Vacation Time

There is nothing like taking some time to float in the pool, 

read a good book and relax.

I am not going to do another thing today.  

Sorry to all those who come for inspiration.

I will be back next week with lots to share. 

Have a great weekend!  

Re-Evalutation Time

Okay, It was one of those weeks where I think the message is- a question: 

"Where do I go from here?"

I have been very happy dabbling in all of my passions. 

Juggling my music lessons, crochet lessons,

blog writing, jewelry making, polymer clay creating, sewing, art quilting, deadlines..ect.

 I finally finished two baby sweaters for my friend Jen who had twins recently.

Still working on a couple commission jobs and

WHAM!!

"Who has your money?"

This past week after no notice my merchant provider decided to overdraft my business account

with some fee I never heard a word about.

or...the more money they make!

In fact they claim they have been sending me statements in the mail

and I have not received one of them.

I have to dispute this with my bank and after being on hold and having the call dropped twice

I am reconsidering if I even want to deal with this bank anymore.

These are the not so fun aspects of trying to run your own business.

The total confidence shaking , trust destroying and motivation killers

that pop up out of nowhere.

I guess I don't need to tell you that merchant account is closed.

I have a craft show next month so I need to have a merchant account set up!

The good news is I am ready for a phone upgrade

so it looks like the Iphone and Square up are my best option.

I am so grateful for the experienced people who have helped me make this decision.

I feel like I am gambling with my life savings.

Which in this economy is truly frightening.

My husband tolerates my artistic nature because it makes me so happy

but I think he just wishes I would go get a regular job.

I have tried and even if I could get one he knows,

after 36 years with me there would be a heavy price to pay if it made me unhappy.

I spend a lot of time pushing away my masked enemies,

guilt, procrastination, the critic and fear of failure.

I don't need these real world parasites in my life too.

So feeling like a jilted ex I am picking myself up,

brushing myself off

and starting over again.

I will smile and have a wonderful weekend!! 

Looking at where I want to go, how I spend my time and who I can trust.

I am stubbornly following my dream, just adjusting the color...

Silk Sari Yarn giveaway!!

Hurry your chance to win this beautiful yarn ends June 8th.  Check it out Here. 

Picker at Heart

My husband tivos the American Pickers Show every week and we really look forward to watching it.  

We both grew up in New England where there was so much history all around you. 

 I know I didn't really appreciate that until I moved to the west coast 

and was really surprised that they thought 50 years old meant antique. 

This week's Pickers show revolved around items from the Civil War 

and the guys;

Mike and Frank
 participated in a re-enactment of a battle someplace along the way.  It really stirred my memories.   I used to walk past the 200 year old Isaac Davis Home where the minutemen gathered to begin their march to Concord to fight the British in the Revolutionary war every day on my way to school.  We re-enacted that march every year with "Minute Men" who march to the fife and drums.
I actually found a recent Youtube video of this from my hometown- Acton, MA!

I really never thought I would ever be a huge fan of antiques but that changed over the years.  

When we lived in WA there was a little town, Snohomish, I visited often filled with antique shops.  

I bought some old kitchen utensils that I made into a garden mobile and now use to rust fabric.

 I oggled beautiful old furniture that I couldn't really afford at the time.  

I dreamed of what my house would look like 

with a really ecclectic collection of these pieces and art everywhere.  

Fast Forward to our move to Las Vegas.  

Never ever dreamed I would live here.  

My husband had a job out in Palm Springs he needed to check on 

and invited me to go with him for the day and wander while he worked. 

It was a long drive for a day trip but so worth it.  

That little town is filled with little art galleries and antique stores.  

I had a blast and came home with some beautiful painted fish for my bathroom, 

new lamps for our bedroom
and the best find ever. 

 I dragged my tired husband to see this and he really didn't want to go 

but when he saw what I found I could see the excitement in his face.
We haggled and got it for what we felt was a great price.

  I finally found something my husband could not resist.  

He has a small collection of swords and knives, 

some decorative and a couple authentic ones; a civil war sword and bayonette. 

We display them in our entry room around the pool table. 

Well here is what I found. 

The Wooden Carved Crest of a Family Distillery and it is amazing.  

I take it down and polish it with olive oil about once a year. 

The griffins are so cool.

We both really love this piece- a great pick!! LOL

Erin of Treasures Found had a post about the Pickers show on March 29th, 2011

and I promised I would share a picture of this piece, 

I finally remembered to photograph it so I could share it's unique beauty.   

Be sure to visit her too to see some beautiful Garden Soup!!
My eye candy of the week, delivered today to one happy Etsy Shopper.

One special order Blue and Purple Glam Wrist Cuff.
The flower is made with upcycled and (washing machine) felted wool from Sally's Boutique.
Have a delightful weekend everyone!!

Polymer Clay Class last week

I took a class with a wonderful teacher and clay artist, 

Sophia from my local Las Vegas Polymer Clay Guild last week.  

She also does beautiful ceramic work. 

We learned to make a faux wood or bone technique and made pendant dolls. 

I had to be a little different and make my mouth 

with the sliced coffee stir stick we used for the eye indentations. 

She looked too sad with  a frown 

so I added the up turn spots 

and look she's a

Little Faux Wood Vampire Doll

for all those Twilight Fans out there.  

It was especially fun to make the wire coiled hair and the tiny earrings. 

