good winter coverage

diamante socks update....
and this Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn is *so* luxurious. I love the magic loop sock knitting! and there is still a good bit of yarn left, I think the leg of the socks will be about 2 more inches...good winter coverage :)

draw a card

it rained today! i love rainy days, especially in our house, it's quiet here, so quiet that i can sit in the living room with the big picture window, curled up on the couch with my sketchbook and a yummy homemade eggnog latte listening and watching the rain. knitted a bit more on the latest socks. we watched the best movie tonight -- a must see Akeelah and the Bee. Keke Palmer, Akeelah, is a fabulous child actress and singer/dancer, she has a single on the soundtrack and on the DVD.

Christmas Bells are Ringing.

I've been collecting really wonderful papers for years and have known for quite some time that I simply have more in my stash than I will ever be able to use on my own. So, I'm putting together packets to share with everyone. This is version blue. Next up, version pink.
Also experimenting with structures of PMC, these are the first of Christmas bells!
I have been one of many so drawn to turquoise and red lately! I had to create some earrings. The tree of life ones say "bless your heart" and the floral antique button texture says "bloom". I was just not able to get a good series of photographs this afternoon, maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get enough good images for another round of postings. I'm off to the kitchen for a different sort of creation -- turkey stock! Then I'll see what I can do about the freezer disaster - shuffle enough around in there to make room for stock and soup and maybe a little casserole.

holiday gift list creation

i love fall!
the weather is perfect today. a bit of a bite in the air, sun shone bright for awhile, blue sky with a hint of clouds.
i'm wearing my blue-ish handknit socks...the sunset ones are threadbare already on the bottom of one (do I drag that foot?) and am once again enjoying the christmas mix this time while slowly paging through magazines (Real Simple and Cooking Light), and a few of my past visual journals for nailing down the list of things to create for gifts this year. (I'm also really hoping for some etsy trades and purchases too).
hope you all are enjoying a comfortable day at home too.

this thanksgiving

just a few of the things i'm thankful for this moment...
whole foods thanksgiving in a box (i really should have taken a picture of this, *amazing*)
my studio
my family and friends
this video, Joan Jett - I saw her in concert when I was in high school - looks like she's back
wait, wait don't tell me podcasts

been really thinking a lot about advent lately -- working out how to begin a more mindful practice this year. of course, i really am drawn a little to this practice (which i know very little about), in my mind, it's not so much the presents to open, more about the visual reminder, like advent calendars, to sit down, slow down, put aside the big box store juggling and early morning sale battles, and reflect for at least one moment each day during advent.

oh my goodness, i almost published this without photos...i'll be right back, gonna take a shot of the messy table right now.

Messages

Have spent a glorious day in the studio, filling orders and playing delightful Christmas music! My artist friend, Cordelia asked her mother to make me an instrumental Christmas mix, Cordelia said her mom *loves* to create CDs full of grace, dance and inspiration. She most definitely has a gift for this, right after a fast paced, get your blood going instrumental, she slows it down to a more meditative mood. Fabulous for working at the messy table.

And on the photo front - I dug deep - last year's Christmas tree, full with a mixture of gifts for us and from us to be hand delivered. Please click on the picture of the sand - do you see the angel's wing? This is one of the very first photos I took with this camera. I bought this camera to take this picture. We were at Cannon Beach one weekend and I noticed on our walk that there were dozens of these incredible formations everywhere - such a glorious blessing. So, bought the camera and went back the next weekend to capture (outside of our memories). My memories are better, they were more pronounced and abundant before camera, I will always count that walk as one of my most cherished memories.

so not a sock a day....

