Otter Born Creativity

Moving Blog

2006-10-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

All future posts that formerly fit into this catagory will be posted at my Otterwise blog

CLick HeRe

the OTHER ocean socks

2006-10-04T00:38:00.000-07:00

I realized I never posted the OTHER ocean socks I made for Ysabeau

Lucy Neatby Triangles

2006-09-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

I used some yarn gifted to me by Lynn and made a lined hat and scarf for one of my best friends, Sherri. I like how they turned out, and she LOVES them :-}

Lois in her new hat!

2006-09-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted about designing a hat for my friend Lois. Here she is modeling it at dinner.

frogging

2006-09-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Until I started knitting, I wouldn't have guessed I was a perfectionist in any area of my life. The first pair of ocean socks was within 1/2 of a sock of being done, and they were just toooo big, and too loosely knitted to be useful (in my opinion) so I frogged them. I made them large around and medium in length, but my foot fit inside with room all around, and an extra inch and a half in the heel section when my foot wasn't even all the way to the toes. Not certian what the problem was as my swatch matched the guage ok but I'm redoing them in small. I've gotten past the toe section on the new start and stretched them slightly to check the size, and I think they will fit fine. Evidently the sizes listed were unstretched sizes. They would have done well for socks to wear OVER other socks, or as slippers, but would not have fit snugly to even my chunky feet. Since my friend lives in southern California, the over socks wouldn't have gotten a lot of use :-} And you know what? Re-doing them is so much less painful than finishing them and sending them on as they were, would have been.

Mo' Hair SHawl

2006-09-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Man this was fuzzy stuff. (Colinette's mohair in Kingfisher) Here's a preview pic of the fabric of shawl when it was in progress. I have more photos I've yet to unload from the camera, and I'll ask Oscar to take a photo of me wearing it. It ended up LOOOOOOONG! Almost knee length! Its off to Threadbear's yarn shop in Lansing on Tuesday.
Near as I can figure, it took me more than twice as long to knit the mohair, because of its fuzziness :-} But it was LUSCIOUS knitting. I am finishing up a task for Rae, then I will begin making long overdue quilt blocks for a swap I committed ot a while back.

Turkish Socks!

2006-09-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

I spent some time a few weeks ago working with one of Lynn's (Colorjoy) patterns. It's based on a traditional Turkish sock. In fact, if you delete the intriging slip stitch pattern she has running up the center front, it is a traditional pattern. She has some museum-quality samples that she talks about HERE . Fascinating stuff, and gorgeous examples of colorwork and texture. Me? I decided to make a pair for a friend in California, out of Jaeger Baby Merino in a blue-green-yellow hand dyed colorway. (image below) I've heard these are very comfortable socks to wear, but I am worried about the seam where I pick up the heel flap rubbing inside a shoe. They would be perfect for wear with sandals or Birkenstocks, though. I have another pair planned using a more current sock pattern (toe up or toe down? that is the question), usinga DK weight Blue Moon/Socks That Rock Turqouise that I picked up at Rae's Yarn Boutique. I want to make a second pair for my California Pal, that she can wear inside shoes :-}. Bonus: There will be enough left over to make a pair of socks for me alternating stripes of each yarn :-}
The socks are my part of an exchange of gifts. She designed and made a GLORIOUS Ocean-themed bag that is perfect for me to wear in front of me when I'm using the wheelchair. Becasue of my 'widow's hump' it is awkward and almost impossible for me to reach around and get a bag hanging from the handles behind my back. As the pool opens again next week, It will get its first outing. I can hardly wait! I'll have Oscar take a photo for a later entry. This bag is so beautiful, and has so many cunning pockets to put my stuff in!

