Backyard Birthday Banquet

Backyard Birthday Banquet

Happy 26th Ashley!

Birthday girl requested crab.

So we had a fun finger food first course of:

 Alaskan Snow Crab

Drawn Butter

Corn on the Cob

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I remembered to get a photo before everyone came back for seconds.

My sweet Kids

♥

Waiting for second course from Grand Pa's kitchen.

Ribs

Smashed Hot Potatoes

French Bread

oops I forgot to get photo

I can't think of anything I love more than being surrounded by our family and in our back yard.

Before birthday cake, we walked over for a tour of the Garden Palace.

Make a wish Ashley!

Creamy Cold Ice Cream Cake

full of birthday wishes

12  ice cream sandwiches

1 quart ice cream of your choice (softened)

Cool whip (thawed)

Chocolate magic shell

Pull off about 18inches of aluminum foil and lay on a dish.

 In the middle of foil, lay first layer of ice cream sandwiches.

Spread a layer of the softened ice cream. 

Lay a second layer of ice cream sandwiches.

Spread a second layer of softened ice cream.

Wrap the foil over it and freeze it long enough for the ice cream to harden.

Remove and add a layer of thawed cool whip.

Wrap the foil over it and freeze long enough for the cool whip to harden.

Remove and add as much Chocolate magic shell as you like.

Wrap the foil over it and refrigerate until party time.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

My family, even the non-sweet eaters, loves this.

I love that I can make it a day or days ahead.

Knowing that Ashley loved lime sherbet, that's what I used.

I have made it with other flavors and you can even use more than one flavor.

You can make it as big or little as you want. 

This one I actually used 11 sandwiches.

It is OK to cut them to make the square or rectangle. 

It would not need to be two layers but that's what make it impressive. 

Looks like I slaved over it. 

Painting a Floor Cloth

I've started another Garden Palace floor cloth.

This one is for the Rose Garden Parlor, or as DH might say, "the front room of the shack".

FYI:  The size is 58" by 91.5"

At this point, I was painting and adding layers of background colors as that was all I had to start with.

Will the real inspiration please step forward.

As you know,  in my head I work about 6 and a half projects ahead of the one at hand. 

Therefore, I had plenty of inspiration to sort through to get to the one and only that I hoped would please me the most.

Sometimes it is a hard thing to do.

Of course, I always knew it would be flowers.

Of course, I wanted it to be roses.

(in the rose garden parlor) 

But of course, I do not know how to paint roses. 

Since this Garden Palace is a real life fantasy daydream, I can paint fantasy flowers. 

So that's it.

My favorite pictures are the ones with all the paint pots and brushes on the work in progress.

After a quick white charcoal sketch, I worked up and down the row of fantasy flowers adding layers of color.

Then I started adding layers of fun stuff.

Each time I stopped for lunch, I posted on my Instagram.

But the thing I did that was new for me was to also share on Facebook.

I fear that is the reason I have neglected sharing here; however, I only started last Wednesday.

This is where I am right now. 

I don't consider this side finished but I'm ready to start the garden row down the other side. 

I will be sharing.

Count on it. 

And thank you all so much for all of your comments and good thoughts. 

I appreciate you!

These two go together

Day Seven

Two antlers. 

I have just finished Day 8 (below) and as always, I get into my head thinking about stuff like;

why did I do this?

how did I feel while sketching?

why did I feel relaxed, rushed, in the zone, antsy, frustrated or even agitated?

Just stuff like that and a whole bunch more that I don't need to share. 

Day Eight

I put her on a pedestal to get the perspective that I wanted to sketch.

First of all, I enjoy both of these subjects. 

Now, I'm struck with how neither had many lines to follow other than the outline. Also, while the antlers had a small amount of color tone difference, the doll head color was the same all over.

So, to find the lines with both of them I first had to use the shadows to smudge in pencil. 

It's all about values.

I guess that's no different than any other day: however, yesterday and today it seemed different. 

-----------

So when I figure out how to do it these two go together.

Clues to the Buggy Project

Day Five

After putting off this challenge a couple of days, I went for it.

I tried to photograph the buggy from my sketching perspective.

I tried is all I can say.

RE:  The Buggy Project

In my head, I'm always way ahead of real time. 

Sometimes, "in my head" is a real problem too.

I'm not sure when I'll get around to the Buggy Project but My Little Dog approves so far.

Or maybe he is thinking, "what's the big deal?"

I know I made a mistake of letting him think I needed up close and personal help from him. 

could be a clue to The Buggy Project

A Couple of days before I started my morning sketching and in the comfort of the late night chair zone, I sketched the buggy from the one "in my head".

The one in my head sure was a lot easier than the one in real life.

Day Six

I walked around the Garden Palace looking for sketching inspiration. 

That I had a hard time finding something says more than you know. 

So I chose a pine cone from the basket.

I must get the One Hundred Faces on the wall because they are a huge distraction on the desk. 

After this pine cone affair, I think my truth is being reaffirmed. 

Have you any idea what it is?

Day two three and four

Morning Art Practice

Day 2

Day 3

I continue to read The Zen of Seeing.

But.....

..... today I was extremely distracted by No 66....

...and this guy.

His name is Stupid Kitty but sometimes I call him My Little Dog.

In other words my mind was in the wandering mode.

Day 4

Today

Today was day four and I finished reading The Zen of Seeing. 

I enjoyed some parts more than others. 

If nothing else, Franck's illustration drawings are wonderful.

So far, I have been mostly using pencils.

However, soon I will switch to a dip pen and ink and I can not stop thinking about color on the page so I'm sure watercolor will find its way too. 

The thing is, at the moment neither ink, pen, nor watercolors are available at the Garden Palace.

If I don't take it over there then I can be tempted.