New Home

I've moved!

No, not me silly........my blog.

"It" finally had enough whatever it needed to move all my posts over to Wordpress. I had been trying to import my posts for the last few days and it keep telling me...

....error...Error...ERROR daggumit!

(I'm sure that was blogger and not my new blog server, hee hee)

So now you can find me at www.barnyardchatter.wordpress.com. I will leave this blog up for a little while so you guys won't think I've abandoned you and you'll know where to find me. I anticipate a great future with Wordpress and little ole me.

I can't wait to fancy up my new location (cause you know everyone has to redecorate when you move to a NEW HOUSE......or, for that matter, anytime the urge hits you, LOL) so...

.....come on over to my new loft,
.....settle down on a comfy haystack
.....and keeeeeeeeep reading.

Thanks y'all. I'm so excited (I hear music, don't you?)

p.s. don't forget to update the URL of any feeders you might subscribe to.

See ya next time "In the Hayloff" at Wordpress.

Drive by Photos

Last year as I was driving home I spotted a tree formation that I had not noticed before. The next time I passed by I was ready with camera at hand. I've continued to do this, taking quick photos (no focusing or anything of course) and love the pics that come from this way of photographing.

I promised the last bit of pics from our trip this past weekend. It's a great way to document a ride that might otherwise be....(dare I say it)......boring. So here goes. Anything is fair game.


Fancy Gap

This first one is a pic of Fancy Gap, that awe inspiring view btwn NC and VA that I actually caught this time, thanks to insistence by the husband. Usually when we travel along here I'm crouching down in the chair, hands over my eyes cause I can't stand see the drop over the side.

Bikers We Be

Next, we followed behind these guys for-ever! But they were cool cause they were booking it just as we were. (oh no, don't call the cops on us). At one point they did some sort of sign language only bikers could understand and then they split and and rode off separately. I couldn't get over that the guy on the right had his feet sticking up for most of the time were watching them. Wouldn't that be uncomfartable after a while??

Big Wheels Keep on Turning

As you know when you travel the highways and bi-ways of the American road you will encounter the large behemouth trucks. Coming from the Bahamas (Grand Bahama to be exact) where it only takes 5 minutes to get anywhere, there's no need for them. This was a new site for me to get used to when we first moved here umpteen years ago. They've now become muses for my camera.

Runaway Trucks?? Oh my!

The next is a pic of the "runaway truck ramp" (that tan dirt area in the background of the pic) that you find every so often along the highway. For the longest time I wondered how/why/what... until I saw a truck (a while ago now) needing to use it. It's scary to think that it works and the truck didn't topple over (it's got large built up ramps of firm dirt along its path). But it worked thank goodness.

In a Blur

This green blurb is a shot of the trees/bushes at the side of the highway traveling 70-ish (yeh right, hubby was driving). I think it's so way cool. I'm gonna have to do something with this one but don't know just yet.

Serenity

And I couldn't finish without a pic of the beautiful sky we had (love to take these).....just before we encountered a really bad thunderstorm. Look at the blues in there! One of these days I'm gonna dye a piece just like that.

Thanks for coming on my adventure on the highway. Hope you enjoyed the view.

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Have a Good laugh

Judy Coates Perez has posted a funny little clip on her blog. In this political age we live in it's good to have a chuckle sometimes . Check it out here.


See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Pandora Painting

Yesterday we had our regular Pandora art group meeting. We decided that we need to have more "play dates" in amongst our regular meetings so, with the new Rayna Gilman book in hand, "Create Your Own Handprinted Cloth", we went at it. If you have ever wanted to try some"deconstructed" stuff (or for that matter, to take out any latent frustrations) get this book!

Did you know that just letting loose is F-U-N?

I let all inhibitions float out the window and just painted with abandon. I had originally dyed a half yard of fab and then decided to add to it by dyeing again in blobs (who the heck knew why).

Well.......I ended up not liking the second round that much (1st pic) so I put it aside and eventually would have come back to it. I did name this piece "Potcake" after all for a reason.

