goals: 2014

I hope this is is the year of finding balance in my life.  I'm not making any resolutions.  nope!  Who wants a list of stuff to feel guilty about for not doing?!

There are still things I hope to accomplish.

1.  Continue to organize and update the place where I live.  There are a few projects I started long ago that still need to be completed this century.  There are also the new ones begun and not yet completed.  (bookshelves/library room is a case in point)

This project is almost complete.  What's left is installing the doors on the lower section and painting them, of course, and touch up work.  The shelves are already full of books and other treasures.
 
2.  Workout regularly.  Maybe do yoga.  Ride my bike.

3.  Spend time with family.


4.  Spend time with friends.

In December my girlfriends and I went to Waynesville to shop, have dinner, and just generally enjoy each other's company.  This is one of our favorite booths inside an antique mall.  We love how all the vintage dishware is arranged by color.

5.  Do creative stuff.   I've signed up for 2 Craftsy classes that will force me to use my sewing machine.


6.  Grow more vegetables.

7.  Explore.

8.  Photograph.

9.   Play with kitties

10.  Be still.  Contemplate.  Grow spiritually.

I was tempted to say do this or do that "more."  But I just simply wish to do these things.  Will it be more?  Does it matter?  The point is to consciously spend time doing those things that are meaningful to me.

My Blogging Business Artisans team sets forth a new Challenge every month.  The purpose is to encourage us to explore our creativity, to stretch our imaginations.  Perhaps we are re-working something we've done in the past or still do.  Perhaps we're making something entirely new.  For the month of January we considered our goals for the upcoming year.

(Blogger is being most persnickety as I write this.  I hope this post shows up with all its photos.  sigh.)

photos by me © 2012 and 2013  all rights reserved

Treasury Round Up: Part Two

I've been featured in lovely treasuries lately!  Many thanks to the treasury makers!
(All treasuries and items within the treasuries are clickable.) 

Erika of Artful Rising featured my hand dyed blue silk scrunchie in her treasury Nothing shabby about it, in lovely shades of pink, blue, and green.

Erika has wonderful journals in her shop with covers that say things such as--"Show Up.  No one ever drowned in their sweat." and "You are meant to be whole.  Tell your story."  Besides journals, Erika is selling this wonderful mixed media art print, "Let Your Dream Soar."

Sue of Lemon Drop Treasures featured my hand dyed pastel rainbow scrunchie in her sweet, dreamy treasury Sunshine Happy.

Sue's shop is filled with treasures of every variety!  Who know what goodies you may find!  You'll have to visit to find out.  Here's a 1940s little Lefton porcelain creamer that caught my eye.  Almost everything is on sale, so hurry on over!

Kathy of tapestry316 featured my pink tie dyed swirl T shirt in her treasury I'm thinking PINK!  Kathy has a new granddaughter on the way!  

Kathy is a wonderful watercolor artist!  Her animals are her favorite subjects, particularly her horses.  I love that she offers ACEOs of her paintings.  I'm a cat lover, so I can't help but find Oranges Bajoranges most alluring! 







Sarah of Magnolia Surprise featured my patriotic "flag" T shirt in her very fun patriotic treasury Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

Sarah creates the most fabulously wonderful crochet items!  Here's her latest--sea creatures play set which includes the felt storage bag.  Besides very imaginative interactive toys, Sarah also sells coasters, cloths, and other items to decorate your home

Polina of PoStra featured my hand dyed silk pastel rainbow scrunchie in her delightful treasury So fresh!

Polina creates the most exquisite jewelry!  Here is a beautiful bead woven bracelet "Black Sea"--so named because it reminds her of her trip to Abhazia.  There are three marine rubbles from Black Sea incorporated into this bracelet.







And here is a treasury I created to honor the BBA team's monthly Challenge for June, Under the Sea.

To see what team members created for this Challenge, go HERE.

I'm linking up with Random Creative's Treasury Round Up.   For more awesome treasuries, go HERE!

photos by each individual artist © 2011-2012  all rights reserved! 

Happy 4th of July!

just for fun, I'm showing you a gift I'm giving my friend for her birthday today!

First, I made a card.  Then I decided to recycle a bag to match the card.  I did this by gluing paper over the shop name.

Perhaps some of you will recognize the lovely crochet cloths by Sarah of Magnolia Surprise and the tea bag graphics by Sher of Sher Hastings Designs.  I downloaded the tea bags and printed them, adding a little red and blue color with chalks.

I found a footed milk glass bowl in the pattern my friend collects.  I made some candy (recipe) which I packaged in a cellophane bag covered in white stars.

I'll give this to her tonight when our families meet up at the fireworks.  I hope she loves it!

photos by me © 2012

Treasury Round Up: Part One

I've been featured in lovely treasuries lately!  Many thanks to the treasury makers!
(All treasuries and items within the treasuries are clickable.) 

