Back To The Drawing Board

I've had a love-hate relationship with pencil and paper for so long now. I love the magic they can make together, and yet hate the struggle to find my own inner mojo. Ever since that first life drawing class in college, I've been in awe of the fact that my hand can put on paper what my eye can see. And I've stuck with that - just putting down what's in front of my face. When it comes to translating images in my head, well now, THAT's a different story!

At least until this last week. I spent several hours making a drawing of my own composition, for the first time pulling together elements I found in different photographs to make up my own story. Here she is:

I had a lovely photo of a seated young girl looking at a book. I'd intended to just draw her as-is, but I had such trouble with her hands! I worked and reworked, and finally felt I was in danger of spoiling the whole thing, so I put something in her lap to hide the hands altogether. (I know, I know, it's the lazy way out.) In the process of making this basic change, I had ideas falling out of my brain onto the paper. (EEEeeewwwww!)

I made the thing in her lap into a large flower. To add context, she morphed into a faery seated on a mushroom which I drew from a picture in Somepinkflowers' recent post (thanks, SPF for providing inspiration!) The other mushroom pictures came from my own back yard. It all came together so beautifully, I actually surprised myself! I know it's not High Art, but it does feel like I turned a small creative corner. It's just like Bob Ross used to say: "There are no mistakes, only happy accidents".

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In other news, I'm finally getting my vacation! Saturday morning I’m hopping the …

for a 10 hour trek to central New Jersey.

I’m packed and ready to go

with my important Amtrak survival kit:

This is my long-awaited retreat. Marble Man got his when he went to the beach with his family last summer. Now’s my turn. While Marble Man stays home to dog sit, I’m heading North for some overdue Mom-and-Me time. I talk to her several times a week, but haven’t been to see her in over three years! We’ve planned meals out, trips to the movie theater, art sessions with her watercolor group

...and who knows what else (certainly lots of giggles!) ? I'm bringing my most recent sketches for a critique. Here's hoping she'll have some pointers for improving my faery drawing exercise so I can do even better next time.

I'll be without a computer while I'm gone, so I'll see you when I return on the 24th. Have a great week everyone.

I'm "It"! I've Been Tagged

Last week I was "tagged" by Terri at Originals by Terri, sorry it's taken me this long to get around to it. The rules of the game are:

1) Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog
2) Share 7 facts about yourself, some random, some weird
3) Tag 7 more people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4) Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs

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7 things about me:

1) I was born into an artistic family. My dad built harpsichords for a living, as well as played them.

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My mother used to be an organist, and is a fabulous painter.

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My brother is an artist and graphic designer (I can't believe I don't have any of his work to show you!).

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I have an art degree in printmaking. I used to play harpsichord and classical guitar... not so much, anymore.

"Moonlight", etching



"Untitled", Hand-colored Dry Point Etching

2) I watch way too much tv. (You mean, there's an "off" button on this thing?!?)

3) I'm fanatic about watching Dancing With the Stars. I like to pretend it's me out there on the dance floor. While in real life, if I tried to dance, I'd look like the dancing hippos in Disney's "Fantasia" - if they were on crack!

4) I'm a collector: demitasse cups, beads, Victorian sewing toys, stamps, whatever. It drives Marble Man insane.

However, I do regularly clear things out so there's not so much STUFF around... or I try to anyway.

5) I love to cook, which is in direct conflict with my weight-loss struggle.

6) I have a crazy fascination for shoes. Stilettos, boots, funky, beautiful - I can't seem to get enough.

7) I love dirty jokes. Clever, funny ones, not gross. And bodily noises make me laugh like a maniacal hyena.

Here are the people I'm tagging:

3rd Eye Muse
Arterial Excursions
A Whimsical Bohemian
Boxing Day
Jewelori
No Side Up
Rhinestone Armadillo

Cleaning out the Project Graveyard

This weekend, I finished up some pieces that've been hanging around the studio for a while. In a previous post I showed you my Ginkgo Leaf Button Necklace in progress, and here it is finally finished:

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The Square Button Necklace is also done:

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I've got closets and drawers FILLED with unfinished work. I don't know what my issue is! It seems as I'm approaching the home stretch on something, my brain jumps ahead and plans the next three projects. I get so excited thinking about what to do next, that I abandon the current piece just as I'm about to finish it. Pretty stoo-pid. Now, I have a new attack plan: before I can start something new, I must finish two pieces from the "Project Graveyard". It seems to be working *crosses fingers*. Dangle a King-Sized carrot like a new project in front of me, and apparently this donkey CAN see something through to completion!

The "New Project" reward for finishing up these two necklaces was this Peyote Stitch bracelet:

I LOVE, Love, luhv doing beadweaving, and have meant to learn Peyote Stitch for a long time now, but found it tricky to teach myself from magazine basic instructions. I set aside a good chunk of time, and picked out some larger seed beads than I would normally have chosen, and started to figure it out. Once I got past the first three rows, it was easy, peasy! I used two darling little ladybug buttons and loops for a hidden closure in the midst of the flower beads. It's very fun to wear! Click on the pictures for purchasing information, if you are interested.

