The Crafters Guild Place

Happy Birthday Sherry!

2011-04-22T15:21:00.006-05:00

Hot dogs, beads and scrapbooking - three of my favorite things in one shopping center. Wendy, Amy, Sherry and I had lunch at the Dog House Grill for Sherry's birthday today. Sauerkraut, chilli, cheese, French fries, potato chips, cole slaw, Cokes, cookies, lemon cake - we covered ALL the food groups! After lunch we browsed through lots of shiny, pretties at Blue Girl Beading Company and dropped in to say hello to Ann at Gulf Coast Scrapbooking. She has so much good stuff for making scrapbooks and cards and was kind enough to take a picture of the party girls.

Art for Japan On Etsy

2011-03-16T10:07:00.003-05:00

Thinking of Home (Japan Earthquake Relief)

by naokosstoop on Etsy.

Spring Fever?

2011-02-10T22:30:00.007-06:00

It's actually been cold here on the Gulf coast this winter. And I love it! I love sweaters and cords, polartec socks and scarves because, as WC would say, "I look fabulous in winterwear". Seriously, I do look better bundled up because you can't really tell what is bulky layers of knitted clothing and what is me. Yep, that's right, winter clothes are just another part of my trompe l'oeil wardrobe plan. The Nervous Little Red Dog has not been enjoying the cold weather so much. I made her go outside to look for her shadow on Groundhog Day and she's still sulking about it. It took me ten minutes just to coax her off the bed this morning and then she she was ready to come back in before the morning's mission had been completed.

Linneaheide graciously included a pair of my earrings, Hint of Spring, in an Etsy treasury called Botanica. Everything is green and reminds me of spring. I feel very honored to be included in the collection. Thank you!

I found a great crocheted vest pattern in The Crochet Closet and started working on it last night. It has a nice stitch pattern that works up fairly quickly and the yarn I chose, Caron Simply Soft, in turquoise and lime green is very happy and Spring-y looking. Maybe I can keep my momentum going and actually finish it to wear sometime this spring. My stick-to-it-iveness is sometimes woefully inadequate. You know, the old "the spirit is willing but the..........Squirrel!" routine.

I'm Tickled Pink!

2011-01-20T11:46:00.004-06:00

Many many many thanks to Jane Cooney for putting my pink pearl and crystal necklace in her treasury Tickled Pink. Check out her Etsy shop and website for jewelry, handmade cards and fine art. She is one talented artist! I am honored to be included in her treasury.

Finally, Sensible Goals for the New Year

2011-01-03T11:31:00.005-06:00

I want to share this great blog post on Creativeapples Fine Art Photography. These are the best New Year goals I've seen in a while. I'm still working on the craft room clean-out project - actually, it feels like it might go on for several more New Years. Progress is slow, to say the least, but I'm still chanting "Organization Heaven in 2011"! After reading April's goal list, I'm inspired to come up with my own for the new year. You can bet your bottom dollar, too, that they won't be as ambitious as this clean-out project has become. Maybe I just need to turn it into a throw-it-all-away project. Hey, that's an idea -- then I could just go buy some new stuff!

The Taller Half Has An Inner Crafter

2010-12-25T12:00:00.013-06:00

I needed something to nestle goodies in for a gift basket. The store had small bags of crinkle paper shreds for $1.99 but the Taller Half almost stroked out at the idea of paying that much for trash paper. "Jule, that is just garbage. Are you crazy?" Since the gift was for his brother, he declared he would make the basket and just use the paper from our office shredder. That was when I gave him "the look", muttered something about Scroogy-ness and stalked off in a righteous, holiday snit.

Back at the house, as he was wrapping presents, I saw the light bulb come on over his head. "Hey, can you shred Christmas wrapping paper?" he asked. "I could put that in the bottom of the basket." OMG! He is crafty after all! I was so proud of him I could have wept with joy.

As I poured myself a shot of Amy and Paul's homemade eggnog - emphasis on nog, here - I listened to the sounds of the holiday filling our home and smiled contentedly. Christmas music on the radio and the roar of the shredder. Nothing says Christmas like office machinery.

Merry Christmas to all - I'll drink another eggnog to your health and happiness.

More Craft Ideas!

2010-12-14T10:02:00.011-06:00

AllCrafts.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Craftbits.com

I found these websites the other day and am already thinking of which projects I want to do. Like I need more projects to never finish.

Weeding out the craft supply bins is progressing slowly. I found a few (okay, way more than a few) beads I forgot I had. Actually, I was looking for a specific bead and got sidetracked by other sparklies so much that I didn't do the project I went to the workroom to do in the first place and now, the capper to it all, I don't remember what it was. Anyway, I did sort out some beads that I'll put in the Etsy shop as a destash sale. It's not much but at least I got something out of the workroom. The "Empty That Bin in 2010" project has been so successful (yeah right) I decided to carry it over into 2011. Now I just need to come up with a catchy slogan. Maybe I'll have a slogan contest and send the winner all the stuff I pull out to discard. Hmmm, that sounds more like a threat than a treat, doesn't it?

Busy Little Elves

2010-12-05T13:25:00.007-06:00

Fizzer the Christmas Kitten

The Christmas boxes are all over the sunporch in varying stages of unpackedness (if that's not a word, it ought to be) and I'm rooting through them picking out the things I want to decorate with this year. The cats are delighted to have new places to get into and they keep bringing bits of ribbon and greenery for my consideration. Nervous Little Red Dog is barking maniacally at the Taller Half who is outside on the ladder putting up icicle lights on the house. He is fa-la-la-ing in an endearingly off-key baritone as he works. The little kitten who showed up a few days ago is very busy helping him with the lights and every now and then I'll here the singing interrupted with "don't chew on the electrical tape you moron" or "I'm going to throw you in the canal if you pull that garland down one more time". Ahh, the sounds of Christmas. Mama-in-law is fixing the wreaths for the doors and the spray of greenery to put on the mailbox since I don't have the patience to fiddle with all those floral picks and bows. She's good at it and I'm not - I always end up cussing. Tonight we'll light the second candle on the Advent wreath Veronica made and brought with her from Prague last week. It is beautiful and so far Davie hasn't chewed on it.

Gulf Shores Christmas tree on the beach

Here's a short video from the city Christmas tree lighting party last night on the beach. Hot chocolate and cookies, Santa and snow machines, Old friends and family, now that's a celebration.

Raggedy Ann Injured By Hit-and-Run Driver

2010-11-16T16:13:00.002-06:00

Raggedy Ann was was injured in a hit-and-run accident yesterday. Emergency personnel rushed her to Dr. Sherry's hospital where she remains in serious condition. According to witnesses, a pink Corvette driven by a blonde woman was seen speeding away from the accident. An APB has been issued for the car and its driver. Despite the severity of her injuries, Ms. Ann still has her cheerful smile and shining eyes. Dr. Sherry will keep us updated on her condition.

Bin Project Intermission

2010-11-14T09:43:00.008-06:00

I was checking my shops just now and found a wonderful artist on Etsy's front page. Fairyfolk has hand felted acorns that would look so good on a Thanksgiving table. Unfortunately, with the holidays coming and the imminent arrival of "The Mother-In-Law" (cue screaming horses), my budget for hyacinths to feed my soul is nonexistent. This afternoon I'll go out and collect some of the 3 tons of acorns in the yard (lots of acorns = hard winter?) We had a bumper crop last year too and the winter was way colder than usual. There's not supposed to be ice in the ditches when you're 2 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. I'm just saying.

Anyway, go have a look-see at Fairyfolk's shop and prepare to be charmed! I'm going outside to count acorns.

Cleaning Out the Bin in 2010, Part 2

2010-11-10T21:30:00.003-06:00

One box of fabric sorted and repacked. OK, so I didn't actually throw anything away, but it's a start. I did manage to get my mailing supplies organized and let me tell you, that was no day in the park. My sense of the ridiculous kicked into high gear when I realized what I was doing:
1. Recycle empty boxes from work --- Free
2. Cut the tape and flatten out the box for storage --- Free
3. Get a box off the stack to mail something in --- Free
4. Buy more tape to put the box back together --- Huh?
5. Discovering I am a moron --- Priceless

Rosebuds In Ice Featured

2010-10-26T15:38:00.005-05:00

Many, Many thanks to Jennifer of Jennifer Jones Jewelry for putting my Rosebuds in Ice necklace in her treasury "So what color is a fire engine?" I love that necklace and have wondered why it hasn't gotten any attention in the Etsy shop. Maybe the Sales Fairy will come visit! IhopeIhopeIhope.

Empty That Bin in 2010!

2010-09-03T12:52:00.008-05:00

The Walrus and The Carpenter --
Lewis Carroll (from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)

"The time has come," the Walrus said,"To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax..."
and all of the crap I have collected (OK, squirreled away -- OK, OK, jealously, obsessively, and compulsively hoarded -- are you happy now?) in my crafting exploits. My first step is admitting my transgressions. (Deep breath and slight look of shame)

Extraneous Craft Crap Top 10

I have projects I started more than 10 years ago - maybe even 20 - that I have not finished.
I have, as near as I can figure, enough embroidery floss to stretch for more than 5 miles. Now of course this is if I separated the strands. I'm not that much of a kook.
I have counted cross stitch magazines from the 1980s.
There are more than a dozen unopened packages of aida cloth.
There are 4 unwrapped canvas boards and unopened tubes of acrylic paint.
I have 14 sheets of watercolor and oil pastel paper and a new box of pastels - unopened, of course.
I have 74 skeins of yarn that are at least only half used. I didn't bother to count the odds and ends that "will make a great patchwork afghan".
There are supplies for new techniques I still haven't had time to learn. This includes broken china to make pendants with and needlepoint kits.
There is a large suitcase and a blanket chest full of fabric and trims for all those curtains and tote bags I have in mind to make.
I have 2 briefcases and one desk drawer full of scrapbooking and card-making tools and supplies.

Are you getting the picture? I'm not even going to get into the plethora of beads and jewelry making stuff I have stashed away. Just thinking about using all of it makes my head hurt.

It's time to do an intervention on myself. I'm going to channel Niecy Nash and get rid of this foolishness. There are 2 months left in 2010 and I have challenged myself to go through my craft supplies and weed out all the things I will never use and organize the rest. I have the plastic storage boxes and the garbage bags standing at the ready. The Taller Half is gone for a few hours and the weather is perfect for opening the patio door to let in the fresh air. Pinky and Davie are glued to the screen door and Little Red Dog is happily curled up on their sofa pillows.

I'm off to Bin City!

Film at 11.

This Is My Story & I'm Sticking to It

2010-08-21T10:45:00.005-05:00

My philosophy for craft projects gone awry...

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.

Thomas A. Edison

I'm In A Treasury!

2010-08-20T10:07:00.004-05:00

Many, Many, Many thanks to Vulcans Thunder for including my New Mexico Night Eyeglasses Holder in a new treasury - Rock of the Southwesties with Soft Metal Influences.

(click photo to view shop listing)

Please visit and give the treasury some clicks -- while you're there, check out the Vulcans Thunder shop. I'm loving this bracelet.

Mixed Metal and Czech Preciosa Flowers Bracelet

...and, by way of happy coincidence, Vulcans Thunder is a Birmingham native just as I am - Roll Tide! (check out the University of Alabama pieces in the shop)

Some Days Are Diamonds

2010-07-20T15:47:00.011-05:00

To quote my friend Jane's tweet - "Philippe Cousteau, and a baby monkey. it's been a cool day at the library". Philippe, Jacques Cousteau's grandson, was in town to work with local teens on a new program with Earth Echo International. Local news on WKRG has an interview with him and some of the others in the group posted on their website.

Talk about some giddy librarians. He charmed us all.

Now where did the monkey come from, you ask. Patty from the Gulf Shores Zoo - "The Little Zoo That Could" - brought in a bitty, baby capuchin monkey who's about 6 weeks old. Luka had to taken from his mother when she couldn't feed him so Patty is playing mama now. It was love at first sight for Philippe. He wanted to know if we'd have monkey around next time he came to town. No promises were made.

Actually, it's been a cool 10 days here at the beach. On the 11th, the Jimmy Buffett and Friends Concert for the Coast brought over 35,000 to my hometown and along with them a very needed and much appreciated boost to our economy. CMT broadcast the show live and has rerun it several times since then. Jimmy performed a recrafted version of "When the Coast Is Clear" and it even made this tough old broad tear up. Click on Jimmy for a video of the song.

It's hard to see the white sand on the beaches I have loved all my life turn brown from oil washing ashore. The Taller Half said it hasn't looked too bad lately, but he's still working 12-hour days with the clean-up crews. I even got a haz-mat card to carry in case I have to go pick up a tar ball or two. Unfortunately, I'm not a real HAZWOPER, though. And yes, that is a real word, well, acronym, anyway. Google it if you don't believe me.

We've Been BPeed On

2010-06-21T15:39:00.018-05:00

Beach Light by Sweet Eventide

If there is a bright spot in all the trouble BP is causing here on the Alabama Gulf Coast, it is making new Etsy friends. A few weeks ago I made an Etsy Treasury of beach chair art called "Waiting". Today I had a wonderful convo from one of the featured artists - Jessica of Sweet Eventide. She is part of the Craft Hope community and they are involved with Project 8 :: Gulf Coast Oil Spill.

"For Project 8 we will be partnering with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, the Audubon Nature Institute, and the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge to assist them in their efforts in caring for and cleaning oiled marine mammals, mostly dolphins, other marine mammals, birds, and sea turtles.

