Around here...

 Staying inside out of the 100 plus degree heat.
I've been playing with metal, color, scratches and patina.

I'm loving the scritchy surfaces possible with layers and layers of color and darkness.

 I'm not so patiently waiting for some commercial patinas to arrive while I'm
noodling around with some online, home made patinas. My workroom has grown
stacks and piles of stuff in progress. Tiny paintings.

And the tomatoes sliced warm from the garden with fresh basil and buttered
sourdough toast.  Oh yes. Love my tomatoes.

New yard sightings...

Curious bird...distinctive beak...hope he found some shade.

And wait,

there's that elusive Curious Bearded Garden Hopper!

My dear husband.

Friends

Got together with two great friends to make paper flowers. Why is it I can't find my glue gun until
I've bought another one? Yeay for JoAnn's coupons. We all reverted to 3rd grade mode and experimented. Still working on them.

Tin bezels

These are way too fun to make! It's a little bit of a learning curve but once I'd made a few I had
the time of my life! For the tutorial link go here;

http://fancifuldevices.blogspot.com/

Her tutes are clear and she shares the ins and outs of design as well as technique. Also, take the
time to read her Art Theft Manifesto. Intriguing young artist!

Another artist I'm following is here;





http://sparrowsalvage.blogspot.ca/

I love to watch how others put together ideas. A discovered tribe of jewelers using a wabi-sabi,
heavily patina'd, story-full perspective and I'm on fire with their new ways of working. Talk about an
old dog, new tricks... Thanks!

Garden spirit with dimples or Mickey Mouse?

Hello, look what showed up in the potato bin this morning. Garden spirit? Potato with
personality? Housecleaning procrastination/right brain escape?

Hunting and hunted

I've heard hawks crying out to each other the past few days. They most likely have young ones
to feed.

 Also, have been going out into the yard when my 10 lb mini dachshund needs to take
care of business. This morning the hawk (not the one in the photo but it looked like that) swooped
down into the open space just as Opie ran into the open. I was able to deflect it but
am now a bit unnerved!

She's been flying over the house the past few hours calling her distinctive cry. The intense heat here probably has the small animals hiding out in cool holes so she must
be very hungry. Will be keeping a close eye out for her.

So that's why I haven't seen many birds in the yard lately!