Craftymoose Crafts

Diva IA Challenge

2012-02-17T07:30:00.001-05:00

Here is my entry for this week's Inspiration Avenue Challenge curated by Hettienne. Don't forget to stop by on Sunday to see all the other artists' entries!

I created my Diva Bird from marbleized pink & white polymer clay. She is totally hand formed and every inch the diva from the top of her fluffy tail to the bottom of her gold shoes. She absolutely made me put her on this little spool pedestal! As you can see she has a springy neck and lots of attitude.

Thanks so much for letting me play along!

Have a happy, creative weekend everyone!

Happiness

2012-02-15T10:44:00.001-05:00

"True happiness consists of making others happy."-Hindu proverb

Today I am sharing some photos I took with my camera phone the last time I was in Massachusetts. Enjoy!

Finished Arrangement

2012-02-13T08:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday Everyone!
I added a few more crocuses and finished the arrangement over the weekend.

There are seven flowers in all: 3 yellow, 1 snow white, 1 purple, 1 blue & 1 pink.
I'll be listing them in the shop soon!

Here Comes The Sun IA Challenge

2012-02-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

Linda of Gemma's House is co-hosting the IA Challenge this week with Hettienne. She asked that we be inspired by celebrations honoring the sun and the upcoming season of Spring. My interpretation is simply the first flower of Spring, a rebirth, in sunshine yellow: Crocuses!

Don't forget to click on the IA link above and visit all the other artists participating this week. Play along if you wish--new challenges are posted on Mondays & you have until Noon the following Sunday to link up!

Have a happy, creative weekend everyone, and thanks Linda for a fun challenge!

A Big Thank You!

2012-02-09T16:34:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your kind & helpful comments on my last post. It appears that it was my motivation that was stalled, not, thank goodness, my creativity!

Walking away and doing something different for a bit definitely helped. Since I don't live near a museum, yesterday I went to my favorite place to browse: the library! Spent an hour or so just looking at gardening books and all things floral. I also picked up an old book that is just perfect for me to alter. When I got back in the afternoon, I just picked up wire & beads & started something.

It worked so well, I went out this morning, too. Not as exciting...just a dollar store, but it was enough to put my mind on something else. This afternoon I (almost)finished my piece for the IA challenge this week--but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the unveiling. Until then, Thanks So Much!

As I am sure many of you have already heard, Google is discontinuing Friend Connect as a means to follow blogs using Blogger. I have installed the new Mr. Linky follow tool which you will see at the top of the page. If you wish to continue following my blog, please set up your free account & follow me there. Thanks!

Playing Hooky...

2012-02-08T08:33:00.004-05:00

in more ways than one! Hope you all had a nice weekend, enjoyed your Super Bowl parties if you had or went to one. There was a "riot" at our daughter's college Sunday night after the game. For sure the college is located in Patriot's territory, but with 30,000 students, you know there have to be some Giants fans, too. Not sure how/why it started--I mean which side was upset over what--but it required the Police, 3 on horseback, smoke & flash bombs to disperse the crowd. Our daughter, her boyfriend & several friends had ring-side seats watching from her dorm room window.

I'm in a bit of a slump right now. I can't seem to get going on any projects even though I desperately need to stock up my Etsy shop. I think it is all the hot & cold weather we have been having. About the only things I have accomplished this week is cleaning the house, cooking, and making this:

What do you mean, what is it? It is a perfectly obvious Swiffer sock! I found free directions on Ravelry here. I did mine in navy blue & purple & it works great! I see another in my future so I can always have one available when the other is in the wash.

There is a Chinese Proverb that says, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." So tell me you all have times like this when you just can't seem to kick start your creative juices. How to you get back in step?

IA Challenge: Rocking Horses!

2012-02-03T09:00:00.003-05:00

This week marks the first Inspiration Avenue Challenge that is co-hosted by a regular participant in the challenges. Co-hosting along with Shelly (Shelinwa) is Elizabeth of Elizabeth and Bluebeard. If her name sounds familiar, it is because I just introduced you to Elizabeth in my previous post as the one who will be teaching the altered book class online. Anyway, Elizabeth chose as the subject of this challenge...rocking horses! I don't think anyone was surprised, since she is an avid collector of them and has over 450 in varying sizes!

I picked up this unfinished wood rocking horse ornament at an after Christmas sale a while ago and every year it makes it to my desk, and I say this is the year I'll paint it...but he sadly stays unfinished. So thank you Elizabeth for giving me the push I needed. If you have ever visited my blog around Christmas, I have mentioned before that I've made our daughter one ornament every year since she was born that I put aside in a box. It will be a surprise some day when I present her with this gift. So even though my hands are not as steady as they used to be...I present her 2012 ornament:

I forgot to take a photo head on...the other ear is red. The rockers were stained with wood stain & I attempted to paint the holly. The rest was painted with acrylic paint--except for the poinsettias which are decals.

Thanks so much for this fun challenge! Have a happy, creative weekend everyone!

New Flowers...

2012-02-01T09:06:00.004-05:00

Since the other two rose arrangement sold so fast...I created one more super duper arrangement of 3 large roses. I put them in a matching porcelain vase.

In other news....I have been wanting to try making an altered book for the longest time. Total newbie...don't know where to start or what to do. Then along comes Elizabeth from the blog Bluebeard and Elizabeth who just happens to say that she is offering a free course starting next Monday! Woo Hoo, I'm in! If anyone is interested, stop by her blog; I am sure she would love to have you join in!

Dr. Who?

2012-01-30T08:38:00.004-05:00

Any fans of the BBC show, Dr. Who, out there? My daughter loves this show and has been trying to get me to watch it forever. Well, for at least a year. Finally, over this past college break I watched the last two seasons with her....and I am now hooked! Thinking back, I have always been a fan of Sci-Fi shows and books...Lost in Space (dating myself here), Star Trek & some of the sequels, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, The Time Traveler's Wife, Somewhere in Time, Merlin--the list goes on and on.

Some of the plots in Dr. Who are interwoven and you need to stay on your toes--here is where it helps to watch it with someone who has seen each episode numerous times! I won't be spoiling anything if I tell you Dr. Who is about a time traveling alien. The episodes are well thought out, and I especially love the ones where The Doctor (no, his name is NOT Dr. Who) goes back in time to interact with famous people--Winston Churchill, Hitler, and Vincent Van Gogh to name a few.

There are also some re-occurring monsters, one of which is my daughter's favorite, Weeping Angels. They are statues. If you come across one of these denizens, Don't Blink! They can't move while you are looking at them. Which now (finally) brings me to the point of this post...

I found a pattern for a crocheted weeping angel on Ravelry! I used worsted weight acrylic yarn so it came out bigger than the pattern said, but I love how she came out & hope my daughter does, too. It will be in her Valentine's Day package from home.

Are you a fan of Sci-Fi?

For anyone interested, I have just added a new section to my shop...called "Last Chance Clearance". These items have been reduced & will only be available until they expire--they will not be renewed!

IA Challenge-Letters of The Alphabet

2012-01-27T08:47:00.006-05:00

The prompt this week was to create something using letters, words, quotes, whatever you wish, as long as it contained letters! I enjoy using quotes in my art, so I created this ACEO:

Don't forget to stop by IA on Sunday to see all the other art created this week!

Custom Order Completed

2012-01-25T09:00:00.002-05:00

Good Morning Everyone! Today I wanted to show off my latest custom order, just completed and on its way to the UK! The customer requested 5 corsages for her wedding made in ceylon white beads with silver-lined crystal leaves. I realize the photos may look a little washed out--it was a very gray day when I took them, and perhaps I should have used other than a white background, but trust me, they are a stunning color combination!

I'm thinking of listing corsages in my "made to order" section of my shop. Even though customers can already request a custom order, a special listing may make it easier and will give me an opportunity to show various colors and styles.

Fresh From The Oven!

2012-01-23T09:00:00.004-05:00

A few days ago, my daughter & I made homemade Auntie Ann's Pretzels from a boxed kit I found in a supermarket. We had so much fun pulling the dough, forming the pretzels--which I was surprisingly bad at, LOL,

and decorating them with sea salt and/or cinnamon sugar. We laughed a lot and got flour all over the kitchen, but we enjoyed ourselves. They were quite good to eat, too! Photo credits all go to my daughter.

Yesterday, we drove her back to college. The roads were clear after Saturday's snowstorm, we made good time, and had a nice lunch before driving back home. I miss her already. Btw...we kept the leftover pretzels!

