This is it - last of Pretty Peacock freebie

By now you have more than enough peacock stuff but I decided I'd throw in a few fantasy peacocks for those so inclined.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/im6t296tb3b09hb/ws_PrettyPeacock_31.zip?dl=0

Purple Pretty Peacock free elements

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/m1fntoo5kw16lv5/WS_PrettyPeacock_28.zip?dl=0

Some purple in the elements today

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nuyc2es3c3h0x5r/ws_PrettyPeacock_24.zip?dl=0

Another element freebie

A little green & brown today:

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tt661fvx9tm14gc/ws_PrettyPeacock_23.zip?dl=0

Pretty As A Peacock freebie

Now we move into some extra elements for the Pretty Peacock kit. First, a simple one of gemstone scatters.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/b7kztcdbbcu6z84/ws_PrettyPeacock_21.zip?dl=0

Back on track with freebies

Another fantasy zip of Pretty Peacock:

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/g61p8svfdiffh9e/ws_PrettyPeacock_20.zip?dl=0

Saturday freebie

It is Labor Day weekend, traditionally the last vacation fling before school resumes, but with a hurricane, Dorian, on the way, a lot of vacationers are sure to be disappointed. It seems that hurricane Dorian's path is uncertain. It is slowing down and it is expected to expand. For those of us on the east coast of North America, areas from Florida up to South Carolina are under alert. Virginia isn't officially on alert but is expecting trouble from the storm. For all who live in this hurricane's path (including those in the Bahamas who will surely feel the impact), I pray that we all stay safe.

Today we have another fantasy zip of Pretty Peacock. Fantasy because there aren't, of course, any turquoise peacocks. But I do love that color and having found some resources of that hue, I had to include them, popping them into my "blue" stash of peacock related items. But, you know this having already found other turquoise zips. So here goes.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/62ozplhlm9jhic4/ws_PrettyPeacock_17.zip?dl=0

Tuesday freebie

I sure hope you are still interested in more peacock goodies, because that is all I have right now. I've relayed a lot of information about peacocks too and have one last bit today. Having read about all the cultural lore, we can now summarize some symbolic meanings for peacocks. You see a lot of peacock tattoos and the general consensus is that they symbolize royalty, vitality, nobility, and especially sexuality. The bigger and more colorful the tattoo design, the more importance can be placed on generosity, longevity, compassion, and immortality. Others say peacocks symbolize vision, awakening, protection, guidance and watchfulness.

Today's zip goes back to aqua:

Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0e3lxj51u46hfrt/ws_PrettyPeacock_15.zip?dl=0

Saturday freebie

We have Larkin for 3 days. Yesterday was lunch out at IHOP. When we got home, we made beaded stretchy bracelets. Papa made her favorite dinner: liver and onions over rice. Wouldn't have thought a nine-year-old would like that but she loves it. Today we were supposed to head out to Chesapeake where a friend is showing one of his cars at some event. Larkin and I were to go inside the conference center to a craft show while the guys talked cars. However, she didn't eat all the French toast and bacon Papa made for her so we won't be going. She likes to nibble rather than eat her meals, then wants snacks not long after. We aren't letting her get away with that here. Could be a long day. We are going to have a tea party lunch and she will, at least gobble down the egg salad sandwiches I'll make. Another of her favorites.

Here is todays zip:

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4v8bh259kwuavc5/ws_PrettyPeacock_11.zip?dl=0

Here are some more of my latest art journal challenges. A re-color challenge using a free mini from Synergy Ink's "I Forgive You" kit.

Clean & Simple challenge:

Template challenge using Kakleid's "Hold On":

Pick Your Own pallette challenge. Used quilt by Sally Mower as my inspiration:

Used kit "Notions" by Gracie & Tracy Designs (with a little re-coloring) and photo of grand-daughter, Larkin.

Now, what you are waiting for, zip 10 of Pretty Peacock:

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i8ods5t71b9983k/ws_PrettyPeacock_10.zip?dl=0

Tuesday's freebie late

Sorry to be late. Had lunch with the girls yesterday at Bahama Breeze, then made a quick stop on way home. Sat down at PC to post freebie and started feeling light-headed. Thought, I'll just lie down for a few minutes. Which turned into hours . . . . So here is zip 9:

Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hjfeq8f93w1tc95/ws_PrettyPeacock_9.zip?dl=0

Saturday freebie & some art journaling.

Yesterday I went out and bought the items I'd missed on Larkin's school supply list. Also got her a pair of jeans, cute denim look jeggings, black tights for under the red dress I'd bought and a pair of black leggings too. Had hoped to find a couple long sleeved tops but most of what I saw was tee-shirts and summery blouses. Our 'Lil Princess is skinny and often cold so I'll keep looking for some long sleeves as autumn heads our way. Once home, I labeled her supplies and bagged them all up so I can drop them off when we pick her up on the 15th. I was exhausted!

