Category: Me and My Studio

Me and where I paint, and sew, and create things

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Happy Mother’s Day!

My aunt, Grandma, and MomHappy Mother’s Day! Here are my aunt (left), my grandma (center), and my mom (right). I’ve never seen a photo where I look this much like my grandma. I just saw this photo today, on a CD my aunt made up. I don’t remember having seen it before. I was startled by the resemblance. I look a lot like both of my parents, but never really thought I resembled my grandma. She was always a redhead, with blue eyes, whereas my eyes are green, and my mom’s are brown.

My grandma just turned 95 in April. Her memory is scant, and she had a health scare coinciding with her birthday. She seems to be okay now, thank goodness.

My mom and I went out to get Mother’s Day flowers to plant in pots and hanging baskets, a tradition from way back. My aunt would always take my grandma on their trip for flowers, and I’d take my mom. There are lots of petunias out there now, waiting for me to get some potting soil.

I think I’m super lucky to have such a nice mom, and dad. They’ve both always been there for me. My grandparents were there with help when needed too, and my aunt and uncle have been as well. Lots of love to my family. I’m very thankful for them. I hope all the moms everywhere had a happy day today.

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Spring blog migration

artist mannequinsI’ve moved 310 blog posts to the home page of this site and I’m in the process of writing nearly 100 redirects for elizabethruffing.com alone. I haven’t touched the Ruffing’s site yet. I’ll be adding a banner eventually, and I’m working on the sidebar. Wow. What a lot of work!

I took a break and came across a great clearance sale at Michaels. I had to have these artist mannequins. I never had one before. What do I need two for? I have no idea whatsoever. But they do make good dancing companions for each other.

art suppliesI grabbed a bunch of Claybord tools too. I really enjoy painting on Claybord. I have every intention of painting something as soon as I can break away from the new computer. I keep having to stop and learn things, but even having the bigger monitor makes things easier. I can open two windows at once and see what I’m doing, and the photos look wonderful. I can’t wait to get those new Pixie Kitten photos edited and up online. We took some with chrysanthemums, and they look so pretty.

pink azaleasThe Great Wall of Pink is blooming. I can remember seeing azaleas like these back in NY in the local nursery at Easter time and wondering if they’d ever survive outside. They sure do here. They’re amazing.

Well, this is my first post using WordPress. So much to figure out.

Hope everyone is enjoying the spring!

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Happy Spring!

Spring is here, and it feels more like the beginning of a new year for us than New Year’s Day did.

It’s so nice to hear the birds singing and see the daffodil, narcissus, and crocus flowers all opening.

The kitties are asking to go outside to explore,

and to take baths in the sunshine.

The ducks have come back up the hill, after spending the winter on the pond.

And I…I am at the Apple Store, almost every day, taking classes!

I even beat the Easter Bunny there on Saturday.

You know you’re up early when you beat the Easter Bunny to work.

One more day, hopefully, and we will start our new adventure, with a new computer, new software, and soon, a new blogging platform. I’ve held off on switching to WordPress until we switch to the Mac. Pretty exciting.

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So much to do, so little time to blog…

Last weekend, my cousin, Steve, his wife, Erin, and their kids, Benjamin and Sophia, were in town for Erin’s brother’s wedding. I got to visit with them, which was great fun.

Their new cousin, Eliana, Ben, and Sophia are so amazingly energetic. You can’t help but enjoy yourself around them.

I even got ambushed…

I was too large to be carried however.

Sophia tied my legs together when I said I was going to be on my way. After securing me, she decided to let me go.

I also made it to the web design group I hadn’t been to for about two years. The nice WordPress theme developer, who was giving the presentation, gave me lots of tips for our web site migration. I was very happy because he was able to answer some questions I’d been trying to find the answers to for two weeks.

Right now, I think I am mostly trying to get up my nerve to make the change. I know that the navigation will not work just right until I’ve got the whole site moved over, and I’m nervous about that. Plus, I keep debating over whether or not I want to put the blogs on the home pages of our sites, or on their own sub-page. At some point, I will just jump in.

In the meantime, the Ruffing’s blog is not active, although it is still up. So, here is our latest offering, “Matilda the Tuxedo Kitten”, an original, one-of-a-kind art doll figurine by Max Bailey. You can read more about Matilda by clicking here to go to her web page.

We are also debating over computers right now. We need a new one, and we’re trying to decide which Mac to get and when. We also need to learn to use a Mac, which adds a little extra excitement. We need a desktop to edit photos, but I’d also like a laptop, to make myself more mobile. I know you can hook the laptop to a monitor, but I’d like the option to take trips or work elsewhere for some variety. The desktop we are looking at is kind of intimidating. It seems like a TV set to me. So, another plunge to take.

Oh, and “Beatrice and Beulah” the lop rabbit folk art dolls by Max Bailey and myself, are up for adoption on eBay this week. The auction ends tomorrow night. You can check out Beatrice and Beulah’s eBay page by clicking here. Once again, I’m putting announcements on our Ruffing’s Facebook page. Please join us there.

I’m also finishing up a small pile of Hug Me! Slugs and a Hug Me! Toad or three. I’ll be putting them up in my Etsy shop as soon as I can.