a day in an artists life....

but i don't want to....

2012-01-12T10:29:00.005-05:00

as 2012 approached us, i just didn't want to change to a new year....i pretty much was trying to stick my feet in the sand and resist the pull of another year. i don't recall doing this in the past, i remember feeling anticipation to see what the new year would bring to our lives...but i liked 2011 and wanted to stay there...

i didn't pull out a 2012 calendar until just days ago thinking that days may go ahead and slip away, but i wasn't going to acknowledge it...so i stayed a bit longer...

but now i'm carefully and cautiously getting in a groove of beginning a new year....fighting it, yes, but taking a step forward in my own stubborn way....

i've been cleaning the studio and have much reorganizing to do before i welcome 2012, for i like to have a clean slate that i can fill with creative thoughts of color, music and ideas....so i'm giving myself the next couple of days, for i will begin 2012 on monday, january 16th, because i can if i want too...

here's my link in case you want me to dive in: dallison.squarespace.com/

O Holy Night

2011-12-24T11:40:00.002-05:00

my hopes for you and your families are that each of you feel the joy in your hearts this season...that a child shares a moment that was long put away in your own heart, that you are surrounded by family and friends that love you and when you look into the sky you think of the journey long before you...

she's here! a new piece

2011-11-02T11:57:00.008-04:00

finally i can formerly introduce the new gee's bend piece that you've been hearing about....

i think this must be one of my favorite pieces, for there is nothing more striking than red and white together...i love red and white quilts so i'm not surprised that this piece is one of my favorites...

"qunnie" - is her name, dedicated to Qunnie Pettway, wife, mother and quilter....

bright red (but not to bright, and antique white for warmth)
$210.00 + shipping.... small edition of 15 pieces, then retired (only 12 left at this time)

if you would like to order "qunnie", just let me know and i'm more than happy to make it for you to enjoy for the december holidays...

if you would like to read more about this pieces inspiration, read the earlier blog below.

or to browse other pieces, here's my link:

dallison.squarespace.com/

a new gee's bend...

2011-10-26T19:07:00.011-04:00

i thought, well the holidays are coming, i should do something special in the studio....a new piece of some sort...then it struck me a new gee's bend piece would be not only a creative challenge but so special this time of year...so as my fingers went page to page, talking to my mom all the way in florida over the phone saying, 'what do you think of this one, what about this one (for she too has her own book)', i finally decided...

the new piece is named: Qunnie after the quilter Qunnie Pettway who was born in 1943. the piece that inspired me was her 'housetop' quilt, circa 1975.

here's a small glimpse of the area of gee's bend where she lives; taken from 'the quilts of gee's bend'...(2002 Tinwood Books). Qunnie is on the right in this photo.

"The neighborhood has been home to many of the area's most important quiltmakers. On one of its streets, a little dogleg land of no more than 600 feet, in Roosevelt-era 'project' houses, live Leola Pettway, Lucy T. "Lunky" Pettway, Annie Bell Pettway, Arlonzia Pettway, and Lizzie Major. There will be no ongoing legacy here: the youngest quiltmakers in Sodom, and the only two even moderately active ones, are Rita Mae Pettway and Qunnie Pettway, ages sixty and fifty-nine.

tonight as i was reading through the book gathering information and searching the internet for more history on Qunnie, I sadly came to her recent obituary. i was truly saddened for this life that is now gone, but her work and inspirations will live on. my new game board takes on an even more special tone to me, for i hope i did her proud...

Qunnie Pettway:

"The great-granddaughter of Dinah Miller who is said to have arrived in the United States aboard a slave ship from Africa - the Clotilde which docked in Mobile Bay, Alabama prior to the Civil War. Qunnie learned to quilt House Tops under the tutelage of her mother, Candis Pettway. In 1960 after she married, she found her unique artistic voice and began making patterned quilts including Wedding Ring - which she learned from her sister - Chestnut Bud, Bear Paw and Crazy Z. Qunniea’s daughter, Loretta P. Bennett is one of the youngest quilters actively creating extraordinary quilts today."

the painted piece is on the drying racks...it will be a week or so before i can post my 'inspired gee's bend' game board...

to see other game boards, here's my link: dallison.squarespace.com

and after hours and hours of waiting....

2011-10-20T07:12:00.010-04:00

(painting by: baret boisson, american artist)

the President of the United States of America, the Commander in Chief, the 44th American President - in other words, the top dog...came through our little town, made a quick stop and headed down the mountain...

i cannot tell you how exciting this happening was for all of us, for nothing like this ever, and i mean ever happens up here. schools were let out early, children were gathered, fed and hauled back out to line the streets.

helicopters, state troopers, sheriff and police cars, hummed by with lights and sirens blaring....(and i pretty much can say, that our local departments had sirens on for just the thrill of it, for they were running up and down the streets an hour before the motorcade arrived). boys will be boys at any age...

so i packed up eli, and my friends 3 boys and headed to an empty building at the beginning of town...knowing if he took any turn at all, we wouldn't miss him....the police stopped by and blocked it off and therefore us in, but said that we could stay there, i guess he probably thought 4 boys, and took mercy...

an hour went by, then more, then more cars with sirens....and finally the bus turned the curve....we jumped (well not me), up and down, waved madly (yep, that was me), and in all of 4 minutes it was over...

a moment of history captured in these young boys hearts....forever

i doubt there will ever be another President to come through, but you never know...we did show him our southern mountain hospitality at the candy barrel though, and eli did hold up the painting that baret boisson did for him that hangs in his room....so maybe he will pass the word on....

if you need some fall or winter color for your home, here's my link: diane allison-stroud

and as i opened the box...

2011-10-02T08:25:00.007-04:00

i know exactly how each and every one of you feel when you open your door and find to your glee a box of carefully packed game boards for your home....the excitement of cutting the tapes, pulling out the stuffing until finally you reach the piece that you had envisioned...holding it up before you, looking at every detail....and oh my you must think, color!

i too....excitedly opened my box, with a smile from ear to ear....my heart pounding in glee, for i had no idea, not really, what mylette had painted for me....and as i pulled, tugged and it finally gave in to me, my eyes danced with happiness, as i giggled with my new love....

belle ~ in all her splendor...!

mylette welch

hit the target of our belle....from lying on my favorite pillows on the couch, to the bling heart necklace eli bought her for valentines day....and please note that slight curve of her mouth, for she is smiling; you may beg to differ saying, dogs don't smile, but i have watched her do this a thousand times and she really is using extra muscles to pull her mouth into a smile for me....the colors are simply stated; amazing, the technique of mylette's work is full of depth and our hearts combined, how else could she see it so clearly?....i couldn't have been more surprised nor elated with her vision of our belle...

when eli asked me to tell mylette that belle 'needed' a jeweled crown, mylette explained to me that she has found that it is better not to 'dress' our 'loved ones' for she said she has found that people tire of that overtime....and she didn't want us to tire of belle's portrait....eli understood this - an artist is an artist and they hold on to their beliefs...so he was ok with it...

so you can imagine eli's surprise when he helped unwrap belle's portrait and found to his delight a jeweled crown of hearts....fitting in so many ways...

there is nothing like a boy and his dog....

thank you so very very much mylette - you have captured belle's heart intermingled with ours....

please check out mylette's studio/website, i bet you will begin to smile...

Mylette Welch

goodbye sweet sweet summer...

2011-08-16T12:32:00.011-04:00

yes, i do have to say goodbye to the sweetest of summers...as much as i want to fight the next season from coming, just a bit longer...i must say goodbye.

life has changed drastically in just a week for school has started and football season has started...need i s-p-e-l-l it all out....you know exactly what i mean. schedules, papers and more schedules...organization, rules and no more running amuck.

humfff....i do get a bit of rebel going on in me still at my age, for our leisurely evenings have changed to watching the clock and repeating myself to 'you know who', shower, read, bed, homework and on and on.

but i'm optimistic this year ~ i think all will be well and everyone will enjoy the upcoming fall season...and i will be snuggling myself in the studio painting at a nice and easy pace...and in the back of my mind i am thinking of winter...and preparing for it...as i sit here and stretch like a cat, i am thinking of what's to come...and trying not to...

the great news in the studio today is that finally the round game boards AND the chinese checkers are now available. these are really my favorite pieces to make and i think it's for the sheer reason that they are so difficult to finish, but when they are done, WOW, i just love them. i love the chinese checker pieces because they have texture and they take me back to when i was a little girl playing on the floor with my grandpa...i guess no matter how old we are we can go back and be 5 again, even if it's just for a little while...

if you are in need of some color for your home or a gift, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

losing time, or is it summer?

2011-07-27T13:30:00.014-04:00

as the days have grown longer, i seem to be misplacing time....it's been nearly a month since my last blog and i have a list that is growing longer and longer about whats going on in the studio, in the appalachian mountains, in my life as a mom and wife...artists to feature, photos to share....

summer i guess has just slowed me down from my 'normal' order of things...my schedule is here and there...and 'playtime' has been stealing me away from my little world of art....there is truly something unforgettable about making s'mores with friends over the fire pit; having a potluck on the 4th and viewing fireworks from the yard with friends; children playing with sparklers while the older ones light fireworks (snuck across the border) with hubby...these will be the days that they will remember for many years to come...there is truly nothing more beautiful than summer in the mountains, it makes you forget your have responsibilities altogether...and i'm loving that!

a birthday has come and gone....phew, hard to believe i'm 52 already....so i felt the need to paint my toenails cotton candy?

here are some photos of your collections; i just love it when you send these to me, i can feel part of your home and life:

(that's my room above, yep i do love purple and pink!)

it amazes me that we have so many different styles; yet game boards look so beautiful in each and every room...art makes our homes 'us'....when my friend comes over she always says that walking through my house is so fun for her; every corner has someones art, it is what makes our home 'us and unique...

ok, that's my first step into the blogging waters again....i have much more to share; next week though...

if you are in need of color or art, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

thank you for our independence...

