Etsy Sale!!!

You are Here I, 7 x 7" - Now for sale on Etsy.

For the month of January (and today also), all Etsy items are 25% off. If you wish to make a purchase, convo me through Etsy, or send me an email about which item(s) you wish to purchase. I will then mark down that piece and reserve it in your name. You can then continue to purchase the item through Etsy. I can also accept checks and money orders if you wish.

I need to make some room for new pieces. I've got lots of new ideas brewing in my brain and I'm anxious to get back to work.

Time to Regroup

I've only been out of town for three days and I feel so lost.

I'm not going to be able to catch up on everyone's blog and make the witty (snarly?) comments I would like to make.

I'm surrounded by boxes (empty and full), ribbons, bags (empty and full), cookie tins (empty, finally), tree needles, broken bits and things to glue, a kid's sewing machine I have to learn to use before I teach my daughter the proper way to sew over her finger, tissue paper, unknown things, cat yak, unanswered Christmas cards, lists of things I should have done, etc.

Bloggers, thanks for being out there. I'll visit you later and make comments on old posts.

I'm off now to heat up leftover pizza and then hope desperately that the milk for tomorrow morning has not gone bad.

p.s. Happy birthday Wiggy!

Christmas Dishes

Whew! I'm worn out.

Had a great Christmas with hubby's folks. Today Christmas #2 begins with my folks. I do know for a fact that there will be fewer dishes.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Don't spend too much time in the stores returning gifts!

Christmas Gifts to Me

Well, looks like this is going to be a quick post.

Just here for a minute to wish all of my readers a wonderful winter holiday.

I want to thank all of you for your gifts to me throughout the year. Thanks to all who read this blog and comment frequently. Thanks to those who stop by every now and then. Thanks to those of you who have been supportive of my attempts at creativity.

All of your comments are gifts to me. It's great to know that you are out there.

Now, I am scuttling off to clean and tidy up before the in-laws get here. I have no idea what time they are due to arrive. We are all heading out this evening to gawk at lights and have dinner. Then tomorrow the hubby (with my assistance?) will whip up a brunch and Christmas Eve dinner. Then soon after that is another brunch and Christmas Day dinner will be next. And I just realized I have failed to conjure up a dessert for at least one of these meals.

Anybody have a quick and easy recipe that uses chocolate chips and 4 or fewer eggs? It's all I have on hand and darned if I'm going to the store again.

My Favorite Things, Part III

On the cooler side of the spectrum, my favorite colors are brown and blue. These colors are appropriate for those rare sunny, winter days in Central Pennsylvania.

Inception, 7.5 x 9"

City Park, 13 x 11"

Life Raft, 6 x 9"

Ripple Effect, 14 x 10"

All of these pieces are now available on Etsy.

Not a great deal to talk about today. I must spring into action now. Wrapping, baking, one more trip to one of those darn big box stores. I swore I was not going to shop anywhere until after Christmas. That just makes me a big fat liar. But one MUST have printer paper.

My Favorite Things, Part II

Back in 2000, my husband and I had been trying to have a child for a couple of years. We went through a few unpleasant and somewhat invasive procedures. We could have gone farther down the unpleasant procedures path, but decided against it.

Biological Clock, 14 x 11" framed

While adoption had always been in the backs (and sometimes fronts) of our minds, we weren't quite sure if we were doing the right thing by not going along with these procedures. Were we wrong to not exhaust all possibilities of having a biological child? Luckily, we came across a mean little specialist who really turned us off regarding additional procedures. Really. It was a fortunate thing.

Biological Clock II, 18 x 14" framed

We then gathered information about adopting from China. Two years of filling out forms, sending money here and there (and sometimes, it seems, down the toilet), and experiencing moments of extreme doubt spread out before us. Our referral came with a photo of our child and all of that bad stuff just went out of the window (or down the toilet, with some of that money). I no longer had to hear the ticking of that damn biological clock.

Biological Clock III, 14 x 11" framed

Our daughter will be eight in February. We know every second that we did the right thing.



These pieces now hang together in our home. Here they will stay. They will not show up on Etsy.

