For Yarngoddess

I told Diane (Yarngoddess) that I was going to post pix of my spider webs, and then promptly forgot. That was a few days ago, but as you can see, some things aren't lost forever, just temporarily misplaced in this little pea-brain.

So for Diane, or any other lovers of the magic of spider webs, here are two pix that Gerry and I managed last weekend. The rest are blurry, mostly from trying to focus on the spider and not having a tripod in use.

I'm so goofy! Or, my favorite things...

I just told my friend Kai that I was done making my paperdolls for the paperdoll swap, and I was going to stay out of scheduled stuff for a while so I could just satisfy myself and see where things lead me. Plus, I want to get some things done on the house before my son and DIL come to visit for Thanksgiving. Guess what I did? I joined Sherry Goshon's teapot doll swap, I joined Barb Kobe's medicine doll class, and I joined Sherry's Inner Child class. I still have my unfinished doll just for me, a cat I want to bead, some clothing and purse patterns I want to use, and many more dolls dancing in my head! Having a day job really interferes with creativity for me, not to mention limiting my soap creations!

One thing I did finish was the seventh collage from one magazine. This one is a little happier, isn't it? I tore the stuff this time, and picked colors, textures, and images of foods I like! There has been an interesting discussion between us on the CPS list, as Diane (Yarngoddess) and I seemed to be creating dueling collages. Our styles are completely different, as she leaves space and makes a statement with color and shape. I love covering the whole background, although I did do one with space. It's interesting, so interesting, the way people take the same challenge, the same general materials, and come up with something so different.

Without further rumination, here's the last one -- My Favorite Things (although it was almost "My Life is Brilliant" because that song kept going through my head while I was working).

Collage #6, Clean-up Crew

This poor premier issue of Hallmark Magazine is getting a work-out, isn't it? It's a magazine I'll probably pick up on occasion, but never subscribe to. I like magazines with in-depth articles, like Vanity Fair, or Mary Engelbreit Home (one of the few decorating magazines that gives numerous pix of the homes they feature). Of course, there are also the art/craft magazines like Art Doll Quarterly, and Cloth Paper Studio...I would never cut those up. But this Hallmark is like magazine light, or magazine simple.

So...for this collage, I seemed to be drawn to photos of rough wood, piles of trash (Katrina pix), and bare branches/fallen leaves. As I began to trim and arrange, I could hear my aunt's voice in my head from years ago, (growing up in that duck and cover era I mentioned before) when she said "I'm not going to hide in a bomb shelter, I'm going to stand in the front yard. Who wants to be part of the clean up crew?"

Do you ever get words, or phrases stuck in your head? I do, more and more lately. It used to be songs, or fragments of songs, and sometimes they would last for days. I had a wonderful acupuncturist who once told me I suffered from circular thinking. He actually helped me for a while. Now, I get fewer songs stuck in my head, and more phrases...things I hear repeatedly on the news, names, or a phrase someone spouts at work. Too bad I left that acupuncturist behind in Minneapolis.

Collage #5, same magazine

Boy, I have to tell you, the magazine I've been using is getting really ratty looking! I decided tonight to work in one color, if I could, and did pretty well until I decided the picture of the cat just had to be included. I tried...

I just have two more days to go. This magazine has lots of Halloween images, and I'm tempted to do one more, but it would almost be too easy. Tomorrow's another day, right? :-)

I'm on a (political) roll

I know this blog is supposed to be about what I create in my treehouse or in my soaproom, but I have a lot on my mind lately about the state of things. Sometimes I wonder how my Aquarian idealist generation got into this mess. Other times, I think I've just become more concerned because of my new granddaughter. Either way, I'm still tempted to put that paper bag over my head...

This morning, I wrote a letter to the editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. I'm sure they get lots, so it's not likely to be printed, so I thought I'd put it here instead. I'll feel better if I foist my complaints off on someone, so you readers are my victims :-)

I wrote:

My husband and I are relatively new residents of Ohio, having purchased a home in the Cleveland area just over a year ago. We’ve had numerous discussions between us, anticipating election season here, considering the attention Ohio has received in recent elections, and its power as a “swing state.”