IA Challenge: Butterflies

2012-01-20T09:02:00.002-05:00

I'm so glad I had a chance to play along with the Inspiration Challenge this week. The subject chosen by Hettienne is Butterflies! Here is my interpretation of a french beaded monarch butterfly. I made it into a plant stick.

This was so much fun! Thanks, Hettienne.

Have a wonderful, creative weekend everyone!
Please stop by on Sunday & see all the other entries here.

My First "Made to Order" Listing

2012-01-18T08:25:00.001-05:00

Thank you for all the lovely comments on the scarves I crocheted. Several people mentioned I should put some in my Etsy shop. After thinking about what would be the best way to do that...I decided to list it as a "made to order" item. I think I covered everything, but would you mind taking a look to see if you think I left anything out? Does the price sound ok? Really--I want some honest feedback as I have never listed anything this way before.

Thanks!

Crocheted Scarves

2012-01-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

If you are a regular follower here, you may remember that I was crocheting a pair of matching scarves for my daughter & her boyfriend. Well, I am able to show them now, so here they are:

The pattern was free from Caron International, and they were really fun to make. They used 2 types of crochet: standard and Tunisian which used to be called Afghan stitch. A Tunisian needle is very long--15" and you pick up and keep all the stitches on the needle & then crochet them off. That is how the teal stripes were created--along the length of the scarf. The black eyelets were crocheted with a regular crochet hook.

Turns out they both really liked them! Score 1 for Mom!

Some New Beaded Flowers

2012-01-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

I have been having trouble getting back into the groove of doing the various challenges, creating, listing, and blogging, probably because my daughter is still home from college. The weather has also been amazing--since the storm in late October, we've only had flurries that melted before they hit the ground. No complaints from me on that score. I am also working on a custom order of wedding brooches which I will share when they are done, and in the meantime I'll show the first of what I hope is several french beaded rose arrangements that I am making for Valentine's Day.

I used pink color-lined beads that almost have a gold shadow to them & a bright Spring green. I wanted the arrangement to be different from the ones I do all year with 3 medium flowers, so I did a large rose, medium & a bud. With two sprigs of baby's breath & 3 leaf bundles, I think it looks finished.

Besides the custom order and more roses, I am thinking about an aceo that I will make for a swap with the ACETSY team and am trying to get the the Inspiration Avenue challenge this week which is a fun one! Hopefully, I'll have time this month to enter the ACEO challenge, too! Phew! I better get to work! Have a great day!

Some Exciting News At Our House!

2012-01-05T08:57:00.001-05:00

I have been waiting to share some exciting news...Our daughter was accepted into Oxford University's Summer Seminar! They accept up to 50 students nationwide and they have to file an application, write essays, and have a Professor recommendation. When she told us she wanted to apply, we encouraged her to go ahead, while advising her to remain realistic--50 across the USA isn't a lot, and they usually take students who are already Juniors.

When she got the word that she was accepted...well, lets just say I don't think her feet have touched the ground yet! She is and has been for many years, an anglophile. We are thrilled for her and hope the reality of six weeks away over the summer is handled well by all of us!

So during this semester break, we have been running around having photos taken, applying for a new passport, Dentist appointments, and even some shopping.

In Etsy shop news... I hope to have Valentine's Day roses in stock soon!

Thanks for letting me share this with you!

2011-12-30T15:36:00.000-05:00

Friday rolled around quickly this week! Our New Year's Eve plans are usually pretty simple here as we do not like to go out. This year, our daughter is having a few friends over with a couple of them sleeping over. We love having a house full of laughter so I know my husband & I will both enjoy our night. Dinner will be simple...baked ziti....with lots of snacks to follow and sparkling cider to ring in the New Year! So what are you doing?

Wishing you all a safe New Year's Eve and a Happy Healthy 2012! See ya next year!

IA Challenge

2011-12-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

The current challenge on Inspiration Avenue is the phrase...something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. There is a Mr. Linky here where you can add your link and see all the other entries. Here is my interpretation:

Something old...the art of French Beaded Flowers began approximately in the late 1700s to early 1800s.
Something new...the beads are new Czech glass beads.
Something borrowed...Mother Nature's artwork.
Something blue...the rose was made with rainbow cobalt blue beads.

Thanks for another fun challenge priti.lisa!

What's off my knitting needles!

2011-12-26T16:51:00.000-05:00

I finished my Baktus scarf from a free pattern on Ravelry by Strikkelise and certainly inspired by several that I have seen on Flowermouse's Blog. You can see one of Lone's here. Now, mind you, mine took longer than 2 days..but I am happy and proud of it! I did mine in stockinette stitch which is knitting every row. It was a fun project in from of the TV at night! I love how the colors shaded!

I also crocheted a cute little bird that was another free pattern on Ravelry--this one by Attic24. I changed it up a bit and turned it into a crow as a little gift for Stacy of MagicLoveCrow. It was very easy to follow Lucy's pattern and she has a cool blog where she shows off many projects, here.

Just another week to take advantage of my Etsy sale of free shipping or 20% off your order (not including shipping). Details and coupon codes in my shop announcement!

Our Nativitys

2011-12-23T08:52:00.001-05:00

Hi Everyone! I thought I would share our two nativity sets. This first one has been in my husbands family for eons--well maybe not that long, LOL, but we have been treasuring it for the past 20 years! The figures are made in Italy. The stable is very special because my Mom made it. Now you may be thinking (or not) "what happened to the manger & baby?" Well, it is our family tradition to put that in on Christmas morning, before anything else is done. He is, after all, the reason for the season!

This second Nativity scene was carved out of a single log. The back is covered with the natural bark. It was made in Bethlehem, and we purchased it on our trip there in 2009. I just love the natural shading in the piece of wood. This one stays out all year long and has a place front and center in our living room wall unit.

Wishing you all Peace, Joy, and Love this Christmas season! And, of course, a happy, creative weekend, too!

Happy Hanukkah and Thanks!

2011-12-21T09:06:00.001-05:00

First, I'd like to wish any of my friends and readers celebrating tonight, a very Happy Hanukkah. We are close friends with a couple where the husband is Jewish & the wife, southern Baptist. For the last 20+ years we have been fortunate to be included in their celebrations and they in ours. We already celebrated Hanukkah with them earlier in the month because they were going away; and this weekend they will come to our house to celebrate Christmas with us. Just a funny aside...when our daughter was young they always included her in the giving of gifts and chocolate gelt. After this went on for many years, I said to my daughter..."You do know we are not really Jewish, right?" She says, "We're not?". This from a girl who is raised Catholic and had made her Holy Communion!

I want to show you what I won in a recent giveaway from Stacy from MagicLoveCrow. Not only was I lucky enough to win her giveaway which was the adorable sledding baby crow, called "Wheeee!"...but I won her Mom's giveaway, too, for this hand knitted dish cloth! I told Stacy the baby crow reminded me of when we used to take our daughter sledding and that is what she would say going down the hill! Sweet memories. The dish cloth is so beautifully shaded--I am going to enjoy it! Thanks again Stacy & Mom!

Some new goodies!

2011-12-19T08:30:00.001-05:00

A month or so ago I won a $20 giveaway to Bead Crafty bead store from Indigobead's blog. Even though I haven't had a chance to create anything yet, I thought this was a good time to show off what I selected.

First let me say, that I received excellent customer service from Bead Crafty and would not hesitate to purchase from their website. Despite the fact that they are located in the UK, my items arrived quickly & very carefully and artfully packaged! They were wrapped in red tissue paper & tied with a bow--it felt like Christmas. So here is what I picked:

Five bags of red seed beads that will most likely find their way into Valentine's Day roses. Two packages each of red, black & smokey 6 mm faceted crystals; a very pretty purple cabochon, a resin cab with adorable bumble bees & flowers; a swarovski
rivoli; a crystal snowflake; and a bail. Oh, the very generous bag of beads at the top was a free gift!

Thanks Bead Crafty and Indigo Beads!

On The 12th Day of Christmas...

2011-12-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

My True Love Gave to Me...Drums!

I hope you have enjoyed my 12 Days of Christmas Treasuries! I hope you have a happy, creative weekend!

I'm having a customer appreciation sale in my Etsy shop until the end of the year. Use either of these codes to get the best deal! Thanks!

FREESHIP for free shipping or take 20% off with BLOG20

On The 11th Day of Christmas...

2011-12-15T08:47:00.001-05:00

My True Love Gave to Me...Pipes!

On the 10th Day of Christmas...

2011-12-13T18:07:00.000-05:00

My True Love Gave to Me.....Frogs!

