The Hospital

I feel like I know the hospital a little too well lately. For the last month I've been back and forth to the one hospital or the other, like, daily. My very dear aunt has had some surgery and is now recovering, and we've been wanting to be with her quite a lot.

The good news is that she's doing quite well and will probably be able to walk with her walker in about a week. The bad news is that she will have the hospital in her life for at least a few more months as she is treated for her illness.

I think her outlook is great, but I feel bad that she will has such a long road left. She'll be just fine.

As for me, I've not had time to work on much of anything creative lately. I did a mixed media piece about 3-4 weeks ago, which I'm in love with, and I made some prints of it which I will probably put up on Etsy eventually (when I get some TIME!). I also made some prints of another piece I did and will put those up as well.

I have some ideas for other pieces, too. It just takes time to get them going. I need at least half a day of uninterrupted time to work on a piece and get it started, and I haven't had that in I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG. :) I may take a day off someday soon and try to put my head down and work. The problem with a day off is that I would be tempted to rest and not work on creative endeavours! :)

I have a pic of my aunt that I almost posted here, but I thought about it, and I don't think she'd appreciate a picture of herself posted when she's not completely healed yet, so I won't post it- but I will say that I'm very proud of how far she's come, and I really wanted to post it to show everyone how great she looks!

Who knows when I'll post next, but hopefully it will be a post with a picture of some new artwork or bead work! After all, the Bay Area Bead Extravaganza is coming up in about a week and a half!

The Blues

It looks like I've got the blues...this denim rug I'm making has totally dyed my hands blue! I'm going to have to cut my nails to make them white again...and I'll probably paint them for good measure. But it's worth it because the rug is coming out great. I noticed that it was becoming rainbow shaped around row 4, so I started decreasing throughout that row, and it is now completely straight. It has a few bumps from the decreases, but I'm not worried about those because once the heft of the entire rug is added, the bumps won't seem like bumps at all. The biggest annoyance is adding the denim strips every few stitches. I'm ripping the denim every 3/4 of an inch from yardage I bought, and I'm ripping on the grain of course, so it's getting to be a real pain. Not enough of a pain to make me quit, though. This rug is going to be really cool. I'm not Etsy-fying this rug! (You can use any crochet stitch to make this rug; but I'm using double crochet. To add a strip to your working strip, simply use a square knot.)

You may want to try to make this rag rug with a lighter weight fabric than denim. You could use a cotton print material, but your strips might need to be wider, like an inch. I was thinking that it might be nice to hand-dye some material and then make it into a rug. You may want to go with a color which will wear nicely, if you're going to get a lot of use out of your new rug.

I hope you get a little inspiration from this post. My inspiration was actually handwoven baskets. I really want to learn how to make them, but the nearest classes are pretty far away. I'll have to keep an eye out when their new season of classes starts back up and see if I can make my way over there somehow.

TTFN.

New...and Different!

You may have noticed in my Etsy Shop that I have started to make Tooth Fairy Pillows. I've got about 5 of them made now, all with different fabric and trim combinations. They're really cute. They have 2 pockets in them, instead of one, and I came up with the idea that the second pocket could be used for healthy snacks. These tooth fairy pillows aren't tooth-shaped and don't have fairies on them, so they're really versatile and can be used even as the child gets older and wants to hide their treasures inside them.

My Butterflies and Stripes Tooth Fairy Pillow, filled with Healthy Snacks and Ca$h!

I remember when I was just a little girl, my aunt made a tooth fairy pillow for me...it was heart shaped and pink, and it had my initials on it. It was trimmed in lace. It was really cute, even though I'm not the pink/lacy kind of girl. I think it was more geared toward the tooth fairy's likes than my own.

My Birdies Tooth Fairy Pillow, with Vintage Buttons

One day, I lost my tooth and was saving it in my pocket or something to put in my tooth fairy pillow in the evening, and somehow it got lost...really lost. I remember being so upset about it. I wrote a note to the tooth fairy and put it in the pillow's tiny pocket. I guess she felt sorry for me, because in the morning, she had left me some coins and a little note in return. It sure looked like my mom's handwriting though. Aaaaaanyway.

Other than that, I've been making some glass tile necklaces which have turned out very nicely, and that's about it.

Check out the Tooth Fairy Pillows at my Etsy Shop! I'll be adding more in the next week or so!

TTFN!