2011-06-28T07:30:00.005-04:00

my dad sent me this video....
it will make you cry....
tears = human...

this video is by Lizzie Palmer

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

new summer game board for your collection...

2011-06-22T18:13:00.019-04:00

for months and months i've wanted to create this reproduction piece....i actually had planned on having it for my 1st web show...but as life does every now and then, it interrupted...but summer is now here and it is the most fun season of the year for me....freedom freedom and more freedom...which then, as you know, just encourages more fun and creative things to happen...

i wanted to do a new piece to celebrate summer, and thought this was the perfect time to make it...i absolutely loved the original piece, but i was unable to find the date on any research that i sought...but based on the auction price from 2003, i would have to state it was probably from the 1800's.

the above piece was auctioned by new york's christie's in 2003, it was originally from the rose anna and john kolar's collection. the kolar's felt that christie's had the track record when it came to auctioning pennsylvania german folk art. game boards were winners at this auction, "the most expensive one (above) boldly juxtaposed pinwheels with mondrianlike grids of color", as it was described from an article.

the original piece sold for $41,825.

my rendition of this piece takes on a slightly different mood, a little deeper and a little richer. my original intent was to have a 'bright summery' feel, to the piece, but later found that my piece was less light hearted and more intense...it had more depth and a story to tell....

i spoke to a new artist friend of mine; carlin davis, about my thoughts of the piece and this is what she had to say:

"Summer is vibrant but it also has its peaceful, lush, restful places, too. Places where you can have a respite from the breath-snatching heat and humidity and relax in the soft shadows and cool burbling waters."

and i liked that - her interpretation of summer is really mine as well, for i might 'think and visualize' bright color and play, but what i really see are all of the shades of summer....

there are so many shades to summer...summer to me is awaiting and then breathing in the new blooms in my garden, days of swimming at the town pool, hikes in the shade of the mountains and sitting under my massive oak trees in the shade....so in my initial disappointment of not creating what was in my mind, i created what was before my eyes....thanks for that insight carlin...

"shades of summer" is a limited edition of only 10 pieces.....warm shades of olive yellow, dark forest green, black, rose, pink and a golden yellow

19" x 19" - limited edition of 10 pieces (only 7 still available)
$245.00 + shipping

just email me or give me a call if you would like to order one for your home....

dianeallison@charter.net

or if you would like to browse my site for another piece to collect, here's your link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

summer is officially here....

2011-06-08T07:08:00.007-04:00

(in my mind) at least... all morning eli has informed me the following; this is my last day of elementary school, this is my last day of recess, this is my last day my last day my last day....

eli is so ready for summer break to start - for normally he's one of those kids that absolutely is pointed to details; especially grades...i asked him, do you know what your grades are, no, he answered, which in itself is very odd for him for he is always searching for perfection in himself...but he's thinking swimming, hiking, going down the rapids, building a tree house, baseball, going to see the crawdads play...certainly not grades, not today!

i am ready for summer....no bedtime, no get-up time, no anything time...just endless summer time to do as we choose...and maybe a nap or two under the breezy window...

the whole family spent the day in the flower garden this weekend....it had been neglected for years...at one time it was a 'perennial' garden full of beautiful blooms, but after all of the good intentions were never fulfilled it turned into an overgrown garden of rarely anything but green....so things were dug up, moved and planted...now we can enjoy the upcoming years of delphiniums, hollyhocks and black eyed susans blooming and spreading year after year...

in the studio....as you know i'm diligently finishing up every ones game boards and having a fun time painting all the designs... i will be shipping artwork to texas, illinois, new york and utah tomorrow...and onto other parts of the country next week...can't thank you all enough for your support...i absolutely love what i'm doing...

the feel of the studio is optimism at it's best, everything is perfectly timed...and meant to be exactly how it is...a smooth groove i could say...off to a new mindset, called SUMMER!

if you are in need of some color for your own summer season, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

all things considered...

2011-06-02T20:16:00.006-04:00

you know how life goes....as soon as you think you've got it all figured out and things are easy-peasy, here comes the shuffle...

and i'm dancing as fast as i can...school ends in a matter of days - and there seems to be a high-pitch sound running through my towns skies....i think the kids couldn't possibly get more 'bouncy', a nice way to put it - and i will be heavy on the teachers gifts for hanging in there this last week...

as my blackboard clears from all the game boards that you have ordered -my mind starts to dance around new ideas and new pieces that i will be painting over the summer...i already have a piece planned to paint in july....here's a peek...

and as things seemed that they were calming i was given a wonderful opportunity by the philadelphia historical society...

designing and painting flags to be displayed throughout the area, including betsy ross' home....can you imagine my excitement? what a thrill and a tremendous honor to be involved in an undertaking that is so special...it will be a project that is very close to my heart...for i just love love love history...

so as my black board clears, the timing is perfect, isn't life funny that way?

if you would like to look at game boards, here's my link:

dallison.squarespace.com

8 days left...

2011-05-27T19:38:00.008-04:00

every morning when i hop out of bed, i'm told a new number....after all, school is almost at it's end....

and every morning i am made to realize that my little one is a 'pre-teen' now...how can that be - it's a mix of happy (for him) and a sadness for me. i realize i have a long way to go until i have the deep seated feelings of an empty nest - but i think having one son way ahead of eli makes me even sadder along the way - for i see just how fast time has gone by...

and as he counts down the days i too am counting down the number of days where i still have a studio to pick and choose what my day will be...that will change and more chaos will sit in, but it will be a welcomed chaos, for i count how many summers i have him still with me...

in the studio there's a mad hustle and bustle going on - the constants of drawing, painting, sawing and staining to the beat of my own drum - generally that beat is a hustle and bustle for me...

as my young one is in need of me less and less a baby has made a grand appearance into my days...certainly this must be part of a 'great plan' for it seems that a baby shows up in our lives just when they are needed...so i'm enjoying cooing and rocking my friends little one at every chance that i can get...there is just something about that lower lip starting to quiver just before the cry escapes that i can't stand to miss out on...

the weather has been a scare for weeks with endless rain and storms long into the night, leaving my plans of baseball games or studio work up in the air right along with the wind...

i look forward to summer - looser schedules, late nights outside with the fireflies, baseball games and NO RULES, so to speak -

it's time as my mom says, to put my tiki torch outside...(referencing the last of "the middle" show of the season - all of my families favorite... )

hope these last days of school for you and your kids, and for all the teachers that follow my blog bring you lots of laughs, hopes of things to come and a delightful summer season...

Summer: Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice. The date of the beginning of summer varies according to climate, culture, and tradition, but when it is summer in the southern hemisphere it is winter in the northern hemisphere, and vice versa.

happy mother's day...

2011-05-07T16:03:00.003-04:00

i hope that each and everyone of you have a wonderful mother's day....i was lucky enough to have the best mom in the whole wide world...happy mother's day mom!

vacation photos....run!

2011-05-04T07:35:00.013-04:00

florida to eli is a place of danger....he's always on high alert....for every creature of his nightmares is certainly lurking down there evidently in search of 11 year old boys....on the way down he saw this sign and later asked me has grandpa ever had alligators go through his yard? well of course he has, he backs up to a swamp - thinking back to last year when we were watching the bobcat chase the bird by the porch...yes, it is a bit different down there - we really only have to be on the look out for bears...

with only a few days with mom and dad, there is so much to do and so little time! (probably not their thinking)....family gatherings, an Easter celebration with those old family recipes, table set with china and crystal (a treat for me), and of course, hitting the beach....now to me, the gulf is the ONLY beach in the world....i've been to others, not impressed, for the gulf is my home, it's where my barefoot brown childhood was spent...you can't change my mind...

and where i can find pelicans....the last of the flying dinosaur in my mind...i have loved them since the first time i saw them, dive bombing into the gulf and then lifting their heads up and back to swallow their fish....what a life, floating and bobbing on the water, taking in a snack and flying through the air...

so we are at the beach, with all of the other white legged 'northerners'....and i saw a pelican fly by....now usually they aren't hard to find, but they probably hang down more by the pier or it was the time of day...so as time goes by i shoot up a little prayer: God, just let one of those pelicans fly by me so i can get a picture, you know how i love them so....well as the saying goes, be careful what you pray for...

so here he comes...out of nowhere....right at me, i am so not kidding! i was so excited and was trying to get my camera in view...well being that the sun is behind me i can't see a darn thing in these new cameras, you know the ones without the view finders? so then i get the giggles, because he's coming straight at me (and i'm thinking, they sure are a lot bigger than i thought, so my giggle was sounding somewhat terrorized), but i can't focus or shoot....so at this point i'm just laughing out loud standing all alone (looking like a crazy person) and just shooting randomly into the air where i think he might be....

i do believe God does have a good sense of humor...

finally after being cold for the past 7 months my bones were warm and toasty and it was time to leave....the smile on my parents face is just minutes before we left...hmmmm, wonder what they were thinking...thanks mom and dad for putting up with us again!

and off we went...

and yes, we are THOSE kind of people....

as i drove up my driveway the lilacs and dogwood trees were blooming along with all of my bleeding hearts.....leaves are now coming onto the trees and the birds are building their nests in every nook and cranny...including my wreath on the front door...

i just love spring...

if you are working on your own nests....and you need to browse some game boards, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

it was a mad success...

2011-04-19T07:18:00.014-04:00

i feel, days later that my feet can actually start touching the ground again, for my very 1st web show was a great success and filled me with glee, shock, 'no, it can't be trues....for i was sold out of my #1 pieces by noon...with many orders of game boards to paint for so many of you.

what can i say to all of you other than a big big thank you for supporting me, my family and my craft....i am looking forward to the snows ending and spring springing while sitting outside painting in these appalachian mountains during the month of may....

after a very hard winter and the overwhelming beginnings of the spring snows and floods, i'm going home - to mom and dad's....i want to play with my sisters, eat double scooped ice cream cones and jump into the gulf of mexico.....

but i will be checking my email just to make sure that you received all of your new pieces from the web show and that they arrived safely! in the meantime, if you would like to check out all the new designs on my web site, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

i'll be back to the mountain when my lilacs are blooming.....enjoy your spring blooming

welcome to the show!