Susansweaters featured my Wood Between the Worlds hand dyed silk scarf in her fun nautical treasury Come sail away with me.

Susansweaters' shop features knit and crochet sweaters (of course!), toys, as well as custom embroidery for babies and adults.  You will find items for home decor as well as items to wear.  Look at this cute toddler size sweater!

As Pretty as a Kitty featured my set of 4 hand dyed wash cloths in her bright and colorful treasury Even More Rainbows!

As Pretty as a Kitty makes quite a variety of crafts.  "I make anything from glitter shoes, to distressed denim, to cross stitching, to crayon art, to lego accessories!"  HERE is a cute little crossed stitched "boo" in a green frame.

Tabor of Tabor's Treasures featured my hand dyed silk velvet scrunchie in her very fun treasury Tie Dye to Die For.

Tabor's shop features some wonderful and unique vintage pieces.  "I love digging up vintage loot!" he says.  THIS is a wonderful vintage sheer hot pink and purple shirt.  You'll have to visit his shop to see more of his one-of-a-kind treasures!

Kaili of clockworkghOst featured my hand dyed blue silk scrunchie in her gorgeous treasury Feeling Blue.

In Kaili's shop you will find original ACEOs (ATCs, art cards), animal art and illustrations, bookmarks, nature photography prints and more one of a kind hand crafted items.  I love owls and this ACEO print of a psychedelic owl is quite fun!

I'm linking up with Random Creative's Treasury Round Up.   For more awesome treasuries, go HERE!

photos by each individual artist © 2011-2012  all rights reserved!

Under the Sea

I love the sea!  On the beach, in the water, or under the sea--it's all lovely to me! 

Sint Maarten, NA 

I love the colors of the Caribbean Sea--changing from light aqua to a deep rich midnight blue.  Snorkeling is one of my favorite activities.  Green sea grass undulates in the waves.  And beyond--the coral reefs teaming with colorful fish!

That's precisely what I was thinking when I dyed this scarf for our Blogging Business Artisan Challenge for the month of June. 

I decided to dye silk for this Challenge.  First up--a silk scarf.

  a plain white silk scarf blank

I washed the scarf and soaked it in a solution and then applied the dyes.

I employ a number of different techniques and methods whenever I dye scarves.  I may have a general plan, but I really just follow my intuition as I work.  Above is a detail during the dyeing process.  I painted the colors of the rippling water, added some sea grass, and then later added colorful fishes.  The style is impressionistic overall.

detail

I dyed a couple scrunchies as well.

The scunchie above is silk velvet and reminds me of turquoise waters with currents of darker blue.

This scrunchie is pure silk and is similar to to one above, but with a bit more blue variation and detail.

This was a very fun team Challenge and teammates have come up with wonderful projects.  See more HERE.   This Challenge was conceived of by Erika of Little Andalucia and Artful Rising,

"June begins the anticipation of warmer weather, vacations, and playing on the beach. Create with the theme Under the Sea." 

These items will soon be in my etsy shop.

photos by me © 2007 and 2012    all rights reserved

cats are cute

right?

right!

So we want to snap their portraits, natch.

Problem:  How do you get a cat to pose?

"What is it you are expecting of me?"  says Oliver  (to himself:  "If treats are involved, I may grace you with a cursory glance.")

"And now what?  We're very busy checking out the air flowing from this grate."  say Oliver and Earnest

"I have sites to see and smells to smell, but I will stop for a quick snap because I'm a very loving kitty," thinks Huck, the farm cat.

"Oh hi.  We're rather busy.  We were napping you see.  But we'll look up because we love you since you bring us catnip and lots of fun toys.  You play with us a lot, too."  say Bunkie and Tigra (my daughter's kitties)


And now I'll leave you with this very fun kitty, who is oh so charming--Simon's Cat

Link:
Simon's Cat

Cat Man Do  film (in case you can't watch it above)

A new round of  Alphabe-Thursday has already started and we're on letter "C"!  Come on over and join in!  This is such a fun meme!  Visit HERE. 



photos by me © 2010-2012     all rights reserved

Spring Blossoms: a Challenge

My Blogging Business Artisans team on etsy hosts a monthly Challenge.  You don't even have to be a team member to participate!  The idea is to be inspired to create!

This month, Sharla of Beaded Tail gave us the following Challenge:

Your challenge is to incorporate your favorite inspiration into a project of your choice.  Are you inspired by nature?  Create something to show how nature makes you feel!  Do your kids motivate you?  Have them join you in a crafty project!  

Do your pets "help" you with your craft?  Let's see their pawsome contributions!  Have fun just letting your inspiration lead you to do something crafty!