Hat for Lois

2006-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I found out that a dear theater friend just finished 5 months of chemo for ovarian cancer. I lost touch with her when I went hermit last year, and never have I regretted it more. She is one of the people who, during my year-long illness ALWAYS called to see if I wanted to get out, or just a visit. I regret I wasn't there for her in the same way. I put my love for her into a soft hat that frames the face in such a way that you can't tell if the wearer has hair or not. Its made from two cashmere merino blends so it feels lovely.
The Wonderful news is she had a follow-up ct scan and was told Friday that she is in remission! The chemo Worked! We'll be getting together for dinner with her and her husband, Jim in early September :-}

Knitting, designing and lovely color wallowing

2006-08-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past week knitting in my spare time.
There are too many projects to fully explore in just one entry, so I'm mentioning them here then scattering them a bit over the next few days in blogs of thier own.
First started was a Florida-weight shawl I made for Liz, my lovely mom in law. She seemed to really like it! I will have a pic up in my main otterwise blog today about our visit to Lansing for Liz's birthday.. (see link at right) I had enough fiber left to make a small head tie scarf for Lynnie, my beloved Sis in law :-} She looked good in it!
While in Lansing I visited Rae's yarn shop, RAE'S YARN BOUTIQUE. Rae and I have heard a lot about each other from Lynn, but this was the first time we've met. I had a lovely time at her shop. I can't say its fully wheelchair accessible, as the back of the shop seemed a little crowded. I didn't have my wheelchair at the time as we hadn't planned to stop and shop anywhere. The difference is that Rae is kind and caring. I felt that anything I was interested in she would bring to me, so I have no qualms about stopping by should I be on wheels the next time. She also gave me a project to work on, so I am happily busy knitting for the next few weeks.
I am also working on a luscious Goddess shawl (from COLORJOY) for Lynn in a gloroius Colinetter Mohair colorway called "Kingfisher", and I get to keep this one too when its done being a store sample!
A few weeks ago I worked on going through a patten meant for Lynn's Turkish Sock class she gave in Allegan a few weeks ago, adding some colorwork from a mitten pattern she had written to the basic sock. (image at end of post) The sock is cute, but only big enough for a rather chunky elf.
I also used the traditional Turkish pattern (but without the stripes) for my first sock of a pair of Ocean socks, and found a different Ocean yarn to make a second pair with a very different knitting pattern.
Probably the project I feel most glad about is a hat I designed a few days ago for my friend Lois. I will write more in my very next blog entry today or tomorrow, once I have the images processed.
So stay tuned! I have material for about 5 different blogs this week!

New Favorite Inspirational Quote

2006-08-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite quote.
Nora Roberts was interviewed by Eileen Putnam for the monthly feature "Writers on Writing" in the August 2006 issue of the 'Romance Writers Report' (the magazine for the national Romance Writers Group)
She's speaking about disciplining yourself to write, not waiting for inspiration or your muse to show up.
"Go track down that fickle slut, drag her back, chain her to your keyboard and get to work."

Secret projects and dyeing and so forth

2006-08-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am working on a few secret projects... some of the folks for whom the projects are inteded read this blog... So no pictures yet...
I do have a few pictures from a failed dyeing attempt... I was playing around.
1. I became so engrossed in the process that I didn't notice when the plastic bags slipped off my hands
2. I used a dye intended for non-animal fiber, which turned the wool into overcxooked spagghetti
3. it felted instead of just drying...

but I did have fun!

Thermos Cozy!

2006-08-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

In honor of my first travel on my own recognizance as it were (see my otterwise blog link to the right of this page), I made a thermos cozy! Its based on a colorjoy design called Bags To Go and made with some luscious soysilk blend gifted to me by my sister in law and friend, Lynn. The pattern is just recently released and not yet on her site or on knittingzone.com with her other patterns. If you are interested, follow the link and email Lynn.

My Felted Bag

2006-07-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

I adapted a pattern found on knitty.com, the French Market Bag

I added a few rows, adapted a few rows to make a ridge around the base (later reinforced with stitching) added a fastening strap with magnetized clasp and pin. Image 1: before felting. Image 2, after felting with luscious yarn inside, Image 3 after stitching and embellishing, Image 4, after stitching and embellishing, shown held up.

Yah.. I ain't no lacer

2006-07-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

At least not yet. I attempted that previously mentioned complicated lace pattern with needles too big (for my clumsy fingers) for the yarn, and after more than 40 rows found a dropped stitch raveled almost all the way down.. I did like the process, except for having to read the pattern three stitches at a time :-}

I'll try the same pattern after my wounds heal in thicker wool with needles easier to use with the yarn guage.

And maybe try a simpler lace pattern with smaller needles to use the lace weight yarn I have.
(ohhh.... another reason for shopping! Size 1 or 2 straight needles!)