My daughter came upon a wishing tree at a local Christmas tree festival. Slips of paper and ties were provided to write down a wish and tie it to the tree. My daughter's wish was for a baby brother or sister. Santa's not bringing that gift, kiddo!

My Favorite Things

Since there's nothing new coming out of the studio this month, I'm going to post some of my favorite things from the past.

Spice Route I, 24 x 24"

This series, Spice Route, was inspired by a neighborhood walk a couple of years ago. The autumn leaves had mostly fallen. Mixed into these glorious colors were a few bright pink petals from a daisy that had escaped the frost.

Spice Route II, 20 x 20"

Unfortunately, at the time I did not have a small camera for carrying on walks. I would have to remember this color combination.

Spice Route III, 16 x 16"

It would be several months before I got around to putting that mental picture into fabric. Would the final result have been better if I had been able to exactly match the fabrics to a photo? I'm thinking probably not. I feel the colors matter less than the intensity and contrast.

Spice Route IV, 12 x 12"

I have since received a camera small enough to uncomfortably fit into my pocket. I rarely remember to carry it with me, however. Does forgetfulness make for good art? For me, its the memory that counts. I just wish my memory weren't getting so bad.

All of these pieces are available on Etsy.

Basic. Elemental.

Elemental I, 12 x 12"

As usual, I've managed to get myself worked up into a holiday lather. I've got to slow down and think about what is really important. I really don't want to do ridiculous activities, buy ridiculous gifts, and bake ridiculous amounts of goodies that an army couldn't even eat (I'm talking about quality, not quantity here. My goodies are good).

Elemental II, 12 x 12"

Do I really have to run all over town and find presents for my kid's instructors? Do these people really want dozens of little gifts? Can't my daughter just make a heartfelt card instead? Hmmmm, maybe Christmas is about delegating to the little people.

Elemental III, 12 x 12"

I just want to be with my family. I want to buy them gifts I think they will like. (Remember folks, it really is the thought that counts). I want to send out pretty cards. I don't have to write to everyone about how wonderful my year was. That's what those newsletters are for. We just have to let people we like know that we like them.

I guess its a bit too late for me this year to say I'm being basic and elemental. There's always next year.

And, yes, I am getting just a bit commercial here. All of these pieces are available on Etsy.

Snow Day(?)

I guess you can call it a snow day. It's also ice and rain day. In my humble opinion, it just a nasty day.

I can call it a day without school.

What a cruel joke of the weather. Four inches of white snow. Then some ice is thrown down on top of that. Then it rains, and rains, and rains. Its really no longer snow. It's now vast amounts of cold oatmeal. Nasty.

My first plan for the day was to write up some summaries of my work and have them shipped off with original artwork to one of those Somerset magazines. Once school was cancelled, it turned into "let's make sausage balls" day. My daughter was thrilled. I put the ingredients into the bowl, stuck my hands in and she decided it was not a day for sausage ball making after all. She flips open the laptop and asks she she can download some songs on iTunes. I say no. She asks if I can set up a movie. I say later. She then wants to go play in the snow (and rain). She has to wait for me to finish the mixing. The dog is waiting, too. He thinks that raw sausage would be a good thing. The Pepto Bismol from his last dietary indiscretion is still on the kitchen counter. But he's hopeful. It wouldn't bother him to spatter the rugs and walls (again) with liquid brown s**t before the in-laws come for Christmas. It would bother ME.

Now daughter is out in snow and rain with her friends building a snowman. Happy as a cold, little clam. I find it irritating to be both cold and wet.

The next plan is to do more Christmas decorating. I have to do a search in my fabric remnant piles for tree skirts. I don't actually own official tree skirts. I just use large fabric remnants that I find dirt cheap. I don't see the need to purchase a lovely felted Martha Stewart-approved tree skirt from an exclusive catalog for $250 when a $4.00 remnant suits both the cat and I just fine. To the cat, they are not tree skirts. They are just comfortable spots to rest that have invisible words on them that read "eject unwanted hair here."

Well, time to roll up some more sausage balls and pop them in the oven. And eat them.

Happy snow day.

Colors of Christmas?

