Traveling Again!

It seems that the hubby and I have a bit of wanderlust these days.  Actually, I think things

have been so intense for him with upcoming plans for a 30th year teaching kungfu anniversary that he needs to clear out of town each chance he gets.  This time, we escaped to a favorite spot in the mountains ...good ol' Asheville!  My pockets were kind of empty and so I did almost no hunting for precious bits to add into jewelry, but I couldn't resist a table that was set up in the town park square by the local mineral society.  ...Imagine rough Australian opals in deep purples and turquoises and magenta winking seductively, begging to come home with me.  How could I resist?  Then, imagine me early Sunday morning, wading in ankle deep water, foraging for shiny pebbles in a local creek!  Of course I filled my pockets!  I am so excited about all the raw stones I brought home with me.

My Sweetie scored too, as he made a connection with a long-time acquaintance that lives up there and they are planning to meet frequently and do some training together.  LOL!!!  ...Next time we go, I bring my mesh beach shoes and some more money!


I just finished another piece that was done as a commission.  Another stone lover wanted to wear one in a necklace and impress her grand-babies.  Her beautifully colored stone has a pattern in it that resembles a face.

Been Bee-zy!

My mostly anonymous sister, of Wreckorated, was putting lots of bees on her Pinterest boards a while back, and since she is something of a muse to me, I borrowed the idea and made a focal and nature bracelet based on bee.  I was makng it for her, but she informed me she doesn't like to wear copper tones so I get to keep it for me.  I think I will be happy with that.

Bee~zy is now hot off the production line and waiting for a few finishing touches.  I couldn't wait to share.  It features real leather, hand-forged copper, hand-made wooded bead branch slices and hand-made soldered beads.  Metals are copper and steel.

Fall, and Everything Changes

Abandoned.  I know it has been some time since my last post.  So much has been in chaos here.  After many long months in slow decline, my mother let go of this life and passed on to the next, on August 30th.  She let go peacefully and in the serenity that has followed, I am in infinite Peace.  This is a wonderful gift.  And as the leaves fall off the trees, I feel the bareness left behind ...a vacuum that needs to be filled.  I feel an urgency to fill up the bare spaces that have been left in my life, and yet, at the same time, I want to luxuriate in the gentleness of the calm place.  Within it there is a harmonious softness that I have not experienced in a very long time.  In spite of life trying to press in on and pierce my little bubble of calm and balance, I am holding on and allowing it to create an indelible imprint on my spirit.

A dream I have been holding onto ever since the madness of Alzheimer's came into our lives 6 years ago, was to spend about two weeks up in the mountains of Pennsylvania.  It is a place hidden away from everything.  I have always found it to be a place of regeneration and healing, as well as inspiration.  The Great Creator smiled on me, and my mother passed over just days before I was scheduled to make a shorter trip there on family business.  Changing arrangements, I was able to spend those two weeks there, and along with my sister, we were able to lay my mother and father to rest together.  For many years they had talked about being scattered on the family property, and that is what we did.

My sister had an idea to create a place that would be totally natural and would have a little permanence to it.  The perfect spot was an ancient apple tree over 100 years old that was almost completely hollow at it's base and yet bears fruit abundantly.  It has fed many generations of deer and given a thrill of enjoyment to generations of relatives who have spent hours on a porch swing of a cabin on the other side of the field (looking for deer).  We carried stones up from the creek, and Melanie went to work.  I mostly stayed out of her way.  ...Who am I to interfere with creative genius?  After a few hours, she had created this lovely little rock garden where ashes were laid to rest.  We placed apples all around.  The following day we returned and all the apples had been eaten.  The deer had been to pay their respect.  A garter snake had taken up residence along with a millipede. 

 

You are the stones, you are the trees, you are the fireflies, you are the breeze. You did not die, you did not leave, your spirit thrives, I need not grieve. ―Melanie Renn

April Showers Us With What???

