieces. I have scalloped copper foil that they use in stain glass work to cover the edges of the glass and I did put the copper foil around 2 pieces.

I need to go down cellar and  dig out my box soldering supplies. I can only guess how much practice I will need to get a smooth finish, as it has been a few years since my last soldered project. The glass pieces look dichoric on one side and the other sides is shimmery irridescent. I thought that the glass would be cool turned into jewelry. Maybe with a charm added to the glass piece. We shall see how that turns out. At least the idea is floating around in my head and I have everything to do the project. I just need to find the time.

It has been so very hot and humid here in Massachusetts, and we have had a few days that had brief periods of torrential rain which made the humidity worse. Today it was warm, but cloudy, and a little while ago it started to rain softly. The garden is doing well, but no tomatoes yet. Blueberries are ripening, and flowers are blooming. The hummingbirds are busy at my feeders, and the little wrens continue to fly in and out of the bird house.

Late this afternoon I heard tiny chirping noises coming from inside the wren house..ah, the babies have finally hatched.

The other day coming home from dads, I saw a large deer on a cranberry bog, and from time to time I see the turkeys with the babies that I shared photos with you in an earlier blog post. The baby turkeys are getting to be quite big. The summer is flying by so quickly, and here we are almost to the end of July.

Thinking about babies...here is a recent picture of my little granddaughter Bella...age 14 months.

Well, gotta run. Thanks for continuing to stop by to visit my blog even though I haven't been very active blogging, but don't give up on me. :-) 

  Elaine

Wrens

I had a birdhouse that had fallen to the ground, when the branch it had been on broke off in the winter. I didn't know where I wanted to re hang the house, and so I just placed it  on my back deck railing. A few weeks ago, I decided to hang the birdhouse from a plant hanger on the side of the house.  Much to our surprise a few days later wrens had taken up residence. The nest is now complete and the female wren is sitting on her eggs. Both the male and female are in and around the porch to check out what we are doing as we have to go by their nest box every time we go down the back deck steps.
on the railing early in the morning
 
I love watching and listening to these tiny birds, but they aren't very friendly towards other nesting birds, as they will go into a nest box and break the eggs, and then build a nest of twigs over the old nest. Click on the photos to enlarge.
I haven't posted much, as we had no phone/internet service for several days. I never found out what the problem was exactly, but it affected a large area.  Then, I had blogger problems with Google. Google was giving me fits, by not excepting my email and password...UGGGG!!!!! Anyone else having blogger issues?
I've also been busy running to lawyers, calling the insurance company to get the paperwork for my mothers long term care policy initiated. What a rip off LTC policies are...they cost a lot of money, and they pay only a pittance of what the daily cost of care  is. Then if you decide to stay in your home and have round the clock care they only pay 1/2 daily of what they pay if you are in a nursing home or assisted living. You also have to be approved to receive the daily payouts. If you are thinking of buying LTC insurance...don't!!! Just protect your house and assets.
I had a great birthday, and the class I took on my birthday was so much fun. Cheryl was a great teacher, and she shared so many tips and techniques.
I also bought a few birthday presents for myself...2 sets of twinkling H20's and a set of new twinkling H20 colors. I also bought 3 blueberry bushes that I need to get in the ground. My family has lots of blueberry bushes in several locations, but this way with having my own bushes, I can just go into the backyard and pick. The bushes were loaded with fruit, which I picked and ate. The berries were huge, sweet and so yummy.
  
My friend, Betty Ann  gave me a beautiful hydrangea that I also need to get into the ground.
 
We went out for my birthday dinner on Sunday night, and again with my oldest son on Tuesday night. When we went out on Tuesday night, I wanted a lobster roll, but the waitress came back to let me know they had run out of lobster. At the end of the meal the waitress gave me a business card that the manager wrote on the back that the card was good for a free lobster roll on my next visit. I thought that was really nice of the restuarant manager. I was spoiled with gifts of money and gift certificates to Michael's...it truly was a wonderful 63rd birthday.

Last week we got 2 inches of rain in a day, and late yesterday afternoon we had another heavy rainstorm with thunder and lightening. When I emptied the rain guage last night after it stopped raining I dumped 1  5/8th's inches of water. Also, last night was the first night that I saw lightening bugs. I love how they light up as they fly around. When I see the bugs I always have great memories from my childhood of running thru  the fields with a jar that had holes punched in the jar lid so the bugs would have air. My brothers and I also had contest to see who could catch the most lightening bugs. We would bring the jars inside and then place them on our nightstands to watch them before we fell asleep. We would release the bugs in the morning.