Package deal

2006-07-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm doing something unusual for me. Usually I will make SOME adjustment to a pattern, whether it be changing yarn or adding a few stitches here and there (except when I'm doing a test knit for someone writing a pattern, of course) but recently I bought yarn, then downloaded a pattern specifically FOR that yarn and will be following the pattern exactly, with the same color of yarn shown and everything. I love the color, so that's reason enough not to change. I've never done lace before, at least not the old fashioned kind of knitted lace (I've done tons of crochet and sufficient drop stitch types in knitting) And the pattern seems challenging enough that I might do best to follow along!

I'm making the candle flame shawl shown here on Knit Picks
using their suggsted shimmer yarn (what's not to like about silk and baby alpaca?)

First Hand Done Dye Job

2006-07-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm making another kitty pi freom this pattern KITTY PI (yes, another one, two more to go and I'm done) and ordered some yellow yarn especially for Geisha. She's a lovely older feline residing at House Bonsai, who loves to lick men's beards. Anyway, She loves warm colors it seems and the color I ordered just isn't up to snuff, a bit too browny.
So I decided to do a bit of reasearch and dye my own. I have some Procion MX that has been sitting waiting patiently for me. So I mixed up a vinegar dye bath and proceeded. I did a mottled orange first, and LOVED the subtle shades of red-orange-yellow-pink. Then used just a bit of the leftover solution and added more yellow to make the sunshiney yellow yarn.

I'm hooked. I know the mottling is a sign of inexperience, but I confess I adore the effects. I'll post a pic of the finished felted project later, but here are the skeins while they were drying.

Serendipitous GoodWill purchase

2006-07-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

I found a skein of 100% Virgin Wool at Good Will the other day, and bought it for 95 cents.
It was an old skein, probably produced in the fifties or sixties, based on the style of label. It was an Ombre Pattern called "Rose" and was pretty funky to look at, and a bit rough textured to work with. I decided to use it for a felting project, another of those Kitty Beds (called Kitty Pi)

I LOVE how the pattern muted and changed with the felting, and its a favorite of the Moonie cat. He's big enough you can't even see it when he's lying on it, but here's a picture of it empty.

Kitty Pi

2006-07-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I made 3 of 4 Kitty Pi intended for the fuzzy residents of House Bonsai (See Green Tendril BLog to the right). Miss Fiona leapt into hers right off and took advantage of thePhoto op. There's also a photo of the same Pi with Kitsu Dog's tiggy toy modeling it for size. The Tiggy measures a good 7 or 8 inches, so by comparison you will realize what we all know. Fiona is a LOT of cat.

Writing

2006-07-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

I'm getting more and more anxious for SSD to come. The money is good, but what the money will allow me to do is better. Ebay takes up so much energy and time, that I find the blog is about all my brain can handle writing these days.
Without ebay, or with only 10 or so auctions a week, And with a place I can sit comfortably for longer periods with my feet up, I can write. I have three separate stories going (book length) Sometimes when I wake up I rush to jot down new ideas, but after about 30 minutes of typing, my feet and belly begin to throb and the path to the words seems to fade.

I can take pain meds and grit my teeth and do ebay auctions, but I can't seem to concentrate or pin down the storylines when I'm takign the vicodin. The recliner will make all the difference. That and the time.. I already bought a laptop with my ebay earnings :-}

ANd I just finished a massive Ebay week (95 auctions) so the recliner is coming soon!!!!!

Until the SSD comes, I still need to do ebay to help pay expenses. I am grateful I CAN contribute, but some weeks are harder than others.

So.. IN the meantime I'll blog and write notes on the stories, and keep checking the mail.

THe hearing was in October 2005... it shouldn't be too much longer before we hear the verdict, I hope.

Eye Candy!!!

