tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86850826238983447782024-03-13T11:20:36.135-07:00Finch House By Hand!Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-9659086479050338902012-07-19T07:41:00.003-07:002012-07-19T07:54:58.733-07:00Adventures on the Farm<br />
One Sunday in mid-May, my choir friend Peggy approached me after church. She told me that they had started shearing their alpacas - a necessity for the hot summer months ahead. She had a pile of "seconds" (shorter fleece from the neck, belly, legs, etc.), she said, just piled up out in the yard where they had been shearing. And, since there was still so much cleanup and rebuilding work to be done, she wasn't going to have time to deal with any of it.<br />
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"Do you want it? Come get it."<br />
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I jumped at the chance. I've been working with needle felting, making earrings to sell at craft shows and a small animal or two (scroll down to my "I've never felted this way before" post from 12/27/11 for an example). The very next day I grabbed a box of black trash bags, jumped in the minivan, and headed north across the river.<br />
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The little town on the way to the farm looked like a totally different place - there were still blue tarps on roofs everywhere, but the snarls of debris were gone, buildings had been razed and removed, and telephone poles and electrical wires were back in place. When I got to the farm, the changes were impressive. No more huge piles of debris and brush, and there was even a logging truck onsite to log out some of the huge trees that had fallen. Peggy, Ben, and next-door-neighbor and choir friend Trish had been busy, indeed.<br />
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Peggy was out behind the farmhouse, with a lovely little brown alpaca tied to the fence for shearing. (The shearing room had been in one of the barns that had been hit by the tornado.)<br />
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I was duly introduced to Braillie, who has cataracts and can't see. And who didn't particularly want to be tied to that fence. While Peg and I were talking, she pulled her lead rope free and started to do the equivalent of an alpaca tip-toe away from us. Peg followed her, talked to her, and tried to lead her back to the fence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1nY87j7jg4/UAgOXwZU1rI/AAAAAAAAAPw/Vv2tWFZdWGM/s1600/Braillie+face.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1nY87j7jg4/UAgOXwZU1rI/AAAAAAAAAPw/Vv2tWFZdWGM/s320/Braillie+face.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braillie</td></tr>
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Braillie did not... want... to go...<br />
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so... down she went!<br />
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(Still close enough to be tied, haHAA!)<br />
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Once Braillie was secured, Peg took me on a quick meet-and-greet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">miss Lacy</td></tr>
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Waiting on deck for shearing: miss Lacy.<br />
She was making a soft little humming noise in her throat. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paca Butt! *snrk*</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jester</td></tr>
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This is Jester, one of the farm's "guard llamas". The little alpaca aren't able to protect themselves from predators, but the big bad llamas can take care of coyote and such.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayne</td></tr>
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Got a great look going, there - sortof alpaca-mullet-poodle ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capone</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Another guard llama. The llamas are much bigger, and they don't have the fluffy "bangs" on their foreheads like the alpaca do. Their fleece is nice - softer than wool - but not as soft as alpaca.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Dudes - check it out! We got PEOPLE lookin at us!"</td></tr>
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Once the herd saw us, it didn't take long for them to come investigate. Soon, we were surrounded by gentle, curious, newly-shorn (and silly-looking!) little faces.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beethoven and Auftershock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Texas T</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benny!</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">(I still giggle when I look at this picture of Benny. Every. Single. Time.)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Black Dress</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LBD, again</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby! So young, he doesn't have a name yet. <3</td></tr>
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I have a separate bag of fluff from this gorgeous little caramel-colored baby. Young animals' fleece is extra, extra soft. :)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pile.</td></tr>
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Once we'd done the meet-and-greet, it was onward for the Business of the Day... the fleece pile!<br />
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We started stuffing it into bags, trying to roughly separate it by color.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going home with me.</td></tr>
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Bags of the stuff... and we barely made a dent in the pile!<br />
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(I did go back, one more time, after they had finished shearing all of the alpaca. Filled another bag with cream-color, a small bag of gray, and a huge bag of "grab it and stuff it in".)<br />
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So now... it's time to cogitate a bit, consider the workings of the world, and figure out what the next step might be. Hint: it <i>might</i> involve mesh lingerie bags, lots of hot water, Dawn dish soap, and a timer.<br />
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Oh yeah. I've got myself a project, here.<br />
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<br />Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-79545774859618812712012-07-08T18:50:00.000-07:002012-07-19T07:42:20.583-07:00It started with a big, ugly wind...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hHROBOOOTmc/T_otxIkeWqI/AAAAAAAAAO8/RJuijHDqTgk/s1600/Borden+Tornado+3-2-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hHROBOOOTmc/T_otxIkeWqI/AAAAAAAAAO8/RJuijHDqTgk/s640/Borden+Tornado+3-2-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tornado at Borden, IN. Photo by Josh Abelove.</td></tr>