2011-04-15T00:01:00.007-04:00

shhhh, private web show just for YOU....

Thursday, April 14th - Midnight (EST)

through

Sunday, April 17th - 12:00 Noon (EST)

i'm filled with excitement, to see what you will say...

for i am introducing 6 new reproduction game boards

bringing 1 out of retirement for a short time &

1 gee's bend "arcola" piece is available

since i'm a newbie at web shows, i'm searching my mind for an 'easy' way for you to buy or order a piece or two...

so here's the info:

1st come, 1st served - (via email) just email me the name of the piece that you would like - emails will be time stamped so i will be able to go over them in order...

(but if you are not 1st you have the option to order the same piece so you don't miss out...)

i will ship your pieces out on tuesday or after i receive your payment...

discounted shipping of $10.00 on your first board, $0 on any additional boards...

show ends: 12:00 Noon on Sunday, April 17th - i'll contact you to let you know if you 'won' your piece!

here's my email: dianeallison@charter.net

(it is also posted on the left column of this blog)

now....let the show begin...

"the farmhouse"

i loved this piece the instant i saw it...it is a reproduction of a piece from the late 1800's...i do not know the area that it came from, information was long ago lost... eli named this piece "the farmhouse", which i thought was just the perfect name. for it has that 'farmhouse' look that i have in my mind; blue, red, off white, golden brown and green...just seem like farmhouse colors to me....maybe he remembers the time when his dad and i were determined to buy an old farmhouse, fix-it-up and call it home...we visited many old houses when he was small where he was able to run through pastures, climb into barns looking for treasures and imagining himself what it would be like to have a farm....

"the farmhouse" #1 in an edition of 10

19" x 19" - $220.00

(colors: blue, golden brown, barn red, dark green and off white)

"dad's irish eyes"

ode to my dad - an irishman who has raised irish daughters, need i say more? when my own irish eyes saw this piece i just knew that i had to make it, after all, we ARE irish! this is a reproduction parcheesi board that is based on a piece that was a bit smaller, 24" x 20", but in my mind i could only see it on a larger scale, so i did what was in my mind and stretched it out to a longer piece. the date on the original piece is the 1900's, but i have no idea when in the 1900's...it sold for $3,950.

"dad's irish eyes" #1 in an edition of 10

19" x 28" - $245.00

(colors: dark green, soft yellow and off white)

"capture the flag"

I found the photo of this piece on line - but was not ever able to find a date or the area that it originally came from...so when this happens, i play it on the 'safe' side and have to say the original is from the early 1900's, it may have been older than that, but it is at least 100 years old... i especially love this piece because it is so graphic which makes it able to stand on it's own making a bold statement or be mixed in with other pieces, still adding a touch of drama... it is a little pricier than other pieces for it took 7 coats of white paint alone....it has a black base coat, so covering black with another color can take endless hours...but i still feel that the price is very reasonable...

"capture the flag" #1 in an edition of 10

19" x 28" - $295.00

(named by eli, his favorite school game)

(colors: green, straw, white, olive yellow and a orangish brown)

"cops and robbers"

This is a reproduction game board - the original was dated back to the late 1800's and sold for $18,560. I chose the name 'cops and robbers' for it reminded me of kids playing outside, hiding behind objects with the sheriff in the center. I found being the mother of boys, no matter if you let them play with toy guns or not, they will take sticks or other found objects to make their own...

"cops and robbers"

#1 in an edition of 10

19" x 19" - $225.00

(colors: "wow" red, terracotta, choch./grey (charcoal), tans, soft yellow and golden brown....(this piece is way yummier in person)

"arcola"

gee's bend based design - as you know those quilts have grabbed my heart and move me to create game boards using the colors from these quilts...this is #6 in an edition of 20 pieces that will be made of this design...i thought it would be fun to have one done and ready to send out to you!

"arcola"

"19" x 19"

#6 in edition of 20 - $220.00

(colors: red, blue, latte, brown, golden brown and latte)

please keep scrolling down for "part 2" of the web show on the blog below...

show continued....

2011-04-14T23:59:00.003-04:00

part 2 of my offerings...

"ruby slippers"

oh how this piece makes my eyes dance....i have so many favorites, but i think "ruby slippers" tops my list. I was not able to find a date for the original design that this was based on, for mine is a reproduction, but it is known that it came from Massachusetts. when i choose new designs to show i of course choose them by their appearance, and do i love it?, i have to ask myself...for if i don't, i will tire of making it....i also have to consider the amount of time i am investing in a piece...if i spend several days painting a piece, i will have to keep it for myself, for the cost to sell it would be prohibitive... and that is what i found with this piece - unaware when i went into the design, that it would take me days to paint...the stars alone took more than 3 hours...so that is why this piece is on the 'highest' end of the game boards that i have painted...but i did want to give you the opportunity to have it for your collection and not keep for myself...

"ruby slippers" #1 in edition of 10

19" x 19"

$325.00

(colors: a "WOW" red, santa fe rose, dark blue, forest green, gold, light yellow just to name a few)

"mi casa, su casa"

brought out of retirement (for a little bit) - This piece is a reproduction dart board that was dated to the early 1900's. Years ago i made 3 of these dart boards and then soon after retired it. I am bringing this piece back for a limited # of 10 pieces (7available). The difficulty of drawing this piece is far more difficult than the painting and finishing put together, but it is such a pretty shade of green, blue and white, that i just couldn't resist it for the spring...

"mi casa, su casa"

#4 in an edition of 10

19" x 19"

$245.00

(named by eli)

(colors: soft green, a somewhat bright blue (but not to bright), black and off white)

"kids play"

This is a reproduction game board that was dated back to the early 1900's. It is a variation of the game "skully", (a street game). I really love the look of letters and numbers, so i was drawn right to this piece. I especially like the added wood pieces that were attached giving it outward texture...just HAD to make this piece for myself!

kid's play

#1 in an edition of 10

16 1/2" x 18" - $175.00

(colors: this piece has dark blue underneath the darker green, but it's hardly noticeable, so i'm just going to list dark green, ivory and a red (not to bright of a red though))

I hope you have found a piece that you would like to add to your collection, or a piece to begin a collection with...

if you see a piece that you must have, just email me....i'll be going by the 'time stamp' on all of the emails...

if for some reason you were not 1st in requesting the piece, i am more than happy to make one for you....just allow me 6 weeks to create your special piece....

here's my email: dianeallison@charter.net

good luck to all of you!

tick tock, tick tock...

2011-04-14T20:04:00.003-04:00

12:00 Midnight...the fun will begin...

latest news...

2011-04-10T12:55:00.006-04:00

boy oh boy have i been running around like a mad hatter....i didn't think i would ever escape my falling down that rabbit hole weeks ago...but finally....

Web Show - Friday

phew....i wondered for some time would i have the 'time' to do all that was needed in making the pieces themselves for my 1st web show...

today i have finally finished, the finality of it all is leaving me somewhat confused...i think, maybe i should paint a bit, maybe i should start sanding some wood...maybe maybe...

so i'll head out of the studio today and enjoy this spring season that is poking it's head out and try to clear my head a bit...

but here's a little information on when and where the web show will take place;

friday on my blog -

i will drop you an email on thursday to give you the times....if you aren't on my email list, you might want to go ahead and sign-up now using the column on the left of the blog...

there will be 7 new game board designs introduced and 1 "arcola" gee's bend piece....these will all be ready to send to you the following tuesday....yep, no waiting!

so keep your eyes open to see the likes of 'ruby slippers', 'farmhouse' and 'capture the flag' to name a few...

see you then!

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

mom's done it again...

2011-04-05T07:39:00.005-04:00

(who would've thought that this cute little girl would grow up to be such a great artist.... ) and her name is Rose...

my most amazing, talented mom has earned herself yet another ribbon at the quilt show...woohoooooo!

for any of you who are quilters, i know you are familiar with the crazy quilt...for those of you who are not, wow is the word that comes to mind to describe these quilts and their makers - the many fabrics, embroidery techniques along with the adornment of treasured pieces that are used, make each and every quilt a story in itself.

awesome quilt mom - keep them coming!

here is an article that i thought was not only interesting but fun to read from "womenfolk"...

"The 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition was a big event in Victorian society. One of the most popular exhibits was the Japanese pavilion with its fascinating crazed ceramics and asymmetrical art."

The Birth of the Crazy Patchwork Quilting Craze

Women were eager to incorporate this new look into their quilts and with the help of popular women's magazines the making of crazy quilts became quite the rage. Creativity was wide open with women sewing asymmetrical pieces of fabric together in abstract arrangements. This enthusiasm for this quilting fad continued until about 1910. Early quilts made in the crazy style were more show pieces than functional and were often made as smaller unquilted "lap robes" that were used to decorate the parlor. They were fitting showpieces for the lavish interior decoration of the day. These quilts were usually made using velvet, silk and brocade fabric, cut and pieced in random shapes. What a perfect way for women to show off their needlework skills! Using silk thread, women placed lovely decorative stitches on each seam. Intriguing names like feather, herringbone, fly and chain describe just a few of the intricate stitches. The imagination and skill of the seamstress was the only limit.

Each Quilting Patch Carefully Planned

To the Victorians the word "crazy" not only meant wild but also broken or crazed into splinters; a good description of the look the various triangles and other odd shapes gave to these quilts. Although crazy style quilts may appear haphazard they were carefully planned. Hours were spent cutting shapes and trying out various arrangements of the pieces before sewing. The following quote from an 1883 article in "The Chester Times", Chester, PA. gives an idea of how they were made. * "If your pieces are of good size, and all fresh and handsome, one way is to cut out blocks of cotton cloth, either square or diamond-shape. Cut enough blocks to make the quilt the desired size, then paste on the pieces of silk, satin, or velvet; lap the edges and turn the upper one under; then cover every seam with feather-stitch, cross-stitch, or any fancy stitch you can invent. "

Crazy Quilt Embroidery

We find a great variety of stitching styles and embroidered motifs on these quilts; sometimes small pictures were even painted on the fabric. Animals and flowers seem to be the favorite embroidery themes. Some quilters believed that embroidering a spider on its web would bring good luck to the quilter. Crazy quilts occasionally included embroidered verses and information recording family events.

i'll be going to visit my mom soon - i'm anxious to see what block she is working on now....

