odds and ends

A busy week in Artlandia!  I framed the phoenix and delivered it and the six 14 x 11" panoramic pieces to Thompson Giroux for En Masse (opening Dec. 2) - thumbs up!

I also (finally!) finished the fox (whoop!!) The front pretty much looks the same, but all the stitching is visible on the back. I feel a little dumb because I still don't quite know how exactly I'm going to mount this.  I've thought of attaching it to a piece of Japanese paper, which would cover all the stitching on the back or sewing it to a mesh (Hmmmmmm). I'm still thinking about it, but for now, this portion is complete.

A funny kitty story to go along with this - the night the fox was finally done, I went out to meet friends, and when I came home, both Feline Assistants were dutifully waiting within petting range of the fox, looking at me expectantly, like "We're ready!"  I told them they were very good assistants, but the fox is done.  We went to bed, and the next morning - already re-oriented toward the next piece (very smart assistants!)

What I worked on next was the swallows (which will get a dedicated entry soon).  But quickly - I finished a second big swallow, swallow #3:

The two big swallows (#2 and #3) together.

 Then I finished a second medium swallow (#4)

The two medium swallows on the block (#1 and #4).

Then I carved, but have not yet proofed, one of the smallest swallows (#5). I'm thinking that this block will have one more of the small swallows (#6) then maybe two more that are intermediate sizes and/or different positions.

I turned my back for a second...
in the whole house, apparently, on top of the proofs
was the most comfortable napping spot (doh.)
(Luckily they were dry enough that no harm was done,
- no kitty prints on the prints and,
critically, Princess did not need a bath.)

Honey, on the other hand, had to have a bath (which is not her favorite thing).  She really doesn't like it, but she was a brave pup (and got a bully stick afterwards to help console her ;) ). I love her fluffy coat, and especially enjoy when she is so shiny and soft and clean. I thought it might be a good time for a pup-time lapse series.

Honey at 8.5 weeks in her adoption photo. 

 

Left: Honey at about 18 weeks - growing so fast and such a good pup. Right: Honey today - the same loving eyes and beautiful smile (and she really grew into her ears, haha).

 

Left: last October , Honey at 8.5 months, looking so elegant and grown up! Right: Honey today, her sleek and splendid, big-dog self - even though she was physically close to grown last fall...it's taken some time for us to perfect walking with the leash. We've done a lot of training since then, and enjoyed our first summer of hiking together. Looking forward to more outdoor adventures this fall :).   

 In garden news - thanks to a heat wave, my tomatoes ripened just in time to be paired with the last of the basil, and there were also a few late blooms.