2006-06-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

Ohh my first shipment of yarn arrived today, destined to make a Kitty Pi for each of our cats as well as 4 other cats belonging to friends. and some lovley baby alpaca silk lace weight, for a shawl for me :-=}

Knitting for soldiers

2006-06-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

As I knit on a new project involving a long strap of garter stitch I found a memory from when I was a kid.
I thought all my relatives were crocheters rather than knitters, but as I watched my strap develop I suddenly remembered my grandmother, Lola Metzger, knitting yards and yards of beige fabric in garter stitch on miniscule needles. I remember her saying they were bandages and would be shipped overseas.
This morning I did a little research and found this:
Knitters also produced 15-20 foot stretch bandages. The bandages were knit with 100 percent cotton yarn in garter stitch. Garter stitch (all stitches knit, none purled) produces a stretchy fabric that lies flat on the edges. The finished bandages were sterilized and shipped to medical units worldwide.
The entire article, which discusses all sorts of knitted products made specifically for soldiers can be found HERE

and a similar article HERE

One of the points the articles made was that, despite machine-made knitted garments being readily available, the hand-made items wore better, and had the ineffable benefit of letting a soldier know someone at home cared about them, whether they knew that somone personally or not. It also helped those left behind to feel they were reaching out, contributing what they could while thier loved ones were overseas, often in grave danger.

During the Civil War, women even made quilts to raise money to buy gunboats, as discussed HERE

It won't surprise you to know that there are modern groups doing similar things for our soldiers today. Quilters, knitters, and anyone who can afford to put together a care package are all doing what they can to reach out to the men and women fighting overseas.

Here are some links, in case you are interested in helping too:

Operation Home Front : Quilts for Soldiers

Quilts of Valor

OperationGratitude

Suitable patterns for 'Troop Knitting'

making helmet liners

photo: monkshood

Signature Quilt

2006-06-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

Years ago We had a signature swap on a group called Quilters Coven.
I finally put them together into a quilt this past year.

Byzantine Strawberry Bag

2006-06-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

I finished my very first ever knitting pattern, so I'm pretty excited today! I used Recycled Sari Silk. Its luscious-looking stuff but can be hard to work with, mostly because the gauge of the fiber changes so much. Lots of slubs and fluffies, and super thin spots too. It is recommended to use a companion fiber to help it stay strong. I chose to use a metallic, and and it came out pretty cool! My first pattern is called "Byzantine Strawberry Bag" I plan to sell it for $6 a pattern.

Knitting knitting knitting!

2006-06-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Just finished a test knit of a pattern for a felted purse designed by my sis-in-law Lynn (pic below, BEFORE felting)
Working on a pair of cotton toe-up socks in a Sugar and Cream green/blue/yellow colorway (pic below) I also bought the same yarn in a lovely orange/pink/yellow combination.
Also working on my winter hat. Its being done with hand dyed finger-weight alpaca on size '0' needles. I like working small. Good thing, Oscar found the yarn he wants me to make some special socks on. The fiber is a teeny tiny wool/cotton blend in shades of grey by DNC Senso. I'll practice on other kinds of socks before starting, I'd hate to rip this stuff out after getting an inch or two into the project!

I'll also be making some knit bags for sugar gliders, from recycled silk. I tried a few times with the silk alone and with companion yarns, but it was too weak on the one hand, too bulky on the other. I found some lovely strong metallic gold skinny thread I'll be working with this time.

I moved some fabric over into deep storage to make space for yarn... guess its official.. I've got the knitting bug! Its handy, The more I knit the more I forget to eat. I've lost 2 pounds this week, for a total of 12 pounds lost this summer!

Hot Pink Woven Stitch Phone Bag

2006-06-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

I knit a phone caddy/bag out of hot pink contractor's twine (100% nylon) using the knitted woven stitch, then I embellished it with beads. I made it to carry around the cordless phone here at home, so I could have my hands free, especially when working in the garden. Here is it modeled by my husband, Oscar (He's such a great guy!!!)

Making Serendipity Doo-Dah

2006-06-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

Years ago, whenI was with my first husband, we had very little extra money for art. I desperately needed an artistic outlet. At the time, I was working as a telemarketer (yes, times were desperate) my then husband was losing a battle with alcholism (which is an expensive habit) and every cent went to the bills and food.
At a rummage sale, I found an old paint by numbers set with left-over oil paints. I used the cardboard back of a note pad and just started painting one day. Even though the colors available were not ones I would have chosen, it felt good to create, and I liked the result so much that I've kept it all these years. It's also a great reminder of how wonderful life is now :-}

My first sock!!!!

