In honor of  Stepanie’s new baby, Olive, Lyle has created a new stamp!

A Black Olive!

To see some wonderful shots of this baby please visit, http://rodrigvitzstyle.typepad.com/.  Stephanie has some wonderful other stuff on there as well!

Lyle has been having great fun corresponding with many artists from all over the world. Some of you have given both Lyle and I insight into how your part of the planet works (or doesn’t, for that matter), the flora and fauna, the interests and the politics. Others of you  have sent Lyle some wonderful “bits and pieces” from your lives. Lyle always shows me what she has received.

 We love it all!  Thank you!

Debrina, creator of Debrina’s Diary, (http://mistressdebrina.blogspot.com/) just sent Lyle some wonderful pieces.

Lyle has also been busy paint’n the page! Here’s what’s new……

Time for a change!

And of course there is always a little carving to do!

Well folks, that’s it for now! Keep throwing the paint at the page, cutting the rubber and being creative!

Just thought we’d pass on a wonderful place to visit if you’re going to be anywhere near Lafayette, New Jersey, this summer. Bogwater Jim Antiques. Lyle’s friend and artist, Richard will have some great works of art there as well as all sorts of furniture and decor from “the continent”!

Lyle got some wonderful sheep in the mail from a friend in South Africa the other day. They are hand made with a stiff  heavy wire and beaded with tiny seed beads. The Africans that make these, make them from the small size up to life size!  Can you imagine?!  But Lyle, the keeper of sheep, when we were kids, loves them!

South African Sheep

 

Lyle also got some great paper and a card.

South African wrapping paper

 

Greeting card made in South Africa

 

I think for all of us, use of the internet has given us visions of the world we would never have had. It keeps us in touch with people that enrich our lives with their stories.  What great fun!

Last but not least, a picture of Sally and Scruffy having a little Nip! Catnip, that is!

This is a  new piece from Lyle, done last week when it rained and rained and rained….she said she needed color!

Prosperity

 

Lyle and I do many things as a team—-fun stuff included. These next pictures are of shrink plastic made with Lyle’s carved stamps. One of the many things I have learned with shrink, if you use a dark color it will be very dark after shrinking. Sometimes too dark. Haven’t figured what to do with all yet but that’s coming!

Need to use grey instead of black

 

The Hands Have it

 

Little BLack Kitty in Copper

 

Hand in copper

Hand in pearlescent jade

Just the quickest of posts—must go to work—-HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!! (Lyle, Nam, Ma,You) Many, many more!  Now on to the other stuff…. The latest from Lyle.

Frida in Red

A  close up

After going to an art class several years ago at the Hacienda Mosaica, with Anne Bagby and Lynn Perrella, Lyle revitilized her love of art. She has since improved her stamp carving & paper cutting and glueing abilities. Lyle, thru the internet has been able to enjoy and share those loves with others of you who share her joy. Below is an example of one.

“The lovely envelope and all the treasures within are from Debbie, in New Zealand. We did a mail art swap and I believe I got the best part of the swap.I have some ideas about how I am using some of the goodies and will keep you updated! To see more about Debbie please look at http://mistressdebrina.blogspot.com.”

Lyle has a good friend, who is both an artist, (canvas & oils), and an avid gardener. This morning I’ll share some shots he sent of the gallery/shop that you’ll want to stop at when you are in Cherryfield, Maine. It’s called the Riverbank Gallery, (because it sits right next to the river and was the old bank!) The shop is an old Victorian that Richard put back together and the views, the birds (eagles too!), the sounds of the river are wonderful. Make sure that is a first stop when you go to Maine—-you’ll need to have plenty of room in your vehicle to load the canvases and furniture you’ll want! Enjoy!

A while ago, I posted from a book Lyle has entitled, MEXICOLOR, The Spirit of Mexican Design, by Melba Levick, Tony Cohan, and Masako Takahashi. The publisher is Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Really……you should at least take this out from the library. It’s wonderful.

Mexican dining room and blue and white ceramics

 

The tiles

 

The kitchen nook

 

And last of all, a wonderful picture from the book of a garden. Beautiful!

We all know that living in the wild is always an iffy thing…but still the sparrows march forward, putting much effort into their nests. We have many birdhouses in the yard and many, many sparrows. We must have had a young couple, who, unable to find a home to suit, built in an old stove pipe coming out of our garage. The first set of babies did not make the first flight. Just when we discussed closing the pipe off, we found another very young bird (naked) laying on the ground underneath the pipe. He did not survive. So Jim figured he’d better go take the pipe out before any more didn’t make it. This is what we found……