maureenthomasdesigns.com blog

Before the rains began on Friday I headed out to take a few photos of the fall garden. Seems the unusual weather this year (extra long, rainy spring and relatively mild summer) contributed to some beautiful autumn foliage. The old Bartlett trees that are scattered among the surrounding properties are brilliant orange, the oaks are turning lovely subtle russet, and the barberries are a beautiful deep red. The rains brought down lots of leaves so I’m happy that I captured some of the colors first.

Maureen

Fall has finally arrived…rain, cool weather and foliage color. The presence of deer on our property is always evident by munched plants and hoofprints, but I’ve been able to watch a doe and her two little ones enjoying the acorns the past few days. The big native oak right outside our kitchen window is especially generous with acorns and we typically spend a lot of time dealing with the resulting seedlings. So, I’m happy for the deer to eat as many as they can get their teeth on!

Other than a few seasonal pieces I haven’t been posting much polymer clay work. The photography and posting take time away from creating and I’ve got only two weeks until the Placer County AAST (Autumn Artist Studio Tour). Because I’ll be opening my studio this year we’ve been trying to spruce up the place. Hope we get lots of tour-goers this year. If not, we’ll at least have the garage neat and tidy and habitable!

Happy Halloween!
Maureen

Hot, hot, hot! We apparently are paying the price for enjoying a beautiful and “cool” summer. Record-breaking temperatures over the past week have left the garden pretty tired-looking. I can’t wait for things to cool down…let the autumn colors begin please! This week’s garden photos felt a bit unexciting so I decided to try a little Photoshop magic on them.

Getting the studio ready for the Placer county studio tour (AAST) in November and beginning to panic as I realize that I need to have something ready for the tour preview show by the end of next week! More creating and less computering would help…..bye!

Maureen

Anxiously awaiting some fall color in the garden. We’ve had a few sprinkles and gorgeous autumn-like weather. Looking forward to a chill in the air and falling leaves! Here’s what’s going in in my garden these days. I particularly like the sunflower petals which are perfect inspiration for a layered Ikat Skinner blend cane…

Maureen

Recent challenges with my local polymer clay guild (Clayville California), my local arts guild (PlacerArts), and various Flickr photo groups have taken me in art directions I hadn’t been before. Art challenges can get you out of a rut or pull you out of an “art block” and encourage you to try colors or techniques you’ve never used before.

I’ve really been enjoying my weekly mini photo safaris. My photography skills have definitely been improving and an extra bonus is viewing the pictures on the computer. A snapshot will often provide a better appreciation of an interesting color combination or an intriguing texture. Great for art inspiration!

The IPCA introduced a new photo challenge. I am thrilled that they chose my closed sunflower picture as the first “inspiration photo”. Please check it out and see where the clay takes you. I’m looking forward to seeing the entries!

While on my weekly garden photo shoot this morning I was just about to snag a closeup shot of one of the pots on my back deck. As I was about to snap the picture a hummingbird zipped right in front of my camera. The first shot turned out OK, but the bird blends into the plants. In the second shot the little critter is just a blur as it’s making its getaway. I’ve peen picking pears, plums, and (finally) tomatoes. I often put underripe tomatoes on the kitchen windowsill, which catches the attention of the hummers. They’ll hover just outside the window checking it out. I’ve been noting their favorite plants: grevillea (their absolute hands-down favorite), lantana, butterfly bush, lavender, salvia, bottlebrush, and agapanthus.

Here’s what’s interesting in my garden today…

Maureen

The tomato wars continue. First, weird spring and early summer weather (as in, not our usual sunny and hot “Sacratomato” weather). Then continued deer attacks. A bout of blossom end rot. Finally got the 8 foot deer fencing up and now the tomato hornworms are in full force. Veggie gardening is certainly not for the faint of heart! Here’s what’s happening in my garden today…
Maureen

Hot, hot, hot! The garden is looking hot and tired as is typical for this time of year in the part of the world. It takes a little harder look to find things that aren’t a bit droopy, but they are there. We finally broke down and put 8-foot deer fencing around the tomatoes – something which we’ve been meaning to do for a while. So, hopefully no more nightly shearing of the plants!

I’m enjoying my weekly forays into the garden. It sharpens my photography skills. It also simply gets me out there, something I am pretty loathe to do at the peak of summer!

Maureen
Maureen Thomas Designs

I’ve been heading out to the garden every Monday morning for the past six weeks to take pictures. It not only serves to sharpen my photography skills (practice makes perfect), but also allows me to look for the beauty on my property rather than just seeing the undone chores. Since I’m a very undisciplined blogger I thought that posting the pictures here as well would get me here at least once a week!

Today is an overcast, drizzly day…perfect for garden photography. We are in a “Mediterranean” climate and are fortunate to be able to grow many Mediterranean plants as well as plants from Australia and New Zealand. There are many beautiful natives to the Sierra Nevadas as well. As in gardens everywhere, there is always something blooming in the springtime…

Maureen

I wanted to tone down the wood of my “Outside the Box” box. The finished piece may be prone to scratching so I didn’t want to fuss with paint. I found a great solution on an internet site called Extreme Restoration about the restoration of old clocks. Here’s an earth-friendly recipe suggested for “aging” new wood:

Start with clean wood and try not to handle the wood with other than clean hands throughout the staining process. I ended up with a few visible fingerprints on my piece; however, they are in an area that ultimately won’t be visible so not earth-shattering. A test piece would be a great idea to help you know how many vinegar layers to lay down to get the effect you want.

Pull apart some 0000 steel wool, place the pieces in a lidded glass jar, and add enough white vinegar to cover, plus an inch or so. Set aside to react for 24-48 hours. I expected the vinegar to change to a rusty color, but it didn’t.

Brew some strong tea to get as dark a brew as possible and allow to cool. Paint the wood with the tea (I used a sponge brush) and allow to dry. My plywood/MDF didn’t change color much from the tea, but the point is to get a layer of tannic acid on the surface of the wood.

Once dry, paint the wood with the vinegar solution. Try not to handle the wood while wet as fingerprints may be left. Now, wait for the magic to happen! Overlapping the vinegar can result in darker areas so refer to your test piece. If the result is darker than you’d like you can try sanding lightly.

My project turned a beautiful blue/gray/green. Different woods will obviously react differently. I’m very pleased with my “aged” wood and I will definitely keep this technique in my bag of tricks!

Maureen