Resting up today, catching up on some art journal challenges. I'm a member of Vicki Robinson's FB art journal group and Just Art's forum. Most challenges come from Just Art. This month they have posted 14 challenges! Missed out on many last month but will try to do most this month. Here are a couple. The first was to use a quote about art. Choose from quotes listed or one you know of. Since Nobel Prize author, Toni Morrison, died August 7th and her work was one of my specialty areas in grad school, I decided to honor her. This is my first attempt which didn't feel very arty.

Here is my second attempt:

Next challenge was a Finish the sentence + one where the sentence was "Start every day with . . ." and the + 1 was to have a bird on the page.

Then we had to do a page using a provided mask, so I made a Marie Antoinette card for a friend:

That's a page from her last letter in background.

And now to Peacock stuff. You've probably heard the Greek myth about how the peacock got it's "eyes" in its feathers. Hera, the wife of Zeus and the queen of the Ancient Greek god, was unhappy with her philandering husband, so Hera transformed her guardian, Argus, who had a hundred eyes into a peacock to keep an eye on Zeus. The feathers of Argus were a mark of the beauty of heaven and the eyes represented the stars in the sky. This is why for the people of Greece the peacock represents heaven and its all mighty all seeing vision, wisdom, and knowledge.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u0jf80kc2o6dmh6/ws_PrettyPeacock_8.zip?dl=0

Thank you & zip 7 Pretty Peacock

I want you to know that I truly appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers and your comments about my offerings. I meant to mention this earlier but was so focused on getting the freebies up (& some complaining, I admit). We had a huge thunderstorm go through last night and lost electricity for a very short while. Others in our area were not as fortunate and had long outages. Health wise, neck & shoulder pain still present but I was not about to call doctor and complain for fear he will want to try me on another anti-inflammatory. My stomach is still troublesome so I don't want to add anything else to the mix. Still taking the stomach meds hospital gave me but only as needed. Tired of this mess!

Today we go back to greens:

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8suw9vpzq98ifi9/ws_PrettyPeacock_7.zip?dl=0

Weekend woes and Pretty Peacock

There were supposed to be a number of things to do this past weekend. Tyler (grandson) and Sally (his girlfriend) needed their cars inspected and John was going to have them follow him to new place where our friend, Fred, now works as inspector. The plan was to drop the cars off and then take the kids to breakfast while inspection was going on. I was supposed to go with them but couldn't drag myself out of bed. My husband reported that during breakfast he jokingly asked Sally when the wedding was going to be. To his shock, she replied "In about two years." First we had heard of this. Tyler had just transferred from University of South Carolina to Regent University in Virginia Beach because he's decided to become a minister. Apparently he thinks he can finish his education over next two years and then they will marry.

Here in Virginia it was "tax free" weekend when you could save on school supplies, including school clothes. We buy granddaughter Larkin's school supplies and I was preparing to go do that Sunday. Then we had a heavy downpour. I waited and when it seemed it was ended, I headed out. Still raining but not bad. Walmart has the supply lists for local schools so I didn't look up Larkin's school on line. Talk about a bad decision all the way around! Of course, Walmart was a zoo. And they didn't have the list for her school. I finally found another Virginia Beach elementary school's list. Should be pretty much the same, right? So, with the shopping cart holding me up, I slogged along, picking up supplies and a couple outfits. I was feeling pretty hot and exhausted by the time I went to checkout stations. Do you think they might have added extra staff considering the promotion? Heck no! All the lines were long and slow. By the time I got near the cashier I was sweating profusely and feeling weak. Considered leaving the basket and going home but then it would all be for naught. Hung in there, paid, threw everything in car and just slumped in the seat and watched the rain for a few minutes. Called in a pick up order for pizza and was told 15 minutes. No problem, the place is on my way home. Pizza Hut was filled with a number of people waiting on their orders and more coming in. 15 minutes became more like 40. Once home with some pizza in my tummy (after 8 p.m.) I decided to look up Larkin's school list to see how close I'd come and what I might need to add. Big differences. Wednesday I will return what she can't use and get correct items. Lesson for me - always check the school's website first!

Yesterday I accompanied hubby to his monthly get together lunch with a few retirees. Came home feeling exhausted and crashed for 5 hours. My body is totally out of wack! Have shingles outbreak and yeast infection on top of everything else. Need to get immune system back in order but don't know how. I am one cranky old woman right now. And will have granddaughter the weekend of 16th. She will be expecting a tea party and lots of activities. Soliciting all donations of good health and energy.

