Animal Fostering - Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue

Animal rescue is a rewarding but demanding mission.  Samantha and Emily, co-founders of the Eat, Play, Love Animal Rescue (rescue link) know this first hand.  The rescue exists due to their efforts and vision but equally because of the foster families who house, love and care for the rescued dogs and cats until they are permanently adopted.

These foster "moms and dads" are the unsung heroes of animal rescue.  While Samantha and Emily are the public face of Eat, Play, Love; visible during pet fairs, adoption days and on facebook, the foster families are the behind the scenes heroes; heroes who are cuddling, feeding and yes, poop scooping day in and day out. 

That is why I was so excited to be asked to create a special thank-you gift for a foster "mom" who took three abandoned shepherd pups into her home.  Nathalie bottle fed the three day old puppies and has raised them over the past nine weeks.  Now the puppies are healthy, rambunctious and ready for adoption. 

Working from a photo, I painted Nathalie smooching with Noel, one of the little female pups.  It captures Nathalie's love and devotion to all of her little charges.  Hopefully it will remind her of how deeply her efforts have been appreciated.

We are surrounded by every day heroes.  Why not take an opportunity to say, "I appreciate you." to a hero in your midst.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Sandra

Beans - A Photo Essay on Personal Transformtion

About a month ago I felt that I really needed to spend more time in prayer, meditating, thinking, reflecting and listening.  It is so easy to allow our routines and habits (even the good ones) to constantly dictate our actions.  It is even easier to allow ourselves to be influenced by the people we are surrounded by: at work, church, in social situations and at home.  Without realizing it we begin to adopt the attitudes and behaviours of those around us.

So, in order to undertake this time of solitude, I adjusted my routines and curtailed certain activities and eliminated others completely.  What I was able to create was time and space in which to ask the important questions and listen for the answers.  I was able to be still and quiet.... what a luxury.






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 It takes a deliberate effort to avoid living and looking like everyone else.




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 Taking time alone to reflect on our personal values and goals helps to us to align our lives with our values.



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 One of the benefits that I've noticed of spending more time in reflection is that some of my old belief systems and ways of thinking that once formed a hard shell have begun to be peeled away.





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Solitude, reflection and rest have allowed new ideas to germinate.



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New ideas and ways of thinking are the seeds of transformation.  Fresh perspectives lead to living authentic and creative lives, lives that are uniquely us.

 

 



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 Becoming the best version of ourselves isn't a selfish pursuit.  Our authenticity allows others to be released from their limiting shells as well.

 

 

 



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 Fully actualized and developed people are each unique,



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 they bring their best to their relationships and to the world. 

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day full of fresh ideas,

Sandra

Hand Painted Table Runner No. 2

A few months ago I published a post on how to make a hand painted table runner.  That first table runner had a floral design and today, I just want to very quickly show you another that I have completed that is a whimsical version using birds and chicks as the design theme.

Hand Painted Table Runner
S. King-Allikas

Hand Painted Table Runner
S. King-Allikas

 

What I thought was fun was to use bits of collage to represent the birds' wings.  I used a palette knife to paint most of the background and then a brush to outline the birds.  Placing the birds in different directions avoids the design from having a one way orientation only.

 

You could make a few of these and tuck them away for gift giving.  Just remember that to store these table runners you will need to roll them up, not fold them.

 

Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

 

Wishing you a fun and whimsical day,

 

Sandra



 

 





 



Painting of a Teacup

My previous posts this month have been about creating a warm cozy home environment in which to nestle for these frigid winter months.  With all of that sorting, purging and beautifying done my focus has wandered back to the easel.

I've just finished a 36" x 36" painting of a teacup.  The use of a simple subject allowed me to employ texture, collage and to play around with the background without the painting becoming too busy or fussy.  Setting the cup off kilter lends an unexpected and playful element to an otherwise very traditional still life subject.

Painting of a Teacup
36" x 36" Mixed Media
Sandra King-Allikas

The inside of the cup is covered in collage (A special thank you to Stella for amply supplying me with collage material!).   

Detail - Painting of a Teacup
Bird motif and its reflection
Sandra King-Allikas

During the painting process I noticed a motif of a bird had quite accidentally appeared on the upper right hand side sitting on the saucer (you may have to use your imagination), then I noticed a small dark reflection of the bird on the saucer just below it.  That's weird, I thought.  Later, as I was working on the collaged area at the upper left,  I notice another bird motif (see the light coloured square and how the space between the collage creates a geometric shaped bird facing left?).  It's interesting how our subconscious works.  My painting mentor didn't hesitate when I pointed them out to her...."Freedom", she said, "Birds represent the concept of freedom and what your subconscious is dealing with will float (or should I say fly?) to the surface of your paintings."

Detail - Painting of a Teacup
Bird motif in collage
Sandra King-Allikas



Freedom.  I have been pondering the concept of freedom; the word appears on the pages of my journal, in my prayers and in my conversations.  I am realizing more and more that I have so much freedom, much more than I ever believed; it was only the constraints of old belief systems, the expectations of others and self-imposed limits that ever clipped my wings.  What a wonderful feeling, freedom... now that is my cup of tea!