CONGRATULATIONS MOM!!

white rabbit anyone?

2011-03-26T20:05:00.012-04:00

I'm late / I'm late / For a very important date. / No time to say "Hello." / Goodbye. / I'm late, I'm late, I'm late.

that's what i've been feeling lately....just plain disappointed when i walk through the studio...after all, i had a plan, i was in a groove, i was drawing and painting the days away...and it all came to a screeching halt...life interrupted...as it sometimes does, and i'm on to taking care of my life right now....

i will need to postpone my 1st official web show...how can that be, after all, it is my 1st official one...and i just wonder how late i will be... things have been a bit on the chaotic side around here...broken saws, broken nail guns, broken dishwasher, flat tires, limbs through my roof (yes, again) and eli's recent bout with a hernia keeping him home for some time....i will just have to let life do it's thing for awhile, and take over....i'm smart enough to know it will win everytime anyway!

so i'm resetting my date....to be mid april....i have many more pieces to paint, which i will begin tomorrow, but it will be going at a slow pace for i am also wearing my nurse's cap...it isn't easy to keep eli down....after all, he skateboards in the house and walks on stilts...(yes i'm one of those moms, floors can be refinished)...but even those things barely help me beat his winter blues....oh, this will be a hard job, but i can do it, right?

i haven't decided what day of the week is best, nor the time for my web show....so if you would like to share your ideas with me on that, that would be great!.....i don't know what would be most convenient for you all....so let's do it YOUR way, why not?

the one thing i AM sure of - there are lots of new designs banging about in my head...some painted and drying, some drawn out, some trying to get out of my head....they will all be different, but will go with other pieces i have made in the past color wise...i think you will find one that you will love for your collection, because they are all so different from each other...

well i must close down for now and put my little sunshine to bed....goodnight....

for game boards, here's my link: www.dallison.squarespace.com/

"the" book is finally here...

2011-03-22T06:36:00.007-04:00

i've been checking my mailbox everyday with hopes that i will receive my copy of Country Living's latest book on mom's starting their own businesses....and it finally is here!

i was fascinated that there is such a 'calling' if you will, for moms to try to do it all...whether married and juggling that along with kids, they were all spurned on to take on such a difficult undertaking, opening their own business... you can follow each women's path of trials, tribulations and triumphs as they are trying to find the perfect dance to balance all the hats that they are wearing... if you or anyone that you love is thinking of doing just that, it's a must read....you will gather good advice, avoid some mistakes perhaps and in the end keep your sense of humor through one of the biggest undertakings that you may take on...for those of you who would like a good read of 'brave' moms out there who are shaking things up a bit, you will enjoy watching the different ways women have done this and i'm sure get lots of laughs along the way comparing it to your own life as a mom...

for those closest to me you will see the perfect description of me....jumping off the cliff to see what happens, and that pretty much sums up one of the common denominators among all the featured women, bravery is needed; and if you don't feel brave, PRETEND!

Country Living The Mom's Guide to Running a Business: Strategies for Work Success and Family Balance

by: Michelle Lee Ribeiro

you can look for this book at your bookstore, or order directly from amazon (which i did, for it's so darn easy anymore) here's a direct link to amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Country-Living-Guide-Running-Business/dp/1588168026

if spring is in the air and you want to fluff your home, here's my link: www.dallison.squarespace.com/

the luck of the ole' irish....

2011-03-16T07:45:00.010-04:00

(this is my dad at one of his favorite places to play golf, st. andrews golf course in scotland, of course, on his way to ireland!), one good looking irishmen...and as the story goes....

but first, 'proper' irish music for you to enjoy while you read....

from the time i opened my wee little eyes, my father announced to me that i am irish, and he has never stopped. this 'fact' has been bred into me for half a century now, i'm sure to the dismay of my mother. after all, she is a fine mix of scottish, german and other bloodlines. but we don't include this, oh no, i'm 100% irish, and what a fine thing to be.

and as the folklore continues on, i too, have convinced my children that they are irish, and apparently that leaves no room for anything else. and that's just the way it always has been, and always will be until i am gone myself. i have told them that there is an entire county named after them in ireland, that they once had a castle in their family and great great great (something or other) was beheaded (boys love this part), and the castle stolen from our family....the stories go on and on and on.. and that someday they should reclaim their family castle (they love this part too).

I have taught them that 'their' people had to leave their own beloved country due to hunger, slavery and religion, and how they were mistreated by others when they arrived to america...

for them to be proud of their heritage and honor the irish' past....their blood is green, they are irish...and that's that...

and today i live in a mountainous area that the irish came and settled, the view reminding them of their own country....i guess it is a blood 'thing', after all i was drawn here, for no reason, just drawn...

so today i honour the bloodline that i have been blessed with, the fight of the irish fight that i now live; to be treated equal and fairly and to live the religion of my choosing...

just a footnote: it's that time of year when one of my kids announce that they HAVE to wear green so they don't get pinched....i give them my best serious mom look and state clearly - "you are irish, your blood is green." and i know my eyebrows are raised, indicating that there is so much more that i want to say, as i'm biting my tongue....for what i want to say is: You are Irish, Act Like It, If Anyone, and i Mean ANYONE pinches you, take them down...you are a fighter, don't forget it....but as i said, i bite my tongue, i don't need "that" phone call from the school repeating my children's words back to me waiting for an explanation of my parenting skills, or lack there of...

support your local irish artists:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

color, color and

2011-03-01T11:24:00.010-05:00

add a little more color...

that's what i've been seeing in every magazine....that's what 2011 is going to be full of, what every decorator is choosing...ahhhhhh, i just love COLOR!

color, from pinks in low tones to the fuchsia that i dance for - blues in their softest shades, robins egg and deep into navy...yellow the softest of soft to the shocking bold...it's just the beginning of a year of color...

i love when we hit a 'color mania', for my home is full of throws, quilts, pillows, game boards and painted walls in every shade....it's what makes me, well me....i try for the understated neutral, i really yearn for that softness, but then here i go again, throwing colors in that could possibly offend those most sensitive to the brazen boldness of it, leaving them yearning to go home to be calmed? i don't know, but what i do know, is that color is what makes me happy, it lightens my heart, it makes my eyes dance...and for me, that's what it is all about...

for the more traditional chic homes, a dash of magnificent color makes it an individual home...your home...add that bright accessory, come on give it a try...you can always put it away if it is just to brash for you...but try it just a bit and see if you don't walk by that room and your eyes dance, just a bit?

if you don't subscribe to 'house beautiful', check out the march cover when you are out...it screams out...

"the POWER of PINK!

IT'S WARM, FLATTERING, SEXY

(AND MEN LOVE IT!)

i felt like a 4 year old when i saw this cover.....i wanted to yell and get every ones attention to say look at this, can you believe it? but knowing they would think i had lost my mind, i quietly bought the magazine....but i really think i had a slight dance to my step as i walked out to my car - just dying to go through all the colorful pages and dream in color...

even my hubby has been swayed a bit....he is hanging invisible book shelves all over the house and declaring it art....now i might have to pull him back just a bit, because honestly i think we would have books hanging in every nook and crannie if i just let him run amok with this idea of his too long...but if you look at the photo above, i think he is on to something, books do add interest and COLOR!

if you would like to browse some colorful game boards, here's my link:

www.dallison.squarespace.com

i'm trying something a little new....

2011-02-23T17:23:00.007-05:00

you probably have seen it before, but it's a first for me....i'm going to have a web sale...what this means is that i will have a certain amount of boards completed and ready to send off to whomever is the first caller...

i know many artists have done this in the past, but i haven't myself....and i thought it would be a fun way to jump into the upcoming spring - such a hopeful season with blooms coming up through the winter ground - time for spring cleaning and sprucing up our homes with new things that we love...and shedding off this most snowy winter season...

hopefully you will find a piece that you just have to have for your own collection....i will be limited to how many pieces that i will be showing, some will be from years ago that were so popular and many will be new to my line....

and if you are needing a piece for your home - and loving certain colors, drop me a note, you just never know if it will be added...i've chosen many designs already but there is always room for more!

when will this take place? i'm planning the end of march....i will email you though to let you know exactly when and how it will all work...if you are not on my email update list, just let me know and i will add your name to my list so you won't miss out...

until then, here's my site for some color therapy: http://www.dallison.squarespace.com/

love to the world....

2011-02-14T12:58:00.000-05:00

happy valentines to each and every one of you....let's pass it all the way around the world...

i sure can keep a secret....but finally....

2011-01-25T13:22:00.015-05:00

but finally i can tell you....it's taken nearly two years to hold this secret inside of me, but finally i can make the announcement about what has been going on behind the scenes...in my little studio in my little corner of this world...

Country Living The Mom's Guide to Running a Business
Strategies for Work Success and Family Balance

Michelle Lee Ribeiro

a new book by my favorite people, Country Living, will be hitting the bookshelves in april! i was contacted nearly two years ago and invited to be part of a book on mom's that have their own businesses, seeking my ideas of how to balance family and work...well i couldn't say no.

but to be honest, it was a little overwhelming, i mean this is COUNTRY LIVING!...and they are TOP DOG in my world...Michelle Lee Ribeiro is the writer, and it was so great to get to know her and have her ask such great questions about not only my business but my family...fore with a home based business; work and family constantly mingle...

i was thrilled that they had thought enough of me and my business to include me in their book to help others...that really means a lot to me...if i can help someone else in a positive way, help them from perhaps making the same mistakes that i have, or to show them to try not to take life so seriously in their new venture...then i've done good...

here's the book jacket of what is coming April 4th...

and here's a little intro. that sterling publishing wrote about their upcoming book...you can go on-line and pre-order this book from a lot of different places if you would like...