--- from Craft Hope blog

Jessica and her craft group are making and collecting handmade towels for cleaning oiled wildlife. Visit the Project 8 blog for info on what, when, where, how many ......

Check out Jessica's Etsy shop

Everyone knows this disaster is taking a huge toll on the Gulf waters, but I'm afraid many aren't aware of the impacts the wildlife are feeling. The pictures we see on the news every day are horrible. If the sight of a pelican (my favorite bird and the one I hope I come back as in my next life) covered in oil doesn't break your heart, then you probably don't have much of a heart to break. WKRG news from Mobile not only gives the weather forecast now, they also give viewers the oil forecast. Part of me doesn't want to see any more and the other part can't stop looking.

The Taller Half is working for a BP sub-contractor cleaning the beach from 6am - 6pm seven days a week. Unfortunately, we are also experiencing the hottest June I can ever recall. The temps on the white sand beach are in the mid to upper 90s with high humidity making the heat index soar over 110°. I don't know how he stands it and I worry when he comes home so exhausted every night. I have never felt prouder of anyone in my life. He doesn't have to do this, but he wants to help the country of which he so recently became a citizen.

Another thing on the good news about the spill is the upcoming benefit concert Jimmy Buffett is giving in Gulf Shores. Information about it is on his website Margaritaville. If BP can't get this crap stopped, maybe the Parott Heads can!

Ah, Spring

2010-05-05T16:34:00.015-05:00

Spring has sprung

The flowers has riz

I wonder where

The birdies is

My mother said this every spring and every spring my brother and I cracked up at it. We were easily amused. Spring has come and gone here on the Gulf coast. It's beautiful while it lasts but it doesn't last very long - about 2 weeks if we're lucky. The azaleas were gorgeous this year. They look like crap now because we cut them back almost to the ground. If we don't do that every 3-4 years, they get to be taller than the house. That really doesn't bother me. I don't have to close the curtains at night when the bushes are covering the windows and it feels like my own Secret Garden but with all the comforts of sitting in my big chair in the living room. Mr. "I Like Order", however, can't stand it.

Every day for the last week I've been harvesting a basket full of the sweet peas I planted on my birthday at the end of January. Another week or so and they'll be finished. My, my, they have been "zaystee" as the Taller Half would say. This year I'm trying a new planting idea. I've planted tomatoes and peppers right in 40 lb. bags of dirt. All I did was throw them on the ground, poke down through the bottom with a long knife to make a couple of drainage holes, and cut the center out of the top side of the bag. I put the transplants down in the soil and covered them with dried glass clippings from the first mowing of the year. It seems to be working, too. There are 8 tomatoes and 5 peppers on the plants. Of course, the Taller Half said it looked awful and that I am just too lazy to garden the right way. Okay, I don't have any trouble with that - but I haven't seen him planting any veggies.

On the crafting front, I'm finishing up the last baby blankie for a new little friend. There sure has been a rash of reproduction among my peeps and their families. It's a good thing I'm almost done because soon it will be too hot to sit holdng a crocheted blanket across my lap as I work on it. Afghans and blankies are winter work for me. Now that the temperatures are starting to head toward the 90s, I'll get back to the work bench and play with the "way too many beads" in my collection. When the weather is pretty I just can't seem to stay in the house for very long.

I taught two jewelry making classes last month at the Daphne library and had a great time. Thanks to Tonja for asking me to be a part of their Thursday arts and crafts program. I told the ladies who attended that they would only need 3 skills to start making their own jewelry pieces and then showed them how to make a loop on a headpin, open and close a jump ring and use a crimp bead. They were amazed at how easy it is to make simple, stylish pieces that cost a third of the ones in the department stores. I'm looking forward to getting together with them again - those gals have some great pattern and color combination ideas!

Happy May!

The Green Man

Jack In the Green -- by Jethro Tull

I'm Back! (now don't everyone cheer at once)

2010-03-03T12:38:00.005-06:00

Things have been piling up lately and the blog has pretty much taken a back seat. Add to that the fact that I stare a computer screen all day at work and sometimes really don't feel like doing it at home too. Creatively, I have had spurts of productivity in the jewelry department and crocheting blankets for the new grandbabies in friends' families has kept me busy during movie time in the evenings. As usual, my tendendcy toward procrastination has reared its ugly head and I have a box of new things to photograph for the shops and ebay. (I will make myself do it this weekend-I will make myself do it this weekend-I will make myself do it this weekend)

I get an jewelry makers newsletter from Fire Mountain Gems and the latest issue has a really good article by Dianne Linderman (http://www.everythingthatmattersradio.com/). The opening sentence intrigued me:
"Want to know a secret? The jewelry-making business is one of the most recession-proof businesses there is. When the economy goes into recession, people seek entertainment, but they also look for security by investing in items of value and beauty like art and jewelry."
Click the quote for the full article.

I know that when I was supporting myself as an itinerant musician, I never had trouble booking gigs during economic downturns. People may have less to spend on luxuries and/or frivolities but they almost always have a couple of bucks for a beer. Perhaps the jewelry crafting business is the same. As an old friend used to say "what for, everyday day, I don't know".

Whew!

2010-01-20T21:02:00.011-06:00

I'm finally recovered from the holiday blitz. All the decorations are put away and the Christmas sweaters are back in their space bag. The giant bag of after-Christmas-sale-at-Target wrapping paper and bags is shoved under the bed in the guest room and the last of the Chex mix is gone. Now it's time for Mardi Gras.

The Taller Half got in from Prague last weekend and things are just about back to normal - whatever that is around here. Since Thanksgiving, we have had what seems like never-ending rain and it's coming down again tonight. The back yard hasn't completely dried out for the last 6 weeks and with this current downpour it will probably be 6 more weeks. Actually, there was a dry spell when the Arctic Blast came to the beach and we had 13 consecutive nights of temps below 25. In our yard they were mostly below 20. The birdbath and the whole sorry morass froze solid. The cold zapped all my outdoor plants too. Everything is brown now - the gingers, Mexican petunias, ferns, bird-of-paradise, hibiscus and a schefflera that rooted through the bottom of the pot 6 years ago and has survived previous winters with no problem. Not now, buddy.

The Nervous Little Red Dog hasn't been happy about going out to the backyard to "be a good girl" lately. She can roll on smelly dead things in the grass and eat road-kill frogs, but God forbid she gets her toes wet or muddy. Right now she's on the floor next to my desk washing her feet and shooting me long suffering looks. I hate to break it to you, Toots, but you'll have to go out one more time before bed. The hell of it is, though, I have to go too or she won't even leave the cover of the carport. She's not my dog, I'm her pet human like Mr. Peabody and his pet boy Sherman.

In a burst of creative energy I got a dozen new eyeglasses chains made for the Bead-D-Eyes shop, took and edited the photos and got them listed. I made a stab at sorting the jewelry making pieces and parts last night and got a little bit accomplished. If I were a resolution-making sort of girl, I would vow to get my work area organized and be the model of creative efficiency in 2010. We all know that's a pipe dream.

Pipe dream... that makes me think of my favorite 1970s head shop on High Street - I am not making that up - and an Atlanta Rhythm Section album. Third Annual Pipe Dream was my favorite record for a long time back in the day. Amazon has a music sampler of the whole thing and listening to it while I type is really triggering the memories. I wish I had Mr. Peabody's WABAC Machine - I'd go to some of the ARS concerts at the Coliseum. I still remember them - or parts of them at least.

Music from the 70s and cartoons from the 60s --- crap I'm old. But still cool.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T10:46:00.006-06:00

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas - Happy Winter! Here's to all our hopes and dreams for the season and the New Year. May they come true.

Handmade Gifts Are the Best

2009-12-23T16:20:00.003-06:00

Look at this exquisite bracelet Melody made me for Christmas! (She has the patience of a saint to link all those jumprings to make the chain.) I am gobsmacked by her talent and generosity and truly blessed with her friendship. Thank you, Melly-O-Dee, you rock girlfriend!

Christmas Crafting Everywhere

2009-12-12T18:32:00.009-06:00

Creativity is all around! From one side of the Atlantic to the other, friends and family are getting into the holiday spirit.

In Prague, my niece Veronika and her friends made Advent wreaths to be used on the table. Four candles will be placed in the wreath and one will be burned every Sunday for the four weeks before Christmas Eve. In the photos the wreaths are without candles, but she says you can imagine how beautiful they will be with tall copper candles set next to the ribbon bows. The smell must be heavenly, too, with the fruit and fresh evergreens.

Here at the beach, the Girls Christmas and Craft party at Sherry's house was fun, festive and maybe just a little bit fattening. The eats were fantastic -- Sherry made a peppermint eggnog to die for. Everyone stayed until almost dark and the winter sunset was a gorgeous way to end a great afternoon with friends. Sherry's decorated mantle says it all, doesn't it?

Phyllis and Rooster's entire living room turns into a magical Christmas village each year. She said it takes her a good two weeks to get everything set up and I marvel she can do it that quickly. At the open house today, the grown-ups were as delighted and goggle-eyed as the little ones. Yummy munchies, hot apple cider and coffee put all of us in the holiday mood despite a thoroughly gray and dreary weather. I loved hearing the train chug around the town and the skaters on the ponds were my favorites of all.

Last and most assuredly least, here's my entry in the annual Gingerbread House Contest at the library. Following in the tradition of the collapsing Hurricane Ivan house, I created this Far Side-esqe display. Little Bob has been working hard to build his pretzel log cabin but danger is lurking in the Christmas tree forest.

I freely admit that I used caulking to stick everything together since I have no patience for making royal icing like you're supposed to.

Now, what shall I do for next year? Hmmm....

Whew!

2009-11-27T20:01:00.006-06:00

The Thanksgiving cooking and cleaning up are finished for 2009. Now all we have to do is eat the leftover sweet potatoes, dressing, pole beans, ambrosia, apple pie and pumpkin pie. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. This is the first time in 13 years I have cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us. Well, actually, three of us if you count the Nervous Little Red Dog who used her secret weapon - the extremely powerful "Hypnotizer" - to con way too much chicken out of the Taller Half.

I wanted to get a couple of photos of the table and us before the chowing down began so I put the camera in the windowsill and set the self-timer. This was the first time I had tried this feature and wasn't sure what to expect. Well, actually, I expected it not to work at all. As my friends and family will attest - I don't need no stinkin' instructions. This time, though, I did read the manual first. You can flip the view screen around on my camera so aiming it was pretty easy. Ok, now, we're lined up...press the button...try not to trip over the chair leg getting back to the table (I'm still limping from the head-on collision of my toe and a chair leg 3 months ago). Beep...beep...beep...here we go...and the Nervous Little Red dog wakes up from her nap in time for her close-up. Ah, The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley. You can add dogs to that equation now.

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll!

2009-11-25T12:08:00.020-06:00

Thanksgiving - the most family oriented of holidays, is upon us. All my life we made the trip to my uncle's home for the big feast. For years it was a short drive - only across town. Later the drive turned into a pleasant 90 minute jaunt. Since I moved to "LA" almost 20 years ago, it's been an overnight excursion because I'm too old to drive 10 hours in one day plus eat a massive home-cooked meal and clean up. (Yes, Aunt Tommie, I know the sterling doesn't go in the dishwasher and I'll dry it immediately so there aren't any water spots.) Actually, the spend-the-night deal is a public service I offer to the others drivers on I-65 - sleeping in the guest room and not behind the wheel of a Trailblazer loaded with the Nervous Little Red Dog and a dozen or so Tupperware containers full of leftovers.

The family is much smaller now. My brother and his family will be eating with his wife's parents and the Taller Half and I will be celebrating at home with more food than we can eat, football on TV and a long walk on the beach. After all the years of traveling, it's rather nice to stay put and nap on my own couch. Even though we are only two, family members who have passed are still with us in the funny stories we remember (with the details changing a wee bit year by year). My Grandmother's china and table linens are used on our table now and then there's the annual watching of the old home movies and never being able to identify some of the relatives (or were they neighbors?)

Mostly, though, the memories are still here in the recipes I use - some written, most just memorized with instructions only I understand. Three handsful of flour are about half a cup, the streak-o-lean in the pole beans is salt pork, and water cornbread doesn't have buttermilk in it. The "drunk sweet potatoes" have brandy in them and no matter what anyone tells you, you don't put the dressing in the turkey's butt - that's why it's called dressing not stuffing. The Taller Half really loves Stove Top but I just can't bring myself to serve it on Thanksgiving. He can have that anytime but good old cornbread dressing with plenty of sage is a once a year delicacy.

Here's the recipe for Uncle D's famous "drunk sweet potatoes. He served them to the kids too since the alcohol burns off during the cooking - or at least that's what he claimed. Maybe that's why the kids got so quiet...hmmm. Enjoy!

RD's Drunk Sweet Potatoes
☼ 4-5 medium size sweet potatoes
☼ 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
☼ 1/3 cup water
☼ 2 tablespoons butter - use real butter!
☼ Orange zest - at least 1 tsp but more if you like it
☼ Brandy - it doesn't have to be the pricey stuff

Scrub the potatoes and boil them whole until they are tender. Cool for a bit then peel and cut in 1/2" slices. Melt butter in large saucepan and add water and brown sugar. Stir until sugar melts. Add zest. Add the potatoes and stir gently - try not to break them up. You can keep these covered on the back of the stove for now while everything else finishes up. Right before serving add a blurp (my mother's word) of brandy - 1/4 - 1/2 cup depending on your taste. Turn the burner up fairly high and bring the sauce to a good bubble. At this point I'd like to say if you are using a gas stove with an open flame, don't turn it on until after you pour in the brandy. Trust me, it's better this way. If you have any extra brandy you had better drink it before it goes bad!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Enjoy your family and friends whether they are with you at the table or safely tucked into your heart.

