10-27-15

There is so much to do before things turn to a more wintry landscape... but I am getting there, I think.
These photos were taken on one of our more sunny recent days... here in the yard.

In sort of a continuation from yesterday's "Maker Monday" post; I also made up some items for another local fundraiser.
These items are being donated to the "To Fill A Backpack" fundraisers that happen closer to Christmas.

There is a photo print (with matte and frame), some guitar picks (made from recycled store gift cards, a couple pair of Gold Plated and Lampwork glass earrings, a large chunky lampwork glass and gold plate necklace, and a set of envelopes (with plain white cards)-- made from recycled children's book pages. All of this.... of course... on a Santa/ Christmas theme.
I am hopeful that these will help bring more funds and interest to a very worthy local organization.

See you all tomorrow...

10-26-15

 Today is "Maker Monday"... a new series of posts where I talk about something I've made recently.

I have always donated items to fundraising type events. It's just who I am.
This year, there are a bunch of these events that I wanted to make things for...
and now that I am (mostly) caught up on my "to-do" list... I have the opportunity.

I made this set recently for the 30th Annual Books Unlimited Gala; which is a fundraiser for my local library. Items are donated, then offered in silent auctions. The money goes to a worthy cause, and people get to take some awesome items home.
When deciding what to make for this, I wanted something more "over the top"... and I know that there are several folks here who like the southwest style. Conveniently, (and having lived in New Mexico for 17yrs)... I had stuff. When we had first moved to Albuquerque, I purchased the earrings and the pendant piece from an old pawn place. These are wonderful places to get OLD Native American handmade pieces... and I got lucky. The earrings and pendant are solid sterling silver, with gemstone intarsia pieces that feature Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, coral, dyed Howlite, Turquoise and Onyx. The pendant is Concho style, and has some gorgeous metal stamping on it.

So... I wanted to use these pieces as a "stepping off" place to make the necklace.
Let me take a minute to talk about Turquoise. Turquoise is rapidly running out here in the USA; and it is being bought up at record prices.... rather like some sort of "gold rush" in the stone world. People are storing it as investment, not unlike precious metal and diamonds.
It's amazing really.
For the necklace, I used large turquoise nugget beads, separated by hand carved small coral seed beads and Branch Coral coin shaped beads. The 2 accent beads in the front, are Native American metal stamped beads that I purchased from the artist who made them (on the Plaza in Santa Fe). It is all on 49strength tiger tail wire, which makes it more durable, yet flexible and comfortable to wear. Even the crimps are sterling, and have sterling crimp covers. The toggle clasp is solid sterling, and handmade as well.

I also made and donated these earrings.
The earrings (below) feature carved bone beads that display the Chinese Long Life Symbol on both sides. They are drilled slightly askew; but that just makes them more unique. I have accented these bone beads with freshwater pearls in cream and Tahitian tones, and REAL faceted (small) Burmese rubies. All the findings are 14K Gold Plate.

My hope is that these sets will bring lots of interest to the library auctions.
See you all tomorrow!

for the weekend

It's the weekend!
And I have a few small plans involving movies, wine... and perhaps a book or two...
But for now... I have coffee... and (per my usual routine) some links to share with you all:


* beautiful Mount Gretna
* this is an older "news" article... but pretty scrumptious
* an interesting "Ghost Story".... more here.... and more here.
* THIS... to me... is awesome.
* science!
* some art alongside the abandoned
* free download
* getting some final wishes made
* this would be a dream trip for me
* an  awesome looking fall craft
* Unique PA

--and some blog sites from my reading list
Queen of Arts
Read A Little Poetry
Sew and Sow Life
Suzanne Lewis
Textile Butterfly


I hope you all have an awesome weekend; and I will see you all back here on Monday for my "Maker Monday" post.

((the photo for today's post is from the woods near my house. I love this tree))

10-23-15

These past few days I have been trying to finish up the last few projects I have that are sort of hanging over my head... so to speak. And I am almost there. I have ordered some supplies to finish up the last couple... and I can see (in my head) crossing most everything off my list.

