Good Morning!

How's your Coffee (Tea) this morning?

Thursday evening I went to our doll club meeting.  JoAnn Bulman showed us how to make a  wonderful vintage paper doll, dressed in fabric...I started mine, but there wasn't enough time at the meeting for me to finish her.  I had hoped to finish her on Friday (yesterday).

However, yesterday was crazy for me (I had to go to town, my car broke down, I ran to mechanics, even had to do a bit of shopping while leaving the car running and locked..SHEESH), and I realized that as time is growing short before I return to work and school, it's bound to get a bit crazier.  So today, I will sit still....  which means I will try and make lists and figure out what else I need to do, like servicing the pellet stove, arranging propane delivery, sorting out classes, making calls for volunteers for Folk Art Fest, yell at my web site people (they apparently didn't renew my site) and, and, and......  Then as the sun sets and the world grows quiet, I will attempt to finish up Thursday's project.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I visit Mom......  hopefully, I will post a finished vintage paper doll, dressed in fabric then.....

So until then, you have a wonderful day, keep the faith, and enjoy your Coffee (Tea).  Stay well!

Just a quick note today....

New project for these craft fairs I need inventory for...  Today I start on Christmas Ornaments....  yes, you have it....  birds.  I have reduced the pattern to 65%, 50% was just too small, even for me to work with (I use to be the QUEEN of small!)....

Yesterday I saw my honey before he ran off (to yet another  business function) and then attended a meeting of the Folk Art Fest-"We Art The People," where I am not only a vendor, but the volunteer coordinator.  Good meeting, but the day was a wash.....

Today is a doll club meeting (in Albuquerque) and I "get needled" (acupuncture).  So we will see how far I get with everything else I want to do....  I think I need to make a list....LOL....

I am thinking for the sculpted cactus, I may start with a couple of aluminum cans for the cactus....  Recycling is my "thing"......  Does anyone have any other suggestions as a base?

Hope you have a great day....  It's very overcast here and I expect it will rain!  Until later.....

Bird on a Cactus!

Yesterday, I wasn't able to post him....  I have decided that I am definitely going to transform him into a more ridgid sculpture (mixed media, still using some cloth)....I'll share as the process begins all the way through the end.....funny that this will be my first piece, since I have at least 3 other drawing standing in front of him....LOL....None of them are particularly happy to be put off....  I guess I am just in the "bird" state of mind.  And, I will be writing up the pattern for this and the pincushion, which with a bit of luck will be available soon.

I am also about to start some Masks....after all Fall, at least here, high in the Rocky's, is in the air.  That means it's just a hop, skip, and a jump until All Hallow Eve, or Halloween!!!!!  Which means Dios de Muerta (Day of the Dead), Trick or Treat, and Samhain..  fun, fun, fun    

Hoping you are having a wonderful day.....

                                                                              

Tuesday Morning Coming Down

Good Morning!!!  This is a quick note to say hello.  !  I took a bit of a break yesterday to do something other than a "pincushion"  I create a "piece"....  I hate to tell you that it is a bird on a cactus, but that is what it is.....  LOL....  Not quite finished, so I'll post it later when it is.... LOL... if my internet (or lack thereof) will allow..... 

Wishing each of you a marvelous day filled with much love!

Cactus Flower....

Monday morning and the sun is up and we are still getting an inordinate amount of rain.  House is clean, quiche for the week is cooked as and the eggs are hard boiled....  Lunch is ready to go...  My honey is coming to have lunch today....

Mom is home, other than some back issues (she had to see a chiropractor) she had a good time.  And me, the saga of the birds march on.

To date, this is certainly my favorite!  I've decided that I will call this pattern"Cactus Flower," and am entertaining the idea of commercial patterning it.... if of course there is enough interest....writing a pattern takes a bit of time.  But this is easy and fun and from beginner to advanced, you can let your imagination fun free....  I think I am keeping this one and going to "Bernardize" or "Bling" it out as soon as I get 5 free minutes (LOL....It'll take more than that for sure!)

Another Saturday Morning.....

Got up with the birds this morning and am just dropping by to post these pictures on the birds on their cactus'....  Wishing each of you a marvlous day...  if I get a moment I'll post again....  Let me know, how you like them!?  Don't mind my shaking....  either it's too much coffee (never) or my tremor is bad today.....  Ain't aging a grinch some times?   LOL...

FINALLY!!!!!!

After 3 days of trying different things...ie, eggs, smaller cactus, pincushions in a mason jar top, etc., etc., etc...........  I think I finally came up with the solution.  Now, just need to make a few adjustments to the cactus and it'll I'll be in like flint.  Here is the original bird, I added a top notch to the bird, then placed it atop the cactus....  I tried several ways to create this cactus and this one, I hand blanket stitched the cactus after I finished it.....  So, a couple of adjustments and I think I am in like Flint.....  Would love to hear what you think!

another thought for today

stole this from facebook....but it pretty well sums up my life...LOL

Again, have a wonderful day!!!!

