Rabbits and Wasps and Johnny Appleseed Skies ~

Well, Hello There ~ 

Oh my goodness.  I can't believe how crazy busy it's been in my neck of the woods lately.  Have you been busy?  Maybe it's something in the air....this constant fluttering about and busy-ness!  I crave the luxury of long days at home...working in the studio ~ 

In the last few days, I've been to 3 author panels and a writing workshop.  The workshop was fabulous and I learned oodles about the writing and publishing world!  Later today, I am off to another author panel in San Diego.  Like I said....busy!

In between the panels, I did manage to get my hair done.  Decided it was time to go purple. Plus, I needed some new photos for some arty events as well ~

A few evenings ago, we were blessed with Johnny Appleseed skies.  Those vibrant colors invite me to stop and just breathe.  Delicious!

Here's a funny little thing...we found some unexpected visitors right on our very front porch ~

These guys actually attached their nest right onto my hanging ivy plant...which is only about 4 feet from the front door.  I don't know how in the world we didn't notice this earlier in the season. Go figure!!

Ohhh...and, I did finish another rabbity piece.  This piece has super special meaning to me.  You see, over the course of the last few years, I have lost a lot of family.  Actually, I have very few aunts and uncles left on this Earth.  A few weeks ago, one of my mom's older sisters passed away, leaving only one sibling left out of 6 siblings.  She was my aunt Ola Jean.  

So....I created this piece in honor of, not only Ola Jean, but of all the recent losses within my extended family.

"A Serenade For Ola Jean"

If you're interested in this original, you can find it right here in my Zibbet Shop.  I think this piece can speak to people in many different ways.  For me, it's about loss, but also speaks about the freedom of going onward and escaping pain.  Plus....I just love rabbits!!  Sometimes, it's that simple.  Art can speak in serious tones, but it can also be fun.  Just....simple....fun!

Well, I guess I am out of here.  Off to San Diego.

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

Minervia's Telling Secrets and Old is New Again ~

Good Morning:

What a busy day I have ahead of me.  Busy in a good way.  We have another birthday in my house today, so I will be heading off to make a cake very soon.

It's still hot in this dry and dusty place that I call home...but, not as bad as it was a few days ago.  I am thankful for the little relief we're getting!


So...this weekend, I decided to pull an old cabinet and vintage window out of the garage.  The cabinet used to sit in my family room ~ 

but that room is now serving a different purpose, so this pretty little hutch/cabinet has been living in the garage since 2008.  

I also have a beautiful big window that came from a local vintage home.  Some of the panes are missing, and the remaining panes are in bad shape, so, I'm taking the panes out.  I think the cabinet and the window will look fabulous together in my studio ~ 

My intentions are to collect 6 pieces of small format art from some of my favorite artists, frame them each in a different frame...a hodgepodge, and hang one piece of art in each section of the window.  I think it will be dreamy!

Oh my goodness, such a busy day today.  

Ohhh...I just finished a new piece last night.  It's been awhile since I worked with my rabbity models!  I adore working with rabbits.  Actually, I adore rabbits altogether!  Anyway, here's the new piece...

"The Guardian of Minervia's Secrets"

I think I rather like this piece.  I love it when my rabbity models wear yellow striped stockings.  I wish I had a pair of yellow striped stockings!

Well, if you are interested in this new original, you can click right HERE and it will take you directly to the listing in my Zibbet Shop.

I am off.  Such a busy busy crazy busy day.  

Guess what I'm making for the birthday dinner...Yep, homemade Chicken Pie.  I love it, but I only have a small portion because it is full of goodness and calories!!

I still love my old green Jadeite baking dishes.  They are tried and true, that's for sure.

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

P.S.  Minervia has a secret, but she won't tell me what it is!  Shameful.

Clara and Lucy's Curious Visitors ~

It was a  warm summer morning...heading into the kind of day that blankets you in furnace heat and dampness. Clara and Lucy were off for a walk. 

Oh they had a lovely time, each wearing their sun hats and pretty lace up boots. They strolled by the creek, picked bouquets of wild flowers and had a taste of Mr. Stepp's plump and purple Huckleberries. 

Clara and Lucy were the best of friends, they were sisters. They both had dreams of great adventures and spent hours telling each other stories. 

As Clara and Lucy made their way back up the dirt road that led to their little wooden house, they skipped and held hands...they were so happy to be together. But, as they arrived back home, something felt askew ~ static air and a yellowing sky...they each broke out in goosebumps and were so very curious. "We have visitors" said Clara. "Yes, but who are they?" asked Lucy.................................     



Now   ~   the end of the story belongs to you ~



You can find this brand new print in my shop by clicking right HERE.

"Clara and Lucy's Curious Visitors" is an older piece, but it has never been offered in my current shop. So....I figured today was a good day to do so.  It is a simple piece but has great sentimental value to me.  And....it prints up super nice!

Until Next Time:
Kim
Gerushia's New World

P.S.  It's hot outside!!!

Earthquakes, Heat and Busy Busy Busy ~

Hello There:

I am inside.  It is where I've been all week.  It's too hot to do anything outdoors.  I run out in the morning, water the garden and find my way right back inside.

It's hot....so, so, so hot.  It's hot and jolting and rumbling with earthquakes.  Not huge earthquakes, just big enough to make you stop what your doing and wait to see if this will be "the big one".  But no, just a hard jolt and a rolling shake and it's over.  Until the next one.  So...this is life in Southern California.

I have been crazy busy.  I am copy-editing a middle grade trilogy.  Each book is about 300 pages.  I am also keying in the revisions as I go.  It is slow work.  Slow but fun and I am really enjoying it, because I am a reader and a dedicated wordie!