The Redecorating Project - Part 1

2009-10-27T16:56:00.009-05:00

Step aside Christopher Lowell, creativity is stirring at Wendy's house. The recent purchase of new bed linens has inspired a bedroom redecorating project. She wants to paint the headboard wall one of the colors in the fabric and thanks to a great app on Jane's phone, several paint color matches have been made - I think the blue is leading the pack at the moment. The sconces, purchased a few months ago, will go up as the finishing touch. More as the story develops.

The Goddess of cell phone apps!

OK, So I Borrowed the Idea (please don't sue me)

2009-10-14T11:58:00.011-05:00

I got a new catalog a little while ago and found something I really liked but was aghast at the $30 price tag for a piece of jewelry that simple. Being the frugalista (alright, cheapo) that I am, I sallied forth to the local craft supply shop. Less than $6 later, I was back home with a package of safety pins, some seed beads and a spool of stretchy cord. The piece in the catalog was a watch but I thought the same idea could be applied to a bracelet. As I had suspected, it was a snap to make. Here's how it's done.

Materials:

Safety pins - mine are about 1" long
Seed beads in your colors - I used a large tube of multicolored ones - make sure they are big enough to fit on the safety pins
Spool of .5mm stretchy cord - I used clear

Open the pins and slide on beads leaving enough room to close the pin without crowding. How many it will take on each pin depends on the size of the bead. How many pins you need will depend on how long you want the bracelet. I used to 70 or so to make mine about 7 1/2". This will take a little time to do, so put on a good movie and get comfortable. Actually, I made mine over the course of a few nights since I tend to lose interest pretty quickly in repetitive tasks.

Now for the putting-together action. In order not to make the bracelet wider on one side than the other, I alternated the pins as I strung them - one through the hole at the bottom then one through the hole in the clasp end. Make sure you keep them all turned the same way so they will show on the front of the bracelet. To make things easier, I didn't cut the cord from the spool.
When I had the length I needed, I wrapped tape around the end of the cord and cut it off the spool leaving a 6" tail to tie it off with. I taped that end too, and started on the other side, once again leaving the cord on the spool as I worked. When all the pins were strung, I adjusted the cord to make the ends even and tied off with a surgeons knot. I'd advise leaving the tape on the cord until everything is securely tied - not that I would have dumped half the pins in my lap or anything to learn this.

Don't tie the cord super tight, leave a little slack so the pins have room to move or it will pinch the crap out of your arm when you put it on. Put a dab of glue on the knots and leave it to dry overnight. Trim the cord ends in the morning and prepare yourself for the wonderment, awe and covetousness you'll inspire in friends and co-workers.

Seems Like A Long Time

2009-09-24T10:32:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I posted last. The Taller Half has been home for a couple of months and peaceful time for me has been rather scarce. I did get together with girls a couple of weeks ago for a chick party - and had a ball during the short time I was there. Taller Half had come down with the Bohemian Lung Crud and was running a high fever so I had to get back home pretty early. (Since I didn't want to drink wine and drive home, I made up for lost time later that evening after getting the "sick baby" to sleep. Sangria and Colin Firth, ahhh, life is good.) The occasion for the festivities was a thank you party from Sherry for nominating her for the Island Spirit award which is given here for being a wonderful ambassador for our community. She won the award for July! One of her prizes was a night's stay at a local beachfront hotel and she shared it with us. The four "Dew Drops" met up after work and shared wine, snacks and riotous gales of laughter. Everyone needs BFFs and I am totally blessed to have these three in my life.

The food of life for a Dew Drop

(now who doesn't love a petit four?)

Big Thank You to Mariah!

2009-09-05T21:20:00.004-05:00

Many thanks to Mariah for featuring one of my necklaces on her blog http://www.mariahscreations.blogspot.com/

Visit her Etsy shop at: Mariah's Creations.

I am so grateful for all my Etsy friends - they are some of the mnst wonderful, generous people you could hope to find!

are such wonderful, generous people.

Welcome to the Guild!

2009-09-02T09:45:00.006-05:00

I'd like to welcome Mariahs Creations to the Crafters Guild Place! Her Etsy shop is filled with gorgeous, handcrafted jewelry - all her original designs. It's a great place to do some Christmas shopping (for yourself, too, of course). Are you listening my Taller Half? Hint hint.
Visit Mariah's blog at http://www.mariahscreations.blogspot.com/

Clearance Sale at Sea Jewels!

2009-08-28T14:38:00.002-05:00

I'm having a Clearance Sale in the Etsy shop.
Please make it all go away!
Jewelry - Bracelets - Earrings - De-stash

$10 section
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5503663&section_id=6367157
$5 section
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5503663&section_id=6367158
$1.50 section
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5503663&section_id=6367160

Buy 3 and shipping is Free!
Thank you for looking.

Hats Off & Many Thanks!

2009-08-24T11:12:00.009-05:00

Big thank you to Jess of Ragamuffin Design for featuring my Three Faces of the Goddess earrings on her website - modern renaissance - stories for life.

I love the Little Gnome hat in her Esty shop. Give it a peak and leave your heart while you're there.

Absolutely Exquisite Hummingbird

2009-08-12T14:32:00.007-05:00

Lisette of MelangeByLisette has done it again. This hand beaded hummingbird barrette is gorgeous! (and way underpriced) I am constantly amazed by the talent she has for color and design.

Hummingbird Barrette from MelangeByLisette

Update: Just got a convo from Lisette. She's planning to offer kits and instructions in her shop soon. This hummingbird design will probaby be one of the kits available.

Another Update 8-15-09
Lisette sold the hummingbird barrette in the photo ~ Congratulations!!!

Brain Confetti

2009-08-11T13:50:00.010-05:00

The Brain is in meandering mood today. Here are a few things that it has stumbled on in its wandering:

1. Why are bra sizes so different from one maker to the next? Men's tighty whities don't vary. And wouldn't you think they'd lie about the size they wear and say it's an XL when they really wear a small? ;>

2. Is there a reason that the numbers on a telephone pad are exactly the opposite order from the numbers on a calculator or adding machine? It can play merry hell with you when you are using both calculator and phone at the same time. I have called East Armpit by accident and added $86, 300 to my checking account because of that difference. Maybe it's a conspiracy!!!

3. Don't any of the cool shoe companies realize that people need narrow width shoes too? Oh sure, I can find a selection in the orthopedic department. My feet are the only skinny thing about me and I would like to show them to their best advantage.

4. How come when the temperature goes "up" to 65 degrees in the spring we take off our shoes and wear short sleeves but when it goes "down" to 65 degrees in the fall we turn on the heat?

5. Why does half and half last keep longer in the fridge than milk? Seems like the fat content would spoil faster. Hmmm.

6. Why do cats like to stare at you when you're asleep? You can feel them doing it and it wakes you up.

7. And on that tack, what exactly is it that makes you know someone is staring at you when you can't see them?

8. If you're really tired, why can't you go to sleep sometimes?

9. Why does rain on the roof sound so nice at night but a dripping faucet will make you homicidal?

Okay, Brain is tired of meandering now. Do you have any brain confetti you'd like to share? Send it to me in a comment. I'll post them as long as they're not R rated.

Pinky is the head starer around my house.

LivingGlassArt custom made this stained glass portrait of him for me.

A Lovely Surprise

2009-08-06T11:25:00.006-05:00

Many thanks to Glenda for including me in her list of treasures on Made by Hand. By Me. It is very flattering to be included with so many talented artists. Check out the lovely hand knitted pieces in her Etsy shop - Wintergarden.

The Sea Blossom Corsage shown in the picture is gorgeous and really appeals to the beach lover in me. I've put it on my wishlist for Christmas - are you listening, Taller Half?

Have You Recycled Today?

2009-07-13T16:30:00.004-05:00

Hyla has some great info here on recycling stuff that we all have cluttering up our homes and lives. As my aunt said, "Every little bit helps said the mosquito when he tinkled in the sea."

Excitement!

2009-07-13T10:00:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to Lilac Pop for featuring my Everything's Just Beachy Shell Necklace on her blog. The necklace sold a couple of days later.

Here's the crafting tip of the day:

To make the cap on your tube of adhesive easier to open, dab a bit of petroleum jelly around the screw threads before you put the top back on. I keep a tube of Carmex lip balm in the glue supply drawer so I can use it every time I open one of the tubes. I can't remember where I heard this one but it has saved me from having to buy a new tube of E6000 every time it gets glued shut. It also saves money by keeping the glue usable until the tube is empty. If you've never used E6000, I highly recommend it for use in many crafting and household applications. I used it to glue the little metal model name thingy back onto my car and it's lasted through every hurricane and tropical downpour we've had since 1994. And no, this is not a paid endorsement - but, if you're listening E6000 people, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a little $$$. Seriously, I really do like this stuff and can't imagine crafting or jewelry making without it. Or car repair for that matter.

Hope you have a creative day ☼

I Am So Honored!

2009-07-06T10:35:00.010-05:00

I got a lovely email from Janna of Lilac Pop Photography on Friday. She has featured one of my necklaces on her blog Lilac Pop.

I am so thrilled to be included with all of the talented artists she has chosen as favorites. This beach scene photo from her Etsy shop is fantastic as are all of her pieces.

Thank you Janna. To be chosen for inclusion in your blog feature is really an honor.

Finally Back at the Work Bench

2009-06-16T16:01:00.004-05:00

Here's my newest piece - a birthstone mother's ring for Sherry. It's not as complicated as it looks. If you know the basics of making dangles with loops you're ready to go. All the pieces and parts came from Fire Mountain Gems & Beads.

Materials list:

Celestial Crystal faceted coin beads

3/4" gold plated headpins

3mm gold plated round beads

14kt gold filled ring finding with 1 loop

Make a simple dangles using 1 crystal or 1 gold bead on each headpin (here's a great tutorial for making loop dangles)

Attach each dangle to the loop on the ring making sure to close the loop securely

That's all there is to it!

I used 8 crystal dangles and filled in with 5 gold bead dangles to make the cluster "fluffier"

Hallelujah! A sensible newspaper advertisement (from 1909)

2009-05-22T14:27:00.005-05:00

From the Mobile Press Register - Sunday, May 16, 1909

"Are You Tired of Being Thin? A 50 cent package of Dr. Whitney's Flesh Builder Sent Free. 'A perfect woman, All on earth above, To see is to admire; Admiring love.' Nature never intended anyone to be thin; it is an unnatural condition, and if the flesh-making functions are properly nourished you can secure permanently a pretty figure and a firm, well-rounded bust. Letters and photographs from them, which we will send you, are convincing."

Painting by Fernando Botero.

Playing with the Camera Again

2009-05-18T10:13:00.016-05:00

So many things are blooming in the yard now. I've been wandering around trying to get interesting shots using the macro setting on the camera. I'm using a Canon A620 and am still learning all the functions.

Early morning is great for the lighting and I love the way the dewdrops look. Getting the sunflowers has been somewhat of a challenge, though. Some of them are over 8 feet tall and my arms can only stretch so far. The roses by the mirror were picked from my uncle's flower beds. Even though the yard has been mostly neglected since his death last year, the flowers have continued to bloom profusely. Next fall I plan to get cuttings and/or dig up some of the plants that can stand the climate change from Birmingham to the Gulf coast.

The pole beans in my vegetable garden have been an unqualified success this year. I've given away several pounds and eaten them 4 or 5 times a week. I only only planted 10 seeds on the first go-round and 8 seeds two weeks later and all of them came up. Some have even escaped the trellis and are twining around the stalks of the sunflowers. Most of the harvest so far has come from the original planting. In a couple more days, I'll be picking from the second group. The cucumbers are about 4" tall and already blooming. They will be climbing up the trellis about the time the beans are finished. Bell peppers, sweet banana peppers and tomatoes are starting to ripen now, too, along with a few strawberries every day or so. I'll pick the tomatoes while they're still green though - love those fried green tomatoes!

Here's my grandmother's recipe:

Slice firm green tomatoes - as many as you want - into 1/2" slices. Lightly salt and pepper them. Dip the slices into beaten eggs and then into cornmeal. Fry them in a hot iron skillet with 1/4"-1/2" of melted shortening . Shortening is best because it makes for a crispier crust. Oil just doesn't get hot enough and tends to make the tomatoes greasy.

Another good way to cook green tomatoes is mixed with okra and/or eggplant. I cut the okra into 1/2" pieces and dice the tomatoes and eggplants into cubes about the same size as the okra. Instead of fooling with the egg wash, I just slightly dampen the pieces and dump them into a bowl of cornmeal. If I have time, I'll put the bowl in the fridge and when I'm ready to start frying I'll sprinkle a little more water on them and put them back in the cornmeal for an extra coating. Like Grandmother, I use an iron skillet and Crisco shortening for frying. Most important is not to crowd the skillet. Just fry one loose layer at a time - you should see some of the bottom of the skillet between the pieces of okra. If you have a lot to fry, you'll need to strain out the crumbly bits of cornmeal that come off of each batch or they will burn blacker than sin. After frying, drain in a bowl lined with several layers of paper towels - keep them warm while you fry the rest by putting the bowl in an oven set on 200º or the lowest setting there is. Sprinkle with salt and pepper before serving.

Now that's what I like about the South!

Let Them Eat Cake!

