Los Angeles Zoo

Well, of course flamingos are always in zoos and usually toward the front. They started bickering and my mom especially wanted me to take pics.

I will say we made the best of our trip although the L.A. zoo leaves something to be desired. I hadn't been there in years and they're still under major construction of a lot of the same things that are still blocked and not open. I look forward to seeing large cats and reptiles. The reptile house was closed and there were only a few through the park. Also, many animals are in fenced in cages (terrible for pics) and deep in shadow and plants. Many were hiding too. It seemed like the antelope/gazelle types were the most visible.

My mom's absolute favorite animals are giraffes and I encourage any love of animals. Not so usually seen at zoos are these Masaii giraffes :o)
I've gotten my mom pins, clothing, whatever I can think of with giraffes on them.

And last but not least are some of my favorites. I'd say my top

faves are wild cats and reptiles, also unusual animals. These two came out particularly nice :o)

Back to You

Well, I started off my day in L.A., CA by going to my annual painting spot at Color Me Mine (a paint on ceramics place). I always decide what I want to do before so I can print out a lot of reference photos. This year, I decided to paint and squirrel monkey and baby on a plate. I'll upload a pic when I get home though it needs to be fired first at this point. I was rushing because I can easily spend 7-10 hrs there. It opened at 11am. My mom came along too and it was a bit after 12 by the time we sat down to paint. She painted a surprise for my sister and couldn't stay too long since she was meeting someone. I was rushing to finish by 4pm and went a little over on time but all worked out well.

The whole time issue was to make it to see a taping of Back To You, the tv show with Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. It is a really well written show. Other than the studio being freezing and the random lines seeming inefficient, you could tell that the actual production was filled to the brim with seasoned professionals. There were only 2 or 3 takes per scene with a couple exceptions. Sometimes it runs to 10pm but it refreshingly let out around 8pm. Not that I wouldn't have been happy to see more but I don't like being cold ;o)

Some scenes were recorded ahead of time which is why things didn't take as long. The majority of the scenes were with Grammer, Heaton and the young girl who plays Grace. Other than seeing a game show when I was quite young, this was the first sitcom I've seen on set. The girl who plays Grace was exceptionally professional. I don't think I could ever keep a straight face through the majority of those scenes. This is the episode when she find out that Chuck, played by Grammer, is her father. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but the director, writers and actors are really great and a lot of fun. I'm not exactly sure when the episode will air, we were told 4-5 weeks.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Sea World for the day, will update when I can :o)
~Rachel

Welcome Bruno the Monkey to the World!

I had so much fun creating this pattern, it kind of just developed itself. I made the dog and cat patterns because of a request I saw but once I started with making up animals, I'm on a kick. My plan is to keep creating until I have a blanket full for me. Yay! I let my sister know which other animals I had in mind and she loves monkeys, so Bruno was born!
In the beginning, I planned for the same look but as I was working, the open mouth and banana slices came to mind and now I find him beyond adorable :o)
I got the look of puffy and lacy stitches that I wanted so happy it all worked out.

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for L.A. for a vacation so looking forward to some nice relaxing time. I'll update when I can but will have limited access. Hope to have more fun things to put up when I get back.

Stay tuned for information about my upcoming class for beginning crocheters. It'll be 2 session and the plan so far is for late June/July.
~Rachel

Shelter - A linocut original print

An Explanation of Original Prints and Ranking:

I put everything I had into this printmaking class. We printed hundreds in hopes of perfection. The original edition was no more than 25 of closest to perfection pieces. I am offering a choice of quality (A, B or C) on Etsy because that made the most sense. There are maybe 15-25 APs that will be offered at most.

An Explanation of the Image:

I wanted everything I had and put into the class to be mine. I chose to create images to illustrate poems and prose I had jotted down previously, those phrases that just jumped out at me with an image.The linoleum board is carved into with the mirror image of the print (the reverse of the words too) with carving tools. A brayer is used to smoothly roll out the ink and then apply it to the cut. Paper is laid over and then it is rolled through a printing press. A barren or wooden spoon may be used as well. Then the paper is removed and placed on a rack to dry. This print features a young girl sitting against the brick wall of an alley holding a cup with a dollar bill and reads "Shelter herself from the truth of the LIGHT"

I just love the boldness and stroke marks you get when working in this medium. It's been a while since I've last done a linocut. Hopefully I will have time for another within the next couple months. I have to work on a smaller scale at home though :o)

Here is the New Pattern :o)

Well, adding this in the last post was giving me issues so I'm attempting it again.
Over the weekend, after some trial and error that drove me crazy, I finally finished my Cat and Heart new granny square patterns. I'm just offering the patterns on Etsy. I only have the patience to make one of each. I plan to continue adding animals to my granny square offers and eventually end up with a blanket for myself.


The patterns will be offered on Etsy. So, you can choose your fave 1 or 2 animals or end up with the whole set too. The process will take months but I love animals and look forward to creating them.

**Stay tuned: I will be offering a Crocheting 101 for beginners class toward the end of May online.

Flower Painting

While working on my MA, I assisted in some after school kids classes at the Y in Manhattan. The best deal was that for every class I assisted in, I got to take one for free. I ended up taking workshops in encaustic, collage and resin. As for classes, I took mostly painting and jewelry making but some drawing as well. Having the allotted time and schedule allowed me to be very productive.
This is an oil of a still life on a 10" x 10" canvas. I set up the fresh flowers and just wanted a pretty and light painting. It is definitely not one of my usual themes but I focused on still lives for that class the entire semester.

Now available on Etsy.