I've never been one to use those so-called traditional Christmas colors of red and green. If I do use them, they won't be seen together. Not my favorite color combination. As most of my readers know, fall colors are my fave. And, yes, fall colors become my Christmas colors.

Benefits of Sunshine I, 10 x 10"

I tend to do a lot of Christmas decorating. I'm not sure if its all about the Holiday, or more of a chance to do what I love more excessively. Each year, I put up several Christmas trees. So far I have eight artificial trees in various sizes, with a live tree yet to come. One is the "heritage" tree with loads of ornamants from my and my husband's childhood. This is the closest I come to putting red and green together. My favorite ornaments on this tree are red and gold balls with spots of red and gold glitter. My mother's first Christmas with my dad was a year with little money. My mother went to the "dime store" and purchased boxes of inexpensive gold, red and green balls. She also purchased glue and glitter and went home and got creative. My sister and I divided these up years ago when my mother declared she was done with a red and green tree. Each year, I manage to drop and break one of these balls. I refuse to not use them, though. I'll hang them (and break them) until they're all gone. They've lasted 59 years so I guess they'll make it a few more.

Benefits of Sunshine II, 10 x 10"

There is a tree with green lights and green, gold and white ornaments. Red is forbidden there. This tree is in my green family room. Over the years I've collected a few surprising items. A close look will reward the viewer with dragonflies, lizards, and bees along with the usual balls. The live tree in the living room will sport red, gold and white lights. The other tree in the living room is lit with some interestingly shaped white and gold lights. Since my living room is small, there will be little room for living. Years ago, in a Christmas shop far, far, away, I spotted some brown Christmas lights. You heard me. Brown. At $18.oo a strand they were out of my reach. No doubt they would have failed to light the following year. Regardless, I still dream of brown Christmas lights.

Benefits of Sunshine III, 10 x 10"

This year, naturally, there was a Christmas light crisis. No matter that several strands were purchased earlier in the season, there was a shortage. Hubby braved the crowds at Target yesterday. He called mid-trip. "I got two boxes of green lights. There are no red lights unless you want to try those LED ones. I managed to get the last four boxes of white lights."

Green lights good. Red lights look like a volcano erupting. Not the rich red I was hoping for. The white lights have white wire. No so good for a green tree. Got to go back to Target today for a return. Hopefully they have restocked, but I have a feeling that what they had yesterday (next to nothing) is more than what they'll have today.

Yes, I know there are far more serious issues with the world than lights with white wire. We have donated to the local food pantry and may do so again. Still have to pick up some toys for tots. I have plenty of room to fill with the spirit of giving. There is much more that I can do. And hopefully will do.

But right now, I'm heading out to Target.

Benefits of Sunshine I, II and III are now for sale on Etsy.

My Annual Christmas Card Post

We received our first Christmas card in the mail yesterday.

It was right cute with its ice-skating penguins dressed in winter scarves. There were also star cutouts. It's pretty much what a Christmas card should be. Perhaps I should call them Holiday cards, since Christmas might not be the winter holiday you celebrate.

Regardless of what you call them, I do have certain likes and dislikes regarding them.

I like them pretty. Cute is o.k. Religious is fine. Snow scenes, glitter, candles, pop-ups, confetti, musical, trees, bunnies, reindeer, Mary, Jesus, Star of the East, gilded, triple-fold, elves, Santa Claus, Saint Francis, birds, are all just dandy.

If I know you well enough, I also appreciate the annual newsletter. I really do want to know (if I like you) where you went on vacation, who got braces or a promotion or straight A's or knocked up. If granny came to live with you, please tell me. If junior has developed a wheat allergy tell me. If that worthless b@stard has left you for another woman tell me and we'll get together and drink some wine. But please do me a favor. Tuck this newsletter into a lovely Holiday card.

If I like you, I will probably like your children. Granted, they may be pesky at times. I really do want to know about them. I actually want pictures of them. School photos are great. Group photos taken at Walmart are good too. But . . . BUT . . . just insert these photos into a lovely card.

