TERRIFIC STORM AFTERMATH!

I haven't been able to catch up with everyone this past week.  In case you haven't heard, Santa Cruz got SLAMMED with this latest storm.  First the tsunami hit the harbor worse than any other area on the shores of the US.  They are still digging around for sunken boats.  Then a week later the storm that just dumped amazing amounts of water for days on end reeked havoc with our quaint little community.  A huge pipe broke in a mobil home park and it flooded the entire little sea  side village of Capitola...I mean the entire village under two/three feet of water.  All the lovely beach homes and vacation rentals had to be evacuated, for the second time in one week.  All the merchants and restaurants are closed, it's devastating to say the least.

We, ourselves, had several large evergreen trees fall.  One that blocked our driveway and took out all of our power lines for 150ft.  No water, heat, phones or electricity for several days.  Then the other big one landed on my car!  That's right, I said my car.  We couldn't pull into our driveway because of the big tree and parked my car down further towards the road...I didn't feel good about leaving it there either, but at least it was away from live dangling power wires....but alas, a tree from the opposite side of the canyon that borders our 1/4 mile drive into the forest, decided to fall, through all odds and about thirty other trees, and land on our side.  Thank god it was just the upper part of the tree so it was only a foot in diameter, as opposed to the two/three foot base. But damage it did anyway.  I will find out tomorrow if they are really going to total my car...very sad for me...I really love my car.  

So bare with me another week while I get some things together and can catch up with the rest of you on my list and share the art projects I've been working on.  It's amazing how much work you can get done when you have no electricity and it's pouring outside.  I just set up my easel by a big window, bundled up with sweaters, gloves and blankets on my lap, and worked on Rod.  

Hope all  is well with everyone else.  Keep dry....and find a way to create no matter what, 

trust me, it can be done if you have the mind too...xx, juner

IF YOU CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT AND GO DOWN THE CANYON TO THE WATER LOOK PAST THE TALL DARK STANDING TREE IN THE MIDDLE TO IT'S LOWER LEFT.  THERE IS THE BASE OF THE TREE THAT FELL.  THE ROOTS CAN BE SEEN ON THE LOWER RIGHT OF THE BROWN STANDING TREE.  FOLLOW UP THE SIDE OF THE HILL AND IT KEEPS GOING FOR ANOTHER FIFTY FEET OR MORE TO REACH OUR DRIVE.  I GUESS IT WAS MEANT TO BE!

A PIECE OF THE BIG TREE THAT LANDED ACROSS OUR DRIVE...HUGE ROOTS

THE MIDDLE PART OF THE TREE WE HAD TO SAW TO CLEAR FROM THE DRIVE TO PASS. THIS COMES UP TO MY TORSO...WE HAD TO CLIMB OVER IT TO GET INTO THE HOUSE.

MY PASSENGER DOOR, NO WINDOW AT ALL, NO MIRROR, NO ANTENA.  THEN THE DOOR MOUNT TO THE WINDSHIELD IS THE WORSE.  THE FRONT FENDER IS DAMAGED, THE HOOD, THE HEADLITE, THE BUMMPER...I BELIEVE THAT'S IT.....IT'S ENOUGH!

MY NEW TREASURES FROM OWOH

I have received three out of four of the gifts that I won from OWOH.  I decided not to wait for the fourth gift, hopefully she will send it soon.

In the meantime I wanted to give my thx to the other artist who did sent their gifts.  Please make sure you stop by and see what they do, up close.  It's definitely worth the visit.

First up is my winnings from the UK and Sherry Edwards.  As you may recall Sherry also won on my giveaway and received her poster of Mick Jagger in good shape....So Mick is in the UK where he rightfully belongs. I received a sweet little package that contained the Distressing Inks and pads...VERY happy about that to say the least.  Since I'm not a "paper" artist, I had never seen these before and was hoping I would win them to see what I could do with them. Apparently I'm in the dark about these, which worked in my favor, since I REALLY wanted to win them...yay! me. 

                           

Next up turns out to be the last blog I visited and is at the top of my list of favorite gifts...no hard feelings to anyone else...but seriously, how cute is this little Queenie?  She came all the way from Pennsylvania and Lorraine, who was a part of a group blog that was all about dolls.  But you guessed it, I pretty much won one of the very best ones there...seems I got the luck of the draw.  I have her hanging in my parlor, which happens to be my painting room as well...Her name is Sprite. She makes me smile.

