The Gate Verses the Finger

 Cal meet with danger at the hands of our gate and its unique custom latch. As Cal headed out to leave the other day. It started to rain. He had one hand on the gate latch and turned fast to check if the back bedroom door was open. In one quick movement he slipped and fell. His ring finger caught on the gate latch  and he went down!!!! 36 stitches later and a bent ring he is resting comfortable at home with the help of oxycoden .We are relieved he still has his finger. What a freak accident !!!They warn about men  and the dangers of wearing rings !!!

Thats my Mom!!!

Mom and I at class tonight




 Tonight I did a very fun thing with my 2 Aunts and Mom. We took a scrapbooking class together.  The 3 of them do it together quite often and the my Aunts, Deb and Barb   usually help My Mom work on her project as Mom loves to participate but the creating part does not come that easy.  Tonight as she painted with a new brush she had not removed the plastic wrap from the brush end and I looked over and she was painting  away with her brush covered in its plastic wrap  then she  sewed the first set of signatures to the outside of the book not the inside etc...But she has a good time. The class was taught by Carol Winger and  I learned  some good  things about teaching as she is really laid back and sweet.  Plus it was a sweet fun project. I also am having Marsha Jorgensen at Tumble Fish do a special something for my Mom and Marsha asked me to send her some pics of what Mom is "about" . You asked Marsha ,Hope this does not scare you  off.  I will be emailing them to you too and more ..... TEE HEE . Mom is into" collecting"  I call it hoarding  and other things!!!!she also sells on ebay and does really well!!  I am challenging anyone out there to top her unique organizational skills and style. A while back I said I needed to be close by in case the "piles" toppled over and landed on her .Well you will see from these pictures that my concerns may not be  far from what may be the a scary  truth...  I think Marsha will have a fun time with  this !!! 

somethings missing

 I have been making little doll heads and  I thought they looked so funny just waiting for me to make their bodies, But as I loaded the picture it dawned on me what is the unsettled feeling I have had since yesterday morning .I feel like part of me is missing just like these doll heads. Cal left yesterday morning for NM after a wonderful weekend together here in AZ  and I just plain miss him. Just a few more months and things will sift hopefully in his job and our housing  situation and hopefully we will be done with  being apart.  I sure hope so. 

Immortalized!!

LOOKY LOOKY!! Lorrie and I have been immortalized by the amazing Marsha at Tumble Fish  I am speechless .This piece was created by her fabulous talent, combined with just ONE BIG HEART!! There is one done for each of us check them out on her blog . Just how lucky can 2 sisters get!!! I am blessed today and the world is good!!!

Back and forth

Cal and I travel back and forth from AZ to NM. So we are not together all the time. We have been working at trying to sell our home in NM for almost 2 years, UGHHH. We have had  only one very low ball offer. We had to turn it down .So now we have it in a vacation rental program which is going well ,as it is booked for the whole summer and into the fall. We stay in our sweet little guest house with no studio space for me. But at the end of the summer we hope to rent that  out too and spend the  fall and winter together in AZ. while we ride out  this recession and hopefully try to sell the house next year. But for now that leaves us going back and forth. Cal is here in AZ right now. He got in last night and I hopefully go back home with him next week for 4 days . It is all very complicated as  to the  "whys, whens and hows". I am just glad to have him by my side again . He is so Darling ( to me)!! Here he is holding  Max, a friends dog.   

snails and puppy dog tails

Another silly post. Yesterday I made 72 Paper clay snail shells. Today I hope to do the little heads peeking out. Then I have to paint  them and do 72 butterflies This  is  an upcoming class In Sept. to be announced . Thought I better  get a head start . Oh and Peanut has the cutest butt. The hair still needs to grow out after surgery so I have been calling her " Poodle Butt" She doesn't like it, Sorry Peanut!!

learning from people who make a difference.

This post is going to be related to my muse Mark. He taught me how important it is to try and make a difference. Today while blogging around I popped into 2 friends  blogs theartinyou.blogspot.com Jackie  whom I met at Sand Castle Sirens and Elena's a blogging friend at the Traveling princes   whom I hope to meet in person someday. You gotta love the names of the blogs !!! Anyway Jackie has  a fun game on her blog  it also relates to making a difference. Please consider  checking  her blog out as  I had fun playing the game. Hope you do too.

the Power of Three

Lorrie's and my visit ends in the AM as her plane heads back to northern CA at 7 in the am. Also going with her are the most amazing series of mixed media pieces  that  she created this weekend.   They started with ideas long held  in her head  but  She had never had the  time to bring them to life. This weekend everything seemed to just flow together.    All  3 are based on her poetry which  she writes on a consistent bases in her journals. I was blown away as each one was produced  and would love to keep all of them for myself . But I know more  will  be coming  . When you have a creative break thorough like she had this weekend  you kind of need to keep the pieces close to you for a bit to absorb the process of creating and visualize   where you want the next step in the process to go. I am so  happy to share these images with you and to have visualized the making of these pieces .  When  she gets a larger  collection going I hope she will be posting them on her etsy.