Now, as I rootle around in my unfinished projects, I'm thinking "Who wants to be finished next?"

Soup's On!!

Today I woke up seemingly inspired by my own last post: time to cook. Oh, Boy! I love this time of year as it marks the beginning of Butternut Squash Soup Season for us.

Start with two really nice, big squash:

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Since I still fight with hand and elbow injuries, it's impossible for me to peel and cube these tough bad boys when they're raw, so I roasted them in the oven for about 90 minutes, turning them over once and piercing the skin. Look how gorgeous they are now!

The bonus is the great roasty flavor they give the soup - yet another layer of great taste.

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Open 'em up and scoop out the pulp

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Am I weeping because of the sharp vapors from the onions, or because the dog just peed on the floor for the THIRD time today?

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It looks like a lot of garlic and ginger, but I'm making a double recipe. (It freezes really well.)

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You can't imagine how good this smells

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FABULOUS color!

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While juicing these limes, I got an urge for a bloody Mary. :-)

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My favorite kitchen toy - everybody should have one.

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In goes the lime juice

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and...Whirrrrrrr!

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Finally!! I had to wait so long for a taste. Now, it's officially Fall.

Enjoy!

When Autumn Leaves Begin to Fall...

Days like today make me grateful to be alive.

The air is crisp and breezy, the sun is out (although quite low in the sky), birds are singing, and fat little squirrels are scampering about busily trying to remember where they stashed their nuts.

Fall is in the air and I'm loving it. This may just be my favorite time of year. Thoughts of frosty air, snuggling into warm sweaters, pumpkin pie, butternut squash soup, and hot tea fill my brain. I can hardly wait! Sure, Spring is nice, but there's just something about the anticipation of hunkering down for the winter inside a warm room and a good book that really gets me going.

The coming seasonal changes inspired my recent work as well. For years I've been hanging onto some beautiful porcelain raku buttons by Rama. I bought them when I was still sewing, thinking they'd be fabulous on jackets or coats. Then I stopped sewing, but clung to the idea that I could use the buttons somehow, someday. That day is here! I'm using them as focal features for beaded necklaces.

Sure, they dangle a bit oddly now because the shanks are centered at the back. I'll give them a touch of epoxy where the bead strands meet the buttons at the back to give the connections more "ummmph" and they'll be perfect.

The colors in the buttons are so pretty: rusty reds and magenta, teal blue, soft celery greens, and a touch of copper. Perfect for Fall pieces.

This ginkgo leaf is probably my favorite. The necklace is a work in progress; hopefully it'll be finished by the weekend.

Gorgeous forest greens and soft neutral browns really set the tone in this piece:

I used leopardskin jasper and jade beads for the centerpiece.

For now, I think I'll put on some shoes and head out for a walk while I hum my favorite Nat King Cole song, Autumn Leaves. Here it is for you to sing along with:



Who cares that my bead tray beckons, or the dishes need to be washed? This day is just too pretty to waste inside!

I Got the "Bug Eyes"

So, there I was two nights ago, minding my own business, dreaming my Johnny-Depp-is-dripping-with-melted-chocolate dreams, when I awoke around 3 AM and found Pooch tangled in the bedclothes, struggling to find his way out. In the process of helping him come up for air, he reared his hard little head straight back and popped me in the right eye. It was completely dark in the room, but I saw a large, and very bright, flash of yellow light, right before I saw little cartoon birds flying and chirping around my head. "Owww!" Of course, the little turkey went right back to sleep, while I lay back with my eye tearing up.

In the morning I checked my peepers in the mirror and imagine my relief when everything looked fine - no big shiner, no swelling, or red spots. But later on in the day I started seeing a great big old floater: back and forth, forth and back.... Then, today, as I watched the same floater tripping around in my sight line, I saw shimmering halos of light had been added to the show. NOW I'm more than a little bit freaked out; I'm seeing psychedelic light shows, and I didn't do anything fun to get them!

I called the optometrist's office to explain what was going on. The receptionist said "How soon can you get here? We need to see you ASAP." Wow. Way to reassure a girl! I got to the office at lunchtime. After shining a light with the intensity of a thousand hot suns in my eye, the doctor spoke the words I wanted to hear: "No retinal detachment", which had been my first concern. "Whew!" Then she said I have a vitreous detachment, which is not immediately worrisome, but possibly can turn serious later on. I have one in my other eye which I've learned to ignore over the years. Now I have a matched pair. *sigh*

Meanwhile, I have the bug eyes from all the drops and stains the doctor hit me with. I'm DEFINITELY not looking my best!

Oh Happy Day! It could have been much worse, I know. And I have a light show to keep me entertained when I'm bored. :-)

Getting Ready For the Show

My new earring card adapters arrived in the mail yesterday and they were just the ticket! The ugly frame is painted gold, the foamcore insert is finished and installed with the ribbons tacked on at regular intervals. The adapters are now on the cards, and the whole thing looks exactly like I had envisioned it would:

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I bought some beautiful green and metallic gold silk organza to cover my table surface, as well as a gorgeous piece of chocolate brown silk taffeta embroidered with gold thread to use as an accent piece.