I know how convenient it is to make the photo the card itself. But when I display my Holiday cards, I don't want just photos of kids looking at me. I want to see the pretty cards. I want to take the little photos you insert and put them with the other photos you have sent me through the years. After the holidays, I will file them away with the others from previous years and be astonished at how they have grown. Or, perhaps, your kids will have the honor of being displayed on my fridge for the year. If you send me one of those big ole photo cards, its just going to be tossed. How much room do you think I have to store those big photos? Very little. So those big ole photo cards of your offspring will just get tossed away with half-licked candy canes after Christmas is over. That makes me feel bad. But just not bad enough to create extra storage space.

I also know that no one is going to take my advice. You all went to the photo shop back in early October with your red and green scarves and mittens and posed for your Holiday cards. Too late now.

Hubby and I are meeting up for lunch today and we will do our Christmas card shopping. I'm going to try to pick out something pretty. Hubby will go for something funny. Either way, we will choose cards that say something about us. And it will say something about you -- that we think you're great and we want to make your Holiday even better. And tucked inside will be a little photo of our wonderful, gorgeous, achieving, talented, loving, gifted, precious, awe-inspiring child.

I'm sure I've offended a few people out there. I've probably been furiously scratched from your Holiday card list. Even more likely, you will still send out that big ole photo card anyway, whether or not you read this blog.

I know your children are wonderful, gorgeous, achieving, talented, loving, gifted, precious, and awe-inspiring. Just tuck their photo (or perhaps a photo of the entire family, including pets) inside a show-stopping Holiday card.

Happy December everybody.

Dreaming of Summer Already

Hive I, 14 x 11"

Today, for the first time this year, I heard the tune White Christmas. Not usually my favorite, but it climbs high on my chart when it is sung by Otis Redding.

Hive II, 14 x 11"

This morning is was 27 degrees when I had the pleasure of taking the dog to the vet. There had been a hard frost. Looked mighty wintry and festive.

Hive III, 14 x 11"

However, since I'm not quite ready for the frigid Central Pennsylvania winter to get here, I'm dreaming of summer. Not sure if it is summer past or summer future, but it sure as heck isn't summer present.

Hive IV, 14 x 11"

I'm dreaming of golden summer haze and buzzing bees instead.

The next item on my to do list after dog to vet and updating my Etsy shop, is go downtown and remove my artwork from Happy Valley Optical. After lunch, I will do a little Christmas shopping. Hopefully that will put me in the right frame of mind for this time of year.

Or it could really tick me off.

Oh, Dear! It's Deer Day!

Several weeks ago, I was invited to join several women for a birthday lunch for a friend. When told that it was on Monday, November 30, I just couldn't imagine any other commitments for that day. Thanksgiving would be over and I saw nothing on the calendar that could possibly conflict with the lunch.

I'm sure there are those out there that think that just because I work from inside my home that I just eat bonbons and watch my stories all day long. And that I probably hang out, at least weekly, lunching with other women who do "nothing" either. Aside from the bonbons, they would be wrong. I can't actually recall joining other women for lunch in the past 10 years. Being an artist can be quite lonely.

So I was quite excited to be going out.

The other day, I happened to look at my daughter's school calendar. I discovered that Thanksgiving break was expanded to cover today. Ain't Thanksgiving, though. I live next to a major University. They're in school today. My nieces both went back to college today. But for your average central Pennsylvanian, it's a holiday.

It's DEER DAY. Opening day for deer hunting season. I wonder if there are greeting cards for this special day. So, schools are closed, trash pickup is postponed, recycling is delayed. Just so folks can crank up their testosterone, grab their guns, and head for the woods. Nothing like a holiday so hunters can sit in the rain (in camo AND bright orange!?!) and wait for the opportunity to shoot a deer between the eyes.

So, I'm at home with the kid. And missing out on my ladies' lunch so those hunters can go and shoot their best buddies in the head, or foot, or back. No estrogen outing for me today. And some Clem will end up with a toe tag because he rustled in the bushes.

I'm calling this Black Monday.

Get going buddies. Them deer need shot.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I have enjoyed a couple days of domesticity. I did go into the studio today to make a few paper beads and some Christmas gift tags.


Upon my return from a family Thanksgiving dinner, I will be adding some small pieces to my Etsy shop and gearing up for Christmas.