I've given you lots of facts about peacocks but the symbolism is (at least to me) more interesting. Today let's talk about peacocks in dreams.
A peacock is a great sign indicating re-growth, birth, new life, and rejuvenation. Seeing peacocks in your dream can also be omens of prestige and success. It is a positive sign for the future that brings luck and happiness.
Dreams of peacocks may either reflect your desire for self-recognition or stand for some positivity in your life. To see a peacock spreading its tail feathers means that you might be invited to a new project. A dream of peacock feathers also implies that you usually strive to achieve what you wish for in actual life.

Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/35mdlnq1mq02d9g/ws_PrettyPeacock_6.zip?dl=0

Sleepless night but here is a freebie for you.

Still having some side effects from meds that kept me from sleeping much last night. Just going to take some time to get through this. Unfortunately, I learned that steroid side effects may not completely disappear for months!

Have you ever wondered why peacocks roam free in zoos? Zoos consider it a cheap easy thrill for visitors who love to see them. And since peacocks rarely wander outside the zoo, there is no bother about having to round them up. However, some zoos are rethinking this and removing their peacocks. Why? Although most think of peacocks as friendly birds, it isn't necessarily true. They are obsessed with food and can become extremely aggressive “when you dangle french fries in front of them,” one source said. Additionally, a hormonal peacock will mate your leg or a tree. A peacock raised from hatching can suddenly become aggressive towards it's owner and attack. This usually happens during its first mating season. Peahens too are known to be aggressive towards children. Through spring into early summer, peacocks will form what is known as a lek. A lek is a group of males, each with their own small territory, taking part in mating rituals such as displaying their train, dancing, and calling out in order to attract the females. Sounds like those are definitely times to steer clear.


A good tip for coping with peacocks who invade your garden: "do not feed peacocks and hit them when you can with water. You can protect garden beds with wire fencing and run fluttering brightly colored streamers over any planting spaces. The fowl can fly over a fence, but the streamers may scare them away if they dare try. If you haven't already got one, get a dog."


Today's zip includes a digital resource figure from Alek Wek. The original has a black and white body which contrasts nicely with the colored "dress." However, I wanted to see how it would look if the figure had color. I included both versions.

Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/llgqcfqhotcsq3a/ws_PrettyPeacock_5.zip?dl=0

Feeling better & freebie time

Waited to see doc a long time yesterday. He'd just gotten back from vacation and was overbooked. Here is why I ended up in ER Monday. You know I'd been put on steroids and muscle relaxers for pinched nerve, right? Monday I woke with severe stomach pain. Felt like a huge black hole full of nothing but pain. When I started to sit up (gingerly) the back of my neck felt it would explode with pain. Then there was vomiting and more head pain. Profuse sweating and some shaking. After second round of vomiting, I held onto walls and made it to living room. Told husband to call 911 as I didn't know what was happening. Some of the moments that followed I don't remember. Paramedics are just around the corner from my house and I know a lot of the faces but I can't recall the faces of those that came, or how they got me onto stretcher and in ambulance. I remember someone saying my blood pressure was 169 over ? I don't have high blood pressure. Next thing I recall was a Muslim nurse helping to remove my pjs. Didn't feel the IV (& I'm a hard stick). The Er team loaded me up with tons of Benedryl, something else for nausea, a drug for migraine (even though this was nothing like my usual migraine), couple of other things and even some magnesium. They did a EKG and CT of my head and didn't find any bleeding. Not much pain relief but my signs stabilized and they gave me 2 Tylenol which didn't do much. They sent me home with 2 meds for gastritis and said call my doc for whatever I normally take for migraine and follow up. He said I'd had an adverse reaction to the steroids. I was so weak, I could barely hold my head up. He said use a travel pillow around my neck while sitting up, and supportive pillow in bed. I'm to take meds that coat my stomach. go back on muscle relaxers and call next week with how I'm doing. At least today I feel less fragile and can walk without feeling I'll fall over. Such fun!

Here's a little tidbit about peacock mating:
No matter the species of peacock, these colorful creatures boast impressively sized and patterned plumage that they fan out for display purposes. It isn't an act of vanity, though -- peacocks fan out their feathers as part of a courtship ritual to attract a mate. But they're not just pretty to look at. The birds also use their huge tails to make a loud noise – which humans are utterly incapable of hearing. When a peacock shakes his tail, it produces a sound that is so low-pitched, humans can't hear it. Researchers found that rapid shaking of the peacock's tail feathers created a dynamic iridescence around the eyespot. Using scanning electron microscopy the researchers found the eyespots stay so still during displays because they are locked together with microhooks much like those on flight feathers. The hoot dash is a peculiar courtship move in which a male peacock emits a loud noise, something like the honk of a clown's horn, right before copulation. The female peahen is already ready for mating; why does the male need to let out this powerful squawk?
Peacocks mate how other birds mate. Female peacocks do not impregnate themselves by gulping down make peacock's tears as a Rajasthan High Court judge in New Delhi proclaimed: [he] said the peacock was the national bird of India because it was 'celibate' and the peahens reproduced after swallowing the tears of the male. The female peacocks, often picky, matewith the male peacock who has the largest and most colourful feathers. In the peacock species, males congregate a communal display during breeding season and the peahens observe. Peacocks first defend their territory through intra-sexual behaviour, defending their areas from intruders. ... Central positions are usually taken by older, dominant males, which influences mating success. Male peacocks shed their train each year after mating season.
How many eggs does peacock lay? Indian peafowl: 4 – 8 Green peafowl: 3 – 6

Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/s9iskvmw7vdln28/ws_PrettyPeacock_4.zip?dl=0

Pretty Peacock freebie

The meds seem to be working! Swelling is down and pain a little less.