Sugar plum fairy

This weekend my sister Lorrie is here for our "play" weekend. I cannot  wait to reveal what  she has done. She is working on a grouping  of 3, a first in a  series. Hopefully the group will be done before she leaves on Tuesday morning and I can post the finished group all together. They are simply gorgeous   . Go to her blog at Lilylovekin for a teaser. But until then all you  get to see is  what I have done. They are altered fruits that I have made  into Christmas ornaments I gave  them names too "The Sugar Plum Fairy", "White queen cherries" ," Gold and Cranberries" and " Ice on Strawberries"

Get wells for Peanut

Today was a very exciting day for Peanut not ONE but TWO things came for her in the post. First her  little  friend Punkin  and Punkin's Momma sent her a little get well wish card  as Peanut cannot go for walks  for another 4 weeks and Punkin misses meeting  Peanut  on their  walks . Then  second item was the most amazing wee  immortalization  of Peanut. It  came from my blogging friend Mary Wadsworth . It is a wee paper clay sculpture and looks just like Peanut! As you can see both Peanut and I were having the most fun opening our surprise. Thank you so much Mary  we are thrilled and delighted. It  was so sweet and thoughtful  of you and it looks just like her. You are very talented !!!!!! 

fish out of water

Well, I am  back in the desert this week . And here sits my gorgeous sea shell headband on its tuffet of cactus. Like a fish out of water. I just wanted one more chance to show of this  absolutely beautiful hand wrapped and wired head band  that April Clemens made for me for  Sand castle Sirens. She  spent 14 hours on this piece !!! I feel humbled ,blessed and most of all honored!!! Thank You Dear .I hope she  teaches it soon and can come up with a way for students to make it in less time  then it took her. I am sure she will or a version of this one she made for me .If not a class maybe  she will end up selling them . I can say  it would be a special purchase  for anyone to have as it is a rare head band that does not bother you when wearing it all day and I hardly knew this was on my head!! It is one of my new favorite things.

Where to begin

My Sister Lorrie .She is a queen to me!!
Boy can Mary ( sweet peas and snap shots ) do a display!
Jane's "cottage"
Jane and me
Melaine and Kris
Steam punk Lily class
our work table
My headband from April


Jane
I have no real words to describe this amazing event at Jane Pollacks "Sand Castle Sirens " premiere event. But I will try. First and fore most Jane and her" art takes a village". Jane  has a heart of pure gold and wisdom beyond belief .I could follow her around all day and take  notes  as she talks  and then I would  come  up with the  best "best seller "self help book every printed!  No wonder she has created this amazing charity that helps woman with addictions through  art, mainly the paper arts. SO PLEASE Peeps  if you have any paper arts stuff  you do not use anymore ... especially glues etc . Consider sending them to Jane for her girls . I would like to share one story Jane  shared with me  about one of the women in her group. It brought  me to tears. I tell this with the utmost respect for this woman and her road to recovery.  This woman  has been addicted to valium and vodka since the age of  4 , simply because her mother did not want to deal with her wee daughter being a "Child" so she "drugged" her to keep her "calm"....  This breaks my heart!    

So with that bit of background , on to the  event . Those of us from out of town stayed in Jane's beautiful "cottage" on Coronado Island ,right on  the beach  . We were treated like queens -soft bedding, comfy spots to hang, cool inviting ocean air, fab. "eats", bonfires on the beach and smores too. The event offered 2 days of classes and I was so honored to teach the most amazing gifted students that created outstanding art  pieces!! Congrats to you all. You did soooo GOOD!!! Sunday was the vendor event to benefit the charity, with part of the proceeds going to " Art Takes a Village" . There were amazing handmade items and wonderful vintage goodies to choose from and Catered food flowed. Then to top all of this off, I got to spend the whole time meeting and hanging with truly GOOD and kind people and made  friends I hope to have for life. Jane has buddies who help too. April who made me the most DARLING sea shell head band in the world. I have tried to feature it in some of the photos . She hopes to make it into a class that you may take in the future . I cannot tell you how many people just LOVED it Thanks Sweets! Then Melanie , the baker of the year!! I hear her goodies were to last the whole weekend ... sorry darling when you bake that well what do   you expect ...they were gone by sat. night as we gobbled them all down. O.K. now to Deb ( Hodges) you may all know Deb from

 breathing bedside us . I am a proud owner of the special bags she made for us with the "sirens" logo on them. I did not get to thank her as  I got mine just as I left .I could have cried when my sister brought it to me as a waited in the car for her as we left( She had gone back for an item she had left in the house  and Jane gave it to her to give to me at that time)THANKS Deb and Lorrie loves her "man" bag too. Well, my post is getting  really long  so enjoy the photos.   

Being CREATIVE ,I think???

My mind is going in  every direction just like my ribbon box... I am getting ready for Sand Castle Sirens . Little plies of  stuff for kits are scatterd  everywhere. I hope I can keep it all strait. But Trusty Aunt Deb is helping.  Of course one mail order item  for the necklace class never came and then hopefully the  important box with stuff in it for the bird class will come today... ECKSS If not. Then I have to do what this is all about ....Be CREATIVE. Looking forward to seeing everyone. I may not blog again till I get to Coronado  Island tomorrow evening as I am going into the "tanks" as they say for the finally polishing and finishing . 

Nest

Today was a much better day then yesterday. I cannot thank everyone for the words of support. It really helped. I woke up and made coffee and went out to the patio. It is still cool in the morning and gorgeous, that is  if you get up around 5 - 6 ish. Anyway I  have a wonderful lemon tree right off  my patio and a nightingale  is making a nest in it ! She has braced it up against one of the few remaining lemons. I hope the lemon stays in place for the nesting  season or the "cradle will fall"... Oh and this is peanut in her little "night night nest" taking a  mid day snooze. What a little pink  piggy tummy she has...