SublimeHues on Zazzle

Bird Jewelry, Cat Jewelry, Gifts for Cat Lovers, Wedding Gifts, Gifts for Mom, Wildlife Art, Landscape Art, and more on Sterling Silver Jewelry, Apparel, Accessories, Home Decor, and Gift items.

My Shop:

http://www.zazzle.com/SublimeHues

Moth Photograph, Hadena Capsularis

The Moth, Hadena Capsularis, is Endangered in the U.S.  Photographed June 11, 2011 in Harrisburg, PA.

Oil Painting Technique, Art Lesson

Namaste! I'm an Artist who Loves working with Oils! I'm always looking for new techniques and tips or tricks to stretch the medium. If you're sketching with your brush, blocking in a base coat, or creating a Plein Painting try this...

 

Before applying Paint cover your canvas with a coat of Artist Oil for Oil Paints first. There are several different types on the market for you to choose from. Then go on an Art Adventure and explore this technique. Have Fun! 

Spring notes from the Sketch Pad

Namaste! Springtime is here at last! The length of daylight is ever increasing and my perennial plants are coming out of their dormant stage. The Song Birds are back serenading us with their beautiful chirps which is music to my ears. What an exciting time of year!  Inspiration for my Art is flowing like a river from every cell in my body and spilling out onto my sketch pad.

 

Lots of New Art to share with you...coming soon! Stay Tuned   :)

Spring Gardening Tips

So its Spring. Hopfully you were a Good Gardener and put at least 6 inches of compost material onto your Vegetable Garden bed at the end of last Fall. If not thats a big Ooops! QUICK...run to your nearest Garden Center and purchase as much as you can! Incorporate it into your soil before planting.

In some parts of the country you've Already planted. But for those of us who live in regions that seem more like the Artic Tundra...its time to plant your cold hardy greens. Yep, thats right...SpINaCH, Kale, Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, Asian Greens, etc... No need to water your seeds during Spring if you planted in the ground. Mother Nature is a better gardener than you are. You can reserve your water usage for Summer.

 

Be sure to check out my previous Blog Post about Butterflies, "Plight of the Butterfly." It contains tips and tricks about how to invite Butterflies into your vegetable garden. 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Painting a Day, Butterfly Garden Cat 5

Painting a Day. Cat Art. Titled, "Butterfly Garden Cat 5." Day 17 of my Painting a Day series.

My New Cat Art Drawing depicts a Cute Little Kitty frolicking about in a Butterfly Garden. I Am the CAAAAAT! Worship Me! A Proud Regal Kitty sitting Tall expecting your obedience. The World is throwing Gifts at his Paws.  Flowers and Butterflies to amuse and favor him. Tail twitches contently as he surveys all that he owns...everything in his gaze. Life in this moment is Good.

Coming to My Shop soon:

http://www.zazzle.com/SublimeHues

Weekend Blog Hop

It's Weekend Blog Hop! Come to the Hop...

 

This is your Official Invitation to post YOUR Blog URL here. Meet and Greet Folks....Post Comments on Other Blogs, and maybe even gain New Followers. You don't even have to have a Poodle on your Skirt to get in on this Hop. This Blog Hop is Open All Weekend! Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!

 

 

So Go To The Hop every Weekend...right here. Look to the Right of my Blog...my Right Side Bar...Scroll down to "My Favorite Blog Posts." See "Weekend Blog Hop." And Join in on the Fun!

 

The Weekend Blog Hop Page URL:

http://SublimeHues.blogspot.com/

 

Weekend Blog Hop Page

http://sublimehues.blogspot.com/p/weekend-blog-hop.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Doodles

Looking forward to opening up my sketchbook today and letting myself go. My pages are layer upon layer of smudged charcoal and graphite renderings. Rough sketches, scribbles, and completed drawings have spilled out onto the pages. Maybe I'll give you a tour someday.  

GroundHog Day

Today's February 2nd. GroundHog Day, and you've probably all heard about that prima donna out in the western part of the state, with everybody going all ga-ga over "Did he see his shadow?" Yeah, I'm sure you have...

Well, here in this part of Pennsyltucky we have our own groundhog, and he ain't NOTHIN' like the pampered pet out west. Let me introduce you to Punks, the scrawny fool!

And you ask, "So what's he say?" Boy...plenty!

"Are you people DAFT or something? There's ice out there!"

"Really hate to disappoint youn'se, but you've got 6 weeks of winter, no matter WHAT you know who sez! Don't expect me to lie just to make you feel good! Mother Nature doesn't speed up just to bring Spring early. So you can kiss my furry tail!

