May your day be...

Full of sunshine, friendship and relaxation!

Two newly finished votive holders!

Here are my latest finished projects, both are OOAKS and clay sculpted. Pumpkin still has a clay tag in the works I need to finish otherwise he is done. He is on a wood base and holds a votive. He is sculpted over a hollowed out foam ball with paperclay, hand painted and stained. He really makes me grin every time I look at him!

 This one-of-a-kind Teddy votive holder is sitting on a base that is an antique jello mold that I added my cinnamon recipe "found here" to prim it up. I sculpted him on a glass canning jar with paper clay, painted with acrylics. He has a cinnamon star I made "recipe here" on his hat. He has a stocking hat and calico neck bow. 

 I am reserving both of these pieces for my July Pfatt offerings.

I am finding it hard while the weather is nice to find the time I need to get anything done in my craft room! BIG SIGH... if I only had 48 hours in a day. I find it ironic that I was given the talent and desire to be creative, but also given the weakness of having tendon and arm troubles. If I do too much, I suffer and my arm is hurting to the bone. I have to rest it if I like it or not! I guess this keeps me more rounded because if I could just go at it, I would probably be in the craft room all day and that would present it's own issues if you know what I mean!

I  am not sure really what my next project is going to be, we'll see what pops into my head. I wish I had a couple of clones, I'd get one on snowmen, and the other making dolls, and mind you this would be in between cleaning up in the house. Ahhh one can dream.. now back to reality. Night all

Beautiful Visitors

I just got a weeping cherry tree, and every day these gorgeous birds visit this tree! I think they like the little red berries. I am not sure what type of bird this is. I have loved getting to enjoy these lovely birds, if only for fleeting moments through out the day. We should never forget to appreciate and really SEE the beauty around us every day!

Country Life...

Welcome to a beautiful Monday! we are finally looking at sun, mostly though, we have been looking at rain. This has been the rainiest June I can remember for a long long while, the upside is that everything is so spectacularly green.

Sometimes I forget just where I live! I am way off the beaten path, a neighbor scattered here and there, but mostly vast area. I know there is lots of wild life here, I have seen, turkey, deer, moose, coyote, raccoon, beaver, wolf and every other kind of thing.  Yesterday I had a reminder that there are those mysterious lurkers, those that we would prefer not know are there! I really do try to push it out of my mind that right here at any given time there are bear and mountain lions too.

I am okay really with all of the above, EXCEPT the mountain lions, it horrifies me to know they are HERE. We have many archery targets out back, they are life sized, and yesterday we discovered that a mountain lion had grabbed our big buck target probably thinking it was real and pulled it down. On the target are BIG claw scratch marks on the upper back and around the lower neck area. Okay, shivers..... I now refuse to go walking out back without my hubby and protection!! I love nature, but am not too fond of nature that may or may not want to eat me!!

Okay, now back to the crafts...

OOAK clay sculpted snow girl candle holder

Here is my latest finished project, for before and after pictures go to "what's cooking in the craft room", plus see the start to my newest candle holder

. Meet Francine, a happy OOAK sculpted snow girl candle holder. I know it is not snow season, but I was in the mood to make her after I got the idea. I know there are those who collect snowmen anytime of year.

She has a knit hat, bow and button, sprinkled with vintage looking mica and german glass glitter, the light in her eyes are swarovski crystals, she is on a sparkled base and surrounded by a feather collar. The candle holder is votive size, or a tea light would be nice too! The picture does not show how pretty all the sparkles really are.

 I am thinking about doing a whole series of these, perhaps a witch, a pumpkin, cat, ghost, scarecrow, gingerbread etc... Who doesn't love a cute way to burn a candle anyway?  



My furry kids...

These little sweeties are definitely not for sale! I just had to post my funny puppy pictures, I got them running after the ball! This is Ellie and Maizey, not quite a year old. I also have a 13 year old yorkie and another 6 year old Shima.

Thanks To Amy

I just wanted to say how thankful I am to Amy from Amy Bug Graphics http://www.amybug.com/, for helping to make my blog look like I wanted it too! She is so completely helpful and fixed the issues I was having. She went in and helped me set it up, instead of just leaving me to figure it out myself after purchasing this blog set. I highly reccomend her..... She has a wonderful selection.

My confession...

I have an addiction.... I am a supplyaholic, my love for supplies has been going on now for 23 plus years. I keep telling myself I will be better about this, yes even sell some on Ebay! Okay I tell myself, will I really use this??? I really should clean out my things. NO I WILL NOT stop at Michaels next town trip, and cetainly not Hobby Lobby. But why? why is there shame in having so so many wonderful and beautiful things?

 I have a small store's worth of arts and crafting doo-dads, everyone of them purchased with great anticipation of what one day it may become. I love finding these things, shopping for them, dreaming about what project they will help along. For those who don't completely understand us creative types, may find this crazy, this includes my husband who would love for me to pare it down. This I believe is part of being creative, not just in the making of the art, but in gathering the supplies and then dreaming.... Fact: I have so many gourds, that I have 5 huge blanket type moving boxes FULL of unique and gorgeous gourds. I have had to stop looking on Ebay at these, after all, each one is different, and surely I will need each shape for future use. I do get all warm and fuzzy inside just knowing I can at any time I want, open a box and grab a gourd to create on. Sometimes it is just in the knowing you CAN........ smiles.....

I love actually making my dolls etc.... but I get an almost equal amount of pleasure in sifting through my drawers, boxes and shelves of supplies. There is this happy place I cannot explain while being surrounded by craft supplies, just picking the items up, looking at them, admiring each thing for it's color and texture. I forget what a box may contain, and months later go back to it, and with delight had forgotten I had something. When I am stressed, upset or have had a bad day, no Excedrin is needed, all I have to do is go to my craft room, and there is a calming I cannot explain, just sitting there surrounded by fabric, paint, glue, thread on the floor, patterns strung out from here to there is all the medication I need!

I still have my boxes of doll shoes, paints, eyes and all the things associated with it from my porcelain doll days. I vowed I would put them on Ebay, BUT I still love looking at all the little shoes, patterns and things, I will, but not just yet.... WHAT IF I may need or use them someday???? Oh you should see the beautiful laces I have from the days of making all those fancy porcelain doll dresses!

I think instead of getting rid of things, I just need to organize better??? YES THAT MUST BE IT!! As I write, I have more supplies coming, that I definitely NEED, and more patterns, I am a patternaholic too, love them for ideas and dreaming.... Sigh... can't wait! The small guilt, "yes small" of yet buying more supplies is what got me to writing this I guess, but surely I will find room for a few more fabulous things!  I look with anticipation as the UPS man drives by, will he stop today with my priceless treasures?

Now you know a little something about me...