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

May you be truly free today,

Sandra

Make a Hand Painted Pillow

It's wintery and blustery and oh so chilly.  Here's an idea for making a beautiful hand painted pillow that will be comfy and add a pretty touch to a special cozy corner.

I created this painting pretty much as I would for any of my traditional paintings, so that it a truly original piece of art and signed by the artist. 

To create this project you will need.

Canvas type fabric
Acrylic paint
Paint brush or pallet knife
duct tape or masking tape
a pillow form or fibrefill for the stuffing
a sewing machine or needle and thread for hand sewing.

I think the process is probably obvious for most DIY-ers but here are some photos to guide you.

tape off area to be painted

Create your masterpiece
(don't worry the fabric will get wavy until it dries)

Let paint dry. Remove masking tape.

 

Sign your name

With right sides together, sew the back and front of the pillow
together, leaving an opening for your pillow form.
Turn, trim corners and insert the pillow form.
I made mine so that the cover could be removed for laundering.
Yes! they are washable on a delicate cycle, hang to dry.



• If you want to make your pillow cover washable you will have to "set" the paint.  Once the paint is fully dry, place it on your ironing board.  Cover the painted area completely with an old tea towel or piece of cotton fabric.  Iron on a high setting for about 20 seconds.  Remove the tea towel and let cool.

Let your imagination run wild, or coordinate your colours to your decor.  With some supervision, even your children can create a pillow for their room or to give as a gift.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a pillowy-soft kinda day,

Sandra

Make your own whole wheat sugar free pita bread

Healthy Whole Wheat Pita Bread
(No Oil or Sugar)
Sandra King-Allikas

 Sometimes desperation forces me to take radical actions.  Such was the case when for the second week in a row I haven't been able to find my usual whole wheat pita bread.  I'm particular when it comes to my food (some would say picky). I don't want to eat sugar, white flour or ingredients that I wouldn't use in my own cooking.  I also don't especially like a list of ingredients that says it may contain something or it may not.  After reading the ingredients list of four other whole wheat pita bread packages I left without any.

But wait, this story has a very happy ending.  I found a recipe on line click here for recipe for Healthy Whole Wheat Pita Bread (No Oil or Sugar).  One batch yields 10 pitas (mine made 8) which is enough for an entire week.  In addition, this recipe was quick and easy but the best, best part is how delicious they taste.

I am no kitchen goddess, so when I say this was easy, you can be sure that it is really easy.

Thank you for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a delicious day,

Sandra

Home as Haven - Part IV

Maybe you are still reeling from the thought of sorting through that part of your home that has become the dumping ground for all  matter of things that you don't want to deal with or that do not have a designated storage place.  Part - III

Because that task may actually take you days (weeks?) to complete, let's not forget to keep our spirits up.  Indulge your senses as you move from room to room looking for little touches that you can incorporate to bring warmth, light, scent, sound and texture to your winter nest, your refuge from the dark and blustery days and nights of January.

Yesterday I made of candle for our dining room using pure bees wax, the scent is sweet and reminiscent of honey, the colour is beautifully rich.  There is something special about candles that you make yourself.  As far as DIY projects go, it doesn't get much easier.

DIY Bees wax candle
Sandra King-Allikas




Pure bees wax, candle wicks, a mold,
and a double boiler for melting the wax.
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There are plenty of on-line tutorials that will guide you through the process of candle making if you are unsure.  I used an empty coffee cream container as my candle mold.

Another super easy, scent-pleasing, idea is to stick whole cloves into oranges.  You can insert them randomly or create a design.  Arrange the decorated oranges on a beautiful saucer or bowl.  The cloves pierce the orange peel releasing a delicate, natural spicy-citrus scent. 

While you have the spices out, place a cup of water in a small saucepan, sprinkle in some cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg.  Simmer this mixture, uncovered, over low heat (checking that it doesn't evaporate) for several hours and your home will be deliciously scented for the day.

To freshen your linen closet, place a few bars of lavender soap among your towels and sheets.  Your closet will smell lovely when you open the door and your linens will have a delicate scent .

While we're on the subject of scents, may I mention a personal pet peeve?  Yes? Thank you.  Air fresheners; in my opinion, if you are not able to create a wholesome air freshener from ingredients in your kitchen, just forget it and carry on your merry way.  Those chemical filled plug-ins, sprays, waxy twist opens, time release swooshes are unnatural, over bearing and potentially dangerous (I know, I know... what isn't potentially dangerous to our health?...but still!)  Even strongly chemically scented candles should be done away with, in my humble opinion.

Phew, I feel much better now.  Where were we?  Ah yes, keeping your spirits up and your home beautiful while you do the "heavy-lifting" of  decluttering: filing, shredding, donating, organizing, down-sizing and generally getting your junk to the curb.  If you find your determination waning, try tacking up a photo of a room that has the feel you would like to achieve in your own home.  Let this be your inspiration as you continue to liberate your home and yourself.

Thank you for stopping in at My Turquoise Kettle life today.

Wishing you a scent-uous day,

Sandra