2009-05-12T13:55:00.011-05:00

Aren't these beautiful cakes from the weddings Sherry and Wendy attended recently. Each layer was a different layer on the two stacked cakes and the dogwood blossoms on the groom's cake in the middle photo were made of icing - completely edible (and very good, from what I understand).

I am totally in awe of folks who can make any kind of layer cake - not just these gorgeous ones. My cake making expertise is limited to bundt cakes and ones made in a 9" x 12" pan. I tried (key word here is "tried" ) to make a 2-layer cake with an applesauce type shmeer in the middle.

No frosting was the real attraction because I've never been able to spread frosting to spread without rolling crumbs and sometimes the whole top of the cake into it. I had watched Emeril make it on TV and it looked super easy. Just bake the cakes and make some sliced apple butter type stuff. I've made cooked apples many times and that part actually was easy.

The trouble started when I took the cakes out of the oven. Apparently, my oven didn't sit level so the layers were lopsided. No biggie. I'd seen my grandmother level out an uneven cake with a piece of dental floss (unwaxed and unflavored, of course). Off I went in search of the floss. I cut off a good long piece, pulled it string taut and carefully slide it into the cake.

My grandmother must have had some really sharp dental floss. All I succeeded in doing was making divots across the top. Once again, no biggie. The apple stuff was going to cover it anyway. I decided then to forgo smoothing out the other layer - I could use it on the top and the divot-y one on the bottom. So far, so good. I was making lemonade from this bunch of citrus fruit.

The apples smelled divine by now and were perfectly cooked. I let them cool just as Emeril said and went off to wrap presents and decorate for the birthday of my soon-to-be Taller Half who was going to receive this culinary masterpiece.

Later that afternoon I began assembling the parts of the creation. Onto the cake plate went the first layer - lumpy side up. Carefully I spooned the yummy apples on top. I let that sit for about 15 minutes to sort of set up. Now for the top layer. With a steady hand I set the layer cake squarely on top of the other one and began spoon the apples across it.

I'll never be sure what exactly went wrong. An earthquake or a gust of wind? Perhaps the barometric pressure suddenly plummted to previously unheard of number.

As I admired my handiwork, the top layer began slipping off to the side. Before you could say "Jack Sprat", the top layer landed half on the plate, half on the counter and broke into pieces. The apples on the top completed the tragic cake-icide by flinging themselves after it. Sitting alone on the cake plate, the forlorn bottom layer slowly cracked open like the San Andreas fault and shrugged the rest of the apples off its back.

At this point, the whole cake-baking endeavor self-destructed into the slamming of utensils and astoundingly creative profanity. I threw the whole sorry mess into the biggest mixing bowl I had, stuck a utility candle in the middle of it and with an guileless look, told everyone it was a really simple dump cake recipe that had been in the family for years.

Actually it really did taste great - just the presentation was off a bit. The Taller Half still speaks fondly of the first cake I ever made for him and each year requests ice cream and Chips Ahoy for his celebratory dessert. Ah, love.

Am I Being Too Picky?

2009-05-01T15:54:00.006-05:00

It seems like every time I open a new beading magazine or book, I see photos of sloppy work. What set me off today is this photo of a not-even-close-to-closed loop on an otherwise lovely piece of jewelry. Although it's not easy to tell from the angle of the shot, I'm relatively certain that the dragonfly charm would be in grave danger of flying off the dangle.

A recently published jewelry "how-to" book is another national publication containing several examples of what I consider to be shoddy workmanship. My long-suffering co-workers had to listen to my righteous indignation over the many half-closed loops and misaligned jump rings prominently displayed in the photos. Did a professional jewelry crafter make these mistakes or were the pieces made on an assembly line by someone other than the designer? Did the photographer not notice the boo-boos while setting up the shots? Or not have enough jewelry savvy to recognize them? What about editors and whoever else has final say over what gets included in a publication or ad campaign?

There have been many times I have redone jewelry pieces several times because I thought the loops or crimps or what-have-you don't look very nice and I will most assuredly redo many more. Now, don't misunderstand, I don't in any way consider my work to be perfect nor am I trying to sell myself as the jewelry making goddess of the new millennium. I do, however, take pride in what I make and want to do the best work I possibly can so that my customers don't feel as if they are being ripped off by purchasing from me.

Am I being too picky?

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T11:09:00.008-05:00

Isn't this the coolest?!
Lego Earth and moon in the Lego store in the Mall of America

Crafters and artists have been leading the way in recycling by finding really inventive ways to reuse various materials. The totes crocheted from plastic grocery bags are one of my favorites. A few years ago Leisure Arts published a series of books on crafting with recycled materials. We purchased the set for our library collection and they have been really popular. Although I don't think they are still in print, I did find listings for them on Amazon and several resellers. Shopping.com has reviews on them, too.

Sometimes A Great Notion (apologies to Ken Kesey for pinching his title)

2009-04-20T20:29:00.006-05:00

There are times when an artist's work just jumps up and whomps me upside the head. I found this bracelet on Etsy's front page the other day and fell in love with it ~ it's called Greek Salad.

Lori, owner of Risky Beads, has a slideshow of her creations in the Leftovers Series ~ a fantastic jewelry collection with a culinary twist ~ on her blog http://riskybeads.blogspot.com/. She calls the series her "guilty pleasure". In it you can find everything from soup to nuts, literally! Unfortunately for me, but great for her, the Greek Salad bracelet sold almost immediately and from her shop stats I can see that I'm not the only fan out there.While you're visiting her blog, check out the "Risky-mercial" music video. It's fat-free fashion and it's a hoot!

What A Nice Surprise

2009-04-14T21:28:00.004-05:00

I got a nice convo yesterday from Freeblocks. They featured a pair of my earrings their blog foundhandmade.com. It's down the page a bit in a post called "Fairytales II" about Snow White themed items. What a nice surprise! I'm honored to be included with such talented artists. Thank You!

Ta-Da!

2009-04-02T16:23:00.005-05:00

Sherry's "cake" was a hit at the shower last weekend. I like the dragonfly she added to it. (OK, I like dragonflies everywhere.)

'Bout Time

2009-03-27T21:49:00.007-05:00

I finally got up off my patootie last weekend and took some shots of the jewelry I've finished lately. You know, I love making the pieces but I hate like the devil to have to get out all the lights and backgrounds and camera stands and extension cords...... My dream is to have a place where the dog and the cats aren't allowed to be and I can set up the photography crap once and leave it there ready to be used whenever I need it. I tried a different lighting setup this time and a blue paper with a subtle pattern on it for the platform. The shots turned out more shadowed toward the top of the display with the light focus on the jewelry instead of the stand. I like the effect I'm getting with the plexiglass under the jewelry, too. I'd be interested in comments or suggestions on the results. All of these pieces have been listed on Etsy and I'll get more up this weekend hopefully.

My Earrings Have Been Featured!

2009-03-16T23:37:00.007-05:00

A rainy Sunday turned bright and sunny with a convo from DariaDesign. She has featured a pair of my earrings on her blog. Check it out at http://dariadesign.blogspot.com/2009/03/etsy-finds-feathers.html.

Her Etsy shop is a true delight, too. My favorite is this Dragonfly Box. Thank you so much Daria! I am honored to be in such talented company.

Sherry's Wedding Shower "Cake"

2009-03-13T10:30:00.013-05:00

Sherry is making the sweetest "cake" for a wedding shower. It's made with a set of towels - her gift to the soon-to-be newlyweds. She is using white towels, but it could be made with any color - maybe matching the bride's wedding colors. Rich brown towels would make a chocolate cake!

To make one you'll need:

2 new, unwashed bath towels - regular size, not bath sheets, unless you want a mungungous cake
2 new, unwashed hand towels
2 new, unwashed face cloths
1 dowel - hers is about 18" long (you'll need it the right length to slide down into the middle of the towls but not stick out at the top)
Satin ribbon - 1 spool (measure the circumference of one of the towel rolls to make sure you get enough yardage
Pearls - 1 spool (9 feet)
Silk flowers and greenery

Start by folding the towels lengthwise into thirds. Put them end to end so they slightly overlap. Roll them up from the short end and secure with a straight pin. Do the same with the hand towels and face cloths.

Stack the rolls on your cake plate, stand, whatever and slide the dowel down the middle to stablilize the whole thing. Sherry is using a vintage, white, milk-glass stand that's is about 5" tall and 12" in diameter. It has a lovely, raised vine pattern around the edges. So pretty and nostalgic looking. Just perfect for a Southern spring wedding.

Now comes the fun part - Decorating your cake!

Sherry has wrapped 1 1/2" white satin ribbons around each roll and secured them with pearl headed corsage pins. Since her niece-to-be's color are ice blue, champagne beige and chocolate brown, she is using blue silk hydrangeas to decorate around the layers.

I'll post photos of the finishing touches next week.

I Brought You Some Flowers

2009-03-09T21:50:00.008-05:00

Spring is here on the Gulf Coast! I've been running around the yard taking pictures like crazy. The azaleas are just about fully open now and yesterday I saw the first little fuzz of green on the white oak in the front yard. I fill the bird feeders every morning and whatever the birds don't eat during the day, the raccoons finish off at night. The Little Red Dog is going nuts tracking the armadillos and moles around the yard and she and the squirrels take turns tormenting one another. As much as I love making jewelry, it's hard to make myself stay inside at the workbench on such beautiful days. All too soon it will be murderously hot so I'm going to enjoy this wonderful Spring weather while I can.

An Ode to Spring

2009-03-06T09:58:00.009-06:00

Spring has sprung,
The flowers has riz,
I wonder where
The birdies is

My mother scribbled this in her high school English lit book and when I was a kid it absolutely fractured me. I tried researching to see where it originated and it appears that there is no consensus . It also appears to have many variations. Whatever the origin and whichever version I see, it still cracks me up.

The azaleas are almost in full bloom now. The huge native Indians usually bloom first and the hybrids come along a little later. This weekend show be a good time to start getting some photos - it's supposed to be warm and sunny. I set out a tomato and a couple of pepper plants in the garden yesterday while I was home on my lunch break. The lettuce is really starting to spring up now and the pole beans and sunflowers are up about 2". After Halloween last year I tossed the pumpkin out in the weedy garden plot thinking that the raccoons, possums, armadillos and weasels would like to nibble on it. I now have over a hundred little pumpkin plants coming up in a beautiful clump. It kills me to do it, but I have to start thinning them to half a dozen or so or I'll have pumpkins from hell all over the yard. All the herbs are doing well - even the parsley that my little next-door-neighbor Max has been pulling on. I showed him how to pick leaves off the various herb plants and nibble them to see how they all tasted differently and he sometimes gets a little carried away and pulls most of the plant up. Whenever I see him outside now, he wants to go "eat from the garden". His mama says she is going to stick all his veggies out there before she cooks them and let him harvest some for dinner every day. She's hoping that it will be a successful, if not downright sneaky, way to get him to eat the " inevitable green stuff' as my baby brother used to say. (I typed 'baby bother' just then - wonder if my Freudian slip is showing ?!)

Even with all this frenzy of planting and getting outside to ease my acute case of Spring Fever for the past couple of weeks, I have managed to be a little creative lately. I had a wonderful request from an Etsy member for a special eyeglasses chain. She wanted something sweet with a Hello Kitty sort of idea. I came up with one made with freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, silver plated filigree beads, and seed beads. The little pink pearls are flanked with pale green Swarovski crystals to make a rosebud look. I hope she likes it - if not, it'll be new listing in the Bead D Eyes shop. I'm going out this weekend to look for a few more Hello Kitty-ish beads to make a more casual version with in case this design isn't what she's looking for.

2009-02-25T16:22:00.009-06:00

It's the "I Need A Sale" Sale

Click banner to visit Sea Jewels Jewelry

Click banner to visit Bead-D-Eyes - Jewelry for Your Glasses

It's time to clear out the shops and make room for new Spring and Summer '09 jewelry!

I Don't Need No Stinking Housework

2009-02-21T11:58:00.006-06:00

Now tell me, would you want to stay inside and clean today! I planned to start the spring cleaning in the bathroom but that's out of the question now. It's almost 70° and the birds are out in full force. They are starting to migrate back north and need lots of food after the trip across the Gulf of Mexico. The Little Red Dog is happily sleeping in the sun, the clean sheets are billowing on the clothesline, Bubba the Yella Yard Cat is curled up next to the parsley and is not yelling for food for once and I am headed back out to plonk myself in a chair with a glass of tea , a book and a contented smile (okay, maybe just a little smug) on my face. It's supposed to rain tomorrow - the bathroom can jolly well wait.

Ta-Da!

2009-02-18T11:10:00.005-06:00

The flowers are in full bloom!

Even though it's overcast today, the colors are still so vibrant they almost glow.

Got the urge to make some jewelry last night and came up with these earrings. I had restrung a friend's broken bracelet and had the heart dangles left over. She hadn't been able to find all the pieces when the bracelet broke and I couldn't fit these into the new pattern without making it lopsided. I used antique gold findings with cranberry freshwater pearls and Czech crystals and glass beads I bought in Prague last year. The little dragonflies add a touch of whimsy to them.

Watching the Flowers Grow, Part 4

2009-02-16T19:13:00.002-06:00

Getting closer...

Watching the Flowers Grow, Part 3

2009-02-14T16:23:00.012-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!The daffodils have been in the ground for a week now and will begin to open in the next couple of days.

Some of the buds on the bottom of the azaleas growing up close to the house have already opened. These are on the front side and will be fully open by Monday.