I am also just starting to play around with the illustrations for a children's book about 'possums.  Just starting...but it is in my mind all the time.  I'm not the author, but I was asked to do the illustrations.

Through it all, I am trying to keep up with my own work and I have so many projects going all at once.  So, I work a little here and dabble a little there.  It's nice to be in the studio during these long, furnace days.  What more can a gal ask for?  

Even though I'm crazy busy with all sorts of bookish stuff, I decided to list a set of my Gnarly-Dolls yesterday.  

 Zeb and Essy

For those of you that are familiar with my Gnarly-Dolls, you can probably see that Zeb and Essy are more traditional than my normal doll-extravaganzas.  They were made because a friend challenged me to try and create a set of dolls that were more traditional.  This is what I came up with.  Yeah...not so normal, but it's the best I could do ~

Both dolls are completely hand-stitched.  I don't use a sewing machine.  I don't own a sewing machine.  I am terrified of sewing machines.  They're too fast and chaotic for me.  I prefer the rhythm of a hand-stitch.  It is truly meditation.

Essy ~

Zeb ~ 

You see, when I was a little girl, I loved the show "The Waltons".  I especially loved Grandma and Grandpa.  Their names have always stuck with me....Zebulon and Esther.   Zeb and Essy for short.  Yep, just a little nod to my childhood and to Grandpa and Grandma Walton.

Just so you know, Zeb and Essy have removable clothes ~ 

These two characters were really fun to make, and now it's time for them to go onward.  I am hopeful that they will find a new owner that will love them and take grand care of them.  

If you are interested in adopting Zeb and Essy, you can find them in my online shop.  Just click right HERE.  

Also...please note ~ Zeb and Essy are not toys.  They do have buttons that could be pulled off and cause a choking hazard. 

Well, I am off to bake a birthday cake.  We have a birthday in our house today and another one next Tuesday.

Like I said....busy busy busy!

Ohhhh....and the winner of the art print giveaway is comment #5 ~Jaybird.  

Until Next Time:
Kim
Gerushia's New World

Unexpected Things And A Give-Away ~

Good Morning:


So.....lately, there has been a lot of unexpected things happening around my neck of the woods.  Most of them....MOST of them have not been good unexpected things.  No tragedies (thank goodness), but mostly irritations and extra hurdles.


Some of you already know that I am officially computer-less right now.  I have been sharing several different computers that are strewn about my house.  One of those computers was Mr. Gerushia's laptop.  A very old laptop.  But...it's the computer he's always used since going back to school.   He has struggled to get through his classes and maintain a full-time job.  He is now on the last...LAST quarter before graduating with his Master's Degree and wouldn't you know it, his laptop died.  It had the nerve to just up and die!  Can you believe that?  

And yesterday, there was a terrible hoopla in my neighborhood.  One of the homes here on my block have a litter of pups...not newborn, they are playing and tumbling and such, but still very young.  The neighbors have a drained swimming pool and one of the pups fell in while no one was home.  I wasn't able to do a rescue mission because the momma dog is aggressive and I was afraid to go in the backyard to help the pup.  Thankfully, my call to animal control was helpful and the puppy was rescued.  But...it was a horrendous morning.  


And, well...there were other not so good unexpected things that found their way into my life this last week or so, but there's no use in going into all that silly detail.


I'm making every effort to do the whole "keep your chin up" thing.  Trying to enjoy my Everydays and not get bogged down in hopelessness and sadness again ~ 

I often find my way to the back garden when life is heavy and dense.  Just a stroll around my yard can lighten the mood.  Unless, of course, you are taking photos of lovely and sweet stone fruit only to find this unexpected horror...GAHHHH ~

There are just a wee few Nectarines left on my tree.  The last few big ones were infiltrated by these buggers.  I held my breath just long enough to snap this photo and then...I ran for dear life!!


But ~ I did find this unexpected funny face.  It made me laugh for a moment.  Can you see the face in this Nectarine? 

Oh...and my son found this disgusting and unexpected and way too long french fry.  This is such a gross picture, but, without my photo editing program, my photos are naked right now and this was taken indoors under artificial light.  Yuck ~ 

I figure, sometimes unexpected is good and sometimes, it's bad.  Today...I'm gonna turn it around and make it good. ~ by offering a give-away.  My favorite time to do a give-away is when things aren't going super swell.  

I think the 2 prints that I've chosen to give make a fine set ~

"The Uninvited"

And...."Dancing Fiona" ~

If you would like to play along, simply leave a comment.  I'll use a handy-dandy randomizer to pick a winning number between now and whenever my next blog post might be!

Keeping my fingers crossed that folks can easily leave a comment.  It's been a bit better, but I am still having comment issues every now and again.

*NOTE ~ Since writing this post,  it's clear that there are still some folks having trouble leaving comments.  I've received 5 emails so far from people that weren't able to leave a comment.  I will place those people with a name in the comment section myself.  If you are having trouble leaving a comment, please email me at gerushiasworld at aol dot com.

Here's to a day filled with unexpected goodness!!

Until Next Time:

Kim

Gerushia's New World

P.S.  If the winner would rather have 2 different prints...you can choose any 2 from my shop, if you like.  Click HERE to have a look at the print choices!  

P.P.S.  I just changed out the daily special.  Today's special is a $10.00 art print, entitled ~ "Piaf Sings the Blues".  This piece was created for Kat Von D and the original is in her private collection.  Piaf is her beloved Sphynx cat.