Talk to (at) you soon!

I Saw a Wreath Today, Oh boy . . .

Thanksgiving House III, 15 x 10"

I saw the first sign of Christmas today. I do not count the stores full of merchandise and the canned X-mas tunes. I saw a wreath today on someone's front door. Guess that opens the door to the Christmas season.

As I may have mentioned before, I am doing my best to give handmade gifts this year. Not necessarily made by my hand, but by other artists out there who may appreciate the income this season. I understand that. I could use some folding money myself.

My blogging friend, Tracy Helgeson, has set up The Fine Art Department, a blog featuring smaller, less expensive artwork, perfect for gift giving. There are links to take you to each artist's individual blog, shop, or website for additional info. and purchasing information. I am proud to be chosen to be among these fantastic artists. I do prefer to use PayPal for payments, but if I know you through my blog, facebook, or life in general, you may use other types of payments.

My artwork, including the new piece above, is available through my Etsy shop and my website.

This piece might just be my last creation for the year. I have no new pieces in the works, which is rare. I think I'm going to make some gift cards, bake, decorate, shop, wrap, clean (ha ha), and other domestic things. This idea will probably quickly go down the drain. I will at least attempt this until after Thanksgiving. If I just can't stand it, I've got lots of other unfinished pieces that are waiting for their day in the sun. Or I can make some more paper beads. Or paper houses. Yeah, not sure if the domesticity idea is going to hold up. But in case it does, I've still got loads of items that have yet to be loaded onto Etsy. Lots of "new to you" items still to show up here and on Etsy.

Storytelling

Thanks to all of you who left those wonderful comments on my last post. A few months ago I was very down on blogging and often didn't want to make the effort to post anything. I'm over that now. I especially appreciate my sister for chiming in. I am going to have Thanksgiving dinner at her house in a few daya and am very much looking forward to seeing my family gathered around the table.

Storytellers I, 31 x 9"

Since I have become an adult, we've lost some people that used to gather around that table. I recall one year, I was absent. I had just moved to Northern Virginia with my husband to be and (for some incredibly misguided reason) we decided to have our own Thanksgiving dinner. We both had new jobs and didn't think we could take the time away. Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Your thinking . . . what the hell were we thinking!!! For the first time in a long time (ever?) both sets of grandparents gathered at my sister's house, along with the rest of the gang. Minus me and hubby. By the following year, my father's mother had died, my mother's father had died, and my mother's mother was not able to get around well at all. I still kick myself. I pretty much disdain turkey and I thought then why go to all of this trouble of packing, traveling, and setting up cat sitting just to eat a darn meal.

I don't think that way anymore. I haven't thought that way since that selfish Thanks"giving" of 1997.

Storytellers II, 31 x 9"

We've since lost others. My sister's lifelong best friend and her family began to join us. Ginny and Louis always had some great stories to tell us. The dining table extended into the living room and shook with our laughter. Ginny died of cancer several years ago and Louis lived until his mid 90s, continuing to join us until his death a couple of years ago.

Medicine Man, 42 x 11"

My twin nieces went to college this year. We are all looking forward to their return and hearing stories about their new lives. I'm assuming that eventually they will bring along significant others to join us. There will also be my 10-year-old niece and my 7-year old daughter and hopefully our friend's son to throw some testosterone in the mix. No teeny ones in the group now, though. I'm guessing (hoping) that that's still a few years off.

Wise Women, 42 x 11"

My parents are now in their 80's. Over the past few years, they've begun to regale the family with some old stories. I'm looking forward to a few new ones this year, and hopefully they will repeat a few of our favorite oldies. I'm looking forward to laughing so hard I cry.

Can't say I'm really looking forward to the turkey, though.

But, just to be there, I'd eat an old shoe if I had to.


And now (you knew it was coming ), the commercial part of this post: all of these pieces are now on Etsy.

Over the tracks and through downtown . . .

. . . to Grandmother's house we go. The Dodge Dart (or perhaps the Charger) knows the way to carry the . . .