"This follow-up to Crafting a Business provides everything a determined entrepreneur needs to know to successfully run her own business while raising a family. Through inspiring profiles, 28 women share diverse strategies on business development and operations, defining space and boundaries, and creating a viable work-family balance. A special “workshop” section also provides business basics for those just starting out.
MICHELLE LEE RIBEIRO is a writer and editor who has covered everything from finances to fashion for various national magazines, websites, and TV outlets."

so a bigger than i can possibly express in words: thank you to country living for asking me to be part of this project...thank you sterling publishing and michelle...it certainly has been a life that i wouldn't want to have any other way...dreams do come true....

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

ok...i'm a bit tired of it all..

2011-01-25T08:18:00.014-05:00

i'm talking winter....the 'beautiful' white stuff that floats down from the sky...if you remember my posts from last year you will notice a theme to them....a woman becoming closer and closer to having a breakdown, day by day...

well, i will spare all of you from a repeat of that this year....for it has been snowing for over a month now...so i've decided to only once list my complaints of how it is in our mountains in the wintertime...and just leave it at that...

shoveling - hubby shoveling to leave for work, and then more when he comes home...eli shoveling until he throws the shovel down and stomps in saying...every time i'm done it keeps doing it again...i now know that there are different shovels for different jobs....we have the metal shovel that can help break through that constant layer of ice...we have regular snow shovels, and then if it's a nice light weight snow, you can just pull out the leaf blower and have at it....

we have to shovel from our back door to get to the gate, shovel around the gate so we can open it...shovel down the stairs to get to the car, then shovel around the cars and behind them to be able to get out...and lets not forget to shovel the long winding (down) driveway to get to the road where the plow has come...and yes, it's day after day after day...

carrying in wood - just plain sick and tired of lugging in that wood through the studio and it making a mess all over as i do it...it is really amazing how much bark can just fall off after you have vacuumed...and if that darn wood stove doesn't start sucking out that smoke like it's supposed to then i'm going to personally put it out of its misery and throw it in the yard...

now it's trash day - i yell out trash dayyyyyyy.....ok, we can get the trash to the can, but there is no way we can get the can up the hill through the snow to the road...so we have this system...walk through the snow everyday to throw the trash out....then on trash day, take all the bags out of the can and put them in super sized black bags....heave the bags over the low fence, throw ourselves over the fence (this eliminated the need to shovel around yet another gate)....then drag the bags up through the snow on the hill and put them on the road...taadah...

then off to the store - i honestly think the weather people have stock in the grocery stores...for the entire town is there loading up like we will possibly be snowed in for weeks at a time...but nobody ever is, because everyone has to go to work the next day and everybody has 4x4's...after buying enough groceries for a week, (totally unnecessary as i said, but we do)...i have to lug them from the car below, dragging them up all the slippery steps into the house, up more stairs to where i can finally heave them on the counter to put away....the cha-ching of the grocery store still ringing in my mind...

and schedules - what schedules...for there is never any school...i think eli has gone to school maybe 7 days in 7 weeks, maybe 8 weeks....i've just quit counting...i'm happier that way, keep my head in the sand, and wake up everyday with the thought, i wonder what today will bring...instead of ohhhh nooooo, not again....and if you would like to know...school was in today, but the school is taking the classes over to ski for the day....yes, this is the world i am in....

my back is getting very tired of bending...my legs weak from going with the flow...

and this morning? hubby said, i don't feel good, i have a headache, i'm hot and cold....well i do love him, but i'm thinking i sure hope you don't have the flu, and visualize myself rolling him out into the yard...(with the stove)

here's my link if you would like to keep this artists mind intact:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

she's finally here...

2011-01-20T10:29:00.007-05:00

arcola

i'm happy to add "arcola" as the 7th limited edition piece to my collection of 'gee's bend' inspired quilt boards...

because of the weather up here, my photos i have to say do not do this piece justice...when some of this snow and ice is out of here i will add a new photo to do her justice...but until then i must add that she has a colorful warmth which was hard for me to capture...

if you love her, and just have to have her for your own, drop me an email or give me a call...gee's bend pieces don't stay around very long...

19" x 19"
$220.00
limited to 20 pieces

15 are still available at this time

link to my site: www.dallison.squarespace.com/
my email: dianeallison@charter.net

thank you all for letting me continue with this series...i wouldn't be able to do it without all of your support!

new gee's bend, on her way...

2011-01-13T15:39:00.008-05:00

the other day when i looked over my website reading about the introduction of game boards that i was going to design inspired by the amazing 'gee's bend quilters', i noticed that i stated that i would do a series of 3 pieces....i am now introducing #7... years later, i see that the color of these quilts still call me to gaze upon them. the bright colors and designs keep pulling me back to study these pieces and read about the artists, hour upon hour...so who knows how many i really will create...as i'm getting older and older and my eyes fail more and more, i love the bright colors even more...and the people pull at my heart....

Arcola

the new piece that i will be introducing is based on Arcola Pettway's quilt that she called lazy gal...her quilt was created in 1976...and holds vivid colors of reds, green, blue, soft yellow and browns. i noticed that i had not until now created a checker board, so i thought that would be a fun twist on her quilt design.

The Story of Arcola Pettway - (from the gee's bend book)

"The life of Arcola Pettway (1934-1994), with its farming, child raising, gospel singing, and quiltmaking, was very similar to those of her closest relatives and friends. Her cousin, Leola Pettway, who was raised in the same home with Arcola, remembers their younger days...."

"'My auntie Deborah Young was her mama. You got to ask somebody else about who her daddy were. We growed up together, living with our granddaddy. He was a reverend. We played a lot; couldn't do much in them days but stay home and make up games, or go get water from down to the spring. When us coming up - we was little children - we used to sing together in church, just the two of us. Best thing back then was: went fishing. Set out hook overnight, go back next morning and get something sometime. Auntie Deborah, she teach us about quilts. Teach me first - I was five or six years older than Arcola and I reckon I showed her some. She used to sing in a group, go around to churches; sing with her sisters and my daughter, and I help them out some Sundays.

Arcola got married to Joseph. They had a lot of children, I reckon a dozen or more. They farmed, just about like everybody else.'"

Arcola's life was full i'm sure, with family, friends and hard work. Sadly it was so short...

this will be a limited edition piece

"arcola"
19" x 19"
$220.00 + shipping

only 20 pieces will be available in this edition... (18 are available at this time)

i will post a photo of the finished piece in about a week to my blog. if you know that you already would like one, please let me know right away. i know many of you pre-order anymore just off of the photos of the unfinished piece that i post so you don't miss out...so please don't let it slip by if you love her...

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

home tour...

2011-01-08T08:00:00.006-05:00

come walk through homes with me...it's like opening a magazine...

there is something about peeking into someones homes....and i guess it's not just me that loves to do this, for now there are actual 'home tours' that are done on a yearly basis...perhaps this is the 'legal' way that i can take a decorating therapy peek instead of just driving by, slowing down and staring like a crazed woman...

and another way....and even more fun, is when you send me pictures of your homes with your game board collections....i just love this, to see what colors you are using on your walls (i can never make up my mind), to the layout and design of your homes....to the mood of the nest that you've created for yourself and your families...

i feel that each and everyone of you over these 16 years have become my friends, even if we only chat by email or phone....i am comfortable enough to know that if i were driving through your town i would have your number and address clasped in my hand searching you out for a tour of your home and a friendship face to face....

awwwww....i feel so renewed and inspired....i think i will take a walk around my own home and see what i can change up a bit....

here's my link if you need to do some shopping: www.dallison.squarespace.com/

happy 2011 everyone!

2011-01-06T12:04:00.006-05:00

it's hard to believe that yet another year has flipped right on over to a new year....my mom has told me the older you get, the quicker they go....i would have to say that a year anymore feels like 8-9 months, and not a day more...

my blackboard is filling up quickly with your names for new game boards for your home - i think it is going to be a very busy year with everyone sprucing up their homes and adding to their collections. the photo above is from a clients home that has been collecting piece by piece over time...i'm always so tickled when i can see what you've done with your treasures!

i am doing the same thing at my house....my latest addition to our home is this 'over the edge coat rack' for my entry way (thanks mom and dad!)....i figured i would 'laugh' about how i must sound to everyone repeating 'hang it up!', over and over again....i plan on painting the large black and white german checker board to go above it...(and tone it down) i think it will be quite something (hmmmmmm)...but you know how i do love color, so that's why...

i set aside some time today to search through my 'gee's bend' quilt book to be inspired with a new design...i know that i had said in 'january' there would be a new piece added to the growing collection...so i can give you a look in about 2 weeks...weather permitting....

yep, we are back to the same weather pattern that we had last year....school has only seen 5 days over the last 5 weeks...eli and i are adapting pretty quickly to our long winter 'vacation'...

if you are in need of some color therapy this winter or a new design for your home, my link to my site is listed below...

also, don't forget valentines day is right around the corner - if you wish to order the 'well worn heart' for someone dear to you, just let me know and i'm happy to create one for you... but it will take several weeks to make your piece, so don't wait until the last minute, or your heart will be sad....and i don't want that!

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

merry merry christmas!

2010-12-20T16:08:00.006-05:00

i hope you all have a wonderful christmas surrounded by all the people that you love....and that all your christmas wishes come true...this is my favorite carol, i loved it ever since i was a little girl...it now reminds me so much of my oldest son...he called this week and said 'i won't be able to bring gifts'....and was feeling so bad about that, i told him that isn't what christmas was about, that we were looking forward to spending time with him....something tells me christmas eve he will fill the room full of music from the keyboard and cello or any of the other instruments we have around the house, just like the little drummer boy....what a blessing we have...

nothing like christmas shopping...

