03 December 2025

ALMOST WORDLESS WENDESDAY #8 (because I can't help it, some days I gotta have words)

What do I get when I mix one snow day, with a bucket of mud, wood from HD and pot of Annie Sloan original chalk paint? Athenian Black to be exact.

Happiness.

I get happiness.

Plus another new banner using the DIY black photography board and inverse square law (the rate at which light falls off), for the back. 

Happiness. 





64 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Ray! Wishing you lots of fun in the upcoming painting contest!

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  2. Continued happiness. Nice banner.

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    1. Hi Linda. Thank you. I'm very, very much enjoying your photos - keep 'em coming!

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  4. Ooh, chalk paint! I've always wanted to try that!

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    1. It's great fun. I have tried a few different chalk paints and so far, Annie Sloan her original line is the best I've used. Water-based, easy to clean, no stinky smells. Hope you get to give it a go. Really fun stuff.

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  5. New happy banner! 😜! I love to use chalk paint in fact I only use it now.

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    1. Hi Catherine! Great to hear from another chalk painter. I love Annie Sloan, tried a few others and hers to me, is the best of the lot. Her original chalk paint. What got you into chalk painting?

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  6. Looks fantastic. And you had fun making the photography board. Love the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer characters.

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    1. Hey Ann! Happy Friday and thank you. We do to here. Such great characters to shoot. Wishing you a fun weekend ahead.

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  7. That is such a nice banner. I love the deer with the polka dot bow, SO cute.

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    1. Hi Lori! Thank you. That little deer is super cute. Her name is Clarice from the Rudolph gang. Very fun to shoot. Happy Weekend. Happy Eating.

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  8. The banner is adorable and so cheerful. Love it. Snow already? How fun!!

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    1. Hi Judee! Thank you. Yes, snow... where I live we've had winter for a bit now and this isn't our first snow. I really love it though. Sooo pretty. Happy Cooking to you. Soups look good!

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  9. Your new banner rocks! And it is lit so beautifully!

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    1. Hey Debra! Thank you for that. I'm learning about light and I just love painting with it. So freakin' fun! Happy Weekend!!!!!

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  10. I love the new blog header. It makes me hear Rudolph saying "Ready Santa!" And Herbie wanting to be a dentist. :)

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    1. Yes! That's a great thing to hear and now that I read what you wrote, I hear it too!

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  11. Well Ivy....you have created a beautiful banner here. I enjoy all of your excitement in the art that you create. I can feel your joy for sure....I would say that this wordless Wednesday deserves a few words. Hoping you keep creating and having so much fun.... Big ol' "booger" hugs to you...

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    1. Hey Shug! Much thanks. Currently sitting in front of the Christmas trees and about to enjoy a cuppa. So peaceful! Loved your little round table. I'd easily set up house there. What a great table to draw, eat, write and just sit and day dream. Happy Christmas Month.

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  12. I love your banner and I agree that it's very happy!

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    1. Thanks, Mari! Enjoying your Wordless Wednesdays and thanks again for getting me into this theme.

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  13. Replies
    1. Cheers and much thanks, Martha! Happy Weekend!

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  14. Such a cute new banner! Here's to our happiness!

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    1. Hi Christine! Here's to our happiness, indeed.

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  15. I'm glad you showed a photo of the materials, as I was originally thinking you went outside to get mud from your garden :-)

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    1. lololololol You know what though, you're not far off on me getting dirt from the garden. That does sound like something I'd do.

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  16. I love your cheery posts Ivy, you always make me smile :) LOVE the Santa and company figure one. That dark background really makes them pop. I also enjoyed seeing your work area. Thanks for popping into my blog too. Happy December!

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    1. Helloooooo Denise! Happy December and I enjoyed reading your posts. Blogging is so fun! Wishing you a fun weekend ahead.

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  17. I like your explaining how this was done! It's great too.

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    1. Hi Boud. Thank you. For the last half a year or so I've been learning light and having a ball. Wishing you a fun weekend ahead. Thanks for popping in today!

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  18. The banner is happiness. You are a star!