So, it's Thanksgiving somewhere back in the early 70s and we are on our way to my mother's parents house for Thanksgiving. Yes we did go over the tracks and through downtown. My grandparent's neighborhood was a grouping of somewhat rundown frame houses built mostly in the early 1900's. Their house was a lovely golden color. I've had a certain color of paint that I've loved to use for the last several years and I'm now just figuring out why I love it. It reminds me of that house!

Upon entering, we are enveloped in a stew of scents that, well, made us thankful. My grandparents would be in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Since I was not a fan of turkey, my grandfather would go out and get me a ham. He would have a slice ready for me as soon as I appeared in the kitchen door. My grandmother would be hovering over an oven stuffed with bubbling casseroles. Staples of the South. Sweet potatoes (still hate 'em), scalloped potatoes, green beans, dressing. None of it good for you.

The table was set with my grandparent's best. Lace tablecloth, freshly polished silver, gold rimmed plates, cut-glass goblets. Even as a little child, I used all of these fine things. No little kid treatment for me.

I never seem to remember going home after the feast. No doubt comatose from all of the fat.

I can't imagine the amount of money I would be willing to spend to have another Thanksgiving dinner there.

Recently, I have been doing a few more of my house-shaped pieces.

I began selecting pieces from boxes of fall-colored fabric scraps.

I soon had a selection that reminded me of my grandparents' home.
I lightly spread on some brown paint to "age" a few of my paper beads (buttons?)

How to represent my grandparents? Birds, of course. And I wanted to include my grandparents initials. I carved a "T" stamp for Theresa and one of my map beads just happened to have the letter "G" for Guy. Why the little red square? I'm thinking that it represents two things. The first is me -- the energy I have left behind in that house. The second is the red dinette set that was in the kitchen when I was very young.

Now I am adding the filler. Trees. MUST have trees. The moon is there to pull up some of the lighter colors from the bottom of the quilt. I made the small "T" into a little house all unto itself. As a child, I never considered my grandparents as individuals. They were just Teddy and Guy. They just went together and I never gave it another thought. As an adult, I know differently. After my grandmother died, many of her belongings ended up at my parents' house. I found her diaries in the basement. Through a brief reading of one, I discovered my grandmother did indeed have her own thoughts -- not always bright, happy, pretty ones. Like an idiot, I told my mother I found them. The next time I went to visit and look for them I found that she had thrown them away. So there are all of my grandmother's thoughts. In a little dark house by themselves, never to be discovered again.

I really wanted to include a representation of their house and its beautiful dark wood door. Since I have become a big fan of text and numbers, I wanted to include the house number. Instead of carving my own, I made a trip to one of those big box craft stores and bought myself some numbers. I felt some other little dark houses were in order. My father used to live around the corner from my mother when she lived in this house. My father's house has since been condemned and torn down. His father, who left his family when my dad was young also had a house in the neighborhood. Always a dark house for me.
And I could not resist placing a paper house on this piece. So there it is on top. Like it is in my memory.

I'm hoping I did not give out too much information. Usually, I like to put up a piece and let others fill in the information for themselves. I'm not sure what to do with this piece yet. I'll just let it hang around here for a while (along with loads of other pieces).

I am putting Thanksgiving House II on Etsy.

Thanksgiving House II, 15 x 10", now on Etsy.

What's it going to be at your house this year? Turkey? Tofurkey? Lentils?

Icing on the Cake

Beads Paper Buttons
Perhaps its a case of the seven-year itch. About seven years ago, I stopped doing my paper and fabric collages on board and canvas and started working exclusively with fabric (although I might add paint to the fabric). Now, paper is back in my life again and this time I feel it is going to stay. Will it remain a "bit" character or will it eventually play a larger part?

At this point, I am using paper as an embellishment on my quilts. Yes, I know the word embellishment is a bit of a bad word in the world of art. So?

And then there are beads. I have loved beads for quite a long time now. At first, they were little glass beads. Then they got a little larger and became a more important aspect of my quilts. Then they got stranger -- plastic, resin, celluloid, and now, paper. I love spending an afternoon rolling up paper beads. Aren't those black sunburst sequins fantastic? What about those elephant beads?