2010-12-16T09:33:00.007-05:00

one son is grown and gone...the other, santa....my oldest son never got back to me of what he would like for christmas, the other wrote it all out, coded, in lines from most wanted to least in a letter to santa....the oldest 'needs' things, the youngest has everything...

so off hubby and i go to do shopping while the weather is still good....eli is sledding at a friends, the other is making his way through the snow to work in shoes with giving seams...

we had no idea what to get them, other than shoes with no holes and $ for my oldest to help with the never ending 'bills'....and since this is the first time we've been put in this position, i can tell you that it is the surest way to buy to many gifts, spend way more than you should've, and then think to yourself, gosh, i hope they like these things....

on the drive home with eli from his friends house, oh he had so many things that he wanted now for christmas....he threw in ideas of nerf guns, snow boards and sleds....not one thing was what we had gotten him....of course, not a one....his list to santa included only old football cards, you know the kind that are hidden away in peoples attics, long forgotten...or worse, bid on ebay, which honestly i'm always outdid at the last minute...i asked him after reading his list, 'no toys?'....no, just cards...was his simple answer....hubby looked over santa's list and chuckled to me that he thought one card was certainly $20,000.00....hmmmmmm

i spoke to my oldest last night and told him all the shopping was done and his gifts were wrapped under the tree...."what?" he asked, "you didn't ask me what i wanted"...i reminded him, yes i did, i just never heard back....i told him to not act like a brat, and be thankful...after all, they are gifts to him...(have to throw those manner things in still every now and then)....but he shyly listed a few things that he needed - and that wasn't shoes....nor anything else that we bought for him...and honestly with the things he mentioned we could have spent $25 and he would've been very happy...

so next year i will send eli off to his friends a couple of weeks before christmas so he can come home with some ideas for me....and the oldest, i will call him the day i'm going shopping and tell him i'm already done shopping...so i can hear his list of what he 'would've' wanted...

i hope your shopping is going better than mine....maybe i should go and do exchanges....

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

to russia with love...

2010-12-13T10:28:00.003-05:00

thank you russia for my wood....if it weren't for you, i couldn't do what i am doing to meet the quality that i expect of myself...for many years i have thought of your country and the many hands that have worked so hard to bring this wood to my small appalachian area... i couldn't be who i am, if it weren't for you...

my mom sent me a video saying be glad you are not in russia in the wintertime....i wasn't able to figure out how to load that one to my blog, but i found this one on youtube...i thought this is the perfect time to give russia a big thank you shout out! i have had readers from that area, so you never know, maybe they will get the message and smile!

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

this made me cry...

2010-12-10T16:53:00.003-05:00

my mom sent me this video...and i was filled with pride and sadness...the tears for the sacrifices that our armed forces are making, for their losses of their friends in their units, and for their missing of their families...i know many of my readers are wives of soldiers that have been gone many times over the last years...my prayers are always with you and for the safety of your family...

i wonder if we could actually see prayers lift off into our skies what would it look like - maybe it would be like a constant silver sparkle, like snowflakes in reverse?

something really bad has happened...

2010-12-09T07:56:00.000-05:00

i cannot remember a time like this, unless i think back to 1983 when i was pregnant with my oldest....sara lee was the culprit then - she created a heavenly dream of chocolate cake with chocolate pudding in the middle....i ate so many of these cakes i couldn't even begin to count....one pan, just enough for a very pregnant woman...but they are now gone, i guess they just never caught on...

and now....it's m&m's....how could they have ever come up with this idea....really, a pretzel in the middle, really, who would want one of those? well let me tell you - i cannot live without them...they are better than a coke, and if you know me, you are gasping right about now...

i, sadly, am allergic to nuts....just a few years ago, as hubby was driving me to the doctor, eyes sealing shut, tongue (evidently quite humorous as i'm told) swelling and making it difficult to talk....i was diagnosed as having a reaction to an almond croissant...and that was just the beginning, peanut m&m's, pecan pie, even little sweet sunflower seeds get me all an itchin'....and my motto is 'if there ever comes a time that the world is ending you will find me sitting on the floor of our local bp station eating reeses cups, what a way to go' i say....oh how i miss them...

but these pretzel m&m's are as close to my memories of the wonderful peanut m&m....hubby keeps bringing them home in the huge bags...i begin emptying the bags and yell out - no, this can't be....he says 'what'? i scold him for bringing them home again....i cannot continue eating all these pounds and pounds of candy...just look at my stomach - he just smirks, i rip open the bag and tell him, this is it, just stop it!

i think i will have to put a ban on them by the end of the month....certainly if i cannot get into any of my 'fat' clothes we will have a problem...and if i dare mention the word 'diet' around hubby, he certainly will bring me 2 bags at a time, he always does those things, so annoying! or worse, fill my entire stocking full of them, and then what could i say other than thank you and eat them to make him happy? oh dear, what a mess i'm in...

oh how i love christmas lights

2010-12-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

winter wonderland...

2010-12-07T10:18:00.010-05:00

as i'm busy working in the studio, quick as a holiday elf could be...i have to admit that i'm enjoying our first winter view...yes, it is a couple of months earlier than our normal winter, but last year was the same...i'm enjoying my time painting by the fireplace and thinking of all the game boards that will be opened christmas morning...and i'm truly honored that you all have invited me into your homes...

a day out to the tree farm - tromping up and down the snowy mountain, each of us spotting the 'perfect' christmas tree....i have to say, 3 people, 3 different ideas of the perfect tree - me, well i fall for the charlie brown trees, hubby, the fatter the better, and eli, fat & enormously tall...but as the sleet was drying to a nice ice topping on my head, we did find the perfect tree...

is there really ever a not perfect christmas tree? decorated with all your treasures over the many years, how can it not be just perfect with an ornament like this?

school, as you know, is out forever i'm sure....i am putting the finishing touches on your pieces and then i will begin a new gee's bend game board...if there is a gee's bend quilt that is your favorite and you would love to see it turned into a game board, just let me know...!

for browsing: www.dallison.squarespace.com/

early american life magazine...

2010-10-27T09:16:00.004-04:00

A HUMONGOUS THANK YOU to Early American Life Magazine, it's writer, Gregory LeFever and their photographers and models for the December issue!

I thought it was just a little walk to the mailbox to pick up whatever was there, i wasn't really expecting anything exciting....but there was the envelope, with copies and copies and more copies of the upcoming December issue of the magazine...

I knew the upcoming article on game boards and artists would be coming out, but i had no idea that it was going to be such an in depth story of game boards, their origins, and inside funny stories of their life here on this planet, i learned so much in this 10 page article, and saw antique boards that made my eyes dance! The writer, Gregory LeFeber was so much fun to talk with - i try really hard to sound 'somewhat' intelligent during an interview, and not to be tooo nervous...for i don't prepare - for i have found, with me, it's better to just wing it so that my stress level does stay low....and Gregory wrote such a nice piece on me, my beliefs and my own history that it sounds like we were just chatting away...

The photographs are fun - full of history and color, children dressed in period clothing in the 1798 cabin is just so neat...

So be sure to go out and find your copy if you don't subscribe to it....Early American Life Magazine is truly the place to search out those pieces that you would want to invest in and pass on as heirlooms within your own family, for if EAL supports you, it truly does make the statement that you are one of the top crafters in our country....a treasure...

Come celebrate with me as i craft a piece for your family to treasure:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

two new pieces to introduce...

2010-10-20T15:27:00.006-04:00

i have two newly completed pieces to share with you - the first one is 'happy birthday' - as you know i gave a small preview in september to show you what i was working on for eli's upcoming november birthday....here is the final finished piece....

the original game board that i based this on is from the midwest circa 1920's....the original piece held a tin drawer and was decorated with not only paint but with paper...

my version below i plan to change up just a small bit - i will make the dabs of paint in the inner square and outer circle to be a bit larger to seem more like confetti - for this was the feeling that i had when i painted it - a confetti party on a board....

this will be a limited edition of 25 only - $210.00 + shipping and is 19" x 19"

the colors are a nice blue, my traditional barn red, off white with a touch of a warm tan.

if you feel that you would like one - let me know, for i think they will go fast with being a 'birthday' board.

the 2nd piece to introduce is a checker board - it too is 19" x 19"

my original design

and titled "grace"

$190.00

using my traditional barn red, tan, gold and a nice green which i call wedgwood green....it really is a pretty piece....

this will be an open edition - for i think adding a checker to collections give such a nice graphic look in a grouping or it can hold it's own displayed all on it's own...

if you would like to place an order - just email me or give me a call - 828-265-0977....thanks again for all of your support!

I will be showing you a recently published article from the "early american life" magazine that will be coming out very soon....they had some great photos of my work and a nice interview too! so a big THANKS to early american life....more on that next week though...

here's my link to my site if you would like to browse:

www.dallison.squarespace.com/

i don't know what i love more...

2010-10-13T05:29:00.005-04:00

i don't know if i love teenage boys or college boys more....i find both 'species' highly amusing....eli being 10 now, 'going on 14', isn't hugging me anymore...instead he chooses to kind of bump smack dab into me until i reach around and hug him....the prelude to a teenager.... and being lucky enough to live just one block from our local small university - i am always entertained with the goings on that i see when i drive by, whether it's sidewalk performances, gatherings of music or seeing a boy early morning in only pajama bottoms trying to get back to his dorm - the age is just wonderful to watch...

an update on today's blog: hubby called after dropping eli at school this morning laughing and laughing...he said when he dropped him off a group of junior high school girls turned around and yelled 'it's eli!'....eli's back immediately stiffened and he had the half smirk that he is known for (his internal embarrassment sign)...all 3 girls came up and wrapped their arms around this smirking stiff boy....he quickly got away from them and headed into class...the principal viewed all of this with a smirk on her own face....ahhhh....boys are just so fun to watch! (and annoy)...

it's a toss-up, don't you think?

my september...