I am fascinated with mushrooms and fungi. There is just something fanciful about them.
It's like they live in a magical world all their own.
The other day I was able to take a short walk; and discovered several different varieties of mushrooms and fungi here on the hill. These clumps of shrooms were growing on some downed logs; and seemed to be so happy ... just blossoming and flourishing in this damp, cooler environment.

There is a lot of symbolism in mushrooms.
According to some Asian traditions, mushrooms were thought to represent longevity, happiness and rebirth.  In others (like the Irish) mushrooms are thought to be rather magical... and representative of  the fae working in our everyday lives. Faerie rings were often considered a lucky find, and were meant to be respected and treasured.

Regardless, they certainly speak of growing and flourishing in what some may view as less than ideal environments... and being the best they can be.... which I think might be the best lesson of all.
See you all tomorrow for my weekend post.

10-22-15

Yesterday I was able to rest a little, and take a short walk in the woods... which was wonderful.
I also stayed up and watched a couple movies we had from Netflix, and so for today's post...
I thought I would share a few of the movies I've watched, and books I've read lately:

Movies:
* Robot and Frank -- loved it. Odd, but interesting.. and you can't go wrong with Susan Sarandon.
* Playing for Keeps -- I'll be honest. I watched it for Dennis Quaid. But he plays such a despicable character that even he can't save this film.
* American Experience: Walt Disney -- interesting history... not sure it helped me like the Disney brothers any though.
* Damsels in Distress -- absolutely horrible.
* Reversal of Fortune -- what a weird movie, but Jeremy Irons was brilliant.
* Seven Pyschopaths -- great cast, great story. Odd, but awesome. Would definitely watch it again.

Books:
* We Thought We Heard the Angels Sing -- a dramatic historical account. Unfortunately, it reads more like a newspaper article... which is a little rough.
* The Mermaid Chair -- I loved Sue Monk Kidd's book, "The Secret Life of Bees"... but this was just tragically bad. As a friend of mine said it best when she described it as "utter rubbish."
* Steampunk Magic -- I love the whole idea of steampunk. But this is just silly.
* Leonardo's Ink Bottle -- this reminded me very much of Julia Cameron's books. Nuf said.
* James and the Giant Peach -- I read this to my kids when they were little, ant it's just as awesome now.

It's been a rough year, and sometimes it's good to step back and lose yourself a little in a good story.
See you all tomorrow.

10-21-15

Yesterday was a difficult day; and I find that some of the things that help are:

sleeping in, lots of hot tea, some good music, some good food, and a little "art therapy."

So for today... I hope to work on a project or two.

It's been long overdue...

I will leave you all with some photos I took a few years ago 

(at about the same day in October)...

 but never edited or posted until now.

See you all tomorrow.

10-20-15

Some days are harder than others... so I am leaving you with some links that I thought were interesting:
* the Great Old Ones 
* the 10 most beautiful towns in Pennsylvania
* a neat little thing about fall in the country
* Subway Stations, frozen in time
* the Deep. Photos of the South by Steve McCurry.

** and this... because it's awesome.

... I hope you all have a great day, and I'll see you all back here tomorrow.

10-19-15

Today is "Maker Monday"... a new series of posts where I talk about something I've made recently...

For my first post, I wanted to take a moment to talk about photography.
I've been taking photos since about the age of 6yrs old, when I was sort of unofficially designated as the family photographer. My mom was never inclined, and my dad had a habit of cutting people's heads (or other body parts) out of the shots... so ... there you have it. Plus... I was an extremely shy kid... and would (and still do) prefer to be behind the camera, rather than in front of it.

My first camera was a Kodak Brownie... and I lugged it everywhere.
Other cameras followed... a Polaroid, a small Kodak Instamatic, my first 35mm; a Ricoh... and then a series of Nikons. My current camera, is a Sony a6000... and yes, I love it. I have one camera body, and one lens (a standard 50mm)... but I am making it work (to quote Tim Gunn).
I am essentially self-taught... although I did take courses and got my diploma in photography from the famed New York Institute back in 1990.  I've been selling my photos since 1986.

Over the years, I've had several photographers that I have greatly looked up to...
Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier- Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Elliott Erwitt, Sally Mann, Steve McCurry, Alfred Stieglitz... Vivian Maier... to name a few. Last night, I saw a movie about the photography of Gregory Crewdson. And it was amazing.
All these artists had different equipment, different lenses, different styles and ways of working... but they all had one thing in common... passion.