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On March 2nd 2012, a series of tornadoes ripped through the countryside of Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. The toll was was heartbreaking, and among those affected were some church-choir friends of mine and my husband's. Their farm was hit - thankfully, neither they nor their family were injured. Their homes were battered but still standing, but their barns were destroyed, fences and trees downed, and their herd of alpaca and llamas were scattered. <br />
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The following Saturday, my husband and I went with a church group to help with some cleanup. We found their small town almost leveled, with a snarl of debris piled high to either side of the road leading through town. Blue tarps were draped over almost every remaining roof, heavy equipment was everywhere, and on several street corners stood canvas pavilions stocked with water, food, and cleanup supplies. It looked like a war zone.<br />
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As we drove slowly through the heavy, carefully-moving traffic, I saw that the Tide "Loads of Hope" laundry station was in full swing, and trucks were pulled up to one of the local churches to unload case after case of apple juice, water, and other supplies. The smell of smoke hung faintly in the air, from burn piles on surrounding farms. Chaos reigned - but a closer look showed that Order was slowly beginning to make headway against it.<br />
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At the farm, the herd had been rounded up into some temporary pasturage. One llama had been lost to the storm; miraculously, all the other animals had survived and gathered at the fence to watch us as we walked to our work stations. My husband was on a crew to start (safely) dismantling a barn, and I found my way to the back hay field, to take my place in a line of volunteers who were combing every inch of the field for debris. If a llama shouldn't be eating it, we did our best to find it and pick it up. Any photographs or other important-looking items were to be set aside, so that maybe they could be returned to whoever lost them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HHYE4sGBDQ4/T_ozQE9xewI/AAAAAAAAAPI/6OQCYxmytNk/s1600/Peggy+&+Ben's+barn+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HHYE4sGBDQ4/T_ozQE9xewI/AAAAAAAAAPI/6OQCYxmytNk/s320/Peggy+&+Ben's+barn+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The barn where my husband went to help.<br />
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It was a long, exhausting day - but we knew that we could go back to our warm, dry homes and go on with our normal lives at the end of it. Our friends, however, had a long, long road ahead of them to get back to anything remotely resembling normal.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fflt6k0T6d4/T_ozQjMGTSI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/5d9a4pFGe0g/s1600/Peggy+&+Ben's+barn+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fflt6k0T6d4/T_ozQjMGTSI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/5d9a4pFGe0g/s320/Peggy+&+Ben's+barn+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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A total of 80 volunteers showed up at the farm, the day we were there. Earlier that week, a surprise busload of 50 - complete strangers from a national ministry - had just appeared to help.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IxmX7G9gRQM/T_ozRbXfDvI/AAAAAAAAAPY/6eyzeESLYbM/s1600/Peggy+&+Ben's+barn+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IxmX7G9gRQM/T_ozRbXfDvI/AAAAAAAAAPY/6eyzeESLYbM/s320/Peggy+&+Ben's+barn+3.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Members of our church brought food and served lunch for everyone, and the Little Caesar's Pizza shop in town showed up with stacks of fresh, hot pizza. When we hit the hayfield again after lunch, a lady and her two children stepped over the back fence to bring us water, Gatorade, and granola bars.<br />
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It's a day I won't be forgetting any time soon.<br />
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And what in the world does this disaster have to do with creativity? If you and I have already "met" online or in Real Life, you already know the answer.<br />
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If not... To Be Continued. :-)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1ADr9XjILs/T_o4H7UjlVI/AAAAAAAAAPk/RY89Yh19djI/s1600/IMG_1883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P1ADr9XjILs/T_o4H7UjlVI/AAAAAAAAAPk/RY89Yh19djI/s320/IMG_1883.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-3852599125353145322012-07-03T07:36:00.002-07:002012-07-19T07:45:37.946-07:00God Breezes<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Well, well... it would seem that I'm way behind again in posting here! In my defense, I've had <b><i>so much</i></b> going on, creatively! Working with <u>The Artist's Way</u> (AW) has helped more than I had ever hoped. I had to lay it down last fall for craft show season, and haven't picked it back up again, but I'm back up and rolling. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">In the midst of working through the AW, I woke up one morning with a particular thought running through my head:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">God says: "Use what you have. I will supply the rest".</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">So I did. So He has. And you know what? Gifts from the Spirit are usually not what you ever expect. ;)</span><br />
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<br />Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-36373031112251624812012-01-01T12:22:00.001-08:002012-01-01T12:22:52.724-08:00Happy New Year!A fresh year, a blank page, a snowy white canvas.<br />
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And a few realizations that hit me this morning, in an abbreviated "morning pages" session...<br />
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Most of 2011 was simply a frustrating year, creatively. Even so... I worked and studied, and pushed against the block that had been there for several years. Re-found The Artist's Way, and learned a little more about what exactly my block was made of.<br />
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2010 was a totally "fallow" year. Nothing happening, nada. Stone wall in my path, ouch. 2011 was a "set up" year. Prep. Background. Foundation. In the latter days of 2011, the block started falling away, I started hearing new ideas again, started following where they led. I made some new stuff. I watched some dear friends as they discovered new ideas and crafts. Inspiration doesn't stop with one person - it flows around, in, out, under, and through every crack in the armor it can find... it broadcasts...<br />
