cjacks.com

Welcome to cjacks!

I am so happy you have decided to visit my blog. Here you can see some of my musings, creative projects, recipes and whatever else catches my fancy. You can also check out my social media.

Watercolor Doodles

I was in the mood to dig out the watercolors the other day. It had been a while since I last did one, so I decided to try a few doodles to scrub off the rust, so to speak. I didn't have too much of a plan besides trying a sunset or two.  That evolved into using scrap...

Pattern Review: Pineapple Peacock Shawl

This is going to be a pretty short review.   I have made this pattern a few times and really enjoy making these. They work up pretty fast, but you will need to watch your counting.  Be sure to lay it out occasionally to ensure there are no skipped repetitions!  I did...

Blast from the Past

Years ago (2015-2017) I had the privilege of living out a childhood dream - to be in a band.  I never shared any of my videos and photos on my blog, but it was an experience!  We were known then as Psychedelic Revival and played mostly 60's music. As the new year...

Hippie Bench Revamp

A few years ago My folks were getting rid of an old beat up bench that they had, so I decided I could take it and have a few more years use out of it. Well, after a year, the middle board rotted and I thought it had outlived its usefulness. But, being who I am, I...

Pokemon Graph-ghan

TIPS This is my first graphgan. It has crossed off one thing from my huge bucket list whilst simultaneously making what, I hope, will make my friend happy (and warm)  during these cold months in PA.  This is my first attempt at doing a graphgan.  I created the pattern...

Pattern Review: Basic Bralette

 Using some leftover yarn I had, I decided to give the basic bralette pattern by Morale Fiber a go.  Overall, I found the pattern extremely well written and it worked up pretty quickly. I am pleased with the result, with a few caveats: 1. Check your gauge.  I *never*...

Bastet: La Chatte Noir

I have long loved Art Deco/Art Nouveau and Poster Art. Back in the late 90s, I saw Théophile Alexandre Steinlen's 1896 Color Lithograph poster for the cabaret called Le Chat Noir.  I had always wanted to try my hand at doing a version of the poster but never got...

Reading by Candlelight, Episode One: “Second Best,” by D.H. Lawrence

Welcome to the first episode of "Reading by Candlelight!" I thought it would be fun to share some literature with you read by candlelight for some relaxing ambiance. In this episode, I read "Second Best," by D.H. Lawrence. Read more about D.H. Lawrence:...

Pattern Review: Crochet Boho Tank

I made the top available here a few years ago and opted to give it a whirl for a second round. This time, though, the yarn I used made much bigger squares, which is not a big surprise because the pattern called for a yarn that took a 4.5 mm, and the yarn I used called...

Pattern Review: Tassel Shawl (Crochet) by Lionbrand

Pattern Review: Tassel Shawl by Lionbrand Yarn using a “Shawl in a Cake” skein in Namaste Neutral

Pattern Review: Crochet Boho Tank

Pattern Review: Crochet Boho Tank

I made the top available here a few years ago and opted to give it a whirl for a second round. This time, though, the yarn I used made much bigger squares, which is not a big surprise because the pattern called for a yarn that took a 4.5 mm, and the yarn I used called...

Cat Toy from Project Scraps

Cat Toy from Project Scraps

I love repurposing and using stuff that otherwise could end up in a landfill.  Below is one such project. It is fun, quick and easy to make your feline buddy a toy that will bring hours of enjoyment and use up some scraps from your latest project. This is a very basic...

Recipe: Onion Soup

Recipe: Onion Soup

Onion Soup Recipe Ingredients 1 Stick of butter (1/2 cup) Splash of Olive Oil.  I used my homemade rosemary infused oil olive, but any will do. 5 medium-large onions, sliced - on a mandolin if possible for consistency. 3 cloves of garlic, minced Saute over medium heat...

Pattern Review: Kimono

Pattern Review: Kimono

A while ago a friend gave me a really beautiful piece of silky material.  I am guessing it is a polyester blend, but it flows like silk! I held onto it for a while, trying to decide what to make: a skirt? a chemise? pants?  I ended up deciding to try out one of the...

Foil Moon

Foil Moon

I was gifted a really neat pack of foil scratch paper a little while back and finally "etched" out some time to try it out (get it? "Etched?"). I found a mandala moon pattern I really liked on Pinterest.  Below you can see my take on it using the Foil paper! The paper...

When the Fox Cries

When the Fox Cries

I am a big proponent of always learning to stay sharp, engaged and creative. There are so many learning opportunities online, either structured or self-guided. I discovered Coursera.org a few years ago and occasionally take a class, just because. Recently, I have been...

Painting: A Flight that Unites

Painting: A Flight that Unites

It has been a while since I have done a painting, but after seeing the “Glass” trilogy (Unbreakable, Split, and Glass) I became a bit anamoured by the logo for Blinding Edge Pictures.

The logo really struck a chord with me, reminding me a lot of Dargenhara – a character of my own invention created years ago. It reignited my interest in that character so I may end up doing more “dargen-y” works in the future.  We will see.

Anyways, in this painting I decided I would do my own take on that Blinding Edge logo, embuing it with a little Dargenhara.  I added a short poem to boot.

It was a fun exercise that served to remind me how much I enjoy (and miss!) painting.  I am out of practice and if I ever redid this on a new canvas I would make a few tweaks for sure.

At two feet by two feet it is the largest canvas I have done in at least a decade.  Smaller works are a little easier, not to mention kinder on my paint reserves lol.  I will need another trip to Michaels soon at this rate.

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