You can have the most expensive, high tech camera equipment... and still have crappy photos. Yes, they may be technically sharp, well lit.. whatever... but if they don't have soul... if they don't speak to the audience... what's the point? In my opinion... art is meant to evoke a response in the person who sees it. If it doesn't speak to you as the artist-- how is it to speak to the viewer? You have to have a passion for what you are doing... and hopefully, pass that passion on to the person who sees your work.

"The best camera is the one you have with you." --Chase Jarvis

So for today's "maker" post... I am not telling you how to take a photo. You can read a manual to figure out how to use your camera. What is more important, is that you have a vision of what you want your finished photo to say.... what you want to make the viewer to feel.... then go about trying to make that happen. ... and keep at it.

See you all tomorrow...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

((The photo for today's post was one I took late yesterday afternoon. It had been snowing off and on all day... and for very brief moments, the sun would come out. I ran out, and took this photo of a bush in my yard, just as the sun shone upon the berries. The chill in the air, and the dampness of the day had an overall  blue/ purple tone to the shot, that I just love. I shot this at f5.6, 1/80 sec, ISO 800. 

Minor editing at PicMonkey included slight saturation, and sharpness on the berries.

I wanted the viewer to feel the chill in the air, the warmth of the sun ...
and to have a general feeling for the profound beauty that is autumn.))

for the weekend

My day started at 3pm... which means I must be more exhausted and sore than I had thought.

And it's been Homecoming weekend, and a flurry of events this weekend.... so things are busy, busy.

And it snowed today!!! Briefly, and it's gone... but it's amazing how quickly fall is fading.

...time flies so incredibly fast...

I'm thinking the rest of my weekend, will be concentrating on the last couple of projects I have on my "to-do" list... 

and perhaps some movies and books that I've recently gotten at the local library.

In the meantime; 

Here are some interesting links I've found to share with you all:

* collage artist Eugenia Loli

* Not sure if this is a neat idea or not, but it must have taken forever.

* artist Rafael Mantesso

* I think I've posted this before, but it just surprises me

* I absolutely LOVE this

* this looks amazing

* National Geographic Traveler photography contest winners

* Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize in Literature

* artist Anthony Stevens

* India's ancient stepwells

* The Roanoke Colony ... new ideas?

* and interesting take on Charles Schultz and "Peanuts."

* something to get you "in the mood" for Halloween.

I hope you all have a great weekend... and I will see you all back here on Monday.

Previously, I had been doing "foodie" posts on Mondays, featuring produce I purchased at my local farm market. 

Since the farm market has ended, I will still do the occasional "foodie" type posts... 

but Mondays will be set aside for a new feature, "Maker Mondays"... 

showing whatever I've made during the course of the week... with perhaps, a little "how-to"...

See you on Monday!

10-16-15

So, last night I was reading my Farmer's Almanac... and came across some interesting statistics.
-You sleep roughly 1/3 of your life... on average, 26yrs.
-If you work a 40hr work-week; you'll spend roughly 10yrs "on the job."
-Most Americans, can commute up to a year's worth of time... in their lifetime... just traveling back and forth to work.
-We clean on average, 2hours a day... or the equivalent of 6yrs of your life.
-And if you spend between 2-3hrs a day watching TV... expect to lose 9rs of your life to your favorite shows.

wow.  The chapter went on to talk about how when we multi-task, we are essentially doing this whole stop-restart routine... that can make things worse. And people who multitask while on the computer, were actually stopping and starting to check their email, on average every
3-4 minutes, or even checking multiple sites (like Facebook) every 3-4 minutes.
No wonder we get so tired! We are over-loading our own systems.

But there were also some helpful hints:
* concentrate on the present
* live in the moment... take the time to remember things as they are occurring
* when you feel refreshed and energetic, you will use your time to greater effect. This means... eating healthy, getting exercise, and taking breaks when you need them.
* "urgent/needing immediate attention" and "important/meaningful" are not always the same thing. If it's important to you, do it first. Sometimes things people perceive as "urgent" aren't necessarily so, and you can get caught up in a trap of everything feeling like you have to do it now.