K Got Hitched

Last weekend we went off to a family cabin up in the Sierras in a little town called Shaver Lake. I spent time in the Summers there in Jr. High and High School and going back was a surreal experience for me. I hadn't been there in over 10 years, and yet there were people in the town who still remembered and recognized me. (And believe me, I don't look the same as I did in High School!) Our reason for going was that my cousin, K, was getting married in the idyllic little chapel they've built there. I'm not sure if you know how I feel about weddings, but let's just say it wasn't so bad. There was a point, however, where I questioned whether I should be hanging out in the parking lot...K had the different tables competing against each other in a singing competition, and that kind of thing was not for me. K was absolutely beautiful and she looked sublimely happy every time I looked at her...I've seen her silly grin before, but she was sporting an all-out smile the whole time. It was more than worth the drive.

The Family Cabin

We spent the evening in Fresno with our cousins, J¹ & G and J² & A, who made us a superb Mexican feast and then we played games until we were all too tired (or in J²'s case, too tipsy) to think. J¹ & G are beaders, and I was hoping we'd get some beading in before we had to leave in the morning, but we were all a little slow to get going in the morning, and before we knew it, it was time for us to roll out. We had a birthday party to get to!

My niece, O, just turned 2, so she was having a party at her maternal grandma's house. We had a lovely time at the party, where O's mom and grandma actually prepared a fully gluten-free meal for everyone. I thought it was really nice of them to go out of their way to do that...of course I never expect any one to make anything that's gluten free. I would hate to think that someone would have to change their menu to accommodate for my gluten intolerance, but I do really appreciate it when people do. I understand that it's hard (and annoying at times) to change the way you cook, because I've had to do it myself, so it means a lot when it's done for me. In fact, for the wedding, my cousin M actually brought 2 coolers of GF picnic food for the 3 Celiacs who were in attendance, along with a GF cake. People are always taking care of me! :)

What's going on now? I'm working on a Mixed Media Collage with a Rain/Umbrella theme, plus I'm kinda thinking of working on a Mixed Media necklace...tossing around some ideas. If anything comes of this scheming and planning, I'll be sure to post pictures. My ideas are kinda stuck in the mud right now because I've got to find the right supplies. This seems to be a recurring problem with Mixed Media...

Anywho. TTFN.

The Nile

This weekend the Hub and I drove North a bit to Historic Niles, which is basically in Fremont...but seems to be worlds away. Niles, as far as I know it, is comprised of one main street with about 8 Antique Shops all lined up in a row. There are a smattering of oth

er shops and restaurants sprinkled in there, as well. I usually drag my husband to the bead shop, Kiowa Rose (actually, he goes quite willingly, and he even helps me choose my beads and pays afterward!). Kiowa Rose is one of the few places I can get Vintage Lucite beads aside from a Trunk Show or a Bead Show, plus, the inside of the store is stunning. I don't know how to describe it. It's like a magical place, like one of the shops at Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. You just have to visit for yourself. Apparently, Charlie Chaplin shot a movie there...not in Kiowa Rose, but in what it once was.

Aaaaanyway, this time I dragged (again he went willingly) my Hub to Niles for the Antique Shops. I was really on a hunt for something specific, but hey, if I found some other cool old thing, I was in the mood to buy that, too. We parked down at the far end of the street and started off at the first store. Actually, technically, the first store was closed, so we started with the second store.

I was really looking for some old colored glass vessels, the size of juice glasses. Juice glasses would've worked, too, but I would hate to break up a set and buy just one. What I want to do is use some of my soy wax and pour some soy candles into the vintage glass vessels. I just kinda got the idea one day...I thought it would be cool. I'm not sure if I'll scent them or not.

So anyway, I didn't really find anything in the first or second stores. Then I found something in the third store, but it was more than I was willing to pay. I didn't find anything in the next couple stores either. By then, my Hub was hungry. There had been a kid out on the street hawking menus for a restaurant just off the main street called, "The Nile". They pretty much serve Salads, Sandwiches, and a Soup of the Day. I was really iffy about going there, because I can't eat sandwiches, most soups, and most salad dressings (gluten!). But my husband was kinda gung-ho, so we sat down at one of the tables in the otherwise deserted restaurant. My husband had to shout a polite, "hello!" to get someone's attention from the back.

The waitress/cook took our order. I was specific that I didn't want any croutons on my salad. We repeated it twice. I thought that should be sufficient. You know what's coming. Our food came, minus my hub's soup, which had to be re-requested (again, we're the only ones in the restaurant), and there were copious croutons on my salad. I went to the counter and unfortunately had to shout to the back of the restaurant. They acted like they never heard me request a salad with no croutons, but took my salad back. I specifically told her I can't eat croutons.