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So, here's shiny new 2012. 2011 has gotten it all set up and ready. And my mission, should I choose to accept it, is simply to reach out and gather the year in... then broadcast what it brings. Stay tuned. ;)Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-7969033507082315332011-12-27T18:09:00.000-08:002011-12-27T18:21:58.261-08:00I've never felted this way before... ;)So, a new type of craft has reached out and grabbed hold of me - felting. Mainly needle-felting, but I've been known to dip a little fiber in some hot soapy water, too! Add that to the fact that I have friends who have a llama and alpaca farm, and I've been having a blast.<br />
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First, felted finger-puppets. Haven't finished those yet.<br />
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Next, needle-felted spheres (I try not to refer to them as "llama balls") to dangle from hoops as earrings. They sold really well at craft shows this fall!<br />
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Then, felted bath soap. Washcloth and soap all in one, hooray!<br />
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In the meantime, a much more adventurous friend of mine has been doing larger-scale projects: nuno felted scarves (Felting alpaca and merino wool onto a silk chiffon base), alpaca-fiber berets, as well as soaps and lovely little angels, and lord knows what else. Just seeing her work has been an unbelievable inspiration!<br />
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So, full of this inspiration, I was looking for my own direction to take it. I've always been fascinated with "small"... things in miniature. So, with a stack of how-to books by my side, I started playing with some black alpaca fiber and a felting needle.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rjk0Sovkmng/Tvp0qjoJdHI/AAAAAAAAAOE/YIcE3X1nads/s1600/IMG_1518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rjk0Sovkmng/Tvp0qjoJdHI/AAAAAAAAAOE/YIcE3X1nads/s320/IMG_1518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Oh, and pipe cleaners.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AU8hbHVyWnw/Tvp0s1zeXpI/AAAAAAAAAOM/fYoPS4MMbwo/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AU8hbHVyWnw/Tvp0s1zeXpI/AAAAAAAAAOM/fYoPS4MMbwo/s320/IMG_1520.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Take a little black alpaca wool... (mmmm SOFT!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mfsjZLbiYfw/Tvp0uLfI_5I/AAAAAAAAAOU/Zx_mgVsX45o/s1600/IMG_1521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mfsjZLbiYfw/Tvp0uLfI_5I/AAAAAAAAAOU/Zx_mgVsX45o/s320/IMG_1521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Wrap it around the frame, needle-felt gently to keep it in place... bend the back legs into shape...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nIJLNuLIZI/Tvp0vvAWi3I/AAAAAAAAAOc/0mpKdJ_MzzQ/s1600/IMG_1522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nIJLNuLIZI/Tvp0vvAWi3I/AAAAAAAAAOc/0mpKdJ_MzzQ/s320/IMG_1522.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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(whoops, skipped a step or two)....<br />
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Wind more fiber around the body, needle-felting it in place. Careful not to stab the pipe-cleaner wires too hard, since the felting needle is so thin. Once the body is taking shape, add some fiber for a neck and felt it into an oval cylinder.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-68Cbi8EHjmA/Tvp0wjX7UpI/AAAAAAAAAOk/kb5v9OszuMY/s1600/IMG_1526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-68Cbi8EHjmA/Tvp0wjX7UpI/AAAAAAAAAOk/kb5v9OszuMY/s320/IMG_1526.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Made a pear shape for the head, attached it to the neck, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">and made needle-felted indentations for eyes and jawline.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">(Uh oh... might have added TOO much of a neck. It's not supposed to be a short-legged horse. )</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Also added oval/teardrop shaped pads of fiber for the muscles in the shoulders, haunches and rear.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OH6PsWhlv9s/Tvp0yrYSVwI/AAAAAAAAAO0/58zM8yp9nnU/s1600/IMG_1543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OH6PsWhlv9s/Tvp0yrYSVwI/AAAAAAAAAO0/58zM8yp9nnU/s320/IMG_1543.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Shaped the neck a little more by needle-felting it down into the shoulders some. Added a little circle of fiber for a nose, made a couple of ears with gray centers, a tail, and some soft paws to needle-felt onto the ends of the feet. Sewed two black seed beads in place for his eyes.<br />
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Can you tell what he's supposed to be, yet?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B3n4t2pGofY/Tvp0Ze4H0wI/AAAAAAAAAN8/ZY2p1dUgcvc/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B3n4t2pGofY/Tvp0Ze4H0wI/AAAAAAAAAN8/ZY2p1dUgcvc/s320/IMG_1536.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Just for fun, I needle-felted a scarf for him ...then wet-felted it because it didn't seem smooth enough. Needled around the edges again, and added a tiny green button and a buttonhole, so it can come off.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vRSJqCRojo0/Tvp0xpKuqpI/AAAAAAAAAOs/pmYWGzG_fBM/s1600/IMG_1535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vRSJqCRojo0/Tvp0xpKuqpI/AAAAAAAAAOs/pmYWGzG_fBM/s320/IMG_1535.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And here he is... "Jag", a black German Shepherd Dog.<br />
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The only thing I could possibly do with him was to send him to meet his namesake, who lives with a nuno-felting friend far away!<br />
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Merry Christmas, Jag. and Jag. and Jag. ;-)<br />
