Art Journal

Back to my art journal again! On this page I meditated before I started. I'm trying to show the "energy" in all the things I see. It started out with ME doing it the way I was taught. Hmmm....then I "listened" & put in colors I never would normally put in. It felt different, but I'll get used to it. Just a beginning...

And here's what I've done the last few days during my birthday & after Thanksgiving. Would rather be doing this than shopping! :)

Here's a closer pic of each page. I'm really enjoying getting back into this.

BTW, that mouse was from a picture I found of a puppet from the classic "The Elves and the Shoemaker". Somewhere in the U.K. they put this show on with these great puppets! Love it!

Bi-monthly swaps

Just finished a journal swap with a pal here in the neighborhood. We decided we wanted to continue, but do something else. So we made a list of things we "could" do, & then we choose to do 3 or 4 to swap...one for each of us, & one or two to give away. My pal made me some beaded "inchies", and I gave her some small watercolor cards. But something's wrong with my camera & I keep getting a smudge mark or two in my pics. Sometimes I can crop 'em out, but not in this one. So if you see something that looks smudged in future posts, that's why!

Thanksgiving!

This year we had Thanksgiving at home with a pal. Here's Ron cutting the turkey...this one was twice the size of my birthday turkey! :) And we had watched an old movie earlier in the week. There was a little prayer in it, so I said this: "Earth that gave us all this food. Sun that ripened it so good. Earth & Sun, Thank you for what you've done!" (Ya might also notice I don't like things to match! I've collected handmade pottery over the years, so there's always a variety of color at our table!) We are blessed and grateful!

The Big 55!

OK...not sure how many of you have birthdays in a holiday month, but I share mine with Thanksgiving...so that's usually my dinner. But this year Ron decided to give me my own turkey before Thanksgiving so I could have the whole breast to myself! He's the sweetest!

And I got lots of goodies in the mail!!!! And this year none of them broke! Also, Ron knows I don't like cake, & would rather have cookies any day, so he gave me my wish candle in cookies!!! Yea!

I am blessed!!!

How does your garden grow?

Well, the gardener has gotten the winter garden in, & it was up within a week! So in about a couple months we should have beans, peas, squash & tomatoes! Gotta love the growing seasons here! I better get some herbs in soon!

Aloha Friday!

Not a great pic, but just wanted you to see how our news crew dresses for Aloha Friday! I just love it! :) Only in the islands!

Art Journal

Even as the rune for the month predicted blessings & direction, I've been "moved" to return to my roots of art. Way back to the dreams of my childhood...drawing, painting...BEING an artist. I've left some of my techniques by the wayside in order to either make a living or be involved in a project. Some had to do with me, some didn't. But now is the time.

So I'm starting by getting back to my art journals, sketching, watercolor painting, color pencil paintings, etc. There are things I want to capture! Ideas to express that have been moodling in me. Now is the time.

You may be seeing more of this in the future. And hopefully bigger & better works of my heart art!

In this small spread, I started with a sketch of my travelling watercolor kit as a return to my roots. And on the next page, my happiness in the election outcome as an expression of my current joy. I hope to show the energy I see everywhere...in everything. Wow. Big dreams! :) Wish me well!

November BJP

My November BJP was done a little while ago, but I forgot to post it on my blog! Go figure! Life happens!

So...this month's rune is Harvest! Just happens to be a very synchronistic rune with the state of the economy in our country! This rune depicts the abundance of essential grains ready to be harvested. It signifies all kinds of fortune, good luck, and bounty, especially around career or material gain. (Wow! Lessons for me!) Others read this rune as the straw that is cut to make the witch's broom, an earthy object that magically carries the witch across velvety black skies, across space and time and the obstacles that leave her earthbound.

This rune predicts rewards and benefits of the most excellent kind. It brings into your life what is absolutely essential to your well-being, growth & happiness. The blessings the Harvest Rune gives can only expand while nourishing body, soul, & spirit in this time of positive change. (Another synchronicity?) :)

This rune indicates that what you've worked so hard to achieve will finally bear fruit & probably in a bigger way than you expected. Think abundance, increase, and fruitfulness & go on from there. Whatever you begin now will only grow & flourish. Obstacles are being lifted, paving the way toward many of your greatest hopes & dreams!

The secret behind the blessings relies entirely upon how much you are willing to work & generate positive energy in order to manifest these blessings. If you put forth a genuine effort, you can expect fortunate results & some even beyond your wildest dreams!

This is a definite green light rune! But use these positive developments wisely & avoid risks of overspending, mindless thrill seeking & meaningless pleasures. It may also be a time that spiritual seekers meet an important teacher, a sympathetic judge, or a helpful guide that will help you embark on a right course of action through humor or wisdom.