On the 9th Day of Christmas....

2011-12-12T08:14:00.000-05:00

My True Love Gave to Me....dancing dancers! Enjoy!

Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend!

IA Challenge

2011-12-09T08:25:00.001-05:00

The subject of the Inspiration Challenge this week is Christmas Balls! Over the years I have made dozens of ornaments and we enjoy having an almost all hand made decorated tree. The question posed was What is on your Christmas Ball? Why, Beads, of course!

I hung this on our, as yet, undecorated tree and took the best photo I could. It is actually deep royal blue & vibrant yellow beads & each drop has a little elephant at the bottom.

Busy weekend ahead for us, so I will continue with the 12 Days of Christmas Treasuries on Monday. Have a happy, creative weekend!

8th Day of Christmas Treasury

2011-12-08T08:55:00.000-05:00

Here are #7 and #8:

On The 7th Day of Christmas Treasury

2011-12-07T08:55:00.000-05:00

My True Love may not always be getting it just right...but at least these swim!

Here are #6 and #7:

On The 6th Day of Christmas Treasury

2011-12-06T08:38:00.001-05:00

I'm really having fun making these! Glad you are enjoying looking at them. Here is the 5th & 6th Day Treasuries:

5th Day of Christmas Treasury

2011-12-05T09:19:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! Well, the craft show was a big success as evidenced by the smaller inventory in my Etsy Shop and the empty tubs I came home with! All your well wishes must have worked--Thanks! I've decided to list any Christmas/Winter items I have left on Etsy, so take a look if you get a chance! In the meantime, enjoy the 4th and 5th Days of Christmas Tresuries:

4th Day of Christmas Treasury

2011-12-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

This widget requires at least two treasuries to work...so here are a repeat of the 3rd day & the 4th:

You can click on the treasury to view it full page!

The craft show was a big success--thank you for all the well wishes! Enjoy your Sunday!

3rd Day of Christmas Treasury

2011-12-03T08:23:00.001-05:00

Happy Saturday! I'm at a craft show, but I scheduled this one for you. Showing here are 2nd & 3rd Day of Christmas Treasuries!

IA Challenge-English Literature

2011-12-02T11:33:00.000-05:00

Here is my entry this week--a bit bungled. The first thing I thought of when I read the Inspiration Avenue challenge was English Literature was that I would never come up with anything for this one! I was totally blank! My daughter is an Anglophile, and our home is filled with many things British, but that didn't help either. Finally I had it...I created this ACEO as a tribute to Elizabeth Barrett Browning's love sonnet:

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

What you might not know is that this is also called, "Sonnet 43". So what is the bungled part? Well, my great idea was to draw 43 hearts all woven together with a leafy vine. So far, so good...until I didn't check before I started drawing & thought it was Sonnet 46! So there are 46 hearts, Mea Culpa, Mrs. Browning!

2nd Day of Christmas Treasury

2011-12-02T07:46:00.001-05:00

A big thank you to Gloria from New End Studio for helping me get the treasury on my blog. This widget lets you see multiple treasuries, so I have included the first two here. You can click on any treasury that you would like to visit.

I am off to my last craft show tomorrow so my shop will be empty until Saturday night. Hope you have a wonderful creative weekend.

12 Days of Christmas Treasuries

2011-12-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

I stated a treasury series of the 12 Days of Christmas. You can see the first one here. Maybe before the 12 days are over, I will learn how to share them here and on facebook without the links, LOL.

Hope you enjoy!

2011-11-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

Even though the last few days have been unseasonably mild here in upstate New York, I have been getting the urge to pull out my yarn, crochet hooks, and knitting needles which I have not used in a long time. Fortunately, it is like riding a bike, you never forget once you have done it! I have been very inspired by a blog called Flowermouse. Lone is a very prolific knitter whose pace I can only dream of matching, and her blog is an explosion of color. She also creates beautiful items in polymer clay and felting! Anyway, she has inspired me to make something, and the first something I made is this crocheted baby hoodie. It was a free pattern from Bernat yarns--you know, one of those tear offs you find in the yarn aisle. I used a regular worsted weight yarn because I wanted it to be heavier, like a jacket. I plan to give it to our friend's daughter for her new baby girl at Christmastime.

I'm going a bit yarn crazy--don't know if it is the cold snap, freaky early snowstorm in October, or the fact that I lost so much of my yarn in the flood earlier in the summer. The adage "What you don't use, you lose" keeps playing in my mind, though I know it is not about the same thing. I also made another crochet project which I can't show yet because it is a gift for someone who reads my blog. I have a crocheted baby blanket (for no one in particular) started, a knitted scarf for me and as soon as my tunisian crochet hook comes in the mail, I will be making two more gifts that I also cannot describe yet.

So, do you knit or crochet? Do you, like me, get the urge to do either when the weather turns cooler? Do tell!

Signs of a bad winter?

2011-11-28T08:53:00.002-05:00

Have you looked at the squirrels in your backyard lately? Are their tails extra bushy? Did you see less acorns littering the ground earlier in Autumn? These are just two of the signs that some believe will predict a bad winter ahead. I don't know about the first, but I have had trouble ~~beating the squirrels to~~ finding a lot of acorns to craft with this year. And why would I want to craft with acorns? Glad you asked! Because I saw an awesome post on a blog I follow called MegaCrafty where Meg created some really neat ones. She inspired me to make some of my own. First I have to tell you, Meg has the right title for her blog--she is just loaded with fun craft ideas and recipes--enough to keep me busy for a long time! Got left over cranberry sauce? Try her muffin recipe. Anyway, after seeing her post, here is what I made:
The top two are painted and they sealed with decoupage glue. The bottom four are wet felted--and boy does she have a great tip for felting balls!

Next I got creative with polymer clay and made these:

They are actually acorns covered with clay that I matched to some spare caps I had. I display them on our buffet in the dining room.

Thanks to Meg for this really fun project!

IA Challenge

2011-11-26T14:39:00.000-05:00

The theme this week at Inspiration Avenue is "Aged Beauty" whether it be something new made old, old people, old stories, etc. I decided to have some fun playing around with polymer clay again. I made another tile that is about 7/8" wide and just over 1" high. I used a Lisa Pavelka image of a boy & girl dancing on an ornate stage. It reminds me of a beautiful old theatre or opera house. I creased & cut the image to further age it & baked it atop white clay. After it was done I added Judikins powder resin--it was the first time I tried this product. I was pretty pleased but next time will try to smooth out the powder a bit before heating it. Anyway, without further ado:

If you have time, stop by and see all the other wonderful art created for this theme at IA!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:18:00.001-05:00

To All of My Friends in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving!

To Everyone...taking a few days off to spent it with family and friends. Have a wonderful creative weekend!

Ya Gotta Get Up Pretty Early in The Morning....

2011-11-21T08:20:00.001-05:00

to catch a photo like this:

There were about 10 of these huge Turkey Buzzards sitting in a bare tree. It was eerie because they are so large:

I grabbed my camera to try to get a good shot and then figured I'd get one of them with their wings spread so you could really see how big they are. I looked down to preview the first photo to make sure I got a good one, got ready to take aim again...and they had already flown off! Oh well, I'll keep trying!

IA Challenge "Harlequin"

2011-11-18T09:38:00.000-05:00

The challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue is "Harlequin". Even though there are so many creative ways to approach this challenge, I stuck with the color/pattern theme of black & white diamonds. It was actually very challenging for me to come up with something for this, and I finally resorted to playing with some polymer clay. I made a little tile that I will use at a later date in another piece of art.

I still need more practice with clay, as you can see, but I did have fun and felt very challenged--which is the whole point, isn't it?

Stop by and see all the other wonderful entries at IA!

Have a very happy, creative weekend everyone!

A DVD Review

2011-11-14T12:28:00.001-05:00

Well here is another unsolicited DVD review...this time on making wire-wrapped jewelry with Scott David Plumlee. The DVD lasts a bit over one hour and is chock full of great information, techniques & projects.

There is a comprehensive materials overview that explains all about wire sizes, types and properties. He also goes over different types of pliers and their uses, forging tools, and some important safety tips!

One of the things I like about Plumlee's DVDs is that they demonstrate from his perspective--makes it much easier to understand how to do a particular step. In the first project you learn how to make your own headpins--super cool! He goes on to make wire wrapped earrings using the headpins that were just created. There are several different types of earrings and bracelets demonstrated, and variations are also discussed. He also teaches how to forge your own "S" clasp.