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</div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-20917878785232683562011-10-13T07:42:00.000-07:002012-10-07T13:53:41.582-07:00Lavender Bath Salts<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> By request of some online friends - Here ya go!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Very easy, and greatly appreciated by stressed-out friends and family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can use other essential oils as well – try peppermint or a blend of citrus scents, for example.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> ~~~~~</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> A few words on essential oils:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to use only “essential oil”, and avoid anything labeled “fragrance oil” – those tend to have synthetic ingredients, and are not for bath and body use. Aura Cacia is a very good brand, and is widely available at herb shops and health/natural food stores.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exercise caution when using essential oils – they are very, very concentrated and some can damage surfaces or even skin in their undiluted form! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Please research the properties of any given oil before working with it.</b> If you experience any allergic symptoms while making your salts, stop immediately! (For example… I’m sensitive to Rose Geranium oil – it has made my lips swell up like a balloon in the past… this is a dangerous reaction, so I don’t use that oil at all.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> For cleanup, alcohol is a good solvent. I use either (cheap) vodka, or pure-grain alcohol. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> That said, Lavender tends to be one of the milder oils, and can usually be applied directly to the skin. Please test a little on the inside of your arm before using, to make sure you don’t react badly to it. If any redness, swelling, or other symptoms occur within 24 hours, this isn’t the oil for you. (If you test other oils, be sure to dilute before applying to your skin. One or two drops in a teaspoon of olive oil works well for this.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And finally… the recipe!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">LAVENDER SEA <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">BATH</st1:city></st1:place></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">From Jules</st1:city></st1:place></span></span></b></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup sea salt (coarse or fine)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 Tbsp. Epsom Salts</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">15 drops Lavender essential oil</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Tools needed:</strong></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It's best to have "dedicated" bowls & spoons for essential oil work, and not use them for food. (Goodwill!)</span></span></div>
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<li> <span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowl (Do not use plastic or aluminum, which will </span></span><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">react with the oil)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Eyedropper or pipette, unless your essential oil has its own dropper top attached</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stainless steel spoon<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> <strong>Instructions:</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Drip about half of the lavender oil into the sea salt, then stir well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Repeat with the rest of the oil, stir again, then add the Epsom salts and stir once more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep in a clean, airtight jar, in moderate temperatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will keep for a long time, but the scent is best if used within a month or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To use, pour about ½ cup of bath salts into warm bath water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Swish to dissolve, especially if using coarse sea salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Step in and enjoy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To make in bulk:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5 lbs. sea salt</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">10 Tbsp. Epsom salts</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp lavender essential oil<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Humanst521 BT","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The bulk recipe will make enough bath salt to fill 5 pint-sized Mason jars, or 10 jelly jars. When making in bulk, I usually don’t add the Epsom salts to the mix. Instead, I mix just the salt and the oil, fill the jars with the salt mix, then add the Epsom salt to each jar, screw the lids on, and shake them up. This makes sure it’s evenly distributed. And shaking coarse sea salt in a Mason jar is a great stress reliever. ;)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-18790080844428085852011-10-01T14:02:00.000-07:002011-10-01T14:02:53.644-07:00And another thing...There's a 15 1/2 pound bag of lavender sitting in my studio at the moment. Fifteen and a half POUNDS. It's the size of a small body pillow, and was a steal at a little over a hundred bucks.<br />
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And so, I'd best get busy turning it into something to earn that hundred bucks back. ;)Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-8692957198064114412011-10-01T13:56:00.000-07:002011-10-01T13:56:11.899-07:00Artist's Way, week 7Coming out of a week of feeling totally "stuck" again. Every time I was ready to settle down to work, something seemed to come up to keep me upstairs. I consciously made the decision to start calling my basement workspace "Studio" instead of "workshop", in another step to take myself and my work a little more seriously... now, I just need to get my body IN there.<br />
Unless I show up for work, it ain't gonna happen!<br />
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Reading Deprivation Week was very interesting, by the way. The hardest time was in the evening, when I usually settle down with a book or Facebook to unwind. I included Sudoku and jigsaw puzzles into the ban, and was mostly successful. Result of the week: a more settled Me, feeling like I'm getting back to my old self again. Facebook is crack. Seriously. But here in Week 7, I'm still retaining some of the freedom from it and from the chatroom. Go me!<br />
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New direction/distraction: thinking seriously again about hosting my own radio show on BlogTalk Radio. It's taking all my discipline NOT to jump into it with both feet right now - first craft show is a short two weeks away, and I'm not producing anything for it yet. Focus focus focus... keep priorities in line, Jules. I did spend some serious time cleaning up in the studio, and it's looking/feeling much better. And a good chat friend who is exceptional at finding crafty things on the web just machine-gunned me a set of jewelry links to look at for some inspiration. I brought seed beads and some other materials UPstairs. If the studio isn't ready, maybe I can craft elsewhere for a bit!<br />
