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You are here: Home / Archives for jigsaw puzzles

Friday

April 19, 2024 at 9:07 am by Claudia

The trees in this puzzle were a challenge, to say the least. Many is the day that Don could hear me cursing as I tried to figure out what piece went where. But….I finally finished it on Wednesday.

Central Park in Autumn. And because it is an autumn theme, I got it for a deep discount. It’s done. I survived the trees. And today, I’ll take it apart and box it up. It may be time to shift to oil painting. Since I have only one spot in which to paint or put together a puzzle, the puzzles will have to cease – at least, temporarily.

I don’t necessarily feel inspired to paint, though I do keep getting occasional suggestions to get back to it. These suggestions or nudges are not from Don or anyone else. They come from a little voice inside my head. I usually think my finished paintings – the ones I consider successful – to be flukes and that I won’t be able to find that mysterious thing I had when I was painting them again. And then I feel like I’m up against some wall or other that keeps me from simply playing with paint. It’s a struggle.

It rained on Wednesday and on Thursday, so we were house bound. I’m hoping to get outside today and get some work done. I think I need to make a list, because I am constantly thinking about what needs to be done, but it’s a jumble in my brain. Time to organize my thoughts!

Don has a gig on Sunday afternoon and it’s just a couple of towns away from us. I think he’s filming again on May 1st, but that date is not set in stone.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

 

Filed Under: jigsaw puzzles 16 Comments

Rain, Filming, and a Puzzle

April 5, 2024 at 7:52 am by Claudia

Wednesday was a day of torrential rain. It never stopped. I even heard thunder, which is rare this time of year. Don left the house at 5 am and returned around 10:15. His work day was 12 hours, routine for filming (the same hours I worked on Spoiler Alert.) But when you add in the 90 minute commute to Yonkers, where they filmed, you work a very long day. Don had a good time on that set, he loved the director and the cast. He was more than a bit stressed heading into Wednesday as he hadn’t worked in so long. But once he got there, it was all very familiar.

I’m proud of him. And, he has two more episodes in a month or so. He forgot to tell me that! “Didn’t I tell you??” No. You did not. It’s so good to see him working again in a profession he has been a part of for over 50 years.

I started this puzzle, which was the cheapest 1000 piece puzzle I could find on Amazon, most likely because it has an autumn theme. It kept me sane while the rain was pounding on the roof.

It’s cold again and will be for the next couple of nights. Next week will be warmer. Finally!

I’m reading Daniel Silva books like crazy. I read many of his spy thrillers in the past but somehow stopped reading them around 9 years ago. This time around, I started with his newest and I’m working my way backwards to where I left off. Though I’m not certain exactly where I left off. He’s such a good writer, the kind of writer who writes so well that I become completely immersed in the plot and can’t put it down. I’m grateful for having found him again.

I hope to get outside today to do some more work. There is much to be done!

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: Don, jigsaw puzzles, rain 24 Comments

A Finished Puzzle and More Egg Cups

March 22, 2024 at 8:40 am by Claudia

The low last night was 20 degrees. Yikes! And Wednesday night and Thursday were wind events.

Okay. I’m over it. Let’s get back to spring, okay?

First up, I finished my puzzle:

This is from Cavallini – Vintage Italian Tarot Cards. They are striking and beautifully illustrated. It was a lot of fun to work on this one. The hardest part was the blue background, which I ignored until the end of the process.

I thought I’d share the way I have to stand on a chair to get these puzzle photos.

Egg cup tour continued:

On the left: two morning glory egg cups that I found in Paris. I think they’re newish, but there isn’t any mark on them. How could I ignore morning glories?

On the right: these two cups are definitely new as I found them at Abbey Road Studios in London. I couldn’t resist!

On the left: two wooden egg cups that were a gift from a reader – Treen (small domestic objects made of wood.)

On the right: a large double cup from Hankscraft. The simple lines are reminiscent of Art Deco.

Vintage.

On the left: a very old egg cup from Spode. It’s exquisite. The pattern is Chelsea Bird. More on that later.

On the right: a silver egg cup from a shop in Paris that was a block from our hotel. Don insisted on buying it for me. It’s very small and the pattern on the base is Art Nouveau. I polished it just for you. It’s vintage, but I have no idea of the date.

The inside of the Spode cup has lovely details.

A beetle.

A butterfly.

And, I suppose, the Chelsea Bird.

I’d love to find more Spode egg cups. They’re truly beautiful.

The sun is shining. Here’s hoping it warms up nicely today.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

Filed Under: collecting, egg cups, jigsaw puzzles 24 Comments

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I live in a little cottage in the country with my husband. It's a sweet place, sheltered by old trees and surrounded by gardens. The inside is full of the things we love. I love to write, I love my camera, I love creating, I love gardening. My decorating style is eclectic; full of vintage and a bit of whimsy.

I've worked in the theater for more years than I can count. I'm currently a voice, speech, dialect and text coach freelancing on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theater.

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