Again there is a lot of useful information to lead you on your journey of designing your own wire-wrapped jewelry!

For more information on DVDs, Kits, Tutorials, etc, please visit David Chain Jewelry.

2011-11-10T09:09:00.002-05:00

This week at Inspiration Avenue, Hettienne chose the theme to be inspired from any form of needlework. "Where there are needlework, there is art and there are memories and stories to be shared. Share with us your creations that tells the stories that were sewn into your heart!"

I created an ACEO for the challenge. I started with a stencil and after some cutting with a craft knife and punching with a needle, I sewed in the color. I did simple weaving in the center for a little texture.

I would also like to share a quilt that I made many years ago which also fits this theme. Have you ever loved a piece of clothing so much that you couldn't bear to part with it--even though it was long past it's wearable life? Or maybe, you don't get that attached to clothing. I sometimes do, as I did with this shirt. I've always liked jungle animals and safari-type clothing (think the old,original Banana Republic), and when this shirt wore out, I was sad to let go. Then I took a quilting class and realized that I could incorporate it into a quilt. Here is the result...Attic Windows Pattern:

Now I know it is only Thursday, but I am going to wish everyone a happy, creative weekend anyway. My daughter is coming home tonight for the long weekend, but I promise I'll get around to see everyone's IA challenge art!

Good Morning!

2011-11-07T15:09:00.000-05:00

Or at least it would have been morning if I had scheduled this post to go up at 9 AM instead of PM!!!

Thank you for all the well wishes and comments about the craft fair. As I expected, there was not a big turnout, and in fact, there were several empty tables of vendors who could not make it. I think a lot of people were just numb (no pun intended) from being without electric and just had piles of stuff to catch up on. Despite the low number of shoppers, I only netted a few dollars less than last year when I did this show. It helped that I was the only one with holiday themed items. There was Tupperware, Mary Kay, someone with homemade jams & jellies, and a lot of jewelry vendors. As I may have mentioned, I have one more show the beginning of December and between now & then will be listing as much as I can in my Etsy shop. I have been doing shows since 1994, and I'm getting burnt out.

I had the good fortune to recently win one of Roxanne's paintings--do you know Roxanne? She has a cute blog, called Mentalmulch. The painting is one of her awesome girls and is full of detail which I hope you can see in my not so awesome photo, LOL!

All the more amazing when you realize that it is all of 1" square!!!

Roxanne has recently combined her two Etsy shops together and along with her paintings and art dolls, you can now find all of her dachshund art there, too!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

2011-11-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

Well, this week just flew by! Spent most of the past two days continuing to clean out the garage and put everything back in the basement so we can hopefully get the second car inside for the winter. Thought I'd leave you with a few photos from last Saturday.
This first photo was taken in our backyard a few hours into the storm.

Taken from the back porch. You can see there was already about 4 inches.

Most of the snow has now melted, but there are still many people without power. Join me in sending out some good wishes to anyone who is still struggling without electricity.

Have a happy, creative weekend. I have my first craft show of the season on Saturday.

A Blog Award

2011-11-03T08:21:00.000-04:00

I'd like to thank Gloria of New End Studio for passing along the "Tell me about yourself award"! I've shared a long of things over the years...here are 7 more:

1)Ringo Starr is my favorite Beatle.

2)I love apples cut in half with the seeds dug out and the hole filled with peanut butter!

3)I hate cheesecake, but I think chocolate is just about the most perfect food.

4)I have one older sister who drives a school bus--which in my opinion automatically puts you in like for sainthood.

5)I like to shop but hardly ever buy anything new to wear.

6)I wish I was taller and thinner.

7)I love to read.

I am supposed to pass this along to 15 bloggers, but as is my custom, I invite anyone who wishes to play along.

Thank you!

2011-11-01T12:48:00.000-04:00

We got our power back a short while ago! Everything is well here and I want to thank everyone who left such nice comments, emails and convos! I'll be around to visit you all soon! Debbie

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

We have a state of emergency here and are a disaster area. Saturday, we were hit with a rogue snowstorm and got 12" of wet heavy snow that downed trees & power lines. 35 (yes you read that right) roads in our immediate are were/are closed. This is not the start of a thriller novel...it's my reality right now. I temporarily have my computer hooked up to the generator but won't risk that for long because it's not a clean connection & may damage the computer. There is no estimate yet for when we will get electric back, but I've heard by the end of the week.

We are so so thankful that our neighbor had just hooked up our generator to the house with a transfer switch. We have heat, water, and minimal other electric. We've been feeding him along with our good friends across the street. There is a real sense of community in this neighborhood.

Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know what is going on if you don't hear from me for a few days. My crow friend, if you see this, thank you--I'll get everything to you soon--not sure the post office is even open yet.

Hope everyone else that may have been in the path of this storm is safe and warm.

IA Challenge-Masquerade Ball!

2011-10-28T08:49:00.011-04:00

The first thing I thought of with this word prompt from Inspiration Avenue was the song "Masquerade!" from Phantom of The Opera! I love that song and it always sticks in my brain! However, that is not what inspired me to create my piece this week.

I started thinking about what else masquerade could mean beyond masks, costumes, and such, even though the challenge was masquerade Ball. My thoughts went to the animal kingdom and all the animals that mask themselves. One of the most brilliant is the Chameleon; my inspiration for this ACEO.

Thank you, Shelinwa, for a fun challenge! Stop by and see the other entries here.

Have a fun creative weekend everyone! Just a few more days of free shipping in my Etsy shop. Since Monday is Halloween I'm adding a little bonus...Everything in my Halloween/Autumn section will be an additional 20% off on top of free shipping until midnight Oct. 31. Use code BLOG20 at check out or convo for a reserved listing. There are a few surprises in there as well! Happy Shopping!

2011-10-27T09:16:00.009-04:00

I'm happy to pass along ,~~as long as you don't win~~ a cool giveaway that my friend Lisa is having on her blog, Indigo's Beads. In conjunction with Bead Crafty, she is giving away 3 gift certificates! Just thought I'd pass it along ~~regrettably~~ so you can get in on the chance to win!

A Shout Out

2011-10-26T15:35:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! Today I'd like to show off a piece of art I purchased from another amazing ACETSY Team member, Sunshineshelle. She has an awesome Etsy shop just filled with ghosts, wide eyed girls and lovable monsters! Here is an ACEO that I purchased from her--you may recognize it as the blog party button Magaly used. I usually don't go for scary or gory art, but this one just called out to me!

Sweetie that she is, Shelle included a set of her adorable Star Huggers! I've admired these for some time--so thanks, Shelle!

If you have a chance, stop by Shelle's shop and blog--you'll be glad you did!

Just a reminder....Just a few more days to take advantage of my free shipping sale in my shop.It ends on Oct. 31.

2011-10-24T09:01:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I didn't get to post on Friday because we were away for an overnight trip. On Thursday, we went back up to our daughter's college where Jeff Dunham was performing in their arena.

I absolute love this ventriloquist!
We went up a little earlier in the day & arrived in time to have dinner with our daughter and her friend. It happened that it was Alaska Seafood Week in the Dining Hall and they had a DJ, and really good seafood. I had what was called "Rock Fish". It was mild tasting and good. My DH had cod with reindeer sausage. After dinner we walked to the arena, and for the next 2 hours I laughed more than I have in a long time! Boy it felt really good! If you are not familiar with Jeff Dunham, I added a short video below. Peanut is my favorite character & I can laugh over this bit over and over! Enjoy:

And the Winner Is...

2011-10-20T09:30:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who commended on my Blog Party post and thank you, once again, to Magaly for hosting the party. Without further ado...

The Random Number Generator has picked #26, the last commenter, so...

AUTUMN YOU WON!

Please send me your information via the email link on my profile page!

What Inspires Me?

2011-10-19T16:16:00.000-04:00

This week the theme at Inspiration Avenue is to think about what inspires you. I am most inspired by nature and color! I like screaming bright, vivid colors! I am inspired by the way Mother Nature paints the world, especially this time of year. I love to create French Beaded Flowers and often take my cue from what is blooming around me. During Autumn, I especially love to create bright orange lilies and the many hues of orange, red & yellow that the marigolds in my garden wear. Roses are also a favorite of mine and I create them all year long in bright shades of red, like the above, pink, yellow, purple, and even sapphire blue.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Inspiration Avenue who provides such wonderful prompts and inspiration week after week. Although I only discovered your blog a month or so ago, I already feel like I have grown as an artist--at least in my thought process. I know you can't see it, but there is a big smile on my face!