Happier days are ahead for you! You are quite likely to get your wish! (And it's my birthday month! Yahoo!) This is the most positive rune of all! It indicates the spirit of protection & good fortune. You can expect doorways to open, lucky developments, shining achievements, recognition, awards & accolades. Look for unexpected gifts, pleasant surprises, & situations which work out in your favor. This rune always represents gains, expansion, and easy flow as far as your goals are concerned. Look for an opening which sets you on the right path, giving thanks & receiving thanks, expansion as well as excess & exaggeration. Other benefits may have to do with buying & selling property, blazing a new path, carving a niche or corner in the market, as well as all manner of fortunate events! (Here comes our own home!!!)

Now is the time when many of your cherished dreams will finally be realized. Always a good omen! Wow!!! I'm taking this one! :)

The traditional stone for this month is topaz. There are different colors of topaz. I have a blue topaz ring, but wanted to go with a more traditional light yellow topaz for the background. However, the only bead I had that was similar, was a silver lined gold bead! Well, I think that's pretty appropriate considering the meaning of the rune! And I'd picked it before I even read the meaning. I picked a contrasting color that's kinda lapiz lazuli. Gems all the way around! What a great rune!

(Again, this info comes from "A Witch's Runes", by Susan Sheppard)

More Island TV!

OK...I never knew that the news carried "Surf Forecasts" until I came to Hawaii! But it sure is a good idea here!

Also, see those hazy days in the forecast? That's when the tradewinds die down & we all get the vog from Big Island. Ugh. But look at those temps!! Of course, those are Honolulu temps...us on the west side of Kaua'i are just a little warmer!

Beaded Face Swap!

Well, we just finished the Beaded Face Pin Swap! You can see all the entries here.

I received one of bobbi kirk's beautiful pins! She's like one of the Queens of beaded pins! I was so excited! It's just beautiful! I emailed her to ask if I could share it on my blog & she said yes! So here it is! You can also see her other work on her website, or on her blog! She's an incredible artist! I'm so glad I did this swap!!

Holiday Colors

Well, it's that time of year! And I'm wondering if I'll have enough holiday colored beads to make all the projects I have in mind!!! Here's a few I've been working on...now I just have to make them into what they'll become....which I can't say, 'cuz some one who reads my blog may get one of these! :) It's hard to keep secrets!!!

Huckleberry Hut Orders!!!

It's getting close to holiday time, so us crafty elves are really busy! Gotta get those orders ready & those gifts made!
Here's Ron out stirring up another stinky batch of paper! He says, "It smells like money!" Ha! I'm not sure what it smells like, but the end result is beautiful!

And here we are inside making handmade paper book marks, lauhala book marks, lauhala ornaments, etc.! After this order was done, Ron got busy with more ornaments, & book marks, as we know we'll need them soon! Plus he's been coming up with some new designs for the ornaments. Not just stars, fish & birds, but now he's come up with balls, boxes, and...??? We'll see! What a good life we have together!

Harvest Time!

When I first came to Kaua'i, I was amazed at the size of some of the avocados here! And the wonderful buttery taste! I didn't know there were summer avocados & winter avocados. And I didn't know how many recipes there were for using avocados! But I planted one of the pits I got from an avocado a pal gave me, & three years later we had a harvest! And have had every year since then. We weren't sure we'd get as many this year due to the bee problems, but the ones we've had have been great! Here's me getting ready to make some guacamole! Thanks to the best recipe in the world from Josephina in Acapulco! Yummmm! And the avocados from Mother Earth!!!

Birthdays during Holiday Months

I don't know if other bloggers have this problem, but when it's the holidays, or birthdays, there's just certain things I can't blog about until the following month. That was the case in October! One year I was sent this Halloween card by my sister. Not sure you can tell in this picture, but it shows a witch pickin' at her feet with the comment "Where candy corn comes from"! Gross, yes? ;) Well, my girlfriend had her birthday in Oct., so I decided to make her a pair of earrings with this card as my inspiration. One ear a witch, the other a candy corn.

Here's a close up of the witch! I got this free pattern online...and it was harder than I thought it would be! But she likes tiny things, so she liked this!

Happy Birthday, Pal!

Obsession!!!

I can't believe I haven't posted since mid October, but then I've been busy, & obsessed with the elections!!! Both the presidential...woo hooo!!!!!....

And the local...not so woo hoo!

We totally celebrated Obama's win, as you can see in the picture of the champagne above. We didn't vote on the candidates directly above...they were on Oahu. But I thought I'd show you a picture from our TV at home of all the leis that are given to the candidates to wear. Sometimes you can't even see their faces!!