Card - Watercolor and Ink - Fall Colors

The original ink drawing was done on 90lb watercolor paper measuring 4.00 X 5.25 inches.  I used a fine tip permanent black marker.

I was inspired to start ink pieces by the Inktober Challenge. 

I drew it then applied watercolor to it in fall colors. Yellow, oranges and browns.

I rubbed a black marker around the edge to finish off the lines in the drawing.

I added a fabric accent "City Express Post" 2 cent stamp.  Unfortunately, I was not express enough and this card is a few days late. 

I added 2 deep yellow mini brads at the top and bottom of the stamp. The watercolor drawing was then adhered to the front of a Tangerine Tango card.  

I will hand deliver the card tomorrow.

I have been working on art pieces for the upcoming Value of Color show at the art gallery.  Turned out to take more time than I thought.  Keep an eye out for those coming at the end of October.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

The colors this fall are amazing.

Caught this vibrant orange maple leaf at the park on Friday.

It was perfect and the light was making it glow.  

We hardly ever get this kind of color in our fall leaves in the west of Canada.

I was thrilled to capture this one.  I did not even think to pick and press it.  I hope others enjoyed it because I chose to leave it behind.

The plants in the north window are doing so well. 

The spider plant is getting ready to produce flowers and propagate.  I expect these could become babies.

That must mean it is happy!  I am remembering to water it regularly and I gave all the plants fertilizer the other day.

I was given another African Violet by my sister.

I managed to get it to hang in the north window.  It is on the small hanger as the spider plant I just mentioned.

She gave it to me about a month ago now.   I do remember to water it from the bottom.  I will keep it away from the cold window in the winter.

I hope this one does better.

I used to able to grow these years ago and have flowers on them so that is what I am aiming for again.

I finished this book last week.  The Dance by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley.

Marilyn is married to Jim Anderson, a successful businessman. After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn has had enough of feeling unloved and neglected. She wants to experience some measure of happiness before she's too old to enjoy it, even signing up for dance lessons, something Jim would never do, not even on their wedding day.

The dance is a metaphor for the relationship she has with her husband and the physical dance she so would so much enjoy doing with him.

They both meet older and wiser mentors who help them negotiate this crossroads in their marriage. 

I was glad it was the first book in the Restoration Series so if I chose to follow the series I am at the beginning.  I will not be chasing down the next books but we will see if another shows up sometime.

I finished this book this weekend.  The Return by Nicholas Sparks.

The story of an injured Navy doctor -- and two women whose secrets will change the course of his life. Trevor Benson never intended to move back to New Bern, North Carolina. Having been injured in Afghanistan and having inherited his grandfathers cabin he decides it's as good a place as any to figure out his way forward.  It holds wonderful memories of his childhood.

Natalie Materson is the deputy sheriff and Callie is a quiet, hard working teenager who lives in the trailer park up the road from the cabin.

A crisis triggers a race to uncover the true nature of Callie's past, one more intertwined with the elderly man's passing than Trevor could ever have imagined. In his quest to unravel Natalie and Callie's secrets, Trevor will learn the true meaning of love and forgiveness . . . and that in life, to move forward, we must often return to the place where it all began. 

I have been working on this project for several weeks.

I drew the original and did a test watercolor of it in this post.

Once I had decided which frame I was going to use I needed to enlarge it as well as make some design improvements.

Then it was suggested that I color the large one with the colors I planned to use in the final project.  That was completed this week.

I then had to transfer the design to the back of the glass.  You can check out this video for the instructions for Faux Stained Glass featuring Elmer's Glue.

The "leading" took less time to dry than I anticipated so I finished it yesterday and hung it with the hope of seeing the sun through it this morning.  Disappointed.  Overcast and cool all day so far.  Maybe tomorrow.

I hope to see the magic on the walls when the sun shines.

Progress is bring made on the Wall Christmas Tree as well.

I purchased a photo shelf for the space where the tree will hang.  The ring will be bolted to the shelf then the tree will hang from there.

I found the perfect s hooks at Ikea with one end bigger enough to go over the branches.

The star will also have to be painted gold because right now it is green.

Good thing I started in January. 

It will be ready to hang in early December.

The Flickr Macro Mondays Challenge this week was "smoke".  Steam was also allowed.  It was very challenging photographing something that just disappears so quickly.  

After check the group there are a few things that last a little longer - namely incense.

You can check out my Photostream (SMDPics)to see the shot I submitted.

Sylvia's Simple Shots

I spotted this tree dropping it's red leaves all over the ground at the gold course.

We have so few red fall leaves here that it is a big deal when I see them.

I did walk the golf course when they were closed during the first bit of the pandemic but now that is not possible.  I would have liked to pick a few leaves to press.

I guess I will enjoy it from afar.

This is one of the books I bought at the large garage sale early in September.


A story of redemption and getting back to core values. Mary Bridget Washburn finds herself in Alexandria, where she hopes to bring happiness to a troubled widowed pastor and his three children. She is running from her past which included an abusive father, the loss of her children and being on the fringes of a meth drug business.

With a job and a place to stay God provides a way for her to remember her faith, her christian grandmother's influence, and her love of children.

The crisis comes of course in the last couple of chapters. The pastor as well has some turning around to do and manages to see the light in the end.

It has a happy ending and justice is served.

If you have checked out my posts this week you will see that I finally accomplished my Wall Christmas Tree. You can follow the link to see the full details of that project. 

I mention in that post that I wanted to make a bag to store it when it is not on the wall.

I dug through my stash of fabric and selected a dark green and green and white striped poly cotton fabric.  There was just enough with only small bits left over.

The bag measures 40 inches tall by 9.5 inches wide finished.  I had a strip of the striped fabric which I made into a tie.  I just attached it to the side of the bag and I can just scrunch the top of the bag and tied it around.

I also created a piece of cardboard about 8 inches tall and 32 inches wide to provide some stability when rolled up.  I placed the tree on a piece of cloth added the card board and rolled.  This was there is less likelyhood the wires or cords getting entangled.

Super happy with this.  It's so nice to ahve the sewing machine out all the time which allows me to just whip up a project.

This is still some fall color with folks putting out chrysanthemums in their flower beds.

I'll take it while I can get it.

These are a great pink color and I have seen white, yellow and orange ones as well.

It is getting cooler here and we are close to having below zero lows over night.

The challenge for Flickr's Macro Mondays this week is "stars".  Of course there are many options for this challenge.  To the right you find one of the shots I took featuring small paper clips with star holes in the front.  You can check out my Photostream (SMDPics) to see the shot I did submit.

I am sharing with Angie who hosts Mosaic Monday #150 and 

Mersad who hosts Through My Lens #307.

I hope you have a good week!