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Random thoughts, I know. It's been a rather random week. The "Tasks" in the Week 6 chapter of A.W. were a little tough for me to relate to, so spirits sagged a little. I sat down with the Week 7 chapter today (a day early), and am already feeling better. I can do this! Onward and Upward. :)Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-20143930735803661752011-09-11T18:57:00.000-07:002011-09-11T18:57:24.557-07:00Here's a challenge...As my steps take me into Week Four of The Artist's Way, I've come upon an interesting task: "Reading Deprivation Week". <br />
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No reading this week. No books, magazines, newspapers. And I'm extending that to "No Facebook", since reading there usually takes up a wholllllle lot of time. The idea is to be able to Listen to what's going on within. To DO rather than to read. For someone who loves the printed word as much as I do, this is going to be very very interesting.<br />
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I already made up a litte "off for a week" sign for my FB profile and signed out. I'm also going to limit chatroom, Yahoo, and email reading - in other words, stay off the computer just as much as I can handle! <br />
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So, Reading is out. Writing, however, seems to be OK... so maybe I'll post a little more here. That's creative, right? ;)Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-39369809544680366802011-09-10T18:54:00.000-07:002011-09-16T10:52:54.481-07:00"Remembrance."<div>After a long, long period of creative drought... I'm back in the workshop (newly christened "Studio"!) again. I've been working hard at trying to unblock myself, using "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron and faithfully doing my homework. Wasn't quite believing it, but all of a sudden ideas are popping into my head. Seriously. After years of drought, and only three weeks on this program!</div><div>.</div><div>This week, while I was doing my Morning Pages (three pages, longhand, of just anything that comes into my head), a sentence popped onto the page:</div><div>"(God Says) Use what you have, and I will supply the rest."</div><div>.</div><div>Yesterday, the form of a little necklace started rolling around in my head. My sweet husband and I are singing with a small ensemble at church Sunday morning, for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks on our nation. I wanted something fresh to wear with a new black and white tweed jacket. </div><div>.</div><div>Pale blue came to mind, in the form of some lovely blue lace agate beads I'd bought years ago. I had originally intended to make them into a rosary for my little Mom, but I never managed to get into the making of it. The more I thought, the more appropriate it seemed. Blue lace agate... Stone of high inspiration, supposed to help one reach high spiritual places. Calming of emotions, soothing for buildups of painful or irritated energy. I don't necessarily believe that stones have particular powers, but I do believe in the power of symbols on the mind and emotions - and what better influence for a memorial service for such an agonized, terror-ridden day?</div><div>.</div><div>So, with those beads in mind, I went downstairs to the studio yesterday morning. And ended up sorting and cataloguing beads instead of making anything. Brainless work, it needed to be done, but I was suspicious that I was just delaying. Somehow it felt Okay, and I decided to just go along and see where I ended up. This morning, while writing my Pages, I suddenly found myself sketching and diagramming instead. Yesterday the idea was there, but fuzzy. Today, I was ready to start!</div><div>.</div><div>Seems like a lot of to-do over just a simple little necklace. But I've been in such a drought, for so so long... the silver chain in my hands felt like water in the desert. The white clouds in the pale blue beads made me smile. My hands started remembering how to wrap the wire ends just... so. And I could just imagine Mom, my sweetest and best cheerleader, smiling as I used "her" beads. </div><div>.</div><div>Remembering, on many levels. Remembering heart-rending pain and terror, remembering old beauty, remembering days when the world was sane and my Mom was here. Remembering how to do this work, remembering the joy in it. Calmness of spirit, coolness of blue and silver, and ready to lift my voice with my husband's and my friends' tomorrow in prayer and praise and solace for pain. So, only one name for this delicate little necklace:</div><div>.</div><div>"Remembrance."</div><div><br />
<img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650902651537903538" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s7YCr3DgB8g/TmwKBZU6z7I/AAAAAAAAAN0/k7l2hpXhu5U/s400/Remembrance%2B%25281%2529.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></div><div></div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-85705190352436118252011-04-12T07:53:00.000-07:002011-04-12T08:56:02.921-07:00Working working working...Craft show Saturday... what shall I make, what shall I make? I've got a good stock of herbal goods already done, main sales will probably be live herb plants from the greenhouses where I used to work. So... time to play a little maybe! I'm planning to put all of last year's jewelry on half price sale, so maybe a few new pieces for something fresh. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-34436976882356970892011-03-23T13:25:00.000-07:002011-03-23T13:34:39.275-07:00Update..<br />Photo taken at class on 3-22-11... ALMOST THERE!<br />.<br />The eggs are not done yet, and there's an area of nest by the far-right egg that needs detailing.<br />.<br />And, this canvas has been around for so long, I'll have to touch up some worn spots in the background (not a major deal).<br />.<br />I'm estimating a month, maybe... and I have ideas for the next subject already under way!<br /><br />lost in the sticks... ;)<br />. <br />.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmHw9oYLJTo/TYpXmrVOuQI/AAAAAAAAANo/B1UMraCPAs4/s1600/3-23-11%2BArt%2BClass%2B-%2BEggs%2Bin%2Ba%2BNest%2B002.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587374609684936962" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zmHw9oYLJTo/TYpXmrVOuQI/AAAAAAAAANo/B1UMraCPAs4/s400/3-23-11%2BArt%2BClass%2B-%2BEggs%2Bin%2Ba%2BNest%2B002.JPG" /></a>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-39345742231189176212010-10-06T11:09:00.000-07:002010-10-06T11:23:33.639-07:00Art Show Time!Once every two years, our art studio has a Student Art Show - and this is the weekend! The studio holds us to "real" art show rules, brings in an outside judge, and basically helps prepare us for showing our work in the wide world. There is champagne for all, and tables full of appetizer and dessert-type nibbles brought by the students. (There's a competition for best in each category for the food - so we bring out our best!) We all pitch in to clean the studio, accept the entries, hang the show, and play host/hostess during the event. After the show we all head to a restaurant for the Awards Dinner, where the ribbon winners receive praise, adulation, and prizes.