This doll is 5 1/4" tall from the bail to the tip of her tooth shaped body.  

This is the first time I have ever used super soft sculpy as a base for beads too.  

It was a little difficult to keep it from getting lumpy 

when you cover the center with the sheets of the wood grain clay.  

All in all it was a really fun day with some new people I hadn't met 

and I would like to make more dolls with my own style.  

I have been dreaming up ideas for more faux wood pieces, beads...... very inspiring class. 

I am taking a few moments to think about all those gave their lives to preserve freedom,

something I never want to take for granted.  

Thank you to all those with loved ones in the military for your many sacrifices. 

I am off to mow the lawn before it gets too hot.

My dream mower- it's either this or I hire Chippendale's Men!

Our  friends Rick and Tanys are in town this weekend 

so I am looking forward to seeing them tomorrow night 

and having a chocolate-raspberry beer at the Yard House Brewery. 

Happy Memorial Day 

and I hope you all have a very safe and wonderful holiday week-end.

Best Mother's Day Ever!!

I know I missed a week and didn't post but I have a really good reason.

On Mother's Day my daughter Jessie said: 

"Mom, I have to go pick up your present, I will be back in a half hour."

My imagination was going wild 

trying to decide what she would be picking up on a Sunday, Mother's Day. 

She left and shortly after that 

my other daughter, Corrie, who lives in Seattle, WA 

called to wish me a happy mother's day.  

While we were talking I suddenly noticed her voice sounded like it was in stereo.  

I told her something weird was going on with my phone.  

She told me to turn around and I wish I had a picture of the look on my face. 

 There she was standing in my entry with her phone, suit case and sister!! 

They both kept this secret so well 

that even my husband had no idea she was coming down for a visit. 

I started to cry and had the best hug with my two girls we have had in a very long time. 

Jessie hadn't seen Corrie for 2 years and a half years. 

What a joy to see them so happy to be together.  

We had a fabulous week t and that was the best mother's day gift ever! 

So I did not take the time to post last week,

I was busy having a wonderful time with the whole family here together.

Here are a few things I did have to finish though.

I teach crochet classes at Gailknits here in Las Vegas 

and the owner got a phone call asking for someone to do 

a special crochet commission. 

Well, she recommended me so the fun began. 

I would never have come up with this on my own. 

A young gentleman and his best friend 

who are both fathers expecting their first baby boys,

and both went to college at Florida State,

 wanted two little baby hats with the school logo on them. 

Here is the almost finished product:

I had to make four of these tiny logos- only 4 inches across!

Machine stitch the really tiny details onto them adding stabilizer  

and then hand sew them onto the two crochet helmets.

Too Cute!! 

I forgot to take pictures of them completed so

I hope to get a picture of the babies in these hats later this year. 

I have also been madly making samples for my classes;

crocheted roses, pansies, double petaled flowers, daisies, loopy flowers ect. 

and various leaves to go with them. 

Then projects in which my students can use these flowers, 

a flowered granny square purse, headbands with flowers, a box hat pattern...

and writing up the directions for these projects.

Writing the patterns has been very time consuming 

so I will soon be adding more of my original patterns to my Aquariart Shop on Etsy 

and hopefully submitting them to some magazines too. 

Like beading I enjoy crochet because I can be sitting with my husband 

while he watches TV his favorite hobby, 

and feed voracious creative appetite and keep my itchy fingers busy. 

I also made a cuff for my sister, Bonnie who lives on the East Coast for her birthday.

Organza flower and needle felted wool leaves.

Coffee dyed lace and linen and the key to my heart

The entire cuff for Bonnie, my sister.

My first published work!! Squeeeeeeeel of Joy

Pardon me while I brag, squeel, dance, sing, shout and carry on for just a minute-  

Here is my  "Leap of Faith" necklace 

My first time Bead Soup Necklace- "A Leap of Faith"

from the 2nd round of Lori Anderson's Bead Soup Blog Party 

in the Bead Buzz section of the June/July 2011  issue of Beadwork Magazine,

which will be on the stands May 27th.

I am so grateful to Lori for the opportunities she has provided me. 

I sent her my April ABS entry- "Finch and Bamboo Necklace" in last weeks post. 

Got to share the joy!! 

Last Night I peddled my wares in front of Studio8ten on Las Vegas Blvd

with several other Handmade in Vegas Etsy Team members.

Unfortunately I only had one sale. 

I lot of lugging for $25 but I truly hope my little polyclay fish 

is happy in her new home.

"Marmelade" my little tropical beauty

I bit the bullet and ordered 3 tons of rock for our backyard last week. 

Funny how my brain just doesn't work sometimes. 

They delivered it on Monday, pouring it onto a huge tarp in my driveway-

Right behind where my car is parked in the garage. 

Soooo, guess who couldn't go anywhere on Monday.  

Me.

"Brain Douche"
They are not just for kids!!
I need one right away. 

 I moved about 1 ton of it on Monday and promptly took four days off.
(I have 3 commissions to work on and 
have to recreate my inventory because the
old PC died 
and now I have to learn Numbers on my Mac.) 
Today I am back out to do some more Rockin"- thus the brief post. 
This time of year all the strenuous outdoor activities must be done in the morning. 
It will reach 97 degrees here today! 
Have a Rockin" Week-
That's what I will be doing.  
Remember ( if you can- I can, but only if I remember to take my memory herbs) 
Laughter is good medicine!