2006-06-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

I finished my first sock!!! It is not a thing a beauty, but anything that fits my lump of a foot would not be. It IS warm though, which is more to the point! and I can get it on all by myself! I no longer have to struggle to find enough cat fur to keep my feet warm until somone can come put socks on me :-} No really, I could just cuddle under a blanket, but when I'm on the move in the chair that just doesn't work very well.

I am still working on sock number 2. Also in the works; a hat made on size 0 needles out of fingering weight alpaca in lovley shades of the palest blue, aqua and lavender. I plan to make mittens or a scarf to match.

I also want to make a phone cozy for the phone I need to carry around the house with me.
Something I can hang around my neck.

The pic is of a hat I made from my sis in law's pattern (Button Hat) on colorjoy.com

Cycles

2006-06-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving a Quilting cycle. I have a few projects to finish up, to fulfilll previous commitments, then all my quilting material is going into three plastic storage containers int eh corner of the studi. Out will come my paints, and my collage things and some glue and dye and gel medium and whatever else I feel like playing with. Its not just a summer thing. In part its because much of my attention is going toward writing. Also, quilting takes up loads of space, which we can ill-afford in a 843 sq ft home. To keep my hands busy when I'm not writing or collaging or painting, I will knit. I've gained enough skills to start a sock which excites me no end! (Thanks in large part to my sis-in-law Lynn, of colorjoy.com) I'm pretty certain I will eventually get the itch to quilt again, but in the meantime, all that lovely fabric will wait patiently, while I explore other media and get a book or three finished.

Ewe-nique Yarns and Wristwarmer Compliments

2006-06-03T04:56:00.000-07:00

A friend saw the wristwarmers I made a while back and asked if I could make some for her. Because we were driving to Brighton to visit with my mom-in-law, Oscar suggested I find a yarn shop there to buy the yarn for the project. I found a lovely place called Ewe-nique Yarns, right on the main drag, and after a luscious long time looking at EVERYTHING before making up my mind (With Oscar not even minding the wait! I love him!) I found the perfect yarn. Is from Plmouth Yarn's Jelly Beenz collection. Not too expensive, but the perfect colors and weight. Of course I had to buy the size 8 Bamboo Double Pointed needles too. It was in worsted weight, so the first one knit up just slightly faster than the ittty bitty yarn I used for me ;-} It took less than a day to complete #1, and I'm working steadily on #2. Her hands are a little bigger than mine, so it looks large on me.

Appreciation of my Craft

2006-05-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Although I'm certain the humans who have my quilts and pillows and such appreciate them, its important to note that there's a lot of silent appreciation going on in the house too :-}
Basil is the black and white kitty, Buddha is the tabby, Moonie is the brown and white, and Kit is the dog.

New Laptop!!!

2006-05-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Because ebay did so well, I'm getting my very own Laptop!!!
This means I can write ANYWHERE!! Inside, outside, all around the town. Well, mostly in the garden, or, once I have a recliner, in the livingroom. Maybe if I can find one of those armchair-shaped pillows, even in bed! Once we get wireless network installed, I can do my research anywhere too :-}

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!
The only downside is poor Moonie cat. He likes to snooze near my computer. But he can watch from my window :-}

Quiltling and stretching my wings

2006-05-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

After I finish packging things for shipment (see my Otterwise blog) I plan to make a list of all quilting commitments I've got for the next few months, and put together kits for each project. I'm involved in a swap called "She Who Gets What She Wants" where each of us is assigned a month wherein we can ask for a specific type of quilt block. I chose Dragons, and I think I've got almost all of my blocks. Others chose Goddesses, or a specific colorway or quilt block. I thinkI still have half the months to go, and I want to get organized and get them out of the way. I'm not late yet, but I want to be done with the commitment so I can concentrate on other things.

Then there are the quilts for three of my neices. My eldest neice, Amanda, is moving here from the Baton Rouge area and I'd love to have her quilt and her sisters' quilts ready the next time I see them.

I have an exciting art adventure coming. One of my friends who enjoys exploring other forms of art is going to participate in an art exchange with me! I love her stuff, she has a beautiful spirit that shines through.. (see the link to Ysabeau's blog to the right). I want to clear the decks so I can move on from quilting for a while. I may come back to it this winter, but I want to stretch my wings, and I think I'll mostly be doing art quilts from this point forward.
The photos are some of the blocks I've made for swaps this year.