<br /><br />So, today the studio was busy and buzzing, with everyone talking about final preparations. We're each allowed to enter two canvases, designated either "original" or "copy". Since I paint so slowly, I have only one entry this year - the goldfinch that I've previously posted in this blog.<br /><br />To keep our "in-progress" canvases safe, the studio requires us to bring them home till after the show. So, I thought I'd post a pic of the progress on the daggone Blue Eggs In A Nest that I've been living with every Wednesday for a year and a half...<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524997223266907346" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TKy7s63X9NI/AAAAAAAAANQ/yGBgmCWT7uk/s400/As+of+10-6-10.JPG" /><br />GETTING THERE... one stick at a time.Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-79178845008771682322010-10-04T12:38:00.002-07:002010-10-04T12:54:41.515-07:00It's all an Illusion!Some time ago, a good friend asked me to make her an Illusion necklace... I'd never tried one before, so I agreed to see what I could do. After a few starts-and-stops and much head scratching, here's what I came up with:<br />.<br />Five strands of freshwater pearls in various sizes, with sterling silver crimps and findings. The ends are finished with 1/2" sterling bead cones, a lobster-claw style clasp on one side and a short length of chain on the other to allow for a little adjustment in size.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TKouEAlQ0SI/AAAAAAAAANA/ch6s6WKtzNQ/s1600/Illusion+Fin+-+g+sat+up+1.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524278539333980450" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TKouEAlQ0SI/AAAAAAAAANA/ch6s6WKtzNQ/s400/Illusion+Fin+-+g+sat+up+1.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />All in all, I'm very pleased with how it's turned out. I've learned a few things that I'll carry over to the next one!<br /><br />Okay... pictures done, and blog post made. Time to ship it! :D<br />.Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-17490005436714934712010-09-24T13:37:00.000-07:002010-09-24T13:53:24.195-07:00Gearing Up - here we go...Craft Show Season is just around the corner... less than a month to go! I've got myself a brutal November shaping up this year, with a bunch of two- and three-day shows booked already.<br /><br />SO! It's past time to get crackin - got the first batch of Cinnamon Ornaments in the oven this very moment. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TJ0NfiWmRuI/AAAAAAAAAMA/P_iYxZtuftw/s1600/Ready,+Set,+GO.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 293px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520583553674790626" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TJ0NfiWmRuI/AAAAAAAAAMA/P_iYxZtuftw/s320/Ready,+Set,+GO.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Raw materials and equipment - ready, set, GO!!<br />One pound of cinnamon, one 25-ounce jar of applesauce... some extra cinnamon for dusting the countertop...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TJ0NP3X9uKI/AAAAAAAAAL4/USBTxCZwjOE/s1600/Cinnamon+Pins-to-be.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520583284439759010" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TJ0NP3X9uKI/AAAAAAAAAL4/USBTxCZwjOE/s320/Cinnamon+Pins-to-be.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Concentrating on gingerbread boy and girl shapes today... these little ones will eventually get pin backs and be pins.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />annnnnnnnd.... Ready for the oven! After they dry in there for several hours (turning over twice), I'll let them air dry for a day or so, then smooth the edges with a pocketknife. After that, I'll paint them to look as though they've been iced, and add a ribbon and jingle bells.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TJ0MMMXPsJI/AAAAAAAAALw/ghKLLcpWsPY/s1600/ready+for+the+oven.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520582121842782354" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TJ0MMMXPsJI/AAAAAAAAALw/ghKLLcpWsPY/s320/ready+for+the+oven.JPG" /></a><br />But for now.... WOW does the house smell GOOD! All spicy and warm and cinnamon-y, with rain coming down outside. It may still be hot out, but this is the first of that autumn "Snug" feeling for me. Time for a cup of tea and a curlup on the sofa. :)<br />.Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-2552092250437385712010-08-24T17:06:00.000-07:002012-10-07T14:01:26.781-07:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/THRe8AbJEYI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/whQnCbR4nqg/s1600/Art+-+1-6-10.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509132629179961730" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/THRe8AbJEYI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/whQnCbR4nqg/s320/Art+-+1-6-10.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 240px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
This is the art studio where I spend my Wednesday mornings... It's a bright, lovely place with about 25 other painters. Music on the boom box, coffee ready in the snack room, and always some yummy Bath and Body Works soap in the bathroom. We paint and chat about family, friends, and events in our lives - or concentrate quietly and let the rest of the world just fade into the background.<br />
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My easel is the one up against the window, with the small canvas on it.<br />
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I started painting in January of 2007, after my sister talked me into taking classes with her. She's a brilliant painter and actually teaches at the studio now, one day a week.</div>
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Current work-in-progress, but progressing at the speed of the average glacier... this is my fourth canvas, begun in March 2009. I took this picture in January 2010, and I've come only a little further since then. I've enjoyed it, but am beginning to get frustrated. Ready to do SOMETHING ELSE.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFvBjfjrz4M/UHHtFTnmJxI/AAAAAAAAASM/RYEsbiNqm8s/s1600/Goldfinch+no+signature.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFvBjfjrz4M/UHHtFTnmJxI/AAAAAAAAASM/RYEsbiNqm8s/s320/Goldfinch+no+signature.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
My third canvas, painted from a photograph taken by Nashville resident Donnie Beauchamp... </div>
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Finished in March 2009, and the original lives at my Dad's house.</div>
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This October, the studio will be hosting its semi-annual Student Art Show. I've participated in two so far, and it's an incredible amount of fun! The goldfinch will be this year's entry - I've tentatively entered the Nest With Blue Eggs, but really don't think I'll have it finished/varnished/framed in time. We'll see!</div>