Peacocks are often used in expressions of distaste such as:
If you describe someone, especially a man, as a peacock, you mean that they are arrogant or like dressing or behaving in a way that draws attention to themselves.
The metaphor she is a peacock means:
Having a very high opinion of oneself, filled with or showing excessive self-esteem. For example, She strutted about in her new outfit, proud as a peacock . This simile alludes to the male peacock, with its colorful tail that can be expanded like a fan, which has long symbolized vanity and pride.
The peacock is a showy bird, with its bright colors and beautiful tail feathers. It struts around, flashing those feathers to attract the females. Thus, its not hard to imagine that a person with the personality traits of a peacock is someone who adores attention.


Facts:
Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants (typically blue and green) known for their iridescent tails. These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird's total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The iridescent plumage of the peacock originates in the fine side branches of the feathers. They absorb light of certain wavelengths, or disperse the reflected light, and so contribute to the color of the plumage. Why do peacocks have 'eyes' on their feathers? Charles Darwin ventured that the magnificent trains on male peacocks, which feature ornamental eyespots called ocelli, evolved because of sexual selection. He speculated that there was a single origin, which sexual selection then enhanced.

Occasionally, peafowl appear with white plumage. Although albino peafowl do exist, this is quite rare, and almost all white peafowl are not albinos; they have a genetic condition called leucism, which causes pigment cells to fail to migrate from the neural crest during development.
White peacocks, generally a mutation of the common Indian blue, are worth a pretty penny. A mythical mutation of peacock, which is now very much alive through careful breeding, is pulling in big bucks for plucky breeders who earn up to $1,000 per bird in some states

Today's zip emphasizes the greens:

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/os6y65khdbykjbj/ws_PrettyPeacock_3.zip?dl=0

Pretty as a Peacock freebie

Spent much of yesterday at doctor's office, pharmacy and so on. Also "enjoying" a lie down with ice pack. Now on more prednisone as there was actual swelling in neck and just today got the muscle relaxers I need. If not better by Monday I'm to call and be scheduled for an MRI. On the plus side I got a chance to tell doctor about problems I've been having with left side of my body which my nurse friend is afraid might be early Parkinson's. The doctor said not to worry (yet) as there are a number of other things that might be going on. I'm sure I want none of them. The office is scheduling a visit to my neurological group (a father and sons group of highly educated and very intelligent & kind gentlemen of Indian descent.) for an evaluation. And all of that is to tell you why Thursday post is now Friday's.

I thought I'd start today with some general facts about our subject, peacocks.
Did you know?
The actual name of the peacock is peafowl. The term peacock denotes a male bird and the female is called a peahen.
There are two familiar peacock species. The blue peacock lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the green peacock is found in Java and Myanmar (Burma). A more distinct and little-known species, the Congo peacock, inhabits African rain forests. The peacock population is dwindling fast due to habitat loss, contamination of food sources and poaching. The Indian Peafowl is endangered and the Green Peafowl is nearly, if not absolutely, extinct.

They are one of the largest flying birds. Their length (including tail) can reach 5 feet. Few people get a chance to see these birds off a ground, but they can, indeed, fly. Though usually peacocks do that in case of danger, rather than pleasure. Despite their giant tail feathers peacocks are able to fly, though they do not fly very far. When in danger, peacocks fly up into trees.

Peacocks are ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures.
How much do they weigh?
Indian peafowl: 8.8 – 13 lbs Green peafowl: 8.5 – 11 lbs Congo peafowl: ?

Lifespan: Indian peafowl: 10 – 25 years Info on others not found.

And now today's zip:

Real peacocks don't come in purple but this color seems to be a favorite to combine with the peacock's blues and greens, especially for wedding parties using a peacock theme, so I thought I'd include a little.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/x6wpnpwm0idv2m7/ws_PrettyPeacock_2.zip?dl=0

Back with new free kit, Pretty As A Peacock

Short post because I am suffering with a pinched cervical nerve. Much to tell you about but that will be later. Right now I have zip one of Pretty As A Peacock for you. (Later I'll just say Pretty Peacock.)

Link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m4yvzrer3gqct3t/ws_PrettyPeacock_1.zip?dl=0