If I could chose one word to describe campaign season it would have to be awful…no, make that horrific. Of course, a less reactionary summary would be uninformative. If I can add a second word, I’d make it “completely uninformative.”

Watching the televised campaign ads, listening to the radio ads, is totally worthless for decision making. I don’t have a single candidate I wish to research further. You see, I have yet to experience one ad that tells what the candidate stands for, what their background is, what they hope to accomplish should they achieve the post for which they campaign. All I have seen or heard is what they feel is wrong with the other guy.

The results? Considering all the negative campaigns, I know who I will vote AGAINST, but can’t name a single candidate I will vote FOR. (Should you wonder, I will actively vote against those with the worst negative campaigns regarding their opponent.) Shame on you, Ohio politicians. The nation watches, and this is how you conduct yourselves.
******************
So there you go. One of my many opinions for the day. I'll let you know if it makes print.

Yes! Collage #4

I can't believe I'm still with it! This one is a little more upbeat than yesterday...Welcome Home. I like it. It talks about the joy of home indulgences.



I also am reworking the one altered fabric panel. It was just too disjointed, and I was very unhappy with the one applique. Now I need to find some black trim, probably tomorrow, because I've used up all the black trim I have, or else its the wrong size.

Day 3 Collage

This "collage a day from one magazine" took a little less time. I was sleepy...and it's funny, but even after just three days, it's getting harder to find stuff for a collage. I wonder what day 7 will look like, if I get that far.

These images remind me of singing "God Bless America" when I was in grade school...a long time ago. I got to thinking of all the things I miss about the way I used to see myself as an American, even if I did grow up in the duck-and-cover era. Then I got to thinking about how ashamed I am of late, knowing how this country has fallen in the view of other nations, and I want to put a paper bag over my head. I could go on and on about the state of things right now, and how upset and shamed I am by them, but what good would it do? Anyway...that's why it says "I miss America." Hopefully, today's collage will be a little more upbeat. Darn full moon.

Panel 2, Collage 2

Today I made my collage for day 2 of 7, all from the same magazine. This one is called "Autumn's Crowning Glory."



And this is the other altered fabric panel for the altered wearable fabric panel swap...or whatever the heck it's called. Gerry loves this one. I wanted it rough, and slightly cockeyed, which I achieved all too well...and now I'm not sure it's what I wanted after all. I love the colors, however, and did achieve what I was trying for. I have a blazer I love that is done with fabric shapes, cut out, and appliqued, without any finished edges. That's what I wanted here, too. I think my favorite part is the button in the middle! ;-)

Nourish Mama Cass

This is a re-do of a popular challenge on the CPS list -- Collage a Day. Take one magazine and create one collage a day for 7 days from that single mag. I didn't participate the last time, but got an early start this time. I doubt I'll make all 7, but since the challenge was announced, and I had a magazine I was willing to hack up, I got started!


And in other news...my little bit of a brugmansia that I brought from NC a year ago, is the one plant I managed to winter over, plant outside in the spring, and have trive. It makes me so happy! This is the view from our loft window...


And this is a zoom photo of the blossoms that I managed from the same point in the loft...

Paper Dolls

I'm hosting a paper doll swap on the CPS list. Even though the swap is 3 for 3, I ended up making 4 dolls. I used the angel pattern from the back of Beryl Taylor's "Mixed Media Explorations" book. I've been itching to make some paper dolls with all the talk and books recently on paper dolls on the various lists. This was so much fun...and amazing to see what a difference one person can make with the same pattern! I was able to use lots of the handmade papers I have in stock (that I STILL haven't put into kits to sell), and bits of trims and other great things. Really a fun way to charge the creative batteries.

Three of the participants in the swap have mailed their pieces to me already. I'll post those pictures later. Counting myself, there are 24 participants, and the interpretations of mixed media paper doll are amazing. What an exciting swap!

