Project Bag Problem Solved!

Yahoo! I figured out how to finish this project bag! The crocheted cord I made just didn't slip thru' it well enough. So I decided to find some pretty, yet strong ribbon. And I added a tassel embellishment on the end of the ribbon. It works great! As you can see below, my DH was willing to let me take a pic of him carrying it. (He's so sweet!)

And below you can see how it can attach to a table wherever you want to take it. The strap draws it closed & can also be slung over your arm! Not sure I'll make another one with a knotless netting base, but for sure I will crochet more...maybe different sizes for different projects! Oh, and wait until you see what I'm gonna do with my Grandma's old filet crochet pieces! But that may have to come another time as I'm running out of time here on the island to work! Time is ticking!

Tink is Retiring on Kaua'i!

This is Tinkerbel~my car! She's seen me thru' alot of rough & tumble times as well as some really fun times! But she's decided that she likes it here on Kaua'i & is gonna retire here! I will miss her! But I know she'll find someone who will care for her! Ciao, bella! Enjoy your retirement!

More Hearts!

I am So enjoying making these lavender filled hearts! Since I'm packing up most of my studio, I'm only leaving out bits of things to work with...a special pal gave me the trim on the purple heart below! She wondered what I'd end up doing with it! :) Well, this is one little part of it. I'm using extra bits of beads, sequins, stamped fabric, etc to embellish them with. And then the wonderful smell of lavender fills the room as I fill the hearts. MMMMmmmmm..

Here's another one I made & just finished yesterday at craft day at one of my pal's home. I'd already done most of the embellishing & just had to embroider it together & fill it. If you click on the image on the right, you may be able to see all the tiny seed beads I sewed along the edge of the lace trim. So relaxing! And upcycling of little bits of ephemera! FUN!

June BJP - Moon Rune

I LOVE the moon! So I enjoyed making this moon rune...even tho' if I hadn't predecided colors, I would have chosen different ones than these shown.

The basic meaning of this rune is being aware in the dark. Gypsies called the moon shion which means arms of protection. Early goddesses were associated with the moon. We're talking feminine power here! Expect shifts in focus or mood. It speaks of home, ancestors, female relatives & your personal space. Sometimes you can be taken out of your better senses (being moonstruck) & maybe act a little impractical. The moon has been associated with magick, witchcraft & sorcery...meaning now you have the ability to make positive change. It is also associated with a new cycle, maybe buying a house, having a baby...some form of expansion. In astrology the moon governs imagination & creative expression. It's time to use the moon's intuitive energy. Take your time before taking action. Be calm & take it slow. And pay attention to your dreams!

This was a good one for me to do now as we are moving & intend to buy a home in New Mexico! I'm getting really pumped about it!

The background color I had chosen for this rune is Alexandrite. What a cool stone this is! The most sensational feature about this stone is its surprising ability to change its color. Green or bluish-green in daylight, Alexandrite turns a soft shade of red, purplish-red or raspberry red in incandescent light. This unique optical characteristic makes it one of the most valuable gemstones of all, especially in fine qualities. It changes just like the moon! Might just have to get one of those! Someday!

As always the info on this rune is found in "A Witch's Runes" by, Susan Sheppard.

Happy Independence Day!

What do you see in a blast of fireworks? A pretty explosion?

Colors, forms & shapes?

Fingers or flowers? Branches or blossoms?

Christmas decorations? Dr. Emoto's water crystal experiments?

A white palm tree? A red headed Who from Whoville?

A firecracker plant? Fishermen in your camera range? ;)

A burst of glory?

But now what kinda UFO is this guy? LOL!

Happy Independence Day to all!

Upcycled Experiment Process

OK...below you see the destuffed, cleaned hugables ready to restuff!

And here you see them with their new clean stuffing!

Sewing up the openings...

Ready to be embellished!

And the first embellishment is for Angel, the Amulet for our new home, and a Joy circle for Jolly Mon the Talisman for our new home. Hopefully Jolly Mon will bring us lots of joy, & Angel will give us lots of protection! I can't wait to start beading these guys!!! Yahoo!

Jackaranda in Bloom

The Jackaranda Tree is one of my favorite tropical trees! I love the colors, shape...just everything about it. I've never gotten a picture of it before, & knew I had to get a few pics before I left! So here's just a couple I got the other day!

A goodbye orchid!

Went to meet some pals for the last night of business at the Waimea Brew Pub. My other pals, the Happy Enchalata, were playing that night. It was bittersweet! But one of my pals left me with this beautiful orchid of many colors! It's so beautiful I wish you could see it in person! Thanks, pal!

Decisions and a DATE!!!

