Wednesday, May 19, 2010

creating is a messy business...



as you know - sometimes you have to make a really big mess to get to where you want to go... and that is what happened in the studio yesterday - the storm before the calm, so to speak...




here is a sneak peek at the new 'baseball' dart board, titled "the game"....


after drawing, erasing and drawing again - experimenting to find the perfect mix of color, not to dark or to light - i was happy with the way this piece turned out...


some of my work screams drama, for i tend to be pulled in by the deeper shades....this piece is a good mix of deep colors, as well as fun colors to make it just pop enough - and after i add the stains and waxes it will be toned down to a warm piece.
i think a good mix of summer days and nights...


it will be about a week or more before the woodwork is completed and i can show the final piece to you....but i will add a photo of the piece when i'm done - and if you would like a piece for your own collection, to commemorate the american past time, or to honor your children in their own times of playing ball - just let me know...this too will be a limited piece, as sadly this time in their lives is limited...
enjoy this most wonderful time of year...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

catching up on life...


it's been weeks since i sat in my quiet world blogging....life took over...

13 days left of school, so the pressure is on to not only stay on task in the studio, but to get ahead and then look ahead...







we are in full swing of baseball...which i just love....late nights watching 4th graders play this much loved game - a symbol of america in my mind...

so as i was going through my books of antique game boards - i found the perfect piece to begin...






a board dedicated to the fun of baseball...which brings to my mind, warm nights, fireflies, ground in dirt, leather gloves thrown here and there, bats leaning against the walls...i love this time of year and i love baseball...




if you are lucky enough to own "the art of the game" book of antique boards - you can take a peek at what i'm working on...

plate #59
dart board
c. 1930


i will add a photo of the piece when i'm done - and if you would like a piece for your own collection, to commemorate the american past time, or to honor your children in their own times of playing ball - just let me know...this too will be a limited piece, as sadly this time in their lives is limited...



here is my link if you would like to browse:

Thursday, April 29, 2010

i'm almost caught up!






i know - it's really hard to believe, for this never happens....i did slide back a bit - worked wayyyy to hard last week and hurt my neck in the process...today is the first day that i can turn my head and lift again....but i'm nearly done and that's not bad considering all the decorating you all have been doing with game boards!






if you think you might want something for your home in may, please browse my site; for i don't want to sit here twiddling my thumbs!






Tuesday, April 27, 2010

new game board!

"bina's boys"






a client of mine, bina, who lives in california, wanted me to design a chinese checker board for her home....she wanted a 'rose', but not to girlie of a rose, for she is the mom of boys and wants to pass this piece on to them one day...after mixing and remixing and then mixing some more....i think i found the perfect 'rose', not to girlie, a bit of brown mixed in there to give it some 'boy' strength...






so welcome 'bina's boys' to my collection of chinese checker boards....i think you are just the perfect mix of mom and sons...






and here are bina's thoughts when she opened her box:
Dear Diane,

I just received the beautiful board you created and I think I shall cry. It's so lovely and I'm glad I listened to your advice re: the colors. The note on the back is so sweet. My oldest is deciding soon where to go to college (probably, UW, Madison) and I know that it's going to be initially hard for me! Thank you for adding the tiny floral touches - they're delightful. Again, thank you for being a creator of such lovely works that will become heirlooms in different people's homes for years to come - a real legacy!
With appreciation!
Bina
ahhhh - it makes this oh so worth it when you all are so sweet to me! if you would like one for yourself or to give as a gift, just let me know for i'm happy to make one for you...
19" x 19" - $235.00

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

random photos of things i love...


these are random photos of things that i liked, when i see something that causes a stir in me; whether a giggle, an 'oh i need that', or to ponder the amazing minds out there creating, i hit 'save'...so here's just a montage of these things....



















my taste in decorating is all over the place....always has been...












gummy bears








if i were a princess...






just a giggle...






dream in color...









here's a link to my site if you would like to browse: www.dallisongameboards.com

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

MIA and ..random thinking



yes, i've been away from blogging....i've been sitting back and taking in a bit of spring....it is really amazing what happens in just a week...where a week ago the points of plants in my flower garden were busy pushing themselves up towards the sun and warmth, and just one week later my bleeding hearts are nearly 12 inches higher...the tulips are blooming and the leaves are starting to pop on the trees....by next week we will have shade...




it seems that the town is finally shedding off that horrible winter....but it has been a slow start; i think everyone was taking a tentative step outside - but the cookouts have started, the children are shooting hoops and running through the yards until dusk...a breath of relief...