It's Wednesday already....

I have been struggling and struggling with different ideas for pincushions for my birds to be attached to.  I have tried small cushions, larger cushions, even fabric eggs, all to no avail....  So, I think it is almost time to move on to something different.  I have one more idea.  I enjoy the ironical, something--not necessarily "cute," but maybe a bit more on the charming side, that can help lift someones spirts.  I see the expression on this little birds face as being a bit forlorn, not sad so much as an 'OOPS, What have I gotten myself into,' kind of thing.....  So, I think I will try one more thing.....  a cactus or a yucca, something "spikey."

About birds, the hummers are amazing this year.  There must be 30-50 and daily their numbers grow.  I only know that because I keep seeing different species.  I started out with just the females at first, they were joined by the green, red throated one, then of course the copper colored rufus joined them....I must have a whole flock of "rufus'" at this point, I have hummers with straight bills and ones with bills that are slightly curved....however, yesterday a new one showed up, this one is I think female as it has lots of browns, with flashes of blue...  this is the only blue hummer I have seen so far...  I will wait and see if it broadcasts it's feeding spot.

The other thing is I have a bird nesting in an artifical plant in a basket that I hung.  She has 4 eggs that can't be any bigger than the tip pad of my middle finger....I don't see dad anywhere though...so I worry that she is all alone.....

Already mowed the lawn this morning (before 7 am--lol), but I figured everyone was up getting ready for work, or just coming home, not yet asleep....  Need to get busy...maybe tomorrow you will see the results of my cactus experiment....  Have a great day.

So far....

Lone Bird sitting on nest

Okay, so I thought I'd share what I've done so far...  you aren't seeing the oval nest or the tubular one as they went in file 13 before even being finished....  On Facebook, the reviews I'm getting is the nest is fine---once the pins are in it'll look like a nest.....  However, I guess I'm finicky, I really do think I will try for an egg....  woe is me, that oughta be a job....  Anyway, here are two of the three.

Love Birds

Would love to hear what you think.  Have a great day!

Monday....

Hummmmm, I'm struggling, struggling with a nest for these birds....  maybe I just need to make a pillow as with the Kats and Dogs.....  I must have made 3 or 4 different types yesterday....  not the look I am going for.....  I'm playing with the idea of a large egg....  rather comically sulfurous, you know?  More later.

It's Sunday.....

I thought it was Saturday....I am so dependant on my schedule for the day, that when things change, I get a bit lost.  Mom's on vacation, so how am I suppose to know it's Sunday?....LOL....  Not much to say today, other than I would ask that you take a moment to say a little prayer for a friend of mine, his loving 3 daughters, Callie, his cat and those of us who love him dearly....  Mr. Bill, may well be leaving this plane today....  destined for bigger and brighter tomorrows.  Prayers that the transition is both gentle and easy.....  Thank you.......

The Story of the Creation of the Bird of Paradise....

 Okay, so yesterday was spent working on "the bird".....

In progress

when all was said and done, he ended up sitting on an egg like this....

finished on wooden egg....

I was really pretty jazzed....first pattern created totally by me in the last 10 years.  That is not to say I haven't done anything original.  But mostly technique classes from two of the most "bestest" teachers, Sherry Goshon and Jean Bernard.  Their classes are always project based, but are more about the technique, at least for me.  Mine always looks different from everyone elses, which is how I got my "creative fix"

Anyway, as I said, I was really pretty jazzed, so cut out 3 more bodies and heads and went to work stuffing them.  Started the 2nd one and wouldn't you know it?  He DEMANDED to be different, right from the beginning.  First of all he wanted to stand....  this pattern was not designed to have legs attached, did he care.  NO!  So I used 18 gauge wire, formed a U and gave him legs.....stuffing around them, in this small a critter made for a challenge.  Then, I made one set of wings and don't you know, he wasn't happy with just a single wing on either side....  demanded a 2nd pair....LOL...  Okay, I complied.  All this and he 1st of all doesn't even have a head yet, much less eyes....  Eyes, they were black, but NO, he didn't like them.  I told him to SHUT UP, I was in charge, he told me, they just won't work... however, I was determined to have my way.  Did it work?  Well, when I started the eye ruffle he yelled and screamed and carried on, the din was outrageous!  I persevered, when finished with the first ruffle, took a look and  wouldn't you know it, he was Right,  I  DID NOT like it...  The Bird, he just laughed and laughed and laughed, chirping how he "Told You So"....he had no idea how close he came to a "Fried Chicken Special!"  Okay, fine, I was done for the day.