Being a mixed media artist can be hard on travelling! What do you take with you? Which threads, floss, fabrics, etc.??? I'm still deciding & we have a finalized date to move our stuff!!! Ack! All the stuff will leave here 7/29 & 7/30!!! Then we'll leave the first week in August!!! So what to pack? What to mail ahead? What is so precious I have to carry it with me??? ACK! I have a feeling I'll pack alot, mail some, & just bring a bit!

Experiment I Can't Resist!

I just couldn't resist this!! One of my fellow beaders on BJP is famous for her wonderful beaded trash to treasure creatures! You can see her blog here! I especially LOVE her May 2009 BJP called "Sprout" which you can see here! Scroll down about 1/3 of the page.

Anyway, I have no idea how she does it, but I decided to try! Ha! LOL! Below you can see the little critters I got at Habitat for Humanity. They were way at the bottom of the bin! Under all the big pretty stuffed buddies. So I picked 11, with my Honey's help, & we paid $1.00 for them all! Yahoo!

Now the first thing I do know she said you have to do is de-stuff these guys! Owee! Above you can also see me starting that process, & the tools I used.

Above is one of the guys ready to get washed! He looks so smooshed!

And here they all are happily hanging up to dry! I wanted clean critters to start with. So now I get to choose which one I'm going to restuff first with new, clean stuffing...and then begins the embellishing process! I wonder how they will turn out? I'd like to make one into a talisman for our new home...and my DH has a special one he wants for himself. I think we'll call his Jolly Mon!

Wish me luck!

Lavender Hearts

Been working on some hearts stuffed with just a bit of lavender. Using fabrics & embellishments from pals, as well as my beads, threads & own bits. This is the first one I finished. It can be used in a drawer or hung in a closet. It smells wonderful, & is a deterent to some insects here!

Final Museum Order?

I thought the last order we brought up to the Museum was gonna be the last, but thought I better call up & check before my Honey packed up all our inventory! Good thing...she wants it all! So this weekend we are busy finishing off some things, packaging, etc. Whew! Good thing I called!

Project Bag

Here's a project bag I just finished. I made up the pattern as I went along. I started it with knotless netting, then went into crochet. However, I'm having one problem with it! The cord doesn't slip thru' the loops easily, so am trying to think of what to use instead...maybe some strung beads? Ribbon? Hmmm?

Handmade Leis

When we went up to visit our pals & share a meal up in Koke'e last weekend, a couple of our pals made us each a lei! Aren't they just beautiful?!!! From flowers & plants they found around the camp. What great pals! I will miss them!

Happy Solstice!!!

My swapping buddy made me these cute little foam sunshine faces! I just had to turn one of them into a Summer Solstice wand! They are so cheerful! I'll bring this one up to Koke'e tomorrow to celebrate the Solstice with some pals!

Happy Summer Solstice!

It's so Charming!

I don't know why, but lately I've been making charms! At first I thought I'd put the charms, all hand made, on a charm bracelet. But some of these charms are getting too large! Go figure! Anyway, I decided that when we get settled in our new home, I'll put a chain around the edge of our home altar & hang all these charms on it! Now just something else to do with that bracelet!

The shell on the left is a paua shell. I used a hand drill that my DH made me...it took over 700 cranks to carefully make that hole! I found out the hard way that if you go too fast or hard, it chips! Ack! Slow & steady. Didn't make many of these. Only one other for my swap buddy. She also got one like the one in the upper right.

The middle one is made with one of fabric beads I made. I guess it wasn't embellished enough, so I had to turn it into a sunny charm! On the reverse of the silver sun is the moon. These all have been a fun break...and a different use of my wrists!

Off Loom Square Stitch Example

Some have mentioned they thought my work was done on a loom, but I am using an off-loom beading stitch called square stitch. One bead at a time is sewn onto a bead in the previous row. Below you will find an example.

Here I am part way into my June rune. I am ready to add a new bead:

I pick up the yellow bead on my needle.

I insert the needle back into the bead in the previous row

that will be directly below the new yellow bead.

Now, I'm sorry this is blurry, but I wanted to show that you pull the thread below the just added yellow bead. I'm sure you can just imagine it! :)

Next I go back up thru' the yellow bead & pull the thread thru'.

Ta Da! One bead added! Now how many hundreds more to go!

Each rune has 625 beads in it stitched on one at a time.

I hope this little example helps just a bit. At least you can see how it's not made on a loom! :)

May BJP - Flight Rune

For this month of May, I wanted to post 2 pics 'cuz one shows the roughness of the dark red clay like beads. Still workin' on that photography!

Anyway, this rune explores the idea of birds as messengers leaving the spirit world for the world of matter, & returning with important news. It's a universal theme. Other meanings for this rune are transition, transforming news, communication from far away, glad tidings, messages of all kinds, (including phones, mail, spiritual, etc), intuitive connections, help for artists, creative energy, lifting of obstacles, etc. Now is the time to take flight & accept challenges, embrace change, face risks, etc. It stands for a time when you will overcome limitations & be free of obstacles. It signifies the kind of communication that changes your course of action, so watch for surprises in what you've already planned. Flight also can mean angelic guidance, counsel, or legal documents to sign. Time to fly!