** and perhaps the most important thing that I have learned... take some time each day to touch the earth. Go barefoot. Smell the flowers. Look at the sky. Listen to the birds. Wonder at the flora and fauna around you. Get away from all the electronics and the noise... and the chaos... if only for a  few minutes a day. Your body will thank you.

See you all tomorrow for my weekend post.

10-15-15

You never know where inspiration will come from... or in what incarnation it will form.
And it seems as though... the really marked "turning points"... those life-altering moments in life... always seem to sneak up on us.
You just never know... and you can't really prepare for it... or can you? Such is the question I've been pondering this week.

Lately I've been working on this massive "to-do" list that I have been carrying around for weeks/ months/ a lifetime... or so it seems.
I just never seem to get caught up... or whatever that really means.
There are things I want to do.... things I've intended/ promised to do... things I would love to try... things I feel like I shoulda/oughta do... you get the idea. But slowly, these past couple of weeks... I've been crossing things off.
Part of the problem, is that I can't say no... but most of the problem is that I genuinely want to help people when I can...
I just don't always have the energy or time to do all the things I wish I could.
It's been a major source of frustration for me; and I tend to feel very guilty for what I perceive of as a lack of getting things done.

So how does this relate to inspiration and turning points?
One of the things that occurred to me (whilst going through my lists)... is that part of the beauty of turning points,
is recognizing when they come.... but also... being ready to take action when they do.
If we are so busy muddling through.... it's hard to see those sparkly moments when they arrive...
and worse, we feel we have no ability to do something about it... because we are so busy with muddling.
If that makes any sense.

Therefor, one of my new intentions... is to free myself up from some of my (perceived and actual) obligations...
and allow myself the time to do things I want to do... and to afford myself the opportunity, when good things come knocking.

"Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them" -- Albert Einstein

((ah ferns. I love them... and they always inspire me.

 These photos were taken deep in the woods around Rock City Park last weekend))

10-14-15

Sometimes when you are in the struggle... it's hard to imagine a way out.
You look, and look... and then you catch a glimpse of the light...
But it seems as if you will never find the path there.

We've all been there.
Some more strongly than others... some (seemingly) deeper down the hole than others...
but we all have our paths and lessons to learn.

This has been a hard year, in many ways.
But it's also been a very rewarding year in other ways...

Today, I just wanted to take a minute out to acknowledge that we all have a different roads.
You never know where someone's path has taken them... and what they've had to face.
Tolerance, acceptance, and loving compassion are all tools we can share with each other.

Much love, and I'll see you all back here tomorrow.