When we decided to paint and experiment I thought, why not see what the third time will bring. I started by using the brayer to paint stamps then painted the image that I got on the brayer onto the fab. That wasn't enough!! I then stamped a grid work all over...hand got real messy here...it was soooooo cool.

That wasn't enough either! HA! So I decided to use some Lumiere Paints, Halo Gold and Pearl Blue. I pulled the seal, with included handle no less, off the dark blue that I had not opened yet and held it in my hands. Mmmh....

I screamed with wild joy cause (brainstorm here) I could use the jar seal as a painting tool (so don't throw yours away next time, hee hee). So then, what else? How bout some splatter? Bring out the toothbrush. Started to splatter, took too long then just rubbed the brush in the paints and scratched it across the surface. VOILA!!!!

I LOVE IT! Don't you?

BTWm be sure to check out Susan's post about our painting adventure here.

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Catching Up

Well, here I am again, checking in and glad to be back in my own bed.....you know, the comfortable stuff you know like the stuffy pillow that fits your head right or the lumps and bumps of the mattress you know by heart.

We had a great time, just the few days and my friend (who is expecting twins) is so very exhausted. She looks like she's overdue, poor thing, and she's still got 2 more months to go! Thanks goodness I had them one at a time.

I got a chance to got to New York City with my kids so we took the train from Summit, NJ (where we used to live) into the city. Besides seeing the city again we had a few missions...one wanted to visit a bead shop, the other wanted to visit an art shop and, of course, I wanted to visit a quilt shop in the Chelsea district.

I must say it was like arriving home again. I lived in NY for 2 1/2 yrs and as I stepped out of Penn Station, the ole feeling of "being in NYC" took over. The kids knew they had to bear with me for a few.

My daughter was estatic cause we found 4 bead shops for her to peruse. Funny thing is she came away with only four items. Can you believe that???? Sadly we didn't get to an art store for my son but.....I did find THE shop......yes, I got to shop...again.... in the The City Quilter. Wish I lived closer to it cause I'd be there all the time. It would be so cool to teach in too.

More pics later of my trip home and the"Drive by photos" I like to take. They are so cool.

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Down Time

We're headed on a family trip today so I won't be posting for a few days. Take care all.

See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Question for You

I try to post a reply to all my comments (a big hunkin thank you to all of you who leave a comment) but don't know if you receive my reply post as an email.

If you don't, does anyone know how to make it happen in Blogger? or Wordpress?

The reason I ask about Wordpress is I'm actually thinking seriously about switching over to them. My art group blog, FAB (a wonderful bunch of ladies if I say so myself) is there and everytime I go to use it I find it a more managable thing to use. I like the format, ease of use and the fact that your photos are stored rather that have them floating in space with access only thru the posts.

I know some of you use Typepad (a pay-for-use service), how is that workin for ya? Inquiring minds want to know.

Oh...and hear's a peak at one of the fabs I dyed before the family invasion. Just got around to ironing and photographing them. I'm calling this one "Scrumptious Mud Pie". Wanna take a bite????




See ya next time "In the Hayloft",

Jounal Quilt Entry

Got in my studio today but don't say hurrah for me just yet. Spent most of the day doing paperwork that had been neglected for the last few weeks. I am all caught up now, but just with the paperwork mind you....not with the computer work, so a small hurrah would be appropriate (smile).

In the next few days I will also have to get to work on updating my website and.........reveal my little secret thing I've been working on. Stay tuned for that.

Here's a pic of my entry for the Houston Journal quilt challenge. I can show you it because I ran into a frustrating problem and therefore didn't get it finished before the deadline.

I painted the whole piece but because I painted a few layers over one section it didn't take to being machine quilted well. I would have to say it protested strongly and must have thought it looked quite good just painted.

Here is the traitor and I've made sure to point out the culprit in the pic above. I was quilting it to resemble a gust of wind (you know...the AIR element silly) coming in from one direction. You can see the first swirl I created. They're some big a _ _ needle holes aren't they?

Thing is I really liked this piece too. This would have been my first juried competition too (pouting lips here).

Oh well.........on to other things.


See ya next time "In the Hayloft",