I need to cut the climbing rose back because the buds form on new growth. But I hate to do it - there are already flowers opening on some of the cane tips.

We had a really heavy rain last night and through most of the day so the soil in the garden is good and damp - just right for planting. This afternoon when I got home from work I put in seeds for sweet basil, leaf lettuce, Kentucky pole beans and Skyscraper sunflowers. The strawberries have a few buds on them and seeds from the Halloween pumpkin I threw out in the garden last fall have started sprouting. Last week I planted some potted herbs - cilantro, flat leaf Italian parsley, curly parsley, thyme, lemon thyme, sage and rosemary. The spearmint I put in last year has spread like wildfire and about a dozen volunteer onions have sprouted up from last years planting. Because our summers are so hot, vegetable and herb gardens do better in the winter. I'll be putting in tomato, eggplant and pepper - sweet banana and bell - transplants by the end of the month and sowing the cucumber seeds.

I'm trying to talk the Taller Half into building me another raised garden bed and adding a couple more timbers to the current one to raise the height another 8" or so. My back is getting too old to bend over for very long and even though getting down on my knees isn't a problem, getting back up is. Of course, I do have marvelous help in my gardening from two of the cats - Bubba the outdoor man and Dixie the all-purpose, indoor/outdoor cat. The nervous little red dog does her part by sitting as close to me as possible and keeping a watchful (and wary) eye on her feline siblings.

The kiss of sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth,

One is nearer God’s heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth."

- Dorothy Frances Gurney

Watching the Flowers Grow - Part 2

2009-02-13T12:33:00.006-06:00

I took these photos at 6:30 this morning (Friday the 13th). I love the way the dew on the plants looks in the early morning. The azaleas will probably be in full bloom in another 7-10 days - earlier than usual this year. The climbing rose has bloomed all winter - even in below freezing temperatures. I just planted the daffodils last weekend and they are really shooting up quickly.

Joseph's Coat climbing rose

Daffodil

Southern Indian azalea - Formosa

Now It's (Almost) Spring

2009-02-11T20:13:00.013-06:00

Well, it seems the below freezing temperatures we had last week are gone and have been replaced with the beginnings of spring. I planted some daffodils - my favorite flower - on Saturday. I bought them in small, individual pots and they were only an inch or so high. After planting and watering, they are now about 6" tall and the buds are starting to show. The azaleas are also beginning to show some color and the climbing rose is covered with buds. We are always fooled by these first signs of spring. Invariably there will be another couple of rounds of cold weather before winter actually exits.

The cold has kept me inside more lately so I've been making more scarves. Most of them are the knitted fuzzy kitten scarf style but I did do a couple of crochet ones also. I had an afghan pattern I adapted to make a diamond filet pattern in a super soft creamy ivory color yarn by Caron Simply Soft.

For the first time in several years the Taller Half was home on my birthday and we celebrated with dinner and flowers. Not being much of a shopper, he filled a birthday card with a little something green (my favorite color!). Mom-in-law got a cheesecake from our local specialty bakery and we dived into that after dinner. At work the next day, my friends surprised me with a gift card to Hobby Lobby and a bag of peppermint chewy candies. The birthday card was a fold out with monkeys all over it. They each picked out which monkey represented them and were spookily accurate in their choices.

Hope's Cheesecake

Sherry made me a wonderful fleece throw with a deep forest green on one side and a print with white cats on the other. It has been so nice to snuggle up with while watching my BBC movies. Terry and Barry gave a beautiful, hand crafted wooden necklace display stand Barry had made. He is such a talented woodworker with a fine eye for detail. My photograph doesn't do justice to the piece.

Sometimes life is so good.

Winter Moves South

2009-02-04T19:45:00.011-06:00

Every few years Mother Nature decides to make the residents of the northern Gulf coast pay for the beautiful weather they have most of the year. Lately She's been sending Canadian cold fronts all the way to the beach. Now I know that it's much colder "up north" but you must remember...we think 40° marks the beginning of a major Ice Age. But this time it's for real. In the past few days we've had lows in the upper teens and highs that just barely reached 40°! That's a big jump from last week's highs in the upper 70s. Tonight's forecast calls for a hard freeze again and probably more warm air by the first of next week. Ah, winter in the South. At least it's not boring.

As a result of this meteorological roller coaster, there is no such thing as "winter clothes" down here. Yeah, we have coats and scarves, but we also can wear shorts and flip flops in January. The biggest problem is having a closet big enough to have all your clothes available in all year round. My closet hanging rod is bending from the weight of a 4-season selection of ensembles.

The cold weather has stirred the nesting instinct in me. I want soft, woogie socks and thick afghans, hot Constant Comment orange spice tea, English period piece movies (oh, Colin Firth) and steaming bowls of soup or stew with warm, fresh bread. This need for comfort led me to one of my favorite cold weather foods - "Bonia" or Lentil Peas. The recipe came from my friend Raymond Lowe's cookbook Caribbean Inspiration in Cooking.
Raymond Lowe in Coastal Living magazine
As most cooks tend to do, I have taken the liberty of making a few changes in Chef Ray's recipe - for the better, I hope he would think. Instead of water and a chicken bouillon cube, I use homemade chicken broth. I have also found that cooking the lentils in the crockpot keeps the lentils whole and not turn them into just a big mush - although it tastes great either way. This recipe makes a enough for at least 10 people so I always have some to eat now and some to freeze for another cold and blustery day.

Here's Chef Ray's recipe - it's super easy and makes the house smell great while it's cooking. So put on a little steel drum music, turn the furnace up, and get ready to dish up a big bowl of lentil peas, Caribbean style - enjoy a short jaunt to the islands where the only white stuff on the ground is beautiful white sand.

"Bonia"

Lentil Peas

1 pound of lentils washed and sorted (rocks are not good, trust me on this one)
2 quarts water (here's where I used chicken broth)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped - green and white parts
3 tablespoons of cilantro, minced (no, the dry stuff in the jar won't do)
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced (dry won't work here either, go get the real thing, if the piece is big and you won't use it all, plant it)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced (I love smashing them under a wide bladed kitchen knife)
1 tablespoon Maggi chicken bouillon (I add this to the chicken broth for a richer flavor)
1 teaspoon Tony's Creole seasoning (if it's not available where you live there are a couple of good recipes on The Gumbo Pages)
1 teaspoon Caribbean jerk seasoning (McCormick makes a pretty good one and there's a good recipe on Allrecipes.com

Combine all ingredients in a heavy pot, cover and cook over medium heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or put in a crockpot and cook about 6 hours on low. Check the peas after a couple of hours to see if they are soft but not mushy - they should be al dente but not crunchy. If using a pot on the stove you may to add water as they cook down - in the crock pot they don't need any extra liquid. You can add more Creole seasoning for a hotter taste but be careful, it has salt in it. Tony's says that if you add enough to make the food salty enough, it's spicy enough. The Taller Half and I like to put a dollop of sour cream on top.

Here's how I make my homemade chicken broth:

1 whole fryer chicken cut up or a package of thighs or wings.
2 ribs of celery cut into thirds
1 sweet onion, leave it whole, just cut the ends off so you can peel the paper away (I use a large one, hey, I like onions)
1 small red bell pepper halved and seeded
1 large carrot, scraped and cut into thirds
olive oil

Put just enough olive oil in a large soup or stock pot to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the vegetables and saute over medium high heat until softened but not browned

Add the chicken pieces and fill with cold water up to within 2" off the top of the pot. Bring to a rolling boil. After it begins to boil, turn the heat down to where the liquid just barely simmers and cover the pot. Simmer until the meat starts to fall off the bones. Put a colander in a large bowl and pour the broth in. Remove the strained meat and veggies, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the fat has floated to the top and congealed - usually overnight. The next day, skim the hardened fat from the top of the bowl and measure out what you need for whatever you're cooking. Freeze the rest in 2-cup portions for up to 6 months.

Now comes the part I like best: take the whole onion (and the other veggies if you like, I just want the onion), put it in a bowl with butter - the real stuff, man, no oleo for me, and add salt and pepper to taste. Now that's comfort food!

Crystals

2009-01-26T19:08:00.006-06:00

I had a nice convo from a fellow Etsian wanting to know about recharging crystals. The question was which crystals and minerals shouldn't be placed in salt water. Now I must admit, I knew of a couple - opal and pyrite - but wasn't too sure about the others. So, being the librarian that I am, off on a search of the web I went. There is a website from the UK - CrystalGems.co.uk - with good info on it for charging your crystals and cleaning them. They also have a list of gemstone properties, gemstone healing, zodiac crystals and lots more good stuff.

I have been making and wearing crystal and gemstone jewelry for a few years and find that more and more people are becoming interested in the metaphysical properties of these beautiful stones. The photo is of a necklace I currently have listed in my shop. I love the way the colors pop when they are put together - it looks like it is lit from within.

Where I Live

2009-01-18T11:31:00.006-06:00

I want to share some photos I took on New Year's Day. It was such a beautiful day I just couldn't stay inside. So, the Little Red Dog and I packed some snacks, water and a book for me - she's not much of a reader, piled into the truck and headed out. We ended up out on the narrow peninsula of Fort Morgan Road. In some places it is only 1/2 mile or so wide with Mobile Bay on the north side and the Gulf of Mexico on the south. I got the beach shot out the truck window using the door frame to steady and balance the camera. The other shots were taken on the bay side at a boat launch. I got within 8 feet of the heron before he grew tired of my company and left. I have to brag on myself, too; I managed to squat down on a sloping boat ramp and not fall over or need a crane to get back up. Let's have a rousing "Huzzah" for Rubenesque ladies of a certain age!

Whew

2009-01-09T20:46:00.005-06:00

Why does the first full week back at work after the Christmas / New Year holiday always seem like it's a month long? The little red dog isn't happy with me leaving every morning and not having our daily walk until after dark. Well, at least it's the weekend now.

I'm planning a trip to Michael's and Hobby Lobby (or Holly Hobby as my friend's dad says) tomorrow for some more yarn. I've been making fuzzy scarves this week and they are turning out to be very popular - three sold before I could even get them listed on Etsy. I decided to call them Kitten Scarves because they feel soft and cuddly like my little feline babies. This project started out as a way to use up smaller skeins of yarn and free up some storage space in the workroom. Now I'm have to buy more because I didn't have enough of a couple of colors to finish the pieces. You know, it's really a catch-22 when you try to use up surplus supplies but need to get more to finish using them up. Will it ever end???

A Week of Firsts

2009-01-03T11:08:00.009-06:00

This week just abounded with "firsts". The first of the month, the first of the year, the first time I sunburned my nose in 2009, the first time the Little Red Dog saw Mobile Bay and got sandspurs in her fur, the first time the cat burped up on the carpet since December 31, 2008, and the first time I had to do housework this year. What a mad and giddy whirl my life is!

It's snowbird season here on the Gulf coast so the library was balls to the walls on the first day we opened after the New Year's holiday. We're hoping the crappy economy doesn't mean our usual influx winter visitors is down this year. The city has already started cutting the budget and laying people off because of a projected revenue decrease - fewer folks down for the winter would really suck. I'm hoping Obama can deliver on his promise of change and get us out of this recession and quickly.

At the moment, we are okay here in the Green House. The offshore oil and gas industry still needs supply boats so the company the Taller Half works for still needs able bodied seamen. I've have made some adjustments to our household budget - cut back on the satellite TV channels (how many versions of Starz do you actually need anyway?). I canceled the online music subscription that wasn't being used very much and I'm only going to the grocery store once a week and then with a list - no impulse buys. The economizing that's the toughest to do though, is not buying any more beads (aarrgghh, the pain :<), yarn, paint, etc. I need to use the things I already have and allow my creativity to come up with new designs and patterns. I mean, isn't that what creativity is anyway? Necessity really is a mother sometimes though.

As a parting thought, I want to share a wonderful piece of journalism from the Mobile Press-Register in 1859. Oh, that we would write so eloquently now.

"A Happy New Year! We have the gratification of offering our readers our cordial greeting on the opening of the New Year. Blessed as we are with a bright and beautiful dawn on this natal day of the new circle of rolling time, and the blue sky that canopies our wide blue horizon with it's warm and pleasant airs, we have besides a world of moral glories and genial sentiments that invite us to the enjoyment of the festivities of the occasion, and the interchange of the compliments appropriate to the season."

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T10:42:00.015-06:00

Here's to a New Year full of hope, love, peace, prosperity and more time to work on our arts and crafts!

click to light a candle

May the god of your choice bless you and yours

New Beads From Santa!

2008-12-28T18:31:00.011-06:00

Best present this year? Bags of beads that mama-in-law brought with her from Prague. Gorgeous colors that remind me of the stained glass windows I saw in St. Vitus Cathedral. Another bag has a mix of black, gray, silver and cream teeny-tiny glass seed beads. They look like the colors in a houndstooth jacket. I already made some bracelets and eyeglasses holders with the brightly colored ones. Now I just have to edit the photos and get them listed in the Etsy shops. I love the creating but not so much the taking care of business end of things.

St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague

Here's a link to the bead store for anyone who reads Czech.

http://www.koralek-obchod.cz/

Christmas Eve Wishes

2008-12-24T18:12:00.009-06:00

Christmas Eve is finally here. All the shopping and planning are done and it's time to settle down in front of the Christmas tree and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. The Taller Half had to go back offshore on Tuesday so we had family celebrations on Saturday and Monday. My brother and niece came down to spend the weekend and my mother and her husband came over to share the evening with all of us. Alzheimer's related dementia has returned my mother to a childlike existence so it was a different kind of celebration than we usually have. The biggest laugh of the night came when we gathered around mama for the Taller Half to take our picture. As we put on our biggest, brightest smiles, mama put her hands up to her eyes like she was looking through binoculars. The picture is priceless. Not only are we completely cracked up, the photographer shook so hard with laughter that the photo came out somewhat blurred. It doesn't matter though, none of us will forget the moment for the rest of our lives.