2010-10-12T07:48:00.006-04:00

hubby's birthday...

yes, that's eli at football...

mom, dad and i searched for barn quilts for an afternoon...

mom's birthday....

dad's birthday...

eli's cotillion (and yep, i am just that mean of a mom)

davey's birthday...

davey practicing the cello for eli....

eli 'finally' practicing....

as i said in my last post, september is full of fun, family and travels...i thought i'd share with you my month in photos...hope you enjoyed being part of my family!

http://dallison.squarespace.com/

so my site name has changed...

2010-10-07T08:18:00.017-04:00

as you know, my old site: dallisongameboards - is gone....and there is a reason why....

a long long time ago i had a web designer - i eventually created my own site later using the 'squarespace' company for the reason that i can update my site on my own....i have that annoying personality trait of wanting everything done NOW - so it just has worked better for me...

so after my new site was built i attached a link from my old site to my new site - (it's one of those mysterious things that can be done without the viewer even knowing it)...and that link would automatically take you over to my newer site with just a click...

my 'old' site expired....(previously i would buy the name for 3 years and then renew it when it came time)....because the original information was in the hands of my old web designer, i was not able to renew it on my own...i spoke to the company explaining this to them and they said they were not able to help me, that when it expired then i could buy it...i told them it had expired, they informed me 'when it really expires'....huh???

so here's what happens then....

there are companies out there that sit and wait until your site expires "really expires" i guess....then they jump in and buy it for somewhere around $5 and hold it hostage....yep, it is true, very sad, but true...

so i was offered the chance to buy my old name back at the ransom of $300....

of course it is an 'integrity' thing, which i'm very fond of hanging my hat on....friends gave me their input - you've spent years building up that site name, pay the $ and be done with it, you will loose your customers, people will think you've gone out of business!!

- can't can't do that...can't pay off these name-nappers....so that's just the way it will be...i realize it is only $300 for the many years of hard work and promotions with country living magazine - but i just can't give in to even this small injustice...

funny (or really not) - i talked to a writer who has worked for major companies in the past - he said the same thing has happened to fortune 500 companies - even to the point that the name-nappers have threatened to put 'undesirable' sites on their old site....he said they spoke to their attorneys and agreed not to give in to the name-nappers -

so in the end you name-nappers - whether you are trying to con a billion dollar company or a teeny tiny one - you just lost $5.00!

and that's all i have to say....

so here is the new and always available site:

dallisonsquarespace.com

or you can always type in diane allison + game boards and you will see my site...

my....how time speeds on by...

2010-10-06T10:58:00.007-04:00

i cannot believe it is october - my favorite month of the year, but really, how can this be? i saw my last post was about a month ago....september for us is full of birthdays, family visits, football games, festivals and running around with friends...i guess that's why it has already come and gone...

i love the colors of fall; yellows orange and reds...everyday when i peek out the window there is something new to admire. this is when i just can't stop decorating around the house, orange is MY color if i ever had one, add some black to that and WOW! i also start nesting, pulling out the throws and pillows of the season. i think what i love the most is that i can enjoy 2 full months of pumpkins, mums and ORANGE!

i'm soooo busy in the studio - whether i'm decorating your homes, making christmas gifts, or new clients that have tripped across my site in the vast world of google - (which always amazes me!) there is never a lull...

i will be introducing 2 new boards next week for your eyes to dance about on....so check back then to take a peek...

if you were thinking you might like a piece to tuck under your tree or a friends, let me know for i'm coming close to not being able to insure a december delivery...

breathe in the changed air, cook some wonderful warm fall foods and enjoy this most beautiful time of the year with me....(ohhhh, that just made me think of pumpkin pie!, i must make one of those tonight!)

happy birthday my sunshine...

2010-09-08T12:00:00.003-04:00

happy 27th my sunshine....you are just more than words can say....

a sneak peek at a new design

2010-09-02T13:14:00.006-04:00

happy birthday!

i sat down to paint a reproduction game board this morning....and as i was staring at the original design i glanced to another piece...i was wooed right away, for it reminded me of confetti, of parties and birthdays...

i decided to paint this piece instead - for it was a fun design...

here is a peek of a bit of it after one sanding and one staining....it will change as you know after i do more finishing on it - but until then - think 'happy birthday' for that is the name that grabbed me while i was painting this piece...

i do believe i will change up the dots a bit - my first piece is always a play with color and design and then i fine tune it as i go...but i thought the dots needed more impact to be more of a happy birthday piece - so i will change that some on the next one...

the original design is from the 1920's - and it is thought to be midwestern...and if you are lucky enough to have 'the game' honoring american baseball - this goes just perfect with it and i will hang them both together in eli's room....(keep it a secret, for it's for his birthday!)

this too will be a limited edition of just 25 pieces....
19" x 19"
$200.00
colors are an antique white, red and blue

if you would like to browse other pieces - here's my link....

http://dallison.squarespace.com/

so when have i ever listened?

2010-08-26T11:41:00.005-04:00

ok - so i'm talking to this "man from within", you know the man who knows whats really going on out there in the art world? the one who can tell you if you are good or not, if you are on the right track or give you snip its of good advice?

his take on my work, the woods that i use, my designs and my 'bio' as far as being a country living guild artist, selected into the early american life directory of traditional artists, magazine spreads and working with sundance catalog - he clearly stated: your prices are to low - you need to raise them...

hmmmmm....i told him i disagreed with him (so shocked aren't you?) - he said he is out there, and my prices are to low, especially for limited editions...

so as always, i confer with my parents, and my husband, they agree with him, since he 'knows'....hmmmm....

well, me being me - it takes me some time to agree with others most of the time. i will go over their advice over and over again, until maybe at some point i agree. but until then - i wanted to give all of you a special thank you gift just to show you that i'm well aware, that each and every one of you has played such a role in my being able to do what i love, art and family...

so here's a $25.00 coupon (no expiration date, just mention it to me) - for your next 'i must have a game board' mood...(this sale is on any piece that you desire that isn't already sold out...and that is $25.00 off of each piece you order, so order more if you need an arrangement for your home!)

i am now limiting myself to only 9 pieces a month beginning in september - still trying to keep my work down to less than 100 a year...the less i do, the more your pieces will raise in value - and that's a good thing for you!

if you would like a piece...please let me know....and here's my link to browse:

http://www.dallisonsquarespace.com/

GHS BAND.avi

2010-08-20T06:55:00.000-04:00

Greeneville, TN high school marching band needs new uniforms but the cost has doubled in the last 12 years and they can't afford the $40,000 price tag. They've put up a video to help raise funds on youtube and a sponsor has promised to pay .25 cents for each viewing. So please view this video and pass this on to your friends to help these kids out. They really did a great job on the video which is based on Summer Love from Grease....lots of fun to watch.

i'm not sure if they receive monies for watching the large link - so click on the smaller one above in purple just in case.

have you ever just had one of those days?

2010-08-18T17:10:00.010-04:00

ok....it all began around 6:30 this morning...early to rise, early bird catches the worm, sunrises and good thoughts, right?

well i have a long long list of things to do before 7:15 when eli heads off to school - take the dog out, feed the dog, make eli breakfast and lunch, get him dressed and ready for school and remind him of a million things...

this morning belle just wouldn't have going down through the studio to go out....oh noooo....this is not the system that she likes - she much prefers to use the front door 'thank you very much' and not head out to the backyard in the early morning...

i ran down the steps of the studio calling and calling her....and saw that there she was just sitting up at the top of the stairs staring at me...that 'you've got to be kidding me' look that she does to me....i encouraged, begged and pleaded, going back and forth between the door and back to the stairs promising her a joyful time out back...and all i got back was her preceding to lay down in the hall...

little did i know - she had left me a bit of her 'middle of the night' bad behavior to walk through in the dark studio....normally, belle can be very very sneaky....she will head down to my studio in the wee hours of the night if she feels like it....being naughty on the only carpet we have in the house...but we always hear her creep down the stairs and hubby and i fly up and out of bed to take her out...but we had the air on last night, and didn't hear a darn thing...

so to my dismay - 20 minutes later - i noticed that i had walked up and down the stairs, through the studio, into eli's room back down the hall and into the kitchen (in my very favorite sandals)...leaving little footprints behind...

that was the beginning...

on the way to school today, eli told me he is studying south america and signed up for my cooking south american food for his class....this, the mother who burns anything i touch, even my fingers...

ok....so far it 7:45 a.m.

by 10:00 my printer was having a breakdown....i spent an hour on line trying to fix it with all 'their' tricks and promises....but finally found i just needed to add some more ink...honestly, i'm just trying to do my shipping today....and it's not looking good...i head out to staples, my favorite friendly people place, pick out my ink color and head off to pay....well, you know today, that just isn't going to be really successful for me, don't you....my debit card was declined...i assured the young man (12 i think)...that i really really do have money, he assured me that he knew just that, but i would have to pay another way...i wanted to give him a check, but thought that might just be a flat out "NO" from him....so off i go....

i got home and pulled up my account - as shocking as it was - i didn't have a dime in my account after all - but hey, i do believe i asked the bank to hook my checking acct. to my savings acct. a year ago in case i ever make a mistake - so i called them and told them just that...well she was soooo nice, and sorry, and gave me my charges back - and then asked me did i want to sign up for this new really neat savings account while i'm on the phone - well it sounded like a fun way to save money, so i said 'you bet'....she said just a second, let me transfer you....well, it just went beep beep beep in my ear....nobody was there...typical of today....

went to do my shipping and pick up eli from school - i neglected to take the boxes with me....we ran back home asap so we wouldn't miss the fedex hero in our life...and phewwwww - that actually worked out...

on the way home - eli had told a friend that he would type up a paper for him since his friend had soccer practice tonight....as he hit the keyboard, nothing happened....keyboard died....changed the batteries, called my computer friend...nothing happened....changed the batteries again, and wallaaaaaa...here we are...

so i had better sign off so he can do his typing, and later i will be surfing for south american food to cook - oh yes, "it's due on friday mom" he said....

if you would like to browse some art, here's my link: www.dallisonsquarespace.com

i'm baaack...