"And none of this "I'm disappointed" stuff either! Expecting a big fat groundhog. I haven't had a bite to eat in weeks! And I don't smell none too good either. You try hibernatin' sometime! "So quit trying to get me to look for no darn shadow. If anything, I'll be looking for some GRUB. So now, if you don't mind..."

And he dives back into his burrow, leaving us cold and feeling silly up there on Lebkickler Hill.

"Bunch of yay-hoos..."

Photograph of the Day, Old Oak

Gardening Tips, Growing Corn

Thinking of Spring?

So you want to plant corn. Corn requires a lot of space to grow. Here's a way that you can better utilize your space while detering Raccoons from feasting on your harvest.

Keep in mind that corn must be planted in rows of atleast 10 plants per row, with atleast 6 rows of plants that are spaced about 2 feet apart....these are minimum requirements and it doesn't guarantee that you will produce corn...you may need more plants and more rows. Gardening is done by trial and error.  

After you have planted your corn, and it has grown to about 3-6 inches tall...you can plant pole beans and squash/pumpkins too  :)

Very C A R E F U L L Y plant your pole bean seeds in a circle around each corn stalk. The corn stalk will act as a trellis for your beans. As they grow train your beans to grow up the corn stalks.

AND

then plant your squash/pumpkin seeds in a circle around your pole bean seeds. As the squash grows you will have to train it to grow in a circle around your corn stalk. When the plants produce flowers and later fruit you must be Super C A R E F U L when moving the vines...OR your flower/fruit will fall off of the vine  :(

Raccoons little padded paws are sensitive. They don't like stepping on the pricklies that grow on squash vines. So this helps to keep them from feasting on your corn. Its a better way that you can co-exist with these cute little critters  :)   After all we have moved into their Front Yard!

Raccoons and Skunks also like squash/pumpkins  :)   Sprinkle Cayenne pepper around the fruit to help deter them. This will need to be refreshed often. You can also try spraying Fox pee near the fruit...but NOT directly on your plants! 

Happy Gardening!

The Crow: Ole Sneaky Beak

Today's Photograph of the Day...Ode to the Crow. Why the Crow? BeCAWs... Crows are the only Birds that I know of who actually know how to make Tools and use tools. They know how to solve complex problems. They have a broad vocabulary. And they are oh so sneaky... 

I was in a car once waiting for someone when I saw a murder (an appropriate name!) of crows in a tree watching something. After a while, I saw a squirrel on the ground, looking about furtively... but never UP, the direction he should have been looking. After a while, feeling safe, it dug a hole and hid a little morsel of food in it, carefully burying it before running off with visions of savory treats in its head. Not a chance!

For here comes old Black-Eyed Pete as sneaky as one gets, with his posse of black-hearts (and feathers) keeping lookout for him. He lands a few yards away, looking around to see if that buffoon's going to come back. Nope, coast is clear! He saunters nonchalantly over to the squirrel's treasure and unceremoniously flings dirt all over the landscape as he retrieves lunch, then flies off with it towards his cohorts to a fiendishly fresh feast. 

You could hear them cawing delightedly, mocking that poor squirrel. Imagine his surprise later. "You know, I could SWEAR I buried it right here!"

As a well-fed sparkling black eye looks on.

Photograph of the Day, Mountain Top

Today's Photograph of the Day. A clearing in the Forest on a Mountain top. Fall is almost over and Winter is beginning. 

Photograph of the Day, Summer Flowers

Today's Photograph of the Day is of Beautiful Spring Flowers.

Wordless Wednesday

Abstract Art Project, Art Lesson

This Project is for persons 18 yrs or older!

Supplies needed:
8" x 10" or 9" x 12" Cardboard (or smaller)
crayons
metal spoon
black water based craft paint

First completely cover your cardboard with crayon. Think of an Abstract Design and lay the color on thick. Add a Rainbow of colors. Next, paint the entire work in black. Allow the paint several hours to dry. Next, using your spoon scrap off areas of the black paint. Careful not to remove your crayon color....we want that to show through. Think of an Abstract Design while scraping the black paint off......careful to not remove to much of the paint. ENJOY!

 

Photograph of the Day, Ancestral Homestead

Photograph of the Day. Ruins from an Ancestral Homestead of ours.

Photograph of the Day, My ScotsIrish

Photograph of the Day. Ruins from one of our Ancestral Homesteads.

Studio Beat

Zazzle Shop New items listed! To include Jewelry, Necklaces, Pendants, Tote Bags, Ladies Tops, Canvas Art Prints, and more!  More New items on the way...

My Zazzle Shop:

http://www.zazzle.com/SublimeHues