The non-English-speaking-Mother-in-Law, visiting from Prague, was also at the festivities. We tried to explain to her what was happening but she was convinced we are all insane because we weren't being serious about mama's condition. We're just happy to still have her with us - she was always a little pixilated anyway. Monday was the day for the Czech celebration. Brother-in-Law came over for a traditional dinner of potato salad and fried fish. After dinner we opened presents and drank loaded egg nog until I had to excuse myself to stagger around the block with the little red dog.

Now it is Christmas Eve and I am enjoying the evening with the animals and more egg nog. The Christmas Story is coming on later and It's A Wonderful Life is on another channel. Maybe I'll just bounce bewteen them. Later, I plan to watch Blackadder's Christmas Carol for the umpteenth time. YouTube has several clips - and it's worth a look-see.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

How come...?

2008-12-18T16:24:00.014-06:00

click photos for video clips

~☼~ How come I always think "Oh, it'll only take me a few minutes to get these presents wrapped" then 2 hours later after I finally finish, I spend another hour cleaning up the mess I made?

~☼~ How come there is always that one person I can't think of a cool present for - and it's not the same person every year?

~☼~ How come I'm always finishing some homemade gift (usually cross stitch) on Christmas Eve no matter how early I started making it?

~☼~ How come I always get a Christmas card from the one person I didn't send one to this year because I haven't been in touch with them for years?

~☼~ How come the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas seems like it is only 4 days long?

~☼~ How come I feel such a compulsion to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer every year as I have since I was 7 years old?

~☼~ How come hearing Linus recite the Christmas story still gives me goosebumps?

~☼~ How come egg nog only tastes good when I drink it from the holly berry glasses I got at Arby's almost 30 years ago?

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season in whatever way you choose to celebrate it and may the god of your choice bless you and yours in the new year.

Send me your "how come"s and I'll post the best of them in another blog entry.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-11T12:28:00.007-06:00

I want to share just a few photos of the Christmas village my friend Rooster and his wife Phyllis put every year in their home. Over the last 13 years they have collected the houses, shops, people, trains, amusement park rides and anything else you could imagine for this miniature town. Rooster says it takes him about 2 weeks to get the base (5 sheets of plywood) painted and set up for Phyllis to start arranging the pieces. After 18 hours of work, the 92 houses and shops, 2 skating rinks, amusement park and Lionel train are ready to go. Everything lights up and all the vehicles cars and trains move around the town. There are Ford and Chevrolet car dealerships, a Wal-Mart, a McDonalds, and even a Harley Davidson shop. I wish everyone could see their work. It is truly a holiday gift from the heart for their family and friends.

