Table Update and Jelly Cabinet

I finished the table top and I do love it.

Amazing how it makes me feel when I walk in and see this.

Yesterday I moved the other three chairs over.

Thank you Tim for bringing them over on GP's four wheeler.

And thank you for the nice long visit.

The really cool part was when you commented how "peaceful" it was over there.

It is.

Jelly Cabinet 

This is a before of this little cabinet. 

I call it a jelly cabinet but it is actually two very old upper cabinet sections that are connected on the back side.

The couple I bought it from called it a jelly cabinet so I do too.

I painted the inside with my favorite yellow and have made the decision to leave the outside chippy just like it is. 

I have scrapped all the loose chips and sanded it.

I do intend to wax it but I'm out of wax.

This picture is about the reflection.

Love.

And the rest of the pictures are about my pretty little dishes.

I have a wonderful collection of mostly little breakfast or desert plates. 

Some I found for a quarter or seldom over a dollar.

Some were gifted to me from my friends.

The only prerequisite was that flowers were on them.

Won't it be fun to have a tea party with them.

Yesterday's visitor.

I welcome him to eat little spiders or ants.

I think he is doing a good.

I'm here singing in the rain

We are getting a precious lot of rain here in Central Texas.

I don't believe I remember in all my days getting a constant daily flow of rain like this in my part of the world.

We are grateful and take it as it comes.

However, our prayers are with those who are lost and have lost property.

In the meantime, I have almost finished a Garden Palace project that I am so excited about. 

My table project is almost finished.

It came to me in parts so getting the legs bolted onto the top Sunday gave me the most joyous feeling. 

When I received the table, the veener was all peeled off. 

All that remained was little bits still stuck with the veener glue. 

Before attaching the legs, I painted them with chalk paint and used a dark wax. 

I am painting the top and will share again when I finish. 

I must say I do like it just as it is but I'm sticking with my original plan to paint it. 

I'm sure I will like that too.

Parting Shot

And here is a parting shot through the glass of the back door.

I just love these reflections of the trees on the wall and the wildflowers around the rug. 

♥

I call her Day Dreamer

This is about this little Sculpey doll, Day Dreamer

First, Jenny and I painted funky faces on a little wood panel.

We had intentions from the beginning to paint a face and then use Sculpey to form her likeness. 

Jenny brought the Sculpey with her for us to play with because I didn't have any and haven't played with Sculpey in so many years. So many years that I forgot the one thing I did not like about Sculpey.

First, I guess you need to know that I have a compulsive need to put a final finish on any and all of my art. And that is where Sculpey and I do not get along.

The problem is it gets sticky and I don't remember ever getting past that and so I stopped playing with it years ago.

I painted the face while Jenny was here and when I realized it was STICKY, I put it down.

After Jenny was gone for a week, I decided that I had to finish her and conquer this STICKY situation. 

So, I gessoed the unpainted body and then painted it with my Golden acrylics. 

I started experimenting.

Gesso = not sticky

Golden matte medium = not sticky

Other Golden mediums = sticky

Lascaux acrylic Fixative = sticky

Finally, I thought to try Golden Polymer Varnish (gloss) = NOT STICKY!

I gessoed over the face that I already painted for a second time while Jenny was here and repainted it. Then I used the Golden Varnish and it is amazing how lovely she feels. 

One other thing that I remember, I love Sculpey or any kind of clay.  I get totally lost and in the zone with the soft malleable earthy stuff in my hands.

Thank you Jenny for coming and bringing your Sculpey and convincing the security guy at the airport that it was harmless!

♥

A Story about Jenny and the Bobcat

A True Story about Jenny and the Bobcat

We had no idea about this until Saturday while Jenny was still here. 

My Mister usually collects his game camera cards and takes a look on the weekends. 

We were pretty shocked when we saw and realized how close in time our paths crossed with the bobcat.

We see all sorts of wild game probably because they are coming to a watering hole, our stock tank.  

Had ta show.

♥

Sheeeee's here

My friend Jenny is here!

And we're doing what you do when art friends get together.

We are staying up late painting and making art messes everywhere.

Jenny is my first Artist In Residence at the Garden Palace.

This is the home studio view I woke to this morning. 

More to come.

Wish you were here.

♥

This is not about my junk

This is about my Red Bookcase

Here's all my junk...again.

But this is the only "before" picture of my bookcase. 

Just encase you didn't notice the last time I shared this pic, do take note of that morning sunshine.

Heaven.

sorry about shooting through the ladder

So here it is.

I had to have it RED. 

I'm not really staging anything yet.

For now I need to just get it all out so I can see what I have.

I stopped to take the photo before it looked like the first picture of all my junk. 

I have a lot of stuff.

Till now, a lot of it has been boxed up waiting for me to reclaim the Garden Palace.

The coolest thing happened last week when I was opening the boxes. 

One was like a great big box of Christmas presents.

It was so fun to rediscover the gifts that I received ages ago from dear friends.

All of the gifts were were intended for my Garden Palace and I saved them just for this week!

I have the grandest friends!

♥

Another Cabinet Door

A Cabinet Door

This project started months ago when I collaged the book pages on this small cabinet door. 

I did it not knowing what I was going to paint but I will tell you, I never thought about painting flowers. 

Actually, I never thought it would be a Garden Palace project.

Each day when I go over the the Garden Palace, I take along my art-to-go-bag that I used when I was going to that dang-desk-in-town.

Now instead of paint brushes and art supplies, my bag carries things like small tools, plastic bags, paint rollers, batteries from my cordless tools, and whatever thing I might need for the work day.

Each day I plopped it on the floor while thinking I need a place to hang it. 

Finally, the day came when that was my mission.

I think that happened when I discovered the pretty little hooks I  purchased so long ago.

I found them when I emptied the big bookcase in the parlor. 

I'm always amazed when something slots right into place.

the cabinet door + the hook + inspiration to paint flowers + the perfect place to hang a hook

Oh, and if you want to know the gorgeous color is Derivan Matisse background Straw with a little bit of dark wax over it. 

Watch for more of it.

♥