The air is fresh with Spring.  ...And pollen!  Once again the air is thick with a floating golden mist.  I ache to open doors and windows to the warmer air and fresh clean smells of Spring, but everything in the house will be coated with pollen and we will all be sneezing and rubbing our eyes and uncomfortable with clogged sinuses.  Oh well, I must be satisfied with early morning fresh air before the pollen surges.  I am sorry to say that I missed the March mantel.  I did start to decorate, but fell short when I discovered that I had no green paper to cut shamrocks from.  Part of my mantel challenge is to change each month and decorate with what I have on hand, so a bean pot stuffed with gold sequined fabric, that was meant to be that Leprechaun's pot of gold, sat dismally lonesome until April.  I got busy a few days ago with the mantel and made use of the profusion of azaleas that are filling the yard right now.  Stuffed into a few saved wine bottles, and interspersed with a few cheerful yard ornaments, it seems to me that nature's creatures are rejoicing that Spring is finally here.  Never mind that the weathermen are predicting snow-showers for tonight!

Just a Little Cabin in the Woods

Memories...

the old cabin

 Sometimes I get obsessed with an idea that just stews in my brain until I do something about it.  For months now, I have been obsessing about Amanda, the grandmother I never knew.  One of the things she accomplished was to supervise the construction of a cabin built in the "Endless Mountains" in Pennsylvania.  Long ago, Native Americans named the a portion of the Appalachian Mountain chain as the "Endless Mountains."  Building a cabin had been a plan that she shared with my grandfather before he passed on, and in her strength, she saw the plan through so that the family would have a place of respite.  It was a time when people still rallied together to raise a home for a family, and she was fortunate to have "Great Uncle Barney"  to help out. Great Uncle Barney was a builder of barns, and he knew how to put strength into a cabin.  It could have lasted forever.  I say "could" because we lost the cabin several years ago.  A fraudulent contractor, who was hired to put new shingles on the roof, left his old faulty truck to  catch fire and sent the cabin into destruction.  Since then, a new cabin has risen in the old one's place, but the memories and the feeling of the original will be with me always.

My favorite view in all this world ...from the cabin porch swing

I loved nothing better than to sit on the front porch swing and "zone" as I gazed out into the beauty of nature.  It is a bountiful view full of life and sound.  A shallow creek flows by, happily gurgling it's way over rocks as the sunlight sparkles over it.  Damselflies with the deepest iridescent indigo or jade green bodies and lacy black wings dance off it's surface.  Crows add their voices in disrespect of the peace and quiet as they call back and forth, asserting their territory.  Beyond is a field of tall grasses occasionally dotted with scarlet-red bee-balm, delicate white Queen Anne's Lace and daisies.  Across the old dirt road, deer visit an old gnarled apple tree (it's in bloom in the right center of the photo) in the field where I gathered mint, yarrow and other wild herbs.  I would harvest them in the early morning, wash them and then hang them in bunches over the kitchen's old wood-burning stove to dry.

It has been many years now since I was last there.  It used to be an annual two week stay when my mother was living nearby.  Over a decade ago she sold her home and has been living with me, my sister, and now me again.  Her health and my care-giving will not allow for travel.  So, I travel in my mind to this haven of peace and regeneration.

Recently, I took into my head to honor both the cabin and Amanda with a soldered pendant.  My first effort at soldering leaves much to be desired, but I am making the best of it, as is.  After all, there is a sense of acceptance in shabby chic style, and the cabin exemplified that.  I was in too much of a hurry to play to take photos throughout this project, but it was easy to do.  I had the scanned ancient photos of the cabin and of Amanda on the computer, and scaled them to fit in between two glass slides from Micheal's craft store.  Making sure that the glass was thoroughly clean, I placed the trimmed photos back-to-back between the glass.  Then, I used copper foil tape (Micheal's) around the outer edges.  It needs to be pressed down smoothly with a burnishing tool to avoid any lifting or seeping of solder into the frame.  Now the fun begins!  I am no solder expert, and encourage anyone interested to search out good videos on the internet to learn this skill.  I fluxed the foil and then applied solder to it's surface until it was coated.  Then, I fumbled, wishing for  a few more hands, until I managed to add the rings to the top and bottom edges.  I will not lie, I ruined the tip of my soldering iron, and had to re-do the piece a few times before it was acceptable.  Now, I am playing with making chain and beads of old buttons, rhinestones, glass beads, and old nylon curtain cord that I had dyed the perfect shade years back.  I love it when I can use old things I have lying about.  I am making the chain of galvanized steel.  It has a tendency to rust, so it's aging will be interesting.  I do plan to coat it with a sealant when the piece is finished.  Not in this photo is an old key from the old cabin that is sitting in some salted ammonia to age it with patina.  This necklace has a  way to go yet, but I will keep y'all posted!