Had to Share This One

2008-12-09T15:00:00.007-06:00

This came in an email this week and I just had to share it. It's called the Redneck Christmas Tree. I'm sure the Taller Half would be able to provide enough cans to make one at our house. They would even be Heineken cans - they're green have a festive little red star on them!
~~~☼~~~ Merry Christmas Ya'll! ~~~☼~~~

Relaxing and Crafting - the Perfect Sunday

2008-12-07T20:20:00.010-06:00

What a lovely Sunday. The little red dog and I have had a wonderfully relaxing time today. I actually got to read the whole Sunday paper without any interruptions or chores that really needed doing. The Taller Half comes home on Wednesday, so this was my last chance to enjoy an unwrinkled newspaper. This time of year the sun comes in the southern windows and makes the love seat in the kitchen the most wonderful place to read. There's a big windowsill to hold my coffee and any cats who want to watch the birds on the feeders.

This afternoon was Christmas card time. I was determined to get them done before the middle of December this year. My intentions are always good, but my follow-through leaves a bit to be desired. Not this time, though! The cards are signed, sealed and stamped, ready to go into the mailbox in the morning. Now I can start working on the handmade cards I've planned for my family. Since these won't be mailed, I can take my time and get creative. Recently I got the neatest CD-ROM / book of old fashioned Christmas card illustrations. I'm flipping through it to pick which ones I want to use in my snow globe design. In the one in the picture, I cut the figure of the penguin from a piece of wrapping paper. Pre-made blank cards, decorative paper for backgrounds and shapes, wrapping paper, designs printed from my computer, spray adhesive and opalescent glitter are the supplies I'm using. The local scrapbooking store, Gigi's Scrapbooking, was having a buy-2-get-1 sale on rubber stamps when I stopped in on Saturday, so being the frugal gal that I am... three holiday greetings stamps are now living on my workbench. My plan is to get all the printing and cutting out done in the evenings after work this week and spend next Saturday assembling the cards. For right now, though, it's time to finish watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on TV. The snow scenes are really getting me into the holiday spirit.

John Clay Hurley

2008-12-01T21:10:00.007-06:00

He was the new kid in class in 1972. He was my best friend. He was my first date. He was my first kiss. He took me to my senior prom. He liked Manhatten Transfer, Bette Midler and Elton John. He was an incredibly talented artist by the age of 13. He liked to eat dinner at my house. He loved my mother's French Chocolate Roll dessert. He graduated from art school. He moved to San Francisco. He once paid $300 for a dinner in Japan. He sent me letters full of pepper or written on toilet paper. He made me laugh. He understood when I cried. He told me I should have a baby by a sperm donation from the Dalai Lama. He lost his sight. He died of AIDS in 1994. I miss him every day.

Please support AIDS research.

Yea! A New Etsy Friend!

2008-11-28T19:27:00.003-06:00

Take a look at this gorgeous necklace from BitzofBlingDesignz on Etsy.

Jen lives in Colorado and the beauty of the high plains comes out in the colors she combines for her jewelry. She has a Black Friday thru Cyber Monday Sale going on this weekend and there are great gift ideas for all those special ladies in your life - and for yourself, too!

I'm leaving hints for the Taller Half to pay her shop a visit. Hmmm, now how many things do I want...?

A Movie and Popcorn Will Bankrupt You

2008-11-26T11:36:00.005-06:00

Today I am $33 poorer than I was yesterday at this time. My 15-year-old niece is visiting this week during her Thanksgiving break and she wanted me to see Twilight. OMG, as she would say, two tickets, two small popcorns and a medium drink sucked the week's grocery budget right out my pocket. Holy crap! I say. We went with two gal-pals from work and stopped for a nutritious dinner of ice cream at the Cold Stone Creamery first. During a discussion of hot actors, somebody mentioned George Clooney and Becca said her friend thinks he is so hot "for an old guy". I pointed out that he is younger than I am and the verbal backpedaling went into high gear. All said and done, though, I did enjoy the movie and especially enjoyed sitting next to that teenage cutie as she giggled and swooned her way through 2 hours of hot guys and lingering, smoldering, romantic eye-locking on the big screen.

Esty's Mentioned in Parade Magazine!

2008-11-24T10:08:00.006-06:00

Etsy got a mention in this Sunday's Parade Magazine! It's also on their website at http://www.parade.com/parade-picks/2008/11/web-gift-ideas.html.

Not a big article but hopefully a good boost for all the sellers.

click to enlarge

Let It Snow!

2008-11-18T13:55:00.004-06:00

Holiday crafting has gotten a hold on me. I've been looking through the beading books and magazines and checking out the jewelry catalogs - snowman earrings seem to be cropping up in all of them. On a trip to Michael's I found some great silver plated beads with a bumpy texture and used them with black crystal cubes and sequins to make my version. Once again, I can't say how much I love my friends - I took the first pairs of earrings to work with me and they bought them all. So back to the craft store I went for more pieces and parts. Last night I settled in at the workbench and made two dozen more pairs and put a listing in the Etsy shop for them. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they all sell and I can make another payment on my staggering credit card total. My plan is to have it paid off before I am old enough to collect Social Security. Yeah, right.

Had to Share This...too Funny

2008-11-14T14:56:00.011-06:00

I just found this forum thread on Etsy and about peed my pants laughing. Check it out if you need a good chortle today.

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5908910

and check out these Etsy shops for more Sock Monkeys

http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title_description&search_query=sock+monkey

Here's a good instruction site if you want to make your own sock monkey

http://www.supersockmonkey.com/catalog/howtomake.html

I'm declaring Fridays to be Sock Monkey Day!

WhooHoo! (as Mel would say)

Just What I Need...

2008-11-11T21:30:00.009-06:00

Well, I'm sunk now. I opened an account on Twitter. It is oddly addicting and highly time consuming. Just another thing to try to limit myself on. Speaking of limits, I went to the bead shop for eye pins and came home with a sack of beads. I swore I wouldn't buy any more until I had sold a bunch more pieces of jewelry and started to whittle down my store of pretties. So much for willpower. Sigh...
semi-precious stone eyeglasses holder
I'm offering Free Shipping in my BeadDEyes shop on Etsy - that's where I sell beaded eyeglasses holders. I've made several sales in a local shop and need to get more listed on Etsy. Maybe I'll get more creative time now that the Taller Half has gone back offshore for a few weeks. I just need to stay away from the bead shops. I don't need new beads-I don't need new beads-I don't need new beads-I don't need new beads...

the old man and the sea

Jack O'Lanterns, Craft Day and the Littlest Punkin

2008-10-30T15:46:00.013-05:00

Yea for Craft Day! After talking about it for several months, the BFFs finally had a Craft Day last Sunday. Amy provided the place (thank you again!) and the Mimosa cocktails and everyone brought whatever project they wanted to work on. Jerri and I broke from the rest of the pack who were jewelry crafting - she brought her card making supplies (all 15 cases worth) and I took my crochet. I'm trying to use all the yarn I've collected over the years and a new basketweave pattern I found is working really well for an afghan. Clancy the cat was worn out after helping so much.

Terry and Linda were missing from the lineup - Terry had foster puppy for the weekend and Linda was recuperating from a "procedure" (?). Their wisdom and humor was sorely missed by all. Yuk, I even made myself gag on that one.

Wendy's friend Beata was down for the weekend and she gamely tried her hand at making earrings and a bracelet - with fantastic results I might add. For most of the afternoon all we saw of Mel was the top of her head as she concentrated on connecting jumps rings and crystal drops to make a gorgeous bracelet. She has a lot more patience than I do - just trying to open and close five jump rings makes me start cussing and throwing things down in frustration. Skylar, Amy's daughter, joined in and got into making friendship bracelets and some cute ribbon and chain creations while her mom started using her new jewelry kit. Amy is a novice jewelry crafter but is already showing signs of becoming a bead junkie. Oh, Wendy, what kind of monster have we created?

Sunday night was Pumpkin Carving Night at the Hoffmans. Sherry and Marty hosted family and friends for the annual contest. The Littlest Punkin - grandbaby Skylar, made a spectacular entrance in her costume and helped Mama and Daddy make a pumpkin caterpillar. You can see from the pictures this bunch takes pumpkin carving very seriously!

The End

New Etsy Friends

2008-10-22T10:13:00.007-05:00

The Crafters' Guild Place is all over the map now! I responded to an Etsy forum post this morning about featuring sellers on blogs and the result has been new friends from Queens, New York USA (by way of Toronto, Canada), Jackson, Mississippi USA, Hong Kong, China, Asia, and County Donegal, Ireland. Making these new friends makes me feel like a world traveler. I'm going to Google Earth and do a "fly-over" of all the places these folks live. The photos at the top of this post are from the shops just added today. Each one has more good stuff than you can shake a stick at (a good old Southern-ism if there ever was one). Click the picture for a link to the shop itself.

If you'd like to your shop to the Etsy Shopping Mall section (over on the left side of the page), just convo me at seajewels2005.esty.com and I'll be glad to add it. Every week I'll put a larger photo with a link and short comment down under the blog posts section. This week tialeyvintage (great vintage clothing) is featured.

I see more convos coming in on the Etsy shop - wow, more friends and more places to cyber-visit! Keep them cards and letters comin' in folks. You like me, you really like me (I hope) :)

Crazy for Stone Beads

2008-10-17T22:04:00.013-05:00

I have fallen in love with natural stone beads this fall! Mahogany obsidian, Amazonite, semi-precious chips, turquoise - you name it, I've probably bought some. Needless to say, I've become a "frequent flyer" at Fire Mountain. Now I need to make some sales. Here are shots of my newest pieces. I don't have everything listed on Etsy yet but I'm working on it. Sometimes it's hard for me to switch off the creative side and get down to business. Right brain, left brain, aaarrrggghhh!

Something else I've fallen in love with an absolutely gorgeous sweater from Design by Nihan. It is pure cashmere elegance. Nihan lives in Istanbul and says she gets her design inspirations from a mix of Anatolian culture and the modern world. Wherever, they come from, her original designs are truly remarkable. I am so glad to have found her shop and now I really need to make some sales in my shop so I can afford that sweater. Hmmm, maybe if I asked Santa really nicely...

click photo to see more info

It's Autumn and the Nuts Are Falling

2008-10-12T20:32:00.014-05:00

The commercial only came on in the fall and maybe only in Birmingham, I don't really know. I can't even remember what product they were trying to sell. All I can remember are the two squirrels sitting on a tree limb arguing about the merits of the product. One says he doesn't like it - coffee maybe? - and the other knocks him off the limb, looks into the camera and says, "It's autumn and the nuts are falling". When I was lilttle that totally cracked me up and the phrase has become a standard in the family quote catalog. If anyone remembers what they were selling, please let know.

The calendar says it's fall but the outdoor thermometer has had a different opinion. After a few nice, cool mornings, the heat and humidity came back. The first of last week brought a storm that dumped upward of 8" of rain in a few hours. I was sleeping peacefully through the whole thing until the little red dog jumped up to start barking at the thunder around 3 am. It's a comfort to know that thunder and lightning will never sneak up on me as long as she is around. This weekend, the weather has been glorious and fall is finally starting to peep in around the edges of the day. The popcorn trees (I know, I know, they are considered an invasive nuisance plant but since Hurricane Ivan they are the only trees I have left shading the house) are starting to turn gold and red and the dallisgrass has quit shooting back up the day after you mow the lawn. In the mornings the air is cool and I have enjoyed sitting on the patio to read the paper and have my coffee. Little red dog uses the time to trace the paths of every armadillo, raccoon, possum, mole and vole who has visited the yard overnight.

Saturday morning I opened all the windows and let the house take in some fresh air while I did the weekly cleaning chores. By noon I was finished with the "gotta do" things and settled in to enjoy some "wanna do" activities. I finished up a couple of necklaces I started last week and made some earrings with the semi-precious stone chips I've been collecting. Both pairs of earrings are long drops with silver feather charms at the end. One set of feathers has a green enamel oval in the center. I matched them up with clear quartz chips and deep green natural emerald chips. The other pair has red coral and turquoise chips. Next job is to get better pictures so I can start listing some new pieces on Etsy.

Several months ago I bought a floral focal component made of carved mother of pearl and have been meditating on what beads to put with it ever since. Inspiration struck on Saturday night. Unakite and autumn jasper made a nice contrast to the lacy look of the flower and tiny antique gold seed beads add just a bit of glimmer to the necklace. I have really fallen in love with the colors of the autumn jasper, unakite and Russian serpentine beads I found. I paired the unakite with brown zebra stone for another necklace. Pale blue amazonite set off the earthy browns, creams and peaches of the other stones. Now I'm working on what to use with the tiger eye and mahogany obsidian rounds I have out on the workbench.

Wendy and Mel modeled a new way to wear the 80" chain and druk bead necklace I made. The look is mah-va-lous but their mobility may be slightly compromised. Ah, the things those girls will do for fashion. The gold version is available in my shop at SeaJewels2005.etsy.com.

September Contest Winner

2008-10-02T09:37:00.012-05:00

Congratulations to Randi for winning the September Jewelry Give-Away Contest. Randi says she has never won anything before. Maybe this is just the start of a lucky streak and the Lotto is next!

Visit Randi's shop on Etsy, randi100.etsy.com. It's a treasure trove of goodies ranging from fine art photograpy to furniture and craft items. I love the rainbow fence photo.

Don't forget to enter the October contest for a bead & cord eyeglasses holder. The winner will be chosen at random from everyone who signs the Guestbook or makes a comment on any of the October blog posts.

Let's Have Coffee on the Porch

2008-09-30T10:07:00.010-05:00

Let's just relax on the porch today. The coffee is ready and there are sugar cookies to go with. Sit back, put your feet up and listen to the birds. The mockingbirds are singing like it spring again. It's migration time and the feeder is busy with birds we don't see the rest of the year and the hummingbirds are back for a few days before beginning the flight across the Gulf of Mexico to their winter home. There has been a touch of fall in the early morning for the past few days. Here in the Deep South, fall doesn't really arrive until late October and sometimes early November. September only teases us with cool mornings that turn into blazing hot afternoons. I had given up on the amaryllis in the planter but now it has sent up leaves and will probably bloom again this winter. One year it had five bright red blooms on the one stem. Every now and then a little breeze sets the chimes in motion and falling acorns rattle in the leaves. Take a few minutes before starting your day - pull up a chair and relax. Join me on the porch for a while.

Nothing In Particular

2008-09-22T14:39:00.008-05:00

Nice. A weekend without the threat of annihilation by Mother Nature. The Taller Half got home last week and has been trying to dry out the car from the two hurricane soakings it has gone through. So far, so good, except this means I might have to keep it at home where I have covered parking this time when he leaves for work. The bad part of that is the fact that the car doesn't have a CD player and I'm halfway through the 32-CD recording of Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. Oh crap.

I've added a link on the side of the blog to Leonard Pitts' columns from the Miami Herald. His latest one (Do yourself a favor --- read a book) really resounds with this librarian. Banning books is an abominable and dictatorial idea to me. I believe that if you don't agree with the subject matter of a book, you shouldn't read it. Period. End of discussion. Next topic please. Lately it seems to be a very scary fact of life that the beliefs of one very vocal group are being forced onto the public at large. I have no problem with what you believe and will defend your right to believe it. They are, however, your beliefs, not mine. I won't insist that you adopt my point of view and I would hope that you would have the common courtesy and respect of one human being to another to not insist that I subscribe to yours. As a footnote let me add that my use of the word "you" is not meant for any particular reader but is used only in a general sense. I tried using "one" to indicate a person but it sounded too much like Jane Austen and rather pretentious.

Okay, enough ranting for today. On to more peaceful thoughts.

Om mani padme hum

I'd Like You to Meet...

2008-09-17T12:33:00.008-05:00

LINDA

My BFF Linda (I got the teen-speak from my 15-year-old niece who would be mortified if she heard me use it) has finally opened her shop on Etsy - it's called Watercolors by Linda and you can find it at RoseMT.etsy.com. She is an artist extraordinaire who began painting when her five kids were small. "I had to do something to keep my sanity" she says. While specializing in watercolors, Linda also paints in oils and does charcoal and pencil drawings.

A couple of years ago I gave myself the birthday present of a watercolor class at the Pleasure Island Art Association gallery in Orange Beach. Linda signed up too and on the first day of class gave me a wonderful set of watercolor brushes for my birthday. Her paintings, as usual, were beautiful; mine, however, reflected my guerrilla warfare style of get in- get out-take no prisoners painting - slap-dash, murky, blurry, I don't take enough time crap. It was a moment of epiphany - I do not have the patience for beautifully detailed watercolors. If you want abstract and actually kinda scary paintings, I'm your Go-To Gal. I am, however, getting a lot of use out of the brushes - I've gotten into rubber stamping and am really liking painting them in with watercolors.

By the way, I still don't color in the lines.

New Beads, Blue Balloons and the Same Old Weather

2008-09-12T12:13:00.012-05:00

Ooh, ooh, ooh! A box from Fire Mountain on the doorstep when I got home from work last night!!! It's so pathetic but I had forgotten what all I had ordered. Maybe that's a sign that I'm ordering too much...nah. This shipment had lots of satin finish Czech druk beads in deep shades of green, blue, purple and gold. I'm thinking of a necklace with a combination of all those colors with Czech beads for sparkle. The cathedral beads and the fire polished crystals are in green, amber, bronze and cobalt blue colors. As soon as I do my Saturday chores I plan on spending the rest of the day at the workbench playing with my new pretties.

After much cogitation, I finally came up with a design for the Russian serpentine beads I got a while back. I used them with some unakite nuggets and gold maple leaf dangles to make a fall inspired necklace. They are so heavy I couldn't see using them alone so I made the last few inches on each side with gold tubes and small unakite rounds. Now I have to decide if I want to part with it or wear it myself.

The little red dog and I had some excitement last Friday afternoon when a hot air balloon descended over the house on it's way to a splash landing in the Intracoastal Canal. For a minute it looked like it would land on the house but the pilot managed to get it over another block before setting her down in the water. The basket never sank but it did take a few minutes to get airborn again. It was so hot and still that afternoon I'm surprised they even went up in the first place.

On the weather front (weather front, get it?!) - we dodged another bullet when Ike passed us with only a glancing blow (wow, two puns in one sentence - I'm on a roll). The island has had really high surf and strong winds for the past couple of days. From what I hear, the houses down on West Beach had water up under them and the city's gajillion dollar berm and beach replenishment work is history. I went down to the beach Thursday night to "watch the hurricane" as the tourists say. I think they expect a funnel cloud like a tornado. The waves were running a good 20 feet high if not more. I took the photo and the video from a rise of about 8-10 feet above the water level. You can see from the size of the folks in the video how tall the waves were. As for the video quality, I am not usually that bad a videographer. The wind was a steady 25 mph with higher gusts and I was doing my best just to stand still. All you can hear on the video is the wind roaring. Some of the blurriness was caused by the salt spray in the air. I definitely had hurricane hair when I got home.