2010-07-22T08:49:00.007-04:00

after a much needed spoiling session by my parents, i'm back in the mountains working in the studio again....i still am feeling disorganized but little by little things will settle in... but while i was gone i talked to my oldest son, davey....he said he was on youtube - now let me tell you a little about davey - he has a giving kind heart and is an amazing musician....he is that musician that plays by 'ear', that writes his own music, that lays down bed after bed of music and then puts it altogether...he can't read a note of music, for he never had to learn, so has created his own 'code' that he writes with...

and shy shy shy about it - i push and push for him to go out and play around town, to put his work on youtube; to take a chance.....'ahhhhhh' is always his answer...so when a friend of his was over, his friend taped him playing and put it on youtube....phew, i say, finally....

here's a bit:

a proud mama i am!

and if you have noticed that my site isn't up and running (expired) - that is something that i'm trying to accomplish this week (renewal) - so until then here is a direct link to my site that you can use:

http://dallison.squarespace.com/

the salt breeze is calling me....

2010-07-07T15:46:00.005-04:00

i'm off for a quick trip down to see my mom and dad....will do wonders for this confused state of mind....

i promise i will be right back

new game board

2010-06-17T09:42:00.007-04:00

the game

it's finally here - after some difficulty getting myself into the game, the new piece is here and ready to show to you...come celebrate the all american sport with me - baseball - springs and summers filled with baseball, swimming and fireflies - this piece brings back memories of my own summer nights as a kid and the late games with my own children, and hopefully one day, with my own grandchildren.... i think this is my favorite piece for it is wrapped in thoughts of my past, present and future...

"the game"

original piece - circa 1930 baseball diamond decoration - dart board

19" x 19"

Russian Birch - North Carolina Poplar

Limited Edition of 30 Pieces

$200.00 + shipping

only 12 are still available

if you would like to order - please send me an email - or give me a call - 828-265-0977 - and i will be happy to make one for you...

to view other designs, here's my link: http://www.dallisongameboards.com/

i've been singing around the house....

2010-06-04T07:42:00.004-04:00

this week i find myself singing around the house - (to the dismay of others)....sadly i do not believe that any note that i hit is actually on key, but it still makes ME happy to sing as i'm going along doing this and that....if i had one wish, just one - it would be to have a beautiful voice that uplifts others....

until then....

i find myself singing hallelujah over and over again, off key, for summer is here, and school is finally out....

to keep me busy in the studio, here is my link: www.dallisongameboards.com

it's a good world we live in...

2010-06-01T07:22:00.010-04:00

sometimes it feels like we get bogged down in our daily lives, my list is so so long....and i notice that i don't notice some things; the buds on a plant, how blue the sky is and on and on; for some weeks my life is a whirlwind and i have to remind myself constantly, take time to smell the roses....

and sometimes we stumble upon someone who lifts us, who inspires us, who brings energy right into our bodies as we listen to them....this is what happened when i was watching the oprah show....and she introduced will i. am from the black eyed peas....well i think we ALL know who the black eyed peas are - and can sing right along with them...

now i don't know will. i. am - but my take was he was a pretty shy guy - seemed down to earth - seemed kind, there really was a sweetness about him...and then he announced what he's been doing 'off camera' to help others...he began the "i.am home" fund. listening to him say that he really had enough money (and he was so humble about this) - along with his belief of people having a home being so important to him - he started the "i.am home" fund with his own money....

here's a blip on it:

will.i.am created the i.am home fund to help those in jeopardy of losing their homes due to the economic crisis in the U.S.
"Growing up I dreamt that one day I'd be able to buy my mom a house and take care of my family. I realized that dream and experienced the positive effect giving back had on my family. Now I am compelled to help others who are in jeopardy of losing their homes and inspire others to join the movement. The collapse of the housing market and the economic crisis has left millions in jeopardy of losing their homes. The crisis awakened a personal mission to create the i.am home fund to save people facing the very real problem of foreclosure and homelessness."
- will.i.am

imagine that - imagine what this one man has caused....it's pretty amazing...

here's eli's favorite song by the way - (version done for oprah) - it seems to be the chant of the 4th graders at his school - how appropriate that this one man and band touches all ages in a positive manner...

here's a link to his site: i.amhome fund

his intentions are just to do this with his own money - his hopes and dreams are that others will be stirred by this opportunity and give too - giving shelter to all americans....imagine starting there and sheltering the world one day...

creating is a messy business...

2010-05-19T08:20:00.002-04:00

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...

www.dallisongameboards.com

catching up on life...

2010-05-18T08:45:00.007-04:00

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:

www.dallisongameboards.com

i'm almost caught up!

2010-04-29T08:49:00.004-04:00

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!

www.dallisongameboards.com

new game board!

2010-04-27T08:15:00.003-04:00

"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

random photos of things i love...

2010-04-14T08:39:00.008-04:00

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

MIA and ..random thinking

2010-04-13T09:24:00.011-04:00

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

new boards!

2010-03-25T11:33:00.006-04:00

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:

http://www.dallisongameboards.com/

how much do i love you?

2010-03-21T08:03:00.006-04:00

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/

ahhhh....i'm in love!

2010-03-11T11:25:00.004-05:00

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!

HK Anderson

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

2010-03-03T07:20:00.003-05:00

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

my drive to the country...

2010-02-25T07:04:00.002-05:00

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...

2010-02-24T10:33:00.004-05:00

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...

2010-02-18T13:22:00.005-05:00

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...

2010-02-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

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?

2010-02-16T08:14:00.004-05:00

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...

2010-02-11T12:52:00.006-05:00

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?

2010-02-10T09:27:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-04T06:21:00.004-05:00

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...

2010-02-03T06:16:00.005-05:00

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'...

2010-02-02T08:33:00.003-05:00

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.

2010-02-01T17:19:00.009-05:00

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

he's my sunshine...

2010-01-27T07:01:00.004-05:00

he also goes by sweet potato and sweet potato pie.... i overheard him the other day telling a friend that if his mom says his full name, he's in real real trouble...
as he excitedly jumped in the car yesterday after school there wasn't a second before the story began..."i won a contest today - i hung a spoon from my nose for 7 1/2 minutes! the teacher said she was impressed and is going to give me a certificate at the end of the year"!.... that was his day, a total of 6 1/2 hours summed up in the 7 1/2 minute event.

today is a snow day, shocking isn't it?

and my guess is this penguin is 10, his name is eli...and he just heard that he's having another 'snow day'.

to browse boards and keep me sane painting this winter, here's my link:

http://www.dallisongameboards.com/

i'm hustling...thank you!

2010-01-26T06:49:00.004-05:00

your purchase and interest of the new piece 'still unnamed' have been overwhelming. and then, like a domino effect, came even more orders for pieces that you are wanting to decorate with....do we already have spring fever? it's feeling like it for me...i've been sprucing things up, moving things around and surfing the internet for the perfect duvet cover....paint chips are hanging here and there....in a way this will be a good thing...having everything picked out before spring leaps in - and then i can jump right on it....

school was delayed yesterday, due to flooding.

school is delayed today, due to a bit a snow.

'they' are saying we will have an 'old fashioned' snow starting on thursday through the weekend....i'm not sure why they are mincing words, trying to make it sound like something we should look forward to...but maybe they have lost their minds like most of us here...

i'm happy though - painting away - in a warm studio - my wood is piled higher than 6 feet now....and i'm enjoying the beauty of my hyacinths pushing up through the potted dirt, lending a wonderful fragrance to each room...

if you would like to browse game boards, here's my link: www.dallisongameboards.com

ohhhh game boards!

2010-01-21T21:40:00.001-05:00

i wanted to share some photos of homes with you showing off their wonderful displays! i thank you all for sharing these with me - it really is fun to see your homes, colors and collections - it also gives me an idea of how they look in so many settings...so thanks for taking the time to share them with me, it really does mean so much to me...

if you need any inspiration on colors and designs, please see my website: www.dallisongameboards.com

a new design...

2010-01-20T10:16:00.008-05:00

(an update: only 11 are still available - thanks you guys!!)

finally...a new design is here! this is a piece that i've wanted to do for more than a year and i'm happy to say that i'm already happy with the 'almost' finished piece...

the original i'm dating 1880-1930....for i'm having to guess here by the colors that were used...my 'adaptation' is on the drying racks and as soon as i'm done i'll add a picture...but until then, here is the original piece...

i have added black lines in place of the white lines - i do like the white lines, but i just have to have some black to make it me....and that also pulls in the dark molding that i traditionally use...

there will only be 20 available - as you know i'm limiting all future designs so that i have more 'open creative' time to doodle in the studio...

it is 19" x 19" so will work if you have a collection - and is $220.00 + shipping...

the piece goes unnamed at this time....it hasn't come to me by naming itself, maybe next week....

but it was a very difficult piece...the design is simple to the eye, but the freehand sizing of the circles and the added freehand painting was honestly very difficult, even for a painter...my guess is it took at least 4 hours of constant painting - much more than any of the other pieces that i've done in the past...another good reason to have a 'small edition' on this piece...!

if you would like to browse other designs, here's the link: www.dallisongameboards.com

i'm free, i'm freeeee!

2010-01-10T17:29:00.004-05:00

after an exciting excape with eli and hubby on friday...i am once again, out on my own...the driveway has just been plowed and it looks like i will be able to get out tomorrow...

come dance with me....

Akon's - Freedom

cabin fever - goodbye!

2010-01-08T06:53:00.004-05:00

i'm free, i'm free....hubby is taking me out today (yes i know, sounds pitiful doesn't it?) he mentioned doing that or just killing me....

i'm heading out with him and eli first thing this morning...! all i can think of is rainbows and sunshine...doesn't matter what happens today, snow, ice, who cares? for i'm free, i'm freeeeee...