My Recipe

2011-10-19T08:49:00.001-04:00

After many failed attempts to photograph or scan the cookbook page, I could not get a clear copy, so I decided to just type it out. Here is the recipe that was featured in our daughter's college dining hall this past Saturday night:

Turkey Scaloppini in Lemon-Caper Sauce
Serves 6

1 lb turkey breast sliced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons capers drained
1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 Teaspoon salt

1. Light coat the turkey in the flour, patting off any excess.

2. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the turkey & cook, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through--a few minutes per side. Transfer the cooked turkey to a plate. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil, and the remaining turkey & transfer to the plate.

3. Add the wine, lemon juice, parsley, capers, Worcestershire sauce, pepper & salt to the skillet & bring to a boil. Simmer 1-2 minutes scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Return the turkey to the skillet, spoon the sauce over the top, and simmer 2 more minutes to heat through. Serve immediately.

ACEO challenge: At the Salon

2011-10-17T09:38:00.000-04:00

While waiting for her next customer, Gwen decided to get a facial!

This ACEO was created for this month's challenge which is "At The Salon". Of course, I could not resist doing another of my Moose on Parade Series! This one is a drawing with color pencil and micron pens.

We had a wonderful visit with our daughter and we enjoyed seeing our recipe served in the Dining Hall! I had a couple of requests to share my recipe, which I will be glad to do next time.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday!

2011-10-14T07:42:00.001-04:00

This week has just flown by! Maybe it was the because of the holiday, but I feel like I lost a day somewhere in there. A few good things happened, not really of much interest but I will tell you anyway...

Our Electrician is installing our transfer switch box for the generator so we should not have the problem of no sump pumps again. In the process, he found our regular breaker box was a dangerous one known to cause fires because the breakers don't trip when they are supposed to--he's changing that too. See, I told you...not all that interesting.

But this is...Last year, our daughter's college solicited recipes for a cook book they put out and distribute to parents on Family Weekend. I sent in one of our favorites and guess what! My recipe is being featured in one of the dining halls for dinner! Whoo Hoo! Of course, we are going to go even though she was just home and we had planned to wait until later in the month and go for her birthday. I dont' get that many Whoo Hoo published moments!

Have a happy creative weekend! Don't forget to enter my All Hallow's Grim Giveaway one post down and visit my Etsy shop for free shipping!

Inside Every Pumpkin is a Goblin Trying to Get Out!

2011-10-09T14:37:00.002-04:00

When I was younger, I was really into the scary, bloody vampire kind of movies. For a long time I read every Stephen King book I could get my hands on. They scared me so much...I am now afraid of the dark, dead animals, lawn mowers, clowns, vintage cars, fortune tellers, and lots of other things. So when Magaly invited me to her All Hallow's Grim Party I really didn't think I could come up with anything appropriate. Have you heard about art just leading you where it wants? This is actually the second time this has happened to me...

I was playing around with some clay & decided to make a Halloween brooch. I made a simple, even sweet looking face as a pumpkin. All he needed was a stem, but, as luck would have it, I didn't have enough green or brown clay. Then I thought, "I'll just smoosh together some black & the remaining orange & use that!" Well, when I did, I came up with a pretty neat looking stem...until I REALLY looked at it. Looks pretty harmless from a distance:

But get close up...do you see the wicked face? Do you see the fangs? That is why I am here. So this year when you go to carve your pumpkin, beware, there may be a goblin lurking inside trying to get out!

As a thanks for visiting my blog, I will use the random number generator and award this piece to one lucky commenter. This giveaway ends October 20th at 9:13am. (Had to change the time because I have an appointment later on in the day)

IA Weekly Challenge-Owls

2011-10-07T10:49:00.000-04:00

I had such a busy week but managed to create this ACEO to fit the theme at Inspiration Avenue this week, which was Owls! Couldn't pass up a chance to paint an owl. Now, I have no idea how he got himself into this costume!

Be sure to visit all the wonderful Owl creations here!

Our daughter is coming home tonight to spend the long weekend! She is so bubbly and full of news she can't wait to share! Happy Columbus Day to all my readers in the USA!

Have a wonderful creative weekend. To all my friends who are in Canada, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you!

2011-10-03T15:03:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone! I want to send a shout out and a big thank you to Stacy of MagicLoveCrow. For anyone who doesn't know Stacy, she is a wonderful artist who specializes in painting the cutest baby crows and the most excellent adult crows. I was recently a winner in her blog contest & won this adorable "runner-up" prize:

Not only that, but she surprised me with a mega-birthday-blow-out gift! Just look at all the goodies she sent me!

Three of her beautiful notes cards that include matching ACEOs, a cute baby crow doing a split & what has to be the biggest birthday card I've ever received!

I had a lovely day on my birthday (Sunday) and will go out to dinner Wednesday at one of our favorite restaurants. The celebration continues for all of you, too, with my free shipping sale in my Etsy shop--no coupon required now for US addresses!

Back Again!

2011-09-30T16:10:00.001-04:00

I am back again to announce one of the best sales ever in my Craftymoose Etsy Store! Since October is my birthday month--you get the present:

Free Shipping for the month of October on all orders to the USA and Canada! (Custom Orders are excluded)

If you are in the USA, use coupon code FREESHIP at check out to receive this bonus. Unfortunately, because of the way Etsy configures coupon codes, I have to ask anyone in Canada wishing to make a purchase to either convo me first & I can set up a reserved listing with no shipping or purchase & I will refund the shipping.

Lots of new items will be making their way into the shop--beaded flowers, ACEOs, jewelry, holiday items, and back by popular demand...My paper angel tree toppers! I will be listing all month long so stop back often!

Happy Shopping & Happy Weekend!

The Winners Are....

2011-09-30T12:18:00.000-04:00

I printed out all the names....

Cut them up, folded them, and put them in a bowl....

Mr. Moose picked the names of the three lucky winners...

Congratulations Everyone! I'll be in touch with all of you for your mailing info!

Don't forget to stop by later for a big shop announcement!

Chain Maille DVD Review & Giveaway!

2011-09-30T12:00:00.001-04:00

This post will remain on top until Sept. 30. Please scroll down to see other posts.

I am always excited to receive my latest issue of Bead and Button Magazine, and even more so when I saw my favorite Chain Maille artist, Scott David Plumlee was one of the feature articles. If you regularly read my blog, you may remember this little review I did about a month ago. After that review, Scott asked if I would be interested in reviewing his new DVDs--of course, I jumped at the chance!
The first one, "Make Chain Maille Jewelry" runs for 87 minutes.

This is a very comprehensive look at making single, double & Byzantine chain weaves, and you will come away with the skills to create specific projects and even a beautiful "S" clasp. The camera angle is often from the maker's perspective which makes it easy to see exactly what to do. He starts out by outlining the tools you will need--many of which you may already have. I appreciated the time he took explaining what each tool is capable of and the tips he sprinkled here and there in the DVD.

The first thing Scott does is teach you to make your own jump rings. From the types and gauges of wire, to how to wrap & cut the rings, all the way to proper opening and closing of jump rings, everything is clear and demonstrated.

Moving on to projects, you learn how to make a single, double, and my personal favorite, Byzantine chain. What I liked about the demos was that he used very large rings first and repeated the steps a few times before moving onto the smaller jewelry size rings. Think you are done--no way! Next he shows how to modernize these weaves by embellishing them with beads!

Lastly, he shows you how to forge your own clasp from a simple piece of wire--how cool is that?!

There was not a boring or wasted moment in this DVD & if I wasn't already excited to try more projects...I am now! What? You, too? You are in luck! Scott David Plumlee has very generously provided me with not one, not two, but THREE of his Beaded Romanov Earring Kits for a giveaway. These are the same kit that I made in my previous post above.

So, what do you have to do? Visit Scott's website, look around, and come back here and post what your favorite pattern or thing about his site is.
The winners will be drawn about Noon EST on September 30, 2011. One entry per person. Open to everyone worldwide. I am going to cut up the comments so everyone has a fair chance at winning! Good Luck!

This is an unsolicited, honest review of this DVD which I was provided free along with the 3 kits for the giveaway.

Spain-IA Challenge

2011-09-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

This week's challenge at Inspiration Avenue was Spain. I've been many places, and even though I've never been to Spain, the idea for this one came pretty easily. I love animals so I googled animals of Spain. Well, the first one I came across was the Bat which are apparently prevalent in Spain and actually the symbol of the city of Valencia. If you are a new reader to my blog, go here, to see why I wasn't going to "touch" that one. I decided to go with the perhaps more well-known and safer Bull.