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The necklace display easels are here, and I've done a practice display on the dining room table, using various cardboard boxes to build up a staggered height display.

I'd like to design something that'll transport easily and be more stable than stacked boxes, bricks maybe? All that's left is to find some nice small clip-on lights for highlighting displays, then I'm good to go.

My annoying habit of over-thinking things and tweaking details to death is something I strive to overcome. Here's hoping that this is all the planning I need to do for this little 7 hour show!

Purple, Blue... Or Both?

Thankfully, Hanna seems to have fizzled out. We supposed to get some rain and wind, but nothing more. Now we just have to worry about hurricane Ike, which doesn't look like it will hit us head on. Poor Florida, they do get more than their fair share!

Thanks so much to Kelly, from Boxing Day, for the Brilliant Blog nomination! Now THAT'S the crowbar I needed to pry me out of the "poor me" mood I've been wallowing in. If you haven't seen her blog, it's very entertaining - she makes art for sale on Etsy using recycled materials.

My list of nominees:

A Fanciful Twist
Rochambeau
Collage Diva
Artsortments
Somepinkflowers
Tea and Honey Bread
A Whimsical Bohemian

The rules for the nominees:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

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On another note, I had quality studio time last night and made some bracelets. How is it possible, that after two years of jewelry making, I've neglected this huge corner of the market?!? In tough times when people don't want to spend for a necklace, I should have smaller ticket items like bracelets for them.

I started with some gorgeous lampworked glass beads, bought a few years ago on ebay (lovingly referred to as feebay around here). This was a set of three different groups of beads intended to be used together. When I bought them, I saw some black with purple and blue flowers, some purple with blue dots, and some were clear lavender.

After I made the bracelet, I stuck it in the light box to photograph it. I turned on the fluorescent spotlights, and...Holy Crap! Those clear lavender beads turned sky blue!! How freaky is that?

I checked with some glass workers on Etsy and found out there is a special Moretti alexandrite glass that will do this. But how is it possible that I had these weird and lovely beads for years and never saw this? I spent a half hour walking back and forth in the doorway from the den (which has incandescent lighting) to the kitchen (which has fluorescent), just to watch the color change back and forth. Simple pleasures, right?

I'm In A Bit of A Funk

... and MUST shake myself loose!

(Sorry SomePinkFlowers - you must think I copied your recent post!) It's been hot and buggy and we are bracing for hurricane Hanna's arrival. In 1996, after the spanking we got from hurricane Fran, we swore we'd never be caught unawares again. We live 3 hours from the beach (5 hours from the Outer Banks), and thought "No way can this come inland to get us". Then we watched her hit the mouth of the Cape Fear River and she followed that inland, right to us. We should have put jam in our pockets, 'cuz we were gonna be toast!

Anyway, it's time to stock up on the dog's medicines and special food, batteries, and some cookies (I hope) to get us through, should Hanna do what the weather guys predict.

Thinking about this all makes me tired. My brain is as slow as this fella I found snacking in our compost bin:

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I get in these moods and want to listen to moody music too.

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To perk myself up, I tried getting in touch with my Inner Tween and gave myself a pedicure. I'm not sure I'm sold on the blue polish, though. OR the flower and rhinestone decals!

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Mostly I'm having trouble thinking clearly. Spending so much time snuggling up with Pooch has frizzled my brain. This is the way he likes me best: on the sofa with his head and paws on some part of me.

If I don't comply, he follows me around the house, whining and crying. And jumping up to hit me in the back of the knees. Thanks to his illness, his brain is fried and he has terrible separation anxiety.

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I really should be in the studio coming up with new sparklies to sell in my store...

...but work time is hard to come by these days. Marble Man did takes lots of naps over this long weekend and I snuck into my workplace to make gift bags and earrings. Having time to myself put me in a selfish frame of mind, and I crave more. Maybe after the deluge this weekend, if we are not afloat (or airborne), I will slip away and steal some quality "me time".

Celebrating Nie Nie Day Tomorrow...

Thursday, August 27, is officially Nie Nie Day. There will be loads of auctions and blog entries celebrating the life of Stephanie Nielson all over the internet. You can read about Stephanie and her husband, Christian, below:

I was visiting one of my favorite blogs last night and learned of a catastrophic event affecting an entire family out in Arizona and Utah. Christian and Stephanie Nielson, parents to 4 small children, were seriously injured when the small plane they were in crashed. The pilot was killed and the Nielsons were badly burned. It is estimated the financial cost of their hospitalization and rehabilitation will skyrocket into the millions. Then there are the household and children's expenses on top of that.

Many people are offering prayers and donations to help the family through this. If you wish to make a donation, please click on the "donations for NieNie" logo below:

Any amount will be appreciated. I donated the proceeds from my last two sales on Etsy. In addition, the proceeds from the sale of this necklace will be donated.

Stephanie and Christian are expected to recover from their injuries eventually. The family is keeping a blog recording the progress of Stephanie and Christian if you want to read about them. After reading the blog I was deeply moved to help - the family are facing this terrible situation with spirituality, humility, and even humor.

For a list of auctions please visit this website and look for the Design Mom link.