Went to bed and dreamed of a little bird who wanted to be The Bird of Paradise....  that's right, he invaded my dreams--but you know what, this is whence comes the best of my creations, so, I awoke at 5:45 a.m., told him to pipe down, I wasn't ready to start the day yet and snoozed for a while longer.

He was very anxious for me to start when I awoke, but I told him, I had other things to do....LOL...  finally about 9:30ish, I started to finish him.  It was a bit of a struggle as each time I thought good, I'm done, he wanted something else....  I finally finished him about 30 minutes ago....two hours I worked on just his head this morning....tsk, tsk.  But he is finished a as proud as a peacock....  I hope you like him.....

I wish he had photographed better.....  He is much cuter in person than in these pictures....

Just thought I'd Share! Wish we could get consumer's to realize this!

By the by....I snagged this from a Facebook Post by my buddy Sherry Goshon's page.

The Start of another weekend!

Yesterday I really didn't get much done at OFFCenter.  Ron asked if I would type up the labels for the new show that is opening today, so I did.  He also asked if I was looking for a job this Fall...  I just laughed....and then agreed....so as of this moment, I will again be teaching the after school art program at Reginald Chavez Elementary...

As for today....it is the start of another weekend.  Mom is currently in Mohab, UT or on her way to Lava Springs....she, my niece, my niece's son and husband will be gone for a week on vacation.  They are planning on seeing Yellowstone and the Tetons and Jackson Hole and Canyon Land and all the stuff they can pack into 8 days.  That means that I am footloose and fancy free on Sunday, so I have 3 days to play and create.

I am so jazzed by my little bird that I think I will make some for Christmas Ornaments.....A stylized Christmas Dove done in white and white on white with bling!  But first to make some pin cushions with birds on them to give the Kats and Dogs something other than themselves to chase.

Still have to post to my list and facebook as well as read all the email that has accumulated since yesterday.  So here's wishing you a happy and creative day.....  Love to hear your comments....  either here or at pattipage@mac.com.

It's much later

But I'm here so, quick like a bunny I'll post some pictures...here are the Kat and Dogs, all finished up and ready to go to new homes?  Which is your favorite?

Then here is the other two braclets I beaded and two very fancy badge holder necklaces...

 

And then the last thing I want to post is my bird....  It took me two tried, but I really kinda like this one....  What do you think?

More tomorrow!!!!

I'll try posting again this afternoon! Enjoy the Hummers!!!

I'm off to OFFCenter this afternoon, once there I will try again....  Pictures just aren't loading here, so please, stop by later, but for now, enjoy the hummers!

There are days and then there are DAYS!

Again, my internet is playing havoc with my patients!  But I am determined!  First, here are a few pictures of the hummers that I have been promising....

Here you see they are standing in line, all 4 stations are taken...LOL



This one on the right I had to share, he wasn't quite sure whether to land or not, so I caught him a full tilt.

I'll post these are then try to repost, it took forever to upload these two pictures and I have more to share with you!

If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium....LOL

Remember that movie?  I've been dark for the past couple of days due to internet problems....slower than dial up, and I get impatient....so moved on to other things.

Yesterday was a real wash for me.  I started a new braclet and 3 hours later, decided I just needed to stop, no creativity anywhere in my body.  It was dark and gloomy yesterday, much like a winter's day and in the morning, at least until about noon, it barely reached 60 degree F.  My mood matched the weather.

Today the sun is shining, I am off to OFFCenter this afternoon to finish matting prints, then it's back home, then I will make some calls on the Fiber Arts Fiesta volunteer list.  Still haven't taken any pictures of the two necklaces I've made....or of anymore pin cushions that I've done....  I have continued to try to capture my hummers with my slr camera to no avail....just dawned on me that maybe I need to change the automatic setting....sheesh.  Will try that this evening.  I am going through about 1/2 gal of nectar a day now---in the evening they swarm and are beautiful.....

Well, I need to start my day, so for now, I'll close.  Wishing you a wonderful and creative day!

Saturday Morning....

Another Saturday morning in the Land of Enchantment, more particularly, the Enchanted Realm.  Bright blue sky this morning, not even the whisper of a cloud.  Just sitting here, watching the hummers, drinking coffee and listening to a newly hatched baby bird outside my kitchen window.  Time to kick start the day, didn't get to bed until after 3 a.m. so another day that I'm sleepy, but I should finish the Kat and Doggy pincushions today, made another braclet yesterday and started on a necklace of sorts, it's actually a beaded badge/name tag holder.  And of course ideas about designing a bird was and is running around in my head....  We will see what today brings for me here.

Here's to you having a wonderfully creative day in all things you do!