Winner of my birthday giveaway

Sorry that I didn't post the winner sooner, but our area of town lost all phone service from last Friday thru late Tuesday afternoon. I was having withdrawals with no internet.

I am not very computer literate, and I so I need to have hubby check the cookies where ever the heck they are to see why I can't leave comments on blogs from my google account.  I tried to add a few more names for my contest, but google keeps telling me my password is wrong.  But, don't worry everyone that sent me an email...your name was entered into my high tech basket when a name was drawn out.

The winner of my giveaway book is Carol Parks. Carol, I hope you will enjoy the many different fun projects that you will find inside the book.

I had a great birthday, and the Seaside Escape photo album book class that I took on my birthday was a fun class.

Heavy Rains

Since early this morning we have had heavy rain with lots of thunder and lightening. I just emptied 2 inches of rain from the rain gauge on the back deck. I'm not sure if Tom emptied it earlier. There are deep puddles everywhere/

I ran outside at 8 o' clock this morning to put my younger brothers birthday card in the mailbox. My younger brother, Richard and I celebrate our birthdays on the same day. Richard, was born on my 11th birthday, and at the time I was none to happy, as I wanted a sister, not another brother. 

Coming back from the mailbox I saw this big bug on the windshield of my SUV. When I went to see what it was the bug flew onto the kitchen steps banister. On close inspection, I saw that it was a 2 inch long Cicada bug. These bugs are ugly with flattened head and bug eyes, but kind of neat in their own way. The wings are really pretty, as they are see thru and the patterns are cool and then the bright green also on the wings. So, I ran and got my camera and took the pictures below.

This morning my dad and 3 brothers and I went to the nursing home for a meeting about my mom, and what we need to get her home. Monday morning a representative from an agency will be coming to talk with us for setting up round the clock care for my mom at home.

I also received an email this morning that my favorite scrapbook store on Cape Cod, Colorful Creations is closing their store July 3oth. So sad to see it go. I guess I will have to take a quick trip to the Cape soon. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Colorful-Creations/180201024065

Nesting perhaps???

the swan that I think is sitting on eggs

Mr. Hissy

Everyday on the way from my dad's to the nursing I see a pair of swans sitting  right on the waters edge and only a foot from the road, on a little piece of land between the waters edge and road.

Today, I decided to drive ahead, park my vehicle, and walk back to see if I could snap a few photos. I stayed across the street from the swans and used my zoom lens. The swan on the left stood up and hissed at me, but the swan on the right, fluffed up her wings and nestled back down. I saw loose fluffy white feathers, and so I am wondering if the pair are nesting. Seems like a weird spot, because any animal on the prowl at night could get to them or the eggs.

There are so many swans around this year. Most don't appreciate them, because generally they won't let native ducks nest in the same water anywhere near them. I still think swans are beautiful.

Today, was hot and humid. I had to take mom and dad to Plymouth again for doctor appointments. We then went out for lunch, and back to my parents house where my mom visited for a bit, and then I took her back to the nursing home. Mom was glad to get out of the facility for the day. We are working on getting her back home with round the clock care.

Turkey Trot

After visiting my mom at the nursing home today, I took my dad around the bogs. This has become a ritual in the past several weeks. I love spending this special time with my dad. We have always been close, but as he gets older, I treasure our time together even more.

At the bogs today...some bogs that have late vines are still in bloom and other early vines on the bog have already mostly stopped blooming and have started to form cranberries that will be ready to harvest in late September.

Ben Lear vines with berries

with a few blossoms still on the vine

Also, driving around the bog the air was so fragrant with the  sweet smell of wild honeysuckle blossoms.

I also found this weird looking (approximately 5 1/2 inch, helmet shaped)  mushroom with bumps all over the top. The mushroom was short stemmed...does anyone know what it is? It looked so alien.