Glacier National Park

I am so inspired by the beauty of nature.  Imagine a deep blue pristine lake surrounded by snow peaked forested mountains with meadows of flowers at your feet.  Huge vistas inspire awe.  But so do the tiny intricate details of a painted flower.

For this challenge, I decided to paint a silk scarf with flowers.  I didn't have a plan in mind except that the flowers would be pink.  That's the starting point.  I let inspiration lead me from there...

I've used several techniques and processes in creating this scarf.

ONE

Wash scarf.

Soak in solution and let dry.

I began by painting the petals and their outlines.  I  added a little salt for some texture.  

Let cure.

TWO

Wash scarf.

Soak in solution and let dry.

Paint petal details and center of flowers.
Add a little salt.
Paint green stems/vines.
Add dots of pink and green.
Add 4 flowers of a different shape in 2 shades of pink and add green stems.
Let cure.

THREE
Steam.
Wash.
Iron.
Air dry.

FOUR

Photograph. 

    ↑ details ↑

The completed scarf--hand painted on China silk--light and breezy and perfect for Summer.  You can find this in my etsy shop HERE.

Intrigued by our team challenge?  Come on over to our BBA BLOG and see what others have made!  Create something yourself that fits the theme and link up!   

QUESTION:  What inspires you to create?     

photos by me © 2011 and 2012  all rights reserved  

Spring is in the Air!

"Create a project that calls to mind how one or all the senses respond to this new beginning time of year."

This is the Challenge (made by me!) set forth before the Blogging Business Artisans for the month of April.

I love this lush, gorgeous time of year when the Earth comes alive again and is filled with the scent and soft velvety beauty of blooming flowers, bird song, and insects buzzing.  Greens like parsley, lettuce, and mint, growing in my garden are being harvested for delicious salads and tea. All my senses are heightened by this heady delight.

This time of year inspires so much creativity.  I've been making  a lot of cards lately, and Spring has definitely influenced my creations. 

I've been working in my garden (mostly weeding) and am about ready to pot up some perennials to give away.  My friend Kelly made a lovely card and shared the template for the flower pot.  This will be given to my Mother-in-Law for Mother's Day.  I chose her favorite colors.

The blue background of the card is cuttlebugged.  Images are stamped, and colored in with marker.  I stamped the white ribbon with golden yellow flowers to subdue it some and attached it to the top of the flower pot.  

This was a very simple card to make.  I love that!  The lavender background was cuttlebugged.  I rubbed violet ink around the edges.  Three punched butterflies were attached with rhinestones glued on their heads.  The purple flowered ribbon was tied in a "Naomi Knot."  (how to video on my friend Peggy's blog Bubbe's Biz)

a birds' nest in my hawthorn tree.  We think it may be a hummingbird nest. 

I folded this card and cuttlebugged a design on the inside bottom.  I then stamped a leaf pattern all over with Versamark.  It's very subtle.  I stamped the bird and nest with chocolate ink on a leaf patterned paper.  I colored the design in with chalk and inked the edges.  I hand wrote the sentiment.  The flower was made as follows:

3 (very) rough circles were cut out of ribbon.  I then carefully singed the edges with a flame.  This seals the edges and curls them inward. 

 


The ribbon circles were glued down one on top of the other and a pearl bead was glued to the center.





This card is a favorite and was inspired by a card on Pinterest.  (See it HERE--Lynda Benden's Stamp Act)

Here's how I made it:

First patterned paper was glued to a white card.

Vintage lace I happened to have around was attached to light green cardstock with double sided tape.


 
I burnished the tape down with the scissors handle in order to be able to remove the plastic tape covering easily.

This light green cardstock was then attached to slightly larger dark green cardstock.

Two types of yarn were tied onto the lace.

I found a turquoise button in my stash.  I placed it on the card where I wished it to go and lightly marked the beak, legs and tail with a pencil.  Yarn was then tied through the button holes to make the wing.  I cut a beak out of paper and glued it in place.  The legs and tail were drawn with marker.  The button was attached with double sided tape.  I then hand wrote the sentiment. 

○ ○ ○

Besides cards, I've been working on dyeing and painting silk.   Both of these items call to my mind the joyous revival of green growing things.

It's fun to play with dyes and techniques.  This is a detail of a scrunchie which can be found in my shop HERE.

I dyed and hand painted this scarf, Spring bamboo.

 

creamy white Spring flowers 

The whites of Spring seem so fresh and delicate.  The lovely white pearls in this bracelet are reminiscent of that delicateness.

Spring also makes one think of birth--not only the rebirth of the Earth, but of all the baby animals being born.  Of course, I know baby humans are born all year long, but I recently made this baby bracelet for a friend's granddaughter.

Intrigued by our team challenge?  Come on over to our BBA BLOG, and see what others have made!   

QUESTION:  Have you made anything lately which challenged you artistically?     

photos by me © 2012  all rights reserved