The Mask

So this past Saturday I got my act together and my sewing supplies and put together 4 masks with two others almost completed. That evening we were taking two of them to Fort Wayne to my son plus some other items. Tom and I decided to pick up some food for all of us. Surprising it was busy and the waiting time to pick up food was 40 minutes plus 15 more. I decided to give my mask a trial run and put it on while I waited inside for the food. It was interesting to see reactions of others who came in. We all did social distancing but only one other person came in with a mask. I got some uneasy looks like….is she sick…..should I be wearing a mask….wonder if I can get someone to make one for me or maybe they were just admiring my cat fabric. I also went to Lowes to pick up some rope for the other masks and only a couple people had masks on there too. To be clear though the CDC just asked for this on Friday, the day before.
I had to go and get blood drawn on Monday at the hospital but not near the emergency room. I wanted to make sure I had this mask on correctly before I went in. When you go into the hospital someone asks you if you feel well, have been around anyone who doesn’t feel well and what are you there for. So I got checked in and was waiting, trying not to touch anything not mine, playing Wordscapes on my phone. They call me back and get the blood drawn, leave, use the restroom, wash my hands, look in the mirror and realize I have my sunglasses on. They are prescription and not super dark and I didn’t pay any attention. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to touch my face. I probably looked like an eccentric lady with her cat mask on and sunglasses.
This mask has three layers of fabric and then a pocket for a replaceable filter. It is comfortable and covers the face nicely and easily adjustable. You’re glasses get steamed up until you get it to the spot where they don’t. You also have to speak louder and clearer when you have the mask on.
This is the front and the back of the other two in progress. You can see the filter pocket.
Showing the replaceable filters that I am using. Small coffee filters with the bottom corner cut off. We had purchased the wrong size and instead of tossing them I thought they would be perfect. This mask also has a bendable wire sewn in to form to your nose.
Here is the pattern if you are interested.
Today is a beautiful day, April 8, 2020. My cheerful porch pic features a fan quilt top and my Teal and Blue painting. If you are interested in purchasing my art go to my online store and place an order. It would be an addition that would brighten your home.
There is a lot of purple and green going on in the garden today. I always love these grape hyacinths and are joyful when they start showing up. This may be the full second year and they have multiplied.
The large purple hyacinths are still growing. They will be so pretty.
The windflowers have had more blooms since last week.
The magnolia tree is slowly blooming and the forsythia that is so bright yellow looks great behind it.
Such a pretty flower.
Pretty purple, greens and yellows just like the garden.

Hope you are staying busy and everyone is getting along.
After I have watched so much of the daily news I have to watch something fluffy and lovey so I have downloaded the Hallmark App. It is calming. Even when they are mad they really aren’t so mad. I have really got to put some light polish or clear on my nails, they are so fragile. Working on my website and adding originals to my store. Planning meals, last night was meat loaf, night before was sloppy joes and Monday was tater tot casserole. Tonight possibly potato soup, homemade bread and a salad. Comfort food, I am staying away from making cookies and such. They are too easy to over eat.

Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day we remember those Soldiers that died defending our wonderful country. I love America, we aren’t perfect but we are strong. This picture was taken in Holland Michigan at Centennial Park. Just the right amount of breeze.

Love a clean and sparkling pool and that is ours. Still getting it warmed up. Yesterday we got in and it was 76 degrees. That is not good enough, it was almost torture for me. I like 86 and it is almost there. I will be in it this afternoon. Our outside weather station alarm was going off recently because the temp. hit 100 outside.

We have ordered new furniture for around the pool. It is made of recycled plastics and manufactured in Canada. I loved this green rocker that they had in the store. It is called Kiwi. We have a side table ordered in green and another rocker rocker in white with a side table. Then a chaise lounge in turquoise. They are heavy and and tough so they can be left outside year round. The claim is that the color won’t fade and we loved it because of the weight, the rockers will not flip over in the wind and land on the pool cover.The name of the company is C.R. Plastic Products, and they are located in Stratford, Ontario.

Picked out some nice bright chair pads for the front porch. The bottom pad is reversible with stripes on the other side. They were bought from Pier One Imports.

Lastly we were in Detroit on Saturday at a Tigers game, I could see this building from my seat and it wasn’t this colorful last year. After doing some internet searching here is what I came up with to explain what it is all about. Being a person who loves color I was drawn to it immediately.

 

framed prints

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My friend Kathy visited my booth when I was in Kalamazoo in early June. She purchased a print from the original Poppy Buds and shared her framing with me the other day. She used the neutral tone of some of the paper in the print for the frame and then used a grey background to pick up the grey in the picture. I am just thrilled and thank her for buying my art.

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My friend Michelle came to a show that I was in late last year. She purchased a print of Big Love from my original. I think her black frame complements the picture very well along with to dotted paper for the background. I also think the detail on the frame is quite pretty. Thank you for making a home for my art.

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My friend Nancy asked me to paint her granddaughters name on the blocks. Her mom also has owls in her room so we added a barn owl face. I thank you for asking me to paint these and I had such fun deciding on the designs of the letters. I love my friends, they are just great!

Summer Garden Painting

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When I start a painting I usually just have the basic idea first. I draw it in the sketchbook first to see if that idea works at all. I knew I wanted to do swirly flowers and a grey and white background on a 24 X 24 inch stretched canvas.

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I then just walk by it for a couple of days to decide what I want to do next. I knew I needed to add some different flowers with various types of leaves.

 

 

Summer Garden without watermark

Then again I just walk by the easel for a day or two deciding what else I want. In this case it was dandelions with floating seeds a dragonfly, grasshopper and a quote by Heinrich Heine. This Summer Garden is alive with activity,and will make a happy addition on someones wall. A print of this can be purchased in my Etsy Shop.

Work

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I am starting a new series of mixed media hearts. This canvas is 18 X 18. I started out with a salmon color which I mixed by adding orange and magenta. I wiped on titaniam white and watered down the salmon a bit for drips coming from the top. Other colors I am thinking about using are deep red, olive green, light sage green, possibly some black.

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Custom letter blocks for a little girls name. I will need four more blocks.

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Moxing bowls and the water bucket is a staple. I also am working on a black, red and white picture and when it gets finished I will share. It wasn’t far enough along to be interesting. So glad you stopped. Hope you are making something that makes your heart sing.!

hung up

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We found some time so that Tom could hang the Red Poppies picture with the Crow up. I made it especially for this area. I am very pleased with the way it looks. It is just the right size.

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The green background picks up the color in the side tables and the red picks up the pillows and the cardinal picture and other items I have in our room. Smaller prints of this picture can be found in my Etsy Shop…Etsy.com/shop/HeresMyHart. Have a great Sunday!