The birthstone, used as the background for this month, is Emerald. This was the closest color I had to it. Then I used the contrasting dark red clayish beads for the symbol itself.

Again, all information comes from "A Witch's Runes", by Susan Sheppard.

Beautiful Flowers of Hawaii

Aren't these flowers just beautiful? A pal was recently visiting here & got these at the Hanapepe Farmers Market. When she was leaving, she left them for us to enjoy! Mahalo nui loa!

Bon Voyage Pin Cushion

In case you didn't guess what this is in one of the last updates, it's a Bon Voyage Pincushion for a pal of mine here! She's the one who's been making clothes for me...she just knows I'm gonna have to wear something on the mainland! :) I had hand copied an old pattern a long time ago, & decided to try it out even tho' I haven't used crochet thread for a long time! I was gonna put Mahalo (Thank You) on it, but decided Aloha fit better. She liked it!

Anyway, the colors on the left are closer to true...still having trouble with figuring out lighting. Natural lighting seems to work best, but sometimes I get things really blurry. Who knows...you get the idea anyway!

Moodling June 11th

OK...so with the gall bladder issues, I really haven't felt like creating anything! So when a pal came over to go thru' some books, mags & things, I just looked at a magazine & doodled in my idea book that I carry with me everywhere. Just jotted some ideas down to remember for the future. Then I used a photo editing program to X out some personal phone numbers, so this ended up being a collage of sorts! Ha!!! LOL! Are you kidding??? Really stretching it here!!! Well, it's all I have to show for this week! Hopefully more for next week!

Happy creating & everyone stay well!!!

Filler

Since this was gall bladder week, I need some filler for my blog! :) I forgot I hadn't posted the colored pencil kit decision I'd made for our travels back on 4/26. So above you can see the colors I decided to take in my pouch.

Below you can see the previous watercolor pencil choices to take on the left, & the colored pencil choices on the right. Now if I could only decide on my beading & sewing supplies! Is it possible to strap your studio to your back? Luckily my DH informed me we didn't just have to take our one piece of checked luggage when we move! I can take my backpack as carry on!!!! Yahoo! I have room! Forget the change of clothes...I need paper, pens, watercolors, beads, fabric, glue, etc...

I thought I was gonna die!

Ever felt that awful pain where you think you're gonna die? Well, I did awhile back, & then again on Sunday. About 2 hours after our Sinful Sunday brunch. (Which was wonderful, BTW...poached eggs on grain bread with a small side of bacon!) Only lasted 20 minutes or so, but that was enough to know something was up!
Then I called MOM! She told me that all our elder Italian relatives have had their gall bladders removed! Say what??? Yup, it's a family thing!
So I looked online & tried to figure out what was up. Learned a whole lot! There's a site called National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse that has a ton of useful info.
But on Tuesday, I had what I thought was an OK lunch...1/2 sandwich on whole grain bread with grilled chicken & a 1/2 slice of provolone with an apple on the side. Well, not so OK...2 hours later, I thought I was gonna die!!! This time DH decided maybe we should go to ER. Ha! Not the stubborn Norwegian 1/2 of me! So we called the insurance nurse who asked me all the regular "is it a heart attack" questions. At the end her recommendation was to see my doc the next day. In the time it took to answer her questions, the pain eased. But I made my appointment.
So...the very next day I was in the doc's office & he agrees it's probably my gall bladder. I'm set up for an ultra sound for next Thursday. And in the meantime, I'm not allowed one iota of fat!!! People with this issue have a very restricted diet! GAG! No cheese! Eat beets! (I personally think beets taste like dirt! No offense to the beet family!) No meat, fowl, pork (I LIVE IN HAWAII!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???), legumes, blah, blah, blah. Only certain fresh veggies & fruits, & low, or no fat yogurt & cottage cheese. Luckily, in some studies, wine seemed to help! So guess what? If I can't each cheese, chicken, or anything that tastes good, I'll drink some wine & be happy about it! At least for the week until I have my ultrasound. More to come!

BJP in Progress

This is my MAY BJP in progress. It's the Flight rune, and it's all about communication, messages, etc. Whether physical, virtual or spiritual! So I'm really glad I didn't start this last month when Mercury was Retrograde! :) Hopefully I'll catch up this month!!! But, you've seen my work space, and the packing going on, so who knows!

Another WIP & Photography Issues!

Here's another example of photography issues!!!! The true color is on the left...why did the one on the right turn yellow??? Used the same light, just came from a different angle. I've heard that digital cameras work differently than the older 35mms, so it's just gonna take some time!

So can anyone tell what this is gonna be???

All I can say is that it's a surprise!