10-13-15

And today I am sick. It started yesterday with some pretty bad allergies.... and now... well, I am a mess.
So I am taking today off and will focus on trying to get better.
Hope you are all well... and I will see you tomorrow.

~~~

((photos for today's post are ones I took on Sunday at Rock City Park, outside of Olean, NY.

It's a beautiful place, and the weather was awesome))

10-12-15

This weekend, there were so very many choices of fun activities to do... and it was very difficult to choose. So. On Saturday, we went to the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum to see my friends Doug and Chris Firestone. Doug is making a replica CCC-era "fire bell" from an antique piece of railroad rail.
Doug is a blacksmith (Firestone Forge), and did quite a bit of research into how these bells were most likely made. The finished piece will be hung adjacent to the CCC Camp building on the Museum property.  Coincidentally, there was also an Antiques and Collectibles show going on... which looked wonderful.

Yesterday, the daughter and I went to Rock City Park, for their Gem and Mineral Show. Last year, I was a vendor their (with my jewelry)... but didn't get things around in time for it this year. If you've never been... it's a wonderful place. The park itself is gorgeous. The rocks featured in the park, are estimated at 320 million years, and are a sort of quartz conglomerate. There are several really interesting formations and a a gorgeous walking trail that winds down in an among huge boulders and narrow passages.

The ride home was interesting... and for my metaphysical friends... read into it what you will (wink). But... suffice it to say, that my phone and the CD player decidedly all quit working in New York State. My camera was acting up as well. We had stopped at a scenic overlook, and nothing was working right. We were traveling slowly, because it was dusk... and the deer were out.... and we ere trying to figure out why things weren't working. Just as we were crossing into PA ... things suddenly started working... and just as suddenly, a pure white dove swooped down and flew (I think intentionally) right up to the front window of the Jeep... then disappeared. And I mean, vanished. Not under the car, not off the side of the car... just gone. So we really slowed down... and in about 2 minutes... came across a massive car wreck. At least 2 cars were involved (and mostly crushed), and a couple more were off the side of the road. Lots of people around. Ambulance and fire crew were just arriving on site. Had we been going faster, and not been putzing around because of the Dove and the Cd player... we assuredly would have been involved in the wreck.

Stay safe my friends!... and I hope you have a great day off today.... and I will see you all tomorrow.

for the weekend

Well, it's 4am... and I am up. I am up; because I tend to work better at night (must be all those years of working night shift)...
and because I just finished some work on a project that I felt I was behind on. So... that is awesome.
It's a clear night... and the stars feel very close tonight. But the moon... she is hiding in waning crescent mode... so I can't see her right now.

Yesterday was really busy... cleaning, blanching and freezing some gorgeous rainbow carrots and beets I had picked up at the Farm Market last weekend. And I cooked up the last of the edamame we had... the daughter made banana bread... I cleaned out the fridge... laundry... dishes... just alot of little tasks and tidying up that added up to (what seemed) like lots of work.
This weekend there are quite a few festivals and such going on in the area... and I really need to narrow it down to what I want to/ need to do... because I can't be everywhere. It always amazes me how so many things can be happening one weekend; and virtually nothing the next. Ah... such is life.

And I am sure you are busy too! But just in case you have a few minutes to play around on the internet, I've got some links to share with you:

*some interesting photos from the 70s
*over 100 years of Girl Scouts!
*you'll never look at seeds the same way again
* from Paris, 1939. This is awesome.
*explore PA
*here's a great story
*biologist turned photographer. This is a neat video.
*20 things about highly creative people
*eco-capsule. Is this what future housing will look like?
*would you eat an 800yr old squash?
*photos from NASA ... (and here)
*the man who lived to be 130

---I hope you all have an awesome weekend, and I will see you all back here on Monday for a brand new series of posts.

10-9-15

While it's hard to fathom how quickly this year has passed... fall is definitely here.
Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it.
The cooler weather, the smell of fires in the fireplaces (or leaves being burned), pumpkins, birds flying south, the gathering in of the crops, curling up with a quilt and a good book... the list goes on.
And of course, Halloween is my all time favorite holiday... so that certainly helps.

This is another busy weekend coming up. Lots of festivals and such going on in the area; and while I am not participating...
I hope to catch a couple of them and see what other folks are doing.

Last night I was reading through this year's Old Farmer's Almanac.
I buy one every year... a habit I got from my paternal grandmother. But I must admit... I don't always sit down and take the time to read them... I just like the idea of connecting with her and glancing at it from time to time. Last night, I took a few minutes, and just decided to read some of it. I discovered that if I want to cut my hair to discourage growth... I should do it now. That now (before the 14th) is the time to be finishing up old projects. That many folks believe that the astrological signs directly relate to parts of the body... for example: Taurus (me) is ruled by the throat. Meaning, we are good at verbal communication, and perhaps singing... but it is also a point of weakness. If we're going to get sick... we start off with a sore throat.
I was also curious to read that most folks (myself included) think of foliage season as one season... when in actuality... early cultures felt that there were at least 4 parts to the season; with things starting to turn fall toned as early as August (a time they called Scarlet Fever... with some swamp and roadside plants turning red).

