my drive to the country...

i was unloading my car of the huge collection of coats, blankets, toys and flashlights, the usual "just in case" stuff you will find in my car this time of year. i was bound and determined to make room for all the wood that i was finally going to pick up, for it had been ordered a month ago but nobody seemed to want to drive it up the mountain...

i always love this drive out to the country - passing the mountains, snow covered christmas tree farms, down the winding road...as i looked back over my shoulder i could see the storm that i had heard was coming in - yes, more snow. it was dark and intense looking. but i was heading towards the sun and i was really feeling a change in my mood, a pick up of the spirit so to speak.

as i headed back, toward the dark sky, i noticed my mood dropping again....as i stared at passerbys i noticed that they all seemed to have a blank look on their faces, a type of stone look. not the usual look you see around here at all...i wondered if i had that same look...

today as the snow started i began to sing this song; for if the beatles can't pick up my spirits then nothing can...






if you would like to browse art, here's me: www.dallisongameboards.com

this makes it all worth it...

eli was outside the other day shoveling the driveway - the day was sunny so i had the back door open to air out the house...i heard him call 'mommmmmm'....when i went out on the deck he was pointing saying, "look"!

if you look really close you will see - i love mom and dad - written in the snow....

nothing else to say....

you know it's bad when...

you know it's bad in boone when somebody has started up a facebook group titled just that....

everynight i go to bed with such high hopes that there just might be a small possibility of school tomorrow....but as things would have it - NOT. so sit back and enjoy a local high school students video of what we are really waking up too...marty's voice day after day after day....

new gee's bend quilt...

to be honest i had a whole other gee's bend quilt board in mind when i sat down yesterday....colors of blue and navy, which i seldom have used....but as i browsed through the gee's bend quilt collection book i stopped at this page (164), and just couldn't move on...

my favorite quilt design has to be the log cabin....there are so many ways you can lay out the top and i think they are the most fun for me to quilt...oh how i long for my eyes and hands to be better...but i will fill in the gap by painting...

this piece will be named "leola", after the designer herself, leola pettway. born in 1929, quilt circa 1975 corduroy. it is a log cabin- courthouse steps variation local name of bricklayer.

leola's story is moving and i will share more of it with you when the piece is complete, but until then, here is a piece of her story:

"i started out piecing quilts when i was eleven years old. we didn't have nothing to make quilts like folks have now. some old piece of rags, old dresses that was to raggly to wear, that's all. i cut these little blocks with my hands, made me a whole black and white quilt. eleven years old. after i pieced it, my auntie deborah young teach me to quilt it."

the piece that i created is just a small piece in her quilt - i focused on one square alone...which maybe that's where i was being led, for her life is full of meaningful strips that have been pieced together and my heart was only able to see a small portion...when it was done i looked at it as it was drying and i thought to myself what a wonderful quilt that would be too wrap myself in...such a cozy feeling this piece brings...

i hope to have the final finished piece on line for you to view next week - but due to the weather i am not able to have wood delivered to make the molding...but it will be featured as soon as i can show you...

18" x 18" - poplar and birch woods

a grey/blue color (seems everyone here sees a different color)

golden brown

touch of straw over a light yellow

limited edition of 20 pieces

$210.00 + shipping

please visit my site if you would like, here's the link: www.dallisongameboards.com

62", are you kidding me?

ok - don't get me wrong, because i certainly don't want to START COMPLAINING, after all, i said i wouldn't...

so i am disguising this information in the form that you may be interested...

62" of snow this year...and it's still snowing...for the upcoming days...(it will possibly never end)...and good grief, that is more snow than i am tall!

between snow days from school, the flu and holidays, eli has not attended school for more than 40 days...this adds up to over 2 months...

ok - mom is loosing it here at home...after all, he wants to have 'fun' all the time...and i keep telling him it's not ALL about 'fun'...

my wood hasn't been delivered for weeks...they can't find anyone to bring it up...

i'm having to watch the weather carefully, for there is much of my work that has to be done outside...my rule (when i got older)...was not to work outside if it was below 30 degrees - i've long had to throw out this rule and run in and out between snow storms...burrrrrr

and in the midst of things i just think of the gulf of mexico....it is my saving grace...

valentines...

ahhhh.....the day of love - i hope each and everyone of you enjoy this time of sweet thoughtfulness...whether it's with the love of your life, friends or family i hope you catch the sweetest of dreams...

a blizzard?