My second pair of magic loop socks. Diamante pattern. I finished the first pair of Cherry Tree Hill socks pictured, will post that photo soon. I have one more skein of the Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in the stash (and all three of the top Sockotta skeins to finish, though I have started one sock) and 10 skeins to try my hand at dyeing, gotta buy the dye and all the materials to get going on that (thrift store pots and bowls and utensils), I'm guessing that'll be sometime after Christmas. I did have every intention of knitting up several socks for Christmas gifts. But, one art project after another kept me from getting much knitting time in. Now, I'm hoping for two finished pairs. These and one from the blue tone skein remaining in this shot.
This time the Magic Loop method is getting its true test. The reason I wanted to learn Magic Loop (specifically toe-up Magic Loop) - to get the most out of the yarn, to knit and knit until I run out of yarn. Very different from the previously shown Superwoman socks, random yarn remains. Someday said random yarn will become: Pembrokeshire Pathways Socks, I have about 5 inches started on these in the blue. So, that's my sock progress. Stay tuned for further adventures in felted bags, felted bowls, and ipod cozies.

Harvest Festival

If Barbara Walters ever interviews me (ha), I'll tell her that if I were to be a tree, I'd like to be a Japanese Maple. The way the sun and wind plays with the leaves, the changing colours, the deep breathes and centering they bring about. I'd like to shock and awe -- in good ways.

The Bird Muse Has Arrived

These little sweeties are being unveiled a few at a time.
$17 for the original mixed media collage. $5 more for the 5 x 7 frame. I've been having a few problems with etsy lately...timing me out during brief visits, so if you experience any problems, please don't hesitate to contact me directly about anything you are interested in. (sorry about the camera reflection in the framed image).

Wobbly Clay

Needed to get centered for the past couple of days. A crazymaker is messing with a sacred process, and it's so upseting to me. I am re-learning how to just let go. So much irony in these interactions.
So, the centering thing has felt like those moments at the potter's wheel where the clay just isn't finding its best spot -- which of course wasn't about the clay at all, but about me not finding center then and there either. And it's o.k. to have to come back to the wheel later. That's why there is greenware and glazing to do sometimes. I hope that makes sense, it's been a long time since I've thrown clay, but it's true of all my other creative processes also, just so literal with throwing pots. It just popped into my head while thinking about centering lately.

Bird by Bird

The bird series continues. Pasted and painted 20 more, photographed them all. Will be finishing them all tomorrow. Beeswax sealing layer, hangers for the back, signature.
These are so much fun to make! They make me smile. Yes, they will be on my etsy site, hopefully by Sunday.
And another view of the wonderously crafted labyrinth.

i *heart* labyrinths

Went to the beautiful Mercy Center today to pick up our friend R. She's in what sounds like a glorious centering post graduate program of a deep spiritual practice nature. Upon returning post off campus conversation and yummy lunch, we hugged all around, R showed us to the bookstore and went off to continue her lessons in spiritual community. The Mercy Center bookstore has some *great* Nativity scenes. Nativity scenes are very personal I think! None were quite right for me. It's in my mind now though...one day a Nativity scene will come from the studio. Great Christmas cards - we bought three sets. Of course, I'll still be making some, but now, no pressure :)
After the bookstore and brief visit to the womb-like sanctuary off we went to the gardens. I do love the bay area, these photos are but some of the reasons. Sad news -- there are tags on many of the flowers in the garden having to remind people that they are not to cut the flowers! What! How self-serving a person do you have to be to think it's o.k. to cut flowers from someone else's garden without permission?

Reminders....

A hint of my new work ;)
I am definitely in the messy mode right now. Originals will be posted to etsy soon, later on, a series of postcards of these images (and more).

Holiday Faire

Wonderful fun yesterday. Seeing all the beautiful work of fellow artists at the seminary. And I love to hear the stories from folks about how they love the art they have. Or the family, friends that they gifted the items to.
More art photos later.

I want my *etsy*

Big Christmas Fair/e tomorrow, there will be a great selection of jewelry, christmas stockings, stoles, bags, totes & purses, greeting cards, books, and more. We plan these events on Tuesdays....the biggest crowds -- with classes and chapel service, we are a packed campus for a good 12 hours straight on Tuesdays.
I am always full of the greatest ideas right before a show! Watch for all the fabulous*ness coming soon to etsy. Uh, speaking of etsy...remember etsy? I can't believe how much I miss it! I totally need one of those 'i heart etsy' buttons now!

