A Nice Day

I have not been feeling very creative the last few days. Haven't felt much like posting anything that I have been doing. I looked at photos of things and was uninspired. So, this post is just my brain doing its Stream of Consciousness blabber....

It has been a long few days - a little bit of an emotional roller-coaster. I have actually been up in the studio most of this week, which means that the rest of my life has been on hold and my neck is rather sore. I seem to have forgotten how to multi-task in my "old age" and it just continues to frustrate me...grrrrr!

One bright spot - Julie and her husband, Mark, were in town last night and this morning and it was wonderful to see her! We had dinner last night at our kitchen table (!) and breakfast this morning at the Teahouse. From there, they left to drive to Tucson, AZ and I went to the Farmer's Market and walked through this tiny shop, "ONE of ONE" that I truly enjoy. I always find great inspiration there. 

Today, I struck up a conversation with one of the owners (Melissa) and by the end of it she had lent me the most beautiful books about an artist named Charley Harper - WONDERFUL! They are her personal copies and she was so generous to lend them. I will try to get some decent photos and post them in the morning, but try to Google him - his artwork is fantastic. When I got home feeling sooo good, I went to the mailbox and there was the book, "Ring-a-Ling" that I had ordered two weeks ago! Happy Day!

My horoscope yesterday said that I needed to get rid of old ideas and do something NEW! I think I might just be ready to do that! FINALLY! Tomorrow I will finish up the Christmas cards that I am working on, get them out the door and come Monday, be ready to start on something completely different and FRESH! I can hardly wait.

Now, I am off to bed to (hopefully) sleep very soundly and awake tomorrow to a beautiful blue sky filled with sunshine. It is time to "FALL BACK", so I will set my clock an hour back and get an extra hour's sleep in the morning.....sigh....Good Night.....

small elves

I started working on some little "Santa Elves" and thought I'd share them.

I think that they are headed in the right direction, but not quite "there" yet.

I hope that the image in my head is actually possible...

little mushrooms

I've been working on some little felt ornaments the last couple of days.

Here are some mushrooms in process....

..maybe I'll finish 'em up this evening.

peppers

Aren't these beautiful? They are from our garden. 

We had a mild freeze last night, but things seem to be ok.

It did snow, but supposed to be in the upper 50's again tomorrow and the rest of the weekend.

We have been spoiled with Indian Summer here...glorious SUN!

xo

Bach

I have to say that there are certain pieces of music that make my hear sing. On the way home earlier, I heard Bach's Piano Concerto #1 on the radio and I had to stay in the car once I got home to hear the WHOLE thing.....sigh....... It is one of those pieces that make me happy to be alive.

wire bird domes

Last spring, I was determined to learn how to solder. Ha! What a challenge. I sorta got the hang of it, but I know that there is a better way to learn than "trial & error"...It would be nice to take a class, or at least get some help from someone who really knows what they are doing...

Anyway, one of my early experiments resulted in these little "Bird Domes" (they are NOT cages) I am still enchanted by them, even though they are not as refined as they might be. I need to get back to the soldering iron and brush up on my skills again. I would love to make LOTS of these and sell them somewhere....

making fAiRiEs

Here is what I have been up to....making fAiRiE dolls!

 I have been trying to create the perfect pattern that will be easy to cut out and stitch up. I keep drawing and cutting and drawing again...sigh....cutting again and stitching....it IS a process...

.....but they are pretty cute, don't you think? .....sigh 

...and here is my little old Singer Featherweight machine. The year after my hubby and I were married, my mother-in-law and I found it at a warehouse in El Paso, Texas. It was $60. I could not afford it, so my "MiL" pitched in $30. I made many little pairs of pants and jackets and overalls for my boys when they were little. It stitches forward and backward - that's IT! My mom gave me a buttonhole attachment for it one Christmas, but I never have tried it.
It is in great shape and continues to purr along when I need to sew something up. This photo does NOT do it justice. It is so much prettier in person xo

Before and After

Here is Grayson on Saturday. We watched him play in a soccer game in the morning and he was totally preoccupied with his HAIR. He came home and took a shower and then, I took this photo as proof of the amount of hair "before" the haircut........