Day of The Dead Style Bull ACEO 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

Stop by and see all the wonderful art that has been created inspired by Spain!

Appreciating what is around me

2011-09-27T09:17:00.000-04:00

I see you even if you don't see me! Cardinals are perhaps my favorite bird (next to flamingos, but since there aren't any of those flying around my yard, I gotta go with what I have), but they are so skittish & hard to photograph. I finally got a photo from inside by climbing up on a chair, hiding behind a hanging plant & shooting through a clear window. It was worth it!

Looking out our back door (without my glasses on, LOL) I saw what looked like a pile of whitish stuff on the lawn. After finding a bone on the roof (post)I didn't want to imagine what creature dropped whatever this pile was. But on closer examination...I found the sweetest mushroom village ever!

Walking back to the house I saw some raindrops suspended in mid-air! Kidding! It was a spider web in the lawn!

Lastly, I leave you with a photo of what is now growing on my vines--a gourd! Let me explain...I had some seeds, planted them & when I planted the cucumbers I put the gourd plants way done the end of the trellis--and then promptly forgot about them. Well, they took off & when I looked at them, they looked different, they were lighter green & had "bumps" under the flowers but didn't seem to be doing much else.
Soooooo, I pulled them all out! Later on, they started growing again & I found this gourd & realized what I had done. Chagrined but ready to try again next year!

It's hard getting older, but the best thing is that October, being my birth month, is when I announce a surprise, so stay tuned on Friday for the advanced announcement heard here first! Oh yes, my giveaway one post up will also be announced in a separate post at noon on Friday--still time to enter if you are interested! Phew! Long post--thanks for sticking with me!

Keys

2011-09-23T09:32:00.002-04:00

The challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue is "Keys". Click on the link and stop by and see all the wonderful entries! Here is mine:

Now I know you have all been wondering just what do skeletons do if they are missing a few bones? And Pirates...what do they do will all those skeleton keys they steal to release themselves from prison? Come on, I know you have been wondering about that, too! Wonder no more...here is the answer!

This pirate skeleton has collected all the skeleton keys he has found and has used them for extra parts. He even wears one as an earring! They may be mismatched and not his size, but he doesn't care at all! Thank you to Hettienne for this fun challenge--you really got me thinking!

In other craftymoose news...Don't forget to enter my giveaway one post up!

Have a wonderful creative weekend everyone!

Whoo Am I?

2011-09-20T09:21:00.001-04:00

I didn't post yesterday because I was playing with my watercolors! I painted this little owl who thinks he is hiding behind his mask in a witch's costume. It is an ACEO--the size of a standard baseball card for anyone not familiar with them. He will be in my Etsy shop later today.

I'm also taking part in Magaly's All Hallow's Grim Blog Party that takes place on October 13. Originally I was not going to participate, but last week when I had a chance to play around with my supplies, I created something that told me it wanted to join the party. Lately that has been happening to me a lot--my creations telling me what they want to be. You'll have to wait until October 13th to see the one that was directing me!

I also did some experimenting with dyes again and will show them when they tell me what they want to be!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway 1 post up!

Happy Friday!

2011-09-16T18:03:00.000-04:00

It's been a long week and an even longer day here. The basement walls are starting to mold and mildew so it looks like I will be getting some more experience in sheetrock taping! Yeah! Thank you hurricane Irene! My husband has started to pull it out, but it is doubtful that it will be replaced before Spring. Some of you I've told already that he hurt his knee. Well, a visit to the Orthopedist is leading to an MRI on Tuesday and possible surgery depending on the result. This morning the microwave also broke....Is there some cosmic law that says everything must happen at once?

TGIF--Have a nice, creative weekend everyone!

Autumn is coming!

2011-09-12T12:57:00.000-04:00

Apples, gourds, pumpkins, Halloween, spooky things, and Christmas is right around the corner!

This is an ACEO that I did for the "End of Summer" ACEO challenge. It actually fits the Inspiration Avenue theme this week of "Autumn Splendor" so I will share her there too.

I am starting to load up my Craftymoose Etsy shop with lots of Autumn and Christmas goodies!

Patterns-IA Challenge

2011-09-09T08:41:00.002-04:00

I created this cute witch that I named Esme in conjunction with this week's Inspiration Avenue challenge which was "Patterns". Esme is illustrating that checks and plaids Do go together! You can see more of Esme here. Take a look at all the wonderful art that was created for this challenge here.

It has rained all week here, and the water is just sitting in the backyard trying to soak into the ground. No major water in the basement since the pumps are working--just a few trickles.

Have a wonderful creative weekend! I'm hoping it dries up enough for me to do laundry!

Finally..New Art!

2011-09-07T09:12:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a nice long weekend! Most of the basement clean up is done, our daughter is back to College, and we had Verizon FIOS installed yesterday! Our internet is fast, fast, fast! I'd like to share a few of the newest additions to my shop. This is another french beaded flower cuff--similar to the first one I made but with different colors.

ACEO collage called, "Nature's Wisdom". I just love this sentiment! Collage is a new technique I am trying--what do you think? Does it need more oomph?

This ACEO is call "Sunspot". It was created with dimensional paint. I have used this technique several times--all with space-related themes.

Lastly, a basket of french beaded marigolds. I love the rich oranges, reds, yellows and browns that these flowers bloom in. They are so easy to grow, and I always collect the seeds from this year's crop to grow next year!

Beach Inspired Art

2011-09-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

Firstly, I would just like to thank everyone who left a nice comment on my last post about our hurricane damage. We lost internet right after I posted and just got it back last night. We are still drying out and throwing out just about everything that was within 12" of the floor.

The challenge this week at Inspiration Avenue is to create something beach inspired. I hope they will indulge me and allow this post of a past project. I just could not finish anything this week. This is a giant lobster claw that I sprayed with a stone texture finish and turned it into a vase. I created french beaded Freesia flowers and made a stand from two scallop shells and polymer clay. I was reading Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh at the time which was my inspiration for this piece.

Have a nice creative weekend!

I'm back, well sort of.

2011-08-30T08:46:00.000-04:00

Irene proved herself to be a formidable opponent in this area that is not so used to hurricanes.
Our electricity went out at 3:30 am Sunday and just came back on last night at 9:30 pm. Even though the storm lost a lot of its punch before it hit here, we received a massive amount of rain. Without power, of course, our two sump pumps were useless, & we woke up Sunday morning to a foot of water in the basement. When the rain slowed by midday, we hooked the pumps, freezer & fridge up to the generator that we bought 4 years ago and have yet to use. The water pumped out pretty quickly. We didn't want to leave it overnight and unfortunately, the water came back in, though just a few inches. We lost anything that was in bottom drawers or cabinets including some of my craft stuff. My driveway looks like we are moving with the piles of garbage.

All of our surrounding neighbors--in fact, anyone with a basement in this area got flooded. Our phones are still out & cell phones work sporadically. I know there are many who had it worse than us and I am thankful that we are safe, our home is intact, & were able to save most of the food.

I think we are finally getting it...we just can't have a finished basement. We are both tired of ripping up/drying out rugs and doing the clean up.

We drive our daughter back to college on Sunday so the scramble is on to do laundry, pack and try to get as much wet stuff out of the basement as quickly as we can. Not sure if I will be blogging much this week. If you were in the path of this storm, I hope all is well in your area. I'm thinking of you and will catch up with you soon!
Taken on Monday after much of the water receded back into the lake:

These last two photos show the water going over the spillway which is normally at a trickle or not even flowing at all:

We are a block away from this area and we can hear it roaring! It reminds me when we went to Niagara Falls & starting walking towards it--the sound was much more powerful, of course!

Sunflowers

2011-08-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

This week the theme at Inspiration Avenue is Sunflowers. I love them so this was a fun challenge. I created an ACEO in oil of one large, colorful flower.

Well, this was quite an eventful week...An earthquake centered in Virginia that was felt North to Toronto and South to Alabama. I felt a 30 to 40 second shaking which at first I thought was me until I saw the glass in our wall unit moving and our loveseat rocking on its own. Early Thursday morning (3:30 am) we were awakened by a blinding flash, a loud bang, and loss of power. Apparently, (but unconfirmed at the time of this writing) a transformer blew up right down the street. Around 4:30 or 5:00 am the power tried to come back on with another flash & bang. Shortly after that it was back on. Most of the day Thursday we were without internet--which means I did a whole lot of crafting, LOL, in between trying not to fall asleep. Stop by for a shop update next week.