So, of course now buttons have to make an appearance. I'm especially in love with vintage mother-of-pearl buttons. I found two large ones I received in a collection from my mother-in-law. I originally intended on holding on to them forever and ever. But then, one of my pieces demanded such a button. I added it and proclaimed it perfect. Then another piece demanded the other of the two buttons. Then they were gone. Now, like a lonely lover perusing personal ads, I cruise Etsy and Ebay for old buttons. And maps. My obsession with old maps continues.

What's life without obsessions? Or itches?

Now on Etsy

Here are three pieces that have finally made the transition from Ebay to Etsy.

Little Sparks, 7 x 5.5"

Unseen Sea, 9 x 7"

Echo, 6 x 5.5"

I'll be adding a few more mini quilts in the next couple of weeks. Seems like a good time to trot out some recession-friendly artwork in time for the Holidays.

Made in China Made in China Made in China Mad in America

Today I did a little Christmas preview.

Our local garden center and gift shop had a Christmas open house today. They do a beautiful job of decorating trees and making every item look so appetizing. I picked up snowmen, Santas, ornaments, snow globes, and various doodads. Each had a label on the bottom that read Made in China. EVERY SINGLE ITEM. Oops, except for the item that was made in Thailand. It made me both angry and sad.

This summer, I purchased a few gifts from our fantastic arts festival. I do have many more gifts to purchase, however. I'm going to promise to do my best to purchase items that are handmade by artists that I actually know or can at least have contact with.

Do you have any favorite Etsy shops that you purchase from? Please let me know. I'm going to do a little more Etsy research and see if I can put a few more links up on my sidebar.



Thanks to Alicia, Nellie, Ellen, Lynn, Leslie and Robyn for your comments on my studio tour post. Just to let you know, the mess I began 15 minutes after I completed the video has turned into complete chaos. As usual. Three pieces started. Loads of reject piles, boxes of scraps, boxes of beads, piles of stamps, knots of threads, brushes, bottles, spools, etc, are everywhere. Aaaahhhhh, back to normal.

G Rated Movie

Well, here it is. Finally. A video of my CLEAN studio. I promised this months ago.

Back in April, I posted a video of my very untidy studio. The title of that post was
Horror Flick. A most frightening video. It should have been rated R. The new video definitely rates a "G".

And do you think that it remained that clean for long?

Here's a photo of it about a half-hour later.

More House Love

Big Brown Barn, 6 x 5.5"
For sale on Etsy

On Sundays, my daughter and I love to go look at open houses. Our town does not have the most attractive housing stock, so we were quite surprised to find three old homes full of character to explore today.

The realtors are starting to get to know us and no longer push us to give them our address and phone number. They know we are not interested in making a purchase. We're just there for fun.

We look in every closet. Inspect all basement nooks and crannies, no matter how scary looking. I'm starting to enjoy inspecting furnaces.

I mentally plant trees and shrubs. I pick a room to be my studio. I knock out walls and expand kitchens. I toss out ugly chandeliers and vinyl flooring. I lovingly retain beautiful woodwork and plaster.

Our favorite house today was in the midst of renovation. We found disused toilets in odd places -- the basement and closets. Strange. The hallways were wide. Windows were plentiful. The yard was a naked field waiting for greenery and blossoms. Each bathroom was halfway finished. One bath had the most beautiful mosaic tile floor that was original to the house. I got the impression it wasn't going to be there much longer. I debated writing a note to the new owner requesting the retention of the tiles.

I recall the house being for sale a few years ago. It sits amidst several fraternity houses. I'm sure the loud parties, vandalism, and frequent urination on the lawn by drunken party goers caused the last owners to vacate. It was a beautiful home, but it left me with the feeling that it was unloved. You can feel that in a house, I think. I definitely had that feeling when I first looked at our house. It felt cold and unloved. Sometimes it felt downright mean. I cried the first few nights we lived in our house. But it has been cared for and loved for 12 years and I think that anyone who enters can feel that.

Does your home feel loved?

House Love

Offering, 15 x 10", for sale on Etsy.

I love houses. I am obsessed with them. Always have been and probably always will be.