Today... for just a few minutes... I am going to take time to really look at fall, and the changes that are evident even in my small yard.
See you all tomorrow for my weekend post.

10-8-15

Hello and Happy Thursday!
Nothing much going on up here  on the hill, but I have hopes of getting some headway done on some older projects and such.
The top photo for today's post is of a mullein plant. You can read more on the plant here.
We have a couple of them growing nearby, and I love their soft, fuzzy leaves. I think it's a super pretty plant, and apparently, it has some wonderful herbal properties as well (look here).

One of the wonderful things about moving back to PA is trying to familiarize myself with some of the plant life.
As a kid... I used to know more than I am remembering now... but such is life.
It's all a process... and I firmly believe that continuing to learn something new every so often helps keep us vital and productive.

What are you learning more about?
See you all tomorrow.

10-7-15

It's been an interesting day up here on the hill... and I am trying hard to rest a bit from the chaos of the year...
which seems to have caught up with me a bit this week. And it's all good.
The birds are singing, the trees are beginning their transition to their fall colors, and we've had some visits today from some of the "critters".... like this little guy...

Frogs are major symbols in many cultures.
The Japanese word for frog is "kaeru", which is the same word for "return". This is why travelers carry a frog amulet as an intention of returning safely to one's home.
For the Celts, the frog was deemed lord over the earth... so they believed the frog represented curative and healing power.
For many though... the frog represents change and transition. Of coming in to one's own. Of defining your personal strengths...
and moving on... of coming into a sort of rebirth and growth.
And so it is.

So for today... I wish you all well. I wish you growth... I wish you safe transition into whatever you are becoming.
See you all tomorrow.

10-6-15

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of showing a couple friends around the studio (such as it is).
I fret over what I feel is my lack of getting things done... especially around the house and studio...  and yet, I know I've been doing a lot because I feel so busy all the time. And that's not really a complaint... I love doing things. I love being able to help folks when I can.
I love feeling like I am being of use to people... and contributing to the overall good.
But I also love my "down" time.

Today I am busy with my mom... another one of her ongoing procedures to help with her chronic pain issues. And I've got a list of things to do that I am longing complete... projects to finish up and such...  and then I am looking forward to just kicking back in my studio and working.
I think as artists, we are always looking forward to the next thing... and as women... we always feel like there is so much to be done before we "indulge" in a creative pursuit.
But it's so very necessary to forge on ahead. Carve out some time. Work on something you love.
Make a dream happen.

Today I encourage you to think about your dreams... and ways you can start spinning wheels to make it happen.
See you all tomorrow.

10-5-15

Well, this weekend was the Falling Leaves Outdoor Show. It was also the last few days of the Potter County Farmer's Market... and even though we were really busy with our booth, both the daughter and I managed to steal away a few minutes and run over to get some fresh produce... and it was awesome.

There was a huge selection of peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, squash of all varieties, pumpkins, beans, beets, garlic .... and all kinds of bread, sweets, honey, jams and more. It was incredible. The dilemma, of course, is picking something to fix for today's post... when there are so many good options out there.
The weekend was cold and wet; for the most part... and feeling achy and sore from so much activity... I decided to make soup.
I sliced up a big Hubbard squash... took out the seeds... and roasted it in the oven for about 30 minutes along with a patty-pan squash, a small acorn squash, 2 striped squash, and a small orange pumpkin-like squash.
While they were cooking, I chopped up 3 medium tomatoes, 2 zucchini and 1 yellow squash, 3 small onions and some garlic, and 2 peppers that were looking a bit wrinkly. I added them all to a large stockpot with some water (about 6 cups)... and cooked them all for about 30 minutes as well. This is a great way to use up some veggies that might be slightly past their peak... or things you want to use up.
I let everything cool off for a bit before I proceeded.

((this photo shows: tomatoes and zucchini, onions and garlic cooking... some of the squash as it goes into the oven...
 after it's all been pureed a bit... and with the spices and soy milk added in))

After things had cooled, I cut the cooked flesh away from all the various squash, and pureed them... along with all the other cooked veggies. It took several "rounds" to get it all done... because I have just a small Magic Bullet blender... but I got it done. As I was pureeing this; I put the finished mix into a large pot on the stove top, then I added some spices --Thai basil, thyme, some chile pepper flakes (just a few), course sea salt and some fresh ground pepper. The final touch was to add some soy milk to make it all creamy -2 cups in total, and to let it all simmer for another 20 minutes or so.

I served it with some rustic bread (that I had also picked up at the Farm Market), and some optional shredded cheese and fresh parsley on top. This soup is completely vegan; as I used soy milk instead of cream or whole milk.

((Today was my last "foodie" post featuring fresh produce from the Potter County Farmer's Market. I want to give them a HUGE round of thanks for consistently providing awesome local grown goodness and handmade items to this community week after week.... and look forward to next season.))