    
My next gift came all the way from Australia where Liv Scarcella  does her work.  She does scrap/paper art and she sent me the sweetest little charm bracelet.  I chose the frog...good feng shui!  And here he is sitting on my antique leather tooled chair...seemed  apropos for the occasion. Again, you may recall that Liv was also a winner of mine and she received her Janis Joplin poster just last week!...it takes some time to get things to Australia...but home she is.
                

                  

           And last but not least, this is my final win from Sylvia in Illinois...I hope she is alright and will send out my gift soon...this is special, considering it is the final OWOH.  So my sincere thx to everyone who not only participated, but pulled my number.  And thx to the many new friends I added to my heart.

This was a good year.

                             

                          

THE GARDEN

So it has begun, the building of my garden.  This is something I have looked forward to most of my adult life.  And I finally have the space and property to do so.  The "kids" that live here in the cottage had a simple little makeshift kind of space they had been using.  It was the quaintest little thing...I loved it.  However, the sides were falling down and the deer netting was tangled and the silvia was taking over.  So I thought I would just go in and beef it up a bit...well, so much for that idea.  

The next thing you know I am completely remaking the garden, in both structure and dimension.  Ray brought in an old shed he had to become part of the wall and is planning on covering the siding with wood....so here are some photos to show you the process.  

Still got a ways to go...but LOVE doing it!  enjoy, xx juner

THE GARDEN BEFORE
SUPER CUTE!

LOADS OF NETTING AND HUGE SPACES

THE OUTSIDE SPACE GOING DOWN SOME STEPS AND SILVIA CUT BACK TO REVEAL PLUM TREE
THIS WILL BE A FENCED IN YARD AREA FOR OUR SOON TO COME NEW PUPPY
 BEFORE

THE BUILDING OF THE FENCE AND A PLUM TREE NOW VISIBLE
SILVIA CUT BACK BUT WILL BE COMPLETELY REMOVED FOR NEW BUSHESS
AFTER

THE ADDITION OF SHED WITHOUT WOOD SIDING YET

TRELLS I'M BUILDING TO HOLD BIRD HOUSES AND VINES
IT IS TWO SIDED NOW...NEW PHOTOS SOON

ME AT WORK (IN MY MATHILDA TEE SHIRT, HA!0

WORK TO FINISH....IT'S TIME!

Since my move in here with Ray almost six months ago I have been non stop...literally.   I don't even know how I found the time to get out to as many of you as I did during OWOH...Oh! 
 I almost forgot to say that I am the very lucky recipient of FOUR gifts!  
It's mind boggling how that happened, but yay for me! 
 As soon as I receive all the gifts I will post my winnings and their very talented owners. 
So look for that, hopefully, next week.

In the meantime as I was saying, time to get back to work.  So after a couple of weeks of messing about attempting some new things, I decided it was time to finish some older pieces that need finishing.  
So I thought if I shared them with you it would force me to move ahead even quicker
No one wants public humiliation.  So without further ado...
These are the pieces I am about to finish within the next few weeks.
Wish me luck!

Actually I thought it was about time I showed you something other than my doors...

and potatoes...ha ha..!! enjoy, xx juner

ROD THE MOD..Still needs MAJOR work!
And will complete the Union Jack Series which includes,
MICK JAGGER, which you already have seen, and ELTON JOHN
(see below)

So I began this last year, before all the HOOPLA...
I've decided to go ahead
 and finish Ol Jessie James here.
His tatts will have all the color.
This is part of my "BIKES, TATTS & ROCK COLLECTION"

This has a banner on the bottom which reads
"40 YEARS OF BAD ASS ROCK N ROLL..COMING TO YOU NATIONWIDE"
This is to commemorate their 40 yrs and Sturgis 70 yrs
ZZ was the opening act at this last year event.
The band was interested in the piece...but who knows?
The jackets still need their embellishments which include
colored gems that fade from black & white
into color, eventually reflecting onto the bumper.
Beards still need detail...chrome girls, etc.

THIS IS A PHOTO OF ELTON THAT I WILL BE WORKING FROM...
ACTUALLY IT MAY BE FUN TO DOCUMENT THIS PAINTING FROM BEGINNING TO END....

I can't believe I'm sharing my unfinished work!  This is sooo NOT me...I''m about building a painting..It takes layering of work. THESE ARE STILL RAW...Oh well, I'm doing it now.

If this doesn't get me motivated I don't know what will!  ROCK ON!!  xx