Fall Flowers

Pretty fall colors, measures 7” square in a glass front black frame.  Affordable desk mount or wall mount at only $20.00 plus tax and shipping.  Contact information at www.artbybetty.com

 Looks like cooler weather is here at last, no more 100 degree temps this year at last.  And as always the wind blows, I guess without this wind the weather would never change and we would all burn up.

 Isn’t it amazing how much teenage boys can eat – I mean you can feed a huge family of smaller children with what a teen can eat just between meals.  And it is completely dangerous to ask a teenage boy to help carry in the groceries from the car; if it is NOT sealed in a can they can devour it between the car and kitchen.    And if the can has a pull tab opener – the contents will disappear in his bottomless stomach.  Babies need milk and so do teenage boys, but instead of an eight ounce bottle of milk it is now at least a quart and that is just between meals.  A gallon of milk can quickly disappear daily with all contents going to just one growing he male.  A meal is never finished for him, for as soon as the regular family meal is over, this one will go raid the refrigerator.

Strawberry Tissue Box

Here is a strawberry box to hold your square tissues.  Quilled strawberries are on three sides.  Look at more quilling at www.artbybetty.com  Quilling is sealed with polyurethane, so this would be safe in any room of our home or office.  What a neat idea for your desk, a refreshing designer touch.  Contact me through website for more information. 

 Also on my website is another square tissue box with western flavor, two sides having horseshoes and the front has a horse head.  This is a great idea for a den, office, cabin, or any western deco.   I do have more tissue boxes, but have not taken pictures, after picture taking – then posting them to the website. 

 My niece and I would raid my sister’s garden, well actually only her strawberry patch every summer and eat all the ripe strawberries right there in the garden.  My sister could not figure out what was happening to her strawberries.  Those were the best tasting berries ever, so sweet and juicy.  We would use the water hose to rinse off our hands and mouths before we went back in the house.   What delightful memories of growing up.  Gardens were always a huge part of our summer time.  Weeding, watering, but before that preparing the ground for the seeds.  But it was SO good!

Don’t you just love trinket boxes?  This box measures 3 ½” square and 2” deep, just the right size to keep rings, paper clips, thumb tacks, etc.  The designs are hand quilled and sealed with polyurethane.  Visit www.artbybetty.com to see more quilled items.  Hey, this would make a perfect gift for all butterfly lovers. 

 Quilling is a beautiful art that is not too well known today and it takes on many shapes.  Glass front framed pictures (of anything), free standing quilling (like chess pieces), earrings and necklaces.  Quilled jewelry is amazing lightweight and durable.  Check out the free standing butterfly on www.artbybetty.com – honestly it does look real, in fact some people have asked me if the free standing monarch butterfly is real.  Have not got them posted yet, but have some western boots earrings that are just darling. 

What is your favorite breakfast?  That seems to be a hard meal, bacon and eggs?  Heard that is not good for the body, especially the bacon.  So do we eat eggs by themselves?  Ugh. Hard boiled? Maybe but not fried. How about scrambled?  Okay but just eggs scrambled are rather bland; add green chili and tomatoes or … salsa with grated cheese on top.  Okay now we are talking about tasting good.

Ladies Fan

This beautiful fan is made with gold edged 1/8’ paper that is wrapped, rolled and formed in individual shapes.  The metallic edge makes the paper hard to work – so it took more hours than normal to create this image.   And it is huge – 14” X 14” including glass front frame and sells for $60.00, which is a real bargain considering the hours used to make this fan. 

It was a delight hearing the rain last night – just wish it could have lasted longer.  Really it was just a sprinkling but the sound of any rain is wonderful.  “April showers bring May flowers”.  Remember that one?  I know the wind is still blowing and looks like there is quite a bit of loose soil in the wind also, but I pray the wind will bring more and more rain.  So we tolerate the wind in good humor and wait patiently for RAIN. 

We are doing some MAJOR work on www.artbybetty.com Most of the major work is completed, will be adding new pictures daily.  There are some editing mistakes on site right now, hopefully corrected today, have a look see and let me know all the mistakes you can find. A challenge for you – who can find all the mistakes first.  Later …..

Need a hand

This image shows a different technique on quilling.  The shape seen is a hand – and it is a female hand, with all sorts of shapes and colors.  Including glass front frame measurement is 10” X 8” and it sells for $55.00.  Contact information can be found by messaging me on FB or going to www.artbybetty.com   It is easy to see just how many shapes are used in this image, and of course it is all made from 1/8” colored paper.  So you will know, not just any paper will work for quilling – cardboard and construction paper will not work for quilling.  The paper has to be cut a certain way – with the grain - not across and the paper has to be rolled with the right side outside. Yes paper has a right and wrong size. Lots of information, I know.

March winds are suppose to bring spring rains – well…..we are waiting. Just a small sprinkle the other day, not enough to bring April flowers.  But enough wind to mess up any hair do – and hair spray is not a match for March winds.  And let us not forget all the allergies that the wind keeps everyone in sniffles and sneezes.  Speaking of wind – listen and you can hear all kinds of things banging and bumping out side.  What was that???

Quilling / Filigree

Sunflowers

It is hard to believe another year is gone.  Christmas will be over in a few days and tinsel, holiday food, guest and presents forgotten.   So now we go on another year.

 What is quilling? Quilling is also known as filigree. 

 In the 4^th century Greece artisans used quilling to decorate vases and pillars.  The Egyptian tombs were adorned with silver and gold wire shapes akin to modern quilling. 

 During the Renaissance, French and Italian nuns and monks used quilling to adorn book covers and religious items.  The most common used paper was strips trimmed from the gilded edges of books, rolled and formed to create quilling shapes.  

 The gentle ladies (“ladies of leisure”) of the 18^th century practiced the art.  It was a ‘proper’ activity that would not be too hard on their minds or gentle dispositions.  — Wow- how times have changed.

 Quilling can be found on cabinets and stands, a wide range of both pictures and frames, work baskets, coats of arms and wine coasters, jewelry and trinket boxes. 

 The craft has gone through many changes and forms through the ages.  New techniques, new styles, new materials, new tools, new novel papers, machine cut strips, new glues, new sealants, etc.  This craft is now recognized as an exceptional art form.