This one uses handmade papers, a face from a magazine ad, and the main body is from a paper napkin.



This one uses some handmade paper, some fibrous paper, a face from a 50s-looking ad, and some gold trim. The base has part of the napkin I used on the body above.


This one is cardstock, ribbon, tiny hole-less beads, a UTEE molded face, and a peacock feather.


This one is almost all paper except for the little sparkly bits. Yarn for hair, which I poked through holes and "sewed" with a large-eyed needle. The face is stamped from a set of face stamps I bought at SkyBluePink.

What a day!

I've been up since 3:30 am, thanks to a call from my daughter in the Minneapolis area. Long story short -- she had an emergency appendectomy this morning. I never fell asleep again, after the phone call, so I started laundry. Played my Fish Tycoon game, worked in the treehouse, put band-aids on Gerry when he needed them. He spent the day trimming hedges and working on the new pond. I still have some soap to wrap and lotions to ship, but I did finish my two altered fabric panels AND I made a treat for my friend, Phyllis.

We've been beading dolls a lot lately, and I keep shipping her bodies from a bulk buy from Monica Magness. Then I found some basic outline patterns that I saved YEARS ago,and thought I could make some bodies of my own.




I made one of these for each of us....took the pattern I had and reduced it by 50%, sewed and stuffed. I think she'll love it -- cats and hearts, all rolled up in one!

The fragrances I tested in soap yesterday don't seem to be holding up the way I'd like, so that was a waste. Good thing I didn't buy without testing, even though I was tempted -- one of them I really loved. Some fragrances fade out and then come back, so I'm hoping that will be the case in these cases, too.

Evicted another chipmunk today, hiding from all three dogs and the cat, under the china cupboard. Thanks, Cosmo!

A volunteer pond

Last week the sewer work on our property was completed. A good portion of our west lawn was dug up to lay the pipe. Because the septic tank and leach field have now been abandoned, we arranged to have a pond dug in the low spot in our yard. The workers started two days ago, scraping the top of the area, and removing an ill tree. Then it rained all night, and yesterday they couldn't work, because of the muck and mire. It does appear, however, that we chose the right spot...it started to fill in already! Here's the view from our deck rail.



I think they'll be able to work today. We have a lot of work ahead of us, to make sure that once dug, the water isn't stagnant, and lots of other landscaping and maintenance issues. Now, it looks like just about all of our yard has been dug up somehow!

Altered fabric panel for wearable art

For some ungodly reason, I woke early this morning, so thought I'd put up the pix of what I've been working on. Trust me, it looks better in real life than it does in the photo.

I'm in a wearable art panel swap, (altering a piece of fabric to make it new and artistic and of a size to be transformed into one panel of a vest). I've done a little bit of everything with this piece of vintage cotton. I've added angelina fibers bonded with Bo Nash, fun fibers under the angelina fibers, now I've torn rectangles, stamped the black and sprinkled with "red dragon" embossing powder, stitched them together, added them to the panel...and yet more.



The faces are UTEE with some pearl-ex colorants brushed into the molds before pouring the UTEE. I wrecked a few molds, but I really like the faces I got. The faces are glued onto little rectangles of the same fabrics, and I've beaded around both of them.



One face still needs some ribbons dangling, and then I think I'll do some random beading on the large panel as well. I see that I have to do some more pressing, as not all of the Bo Nash has melted and bonded. It looks like my fabric panel has dandruff!



When I complete this one, I have another to do for the other person in our little swap group. This person likes different colors...blues, greens, maybe a little bit of brown. I have this one planned already, so I just have to get to it!

View from the kitchen window!

We were sitting at our "breakfast bar" a couple nights ago, and this is what I saw outside the window. It's a little blurry because I was in a hurry to get a picture before it left. There were two in the yard. Now I know for sure who's been topping the tomato plants!

The rest of the story...

Here are the other six beaded dolls submitted for the swap I hosted. I wish I had the good sense to take a photo of all eight together -- it would have been easier to show the size variation. Isn't it interesting the difference in vision and execution?