Studio Re-Do Step #2

Well, I cannot lie, there has been too much going on the past few weeks to move forward with the studio.  I had to renew my business license, and that required me to take another course.  I decided on Past Life Regression hypnotherapy.  It didn't take very long, but I took my time.  It was more enjoyable than I would have imagined, and a book that was momentous for me was The Journey of Souls by Michael Newton.  It was amazing for me because from my own background it felt like the real deal.  Now, I just happen to believe that we all keep coming back over and over, and I also believe in hypnosis.  If you believe in neither, then this book would be meaningless to you.  If you are a believer, I highly recommend reading it.

Now that I have certificate in hand, and there is an itching for creativity again, I want to share this quick project that must have taken only 30 minutes to make.  It seems to be my lot that I will bring Mother Nature into the house when possible, and here is what has become of a branch that came down this winter.  I just neatened up the ends a little with a hand saw.  Then I used packing twine to wrap close to the ends, making a loop at each end before tying knots.  Being careful to preserve the abundant lichen growing over the length of it, I screwed in several cup-hooks that I rummaged out of the kitchen junk drawer.  Then, I decided where I wanted to place the screws it would hang from.  I did one end first, and then a pencil through the other loop and marked the wall for the other side.  I used my trusty electric drill and toggles for this task.  It could be done other ways, especially if the wall you want to mount this on is solid.  I am not very good about finding studs without piercing the drywall with a myriad of tiny holes, so I use toggles.  The plan is to get more cup-hooks and hang more jewelry.  I can also hang other things as it is quite strong.  ...And by the way, the picture of dolphins playing in sunlight streaming through the ocean depths was done by artist Louisa Brown.  She is a good friend and I have many of her earlier works on display in my home. 

Happy New Year!

Now that the New Year is upon us, and in a few days, all the decorations will be packed away until next December, I take more time to renew my connections with what makes Christmas special to me. The tree is full of memories with hand-made decorations hanging generously from all the branches.

Each year, mid-December, as Christmas drew near, my father would take the family out to choose a Christmas tree. We spent hours in the Mid-West snowy cold driving from one tree lot to another in search of the perfect tree. After much consideration, dispute, and anguished selection, we finally made a choice and tied the tree to the roof of the car, and drove our prize home. There it would sit propped up out in the cold, allowing the branches that had been compressed into a flat shape, to adjust into their natural shape. We would occasionally shake the tree and branches to help it untangle and shed dried needles.

One year, as I was going through the preparations, I discovered a perfect little nestdeep in it's branches, which I accordingly took it for a sign of good fortune. After all, how many times are we lucky enough to get a tree that had a nest too? And so, in its propitiousness, I have honored that same little nest in a conspicuous place at the front of the tree ever since. Now, many (many) years later, as my glance falls upon it, I am reminded of its origins and the circumstances that surround it. In remembering my father on this New Years Day, I celebrate his loving and creative spirit by sharing with you the miniature birdhouses that he made for me one year. I also honor all those family and friends who helped to create a variety of decorations to include felt snowmen, fabric covered balls, paper snowflakes, clothespin soldiers, and tiny paper doily angels. One year we got my sons involved and made bread dough ornaments of an angel, teddy bear and a even a fisherman holding a huge worm. (Boys will be boys!) When each of them got married, I shared some of these ornaments with them so that they also have memories on the branches.

My very best wishes to you all for a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

More Fibula Pins!

