Gallery: painting, puppets and potions

Now that we have the "holiday" version of Gallery posted, I can share some of the regular everyday creating that's happening around here.

This, in case you aren't sure, is the back of Frodo's head. Painting by Ani. I love this painting.

Before getting to all the shirts at Christmas, we had a practice stenciling session in November with some friends who were visiting for a few days. Eliza cut this skull stencil free-hand and made it into a patch that is still looking for a home. I think this purple skull would look pretty right-on on my back-pack...

I was inspired to make my friend ET a present for her birthday - it must have been leftover Christmas crafty juice or something, as her birthday falls the day after, but wow, it hit me and it's how I spent the entire day until we went over to her house for dinner.

It's a puppet theater, which is really what every 42-year-old needs, right? 

Eliza painted the background pieces for me - there is this seaside sunset and a glittery night scene as well as a plain blue sky.  And of course there are puppets.

Brooding men and gorgeous women, and a tall, mysterious feather...what could they all be doing?

Fighting off giant swallowtail caterpillars, perhaps?

The "art room", as we are calling it, was a gift from my sister and her husband - she knew we'd been thinking of turning the play/guest room into a space where art messes could be made and left for a while, where works in progress could safely stay out without getting disturbed, and where art supplies could stay out and accessible for when the mood strikes.  One foldable table, one drop cloth and one huge set of shelving later...behold the art room.  Between making presents and the usual flow of crafting that goes on around here, this room is getting used.

 (I love how the three paintings below are starting out so differently...)

Eliza: Hey! Look how much more like the sea it looks when I use dots!

Ani's glittery butterfly

And the latest project this room was used for during a friend's visit, was the making of potions. It was a regular apothecary in there.  Bottles holding medicinals and magicks with names like Red Rizeing, Gang Green, Cast Awae currently line one of the shelves.