well you know me...and my new motto....'i'm not going to complain', after all i've never lived through a blizzard, so it is a rather exciting event in itself....(i guess...)

the fire is blazing beside me and i've just finished prepping some more 'sundance' game boards....i'm also working on a new gee's bend board which i think may come out in march....

so i won't let this frightful weather get me down...it just won't!



eli is becoming quite adept at surfing ebay for sports memorabilia, day 16 snow day....ohhhh nooooo, it just occurred to me that i'm out of chocolate....oh dear, i'll never make it....i'm doomed....

if you feel like surfing yourself, here's my link: www.dallisongameboards.com

named...finally

so as it often happens my new parcheesi board named itself...i was thinking sunshine with all the gold...asked my mom what she thought, and she was thinking 'sun' too...

so as i worked on finishing the piece the name dropped in my lap...sundance

appropriate in so many ways...for sun is for an indescribable warmth and dance is what i love to do in the studio to pick up my spirits...(yeah, glad there are not cameras - remember elaine on seinfeld, yeah, that's pretty much me)

as many of you know i once worked for many years for sundance - providing them hundreds of pieces to be sold through their catalog. i love their products and i love them. a company with so many kind and fun people and a company that has their 'company' dog lying on the floor as you walk in... i was recently interviewed for an upcoming article and i had to go way back in time to the starting of my company and the years that have brought me to where i am now. sundance was a vital part of that time for me, as well as country living magazine. between the two companies promotions i could never be where i am today, creating and playing throughout each and every day...

so i welcome sundance to my collection of boards for the name 'sundance' comes pretty close to describing who i really am...this piece looks really old when it is finished, the undercoat shows up through the top colors and ages it...so if you like the 'old' look you will like this piece...

19" x 19" - $220.00.....

colors are gold, barn red, and a bright blue....

this is a small edition of 20 pieces...sadly only 4 are left...so if you would like to order one for your home or browse for another piece, please go to my site and then let me know - here's the link:

www.dallisongameboards.com

i'll be designing a new board next week too - and will be able to share the piece with you in a few weeks after that...

ice ice baby...

that's what i read on our weather report this morning, from 'ray' our local barer of good and bad news....do you think he lost his mind...do you think he's boogieing as he's writing? well, it did make me chuckle...and then i just had to pull up vanilla ice to hear that song just one more time...

here's too icy days....

i'm snowed in for the rest of my life it seems, so bring me lots to do: www.dallisongameboards.com

i just am lovin'...

lady gaga....

so talented, so amazing she is...thought i'd see what i could find on youtube...this video is from 'before' she made it big, it seems like it isn't that long ago...and look at her now, 2 grammy awards...wow...

"Footage owned by NYU's IRHC, the Inter-Residence Hall Council. Originally posted by us, All Things Fangirl. We do not own the footage and are very grateful to IRHC for allowing us to keep the footage up.Stefani Germanotta, now known as Lady Gaga, performing at Ultraviolet Live, NYU's annual talent show. She ended up coming in 3rd place. 2nd place was Funky Butter. 1st place was Tom Costello & Stephan Magloire."

ok - i admit she's a bit on the 'strange' side....but i'm not her mother....and as we've seen it once we've seen it a hundred times - performers are performing...it's a 'show'....and the bigger the performance usually = bigger star...

i'm taking it fairly well.

ok - enough with the drama....i'm turning over a new leaf (remind me of that)....no more complaining....(remind me of that)...

no school today - ice

no school tomorrow - snow and ice?

i ran out of oil saturday morning....hubby got jugs and ran off to the gas station to buy a 'temporary' fix until today...i had NO idea it was 'propane' and that you can just go buy it from the gas station in an emergency situation! and if you add some kerosene to that your heater burns cleaner...who would've thought?

called the oil company to come by today (they ALWAYS are so prompt), but they said they couldn't get out, their truck is stuck...and they weren't even sure if they could be out tomorrow either...hubby taking jugs again to the gas station to pour into our tank....

ho hum....i found myself standing at the stove today...a bag of potato chips open next to a bag of hershey's...reading a people magazine...what a picture of my indecisiveness....

and poor elizabeth - i really really like her....

but i am working hard in the studio this week doing woodwork so i can ship out many boards to you this week...and i am enjoying every minute of that....and thinking of a new design to take my mind off of things for tomorrow....so tomorrow, snow, sleet, ice....not shaking me up a bit....

if you are 'in need' of game boards, here is my link: www.dallisongameboards.com