I have been having fun this weekend. Creating is always fun. ...Sometimes frustrating, but all the more rewarding in the end. Last weekend, we all went to the Gem & Mineral Show at the fairgrounds. I bought a few beads and geodes, ...not much, but my intention was to dabble. Now, I really wish I had been far more indulgent, as I could make a few of these every day. Each one has its own character, and males me feel (in my own mind anyway) just the teeniest bit akin to great sculptors such a Michelangelo. Yeah, I know that's a stretch, but simply putting oneself into the position of taking a naturally beautiful thing and then attempting to co-create with it is awesome. Here is what I did....

I have already worn the Blue pin with my Jane Thornley Organic Wrap. It held it on and in place perfectly.PS: I know I am just a beginner

Bark & Vines

I am taking off into unknown areas now. Into the trees with my latest creation, which I am calling Bark & Vines. Probably #1. It took a lot of pondering before the first stitch. There are simply endless ways to represent bark in a knit fabric. Not only could it be a knitted barkground of scale-like patterns, in a solid tightly knit fabric, it can also be light and lace-like, with many irregular stitches laid down with absolutely no pattern or plan in mind other than to make certain that there is no particular patterning going on. So, I just started out with knit stitches, creating an irregular edge by adding on unevenly with each progressive row. As the rows built up, I randomly added in purl stitches, yarn overs and knitting 2 togethers. Because the yarn is a lightweight Silky Wool by Elsebeth Lavold, the stitches really control the fabric. The result is a very rumply, textural relief surface that does remind me of tree bark. Now, I am in the process of creating vines: ...I-cord ropes that will twine in and out of the holes, and twist about each other with elegant green leaves extending outward to frame the face.

Rodarte ...high fashion grunge?

I have discovered a sister design team called Rodarte. They are amazing, young explorers in the field of fashion. Their designs are based on nature, and create more "wearable art" than wearable fashions, but they are so interesting to me. They appear to be complete opposites of what they design. The sisters are heavily influenced by string art of the German-American artist Eva Hesse, and create their knits to look like this art was draped onto the body.








The Rodarte duo looks at nature and determines to replicate it. I have to ask myself “if I were to do this, how would I create what I see?” …I have had some ideas about this to, you see. I have been wanting to do bark. Yeah, tree bark. …And vines.


 





My imagination stretches and awakens with Rodarte’s influence. They are organic designers, true California-style creations themselves. I feel as though there is a new definition for designing that I can achieve. It never felt right to me to use traditional shapes and try to make something new about them. Thus, I labeled myself “technical” rather than designer. One of the sisters said that she tries to create fashions that seem to have existed, and without structure. Yeah! ...ORGANIC!
I love the newness and sheer creativity.
I love the way they exonerate and recreate something perfect in itself.

 

I can see myself back "in the garden" doing something more organic than "Fairies..." was.
That was a lot of fun, and it flew off the needles. Now another creation is brewing and about to birth itself.

The Ducks

Whenever a home in my neighborhood goes up for sale, the ad always says the same thing: “waterfront property.” Now that just tickles me, cuz it immediately conjures up visions of being somewhere on the lake, sipping iced tea while sunning on a lounge chair, while your kids jump off your dock and swim. …While waiting for their turn for a thrill ride behind your boat that your hubby is bouncing off of waves. This vision is perfectly supported by the fact that there is a humongous lake nearby that was created by the electric company’s dam years ago. The reality, however, is that we are nowhere near a lake, only a small pond that has a patch of “community” property with a picnic table and a tree house bordering it. It was a clever ruse to attract buyers when the neighborhood was built 30 years ago, and it still works today. Sometimes, from just the right window, and just the right angle, it can even be seen it from my house. It’s easier in the winter when the trees are bare.

Mostly, we just know we are near water, because we have a terrible mosquito population. They don’t bother me much, but my hubby, who must taste like sweet nectar to the critters, has to run to his car or face being eaten alive by those little vampires. We manage the yard work looking like beekeepers …long sleeves and pants, heads covered, and work gloves, …even in 100+ heat.

The one thing we do enjoy is the ducks, and occasionally geese. They have discovered our little pond, and each year we have a family of fuzzy ducklings parading around the neighborhood. As they get older, they look for handouts, and make a waddle-by approximating clockwork a few times a day. This afternoon, as my grandson and I returned from an outing, they spotted us and came running. I ducked into the house for a slice of bread, while he made friends with the ducks.