thelmasmith

I’ve finally reclaimed my password.

I’ve been “doin’ life” and missing out on my blog.  Apologies to everyone.  Here’s a life summary since you last heard from me.

Printmaking classes at Santa Barbara City College Adult Education.  The instructor, Siu Zimmerman, is the best.

Started an acrylic class as I need to get a lot more familiar with the paints themselves.  Will let you know how that goes if anyone is interested.

Helped birth seven kittens on Thursday, September 22.  Feya, the fluffy flier, is a good mother; Morgan Freeman is a typical teen aged father.  I lost one of the tiny, 58 gram, babies on day three.  By now – I weighed them at four days old – they are almost double in size.  I’ve still one runt, I think a girl, she’s a funny tan tabby color.  We’ll see if she is strong enough to survive.

Waiting to get weighed

Not much happening.  I’ve got to clean up my wet palette and add a couple of colors.  Then off to school.

As one of the last few days I’ll be alone in the house I decided to begin tidying and refolding the fabric stash.  It was intimidating.  Not as bad actually doing the work.  The old shelves were about ten inches deep.  The new cubby hole wall unit from IKEA is fifteen inches deep.  I’m quite pleased with it.  The quality belies the price.

Old fold to your left, new fold to your right.

The template I marked on the ironing board in permanent marker.  Makes the work go faster.

Another stack before refolding.  I find that working with the blues I have really few lights and a lot of mediums and darks.  You can see the edge of the scotch tape roll to the left as well as the cat bat.

It’s rather sensual handling and refolding fabric.  So many lovely textures and patterns.

I’ve learned that I need to completely fill the cubbyhole.  Anything less than full is a wonderful cat bed.  I can tell what was on the top of the piles in the arizona storage.  I am scraping off great quantities of cat hair.  The large roll of tape is doubled back on itself to form a self roller.  Speeds the process.  I keep both the tape and the cat bat at hand for my clothes as well.

Mutterings of anger and frustration around here. Sam has spent days looking and looking. At first I didn’t believe him and then I did. Now, I’m helping him search for holes too small to be an escape route. Fat chance! She’s gone exploring again. This has become the pattern for two or three weeks.

Do click on the image. She is quite beautiful. Speak to her, in the ozone, please. Tell her it’s time to come home and stay home.