Fandago Flamingo

I first learned how to knit using round looms in September 2006. Soon after, I bought my own set of round looms, called Knifty Knitters and set to work creating hats, which only took a few hours to make.

Very quickly, my kids caught the knitting bug, too, and set off to make their own knitted hats, too.
By December 2006, I had bought a rake loom, or straight loom, and started making scarves and potholders. For Christmas that year I knitted 14 scarf/hat sets for gifts. I thought of them as art and decided each of my creations must have a creative name.
This little hat, just knitted yesterday, for my daughter, I named Fandago Flamingo.

This hat is so soft, fluffy and warm, and looks cute on my little girl. Don't you think?

Jenna asked me to include this photo of her special cat, Javelina, our sweet Manx kitty. She is completely devoted to Jenna and is never far from her side. If Jenna leaves the house, Javelina cries and paces until Jenna returns. Every night, Javelina sleeps wrapped tightly around Jenna's head, with her furry cheek next to my daughter's cheek. Javelina seems to think this hat is a snuggle toy for her and has tried to carry it off to sleep on it.

So, is anyone else knitting, crocheting, or doing crafts to make gifts for the holidays right now?

Happy Knitting!

Just Do It Already!

Wake Up!!

Get your can off the wall...and go vote!

Don't just sit there! Get moving!

That's right. Grab a snack before you head out.....but not that snack.

Nor that one either.

Make sure you know who you're voting for before you go. The left or the right....the white or the...er....which end of the horse are you voting for?

Come on now! Stop spinning your gears.

It's time to head out. Don't let transportation stop you. Catch a ride if you can.

Travel with a friend. It's alot more fun.

Whichever ride you take, just don't hang around. Get moving!

Hopefuly when the votes have all been counted, you'll look like this:

And not this:

Because we all know how bad the mud slinging's been. It's been feeling alot like this silly game.

So, don't be an a**.

Go vote!!
I got my vote in last week. And it really didn't stink too bad.

***ps. Do your homework! Don't vote on looks or the way a candidate speaks. Or from other's opinions. Vote off the facts and the research that's been done. Look at all the angles and not just personal feelings. This is a major election, people. One that effects us all and our entire country. VOTE RESPONSIBLY!!!!!***

~All the above photos were taken by myself and my friend, Val, using her camera, while letterboxing in Santa Fe last weekend.(Thanks Val!!)

Science and Art

Jenna is very interested in bones, skeletons and skulls. She asks a bazillion questions about animals and their bones. We do a lot of research and reading to answer her focused questions. She also enjoys art. So here she is enjoying two of her favorite things: The Science of the Skeletal System of the Horse and Art.

Old Yeller

(a mural outside the center)
Last week we visited the South Broadway Cultural Center to watch a play, with our homeschool group, based on the popular book, "Old Yeller".
We were expecting it to be a little silly with a person wearing a dog costume or a silly puppet, and indeed, there was a silly dog puppet. But the very talented actors carried this play high above their shoulders and easily made their audience forget that the puppet was not a real dog. We laughed and we cried.
I surprised even myself in trying to keep the tears from flowing and only succeeded in controlling a gush and all out bawling.
When we walked out, we noticed several children and adults still wiping tears from their eyes. And they weren't just tears of saddness either.
There was also that magical happy ending, too. My sons and I had an exceptionally good time and were so happy that we were taken on that fun journey.
It was that good.

Cut and Organize

Jenna likes things neat, orderly and organized. Everything in it's place. She also likes to take paper and cut it into tiny pieces. It keeps her very busy for a long time.

Jenna's Pen and Ink

Jenna, who will be 5 in about a week (!!!), has taken to using computer paper and doing sketches while I'm on the computer. She insists on taking the finished artwork and taping them to her walls and door.
Her art is always interesting. And she takes the entire process seriously, too.(Click pictures for larger views)

Daily Artist

Jenna spends a portion of each day creating some kind of artwork. She uses anything from crayons, pencils, pens, paint, play-doh, modeling clay, moon sand, chalk, etc

Here's a little something she worked on the other day.

Ceramic Llamas? Chickens?

For the past few months, we've been participating in some ceramic classes our local homeschooling group has been hosting. We've really enjoyed the creative outlet and trying our hands at painting some fun tiled artwork for the house, too.


For pics and updates of our ranch critters, click here: Laughing Orca Ranch Blog

Here are my tiles. Of course, our two llamas, Cataleya and Catlinite grace the tiles. I was honored during one class to find that a young girl in our group decided to create her own llama tiles, too.
A picture of all 3 of the tiles I made during the classes.
A close-up of the chicken tile I painted.
Jackson & Jeremiah painted these two creative tiles.
And here's Jenna's swirly, magical tile.

Jem's Clay

Jeremiah's been into creating things with modeling clay and play-doh for the past few weeks. He likes me to take photos of his creations, so he can tear them apart afterwards and start something new.
So here goes:
This is a Manger Scene.

An airplane and a helicopter

Doodle Art

Jenna has been enjoying her Doodle Pro and creates artsy doodles all throughout the day.
The Doodle Pro is perfect for her because she doesn't mind not keeping her art. She never insists on papering the walls with her paintings or art projects (though we sometimes do anyway). She is prefectly content with creating something artistic and then deleting it or throwing it away.
So, at least with the Doodle Board we are recycling! hehe

Jenna showing off her 'sibling portrait'
That's a portrait of Jenna, Jackson & Jeremiah. Pretty good use of magnetic shapes, don't you think?