Eye of Horus and Seven Stone Dance

2006-05-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

In another blast from the past, I found some images of projects I STILL haven't completed. One is an eye of Horus for my friends Lydia and Larry, the first time I used Lumiere paints to embellish a project. The other U.F.O (UnFinished Object) is the result of a Goddess quilt Round Robin that I participated in a few years ago, I made the center of the Seven Stone Dance and my fellow participants added the cool dragon embroideries and lovely applique. I should get these out where I can access them when I want a little hand work... maybe this fall? Although it wold be lovely to surpise Lydia and Larry in August, for their Wedding anniversary!

2006-05-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

On a visit home this week I had a nice time with my nephew Robert.
Dad was giving boxes of some of his 'junk' to my brother Kelly to auction off for the fire fighter's benefit June 1st and allowed us to go through the boxes first. I gathered up several (hook-free) examples of rubbery fishing lures, all sparkly and fun colored, as well as some felt discs meant for muzzle loading 38 caliber pistols. I don't have a muzzle-loading 38 caliber pistol, but the felt will take paint and dye wonderfullywell and look really cool on a collage.

When Robert asked what I wanted with the stuff I'd chosen, I told him I was changing from quilting so much to collaging. He came up with the idea of melting the rubber into odd shapes, and offered to keep his eyes out for shiny odd things I could use in collage. In exchange, on our many trips to library book shops I'll be collecting Dean Koontz books for him. (he also inherited my love of reading :-}
Robert and the Lures

Wrist warmers

2006-05-16T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm currently knitting a pair of wristwarmers. The yarn is hand dyed by my Sister-In-Law Lynn Hershberger www.colorjoy.com

and that pattern is one of hers as well.

Here's a picture of the first one. Not perfect, but lovely and warm :-} The yarn is called Pink Grapefruit, and its dyed in a Swedish Flammegarn style.

Unabashed

2006-05-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is one of the last items I sewed by hand. I worked on it this year, just before I started using the wheelchair more to get around the house. It seems using my hands for wheeling me around and using them for fine stitching are mutually exclusive. I'd MUCH rather be mobile :-}

So, After I finished working on her, I did my first elaborate machine stitched project, a Greenman to represent Earth in a 4 quarters swap.

It was wonderful to find out I could still create something satisfying to me using a machine. A few years ago I much preferred the look of hand applique, now I like both.

Kitchen Witch

2006-05-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

I feel less than creative this month, I've been concentrating my store of energy on making some extra cash on Ebay, and have put almost everything else aside. (well, I guess cooking is creative, and I've been doing a little of that)

For the next few weeks, I'll blog about a few things I created in the past few years, to cheer myself up, and know that I will be creative again.

First, a poem that got published in Sagewoman.

Kitchen Witch
Copyright Diana Troldahl 2004

A pinch to the pot, a baste to the roast
My magic will nudge at your elbow when needed
I'll try and help keep you from burning the toast
No bad luck can enter today.

My legs are clasped tight 'round the stick of my broom.
I swoop and swirl gleefully, laughing out challenge
The tight-knotted straw sweeps away any gloom
No sorrow can enter today

This is my realm, the heart of your home
My twinkling black eyes seek out every corner
Your heart can be light, your feet free to roam
No evil can enter today.

Contemplating Collage

2006-04-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

My brother Kelly Miller is Fire Chief for the small town of Quincy, Michigan (it has a volunteer fire department). On June 1st, the department is holding an auction to raise money to pay for operating costs for the coming year.

I promised to see what I could produce, for them to auction off.

I'm thinking I want to do a few framed collages, based on really good quotes (for fire fighters). This means gathering images and spending about a week assembling and varnishing, and allowing drying time before framing them up for sale.

Of course right now I'm eEbaying my head off to help pay for a new computer for Oscar, but I hope to take about a week (beginning the 15th) to work exclusively on this project.

I am extremely proud of my brother, and this is one way I can show it.