i found myself last night having yet another gall bladder 'attack'....i've had them for years, and was going to get to taking care of that one day....so about a year ago my dr. sent me to the surgeon to lay it all out for me after the tests had been done...he stated to me 'your gallbladder is barely working'....to my amusement i felt like it was kind of like me, just getting off to a slow start sometimes....i told him i'd rather hang on to it, since it was really working, just taking it's time...he smiled and said, 'you know you will be back, they always come back'....well after hours of suffering last night i recalled that many of my friends who have had the same problem told me - you will find yourself on the floor, not being able to get up - well it wasn't quite that bad - i found myself all over the house, hardly being able to get up - so i guess the bottom line is i doubt i will be able to wait 'just one more time' to see if the next 'event' was as bad as this one...maybe it's time to take that break and get it taken care of? hmmmmm - i'll be thinking about that....(yes mommmmm, i will)




we went to a cave this weekend....i've always been attracted to caving...i think there is another name for it "spelunking"....which sounds more like if your body was falling and hitting some hard surface to me....anyway, we took eli for he had never been in one...the guide turned off all signs of lights when we were inside - it was blacker than any black i'd ever seen...he told us stories of cavers who's lights had gone out and they had to find their way out...so i've decided caving 'might' not be for me....but i'm still undecided for sure...





and the bats alone, are pretty darn creepy and everywhere....ewwwwww - but they were teeny tiny - as the guide said, they look like a chicken nugget....but still creepyyyyy.






as i was laying in bed this morning i remembered a conversation with some friends last night - they went to florida on spring break - the 'underbelly' of florida, so to speak....they went on a 'modified' school bus ride through a swamp to view the gators, wild pigs and horrifyingly, much more...




i had to chuckle to myself because it led me to the thought when i was a little kid - my parents would take us to the park to cook out - this was certainly a tradition for fathers day, and any other reason they could come up with....when 'us' kids were done eating we would ask "can we go feed the gators?"...."sure", my parents would say....and the three of us girls would grab the leftover marshmallows to follow the paths down to where the gators could, if we were lucky enough, be found....(now don't think my parents were slackers in the ole parenting department - they didn't know those gators could run as fast as they can - ahhhh, nothing like tv teaching us the dangers!)




fyi....gators don't eat marshmellows, they just bounce off their mouths....
if you are in need of some color, here's my link: www.dallisongameboards.com







Thursday, March 25, 2010

new boards!





nothing like winter to inspire new boards in spring colors....


"leola" (parcheesi board) - my 6th piece in the limited series of gee's bend quilts is finally here - and i think this one might just be my favorite...




i love this piece in a golden brown, bluish grey and touch of yellow and red...

this is limited to 25 pieces

19" x 19" (birch and poplar)
$210.00
(23 are still available)
to read more about 'leola' please scan down to the feb. post or you can read more on my website in the gee's bend section.




this second parcheesi piece is titled "ruth" - truly a spring feeling piece...
this piece was made for a dear friend's 80th birthday...
and her favorite colors were used; rose, wedgewood green, blue and gold
& of course her name is 'ruth'

19" x 28"
$245.00

limited edition of 25
(23 are still available)



if you would like to order one of these limited pieces just click on this link to go to my site; you can then email me or give me a call:



Sunday, March 21, 2010

how much do i love you?


very very much! thanks everyone for all of your nice notes, photos, thank you's and commiserating with me during this most trying winter... there were days where i just thought we would never make it - whether it was from the constant work of digging ourselves out of snow, loosing power for days, ice storms and running out of oil - or the constant sound of the soccer ball hitting the frig, being attacked repeatedly by a remote car, sneak attacks of snowballs in the house or trying to cook while i'm being skateboarded around in the kitchen - we did make it - and you sent laughs my way....





things are back on schedule, once again - i've been able to get boards to dry finally by last week - wood is being delivered, and i can actually walk to my car, start it and go - the simple luxuries of life...ahhhhh...



i wanted to share some pictures with you - they lighten my heart when i see that you are loving what you added to your home - i am honored to be part of your lives...


thanks for all the laughs over this most harsh winter - the birds are singing in the morning again - a sure sign that all will be right very very soon...






if you would like to add to your collection or begin one, here's my link:

http://www.dallisongameboards.com/



Thursday, March 11, 2010

ahhhh....i'm in love!



ok - first of all i'm not a 'salt eater,' so to speak - no chips for me thank you....the only foods that i actually put salt on is steak (lots and lots of it) and cantaloupe...(thanks hubby for turning me onto that one)...but that pretty much is it...


i discovered these pretzel bites today to add to the 'top of my list' of salt loving foods... you may have already seen them, but i had not - i am in a teeny tiny town, so it's hit and miss on smaller vendors showing up in our stores...

but honestly - they are soooo awesome that i had to blog about it - i know, that's just how amazing they are...


HK Anderson - pretzel bites (pizza) - 15 to a serving, which honestly i can't imagine nibbling on more than 5 or 6 without putting them up....pretty darn tasty though...




here's a link to their site - and be sure to pick some up when you go out (I promise you will love them) - and if any of you know oprah - give her a taste, for we all know what happens when oprah finds something that she loves!


Wednesday, March 3, 2010

march....it's pretty iffy...



i'm not mentioning the snow, school closings, slick roads nor how white isn't pretty anymore.
i'm just thinking of what i learned when i was a little girl....
in like a lion - out like a lamb....there is some light at the end of the tunnel...
if you have a tinge of spring fever, here's my link: www.dallisongameboards.com