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Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-47018829471572540002010-08-24T16:25:00.000-07:002010-08-24T17:31:09.953-07:00Fresh start.I've spent over a year at home now, mostly working around the house and going to art classes and church. The first part of that year was spent in a state of being somewhat numb, mourning the loss of our little Mom and just sort of floating through the days.<br /><br />Then, in December, a bolt of lightning struck - FlyLady.net, the home organizational website I subscribe to, instituted a chatroom. Having never experienced a chatroom before, I thought "what the heck!" and clicked right on in.<br /><br />Long story short: Wonderful women from all around the globe also found their way into the room, and all of a sudden I was in the middle of a group of caring friends. They helped me make it through Christmas without Mom... and six months ago today, the Moderator asked me and another good friend if we would consider being volunteer Moderators ourselves. We both agreed, and spent six months of the most intense emotional work I've ever experienced. Rewarding, absolutely. Frustrating, depressing, stressful, addictive - all of those, too. Gone was the solitude I'd been craving - and gone also was any thought of creating ANYthing. Instead, I spent long, long hours at the screen with my co-Moderators, trying to motivate, energize, run interference, enforce rules, calm ruffled feelings, and eject troublemakers. Looking at the past six months, I can count on one hand the number of days I <em>haven't</em> been in that room.<br /><br />Not. Healthy. I hit burnout Big Time, and knew I needed a solution.<br /><br />Several days ago, I picked up my copy of <u>The Vein of Gold: A Journey to Your Creative Heart</u> by Julia Cameron. I had found the book years ago on a bargain table somewhere, and thought it would be a neat thing to read. Never did - until now. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. I read one paragraph and realized that this was exactly what I need at this point in my world.<br /><br />Three days ago I made the "official" start - writing three "Morning Pages" each day when I got up. Yesterday I began consciously making time for Work during the day. It's amazing the difference in how I feel . Instead of feeling sucked dry, I already feel alive, excited, open-eyed, and ready to step out and grab something new.<br /><br />I left my old job because I need to work for myself, and WITH myself. Negativity, gossip, critical thinking, complaining and whining are poisons that I seem to be increasingly sensitive to - and those things seem to multiply with the number of human beings in a workplace - or a chatroom. Positivity Promotes Productivity. And I intend to be just as Productive - by MY definition of the word - as I humanly can.Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-41958843376495470612010-08-10T10:23:00.000-07:002010-08-10T10:39:12.593-07:00Jewelry<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TGGLXMUjE0I/AAAAAAAAAKE/8sJVQRjSf3U/s1600/Girly+Pearls+Bracelet+8-4-10+(14).JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 276px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 210px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503833450184119106" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TGGLXMUjE0I/AAAAAAAAAKE/8sJVQRjSf3U/s320/Girly+Pearls+Bracelet+8-4-10+(14).JPG" /></a> Making jewelry has always been a sideline business for me... more for fun than for any profit. Usually I work in sterling silver, gemstones, and Swarovski crystal, making simple earrings and maybe a few strung bracelets.<br />.<br />Recently, a picture of a piece similar to this one caught my eye in a catalog. I used 14k gold-filled chain and findings, with Swarovski Crystal Pearls and crystals. All the beads are attached by wrapping the headpins - a lot of work, but they won't be coming loose! The bracelet weighs in at a hefty 1.9 oz.<br /><br />I made this one for my sister's birthday, but you can bet there's a second one in the works for ME... and maybe some earrings for both of us! The photo makes the colors a little darker than in real life - it's shades of cream, gold, taupe, and copper, with "Vintage Rose" crystals to accent. I'm still deciding whether to make any for sale, since it's a higher-ticket item than my usual. But the process in making it was so satisfying... and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. :)Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-8883231148725626582010-08-06T10:07:00.000-07:002010-08-06T10:47:01.575-07:00Herbal Crafts, overview.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TFxBsuPoDUI/AAAAAAAAAJs/Ao4N036_Yhs/s1600/DSCN1231_162.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502345081323523394" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TFxBsuPoDUI/AAAAAAAAAJs/Ao4N036_Yhs/s320/DSCN1231_162.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br />I'm starting with Lavender, to talk about herbal crafts. It's an all-round favorite, and so lovely in the garden... this picture shows two very different varieties:<br />.<br /><em>Lavandula angustifolia </em>'Hidcote Blue' (on the left), one of the first plants I put into the yard when we bought our house in 1992. This particular plant is still going as of summer 2010, which is a REALLY long life for a Lavender in this area. It was waning bigtime in summer 2009, so I broke the rules and cut it back severely. Lavender can't read the rules, evidently, because in 2010 it's lush and gorgeous and blooming like crazy! I cut the stems when in bud, dry them, and sell them at craft shows - this plant has paid for itself many, many times over.<br />.<br /><em>Lavandula</em> 'Grosso' is on the right - what a behemoth! This plant is no longer with me, but measured 4 feet by 4 feet at its peak. I used the buds, removed from the stems, in bath herb blends and other potpourri.<br />.<br />.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TFxDvh0Rc2I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/qUsoDA7M0yc/s1600/Lavender+%26+Bath+jr.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 308px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 230px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502347328550433634" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TFxDvh0Rc2I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/qUsoDA7M0yc/s320/Lavender+%26+Bath+jr.jpg" /></a><br />This is an OLD picture of products I've made and<br />sold in the past. Clockwise from the "Finch House Herbals" sign:<br />* Weary Muscles Bath Salts (turqoise jar)<br />* Relaxation Bath Herbs - loose (standing up) and in sachets (lying on the table)<br />* Lavender Bath Salts (purple jar)<br />* Flaxseed Eye Pillows ( blue/green/pink)<br />* Bags of organic Catnip and Lavender<br />* Velvet Lavender Bunnies (stuffed with lavender buds)<br />I've discontinued the bunnies and the eye pillows, but may pick them back up at some point. The velvet for the bunnies is hand-embossed with different designs. I've also added Catnip Pillows, which are made from kitty-print fabric with a layer of denim underneath, and filled with organic, people-grade catnip.