...and HERE is the "after" 

................. what a handsome young man, don't you think?
Hard to believe he is so grown up.....sigh.........time flies...

*Alice*

"Alice and the Caterpillar" are on their way to California...

I designed and stitched the base at my mom's over the weekend. I think it completes it....gives Alice something to stand on.......

The text embroidered on the base is about Alice's comment that "three inches is such a wretched height to be" and the Caterpillar tells her that "It is a very good height indeed," since he is exactly three inches tall.
Alice tries to talk to him.....to get his attention......
Here's an idea of the detail in the hookah and all those legs! The yellow eyes were a last minute addition...
I love looking "under the mushroom".....tiny blossoms nestled there between the words....

"The top will make you grow taller..."

He is covering his eyes! Maybe he is embarrassed.....hmmm...........

The hookah was a bit of a challenge, but I think it turned out well....

I am so happy with Alice and the Caterpillar. I like the light in my mom's kitchen window.....
"The top will make you grow taller and the stalk will make you grow shorter.."

Process

This is the process....making the Caterpillar to sit on the Mushroom.......

Cut from a glove, the "caterpillar" is stuffed with wire wrapped in "cotton batting."  The wire "legs" are threaded through the body carefully....hmmmmm, looks like a bug...

Add beads to the wires. Count how many beads on each leg to keep 'em even. I love the color combinations.....and the "red feet"...tee hee.....

...And Alice. This is just the beginning. Another finger from the glove, pipe cleaners wrapped in cotton cloth... more to come....

My cat, Pearl, had to keep track of what I was doing. She hid behind the ranunculas so I couldn't see her watching me....cute, hunh?

Fall in Santa Fe

This morning, I helped my friend, Elisabeth, get things organized in her new house. It is a long drive from town, but wow! what a cool place! The views are spectacular and the house has great light and radiant-heated floors. It is all steel and wood and there is a patch of grass (!) out the front door! (for those of you who do not live here, that is VERY unusual for Santa Fe.)

This is the house from the driveway....with bedrooms upstairs.

...And here is the magnificent living/dining/kitchen. The ceilings are high and the windows let in so much light!

On the way home, I had to stop to take a photo of these purple asters that are EveRyWheRe! It is the "Purple and Yellow" time of year here. The purple asters are out and the yellow "Chamisa" and all the cottonwoods and aspens are golden! It is spectacular.

These are the "polkadot hills" that I fell in love with the very first time I came to Santa Fe, 25 years ago. The "dots" are actually pinon trees, evergreens that, along with juniper, are everywhere. All the hills have them and they really are polka dotted...oh, and that is the yellow "Chamisa" in the foreground.

great Pups!

LOOK at THESE!

My friend, David (www.davidwalkerstudios.com) took a break from painting to sit down and carve these charming "four-leggeds" that I have fallen in Love with! The one on the left is Alex, who was his "Studio Lab" for many years.....don't know that any dog could ever take his place.

Thanks, Dave, for sending me this photo so I could share it with my pals....xoxo

Ballerina

Once upon a time, I was a ballerina. It was a "couple of lifetimes ago" for me and I miss it sometimes. 

Last week, I started teaching class again, for a friend of mine who needed a break. The young people I am teaching are between the ages of 10 and 15, I imagine, and are dedicated and hard-working. It is a pleasure to be with them.

Last year, I decided it was time to start a little "papier mache" work. I have always thought puppets to be magical, so I mixed the "papier mache" with the puppet and "viola!" This lovely dancer is the result. She means more right now, since I have jumped back in to that world a bit.

Here is a close-up of her face and the unintentionally wonderful "inner life" that appeared as I added paper to her. Her wings will take her to great heights.....in my dreams  xo