I was brought a clean salad and we finished our lunch in silence, because by that time, I was testy about the choice of restaurant and what I was eating. I got to the last few bites of my salad and unearthed a crouton. My temper flared. I guess the cook simply rifled through my salad and removed the croutons from the original salad instead of bringing me a new one (something I could've done myself!). When you are GF, you really can't even eat something that has even touched gluten. I don't think I did an adequate job at communicating to the cook the reason I couldn't eat croutons. Maybe I need to go deeper next time. I think the misunderstanding was partly my fault, but I still stormed out of the restaurant.

Luckily, cute antiques can quell my temper. I wasn't hot for long. We hit some more shops, but I still didn't find just the right vessels for my project. Bless my hub for sticking with me through all those shops. By the second to last shop, he was hurtin'. But something cool had caught my eye. It was a huge tool chest from 1935, with 4 drawers. Almost all the drawers had dividers in them. It would be perfect for bead organization. The only catch would be: where do I put it when I get it home? I have no place in my studio for a piece that weighty and large. In the end, we decided we'd think about it, and it ended up staying in Niles. If I'm still thinking about it by next weekend, I might make my hub take me back and see if it's still there. It really was super cool.

Bead-wise, I've just finished a steel-blue Vintage Lucite necklace, and should be starting a new one in the next couple days. I've been slower with my beading lately because I've been working on some Mixed Media Collages which have really taken my interest and time. I just finished one with a Marriage/Engagement theme and I'm working on one now that has a Rain theme. I think I'll be getting a new camera in the near future, too, so that should really help my photos...something which has been a big concern for me for awhile.

There will be pictures of the most recent collages on one of my other blogs sometime in the next week or two....or three! That's all for now. TTFN.

Where Bloggers Create!

So funny that I just did a blog to introduce my new studio a few days ago and I today I found out about Where Bloggers Create...a blog party on July 24th where bloggers are going to showcase their workspaces! So cool!

My studio is so not even close to the tricked out studios that a lot of people have, but it's brand new, and it's mine and I love it. I hope a few people come and check out my studio here at boogdoodle and read about what I'm up to in there. I'll definitely be at the party on July 24th, checking out tons of studios and sneaking away with some studio style secrets. For one, I've got to LOSE THE WALLPAPER in my room!!!! So I'll especially be looking for color ideas...hey, I've got a red couch to work with!

If you've come to check out my studio, do leave me a comment and tell me what you think. I'd love to hear your ideas and I welcome all comments. Thanks for coming by! TTFN.

My Studio

I thought I might post some photos of my studio. I've seen some photos of some pretty impressive studios, and I'll let you know ahead of time that mine isn't perfect, but I would definitely give it a 10 for function.

I have 2 desks. One is dedicated solely to beading, and it currently has about 2 projects running on it. I'm doing a Vintage Lucite Necklace and a Rubber O-Ring Bracelet. In the photo you can see that I have an inspiration wall above the desk, with ideas for color and for future projects, as well as some art that my nieces made for me. Below that is my tool storage, along with a basket on the right which holds the beads that I'm currently working with. You'll recognize the beading board on the desk, which is a little bit untidy, but this picture was taken when one project was coming in and one was about to be finished...a messy time. Hanging on the wall to the left are my apron and some finished necklaces, some of which are posted on my Etsy page.

In the next picture, you can see my storage area. It's a big built-in bookshelf where I keep all of my supplies. Here you'll find anything from books to stamps to yarn to paper to decoupage medium, and so much more. It's pretty cool. The room also has a huge skylight in the middle of it. I'm lucky to have such a great room to create in.

In this picture is a painting desk with a glass top that I have set up with an easel (easel not pictured), where I can do watercolors, acrylics, and where I will do oils someday soon. I know there's carpet on the floor, but I promise to put something down to protect it before I bring out the paint. I use this desk to do charcoal drawings sometimes, and this is where I do my mixed media collage work. There is also a sofa in the room which makes into a bed, as well as the hope chest my grandmother gave me many years ago. There's a window seat in the back of the room that makes a nice place to sit and think...which actually happens less than you'd think in what has become a very productive place.

All in all, my studio is a special room and I feel very blessed to have it. This studio is only a few months old and is still growing and changing, but my whole life has metamorphosed since it was created for me and I owe merci beaucoup to my husband for making it happen.

That's all the beady news for now. TTFN.