Now word yet from the taller half. The boat is holed up in Lake Charles and the latest weather radar shows that area being almost out of the rain bands. My cousin called last night from Beaumont to say it didn't look like it would be that bad and for me not to worry about them or the big guy. She said they would reel him in if he came floating by. Several years ago during a heavy rain she did say a boat had cruised down their street, so I guess anything is possible.

Peace and Quiet (for the time being)

2008-09-08T13:15:00.006-05:00

Gustav is gone with no lasting scars except for the pine tree in my neighbor's yard. It looks really cool the way it just snapped in half and the green part is still attached and hanging down. It sort of looks like a closed pen knife. Now if we can only hold off Ike. The Cone of Doom is moving slowly westward so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The weekend was nice and peaceful. The little red dog and the Pink Man actually sat together on the couch while I read the Sunday paper. What you can't see in the photo is Mimi walling her eyes at me in terror every few minutes. The little sweetie cat was in the window sill behind me biting my head when I took the photo.

Saturday was just a do-nothing day; I watched movies and read most of the day. Sunday, however, was a festival of jewelry making. There were some good old films on Turner Classic Movies it is was just too hot and humid to even think about staying outside for longer than 10 minutes at a time, so I sat down to the work table and began thinking. Not having any sort of pattern or even I idea of what I wanted to make, I started looking through the stash for inspiration. There were a few things (okay, quite a few) I had forgotten I had. The moss green freshwater pearls caught my eye and for the next couple of hours I was lost in my work. The result was this necklace with a rhinestone centerpiece. I've been trying to get a good photo of it but I'm having trouble with the lighting. I want to catch the glint off the crystals in the focal piece and the ones in the pearl strand and yet show the beautiful color of the pearls. This is the best one so far. I'm going to keep trying until I get it right.

I was on a roll after I finished the pearl necklace and in the next 4 hours I made three more necklaces using some of the beads I've shown in past posts - the blue and white porcelain and Russian serpentine. Let me mention at this point that I hate to do the fiddly work like putting jump-rings on charms or making wrapped loop components. I like laying out the design and picking the colors to put together. That said, I spent close to an hour putting jump-rings on tiny, gold-plated maple leaves for the serpentine necklace. It wouldn't have taken that much time if I hadn't kept jumping up to _____(insert name of activity here)________. Anything from laundry to brushing out the dog's ears to making a pitcher of tea gave me an excuse to put down the pliers and get up for a few minutes. I finally got it done and am pretty pleased with the results. Now for really hard part - taking the photographs. I'm going to make a start at it tonight but not really spend a lot of time on it.

The taller half is coming home Wednesday and I want to get the house nice and tidy (jeeze that sounds domestic...bleah!) so that he can trash it when he comes in with 9 weeks of laundry and assorted boat crap. The crew change was cancelled last week because of the Hurricane Gustav so he is more than ready to get off that boat this time. Well, come ahead on, Big Guy, the beer is cold and there are plenty of Bush's beans to keep you content. That is unless Ike changes his mind and we have to go back into hurricane mode. Keep your fingers crossed!

Gustav II

2008-09-02T19:06:00.012-05:00

Well, after all the preparations were made, the house was clean, all the laundry was washed and put away (something I usually put off doing under normal circumstances) and the supplies were laid in, I was ready for Gustav. The weather radio alarm work me at 5 am on Sunday and I don't think it shut up for more than an hour for the next two days. When it got up to the eight hundred seventy-something-th tornado watch/warning, I quit listening. No kidding, the announcer was giving the watch/warning number every time he came on. Surely to God we didn't have more than eight hundred. Maybe they were on a cumulative total for the area for the year. I know that weather radios are a good thing and can save lives but after a while that alarm noise makes you a little testy. I shot some video through the patio door during one of the downpours. It really wasn't a foggy as it looks, I just haven't cleaned the door glass in a while. I'm creative, not tidy.

Thankfully, Gustav missed us - not so good for the folks in southern Louisiana. Mostly we just had some strong gusts of wind and heavy downpours that didn't last too long at a time. The power went out briefly Sunday night - just enough time to light a candle and turn on the battery powered TV. The taller half's BFF came over Sunday and set up the generator for me. I knew if I had all my ducks in a row the storm wouldn't be any problem. Now if I can just make that luck work for the rest of the season. You hear that Ike and Josephine?!

The taller half called, finally, to say they were safely docked up in Contraband Bayou - don't you just love that name - near Lake Charles That took a load off my mind, however, we still don't know how the car fared. Probably not a new car in my future, just the joy of driving a moldy smelling Ford.

Through all this drama, I did get to spend some peaceful time working on a new afghan. I'm using a really nice Bernat yarn. It's variegated in shades of soft blue and green with white - Bernat calls the color denim. The pattern started out as a traditional granny square then I started improvising. After a great deal of counting and scribbling pattern ideas, I came up with an open-work diamond shape that reminds me of the shapes in an argyle sweater. I have to check my count every time I turn a corner to make sure the spaces are lining up correctly. There's a list in my work basket with the pattern counts on it for those foggy moments. Now if I can just remember not to try and watch a sub-titled foreign film while I'm crocheting. I forget that I'm supposed to be reading and then realize that I don't have a clue as to what's been going on for the last 10 minutes. In my uni-lingual defense, however, let me add that I do recognize most all of the bad words in whatever language is being spoken. At least that's a start.

Waiting for Gustav

2008-08-31T10:38:00.006-05:00

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200807_alerts.html#a_topad

I suppose everyone along the Gulf coast has their own list of hurricane preparations. We all know the drill - move the patio furniture inside, stock up on the four "b"s (see if earlier post if you don't know what I'm talking about), board up the windows and obssesively watch the Weather Channel and John Nodar on WKRG channel 5. Since this is my first hurricane to have to make all the preps on my own, I have added cleaning the house to my list of things to do. Now I'm sure there are those of you who will think this odd but hear me out. Chances are good that the power will go out at some point and it will get rather stuffy iin here until the rain and wind slack up a tad and I can crank out the awning windows. Since I share my digs with 3 cats and a dog who is currently in love with rolling in the dirt piles left behind by passing armadillos, it most probably will get somewhat aromatic after a few hours with no AC - not to mention humid. Ergo, my cleaning frenzy. I would much rather smell the intoxicating aroma of Fabuloso cleaner and lemon furniture polish than Eau de (Wo)Man's Best Friend and Evening in Litterbox.

As to my flying solo for this storm, the Taller Half is somewhere in the Gulf on a crew boat - hopefully safe in harbor somewhere other than Louisiana. On the news I heard that all the rigs in the Gulf - I think there are nearly 4000 - have been evacuated so surely the company has seen fit to get the supply boats out of Gustav's way. Now my car is another story. The last I heard it was parked at a dock in New Iberia. Oh crap. I've been driving the Big Green Mo-chine because we figured it made more sense to put the 12-year-old Silver Bullet in potential danger than the not-paid-off-yet truck. Now, apparently, the potential danger has shifted into the realm of reality. Oh double crap.

The clouds have been thickening all morning and the humidity is becoming more unbearable than usual. I have one more load of clothes to wash, some surface wiping down and dusting to do; then I'm taking a shower and putting on comfy storm clothes. There some ground round in the refridg-a-deezer (a George Carlinsim, God bless him) along with some fresh asparagus so I think a lovely hamburger steak with plenty of onions and gravy sounds like just the ticket for this Sunday's repast. Maybe I'll even really splurge and make Hollandaise to go on the asparagus. You know, of course, that there is no cholesterol or heavy caloric content in pre-storm meals. After dinner it's back to the TV - a movie with only occasional peeks at Jim Cantore. Hope the little red dog doesn't need to out late tonight.

To my cousins in south Louisiana and Beaumont - you win the Which Cousin Gets the 1st Hurricane contest for this year and, oh yeah LEAVE! For everyone else in Gustav's path, I wish you good luck and sufficient cold beer. Now get out the Fabuloso and clean something!

Soul of Somanya

2008-08-27T16:00:00.005-05:00

Several months ago I read an article about a Mobile, AL jewelry artist who went to Africa to teach jewelry crafting to the traditional Krobo bead makers. This month Bead&Button magazine's feature story is by Melody MacDuffee relating her experience in Ghana. The full article can be found at ttp://www.beadandbutton.com/bnb/default.aspx?c=a&id=3240. More info on Soul fo WSomanya is available at http://www.soulofsomanya.net/ and Melody's website is http://melodysarts.com/index.html.

Made It Into A Treasury!

2008-08-24T10:11:00.008-05:00

I am so excited -my Orange Popsicle
Flower Lariat Necklace was listed in a Treasury on Etsy. Beth of theladiesann.etsy.com put together a beautiful collection of things orange and called it A l'rorange : from crispy duck to the Etsy logo, everything's better "a l'orange!" It is such an honor and a thrill to have my necklace chosen from the thousands of pieces of jewelry on Etsy and the cherry on the top is that the treasury was featured on the front page! If you're not familiar with Etsy, trust me, this is a big deal. I always love it when I log into my Etsy shop and see the little red number by the Conversations link. It means someone has been visiting my shop and wants to talk about it. For the note to say I'm in a treasury is so totally awesome, as my 15-year-old niece would say. Many thanks also to Beth who got a screenshot of the treasury on the Etsy's Front Page and posted it on Flickr. I'm going to smile all day!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/88549784@N00/2789017633/

I'd Like You to Meet... Mike C

2008-08-23T15:49:00.006-05:00

Mike & Wendy - a crafty couple

THE ARMCHAIR OUTFITTER
Real men can craft too.

In the interest of equal time for the opposite sex, I like you to meet Mike C. He is a great example of man-crafting. Any given weekend will find Mike in his man-cave reloading shotgun shells or learning to tie flies for a fishing expedition.

Sure, you'll all say, that’s not crafting - there’s no yarn or colored paper or supplies from Michael’s involved. But I believe that crafting is in the eye of the beholder. Reloading a shotgun shell is a craft that takes time and skill to master. It takes patience and definitely a steady hand . Tying flies is takes superb hand-eye coordination and is as intricate and painstaking a task as learning to make perfect French knots on a piece of embroidery.

Lately Mike has taken to cyber crafting with his webpage http://www.armchairoutfitter.com/. He writes of his hunting and fishing experiences and gives practical tips on different aspects of the sports. Designing a webpage is an art unto itself and Mike is showing a real knack for it.Visit his site and experience for yourself the art of a talented man sharing his passions with the rest of us.

The Four "B"s

2008-08-21T17:45:00.005-05:00

Friday 9:30 am CDT

We knew it had to happen. No one gets off scott free down here on the coast anymore. Apparently Fay is headed our way. Crap.

I have reminded all my friends to make sure they stock up on the four "B"s necessary for hurricane season preparedness - Beanie Weenies, batteries, beer and bleach. As my cousin, a former Mobilian, remarked one time, no one knows exactly what the bleach is for, just get it. It's traditional.

In 1995 we evacuated when Hurricane Opal appeared to be headed right at us as a cat 5 storm. We were stuck in wind and heavy rain on Hwy 31 north along with hundreds of other folks and the local DJ thought that "Don't Fear the Reaper" was a good musical selection. What a mood booster that was. Soon after we lost signal from that station and started dialing around for something else. The Power Pig in Monroeville came in loud and clear. Locals were calling in to report conditions and one gentleman caller cracked me up completely. He reported in an almost panicked voice that "there's not a batt'ry or a Bay-ny Way-ny left in Mohn-roh-vee-ull"! Hence my almost religious conviction that one must store up those four "B"s for a rainy day, literally.

I have all the "B"s covered, plus a few more letters of the alphabet - plenty of DVDs for when the rain gets so heavy the satellite goes out, a stack of books (like I ever run out of those) for when the power goes out, batteries for all assorted communication / information devices, fresh bread for sammiches and clean sheets for napping through the whole messy thing.

Two and a half more months of hurricane season left to go. Ah, tropical paradise. Nothin' else like it.

It's Not Just Driftwood Anymore

2008-08-14T19:41:00.017-05:00

Several years ago the taller half and I bought a new home and noticed that every night the walls of breezeway to the patio would be covered with tiny green frogs. I was fascinated by them. Well, one day not long after our discovery, a lanky, laughing girl toting a stack of driftwood strolled into the library. My co-worker Laura introduced her as her sister Cory. The driftwood turned out to be wonderful pieces of art that Cory had created with wood burning and painting skills. One of the pieces just happened to have tree frogs on it and I was immediately sold. Her frogs have been hanging on the wall of my breezeway for 6 years now and look as bright and sassy today as they did when I brought them home.

Over the years, Cory has continued to hone her craft and now it has taken on a new meaning in her life. Last December, Cory's husband Darrell was diagnosed with throat cancer and Cory has been selling her artwork to help pay the mounting medical bills and living expenses for her family. She and Darrell don't have medical insurance. Her Etsy shop has several beautiful pieces listed for sale - artistryinwood.etsy.com . There is a website and a blog with updated information about Darrell's treatments and family activities -http://www.wallacefamilycancerfund.org/ I'm asking all you artists, crafters, Etsians - anyone who reads my ramblings, to visit Cory's shop and the Wallace Family website. Give her shop a heart on and leave a special thought or prayer for the family on the blog. Cory is giving her heart for her husband and family and I think we should show her that she has ours too.

Yellow Flies and Joseph Campbell

2008-08-07T19:26:00.012-05:00

Every year I am surprised anew by exactly how hot it can get here on the coast in August. And I don't even want to think about September's heat still to come. We are all broadcasting our anti-hurricane vibes as we approach the peak of the storm season. At least if we have one I don't have to worry about trees falling on the house - Hurricane Ivan took out the three long leaf pines four years ago. I guess there's a silver lining to every cloud after all.

Last night I took the little red dog for a walk around the neighborhood and was eaten alive by yellow flies. If you don't know what those are, they look like a cross between a large housefly and a yellow jacket and bite the crap out of you. They are very sneaky and will land on the back of your legs or arms so lightly that you don't even feel them until the poison starts kicking in. Luckily, I am one of the people who is allergic to their bite so I get to watch large red welts come up and itch like nothing you could ever imagine. This link will give you more info than you probably ever wanted on the little bastards. Next month, we'll celebrate the fall arrival of the love bugs. Oh joy. Enough about bugs. http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/yellow_fly.htm

A few weeks ago I found a beautiful pale green aventurine teardrop pendant at, of all places, Wal Mart. The color was a perfect match for some aventurine rounds I had purchased last year from Fire Mountain. After pondering for a few days - pondering is actually my Olympic sport, I have been known to effortlessly ponder away a whole weekend - I came up with a design using two different size round aventurine beads with small silver plate beads and small, round freshwater pearls. A sterling silver toggle with a twisted rope look fastens the necklace and the pendant looks great hanging front and center. I had planned to put it on Etsy but I don't think I can part with it.

Speaking of Wal Mart, I found some nice blue and white porcelain beads in the sale bin last weekend. Some of them look like Hello Kitty. The silver squares with cobalt blue enamel centers are really nice, too. Don't know what they will become. As you can see, I'm not a bead snob - if it looks pretty to me, I'll get it no matter where it comes from. I'm not into jewelry crafting as a serious business, I just like making pieces and if someone else likes them and wants to own them, fantastic! I really seriously doubt that any of my creations will ever end up in a museum or around someone's neck at the Oscars. Lately the Etsy fora have been inhabited by folks who are really serious about their craft and only buy from the top notch suppliers. I say more power to them. But I do believe there is a place for those of us who sinply love to make things with our hands and really do do it for the love of crafting. Joseph Campbell said to follow your bliss. I believe my bliss is found when I am in my craft room. Pretty lucky, huh?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell

I love this book

Thunderstorms, Beads and Banana Peppers

2008-07-27T13:41:00.013-05:00

"Partly cloudy with a 30% chance of afternoon or evening thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s with a heat index over 100. High UV index."

Pretty much our daily standard from the weather guys. Ahhh... summer at the Gulf. This is the time of year I don't feel guilty at all about staying inside on what appears to be a pretty day. I went out a little while ago to let little red dog stretch her legs and all she wanted to do was flop down in the sun and pant. Sometimes I wonder about her choices. I stayed out there about 10 minutes and couldn't breathe for the humidity - so back in I came. By the way, I don't recommend sitting down on a metal mesh bench in the backyard in July when you are wearing shorts. Enough said. Now the thunder is starting to roll and the sky to the north is going dark gray. Here comes that 30%.

The vegetable garden seems to be having a hot weather rally. I've gotten six banana peppers this week and there are at least half a dozen green bell peppers almost ready. I'd like to leave them until they turn red but I don't think the birds will let me. Who'd have thought mockingbirds liked bell peppers? The Blue Lake beans were starting to fade, so I pulled them up and planted a couple dozen more seed-beans. Barring unforeseen natural events (I'm not even going to think the H word), I should have fresh green beans again in September.

Speaking of the H word, taller half was safe and sound at a dock somewhere in western Louisiana when Dolly started kicking up the Gulf. So, naturally, the company decides to send them to Galveston/Houston to the dry docks. He said it was a little rough on the way over there - duh, but that the waves had calmed down by the next day. Meanwhile my car is sitting in East Armpit, Louisiana at a dock at the end of a dirt road somewhere near the Gulf around Atchafalaya Bay. Let's all hope it is safe from raccoons and squalls. Then again, I could use a new car...

Last week I cleaned up the workroom, so today I decided to mess it up again. As usual, my eyes were bigger then my storage capacity when I placed my last order with Fire Mountain. I bought these really nice fancy marble beads, Russian serpentine beads and red jasper discs inscribed with Chinese characters. The marble has colors ranging from ivory to red-brown and each bead is pretty heavy so I'll probably use them as focal beads instead of making a necklace out of several at one time. Combining them with freshwater pearls - I have some in a soft mauve and some peach color - will make a cool necklace. A little primitive, a little refined. I thought about a bracelet, but it would be very clunky to wear and probably smash anything it came into contact with. I am impressed by the look of the Russian serpentine. I have never seen in it except in photographs. It really does have the look of snakeskin. Not for sure yet what I'll make with them - the weight is good, so necklaces, bracelets and earrings are all a possibility. For a contrast, I 'm going to try pairing them with jet black crystals. I love the red jasper discs. Supposedly the characters are the Chinese symbols for Life, Longevity, Luck, etc. I think maybe I'll check that out before wearing anything I make with them. I'd hate to be walking around cursing in Chinese.