Have a happy, creative weekend!

There's a Nip in the Air!

2011-08-24T09:40:00.000-04:00

As the weather begins to change to warm days and cooler nights, my thoughts start turning towards all things Autumn. The flowers, apples, pumpkins, warm tones of yellow and orange, brightly colored leaves, shedding trees...well, I could go on with lots more, but I think you get the idea. My thoughts are starting to turn to Halloween and hopefully getting some stock in my shop before it is too late. What do you think of my primitive witch? She is on the same style as the angels/tree toppers that I made last year and had a lot of success with.

Unfortunately, this time of year also signals my daughter's return to college. I think this year will be better, at least I hope I won't start crying when we leave the first time.

Happy Wednesday!

A Milestone For Me

2011-08-22T09:56:00.000-04:00

I recently reached a milestone in my Etsy Shop of 200 Sales! The purchase came from a blog friend, Deb, whose blog is filled with gorgeous photography and thoughtful, often whimsical commentary. I wanted to send her a surprise gift and now that I know she has received it, I wanted to share it here, too:

Ladybugs have a special meaning to Deb and when I saw this cabochon made by Lori Cook from Outoftheflames in my stash, I knew it was meant to belong to her! Isn't the cab pretty? I surrounded it with black czech crystals & black seed beads.

Have a happy Monday!

Great Giveaway!

2011-08-20T09:48:00.000-04:00

I don't usually post on a Saturday, but this is just too exciting to wait until Monday! My friend, Nicole over at Beadwright, is hosting a fabulous giveaway. If you enjoy bead embroidery or have ever thought of trying it, you have to get in on a chance to win the book she has up for grabs. I am not going to spoil the details--you'll have to hop over to Beadwright to see them, but take my word for it...Do Not Miss This One!

Have a great weekend!

Icy

2011-08-19T08:58:00.001-04:00

The theme this week over at Inspiration Avenue is Icy! Many of us have been experiencing very hot temperatures this summer, so here was a chance to cool off and create something that fit the theme!

Nothing says icy to me like a cool skeleton girl wrapped in beads of snowy white and glacial blue! Are you feeling the cool? She even has some icy crystal dangles that end in snow white pearl drops. Brrr--just feel the freeze! If that isn't enough, she comes backed with the coolest white leather and a matching blue ribbon necklace. If you'd like to see more of her...she can be found cooling off in my Etsy shop!

Have a great, creative weekend everyone!

Thank you!

2011-08-18T15:26:00.000-04:00

Sneaking in an extra post this week to thank you all for your kind comments and anniversary wishes! Waiting by my tea cup in the morning was a handmade card (we always make cards for each other) and a (full page typed)poem including highlights of the first poem my husband gave me when we were dating and of the last 20 years. I made him one, too, but seriously, his was much better! Later in the day came 2 dozen roses--which I took a photo of before they fully opened and dinner out at a nice restaurant. Doesn't get much better than that for me!

It's a Wonderful Life!

2011-08-17T09:00:00.002-04:00

Are you familiar with that Jimmy Stewart movie? It is a favorite of our family & we watch it every Christmas season. The title also aptly describes my life. Allow me to burst with happiness as I celebrate 20 years of marriage to my true love.

Have a great day! I know I will!

A New Art (At least for me!)

2011-08-15T09:03:00.002-04:00

I have always wanted to try my hand at making chainmail jewelry and was intrigued when I read a review on Treasures Found: Inspiration is Everywhere.

I was delighted when the subject of the review, Scott David Plumlee, gifted me with a kit to make his fabulous Romanov Earrings just for making a comment on the that post. Plumlee is well known in the chainmail world and has been featured in Wirework Magazine as well as being the author of several books on chainmail jewelry.

The kit arrived with everything but the tools and although it was probably a little more difficult, I plodded along with my available pliers. In retrospect, they might have come out neater had I had the right pliers, but I was still able to execute the many openings and closing of jump rings. The directions in the kit were accompanied by color photos that made the process so easy & clear--I had no trouble at all figuring out the design and completing the earrings. Here they are:

Plumlee also had a beautiful website with DVDs, books, kits, tutorials and a gallery of finished pieces of jewelry. If you've ever considered trying this art, stop by his website--you'll be glad you did. There are so many fascinating patterns and kits at very reasonable prices!

Inspiration and a new ACEO

2011-08-11T08:26:00.001-04:00

While visiting one of my favorite blogs, Sunshineshelle, I read a post where Shelle shared a weekly challenge she found on a site called, Inspiration Avenue. It sounded like fun, and I decided to join in this week. Here is a link to this week's challenge which is to create something based on what you love about summer.

Next to flowers, my favorite thing is to see the many butterflies that are attracted to our purple butterfly bush. I used this concept as inspiration to create another ACEO in my series of "Moose on Parade". This one is called "Butterfly Moose" and features wings painted on an iridescent film with dimensional and acrylic paint. It measures the standard 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" and is acrylic on 140 lb. watercolor paper.

Orchids

2011-08-09T08:21:00.000-04:00

Did you know that there are over 20,000 species or Orchids? Many more if you could the man-made hybrids. They grow nearly all over the world; perhaps the only location they do not grow is in icy remote locations. They've been studied, cataloged, and sought after since the early 1800s. There are even a group of orchids named after the First Ladies. I have never tried to grow these delicate blooms--I'm more of a cactus girl LOL--but I sure do enjoy beading them:

Have a great Tuesday!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

2011-08-06T18:32:00.000-04:00

Happy 100th Birthday Lucy!

A new ring!

2011-08-05T08:40:00.000-04:00

Here is my newest ring of french beaded roses done all in shades of pink. Just listed in my Etsy shop.

Have a happy, creative weekend everyone!

Don't go near hungry animals...

2011-08-03T09:06:00.000-04:00

with food! This happened 12 years ago and I am happy that I am alive to tell about it. It was August, and our family was visiting a Zoo in Canada near Niagara Falls. The name of the Zoo escapes me--I have probably suppressed it deep in my subconscious. While walking around, we encountered these:

These were the cutest, most well behaved bears, and no, they are not the animals that attacked me. These bears were sitting in a lake down below and were very patiently and politely waiting for marshmallows to be thrown to them. See the cutie splashing the water for attention?
Enter one little girl--yup, she is mine. She just loved the deer and wanted her photo taken hugging them. Cute so far, right?

Next the same little girl starts pleading to feed them. So like a good Mom & Dad we buy a paper cup of feed. Here is the scene: You will notice who has the feed (Mom) and who has taken refuge on the bench (Little girl).

As more and more deer get wind of what is going on...little girl seeks refuge with her Dad & leaves Mom to fend for herself. Not only was I overwhelmed with the amount of deer pushing to get to me, but they were nibbling my belt, my socks, my shirt--anything they could get their little lips on! I started laughing, of course, before I really started panicking and just threw the cup of seed down & escaped!

Video exists, but I keep it hidden.

No animals or humans were harmed during this episode. A lot funnier experience than the dog. Thanks for all the nice comments!

Teaser

2011-07-29T09:45:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to make my usual Friday post wishing all my blog friends a happy creative weekend!

Thank for all the comments on my last post...I once was "attacked" by a pack of hungry animals. I'll try to post about it next week...Gulp!

Lake Monster! Beware!

2011-07-28T09:00:00.001-04:00

On my last solo walk around the lake, I was almost attacked by a loose German Shepard. It came running out of nowhere, snarling and I had that adrenaline rush you get when you know you can't do anything about what is about to happen. I screamed & luckily the owner called the dog & he immediately went towards the owner. I was quite shaken up to say the least. Oh yeah, the owner did yell, "Sorry!" Humph.

My walks are usually beautiful, but not that eventful. This is a typical scene:

One of the resident herons that live around the lake sunning himself on a rock. Isn't he gorgeous?

I'm sure you are all familiar with the Loch Ness Monster, right? We visited Loch Ness back in 2007; no matter how hard we searched or for how long, Nessie did not make an appearance on that trip. But on another recent walk around our lake...what is that ripple in the water?

I watched it moving away from me and saw it "dive". There was a bit of big fin tail, and it was gone. So I continued on my way...and saw it again on the way back.
It was heading towards the beach which was deserted at the early hour...

So I walked out on the dock. Can you see it in the water...right there! Wait, I'll get closer....

OMG! It's the biggest water rat I have ever seen! Obviously collecting cut grass to build a nest.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water after JAWS!

Seahorses...the perfect fish?