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  19. I simply LOVE watching you invent your own happiness and it makes me happy to. in the header shot the polkadot pup is my favorite of the 4 but the way the light falls off the reindeer is my favorite of the lights. I noticed the inverted fall off this morning. I have an underrated tree, 18 inches tall in the nook for five days and just can't stand the though of digging ornaments out of the closet. on our walk I found a maple leaf, 2 of them, 11 inches by 8 inches, the biggest I have ever seen. I stood it on the tiny tree and stepped in front to take a photo, and as I moved side to side I watched the light, and found that the light fell off right when I stood straight in the front of it... though of you. wait til you see what I did with that leaf... I love it so much I am bumping fridays post to show it to you.. had a blast for an hour with 2 leaves found on a walk... happy happy

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    1. Hi Sandra! I love this comment and that you found joy in the leaves. It's so fun to get lost for an hour and take pictures. That's a HUGE leaf. How cool that you found that! I can understand not wanting to dig through a closet. I get that.

      Thanks about the characters. That's the elephant from Misfit Island. She's just so stinkin' cute. Thank you for noticing the light falling off. It's so much fun to do this and I'm happy to share it with you.

      Thanks for the great comment! Huggs and love to you, WONDER WOMAN!

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  20. The dog is a great addition! Love the banner!

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    1. Thanks! I can see how she looks like a dog, those floppy ears for sure. That's the elephant from Misfit Island. She's so stinkin' cute!

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  21. Replies
    1. Hi Joanne - Much thanks. And thanks for posting about the decorations you baked. Perfect idea and I just loved it.

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  22. You know I would love everything about this post. Great explanation of your creation. The little figures are so cute and the lighting is perfect.
    Happy Almost Wordless Wednesday.
    Sue

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    1. Hey Sue! Happy Christmas. Just saw part of the Christmas fun of where you live. How cool is that! Love it. Happy December!

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  23. It's fun when we create something that we enjoyed doing and it turns out great and exactly what we envisioned. Ohhh, those duds from past creations, still haunt me. Very cute banner.

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    1. Hi Debby! I love the little Christmas tree by your name! So cute. Honestly, the photos teach me. I'm the student and learn as I go and I'll shoot something and really love and and learn from it. I'm sorry duds from the past haunt you. Let that crap go! Too much fun to be had, IMO to let past creations haunt. Here's to having fun!

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  24. Oh, I love your Header, it's delightful. Rudolph is such a classic show. How fun you have the characters for it.

    Have a merry and bright December week.

    ~Sheri

    **your orange mocha hot chocolate sounds YUMMY!

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    1. OMG Sheri! I told Tim about the orange mocha when I asked him to open the peppermint and he said the same as you. I tell ya' a good swap for sure. Will have this again and thinking it might make a good cookie too. Orange Mocha Hot Chocolate Cookies!

      Thank you for your kind words about the banner. Happy Christmas!

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  25. You MADE this color black? It is like a witch's potion! I love the polka dot puppy!

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    1. Hi Ginny! I'm sorry, I'm not sure I follow. The black chalk paint is from Annie Sloan and I used her paint to make a photography board and the background is from inverse square law. The rate at which light falls off. I'm sorry if I didn't write that well enough.

      How cute is the polka dot! She really does look like a puppy. She's the elephant from Misfit Island. So cute!

      Thanks bunches for stopping in today. Wishing you a yummy weekend ahead.

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  26. Aww Ivy, this is such a happy Almost Wordless Wednesday post.
    Love your four characters, they make me smile and it's a wonderful new banner.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Hi Jan! Happy Winter! Thanks for stopping in and postings lots of yummy foods on your blog.

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  27. Replies
    1. Hi River! Thanks! Got most of them at Five Below - Happy Winter!

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  28. Your header looks great!! I love the little animals ( and Santa, of course).

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  29. I like your new header, and all your mini friends.

    God bless.

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    1. Those are minis from Rudolph. They make excellent practice subjects! Happy Winter!

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  30. f its is exactly what I am suffering. I have food, shelter, heat/AC, a husband, a dog and my health and am able to do what I do and yet I drag around the house like a half dead cat. I put out the Christmas stuff yesterday and when done wanted to take it down and put it back in the closet

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    1. I'm so sorry Sandra. It's not fun to have the fuck its. For sure, not fun. But it's also normal. You have a bunch on your plate and it's not easy. Though I do hope you get back to your drawing and get that iPad charged. Your art brings joy to you and to others BUT, it's also okay to have the fuck its right now. Just don't stay there tooooo long. And remember we're here for you. Huggs and love.

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