As a child, I used to draw layouts of houses. If I were somewhere and did not have a pencil or paper, I would find another way to do layouts. If I found a bag full of clothespins, a can full of pick-up-sticks, or a boxful of crayons, I would use them to create walls, windows, and doors.

I've always loved stories of haunted houses. Souls that refuse to leave their homes have always fascinated me. I love houses full of life and I love abandoned ones also. Forget new ones. For me, the older the better.

Houses are vessels for our lives. They hold the good and the bad. They fill up with love, anger, birth, and death. We've all read stories of the houses of widowed women that are completely filled with garbage and newspapers. Tragically, we read about houses that are repositories of bodies and bones. Most of us work to fill up our homes with happiness.

My house quilts all seem to have a little bit of darkness in them. I think that is true of all of our houses. No matter how cheerful I work to make my little house quilts, they never turn out as happy as I wish. My subconscious wins in the end.

I would love to know about my readers' houses. What is your favorite, or, if you wish, least favorite house memory?

74% of You Can't Complain

(mounting soapbox)

It's nice to finally be home and catch up on Facebook and blogs. It just gets out of hand if I don't do it each day (about 10 times each day).

Yesterday, from 6:15 am to 9:15 pm was spent working at the polls in my precinct. I helped to set up the machines, assisted voters, ate lots of snacks, drank lots of coffee, spread on loads of hand sanitizer, and tallied up votes all day long. And, frankly, it was quite a lot of fun. I love seeing who my neighbors are, finding out where they live, and learning to which political party they are affiliated. I also get to find out their ages. A definite perk. I do earn a bit (a small bit) of money from this and I sure appreciate that before the holidays. However, I would still do it if I earned nothing. I do feel like a small, but important, cog in the workings of democracy.

This morning I read the paper to see if my chosen candidates won. Many did. I don't feel I have too much to complain about. But if I did have cause to complain, well, I feel I have earned the right to complain. I voted. I learned that in my neck of the woods (Centre County, PA), that only 26% of registered voters actually showed up at the polls. I know that there are often reasonable excuses for not showing up. Life happens.

I am impressed at those who vote no matter what. We have a large population of elderly in my neighborhood. So many came in yesterday relying on canes, wheelchairs, and the arms of friends and relatives. Those who know that they can't make it ever again vote absentee. A man showed up in the afternoon, voted, and then asked if we could send out a ballot to a relative that was in the hospital. We couldn't. Yet, near closing time, the recently released woman came in to vote. I think that if her candidates were not elected, then she can complain all she wants.

Twenty-six percent of Centre County residents can complain today if they wish. Seventy-four percent will have to live with the cards they have been dealt for the next two, or four, or six years.

And remember, if you're not happy with the candidates running, you can always write in for Mickey Mouse or Michael Jackson or Mother Teresa. At the end of the evening, I'll just have to write each and every one of those write-in names down in quadruplicate and curse your ballot under my breath.

It's your right. Don't treat it like a burden.

(dismounting soapbox)

I Already Miss October

Successful Workers, 7 x 6"

Daylight Savings, 7 x 6"

I finally got into the October spirit yesterday morning. I took the dog for his morning walk; something my husband usually does. I enjoyed crunching through the leaves in the morning silence (the students were still sleeping). We later went to a local farm and purchased a couple of pumpkins which were carved after lunch. The afternoon rain stopped. At 5 o'clock we went to a little party, met some new families and had a fantastic time trick-or-treating. We then stopped at another little party, met some neighbors we had only seen in passing before, had some red wine and ate some delicious, home-made pumpkin pie. All in all, a good Halloween.

So I finally fell in love with autumn. A little bit too late this year. Yesterday's breezes removed most of the remaining leaves from the trees. The darkness while we cruised for candy mostly hid the branches still down from the winter storm. There will be a ray or two of sun today. I will look at the remaining leaves shining in the sun. Then it will all be over. The trees will be bare. Snow will no doubt start to fall (again) soon.

On the bright side, though, Target will put their Halloween items on sale today, and will briskly trot out the Christmas items.

The two pieces shown above were pictured in progress a few days ago. Here they are in their finished glory. They are both for sale on Etsy.