<br />.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TFxHBZ9zzLI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/Oj_V8PmnQsU/s1600/Spicy+jr.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 301px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 224px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502350934215478450" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cxsyvcRhblw/TFxHBZ9zzLI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/Oj_V8PmnQsU/s320/Spicy+jr.jpg" /></a>.<br />.<br />Spicy stuff... another older photo.<br />Clockwise from the sign:<br />* Cinnamon Spice Simmering Potpourri<br />* Cinnamon pin and Christmas ornaments<br />.<br />.<br />* Spice mug mats, with a cinnamon/allspice/cloves/orange potpourri<br />* Spice trivets, ditto the potpourri filling!<br />.<br />Since these photos were taken, I've added several different potpourri types, including a Scented Pine Cone mix with a spicy essential oil blend for scent, and Little Balsam Bags, which are stamped muslin bags full of balsam needles and evergreen scented oil - to hang from an artificial Christmas tree for a "real" tree scent.<br /><br />For most craft shows, I usually bring a selection of live herb plants from Thieneman's. I'm not sure I can get away with that any more for some of my "handmade only" shows, since I no longer have a hand in raising the plants - we'll see!<br /><br />At the time of writing, craft show applications for fall are starting to roll in - I'll be posting a list to Facebook at some point for my local "peeps"!<br /><br />*grins*Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-3916821413017220502010-04-12T06:42:00.000-07:002010-04-12T06:49:02.748-07:00HistorySomehow today, I find myself needing to think about History. One of the reasons I started this particular blog was to continue the search for a new creative spark... mine has been seriously sputtering the past few years, and maybe if I use this as an outlet, I can fan the flames a little and find a fresh direction.<br /><br />When I started playing with herbal crafts in the 1990's, it was purely out of self-defense. I was working in a corporate atmosphere, in software support and training for large advertising agencies. I was stressed at my support post, stressed with travel, and bored mindless with the rounds of software testing and documentation editing in between. I loved training, but usually had to travel to do it. I was more than good at most parts of my job - but to be honest, my negative attitude just trashed all the good things I was doing. The physical surroundings of the job were not helping either – a move from a historic old building and an office with windows to a tiny cubicle in a noisy, modern, dark-purple warehouse/office just simply wasn’t working for me.<br /><br />So, I started looking to the garden and the herbs for natural ways to combat the stress. Aromatherapy, flaxseed eye pillows, herbs for relaxation in the bath, LOTS of chamomile tea. I started sharing these things with my stressed-out coworkers, then started having little classes for them in my dining room. It was a blast. I found that local ministry groups and craft shops were hosting classes, and taught a few around town.<br /><br />In the fall of 1995 I did my first craft show - and I was hooked! I started making more items, and finally resigned my software job (with Tom's absolute blessing) in 1996. I followed that with a short stint at a sewing machine shop, then back to the software job on a contract basis for six more months, and finally I had REALLY had enough. I registered The Finch House as a business in 1997, and quit Corporate America for good.<br /><br />One Saturday in April of 97, the Kentucky Derby Festival Balloon Race floated over our house. While Tom and I stood on the front lawn and watched, a woman came by, walking her little pug. She stopped, and we started talking as though we had known each other for years.<br /><br />She finally looked at me and said, “My friend Kevin Thieneman has a part-time retail opening at his nursery.”<br /><br />“Wait,” says I. “Thieneman’s? THE Thieneman’s? My Favorite-Place-In-The-WORLD kind of Thieneman’s?”<br /><br />“Yes,” she answered. “And I think you should apply. And I think I’m going to bug you till you DO.”<br /><br />Nuff said. I applied Monday, started work on Wednesday. Stayed there 12 years, even opening a garden shop there in 2000. I closed the shop and resigned my job in July of 2009, but my relationship with them remains good and, to be honest, a big part of my heart still lives there.<br /><br />So now, the question is… What next?Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-88519914096435160462010-01-31T19:52:00.000-08:002010-02-01T08:44:54.942-08:00My Symphony<div align="center"><br />(William Henry Channing, 1810-1884)<br /><br />To live content with small means;<br />to seek elegance rather than luxury,<br />and refinement rather than fashion;<br />to be worthy, not respectable<br />and wealthy, not rich;<br />to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;<br />to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages,<br />with an open heart;<br />to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely,<br />await occasions, hurry never.<br /><br />In a word,<br />to let the spiritual, unbidden, and unconscious<br />grow up through the commonplace.</div><div align="center"><br />This is to be<br />my symphony.</div><div align="center">~</div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center">(Kind of says it all. - J.)</div>Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8685082623898344778.post-56815617754218999242010-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:002010-01-27T12:51:24.586-08:00Beginnings...(I seem to be collecting blogs faster than my piano collects dust...)<br /><br />For a number of years now, I have been following the idea of a "Seamless Life", where work flows into home flows into fun. It's been partially successful. Now, I have ended the part that had me working for someone else - and it's up to me to make my own paycheck.<br /><br />So, the purpose of this blog is to explore creativity in general, with emphasis on the different things I'm making by hand for The Finch House. I plan to post pictures and musings about herbal and other crafts, jewelry, oil painting... and whatever else gets thrown into the mix. As with my other blogs, I don't plan on many folks actually visiting regularly - so pardon me while I talk to myself a lot!!<br /><br />Let's just see where it goes...Juleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13100988271024092796noreply@blogger.com0