The Brave New Squirrel

Our house is one of few in our neighborhood without cats or dogs...so, we are a frequent 'second place' for birds and squirrels. Last week we remembered to buy a *huge* bag of unsalted peanuts from Costco to encourage a close connection with 'wild life'.
The day after we began our little treat distribution C heard a very light tapping sound coming from my studio. Upon investigation, notices that there is a squirrel at the sliding glass door, peering in and clicking its paw on the glass, shifting a bit, looking again, and then tapping again...."where are my nuts?" I keep hoping for this to happen while I am actually in the studio to see this as well. So, I tried this morning, putting out the bait -- on the table and the deck itself. First, I made sure there were squirrels in sight, there are always birds around, squirrels, not always. My observation, the squirrels are afraid of the birds. I believe the score was birds 25 - squirrels 0. The brave squirrel that knocks - gets as many peanuts that it can handle!

Paints, Paper & Pens....oh my!

Gesso'd and painted the backgrounds of a bunch of 4x4 boards for collages. This one is nearly done. More time playing with paints, paper and pens tomorrow! The colours aren't showing very true...I'll take another shot tomorrow in the daylight.
Have missed knitting lately. Tonight I knit up another little pointy hat.
It was cold at the Farmer's Market this morning...going to need those Fetching gloves next time - oh, and a fresh latte to sip and hold while browsing.

A Silver Extravaganza!

Was having a great time with PMC today. New shapes, new textures. Still need to patina them. And then finish with beads, wire, findings, maybe a little more *leather*

I told my PMC class the other day that I only had two rules - use olive oil or my beeswax based lotion on their hands and all the textures; and they should keep their PMC wrapped or wet when not working with it. During class, I reminded them that when they put their finished pieces on the hot plate they needed to use the tweezers to take them off, because the plate got them too hot to handle with their bare hands. At one point one of the students forget and said, "Maybe you need to have three rules" :). So I did, I had three rules. Yesterday, I came up with a 4th rule, especially when teaching at our home. Never transfer kiln fired pieces from the kiln across two feet of deck to the tumbler. You may drop a student's piece down the space between two deck boards. Too far down for tweezers. Next, I fashioned a little tiny fish net, not sturdy enough to dig under the fish to get it out. Then we tried packing tape, retrieved a lot of dirt. Finally, I thought - tacky tape for the walls! And it worked, got the fish up far enough for me to grab it off the sticky end with the tweezers when it got close enought to the top! No missing pieces. Though I discovered that not all of my students gave me little lists of their pieces. So tomorrow, I try to track down names and email addresses. And I'll be posting more photos tomorrow, hoping that you (BABE! students) are reading and will let me know which pieces are yours! Thanks all!

New Silver Pieces

New pieces being photographed today. Stay tuned for the etsy postings! Here's a peek at one of my newest visions (with the suede bits), I still need to patina, but I'm just so excited about it (and mom wants to see it).

hey, maybe this democracy things stands a chance*

feeling joy full today!

blessings.

*now, really do something with that power Dems! step up. Let's hope the following will come to pass.

As Barbara Boxer's email to *me* ;) said:

Today is a day for us all to celebrate! America is coming back -- with a Congress that has heard them and a Congress that cares about them:

No more rubber stamp Congress

No more free passes to the Bush Administration on Iraq

No more arrogance

No more give-aways to the most powerful

No more cozy corruption

Yes to accountability on Iraq

Yes to consumers

Yes to our families and our children

Yes to the environment

Yes to energy independence

Yes to affordable health care and stem cell research

Yes to an increase in the minimum wage

Yes to the recommendations of the 9/11 commission

Can we get it all done? Yes, if our colleagues in the Republican Party recognize that this is what the American people want -- and in a democracy, it is what they should have.

I am hopeful because the people have spoken very clearly. By electing a Democratic House and, if all goes as it it looks now, a Democratic Senate, the American people have clearly spoken out for change -- and with your continued help, that's exactly what they're going to get. Thank you so much for being on my team. Our PAC for a Change community made a great contribution to this amazing election victory -- and it would not have been possible without you.
In Friendship,
Barbara Boxer