2011-07-25T09:09:00.002-04:00

I think seahorses are about the most perfect creature there is. They mate for life and the male bears their young--how could it get any better than that! They come in many colors--I've taken the liberty of designing my own here in pink and green as a tribute of sorts to the male/female role they play. They are cute but not overly strong swimmers. The little fin on their back propels them by swaying back and forth many times per second. The cute fin on the back of the head steers them where they want to go. There are over 30 species of seahorses.

This unique seahorse sun catcher will be available in my Etsy Shop tonight!

Splish, Splash!

2011-07-22T08:32:00.001-04:00

I made myself two promises: 1)That I would stay off the computer until the bathroom was done and 2)That the bathroom would be done by the end of the week. Well, except for a few finishing touching--curtains, etc. I am happy to report that we are finished, finito, terminado, fini! Yay! The walls are painted with 2 coats of gray mildew resistant paint, the floor is regrouted with gray grout, the tub is caulked & as a matter of fact has one shower under its belt! I couldn't be happier. Now if only my hands and fingers and knee would stop hurting so I can get back to crafting! Here are a couple of photos--sorry they are not better, but it is a tiny bath and these were the best shots I could get.

In other news...those of you who are long time readers of my blog know that I have been attending oil painting classes taught by a Dutch man of 87. Albert & his wife, Mariante (she's 89) are incredible for their ages and have become friends over the last 5 or so years. Albert recently suffered a mild stroke and is now in rehab. I hope he improves enough to go home--this couple is more like one person.

Have a wonderful, creative weekend!

Any Day Now...

2011-07-11T09:29:00.001-04:00

Yes, the flowers I planted are starting to bloom...

My Garden is growing fast....

We will be harvesting cucumbers before long....

AND, AND, AND...Yes, the tub is almost finished! Over the weekend we got 3 of the 5 shower walls up and today should take care of the corner pieces! We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel here, but there is still a ways to go. Let's see--the tile on the walls, the tile on the floor, regrouting the floor tiles & painting. Kid's play after all the cutting, measuring, gluing, etc!

So, are you a DIYer? What big projects have you taken on?

ACEO Giveaway

2011-07-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

Do you know what an ACEO is? Well, it is about time you learn about these wonderful pieces of collectible art! I know you have seen some displayed here on my blog, but read on, it will be worth it.

ACEO stands for artist cards, editions and originals. They are small works of art in any media, the only criteria being they measure 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"--the size of a standard baseball card. ACEOs started as ATCs or Artist Trading Cards and were, as their name suggests, traded between artists. ACEOs were created to sell so that they others could also enjoy this artform.

So why am I telling you this? My friend, Martha, of Ayala Art is having an awesome, generous giveaway of 14, yes fourteen ACEOs. One created by her (and when you see her artwork, you will understand that that one alone makes winning necessary!)and the rest created by other artists she has traded with or collected. Hop on over to Ayala Art and enter for your chance to win!

Friday...Already?!!!

2011-07-08T09:14:00.001-04:00

I cannot believe a whole week has gone by since I last posted. As all my US readers know Monday, July 4th, was a holiday. I started the day out by putting what I hope is the last coat of drywall mud on the bath sheet rock walls. Mid-morning we got a call from some friends inviting us over for a barbeque so that took care of the rest of that day.

Tuesday we spent much of the day food shopping with our daughter who was scheduled to have all four of her wisdom teeth out the next day, Wednesday. All went well with the surgery except that one of her teeth was a "double" so she actually had 5 wisdom teeth extracted. Since then, I have been taking care of my baby who is being very stoic about the whole thing, despite looking like a chipmunk and not being able to open her mouth much. Bring on the banana milkshakes, mashed potatoes, pudding & jello! She has to know how much I love her because I despise Jello--can't stand to eat or look at it. I don't like the wiggle!

Yesterday was spent trying to install the new Dining Room AC unit that we bought several weeks ago. We are having a run of very hot, humid weather and really need it!

Today is still up for grabs. It's hot, humid and hard to get started on anything. The cucumbers are doing great--I'll have some photos next week. In the meantime, hope you all have a happy, creative weekend!

2011-07-01T08:01:00.000-04:00

Just have time for a quick post and run today. Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends and to the rest of us in the USA, have a happy 4th of July!

Still working on the sheet rock--a few little spaces to fill then I can start on the taping & joint compound spreading. Off to research how to do it!

In the meantime, here is a little something I just finished that was inspired by Stacy from MagicCrowLove's blog post about some of her flowers. You can see her post here, and this is my version of fuchsia:

You won't Believe This One!

2011-06-28T09:07:00.003-04:00

One morning last week, my husband hears this loud bump and then bouncing sound on the roof. He looked out, and unbelievably...this is what he saw:

Yup, your eyes are not deceiving you--it is a meat bone! I do not want to know what was flying overhead & dropped this. We do have these very large birds that look like Turkey Buzzards,

but I did not think that was a species that was found in New York. I'm guessing they are some type of hawk--at least they are the only bird large enough to carry a bone I would think.

Life is getting in the way of art right now. Yesterday was spent putting in the new air conditioner our bedroom and working on the drain in the tub. Houston, we have a problem! A small leak which I hope we can fix today and then start on the sheet rock. I hope by the end of the week to have some art to show. Hope you are all having a good week so far!

Black Flower Cuff

2011-06-24T07:31:00.000-04:00

You may have heard me speak of "happy accidents"...well, this cuff falls into that category. I began making a black french beaded flower with some really cool metallic looking seed beads to which I added a vintage flat glass bead surrounded by opaque black seed beads. I intended to keep with the style of my previous cuffs-3 flowers. Unfortunately, I worked on most of this last week when I wasn't at my best and when I went to bead the border found that it was not centered. :(

Now I really glued that Nicole's Beadbacking onto the metal cuff blank so there was no way I was going to be able to take it apart & realign it--so I thought and thought and a way to add it on top was born! I used a small piece of matching beadbacking to glue it onto the blank. Here is the finished cuff:

So what about the happy part of the accident? Well, the same technique spawned a matching brooch! :)

The "patch" is not noticeable at all under the flower, but I still know it is there. What I have decided to do is list it on Etsy with full disclosure and offer it with the brooch as a free gift. If any of my blog readers would like to purchase it, I will go one step further & offer free shipping. Just visit my Etsy shop, purchase & use the code "Blogfree" and the shipping charges will be adjusted automatically.

Tales of Morning Glories & Bath Tubs

2011-06-22T08:50:00.002-04:00

Well, here are the Morning Glories! It really is amazing that I've gotten anything done lately. Besides the events of last week, we are still in the middle of The Great Bath Tub Replacement Caper...

Let me tell you that it is much easier to install a tub when you are building than to replace one. The tub is standard 5 feet long, but because it sits in between two walls, kinda like an alcove, it was almost impossible to get in. Oh, to get the old one out...my hubby fired up his jigsaw & cut it into pieces! Each time we tried to fit the new tub in place we found we had to remove more sheet rock, more tiles, pieces of wood that were in the wall, etc. We even removed the toilet & sink/cabinet before we started to give ourselves more room. It seems like forever since we started this. Oh, in case you are wondering, we have 2 more baths--one with a useable shower. Said shower is where I store my beads & other craft items, and I neglected to realize that much of the grout was missing or fell out near the bottom of the stall. Need I tell you that it started leaking into the basement closet? I spent an entire day re-grouting it, and now it is fine. So we are now back to the present day where we finally (FINALLY) got the tub in place & set it in the mortar mix to set. It's level & that baby's not going anywhere! Next job: Hooking up the drain.

The next "learning experience" will be the sheet rock which neither of us has done before either. The good thing is that it will be invisible behind the wall kit we will install later.

By now, you probably know more than you would like to about installing tubs, but I warn you there is more to come, LOL! Tomorrow will be a day off while we take my Dad to another appointment to see if glasses may help him. I am not overly optimistic.

I'll show you the cuff on Friday--just about finished!

Garden Update

2011-06-20T08:34:00.001-04:00

Do you see the little green shoots in this photo? I hope so...they are my cactus seeds that have started to grow! They remain very fragile and tender, and I hope I can nurse and coax them along so at least a few survive!

After just a few short weeks, lots of rain and some really hot weather, my cucumber plants have taken off! I did not lose any of them yet!

I can't believe they already have a few flowers. I am not getting too excited because I am not sure if all flowers turn into cukes--we'll see.

I have another busy week ahead, but I am just about finished with another cuff and some more morning glories--I'll post them later in the week. So what have you all been working on/doing?