Then, I drove my SUV to one of the bogs near the river to check the cultivated bushes that my dad and uncle planted many years ago. I found some that some of the blueberries were ripe, and I picked several handfuls for dad and I to eat...so yummy and sweet. I will have to keep an eye on the blueberry bushes, as I want to pick the berries before  the birds get to them. I will share with all of you a blueberry cake recipe that my mother has made since she was first married...everyone loves her recipe on another day.

waiting for these to turn blueberries to finish ripening

 

a later variety

You have probably been wondering what the heck my title Turkey Trot had to do with what you have read so far. Well, read on. :-)

After I took dad home, not far from his house, I saw two adult hen turkeys with babies. I had driven past the birds and I had to back  the car down the street, get out my camera, open my drivers side window, and try to get photos as the birds were running around in someone's yard. I did manage to snap a few photos that weren't blurry. A police car slowed way down as I was backing down the road...I wonder if he thought I was casing that persons yard, but he didn't stop. Maybe he saw my camera.

hen closest to the road when I first started taking photos.

if you enlarge this photo by clicking on it, you will see the 2nd large turkey near the tire of the car in back.

these little guys sure could run fast, and I only got 2 of the babies in my photo,  as the rest had already run into the deep grass to hide.

Hope you enjoyed my photos that I captured today. Today was another hot day, almost 100 and it was quite humid.

Oh, and I took a picture of Tuffy this morning sleeping in a grocery bag. He loves to sleep in bags and cardboard boxes. He loves that pink striped bag, but he has all but destroyed it.

comfy

Fluff Puff also vegging out

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day, America!!! I'm thankful to live in this wonderful country.  Today is a day of celebrating with  family and friends to enjoy picnics and BBQ's, parades, the beach, fireworks, or whatever to celebrate our great country's birthday.

I made a quick tag using a bottle cap, a cut out 1 inch circle with an Uncle Sam design that I coated with dimensional magic.

Hope you had a wonderful long holiday weekend.

July Birthday Giveaway

Blog giveaway's are fun don't you think? Have you ever won one? Well, if not...maybe your name will be drawn this time.
I decided that since next weekend I will be celebrating my birthday I would host a birthday giveaway.  One usually receives gifts for their birthday, but I want to share with you, my readers a chance of winning a new,  soft cover book...The Artistic Mother by Shona Cole.                                                                                                          The book has many contributors and lots of fun projects ...which include mixed media, photography, sewing,  journals and more.

Now how to win my giveaway...
Become a follower if you aren't already one. Leave a comment, and make sure there is a way that I can contact you if your name is drawn.                                                          
3. Mention my giveaway on your blog and link back to this giveaway post and your name will be entered twice, but make sure to mention  in your comment that you did that.

And, I know this has been a problem in the past, and I don't know why, but it often times happens to me when I want to leave a comment on a blog...if you are a follower, but Blogger won't accept your comment...than send me an email, and I will enter your name so that your name is in the drawing. EAkers@aol.com

I will post the winner next weekend, on July 11th.
Good Luck and thanks for taking the time to visit my blog.

4th of July Holiday weekend

No big celebration plans this year for us, but we finally got my glads in the ground. We also finished putting  in our vegetable plants and seeds in the garden that needed to get in the ground. Better late than never, as the saying goes.

My flags and flag bunting are up and the grass freshly mowed. The yard looks nice. Now if the flower beds could just weed themselves, wouldn't that be nice?
A wren is building a new nest in a nest box hanging near my back deck.  I cleaned and filled the bird baths, and  refilled my hummingbird feeders this morning..so the birds are taken care of too.                                                                                                                          

This morning it was sunny, hot and humid, but as for the past few hours it has been really cloudy with some sprinkles from time to time. It is still warm though.

I made Italian meatballs and sauce this morning, and when I finished...I took the fixings for a meatball sub sandwich to my dad for his lunch. I then took him to the Farmer's Market to get some fresh veggies and fruit.  We sampled the watermelon as soon as we got back to his house because it looked so good. It was sweet and juicy...just yummy!

On the way home, I stopped to take a few photos..

turtle sunning on an old root in the water surrounded by water lilies.

Then, my next stop was at the cranberry bog a little further down the road where a helicopter was flying over the bog with fertilizer.  In my photos the helicopter had landed and men were refilling the storage containers on the sides of the copter with fertilizer so the copter could finish spreading the fertilizer from the air. You can't see it in the photos but the blades on the top and back were spinning as the helicopter was refilling. The don't shut off the helicopter between fill up stops.

 

flying over the tree tops before making another pass over the bogs to spread fertilizer.