Controlled chaos theory

2006-04-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

I have a theory. If EVERYTHING has a place and is kept in it, I will hesitate to mess things up by creating. Alternatively, if NOTHING is put away I will have tremendous difficulty finding what I need. Indeed, I would use up all my limited foot time just gathering the materials and have no time left for the art part.

So, Controlled Entropy seems to be the solution. I'm moving toward that.
My cloth is (mostly) in bins, and I will only pull it out when doing a major project. My knitting materials all fit in a big carpet bag, I'm doing more of that these days. Then there's all the interesting bits, for collage art. I could really use more space to store all the interesting bits.

That's a problem in a room as small as my studio. If I didn't sell things on Ebay, I'd have much more room, but then again, I wouldn't have money for art supplies.
I have my paints in a drawer, anything sharp in another drawer, ribbons have a drawer, as do threads... as do my lovely bits of broken rhinestone jewelry.. so there IS sort of a system in place... Of course, I have no work space just now, maybe that should be next on my agenda.. Its hard to have things stored away and still be able to see the stuff and spark ideas.. I've seen artists with huge garages full of shelves and bits and bobs they find and buy and trade for... Heaven, but impractical, until we move.

I could of course reduce the mumber of art media I work with..
Naaaaahhh...
I think for my own sanity and satisfaction, I need to look at organizing my arts supplies as a process rather than a goal. Yeah.. THAT'S the ticket!

Just Call Me Button Head :-}

2006-04-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

I've just finished a sample of one of My sister in law's patterns. It's intended for use as a point of sale in a yarn store. She dyed the yarn and made the button also.
Colorjoy.com

I think it is the first time I've ever knit a decrease, and I love how the hat turned out. I think I'll make one for me too :-}

Painting the town

2006-04-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Today I wish I had a wide wall, feet I could stand on for several hours, a gallon each of a hundred shades of house paint, and an understanding neighborhood.

Art as Therapy

2006-04-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Ok , NOT a new topic, but its the first time in my life I've consciously decided to use art as anger therapy, every day. I've been working on it for a few weeks now, and the benefits have become glaringly apparent. I no longer snap at my beloveds. My husband no longer avoids me before coffee, my dog comes when I call, and the cats no longer fear to come up for a good head rubbing. Ok. I exaggerate, but I DO feel more cheerful, (and my husband DOES look less on edge).

I've been sitting down every day with a set of oil pastels and a largish pad of charcoal paper, and scribbling. Sometimes identifiable images come out, more often its abstract. My early works were very dark, with wide black jagged slashes, but as time went on, my images became brighter. I don't always consciously bring to mind something that makes me angry, but when the image is finished, I can usually tell what my subconscious was venting about.

The key to all this is every single day, after creating my new anger piece, I go outside to the gas grill and ritually burn the piece created the previous day. It never fails, I feel a tremendous sense of release, and with a lighter heart go on to the rest of my day.

I never take a photo of these pieces, no matter how good (or bad) they are, because that defeats the purpose of the burning part of the ritual.

It has been amazing watching what my undermind has to tell me. The day after I lost my temper badly with the dog, I ended up with a self portrait, looking sick with myself. I could hardly wait to burn that one the following day. I went a few days without doing this, and had a terrible dream where I became violent woth someone I love. I started right up again minutes after I woke up, and felt better.

I have a lot of sources for anger in my past and present. Past: A bit of an anger-filled childhood, being married to an abusive alcoholic with mental issues, (I escaped, my current husband is wonderful). Becoming seriously ill and taking more than a year to recover..
Present: discovering I have a degenerative joint disease. Every year is progressively worse, to the point we need to find a new fully accessible home soon.
I also have lost several beloveds in the past few years. The worst was my friend Robynn. She too was married to an abusive husband with mental issues, but she and her son didn't escape.

Until I started the art therapy thing, I had no release for the anger I felt, I didn't often acknowledge it was even there. Thanks to a tarot reading from a friend (who first suggested the idea,) I think art therapy will be with me the rest of my life, and thank Goddess for it.

Children of my heart

2006-04-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Well, they aren't as noisy as human children, but they are each a piece of me. This blog will be used to discuss and show off things I make. A forum where I explore new methods of creating.
This first image is a 12 inch square applique block I designed representing the Goddess Artemis.